WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:03.680 All right, let's get it drives out Monday afternoon, nine 2 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:06.879 minutes past the hour of two o'clock. It's hot, but 3 00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:09.359 it's cloudy, keeping the temperatures down a little bit. It's 4 00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:12.039 gonna be kind of a topsy turvy weather week to 5 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:14.320 some really hot days and a couple of random cold 6 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:17.640 days later on. It's about eighty four degrees eighty five 7 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.719 degrees and cloudy here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. 8 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:22.839 Happy Monday to you, and. 9 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:24.519 As it is every single day, it's going to have 10 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:25.359 you along for the ride. 11 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:26.839 Spence check. It's behind the mic. 12 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:31.199 That is Porter Larsen behind the glass today producing the program. 13 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:34.880 It is a game day on the radio station, as 14 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.479 we will have Game five of the NBA Finals for 15 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:41.960 you tonight between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. 16 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:45.479 That series is deadlocked to two games apiece. Since you 17 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:47.560 and I last spoke, Oklahoma City was able to get 18 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:52.719 it done in Indiana, closing out in historic form in 19 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:55.280 a couple of different ways on Friday night, taking care 20 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:58.679 of Indiana one eleven to one oh four. We talked 21 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:02.759 about the adjustments and our Dagnaut might make prior to 22 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:05.200 that game and he made a lot of them, and 23 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:08.200 so now the onus is back on Rick Carlisle and 24 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:11.159 the Indiana Pacers to make their adjustments to try to 25 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:15.120 win a game in a building that's almost impossible. Oklahoma 26 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:16.799 City is really good at home. I think they only 27 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:20.040 have one loss in the postseason at home. No, they 28 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:23.079 have two actually because Indiana won game one. So we'll 29 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:26.079 see what happens tonight as this series is deadlocked at 30 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:29.359 two games a piece. Six thirty Mountain Time will be 31 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:31.519 the tip time and will Saga night at six o'clock 32 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:35.000 and send you over to ESPN's coverage of the NBA Finals. 33 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:37.280 TV coverage, of course, is on ABC. 34 00:01:38.519 --> 00:01:43.200 Stanley Cup Finals continues to be wildly entertaining and feels 35 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:45.200 like it might be coming to an end tomorrow night 36 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:48.599 in Florida, but you never know, and certainly love a 37 00:01:48.680 --> 00:01:50.560 game seven. We'll love the game seven for both of 38 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:54.640 these final series before we enter into the summer window 39 00:01:54.760 --> 00:01:58.840 and kind of tread water until football rolls along. Oiler's Panthers. 40 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:02.239 Tomorrow is going to be six Mountain toime on Turner Sports. 41 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:05.319 That's your TV covers and we're your radio home for 42 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:09.879 these Stanley Cup Finals. A massive trade in the NBA 43 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.719 that broke yesterday that caught a lot of people off guard, 44 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:16.400 a lot of people off guard. We'll talk about what 45 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:20.000 the Grizzlies elected to do and good news for the 46 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:23.319 Orlando Magic. In my estimation, we'll get into that deal 47 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:26.759 and then we'll kind of bring it around through the 48 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:28.800 prism of the context of what it means for the 49 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:31.719 Utah Jazz and what the Jazz will attempt to do 50 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:34.960 this offseason. Brian Windhorst himself said that he has been 51 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:37.759 told the Jazz are actively actually trying to add to 52 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:40.039 this roster. I don't know how they'll do that. I 53 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:42.199 don't know what it's going to look like. But if 54 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:44.960 Desmond Baine is able to grab that sort of return, 55 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:47.960 what could lowry market and bring it to Utah Jazz 56 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:49.960 elect to go in that direction. 57 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:52.319 NBA Draft is right around the corner. 58 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:55.800 It is let's see, ten days away from right now, 59 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:58.759 I believe, yeah, ten days away. It is June the 60 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:01.719 twenty sixth will be the first then June the twenty No. No, 61 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:04.159 June the twenty fifth is actually the first round June 62 00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:07.199 and twenty six is the second round, and then June 63 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:11.159 the twenty seventh is the first round the NHL Draft, 64 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:15.319 where the Utah Mammoth find themselves with the number four pick. Overall, 65 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:17.639 Jazz as of now have five and twenty one couple 66 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:19.719 second rounders to boots. So we'll get to some NBA 67 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:24.680 draft stuff on the program today. Big twelve released its 68 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:26.159 basketball schedule last week. 69 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:26.800 We touched on it. 70 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:29.120 We'll go a little bit deeper, and we'll go a 71 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:32.280 little bit deeper on Alex Jensen's roster now that it's 72 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:35.240 basically finalized. We'll do some Utah basketball and of course 73 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:39.319 some offseason college football at the same time, a lot 74 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.520 of storylines going on real Salt Lake actually won a 75 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:45.000 match over the weekend. They had not won a match 76 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:48.800 since April twenty sixth. They were able to beat DC 77 00:03:48.919 --> 00:03:51.520 United too. Noil, Johnny Russell, Do we need to start 78 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:52.560 calling Johnny Russell? 79 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:53.240 Johnny Goles? 80 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:56.719 One goal for Johnny, one goal for Gozo and RSL 81 00:03:56.759 --> 00:03:58.879 get a win and they break that seven match on 82 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:03.560 beaten streak. Diego Luna was tremendous for the US men's 83 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:06.120 national team and their first fora into Gold Cup play 84 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:09.479 this year, as they beat Trinidad and Tobago five to 85 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.879 Nilo Diego technically had two assists, but one of his 86 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:16.279 assists really should have been his goal. He had a 87 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:20.120 little step over and left the defender in their dust, 88 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:21.959 and then he had a really good strike he just 89 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:24.439 ricocheted off of a teammate went to the back of 90 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:24.680 the net. 91 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:26.839 So the teammate gets the goal, Diego gets the assist. 92 00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:30.000 Nonetheless, he was the best player in my opinion on 93 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:32.519 the pitch for either side. So a little soccer on 94 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:36.199 the program today as well. Massive trade in the world 95 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:38.639 of Major League Baseball. That's catching a lot of people 96 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:39.040 off guard. 97 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:39.560 We'll get to that. 98 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:41.959 So a lot to do on the show today. Good 99 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:44.079 guest lists on this Monday afternoon. Hope you had a 100 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:46.279 great weekend off to a great start to that work week. 101 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:47.199 Happy Monday to you. 102 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:50.600 Our first guest will be Kurt Schmidt, chief roster constructor 103 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:54.079 for Real Salt Lake. After the weekend behind US where 104 00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:57.480 RSL was able to get three points, we are abouts 105 00:04:57.639 --> 00:04:59.680 let's see three and a half, four weeks away from 106 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:02.439 the I'm transfer window opening in the world of Major 107 00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:05.519 League Soccer. What does Kurt have up his sleeve. It's 108 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:09.519 clear that this team needs reinforcements badly. Miller family has 109 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:12.319 taken over as the primary ownership group. What sort of 110 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:14.399 budget does he have at his disposal? 111 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:16.040 So we'll get to that. 112 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:18.360 On the program today with Kurt Schmidt, will break down 113 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:22.040 Game four of the NBA Finals and then preview Game 114 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:24.279 five of the NBA Finals and talk about a massive 115 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:28.680 trade in pro basketball. Tom Haberstrow Richard Smith stops by 116 00:05:28.759 --> 00:05:30.800 for his weekly hit one hour in studio. We'll do 117 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:33.120 some jazz, we'll do some offseason NBA, we'll do some 118 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:36.920 NBA finals and his thoughts on Desmond Bay going to Orlando. 119 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:39.199 And then the Voice himself. 120 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:41.680 Always good to catch up with my former radio partner, 121 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:45.079 the Voice of the University of Utah, Bill Riley, the 122 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:47.519 Voice of the Utes, rolls by during the four o'clock hour, 123 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:51.399 So Kurt Schmidt, Tom habershow Richard Smith, Bill Riley, Me 124 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:53.319 Spence Check. Its all of you, the great listeners, and 125 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:57.879 that guy Porter Larson. On a Monday afternoon. Ye when 126 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:01.120 we said good night on Friday, we wondered what we'd 127 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:03.120 be breaking down on Monday, as we often do a 128 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:05.519 lot of radio shows. Do you like, let's predict Monday's 129 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:08.040 headlines today on a Friday being Bill used to do that. 130 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:10.959 We got to too, and we're going back to Oka. 131 00:06:11.079 --> 00:06:11.279 See. 132 00:06:11.319 --> 00:06:13.600 Do you still believe in you're fighting Indiana Pacers? 133 00:06:15.079 --> 00:06:18.399 And I think we also said on Friday, the winner 134 00:06:18.439 --> 00:06:21.680 of that game likely wins the series, you know, And 135 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:24.439 I felt that kind of vibe shift in the in 136 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:28.920 the series. But Man, once you get down Spence, when 137 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:31.079 you handle your business at home, you you know you're 138 00:06:31.079 --> 00:06:33.720 still a game on the road. When when you do 139 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:36.439 that in the NBA Finals, you find yourself too too. Man, 140 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:41.000 best of three, who knows what could happen? And yes, 141 00:06:41.079 --> 00:06:43.839 the Indiana Pacers absolutely have a shot at winning an 142 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:46.959 NBA title. They've shown that, you know, they can beat 143 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:50.600 Okay See in a few different ways. So am I 144 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:52.959 confident in them doing so? No, I think the odds 145 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:58.680 probably lie with the MVP and Okay See. But I 146 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.040 think I think this is going I think it's gonna 147 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:02.000 be a fun one to end it. 148 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:02.839 I hope you're right. 149 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:04.759 I would love to see a game seven, So we'll 150 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:07.560 get to it. It is a busy, busy Monday show 151 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:10.040 and it's great to have you guys along for the ride. 152 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:12.360 Our first guest today on a Monday afternoon, will be 153 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:14.399 Kurt Schmidt. We'll do a little RSL. We'll get his 154 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:18.279 thoughts on the US men's national team as well, and 155 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:20.439 then we'll go from there. 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I'm gonna go 186 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:38.919 under on Tyrese Halliburton seventeen point five points. I'm actually 187 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:42.000 gonna go under on Alex Caruso ten point five points. 188 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.279 They have TJ McConnell's line at four point five points, 189 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:47.960 and I cannot stand TJ McConnell, but I'll take more 190 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:51.600 than six point five points. They've got the line at 191 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:54.360 shit for Shay thirty four point five points. That's a 192 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:56.679 big line, but I'm going over. I think Shay goes 193 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:59.360 big tonight, and I think Oklahoma City gets to win 194 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:02.960 at home where they are nine points five point favorite. 195 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:05.000 All right, so a couple things here. 196 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.080 We'll do some hoops right off the bat, and we'll 197 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:11.440 actually we'll get to game five tonight. Tom haberstro is 198 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:13.279 going to join us coming up in the three o'clock hour, 199 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:16.120 so we'll give you a big preview of Game five tonight. 200 00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:17.559 We're gonna look back on Game four. 201 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:20.639 But far more interesting in my estimation at least on 202 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:23.559 this Monday, is the Memphis Grizzlies have traded Desmond Bane 203 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:27.399 to the Orlando Magic in a blockbuster deal. So, Desmond 204 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:29.919 Bane five years in Memphis, the Jazz had a chance 205 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:32.840 to draft him and they did not do that, and 206 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:35.639 he would have fit in very nicely with that team 207 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:38.600 with Donovan and Gobert and obviously Quinn as the coach. 208 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:43.799 So instead they went Adoka Abuza, the big kid from Kansas. Right, 209 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:46.279 they drafted the big kid from Kansas that year when 210 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:48.039 they had the chance to draft us as a bouquet. 211 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.519 That's right, Audoko has a bouquet, the big kid from Kansas. 212 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:54.000 Desmond Bane in five years in Memphis really established himself 213 00:09:54.679 --> 00:09:56.279 as one of the best three and D players in 214 00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:58.600 pro basketball. He is an absolute beast. He is a 215 00:09:58.679 --> 00:10:01.559 bold Defensively, he's a not down three point shooter. The 216 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:04.399 Orlando side of this, the net net for the Orlando 217 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:08.320 Magic is, in my opinion, they instantly have catapulted themselves 218 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.759 into the conversation next year as the best team on 219 00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:14.720 paper in the Eastern Conference. Now, when you look at 220 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:17.440 who they have and then when you juxtapose it to 221 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:21.600 the rest of the conference, Cleveland probably and these this 222 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:23.440 is bad news if you're a Jazz fan. The Jazz 223 00:10:23.559 --> 00:10:26.039 own all of these picks from the Calves, but the 224 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:28.440 Calves continue to make pretty savvy moves to make sure 225 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:30.080 they're a really good regular season team. 226 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:30.720 If you're a. 227 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:33.519 Jazz fan, it doesn't matter that the Calves potentially could 228 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:36.200 fall on their face in the postseason because you know Donovan. 229 00:10:36.679 --> 00:10:39.480 But in the regular season, if they keep scratching sixty wins, 230 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.159 the draft capital you've received in returned for Mitchell is 231 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:44.720 never going to be good. So the Calves on paper, 232 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:47.759 they're really good next year. I'm gonna use the term 233 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:50.559 gap year, like if you were one of those college 234 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:53.279 students where you know, after your junior year you were 235 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:55.440 burnt out, so you decided to take a gap year 236 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:57.440 and maybe work and then come back and get your degree. 237 00:10:58.039 --> 00:10:59.960 That's what I feel like the Celtics are going to 238 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:03.480 look like next year with no Jason Tatum. Every single 239 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:06.960 trade rumor that people publish in the world of professional 240 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:10.360 basketball seems to dedicate Boston is willing to move on 241 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:14.240 from maybe even Jalen Brown. If not true, Holliday and 242 00:11:14.279 --> 00:11:17.399 Derek White, Christaps porzingis they would move tomorrow if they could, 243 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:20.639 so I don't view the Celtics as a serious contender 244 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:25.200 next year. The Knicks don't have a coach, as we've 245 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:29.039 talked about, They've tried to interview everyone else's coaches and 246 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:32.279 everyone just gives them the double bird, like, please stop 247 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:35.039 calling us. But the Knicks on paper gonna be good. 248 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:37.320 The Pacers have to get their flowers for this NBA 249 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:41.039 Finals run. But outside of that, Orlando, to me, has 250 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:45.080 now catapulted themselves into this level with Polo ban Caro, 251 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:48.159 Franz Wagner, now Desmond Baine and some other good pieces 252 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:50.799 to have something to say about what the East is 253 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:52.720 going to look like next year and then beyond. Because 254 00:11:52.759 --> 00:11:54.960 Desmond Bain has only been in the league five years now, 255 00:11:55.799 --> 00:11:59.559 what to me is more interesting about this deal is 256 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:03.120 what it says about the mentality of the Memphis Grizzlies 257 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:06.679 and what it might say about the mentality of the 258 00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:07.600 Western Conference. 259 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:09.360 Right, So here's how this works. 260 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:12.720 When a team is a juggernaut, and when a team 261 00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:18.200 achieves historic success the way Oklahoma City has, every roster 262 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:21.720 constructor in pro basketball will look at that model, look 263 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:23.840 at that blueprint and say, how do we get some 264 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:26.960 of that. It's not like any other business model where 265 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:29.799 if something is successful you want to copy, you know, 266 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:32.279 essentially the way they go about their business and their 267 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:35.600 blueprint and they're hiring practices and their best laid plans 268 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:38.080 and their personnel like whatever it is, it's making it work. 269 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:39.039 How do we get some of that? 270 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:43.720 And I think this is what we're seeing as a 271 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:46.759 result of what the Oklahoma City thunder have built, who 272 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:49.000 they are and who they're going to be. 273 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:50.240 Throughout the course. 274 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:52.320 So probably the next I'll say three to four years, 275 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:55.480 now we live in a different MBA where the days 276 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:59.360 of the long dynasties have probably been put behind us 277 00:12:59.399 --> 00:13:02.279 for now as a result of the punitive nature of 278 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:05.360 the economic infrastructure of a team that's paying a lot 279 00:13:05.399 --> 00:13:09.840 of money, even if it's really good for players that 280 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:14.120 lead them to great things momentarily, but the longevity of 281 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.679 dynasties are probably behind us unless you get an owner 282 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:19.759 that is so rich he does not give a rip 283 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:23.519 about literally losing hundreds of millions of dollars. And what 284 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:26.440 we're about to see in Boston is probably the first 285 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:30.799 real example of the punitive nature of the economic infrastructure 286 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:33.240 of the NBA now, because this new ownership group has 287 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:36.039 to write a check for five hundred million dollars just 288 00:13:36.120 --> 00:13:38.600 to have the team, just to have this roster. That's 289 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.519 not even what they're paying their players. That is their 290 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:44.519 luxury tax penalty for being a second apron team over 291 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:46.600 the course of multiple years. That's why they have to 292 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:50.039 make these decisions, and Oklahoma City at some point will 293 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:52.879 have to make the same decisions. But the point is 294 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.960 it's not coming anytime soon. That's why I'm going to 295 00:13:56.039 --> 00:13:57.919 use three to four years. Oklahoma City this year won 296 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.799 sixty eight basketball games. Their net was plus thirteen. That 297 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:04.039 is historic. They are a top five team on offense, 298 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:06.639 they are a top five team on defense. They're about 299 00:14:06.679 --> 00:14:09.320 to win the NBA Championship in my opinion, and the 300 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:12.320 bulk of their roster is between the ages of twenty 301 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.720 one and twenty seven. Okay, So the only two exceptions there, 302 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:17.799 and these are good players that they rely upon. 303 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:18.320 Okay. 304 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:21.879 So Kendrick Williams is thirty and Alex Crusoe is thirty one, okay, 305 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:24.879 But besides that, Lou Dort twenty six, Shay of course 306 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:28.919 twenty six, Hartenstein is twenty seven, Chats twenty three, Isaiah 307 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:32.559 Joe's twenty five, Cason Wallace is twenty one, Aaron Wiggins 308 00:14:32.679 --> 00:14:36.080 is twenty six, Jalen Williams is twenty four. And yes, 309 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:39.159 at some point if they win, other players are going 310 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:40.879 to say, Okay, it's time for me to get paid. 311 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:44.519 But that the point is that's not coming anytime soon, 312 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:48.039 and it will come at some point. But I have 313 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:51.519 to wonder if the Memphis Grizzlies simply just did their 314 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:56.600 calculations on who Oklahoma City is and then juxtaposed ok 315 00:14:56.799 --> 00:15:00.159 c's roster to their own and said, look, it's just 316 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:02.679 not close. We're not close to them, and so we 317 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:06.080 do not want to pay Jaron Jackson Junior, who's a 318 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:08.519 really good player, but he's going to be coming up 319 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:11.120 on a contract extension. They've already paid jaw but in 320 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:15.559 Jaw you have an intoxicating talent and an absolute moron, 321 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:19.759 and that's a tough thing to balance. And also, let 322 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:22.240 me say this, I've heard a couple of people's surmise 323 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:25.080 that they think this means Memphis is going to move 324 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.639 off Jaw and they're going to move off Jaron Jackson Junior. 325 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:30.240 I disagree with that. I don't think that's gonna happen. 326 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:33.639 John Morana this point is under contract through twenty twenty 327 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:36.000 eight and his final year is forty four point eight 328 00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:40.159 million dollars. Desmond Bane was actually the player who is 329 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:43.120 under contract the longest. His contract runs through twenty twenty 330 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:46.000 nine at forty four point eight. Jaron Jackson Junior is 331 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.799 about to enter a contract year. He is eligible for 332 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:51.360 an extension, and I wouldn't be surprised if they extend him. 333 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.039 Jaron Jackson Junior next year is going to make twenty 334 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:57.200 three point four mil. They got Brandon Clark, John conchar 335 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:00.240 Zachi Edy who they drafted last year, and then grip 336 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:02.759 of young players Scottie Pippen Junior and others that people 337 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:05.240 don't really know a ton about. But I don't think 338 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:07.000 they're gonna move off of job. I don't think they're 339 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:09.080 gonna move off of Jaron Jackson Junior. I think they're 340 00:16:09.159 --> 00:16:11.360 just gonna kind of ride this thing out and then 341 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:15.120 see what happens with Oklahoma City as this roster moves forward. 342 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:17.120 So when you look at the books at Okasee and 343 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:18.720 the reason I'm bringing this up and we are going 344 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:20.840 to land the plane, I know we're circling in the 345 00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:23.080 airport a little bit, but it just leads me to 346 00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:25.440 wonder what other teams in the West are thinking about, 347 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:27.720 and namely how the Jazz kind of view this through 348 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:30.480 their prism. So we'll do this real quick before you 349 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:34.159 catch a break. SGA Shay is under contract through twenty 350 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:37.600 twenty seven. Now as a result of winning MVP. The 351 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:40.759 new contract he's gonna get is gonna be wild. It's 352 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:43.720 gonna be probably the richest contract in NBA history. They 353 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:46.639 also have Heart and Stein under contract through twenty twenty seven, 354 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:49.919 Dort under contract through twenty twenty seven, Isaiah Joe through 355 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:52.879 twenty eight, Wiggins is signed through twenty nine, Chad is 356 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:55.879 on as rookie deal that expires in twenty seven. Crusoe 357 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:59.120 signed actually through twenty nine as well. Kendrick Williams through 358 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.000 twenty seven. Casin's on his rookie deal, that's twenty eight, 359 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:05.359 and I could keep going. Essentially, this group will be 360 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.079 together for at least two more years, playing at a 361 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:08.920 very high level. 362 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:10.960 And my guess is they're of course. 363 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:13.400 Going to extend Shay, They're going to continue to extend 364 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:15.680 some of these young players, and then Jalen will come 365 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:18.000 off of his rookie contract in twenty eight and then 366 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.000 they're going to have a decision to make. So this 367 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:23.519 is a three year situation where, barring something wild like 368 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:26.559 a really bad injury to Shay knock on Wood, Oklahoma 369 00:17:26.680 --> 00:17:28.839 City has told the rest of the league, we built 370 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:31.359 this up brick by brick, and we're here and we're 371 00:17:31.400 --> 00:17:34.160 not going anywhere for at least three years, and probably 372 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:37.079 not after that as well, because Sam Presty has been 373 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:39.599 so brilliant about his roster construction. 374 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:43.279 But the secret, sauce is it's not just finding these 375 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:44.000 great players. 376 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:44.200 Now. 377 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:47.640 What Oklahoma City is also positioned to do because they 378 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:50.839 have thirteen future first round picks, both their own and 379 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.720 picks that are owed to them. As they do have 380 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.319 to make tough economic decisions, they'll maintain a core of 381 00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:01.240 two to three guys, probably Shae, Jalen, and and then 382 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:05.480 incrementally surround them with smart draft picks and players on 383 00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:08.440 rookie scales. And the reason you have to knock on these, 384 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:10.319 you know, you have to knock these draft picks out 385 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:13.119 of the park, is that essentially it's cheap labor, is 386 00:18:13.160 --> 00:18:15.640 what it is. It's really good young players that you 387 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:18.200 don't have to pay very much. Guess how much Jalen 388 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:21.799 Williams is making this year four point seven million dollars 389 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:24.359 for a number two option on a championship team. That 390 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:27.759 is smart roster construction. And Jalen will get his, but 391 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:30.240 not for at least two more years. So what Memphis 392 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.079 did to me actually put my radars up a little 393 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:35.039 bit more than I think most people have been talking about. 394 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:38.759 This is an indication, in my opinion, that they've looked 395 00:18:38.759 --> 00:18:41.680 at Okasee and said, we're not close, so we might 396 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:43.880 as well turn one of these players into an asset 397 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.079 because we don't want to pay this roster an exorbit 398 00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:48.759 amount of money when we don't feel like we're in 399 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:50.799 the mix to win a championship. We'll see what this 400 00:18:50.920 --> 00:18:52.880 means for the Utah Jazz and we'll get back to 401 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:54.799 this coming up with Tom Haberstrow. 402 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.240 Smithy will be good on this as well. All Right, 403 00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:58.319 it's game Day on the station. 404 00:18:58.839 --> 00:19:03.359 Game five of the NBA Finals tonight Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 405 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:06.480 where the Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Indiana Pacers. 406 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:08.480 Series of deadlock to two games apiece. 407 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:10.200 We're gonna say good night at six o'clock and then 408 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:12.039 we're gonna send you coverage of that game, and we'll 409 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:15.079 have the Stanley Cup Finals resuming tomorrow. We've got Tom 410 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:17.920 Haberstrow for some NBA Smidi Liven Studio Voice of the 411 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:19.960 Youth's Bill Riley. But we'll start things off in a 412 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:23.519 Monday afternoon talking a little soccer as RSL gets a 413 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:25.960 much needed win over the weekend to nil over DC 414 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:29.599 United and Kurt Schmidt, chief roster constructor. 415 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:31.640 On the program on a Monday. Kurt, Happy Monday, sir, 416 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:32.000 How are you? 417 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:33.559 I'm good? 418 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:34.559 How are you good? Bud? 419 00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:35.319 Thanks for the time. 420 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:39.480 So, I don't know what adjective you would like to use. Relieved, excited, 421 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:43.599 I don't know. You tell me, uh what, what sort 422 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:47.759 of emotion or whatever did that win on Saturday give 423 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:52.319 you guys, after going seven matches without a dub, how 424 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:52.960 about hungry? 425 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:55.799 There we go. It's one of those where it's like, hey, 426 00:19:56.200 --> 00:19:59.079 that was necessary and now we got to focus on 427 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:00.599 the next one for sure. 428 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:03.319 And one of the one of the players you acquired 429 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:06.839 during the primary transfer window, Johnny Russell opened his bank 430 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:11.240 account soccer terms kid, no big deal. So how pleased 431 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:13.400 were you in his I believe that was his first start. 432 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:14.319 To see Johnny find the. 433 00:20:14.359 --> 00:20:14.880 Back of the net. 434 00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:20.000 No, it's fantastic. And obviously when when players score goals, 435 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:24.440 you know, it gives them confidence and helps them repeat 436 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:27.960 that performance and even improve. So you know, for Johnny 437 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:30.519 to get that goal in his first start is huge 438 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:32.440 for the team because obviously it helps us win the game, 439 00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:33.799 but it's huge for him as well. 440 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.720 Tell me about the process, Kurt of bringing him along. 441 00:20:36.839 --> 00:20:39.680 So for our listeners, Johnny is a long time not 442 00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:42.400 just MLS VET, but he's played uh all over the 443 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:44.559 world and the goal he scored on Saturday was his 444 00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:48.039 sixty first goal in Major League Soccer, so he's had 445 00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:48.720 a long career. 446 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:50.559 He was a sporting case. 447 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:52.960 A lot of people thought he was going to retire, 448 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:56.799 did not have a preseason so you sign him, and 449 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:58.640 I would imagine it took a minute for him to 450 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:01.279 get in informed and fit. So tell us about this 451 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:03.559 process and what can what sort of like can you 452 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:04.000 shed on it? 453 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:08.200 Yeah, I mean, look, he's still still rolling into it. 454 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:11.960 I mean he was he's a discipline professional, and he 455 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:15.640 was certainly keeps himself ready and fit and working out 456 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:19.440 while he was looking for his next club. But that's 457 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:22.359 you know, that's different than obviously playing at a high 458 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:24.559 level every day training day and day out and having 459 00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:27.680 that match fitness and that mass sharpness. So he's definitely 460 00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:30.279 starting to get his legs under him in that in 461 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:34.279 that respect, I mean the match fitness still still isn't 462 00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:36.799 isn't quite there. Obviously, he came out at the half 463 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:38.839 and you know, building him up is going to help 464 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:41.680 us a lot. But he his sharpness is getting back 465 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:43.119 to where it needs to be and you know saw 466 00:21:43.160 --> 00:21:44.359 that with the quality when it's finished. 467 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:47.160 Tell me about because it was interesting to listen to 468 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:50.440 Johnny post game where he talked about how grateful he 469 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:54.240 was for this opportunity and even kind of pontificated on 470 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:56.880 the possibility of walking away. Wasn't sure if he was 471 00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:59.880 going to get another team, said, he's here to score goals, 472 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.640 goals and also help some of these younger players. So, 473 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:05.519 throughout the course of your conversations with Johnny during the 474 00:22:05.559 --> 00:22:09.559 primary transfer window, what sort of kind of details did 475 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.000 you guys share back and forth and what essentially was 476 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:14.720 your ask of him before bringing him into the club. 477 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:19.200 That's a great question. Yeah, I mean the conversations with 478 00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:23.839 him were about, yeah, definitely extending his career, but also 479 00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:26.079 what he could bring to our group. And we have 480 00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:30.279 a very very young team, you know, before Johnny came in, 481 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:33.079 Rafa was the only player we had over thirty essentially 482 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:36.440 on the roster. So one of the things that we 483 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:38.559 talked to him about was just coming in and being 484 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:41.440 a bit of a leader and a mentor and an 485 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:44.799 experienced guy within the group, you know, just to help 486 00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:47.039 the group through some things, some things that he'd seen 487 00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:50.039 before and some of the younger guys, despite their talents 488 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:52.799 or their quality in that moment, just haven't seen. So 489 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:55.519 I think that that's something that manifested right away from 490 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:58.440 day one, is how he integrated with the group and 491 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.759 his ability to you know, just to talk to players 492 00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:03.599 on the field, you know. Pablo says this all the time, 493 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:05.839 but to have you know, your teammate kind of make 494 00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:08.039 a point to you. It's sometimes a little bit different 495 00:23:08.119 --> 00:23:10.640 than the coach, right, especially when the veteran player puts 496 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:12.359 his arm around you and is like, hey, next time, 497 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:14.160 you know, do it like this, not like that, or 498 00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:16.480 next time playing me here and not there. You know, 499 00:23:16.759 --> 00:23:19.119 it brings a little more true for those guys, and 500 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:21.319 so that little bit of experience in the group has 501 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:23.599 been very helpful. And then obviously you know, just about 502 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:26.160 setting expectations for him and his performance. And he's a 503 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:28.440 high level player. He wants to, you know, play all 504 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:30.000 the time. He wants to score goals every game, he 505 00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:32.240 wants to do all those things. He's very hungry, and 506 00:23:32.359 --> 00:23:35.079 it's just about setting his dissertations of how you've been 507 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:37.119 out for a bit, like let's let's get you fit, 508 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:39.720 let's get you into it, and when you're ready, you know, 509 00:23:39.880 --> 00:23:40.119 you'll go. 510 00:23:41.079 --> 00:23:42.480 You know, I had a chance when I was with 511 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:44.279 the club on the road in San Diego. I had 512 00:23:44.279 --> 00:23:45.880 a chance to meet him and talk to him, and 513 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:50.000 his intensity really just shines through. And that's always interesting, 514 00:23:50.680 --> 00:23:52.559 and it is player by player. I can remember the 515 00:23:52.599 --> 00:23:54.519 first time I met will Johnson, I thought he was 516 00:23:54.599 --> 00:23:56.440 going to shank me with a knife. I'm like, chill out, dude, 517 00:23:56.440 --> 00:23:59.880 it's okay. And Johnny kind of has that same intent 518 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:03.079 just as a person when you just kind of meet 519 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:06.440 him and talk to him. I wonder what sort of 520 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:09.680 expectation you guys have moving forward now that he is 521 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:12.240 fit and he has started and he has scored a goal. 522 00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:15.039 I mean, it's safe to say that he's a piece, 523 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:16.400 But do you think we're going to see him in 524 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:19.000 starting elevens and what sort of expectations do you have 525 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:20.640 for him now that we've seen what he can do 526 00:24:21.160 --> 00:24:23.039 when he's fit and Pablo gives him the start. 527 00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:26.960 Honestly, I mean, I don't want to be in the 528 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:28.880 business right now of saying this guy will play every 529 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:30.519 game that day. You know it's going to be sub 530 00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:32.680 or any of that stuff, because the reality is where 531 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:35.559 we're at, you know, and we're not you know, we're 532 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:37.839 not clueless. We know where we're at in the season, 533 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:42.799 and there there's no consideration other than form and performance 534 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:45.039 on the day. And you know, for Pablo, he's just 535 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:46.440 got to make those decisions. 536 00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:46.440 On the day. 537 00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:49.440 If it's Johnny, it's Johnny, if it's done, if it's Gozo, 538 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:51.960 if it's Aiden Hether, Konnie or whoever it could be 539 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:54.839 in that white midfield spot. You know, it's got to 540 00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:56.640 be who's going to put in the best performance on 541 00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:59.039 the day. So when that's Johnny, you know, he obviously 542 00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:01.920 brings something different than some of the other guys, you know, 543 00:25:02.039 --> 00:25:04.720 being left footed, having a little more experience in quality 544 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:06.559 in the box. You know, he's a little more of 545 00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:08.759 a goal scorer than kind of the rest of the 546 00:25:08.839 --> 00:25:10.839 options out there. So he had a little bit different, 547 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:13.440 which you know is a fantastic change your pace, whether 548 00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:15.640 it's from the start or it's off the bench later 549 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:16.079 in the game. 550 00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:19.599 Okay, so I want to pan back here and talk 551 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:21.880 about the club from kind of a thirty thousand foot 552 00:25:21.960 --> 00:25:24.680 view as we're sitting here, you know, more or less 553 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:28.359 past midway. And you know, it seems like every time 554 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:30.319 I have Pablo On and it's been more or less 555 00:25:30.359 --> 00:25:33.200 weekly and less. The other are travel issues. He often 556 00:25:33.319 --> 00:25:36.440 talks about how there have been moments in every game 557 00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:40.000 that he's very pleased with, and ultimately this can be 558 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:42.720 a really really cruel sport where you get caught with 559 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:45.799 a counter or there's a deflection and somebody scores a 560 00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:48.000 dumb goal, or you get a red card or a 561 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:52.039 PK or whatever. So eighteen games played, five ten and 562 00:25:52.119 --> 00:25:54.759 three eighteen points. As you said, you guys know where 563 00:25:54.759 --> 00:25:56.599 you're out in the standings. Pablo kind of laid the 564 00:25:56.680 --> 00:25:58.319 math on us last week of what you need to 565 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:00.799 do to make the postseason in. But what I wanted 566 00:26:00.839 --> 00:26:03.160 to get from you is, as you're watching your club, 567 00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:06.200 what do you feel like you can say that you're 568 00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:08.440 very good at and what you feel like you can 569 00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:10.480 say that you very much need to improve on with 570 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:13.079 this club. I'm not talking about additions, I'm talking about 571 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:13.920 what you see with the group. 572 00:26:13.960 --> 00:26:19.279 You have another good question, Svince. I think I think 573 00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:21.640 we've been pretty good in our in our ball progression, 574 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:24.640 our build up most games this year, with maybe a 575 00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:28.440 few exceptions, and so some of that, that piece of 576 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:32.039 our identity that that we established last year has carried through. 577 00:26:32.599 --> 00:26:35.039 And you know, I think Rafa has been a huge help. 578 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:37.279 You know, obviously he's a goalkeeper, so defense first, but 579 00:26:38.039 --> 00:26:42.640 he's added a lot of calmness and composure to our 580 00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:46.680 buildout process. So I think we've seen good, good build 581 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:49.000 out and ball progression from back to middle and and 582 00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:52.200 I think from middle to to front, middle to final third. 583 00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:54.880 I think it's been a little more hit or missed. 584 00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:58.279 I think it's been good, but I think we need 585 00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:01.559 to be a little more con stint where. I think 586 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:04.799 last year we needed fewer chances of score goals. To 587 00:27:04.839 --> 00:27:07.279 be quite honest, this year we need we need some more. 588 00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:09.519 We need you know, we're volume finishers. You know, like 589 00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:11.799 again you saw in this game this weekend, Goes was 590 00:27:11.799 --> 00:27:14.759 a young guy. He's working, he's getting chances and you 591 00:27:14.839 --> 00:27:17.039 know he needs two or three good chances and he 592 00:27:17.079 --> 00:27:18.839 got his goal. But we need to keep giving them 593 00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:21.559 those chances to make sure he gets the goals. And 594 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:23.839 you know, Will he's the same, Are He's going to 595 00:27:23.880 --> 00:27:25.920 be the same. You know, all those guys up top 596 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:28.400 that we put in there, they need chances to score. 597 00:27:28.519 --> 00:27:30.440 So I think we've been creating those chances. We've been 598 00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:32.720 getting the ball in the good spots. Our movement in 599 00:27:32.759 --> 00:27:36.480 the box sometimes is an ideal. Our finishing obviously needs 600 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:40.039 to improve with this group, but yeah, I think those 601 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.480 those things are still there for us to improve upon. 602 00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:47.359 But I think we've put together some really good games. 603 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:49.839 You know, back to middle and then you know, middle 604 00:27:49.880 --> 00:27:52.160 to to final third is where you know, I think 605 00:27:52.200 --> 00:27:54.119 he just needs to improve a bit, and I think 606 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:55.880 we've focused on that in the last few weeks. And 607 00:27:56.359 --> 00:27:58.359 there's been some games. You know, when we started the 608 00:27:58.440 --> 00:28:00.960 Vancouver game, I thought it was you know, it was 609 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:03.200 obviously really good early in the game, and then the 610 00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:06.079 defense wasn't able to sustain it and against a really 611 00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:07.960 good team that was playing with a lot of confidence. 612 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:11.559 So yeah, but I think those aspects on the ball 613 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:13.720 are where we're looking right now. 614 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:19.319 Eight games played, six starts, two subs, one goal for 615 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:22.599 Willy so far. Williagatta your other addition during the primary 616 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:24.599 transfer window, I'm gonna ask you the same thing about 617 00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:26.240 Willie that I asked you about your club, because you 618 00:28:26.359 --> 00:28:29.119 reference movement off the ball in the box and you 619 00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:32.200 can see I mean, obviously he is a striker that 620 00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:35.440 has played significant time in MLS and he has goals 621 00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:38.640 in him that we've seen and it's probably more experience 622 00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:41.640 as if you juxtapose him to Ari, but his movement 623 00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:44.000 stands out to me. But we have not seen a 624 00:28:44.039 --> 00:28:46.319 ton of goals so far. So what have you liked 625 00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:48.640 from Willy in his eight games played and what are 626 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:50.119 you hoping to see moving forward? 627 00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:55.160 Yeah, I think Willy is sometimes it's hard to catch, 628 00:28:55.200 --> 00:28:58.640 but he is an incredibly strong player, and so his 629 00:28:58.799 --> 00:29:01.240 hole to play can be a strength of his I 630 00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:04.079 don't I don't think it. You know, it's not always 631 00:29:04.119 --> 00:29:06.920 there right, which which is something consistency can Even though 632 00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:10.039 he's a little more experienced than Ari, he's still relatively 633 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:13.359 on the younger side, so but he's someone who can 634 00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:15.759 hold the ball up for us, and when he plays 635 00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:18.400 simple and gets back on the highest line, that can 636 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:21.640 be very effective. I think this last week he got 637 00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:23.319 away from that a little bit and it was a 638 00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:25.920 little too many touches getting caught in possession in those moments. 639 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:28.160 But when he does play one in two touch, he 640 00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:30.519 can hold the defender off and he can keep possession 641 00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:32.279 for us and get back on the highest flying which 642 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:34.519 just gives us more time to get our team forward 643 00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:36.920 and get our numbers into the final third and hopefully 644 00:29:36.920 --> 00:29:39.160 into the box when the chance does come. And I 645 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:42.440 think he's also someone that you know he gets his chances, 646 00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:46.759 and I think there are specific moments when you know, again, 647 00:29:46.839 --> 00:29:49.680 his movement, any any player's movement can improve in the box. 648 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:54.160 But he finds a way, whether it's instinct or you know, 649 00:29:54.319 --> 00:29:57.079 whatever it might be, he finds a way to get 650 00:29:57.319 --> 00:30:00.519 chances in front of goal each game. But again he's 651 00:30:00.680 --> 00:30:03.640 you know, I think like Gozo. Like I mentioned with Gozo, 652 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:05.319 I think he's going to be a volume finisher, and 653 00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:07.799 you know, he's not a guy that can stand around 654 00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:09.559 for the whole game and we'll give him a chance 655 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:09.880 and we'll. 656 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:10.279 Score a goal. 657 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:12.359 I think he's got to be engaged in the entire game. 658 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:14.519 We got to keep feeding him chances, getting them the 659 00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:16.960 ball in the final third, and he'll get his goals. 660 00:30:17.359 --> 00:30:20.559 So you reference Gozo and maybe I buried the lead, 661 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:22.319 but I wanted to start with Johnny because it was 662 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:25.400 his first goal. But you do have a second leading 663 00:30:25.559 --> 00:30:29.200 score now officially with Gozo Italian his second. And I 664 00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:31.160 don't know, Kurt, maybe it was three weeks ago, a 665 00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:33.559 month ago when you hopped on the show, when I 666 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:36.079 said to you, Okay, I feel like you've got something 667 00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:39.079 with this young kid. And we'll get to Diego and 668 00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:41.359 his experience with a goal cup in a minute. But 669 00:30:41.720 --> 00:30:44.759 just for our listener's sake, what sort of insight can 670 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:47.799 you shed about his growth and the process, what you're 671 00:30:47.880 --> 00:30:49.960 seeing so far that you like, and what he needs 672 00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:51.079 to do to keep it going. 673 00:30:52.279 --> 00:30:55.880 So gozo like you know, like I think any successful 674 00:30:55.960 --> 00:31:00.359 young player, the real differentiator is is an his head 675 00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:05.559 and his mentality, his work rate, his work ethic, his 676 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:09.799 his ability to you know, refocus is maybe a word 677 00:31:09.799 --> 00:31:11.759 that I would use where you know, it's like, hey, 678 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:14.279 something happens to distract him or take him out of 679 00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:16.640 his game, and he's he's able to refocus back in 680 00:31:16.759 --> 00:31:18.960 on the game and and get get back to it 681 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:22.599 is really really good. And his adaptability from level to 682 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:25.359 level has been really really good. And so what's gotten 683 00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:29.119 him these opportunities is that aspect his mentality, continuing to 684 00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:31.480 come back, continuing to try the next one. You know, 685 00:31:31.720 --> 00:31:33.599 he's like I said, he you know, he had a 686 00:31:33.640 --> 00:31:36.079 couple of chances early, didn't score them, made it, you know, 687 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:38.519 had another chance, put it away, right, And so his 688 00:31:38.599 --> 00:31:41.680 ability to kind of you know, set those those prior 689 00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:44.319 instances aside and just take the next one as it 690 00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:47.519 is and and do his best with that opportunity is 691 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:50.759 is really you know, elite from that standpoint, and his 692 00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:53.799 ability to do that is what's gonna do him, serve 693 00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:57.119 him the most well as he goes and progress. This 694 00:31:57.160 --> 00:31:59.119 sucre because as long as he has those things in 695 00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:01.480 his head, you know, he's going to do the extra work. 696 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:03.279 The coaches will work with him, He's going to get 697 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:05.640 the reps and the experience, and he sees these situations 698 00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:08.039 more and he's going to learn from those situations and 699 00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:10.920 you know all of that will will come along with 700 00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:13.519 it and his ability to just continue to work and 701 00:32:13.640 --> 00:32:15.440 go and try the next one and the next one 702 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:18.799 and the next one is with you know, relentless, I 703 00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:20.880 guess is a word he could use. Is what's going 704 00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:23.799 to keep him developing and becoming a better and better 705 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:24.400 player for us. 706 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:27.079 Help me understand, because he's not I don't think he's 707 00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:30.000 a nine, right, but he can clearly finish with a 708 00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:33.400 couple of goals when it's fully baked, when Gozo is 709 00:32:33.440 --> 00:32:37.000 completely developed. What sort of position slash role do you 710 00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:40.480 think will allow him to magnify his talents the best? 711 00:32:41.559 --> 00:32:44.480 Yeah, he's played both, you know, I obviously when he 712 00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:47.319 was you know, Win's with the youth fifteens, which is 713 00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:49.359 kind of crazy to say or think about, but was 714 00:32:49.400 --> 00:32:51.680 with you fifteens he was all right when you replayed 715 00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:55.039 up top as well, and he's sort of served his 716 00:32:55.160 --> 00:32:57.720 time in both roles as he's moved his way through 717 00:32:57.720 --> 00:33:00.839 the pipeline. So he's he certainly done both for us, 718 00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:05.039 and he can do it. I mean, he's playing probably 719 00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:07.200 more of like a nine and a half or second 720 00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:10.119 striker role right now, where you know he's looking to 721 00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:12.079 stretch the defense and get in behind from a little 722 00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:14.519 bit of a deeper starting position. But if you look 723 00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:17.640 at us when we build right now, it's almost, you know, 724 00:33:17.720 --> 00:33:21.319 a two strikers set up with an attacking Mitchfielder coming underneath. 725 00:33:21.400 --> 00:33:24.039 You know that was maybe Luna before he left, and 726 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:26.119 you know the other night it was Diogo coming in 727 00:33:26.200 --> 00:33:29.799 underneath and getting on the ball. So I think he's 728 00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:32.079 he makes give us a bit of a different look 729 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:34.839 than we had last year or even earlier this year, 730 00:33:35.240 --> 00:33:37.000 where we in possession and we were sort of two 731 00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:40.759 attacking Mitchelly gined one striker. Now it's almost one one 732 00:33:40.799 --> 00:33:44.119 attacking Mitchiellder behind two strikers when we're trying to attack. 733 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:47.559 So your reference Diego, he's credited with the assist on 734 00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:51.200 Johnny's goal that was kind of an individual effort from Johnny, 735 00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:54.000 but nonetheless he gets the credit. And as I talked 736 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:57.000 to you about prior to diego leaving, it felt like 737 00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:59.759 this could be an opportunity for Diogo maybe to shut 738 00:33:59.799 --> 00:34:03.279 some people up and fill up or live up to expectations. 739 00:34:03.319 --> 00:34:06.559 We all know he's the only designated player on the roster. Technically, 740 00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:10.760 you guys were pretty dominant on Saturday, and he was 741 00:34:10.880 --> 00:34:14.480 intertwined in most of the you know, attacking plays that 742 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:17.960 led to anything substantial. Give me an update on how 743 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:20.440 he's doing and his progress and what you're hoping to 744 00:34:20.519 --> 00:34:23.000 see from him as diegoes with the US men's national team. 745 00:34:24.039 --> 00:34:25.679 Yeah, I mean, look, I think he's putting his head 746 00:34:25.679 --> 00:34:29.159 down and he's working hard, and he knows there's there's 747 00:34:29.199 --> 00:34:32.679 responsibility that he needs to take with with Diego out 748 00:34:33.400 --> 00:34:34.920 and I think he did a good job of taking 749 00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:37.559 that on Saturday. And you know, the ball he played 750 00:34:37.599 --> 00:34:40.760 to Johnny for his goal was was a phenomenal through ball. 751 00:34:40.880 --> 00:34:44.039 But even more than that, it's his ability to maintain 752 00:34:44.119 --> 00:34:46.920 possession under pressure in the middle of the field and 753 00:34:47.079 --> 00:34:49.400 then and then spin out with some good technique and 754 00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:52.320 find that ball. And I think he finds those balls, 755 00:34:52.679 --> 00:34:55.119 maybe more than we realize, just because we have had 756 00:34:55.679 --> 00:34:58.519 some trouble finishing them, you know, But when you look 757 00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:01.159 at some of the more anthmetrics, you know, I think 758 00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:03.159 he shows that he had a pretty good game on 759 00:35:03.199 --> 00:35:05.239 the day. So you know, I think if he comes 760 00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:07.559 at it with that mentality and brings that level of 761 00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:10.800 work and quality to the game, because he has quality, 762 00:35:10.840 --> 00:35:14.480 I think he's going to be real, real interesting as 763 00:35:14.559 --> 00:35:15.960 we get in these next couple of games. 764 00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:19.559 We've talked about the depth you have centrally with the midfield, 765 00:35:19.719 --> 00:35:21.960 and of course, you know, I have a two part 766 00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:24.440 question here because a Mecca is unavailable for now, so 767 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:27.880 I'm wondering what the update is for Mecca and then 768 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.320 how nice is it? And certainly Nelson is part of 769 00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:32.920 this equation too, but I don't know. Man Like for me, 770 00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:35.880 a couple of years ago, before Ruiz hurt both knees, 771 00:35:36.079 --> 00:35:38.840 he was one of the better players on the entire 772 00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:41.880 team on a number of different levels, not just centrally, 773 00:35:41.960 --> 00:35:44.000 but he would take corners, he would take free kicks, 774 00:35:44.039 --> 00:35:46.320 and it's hard to expect him to look the same 775 00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:49.559 after two devastating injuries. So update on a Mecca and 776 00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:53.159 then tell me what you're seeing when Pablo Ruiz steps in, 777 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:55.519 and what you like and maybe what you're hoping he 778 00:35:55.599 --> 00:35:58.679 can continue to try and find after those devastating injuries. 779 00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:02.639 Yeah, it's a little bit different, you know, Pablo and 780 00:36:02.719 --> 00:36:05.039 Nelson is a much different look than than the Mecca 781 00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:09.079 and Ojeta. You know, I think I'm going I hate 782 00:36:09.119 --> 00:36:12.800 to do a phenomenal job of chewing up ground and recovering, 783 00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:16.480 recovering balls, recovering second balls, and then keeping the game, 784 00:36:16.559 --> 00:36:20.039 taking over and playing the next half. I think, you know, Pablo, 785 00:36:20.599 --> 00:36:22.360 his game is a little bit different, right because he 786 00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:25.519 can close guys down defensively and recover balls, but that's 787 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:26.960 not really the main part of his game. 788 00:36:28.119 --> 00:36:28.280 You know. 789 00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:31.079 What he really brings to the team is is quality 790 00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:33.960 in our build up and our progression, and especially in 791 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:36.880 our ability to open the game and change the point 792 00:36:36.880 --> 00:36:38.800 of attack. He does a great job with that. And 793 00:36:38.920 --> 00:36:41.400 Nelson is you know, even though he's a younger player, 794 00:36:41.480 --> 00:36:43.199 but he's he's a good balance of the two. His 795 00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:47.079 physical gifts are are fantastic. He covers so much ground 796 00:36:47.159 --> 00:36:49.920 so quickly, He's so athletic. But you know, he also 797 00:36:50.039 --> 00:36:53.480 has the ability to hit that diagonal you know, as 798 00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:57.039 Pablo does. So those types of balls really open open 799 00:36:57.119 --> 00:37:00.800 the game for us and allow us to get behind 800 00:37:00.840 --> 00:37:04.119 the defense a little bit quicker maybe than otherwise when 801 00:37:04.119 --> 00:37:05.159 we're not able to hit that ball. 802 00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:08.840 So are we getting close with a mecca or is 803 00:37:08.880 --> 00:37:10.679 it a situation where he's going to need some time? 804 00:37:12.719 --> 00:37:15.519 Look, he he needs time because it's certainly something that 805 00:37:17.159 --> 00:37:19.760 you know, I think it's if if we worse than it, 806 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:24.320 the prognosis becomes much worse. So you know, we want 807 00:37:24.360 --> 00:37:26.800 to make sure we take take care with it and 808 00:37:27.400 --> 00:37:29.920 make sure we get him back when he's ready. 809 00:37:29.719 --> 00:37:31.880 To get back and for all, Right, before I set 810 00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:34.239 you loose, I thought Diego was the best player on 811 00:37:34.280 --> 00:37:38.360 the pitch yesterday. You know, he has the assist after 812 00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:41.519 a brilliant steel where he just was able to read 813 00:37:41.559 --> 00:37:44.480 the play and then probably should have had the goal. 814 00:37:44.599 --> 00:37:47.199 But yes, it deflects off his teammates, So technically Diego 815 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:49.679 ends with two assists and a five zero win for 816 00:37:49.760 --> 00:37:52.719 the US men's national team over Trinidad and Tobago. Tobago, 817 00:37:52.800 --> 00:37:55.920 excuse me after losing five straight matches, of course, a 818 00:37:55.960 --> 00:37:58.079 lot of noise because we're one year away from the 819 00:37:58.119 --> 00:37:58.639 World Cup. 820 00:37:59.039 --> 00:38:00.280 So give me your thoughts, he says. 821 00:38:00.280 --> 00:38:03.440 You watch Diego perform with US men's national team, what 822 00:38:03.639 --> 00:38:06.280 you hope he's able to learn and do with them 823 00:38:06.400 --> 00:38:08.639 and bring back to you when the Gold Cup is finished. 824 00:38:10.119 --> 00:38:12.639 Yeah, he's I mean he's been playing really well for them. 825 00:38:12.760 --> 00:38:14.639 I think every time he's gotten the chance, and credit 826 00:38:14.679 --> 00:38:19.519 to him, you know, grabbing those opportunities is massive, and 827 00:38:19.639 --> 00:38:22.599 I think he what he's brought to that group is 828 00:38:23.960 --> 00:38:26.800 more than his individual quality as a team first mentality, 829 00:38:26.840 --> 00:38:29.519 and I think he's you know, he obviously has those moments, 830 00:38:29.639 --> 00:38:32.599 you know, reading that back pass, picking it up. You know, 831 00:38:32.719 --> 00:38:34.400 I know they gave him an assist for that, but 832 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:37.000 I really think that probably should have been his goal. 833 00:38:37.119 --> 00:38:40.280 But you know that that play was fantastic, even the 834 00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:41.920 I think it was the first goal. 835 00:38:42.360 --> 00:38:42.519 You know. 836 00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:45.719 His activity and movement, I think is what creates a 837 00:38:45.760 --> 00:38:49.280 little bit of space in the defense for the goalscorer 838 00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:51.719 Tillman to to finish his chance and to find a 839 00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:53.440 little more space when he when he receives the ball. 840 00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:58.400 So again, I think he's he's making that team tick 841 00:38:58.440 --> 00:39:00.880 a little bit right now, which is for him, and 842 00:39:01.159 --> 00:39:04.440 you know, I hope it keeps happening, and I'm sure, 843 00:39:04.519 --> 00:39:07.360 but I also hope the coaching staff sees it as 844 00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:11.280 well as I do, or certainly seems like the majority 845 00:39:11.320 --> 00:39:11.840 of the fans do. 846 00:39:12.760 --> 00:39:15.199 All Right, my guy, I appreciate the time today. Congrats 847 00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:17.239 on the three over the weekend. Let's keep it rolling, Okay, 848 00:39:18.079 --> 00:39:20.440 all right, we'll do all right. Kurt Schmidt, chief roster 849 00:39:20.559 --> 00:39:24.199 constructor for Alsaw Lake Risol hits the road coming up 850 00:39:24.280 --> 00:39:28.079 on the twenty eighth. Geez, another week off, only two 851 00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:31.679 matches all month. They're going to be at Children's Mercy 852 00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:35.280 Park in Kansas City on the twenty eighth to take 853 00:39:35.320 --> 00:39:38.280 on Sporting k C, who was the team that had 854 00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:41.840 both Williagatta and Johnny Russell, so that'll be interesting. And 855 00:39:41.920 --> 00:39:44.400 then they're back home for two straight games against Saint 856 00:39:44.440 --> 00:39:47.480 Louis and Houston before hitting the road at Providence Park 857 00:39:47.519 --> 00:39:49.960 to take on Portland. As we talked about with Pablo 858 00:39:50.079 --> 00:39:52.679 last week, this is a team badly in need of 859 00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:55.239 getting all three points pretty much every time they're at home, 860 00:39:55.360 --> 00:39:57.679 hoping to steal some on the road and then keep 861 00:39:57.719 --> 00:39:59.920 that ship afloat well. Diego Lune is with the US 862 00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:03.239 men's national team RSL DOT com for single game tickets 863 00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:06.880 support our local soccer club. All right, smittye Liven Studio 864 00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:09.079 coming up in just a bit for an entire hour 865 00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:11.599 Voice of the Youths Bill Riley stops by. But big 866 00:40:11.679 --> 00:40:15.320 game tonight, Game five NBA Finals, got a blockbuster trade 867 00:40:15.320 --> 00:40:18.920 to talk about. Tom Haberstrow Monday afternoon, Tommy, Happy Monday, buddy. 868 00:40:18.920 --> 00:40:20.559 How are we doing doing? 869 00:40:20.599 --> 00:40:20.800 Great? 870 00:40:20.800 --> 00:40:21.880 Spence, how you guys doing? 871 00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:22.360 I'm good? 872 00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:26.320 So tell me what's your read on the mentality of 873 00:40:26.360 --> 00:40:28.760 the Memphis Grizzlies as a result of what they just 874 00:40:28.840 --> 00:40:31.440 decided to do with Desmond Baine and the Orlando Magic. 875 00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:33.079 What do you think it means for the Memphis side. 876 00:40:34.199 --> 00:40:36.800 Yeah, it means they really hope they could switch to 877 00:40:36.880 --> 00:40:39.559 the Eastern Conference, because really, that's what this is about. Yeah, 878 00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:42.400 it's the Memphis Grizzlies looked at the Western Conference field 879 00:40:42.480 --> 00:40:45.239 and said, we can't compete at the highest levels and 880 00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:47.559 is that climb in The GM of the Memphis Grizzlies 881 00:40:47.599 --> 00:40:49.360 said this a couple of weeks ago, and they got 882 00:40:49.360 --> 00:40:52.760 eliminated from the playoffs by the Alklamath City Thunder and 883 00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:54.719 he's like, you know what, you can look at this 884 00:40:55.079 --> 00:40:56.960 and just say like we're close, but we're definitely not. 885 00:40:57.920 --> 00:41:01.800 And when you are looking at the juggernauts of the 886 00:41:01.840 --> 00:41:06.639 Western Conference and Oklahoma City and Denver Jokich, you're looking 887 00:41:06.679 --> 00:41:09.440 at Lebron and Luca, you're looking at Golden State of 888 00:41:09.559 --> 00:41:13.639 Houston potentially adding a big time veteran to help their 889 00:41:13.719 --> 00:41:17.639 contention push, Memphis is just so far away right now. 890 00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:21.400 And if you're in the Eastern Conference, if Memphis geographically 891 00:41:21.559 --> 00:41:24.599 was in the right conference, you could see them holding 892 00:41:24.679 --> 00:41:27.079 onto dozen Bane and not only that, adding and trying 893 00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:31.400 to win the East. And for the on the Orlando side, 894 00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:34.679 that's exactly what they're trying to do, is they're trying 895 00:41:34.760 --> 00:41:37.880 to win the East because they saw Indiana do this 896 00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:41.760 very thing, which is they made an incredible run and 897 00:41:41.920 --> 00:41:44.320 now they're two wins away from winning a championship. And 898 00:41:44.400 --> 00:41:49.039 so for Memphis, it really is this kind of clerical error, 899 00:41:49.800 --> 00:41:52.719 the fact that they were the team from Vancouver, that 900 00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:56.400 they're in the Western Conference despite being in Tennessee, and 901 00:41:56.760 --> 00:42:00.480 that has long term effects is that they're constantly fighting 902 00:42:00.599 --> 00:42:04.039 uphill in a Western Conference that is way better than 903 00:42:04.079 --> 00:42:07.559 the Eastern Conference. And they've got this rookie Jalen Wells 904 00:42:07.559 --> 00:42:11.000 that they really believe in. And if you're going to 905 00:42:11.079 --> 00:42:15.199 look at five first round picks coming from this Orlando team, 906 00:42:15.800 --> 00:42:18.920 one of which could be the Phoenix pick next year. 907 00:42:19.079 --> 00:42:22.840 In twenty twenty six, they were looking at the situation saying, 908 00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:27.360 this is too good of an offer we cannot refuse. So, 909 00:42:27.480 --> 00:42:29.880 in the very Godfather way, this was an offer they 910 00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:32.119 could not refuse on a player that hasn't been an 911 00:42:32.119 --> 00:42:35.800 All Star. But you know, when you're a small market team, 912 00:42:36.280 --> 00:42:38.360 you have to make tough choices. And as much as 913 00:42:38.400 --> 00:42:40.880 they want to say that they're right there in the 914 00:42:40.960 --> 00:42:43.360 thick of it, I think the first round exit and 915 00:42:43.480 --> 00:42:46.719 the uncertain future of John Morant and just how available 916 00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:51.000 he can be, I think Memphis decided, look, let's take 917 00:42:51.079 --> 00:42:53.480 these picks and take another big swing down the road. 918 00:42:53.519 --> 00:42:57.360 But right now, this is quite a hall for a 919 00:42:57.400 --> 00:42:59.400 guy who is just a tier below the all star level. 920 00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:02.760 Lot of people, Tom, I know, you know this surmised. 921 00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:05.679 This means Memphis is very much open for business. And 922 00:43:06.039 --> 00:43:08.360 maybe they put John the table. Maybe they put Jaron 923 00:43:08.440 --> 00:43:11.039 Jackson Junior on the table. I don't know that I 924 00:43:11.119 --> 00:43:14.000 read it that way. Jaron Jackson Junior a is really good. 925 00:43:14.880 --> 00:43:18.519 He is intert excuse me, entering a contract year, so 926 00:43:18.719 --> 00:43:21.880 he's eligible for an extension twenty three point four mil 927 00:43:22.079 --> 00:43:24.800 next year. Jobs signed through twenty eight. I don't know 928 00:43:24.840 --> 00:43:26.480 what kind of market there is for job. I mean, 929 00:43:26.599 --> 00:43:29.599 his talent is intoxicating, nobody denies that. But the off 930 00:43:29.679 --> 00:43:32.480 court stuff just makes it hard to commit. But do 931 00:43:32.599 --> 00:43:34.480 you read it that way that as a result of 932 00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:37.119 moving on from Desmond Bain they might just break this 933 00:43:37.199 --> 00:43:39.320 whole thing down and build it back up from the studs. 934 00:43:40.880 --> 00:43:43.280 Yeah. I think they're going to keep those two and 935 00:43:43.400 --> 00:43:46.400 build around them, you know, for a small market team. 936 00:43:46.519 --> 00:43:49.639 John Moran represents so much more face of the franchise 937 00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:52.599 for better for worse, and Jared Jackson Junior is up 938 00:43:52.639 --> 00:43:55.760 to that extension, like you said, And this deal does 939 00:43:55.880 --> 00:43:59.400 save them some money to throw more at Jaron Jackson Junior. 940 00:44:00.119 --> 00:44:02.440 With the apron and the tax and the hardcap all 941 00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:04.880 of this stuff, they had a little bit of wiggle 942 00:44:04.960 --> 00:44:08.679 room to extend Jaron Jackson Junior at the full max level, 943 00:44:09.599 --> 00:44:12.440 and this Desmond Bain deal does free up a little 944 00:44:12.480 --> 00:44:15.079 bit more cast space to do that. Look, this is tough, 945 00:44:15.760 --> 00:44:17.320 you know, this is tough. If you're a fan of 946 00:44:17.320 --> 00:44:20.559 the Grizzlies, I think Utah fans can really sympathize with this. 947 00:44:21.159 --> 00:44:24.039 With Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. It's like, if you're 948 00:44:25.559 --> 00:44:28.360 the margin for error for these teams, these small market 949 00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:31.239 teams in the Western Conference is so thin, which is 950 00:44:31.320 --> 00:44:34.480 why it's so remarkable to see what Okac has done. 951 00:44:34.679 --> 00:44:37.239 And they're kind of like in the second inning, it 952 00:44:37.400 --> 00:44:42.159 seems of what seems to be the parts of a dynasty. 953 00:44:43.079 --> 00:44:47.559 It really is amazing to see that the Utah Jazz 954 00:44:47.639 --> 00:44:49.960 were able to make that run with Rudy Gobert and 955 00:44:50.039 --> 00:44:54.199 Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley. But as what we're seeing 956 00:44:54.239 --> 00:44:57.440 with the Memphis Grizzlies, even having those two young studs 957 00:44:57.440 --> 00:44:59.440 on your team Jared Jackson Junior and John Morant, does 958 00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:02.920 not guarantee you anything. And as we saw with that 959 00:45:03.039 --> 00:45:07.400 Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell Corps, you know they probably 960 00:45:07.480 --> 00:45:09.320 are going to try to take a couple more swings 961 00:45:09.360 --> 00:45:11.679 at the Apple in the next two three years. John 962 00:45:11.760 --> 00:45:15.679 Moran is on the books for another three seasons. I 963 00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:19.039 think maybe we'll see that in these next two three 964 00:45:19.119 --> 00:45:22.320 years with Zach Edie out for the for a substantial 965 00:45:22.360 --> 00:45:25.079 amount of time next season with his ankle at surgery. 966 00:45:26.159 --> 00:45:28.119 I think this could be kind of like a gap 967 00:45:28.239 --> 00:45:29.920 year for them, is that they're going to try to 968 00:45:29.960 --> 00:45:33.079 continue to contend for a playoff position. But I think 969 00:45:33.079 --> 00:45:35.119 they're going to try to reload with these draft picks 970 00:45:35.159 --> 00:45:37.679 and take another swing, probably a year down the road. 971 00:45:38.320 --> 00:45:40.679 If they decided to put jaw out there. 972 00:45:40.800 --> 00:45:42.920 If they decided to put Ja Moran on the table, 973 00:45:43.960 --> 00:45:47.119 it's a tough one, Tom, because when he's right, he's hey. 974 00:45:47.239 --> 00:45:50.599 He's as exciting as any player individually. I still maintain 975 00:45:50.719 --> 00:45:54.639 that he is box office and the production certainly is there. 976 00:45:54.719 --> 00:45:56.719 I do think if you have John Moran on your team, 977 00:45:57.239 --> 00:45:59.760 there's a little iverson element where you got to play 978 00:45:59.760 --> 00:46:01.960 a way, And I don't know that that's good or bad, 979 00:46:02.039 --> 00:46:05.239 it just is. But what sort of market would be 980 00:46:05.320 --> 00:46:07.800 out there if they decided to put you on the table. 981 00:46:09.159 --> 00:46:14.320 Well, what's interesting is his salary is very close to 982 00:46:14.480 --> 00:46:17.199 Trey Young and they're kind of having identity issues too 983 00:46:17.239 --> 00:46:20.920 there in Atlanta. So I wonder if Jamran ever got 984 00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:23.880 on to the table, whether both franchises would just say, like, look, 985 00:46:24.039 --> 00:46:27.039 let's just let's just swap point guard and see where 986 00:46:27.079 --> 00:46:28.760 we're at. And it's funny because that's kind of what 987 00:46:29.119 --> 00:46:31.960 the Atlanta Hawks did on Draft Night with Luka Doncic, 988 00:46:32.320 --> 00:46:34.639 where they had the opportunity to draft Luka Doncic and 989 00:46:34.679 --> 00:46:38.239 they traded out and took Trey Young. And I think 990 00:46:38.320 --> 00:46:40.480 you could see something similar with John Morant if there 991 00:46:40.559 --> 00:46:45.320 is a market for a point guard who's as unreliable 992 00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:49.039 from not just a off court stuff, but injury wise too. 993 00:46:49.159 --> 00:46:51.480 This guy has not been very healthy that the last 994 00:46:51.519 --> 00:46:56.920 few years. Even the off court antics aside, I could 995 00:46:56.960 --> 00:47:01.800 see a team like Charlotte Atlanta really think about, you know, 996 00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:05.280 if we're gonna make a splash, is John Morant our guy? 997 00:47:05.920 --> 00:47:09.159 Toronto is another name I think about. Is trying to 998 00:47:09.199 --> 00:47:12.480 get into that conversation of taking someone else's star player 999 00:47:12.599 --> 00:47:17.840 disgruntled or you know, depreciated in value star player. I 1000 00:47:17.960 --> 00:47:20.719 think you can talk yourself into it, but you know, 1001 00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:26.000 this is John. Like you said, John Morant is a 1002 00:47:26.159 --> 00:47:30.039 big risk reward move because the reward is you've got 1003 00:47:30.480 --> 00:47:34.280 an all NBA talented point guard but doesn't have a 1004 00:47:34.360 --> 00:47:37.679 reliable jump shot. And if you squint, you might see 1005 00:47:37.840 --> 00:47:43.280 like a Shay Guildris Alexander, dynamic downhill driver. But if 1006 00:47:43.320 --> 00:47:45.199 he doesn't have the same legs and bounce as he 1007 00:47:45.320 --> 00:47:49.360 used to, and he doesn't have that defensive value, that 1008 00:47:50.199 --> 00:47:53.880 that effort that you get from Shay Gildriss Alexander, it's 1009 00:47:53.960 --> 00:47:55.840 gonna be tough to convince someone to take his long 1010 00:47:55.960 --> 00:47:58.639 term contracts, no matter how much star power he has. 1011 00:47:58.719 --> 00:48:03.039 It would take a team like charlot At Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, 1012 00:48:03.880 --> 00:48:05.719 these teams that are kind of in the bottom of 1013 00:48:05.760 --> 00:48:08.119 the East and look at like, hey, if they're selling 1014 00:48:08.199 --> 00:48:10.440 off those stars in the Western Conference because it's just 1015 00:48:10.519 --> 00:48:13.360 so hard to compete, we'll take a guy like that. 1016 00:48:13.599 --> 00:48:16.880 So I think that the Southeast Division basically for the 1017 00:48:17.159 --> 00:48:19.599 for the Eastern Conference, I think we could all think 1018 00:48:19.639 --> 00:48:22.599 about whether Ja Morant is in the right situation for them. 1019 00:48:23.079 --> 00:48:25.840 All right, So moving back to the Orlando takeaway here, 1020 00:48:25.840 --> 00:48:28.840 because you use the term gap year earlier, very much 1021 00:48:28.880 --> 00:48:31.480 feels like that's what's gonna happen in Boston. With Jason 1022 00:48:31.519 --> 00:48:34.880 Tatum on the sideline and reports on a daily basis 1023 00:48:34.960 --> 00:48:38.559 that they're willing to deal whoever, including Jalen Brown, the 1024 00:48:38.639 --> 00:48:41.199 Cavs on paper still have a really talented team. All 1025 00:48:41.239 --> 00:48:45.079 those guys are back next year, and ultimately they're gonna 1026 00:48:45.119 --> 00:48:47.199 have something to say about it. I don't know if 1027 00:48:47.199 --> 00:48:49.639 the Knicks have contacted you about their head coaching job, 1028 00:48:49.719 --> 00:48:51.559 but there's certainly a lot to like about the roster. 1029 00:48:51.679 --> 00:48:52.800 We don't know who's going to coach. 1030 00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:55.880 Them, so just generally speaking, you know, you can throw 1031 00:48:55.960 --> 00:48:58.840 the of course, the Pacers deserve their flowers. They're still 1032 00:48:58.840 --> 00:49:02.559 playing basketball, and we'll see what happens with Giannison Milwaukee. 1033 00:49:02.679 --> 00:49:05.159 Detroit has some things about them to like as a young, 1034 00:49:05.280 --> 00:49:08.320 evolving team, But generally speaking, what does this mean for 1035 00:49:08.480 --> 00:49:10.719 Orlando as far as where they're at on the pecking 1036 00:49:10.880 --> 00:49:12.199 order in the Eastern Conference? 1037 00:49:13.519 --> 00:49:15.920 Yeah, I mean, this Orlando team just added one of 1038 00:49:15.960 --> 00:49:20.000 the best three point shooters, swing guys, two way players. 1039 00:49:19.639 --> 00:49:20.159 In the league. 1040 00:49:20.239 --> 00:49:23.960 And he's not someone who's going to be an All Star, 1041 00:49:25.679 --> 00:49:29.000 you know, guaranteed, but he's not a bona fide All Star. 1042 00:49:29.079 --> 00:49:31.000 But he's right on that tier below like mckel bridges. 1043 00:49:31.000 --> 00:49:33.760 And he got five first round picks last year. So 1044 00:49:33.920 --> 00:49:37.079 I think the magic you know, last season, we're the 1045 00:49:37.119 --> 00:49:41.000 fifth seed. Like two years ago, I named this past 1046 00:49:41.119 --> 00:49:44.800 season they were the seventh seed. About a fire win 1047 00:49:45.039 --> 00:49:48.760 or five hundred team next year with Desmond Vane, if 1048 00:49:48.800 --> 00:49:50.920 you get that three point shooting that he does a 1049 00:49:51.039 --> 00:49:53.880 high volume forty percent three point shooting, it's going to 1050 00:49:53.920 --> 00:49:57.599 open up a lot for those those drivers in Franz 1051 00:49:57.679 --> 00:50:01.719 Wagner and Paolo Bancaro. I think they could get into 1052 00:50:01.800 --> 00:50:04.480 that top four. Like you said, Cleveland's going to be 1053 00:50:04.559 --> 00:50:09.199 at the top there, Indiana, Detroit, the Knicks will be 1054 00:50:09.360 --> 00:50:11.760 up there. But Orlando's going to try to take one 1055 00:50:11.760 --> 00:50:14.599 of those top four spots. I don't think that they're 1056 00:50:14.880 --> 00:50:17.440 a guarantee to make the Eastern Conference finals with this move. 1057 00:50:17.599 --> 00:50:19.880 It's a hefty price. But if you're Orlando and you 1058 00:50:20.039 --> 00:50:22.119 need three point shooting and putting a premium on it, 1059 00:50:22.519 --> 00:50:26.320 this is the price tag. I think that they were also, 1060 00:50:28.239 --> 00:50:32.280 you know, rumored to be in Anthony Simon's talks where 1061 00:50:32.320 --> 00:50:35.159 it's like that guy is also an elite three point 1062 00:50:35.199 --> 00:50:40.840 shooter that could really help them. But that price tag KCP, 1063 00:50:41.639 --> 00:50:45.440 the Cole Anthony and the five picks, that's that's a lot, 1064 00:50:45.800 --> 00:50:48.719 and I do think that that's worth you know, Desmond Bain, 1065 00:50:49.039 --> 00:50:51.960 maybe a little bit of overpay, but as we're seeing 1066 00:50:52.039 --> 00:50:55.679 with Drew Holliday, Chris af Zingis with the Celtics and 1067 00:50:55.880 --> 00:50:59.519 this year with Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. If you 1068 00:50:59.639 --> 00:51:01.719 have your guy that you think is a missing piece 1069 00:51:01.800 --> 00:51:04.239 to a title contention, go get them, go get them. 1070 00:51:04.400 --> 00:51:07.400 And we're seeing that on both of these champions, these 1071 00:51:07.599 --> 00:51:11.079 these finalist teams, they both identify players that they really 1072 00:51:11.119 --> 00:51:14.360 thought were the missing piece, Pascal Siaffram for Indiana and 1073 00:51:14.639 --> 00:51:17.480 that baulted them into the NBA Finals. And so Orlando 1074 00:51:17.639 --> 00:51:21.119 just feels like with Jason Tatum and the Damian Lillard 1075 00:51:21.320 --> 00:51:24.320 Achilles injuries, they feel like they're a piece away from 1076 00:51:24.440 --> 00:51:27.360 contending for the East. I think they're on the outside 1077 00:51:27.360 --> 00:51:29.960 of that conversation right now with Cleveland and with the 1078 00:51:30.159 --> 00:51:32.800 with the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers, but 1079 00:51:32.920 --> 00:51:35.400 they could certainly try to snag that number four slot. 1080 00:51:35.679 --> 00:51:37.440 So I want to go back to something you reference 1081 00:51:37.480 --> 00:51:40.679 because I agree with you that this does indicate that 1082 00:51:40.920 --> 00:51:44.440 the Memphis Grizzlies did their calculation on their own situation 1083 00:51:45.159 --> 00:51:49.920 and mainly Oklahoma City, whose roster is so young, and Okay, see, 1084 00:51:49.960 --> 00:51:52.360 at some point we'll have some financial decisions to make. 1085 00:51:52.519 --> 00:51:55.480 But they're so rich with draft capital that even if 1086 00:51:55.519 --> 00:51:57.000 they have to move off the piece here or there, 1087 00:51:57.000 --> 00:51:59.599 if they just want to build around shay Chet and Jalen, 1088 00:52:00.079 --> 00:52:02.719 they can do that while continuously adding pieces through the 1089 00:52:02.800 --> 00:52:05.519 draft because Sam's so good at that. Do you think 1090 00:52:05.599 --> 00:52:08.920 that's a microcosm of the mentality of other front offices 1091 00:52:08.960 --> 00:52:11.880 in the Western Conference just doing their calculation on OKAC 1092 00:52:12.079 --> 00:52:14.360 and saying, Okay, we've got to wait it out a 1093 00:52:14.440 --> 00:52:16.480 bit because we're not close to where they're at. 1094 00:52:17.639 --> 00:52:19.960 Yeah, we didn't even talk about the Santonio Spurs. 1095 00:52:19.760 --> 00:52:23.440 Yeah, exactly, Yeah, or Dallas, right, maybe the MAVs with Cooper. 1096 00:52:23.800 --> 00:52:27.039 Maybe the MAVs right, we didn't even mention Minnesota earlier, 1097 00:52:27.400 --> 00:52:31.840 the Clippers. I mean, look at that, I mean San 1098 00:52:31.840 --> 00:52:35.679 Antonio with Wemby, with Dear and Fox and maybe I 1099 00:52:35.679 --> 00:52:37.000 don't know if you want to talk about this, but 1100 00:52:37.079 --> 00:52:39.880 on the Kevin O'Connor show, the KOs Show this week, 1101 00:52:40.159 --> 00:52:43.320 we were talking about if Utah moves up or tries 1102 00:52:43.400 --> 00:52:46.159 to move up, and if they really believe that Dylan 1103 00:52:46.239 --> 00:52:50.880 Harper is their guy, the Spurs could absolutely ask for 1104 00:52:51.000 --> 00:52:53.440 lowry marketing and say like, look, if you're gonna if 1105 00:52:53.639 --> 00:52:55.559 if you're gonna want to move up from five to two. 1106 00:52:55.639 --> 00:52:58.400 It's going to cost your marketing. I don't know if 1107 00:52:58.880 --> 00:53:02.519 Utah would do that train, but just for the hypothetical, 1108 00:53:03.760 --> 00:53:06.760 if the Spurs ad Lowry and they get Dearon Fox, 1109 00:53:06.920 --> 00:53:11.440 Stefan Castle and whomever they get at number five, that 1110 00:53:11.559 --> 00:53:15.360 seems loaded. That starting lineup is loaded. And so you 1111 00:53:15.440 --> 00:53:18.199 know the Spurs could be in that in that mix 1112 00:53:18.400 --> 00:53:21.880 for a home court advantage in the Western Conference first round. Uh. 1113 00:53:22.000 --> 00:53:28.000 And so for a lot of these teams in the middle, Sacramento, Memphis, Phoenix. 1114 00:53:28.239 --> 00:53:30.960 You're seeing Phoenix try to offload Kevin Durant. 1115 00:53:31.039 --> 00:53:31.800 Why would they do that? 1116 00:53:31.880 --> 00:53:34.599 Well, they missed the plan this year. That's how good 1117 00:53:34.840 --> 00:53:39.079 the Western Conference group is. And so I think those 1118 00:53:39.159 --> 00:53:42.199 teams are going to be looking at the situation and saying, yeah, 1119 00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:45.079 let's try to fight. Let's try to figure out a 1120 00:53:45.119 --> 00:53:46.760 way to land a franchise piece. 1121 00:53:47.199 --> 00:53:47.320 Uh. 1122 00:53:47.360 --> 00:53:50.960 Because if Desen Bayne isn't that guy, then you know what, 1123 00:53:51.559 --> 00:53:53.320 let's take another bite at the apple in a couple 1124 00:53:53.320 --> 00:53:56.480 of years when Oklahoma City probably will have to have 1125 00:53:56.599 --> 00:53:58.400 some tough decision makes around their core. 1126 00:53:58.639 --> 00:54:02.719 Okay, moving over to the jazz angle here, Brian Windhorst. 1127 00:54:03.079 --> 00:54:04.880 I don't know what show it was, but there was 1128 00:54:04.920 --> 00:54:06.800 a video going around where he said he's told the 1129 00:54:06.880 --> 00:54:09.440 Jazz are going to try to get involved here and 1130 00:54:09.679 --> 00:54:12.119 actually not take a step backwards and maybe try to 1131 00:54:12.119 --> 00:54:14.840 add some pieces to take a couple step forward. I 1132 00:54:14.920 --> 00:54:17.599 think that's the wrong approach with that top eight protected 1133 00:54:17.679 --> 00:54:20.599 pick that goes to you guessed it, Oklahoma City if 1134 00:54:20.639 --> 00:54:22.800 the Jazz are out of the top eight. But you 1135 00:54:22.880 --> 00:54:25.199 know the reports out there, and there are several are 1136 00:54:25.280 --> 00:54:27.920 that the Jazz are very much open for business, taking 1137 00:54:27.960 --> 00:54:31.119 calls on everybody, including Lowry Marketing. So when you look 1138 00:54:31.199 --> 00:54:34.199 and look, player rankings are arbitrary and sometimes make me 1139 00:54:34.320 --> 00:54:35.880 roll my eyes, but it is what it is. The 1140 00:54:36.000 --> 00:54:39.360 Ringer Player rankings has Desmond Bane at forty seven, which 1141 00:54:39.400 --> 00:54:42.960 feels low to be honest, and Lowry Marketing at fifty three. 1142 00:54:43.280 --> 00:54:46.239 So maybe generally speaking we can agree that they're kind 1143 00:54:46.280 --> 00:54:49.440 of in the same area, although I think maybe depending 1144 00:54:49.480 --> 00:54:51.199 on what your need is, you look at one over 1145 00:54:51.239 --> 00:54:53.519 the other. But if the Jazz are going to move 1146 00:54:53.559 --> 00:54:56.360 on from Lowry based off of what Memphis just received 1147 00:54:56.400 --> 00:54:58.519 for a player, that we can say is kind of 1148 00:54:58.599 --> 00:55:00.599 in that could to sack. What sort of return can 1149 00:55:00.639 --> 00:55:02.400 we expect if they make that decision? 1150 00:55:03.920 --> 00:55:04.519 Well, yeah, I. 1151 00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:08.679 Think multiple first round picks. You also have to figure 1152 00:55:08.760 --> 00:55:11.880 the fact that in that scenario that I mentioned, you're 1153 00:55:11.920 --> 00:55:15.599 getting a guaranteed number two pick, whereas in the Orlando case, 1154 00:55:16.239 --> 00:55:19.360 these picks are not guaranteed to be even lottery picks, 1155 00:55:19.719 --> 00:55:23.320 you know, like or top ten picks. And so if 1156 00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:28.960 you're you know, the the Utah jazz that matters is like, 1157 00:55:29.079 --> 00:55:31.159 if you're going to move off of Larry Market and 1158 00:55:31.280 --> 00:55:35.519 you're gonna want at least three first round picks or 1159 00:55:35.840 --> 00:55:38.559 a guarantee top five pick, you know, something like that. 1160 00:55:39.760 --> 00:55:43.079 It's so hard to pin down Spence because as someone 1161 00:55:43.119 --> 00:55:47.679 who covers this nationally, the currency of a player like marketing, 1162 00:55:48.480 --> 00:55:50.599 it's really hard to pin down when you've got guys 1163 00:55:50.719 --> 00:55:54.960 like you know, Nico Harrison just throwing this for a 1164 00:55:55.199 --> 00:55:59.000 total loop. The wrench that they threw into this whole 1165 00:55:59.079 --> 00:56:04.719 thing by having Luka Doncic, who's way more valuable than 1166 00:56:04.840 --> 00:56:08.159 Desmond Dane go for one first round pick, and Anthony 1167 00:56:08.280 --> 00:56:11.840 Davis and Max Christy, it's really hard to peg. If 1168 00:56:11.920 --> 00:56:15.280 you just find one GM, you can get a steal 1169 00:56:15.639 --> 00:56:17.519 and get a haul for lowry marketing. And that's what 1170 00:56:17.639 --> 00:56:20.039 that deal tells me, is that we can talk in 1171 00:56:20.119 --> 00:56:23.440 these generalities about what lowry marketing will get you. But 1172 00:56:25.119 --> 00:56:28.679 mckel Bridges is another cop for marketing, where it's like 1173 00:56:28.880 --> 00:56:31.760 you can get a haul of first round picks. But 1174 00:56:31.920 --> 00:56:35.199 in the case of Utah, I almost think that getting 1175 00:56:36.119 --> 00:56:39.599 like guaranteed lottery picks rather than just like kicking one 1176 00:56:39.679 --> 00:56:42.960 down the road, might be even more valuable at this point. 1177 00:56:43.039 --> 00:56:46.000 And so I don't know what you think, Spence. If 1178 00:56:46.239 --> 00:56:50.800 if the Spurs called often Age and the front office 1179 00:56:50.960 --> 00:56:55.440 and said, look, we will move down to five, you 1180 00:56:55.559 --> 00:56:57.960 guys can jump to two if you really want Dylan 1181 00:56:58.000 --> 00:57:00.280 Harper to be the point guard of the future. But 1182 00:57:00.360 --> 00:57:04.800 it's gonna cost you market in I think you're gonna 1183 00:57:04.800 --> 00:57:06.480 if you're Utah, you asked for more than that, and 1184 00:57:06.519 --> 00:57:09.159 I know your listeners will probably say yeah, absolutely. But 1185 00:57:09.440 --> 00:57:13.480 I propose this to Koc this week, and he said, 1186 00:57:14.039 --> 00:57:18.480 if I'm Utah, I'm good. As long as I get 1187 00:57:18.599 --> 00:57:22.440 Dylan Harper, I'm good. I want that it is such 1188 00:57:22.480 --> 00:57:24.800 a big jump to getting number two in this draft 1189 00:57:25.400 --> 00:57:28.320 that it is worth marketing in a trade. I said, 1190 00:57:28.440 --> 00:57:30.840 man if I am utah Jazz, I want fourteen. I 1191 00:57:30.920 --> 00:57:34.199 want Spurs number fourteen pick as well, So in the 1192 00:57:34.320 --> 00:57:37.599 deal it would be marketing. It would be the number 1193 00:57:37.679 --> 00:57:41.199 five for the number two pick, the number fourteen pick 1194 00:57:41.320 --> 00:57:44.719 from the Spurs, and then like Harrison Barnes and Kelden 1195 00:57:44.760 --> 00:57:49.719 Johnson as salary filler. If I'm utah, I think about 1196 00:57:49.760 --> 00:57:53.199 that deal to get off of Larry Markinen and just 1197 00:57:53.280 --> 00:57:56.199 get that number two pick. But it really depends how 1198 00:57:56.280 --> 00:57:59.719 much you believe in Dylan Harper as a franchise cornerstone. 1199 00:57:59.719 --> 00:58:01.440 But there there are some people out there that think 1200 00:58:01.519 --> 00:58:04.079 he has a lot of the makings of a James 1201 00:58:04.119 --> 00:58:07.400 hard and Shae Gilders Alexander type. If you're Will Hardy, 1202 00:58:07.639 --> 00:58:09.599 if you're Danny Ainge and Austin Angel and you're looking 1203 00:58:09.639 --> 00:58:11.199 at this and trying to find your point guard of 1204 00:58:11.199 --> 00:58:14.199 the future, how much do you believe that Dylan Harper 1205 00:58:14.400 --> 00:58:17.119 is a vastly bigger upgrade than what you have now 1206 00:58:17.559 --> 00:58:18.079 well said? 1207 00:58:18.360 --> 00:58:20.480 And you know it leads us into the space of 1208 00:58:20.599 --> 00:58:23.199 what win Horse had to say about the Jazz intension 1209 00:58:23.480 --> 00:58:26.960 and who knows, But a deal like that makes a 1210 00:58:27.039 --> 00:58:30.119 lot of sense to me. I mean, in my opinion, Tom, 1211 00:58:30.639 --> 00:58:33.880 Priority one next year has to be holding onto that asset. 1212 00:58:34.039 --> 00:58:36.519 You cannot win thirty seven games and fall to nine 1213 00:58:36.599 --> 00:58:39.119 or ten. Now, there's no guarantee. We saw this year 1214 00:58:39.159 --> 00:58:41.400 in the lottery. I get that, And so maybe there's 1215 00:58:41.400 --> 00:58:43.800 a paradigm shift where we are going to be serious 1216 00:58:43.800 --> 00:58:46.480 about competing and put our best foot forward about actually 1217 00:58:46.559 --> 00:58:47.119 trying to win. 1218 00:58:47.920 --> 00:58:50.880 But if we operate off and win. Horse is a 1219 00:58:50.960 --> 00:58:52.599 very plugged in guy. I'm not trying to knock on 1220 00:58:52.719 --> 00:58:53.039 him at all. 1221 00:58:53.119 --> 00:58:55.719 But if we say that his assertion is actually the 1222 00:58:55.800 --> 00:58:58.719 mentality of the Jazz front office and they do want 1223 00:58:58.800 --> 00:59:02.960 to go all in taking legitimate steps forward, well, your plan, 1224 00:59:03.079 --> 00:59:04.800 to me is the right one to go young and 1225 00:59:04.880 --> 00:59:07.599 maybe grab a Dylan Harper. What would the what would 1226 00:59:07.599 --> 00:59:10.280 the opposite look like with all these players available, Like, 1227 00:59:10.360 --> 00:59:12.360 how could they add to this group to take a 1228 00:59:12.400 --> 00:59:15.639 couple of legitimate steps forward and bring in some veteran 1229 00:59:15.679 --> 00:59:18.480 players that are good, know how to win and want 1230 00:59:18.519 --> 00:59:19.599 to come in here and do just that. 1231 00:59:19.760 --> 00:59:21.679 I don't know that I see any avenue. 1232 00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:27.599 You know, Boston might be moving off of Kris steps 1233 00:59:27.639 --> 00:59:31.320 Forzingis or Drew Holiday. Right, there's there's those pieces. If 1234 00:59:31.320 --> 00:59:33.760 you really want to go in now, but that requires 1235 00:59:34.480 --> 00:59:38.840 you know, stomaching Drew Holiday and the fact that he's 1236 00:59:39.559 --> 00:59:42.280 I mean, he's someone who's gonna win right now. But 1237 00:59:42.400 --> 00:59:45.159 you have to make sure that that is like three 1238 00:59:45.519 --> 00:59:47.639 dominos down. Is that like, you're not going to just 1239 00:59:47.719 --> 00:59:51.599 take Drew Holiday at thirty five years old without two 1240 00:59:51.719 --> 00:59:54.599 other players coming in there and ramping up. You know, 1241 00:59:54.920 --> 01:00:01.400 let's just say, for just for throwing around some names here, 1242 01:00:02.400 --> 01:00:07.119 let's just say that you got Drew Holiday potentially in 1243 01:00:07.280 --> 01:00:10.440 a salary switch out where you're like, you know, maybe 1244 01:00:10.480 --> 01:00:12.840 you move John Collins off and you try to bring 1245 01:00:12.880 --> 01:00:15.920 in Drew Holiday to win right now, you talk to 1246 01:00:17.519 --> 01:00:21.000 talk to New Orleans about their pieces and say, if 1247 01:00:21.039 --> 01:00:24.639 you're really serious about Trey Murphy the third, let's talk 1248 01:00:25.639 --> 01:00:28.360 He's a really good Desmond Bain type, two years younger 1249 01:00:28.400 --> 01:00:30.679 than Desmond Bane, but I could see him being a 1250 01:00:30.719 --> 01:00:33.800 star in another role. And then you just try to 1251 01:00:33.880 --> 01:00:37.559 figure out are you able to get some more depth 1252 01:00:37.599 --> 01:00:40.320 at the center position, whether it's Clint Capella, whether it's 1253 01:00:40.360 --> 01:00:43.320 someone who can really help Walker Kess when I have 1254 01:00:43.360 --> 01:00:46.119 to play thirty five minutes. But even as I'm talking 1255 01:00:46.199 --> 01:00:52.599 myself through this experiment, this exercise. I just it's going 1256 01:00:52.679 --> 01:00:55.960 to be a tough sell. They were not just bad, 1257 01:00:56.119 --> 01:00:58.880 I mean seventeen wins bad last year, and so if 1258 01:00:58.880 --> 01:01:01.920 they're going to go for it, I can't tell you 1259 01:01:02.559 --> 01:01:05.119 how rare it is Detroit what they did this season. 1260 01:01:05.360 --> 01:01:10.440 It is not wreckonabable replicable. That whole jump from Detroit 1261 01:01:11.239 --> 01:01:14.000 is insane. And so I know it was possible. They 1262 01:01:14.079 --> 01:01:19.679 showed the blueprint to do that, but look, you look 1263 01:01:19.679 --> 01:01:22.679 at Utah's roster. Who's their Kake Cunningham. They don't have 1264 01:01:22.840 --> 01:01:26.320 it right now, No, they don't. And so to that's 1265 01:01:26.400 --> 01:01:28.920 delusional to think that you can ramp up and be 1266 01:01:29.320 --> 01:01:32.880 like a really solid playoff team after being a seventeen 1267 01:01:32.920 --> 01:01:36.280 win team. I think Brian spot On, I think there 1268 01:01:36.360 --> 01:01:40.400 are intentions to add to this team, and maybe this 1269 01:01:41.039 --> 01:01:43.440 front office wants to add to this team to be 1270 01:01:43.519 --> 01:01:47.360 a playoff contender. But I think also what's true is 1271 01:01:47.440 --> 01:01:49.159 that they might go to market and say, you know what, 1272 01:01:49.400 --> 01:01:51.280 those guys are not available at the price that we 1273 01:01:51.440 --> 01:01:54.440 can afford. And maybe they go into the market with 1274 01:01:54.559 --> 01:01:56.239 one idea and they come out with another. 1275 01:01:57.760 --> 01:02:00.079 All right, well end with the thought on tonight and 1276 01:02:00.159 --> 01:02:03.920 the NBA Finals overall, you know, it's been it's really 1277 01:02:04.000 --> 01:02:06.480 been cool because all four games have been different, right, 1278 01:02:06.639 --> 01:02:09.280 and we've seen a chess match, We've seen adjustments, We've 1279 01:02:09.320 --> 01:02:12.599 seen back and forth. Dad Nolt went deeper into his bench, 1280 01:02:12.840 --> 01:02:16.599 gave ches, he gave Shay more rest. Jalen was initiating 1281 01:02:16.639 --> 01:02:19.280 the offense. You know, zero assists. Would you look at 1282 01:02:19.360 --> 01:02:21.039 it if you didn't watch the game, you'd like, what's up? Well, 1283 01:02:21.079 --> 01:02:24.079 that wasn't what they asked of him, and allowed SGA 1284 01:02:24.199 --> 01:02:26.079 to stay fresh, and he closed out the way that 1285 01:02:26.199 --> 01:02:28.840 he can close out. Fascinated to get your take on 1286 01:02:28.960 --> 01:02:31.440 these adjustments and what you think happens tonight, Tom, before 1287 01:02:31.480 --> 01:02:32.079 I set you loose. 1288 01:02:33.239 --> 01:02:36.760 Yeah, I think Okasey wins. I picked OKAC in five 1289 01:02:36.920 --> 01:02:40.679 and so I feel like they gave away game one 1290 01:02:40.840 --> 01:02:42.679 and we could be looking at a closeout game here 1291 01:02:42.679 --> 01:02:46.039 if that didn't happen. I think OKAC is the vastly 1292 01:02:46.119 --> 01:02:49.480 better team. But Indiana plays so hard. This is the 1293 01:02:49.559 --> 01:02:53.039 most competitive NBA Finals since I would say twenty sixteen. 1294 01:02:54.400 --> 01:02:57.719 It's just insane how hard these teams play. They play 1295 01:02:57.800 --> 01:03:01.559 the full ninety four feet and they cover so much ground. 1296 01:03:02.000 --> 01:03:07.159 I mean they're averaging three more miles traveled per game 1297 01:03:07.360 --> 01:03:10.239 than we saw last year. Between Boston and Dallas. Each 1298 01:03:10.320 --> 01:03:15.599 team is covering three more miles of ground in forty 1299 01:03:15.639 --> 01:03:19.079 eight minutes than last year's finals team. It six more 1300 01:03:19.159 --> 01:03:21.159 miles are being covered by these players. I mean they're 1301 01:03:21.239 --> 01:03:24.159 just all over the place, zooming around the floor, playing 1302 01:03:24.199 --> 01:03:28.119 at such high speeds, up tempo, different actions. And Shay 1303 01:03:28.159 --> 01:03:31.400 Gilders Alexander, they figured out a way to get him 1304 01:03:31.440 --> 01:03:33.679 off the ball with Jalen Williams that was really smart 1305 01:03:33.960 --> 01:03:36.440 and it also preserved him for that final stretch. 1306 01:03:36.800 --> 01:03:36.960 You know. 1307 01:03:37.679 --> 01:03:41.920 I talked about it in on Tomdefinder dot com and 1308 01:03:41.960 --> 01:03:44.079 the fact that Scott Foster being on the game really 1309 01:03:44.159 --> 01:03:47.199 benefited them because he calls so many fouls out there 1310 01:03:47.679 --> 01:03:50.599 that it lengthens the game and actually builds in rest time. 1311 01:03:51.159 --> 01:03:53.159 And I think they're going to try to do that again, 1312 01:03:53.400 --> 01:03:55.599 is try to figure out how we can keep up 1313 01:03:55.679 --> 01:03:59.199 with this in young Indiana Pacers team that really throws 1314 01:03:59.280 --> 01:04:01.719 you through loop with how fast they play. I mean 1315 01:04:01.800 --> 01:04:04.199 it's not seven seconds or last, it's five seconds or less. 1316 01:04:04.320 --> 01:04:08.199 They're getting past half court in like two seconds repeatedly. 1317 01:04:08.599 --> 01:04:11.280 And that's the new York Mix couldn't keep up the 1318 01:04:11.360 --> 01:04:14.159 Milwaukee Bucks, the Cavs couldn't keep up and shake Gildsris 1319 01:04:14.280 --> 01:04:17.239 Alexander by playing off the ball. It is wonderful to 1320 01:04:17.360 --> 01:04:21.039 have Jalen Williams on your team. Chet Holmgren and k 1321 01:04:21.280 --> 01:04:23.199 som Wallace, guys who can bring the ball up up 1322 01:04:23.239 --> 01:04:26.039 the floor today are just so good on both ends. 1323 01:04:26.079 --> 01:04:29.199 I expect OKAC to win tonight, and I would suspect 1324 01:04:29.239 --> 01:04:31.840 them closing out in Game six. It's been an amazing series. 1325 01:04:31.920 --> 01:04:34.400 I do not want it to end in six because 1326 01:04:34.400 --> 01:04:37.800 it's been such great basketball. But this OKAC team is 1327 01:04:37.880 --> 01:04:39.480 just on another level, and I think they found. 1328 01:04:39.320 --> 01:04:40.039 Something in Game four. 1329 01:04:40.159 --> 01:04:41.400 Where can people go? Get your work? 1330 01:04:41.440 --> 01:04:45.840 Tommy Yahoo's Sports, The KOC Show and The Big Number 1331 01:04:46.760 --> 01:04:50.440 both podcasts every week on Yahoo Sports, as well as 1332 01:04:50.559 --> 01:04:54.280 Tom Deefinder dot Com and Basketball Luminati podcast and right 1333 01:04:54.320 --> 01:04:55.880 here every week on Mondays. 1334 01:04:56.320 --> 01:04:58.760 Thank you, my friend. Enjoy the game tonight. We'll chat soon. Okay, 1335 01:05:00.519 --> 01:05:00.840 all right? 1336 01:05:00.840 --> 01:05:03.039 The Great Tom Average shows some really good stuff in 1337 01:05:03.119 --> 01:05:06.159 there about his conversation with the KOC about the Jazz 1338 01:05:06.239 --> 01:05:09.239 potential to maybe move up to two, and we'll get 1339 01:05:09.280 --> 01:05:11.000 back to it. Well, coming up on the other side, 1340 01:05:11.000 --> 01:05:13.199 I'll get Smithy's take on that. I will do some 1341 01:05:13.400 --> 01:05:15.800 NBA Finals, We'll do some jazz, we'll do some draft. 1342 01:05:15.880 --> 01:05:18.119 Bill Riley, Voice of the Utes. About an hour from 1343 01:05:18.239 --> 01:05:20.960 right now, move into the five o'clock hour of the program. 1344 01:05:21.039 --> 01:05:22.840 That will Sega night at six o'clock in time for 1345 01:05:22.920 --> 01:05:25.480 the NBA Finals. Tom stops by today courtesy of our 1346 01:05:25.519 --> 01:05:28.639 friends at Advanced Window Products, where right now you can 1347 01:05:28.679 --> 01:05:30.679 get twenty five hundred dollars off when you buy ten 1348 01:05:30.800 --> 01:05:33.599 windows or more. It's a great local Salt Lake company 1349 01:05:33.679 --> 01:05:36.119 operated by front of the program Date Orchard. Mayor of 1350 01:05:36.159 --> 01:05:38.920 sack Lake City is Buddy Jake Weber. They're just awesome people, 1351 01:05:39.440 --> 01:05:41.679 come from a great family who's been running Advanced Window 1352 01:05:41.679 --> 01:05:45.000 Products for a number of years. So, if it's the 1353 01:05:45.119 --> 01:05:47.199 time for you, because the weather's about to get warm, 1354 01:05:47.239 --> 01:05:48.920 it's been warm now for a couple of weeks. Is 1355 01:05:48.920 --> 01:05:51.719 your house super hot? Are you jacking up the air conditioning, Well, 1356 01:05:51.719 --> 01:05:55.119 you're wasting money and potentially if you need to wait 1357 01:05:55.239 --> 01:05:56.920 and tell the fall, maybe you're gonna sell a house 1358 01:05:57.039 --> 01:05:58.519 or whatever it is, or you're gonna wait till the 1359 01:05:58.559 --> 01:06:01.800 winter before the house gets cold. If you need windows now, 1360 01:06:02.000 --> 01:06:04.079 or you will need windows over the next couple of months. 1361 01:06:04.119 --> 01:06:06.599 If you call today, you lock in the savings regardless 1362 01:06:06.599 --> 01:06:09.760 of when the process happens. So twenty five hundred dollars 1363 01:06:09.800 --> 01:06:12.000 off when you purchase ten windows or more at Advanced 1364 01:06:12.000 --> 01:06:15.000 Window Products by calling eight oh one eight five zero 1365 01:06:15.159 --> 01:06:17.880 ninety one hundred. That's eight one eight five zero ninety 1366 01:06:17.960 --> 01:06:18.480 one hundred. 1367 01:06:18.800 --> 01:06:22.440 He's deprived of Norwich, Connecticut and an adopted son of 1368 01:06:22.559 --> 01:06:25.719 Salt Lake City. After forty years with the Utah Jazz, 1369 01:06:26.159 --> 01:06:28.400 there's no one better to talk some hoops. 1370 01:06:28.960 --> 01:06:29.280 Richard. 1371 01:06:29.360 --> 01:06:33.599 Smitty Smith is back on the Drive on ESPN seven hundred. 1372 01:06:34.360 --> 01:06:36.199 Are you trying to make Bill jealous? You know we 1373 01:06:36.239 --> 01:06:38.159 do have Bill on the show today. We can't bring 1374 01:06:38.280 --> 01:06:40.599 this back twice. I think Smitty's trying to make Bill checks. 1375 01:06:40.599 --> 01:06:43.880 Oh okay, I think it's a great situation here. It's 1376 01:06:43.880 --> 01:06:46.800 a great song Bill. Bill Riley's going to stop by 1377 01:06:47.000 --> 01:06:49.079 in one hour from now, Voice of the Utes. But 1378 01:06:49.199 --> 01:06:51.840 Richard Smith is live in studio for an entire hour 1379 01:06:52.559 --> 01:06:54.320 on a jam packed Monday afternoon. 1380 01:06:54.400 --> 01:06:57.599 Smitty, Happy Monday, sir, How are you I'm doing great? 1381 01:06:57.639 --> 01:06:58.519 How are you doing? I'm good? 1382 01:06:58.519 --> 01:07:00.199 There's so many things that I wanted to talk to 1383 01:07:00.239 --> 01:07:02.840 you about. Let's start with a quick like JJ Spawn, 1384 01:07:03.000 --> 01:07:05.159 Oh my gosh moment, because you and I are both 1385 01:07:05.239 --> 01:07:09.719 golf fans, and it's interesting watching the best players in 1386 01:07:09.760 --> 01:07:13.920 the world just have no answers for the problems that 1387 01:07:14.000 --> 01:07:18.199 a coast of course like Oakmond presents. You know, the best, 1388 01:07:18.360 --> 01:07:20.239 the best players in the world, some of them missed 1389 01:07:20.239 --> 01:07:23.800 the cut, most all of them fell apart, and JJ 1390 01:07:24.039 --> 01:07:26.719 Teeter two bogeying five of six and I wrote him off. 1391 01:07:26.760 --> 01:07:30.639 I'm like, Okay, he's not ready for this moment. Sam 1392 01:07:30.719 --> 01:07:33.119 Burns probably feels hard done because of the ruling. I mean, 1393 01:07:33.199 --> 01:07:36.360 water was everywhere, Adam Scott falls apart, and after the 1394 01:07:36.440 --> 01:07:39.519 weather break, JJ Spawn rolls back into the thing and 1395 01:07:39.679 --> 01:07:42.559 wins it with a sixty footer on eighteen. I mean, 1396 01:07:43.400 --> 01:07:46.039 a life changing moment. It's my favorite thing about watching 1397 01:07:46.079 --> 01:07:48.880 sports like that. Dude's life just changed right there. How 1398 01:07:48.920 --> 01:07:51.440 did you digest that moment? It's the whole thing. 1399 01:07:51.559 --> 01:07:54.519 Spen's about a live theater, you know, like you go 1400 01:07:54.599 --> 01:07:57.280 to a Broadway show and you sit down and there's 1401 01:07:57.320 --> 01:07:59.480 been reviews of the show, and you're going there because 1402 01:07:59.480 --> 01:08:01.639 you're excited to see it, and you're gonna be there 1403 01:08:01.719 --> 01:08:04.480 for three hours, and you know what you're gonna get 1404 01:08:04.599 --> 01:08:07.639 in terms of entertainment, and you know how how the 1405 01:08:07.719 --> 01:08:10.519 play adds, right, the guy gets the girl and everybody's 1406 01:08:10.559 --> 01:08:11.800 happy at the end or whatever. 1407 01:08:12.280 --> 01:08:13.079 You know what's coming. 1408 01:08:13.199 --> 01:08:17.319 But in sports, and then you know, in these kinds 1409 01:08:17.359 --> 01:08:20.960 of moments, you have no idea what is coming next. 1410 01:08:21.279 --> 01:08:23.960 And for those guys to be put in the position 1411 01:08:24.680 --> 01:08:28.039 of the weather, the rain, the wind, you know, spawn 1412 01:08:28.159 --> 01:08:31.520 goes out five bogies in the first six holes. Okay, well, 1413 01:08:31.960 --> 01:08:34.399 you know it's just those are the conditions, and you 1414 01:08:34.560 --> 01:08:36.640 got to hit the ball in the fairway. You can't 1415 01:08:36.680 --> 01:08:38.760 get it out of the fairway. And if you do, 1416 01:08:39.479 --> 01:08:41.640 then you know everybody's in the same boat. And he 1417 01:08:41.880 --> 01:08:44.960 just held on and you know, grind and grind. And 1418 01:08:45.039 --> 01:08:48.000 then in thirteen and fourteen, there's like five guys all 1419 01:08:48.119 --> 01:08:51.079 tied for the lead and three other guys one shot back. 1420 01:08:51.520 --> 01:08:54.319 And so all these guys on the leaderboard, out of 1421 01:08:54.359 --> 01:08:57.399 a legitimate chance with four or five holes to play, 1422 01:08:57.920 --> 01:09:00.600 to come out and grab it. Who's gonna grab you know? 1423 01:09:00.720 --> 01:09:03.600 The one masters I was fortunate enough to go to 1424 01:09:03.600 --> 01:09:06.479 who Spens in twenty eleven. It was the same a 1425 01:09:06.560 --> 01:09:10.199 beautiful day, night's weather on that particular day, but it 1426 01:09:10.279 --> 01:09:13.520 was the same scenario on the leader board. Everybody had 1427 01:09:13.520 --> 01:09:16.479 a legitimate chance to come up and grab it. And 1428 01:09:16.760 --> 01:09:20.800 who does it, of all people, Charles Schwartzel, who wins 1429 01:09:20.880 --> 01:09:24.119 his one Masters in twenty eleven, comes down the back. 1430 01:09:24.039 --> 01:09:26.600 Nine and goes birdie, birdie, birdie. 1431 01:09:26.560 --> 01:09:30.520 On sixteen seventeen eighteen and just runs by everybody like 1432 01:09:30.600 --> 01:09:33.399 in a horse race analogy in the last you know, 1433 01:09:33.520 --> 01:09:37.319 fifty yards, runs right by everybody and ends up winning 1434 01:09:37.399 --> 01:09:41.199 by half a length, you know whatever. And so jj 1435 01:09:41.359 --> 01:09:44.359 Spahn is a grinder, thirty four year old guy, you know, 1436 01:09:44.520 --> 01:09:47.880 a journeyman guy who's had some success, but one of 1437 01:09:47.920 --> 01:09:50.119 those guys who's really playing from year to year to 1438 01:09:50.279 --> 01:09:53.640 just keep his tour card. And he's able to grind 1439 01:09:53.760 --> 01:09:57.159 something out on a special Sunday afternoon for him and 1440 01:09:57.239 --> 01:09:59.680 then to do it with that but that he didn't 1441 01:09:59.720 --> 01:10:02.239 need to. Obviously he had to. He just had the 1442 01:10:02.319 --> 01:10:04.319 two putt to win it. But for that thing to 1443 01:10:04.439 --> 01:10:07.079 go in like it did for him to win and 1444 01:10:07.199 --> 01:10:09.680 clinch it right at that moment on the last stroke, 1445 01:10:10.199 --> 01:10:14.399 you take of a major. That's that's your defining moment. 1446 01:10:14.920 --> 01:10:18.079 That's what you're gonna have to carry with you the 1447 01:10:18.199 --> 01:10:19.800 rest of your life, which which is. 1448 01:10:19.800 --> 01:10:22.079 A great feeling, legendary. I mean, it was really and 1449 01:10:22.119 --> 01:10:24.039 I don't know, I didn't know much about JJ. I'd 1450 01:10:24.119 --> 01:10:26.520 seen his name near the top of the leader boards, 1451 01:10:26.560 --> 01:10:28.279 he has one on the tour before, and he's been 1452 01:10:28.359 --> 01:10:31.159 right in the mix. Do you think we've seen the 1453 01:10:32.039 --> 01:10:34.239 birth of a star on tour? I mean, he's got 1454 01:10:34.359 --> 01:10:36.640 to be getting consideration for the Ryder Cup now, doesn't he. 1455 01:10:36.960 --> 01:10:39.039 Yeah, I mean he's he's uh, you know, he's in. 1456 01:10:39.800 --> 01:10:42.039 To me, Spence is in a mix with there's a 1457 01:10:42.079 --> 01:10:45.000 whole bunch of guys that are like him. Okay, not 1458 01:10:45.119 --> 01:10:47.359 to diminish what he did, and not the diminish him 1459 01:10:47.359 --> 01:10:50.039 as a play. He's a he's a regular tour player, 1460 01:10:50.479 --> 01:10:53.640 but he he has been a grinded out kind of 1461 01:10:53.720 --> 01:10:56.800 guy and he has been, uh, you know, from year 1462 01:10:56.880 --> 01:11:00.239 to year, really has been playing to get in a 1463 01:11:00.359 --> 01:11:03.520 mix every now and then, but mostly to have enough 1464 01:11:03.600 --> 01:11:06.279 success to be in the one twenty five so he 1465 01:11:06.359 --> 01:11:09.560 can keep his tour card and keep going the next year. Right, 1466 01:11:10.000 --> 01:11:13.039 and so now he's thirty four years old. He gets 1467 01:11:13.119 --> 01:11:16.600 on top of this mountain at the moment, and he 1468 01:11:16.680 --> 01:11:19.439 should be feeling really good about it, you know. But 1469 01:11:19.560 --> 01:11:21.800 there are a lot of those guys, whether it's Gary 1470 01:11:21.840 --> 01:11:24.479 Woodland who did it several years ago, you know in 1471 01:11:24.680 --> 01:11:27.520 LA You know guys who come up and they win. 1472 01:11:27.600 --> 01:11:30.840 There one Charles Schwartzel I just mentioned in twenty eleven. 1473 01:11:31.000 --> 01:11:33.680 You know Mike Weir, who's a long time pro, who's 1474 01:11:33.760 --> 01:11:36.359 one of our favorites from the local area. You know, 1475 01:11:36.439 --> 01:11:39.119 who won the Masters, you know when his one major. 1476 01:11:39.600 --> 01:11:43.119 You know, these guys who are who are great, excellent 1477 01:11:43.239 --> 01:11:47.520 golfers on the PGA Tour, but there's always something that 1478 01:11:47.680 --> 01:11:51.000 separates them from the real top guys. 1479 01:11:51.079 --> 01:11:52.720 And it's such a fine line. 1480 01:11:52.880 --> 01:11:55.960 And you play seventy two holes and like we saw 1481 01:11:56.039 --> 01:11:58.520 this this past weekend, and you played in the in 1482 01:11:58.640 --> 01:12:01.840 the all kinds of weather conditions, and the thing that 1483 01:12:02.039 --> 01:12:07.600 separates you from the next guy is a sixty five 1484 01:12:07.680 --> 01:12:12.239 foot putt, is it, or or as one missed fairway 1485 01:12:12.680 --> 01:12:15.760 where you had to hack it out just another thirty 1486 01:12:15.880 --> 01:12:18.479 yards to get back and play, and that costs you 1487 01:12:18.479 --> 01:12:21.479 an extra stroke, and now you lose the tournament by 1488 01:12:21.560 --> 01:12:24.199 one or two or whatever. You know, It's just it's 1489 01:12:24.319 --> 01:12:27.960 just that's how thin that line is over a four 1490 01:12:28.079 --> 01:12:31.279 day period with the top golfers in the world. That's 1491 01:12:31.439 --> 01:12:34.640 that's what makes it so daunting. But that's also what 1492 01:12:34.840 --> 01:12:37.680 makes it so exhilarating as a fan to watch that 1493 01:12:37.880 --> 01:12:40.039 live theater. Yeah, I thought I thought it was awesome. 1494 01:12:40.239 --> 01:12:41.079 I was captivated. 1495 01:12:41.119 --> 01:12:44.600 All right, Smitty, let's start here and then we'll kind 1496 01:12:44.640 --> 01:12:47.960 of uh move it into a direction and involve our 1497 01:12:48.039 --> 01:12:51.319 local basketball team, the Utah Jazz. Uh So, there's a 1498 01:12:51.359 --> 01:12:54.520 method in the madness stick with us. So uh kind 1499 01:12:54.560 --> 01:12:57.840 of us shocking trade, kind of a trade that nobody 1500 01:12:57.880 --> 01:12:59.920 saw coming. It was announced yesterday and made a fish 1501 01:13:00.119 --> 01:13:03.479 that the Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando 1502 01:13:03.600 --> 01:13:06.840 Magic for Contavious called Well Pope Cole Anthony for unprotected 1503 01:13:06.880 --> 01:13:09.159 first round picks and one first round pick swap. 1504 01:13:09.399 --> 01:13:11.119 Okay, so let's. 1505 01:13:10.840 --> 01:13:13.640 Start with what that says to you of the mentality 1506 01:13:13.720 --> 01:13:15.920 of the Memphis Grizzlies. Why does Memphis do this deal? 1507 01:13:16.159 --> 01:13:19.600 Well, I think probably what they're looking at is is 1508 01:13:19.720 --> 01:13:23.039 that they're trying to a get off some money. Okay, 1509 01:13:23.840 --> 01:13:28.000 trying to manage their books a little bit. Bu they 1510 01:13:28.079 --> 01:13:30.960 look at what they've got going and they see, okay, 1511 01:13:31.039 --> 01:13:34.239 we're in the middle of the mix, but we don't 1512 01:13:34.279 --> 01:13:38.319 really have anything that's going to jet propose us, you 1513 01:13:38.399 --> 01:13:40.760 know above and you know, to get in the top 1514 01:13:40.840 --> 01:13:44.119 three or four teams that you know, if everybody's healthy 1515 01:13:44.159 --> 01:13:46.359 in the league, which you never can count on. And 1516 01:13:46.560 --> 01:13:51.560 so we're making a calculated guestimate that that it's going 1517 01:13:51.640 --> 01:13:54.039 to be better for us as long as we can 1518 01:13:54.119 --> 01:13:58.319 get Morant and Jackson on the floor. We have two guys, Okay, 1519 01:13:58.800 --> 01:14:01.479 all right, we're giving up our third guy. All right, 1520 01:14:01.640 --> 01:14:04.800 maybe we can find another third guy somehow, Like they 1521 01:14:04.880 --> 01:14:07.680 found Bain who was an early second round pick. And 1522 01:14:07.760 --> 01:14:11.680 we're talking all all spring Spence about the draft and 1523 01:14:12.039 --> 01:14:14.119 missing out on the top pick and having the fifth 1524 01:14:14.199 --> 01:14:15.920 pick and you know, what are we doing when I 1525 01:14:15.960 --> 01:14:18.359 can get a guy and whatever? You know, Desmond Baine 1526 01:14:18.600 --> 01:14:21.000 it was an early second round pick, you know, by 1527 01:14:21.079 --> 01:14:24.319 Memphis and were always talking about you can find guys. 1528 01:14:24.520 --> 01:14:27.000 But that's what your job is when you're in that position. 1529 01:14:27.119 --> 01:14:31.319 You have to go identify them, you have to evaluate them, 1530 01:14:31.800 --> 01:14:34.000 and then you have to figure out a way to 1531 01:14:34.560 --> 01:14:38.359 procure them, and uh, you know, Memphis is looking at it, 1532 01:14:38.399 --> 01:14:41.039 I think probably in saying, well, you know, if we 1533 01:14:41.319 --> 01:14:43.840 we can keep on Morant and Jackson for the next 1534 01:14:43.880 --> 01:14:46.880 several years, then we have to just find another third 1535 01:14:47.000 --> 01:14:50.239 guy and maybe we can get into another trade or 1536 01:14:50.279 --> 01:14:53.479 maybe maybe KCP. I don't think he's that guy, but 1537 01:14:53.560 --> 01:14:55.920 I think he's a good rotation guy now in his career. 1538 01:14:56.279 --> 01:14:58.760 But maybe we find another young guy that we like 1539 01:14:59.039 --> 01:15:01.359 to get in the mix. Maybe we get lucky in 1540 01:15:01.399 --> 01:15:03.359 the draft, or maybe there's a guy we see in 1541 01:15:03.439 --> 01:15:06.279 the draft that nobody else is seeing and we got 1542 01:15:06.359 --> 01:15:07.399 him in our back pocket. 1543 01:15:07.640 --> 01:15:09.560 So we're gonna go ahead and make this move because 1544 01:15:09.960 --> 01:15:11.720 we think we can get that guy, you know. 1545 01:15:11.880 --> 01:15:14.039 And again, who that would be, I don't know, but 1546 01:15:14.399 --> 01:15:18.159 you know, that's that's one possible scenarios. They've identified a 1547 01:15:18.199 --> 01:15:21.119 guy they like that they're they're hearing around the league 1548 01:15:21.159 --> 01:15:23.760 nobody else is even talking about. And you know, so 1549 01:15:23.840 --> 01:15:26.399 if they can get another Bane like they did at 1550 01:15:27.000 --> 01:15:29.760 thirty one, thirty two, whatever it was several years ago, 1551 01:15:29.960 --> 01:15:32.920 and and do something like that, then you know, then 1552 01:15:32.920 --> 01:15:35.399 they're feeling like they're they're getting their books down, but 1553 01:15:35.479 --> 01:15:38.880 they're also giving themselves some more flexibility going forward to 1554 01:15:39.239 --> 01:15:42.800 build that roster out and try and be competitive as 1555 01:15:42.840 --> 01:15:45.479 long as Morant and Jackson are there to help them. 1556 01:15:45.560 --> 01:15:47.039 So I'm glad you brought that up. One more thing, 1557 01:15:47.039 --> 01:15:48.960 and then we're gonna bring the Jazz angle into this. 1558 01:15:49.319 --> 01:15:53.800 I've heard and read several people's surmise Memphis is open 1559 01:15:53.880 --> 01:15:54.399 for business. 1560 01:15:54.720 --> 01:15:57.239 This is a yard sale. I don't read it that way. 1561 01:15:57.399 --> 01:16:00.720 Jaws under contract through twenty eight, and you know, it's 1562 01:16:00.720 --> 01:16:03.039 actually kind of a reasonable deal for who he is 1563 01:16:03.159 --> 01:16:05.640 when his mind is right, and I don't know what 1564 01:16:05.760 --> 01:16:07.920 sort of market there would be for him. I would say, 1565 01:16:08.000 --> 01:16:10.800 prior to all the gun chaos and off court bs, 1566 01:16:10.960 --> 01:16:13.319 there was probably a robust market for a talent like 1567 01:16:13.399 --> 01:16:15.760 that at his age. I don't know what sort of 1568 01:16:15.800 --> 01:16:17.560 calls they would receive if it was out there that 1569 01:16:17.600 --> 01:16:21.079 he's available. Jaron Jackson Junior is up for a contract extension. 1570 01:16:21.159 --> 01:16:23.079 He's going to get paid. I believe he's up for 1571 01:16:23.119 --> 01:16:25.239 the Supermax because he won Defensive Player of the Year. 1572 01:16:26.039 --> 01:16:29.600 So look, if they put Jared Jackson Junior on the table, 1573 01:16:29.640 --> 01:16:30.880 I think they get a lot of phone calls. 1574 01:16:30.920 --> 01:16:32.279 I don't know that they get a Ton for ja 1575 01:16:32.439 --> 01:16:32.760 right now. 1576 01:16:33.199 --> 01:16:35.760 But I don't know that I read this as Memphis 1577 01:16:35.840 --> 01:16:38.000 is now open for business and everyone's available. 1578 01:16:38.199 --> 01:16:38.960 What's your take on that? 1579 01:16:39.199 --> 01:16:42.600 Yeah, well it could be you know, maybe there maybe 1580 01:16:42.640 --> 01:16:44.359 they're going to take a page out of the Utah 1581 01:16:44.479 --> 01:16:47.920 Jazz book and just trade all their guys and start over, 1582 01:16:47.960 --> 01:16:50.720 because they're looking at the grand landscape from thirty thousand 1583 01:16:50.800 --> 01:16:55.319 feet and saying, well, let's see OKAC the youngest team 1584 01:16:55.359 --> 01:16:58.680 in the league and they're about to maybe win a championship, 1585 01:16:58.840 --> 01:17:01.640 and San Antonio was about to get a guy another guy, 1586 01:17:02.159 --> 01:17:03.840 and they're all all of a sudden going to make 1587 01:17:03.880 --> 01:17:06.319 a big leap, and they're young guys. And then and 1588 01:17:06.399 --> 01:17:08.680 then we've got the Denver is still sitting there in 1589 01:17:08.760 --> 01:17:10.560 the in the weeds. And then we got you know, 1590 01:17:10.720 --> 01:17:13.800 Golden States, or they just got Butler with you know, 1591 01:17:13.880 --> 01:17:16.840 we got Dallas just and they're looking and going, well, 1592 01:17:17.479 --> 01:17:20.039 where are we going? We can't get anywhere we're gonna 1593 01:17:20.039 --> 01:17:23.319 get so yeah, so so maybe they're looking at what 1594 01:17:23.439 --> 01:17:26.960 the Jazz did a few years ago and saying, hey, 1595 01:17:27.199 --> 01:17:30.720 maybe while our guys are you know, good and highly 1596 01:17:30.840 --> 01:17:34.760 thought of, and we can get something for him, you know, 1597 01:17:34.960 --> 01:17:38.279 maybe we do that thing because I. 1598 01:17:38.319 --> 01:17:39.399 Don't know where we're going. 1599 01:17:39.520 --> 01:17:41.640 You know, we with our group that we got, now, 1600 01:17:41.840 --> 01:17:45.399 we we like them, we think they're competitive, but these 1601 01:17:45.479 --> 01:17:49.800 other guys are a step or two or three ahead 1602 01:17:49.800 --> 01:17:52.880 of us. So we can grind and play hard and 1603 01:17:53.119 --> 01:17:56.680 have everybody healthy and all that and end up you 1604 01:17:56.760 --> 01:17:59.960 know in six, seven, eight, and so what where we going? 1605 01:18:00.279 --> 01:18:00.439 You know? 1606 01:18:00.600 --> 01:18:03.520 So there's that scenario because because you have to always 1607 01:18:03.640 --> 01:18:08.520 marry that idea spends the basketball stuff, roster building with 1608 01:18:09.399 --> 01:18:12.800 your financial and the business part of it, and sometimes 1609 01:18:12.880 --> 01:18:15.520 you have to look at and say, spending this amount 1610 01:18:15.520 --> 01:18:20.439 of money on this group for the expected end result 1611 01:18:21.239 --> 01:18:24.600 just doesn't make any sense. And so you know, we're 1612 01:18:24.720 --> 01:18:30.039 better off re calibrating a step or two and trying, 1613 01:18:30.239 --> 01:18:33.560 you know, maybe to reinvent ourselves on the fly. I 1614 01:18:33.720 --> 01:18:37.000 I could see somebody saying, yeah, that's behind the closed doors, 1615 01:18:37.039 --> 01:18:38.079 that's what they're trying to do. 1616 01:18:39.239 --> 01:18:39.840 You know, I don't know. 1617 01:18:40.319 --> 01:18:44.359 And I would also throwing the wrinkle that that I would. 1618 01:18:44.159 --> 01:18:47.760 Guess that if that's a scenario, that there's some weight 1619 01:18:48.000 --> 01:18:51.680 on the idea that you know, they've they've grown tired 1620 01:18:52.600 --> 01:18:56.439 of the jah morant, you know, soap opera, and no 1621 01:18:56.560 --> 01:19:00.199 matter how talented he is, you know that it's just 1622 01:19:00.319 --> 01:19:02.880 not worth, you know, all the heavy lifting it takes 1623 01:19:03.199 --> 01:19:06.079 on the rest of the organization, you know, to try 1624 01:19:06.119 --> 01:19:08.840 and keep the ship going forward. And so maybe it's 1625 01:19:08.960 --> 01:19:11.920 just time to cut bait and figure out what our 1626 01:19:11.960 --> 01:19:12.560 plan B is. 1627 01:19:12.880 --> 01:19:13.840 So one more follow up. 1628 01:19:13.840 --> 01:19:15.600 Then we're gonna bring the jazz into this, because there's 1629 01:19:15.600 --> 01:19:18.439 an interesting jazz portion concerning job. 1630 01:19:20.199 --> 01:19:22.119 And I can remember when. 1631 01:19:23.479 --> 01:19:26.159 And this isn't a fair parallel, a perfect parallel, but 1632 01:19:26.199 --> 01:19:29.880 you'll understand where I'm going when so news comes out, 1633 01:19:30.319 --> 01:19:33.399 and this was before social media, it was before twenty 1634 01:19:33.439 --> 01:19:36.560 four to seven inundation of information that Latrell Spreewell had 1635 01:19:36.640 --> 01:19:39.680 choked his coach, right, and it's like, okay, what exactly 1636 01:19:39.920 --> 01:19:42.399 what does that look? Because he was such a great talent, 1637 01:19:43.239 --> 01:19:45.680 came out of Alabama, nobody really knew. 1638 01:19:45.479 --> 01:19:46.920 What sort of NBA player he would be. 1639 01:19:47.079 --> 01:19:49.760 Golden State kind of rises up to be this really exciting, 1640 01:19:50.319 --> 01:19:52.439 great defensive wing that could get up and down finish 1641 01:19:52.520 --> 01:19:53.920 on there. He's never a great shooter, but a really 1642 01:19:53.960 --> 01:19:57.039 good player. And then the thing comes out about Carlossimo 1643 01:19:57.119 --> 01:19:59.479 and it's like, Okay, what's the deal. The Knicks at 1644 01:19:59.520 --> 01:20:03.279 the time ha an aging roster, and they were trying 1645 01:20:03.359 --> 01:20:05.479 to make sure Ewing's final years in New York were 1646 01:20:05.520 --> 01:20:08.199 supported with a good team. And I can remember when 1647 01:20:08.279 --> 01:20:10.600 the opportunity came down for the next to trade for 1648 01:20:10.800 --> 01:20:13.159 Latrell Spree Well, and part of the package was going 1649 01:20:13.199 --> 01:20:14.840 to be John Starks, who was like the heart of 1650 01:20:14.880 --> 01:20:18.000 that team in the nineties, And there was a real debate, 1651 01:20:18.199 --> 01:20:22.840 internal debate, and my dad flew Spree out and he 1652 01:20:22.960 --> 01:20:25.760 sat down with Jeff Ernie Grunfeld was the one that 1653 01:20:25.920 --> 01:20:28.439 was kind of like somewhat against this, and you get 1654 01:20:28.479 --> 01:20:30.720 it right now, Jeff was all for it because coaches 1655 01:20:30.720 --> 01:20:32.079 want to win, and he knew he could coach him. 1656 01:20:32.079 --> 01:20:35.439 He knew he was awesome. So with a talent like Jaw, 1657 01:20:36.399 --> 01:20:38.920 I suppose there's a market for it. But let's say 1658 01:20:38.920 --> 01:20:41.640 you're running a team and Memphis calls and they say, 1659 01:20:41.680 --> 01:20:42.640 what about jaw you? 1660 01:20:42.720 --> 01:20:44.359 What do you say? How does that process go down? 1661 01:20:44.439 --> 01:20:46.359 And if Jow would be available, do you think the 1662 01:20:46.439 --> 01:20:49.640 market would be robust enough to get what you should 1663 01:20:49.720 --> 01:20:50.520 for a talent like that. 1664 01:20:50.960 --> 01:20:56.880 Well, so as in any Shoppers market, Spence, it only 1665 01:20:56.960 --> 01:21:00.479 takes one one guy. It only takes one general manager 1666 01:21:01.159 --> 01:21:04.640 or one coach who has a lot of sway with 1667 01:21:04.840 --> 01:21:07.680 the organization, you know, to say, hey, I want I 1668 01:21:07.800 --> 01:21:09.920 want that guy, or I can work with that guy, 1669 01:21:10.119 --> 01:21:12.800 or you know the the you know, other people are 1670 01:21:12.800 --> 01:21:14.680 afraid of him or or don't know how to handle him. 1671 01:21:14.680 --> 01:21:16.359 I know how to do it, you know, whatever, whatever 1672 01:21:16.359 --> 01:21:18.359 it's going to be. Or you have a GM who 1673 01:21:18.439 --> 01:21:21.600 feels like he's too talented and he you know, you 1674 01:21:21.760 --> 01:21:24.199 have to get him if you can, and then it's 1675 01:21:24.279 --> 01:21:26.199 up to the coach to to figure out how to 1676 01:21:26.279 --> 01:21:28.560 work with them. And you know, and you have those 1677 01:21:28.640 --> 01:21:31.359 conversations before you do anything like that because you want 1678 01:21:31.399 --> 01:21:34.319 to make sure that that everybody's on board. 1679 01:21:34.399 --> 01:21:35.640 You know, we had a scenario. 1680 01:21:36.680 --> 01:21:39.000 I won't mention names, but we we had a scenario 1681 01:21:39.680 --> 01:21:41.880 years and years ago with the Jazz where we were 1682 01:21:41.960 --> 01:21:45.159 looking at adding a player through free agency who we 1683 01:21:45.239 --> 01:21:48.600 thought would be a good piece to what our our 1684 01:21:48.800 --> 01:21:51.920 core was still going on with stocking them alone. And 1685 01:21:53.000 --> 01:21:55.399 and one of our guys went out and made a 1686 01:21:55.439 --> 01:21:57.239 bunch of phone calls and talked to people who knew 1687 01:21:57.239 --> 01:21:58.640 we are on the league or whatever comes back to 1688 01:21:58.680 --> 01:22:02.159 a meeting and says, yeah, yeah, I did a bunch 1689 01:22:02.199 --> 01:22:03.359 of homework on that guy. 1690 01:22:03.439 --> 01:22:04.199 Yeah, what do you think. 1691 01:22:04.279 --> 01:22:07.600 Well, well, I was oh for seven and we're sitting 1692 01:22:07.640 --> 01:22:09.079 around the table going, oh for seven. 1693 01:22:09.119 --> 01:22:10.079 What does that mean? 1694 01:22:10.439 --> 01:22:13.520 Well, I talked to seven guys and none of them 1695 01:22:14.039 --> 01:22:16.399 can support the idea of us bringing that guy in 1696 01:22:16.920 --> 01:22:20.319 for whatever the varying reasons. Everybody had a different view, 1697 01:22:20.399 --> 01:22:24.720 of different touch, a different experience. And then he said, however, 1698 01:22:25.000 --> 01:22:27.840 having said that, I still think we need to bring 1699 01:22:27.960 --> 01:22:30.439 him in because I think he can help us. And 1700 01:22:31.359 --> 01:22:33.000 and so there was a lot of debate about that 1701 01:22:33.199 --> 01:22:35.880 and a lot of discussion about well, what are we 1702 01:22:36.039 --> 01:22:37.680 doing and how is it going. 1703 01:22:37.680 --> 01:22:39.720 To affect our overall group. 1704 01:22:39.880 --> 01:22:41.920 And you know, at that time, we had you know, 1705 01:22:42.079 --> 01:22:46.239 two heavyweight guys and stocked in them alone who we felt, 1706 01:22:46.319 --> 01:22:49.479 you know, could along with obviously with coach Sloan uh, 1707 01:22:49.640 --> 01:22:52.439 you know, could deal with whatever the deal the fallout 1708 01:22:52.560 --> 01:22:54.720 was going to be, or the or the the tough 1709 01:22:54.760 --> 01:22:57.920 parts were going to be. And so, you know, eventually 1710 01:22:58.199 --> 01:23:00.720 that decision was made to go forward, but it was 1711 01:23:01.239 --> 01:23:04.479 but there's a lot of discussion around you know, when 1712 01:23:04.520 --> 01:23:09.760 you're adding someone like that into a mix that you 1713 01:23:10.039 --> 01:23:14.680 have to really be uh, be confident that your group, 1714 01:23:15.119 --> 01:23:17.680 whether it's the coach, whether it's a couple of assistant 1715 01:23:17.720 --> 01:23:20.920 coaches on your staff who know the guy or knew 1716 01:23:20.960 --> 01:23:23.399 the guy in college, or I had prior experience with 1717 01:23:23.520 --> 01:23:25.880 him on another team, or you know, whatever it could be, 1718 01:23:26.760 --> 01:23:29.119 that your group will be able to handle it in 1719 01:23:29.239 --> 01:23:31.800 a way that's professional, that is going to get you 1720 01:23:31.920 --> 01:23:35.520 the desired results that you're after, you know, in that 1721 01:23:35.680 --> 01:23:39.039 kind of move And and with with those kinds of things, Spence, 1722 01:23:39.720 --> 01:23:42.680 there's a there's always a lot of moving parts and 1723 01:23:42.800 --> 01:23:45.119 there are a lot of things you have to consider 1724 01:23:45.680 --> 01:23:49.039 before you really decide to pull the trigger on something 1725 01:23:49.399 --> 01:23:52.840 that's going to really have a big effect, maybe one way, 1726 01:23:53.319 --> 01:23:56.199 maybe the other way, on how your group performs. 1727 01:23:56.640 --> 01:23:59.880 Well said, let's move over to the jazz and you know, 1728 01:24:00.079 --> 01:24:04.960 it's interesting to consider exactly what the Memphis deal says 1729 01:24:05.039 --> 01:24:06.960 on a number of different levels. And I bring that 1730 01:24:07.119 --> 01:24:11.119 up because I didn't know Desmond Bane was available, right. 1731 01:24:11.239 --> 01:24:13.439 So I bring that up because there are always players 1732 01:24:13.479 --> 01:24:15.680 that are available that are really good that the public 1733 01:24:15.800 --> 01:24:16.640 just doesn't know about. 1734 01:24:18.039 --> 01:24:21.279 But you knew donc was available. No, you knew that. 1735 01:24:21.359 --> 01:24:24.680 Another good example, right, like that's why this league is wild. 1736 01:24:24.760 --> 01:24:26.399 You wake up and you're like, wait, they traded who? 1737 01:24:26.800 --> 01:24:26.920 Right? 1738 01:24:27.479 --> 01:24:29.760 So maybe there's the reason I bring it up in 1739 01:24:29.800 --> 01:24:34.359 that context is Brian Windhorst goes on TV and references 1740 01:24:34.399 --> 01:24:35.960 that he's been told the Jazz are going to try 1741 01:24:36.000 --> 01:24:38.359 to level it up whatever that means, right, So like, 1742 01:24:39.279 --> 01:24:41.800 I don't see that path, but I want to be fair. 1743 01:24:42.000 --> 01:24:43.680 Maybe there are things out there that we have no 1744 01:24:43.880 --> 01:24:48.840 idea about. So if that's the mentality of the Jazz, now, 1745 01:24:49.079 --> 01:24:51.760 if they're like, Okay, we're gonna do the thing we're 1746 01:24:51.760 --> 01:24:53.760 gonna take this off season, we're gonna add some pieces 1747 01:24:53.800 --> 01:24:55.479 and we're gonna be right in the mix next year, 1748 01:24:56.560 --> 01:24:57.319 what does that look like? 1749 01:24:57.479 --> 01:24:59.039 I don't know that I see it, And we'll get 1750 01:24:59.079 --> 01:25:00.439 to the other path that a moment. 1751 01:25:00.560 --> 01:25:02.640 And the other path is I just talked about with 1752 01:25:02.720 --> 01:25:06.359 Tom Haverstrow engaging with the San Antonio Spurs or a 1753 01:25:06.399 --> 01:25:09.159 team that's ahead of them if they've identified the player 1754 01:25:09.199 --> 01:25:11.199 they like to go move up in the draft to 1755 01:25:11.239 --> 01:25:13.079 get a young player they can grow with their other 1756 01:25:13.159 --> 01:25:16.399 young players. That seems more sensible to me. But Win 1757 01:25:16.479 --> 01:25:19.039 Horses plugged in. He's an NBA reporter that people seem 1758 01:25:19.119 --> 01:25:22.319 to trust. So if the Jazz are serious about adding 1759 01:25:22.399 --> 01:25:25.399 to the group this year to take legitimate steps up 1760 01:25:25.479 --> 01:25:27.079 next year, what do you think that looks like? 1761 01:25:27.239 --> 01:25:29.359 Well, I mean again, Spence, there are a lot of 1762 01:25:29.439 --> 01:25:31.560 different options and a lot of different ways they can go. 1763 01:25:32.239 --> 01:25:35.439 And you know, as the old saying goes, it takes 1764 01:25:35.479 --> 01:25:38.600 two to tango. So you can have an idea and 1765 01:25:38.720 --> 01:25:40.319 you can say, this is what we want to do, 1766 01:25:40.439 --> 01:25:42.159 and we can lay out a plan and we want 1767 01:25:42.199 --> 01:25:44.560 to add this kind of a guy, we want to 1768 01:25:44.600 --> 01:25:48.079 add that kind of a player, and we can shore 1769 01:25:48.239 --> 01:25:50.720 up a couple of things on the wings with a 1770 01:25:50.800 --> 01:25:53.399 couple of long defensive guys because we're one of the 1771 01:25:53.479 --> 01:25:56.640 worst defensive teams in the league the last several years, 1772 01:25:56.680 --> 01:25:59.560 and so we've got to start addressing that stuff. So, 1773 01:26:00.119 --> 01:26:02.800 you know, if you're looking at building a foundation and 1774 01:26:02.960 --> 01:26:06.199 trying to get better incrementally better, you know you have 1775 01:26:06.399 --> 01:26:06.880 to do it. 1776 01:26:07.159 --> 01:26:09.279 You know the old adage brick by brick. 1777 01:26:09.439 --> 01:26:12.000 So you know, if you need to lay a whole foundation, 1778 01:26:12.720 --> 01:26:15.079 you know, you may do it just one pieceet of 1779 01:26:15.159 --> 01:26:18.920 time and just keep waiting and waiting and waiting, or 1780 01:26:19.000 --> 01:26:21.079 you can try and add three or four or five 1781 01:26:21.279 --> 01:26:23.439 at one time. But it's going to take you know, 1782 01:26:23.560 --> 01:26:25.520 you have to pay something for that. You just don't 1783 01:26:25.560 --> 01:26:28.319 get that stuff for free. And so you're gonna have 1784 01:26:28.359 --> 01:26:30.600 to give up players or draft picks or you know 1785 01:26:30.720 --> 01:26:33.439 what have you to be able to do something like that. 1786 01:26:33.920 --> 01:26:38.520 But does it make sense in what your overall objective 1787 01:26:38.680 --> 01:26:42.560 and your long range game plan is like? For example, 1788 01:26:42.760 --> 01:26:45.720 I heard you mentioned in the earlier segment with Tom 1789 01:26:46.479 --> 01:26:50.760 about you know, just hypothetically a guy like Porzingis or 1790 01:26:50.840 --> 01:26:52.840 a guy like Drew Holliday. 1791 01:26:53.000 --> 01:26:54.640 Okay, older guys. 1792 01:26:55.119 --> 01:26:57.840 Porzinkus isn't he isn't old, he's writ in his private 1793 01:26:58.039 --> 01:27:00.760 But a guy like Drew Holliday who needed toward the 1794 01:27:00.800 --> 01:27:02.319 end of it, or if you had a chance that 1795 01:27:02.479 --> 01:27:05.239 Kevin Durant who you know, you know, somebody like that 1796 01:27:05.399 --> 01:27:07.920 who's still a very good player. But you know, what 1797 01:27:08.079 --> 01:27:10.560 is it gonna take to get them and what real 1798 01:27:10.640 --> 01:27:13.319 impact are they gonna have on what you're trying to do, 1799 01:27:14.159 --> 01:27:18.680 you know, going forward and being sustainable for a while, 1800 01:27:18.800 --> 01:27:20.920 that those are the things you have to factor in. 1801 01:27:21.760 --> 01:27:24.039 You know, you can say all you want about well, 1802 01:27:24.079 --> 01:27:26.560 you know, we're gonna we're gonna go fast and we're 1803 01:27:26.560 --> 01:27:29.000 gonna get you know, stuff done or whatever. You know, 1804 01:27:29.199 --> 01:27:32.359 but you know that is much harder to do, uh, 1805 01:27:32.560 --> 01:27:36.000 to say, than this to to accomplish. And those are 1806 01:27:36.039 --> 01:27:41.119 the things, you know. Look, Austin Ainge is gonna really work. 1807 01:27:40.960 --> 01:27:41.439 Hard at it. 1808 01:27:41.920 --> 01:27:45.279 He's gonna he's gonna give it a maximum attention and 1809 01:27:45.359 --> 01:27:48.000 effort to trying to do those things. But but he 1810 01:27:48.079 --> 01:27:50.760 doesn't come in with a magic wand you know he's 1811 01:27:50.960 --> 01:27:54.880 he doesn't have a special potion just because he came 1812 01:27:54.960 --> 01:27:59.159 from the vaunted Boston Celtics. You know, that doesn't that 1813 01:27:59.439 --> 01:28:02.239 that doesn't lie. You know, you come, you come with 1814 01:28:02.399 --> 01:28:05.239 your own set of of abilities and your skill set 1815 01:28:05.760 --> 01:28:09.119 and your sensibilities to try and do what makes sense. 1816 01:28:09.479 --> 01:28:11.960 But you know he doesn't have any magic answers. You know, 1817 01:28:12.279 --> 01:28:14.840 if if there was such a thing, Danny Ainge would 1818 01:28:14.840 --> 01:28:17.479 have had them, because Danny Ainge had already been through 1819 01:28:17.520 --> 01:28:19.359 those kinds of mills several times. 1820 01:28:19.600 --> 01:28:19.720 Right. 1821 01:28:19.840 --> 01:28:22.640 So so he's gonna come in and Austin Ainge is 1822 01:28:22.680 --> 01:28:25.680 gonna try and do what he thinks make sense, and 1823 01:28:26.039 --> 01:28:28.960 he's gonna throw stuff against the wall and something's gonna stick, 1824 01:28:29.039 --> 01:28:32.920 and something's not and he's gonna come across some things 1825 01:28:33.520 --> 01:28:35.560 that that he might be able to act on, and 1826 01:28:35.640 --> 01:28:37.840 there's gonna be something that comes out, like you know, 1827 01:28:38.079 --> 01:28:41.399 you're referencing defreen Dane and and we mentioned, you know, 1828 01:28:41.439 --> 01:28:44.640 a guy like Luka Doncic, but something of that nature 1829 01:28:44.800 --> 01:28:48.000 is gonna come around the corner and he's gonna blindside you, 1830 01:28:49.000 --> 01:28:50.800 you know, whether it's the day before the draft or 1831 01:28:50.800 --> 01:28:54.359 whether it's the middle of the summer whatever where you know, 1832 01:28:54.840 --> 01:28:58.680 like the Jazz did with Gobert and Donovan Mitchell and 1833 01:28:58.920 --> 01:29:01.880 all of a sudden, you want, somebody's best player is 1834 01:29:02.000 --> 01:29:04.800 on the market for whatever the reason, and the Jazz 1835 01:29:04.840 --> 01:29:06.800 are gonna try and and get involved in that. 1836 01:29:08.199 --> 01:29:10.159 Are they able to do something? Does it work? 1837 01:29:10.520 --> 01:29:12.920 Who knows, you know, But those are the kinds of 1838 01:29:13.000 --> 01:29:16.319 things they're trying to give the fans hope that we're 1839 01:29:16.399 --> 01:29:19.560 trying these things. We're gonna try a lot of different things. 1840 01:29:19.840 --> 01:29:23.039 So hang with us because if we can get some 1841 01:29:23.119 --> 01:29:25.920 stuff done, it's gonna be exciting, you know. 1842 01:29:26.119 --> 01:29:29.920 But are they gonna get stuff done? Who knows? 1843 01:29:30.279 --> 01:29:33.359 It's it's you know, the whole thing is a crapshoot 1844 01:29:33.359 --> 01:29:36.800 when it comes to working with other teams and what 1845 01:29:37.000 --> 01:29:39.520 they're after and what their their goal is is in 1846 01:29:39.640 --> 01:29:41.720 the deal as well. You know, other teams are gonna 1847 01:29:41.760 --> 01:29:45.079 want good players, right, So somebody's gonna want Marketing, right, 1848 01:29:45.479 --> 01:29:48.560 or somebody's gonna want a young Kessler because they can 1849 01:29:48.600 --> 01:29:50.439 add to their group because they think they have a 1850 01:29:50.600 --> 01:29:53.600 chance to kind of win. Right now, the Jazz are 1851 01:29:53.640 --> 01:29:57.640 trying to add guys who can help them to build 1852 01:29:57.840 --> 01:30:02.720 a foundation of winning getting better going forward, without any 1853 01:30:02.800 --> 01:30:05.960 expectation that we're going to be the Detroit Pistons, who 1854 01:30:06.000 --> 01:30:10.399 I know you mentioned last time, the Detroit Pistons had several. 1855 01:30:10.640 --> 01:30:12.439 Top five draft picks. 1856 01:30:12.840 --> 01:30:15.960 Okay, they were a bad team, but they kept drafting 1857 01:30:16.159 --> 01:30:19.119 and drafting and drafting, and they had a couple of guys, 1858 01:30:19.199 --> 01:30:22.680 have a couple of very good players that they got 1859 01:30:22.960 --> 01:30:25.279 high in the draft. But those guys have been in 1860 01:30:25.399 --> 01:30:27.640 and out the last few years, have been hurt. And 1861 01:30:27.800 --> 01:30:31.119 this year the guys are healthy and they're playing, and 1862 01:30:31.239 --> 01:30:35.199 they added the right veterans, by the way, with big 1863 01:30:35.319 --> 01:30:39.600 influence from Dennis Lindsay who's now with Detroit and who 1864 01:30:39.680 --> 01:30:44.000 knows what he's doing. And you saw the leap the 1865 01:30:44.079 --> 01:30:47.439 Pistons took to get in the playoffs, and now they're 1866 01:30:47.520 --> 01:30:51.079 expecting to be able to take that next leap going forward, 1867 01:30:51.159 --> 01:30:55.000 and the Jazz are hoping to duplicate something like that 1868 01:30:56.000 --> 01:30:56.600 in their work. 1869 01:30:56.760 --> 01:30:58.640 One more thing here, we'll catch a break, we'll do 1870 01:30:58.720 --> 01:31:02.000 some NBA finals coming up and talk about some more potential. 1871 01:31:02.119 --> 01:31:03.960 I will do a little draft on the other side too. 1872 01:31:04.800 --> 01:31:07.800 So player rankings are arbitrary, and it's eye of the 1873 01:31:07.800 --> 01:31:10.560 beholder stuff. I get that, and every outlet does it. 1874 01:31:10.800 --> 01:31:13.279 The ringer does it every year. Then they updated throughout 1875 01:31:13.279 --> 01:31:16.960 the course of the season. Desmond Bane forty seven, which 1876 01:31:17.000 --> 01:31:20.680 actually feels low to me. Lowry market in fifty three, 1877 01:31:21.439 --> 01:31:25.319 So that's essentially indicates that maybe they're in the same 1878 01:31:25.800 --> 01:31:28.159 cul de sac. Maybe they're in the same area as 1879 01:31:28.239 --> 01:31:30.079 far as and look at like, what do you need. 1880 01:31:30.199 --> 01:31:33.199 It's not like they're different players. I understand that. But 1881 01:31:33.319 --> 01:31:36.239 if we agree to say, okay, in the ecosystem of 1882 01:31:36.279 --> 01:31:39.239 pro basketball, these two are around top fifty guys, which 1883 01:31:39.239 --> 01:31:42.279 again might be a little bit low. And we see 1884 01:31:42.319 --> 01:31:45.880 what Memphis just received as a result of trading Desmond Bane. 1885 01:31:46.119 --> 01:31:48.800 Is it a similar type expected return if the Jazz 1886 01:31:48.880 --> 01:31:50.359 do decide to deal Lowry. 1887 01:31:50.680 --> 01:31:54.439 Yeah, it would be it's always spent. All those things 1888 01:31:54.560 --> 01:32:00.279 are different. They are all everything is predicate it on 1889 01:32:00.600 --> 01:32:04.800 what you need, what you are trying to accomplish, and 1890 01:32:05.039 --> 01:32:09.279 how much you value being able to get to the 1891 01:32:09.439 --> 01:32:13.159 goal that you're trying to get to. For example, you know, 1892 01:32:13.279 --> 01:32:17.199 we talk about the Doncic and ad trade. You know, 1893 01:32:18.600 --> 01:32:21.800 everybody says that Nico Harrison you know, got way too 1894 01:32:21.920 --> 01:32:24.359 little and you know whatever and settled, you know, for 1895 01:32:24.880 --> 01:32:27.600 for thirty cents on the dollar or whatever, you know, 1896 01:32:27.680 --> 01:32:30.800 in terms of value of what he got. But to him, 1897 01:32:33.000 --> 01:32:35.439 hard to believe we're still talking about this, But to. 1898 01:32:35.560 --> 01:32:36.279 Him it was. 1899 01:32:38.079 --> 01:32:42.560 He valued getting Davis, an All NBA player and defensive 1900 01:32:42.640 --> 01:32:45.880 player and a big who's a top level player when 1901 01:32:45.920 --> 01:32:49.520 he's healthy, and moving out someone who he didn't think 1902 01:32:50.000 --> 01:32:52.079 fit the culture of what they were trying to build 1903 01:32:52.680 --> 01:32:53.239 in Dallas. 1904 01:32:53.720 --> 01:32:56.119 So other teams who aren't. 1905 01:32:55.920 --> 01:32:59.039 Working with Doncic every day for six years, you know, 1906 01:32:59.239 --> 01:33:02.000 saw differently, said are you kidding me? What's going on? 1907 01:33:02.439 --> 01:33:05.960 So everybody looks at it through a different lens. That's 1908 01:33:06.000 --> 01:33:10.119 why you see guys who are you know, you know, 1909 01:33:10.680 --> 01:33:13.159 and you know, not really related, but just just comes 1910 01:33:13.199 --> 01:33:16.680 to mind, you know, how you I have the beholder 1911 01:33:17.600 --> 01:33:21.880 in the draft with Raphael Adoujou, the player from BYU 1912 01:33:22.079 --> 01:33:27.359 right Toronto. For whatever their reason, Okay, they valued him 1913 01:33:27.560 --> 01:33:30.479 high enough where they took him number eight in the draft. 1914 01:33:30.640 --> 01:33:34.760 Okay. All of our research when we were. 1915 01:33:34.640 --> 01:33:38.680 In that draft showed us that if he didn't go 1916 01:33:38.960 --> 01:33:43.319 eight to that one team that decided to make that pick, 1917 01:33:44.079 --> 01:33:48.079 he would have gone in the mid to late forties. Okay, 1918 01:33:48.640 --> 01:33:53.840 So that's how everybody else viewed it. Okay, guess what 1919 01:33:54.960 --> 01:33:59.439 everybody else was? Pretty right? Yes, yes there were, but 1920 01:33:59.680 --> 01:34:03.479 one team saw it differently, and one team interpreted what 1921 01:34:03.640 --> 01:34:07.760 they saw through a different lens. And that's what makes 1922 01:34:07.920 --> 01:34:10.600 you know, the drafts so fascinating because you can get 1923 01:34:11.279 --> 01:34:15.520 you can get uh a Ujo at eight, and in 1924 01:34:15.640 --> 01:34:20.399 another year you can get Jalen Williams at eight, or 1925 01:34:20.479 --> 01:34:23.880 another year you can get Steph Curry, who I think 1926 01:34:23.880 --> 01:34:26.680 it was seven, right yo. But the point being that 1927 01:34:27.640 --> 01:34:30.199 you know those things, You look at it and everybody's 1928 01:34:30.239 --> 01:34:32.760 got a different take. And that's why you don't have 1929 01:34:32.880 --> 01:34:35.600 one guy in your room just making decisions. That's why 1930 01:34:35.720 --> 01:34:38.000 you have a whole group of guys who are doing 1931 01:34:38.039 --> 01:34:40.880 it all year long. And so you're sitting there, you know, 1932 01:34:41.000 --> 01:34:43.319 right now as we speak, ten days away from the draft, 1933 01:34:43.640 --> 01:34:46.199 and those guys are hammering it out and discussing and 1934 01:34:46.520 --> 01:34:50.399 debating and and throwing stuff across the room at the 1935 01:34:50.439 --> 01:34:52.760 other guy who said, you know, you want to take 1936 01:34:52.840 --> 01:34:53.640 Spence checkets. 1937 01:34:53.680 --> 01:34:54.279 What are you nuts? 1938 01:34:55.800 --> 01:34:57.640 Guy doesn't guard, but don't leave him open. 1939 01:34:58.880 --> 01:35:02.079 Yeah, but that's that's what happened. And that's what's interesting 1940 01:35:02.159 --> 01:35:05.159 to me, also, Spencer, about the draft stuff. It's really 1941 01:35:05.239 --> 01:35:09.720 fascinating to me that the Jazz ownership, Ryan Smith, right, 1942 01:35:09.760 --> 01:35:12.760 he's a decision maker, decides to bring in a lead 1943 01:35:13.319 --> 01:35:17.279 decision maker three weeks before the draft. So you have 1944 01:35:17.439 --> 01:35:20.479 a group in the room that's been working all year, 1945 01:35:21.079 --> 01:35:23.680 and they've been working with each other, and they've been 1946 01:35:23.760 --> 01:35:27.000 cross referencing and cross tracking guys, and they've been going 1947 01:35:27.039 --> 01:35:30.319 to see guys, and they've been discussing in November and 1948 01:35:30.479 --> 01:35:35.079 December and January about different guys and hey, Spence, you 1949 01:35:35.159 --> 01:35:37.000 got to go see this guy. I just saw him 1950 01:35:37.079 --> 01:35:39.119 last week. You know, we want to put him on 1951 01:35:39.159 --> 01:35:40.520 our list. Okay, I'll go see it. 1952 01:35:40.600 --> 01:35:40.840 Whatever. 1953 01:35:40.920 --> 01:35:44.479 You got all of that, you know, working together, you've 1954 01:35:44.560 --> 01:35:47.560 got that flow, You've got that energy from the group. 1955 01:35:47.640 --> 01:35:51.039 You've got the equity of the people in the room 1956 01:35:51.119 --> 01:35:53.960 who have been there all year doing it. I've been 1957 01:35:54.039 --> 01:35:56.520 listening to Spence check its every week in our meeting 1958 01:35:56.560 --> 01:35:59.079 about what he's been saying about this guy, or how 1959 01:35:59.159 --> 01:36:01.000 he changes mind two months. 1960 01:36:00.880 --> 01:36:03.319 Later, and this and that, whatever it is. And then 1961 01:36:03.600 --> 01:36:05.439 here it is in the you know, use a. 1962 01:36:05.439 --> 01:36:08.279 Baseball reference in the ninth inning, and all of a sudden, 1963 01:36:08.319 --> 01:36:10.880 a new guy walks in the room. And we're not 1964 01:36:11.039 --> 01:36:13.640 just adding a new guy in the room to the discussion, 1965 01:36:14.119 --> 01:36:17.600 but it's a new guy who's the guy calling the shots. Right, 1966 01:36:17.880 --> 01:36:19.600 So now we have a new boss in the room 1967 01:36:19.680 --> 01:36:23.119 three weeks before the draft. That has got to be very, 1968 01:36:24.039 --> 01:36:27.840 very awkward for all the people involved. It's it really 1969 01:36:28.279 --> 01:36:32.279 can can really tip the balance of the discussions of 1970 01:36:32.600 --> 01:36:36.199 the the the vibe of the room, of what people 1971 01:36:36.279 --> 01:36:41.279 have been discussing all year. It's really interesting that they 1972 01:36:41.439 --> 01:36:44.600 chose to do that at that moment. They could have 1973 01:36:44.680 --> 01:36:47.880 easily done something to add austin Ings to the group 1974 01:36:47.960 --> 01:36:52.359 in some capacity. And then in August said, hey, you know, 1975 01:36:53.039 --> 01:36:55.479 we've discussed things and blah blah blah, and and we're 1976 01:36:55.479 --> 01:36:57.920 gonna make Austin ames the boss going forward or whatever. 1977 01:36:58.359 --> 01:36:59.439 But they do that now. 1978 01:37:00.159 --> 01:37:03.000 So that's that's fascinating to me because being in those 1979 01:37:03.079 --> 01:37:05.840 rooms for a lot of years doing something like that, 1980 01:37:06.439 --> 01:37:08.720 you know, can be very unsettling to a group that 1981 01:37:08.840 --> 01:37:12.640 has been working in a certain direction for for a 1982 01:37:12.760 --> 01:37:15.159 lot of a lot of months and and putting a 1983 01:37:15.279 --> 01:37:17.960 lot of time and effort into it and then having 1984 01:37:18.119 --> 01:37:21.880 someone else come in, uh proverbially at the last minute 1985 01:37:22.039 --> 01:37:24.039 and maybe, you know, rock the boat or have a 1986 01:37:24.439 --> 01:37:26.720 maybe maybe it's good. You know, maybe that's a good thing. 1987 01:37:26.760 --> 01:37:29.800 I don't know, but but I certainly know that you know, 1988 01:37:30.399 --> 01:37:32.960 that changes the vibe and the flow in the room. 1989 01:37:33.479 --> 01:37:36.279 And that's going to be fascinating too when we get 1990 01:37:36.319 --> 01:37:40.119 to see what kind of decisions the jazz Employee's. 1991 01:37:39.399 --> 01:37:41.800 Still amazing that Ryan was able to hire Austin without 1992 01:37:41.840 --> 01:37:43.319 ever mentioning a word to his dad. 1993 01:37:43.560 --> 01:37:45.000 That's it happens all the time. 1994 01:37:45.319 --> 01:37:46.239 It's pretty incredible. 1995 01:37:46.279 --> 01:37:48.439 Yeah, people gepped out of the loop all the time, 1996 01:37:48.560 --> 01:37:51.560 and Austin never said anything. Especially your family, Yeah, no, 1997 01:37:51.720 --> 01:37:53.439 for sure, you never talk about any of that when 1998 01:37:53.479 --> 01:37:56.720 it comes to changing your life entirely. Speedy's taking a 1999 01:37:56.760 --> 01:37:59.680 victory laughter and a break about his Red Sox beating 2000 01:37:59.720 --> 01:38:03.880 my Thankees over the weekend. John Carlos Stanton will be 2001 01:38:03.960 --> 01:38:04.720 activated tonight. 2002 01:38:04.800 --> 01:38:05.479 Spinny about that? 2003 01:38:05.720 --> 01:38:09.199 How about that? And you know what he's being activated. 2004 01:38:09.520 --> 01:38:12.600 He's in New York and nobody knows about it because 2005 01:38:12.640 --> 01:38:14.600 Otani's pitching tonight in LA. 2006 01:38:15.640 --> 01:38:19.680 You know, we probably don't talk enough about Otani, right, 2007 01:38:19.960 --> 01:38:24.239 like in the context of really being as unique as 2008 01:38:24.239 --> 01:38:27.479 any player has ever been to his respective sport, right, 2009 01:38:27.600 --> 01:38:30.880 I mean, he probably deserves more airtime like everywhere, every 2010 01:38:31.000 --> 01:38:32.960 every time I see a highlight or see a stat 2011 01:38:33.560 --> 01:38:36.399 and don't really understand how specifically unique he is. 2012 01:38:36.439 --> 01:38:38.760 I'm like, we should talk about this, this, this dude 2013 01:38:38.840 --> 01:38:39.279 more than we do. 2014 01:38:39.439 --> 01:38:39.640 Yeah. 2015 01:38:39.640 --> 01:38:41.680 You know what's interesting, though, Spence, when you have guys 2016 01:38:42.159 --> 01:38:45.880 that are like international players and they and they're reticent 2017 01:38:46.000 --> 01:38:49.000 to speak the language and uh and some of them 2018 01:38:49.039 --> 01:38:51.039 can speak, you know, somewhat, and you know, but they 2019 01:38:51.199 --> 01:38:54.439 just they're uncomfortable in front of a media and and 2020 01:38:54.600 --> 01:38:56.880 and and the public speaking because they don't want to 2021 01:38:56.880 --> 01:38:59.319 make a mistake and they don't want to look look. Uh, 2022 01:39:00.600 --> 01:39:03.560 So they err on the side of not saying anything 2023 01:39:03.640 --> 01:39:07.119 and talking their native language through an interpreter, and so 2024 01:39:07.279 --> 01:39:10.279 sometimes that, you know, loses a little bit of the 2025 01:39:11.319 --> 01:39:14.600 luster or or the attention you might get on what 2026 01:39:14.760 --> 01:39:18.319 you're doing, you know. But but Otani, this is this 2027 01:39:18.560 --> 01:39:21.760 is like a generational guy, like just you know what 2028 01:39:21.960 --> 01:39:25.319 he not only what he does, but how he handles 2029 01:39:25.359 --> 01:39:29.880 his business every single day and goes about being a 2030 01:39:30.000 --> 01:39:32.760 two way player. Now we're going to see how much 2031 01:39:32.840 --> 01:39:35.199 of his arm is still there and and how he 2032 01:39:35.439 --> 01:39:38.560 eases back into it. He's going to open tonight, maybe 2033 01:39:38.640 --> 01:39:40.840 pitch just the first inning. If he gets through the 2034 01:39:40.920 --> 01:39:43.520 first inning, and maybe they'll see how he feels and 2035 01:39:43.560 --> 01:39:45.560 he says, yeah, I can go on throw another ten pitches. 2036 01:39:45.880 --> 01:39:47.359 So we'll let him go out in the second inning 2037 01:39:47.399 --> 01:39:49.800 and see how that goes and and ease him into it. 2038 01:39:49.960 --> 01:39:52.720 But he still wants to be in the rhythm of 2039 01:39:53.399 --> 01:39:57.000 pitching and hitting and pitching and hitting and playing all 2040 01:39:57.079 --> 01:40:00.439 the time. That's what he's used to doing. That's where 2041 01:40:00.600 --> 01:40:04.520 he gets his rhythm for being able to focus all 2042 01:40:04.640 --> 01:40:07.800 the time. And it's it's gonna be exciting to see 2043 01:40:09.159 --> 01:40:11.319 to see how he performs tonight, first time in almost 2044 01:40:11.319 --> 01:40:12.560 two years on the mound. 2045 01:40:12.680 --> 01:40:15.439 Total non sequitor, random question, but it was based off 2046 01:40:15.479 --> 01:40:18.880 of what you said last segment about Raphael Rougeo. Yes, 2047 01:40:19.359 --> 01:40:23.279 who I can remember like scouting during that time in 2048 01:40:23.399 --> 01:40:25.439 Washington playing and be like, well, he's bad at basketball. 2049 01:40:25.479 --> 01:40:27.479 I know he's big and strong, but he doesn't do anything. 2050 01:40:27.560 --> 01:40:29.479 He can't shoot, he can't dribble, he doesn't move well, 2051 01:40:29.520 --> 01:40:32.600 but he's just big. So stunned that he was drafted eight, 2052 01:40:33.000 --> 01:40:36.159 I wanted to ask what was your because that had 2053 01:40:36.159 --> 01:40:38.920 a really unique experience at the Mountain West Conference tournament 2054 01:40:38.960 --> 01:40:41.720 when for debt was for debt when Jimmer was jimmering, 2055 01:40:41.960 --> 01:40:44.279 and it was actually Danny Ainge who said, comes sit 2056 01:40:44.319 --> 01:40:46.439 by me and let's watch this game. That was when 2057 01:40:46.680 --> 01:40:49.000 Jimmer went for like I don't know, I think it 2058 01:40:49.079 --> 01:40:51.800 was forty two against Kawhi and San Diego State. And 2059 01:40:51.960 --> 01:40:53.840 I said to Danny, said, what do you think as 2060 01:40:53.880 --> 01:40:56.520 far as Jimmer is an NBA prospect? He said he said, 2061 01:40:56.560 --> 01:40:58.840 he has no shot test have a chance. It's like, well, 2062 01:40:59.079 --> 01:41:00.840 you're a BYU guy. And he kind of walked me 2063 01:41:00.920 --> 01:41:02.600 through his assertion as to why he didn't believe for 2064 01:41:02.680 --> 01:41:05.359 that was an NBA player. He was a lottery pick 2065 01:41:05.720 --> 01:41:08.920 and BYU fans love to be revisionist. Historians will say 2066 01:41:09.199 --> 01:41:13.560 he wasn't used correctly by Keith Smart, and then you 2067 01:41:13.640 --> 01:41:15.640 know that hinder disagree. He would have led the NBA 2068 01:41:15.680 --> 01:41:18.239 in scoring if he landed. It's very Zach Wilson Jets. 2069 01:41:18.279 --> 01:41:19.479 You just don't want to say out loud that he 2070 01:41:19.560 --> 01:41:23.039 might not be very good. What was your calculation on 2071 01:41:23.199 --> 01:41:23.960 for det as a pro? 2072 01:41:24.359 --> 01:41:27.680 Yeah, yeah, well we thought our group, you know, really 2073 01:41:28.840 --> 01:41:31.880 was mixed on him, mostly about whether he could be 2074 01:41:33.079 --> 01:41:36.720 a fridge a rotational guy or whether he just wasn't 2075 01:41:36.760 --> 01:41:40.960 good enough to play at the NBA level. I personally 2076 01:41:41.000 --> 01:41:44.439 always thought that he was the kind of guy, you know, 2077 01:41:44.600 --> 01:41:48.960 who would thrive either in Europe because of the way 2078 01:41:49.039 --> 01:41:51.640 they play. I really thought he'd be a good player 2079 01:41:51.720 --> 01:41:53.560 in the euro League, which is which is a top 2080 01:41:53.680 --> 01:41:57.640 level league, or a place where he ended up which 2081 01:41:57.800 --> 01:41:59.760 was the best thing for him in the long run, 2082 01:42:00.399 --> 01:42:04.520 playing in China where there is no defense and where 2083 01:42:04.600 --> 01:42:08.159 he could shoot thirty five balls a game, and which 2084 01:42:08.199 --> 01:42:12.039 he did, and he did it, and he was the star. 2085 01:42:12.319 --> 01:42:15.159 And he was playing in Shanghai and which is like 2086 01:42:15.199 --> 01:42:17.439 playing in New York City. So he's getting all the 2087 01:42:17.560 --> 01:42:19.960 endorsements and he's getting all the love from the fans 2088 01:42:20.039 --> 01:42:21.880 and all that kind of stuff. And he didn't have 2089 01:42:21.920 --> 01:42:24.039 to worry about playing defense, and he didn't have to 2090 01:42:24.079 --> 01:42:26.800 worry about, you know, not being very athletic. Uh and 2091 01:42:26.960 --> 01:42:30.279 and that league is that way, and and it was 2092 01:42:30.319 --> 01:42:32.880 a good good spot for him, made a lot of money, 2093 01:42:33.199 --> 01:42:35.600 got to play a lot for him. You know, he 2094 01:42:35.800 --> 01:42:38.800 was you know, bounced around several NBA teams just not 2095 01:42:39.000 --> 01:42:42.640 athletic enough, not not quite good enough, you know, to 2096 01:42:43.079 --> 01:42:45.520 stick with the team to be able to offer something 2097 01:42:45.560 --> 01:42:46.800 like that like we we had. 2098 01:42:47.359 --> 01:42:47.960 We had j C. 2099 01:42:48.119 --> 01:42:51.760 Carroll in for a workout when he was coming out 2100 01:42:51.760 --> 01:42:54.439 of Utah State, all Utah States, all time leading score. 2101 01:42:54.960 --> 01:42:57.960 And I remember meeting with jay C and saying to him, hey, 2102 01:42:58.119 --> 01:43:03.039 you know, you uh, you have to have one skill 2103 01:43:03.520 --> 01:43:05.920 you can lay on and you have to be able 2104 01:43:05.960 --> 01:43:09.479 to do that at such a high level to just 2105 01:43:09.640 --> 01:43:11.920 get a foot in the door. And for him, it 2106 01:43:12.079 --> 01:43:14.680 was going to be you know, being his catch and 2107 01:43:14.760 --> 01:43:19.439 shoot jumper and and and it wasn't gonna work out 2108 01:43:19.479 --> 01:43:23.000 in the NBA because he's a six to two shooting guard. 2109 01:43:24.640 --> 01:43:27.479 But he went to Europe and and got his foot 2110 01:43:27.520 --> 01:43:30.399 in the door with Real Madrid and became a a 2111 01:43:30.720 --> 01:43:34.560 UH main guy and a rotational guy and a key 2112 01:43:34.680 --> 01:43:39.079 piece to several UH euro League and La Liga championed 2113 01:43:39.119 --> 01:43:44.439 ACB Championship teams in Madrid and UH became a mainstay 2114 01:43:44.520 --> 01:43:47.720 in Real Madrid for over a decade and UH, you 2115 01:43:47.800 --> 01:43:50.880 know it was it was a very good player in Europe. 2116 01:43:51.319 --> 01:43:54.199 And Jimmer I always thought he could have been that 2117 01:43:55.039 --> 01:43:57.640 he had one year panton KOs and Athens and there 2118 01:43:58.079 --> 01:44:00.279 there a can be a top level team. I just 2119 01:44:00.399 --> 01:44:03.079 won the euro League but last year. But they they're 2120 01:44:03.119 --> 01:44:06.520 a team that where he could have a chance. But 2121 01:44:06.640 --> 01:44:09.199 they were they kind of have a goofy owner, you know, 2122 01:44:09.239 --> 01:44:11.920 who gets involved in everything there and UH, and he 2123 01:44:11.960 --> 01:44:15.000 didn't get any traction with them, and and I think 2124 01:44:15.119 --> 01:44:17.880 smart for him he went back to UH, to Shanghai 2125 01:44:18.079 --> 01:44:21.079 and and UH where he could play his game and 2126 01:44:21.319 --> 01:44:23.960 and and make some money and and UH and have 2127 01:44:24.079 --> 01:44:27.279 a good successful career that way. So you know, I 2128 01:44:27.399 --> 01:44:32.079 don't think Jimmer was taken ten by Sacramento. And he 2129 01:44:32.319 --> 01:44:35.640 was the perfect example spence of how the CBA is 2130 01:44:35.760 --> 01:44:38.119 set up to work. And that is on the one end, 2131 01:44:38.640 --> 01:44:40.720 you can have like a Gordon Hayward, who if a 2132 01:44:40.800 --> 01:44:42.920 team drafts you, and they like you, and they develop 2133 01:44:43.000 --> 01:44:46.479 you and they want you. The team controls your career 2134 01:44:46.600 --> 01:44:49.960 for the first seven years, and then the back half 2135 01:44:50.039 --> 01:44:53.000 of your career you control where you want to go. 2136 01:44:53.119 --> 01:44:55.119 And we saw that with Gordon Hayward when he had 2137 01:44:55.479 --> 01:44:58.119 the free agency after the seventh year and chose to 2138 01:44:58.199 --> 01:45:02.119 go to Boston. Jimmer for Debt was taken the first round. 2139 01:45:02.800 --> 01:45:05.640 You get two years guaranteed money. You have a third 2140 01:45:05.760 --> 01:45:09.399 year team option and a fourth year team option. Sacramento 2141 01:45:09.479 --> 01:45:13.720 took him. They had him for two years. They liked 2142 01:45:13.760 --> 01:45:15.439 him as a player, they liked him as a guy, 2143 01:45:15.720 --> 01:45:19.079 as a person, as a worker, all that stuff. They 2144 01:45:19.279 --> 01:45:23.239 determined after two years he's just not an NBA guy. 2145 01:45:23.800 --> 01:45:27.199 So instead of continuing to have him on the roster 2146 01:45:27.880 --> 01:45:30.399 and to pay him money and we just don't believe 2147 01:45:30.479 --> 01:45:32.960 he can do it, we're just gonna cut our losses. 2148 01:45:33.479 --> 01:45:37.439 So in that example, they drafted him, they go for 2149 01:45:38.920 --> 01:45:41.600 he played for two years, he gets the guaranteed money, 2150 01:45:42.199 --> 01:45:44.239 and then they let him go and now he's a 2151 01:45:44.279 --> 01:45:46.239 free agent and do whatever he wants. But then the 2152 01:45:46.359 --> 01:45:49.000 team is out of the obligation and they can move 2153 01:45:49.079 --> 01:45:52.399 on to make other decisions. That's that's how the CBA 2154 01:45:52.680 --> 01:45:56.199 is set up to work. Oddly enough, two guys involved 2155 01:45:56.239 --> 01:45:58.680 locally that we know very well, Jimmerferd Debt on one 2156 01:45:58.840 --> 01:46:02.520 end and Gordon Hayward on the other end, that there 2157 01:46:02.560 --> 01:46:05.439 are prime examples of how the CBA is set up 2158 01:46:05.800 --> 01:46:09.840 to work, yep, in the way that the teams choose 2159 01:46:09.920 --> 01:46:10.079 to do. 2160 01:46:10.319 --> 01:46:12.239 All right, let's do one more Jazz thought because I 2161 01:46:12.279 --> 01:46:14.439 didn't get to this last segment. Then we'll end with 2162 01:46:14.920 --> 01:46:17.560 your thoughts on tonight's game five. It's a massive game. 2163 01:46:17.640 --> 01:46:20.359 It's about two hours and twenty minutes away. You can 2164 01:46:20.399 --> 01:46:22.840 hear it on our station. It's okay, see Indiana Game 2165 01:46:22.880 --> 01:46:25.279 five in the NBA Finals. So we discussed the win 2166 01:46:25.359 --> 01:46:27.199 horse stuff where he's been told the Jazz are going 2167 01:46:27.239 --> 01:46:29.000 to try to take steps forward and add to the 2168 01:46:29.079 --> 01:46:31.159 group and maybe win at a higher level next year. 2169 01:46:31.199 --> 01:46:32.880 I'm not buying it because I just don't think it's 2170 01:46:32.920 --> 01:46:36.560 the right approach. As I have said a million times, 2171 01:46:36.640 --> 01:46:39.920 and we'll say another million times. Eighth pick, top eight 2172 01:46:40.000 --> 01:46:42.880 protected pick that goes to OKC. At this point in 2173 01:46:43.000 --> 01:46:44.760 your journey, you have to hold on to it. 2174 01:46:44.840 --> 01:46:45.560 That's my opinion. 2175 01:46:46.159 --> 01:46:48.720 So the other avenue that Tom Haberstrow and I had 2176 01:46:48.760 --> 01:46:52.159 spoke about, is if san Antonio is willing to move 2177 01:46:52.239 --> 01:46:55.399 on from two and the Jazz have done their determination, 2178 01:46:55.479 --> 01:46:57.520 that Dylan Harper, as you would say, is a guy 2179 01:46:57.880 --> 01:47:00.039 the guys somebody that you can say, Okay, maybe this 2180 01:47:00.199 --> 01:47:03.119 is Arcade, Maybe this is our Bancaro, Maybe this is 2181 01:47:03.159 --> 01:47:05.399 our Tyres, maybe this is our Maybe this is the 2182 01:47:05.479 --> 01:47:07.680 guy that can actually be a guy that we can 2183 01:47:07.720 --> 01:47:11.079 build around san Antonio. It's interesting, like they're not gonna. 2184 01:47:11.079 --> 01:47:13.640 I don't think they would trade Devin Vessel. They're obviously 2185 01:47:13.800 --> 01:47:17.319 not trading Wembin Yama, They're obviously not trading Stefan Castle. 2186 01:47:17.920 --> 01:47:20.840 So the framework of a deal Smitty that could work 2187 01:47:20.840 --> 01:47:24.439 would sound like this Kelton Johnson, who there's some things 2188 01:47:24.640 --> 01:47:27.199 like about Kelton Johnson, like he's still young's twenty five, 2189 01:47:27.279 --> 01:47:29.279 doesn't shoot it all that well. He's about twelve points 2190 01:47:29.359 --> 01:47:33.439 five boards last year, and Harrison Barnes in exchange for 2191 01:47:33.520 --> 01:47:37.319 lowry marketing number five. You move up to two, you 2192 01:47:37.399 --> 01:47:39.880 bring in Johnson and Barnes just for salary matches, and 2193 01:47:39.960 --> 01:47:42.600 you go up to two, and you grab, you grab 2194 01:47:42.680 --> 01:47:45.840 Dylan Harper. Something like that seems to make a lot 2195 01:47:45.920 --> 01:47:49.600 more sense than like, if you add Porzingis and Holiday 2196 01:47:49.720 --> 01:47:52.079 to this team now for nothing in return, you're still 2197 01:47:52.119 --> 01:47:55.359 treading water. So that direction seems to make more sense 2198 01:47:55.399 --> 01:47:57.439 to me just generally speaking. Give me your thoughts. Yeah, 2199 01:47:57.479 --> 01:47:58.640 well it makes sense, Bence. 2200 01:47:58.760 --> 01:48:03.359 If you've determined that you know in this scenario that 2201 01:48:03.840 --> 01:48:07.560 Dylan Harper, you think he's gonna be another the next 2202 01:48:07.680 --> 01:48:11.239 John Morant, or the next Damian Lillard or the next 2203 01:48:11.720 --> 01:48:15.520 Gilgess Alexander whatever. If you think he can be that 2204 01:48:15.760 --> 01:48:19.119 kind of a guy and drive a team that way, 2205 01:48:20.560 --> 01:48:23.279 then you do. If you're in the jazz seat, you 2206 01:48:23.439 --> 01:48:25.720 do whatever you have to do to get that guy, 2207 01:48:25.760 --> 01:48:28.000 because it doesn't matter because the other the guys you're 2208 01:48:28.000 --> 01:48:30.880 giving up, the assets you're giving up, what does it matter. 2209 01:48:31.000 --> 01:48:34.000 That's why you have them. So when you have an 2210 01:48:34.039 --> 01:48:38.279 opportunity to land on a guy that you believe can 2211 01:48:38.399 --> 01:48:42.359 be one of your main guy's long term going forward, 2212 01:48:42.880 --> 01:48:46.399 you do that now. I do remember, and I don't 2213 01:48:46.399 --> 01:48:49.800 know if it's been talked about reported on lately, you know, 2214 01:48:50.039 --> 01:48:54.760 in that framework, way back early in the season, I 2215 01:48:54.800 --> 01:48:59.560 remember there was some quote from his dad saying something about, yeah, yeah, 2216 01:48:59.640 --> 01:49:01.199 my son and I don't want my son playing in 2217 01:49:01.359 --> 01:49:02.039 Utah or something. 2218 01:49:02.119 --> 01:49:03.720 Yeah, he sent out something on social media. 2219 01:49:03.800 --> 01:49:06.880 Yea, it was something like that, but okay whatever. But 2220 01:49:07.399 --> 01:49:09.920 but you but those those are real things. 2221 01:49:10.000 --> 01:49:12.880 So if you you know, you know, that's how Eli 2222 01:49:13.039 --> 01:49:16.880 Manning got from instead of being in San Diego, got 2223 01:49:16.920 --> 01:49:19.279 to New York Giants because he said he's not going 2224 01:49:19.359 --> 01:49:21.319 to play in San Diego. And now what John Elway, 2225 01:49:21.439 --> 01:49:24.880 did you know he wasn't gonna play for for Baltimore? 2226 01:49:24.920 --> 01:49:25.479 Are you you know? 2227 01:49:25.800 --> 01:49:27.920 That's how we ended up in Denver and all these 2228 01:49:28.000 --> 01:49:30.359 kinds of things. So if a guy is saying right 2229 01:49:30.439 --> 01:49:32.880 out of the shoot, you know, I you know, if 2230 01:49:32.920 --> 01:49:34.319 that's true. I don't know if it is or not. 2231 01:49:34.479 --> 01:49:36.760 And it wasn't him, it was his dad whatever. And 2232 01:49:36.840 --> 01:49:38.840 I don't know this kid and haven't been in a 2233 01:49:38.960 --> 01:49:40.720 room with him, so I don't know how he how 2234 01:49:40.760 --> 01:49:43.600 he interviews, what his personality is, whatever. But if those 2235 01:49:43.720 --> 01:49:46.520 things line up, and those things match up to what 2236 01:49:46.720 --> 01:49:49.960 you're trying to do, and his talent is something that 2237 01:49:50.119 --> 01:49:53.399 you think is really has a chance to be a 2238 01:49:53.520 --> 01:49:58.439 special thing, especially at the point guard position, that's a 2239 01:49:58.560 --> 01:50:01.079 guy you want to get hands on because as we 2240 01:50:01.199 --> 01:50:05.720 just mentioned Spence A. You're resetting the salary clock. Okay, 2241 01:50:06.199 --> 01:50:08.680 you get out of marketing his money. In that scenario, 2242 01:50:09.159 --> 01:50:12.039 you bring in Barns, you bring in somebody to get 2243 01:50:12.119 --> 01:50:14.039 money for a year or so, and then that money 2244 01:50:14.079 --> 01:50:17.800 goes away. But you'd have Harper for at least a 2245 01:50:17.960 --> 01:50:22.119 minimum of seven years under control while you try and 2246 01:50:22.199 --> 01:50:25.600 build stuff around him. If that's something that that you're 2247 01:50:25.680 --> 01:50:29.199 convinced about is a real thing and that you would 2248 01:50:29.279 --> 01:50:31.439 like to hang your hat on, then those are the 2249 01:50:31.600 --> 01:50:34.880 kinds of things that you as a jazz have been 2250 01:50:34.960 --> 01:50:39.000 positioning yourself to do. And now if this is something 2251 01:50:39.119 --> 01:50:42.000 that might be presented, it might be on the table. 2252 01:50:42.479 --> 01:50:45.399 That's the kind of thing that you know, from my perspective, 2253 01:50:45.560 --> 01:50:49.000 you you just grab, you do that that Jim Fossil thing. 2254 01:50:49.479 --> 01:50:52.000 You just push all your chips in the middle of 2255 01:50:52.039 --> 01:50:54.319 the table, and you bet on that one hand and 2256 01:50:54.479 --> 01:50:57.279 you do whatever you gotta do to make that move happen. 2257 01:50:57.680 --> 01:51:00.600 And that that's the kind of stuff. Spencer really also 2258 01:51:01.319 --> 01:51:05.199 regenerates or reignites, i should say, a fan base, right 2259 01:51:05.439 --> 01:51:07.680 because they because they say, oh, you you got a 2260 01:51:07.720 --> 01:51:10.920 guy you really like, Oh and you're really you're really 2261 01:51:11.000 --> 01:51:14.399 going after and you got him and you're bringing him, Okay, 2262 01:51:14.520 --> 01:51:17.439 let's go. You know, and you know and then and 2263 01:51:17.520 --> 01:51:19.600 then you see it plays out how it plays out. 2264 01:51:19.680 --> 01:51:21.840 But those are the kind of moves that you want 2265 01:51:21.880 --> 01:51:23.720 to be in position to be able to do and 2266 01:51:24.000 --> 01:51:26.359 and uh and if they're there, you want to really 2267 01:51:26.439 --> 01:51:29.000 be able to to make your full commitment to pounce 2268 01:51:29.039 --> 01:51:29.239 on it. 2269 01:51:29.520 --> 01:51:33.239 Man if san Antonio added lowry marketing and let's say VJ. 2270 01:51:33.479 --> 01:51:38.079 Edgecomb or Trey Johnson to this group, Hello, talk about 2271 01:51:38.119 --> 01:51:41.079 ahead of schedule. Uh, so we'll see, all right, smitdie 2272 01:51:41.079 --> 01:51:43.359 before I set you loose. I think my favorite thing 2273 01:51:43.359 --> 01:51:46.600 about the NBA Finals is from my prism, all four 2274 01:51:46.680 --> 01:51:49.520 games have been really different, right, and this is a 2275 01:51:49.560 --> 01:51:52.720 battle of two very well respected, smart coaches and two 2276 01:51:53.479 --> 01:51:56.079 groups that have been able to come together and in 2277 01:51:56.199 --> 01:51:58.680 different ways been able to find success. I keep saying 2278 01:51:59.199 --> 01:52:02.039 since January, the two best teams in the NBA are 2279 01:52:02.119 --> 01:52:04.720 these two teams. Okace is one and the Pacers are two. 2280 01:52:05.399 --> 01:52:08.000 So we saw Mark Dagnall in Game four take Shay 2281 01:52:08.039 --> 01:52:10.840 off the ball and actually give Shay more rest and 2282 01:52:10.960 --> 01:52:13.079 Jalen was kind of initiating the offense. So if you 2283 01:52:13.079 --> 01:52:14.720 didn't watch the game, and you look at Shay's line, 2284 01:52:14.760 --> 01:52:17.720 he said, wait, zero assists, what gives? That was part 2285 01:52:17.720 --> 01:52:20.600 of the design he was not initiating. It allowed him 2286 01:52:20.600 --> 01:52:22.640 to stay fresh and in the fourth quarter he closed 2287 01:52:22.680 --> 01:52:24.600 he had twelve point I think fifteen in the fourth 2288 01:52:24.960 --> 01:52:27.600 they outscored Indiana twelve one down the stretch to get 2289 01:52:27.640 --> 01:52:30.279 the winning game four. We go back to Okase tonight 2290 01:52:30.359 --> 01:52:33.640 for game five. Obviously very pivotal. It's two two. What 2291 01:52:33.760 --> 01:52:34.439 do you think goes down? 2292 01:52:34.640 --> 01:52:37.479 Yeah, well, it's a fun series to watch, and I 2293 01:52:37.520 --> 01:52:41.199 don't count out anybody spends you know, you like okay see, 2294 01:52:41.239 --> 01:52:44.520 I like okay see. The defense has been unbelievable all 2295 01:52:44.640 --> 01:52:46.920 year and during the playoffs, and they can ratchet it up. 2296 01:52:47.439 --> 01:52:51.680 But Indiana has had some special thing going on. And 2297 01:52:51.920 --> 01:52:54.239 you can look at all the three series they had 2298 01:52:54.279 --> 01:52:58.039 before this, and they had, as you well know, being 2299 01:52:58.079 --> 01:53:02.159 a Knixt guy, special bounces of the and special things 2300 01:53:02.239 --> 01:53:03.359 that happened. 2301 01:53:03.439 --> 01:53:05.479 And the next contact to you about the coaching job. 2302 01:53:05.560 --> 01:53:08.079 Yet by the way, just you know, I I am 2303 01:53:08.239 --> 01:53:12.039 on the bottom of the list, but they're getting very 2304 01:53:12.159 --> 01:53:18.800 close to me, so so we will see the But 2305 01:53:19.600 --> 01:53:23.520 but with that, you know, Indiana has had a lot 2306 01:53:23.600 --> 01:53:26.439 of things go their way and and and a lot 2307 01:53:26.479 --> 01:53:26.960 of them been. 2308 01:53:26.960 --> 01:53:28.279 Because of them. 2309 01:53:28.399 --> 01:53:30.439 You know what we would we always use the word, 2310 01:53:30.760 --> 01:53:32.680 you know, you want to make an if you make 2311 01:53:32.720 --> 01:53:35.119 an error doing something, you want to make an error 2312 01:53:35.199 --> 01:53:38.720 of co mission rather than an error of O mission, 2313 01:53:38.840 --> 01:53:41.000 meaning meaning if you're going to fail as something, you 2314 01:53:41.079 --> 01:53:43.760 want to try and and and and get something done 2315 01:53:43.800 --> 01:53:46.520 and try and go after it. Those guys have gotten 2316 01:53:46.560 --> 01:53:49.720 to where they are because they just keep getting after it. 2317 01:53:50.159 --> 01:53:52.640 And even when they're down a bunch, as we've seen 2318 01:53:52.680 --> 01:53:55.680 in several of their playoff games, they just keep grinding 2319 01:53:55.760 --> 01:53:57.920 and going after it. They don't give up. They don't 2320 01:53:58.119 --> 01:54:01.199 they don't wave a white flag. They keep getting after it. 2321 01:54:01.239 --> 01:54:03.439 And they and they've shown what you can do when 2322 01:54:03.479 --> 01:54:05.600 you play a full forty eight minutes. You know the 2323 01:54:05.680 --> 01:54:09.000 old Yogi berral line that it ain't over till it's over. 2324 01:54:09.439 --> 01:54:12.079 And so you know, I don't put anything by them. 2325 01:54:12.279 --> 01:54:15.720 I'm excited for the game tonight. It's gonna be fun, 2326 01:54:16.199 --> 01:54:18.920 you know, for those guys to see both teams lay 2327 01:54:18.960 --> 01:54:21.159 it all out there. And again, Spence, you just hope 2328 01:54:21.159 --> 01:54:26.079 it doesn't hinge on somebody having an early Jason Tatum 2329 01:54:26.319 --> 01:54:30.399 type injury or somebody getting three early fouls and two 2330 01:54:30.479 --> 01:54:33.239 ticki tac foul calls and now they're out of the. 2331 01:54:33.279 --> 01:54:34.359 Game for a big stretch. 2332 01:54:34.439 --> 01:54:37.199 You just hope they can both go full bore and 2333 01:54:37.520 --> 01:54:40.000 and go at it and then and then see like 2334 01:54:40.079 --> 01:54:42.880 we did in the US Open yesterday, see what happens 2335 01:54:42.960 --> 01:54:44.720 coming down the stretch in the fourth quarter. 2336 01:54:45.239 --> 01:54:45.840 Should be fun. 2337 01:54:45.920 --> 01:54:46.079 Man. 2338 01:54:46.199 --> 01:54:49.119 I've been wildly impressed with both these teams for different reasons. 2339 01:54:49.159 --> 01:54:52.279 So Game five tonight comes your way about two hours 2340 01:54:52.319 --> 01:54:53.960 from right now, six thirty Mountain time. 2341 01:54:54.399 --> 01:54:56.279 We'll say good out at six o'clock. Smity, Great to 2342 01:54:56.279 --> 01:54:56.880 see my friend. 2343 01:54:57.119 --> 01:54:58.800 Great to see you. And we're gonna we're gonna be 2344 01:54:59.319 --> 01:55:00.760 a show next. 2345 01:55:00.640 --> 01:55:03.800 Week, right, Yes, we are Draft Draft cover Smitty Gordy, 2346 01:55:03.960 --> 01:55:06.319 and we will be on location for both round one 2347 01:55:06.359 --> 01:55:08.720 and round two. Oh good, June the twenty fifth, June 2348 01:55:08.760 --> 01:55:10.560 the twenty sixth. And when I have all the information, 2349 01:55:10.640 --> 01:55:12.039 you will be the first to know. I promise you 2350 01:55:12.119 --> 01:55:13.359 that be the first. 2351 01:55:13.560 --> 01:55:15.079 I'll be the first to though yet well I. 2352 01:55:15.119 --> 01:55:17.640 Don't know yet. When I know, I promise you will know. 2353 01:55:17.880 --> 01:55:19.039 There we go, Yeah, there we go. 2354 01:55:19.239 --> 01:55:21.880 We'll see you next week I met the great at Smith. 2355 01:55:22.600 --> 01:55:27.079 I'm just realizing I dropped the ball. My bad lot 2356 01:55:27.159 --> 01:55:31.079 going on fluid situation, busy show, and I was supposed 2357 01:55:31.079 --> 01:55:33.800 to bring in our next guest with the best boy 2358 01:55:33.920 --> 01:55:38.439 band in the history of Provo. And of course I 2359 01:55:38.479 --> 01:55:40.760 don't have to say the name, because everybody knows who 2360 01:55:40.760 --> 01:55:43.520 I'm talking about when I say that, Ryles Jericho Road. 2361 01:55:43.680 --> 01:55:45.800 I forgot, man, I apologize, how are you, Bud? 2362 01:55:46.079 --> 01:55:48.399 We've got We've got a lot more appearances coming up 2363 01:55:48.439 --> 01:55:50.880 through the summer and fall. I have no doubt that 2364 01:55:51.039 --> 01:55:54.079 Porter will be able to find some I mean, who 2365 01:55:54.159 --> 01:55:56.840 doesn't love a little good JR On on a Monday afternoon. 2366 01:55:56.960 --> 01:55:57.920 Don't call them JR. 2367 01:55:58.119 --> 01:56:01.119 And in an honest moment, I'm actually very upset you 2368 01:56:01.239 --> 01:56:03.239 reintroduced them to me because I may have gone down 2369 01:56:03.279 --> 01:56:06.239 a rabbit hole to watch their music. It's the most 2370 01:56:06.319 --> 01:56:08.520 irritating thing in the world. So I'm actually kind of 2371 01:56:08.560 --> 01:56:09.199 mad at you, Bill. 2372 01:56:10.159 --> 01:56:11.600 Are they are they still playing? 2373 01:56:11.800 --> 01:56:11.960 You know? 2374 01:56:12.000 --> 01:56:14.199 Are they still doing summer tours? Are they are they 2375 01:56:14.319 --> 01:56:17.760 they hitting you know, linger longers and trying to trying 2376 01:56:17.760 --> 01:56:20.039 to get people to re rekindle their careers. 2377 01:56:20.159 --> 01:56:22.000 I really hope not because now they're probably in their 2378 01:56:22.079 --> 01:56:24.319 late forties. But the one that looks like Tony Jones 2379 01:56:24.439 --> 01:56:26.279 is probably still making music somewhere. 2380 01:56:32.760 --> 01:56:36.079 I hope Tony's listening. Jack probably have no idea who 2381 01:56:36.119 --> 01:56:37.560 they are. Now he's going to google them. 2382 01:56:37.800 --> 01:56:40.239 Jerich Co wrote, has a member that looks like Tony Jones. 2383 01:56:40.319 --> 01:56:44.279 That's stop me when I'm lying, Bill, stop me when 2384 01:56:44.279 --> 01:56:44.720 I'm lying. 2385 01:56:45.239 --> 01:56:46.199 I'm not stopping you. 2386 01:56:46.359 --> 01:56:47.159 Okay, fair enough? 2387 01:56:47.159 --> 01:56:47.640 How you doing? 2388 01:56:47.720 --> 01:56:47.880 Man? 2389 01:56:48.640 --> 01:56:49.039 Oh good? 2390 01:56:49.159 --> 01:56:49.319 Are you? 2391 01:56:49.640 --> 01:56:50.000 I'm good? 2392 01:56:50.039 --> 01:56:50.479 What's uh? 2393 01:56:50.720 --> 01:56:53.399 What's got the attention? What's got the Bill Riley attention 2394 01:56:53.520 --> 01:56:53.960 these days? 2395 01:56:55.199 --> 01:56:55.359 Uh? 2396 01:56:55.680 --> 01:56:58.720 Well, today I was fortunate enough to sit down with 2397 01:56:58.800 --> 01:57:02.600 some of the football coaches putting kind of a podcast 2398 01:57:02.760 --> 01:57:05.920 series together with Utah Football that will drop a little 2399 01:57:05.920 --> 01:57:08.399 bit later on this summer. So I was kind of 2400 01:57:08.399 --> 01:57:11.159 in a little bit of a football mode. Porter reminded me, 2401 01:57:11.600 --> 01:57:14.920 I believe we're seventy five days until kickoff. So that's 2402 01:57:15.119 --> 01:57:20.720 that's there. And outside of that, I've I've not been 2403 01:57:20.800 --> 01:57:23.520 wildly entertained by the NBA Final. I don't know why 2404 01:57:23.680 --> 01:57:25.960 I've tried. It's it's just not catching me. But the 2405 01:57:26.039 --> 01:57:29.039 hockey is I've been all in on Panthers oilers. 2406 01:57:29.840 --> 01:57:33.520 Yeah, the Stanley Cup Final has been awesome. It has been. 2407 01:57:34.159 --> 01:57:37.000 It has been every year. It's great. I'm hoping for 2408 01:57:37.079 --> 01:57:39.199 seven games. I feel like Florida might close it out tomorrow. 2409 01:57:39.239 --> 01:57:42.079 But since you, you know, our listeners always interested for 2410 01:57:42.119 --> 01:57:45.720 a little behind the scenes peak at the Utah football program, 2411 01:57:45.840 --> 01:57:48.800 and we'll do some big twelve basketball schedule stuff and 2412 01:57:48.880 --> 01:57:51.560 maybe some house VN Cuba because everybody wants to talk 2413 01:57:51.560 --> 01:57:54.600 about that. But since you, since you are behind closed 2414 01:57:54.680 --> 01:57:56.520 doors now in a way that you didn't used to 2415 01:57:56.600 --> 01:57:59.079 be working up there, what can you shed on a 2416 01:57:59.159 --> 01:58:02.319 little light as far as as the coaching situation, how 2417 01:58:02.359 --> 01:58:05.199 they're feeling, and maybe you know, expand on this podcast 2418 01:58:05.279 --> 01:58:06.159 here as you have coming up. 2419 01:58:07.119 --> 01:58:10.000 It's well, the series will be kind of a little 2420 01:58:10.000 --> 01:58:12.319 bit later on this summer. It's just me sitting down. 2421 01:58:12.399 --> 01:58:16.239 It's not all football. It's just kind of like lifetimes, 2422 01:58:16.319 --> 01:58:18.960 how did you get here? Things like that, kind of diving. 2423 01:58:19.000 --> 01:58:22.039 They're not super long, they're not Joe Rogan three hour 2424 01:58:22.159 --> 01:58:25.079 long deals, but it's kind of a good snapshot. And 2425 01:58:25.239 --> 01:58:27.359 there's a handful of new coaches on the staff. Some 2426 01:58:27.439 --> 01:58:29.199 of the guys have been there. It's just kind of 2427 01:58:29.399 --> 01:58:32.720 just kind of you know, talking about football and careers 2428 01:58:32.880 --> 01:58:35.000 and things like that. It's been a lot of fun 2429 01:58:35.039 --> 01:58:37.039 to catch up with these guys. I know them, but 2430 01:58:37.439 --> 01:58:39.199 you know, some of the guys you see and everybody's 2431 01:58:39.199 --> 01:58:41.119 always busy. There's been a fun time just to kind 2432 01:58:41.159 --> 01:58:43.920 of sit down and catch up and reconnect with them. 2433 01:58:44.000 --> 01:58:46.000 But as far as you know, I'm over at the 2434 01:58:46.039 --> 01:58:49.039 football building a couple of times a week, and you know, 2435 01:58:49.119 --> 01:58:51.560 it's a lot of what we talked about Spence. There's 2436 01:58:51.880 --> 01:58:55.600 just a really good vibe around the group. I mean, 2437 01:58:55.680 --> 01:58:58.720 there just really is. Talking to some of the defensive coaches, 2438 01:58:59.319 --> 01:59:02.399 they saw that all offense firsthand this spring. They're excited 2439 01:59:02.439 --> 01:59:06.479 about what the possibilities are. You talk to the offensive coaches, 2440 01:59:06.520 --> 01:59:08.359 they're like, hey man, we went against one of the 2441 01:59:08.439 --> 01:59:11.560 best defenses all spring in the Big twelve in college football, 2442 01:59:11.600 --> 01:59:13.920 and it's you know, kind of the iron sharpens iron thing. 2443 01:59:14.119 --> 01:59:16.199 So you know, there's still a month and a half 2444 01:59:16.279 --> 01:59:20.399 out from camp beginning, but there's a really, really good vibe, 2445 01:59:20.399 --> 01:59:22.439 and I think there's a lot of excitement in the building, 2446 01:59:22.520 --> 01:59:24.319 not just among coaches. When you talk to the players, 2447 01:59:24.359 --> 01:59:27.680 there's a good buzz about it too, So that's just 2448 01:59:27.760 --> 01:59:30.840 kind of where football is right now. But I'll give 2449 01:59:30.880 --> 01:59:33.039 you some dates maybe on a future hit with you 2450 01:59:33.239 --> 01:59:35.319 on when some of these podcasts are going to drop. 2451 01:59:35.439 --> 01:59:37.119 But it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be a nice 2452 01:59:37.159 --> 01:59:40.159 look inside of Utah football on the coaching side of things. 2453 01:59:40.600 --> 01:59:42.159 So just to be clear, we're not going to get 2454 01:59:42.199 --> 01:59:44.319 two hours of Jim Hardy and on Iver Mechnin. 2455 01:59:44.439 --> 01:59:45.199 Is that what you're saying. 2456 01:59:45.960 --> 01:59:49.399 Yeah, probably not more Haley incitings with Marcott tuwaya. 2457 01:59:49.560 --> 01:59:52.399 Okay, Hey, I'm an idea man. I think there might 2458 01:59:52.479 --> 01:59:55.840 be something there. But fair enough so I know that 2459 01:59:55.960 --> 02:00:00.199 as an employee, you can't speak about the past, you know, 2460 02:00:00.319 --> 02:00:02.600 three or four weeks when they've been hosting recruits. But 2461 02:00:02.720 --> 02:00:06.279 we do have media information on players that have signed, 2462 02:00:06.479 --> 02:00:09.560 so I'll leave that aside for the sake of this conversation, 2463 02:00:10.560 --> 02:00:13.199 give our listeners kind of an inside peak on what 2464 02:00:13.399 --> 02:00:16.520 these visits are like and what the coaching staff says 2465 02:00:16.560 --> 02:00:18.520 to the players. And now they're kind of selling their 2466 02:00:18.600 --> 02:00:19.840 program to these young men. 2467 02:00:20.840 --> 02:00:25.920 You know, I think they're really obviously selling culture. They 2468 02:00:26.000 --> 02:00:29.039 always sell culture up there, and even with all the 2469 02:00:29.199 --> 02:00:31.840 changes in college football, one of the constants. I think 2470 02:00:31.880 --> 02:00:35.199 has been the culture and the family atmosphere. The Kyle 2471 02:00:35.279 --> 02:00:38.279 Whittingham and before Kyle it was Ron McBride have really 2472 02:00:38.439 --> 02:00:42.000 fostered up there. And I think in this day and age, 2473 02:00:42.399 --> 02:00:44.800 where you go around a lot of places, I think 2474 02:00:44.880 --> 02:00:47.439 some of the feedback is that a lot of places 2475 02:00:47.520 --> 02:00:51.239 these recruits go. You know, we know money is going 2476 02:00:51.279 --> 02:00:53.800 to certainly be a component of it, but the feedback 2477 02:00:53.880 --> 02:00:56.399 that they get a lot from these recruits is how 2478 02:00:56.479 --> 02:01:00.319 impressed they are by the culture and the continent. He 2479 02:01:00.439 --> 02:01:02.840 up there with the Utah coaching staff and even the 2480 02:01:02.960 --> 02:01:06.760 players within the building, and you know, you know in 2481 02:01:06.920 --> 02:01:09.840 the years, here's interesting. I got this from a few 2482 02:01:09.880 --> 02:01:13.279 different people. One of the guys and we talked about 2483 02:01:13.279 --> 02:01:15.319 this a little bit with Cam Robot, with Cam Rising 2484 02:01:15.359 --> 02:01:18.199 and even Britain Covey when he was there. How those 2485 02:01:18.239 --> 02:01:21.279 guys were such great ambassadors for Utah football. And we're 2486 02:01:21.279 --> 02:01:24.159 really in on the recruiting. I've been told by a 2487 02:01:24.239 --> 02:01:26.800 number of people to Devin Dampier, we're talking about a 2488 02:01:26.800 --> 02:01:29.000 guy that's been here all of six months. He's already 2489 02:01:29.039 --> 02:01:32.119 won over his teammates. But apparently he's been a guy 2490 02:01:32.239 --> 02:01:35.159 that's been all in and you know, during the recruiting 2491 02:01:35.239 --> 02:01:38.359 process and being wanting to meet with recruits and talk 2492 02:01:38.439 --> 02:01:40.960 with guys and do some of that stuff. So I 2493 02:01:41.359 --> 02:01:44.399 think the message has really been a positive one. And 2494 02:01:44.640 --> 02:01:48.239 I think the new offense certainly is getting some shine 2495 02:01:48.359 --> 02:01:50.600 too because of some of the track record that Beck 2496 02:01:50.680 --> 02:01:53.560 has had at both Syrah Hughes. But even last year 2497 02:01:53.640 --> 02:01:55.000 at New Mexico. 2498 02:01:55.520 --> 02:01:58.640 What have you learned about coach back? Of course, new 2499 02:01:58.720 --> 02:02:02.279 offensive coordinator. A lot of fans very excited about this 2500 02:02:02.439 --> 02:02:05.199 new offense with Devin and Waishan and some other new pieces. 2501 02:02:05.319 --> 02:02:07.920 But from the day you and it's one thing to 2502 02:02:08.000 --> 02:02:09.840 read about him, it's the one. It's one thing to 2503 02:02:10.359 --> 02:02:14.239 watch film on his previous you know, offenses or what 2504 02:02:14.359 --> 02:02:16.439 have you. It's another thing to know the measure of 2505 02:02:16.479 --> 02:02:17.880 the man. It's another thing to get to know him 2506 02:02:17.920 --> 02:02:19.600 and talk to him. And in the course of the 2507 02:02:19.680 --> 02:02:22.239 months he's been on campus. What sort of information can 2508 02:02:22.319 --> 02:02:24.439 you sut as far as getting to know him? What 2509 02:02:24.600 --> 02:02:26.399 kind of person is he? What kind of coaches he? 2510 02:02:27.199 --> 02:02:30.039 Well, he's a great guy. His door is always open, 2511 02:02:30.159 --> 02:02:32.560 you know, sometimes coaches even if you pop by it 2512 02:02:32.640 --> 02:02:34.960 or like oh hi, well I'm busy Jason's one of 2513 02:02:35.000 --> 02:02:37.920 these really outgoing, affable guys who it feels like every 2514 02:02:37.960 --> 02:02:39.840 time I bump into and we talked for five or 2515 02:02:39.880 --> 02:02:43.199 ten minutes about football and about life and about his 2516 02:02:43.359 --> 02:02:45.560 move and getting the family here and being back here 2517 02:02:45.600 --> 02:02:48.159 in Utah and how excited they are. But from a 2518 02:02:48.239 --> 02:02:51.760 football standpoint, a lot of the feedback I've gotten in 2519 02:02:51.880 --> 02:02:54.600 talking to players and coaches through the spring as they 2520 02:02:54.680 --> 02:03:00.239 integrate this offense is how malleable it is. Meaning he's 2521 02:03:00.279 --> 02:03:02.479 a guy that has an idea of what he wants 2522 02:03:02.600 --> 02:03:05.800 to do. But what he's really good at doing, because 2523 02:03:05.800 --> 02:03:08.079 he did it at both Syracuse and New Mexico, is 2524 02:03:09.119 --> 02:03:13.239 is adapt his offense to the personnel that he has, 2525 02:03:13.560 --> 02:03:15.800 If that makes sense. A lot of guys talk about it, 2526 02:03:16.319 --> 02:03:17.960 but what they did in the one year at New 2527 02:03:18.000 --> 02:03:21.600 Mexico was pretty impressive, being fourth in the NCAA in 2528 02:03:21.760 --> 02:03:26.039 au total offense. When you know they Devin dan Pierre 2529 02:03:26.039 --> 02:03:27.920 hadn't really been a starter, and some of the guys 2530 02:03:27.960 --> 02:03:29.800 that they had were first year in the program. So 2531 02:03:30.319 --> 02:03:35.479 what I've gotten is he's been really good at bringing 2532 02:03:35.560 --> 02:03:39.359 these guys up to speed and melding his offensive philosophy 2533 02:03:39.960 --> 02:03:42.760 with the guys that are in the program already. So 2534 02:03:43.720 --> 02:03:46.159 I think that people are going to be very pleasantly 2535 02:03:46.399 --> 02:03:49.479 surprised when they see this offense roll out this fall 2536 02:03:49.560 --> 02:03:53.520 against UCLA and cal Poly and Wyoming and then obviously 2537 02:03:53.640 --> 02:03:54.560 into conference play. 2538 02:03:55.239 --> 02:03:57.119 So I was reading a big twelve. 2539 02:03:57.199 --> 02:03:58.680 I mean, this is the time of year where all 2540 02:03:58.720 --> 02:04:02.319 the previews out and people are trying to prognosticate about 2541 02:04:02.319 --> 02:04:05.239 predictions and such, and I believe I read Utah is 2542 02:04:05.399 --> 02:04:08.359 near the bottom of the conference ever returning starters, which 2543 02:04:08.720 --> 02:04:11.319 maybe some years that's not necessarily a good thing, but 2544 02:04:11.439 --> 02:04:14.039 coming off a year where it was tough sledding in 2545 02:04:14.119 --> 02:04:17.000 a lot of ways, that may not necessarily be a 2546 02:04:17.039 --> 02:04:17.520 bad thing. 2547 02:04:18.359 --> 02:04:19.199 Forty new comers. 2548 02:04:19.560 --> 02:04:22.960 According to coach Wit, it's looking like at this point 2549 02:04:23.760 --> 02:04:26.079 the total includes twenty two high school signees from the 2550 02:04:26.079 --> 02:04:29.680 early signing period in eighteen transfers overall. So talk to 2551 02:04:29.760 --> 02:04:33.479 me about that dynamic ryles Like, again, some years, maybe 2552 02:04:33.800 --> 02:04:36.800 losing a number of different starters for whatever reason could 2553 02:04:36.800 --> 02:04:39.359 be catastrophic. It doesn't feel like that's the deal this year, 2554 02:04:39.479 --> 02:04:42.960 with all the buzz surrounding the forty newcomers, tell me 2555 02:04:43.039 --> 02:04:43.680 your thoughts on that. 2556 02:04:43.720 --> 02:04:48.960 Dynamic offensively, about the only starters you have returning or 2557 02:04:49.000 --> 02:04:52.600 the offensive line. Running backs are new, wide receivers are new. 2558 02:04:53.119 --> 02:04:55.560 The tight ends that played last year really a lot 2559 02:04:55.760 --> 02:04:59.479 are all gone. So you know the offensive line is 2560 02:04:59.520 --> 02:05:02.520 going to be really good and they're all back, but 2561 02:05:03.680 --> 02:05:07.399 it almost feels like, you know, Utah was recruited for 2562 02:05:07.680 --> 02:05:10.720 a former offense, Andy Ludwig offense. A lot of that 2563 02:05:10.800 --> 02:05:13.079 personnel was brought in for that. I don't think it's 2564 02:05:13.159 --> 02:05:16.000 such a bad thing, especially in this day and age 2565 02:05:16.000 --> 02:05:19.079 where rosters turn over so much, that you've got some 2566 02:05:19.199 --> 02:05:23.840 new faces on offense. Defensively, they lost some starter spence, 2567 02:05:23.920 --> 02:05:26.079 but because of all the injuries they had last year, 2568 02:05:26.199 --> 02:05:29.199 so many of those guys played. So I don't think 2569 02:05:29.239 --> 02:05:31.199 it's as big a deal on defense, and they actually 2570 02:05:31.279 --> 02:05:33.279 return a bunch of starters on defense. But on the 2571 02:05:33.319 --> 02:05:37.000 offensive side, especially with the changeover on offense, I don't 2572 02:05:37.000 --> 02:05:40.000 think it's such a bad thing. Plus, you've upgraded your 2573 02:05:40.079 --> 02:05:43.520 quarterback position in some ways. I think you've probably upgraded 2574 02:05:43.560 --> 02:05:47.560 your starting tailback. Plus the overall depth of tailback tight 2575 02:05:47.680 --> 02:05:49.399 end isn't going to be as big a part of 2576 02:05:49.479 --> 02:05:52.119 the offense as it was maybe under Andy Ludwig. That's 2577 02:05:52.119 --> 02:05:53.520 not to say it won't be a part of it, 2578 02:05:53.920 --> 02:05:56.159 but you're not going to probably see as much three 2579 02:05:56.279 --> 02:05:58.760 tight end sets as you did when Andy was calling 2580 02:05:58.840 --> 02:06:02.039 the plays. The big question still is and they added 2581 02:06:02.079 --> 02:06:04.399 some nice pieces in the in the summer portal period 2582 02:06:04.800 --> 02:06:07.239 or the spring portal period at wide receiver. You know 2583 02:06:07.319 --> 02:06:10.319 who those top six or seven wide receivers are, and 2584 02:06:10.439 --> 02:06:12.600 so I think that's really the big task that Jason 2585 02:06:12.680 --> 02:06:15.119 Beck and Mike A. Simon, the wide receivers coach have 2586 02:06:15.760 --> 02:06:17.680 once they get back together camp at the end of July. 2587 02:06:18.039 --> 02:06:21.479 It's always an interesting conversation out about the dynamic between 2588 02:06:21.640 --> 02:06:25.119 coach Wit and his offensive coordinator. And you know, for 2589 02:06:25.199 --> 02:06:28.239 a long time there was so much turnover that there 2590 02:06:28.359 --> 02:06:30.560 wasn't a lot of continuity. Coach Lot brought that to 2591 02:06:30.680 --> 02:06:33.359 the program, and oftentimes it was discussed about how much 2592 02:06:33.439 --> 02:06:37.479 autonomy did Andy hadjuckstaposed to the influence that Kyle has 2593 02:06:37.560 --> 02:06:40.279 on a program that is his to run. Bottom line. 2594 02:06:40.319 --> 02:06:43.640 The bottom line is the bucket will always stop with him. 2595 02:06:43.880 --> 02:06:46.279 But tell me what you've noticed about the relationship and 2596 02:06:46.319 --> 02:06:49.560 the dynamic between Coach Beck and Coach Wit. As far 2597 02:06:49.640 --> 02:06:51.600 as how you think that's going to work with communication 2598 02:06:51.760 --> 02:06:53.119 and autonomy and all those things. 2599 02:06:53.920 --> 02:06:56.720 Well, I haven't seen a lot of it, only because 2600 02:06:56.760 --> 02:06:59.079 it was springball. I mean, Kyle was around a little 2601 02:06:59.119 --> 02:07:01.640 bit watching the new offense, but he's such a CEO, 2602 02:07:01.920 --> 02:07:05.079 you know, you see him at practice moving around watching 2603 02:07:05.159 --> 02:07:09.479 the offense, watching the defense, watching different things. I think 2604 02:07:09.560 --> 02:07:12.680 that that's a relationship. Obviously, because they've never worked together, 2605 02:07:13.119 --> 02:07:17.520 that's still evolving. But my sense is he hired Jason 2606 02:07:17.600 --> 02:07:20.079 for a reason. He liked his offense. And I know 2607 02:07:20.159 --> 02:07:22.560 that Morgan Scally had some input on it too, because 2608 02:07:22.560 --> 02:07:25.479 obviously Scally's there, and I think Morgan's made the comment 2609 02:07:25.479 --> 02:07:28.279 a couple of different times, and hey, what he likes 2610 02:07:28.359 --> 02:07:32.079 about that the offense that Beck runs is Jason Beck 2611 02:07:32.199 --> 02:07:36.000 is very good at finding ways to stress your defense, 2612 02:07:36.079 --> 02:07:38.359 finding that weak link or where you're not quite as 2613 02:07:38.399 --> 02:07:42.439 good defensively, and then exploiting it. And so I think 2614 02:07:42.520 --> 02:07:44.800 that's a lot of what Kyle was looking for. Something 2615 02:07:44.840 --> 02:07:46.880 that was a little bit more simplistic, that's a little 2616 02:07:46.880 --> 02:07:50.159 bit more plug and play, but something that could stress 2617 02:07:50.239 --> 02:07:54.279 other defenses while still kind of maintaining and Beck's offenses 2618 02:07:54.319 --> 02:07:56.239 doesn't do this. There's balance with it. I mean they 2619 02:07:56.319 --> 02:07:59.279 ran for over three thousand yards last year at New Mexico, 2620 02:07:59.680 --> 02:08:02.279 they threw for about three thousand, and they rush for 2621 02:08:02.359 --> 02:08:04.880 three thousand. That's pretty good balance. But as far as 2622 02:08:04.920 --> 02:08:07.560 how that dynamic goes, I haven't seen it enough. I 2623 02:08:07.640 --> 02:08:10.520 haven't been around it enough. I think it'll take kind 2624 02:08:10.560 --> 02:08:12.000 of a fall. But I'm sure it's just kind of 2625 02:08:12.000 --> 02:08:14.840 an evolving relationship now. Just because they haven't they haven't 2626 02:08:14.840 --> 02:08:15.640 worked together a toime. 2627 02:08:16.119 --> 02:08:17.279 So last Friday. 2628 02:08:17.640 --> 02:08:19.239 And you'll get a kick out of this because you 2629 02:08:19.319 --> 02:08:21.880 did this job on a daily basis for how many years? 2630 02:08:21.920 --> 02:08:23.920 How many years did you do a daily radio show? 2631 02:08:24.000 --> 02:08:24.199 Bill? 2632 02:08:26.479 --> 02:08:27.680 Right? About twenty seven? 2633 02:08:27.720 --> 02:08:29.600 All right, so you did it for a long long time. 2634 02:08:29.920 --> 02:08:32.359 Next year will be twenty for me full time. I 2635 02:08:32.439 --> 02:08:34.840 did part time for about four or five. So I'm 2636 02:08:34.880 --> 02:08:36.640 getting close to your riles. But I got a few 2637 02:08:36.720 --> 02:08:39.800 years left before I can say twenty seven. So you know, 2638 02:08:40.000 --> 02:08:43.000 when when you finish your show and you getting alert 2639 02:08:43.119 --> 02:08:46.760 five minutes later that something sizable has happened, you're like, oh, man, Like, 2640 02:08:47.199 --> 02:08:50.600 so Friday News done, plast, Friday House NCAA is across 2641 02:08:50.640 --> 02:08:52.720 the line, all right. So here's where I want to 2642 02:08:52.760 --> 02:08:55.520 start with this portion of the conversation. There are a 2643 02:08:55.520 --> 02:08:58.800 lot of people that are saying, Okay, finally, even playing field. 2644 02:08:59.039 --> 02:09:02.880 Finally rules read will does sport ever have an even 2645 02:09:02.960 --> 02:09:06.159 playing field? Or will will there always be a car 2646 02:09:06.319 --> 02:09:08.359 dealer in Tuscaloosa that's willing. 2647 02:09:08.199 --> 02:09:11.279 To pay a player five five million dollars or what like? 2648 02:09:11.439 --> 02:09:14.920 Is it possible to make an absolutely even playing field 2649 02:09:15.319 --> 02:09:17.600 so the Utahs and the Byus can keep up with 2650 02:09:17.640 --> 02:09:19.720 the Oklahomas and the texas Is and the Bamas. 2651 02:09:19.840 --> 02:09:20.880 Is that ever going to be a thing? 2652 02:09:21.840 --> 02:09:24.239 Well, No, I don't think the even playing field. What 2653 02:09:24.399 --> 02:09:26.840 this does is kind of balance it out a little 2654 02:09:26.840 --> 02:09:30.279 bit more. But you're still able to donate to your 2655 02:09:30.840 --> 02:09:33.479 I don't know if collective is the right word anymore. 2656 02:09:33.560 --> 02:09:35.920 Some are still separate, Some have been brought in house 2657 02:09:36.399 --> 02:09:39.680 that that house settlement money is almost just kind of 2658 02:09:39.840 --> 02:09:42.960 like a floor or a baseline spence. There's going to 2659 02:09:43.000 --> 02:09:45.600 be programs that are still going to be spending more 2660 02:09:45.760 --> 02:09:49.079 and above that based on donations that come in. But 2661 02:09:49.239 --> 02:09:55.000 that does enable schools to be able to remain competitive 2662 02:09:55.039 --> 02:09:58.960 in some places. But the Ohio States and the Oregons 2663 02:09:59.039 --> 02:10:02.880 and the Michigan and maybe the USC's of the world. 2664 02:10:03.560 --> 02:10:06.520 They're you know, if they're committed, and it doesn't even 2665 02:10:06.560 --> 02:10:08.880 have to be just those schools, schools where they're committed 2666 02:10:08.920 --> 02:10:12.359 to it, they'll they'll probably still go above and beyond that. 2667 02:10:12.520 --> 02:10:16.319 But what it does do is give schools the ability 2668 02:10:16.920 --> 02:10:19.520 to be able to be competitive to a certain level. 2669 02:10:19.960 --> 02:10:22.520 But unless you went to a full on salary cap. 2670 02:10:22.600 --> 02:10:25.039 And here's the other problem, and we've seen this forever 2671 02:10:25.119 --> 02:10:28.399 in collegiate athletic spense. People have always been willing to 2672 02:10:28.479 --> 02:10:32.279 break the rules, or been the rules, or circumvent the rules. 2673 02:10:32.680 --> 02:10:34.800 Now they's supposed to be a third party coming in 2674 02:10:34.960 --> 02:10:37.880 that's supposed to be, you know, kind of the law 2675 02:10:37.960 --> 02:10:40.239 enforcement branch of this, and they're supposed to be very 2676 02:10:40.279 --> 02:10:44.159 punitive penalties if schools are found to be breaking rules. 2677 02:10:44.800 --> 02:10:46.800 But we've heard that before with the n double A. 2678 02:10:46.840 --> 02:10:49.000 I'm going to be really curious to see how that works. 2679 02:10:49.600 --> 02:10:52.039 But you know, unless you go to some sort of 2680 02:10:52.119 --> 02:10:54.920 a pro model where you know, you know, you can't 2681 02:10:55.000 --> 02:10:58.039 circumvent the salary cap in the National Football League, other 2682 02:10:58.239 --> 02:11:00.840 leagues do, I mean nobody else as a hard cap. 2683 02:11:00.960 --> 02:11:03.800 They have aprons and luxury taxes and things like that, 2684 02:11:04.520 --> 02:11:07.239 but if you want to be truly even, the only 2685 02:11:07.319 --> 02:11:09.680 way to do that is to go to a hard cap, 2686 02:11:10.279 --> 02:11:12.319 and there's only one place that's done that really in 2687 02:11:12.359 --> 02:11:14.479 all of sports. Well, I shouldn't say that, because I 2688 02:11:14.520 --> 02:11:16.600 think the NHL has a hard cap too, don't they. 2689 02:11:16.880 --> 02:11:18.760 So maybe the NFL and the NHL, I think, are 2690 02:11:18.760 --> 02:11:22.079 the only two professional sports to do that. But I 2691 02:11:22.119 --> 02:11:25.239 don't see a day anytime soon where college athletics is 2692 02:11:25.439 --> 02:11:26.680 even for everybody. 2693 02:11:27.359 --> 02:11:29.720 Yeah, I don't see that. I don't see that day ever, 2694 02:11:29.880 --> 02:11:32.840 quite frankly. And yes, I mean, I do believe that 2695 02:11:33.000 --> 02:11:36.479 collective bargaining is needed, and I think at some point 2696 02:11:36.720 --> 02:11:40.880 powerful attorneys will step in and unionize these young people 2697 02:11:40.920 --> 02:11:45.119 that play sports and institutions and implement collective bargaining with 2698 02:11:45.239 --> 02:11:47.720 governing bodies. I don't know if that's for all sports, 2699 02:11:47.840 --> 02:11:51.760 probably not, but certainly for football and basketball. And I 2700 02:11:51.840 --> 02:11:54.479 want to move over here. So, according to Dan Wetzel, 2701 02:11:54.760 --> 02:11:58.680 the initial estimate within the industry as far as how 2702 02:11:58.800 --> 02:12:01.520 athletic departments will to siminate the cash they have at 2703 02:12:01.560 --> 02:12:05.319 their disposal to pay these players now, so twenty point 2704 02:12:05.399 --> 02:12:09.600 five million, okay, so seventy five percent of that allocated 2705 02:12:09.640 --> 02:12:12.359 to football players, fifteen percent of that allocated to men's 2706 02:12:12.399 --> 02:12:16.039 basketball players, five percent to women's basketball players, and then 2707 02:12:16.159 --> 02:12:20.319 five percent to other sports. Now, Mark, if you're listening, 2708 02:12:20.439 --> 02:12:22.680 I'm asking him the question, So get off of them 2709 02:12:22.680 --> 02:12:24.560 if you don't like the answer. Do you have any 2710 02:12:24.600 --> 02:12:27.680 insight as to how Utah plans to disseminate their twenty 2711 02:12:27.720 --> 02:12:29.560 point five million No. 2712 02:12:29.960 --> 02:12:32.640 I don't. I haven't set in on any of those meetings. 2713 02:12:32.720 --> 02:12:34.840 I don't know if that will become public either. I 2714 02:12:34.920 --> 02:12:37.640 think what Wetzel did was probably average it based on 2715 02:12:37.960 --> 02:12:41.920 his guestimations and talking to people. That feels a little high, 2716 02:12:42.000 --> 02:12:44.520 not completely high. But I think I was on with 2717 02:12:44.600 --> 02:12:47.880 Sean on Friday and I said, probably in that sixty 2718 02:12:48.000 --> 02:12:51.399 five to seventy percent range would be probably where you 2719 02:12:51.520 --> 02:12:56.199 saw football. One because it's the engine that drives the machine. 2720 02:12:56.319 --> 02:12:59.399 But two, there's just so many more players on the roster. 2721 02:12:59.600 --> 02:13:02.319 You need more money to be able to fund that. 2722 02:13:03.039 --> 02:13:06.399 So I you know, again everybody's guessing at it. It 2723 02:13:06.600 --> 02:13:09.079 sounds a little high to me. The Wetzel numbers not 2724 02:13:09.199 --> 02:13:10.960 too high, but it sounds a little high. I would 2725 02:13:10.960 --> 02:13:14.319 guess more in the sixty five to seventy range probably 2726 02:13:14.439 --> 02:13:18.279 for football across the board, and I would say men's 2727 02:13:18.319 --> 02:13:21.079 basketball probably will get, you know, in the neighborhood of 2728 02:13:21.159 --> 02:13:25.479 fifteen to eighteen percent, and then women's basketball and that 2729 02:13:25.720 --> 02:13:27.720 five to ten and the rest spread out along the 2730 02:13:27.960 --> 02:13:30.000 among the Olympic sports, would be my guest. 2731 02:13:30.159 --> 02:13:33.239 Now, when it comes to NIL, I think there are 2732 02:13:33.279 --> 02:13:36.600 people that maybe don't fully grasp that this is not 2733 02:13:37.000 --> 02:13:39.600 that okay, this is money that schools can now pay 2734 02:13:39.640 --> 02:13:40.079 the players. 2735 02:13:40.239 --> 02:13:41.399 NIL is separate from it. 2736 02:13:42.000 --> 02:13:44.800 You reference this new College Sports Commission that's being run 2737 02:13:44.880 --> 02:13:48.159 by Brian Seey, who is a former Major League Baseball executive. 2738 02:13:48.600 --> 02:13:52.000 So now everybody has to report NIL deals of six 2739 02:13:52.079 --> 02:13:54.399 hundred dollars or more and it goes through kind of 2740 02:13:54.439 --> 02:13:58.880 this algorithm Deloitte, you know, some other software will be involved. 2741 02:13:59.199 --> 02:14:01.199 I wonder if you have any insight on how, if 2742 02:14:01.239 --> 02:14:03.079 at all, this effects in the University of Utah. 2743 02:14:04.199 --> 02:14:06.399 No athletes will still be able to go out and 2744 02:14:06.640 --> 02:14:10.520 pursue individual deals, There's no doubt about that. And in 2745 02:14:10.600 --> 02:14:13.920 a lot of ways, the athletic department, the Crimson Club, 2746 02:14:14.920 --> 02:14:18.159 all those folks are going to do their best. They 2747 02:14:18.239 --> 02:14:19.760 have been already. They're going to make even more of 2748 02:14:19.800 --> 02:14:22.640 a concerted effort on top of what you said, and 2749 02:14:22.720 --> 02:14:26.880 you said it correct. The settlement is different. But most 2750 02:14:26.960 --> 02:14:30.920 of these universities in Utah included, have a you know, 2751 02:14:31.159 --> 02:14:34.439 a section of their athletic department now dedicated to this, 2752 02:14:35.279 --> 02:14:37.720 and they want to do their best to help these athletes, 2753 02:14:37.760 --> 02:14:39.520 Like you said, whether it's a six hundred dollars deal 2754 02:14:39.600 --> 02:14:42.960 or whether it's a sixty thousand dollars deal, you know, 2755 02:14:43.119 --> 02:14:47.279 help connect them with donors or business owners in the 2756 02:14:47.319 --> 02:14:50.720 community to be able to do that. So yes, I mean, 2757 02:14:50.760 --> 02:14:54.079 I think we've conflated the terms nil And for a 2758 02:14:54.159 --> 02:14:56.840 long long time, the true nature of name, image and 2759 02:14:57.000 --> 02:15:00.279 likeness was supposed to be about the individual going out 2760 02:15:00.279 --> 02:15:02.760 and kind of seeking it on their own, and I 2761 02:15:02.880 --> 02:15:05.560 think that's still there, and I think schools, including Utah, 2762 02:15:05.560 --> 02:15:06.880 got to try to get back to that a lot 2763 02:15:07.000 --> 02:15:09.880 more and help their athletes connect. On top of what 2764 02:15:10.000 --> 02:15:12.840 we had already talked about with the house settlement money. 2765 02:15:12.960 --> 02:15:15.560 What have been your impressions of Brett Yormark. 2766 02:15:15.600 --> 02:15:17.399 I forgot to ask you this last hit because he 2767 02:15:17.479 --> 02:15:21.119 signed a contract extension, we had a chance to sit 2768 02:15:21.239 --> 02:15:23.359 with him big twelve media days. I'm sure we'll have 2769 02:15:23.399 --> 02:15:25.039 a chance doing that coming up in just a few 2770 02:15:25.079 --> 02:15:28.279 weeks in Dallas. But whether it's being able to interview 2771 02:15:28.399 --> 02:15:30.479 him or just kind of sit back and witness the 2772 02:15:30.520 --> 02:15:32.640 way he's gone about his business, what's your impression of 2773 02:15:32.680 --> 02:15:33.640 the Big twelve commissioner. 2774 02:15:34.399 --> 02:15:36.840 I've not had a chance to interview him before I 2775 02:15:36.920 --> 02:15:40.000 left the station last year. I tried and tried and tried. 2776 02:15:40.039 --> 02:15:42.920 I was never able to connect with it. I'm hoping 2777 02:15:42.960 --> 02:15:44.520 I'm going to be down to Big twelve media days 2778 02:15:44.520 --> 02:15:46.439 as well. I'm hoping to get a chance to do that. 2779 02:15:47.880 --> 02:15:51.479 What I like about brett yor Mark is he's out 2780 02:15:51.640 --> 02:15:54.680 there and he's not taking a back. I always kind 2781 02:15:54.720 --> 02:15:57.199 of felt like, until the very very end, where the 2782 02:15:57.239 --> 02:15:59.960 Pac twelve was fighting for its life, that the past 2783 02:16:00.159 --> 02:16:05.760 twelve was a lot more reactive versus proactive. And I 2784 02:16:06.039 --> 02:16:08.880 like the fact that your Mark in a lot of things. 2785 02:16:09.359 --> 02:16:12.000 Nobody's perfect, but I like the fact that he's a 2786 02:16:12.039 --> 02:16:15.800 lot more proactive, whether it's with college basketball ideas or 2787 02:16:15.880 --> 02:16:19.199 marketing the league, or I just I liked when you know, 2788 02:16:19.760 --> 02:16:22.119 the Big ten was trying to shove a you know, 2789 02:16:22.239 --> 02:16:25.319 all those automatic bids down everybody's throat for the college 2790 02:16:25.399 --> 02:16:29.239 football playoff. I've never understood that, Spence. Why why do 2791 02:16:29.359 --> 02:16:32.280 we give multiple automatic bids for all these different like 2792 02:16:32.479 --> 02:16:35.239 we don't do the college basketball Tournament's what we all love. 2793 02:16:35.799 --> 02:16:38.479 You get one automatic bid is a conference champion, then 2794 02:16:38.600 --> 02:16:39.799 everything else is up in the air. 2795 02:16:39.959 --> 02:16:40.879 I never understood. 2796 02:16:41.520 --> 02:16:44.200 I love the five to eleven matchup where every conference 2797 02:16:44.319 --> 02:16:46.680 champion the five big conferences or the four and then 2798 02:16:46.719 --> 02:16:49.479 the one get an automatic bid. Then there's eleven at largest. 2799 02:16:49.799 --> 02:16:51.399 You're trying to get the best teams in there. And 2800 02:16:51.600 --> 02:16:54.440 I liked what your Mark said about that is, you know, 2801 02:16:55.559 --> 02:16:57.600 if you're having a good year, then you deserve it. 2802 02:16:57.680 --> 02:16:59.840 If you're not, why should you get more automatic bids? 2803 02:17:00.079 --> 02:17:02.680 You actually deserve so round about way to say what 2804 02:17:02.799 --> 02:17:05.479 you said, it's still a small sample size. I'd like 2805 02:17:05.520 --> 02:17:08.159 to get a chance to talk with him. But from afar, 2806 02:17:08.799 --> 02:17:11.079 I think Utah being in the Big twelve, and your 2807 02:17:11.159 --> 02:17:14.799 Marcus a commissioner, has been has been positive reports today. 2808 02:17:14.959 --> 02:17:18.079 More conference alignment on the way, it doesn't really affect 2809 02:17:18.239 --> 02:17:20.799 Utah are the Big twelve, you know, and this is 2810 02:17:20.920 --> 02:17:23.479 another deal. I've just become resigned to the fact that 2811 02:17:23.600 --> 02:17:25.360 we are going to have to deal with stuff like this, 2812 02:17:25.600 --> 02:17:29.840 probably in perpetuity, and there will be appeals to lawsuits 2813 02:17:29.840 --> 02:17:31.920 that have been settled, and it's just the lawyers are 2814 02:17:31.959 --> 02:17:33.159 just going to get rich and we're all going to 2815 02:17:33.200 --> 02:17:34.920 sit back and wait for Saturdays in the fall. 2816 02:17:35.399 --> 02:17:37.200 But before we get to basketball and we'll end with 2817 02:17:37.280 --> 02:17:37.760 some hoops. 2818 02:17:38.360 --> 02:17:41.440 Are you still in a space where you believe college 2819 02:17:41.479 --> 02:17:44.319 football eventually will mirror the NFL? Or do you think 2820 02:17:44.360 --> 02:17:46.680 it's kind of be what it is and we're just 2821 02:17:46.760 --> 02:17:50.120 going to continue to see lawsuits filed here and appeals 2822 02:17:50.159 --> 02:17:51.799 filed there, and we're just going to kind of have 2823 02:17:51.840 --> 02:17:55.159 to deal with the chaos, you know, kind of moving forward. 2824 02:17:56.000 --> 02:17:58.920 It feels like we're trending toward the Super League, and 2825 02:17:59.000 --> 02:18:01.840 I think whatever that's super league happens to be, whether 2826 02:18:01.920 --> 02:18:05.920 it's thirty, forty fifty or sixty teams, I think that's 2827 02:18:06.000 --> 02:18:08.200 set up because I think it's going to be separate 2828 02:18:08.280 --> 02:18:11.840 from everything else. Again, this is just me hypothesizing. I 2829 02:18:11.959 --> 02:18:14.760 think that will be an NFL type model. It will 2830 02:18:14.799 --> 02:18:18.159 be either a pro type model to it, whether it's 2831 02:18:18.280 --> 02:18:21.920 wildcards or conference champions or whatever it is. I think 2832 02:18:22.000 --> 02:18:25.000 when the day comes, whether it's three years, five years, 2833 02:18:25.120 --> 02:18:28.360 or ten years from now, when college football does eventually 2834 02:18:28.440 --> 02:18:31.159 go to that super league, I think it's going to 2835 02:18:31.280 --> 02:18:33.719 have very much a pro and kind of an NFL 2836 02:18:33.840 --> 02:18:36.280 feel to it. I don't know what happens with the 2837 02:18:36.399 --> 02:18:38.959 rest of it. I don't know what happens with basketball 2838 02:18:39.040 --> 02:18:41.840 at that point, if conferences are still a thing for 2839 02:18:41.959 --> 02:18:45.799 everything but football. But my sense is on the football 2840 02:18:45.920 --> 02:18:49.000 side of it, we're trending toward the Super League at 2841 02:18:49.079 --> 02:18:51.280 some point, and I think that will have a bit 2842 02:18:51.360 --> 02:18:53.760 more of a pro model to it all. 2843 02:18:53.840 --> 02:18:56.559 Right before I said, you lose summer practice going on 2844 02:18:56.680 --> 02:18:59.959 for the basketball team and the roster has been compared 2845 02:19:00.079 --> 02:19:02.639 he did with a German guard. I believe it's Jacob Patrick. 2846 02:19:02.760 --> 02:19:04.959 That doesn't sound like a German player, but there you go. 2847 02:19:05.920 --> 02:19:07.520 So I don't know if you've got a chance to 2848 02:19:07.879 --> 02:19:10.719 witness any of the practices. We had al on a 2849 02:19:10.799 --> 02:19:12.520 couple of weeks ago, and we kind of got to 2850 02:19:12.600 --> 02:19:15.159 know some of these new players. But just your thoughts 2851 02:19:15.440 --> 02:19:18.959 on and also realistic expectations you're one in the big 2852 02:19:19.040 --> 02:19:21.479 twelve for this roster and this new coaching staph Anie 2853 02:19:21.920 --> 02:19:25.079 information on the new basketball team led by former you 2854 02:19:25.120 --> 02:19:25.879 and Alex Jensen. 2855 02:19:26.959 --> 02:19:28.840 I think if you want to make it sound more German, 2856 02:19:28.920 --> 02:19:31.159 you go with Yakob, there we go, there we go, 2857 02:19:31.440 --> 02:19:34.440 and that'll make it feel more. I've seen them working 2858 02:19:34.520 --> 02:19:35.879 out a little bit. I've seen a little bit of 2859 02:19:35.920 --> 02:19:39.840 open gym. Here's what I think. I think that they 2860 02:19:40.079 --> 02:19:46.719 have gone with the upgraded athletic get after it model, 2861 02:19:47.200 --> 02:19:50.159 kind of a just talking with Alex and you've talked 2862 02:19:50.200 --> 02:19:52.399 to him too, I just get the sense they're building 2863 02:19:52.479 --> 02:19:55.600 this foundation and they want to really get after it 2864 02:19:55.719 --> 02:19:58.440 defensively and they want to get out and run. And 2865 02:19:58.639 --> 02:20:00.799 I think they've gone out and I fight guys that 2866 02:20:01.120 --> 02:20:04.440 fit with where they're at. With all of that, I 2867 02:20:04.520 --> 02:20:07.399 don't have any idea yet. I want to see him 2868 02:20:07.680 --> 02:20:09.799 kind of on the floor a little bit more together. 2869 02:20:10.639 --> 02:20:12.719 But you know, I've said it before and I'll say 2870 02:20:12.719 --> 02:20:14.600 it again. When you're at the University of Utah, your 2871 02:20:14.680 --> 02:20:18.319 expectation should always be competing for an NCAA tournament Berth. 2872 02:20:18.840 --> 02:20:21.159 I know that they've turned the roster over, but I 2873 02:20:21.280 --> 02:20:24.879 think if you're at Utah, with the resources Utah has, 2874 02:20:25.520 --> 02:20:27.280 I think that you should be able to at least 2875 02:20:27.360 --> 02:20:29.680 compete for an nc doll. I'm not saying it'll happen 2876 02:20:29.719 --> 02:20:32.799 in year one with twelve new faces. But we've seen 2877 02:20:32.879 --> 02:20:35.559 that happen in other places around the country. But I 2878 02:20:35.680 --> 02:20:39.280 think they should certainly be competitive and be in the conversation. 2879 02:20:40.159 --> 02:20:43.120 You know, you want Lenardi talking about you, at least 2880 02:20:43.559 --> 02:20:46.040 if that makes sense, sometime in February and March. 2881 02:20:46.120 --> 02:20:46.520 No doubt. 2882 02:20:46.520 --> 02:20:48.600 All right, Ral, I'll let you go so you can 2883 02:20:48.639 --> 02:20:51.040 go into the rabbit hole of Jericho Road's greatest hits. 2884 02:20:51.760 --> 02:20:52.479 I appreciate that. 2885 02:20:52.559 --> 02:20:52.959 Don't do that. 2886 02:20:53.040 --> 02:20:54.399 It will put you in such a bad mood, but 2887 02:20:54.440 --> 02:20:55.479 I appreciate the time matter. 2888 02:20:55.600 --> 02:20:57.399 I believe you did that. By the way, how long 2889 02:20:57.479 --> 02:20:58.319 were you in the rabbit hole? 2890 02:20:58.840 --> 02:21:01.440 I watch four I have Jericho wrote videos and I 2891 02:21:01.559 --> 02:21:04.239 just hated myself afterwards, so I would not take you 2892 02:21:04.319 --> 02:21:05.000 back it did. 2893 02:21:05.120 --> 02:21:07.079 By the way, how did that become a thing on 2894 02:21:07.200 --> 02:21:08.879 our show? I honestly don't remember. 2895 02:21:09.799 --> 02:21:14.399 It may have been a Shep thing, Okay, he may 2896 02:21:14.479 --> 02:21:16.719 have brought it up. We may have been talking about 2897 02:21:16.840 --> 02:21:18.959 boy bands. You and I may have been something, you know, 2898 02:21:19.319 --> 02:21:22.360 It might have been a Nikolach ninety eight degrees reference, 2899 02:21:22.440 --> 02:21:25.479 and then Shep may have injected all have you guys 2900 02:21:25.559 --> 02:21:28.760 heard about the Utah County version of ninety eight degrees, 2901 02:21:28.840 --> 02:21:30.120 and you and I would have gone, what are you 2902 02:21:30.200 --> 02:21:33.079 talking about? And then he would have introduced Jericho Road 2903 02:21:33.159 --> 02:21:33.399 to us. 2904 02:21:33.639 --> 02:21:37.440 That sounds right, or you were expressing your admiration for 2905 02:21:37.559 --> 02:21:40.600 Louke Pearlman. I cannot remember which one it was, Bill, 2906 02:21:43.920 --> 02:21:46.959 see you, buddy, Bill Riley, Voice of the Utes. You 2907 02:21:47.040 --> 02:21:49.520 know it's weird when you do a radio show with 2908 02:21:49.600 --> 02:21:53.280 somebody for a number of years, how odd like inside 2909 02:21:53.360 --> 02:21:58.440 jokes emerged. I honestly don't remember how Jericho Road became 2910 02:21:58.520 --> 02:22:01.680 a thing on the show I did with Bill for oh, 2911 02:22:01.799 --> 02:22:05.879 I don't know, six years whatever that was. Our producer 2912 02:22:06.840 --> 02:22:10.440 was a young man who is named Jason Sheppard who 2913 02:22:10.520 --> 02:22:16.760 works for BYU TV. Sweet guy, very. I'll just say 2914 02:22:16.799 --> 02:22:19.079 he's working where he should be working, and I'll leave 2915 02:22:19.159 --> 02:22:20.840 I'll leave it at that. I don't I don't remember 2916 02:22:20.920 --> 02:22:23.079 if Shep was the one that brought up Jericho Roade. 2917 02:22:23.079 --> 02:22:26.239 All I know is last week after one of the shows, 2918 02:22:26.600 --> 02:22:30.040 I'm home decompressing and Ryles texts me like, Hey, what 2919 02:22:30.159 --> 02:22:31.200 I'm on the show next? 2920 02:22:31.319 --> 02:22:33.280 Bringing me in with some Jericho wrote. 2921 02:22:33.360 --> 02:22:36.360 Jericho Wroade is a Mormon boy band. I don't know 2922 02:22:36.399 --> 02:22:38.159 how else to articulate it. So when it was like 2923 02:22:38.399 --> 02:22:41.399 in sync Backstreet Boys ninety eight degrees, the boy band 2924 02:22:41.440 --> 02:22:44.239 thing was everywhere. A bunch of bros down in Provo 2925 02:22:44.479 --> 02:22:48.120 decided to start their own boy band, and the videos 2926 02:22:49.000 --> 02:22:51.959 that they made are exactly what you would expect, I 2927 02:22:52.000 --> 02:22:53.799 guess is how I'll put that. You know, And they 2928 02:22:53.840 --> 02:22:56.520 do have a member that looks like Tony Jones. I 2929 02:22:56.559 --> 02:22:58.360 don't know, have you watched any of the videos since 2930 02:22:58.399 --> 02:22:59.239 Bill brought this up? 2931 02:23:00.399 --> 02:23:04.079 I haven't, but I do remember a little bit of this, 2932 02:23:04.319 --> 02:23:06.399 this inside joke before, so I've looked him up before. 2933 02:23:06.399 --> 02:23:08.559 There is Yeah, there's a guy that looks a bit 2934 02:23:08.600 --> 02:23:08.959 like Tony. 2935 02:23:09.440 --> 02:23:12.559 And at this point, have you been able to learn 2936 02:23:12.639 --> 02:23:14.840 whether or not they're still doing it? Are there still standing? 2937 02:23:14.879 --> 02:23:15.200 I mean there? 2938 02:23:15.319 --> 02:23:17.479 Oh, there can't be anything more awkward than a boy 2939 02:23:17.559 --> 02:23:20.159 band when every members in there like mid to late forties. 2940 02:23:20.479 --> 02:23:22.719 Yeah, I mean, can you call that a boy band? 2941 02:23:22.840 --> 02:23:25.239 A man band, a middle aged man band? At that point? 2942 02:23:25.360 --> 02:23:31.559 Jericho Roads last, let's see their last release, Spence with 2943 02:23:31.959 --> 02:23:33.319 It looks like twenty ten. 2944 02:23:33.680 --> 02:23:35.920 All right, Well, you know they did the thing for 2945 02:23:36.000 --> 02:23:38.879 a while, and uh, good for them, for you know, 2946 02:23:39.040 --> 02:23:42.239 pursuing their dream. So we'll end the show some Jericho road. 2947 02:23:42.319 --> 02:23:44.399 I don't know how that lands with you, I'll but 2948 02:23:44.479 --> 02:23:46.559 there you go. All right, fun show ton going on. 2949 02:23:47.000 --> 02:23:49.399 Don't forget NBA Draft right around the corner. We're gonna 2950 02:23:49.440 --> 02:23:51.000 have a bunch of coverage, few guys, a lot of 2951 02:23:51.079 --> 02:23:55.399 rumors surrounding the Utah Jazz, NHL Stanley Cup playoffs resoomed 2952 02:23:55.399 --> 02:23:58.799 tomorrow for the Battle of Lord for your Lord Stanley's Cup. 2953 02:23:58.840 --> 02:24:00.719 But the NBA Finals coming way coming up on the 2954 02:24:00.760 --> 02:24:03.479 other side, Porter tomorrow, are we talking about oka Ce 2955 02:24:03.559 --> 02:24:05.680 up three two or Indiana up three two? 2956 02:24:05.959 --> 02:24:06.200 Man? 2957 02:24:06.840 --> 02:24:10.600 You know my my brain is telling me, okay, see, 2958 02:24:10.639 --> 02:24:14.920 it's the better team, it's the better roster. I love 2959 02:24:15.000 --> 02:24:18.120 the way Indiana's fighting, man, And I think that now 2960 02:24:18.200 --> 02:24:21.239 that we're here, we're at a best of three scenario. 2961 02:24:21.879 --> 02:24:25.799 I really do think that this is as close to 2962 02:24:25.879 --> 02:24:27.879 a toss up as you could have asked for if 2963 02:24:27.920 --> 02:24:31.120 you're the Indiana Pacers coming into the series. Now, I 2964 02:24:31.239 --> 02:24:33.280 know that Vegas is saying it's still okay, see a 2965 02:24:33.360 --> 02:24:37.399 heavy favorite, But man, I give Tyrese Haliburton and the 2966 02:24:37.440 --> 02:24:40.840 Pacers a big chance tonight and hell for the sake 2967 02:24:40.879 --> 02:24:43.799 of the show. I'll go, I'll go Indiana, all right, all. 2968 02:24:43.719 --> 02:24:45.799 Right, there you go, all right, we will say good night. 2969 02:24:45.879 --> 02:24:47.639 Coming up on the other side, it is time for 2970 02:24:47.920 --> 02:24:51.639 Game five of the NBA Files between the Pacers and 2971 02:24:51.799 --> 02:24:52.239 the Thunder. 2972 02:24:52.319 --> 02:24:54.600 The Thunder are a nine point five point favorite. 2973 02:24:54.639 --> 02:24:54.799 Porter. 2974 02:24:54.920 --> 02:24:57.520 What comes our way on a Tuesday edition of the show. 2975 02:24:57.639 --> 02:25:00.280 On a Tuesday edition of The Drive, Well, well, it'll 2976 02:25:00.280 --> 02:25:04.559 be Tony Parks and I in the saddle. So we'll 2977 02:25:04.639 --> 02:25:08.479 recap of course NBA Finals action, Indiana and Oka. See tonight, 2978 02:25:08.559 --> 02:25:12.840 we'll look ahead to the NHL Stanley Cup and talk 2979 02:25:12.920 --> 02:25:15.760 some offseason football, baseball, whatever comes along with Tony and I. 2980 02:25:15.920 --> 02:25:20.760 Stevenson Sylvester seventy four days from Utah football, Tim McMahon 2981 02:25:21.000 --> 02:25:23.520 of course for the NBA Daily Assist, Bell Fraser will 2982 02:25:23.559 --> 02:25:26.239 stop by and like I said, Tony Parks will be 2983 02:25:26.319 --> 02:25:27.680 in with myself. 2984 02:25:27.799 --> 02:25:30.440 Yeah, give Tony and Porter your ears tomorrow. I'll be 2985 02:25:30.559 --> 02:25:32.440 back on a Wednesday show. We'll say good night and 2986 02:25:32.520 --> 02:25:35.879 special thank you today to Kurt Schmidt, Tom Haberstrow, Richard Smith, 2987 02:25:35.920 --> 02:25:37.440 and Bill Riley for any of the sound you may 2988 02:25:37.479 --> 02:25:39.879 have missed from the show today. Go to the website, 2989 02:25:39.920 --> 02:25:42.920 which is ESPN seven hundred sports dot com. Download our 2990 02:25:43.040 --> 02:25:46.000 mobile app and take us on the go. The ESPN 2991 02:25:46.120 --> 02:25:47.840 seven hundred app is available in the App Store on 2992 02:25:47.840 --> 02:25:49.760 the Google Play Store. Then, finally, for what we do 2993 02:25:49.879 --> 02:25:53.120 in our space every afternoon, check out our podcast page 2994 02:25:53.200 --> 02:25:56.520 where you can dig through all of the content then 2995 02:25:56.559 --> 02:25:58.680 decide which portion of it you want to listen to 2996 02:25:58.760 --> 02:26:01.319 on your time. Don't want to talk Utah, Okay, don't 2997 02:26:01.360 --> 02:26:04.239 want to talk by U Jazz RSL. You get a 2998 02:26:04.280 --> 02:26:06.280 pick whatever you want to listen to on our podcast page. 2999 02:26:06.280 --> 02:26:08.079 It's awesome. It's called The Drive with Spence. Check its 3000 02:26:08.120 --> 02:26:11.120 It's available wherever you get your shows. Subscribe, grate reviews, 3001 02:26:11.120 --> 02:26:13.079 Sandaice things in the comments, give us all the stars 3002 02:26:13.120 --> 02:26:15.200 for Portram Spence saying to I enjoy your Monday evening. 3003 02:26:15.360 --> 02:26:17.600 NBA Finals Game five coming up on the other side 3004 02:26:17.680 --> 02:26:20.520 right here on ESPN seven hundred and ninety two. NFM 3005 02:26:20.600 --> 02:26:23.159 proud to be part of Utah's ESPN Radio network.