WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.759 Well, bookend the show today with two great NBA riders, 2 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:07.799 two great NBA media members Orange Crush because you know Nicks, 3 00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:10.279 Howard Beck, How clever is that? 4 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:10.640 Huh? 5 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:12.720 How impressed are you on this Friday afternoon, sir? 6 00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:18.440 Doing well? You managed to merge Nix, an Ram and me. 7 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:21.719 That's phenomenal. We just an incredible work on your part. 8 00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:25.079 Thank you, sir. Let's start out with this. The lottery's rigged. Okay, 9 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:27.359 we're cheated here in Salt Lake City. What's going on? 10 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:29.399 Jazz fall to five? 11 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:29.879 Howard? 12 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:33.240 And at the risk of insulting your intelligence, but as 13 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:35.520 you know, we live in a day in society where 14 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:37.759 if your guy doesn't win the election, it was stolen. 15 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:40.679 If your team doesn't win the championship, you got had. 16 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:43.039 And so we got a lot of folks out here 17 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:46.320 that believe the NBA lottery is rigged. Four teams that 18 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:48.799 don't necessarily need it as bad as we do in 19 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:49.320 Salt Lake. 20 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.960 Your thoughts, sir, Oh my god. 21 00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:59.359 So let's start with this. Belief is not fact. I 22 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:01.320 don't care how strongly you believe something. I don't care 23 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:03.479 how strong you suspect something. I don't care how strongly 24 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:08.959 you think something seems suspicious, it's not the same as fact. 25 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:11.439 And so if anybody wants to believe, And the fact is, 26 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:14.079 if any of your listeners right now are running around 27 00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:17.400 with this belief, I can't talk them out of it. 28 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:20.280 So in some respects it's pointless for me to lay 29 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:22.239 out any of this, but I will if you want 30 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:25.280 me to. But the fact is people will believed what 31 00:01:25.319 --> 00:01:28.159 they want to believe. But let's make it very very clear. 32 00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:32.000 There is no proof that anybody has. There's no reason 33 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:36.159 to believe this other than suspicion. Than suspicion alone, as 34 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:40.079 you have just noted alluding to some other events of 35 00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:44.000 the recent past, including an election, you don't have to 36 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:46.239 prove anything. You can just say it with stolen an 37 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:48.560 election was stolen and believe it, and you don't need 38 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:50.599 any proof. So if people want to say that the 39 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:53.120 lottery was fixed and they have no proof, and they 40 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.920 have nothing but their suspicion, I can't do anything about it. 41 00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:58.879 All I can tell you is I've been in the 42 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.840 lottery room twice. I was not this year, but I've 43 00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:04.519 been in there for this exact version of the lottery, 44 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:08.520 this procedure where there are all the balls that go 45 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:11.439 in the machine, and there's a thousand combinations or a 46 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:13.840 thousand and one combinations, and there's a guy in the 47 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:15.960 back of the room with his back turned who every 48 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:18.240 I think thirty seconds puts his hand up and that 49 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:21.159 is the signal to the person running the machine to 50 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:23.840 then hit the button that sucks up one of the balls. Like, 51 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:27.800 there's no way to fix this thing, and if there were, 52 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:32.759 it would be a fraudulence of epic proportions. It would 53 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:37.560 involved probably multiple felonies. And everybody who works for the 54 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:42.159 NBA and for Ernst and Young Global accounting and finance firm, 55 00:02:42.280 --> 00:02:44.759 they would be implicated in this. All these people are 56 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:47.439 putting their careers and their lives on the line so 57 00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:51.000 that Cooper Flag can go to Dallas. Come on, people like, 58 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:54.919 grow up, get a grip. This is stupid and the 59 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.759 amount of ink and time that has been spilled and 60 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:04.400 spent on it this week is and just foolish. It's wasted. 61 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:06.479 And I'll just close with a couple other quick thoughts 62 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:09.000 on this. When people think it is fixed, is it 63 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:13.280 fixed by the NBA itself the league office, in which 64 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.599 case it's a fraud perpetrated on the thirty owners, the 65 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:18.240 same people who employ Adam Silver, who hire and could 66 00:03:18.280 --> 00:03:22.479 fire Adam Silver. If the owners on themselves are in 67 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:24.680 on it, why would they be in on it? Why 68 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:28.000 do the other owners want to reward the idiocy that 69 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:30.599 happened in Dallas this year where they gave away their 70 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:35.479 franchise star. Why do the Memphis Grizzlies and Indianapolis Indiana 71 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:38.919 Pacers and everybody else, why do they want to participate 72 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:41.960 in this? Why are they participating in a fraudulence in 73 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:45.159 felonies to help the Dallas Mavericks get a player who, 74 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:47.479 by the way, by all accounts, is going to be 75 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:49.759 very very good. But according to scouts I've talked to, 76 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:52.280 they're not absolutely certain he's going to be a superstar. 77 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:56.919 So none of this makes a lick of sense, suspence. 78 00:03:56.919 --> 00:03:57.599 No, it does not. 79 00:03:57.960 --> 00:03:59.560 And I think you know me well enough to know 80 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:02.639 where I've fall on the entire thing. You know, it's 81 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:06.599 literally called the lottery, and I wonder, you know, I 82 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:11.159 wonder though. So one of the interesting things that I've 83 00:04:11.240 --> 00:04:14.199 learned this week is that in twenty nineteen, when Commissioner 84 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:18.000 Silver elected a flat in the odds, the vote was 85 00:04:18.120 --> 00:04:21.319 twenty nine to one in favor of doing so. The 86 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:24.720 one dissenting vote was Sam Presty and Oklahoma City, whose 87 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:28.759 point was the best way for cities like Oklahoma City 88 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:31.480 to acquire talent is via the draft. 89 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:32.879 Now there's a lot of irony. 90 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.120 Six years later, we're sitting here watching potentially the most 91 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.240 talented team in the league reside in Oklahoma City. But 92 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:42.439 we do live in Salt Lake City, where the best 93 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:45.639 and sometimes only way, not always only way, but sometimes 94 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:48.000 only way to acquire talent is through the draft. 95 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:51.199 So do you like the way the league does this? 96 00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:53.480 There's a lot of other ideas, like do you just 97 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:57.079 give every team in the lottery the same odds? All 98 00:04:57.079 --> 00:05:00.160 fourteen teams have the same odds, and therefore you do 99 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:03.800 away with any sort of tanking. Now you know, tanking, 100 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:07.680 of course, guarantees nothing. We have six lotteries since twenty nineteen, 101 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:10.680 and the worst team in the league has never received 102 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:13.519 the number one overall pick. And the reality is, and 103 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:18.279 I'll credit Justin Zana, Jazz, general manager the Jazz. As 104 00:05:18.279 --> 00:05:22.279 far as the lottery odds go, the percentages the Jazz 105 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:25.800 were most likely to land four or five. Okay, so 106 00:05:25.959 --> 00:05:28.959 forty seven percent chants at five fourteen percent chants at 107 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:32.759 one for all the hand ringing and you know, pearl clutching, 108 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:35.519 the Jazz actually landed where they were most likely to land. 109 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:38.360 But is this the best way to do this, Howard 110 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:39.000 in your opinion? 111 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:42.000 So ten years ago, when we were in the middle 112 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:45.839 of the process, Era sixers and a lot of other 113 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:49.319 teams were, you know, not as extreme, but we're practicing 114 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:54.240 different versions of tanking, and the NBA had a problem 115 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:56.879 on a tand Adam Silver hated what was going on, 116 00:05:57.079 --> 00:05:59.079 absolutely hated it, and a lot of the owners did too, 117 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:01.680 and a lot of the public did. And it's a 118 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:04.639 really interesting kind of case study in the way we 119 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:06.839 as a public react to things because ten years ago, 120 00:06:07.399 --> 00:06:10.560 a lot of people were crying out that this system 121 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:13.959 is unfair. You should not be able to game the system, 122 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.199 even though the worst record still only got to a 123 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:19.839 twenty five percent chance at the number one pick. People 124 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:22.639 didn't like the idea that it incentivized losing, that it 125 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:27.639 perverted the entire enterprise because if you weren't a good team, 126 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:31.720 then it was too alluring to just be really really 127 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:35.800 bad for the possibility of getting a great pick. And 128 00:06:35.879 --> 00:06:39.319 so that was the consensus opinion out they're ten years ago, 129 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:41.759 and in the wake of this week's lottery, I feel 130 00:06:41.800 --> 00:06:45.079 like everybody has flipped around to, well, this system's unfair 131 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:49.319 and the teams that needed the most help aren't getting it. Well, okay, 132 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:51.720 but yeah, this is the problem when you go to 133 00:06:52.120 --> 00:06:54.920 a strictly reverse order draft draft. If you had no lottery, 134 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:57.879 then there's ultimate incentive the tank. So you bring in 135 00:06:57.879 --> 00:07:01.120 a lottery, and the first lottery was you know, however, 136 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.720 many teams in the in the hopper with an equal chance. 137 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:08.560 But that wasn't the best system as far as the 138 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:10.639 NBA was concerned. And if we went back to that, 139 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:12.759 then you would have a different trigger point where teams 140 00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:14.480 would be opting out of the playoffs and the play 141 00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:17.480 in saying, well, if I've got as good a chance 142 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:20.000 as the worst team in the league of getting the 143 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:23.839 number one pick, I'm better off being the sixteenth best 144 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:26.040 team in the league rather than the fourteenth best team 145 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:28.600 like I or excuse me, the fourteenth best and wow, 146 00:07:28.680 --> 00:07:31.120 whatever it is. You see my point. I'd be better 147 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:33.360 off out of the playoffs than in the playoffs. You 148 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:38.480 don't want that either, So it's a quandary and I 149 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:41.519 am not. I don't have any strong beliefs on what 150 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:44.199 is the quote unquote right system Spence, I don't know 151 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:48.439 that there is a right system. I'm not particularly upset 152 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:50.519 about anything that's happened in this lottery or the last 153 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:52.439 several but I have no rooting interest, so it's easy 154 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:56.560 for me to say there are competing objectives here clearly, 155 00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:01.160 and it is a difficult thing to manage. But I 156 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:03.519 would say to the extent that the league is trying 157 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:06.120 to discourage tanking, and yes, tanking still happens, including in 158 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:11.160 your city. The fact is, when teams keep falling out 159 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.240 of the top three, as it's happened a lot since 160 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:16.600 the lottery odds were changed, that is the distancentive the tank, 161 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:19.600 or it should be. If teams don't change their behavior 162 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:22.519 and still say, you know what, I don't care, let's 163 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:25.199 just go for the fourteen percent chance. We'll take our chances. 164 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:27.040 It's still better than only having a ten percent or 165 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:30.519 eight percent chance. Maybe teams will keep doing that in perpetuity, 166 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:34.320 but I think the collected results of the last several 167 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:39.120 years should suggest to teams, don't do this. It's probably 168 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:41.360 not going to pay off. You're better off just trying 169 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:42.279 to be respectable. 170 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:46.399 Yeah, and I have to wonder whether or not the 171 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:50.720 approach for teams like the Jazz and Washington. I'll throw 172 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:53.159 Charlotte in there, and we could throw a number of 173 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:55.519 other teams in there through their hat in the ring. 174 00:08:55.639 --> 00:08:58.559 After certain dynamics went down, like when Ben Yama getting 175 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:01.679 hurt or en beating Paul Joe George being shut well 176 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:03.799 and be getting hurt than Paul George being shut down, 177 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:09.080 several teams were unserious about winning the Jazz in Washington 178 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:11.480 probably the two front facing teams that were un serious 179 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:14.919 all year long. But you know, the message that Adam 180 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:17.159 Silver and the league sen in twenty nineteen is if 181 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:19.960 you don't approach this with integrity to put your best 182 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:23.519 foot forward and compete, we don't believe you should be rewarded. 183 00:09:23.559 --> 00:09:25.919 And a bunch of articles making the rounds this week 184 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:28.600 that people in the league were actually glad the Jazz 185 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:30.519 and the Wizards did not get the number one overall 186 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:34.120 pick and therefore be rewarded for their unseerious approach about competing. 187 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:36.799 So do you think we see something different from pretty 188 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:40.080 much everybody, like, at the very least, don't make up 189 00:09:40.120 --> 00:09:43.759 injuries for lowry marketing. And when you get fined, don't 190 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:46.519 then have Walker Kessler shoot eight threes a night, Like, 191 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.159 maybe put your best foot forward and try to compete. 192 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:50.279 You think we'll actually see that. 193 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:54.759 I don't know, Spence. I mean the very first year 194 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:58.679 of the new format, the new lottery odds, the worst 195 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:02.279 three teams I think all fell out that year, including 196 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:05.320 your Knicks and or excuse me, the Nicks fell to three. 197 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:09.960 But they were, yeah, they I think they had were 198 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:11.320 they the worst team in the league that year? They 199 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:15.000 they were the worst, yeah, I think, And they ended 200 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:16.679 up falling to three, So they missed out on Zion 201 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:19.039 and John Morant, which looking back, maybe is not the 202 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:21.759 worst thing. But still, in the very first year of 203 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:23.720 the new odds, the team of the worst record did 204 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:25.679 not get the top pick. They fell to three, and 205 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:27.320 I think Cleveland might have been one of the bottom 206 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:29.120 three and they fell back, and you know, and New 207 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.799 Orleans jumped up from like tenth or ninth or whatever 208 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.200 that year. So right off the bat, there was an 209 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:38.279 indication that, ooh, you know what, this is a risky 210 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:40.600 gambit for teams that are just trying to lose in 211 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:43.559 order to gain the system. You can't game the system, 212 00:10:44.279 --> 00:10:48.159 and that again, that should be enough to discourage tanking. 213 00:10:48.519 --> 00:10:51.039 But here we are six years later. Whatever it's been, 214 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:54.679 and it's it, it hasn't changed behavior. The Jazz and 215 00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:57.799 the Wizards are proof of that. And you know, the 216 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:00.559 Sixers did a different version of this where they were 217 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:03.320 supposed to be a great team. They you know, fell 218 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.000 apart and they decided to lean into tanking because they 219 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.799 owed a top six protected pick to Oklahoma. And so 220 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:10.919 even though they weren't tanking it at the same level 221 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.039 or for the same purpose, they were tanking to protect 222 00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:15.200 the draft pick because they wanted to keep it. And 223 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:19.320 they succeeded, and they even moved up. And you can say, 224 00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:22.159 well that rewarded them. Well, okay, that's a lottery. That's 225 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:25.639 the thing. Like you know, at some point the you know, 226 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:30.320 the odds don't go according to the odds. That's not 227 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:32.720 the way it works. It's a hopper, it's a bunch 228 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:35.240 of ping pong balls. They're bouncing around. We don't know 229 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:38.840 what's going to happen. There is just luck involved here, 230 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:42.120 including bad luck if you're the Jazz or the Wizards. 231 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:47.840 So I think it should discourage tanking. It hasn't. I 232 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:50.000 don't know what will change that. I don't know where 233 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:50.919 the league goes from here. 234 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:53.960 All right, let's move over to teams that are playing 235 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:58.759 basketball actually before we get there, man, And I'll give 236 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:02.720 Kenny Atkinson a lot of credit after the game where 237 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:05.480 Indiana sent the Cavs home. I mean, he acknowledged like 238 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.080 this is a team that simply is playing the right 239 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:09.679 way at the right time of the year. And he said, 240 00:12:09.720 --> 00:12:12.360 they're up here and we're clearly down here. And Rick 241 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.960 Carlisle with a very salient postgame pressure himself, He's like, look, 242 00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:18.320 we're just we're red hot right now. We're on fire 243 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:21.080 right now. And you know, I don't know what this 244 00:12:21.159 --> 00:12:23.879 means for Cleveland, but it's more of a compliment to 245 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:26.440 Indiana for just the way they fought. 246 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:29.960 And you know, I like Tyree Saliburton. I know You've 247 00:12:29.960 --> 00:12:31.440 always been very high on him. 248 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:35.480 Where is he in the ecosystem of stars, I don't know, 249 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:37.480 but they have got a deep team with a bunch 250 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.320 of perimeter players that really get down and guard you. 251 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:43.000 Your takeaways from Indiana SENDI in Cleveland home? 252 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:48.519 Yeah, tough for the Calves. I mean when you're a 253 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:50.879 sixty plus win team, sixty four wins in their case, 254 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:53.399 and you lose in the second round. That's rough. They 255 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:57.200 obviously there were some injury issues that contributed to that, 256 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:01.399 but it wasn't entirely that the Pacers were just better. 257 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:03.840 And yeah, all the credit in the world to to 258 00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:06.759 Halliburton and Siakam and Nie Smith and Turner and everybody 259 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:10.240 else and Rick Carlisle. I think people thought they were 260 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:12.279 a fluke when they got to the conference finals last 261 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:16.039 year because they, you know, got through some some injured 262 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:19.360 teams in a week east And this time, I don't 263 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.600 think you can knock this at all, like this is 264 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:24.200 an accomplishment. This is now a team that's been in 265 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:28.240 back to back conference finals. Halliburton's for real, his his 266 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:31.480 you know, his overall game like it's it's it's just 267 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:34.759 so interesting because he's he doesn't project as the prototypical 268 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:37.559 NBA superstar, right and he's never really been in the 269 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:39.759 running for m VP. I think he's gonna make third 270 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:42.080 team All NBA this year, that's my best guess, but 271 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.720 we don't know yet. We'll find out, I think probably 272 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:48.159 next week. But you know, he hasn't put up monster 273 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:50.600 numbers every night he does lead the league an assist 274 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:53.600 or is always near the lead and assists. He's just 275 00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:57.039 a guy who's got an incredible amount of tracker and 276 00:13:57.080 --> 00:14:01.480 confidence about him. I think that that helps lift up 277 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:05.000 the rest of his team. And you know, his his 278 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:08.240 running mate. You know, the two stars. Halibert and Siakam 279 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:10.240 are two guys that I think everybody would like and go, yeah, 280 00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:12.720 really great players, but they don't have a honest, they 281 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:14.440 don't have a Luca, they don't have a lebron orous 282 00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:18.879 Steph in their prime. But they they just they beat 283 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:21.000 you up a little bit defensively, like they really get 284 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:22.960 after it for a team that wasn't known for their defense, 285 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:27.240 like Meee Smith and Nemhard really get after you. Turner's 286 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:31.320 obviously a great shot blocker, and they really locked down 287 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:34.000 in the playoffs. And then on offense, the pace is 288 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:37.840 really high, they shoot threes at a high rate. They're 289 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:43.320 they're just it's they're the classic ensemble where there is 290 00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:46.720 no one who leaps off the page. But collectively they're 291 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:50.120 just really really good. And they have now you know, 292 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:51.919 they've sent the Calves home and sent the Calves into 293 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:53.600 an offseason where they've got a lot to think about. 294 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:56.519 Well, stay out east before we end out this way. 295 00:14:56.600 --> 00:15:00.279 And you know, I very much love living here, but 296 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.480 today's day where I miss being home and I cannot 297 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:06.919 imagine what Midtown Manhattan is going to look, sound and 298 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:09.159 feel like. As the New York Knicks have a chance 299 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.759 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first 300 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:15.960 time since two thousand, where ironically enough, they played the 301 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:18.759 Indie Indian Pacers. As you know, you know, Howard, I've 302 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:21.279 been talking about this because before Game five, I made 303 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:25.639 it a point to record the coaches, Missoula and Thibodeau 304 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:27.440 to see what they had to say before the game, 305 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:30.600 and Missoula said something that really caught my attention. He said, 306 00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:33.600 we're gutted about what happened with JT Jason Tatum, obviously, 307 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:37.519 but it opens up a schematic opportunity for us, and 308 00:15:37.559 --> 00:15:40.320 I went, oh, okay, interesting, And then watching the game, 309 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:43.480 essentially what that meant is Tatum, for all of his brilliance, 310 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:45.679 and I love Jason Tatum. He's a bit of a 311 00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:47.960 ball stopper, and he's like the only one kind of 312 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:51.240 on that roster that is. And so the ball was moving, 313 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:53.440 I don't know who the hell Luke Cornett thinks he is, 314 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:56.759 but my goodness, poor Zingis is not ready for this. 315 00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:58.279 I don't know what's going on with him. 316 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:03.039 So as somebody who's trying to objectively analyze this game, 317 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:06.679 I do certainly believe that the Knicks have an opportunity 318 00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:08.720 to get it down a home. As somebody who has 319 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:10.480 been cheering for this team that has let me down 320 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:13.639 ever since I was ten, I am nervous and scared 321 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:15.840 that the Celtics will continue to do with the Celtics 322 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:18.440 are able to do. What do you think happens coming 323 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:20.480 up in just a few hours in midtown Manhattan. 324 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:23.600 I'm heading there as soon as we hang up. Had 325 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:28.080 a guy, I think it's going to be utter mayhem 326 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:29.679 in a good way, Like it's just going to be 327 00:16:29.799 --> 00:16:33.440 bonkers there, which reminds me I better pack my earplugs 328 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:36.240 because I don't want my I'm too old to start 329 00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:41.120 losing my hearings for other purposes. It's been a really 330 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:43.960 interesting series, to say the least, and the Celtics, you know, 331 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:47.039 if they lose this thing, there's going to be an 332 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:50.919 off season of just serious naval gazing, and not just 333 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:53.240 because they lost Jason Tatum for the foreseeable future and 334 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:55.480 probably all of next season. It's also just that they 335 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:59.000 kept blowing twenty point leads, and they're clearly the team 336 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:02.480 with the better array of talent and with the championship experience, 337 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:05.359 and they should have never found themselves in this position. 338 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:09.319 Is certainly one way of looking at this. But all 339 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:12.799 credit to the Knicks for being the team that's always steadier, 340 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:18.000 grittier in fourth quarters, Jalen Brunson in particular. And here 341 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:21.839 we are, it's three to two, Nick's home game, second 342 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:25.359 chance for them to close it out. They absolutely should 343 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:29.039 given everything that we know, including the fact that Jason 344 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:33.319 Tatum is not playing, including the fact that porzingis apparently 345 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:36.079 still having issues with whatever the viral infection or whatever 346 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:38.839 he had was. They said he didn't he wasn't breathing 347 00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:40.720 well the other night, like they could have used him 348 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:44.480 in a emergency in the second half, but they decided 349 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:46.559 not to. I don't know if you're getting another seven 350 00:17:46.599 --> 00:17:52.000 block Luke Cornett game, but the Celtics, I will say this, 351 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:54.400 and it's the one reason why I think that this 352 00:17:54.519 --> 00:17:56.279 is going to be a true battle tonight. I don't 353 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:59.759 know who will win. But you know, Jalen Brown was 354 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:02.880 the Finals MVP and the Conference Finals MVP last year 355 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:05.599 for a reason. Maybe he's not quite at Tatum's level, 356 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:09.279 but he's just a slight bit below, but he's really 357 00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:12.640 capable of doing a lot. And sometimes it simplifies things 358 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:16.640 for NBA teams when you lose your star, it's, you know, everybody, 359 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:19.759 you know kind of rallies around if you've still got 360 00:18:19.799 --> 00:18:22.279 a star, which they do in Brown. Now it's clear 361 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:24.480 we've got to ride this guy. And then if that 362 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:28.519 guy in Jalen Brown's case, you know, remembers their best 363 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:31.000 principles of basketball, which is like, I've got a lot 364 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:32.920 to carry, but I can't do it alone. I got 365 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:34.599 to make sure to leverage my teammates. I got to 366 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:36.519 move the ball around. I've got to you know, draw 367 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:37.839 to to the ball and pass. You know, this is 368 00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:41.480 the simple basic basketball principles, right, And you've got guys 369 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:43.319 like Derek White and Drew Holliday who have been and 370 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:45.160 Al Horford who have all been there and done that, 371 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:47.119 and Peyton Pritchard who was six Man of the Year, 372 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:50.240 like you have plenty of talent. Still, Like I actually 373 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:52.640 think this is not a knock on the Knicks, but 374 00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:55.640 without Tatum. I don't think there's some massive talent gap 375 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:59.039 between these two teams. Because Jalen Brown's that good, and 376 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:02.680 because Karl Anthony tw is that unreliable, and because the 377 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:04.599 Celtics have a bunch of guys who, if they haven't 378 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:08.880 been you know, all stars are least like right there 379 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:10.680 a cut below it, Like Drew Holliday could have been. 380 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:12.519 He's been an All Star I think once he could 381 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:15.200 have been multiple times. Derek White could have been multiple times. 382 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:18.759 They have that kind of talent, but they've played roles 383 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:21.039 because that's what they needed to do and that's how 384 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:23.720 they're built. So I think the Celtics have a real 385 00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:25.799 chance to win this and send it back to Boston 386 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:29.720 for a Game seven. I think what I would expect 387 00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:33.839 is the Knicks to close it out. But in this postseason, 388 00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:37.279 I'm through trying to figure out anything. 389 00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:40.440 Yeah, and that's what's made it so fun. 390 00:19:40.839 --> 00:19:42.319 I will give you credit though, and I gave you 391 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:43.920 credit on the show the other day. With a couple 392 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:46.680 of weeks left in the regular season, you know, when 393 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:50.720 OKC started to establish themselves as like historically good with 394 00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:53.279 the net and just the simply win loss record. 395 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:55.680 We would revisit this every week. I'm like, who's keeping 396 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:56.839 Mark Dagnold up at night? 397 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:59.000 And at what point you said we should keep an 398 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:02.359 eye on Minnesota. Now, of course Stephan goes down, and 399 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:05.160 you know, for as connected as Boston looks during Game 400 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:09.759 five without Tatum, the Warriors are just screwed without Steph. 401 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:11.160