WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.680 Reporter, young man. 2 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:08.039 It's not often that you directly violate a by law 3 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:09.880 of the radio show. 4 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:11.960 Do I need to remind you often? 5 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:14.960 No, it's not often that you violate one of the 6 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:17.559 tenants of the show. Need I remind you our rule 7 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.440 when you decide to go with the greatest live act 8 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:23.239 and history of music, Dave Matthews Ben, Yeah, no hits. 9 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.239 I know, yeah, we subscribe to the Andy Bernard rule 10 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:27.679 about Dave. What's going on with you? 11 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:28.519 I know, I know? 12 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:33.119 No hits, as you said, only it was very last minute. 13 00:00:33.159 --> 00:00:35.280 It was very last second. I had like three seconds 14 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:37.359 to throw a song up. I had to throw a 15 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:40.280 Northeast jam band up for you and Tom fair enough. 16 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:42.719 I don't know, man, all good? 17 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:43.359 Is this a hit? 18 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:46.359 It's the only song they've ever won a Grammy for, 19 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:49.320 so it's like the hit. But you know what, it's 20 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:52.759 all right? Monday Afternoon style NBA playoff style. Tom Haberstrow 21 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:55.479 batting lead off on the show, Tommy, happy money man? 22 00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:55.920 How are we doing? 23 00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:58.799 So? You prefer him to do like number forty one 24 00:00:58.920 --> 00:00:59.200 or something? 25 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:01.000 There we go, Tom talk. 26 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:01.640 You know. 27 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:03.159 I love when you talked dirty about Dave. 28 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.840 Tom, I appreciate that yes, indeed that would and live 29 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:10.200 preferably obviously not the studio recording. 30 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:14.079 Yeah, yeah, I prefer I think number forty one might 31 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:16.920 be my favorite lab Jimmy sing or a two step 32 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:17.959 I can get with any of those. 33 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:19.040 There we go, There we go. 34 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:21.159 All right, Tom, I'm gonna ask you the question we 35 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:25.120 started the show off with NBA Playoff basketball over the weekend. 36 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:29.920 The one major takeaway for you is, what if you 37 00:01:29.959 --> 00:01:30.920 had to kind of hone. 38 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:31.400 In on one thing. 39 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:37.879 Physicality is back spence, Physicality is back. I did this 40 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:41.519 study over at the Finder the last couple of days. 41 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:44.079 I've been kind of looking at this because I think 42 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:48.760 it was during the Lakers game Jay Billis pointed out 43 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:50.959 that they hadn't been called for a foul and like 44 00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:54.400 four minutes into the second quarter, and he was noting it, 45 00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:57.079 and then I tracked it for all the games. It 46 00:01:57.159 --> 00:01:59.760 was the fewest field goal attempts for an opening weekend 47 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:04.439 the NBA Playoffs. Ever, an average of seventeen three throws 48 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:07.319 per teen per game is the lowest we've ever seen 49 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:10.800 in the playoffs, and it isn't particularly close. Last year 50 00:02:11.800 --> 00:02:14.599 it was an average about twenty one, and this year 51 00:02:14.759 --> 00:02:18.719 it's seventeen eighteen right in there. So last year was 52 00:02:18.759 --> 00:02:22.840 the lowest and now we're about fifteen percent lower than 53 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:27.400 the previous low. And so what we're seeing is, you know, 54 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:31.680 the physicality that the Warriors are able to play with 55 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:36.280 on Jalen Green and with Fred van Vliet and Shane Goon. 56 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:41.400 That's the difference. They allowed eighty five points in that game, 57 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:44.840 and Imo Udoka said after the game, he's like, we 58 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:48.639 held the Warriors to ninety five points. That's a win. 59 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:50.680 Like normally that is a win. 60 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:53.080 But we couldn't get our offense going. And a lot 61 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:56.120 of it is because the Warriors were more physical. And 62 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:59.240 what JJ Reddick and Lebron James said after they lost 63 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:02.240 to Minnesota to rules is we need to be more physical. 64 00:03:02.759 --> 00:03:05.199 And the Pistons they got run out of that gym 65 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:09.159 at Madison Square Garden because they were not playoff tested. 66 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:12.759 They weren't ready to play bully ball. And Kate Cunningham 67 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:16.520 shriveled up. And so if you go to tomdfinder dot com, 68 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:20.039 you can see historically free throw attempts in the playoffs 69 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:26.120 go down, but especially so this postseason, where teams are 70 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:29.080 not really getting to the line at a high rate, 71 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:31.960 and I think it has huge implications for this postseason. 72 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.199 All right, So let's tackle some of these one by one, 73 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:40.000 and we'll start out this way with the Western Conference 74 00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:40.759 stuff before we. 75 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:43.800 Move back east. As we continue the conversation. 76 00:03:44.039 --> 00:03:47.080 So Denver, Clips, I mean, the West continues to be 77 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:48.000 ridiculously deep. 78 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:50.080 There are gonna be some really good teams are going home. 79 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:53.280 The Clippers entered the postseason on fire, and as I 80 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:55.840 talked to you last week about whenever Kawhi is healthy 81 00:03:55.879 --> 00:03:57.840 for an extended stretch, we all do the thing where 82 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:00.639 we're like, oh, yeah, that's who that dude is. And 83 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:03.240 I've always kind of been like, you can have Russell 84 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:06.840 Westbrook guy. And I don't think there's anything sustainable about 85 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:09.000 what we saw from him Game one, but he does 86 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:12.319 have the ability to bring energy that really puts him 87 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:14.919 in a category that is very, very small, and that's 88 00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:17.279 what I've always respected about him. His defense down the 89 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:20.120 stretch was great. That was a hell of a basketball game. 90 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:22.199 Give me your take, Clips, Nugs Game one and how 91 00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:23.480 do you see that playing out? 92 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:24.120 Man? 93 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:26.639 I am not a huge Russell Westbrook fan, like I 94 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:31.519 have never been. I just think that his stat sheet 95 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:35.240 is really impressive and his energy is really impressive. But 96 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:39.279 in terms of winning plays, like I'd rather have a 97 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:43.160 lot more players in today's era than Russell Westbrook, I 98 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:46.240 think a lot of it is empty calories. And man, 99 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:51.600 that performance on Saturday was awesome. Down the stretch, he 100 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:56.639 was great. He had a lot of he smoked some layups, 101 00:04:56.680 --> 00:05:00.720 you know, but he got to every rebound, the rebound 102 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:06.920 after offensive rebound, deflections, big plays, passes like. He made 103 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:09.920 so many winning plays down the stretch. And if we 104 00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:13.360 can get that guy every game, I think the Denver 105 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:16.439 Nuggets can win this series. But if we can't get 106 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:21.079 that guy, then there's just not enough weapons on Jokic's side. 107 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:25.000 I think the Clippers win this series. Still. I thought 108 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:27.399 that they were gonna win this one handily, and then 109 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:31.519 the Nuggets stormed back and they could not generate good offense. 110 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:35.920 The Clippers and the winning the energy, the winning plays, 111 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:38.879 they were all done by Russell Westbrook and the Denver Nuggets, 112 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:43.600 and you know that tilts the scales. I mean, I 113 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:46.639 just I never thought we would see Russell Westbrook at 114 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:49.199 this age be the high energy guy making the right 115 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:51.879 play at the right time. But he did, and for 116 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.879 that Game one, I was really impressed with him down 117 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:57.920 the stretch. Now you're there's good stuff and then there's bad. 118 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:00.879 Russ Right, there's the five to seven team shooting where 119 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.680 he's taking jumpers where they're begging him to shoot, and 120 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:06.600 he has them clutch shots. But I don't think that 121 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:09.759 you're gonna be able to rely on that going forward. 122 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:13.480 Like you said, it's unexpected to get that kind of 123 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:17.519 high performance from Russell Westbrook, and you're gonna need the 124 00:06:17.639 --> 00:06:22.160 complimentary players Peyton Watson, Porter Junior Christian Brown. You need 125 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:24.680 those guys to show up in Game two or else. 126 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:26.879 I think the Clippers are the better team. I think 127 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:29.959 Jokich is the best player in this series, but I 128 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:34.160 think with James Harden, with Zubots, who I think handles 129 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:37.560 Jokic as well as anybody. I'm not saying he's a stopper, 130 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:41.360 but I think Zoo is as good of a defender 131 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.279 on Nikola Jokic, and the analytics back that up. I 132 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:48.399 think they have a good shot at winning this series, 133 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:51.079 a better shot than the Nuggets. But Russell Westbrook man, 134 00:06:51.399 --> 00:06:53.480 he had lightning in a bottle for those last couple 135 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:57.519 of minutes and he was awesome. I can understand why 136 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:01.360 there's so many Russell Westbrook stands out there, because all 137 00:07:01.399 --> 00:07:04.079 you remember the good ones, and in victory, you remember 138 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:06.920 the good ones and you forget all the mistakes and 139 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:11.959 all the dumb passes and all the smoked smoke putbacks 140 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:17.199 and all that. But when there's more than there are downsides, man, 141 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:19.759 Russell Westbrook is awesome to root for. And that's what 142 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:20.600 he was in Game one. 143 00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:24.720 Not excuse me, I'm not an emotional man, Tommy, but 144 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:29.319 I will say somebody who was courtsied for Marcus Camby 145 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:32.759 giving Jeff van Gundy a black eye and Jeff Van 146 00:07:32.839 --> 00:07:35.800 Gundy holding on for dear life of Alonzo Morning's leg. 147 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:39.199 Watching Jeff Wressell with Nikola Jokic for the basketball it 148 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:40.639 made me somewhat emotion. 149 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:41.639 What brought it here to my eye? 150 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:44.759 I gotta say, well, you know what's weird about that 151 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:47.959 is he had a similar thing with Matt Ishbia. Do 152 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:51.680 you remember this, Yeah, yep, ball goes out a bounds 153 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:54.680 and into the stands and it's Matt Ishbia, the owner 154 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:58.279 of the Phoenix Suns. And Ishbia, who played as a 155 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:01.480 walk on at Michigan State, was like, nah, I'm not 156 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:03.839 giving you the ball back and Jokic there was like 157 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:09.439 an altercation. And then if you remember, Mark Dagnall, the 158 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:15.600 coach of OKC, tried to like have this hack where 159 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:19.160 they had one of his players I think it was 160 00:08:19.639 --> 00:08:22.319 I think it was Dylan Jones. He had one of 161 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:27.040 his players stand at the scorers table to check in 162 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:30.600 and then not check in because they could not stand 163 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:35.080 how quickly the referees would give Jokic the ball on 164 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.759 out of bounds, like on made baskets. Yokich would get 165 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:40.559 the ball so quickly, and the thunder thought, that is 166 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:44.039 not right, like they got to like give the balls. 167 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:45.879 He has to pass to the referee and get the 168 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:51.039 ball back, and they're not ruling that correctly. So dag 169 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:53.759 Nault would send a guy, a bench guy that he 170 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:56.480 had no intention of going to the game, but would 171 00:08:56.519 --> 00:08:59.200 send him to the scorers table because he wanted Jokic 172 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:02.240 to not get the ball so quickly out of bounds. 173 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:05.399 And there so this is like the third time that 174 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:08.679 this has happened. And of course you got Powell, who's 175 00:09:08.679 --> 00:09:11.960 a Jason Powell, who's the trainer, the head athletic trainer 176 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:15.279 for the Clippers, forever and Jeff Van Gunny now getting 177 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:19.240 with Yokich. This has become a thing. This has become 178 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:21.480 a thing, and it just delights me to know end 179 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:24.440 that like the only way to stop or slow down 180 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:27.639 Yo Kich is to just hold onto the ball for 181 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:31.159 a next beat and then you'll finally get your way. 182 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:34.799 You think Jeff gets another head coaching job. Maybe he 183 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:35.360 doesn't want one. 184 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:35.720 I don't know. 185 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:38.399 He's done such a great job and I'm biased, I 186 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:40.120 would admit it. But do you think that will be 187 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:42.679 There are opens openings and there will be more. 188 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:43.759 Do you think Jeff gets a look? 189 00:09:44.759 --> 00:09:47.519 I think he does. I mean, you look at you know, 190 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:50.879 just getting back into the game is half the battle. 191 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:54.120 And I think you know he did some Team USA 192 00:09:54.279 --> 00:09:57.360 for the select team for a couple of years. I 193 00:09:57.399 --> 00:10:02.919 think this getting actually within the end NBA circle, I 194 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:05.360 think is gonna dramatically improve. 195 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.080 His chances of getting a job rather than. 196 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:09.720 Trying to hold out for a head coaching gig. You 197 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:12.799 know this is this is a weird league. Man like 198 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:16.759 JJ Reddick went from hosting a podcast to becoming the 199 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:19.519 head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. There is no 200 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:23.159 straight line path to becoming a head coach in the NBA, 201 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:27.840 and it's just, you know, these owners, I don't think 202 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:30.879 they know what they want. And I think there's gonna 203 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:35.360 be an owner who wants someone with that name recognition, 204 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:40.240 who's a brilliant basketball strategist, who's a guy that has 205 00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:45.159 been around for decades in the league. And I think 206 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.559 you're gonna see his name in some circles. Whether they 207 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:51.320 hire him or not. I'm not sure what the exact 208 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:55.840 right fit is, but you're telling me Sacramento or Memphis 209 00:10:55.840 --> 00:11:00.200 with the interim coach there, You're telling me that with 210 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:05.080 Denver having I think Michael Malone is kind of in 211 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:08.120 that Dan Gundy tree. So I'm not totally sure they 212 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:11.000 would hire Jeff Van Gundy, but I do think that 213 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:14.399 he'll probably get another opportunity at some point in the 214 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:15.440 next couple of years. 215 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:19.840 You reference JJ Reddick, and look, I don't know how 216 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:22.279 much the narrative of, hey, this is his first playoff 217 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:25.480 series as a head coach, so Game one was kind 218 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:27.159 of a bad look for him. They did try to 219 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:30.679 go small, almost exclusively, and of course out here in 220 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:33.440 Salt Lake City, watching Rudy Gobert have to go to 221 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:35.759 the bench when the Lakers were going small. You know, 222 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:39.960 we all have memories of that, and nas Reed stepped 223 00:11:39.960 --> 00:11:41.879 in and had a really, really good game. I was 224 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:46.080 a little bit surprised that Lebron didn't seem to engage physically, 225 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:50.759 because Minnesota, when they're healthy, they've got a ton of 226 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:53.279 just big, physical wing defenders. And I'm not a huge 227 00:11:53.320 --> 00:11:56.120 Julius Randall guy because of course, plenty of years in 228 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:58.679 New York where the ball just stalls with him and 229 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:01.559 he had seven turnovers, and offensively, you know there are 230 00:12:01.559 --> 00:12:02.080 always going. 231 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.919 To be issues. But when he's engaged, he's a big, 232 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:04.559 strong dude. 233 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:08.039 So it is Jaden McDaniels, so his aunts, and they 234 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:10.440 kind of let Lucas score and they were fine with that, 235 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:12.759 but they took away his ability to facilitate he I'd 236 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:15.799 one assist. So look, Lebron and Luca are both generational, 237 00:12:15.879 --> 00:12:16.639 They're both brilliant. 238 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:17.840 So I'm not saying this is over. 239 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:20.679 But takeaways from te Wolves Lakes game one, how do 240 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:21.519 you think it plays out? 241 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:25.240 They need to be better shooting. I mean, when you 242 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:29.360 have the Timberwolves get hot, like Julie Randall's not going 243 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:31.840 to shoot for a sec. From downtown, right, that's not 244 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:34.759 going to continue. Jada McDaniels isn't going to shoot three 245 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:36.919 or three from downtown. You get basically at twenty one 246 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:40.080 points on threes from those two players. That's not replicable. 247 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:46.120 But what also is it replicable is you can't have 248 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:50.440 basically Luca the only one hitting threes in that game. 249 00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:53.799 And that's something that the Lakers have to figure out. 250 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:56.879 If you're going to go small, you better hit shots 251 00:12:56.879 --> 00:12:59.159 from downtown because you certainly aren't going to play bully 252 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:02.120 ball and just get the guy in the post and 253 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:05.519 just score at will inside the paint. They need to 254 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:09.480 figure out a way to get the others. I'm talking 255 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:14.559 ruy Atamura, I'm talking Gabe Vincent, these other scorers. I mean, 256 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:17.480 Dorian Finny Smith has to be a three points threat 257 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:20.320 if he's gonna be out there, because if you're not defending, 258 00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:22.480 you've got to be able to do something on the 259 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:26.480 other end, and they weren't defending. The Timberwolves scoring one 260 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:31.840 hundred and seventeen points on the surface doesn't seem like 261 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:37.200 an egregious defensive game. That game was Neanderthal. That was 262 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:41.200 an eighty six possession game. One hundred and seventeen points 263 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:47.279 allowed on a eighty six possessions. That's one hundred and 264 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:51.240 thirty three defensive rating by the Lakers. If you're gonna 265 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:54.279 play DFS, if you're gonna play small and you're gonna 266 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.679 go with Ruy and DFS and Lukia Lebron and Austin Reeves, 267 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:01.159 you better be defending at a high level. But they 268 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:03.799 couldn't stop the Timberwolves. And yes, a little bit of 269 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:08.240 that with some unsustainably good three point shooting, but that 270 00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:12.200 is one of the worst defensive outputs that the Lebron 271 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.440 led team has ever had, one hundred and thirty three 272 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.960 point defensive rating. They got to be better defensively, more 273 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:21.200 locked in, more physical, and that's what you heard from 274 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:24.279 JJ Reddick. They got to bring more physicality. And he's 275 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:26.759 not going to call out Lebron by name and Luca 276 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:30.559 by name, but they've got to be better defensively. And 277 00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:34.159 that is just absolutely putrid defense. One hundred and thirty 278 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:36.600 three points every one hundred possessions of a loving game one. 279 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:40.320 So I went to the Jazz OKC game mostly because 280 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:42.000 it was the final home game of the season for 281 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:42.799 the Jazz. 282 00:14:42.519 --> 00:14:44.039 And just an excuse to go down there. 283 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:47.639 And you know, I sat with Richard Smith forty years 284 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:49.840 with the Jazz and Scottie Laden, who of course was 285 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:53.639 the GM here GM in New York, and they were 286 00:14:53.879 --> 00:14:58.840 just marveling at how every single player on Oklahoma City's 287 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:02.000 roster to be able to play at a really high level. 288 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:04.600 I mean guys that you've never really even heard of, 289 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:07.759 Guys that maybe even you know, big time NBA fans 290 00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:11.120 don't really know all that. Well, look, Shay went four 291 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:14.799 to thirteen, had fifteen points, and they beat Memphis by 292 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:20.320 fifty one. Like it's pretty it's pretty terrifying, Tom. And look, 293 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:22.080 I know you know this, and so do I because 294 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:23.600 we watched the league and we cover the league. They've 295 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:26.799 been historically great all year with their net and we 296 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:27.360 know what they. 297 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:28.120 Can do on defense. 298 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:30.879 And look, Memphis is not a world beater, and obviously 299 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:33.519 they're in only because they want to play in So 300 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:37.480 I don't want to overreact, but that was pretty overwhelming. 301 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:41.200 Watch OKC just toy with Memphis Game one. What were 302 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:42.080 your takeaways. 303 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:44.679 I've been saying this all season, man, you know it, 304 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:47.440 I U OKAC is gonna run away with this thing. 305 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:51.679 And Game one Memphis proved at least for one game 306 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:55.080 against the eight seed when they had thirty six hours 307 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:58.120 before tip off. I'm talking Memphis after they won the 308 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:02.759 play in spot. Ye that proclamation by me earlier this 309 00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:05.639 season and say that this OKC team is something else, 310 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:08.080 that they are one of the great ones and they 311 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:11.080 were going to win this thing easily. That looked smart 312 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:14.240 for a night. Now I will say this to your point, 313 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:19.320 it's not sexy or it's not kind of gonna draw 314 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:21.360 any sort of eyeballs to just say they have a 315 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:24.879 lot of high IQ players. But what's so interesting about 316 00:16:24.919 --> 00:16:28.200 this team is they had one finalist for the awards. 317 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:32.360 One finalist it was Shay Gilgers Alexander for MVP. He 318 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:36.200 probably will win it. But you're talking defense, six Man 319 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:39.840 of the Year, Most Improved Coach of the Year. None 320 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:43.759 of them have Okac's name on it. And this was 321 00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:47.360 the team that had the largest point differential in NBA history. 322 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:51.399 They blew out teams by more than any other team 323 00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:55.960 in NBA history this year sixty eight wins, fourteen losses. 324 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:59.879 But the way they just destroyed teams was on a 325 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:03.919 level we haven't seen. And they are not a team 326 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:07.880 that had more than one appearance on the major NBA 327 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:10.559 Awards this year, and it just goes to show that, 328 00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:13.680 like this is a team that's the head of the 329 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:16.000 snake is Shay Godris Alexander, but they have so many 330 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:20.000 high IQ, high performing players like you said, and I'll 331 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:24.720 point out that Jalen Williams leads the team in triple 332 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:29.519 doubles this year. And it's not that Jalen Williams, right, 333 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:34.599 the other Jalen Williams, the one who comes off the bench, 334 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:39.119 the backup center who I will remind you wasn't even 335 00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:44.160 a first round pick. Jalen Williams from Arkansas. This dude 336 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:47.799 has three triple doubles this year and he's the team 337 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:51.240 leader in triple doubles, not Shay or Jalen. That guy 338 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:54.119 against the Blazers earlier this year is covering the game. 339 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:55.799 I was working the game, and I was like, I 340 00:17:55.799 --> 00:17:58.720 think he's gonna get a triple double. And this guy 341 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:02.319 is like their tenth best player. So like this this 342 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:06.119 team is so deep. Aaron Wiggins. He's kind of this 343 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:09.160 guy that if he was on the nets this year, 344 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:12.200 he would have averaged twenty five a game. That's how 345 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.640 good he is. He's already got a forty piece this season, 346 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:16.960 and in ways that a lot of good scorers this 347 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.000 year haven't had a forty burger. The Thunder are great. 348 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:24.519 They play as well, disciplined, as smart. They're gonna be 349 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:27.160 this team that because of the referees. If this sticks, 350 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:32.640 if the referees reward physicality, the Thunder might stand to 351 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:35.440 gain more than anybody. And I know people are gonna say, hey, 352 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:38.640 shay goch is Alexander a foul martant. He leads all 353 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:41.880 guards in free throws per game. I get it, but 354 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:46.680 you don't realize if this Thunder defense, that's already by 355 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:49.920 far the best defense in the NBA, if the referees 356 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:55.240 are gonna officiate and let things play, dude, it's gonna be. 357 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:58.119 It's gonna be a bloodbath every single night against the Thunder. 358 00:18:58.359 --> 00:19:00.240 Lou Dort, you could call a foul on the do 359 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:03.079 it every single time down the floor, case and walls, 360 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:06.920 every time that Isaiah Hartenstein, every shake, Gosris Alexander, the 361 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:10.920 way he swipes and and gets into every passing lane. 362 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:13.799 They could call a foul on every player on this 363 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:16.279 team every time down the floor. They are that physical, 364 00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:20.119 there's that menacing they're that brutal to go against. And 365 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:23.079 if the referees are gonna swallow their wristle their whistle 366 00:19:23.079 --> 00:19:25.480 in the postseason, like, I don't. 367 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:26.839 Know how you're gonna score against this team. 368 00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:29.720 And I feel bad for John Moran and the Memphis 369 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.039 Grizzlies because I don't think they had a shot. But 370 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:34.559 this is a warning. This is a warning. This is 371 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:36.319 a This is a warning shot for the rest of 372 00:19:36.359 --> 00:19:39.680 the league that they took it easy on Memphis and 373 00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:42.079 they still couldn't score it more than eighty points if 374 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:44.839 they tried for the whole game, if they played all 375 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:47.200 their guys the whole game, I don't know if Memphis 376 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:50.599 would have scored sixty. And so this is a team 377 00:19:50.680 --> 00:19:56.440 the thunder that is, if this whistle continues, Uh, this 378 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:59.039 is gonna go back to nineties basketball. We're we're gonna 379 00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:01.880 see a lot of wins thirty plus and the other 380 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.480 team is not going to score more than. 381 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:07.079 Eighty, which should be good news for a team like 382 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:09.400 the Houston Rockets. So let's move over to Golden State 383 00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:11.599 Houston for a moment here, because I heard a lot 384 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:14.920 of people, a lot of people, and yes, Charles Barkley, 385 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.000 but you know, over the years, I've always reminded people 386 00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:20.640 that that is an entertainment product, and Chuck is the 387 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:23.440 one that guarantees everything and oftentimes is wrong, and I 388 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:26.519 love him. Charles is great. I will die on that hill, 389 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:29.240 but he's not alone. A lot of people thought Houston, 390 00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:32.160 with their size, their length, their physicality, they would beat 391 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:35.039 Golden State round one. Maybe they still will, but you know, 392 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:37.119 for all the Aman Thompson is going to have Steph 393 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.440 Curry and jail conversation you had, Steph had his moments 394 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:42.839 where he struggled. I don't know if we can be 395 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:46.599 as reductive as saying superstars win games in the playoffs 396 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:48.640 on the road, because that's what they do and that's 397 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:53.000 who Steph and Jimmy are. When Houston's offense breaks down 398 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:54.759 to the half court, Tom, I don't know who they are. 399 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:55.279 I really don't. 400 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:58.880 I mean, Shangun is awesome, but I don't need another isolation. 401 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:01.720