WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.480 Hello, how are you? We are on air? Apologies to 2 00:00:04.519 --> 00:00:07.759 our friends out of tim Dolly. We had some technical difficulties, 3 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:09.359 so I had to hop in the car and rush 4 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:12.439 back to the studio. So we'll get to uh, we'll 5 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:14.720 get to well everything that we need to get to. 6 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:16.920 But luckily right out of the gates we can welcome 7 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.679 and our guy, Tony Jones on a beautiful Friday afternoon. 8 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:24.079 Do not let us win game six, Tony. That's all 9 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:24.719 I have to say. 10 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:27.839 That's all I have to say. Do not let us 11 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:32.600 walk into Indianapolis and walk out. Don't let us win 12 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.840 game six. Just don't let us win game six. Finish 13 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:38.640 us off. That's all. That's all I say. 14 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:41.240 I do kind of I do, kind of like porters angle. 15 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:43.880 Though on the other side, we'sie, please let us win 16 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:44.520 game six. 17 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:47.280 I mean, you know, no, it would be nice to 18 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:48.000 win game six. 19 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:52.240 No, no, no, don't let us win game six. Okay, no, 20 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:55.320 let him win game six. Not winning game seven. 21 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:56.359 I'm with you. 22 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:58.679 I'll tell you what was weird, man Like, if you 23 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:00.479 had not watched any this series. 24 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:02.719 Let's say you were on vacation, you went over to. 25 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:05.200 Europe for a few weeks, and you didn't watch any 26 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:08.000 of the first you know, four games, and then you 27 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:09.159 just watched last night. 28 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:12.680 You would have been like, how is Indiana up? I mean, last. 29 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:15.120 Night was a bloodbath? What were your what do you 30 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:17.120 think was different? Let me ask you that from your 31 00:01:17.159 --> 00:01:20.439 basketball eye? What what made last night different for New 32 00:01:20.519 --> 00:01:21.560 York or Indiana? 33 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:22.120 Either way? 34 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:26.159 Well, remember when we talked last week and and and 35 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:32.359 how sad and just miserable I was after game one? 36 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:32.760 Yep? 37 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:38.359 Well, game one is the difference of the series, it is, right, Yeah, 38 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:42.920 Game one is the difference of the series. So you know, 39 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.680 but to your point and to your question, in two 40 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:49.040 of the last three games, we have defended Indiana very 41 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:54.120 very very well. Uh uh. Game three we defended them 42 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:57.079 very well. Game four they kind of got away from us. 43 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:00.799 Game five was our best defensive of the series. So 44 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:03.879 in two or three we've kind of figured them out, 45 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:09.360 you know. So what that means for game six, you know, 46 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:13.439 I don't know, because the one thing from covering the 47 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:18.599 first I've I've covered the first three rounds of this playoffs, 48 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:23.120 you know, through how many teams, five, five teams or whatever, 49 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:27.400 And the one thing that this playoffs has been defined 50 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:31.240 by is that there's no carryover to these games. These 51 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:37.719 games are all individual entities unto themselves. So you know, 52 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.120 I don't think there's going to be any carryover to 53 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:42.960 Game six. I mean, if New York wins Game six 54 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:46.080 is going to be because you know, they play a 55 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:48.520 great Game six, not because of anything that happened in 56 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:52.159 Game five or anything before. But there are clearly some 57 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:56.240 things that you know, Tom Thibodeau is adjusted to and 58 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:00.479 you know, he's kind of thrown some stuff against the wall, uh, 59 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:04.680 and they've stuck. You know. Obviously the biggest thing was 60 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:07.240 he just got sick and tired of cameraon paint. Like 61 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:12.319 if there are there, if everybody on the Knicks gets hurt, 62 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:16.280 and there's like four guys, uh, five guys on the bench, 63 00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:20.520 you know, Tom Tippodau is gonna go Hoosiers and just 64 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:25.120 play with four rather than play with campaign. And you know, 65 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:28.639 it's it's one of those things where I think that 66 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:32.639 there's been some adjustments made that have worked against this 67 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:36.280 Indiana offense, and now it just comes down to Game 68 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:40.360 six whether or not the Knicks can can go and 69 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:42.800 get a big road win in Indianapolis. 70 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:46.520 So I will say this to me, the main difference 71 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:48.719 last night, And I don't know how much of this is. 72 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:51.840 And by the way, if the Pacers are playing possum here, 73 00:03:51.879 --> 00:03:53.919 if they decided to mail it in, then that's a 74 00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:56.719 dangerous approach. So I don't know how much of it 75 00:03:57.080 --> 00:04:00.520 had to do with Indiana's inability to actually or get 76 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:02.479 up and down with pace like they've been able to 77 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:05.759 quite frankly since January if you've been watching them. But 78 00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:08.560 last night Tony was the first game in the entire 79 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.479 series where I thought the Knicks actually gave. They didn't 80 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:13.520 have to give forty eight minutes because it was basically 81 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:15.759 over in the fourth, But I'll say the Knicks gave 82 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:19.920 thirty two to thirty four minutes of intense defensive effort, 83 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:23.160 like they were closing out on the perimeter. They weren't 84 00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:25.920 giving as much space to Halliburton, who did not have 85 00:04:25.959 --> 00:04:28.279 a good game. Like when you go back and watch 86 00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:31.839 what happened in Indiana when the Pacers hung one thirty 87 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:36.480 on the Knicks in game four. Yes, give Halliburton a 88 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:39.439 ton of credit for a historically special offensive game. Give 89 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:41.800 the Pacers credit for getting up and down the floor 90 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:45.879 and knocking down shots, But this is not your grandfather's knicks. 91 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:49.720 There is no Charles Oakley or Anthony Mason or Anthony Bonner. 92 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:52.600 If you want to go deep deep cuts there. You know, 93 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:58.360 there's no big physical, defensive you know, effort. As far 94 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:00.560 as the way the team plays came out. This is 95 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:02.600 not pat Riley or Jeff Van Gunny. This is one 96 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:06.360 of the better offenses in pro basketball. And their defensive 97 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:09.560 efficiency in the league was around twelve or thirteen if 98 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:12.439 I remember correctly. If they're going to win two more games, 99 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.120 they've got to guard the way they did last night 100 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:16.199 for the full forty eight. 101 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:18.759 Do they have that in them? 102 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:21.360 Well, I think it's gonna be tough, because I mean, 103 00:05:21.399 --> 00:05:24.160 these series are every other day. The series is every 104 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:26.519 other day all the way through. I mean, so you 105 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:28.680 know it's gonna be tough on the legs, you know. 106 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:30.600 Last night, I mean I think they had a shot 107 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:34.720 of adrenaline, you know, from from the crowd, you know, 108 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:36.759 But this is gonna be a road game in game six, 109 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.399 you know, now, the shot of adrenaline is gonna be 110 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:42.360 come from Hey, your season ends if you lose this 111 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:45.040 game tonight, and then you have, you know, an off 112 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:48.720 season of questions that you have to face. But you 113 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:50.800 know you're gonna have to. I mean, it's gonna be, 114 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:52.879 you know, one of those things where you're gonna have 115 00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:56.399 to manufacture your own energy and you're not gonna have 116 00:05:56.839 --> 00:06:00.279 you know, the Garden crowd behind you. Now, you know 117 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.040 the one thing that we both know is that the 118 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:05.959 Knicks have played extremely well on the road during this playoffs. 119 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:09.519 And you know, down two Zho after losing two in 120 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:13.199 the Garden, they did go and they did get a game, 121 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:15.720 which is what they needed in Indiana, and it had 122 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:17.720 to be game three because you know, you're not coming 123 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.800 back from a three to zero deficit. So you know, 124 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:24.399 winning a game four after losing a game three wouldn't 125 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:29.399 have meant anything. But what they have done after that 126 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:33.720 horrific o to start with both of those losses at home, 127 00:06:34.279 --> 00:06:37.800 they have at least given themselves a chance, right, so 128 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:41.040 they knew what the formula was. Okay, you lose both 129 00:06:41.079 --> 00:06:45.160 games at home, you know the series is probably over. 130 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:47.680 So what's the formula. The formula is you have to 131 00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:50.519 win game three because you're not coming back from three 132 00:06:50.600 --> 00:06:53.879 zero down. So they won game three. Obviously they lost 133 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:57.199 game four, but they won game five. So you know, 134 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:00.720 it comes down to can they win the game six. 135 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:02.680 The one thing that I do think is in their 136 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:06.279 favor is that, you know, for the first time this series, 137 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:08.920 I think Indiana is going to face some series pressure 138 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:11.680 because they know they have to win this Game six, 139 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:15.160 because they can't have this go back to a Game 140 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:18.959 seven in New York. You know, so their shots are 141 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:21.160 going to mean something for the first time in this series, 142 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:24.000 and they're just not playing with house money like they've 143 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:26.879 been playing, you know, for for for most of the series. 144 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:30.439 But you know, if if New York doesn't get it 145 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:34.160 done tomorrow night in game six, man oh man, oh man, 146 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:37.360 oh man, are they going to rule game that Game 147 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:43.120 one where they allowed uh that historic rally for for 148 00:07:43.720 --> 00:07:45.399 oh one deficits No man. 149 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:47.639 You called it, and I talked about it on the 150 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:50.120 show as well, and then privately with you know, Nick 151 00:07:50.199 --> 00:07:52.680 fan buddies of mine. That's just it's hard to come 152 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:54.800 back from. You know, It's one thing just to lose 153 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:58.040 home Court. It's another thing to have your soul snatched 154 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:01.079 from you after losing a game where you clearly were 155 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:03.680 in the driver's seat. But to me, I'm gonna come 156 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:05.120 back to I'm gonna come back to a couple of 157 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:07.319 things as far as how I believe the Knicks can 158 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:10.279 actually get this done, because I do feel like the 159 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:13.560 way some people have talked about this series isn't necessarily true. 160 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:16.560 I think these two teams are very evenly matched, and 161 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:20.600 I think it's a close situation. I could see Indiana 162 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:24.160 dump trucking New York on Saturday and winning in six. 163 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:26.519 I could see the next winning on Saturday and losing 164 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:28.519 Game seven of the Garden. And I could see either, 165 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:31.399 you know, I could see any of the three scenarios 166 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:34.000 left on the table actually happening. This is going to 167 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:36.200 come down to effort on defense for New York to 168 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:38.559 close out to get back in transition. Then it's gonna 169 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:41.320 come down to possessions, meaning you have to offensive rebound, 170 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:43.399 and then you have to take care of the basketball, 171 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:45.879 which leads me to a couple of players. Okay, So 172 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.120 I love Josh Hart and Josh's you know, his attitude 173 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:53.240 and embracing the role that he's been asked to embrace, 174 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:54.840 coming off the bench and be in a bat out 175 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:57.720 of hell has been awesome. But sometimes he makes passes 176 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:00.559 that remind me of like the kid in the neighborhood 177 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:03.240 whose mom forced him to play junior jazz to make friends, 178 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:05.159 and he doesn't know how to play. Josh makes some 179 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:08.159 of the dumbest passes that I've ever seen in my life. 180 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:11.279 And there are moments where Carl Towns just forgets how 181 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:13.480 to play defense, so he grabs onto somebody and just 182 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.480 cot commits fouls. And I hesitate to go too hard 183 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:19.080 on Kat because I actually think he's been great and 184 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:21.840 Indiana does not having a matchup for him. He's eating 185 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:26.600 Miles Turner's lunch and your boy Tony Bradley, Your boy Tony, 186 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:29.919 Tony Bradley, you know he's not the answer, and neither 187 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:33.240 is neither is Thomas Bryant. They have nobody to guard Kat. 188 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:37.159 But Kad has to realize, like, let the dude go, 189 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:40.679 don't grab him, don't commit stupid fowls. You're too important. 190 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:42.519 You need to be on the floor. And there are 191 00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:45.480 just some josh Ard passes that leave me scratching my head. This, 192 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:47.960 to me, Tony comes down to some simple things for 193 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:50.200 New York, and it's the way Tom coaches, which is 194 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:52.840 good news. You've got to guard, you have to close 195 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:54.879 out on the preimiti you have to get back in transition, 196 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:58.279 and then it is a possession matchup offensive rebound, which 197 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:01.039 is where Mitchell, Robinson and Kat have the advantage, and 198 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:05.159 then take care of the basketball, do not turn it over. 199 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:07.360 If they can do those things, I still think there's 200 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:09.080 a world where New York wins this series. 201 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:14.120 Taking care of the basketball Tomorrow night, for me, goes 202 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:16.919 to the top of the line by leaps and bounds. 203 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:22.200 If Indiana is able to get in transition, force the pace, 204 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:25.519 force the tempo, get up and down, the series is over. 205 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:28.840 There's not a road that New York can win that game. 206 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:32.279 So the Knicks are gonna have to take care of 207 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:34.840 the basketball. They're gonna have to get a shot up 208 00:10:34.919 --> 00:10:38.519 every possession. They're gonna have to defensive rebounds, and when 209 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:40.720 they defensive rebound, they're gonna have to go and make 210 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:44.360 those guys guard for twenty four seconds of possession. And 211 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:46.840 they're gonna have to do it without turning the ball over, 212 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:52.200 without giving up turnovers, for touchdowns, without giving up turnovers, 213 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:57.360 and allowing them to play ninety four feet. They want 214 00:10:57.399 --> 00:11:02.799 Indiana to have to play forty seven feet, not ninety 215 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:06.080 four feet. They want that game in a half court tomorrow. 216 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:08.080 They got the game in a half court for the 217 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:10.399 first time this series. Even in the Game three that 218 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:14.120 they won, that game was still played in the full court. 219 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:17.320 New York just played, I mean well, cat just played 220 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:20.840 a historic fourth quarter and they they came back and 221 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:24.519 got that one. But other than Game five, Game five 222 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:27.200 was the first game of the series where New York 223 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:30.919 was actually able to slow the pace down and get 224 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:33.720 this game to where get that game to the speed 225 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:38.360 where they wanted it. And that's going to be really 226 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:42.039 important tomorrow, trying to get that game out of the 227 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:44.799 ninety four feet because you know it's going to be 228 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:47.039 in Bainbridge and it's you know, those guys are going 229 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:48.399 to get up and try to get up and down 230 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:50.960 the floor, you know, so they have to do that. 231 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:53.639 And the one subtle thing that they have to do 232 00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:56.240 that not many people are talking about. When New York 233 00:11:56.360 --> 00:12:00.000 makes a basket, they have to bust back on defense 234 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:02.720 because any end of the best team in the league 235 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:06.399 at taking that ball out than that and running off 236 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:09.399 of mate. And they've done it over and over and 237 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:12.679 over again this series and figured out ways to get 238 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:17.399 open shots. And you know, when Jalen Brunson or Karl 239 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:20.399 Anthony Towns. They go to the basket, you know, and 240 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:24.559 they flail and they they get on the floor. Whether 241 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:26.919 they make that shot or miss that shot, they got 242 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:29.919 to get up and they got to get back because 243 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:32.879 Indiana's coming back and playing five on four and they've 244 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:36.519 done it over and over and over again in this series. 245 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:40.039 So you know, I agree with every single point that 246 00:12:40.120 --> 00:12:43.480 you say, the turnovers to take care of the ball. 247 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:45.399 If they if they can figure out a way to 248 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:48.759 take care of the ball and get a shot on 249 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:52.080 ninety of their possessions, I think they actually have a 250 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:52.759 chance to come on that. 251 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:56.159 All right, Moving over to the West, and I'll just 252 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:59.360 ask the question simply, does it really matter who wins 253 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:01.559 out of the Knicks and the Pacers because it just 254 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:04.840 feels like Oklahoma City. Well, if we're honest in it 255 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:07.200 for fair, they've had this level all year long. I 256 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:09.679 think people were waiting to see if they had the 257 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:12.799 level in the postseason. So Tony okse is eighty and 258 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:18.399 eighteen this year, they are twenty nine and one against 259 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:18.879 the East. 260 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:21.720 The only game they lost was at Cleveland. 261 00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:26.399 Maybe we should just acknowledge that this team is historic. 262 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:28.480 They're great now They're going to be great for a 263 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:28.960 long time. 264 00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:31.639 Do either of the Knicks or the Pacers have a 265 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:34.639 shot in Hell of making the finals? 266 00:13:34.679 --> 00:13:37.879 Interesting, I don't think the Knicks too. I think the 267 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:43.919 Knicks lose in five, if not a sweet I think 268 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:47.559 Iniana can get it to six, maybe seven if they 269 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:51.360 play above their heads, because I think in the styles 270 00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:55.600 make fights, and I think Indiana plays a style that 271 00:13:55.879 --> 00:14:01.240 had a chance to give Oklahoma City some issue. I 272 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:06.679 don't think that Knicks have a chance in Hell, because 273 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:11.799 you know, they play, you know, Jalen Bronson plays a 274 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:16.080 lot of isolation basketball, and you just can't do that 275 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:19.679 against Oklahoma City. You know, you saw what they did 276 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:23.200 against Anthony Edwards. You saw what they Didga did against 277 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:27.240 John Morant in the first in the first in the 278 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:32.440 first round. The difference in the second round, and one 279 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:36.000 of the biggest reasons why Denver was able to take 280 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:39.039 that series to seven is because Denver doesn't Denver doesn't 281 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:42.000 play isolation basketball. You know, they run a lot of 282 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:44.879 Gebel handoffs, they run a lot of movement. All five 283 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:48.720 guys handle it, all five guys shoot it. Obviously. You know, 284 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:51.200 there's a Nicola Jokish factor he's the best player in 285 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:53.919 the world. But you know, they play a brand of 286 00:14:53.960 --> 00:14:58.559 basketball to where you know, Alex Carusso and Cason Wallace 287 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:01.639 and Lou Dort just can't key on one ball handler. 288 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:06.240 You know, Minnesota plays a lot of isolation basketball, and 289 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:09.679 that just wasn't gonna work. And so you know, the 290 00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:14.559 point is Indiana doesn't do that. Indiana moves the ball. 291 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:17.480 They put it through five guys. And the one thing 292 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:23.360 that the Tyreese Halliburton's superpower is that he never ever 293 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:30.399 turns the basketball over. And against Oklahoma City, you know, 294 00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:34.600 if if that rings true, then you know that's that's 295 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:37.639 a matchup that you know, Okay, so he just hasn't 296 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:41.519 seen so far in this playoffs. Now there's still a 297 00:15:41.559 --> 00:15:44.480 better team and they'll probably still figure it out as 298 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:46.519 the series goes on, and they'll probably still win that 299 00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:49.120 series in six. But at least that series will be 300 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:53.399 to me, will be interesting. Uh, Oklahoma City and New 301 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:56.000 York is gonna be a mismatch. I think it ends 302 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.840 in five, if not four. So the the answer is 303 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:03.720 if we want to see the finals, that we actually 304 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:06.639 want to watch roof or Indiana the winner series? 305 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:09.519 All right, moving over to a little jazz before I 306 00:16:09.559 --> 00:16:12.879 set you loose. You know, we are a few weeks away. 307 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:15.840 We'll turn our calendars to June, coming up on Monday, 308 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:17.759 and then we've got about three and a half weeks 309 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:18.639 until the draft. 310 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:21.080 So let's just talk big picture. 311 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.840 There's not a lot of individual specific things that I 312 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:26.080 can ask you about that we haven't already discussed. So 313 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.759 Jazz with two first rounders, two second rounders at least 314 00:16:29.799 --> 00:16:32.639 that's what they have now, and just wondering what you're 315 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:36.639 hearing about the overall approach. And then I'll actually add 316 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:40.120 a second question just because our listeners will be curious 317 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:42.840 to what your take is. Have you changed your opinion 318 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:45.600 on who best case scenario is at number five as 319 00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:46.639 we approach Draft night? 320 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:50.559 No, I mean best case scenario to me, in my 321 00:16:50.679 --> 00:16:53.679 opinion is who's ever left out? As you know VJ 322 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:58.120 asked from Trey Johnson or Ace Bailey. You know, I 323 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:01.039 know that you know there's some contin Nipple talk out there. 324 00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:06.039 I know that there's some Jeremiah Fears talk out there. 325 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:10.039 But for me, you know, I think that the Jazz 326 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:14.359 has to take somebody at five that has the outcome 327 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:17.759 of a star or a superstar. To me, that's not Continental. 328 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:21.200 I think Continentple was going to score fifteen to eighteen 329 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:24.599 points a game for ten years in the NBA, and 330 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:27.119 he's not going to be a superstar or a star. 331 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:30.559 So even if you know with you know, the floor 332 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.200 that as Bailey has, which I think he has, you know, 333 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:36.799 a really low floor, but I also think he has 334 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:39.200 a super high feeling. You know, I think that the 335 00:17:39.240 --> 00:17:41.799 Jazz just have to go ahead and swing if he's 336 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:44.880 the guy that's there at five, and take that chance, 337 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:49.720 because you know, they went and lost sixty five games 338 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:52.599 this year. You know, you go and you lose sixty 339 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:55.720 five games, and you know you pretty much that's your 340 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:59.599 intentional outcome. You better take somebody that you can develop 341 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:04.200 into a superstar level player or a star level player. 342 00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:07.480 And I think that you know as fairly has you know, 343 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:12.000 a star level outcome at one hundred percent of the ceiling. 344 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:14.759 I think the same of VJ. Ask Them. I think 345 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:17.680 the same as Trey Johnson. I don't think VJ as 346 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:20.160 Them will be there at five. I think that he 347 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:25.680 goes either three or four. And you know, I think 348 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:29.359 that VJ is probably the safest of those three in 349 00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:34.279 that tier because of uh, because of his athleticism. I mean, 350 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:38.480 he is a very, very very gifted athlete, and he's 351 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:42.680 a very very gifted defender as well. So I think 352 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:46.559 that he's probably my bet to be the first one 353 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:48.720 of those three off the board. And I think that 354 00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:53.200 my bet is that Aces is the one that's available 355 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:56.279 to the Jazz at five. So uh, if I were, 356 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:58.200 if I were the Jazz, and I were handicapping that 357 00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:00.720 staying and this is just me talking and not the 358 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:04.119 Uthah Jazz, I will be taking Ace Bailey with the 359 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:08.480 fifth pick of the June of the twenty twenty five 360 00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:09.200 NBA Draft. 361 00:19:09.319 --> 00:19:10.720 One more thing, I'll set you loose. 362 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:13.599 Tim McMahon hopped on this week, and I don't know 363 00:19:13.720 --> 00:19:18.240 if this was solid intel or Tim just pontificating Kyrie 364 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:22.359 Irving's injury. He floated Colin Sexton out as a potential 365 00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:25.640 target for the MAVs to utilize while Kyrie's getting well. 366 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:29.400 The Jazz Actually, ironically enough, even though the books are 367 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:32.079 clean moving forward, they probably will not have a lot 368 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:35.400 of space cap space this summer. I'm gonna go out 369 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:37.240 on a limb and say John Collins picks up his 370 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:38.720 thirty million dollar player option. 371 00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:41.240 Now if John doesn't. 372 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:43.119 First of all, wow, Second of all, the Jazz actually 373 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:45.119 have a little flexibility, But I don't think he's going 374 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:50.400 to opt out. So any thoughts on potential moves other 375 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:51.400 than the draft. 376 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:53.240 They're not in a spot. 377 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:55.000 To sign a bunch of free agents even if they could, 378 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:57.160 they don't have the cash. So well, they kick the 379 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:00.519 tires on a Colin Sexton, a John Collins, a Jordan Clarkson, 380 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:04.359 the usual suspects. Are there any other avenues to potentially 381 00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:06.759 add a little bit of talent outside of the draft 382 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:08.319 capital of the Jazz having their back. 383 00:20:08.119 --> 00:20:13.400 Pocket, Well, they'll they'll explore John Collins trade for sure. 384 00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:16.759 Uh And I would not be surprised that John is 385 00:20:16.839 --> 00:20:20.640 traded this summer because he'll he'll pick up the player option, 386 00:20:20.920 --> 00:20:23.480 but he's going into the last year. It'll be it'll 387 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:27.680 be an expiring and you know, frankly, he had a 388 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:31.079 really good year last year. Uh and yeah, it's a 389 00:20:31.160 --> 00:20:34.759 terrific shooting year, all right, So you know, I think 390 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:40.079 that there are teams out there that will give value 391 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:46.319 for a an expiring John Collins. We'll see what happens 392 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:50.000 with Jordans. My guess is that he probably doesn't have 393 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:53.559 uh that kind of value on the market this summer 394 00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:56.359 because I don't think he had a great season last year, 395 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:58.880 you know. And we'll see what happens with with Colin 396 00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:02.559 Section as well. You know, I don't think that the 397 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:05.079 Jazz are adverse trading any of the three or all 398 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:07.960 of the three. I don't think that they're averse to 399 00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:12.200 having those guys on the roster uh going forward. But 400 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:15.000 you know, I do think that John is probably, if 401 00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:17.839 I had to guess, the most likely to go, just 402 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.559 because of the season that he had last year. UH. 403 00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:23.559 And then they'll you know, I think the big thing. 404 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:25.400 I think they'll go out and they'll get a veteran 405 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:28.119 point guard. It's sure, no matter what happens in the draft. 406 00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:31.519 You know, I don't think that they'll go in the 407 00:21:31.640 --> 00:21:36.880 next year, you know, without giving Isaiah Callier some some 408 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:40.039 some competition at that spot. So UH, I think that 409 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:43.440 they are reasonably sure that Keynte George is not a 410 00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:46.880 point guard at this point. So you know, I think 411 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:48.920 that that, you know, I think point guard will be 412 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:53.839 uh an area of a focus for them, uh in 413 00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:54.599 the offseason. 414 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:59.319 All right, ton, my guy will set you loose, But 415 00:21:59.359 --> 00:22:00.920 I'll have this ad one more time. 416 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:03.519 Is do not let us win game six? 417 00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:07.799 Win game six, Just don't don't let us do it. 418 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:10.400 Just finish us off. You better finishes off. 419 00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:12.880 That's what I'm saying. All right, brother, good, thanks for 420 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:13.880 the time. Have a great weekend. 421 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:16.839 All right, Yes, sir, I appreciate you. My guy Tony. 422 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:19.559 Jones, our guy Tony stops by today courtesy of our 423 00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:23.000 friends at IFA Country Store. Summer vacations and warmer weather, 424 00:22:23.079 --> 00:22:25.839 or just beyond the horizon. As the days grow longer 425 00:22:25.880 --> 00:22:28.359 and brightly colored flowers be in making their appearance, it's 426 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:31.359 time to start planning and applying Step two of I 427 00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:34.160 Phase four plus annual lawn care program designed with a 428 00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:37.799 blend of vital macro and micro nutrients. IFA Step two 429 00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:41.720 fertilizer promotes strong roots and vibrant colors in your yard. 430 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:44.440 At IFA and IFA dot co Op, we're you a 431 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.759 little golf in a bit with Paul Pugmyer. We'll see 432 00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:50.680 what's on the Golf Show tomorrow. There's a big tournament 433 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:52.759 on the PGA Tour. We have Dave mcminnimon on the 434 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:55.759 program today, Zach Harper later on, as well. 435 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:56.759 A lot of good NBA. 436 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:59.160 Guests and our guy Howard Back, one of the hippies 437 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:03.599 riders around on this beautiful Friday afternoon, stops by Howard. 438 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:04.720 Happy Friday, Sir, how. 439 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:07.079 Are you, Spence? How you doing so? 440 00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:08.720 God man? I'm good. I'll tell you what. 441 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:11.839 If you were on a European vacation and did not 442 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:15.559 see the first four games of Knick Spacers and watched 443 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:17.000 last night, you'd be like, what gives? 444 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:17.160 Like? 445 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:18.720 Why are the Knicks down? 446 00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:23.519 You know, certainly there was a physicality and an intent 447 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:25.920 defensively that we hadn't seen from New York. 448 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:28.839 I don't know if Indiana is relying. 449 00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:31.440 On closing it out at home, but in a vacuum 450 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:34.279 that last night felt a little bit like a mismatch. 451 00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:36.680 What are your takeaways? 452 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:41.319 That this was game five of a series where everything 453 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:44.200 has been really close, and most of the games have 454 00:23:44.359 --> 00:23:47.720 essentially been a coin flip, and maybe we were due 455 00:23:47.720 --> 00:23:50.079 for one that was a little upsided, and especially on 456 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:52.960 a night where the Knicks were facing elimination on their 457 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:56.440 home court, where you expect they're going to absolutely fight 458 00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:57.880 like hell and not allow. 459 00:23:57.599 --> 00:23:59.160 Themselves to be extinguished. 460 00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:03.559 So I don't think anything surprised me. Yeah, Obviously they 461 00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:05.799 bottled up Haliburton pretty well, and maybe a little bit 462 00:24:05.799 --> 00:24:07.519 of that's on him, and maybe that little that's them 463 00:24:07.720 --> 00:24:10.000 just pressuring him and picking him up full court at times, 464 00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:11.680 or at least picking him up in the back court 465 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:14.799 and making him work a little. The Pacers obviously at 466 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:16.680 their best when they're just getting out and running and 467 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:20.640 pushing the pace like crazy, and they're they're moving quickly, 468 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:23.640 the balls pinging around, and the Knicks took them out 469 00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:27.440 of that. Can they do it again tomorrow night? In indeed, 470 00:24:28.279 --> 00:24:33.279 we'll see, but I don't the margin of last night's 471 00:24:33.319 --> 00:24:37.279 game is not is not striking to me that the 472 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:40.279 Knicks would win an elimination game is kind of like 473 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:42.759 the thing, and it's not unexpected. 474 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:46.880 Yeah, and you know, the Halliburton stuff is interesting. I 475 00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:48.839 know we're supposed to like debate whether or not he's 476 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:51.279 a superstar. I don't really have any interest in doing that. 477 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:55.599 But he does have games like that from time to time. 478 00:24:55.720 --> 00:24:58.359 I think I read today thirteen games in the regular 479 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.799 season doubled it or he would he did not score 480 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:03.920 in double digits thirteen times, and in those games the 481 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:07.160 Pacers were three and ten, so they certainly need him 482 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:09.079 to be a little bit more aggressive, but there are 483 00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:11.640 times where he just I don't know what it is. 484 00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:14.240 I don't know if it's just not locked in for 485 00:25:14.279 --> 00:25:16.160 a moment one. I don't know if New York did 486 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:18.160 something schematically that was a little bit different. 487 00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:19.559 I'll give Jalen some credit. 488 00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:22.359 They were three or fourteen last night when Jalen was 489 00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:25.160 the primary defender, and prior to that, they had just 490 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:27.519 been able to feast whenever Halliburton was able to get 491 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:31.079 that switch. But what and you've been watching Halliburton forever, 492 00:25:31.160 --> 00:25:33.400 I know you're high on him, have been for a while. 493 00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:36.519 What happens when he does have a game like last 494 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:38.359 night when he just didn't look fully engaged. 495 00:25:39.880 --> 00:25:42.039 I don't think it's about engagement necessarily. And I would 496 00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:45.480 just note, like so on our podcast today on the 497 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:49.839 Real Ones pod, Rajah Bell, who of course once played 498 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:53.720 in your city, made the point that and I think 499 00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:55.839 it's a really important point when we're talking about stars 500 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:57.599 in the NBA and what you expect from them, and 501 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:00.400 this relates to what we saw from Haliburton. Nor didn't 502 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:03.799 see you last night. He's not built like the typical 503 00:26:04.039 --> 00:26:06.160 or the prototypical star, right he is not the guy 504 00:26:06.200 --> 00:26:08.200 to just go get you a bucket every time you 505 00:26:08.599 --> 00:26:08.960 need one. 506 00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:11.960 He's not a high usage or super high usage guy. 507 00:26:12.119 --> 00:26:13.799 He has the ball in his hands a lot, but 508 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:15.920 he's more of an old school point guard. He's more 509 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:19.759 of an orchestrator. He like there are times when their 510 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:23.279 coaching staff and Indy has to remind him, hey, sometimes 511 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:24.880 it's okay to call your own number. You're giving the 512 00:26:24.920 --> 00:26:27.680 ball up too soon in the possession. So he's he's 513 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:29.359 usually going to try to set up his guys and 514 00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:31.559 look for his guys first, and then when he scores, 515 00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:33.200 it's when it comes back to him and he's open 516 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:35.079 for a three, or he's got a chance to catch 517 00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:39.000 a guy off off kilter and drive by him. But 518 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:42.000 he's not the I'm gonna put the ball between my 519 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:45.839 legs seven times dribble, dribble, drible dribble, you know, and then. 520 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:48.319 Zip past you or step back three or whatever. Like. 521 00:26:48.359 --> 00:26:52.200 That's not really his game. He's, you know, a more 522 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.839 contained scorer, more of a playmaker. 523 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:54.359 He's been leaving. 524 00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:55.880 I think he led the league and assists for the 525 00:26:55.920 --> 00:27:00.279 last couple of years. So you do need him to shooting. 526 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:02.359 You do need him to score, but you don't necessarily 527 00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:06.799 need him to be say Anthony Edwards, who was you know, notably, 528 00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:10.000 you know, missing an action when they got eliminated the 529 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:15.519 other night. So aggression for Haliburton doesn't necessarily mean score 530 00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:18.400 a lot, dribble a lot, shoot a lot. It's more 531 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:22.440 just attack and put the defense on its heels so 532 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:26.279 that you can open up stuff for nim Hart and 533 00:27:26.359 --> 00:27:31.839 Nie Smith and Siakam. And you know, I don't expect 534 00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:33.400 we're going to see another game like that from him, but. 535 00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:34.400 Some of that was the next defense. 536 00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:37.599 Yeah, you know, I do think that was the first 537 00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:40.279 game where and it wasn't forty eight minutes because I 538 00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:42.559 didn't need all forty eight minutes. But I don't know 539 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:44.880 what took so long. And look this, let's be clear. 540 00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:47.839 I talked about this earlier in the show. This is 541 00:27:47.880 --> 00:27:51.000 not your grandfather New York Knick basketball team. There's no 542 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:54.359 oak or Mace or you know, the Anthony Bonner Let's 543 00:27:54.359 --> 00:27:56.440 go deep cuts hour like. This is not a big, 544 00:27:56.519 --> 00:28:00.400 physical defensive team. I think there were thirteen in the 545 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:03.279 NBA in defensive raiding and they have defensive holes. But 546 00:28:03.400 --> 00:28:07.200 offensively is where they've been certainly much improved. Last night 547 00:28:07.319 --> 00:28:10.200 may have been the first game where I thought they 548 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:12.880 gave concerted defensive effort for I'll say thirty two to 549 00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:15.200 thirty four minutes. They're gonna have to do that even 550 00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:17.640 more in Indianapolis. Then they're gonna have to take care 551 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:20.160 of the basketball in a way that at times this 552 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:22.319 series that they just had. Like I love Josh Shart, 553 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:24.039 but he makes some passes that reminds me of the 554 00:28:24.039 --> 00:28:26.400 neighborhood kid his mom forced him to play little league 555 00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:29.039 basketball to make friends, Like he makes some of the 556 00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:32.400 dumbest reads, and then Cat in moments will just like 557 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:36.079 get beat and grab somebody and commit like the dumbest fouls. 558 00:28:36.119 --> 00:28:38.440 So they're gonna have to offensive rebound. It's gonna be 559 00:28:38.440 --> 00:28:40.000 a possession game. They're gonna have to take care of 560 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:43.480 the basketball. And can they replicate the same defensive effort 561 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:46.599 during Game six on the road, Like that's really what 562 00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:47.599 it comes down to to me. 563 00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:52.680 Yes, all of that, And I think taking care of 564 00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:55.000 the basketball is such a huge, huge part of this 565 00:28:55.079 --> 00:29:00.240 because the Pacers absolutely thrive off of turnovers and get 566 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:02.680 in anything that they can take to get out and run. 567 00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:05.279 And so you know you've got to keep them off. 568 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:07.200 You know, you've got offensive rebound because you don't want 569 00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:09.440 them to defensive rebound and get out and run. You 570 00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:12.400 don't want to you don't certainly don't want to turn 571 00:29:12.440 --> 00:29:15.240 the ball over and make lazy passes or anything that'll 572 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:16.480 that ignites. 573 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:16.839 Their fast break. 574 00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:19.279 But the Pacers at their best also will just you know, 575 00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:22.400 even off of a make, we'll just get out and 576 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:25.960 and fly. And I didn't see as much of that 577 00:29:26.039 --> 00:29:29.640 last night, and I think that that's what you'll see 578 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:33.160 more of again tomorrow. You know, like the the Pacers 579 00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:34.440 are going to want to play this thing at break 580 00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:36.759 next speed, and the next goal is to slow that 581 00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:39.319 down because that's the way they needed to do it 582 00:29:39.319 --> 00:29:43.759 to win. The Pacers need the easy baskets. I don't 583 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:46.799 think there's as as great in the half court. And 584 00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:50.240 you know, we'll see like that's that's been part of 585 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:52.759 the tension of this series from the start, was you 586 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:54.559 know whose pace that they're going to be playing at. 587 00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:58.799 Last time you were on, I asked you, hey, can 588 00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:02.880 can TIBs find ten minutes for Landry Shammitt? Can he 589 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:06.960 find ten minutes for precious at YOUA? Apparently Tom does 590 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:09.480 watch tape and watch. Cameron Payne was like, what's wrong 591 00:30:09.519 --> 00:30:10.920 with me? I don't know that I want to do 592 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:14.359 that anymore. The problem, Howard, as I see it, is 593 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:17.039 Rick has played eleven and twelve guys all year long, 594 00:30:17.559 --> 00:30:20.200 fifteen plus minutes each, right, and so what Tom is 595 00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:23.680 trying to do now? I respect the endeavor, so his 596 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:26.119 starters don't look like they're dying in the fourth quarter, 597 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:29.599 But give me your takeaways on how Tom has used 598 00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:31.920 his bench and the returns that he's seen with some 599 00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:33.799 of these pieces that we haven't seen play for him 600 00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:34.880 pretty much all year. 601 00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:37.759 I mean, it's wild, like there was, you know, like 602 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:39.880 the idea that that suddenly in the middle of a 603 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:43.000 series where you're down where you've lost home court advantage, 604 00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:46.079 you've lost the first few games at home, and now suddenly, 605 00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:48.319 out of the blue, you've gone from a seven manter 606 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:54.400 rotation to playing Delawn right, Landry Shammitt, Precious Atua Like 607 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:58.039 it's it's it's interesting and it's worked, and so like 608 00:30:58.200 --> 00:31:01.279 credit to him for pulling that lever at the right time, 609 00:31:01.400 --> 00:31:04.079 and to those guys for being up for the challenge 610 00:31:04.119 --> 00:31:07.759 after being you know, in moth balls for however many weeks. 611 00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:12.519 It does go straight to the main criticism, one of 612 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:14.440 the main criticisms that you often hear from Knicks fans, 613 00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:17.599 and Knicks fans are very I think split on Tom Thibodeau, 614 00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:20.119 and there I have I have friends who are Knicks 615 00:31:20.119 --> 00:31:22.759 fans who would like to see him fired tomorrow, regardless. 616 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:23.559 Of how this series goes, I think. 617 00:31:25.799 --> 00:31:27.759 And part of it is the frustration over the rotation. 618 00:31:27.880 --> 00:31:31.359 It's it's the lack of developing a deeper rotation and 619 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:34.519 leaning too hard on the starters and playing them a 620 00:31:34.519 --> 00:31:37.240 ton of minutes, and the concerns about fatigue or injury. 621 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:40.039 I mean, they're healthy right now. They're pretty as healthy 622 00:31:40.039 --> 00:31:41.359 as the team's going to be in the playoffs and 623 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:44.720 the conference finals, and so those fears haven't really manifested 624 00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:47.720 this time through. But you know, there's more to it 625 00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:49.200 than just like, oh, they avoided injury. 626 00:31:49.240 --> 00:31:50.079 It's, you know, it is. 627 00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:51.920 How fresh are you at this stage? How fresh are 628 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:53.640 you in the fourth quarter of a tight game at 629 00:31:53.640 --> 00:31:57.920 this stage? And yeah, can you can you give Brunson 630 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:02.519 a few minutes of you know, a breather now and then? 631 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:05.200 And they're doing it and it's working, and I expect 632 00:32:05.240 --> 00:32:07.359 that that will be more of the same tomorrow, although 633 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:10.880 if things get tight, it'll be interesting to see if Tibbs, 634 00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:14.119 you know, shortened the rotation again and thinks like, well, 635 00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:17.880 you know, we're on the road facing elimination again, and 636 00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:20.319 maybe I'm just gonna rely on the seven guys who got. 637 00:32:20.200 --> 00:32:21.160 Us this far. 638 00:32:21.799 --> 00:32:23.119 Some of this, too, of course, has. 639 00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:24.079 Just been necessity. 640 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:24.440 Right. 641 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:26.759 Brunton was in foul trouble one of the games. Townses 642 00:32:26.799 --> 00:32:30.640 have failed trouble pretty much every game, and so I 643 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:32.480 think a little bit of this has been forced on him. 644 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:36.680 So if Indiana closes it out tomorrow, and I'm inclined 645 00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:39.559 to believe that's probably the case. Although with how wacky 646 00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:43.319 and wild this has been, I honestly believe all three 647 00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:46.880 scenarios are still on the table. Nick's winning tomorrow and 648 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:50.559 Nick's winning in seven, Pacers winning tomorrow, or Pacers losing 649 00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:52.640 tomorrow and winning in seven. I could see how three 650 00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:53.400 of those things happen. 651 00:32:53.640 --> 00:32:54.359 That's serious. 652 00:32:54.759 --> 00:32:56.640 One of the wildest stats that I read, and I 653 00:32:56.680 --> 00:32:58.960 don't this is not up to date after last night, 654 00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:02.599 but prior to last night, Jalen Brunson, as far as 655 00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:06.519 assists to Cat in the series, he has one a 656 00:33:06.680 --> 00:33:09.480 single assist from Jalen to Cat in the series prior 657 00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:13.000 to last night, maybe a couple last night, and you know, 658 00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:16.119 when you stagger the two, it has some decent returns. 659 00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:20.319 If they lose, do the Knicks recalibrate, because there's part 660 00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:21.599 of me that actually feels like they. 661 00:33:21.480 --> 00:33:22.680 Were a little bit of heead of schedule. 662 00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:25.359 They should not be the Boston Celtics and the Tatum's upright, 663 00:33:25.640 --> 00:33:28.160 Maybe they don't, I don't know, And when you look 664 00:33:28.160 --> 00:33:30.559 at their books, this is pretty much their team as 665 00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:33.440 far as the core, with Cat and Og and Jalen 666 00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:37.000 and Bridges and Heart Mitchell Robinson under contracts, so was 667 00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:40.119 Deuce McBride. But if they lose tomorrow, is there a 668 00:33:40.200 --> 00:33:43.240 recalibration as far as you know, maybe this isn't working. 669 00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:44.720 Is there a look at the head coach? 670 00:33:44.759 --> 00:33:46.640 Do they look at the personnel or do they continue 671 00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:48.920 to kind of stay on the path that Leon Rose 672 00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:51.480 has kind of pay for them. 673 00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:52.960 It's a great question. 674 00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:58.599 I have thought about this a little at times, especially 675 00:33:58.640 --> 00:34:00.799 when I thought that they were less likely to be 676 00:34:01.200 --> 00:34:04.880 at this point, and you know, you you try not 677 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:06.759 to be a prisoner of the moment, and certainly front 678 00:34:06.799 --> 00:34:11.480 offices have to be disciplined about this. If you you 679 00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:13.599 know you you you go down too. Oh, you lose 680 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:15.840 some court advantage, You win the series, you go to 681 00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:18.360 the finals, you probably get smoked by the thunder whoever 682 00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:20.159 the thunder face, they're going to smoke them, I think. 683 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:24.119 But does that change things? Does getting the finals change 684 00:34:24.119 --> 00:34:26.719 the way you see this five man unit and this 685 00:34:26.840 --> 00:34:30.280 rotation versus if they lost tomorrow. How big of a 686 00:34:30.280 --> 00:34:33.320 difference does it make over you know, two more games 687 00:34:33.400 --> 00:34:37.559 or something, two more wins or something. So that's why 688 00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:39.159 you need a sober minded front office. And I think 689 00:34:39.159 --> 00:34:43.400 this is one I think that the things that they're 690 00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:47.079 gonna have to contemplate. One is if, especially if you 691 00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:51.840 lose this series, but even in the finals, can you 692 00:34:51.960 --> 00:34:54.199 how if you have a built in ceiling with a 693 00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:59.159 lineup where your two stars are defensive liabilities, where every 694 00:34:59.199 --> 00:35:01.159 time you have Bernthon into out there together, one or 695 00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:03.639 the other both are getting get attacked, and that's going 696 00:35:03.679 --> 00:35:08.000 to leave you vulnerable to more talented teams. There's that 697 00:35:08.199 --> 00:35:12.239 there's also a payroll aspect of this. You know, Brunson 698 00:35:12.440 --> 00:35:14.559 took you know what was called a discount, but it's 699 00:35:14.559 --> 00:35:16.320 not that big of a discount when he took his 700 00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:19.480 last extension. Tounses of course on the max. That's the 701 00:35:19.519 --> 00:35:21.440 reason why the Timberwolves want to trade him in the 702 00:35:21.480 --> 00:35:24.800 first place. Annoby's got a huge, huge contract that they 703 00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:29.079 gave him last summer, and Bridges has a modest contract 704 00:35:29.079 --> 00:35:31.559 but is due for an extension that will be less modest. 705 00:35:32.079 --> 00:35:34.760 And so you're going to start facing second apron issues 706 00:35:34.840 --> 00:35:39.480 and other problems. And we as we know whatever you 707 00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:42.559 feel about Landry Shammitt, the Delon writer, whoever else, they 708 00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:45.679 don't have much of a bench and the depth is 709 00:35:45.719 --> 00:35:48.199 an issue. So do you get to the offseason and 710 00:35:48.239 --> 00:35:51.599 think I can flip I don't know, Mikhail Bridges and 711 00:35:51.800 --> 00:35:57.760 or Mitchell Robinson for more depth or cheaper pieces. That's 712 00:35:57.760 --> 00:36:00.480 an interesting thing to contemplate. And yeah, I mean it's 713 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:01.719 one year in with Towns. 714 00:36:02.199 --> 00:36:02.920 Are you already in. 715 00:36:02.920 --> 00:36:05.079 A position where you're gonna talk about trying to flip 716 00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:07.159 him for something else? Like I think there might be 717 00:36:07.159 --> 00:36:11.280 a market for him out there, But he's a super 718 00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:16.280 talented big who does not protect the rim so's he's 719 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:18.360 pretty much a one way player. We know all the 720 00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:22.039 flaws and they've been exposed again. How much of a 721 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:25.119 market is there is he or is is his contract 722 00:36:25.119 --> 00:36:27.039 becoming like a net negative? Do you have to attach 723 00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:30.800 something to get somebody to take him? I don't know. 724 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:32.360 I don't know the answers that I have not pulled 725 00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:34.039 people around the league on it, but it's an interesting 726 00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:35.639 question for them to grapple with. 727 00:36:35.960 --> 00:36:37.159 You alluded to this earlier. 728 00:36:37.239 --> 00:36:39.960 Let me just follow up though, Do either the NIXT 729 00:36:40.079 --> 00:36:43.199 or the Pacers have a shot in hell at making 730 00:36:43.239 --> 00:36:46.840 Oklahoma City uncomfortable? I mean, Howard, Okay, see eighty and 731 00:36:46.920 --> 00:36:50.360 eighteen this year? How about twenty nine and one against 732 00:36:50.360 --> 00:36:53.239 the East, And I would like to see the next 733 00:36:53.400 --> 00:36:55.760 you make it to the finals and you know, see 734 00:36:55.760 --> 00:36:58.360 what they could do it just and maybe the Pacers 735 00:36:58.360 --> 00:37:01.000 with their you know what. Never mind, I feel like 736 00:37:01.079 --> 00:37:04.320 both these teams get smoked by Okay, see what about you? 737 00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:10.920 I think it's probably five games, Yeah, really, especially when 738 00:37:10.920 --> 00:37:15.719 you see how they just completely, methodically, ruthlessly dismantled the Timberwolves. 739 00:37:15.719 --> 00:37:19.519 And the Timberolves are a good team, Like is there 740 00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:24.119 is there any massive difference just overall between the Minnesota 741 00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:26.719 Timberwolves and the Pacers. The Minnesota Timperwolves and the Knicks, 742 00:37:26.760 --> 00:37:29.599 Like these teams are all basically in the same I 743 00:37:29.639 --> 00:37:33.760 think tier talent wise, accomplishment wise, whatever. Like, you know, 744 00:37:33.800 --> 00:37:35.639 we could we could go down the list of you 745 00:37:35.639 --> 00:37:38.639 could compare player to player, offense, offense, defense, if all 746 00:37:38.679 --> 00:37:41.320 of this, But like, I don't know that the Knicks 747 00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:44.079 or Pacers have any great advantages that the Timberwolves did not, 748 00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:49.719 And so yeah, I don't see why the Thunder should 749 00:37:49.719 --> 00:37:52.599 have trouble with either of them, barring something unforeseen, an 750 00:37:52.599 --> 00:37:56.199 injury or something crazy happening. I think it'll be a 751 00:37:56.199 --> 00:37:56.880 short series. 752 00:37:57.559 --> 00:38:05.039 Would lowry market and start for the Thunder? No, he wouldn't. 753 00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:05.840 I don't think so. 754 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:06.400 He wouldn't. 755 00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:09.239 H Yeah, No, I don't think he would. 756 00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:10.000 No, he wouldn't. 757 00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:13.280 It's a fun game to play, right, Like, how many 758 00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:14.480 of the best teams would. 759 00:38:14.239 --> 00:38:14.840 He start for? 760 00:38:16.159 --> 00:38:19.320 Yeah, I mean, I will admit I chuckled a little bit. 761 00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:23.199 I was listening to Chris Finch and his post well 762 00:38:23.320 --> 00:38:26.800 postseason presser after they lost, and he said, you know, 763 00:38:26.960 --> 00:38:29.639 thirteen teams in the West will be in the mix 764 00:38:29.719 --> 00:38:32.000 next year to potentially have really good years. I'm like, 765 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:36.840 all right, Well, that's obviously excluding the Jazz and probably 766 00:38:36.840 --> 00:38:39.079 the Blazers. But we'll end on this because you wrote 767 00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:41.320 some today. First of all, thank you for the Buddhist drop. 768 00:38:41.320 --> 00:38:44.400 It reminded me to meditate and center several different paths 769 00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:47.599 to the same goal. But you know, I'd really try 770 00:38:47.639 --> 00:38:49.960 to do this with my NBA coverage here in Salt Lake. 771 00:38:50.079 --> 00:38:52.920 Like if you look at the way Sam Presty built 772 00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:56.280 the Thunder, are there lessons to learn right now? The 773 00:38:56.320 --> 00:39:00.039 problem is the Jazz turned Donovan Mitchell into marketing, and 774 00:39:00.280 --> 00:39:03.320 Presty turned Paul George into Shay and Jay's the MVP 775 00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:06.599 and Marketing is just a nice player. So before I 776 00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:09.159 say you loose, based off of your piece and based 777 00:39:09.199 --> 00:39:11.920 off of your knowledge about how in the modern day 778 00:39:11.920 --> 00:39:14.039 and age of the NBA there are several different ways 779 00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:16.719 to do this. How did the Jazz do this? How 780 00:39:16.719 --> 00:39:19.679 do they make it happen? Based off of some examples 781 00:39:19.719 --> 00:39:22.119 of teams that we have who have been able to 782 00:39:22.159 --> 00:39:24.039 rebuild and now have very good rosters. 783 00:39:25.239 --> 00:39:27.480 Yeah, no, thanks for the plug. Everybody, Please go check 784 00:39:27.519 --> 00:39:30.199 out the story at the Ringer dot com. The premise 785 00:39:30.280 --> 00:39:32.840 was that there's different ways to build a contender now 786 00:39:32.840 --> 00:39:36.079 and that the Pacers did not build in a typical way. 787 00:39:36.360 --> 00:39:38.480 And even if you look at the four conference finalists, 788 00:39:38.519 --> 00:39:41.840 like these are not what we thought of a contender 789 00:39:41.840 --> 00:39:44.360 in the past, right where it was like, oh, get 790 00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:46.960 a top five guy, superstar whatever, go trade for or 791 00:39:47.000 --> 00:39:48.800 poach another one and you know, build a big two, 792 00:39:48.840 --> 00:39:52.079 of Big three, a big four. These teams have been 793 00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:55.039 built differently, and in the Pacers case, very methodically. 794 00:39:55.079 --> 00:39:56.880 Like the Pacers build really. 795 00:39:56.760 --> 00:39:59.280 Is almost like a ten year project. If you start 796 00:39:59.320 --> 00:40:02.000 with drafting my Ales Turner, who's their longest tenured player, 797 00:40:02.400 --> 00:40:04.559 and you go back to the Paul George to Oklahoma 798 00:40:04.599 --> 00:40:07.599 trade and all the things that is spun off of that, 799 00:40:07.639 --> 00:40:09.719 and it's just been piece by piece, and I think 800 00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:13.199 the main lesson is the one that Todd Ramas are 801 00:40:13.320 --> 00:40:17.039 the agent for Pascal Siakamander Nemhard mentioned to me when 802 00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:19.679 I was asking him about this, which he settled on 803 00:40:19.679 --> 00:40:22.719 a single word, which is patience. And patience is hard 804 00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:25.320 to come by in this league, as you know, as 805 00:40:25.960 --> 00:40:28.880 Jazz fans, I'm sure no as Danny Ainge and Justin 806 00:40:28.960 --> 00:40:31.960 Zanik know. And there is a youngsh owner there and 807 00:40:31.960 --> 00:40:34.119 those guys tend to be the more impetuous ones and 808 00:40:34.159 --> 00:40:37.880 the less patient ones. But listen, he you know, green 809 00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:43.199 lighted the blow up and the rebuild. So the hope 810 00:40:43.320 --> 00:40:46.280 is that and listen, this is tough. This is because 811 00:40:46.360 --> 00:40:50.519 as I say this, I say this as a dispassionate 812 00:40:50.599 --> 00:40:53.599 thirty thousand foot view observer who says, well, the right 813 00:40:53.639 --> 00:40:55.320 way to do this is to be really patient and 814 00:40:55.360 --> 00:40:57.199 you know, piece by piece and whatever, don't rush it, 815 00:40:57.239 --> 00:41:00.239 don't try to whatever. And meanwhile, jazz fans are this, 816 00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:02.480 They're going like, yeah, but we've already suffered through the 817 00:41:02.519 --> 00:41:05.000 last couple of seasons, like get going. And I get that. 818 00:41:05.440 --> 00:41:08.519 And that's the problem, right, or the challenge. You've got 819 00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:11.719 fans who you can only you know, do this too 820 00:41:11.760 --> 00:41:14.360 for so long, and an owner who doesn't want to. 821 00:41:14.360 --> 00:41:15.400 Take the heat for that long. 822 00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:17.760 And also, hey, owners want to win. They got professional 823 00:41:17.800 --> 00:41:21.840 pride and ego too, And so that's why, like with 824 00:41:21.880 --> 00:41:23.599 the Pacers, their whole thing was like, we're never going 825 00:41:23.679 --> 00:41:26.719 to do a tear down. They never they never really tanked, 826 00:41:26.719 --> 00:41:29.679 at least not intentionally. They didn't you know, have multiple 827 00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:32.360 you know, top three picks or anything. In fact, no 828 00:41:32.440 --> 00:41:35.079 top three picks, and the Jazz are doing it more 829 00:41:35.079 --> 00:41:37.559 of the old sixer process. Way where it's like, we're's 830 00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:38.840 gonna be bad for a few years and get as 831 00:41:38.880 --> 00:41:40.360 many bites at the apple and the lottery as we 832 00:41:40.360 --> 00:41:45.880 can and hope for the best. So but you still 833 00:41:45.880 --> 00:41:49.000 have to be patient. Whatever your root is, whatever strategy 834 00:41:49.039 --> 00:41:50.760 you've chosen, you still have to be patient with it 835 00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:52.840 and believe in it and try not to do the 836 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:55.280 panic move where it's like, oh, the owner's getting antsy 837 00:41:55.360 --> 00:41:58.679 or the fans are getting antsy, let's go trade for 838 00:41:59.519 --> 00:42:01.480 I was going to say a specific name, but some 839 00:42:02.639 --> 00:42:05.199 flawed star that another team is ready to give up on. 840 00:42:06.039 --> 00:42:07.679 You got to pick the right guys to build around. 841 00:42:07.679 --> 00:42:09.280 And that's the other thing too, And I kind of 842 00:42:09.280 --> 00:42:10.960 gave a short shrift to this in the piece today, 843 00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:12.920 and I wish I'd put more into this. 844 00:42:12.920 --> 00:42:13.519 Aspect of it. 845 00:42:13.559 --> 00:42:15.559 But like the Pacers also picked the right guys, Like 846 00:42:16.519 --> 00:42:20.079 they these guys are all leaping off the page stars, 847 00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:22.639 but they got good character guys and guys who are 848 00:42:22.639 --> 00:42:24.559 selfless and like the reason that they've got such a 849 00:42:24.559 --> 00:42:27.719 great offense starts with Halliburton and his selflessness. But they're 850 00:42:27.760 --> 00:42:30.960 all willing to sacrifice and keep the ball moving, and 851 00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:33.760 that's really important. So you have to be patient, and 852 00:42:33.800 --> 00:42:35.679 you have to build the right guys or build. 853 00:42:35.440 --> 00:42:36.079 With the right guys. 854 00:42:36.199 --> 00:42:38.119 Last thing I'll set you loose on this, is it 855 00:42:38.239 --> 00:42:42.679 possible to build culture while being unseerious about competing. 856 00:42:45.639 --> 00:42:51.000 Yeah, I think you can. I was one who did 857 00:42:51.039 --> 00:42:54.119 not buy into like there were a zillion different criticisms 858 00:42:54.199 --> 00:42:56.599 and moral hazard arguments about what the Sixers were doing 859 00:42:56.639 --> 00:42:58.920 with the process, and one of them was, you know, oh, 860 00:42:58.920 --> 00:43:00.960 you're gonna ruin these guys. They're gonna you know, they're 861 00:43:00.960 --> 00:43:03.480 gonna just learn how to lose, and they're gonna learn 862 00:43:03.519 --> 00:43:05.880 bad habits. And there's not like the culture is gonna 863 00:43:05.920 --> 00:43:08.360 be bad and it's gonna produce bad players. And then 864 00:43:08.360 --> 00:43:10.239 people would cite Julia local for well, that was Julia 865 00:43:10.239 --> 00:43:12.480 Locofor's fault. Frankly, like he just wasn't a good NBA 866 00:43:12.519 --> 00:43:14.719 player and wasn't good enough enough of a worker, serious 867 00:43:14.800 --> 00:43:18.000 enough himself. But like, as one example, TJ. McConnell was 868 00:43:18.039 --> 00:43:20.000 part of the process Sixers and he's like become a 869 00:43:20.039 --> 00:43:22.360 really great bench player, not having the greatest series, but 870 00:43:22.440 --> 00:43:26.960 a really good bench player for the Pacers. I don't 871 00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:29.719 think it necessarily, I think multiple years of it does 872 00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:32.079 create a little bit of like a franchise wide malaise, 873 00:43:32.280 --> 00:43:34.840 and I think that can seep into things. But I 874 00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:36.920 think you set the culture in terms of the values 875 00:43:36.960 --> 00:43:39.159 of how hard you're gonna work and what kind of 876 00:43:39.800 --> 00:43:44.719 team you want to be. The selflessness, the hard work, 877 00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:49.400 all that. That tone gets set by primarily the coach, 878 00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:52.760 and then when you get your guys, that's like, maybe 879 00:43:52.760 --> 00:43:55.599 you don't start with the superstar, right, maybe it's the 880 00:43:55.639 --> 00:43:58.119 middle build where you know you've got like the the 881 00:43:58.199 --> 00:44:00.880 Nie Smith types or nemhrds or whatever, and you're waiting 882 00:44:00.920 --> 00:44:04.920 to get the star. And if those guys are grinders 883 00:44:05.320 --> 00:44:07.920 and they're built that way, then they're setting the culture 884 00:44:07.960 --> 00:44:10.760 by the way they approach practice and games every day. 885 00:44:10.840 --> 00:44:11.039 Right. 886 00:44:11.360 --> 00:44:14.159 So I don't think the losing, or even the kind 887 00:44:14.199 --> 00:44:18.039 of the planned losing, the tanking mode necessarily poisons the well. 888 00:44:18.320 --> 00:44:21.079 I think it depends on who you're bringing in as 889 00:44:21.159 --> 00:44:24.079 players and coaches during that time, and are you taking 890 00:44:24.119 --> 00:44:28.920 every day seriously even though structurally you're designed to not 891 00:44:29.039 --> 00:44:31.280 win much. If that makes sense. 892 00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:31.920 It does make sense. 893 00:44:32.000 --> 00:44:34.760 Howard, he who knows knows not he who knows, he 894 00:44:34.840 --> 00:44:37.119 knows not knows. I just want to end on some 895 00:44:37.159 --> 00:44:38.199 Buddhism based. 896 00:44:37.960 --> 00:44:38.519 Off your piece. 897 00:44:39.599 --> 00:44:40.199 Phenomenal. 898 00:44:40.239 --> 00:44:40.559 I love it. 899 00:44:40.639 --> 00:44:42.360 I appreciate your time, my friend. Have a good weekend. 900 00:44:42.360 --> 00:44:44.440 All right, all right, Spencer too, take care. 901 00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:46.559 Hi the Great Howard back from the Ringer. 902 00:44:46.599 --> 00:44:48.840 He's mostly on Blue Sky these days, but you can 903 00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:51.599 find all of his work at the Ringer dot com. 904 00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:54.800 Stop spot today, Curcy. To our friends at Courtland Roofing. 905 00:44:55.159 --> 00:44:57.880 Have you noticed that it's very warm outside? Well it is. 906 00:44:57.960 --> 00:45:01.480 It's about eighty five degrees today. The weekend is going 907 00:45:01.519 --> 00:45:04.000 to be ninety plus. Well cool, cool down a little 908 00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:06.199 bit next week, but we're about to turn our calendars 909 00:45:06.239 --> 00:45:09.440 to June. And if you need a roof replacement and 910 00:45:09.480 --> 00:45:12.079 you've been putting it off, well you probably notice your 911 00:45:12.079 --> 00:45:13.159 house is getting super hot. 912 00:45:13.199 --> 00:45:15.119 You got to jack up that ac. It's gonna cost 913 00:45:15.119 --> 00:45:15.760 you a lot of money. 914 00:45:15.800 --> 00:45:18.519 So right now is an excellent time to act because 915 00:45:18.559 --> 00:45:20.559 we have a new client on the station. Our friends 916 00:45:20.559 --> 00:45:24.000 at Courtland Roofing are reroofing and roof repair experts with 917 00:45:24.079 --> 00:45:27.519 over twenty years of experience, family owned and operated. Call 918 00:45:27.599 --> 00:45:29.519 Courtland Roofing today and here's what they're giving you. They're 919 00:45:29.519 --> 00:45:32.039 giving you free rain gutters. With any roof replacement, it's 920 00:45:32.079 --> 00:45:34.719 like an eighteen hundred dollars value. And if you don't 921 00:45:34.760 --> 00:45:36.920 need the rain gutters, but you need the roof replacement, 922 00:45:36.960 --> 00:45:39.599 they'll knock that off the price. So if you've been 923 00:45:39.639 --> 00:45:41.960 waiting for now's the time. Do it before the weather 924 00:45:41.960 --> 00:45:45.639 gets scorching hot and call Courtland Roofing today at eight 925 00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:48.880 oh one six one five five five six zero. That's 926 00:45:48.880 --> 00:45:51.239 eight oh one six one five five five six zero 927 00:45:51.320 --> 00:45:53.800 eight oh one six one five five five six zero 928 00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:57.880 or online at Cortland Roofing dot com. Give you a 929 00:45:58.199 --> 00:46:01.320 uinter Golf PGA Tour update coming up in just little bits. 930 00:46:02.280 --> 00:46:04.880 Dave mcmanimon from ESPN as our guest in the four 931 00:46:04.880 --> 00:46:07.280 o'clock hour, followed by Zach Harper. So a lot of 932 00:46:07.280 --> 00:46:11.719 good playoff basketball and jazz offseason stuff and the draft, etc. 933 00:46:12.199 --> 00:46:14.440 On the way, But let's talk a little golf DGA 934 00:46:14.519 --> 00:46:15.960 tour is. 935 00:46:17.199 --> 00:46:19.760 Let's see, we got the memorial tournaments going on at 936 00:46:19.800 --> 00:46:25.679 Mirefield Village in Dublin, Ohio, twenty million dollars on the line, 937 00:46:25.840 --> 00:46:29.000 won last year by you know, Scotti Scheffler. Because Scotty 938 00:46:29.039 --> 00:46:31.519 won everything last year, and Scotty's in the mix Paul 939 00:46:31.559 --> 00:46:32.960 Pugmyer Friday afternoon. 940 00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:35.320 Happy Friday, sir, How are you good? 941 00:46:35.360 --> 00:46:35.599 Good? 942 00:46:35.719 --> 00:46:35.840 Hell? 943 00:46:35.880 --> 00:46:36.639 Are you doing spance? 944 00:46:36.719 --> 00:46:38.400 I'm good, man, I'm good. Where do we find you? 945 00:46:38.480 --> 00:46:41.280 I think last week you were down south? Yeah? 946 00:46:41.360 --> 00:46:44.920 Yeah, And I actually just rolled back into my office. 947 00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:49.480 Played up at the barn this morning and it is beautiful. 948 00:46:49.599 --> 00:46:50.840 What a lovely golf course. 949 00:46:51.239 --> 00:46:51.880 Oh there you go. 950 00:46:52.000 --> 00:46:53.760 Well, it's always a good day when you get out 951 00:46:53.800 --> 00:46:54.559 and swing at Paul. 952 00:46:54.599 --> 00:46:56.400 How was Saint George last week? 953 00:46:57.360 --> 00:47:04.000 Saint George was incredible. The lp GA Legends are aptly 954 00:47:04.119 --> 00:47:06.239 named legends for a reason. 955 00:47:06.719 --> 00:47:07.079 It was. 956 00:47:07.159 --> 00:47:11.719 It was quite an experience to see these some of 957 00:47:11.719 --> 00:47:15.559 the very best players in the women's game in the 958 00:47:15.559 --> 00:47:19.960 world and in history, members of the World Golf Hall 959 00:47:19.960 --> 00:47:22.360 of Fame, people who will be members of the World 960 00:47:22.440 --> 00:47:25.159 Golf Hall of Fame. And I specifically am referring to 961 00:47:25.199 --> 00:47:28.480 the winner, Christy Kerr, who I think is a future 962 00:47:28.519 --> 00:47:32.119 Hall of Famer. It was an incredible event. 963 00:47:32.679 --> 00:47:33.079 All right. 964 00:47:33.159 --> 00:47:35.960 So let's move over to what the PGA Tour has 965 00:47:36.039 --> 00:47:38.840 going on this weekend. The memorial tournaments, i'll say, presented 966 00:47:38.880 --> 00:47:43.559 by Workday. Shout out to their sponsor, Dublin not that Dublin, Dublin, 967 00:47:43.599 --> 00:47:47.239 Ohio at Mirefield Village Golf Club cool twenty mill on 968 00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:49.679 the line. So that's an elevated events, right, Paul, I 969 00:47:49.679 --> 00:47:50.119 mean that's. 970 00:47:49.960 --> 00:47:50.519 What that means. 971 00:47:51.400 --> 00:47:55.079 Absolutely, Yes, Okay, tell me about this track, Mirfield Village 972 00:47:55.119 --> 00:47:56.920 Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. 973 00:47:57.559 --> 00:48:00.760 So glad you asked it is. It is a great, 974 00:48:01.159 --> 00:48:06.119 great golf course with an incredibly interesting history. After Jack 975 00:48:06.239 --> 00:48:09.760 Nicholas won his fourth Masters, and at the time that 976 00:48:09.800 --> 00:48:12.519 was the most anybody had won, Arnold Palmer Hood won 977 00:48:12.559 --> 00:48:16.400 for Jack joined him and the two of them had 978 00:48:16.639 --> 00:48:20.880 four Masters each. Jack decided at that point that he 979 00:48:21.039 --> 00:48:26.519 wanted to leave a mark with a great golf course, 980 00:48:26.599 --> 00:48:29.280 leave a legacy with a great golf course, in the 981 00:48:29.400 --> 00:48:33.960 same way that his boyhood idol, Bobby Jones left the mark, 982 00:48:34.119 --> 00:48:36.599 left a legacy with a great golf course. 983 00:48:36.639 --> 00:48:37.199 For Jones. 984 00:48:37.199 --> 00:48:42.159 It was augusta national and Jack set out, inspired by 985 00:48:42.199 --> 00:48:45.480 his fourth Masters when inspired by the desire to be 986 00:48:45.679 --> 00:48:49.320 more like Bobby Jones, and he set out to create 987 00:48:49.480 --> 00:48:55.559 what became Mirfield Village nearby Columbus, Ohio, his hometown and 988 00:48:56.360 --> 00:49:00.880 named after and in homage to Mirfield in Scottland, where 989 00:49:00.920 --> 00:49:05.920 he had had both heartbreak and and stirring victory. But 990 00:49:06.719 --> 00:49:15.559 this golf course was Jack Nicholas's first real major course 991 00:49:15.599 --> 00:49:18.599 that he designed. This is what launched his golf course 992 00:49:18.639 --> 00:49:24.400 design career as well. Interestingly, it nearly wiped him out financially. 993 00:49:24.440 --> 00:49:27.519 This was at a time when winning a PGA tournament 994 00:49:27.599 --> 00:49:32.079 netted the winner for forty five thousand dollars. Nicholas, of 995 00:49:32.119 --> 00:49:34.360 course had money. He was the best in the world, 996 00:49:34.440 --> 00:49:36.920 and he had business interest and endorsements and all that. 997 00:49:37.400 --> 00:49:40.320 But he made the decision to control his own fate 998 00:49:40.800 --> 00:49:44.039 by not bringing on partners and by financing it and 999 00:49:44.119 --> 00:49:47.079 running it all himself. It nearly wiped him out financially, 1000 00:49:47.840 --> 00:49:51.239 but he built a great golf course. It became the 1001 00:49:51.280 --> 00:49:55.719 home of this tournament. Now that is Jack's tournament, the Memorial, 1002 00:49:56.360 --> 00:50:03.119 and it is jack'slegacy that he wanted to leave to 1003 00:50:03.199 --> 00:50:06.119 the golfing world, and it is one of the great Oh. 1004 00:50:06.199 --> 00:50:08.760 Okay, that's why the Golf channel was showing a bunch 1005 00:50:08.800 --> 00:50:11.440 of Tiger highlights where he was shaking Jack's hand after 1006 00:50:11.519 --> 00:50:13.280 kicking everybody's ass a bunch of years. 1007 00:50:13.320 --> 00:50:15.079 All right, that makes sense. 1008 00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:18.719 That's a part of the tradition, Jack and Barber are 1009 00:50:18.760 --> 00:50:21.800 standing there waiting for the winner when the winner comes 1010 00:50:21.800 --> 00:50:24.800 off the seventy second hole on Sunday. Actually they shake 1011 00:50:24.840 --> 00:50:28.159 hands with everybody, but it is the winner that stands out. 1012 00:50:28.239 --> 00:50:31.199 And yes, Jack Nicholas is waiting there for you on 1013 00:50:31.320 --> 00:50:32.679 Sunday when you come off the green. 1014 00:50:32.840 --> 00:50:36.199 They showed And I know our interviews recently have turned 1015 00:50:36.199 --> 00:50:39.880 into me just droning on about Tiger's brilliance, but I 1016 00:50:40.039 --> 00:50:41.320 continued just really. 1017 00:50:41.199 --> 00:50:41.880 To be brilliant. 1018 00:50:41.920 --> 00:50:43.639 Well, I just continue to be bummed out that I 1019 00:50:43.719 --> 00:50:46.119 was not into golf at all while he was doing 1020 00:50:46.119 --> 00:50:48.119 his thing, and I would tune into a final round 1021 00:50:48.119 --> 00:50:51.039 of a major here or there. But they showed this 1022 00:50:51.239 --> 00:50:53.280 chip that Tiger had, I think it was on sixteen, 1023 00:50:53.519 --> 00:50:57.360 you know, the shot I'm talking about, Like, exactly, that's impossible, Paul, 1024 00:50:57.400 --> 00:50:59.119 give me a get out of town with that. Even 1025 00:50:59.199 --> 00:51:01.599 Jack was like, that's that's the best shot I've ever 1026 00:51:01.639 --> 00:51:03.440 seen anybody hit on the game of golf. 1027 00:51:04.119 --> 00:51:08.719 Oh yeah. So here's the thing about when you compare 1028 00:51:08.800 --> 00:51:12.320 Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods. I think that Jack Nicholas 1029 00:51:12.360 --> 00:51:17.480 had the greater career, but Tiger Woods played the greatest 1030 00:51:17.519 --> 00:51:21.800 golf and for it, and that's what we're talking about. 1031 00:51:21.800 --> 00:51:26.239 There is longevity of excellence, and Tiger's excellence was interrupted 1032 00:51:26.280 --> 00:51:31.320 by injury and self imposed problems. But during the time 1033 00:51:31.440 --> 00:51:34.280 that Tiger was at his peak, it was the greatest 1034 00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:39.039 golf ever played. And it includes incredible shots and the 1035 00:51:39.519 --> 00:51:44.199 chip in on sixteen Mirefield Village in the memorial is 1036 00:51:44.320 --> 00:51:47.960 exactly one of those. And you could you could take 1037 00:51:48.000 --> 00:51:50.760 any great, great player and stand them there with a 1038 00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:53.320 bucket of balls and give them two hours and they 1039 00:51:53.400 --> 00:51:56.760 might not get it within five feet. That shot was 1040 00:51:56.840 --> 00:51:59.639 so hard. Of course Tiger made it. 1041 00:52:00.760 --> 00:52:05.079 Yeah, And to have Jack, out of anybody say that 1042 00:52:05.320 --> 00:52:07.599 to you, I mean, what a feeling that must have 1043 00:52:07.639 --> 00:52:10.559 been for Tiger. What you know, random, random question is 1044 00:52:10.639 --> 00:52:13.000 what does Jack mean to the game? You know, like 1045 00:52:13.239 --> 00:52:16.719 because you hear a lot of players interviewed about uh yeah, 1046 00:52:16.760 --> 00:52:19.440 and Scott he talked about this last year, like winning 1047 00:52:19.480 --> 00:52:22.440 this tournament and getting that handshake from that guy. What 1048 00:52:22.440 --> 00:52:24.400 what does he mean to the game of golf in 1049 00:52:24.440 --> 00:52:25.199 the PGA Tour. 1050 00:52:26.760 --> 00:52:30.960 There's a little bit of a generational aspect to answering 1051 00:52:31.000 --> 00:52:35.480 that question, But for people who followed the game and 1052 00:52:35.639 --> 00:52:43.599 experienced Jack's dominance. It it was beyond Tiger's dominance. One 1053 00:52:43.599 --> 00:52:47.360 thing that's pretty interesting. And so to answer your question 1054 00:52:47.440 --> 00:52:54.440 before I go into a subplot here, Jack meant the 1055 00:52:54.519 --> 00:52:59.679 highest degree of excellence, the highest degree of sportsmanship, the 1056 00:52:59.760 --> 00:53:04.880 high degree of superlative performance. He meant the very best 1057 00:53:04.920 --> 00:53:07.559 of the best of the best, and he meant it 1058 00:53:08.280 --> 00:53:13.039 over time. And that is the point about Jack Nicholas's career. 1059 00:53:13.079 --> 00:53:17.119 There is one statistic about Jack Nicholas's career that is 1060 00:53:18.119 --> 00:53:22.119 staggering and almost silly to say. Every time I even 1061 00:53:22.199 --> 00:53:25.480 hear myself said, it's almost like I'm making it up. 1062 00:53:25.960 --> 00:53:30.159 Nicholas won eighteen majors. We know that Tiger won fifteen. 1063 00:53:31.159 --> 00:53:36.079 Tiger either won or wasn't really in the mix. Nicholas, 1064 00:53:36.119 --> 00:53:40.519 in addition to his eighteen major championship victories, he had 1065 00:53:40.920 --> 00:53:49.960 nineteen major championship runner ups. That he's got thirty seven 1066 00:53:50.199 --> 00:53:56.559 first or second place in majors. When Jack Nicholas pulled 1067 00:53:56.559 --> 00:54:00.239 into the parking lot, not only did you know he 1068 00:54:00.400 --> 00:54:02.920 was going to be the one that had to be beat, 1069 00:54:03.360 --> 00:54:05.960 and you knew that he would be in the mix 1070 00:54:06.280 --> 00:54:07.119 Sunday afternoon. 1071 00:54:08.960 --> 00:54:12.280 That's a wild, wild stat The number that you just laid. 1072 00:54:12.679 --> 00:54:14.679 I don't know that I was aware of that entirely. 1073 00:54:15.679 --> 00:54:17.960 All right, moving over to where we find ourselves. My 1074 00:54:18.000 --> 00:54:21.280 guy Nick Taylor top the leader board with a seven 1075 00:54:21.320 --> 00:54:24.400 hunder par. And then you need to because I know 1076 00:54:24.440 --> 00:54:25.880 you were listening last week and I was like, who 1077 00:54:25.920 --> 00:54:28.159 the hell's Ben Griffin? Well, I probably should get familiar 1078 00:54:28.159 --> 00:54:30.400 with Ben Griffin, Paul. He's also a top the leaderboard 1079 00:54:30.400 --> 00:54:33.159 at seven seven hunders. So tell me about tell me 1080 00:54:33.159 --> 00:54:35.440 about Ben Griffin, who is of course coming off coming 1081 00:54:35.480 --> 00:54:36.320 off the win last week. 1082 00:54:37.400 --> 00:54:39.280 Yeah, Griffin is an interesting story. 1083 00:54:39.320 --> 00:54:39.960 But before we. 1084 00:54:39.920 --> 00:54:41.920 Go there, can I just say, hey, I love me 1085 00:54:42.000 --> 00:54:44.920 some Nick Taylor too, and so I totally share that 1086 00:54:44.960 --> 00:54:49.639 with you and Nick. Nick Taylor has a remarkable superpower. 1087 00:54:50.639 --> 00:54:53.280 When he is in the mix on Sunday afternoon, he 1088 00:54:53.360 --> 00:54:59.760 closes the deal. His close rate is absolutely incredible. And now, granted, 1089 00:55:00.559 --> 00:55:04.440 one of his closes was it took a seventy two 1090 00:55:04.480 --> 00:55:08.599 foot putt on the last hole at the Canadian Open 1091 00:55:08.639 --> 00:55:12.280 to become the first Canadian in several decades to win 1092 00:55:12.400 --> 00:55:17.920 the National Open in Canada. But so it takes some 1093 00:55:18.079 --> 00:55:22.639 histrionics on occasion. But Nick Taylor has a remarkable ability 1094 00:55:22.679 --> 00:55:24.559 to close the deal. So if he's still in this 1095 00:55:24.599 --> 00:55:27.039 position on Sunday afternoon, you can figure out that you 1096 00:55:27.079 --> 00:55:30.679 can figure that he'll get her done. But let's talk 1097 00:55:30.679 --> 00:55:35.000 about Ben Griffin fascinating character. Griffin is one of those 1098 00:55:35.000 --> 00:55:38.679 guys who simply has got better as he's gone along, 1099 00:55:39.800 --> 00:55:43.679 and you see him on occasion in other sports mid 1100 00:55:43.800 --> 00:55:46.480 round draft choices coming out of college who just get 1101 00:55:46.480 --> 00:55:49.400 better in the pros and end up being being All 1102 00:55:49.400 --> 00:55:54.159 Star caliber players in different sports. Griffin's one of those guys. 1103 00:55:54.239 --> 00:55:57.440 He played for University of North Carolina. He's a North 1104 00:55:57.440 --> 00:56:02.679 Carolina guy. He had a nice and respectable college career, 1105 00:56:02.679 --> 00:56:06.440 but nothing remarkable. He was an honorable mention All American. 1106 00:56:06.519 --> 00:56:09.360 He won a couple of times. He goes down into 1107 00:56:09.400 --> 00:56:13.760 the developmental tours, goes into the Canadian Tour, did okay, 1108 00:56:13.840 --> 00:56:17.719 got himself onto the corn Faerry, lost his card, and 1109 00:56:17.800 --> 00:56:20.679 so he walked away from the game and went and 1110 00:56:20.760 --> 00:56:23.920 worked as a mortgage loan officer for a year or so, 1111 00:56:24.239 --> 00:56:28.320 like eighteen months, and then he got the itch again, 1112 00:56:29.760 --> 00:56:33.360 went to Corn Fairy Q School, got his Corn Fairy 1113 00:56:33.440 --> 00:56:36.880 card back, and he qualified for the PGA Tour by 1114 00:56:36.920 --> 00:56:40.400 having a lot of high finishes on the corn Ferry Tour. 1115 00:56:40.480 --> 00:56:43.639 He had three top ten finishes, he got a lot 1116 00:56:43.639 --> 00:56:48.039 of points and with that he got his card for 1117 00:56:48.119 --> 00:56:50.800 the PGA Tour. And now he's been on the PGA 1118 00:56:50.800 --> 00:56:53.800 Tour and just keeps getting better. He got his first 1119 00:56:53.840 --> 00:56:56.119 win in the team event at the Zurich with Andrew 1120 00:56:56.199 --> 00:56:59.480 Novak earlier, and then of course he won at Colonial, 1121 00:57:00.159 --> 00:57:05.280 has two wins on the PJ Tour, had a top 1122 00:57:05.360 --> 00:57:09.920 ten here just recently at Cuail Hollow in the pg Championship, 1123 00:57:10.280 --> 00:57:14.280 and now he's in the mix at Memorial on Mirrorfield Village, 1124 00:57:14.280 --> 00:57:17.159 which is a big boy, hard, hard, hard golf course. 1125 00:57:18.679 --> 00:57:21.360 Ben Griffin is one of these guys just keeps getting 1126 00:57:21.400 --> 00:57:23.920 better and he's playing really good golf right now. 1127 00:57:24.039 --> 00:57:25.960 I was going to ask you about the difficulty of 1128 00:57:26.000 --> 00:57:28.000 the course because just kind of tune in a little bit, 1129 00:57:28.159 --> 00:57:30.480 it seems like it's bringing some of the best golfers 1130 00:57:30.480 --> 00:57:33.239 in the world just down to their knees. You know, 1131 00:57:33.360 --> 00:57:36.159 Nick and Bennett seven under, Ox Shay Bati at five under, 1132 00:57:36.840 --> 00:57:38.760 You've got Scotty because of course at. 1133 00:57:38.599 --> 00:57:41.199 Four under, and then more cow was with him as well. 1134 00:57:41.239 --> 00:57:43.559 But if you look at the list of names that 1135 00:57:43.599 --> 00:57:48.039 are either even or above par. I mean heavyweights, you know, 1136 00:57:48.559 --> 00:57:51.079 because this and some of the players missing the cut 1137 00:57:51.119 --> 00:57:56.480 are excellent, excellent, some major champions. So the difficulty of 1138 00:57:56.519 --> 00:57:59.039 this course, how do you articulate why it seems to 1139 00:57:59.079 --> 00:58:01.119 cause so many issues some of the best players in 1140 00:58:01.119 --> 00:58:02.199 the world outside of Paul. 1141 00:58:02.239 --> 00:58:03.400 Of course, golf is hard. 1142 00:58:04.360 --> 00:58:08.679 There are three characteristics that Nicholas purposely built into this 1143 00:58:08.800 --> 00:58:13.400 course after just and he followed Bobby Jones's model. He 1144 00:58:13.480 --> 00:58:16.440 spent He spent a lot of time finding the right 1145 00:58:16.639 --> 00:58:21.039 piece of property before he started the project, and Jones 1146 00:58:21.079 --> 00:58:25.920 did the same thing when he bought the nursery that 1147 00:58:26.519 --> 00:58:31.320 became Augusta National. So starting with a great piece of property, 1148 00:58:31.719 --> 00:58:34.760 there's a lot of elevation change on it, and Nicholas 1149 00:58:34.800 --> 00:58:38.000 takes real advantage of the elevation change. And this is 1150 00:58:38.039 --> 00:58:40.840 a little unfortunate because we're watching it on TV this weekend, 1151 00:58:40.880 --> 00:58:44.000 and TV flattens a golf course. But you can still 1152 00:58:44.039 --> 00:58:47.519 see elevation change all the time on every holes. Characteristic 1153 00:58:47.639 --> 00:58:52.000 number one the elevation change. Number two, it is the 1154 00:58:52.079 --> 00:58:56.079 way they keep this course manicured and the way they 1155 00:58:56.199 --> 00:59:00.880 keep it set up. The rough is penal. It was 1156 00:59:01.039 --> 00:59:05.400 always Jack Nicholas's stance that hitting the ball in the 1157 00:59:05.440 --> 00:59:08.280 ref should cost you half a stroke, which is to say, 1158 00:59:08.800 --> 00:59:10.840 one out of two times that you miss the fair 1159 00:59:10.880 --> 00:59:13.840 way it should make it should equal a bogie. And 1160 00:59:14.559 --> 00:59:19.159 the rough is penal at Mirfield. And they've got a 1161 00:59:19.199 --> 00:59:21.760 little weather going on right now which makes it even 1162 00:59:21.880 --> 00:59:26.920 heavier and harder. And the ref always always plays a 1163 00:59:27.000 --> 00:59:30.280 role at Mierfield Village. And then the third element of 1164 00:59:30.320 --> 00:59:34.840 the course is the way Nicholas built in angles into 1165 00:59:34.880 --> 00:59:38.559 the way the shots are played. And this was something 1166 00:59:39.000 --> 00:59:43.039 that Nicholas really pioneered in terms of planning his attack 1167 00:59:43.199 --> 00:59:46.159 on a golf course, and that is to play, plan 1168 00:59:46.320 --> 00:59:49.760 for and play for certain angles on different shots, whether 1169 00:59:49.800 --> 00:59:53.039 from the tee or into the green. And that characteristic 1170 00:59:53.159 --> 00:59:58.559 is really accentuated and really requires a superb combination of 1171 00:59:58.679 --> 01:00:03.480 planning and secution. And it's a Nicholas design characteristic that 1172 01:00:03.639 --> 01:00:06.199 is at its best at Mirefield Village. 1173 01:00:06.679 --> 01:00:11.079 As I ask you every weekend with these tournaments, draw 1174 01:00:11.119 --> 01:00:14.159 the line of delineation of players who you think can 1175 01:00:14.199 --> 01:00:16.400 still win it after two rounds. So we've got Nick 1176 01:00:16.440 --> 01:00:20.440 and Beat at seven under, I'll say Xander's at two under, 1177 01:00:20.599 --> 01:00:24.599 and then everyone else below him is even or above par. So, 1178 01:00:24.639 --> 01:00:27.719 as of now, who do you think like legitimately can 1179 01:00:27.760 --> 01:00:30.719 still win the thing after two rounds at this course? 1180 01:00:31.679 --> 01:00:35.079 Statistically the number that shows up most often is seven 1181 01:00:35.159 --> 01:00:37.480 shots back after two rounds, and so that would take 1182 01:00:37.559 --> 01:00:41.159 us to even par. Now I want to go to 1183 01:00:41.199 --> 01:00:42.559 plus one because that will. 1184 01:00:42.400 --> 01:00:43.719 Bring in Tony fen. 1185 01:00:43.559 --> 01:00:44.800 Now into the discussion. 1186 01:00:47.320 --> 01:00:49.559 So there's two elements you have to figure in this, 1187 01:00:49.639 --> 01:00:52.159 and actually a third smaller one. But the two big 1188 01:00:52.199 --> 01:00:54.280 ones are first of all, the number of shots that 1189 01:00:54.360 --> 01:00:56.159 have to be made up, and secondly, the number of 1190 01:00:56.159 --> 01:00:59.679 people who have to be passed. In this case, even 1191 01:00:59.719 --> 01:01:02.280 par seven shots back only takes us to t twelve. 1192 01:01:03.440 --> 01:01:06.880 It falls off pretty quickly from the minus seven that's 1193 01:01:07.000 --> 01:01:09.639 leading it with Taylor and Griffin right now, and so 1194 01:01:09.679 --> 01:01:12.280 there's not a lot of people who have to be passed. However, 1195 01:01:12.760 --> 01:01:16.320 those people are pretty high end players. You've got Colin 1196 01:01:16.360 --> 01:01:20.079 Lord of Kawa, Major champions, Ander Schoffley, Major Champion, Russell Henley, 1197 01:01:20.119 --> 01:01:22.360 a lock on the on the Ryder Cup, Jordan Spieth, 1198 01:01:22.440 --> 01:01:27.800 Major Champion, Shane Lowry Major Champion, Scotty Scheffler, Scotty Scheffler. 1199 01:01:28.119 --> 01:01:31.000 You know, there's there's a lot of really high quality 1200 01:01:31.000 --> 01:01:33.760 players that would have to be passed coming from seven 1201 01:01:33.800 --> 01:01:39.360 shots back. But at this point round two mostly in 1202 01:01:39.400 --> 01:01:42.440 the books, all right, look past seven part it's going 1203 01:01:42.519 --> 01:01:43.159 to be a hard thing. 1204 01:01:43.280 --> 01:01:44.159 Okay, fair enough? 1205 01:01:45.119 --> 01:01:48.159 Just a quick thought on Tony one over, so based 1206 01:01:48.159 --> 01:01:50.840 off of where the field is as you reference his score, 1207 01:01:50.880 --> 01:01:53.719 he is still top twenty. But we're just waiting for 1208 01:01:53.840 --> 01:01:55.599 him to kind of find that gear, Paul, aren't we 1209 01:01:55.679 --> 01:01:59.679 so totally? So is it just a continuous process? Is 1210 01:01:59.760 --> 01:02:01.440 the orse hard or what do you make of what 1211 01:02:01.440 --> 01:02:02.320 we've seen from Tony? 1212 01:02:03.360 --> 01:02:06.039 Tony has to get his tee ball into the fairway. 1213 01:02:06.679 --> 01:02:12.280 You cannot attack these greens. You cannot attack pin positions. 1214 01:02:13.119 --> 01:02:14.800 One of the things I failed to mention about the 1215 01:02:14.800 --> 01:02:17.320 design characteristic of Mirefield Village, and you see this on 1216 01:02:17.400 --> 01:02:20.400 Jack Nicholas designs all the time anyway, is that there 1217 01:02:20.440 --> 01:02:23.440 are sections to the green and you can make the 1218 01:02:23.480 --> 01:02:26.639 putting surface. But if you're on the wrong the wrong 1219 01:02:26.920 --> 01:02:29.639 part of the green for where the pin is that day, 1220 01:02:30.639 --> 01:02:36.719 you have to put very very defensively, and so you 1221 01:02:36.800 --> 01:02:40.880 cannot get to the proper section of the green unless 1222 01:02:40.880 --> 01:02:43.360 you can spin and control your ball, and you will 1223 01:02:43.400 --> 01:02:46.199 not spin or control your ball coming out of merefield, 1224 01:02:46.239 --> 01:02:49.480 Billy Truugh. And so it comes down to putting that 1225 01:02:49.639 --> 01:02:53.320 te ball in play on cut grass. That has to 1226 01:02:53.400 --> 01:02:54.480 happen to make a move. 1227 01:02:54.920 --> 01:02:56.519 All right, kind of a fun little story. 1228 01:02:57.159 --> 01:03:00.920 While we await the potential return of Tiger, maybe we 1229 01:03:00.920 --> 01:03:02.639 should start paying attention to his kid. 1230 01:03:03.840 --> 01:03:05.159 No kid, so Charlie. 1231 01:03:05.239 --> 01:03:07.880 Well, Charlie six hundred sixty six to win his first 1232 01:03:08.400 --> 01:03:10.920 aj GA title, a thing that I didn't know was 1233 01:03:10.960 --> 01:03:12.719 real until he woned. 1234 01:03:13.360 --> 01:03:14.400 I'm sure you know about it. 1235 01:03:14.480 --> 01:03:17.519 So tell me about this tournament the Tiger's kid Charlie won. 1236 01:03:18.679 --> 01:03:21.320 So the a j g A, the American Junior Golf 1237 01:03:21.360 --> 01:03:25.760 Association is junior tournament that is to say, eighteen years 1238 01:03:25.760 --> 01:03:29.960 of age and younger for elite elite players. These are 1239 01:03:29.960 --> 01:03:31.840 the best of the best young kids in the nation 1240 01:03:31.960 --> 01:03:35.719 and they travel around the country, although it's very weighted 1241 01:03:35.760 --> 01:03:39.920 toward the East Coast, and they beat on each other 1242 01:03:39.960 --> 01:03:42.039 and they've got a point system. And this is where 1243 01:03:42.039 --> 01:03:47.199 a lot of college recruitment takes place. This and you 1244 01:03:47.280 --> 01:03:51.840 see time and time again that players who end up 1245 01:03:51.840 --> 01:03:56.119 having careers that we follow as professionals, you go back 1246 01:03:56.360 --> 01:04:00.519 in their background and they have had success at AJGA event. 1247 01:04:01.119 --> 01:04:04.440 You just plain see it all the time. And so 1248 01:04:04.519 --> 01:04:10.159 getting an AJGA win is significant for Charlie and he 1249 01:04:10.199 --> 01:04:13.039 has struggled with the aj G A he has he 1250 01:04:13.119 --> 01:04:17.599 has had a hard time maintaining position and getting points, 1251 01:04:17.679 --> 01:04:19.880 and so this is a big step forward for him. 1252 01:04:20.960 --> 01:04:24.360 Pennyfa your thoughts on this McElroy story where he is 1253 01:04:24.400 --> 01:04:27.480 not in the field for Memorial and it's the third 1254 01:04:27.519 --> 01:04:31.800 signature event he's missed this year, And look, I don't 1255 01:04:31.840 --> 01:04:33.320 know that you. I just figure when you're playing the 1256 01:04:33.400 --> 01:04:35.320 way he's playing, you'd want to play as much as 1257 01:04:35.360 --> 01:04:39.360 possible to win tournaments and make money. J Monahan was 1258 01:04:39.400 --> 01:04:43.360 asked about it during the opener of the tournament this weekend, 1259 01:04:43.360 --> 01:04:45.440 and he went to Rory's defense, because you have to 1260 01:04:45.480 --> 01:04:47.639 defend Rory if you're the commissioner of the dan PGA, 1261 01:04:47.760 --> 01:04:50.519 of course, but for golf fans, you just want to 1262 01:04:50.559 --> 01:04:52.760 I mean, this is every time you and I talk live, 1263 01:04:52.840 --> 01:04:54.480 I come down to one thing, and that is I 1264 01:04:54.599 --> 01:04:57.079 just miss watching the best golfers in the world all 1265 01:04:57.119 --> 01:05:00.599 in one tournament playing together, and Rory playing. 1266 01:05:00.400 --> 01:05:03.119 As well, if not better than anybody in the world. 1267 01:05:03.159 --> 01:05:04.840 What do you make of the fact that he doesn't 1268 01:05:04.880 --> 01:05:07.280 seem to be playing in the tournaments that a lot 1269 01:05:07.320 --> 01:05:08.599 of people are hoping he's playing in. 1270 01:05:10.559 --> 01:05:15.039 Rory knows that the two big motivational factors for the 1271 01:05:15.079 --> 01:05:19.079 elevated events, which are points and money. He knows that 1272 01:05:19.119 --> 01:05:22.239 he'll get plenty of those through other memes. He'll he'll 1273 01:05:22.440 --> 01:05:25.559 he'll just playing do well in majors. He'll he'll he'll 1274 01:05:25.599 --> 01:05:27.679 do well enough when he plays that he'll be in 1275 01:05:27.719 --> 01:05:31.039 the mix for points, and and he'll make enough money. 1276 01:05:31.039 --> 01:05:33.280 He's making tons of money in other places. I don't 1277 01:05:33.280 --> 01:05:35.840 think money's a motivational factor for him at this point. 1278 01:05:37.159 --> 01:05:40.400 What Rory has told us straight up is that what 1279 01:05:40.559 --> 01:05:44.639 floats his boat right now is a national championship. And 1280 01:05:44.679 --> 01:05:48.719 so the US Open, what week, the British Open, the 1281 01:05:48.719 --> 01:05:53.079 Open Championship, the Scottish Open, but the Australian Open, things 1282 01:05:53.239 --> 01:05:58.199 like that, the Canadian Open, national championships really have Rory's attention, 1283 01:05:58.880 --> 01:06:01.519 and he's just straight up, this is where I'm going 1284 01:06:01.559 --> 01:06:03.800 to build my schedule and the rest will fall in 1285 01:06:03.880 --> 01:06:07.639 around that. And I take him at his word, and 1286 01:06:08.000 --> 01:06:12.119 I think building the schedule is really hard and the 1287 01:06:12.199 --> 01:06:18.039 travel is really difficult, and whatever works for people, I 1288 01:06:18.639 --> 01:06:22.440 respect their decisions on what makes it work. And at 1289 01:06:22.480 --> 01:06:23.920 the end of the day, when we get to the 1290 01:06:23.960 --> 01:06:26.960 Tour Championship, Rory's going to be there before. 1291 01:06:26.719 --> 01:06:29.519 We get to local storylines what we have coming up 1292 01:06:29.559 --> 01:06:34.280 on the program tomorrow. This does happen in golf from 1293 01:06:34.360 --> 01:06:37.039 time to time. I think it's more prevalent in contact 1294 01:06:37.119 --> 01:06:41.320 sports or violent sports like football or you know, basketball 1295 01:06:41.320 --> 01:06:44.039 players who have injuries that derail their career. And I 1296 01:06:44.079 --> 01:06:47.599 can remember, really, I don't know, like everybody else, COVID 1297 01:06:47.639 --> 01:06:51.760 really got me into golf on a insanely dangerous, addictive level. 1298 01:06:51.760 --> 01:06:53.599 And that's when I started watching a lot of tournaments 1299 01:06:53.639 --> 01:06:55.480 and playing a lot of golf. And it kind of 1300 01:06:55.480 --> 01:06:58.440 coincided with when will Zalaturus kind of broke in on 1301 01:06:58.519 --> 01:07:01.360 the tour and I can I remember just watching him play, 1302 01:07:01.400 --> 01:07:04.480 like this kid has game four days and it felt 1303 01:07:04.480 --> 01:07:06.199 like he was going to go on to win majors 1304 01:07:06.800 --> 01:07:09.159 and he's only twenty eight, but this is his second 1305 01:07:09.199 --> 01:07:11.840 back surgery. Paul and pat Riley has this old saying 1306 01:07:12.039 --> 01:07:16.000 back problems will change your personality. Oh yeah, you know 1307 01:07:16.039 --> 01:07:18.199 what I mean, and so I've gutted for the kid. 1308 01:07:18.280 --> 01:07:21.119 He's out again for the entire year. What's realistic to 1309 01:07:21.199 --> 01:07:24.480 expect is he is faced with a long recovery once again. 1310 01:07:25.559 --> 01:07:30.559 Yeah, it's jarring, it's sad. What a great talent Zala 1311 01:07:30.639 --> 01:07:33.840 Taurus is. His ability to strike the ball cleanly is 1312 01:07:34.719 --> 01:07:40.559 world class, top notch. But the golf swing done in 1313 01:07:40.719 --> 01:07:46.639 certain ways imposes a great amount of torsional stress on 1314 01:07:46.679 --> 01:07:51.639 your joints and it makes the soft tissue really susceptible 1315 01:07:51.719 --> 01:07:58.719 to injury. And valad Taurus's swing, though incredibly efficient, creates 1316 01:07:58.760 --> 01:08:01.599 a lot of torsional stress us and he has tried 1317 01:08:01.639 --> 01:08:04.679 to take steps to get around that. It hasn't fully 1318 01:08:04.719 --> 01:08:07.880 worked yet. One thing you can look for on this 1319 01:08:08.679 --> 01:08:11.000 is at the top of the back swing, do the 1320 01:08:11.079 --> 01:08:14.159 players release the lead foot. For a right handed player, 1321 01:08:14.239 --> 01:08:17.680 the left foot to come with the heel to come 1322 01:08:17.760 --> 01:08:20.640 up off the ground. And when you see a player, 1323 01:08:20.920 --> 01:08:23.880 especially one who swings at very high club head speed, 1324 01:08:24.520 --> 01:08:27.680 with their left foot still on the ground at the 1325 01:08:27.720 --> 01:08:30.199 top of the back swing, the left heel on the 1326 01:08:30.199 --> 01:08:32.520 ground at the top of the back swing, they are 1327 01:08:32.960 --> 01:08:38.560 increasing and accentuating the torsional stress, and they are candidates 1328 01:08:38.600 --> 01:08:43.000 for being hurt. And from what I can tell, that's 1329 01:08:43.039 --> 01:08:45.039 what's been going on with Wills Alaturus. 1330 01:08:46.159 --> 01:08:48.880 All right, Paul, before I set you loose, what's coming 1331 01:08:48.960 --> 01:08:51.399 up on the program tomorrow and what sort of local 1332 01:08:51.720 --> 01:08:53.760 golf storyline should we all be aware of. 1333 01:08:54.760 --> 01:08:59.039 First of all, it's the City Am this weekend at Bonneville. 1334 01:08:59.239 --> 01:09:02.840 Of course, we will be at Bonneville with Utah Golf 1335 01:09:02.920 --> 01:09:06.319 Radio Live on Saturday morning on ESPN seven hundred and 1336 01:09:06.560 --> 01:09:10.239 celebrating the City AM, one of the amateur majors here 1337 01:09:10.279 --> 01:09:15.000 in Utah. Otherwise, we will be following up on and 1338 01:09:16.039 --> 01:09:21.079 going deep on Brigham Young University's deep run into the 1339 01:09:21.239 --> 01:09:26.600 NCAA National Championship. BYU with all of its incredible legacy 1340 01:09:26.680 --> 01:09:30.920 and incredible record and so many great great players. This 1341 01:09:31.079 --> 01:09:34.800 year was the first year that BYU won a regional 1342 01:09:35.039 --> 01:09:38.479 in the match play era. This year is the first 1343 01:09:38.520 --> 01:09:41.960 year that BYU made the cut in the match play 1344 01:09:42.039 --> 01:09:45.640 Era to play the last round of the strokeplay portion 1345 01:09:45.720 --> 01:09:50.880 of the National Championship. This is a historic and record 1346 01:09:50.920 --> 01:09:53.359 setting team for BYU. We're going to go deep on that. 1347 01:09:54.319 --> 01:09:56.560 Paul. Thank you for the time, sir. Have a great weekend, 1348 01:09:56.600 --> 01:09:59.319 have a great show you two. Thank you so much, 1349 01:09:59.479 --> 01:10:00.479 Ben plug Meyer. 1350 01:10:00.600 --> 01:10:02.720 Utah Golf Radio brought to you by our friends that 1351 01:10:02.800 --> 01:10:05.079 you went to golf toime. Now for our Uent to 1352 01:10:05.119 --> 01:10:07.720 Golf PGA Tour update, you can join you into golf 1353 01:10:07.720 --> 01:10:11.039 for the new ping, Scottsdale putters and Bunker Wedges. Visit 1354 01:10:11.079 --> 01:10:14.159 one of five Utah you went to golf locations or 1355 01:10:14.239 --> 01:10:17.199 you can check them out at Worldwide Golf Shops dot com. 1356 01:10:17.239 --> 01:10:20.880 Also visit van Neugolf twenty twenty five dot gifsmart dot com. 1357 01:10:20.920 --> 01:10:23.720 The sign up for the Van Neu Valor Foundation Black 1358 01:10:23.760 --> 01:10:26.760 Deser Attorney with our guy, Kyle van Neu I'll be 1359 01:10:26.880 --> 01:10:28.720 down there. Come hang out with me, Come play a 1360 01:10:28.720 --> 01:10:32.279 little golf with our friends. So Vanni Golf twenty twenty 1361 01:10:32.279 --> 01:10:34.520 five dot gifsmart dot com is where you find it. 1362 01:10:35.079 --> 01:10:40.800 PGA Tour is the Memorial Tournaments Dublin, Ohio Jack's Course 1363 01:10:40.840 --> 01:10:43.439 as it's known, and the leader board. I mean, this 1364 01:10:43.520 --> 01:10:45.680 is an elevated event, so a lot of the big dogs, 1365 01:10:45.680 --> 01:10:48.199 most of the big dogs outside of mackle Roy Kwifranklin 1366 01:10:48.199 --> 01:10:51.000 are playing your leaders in the clubhouse after two rounds 1367 01:10:51.000 --> 01:10:53.239 are Nick Taylor and Ben Griffin. Both are seven under 1368 01:10:53.279 --> 01:10:56.279 par Ox, Shay Vatias at five under, Scottie Scheffler. 1369 01:10:55.880 --> 01:10:58.760 At four, Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth, Shane. 1370 01:10:58.479 --> 01:11:02.159 Lowry three hundred, Parr Russell, hen Hogy, Xander Shotleg Colin 1371 01:11:02.199 --> 01:11:05.720 Morikawa at two over part. Group of players at even 1372 01:11:05.760 --> 01:11:10.000 including Justin Rose and Harris English. Let's see Tony Fenw 1373 01:11:10.119 --> 01:11:13.319 at one over part. He's joined by Ricky Fowler, Patrick Cantley, 1374 01:11:13.399 --> 01:11:16.960 Keegan Bradley, Ludwig Oberg Is also won over some of 1375 01:11:17.000 --> 01:11:19.439 the best golfers in the world having a real, real 1376 01:11:19.520 --> 01:11:22.840 tough time, including Wyndham Clark who barely made the cut, 1377 01:11:22.880 --> 01:11:23.680 as did j T. 1378 01:11:24.680 --> 01:11:25.359 Justin Thomas. 1379 01:11:25.479 --> 01:11:28.000 He Takala did not make the cut, neither did Brian 1380 01:11:28.039 --> 01:11:29.159 Harmon or Lucas Glover. 1381 01:11:29.279 --> 01:11:30.079 Tough golf course. 1382 01:11:30.479 --> 01:11:32.159 So of course I really want to see the New 1383 01:11:32.239 --> 01:11:35.239 York Knicks come back in the series and win. But 1384 01:11:35.359 --> 01:11:37.840 there is a part of me that is cheering for 1385 01:11:37.880 --> 01:11:41.000 the Pacers to play the Thunder in the finals so 1386 01:11:41.039 --> 01:11:44.119 we can hear these Prima Donna ESPN media guys bitch 1387 01:11:44.119 --> 01:11:45.079 and moan about their. 1388 01:11:45.039 --> 01:11:46.600 Routes between these two cities. 1389 01:11:47.359 --> 01:11:50.359 Our next guest certainly is not in that group certainly 1390 01:11:50.399 --> 01:11:52.199 is not in that category. He is a man of 1391 01:11:52.199 --> 01:11:55.159 the people. He enjoys the small towns and cities of America. 1392 01:11:55.760 --> 01:11:57.439 Dave mcmanamhon, Happy Friday, sir. 1393 01:11:57.439 --> 01:11:59.359 How are you yeah? 1394 01:11:59.359 --> 01:12:01.079 I mean I was in a small town just like 1395 01:12:01.159 --> 01:12:04.560 John Cooper, Mela Camp. I go to India. 1396 01:12:04.640 --> 01:12:07.600 Let's go okay. Now, the question right off the top 1397 01:12:07.680 --> 01:12:08.279 is who's going to. 1398 01:12:08.199 --> 01:12:11.680 Be the most bummed out if it's Indianapolis and Oklahoma City. 1399 01:12:12.840 --> 01:12:19.279 Adam silver If probably my wife because she loves New York, 1400 01:12:20.279 --> 01:12:23.279 you know. But obviously we're all here for great basketball. 1401 01:12:23.439 --> 01:12:26.960 And I do believe the way the Knicks have pulled 1402 01:12:26.960 --> 01:12:30.600 themselves off the mat clearly if they get to the finals, 1403 01:12:31.079 --> 01:12:34.880 they'll be a formidable team. And India I believed throughout. 1404 01:12:35.000 --> 01:12:37.520 I mean I may have told you this before. JJ 1405 01:12:37.600 --> 01:12:40.960 Reddick may be Indiana's biggest fan. Throughout the regular season, 1406 01:12:41.119 --> 01:12:44.760 he just louded them for being so good on both 1407 01:12:44.760 --> 01:12:48.399 sides of the ball, being so disciplined, having a deep bench, 1408 01:12:48.560 --> 01:12:51.479 having so many switchable defenders who can also shoot, and 1409 01:12:52.079 --> 01:12:54.359 that's come to bear in the postseason. 1410 01:12:54.640 --> 01:12:56.199 That's because he's buddies with TJ. 1411 01:12:56.319 --> 01:12:59.039 McConnell and don't feed me this whole, and don't feed 1412 01:12:59.079 --> 01:13:02.159 me this whole. I'm cheering for good basketball, No part 1413 01:13:02.199 --> 01:13:05.239 of me believes that day For a second, I am. 1414 01:13:05.159 --> 01:13:07.840 Cheering for the personal experience of being able to cover 1415 01:13:07.880 --> 01:13:11.119 an NBA Finals game in Mad Square Garden. So there's 1416 01:13:11.199 --> 01:13:14.520 my bias there. Obviously, had some great memories of the 1417 01:13:14.520 --> 01:13:16.800 Big East Quarter in the Garden with Syracuse when I 1418 01:13:16.880 --> 01:13:19.720 was in college. I would just love to see the 1419 01:13:19.760 --> 01:13:24.720 city electric for it. However, Indiana is a great basketball 1420 01:13:24.720 --> 01:13:28.600 town as well, and that place can get rocket as well. 1421 01:13:28.600 --> 01:13:31.399 We were just there for All Star Games, you know, 1422 01:13:31.479 --> 01:13:35.279 last season. They were great hosts city. So whatever works 1423 01:13:35.359 --> 01:13:38.479 out so long at what I am truly rooting for 1424 01:13:38.640 --> 01:13:40.960 is a six or seven game series. I'm tired of 1425 01:13:41.000 --> 01:13:43.479 these five game series we's got the last couple of years. 1426 01:13:43.560 --> 01:13:43.720 Now. 1427 01:13:43.720 --> 01:13:45.720 I'm with you there, What do you think the small 1428 01:13:45.760 --> 01:13:48.640 market will do to the TV number? Because you know, 1429 01:13:48.920 --> 01:13:53.039 nobody that loves basketball will ever have anything but reverence 1430 01:13:53.079 --> 01:13:56.000 for the great Spurs teams when they were spurring at 1431 01:13:56.000 --> 01:13:59.159 the highest level of spurring, But some of those finals 1432 01:13:59.239 --> 01:14:02.239 numbers were not great as far as the TV audience goes. 1433 01:14:02.279 --> 01:14:06.279 And New York Indiana has been through the roof, but okay, 1434 01:14:06.319 --> 01:14:08.920 see Minnesota, those numbers have not been great. Dave, do 1435 01:14:08.960 --> 01:14:11.000 you what do you think the small market potential nature. 1436 01:14:11.000 --> 01:14:12.479 If the Necks can't get this done, we'll do to 1437 01:14:12.479 --> 01:14:14.600 the eyeballs watching the finals. 1438 01:14:15.479 --> 01:14:17.960 Yeah, obviously if the next rout there will be a 1439 01:14:17.960 --> 01:14:24.000 lower number. Part of the Minnesota OKAC series I covered 1440 01:14:24.039 --> 01:14:26.760 it was really only was one good game out of five. 1441 01:14:27.000 --> 01:14:30.399 I mean the other four were quite frankly trash. You know, 1442 01:14:30.479 --> 01:14:34.760 you had twenty point, forty point, thirty point blowouts in 1443 01:14:34.800 --> 01:14:37.760 those other four games, and that had something to do 1444 01:14:37.840 --> 01:14:38.159 with it. 1445 01:14:38.760 --> 01:14:40.159 I do I mean a cliche. 1446 01:14:40.239 --> 01:14:42.880 It will sound like it's kind of like you write 1447 01:14:42.920 --> 01:14:45.079 a good story, we'll find it audience. If these are 1448 01:14:45.119 --> 01:14:49.159 good basketball games, then we'll find an audience. And you know, 1449 01:14:49.239 --> 01:14:51.199 I think that will be the challenge on whatever team 1450 01:14:51.319 --> 01:14:53.880 that's coming out of the East will face, is you're 1451 01:14:54.319 --> 01:14:58.720 going against a rested, well oiled machine that will have 1452 01:14:59.159 --> 01:15:02.479 home court advantage the thunder and can you make it 1453 01:15:02.520 --> 01:15:07.239 a series that will be compelling basketball? Because if it's 1454 01:15:07.279 --> 01:15:09.359 compelling basketball, like you just kind of throw your hands 1455 01:15:09.399 --> 01:15:12.159 up and you're like, okay, well, you know That's that's 1456 01:15:12.199 --> 01:15:15.560 what the league wanted anyway. Right, this whole new CBA 1457 01:15:16.159 --> 01:15:20.199 was about parody. And if the parody leads to the 1458 01:15:20.239 --> 01:15:25.640 two teams that getting to the final pinnacle have ability 1459 01:15:25.720 --> 01:15:29.199 to you know, match styles and and make it a 1460 01:15:29.319 --> 01:15:31.720 series where it looks like teams that are worthy of 1461 01:15:31.720 --> 01:15:35.640 that pedestal, like, then I think you live. Whatever the 1462 01:15:36.000 --> 01:15:40.239 number is. If the Knicks get there and they get 1463 01:15:40.279 --> 01:15:42.680 swept in four games like that doesn't do the league 1464 01:15:42.680 --> 01:15:44.039 any good any either, you know. 1465 01:15:45.159 --> 01:15:45.640 It does not. 1466 01:15:45.800 --> 01:15:47.800 All Right, before we get I do want to talk 1467 01:15:47.880 --> 01:15:51.680 Pacers Knicks, but before we do that, let's talk about 1468 01:15:51.760 --> 01:15:53.720 what happened out this way, because of course you had. 1469 01:15:53.600 --> 01:15:54.319 A front row seat. 1470 01:15:54.319 --> 01:15:57.479 But before you get there, when you heard Shack's speech 1471 01:15:57.560 --> 01:16:02.239 last night, didn't make you nervous. 1472 01:16:02.199 --> 01:16:03.000 Yeah, just a little bit. 1473 01:16:04.560 --> 01:16:06.439 Who do you think he was talking about specifically? 1474 01:16:08.119 --> 01:16:12.399 I will not venture a guess. He didn't choose to 1475 01:16:12.520 --> 01:16:17.880 disclose any names on that one. So I will look 1476 01:16:17.960 --> 01:16:21.079 forward to seeing how the partnership bears out. I'll say 1477 01:16:21.079 --> 01:16:24.880 that I personally have had a great relationship with pretty 1478 01:16:24.920 --> 01:16:26.399 much everyone in that memory. I was just spend a 1479 01:16:26.399 --> 01:16:29.520 time with Jerry Greenberg and Okay, see. You know we 1480 01:16:29.760 --> 01:16:32.960 spent time with the Bubble. I've known you EJ and 1481 01:16:33.079 --> 01:16:36.119 Charles and Shack on a personal basis, not Kunny as much. 1482 01:16:36.199 --> 01:16:40.119 But you know, I think it will be a great 1483 01:16:40.159 --> 01:16:43.560 partnership that will have some quirks to it. I think 1484 01:16:43.640 --> 01:16:46.560 to figure out at the beginning, but I think it's 1485 01:16:46.560 --> 01:16:49.319 to be cool to have those guys, you know, holding 1486 01:16:49.359 --> 01:16:51.319 the FBI and Mic flag at the NBA Finals. 1487 01:16:51.520 --> 01:16:53.640 It is so wild you still come on this show 1488 01:16:53.680 --> 01:16:56.239 when my when my goal every single week is just 1489 01:16:56.279 --> 01:16:58.920 to make you sweat and corner you and see if 1490 01:16:59.000 --> 01:17:00.720 I can get you to say so something you'd regret. 1491 01:17:00.760 --> 01:17:01.720 You're very good at this day. 1492 01:17:02.960 --> 01:17:06.319 You know it is. It's like a mental challenge. It's 1493 01:17:06.359 --> 01:17:09.039 like my Sudoku coming on here and try not to 1494 01:17:09.079 --> 01:17:10.800 slip off, just keep my brain shut. 1495 01:17:11.000 --> 01:17:13.800 Well, good, Look, I want to keep you on your toes. 1496 01:17:14.119 --> 01:17:14.520 I've got it. 1497 01:17:14.600 --> 01:17:17.079 I've got to I've got to keep you honest because 1498 01:17:17.079 --> 01:17:18.960 I'm sure the other affiliates you go on like. 1499 01:17:18.920 --> 01:17:21.760 Hey, tell me about schematically how Jalen Brun some guards 1500 01:17:21.760 --> 01:17:22.279 the pick and roll. 1501 01:17:22.560 --> 01:17:24.960 I want to keep you frosty Dave. I want to 1502 01:17:25.000 --> 01:17:25.800 keep the energy up. 1503 01:17:26.960 --> 01:17:29.680 Yeah, I mean I really want to know exactly who 1504 01:17:29.720 --> 01:17:32.520 you are and who were you impersonating there, because now 1505 01:17:32.520 --> 01:17:33.600 I need to put on you. 1506 01:17:33.520 --> 01:17:39.000 Like oh man, all right, so you know what, let 1507 01:17:39.000 --> 01:17:42.520 me let me just ask this question. Can either Indiana 1508 01:17:42.600 --> 01:17:44.720 or New York make Oklahoma City sweat? 1509 01:17:45.000 --> 01:17:46.279 Like when when. 1510 01:17:46.239 --> 01:17:49.800 They lock in, when they are guarding, when they're flying 1511 01:17:49.880 --> 01:17:53.000 up and down. It's of course the sha the shay 1512 01:17:53.039 --> 01:17:56.920 thing is the shay thing. But they're so deep they're impossible, 1513 01:17:57.279 --> 01:17:59.279 and you know they have been all year. They're eighty 1514 01:17:59.359 --> 01:18:02.239 and eighteen, they're twenty nine and one against the East. 1515 01:18:02.319 --> 01:18:04.600 Do why their New York or Indiana have a shot 1516 01:18:04.600 --> 01:18:05.680 in hell against OKC? 1517 01:18:08.479 --> 01:18:12.560 I mean, I think having seen them completely dismantle a 1518 01:18:12.600 --> 01:18:14.840 Wolves team that I cover for two rounds and believe 1519 01:18:14.880 --> 01:18:16.880 that they had a legitimate shot of beating them. 1520 01:18:17.000 --> 01:18:17.840 I doubt it. 1521 01:18:19.279 --> 01:18:23.119 Whether the Knicks in that rockets atmosphere that be of 1522 01:18:23.119 --> 01:18:25.000 the Garden would be able to maybe get a little 1523 01:18:25.039 --> 01:18:28.640 bit further, because that would be a true home court advantage. Possibly. 1524 01:18:29.760 --> 01:18:32.760 At the same time, they're not like a perfect team. 1525 01:18:33.279 --> 01:18:37.600 The thing that gives them a larger marginal area to 1526 01:18:37.600 --> 01:18:41.520 work with is they create so many turnovers that and 1527 01:18:41.560 --> 01:18:43.640 they're also a really good crashing those last is that 1528 01:18:44.000 --> 01:18:47.640 they get like on average in the Minnesota series, who 1529 01:18:47.680 --> 01:18:50.159 is close to like six or seven more shots on 1530 01:18:50.279 --> 01:18:53.439 goals in the games that they want, So you don't 1531 01:18:53.439 --> 01:18:55.399 need to shoot as good of a percentage if you 1532 01:18:55.399 --> 01:18:59.199 get an extra seven tries to try to you know, 1533 01:19:00.039 --> 01:19:05.479 keep up offensively. Shake gillis Ender is a master, the 1534 01:19:05.560 --> 01:19:08.720 young master of the game. And even if you take 1535 01:19:08.720 --> 01:19:11.079 away the foul shots, he's still one of the best 1536 01:19:11.079 --> 01:19:15.079 scores of the twenty twenty five playoffs, So he's incredible. 1537 01:19:15.960 --> 01:19:20.119 Where I think they do have some vulnerability is Chick 1538 01:19:20.520 --> 01:19:24.680 looked great in Game four against the Wolves, but he 1539 01:19:24.840 --> 01:19:29.199 wasn't a huge factor most of that series, and heartsheen 1540 01:19:29.279 --> 01:19:31.720 can get in faust trouble and you know, so they 1541 01:19:31.760 --> 01:19:34.119 are a little vulnerable in the middle. They gets a 1542 01:19:34.159 --> 01:19:37.800 team like the Knicks that they get there with certainly 1543 01:19:37.840 --> 01:19:40.239 what we've seen from it to Robinson and Colathona Towns 1544 01:19:40.479 --> 01:19:45.640 in Eastern Conference Finals. But I think like with the Knicks, 1545 01:19:46.960 --> 01:19:50.760 the straw that starts to drink and Jaylen Brunson being 1546 01:19:52.079 --> 01:19:57.600 a little bit undersized and you know, can get you know, 1547 01:19:57.720 --> 01:20:00.399 kind of crowded by bigger defenders, like they're gonna give 1548 01:20:00.479 --> 01:20:02.079 him a heck of a time when he gets there. 1549 01:20:02.079 --> 01:20:05.239 If it's in they I think they are the most 1550 01:20:05.319 --> 01:20:10.760 equivalent team in the East to playing the Thunderstile in 1551 01:20:10.880 --> 01:20:13.760 terms of like it doesn't really matter who gets the numbers, 1552 01:20:14.920 --> 01:20:17.840 it has spread you out type of style. They can 1553 01:20:17.920 --> 01:20:23.079 also defend with multiple bodies. I do this kind of 1554 01:20:23.119 --> 01:20:26.199 feel like like the Knicks, though would would have a 1555 01:20:26.279 --> 01:20:29.479 slightly better chance. But I will say you're romantic. I 1556 01:20:29.600 --> 01:20:32.600 like the idea of a team breaking through and winning. 1557 01:20:33.760 --> 01:20:35.920 You know, we all know it's been whatever, what's this 1558 01:20:36.039 --> 01:20:37.560 fifty three years since the next of one? 1559 01:20:37.720 --> 01:20:40.079 Mm hmm, yep yep on and we'll see. 1560 01:20:40.119 --> 01:20:43.560 We'll get down in the moment though, But ultimately the 1561 01:20:43.680 --> 01:20:47.399 Minnesota takeaway and look, I cheered for the Timberwolves because 1562 01:20:47.399 --> 01:20:49.760 we had Rudy here, of course, and who doesn't like 1563 01:20:49.840 --> 01:20:51.560 Mike Conley. If you don't like Mike Conley, it's a 1564 01:20:51.600 --> 01:20:55.359 you problem. Nikio Alexander Walker was here wildly. Quinn never 1565 01:20:55.479 --> 01:20:58.000 never played him, and he was kind of like exactly 1566 01:20:58.079 --> 01:21:00.520 what they needed. They preferred Royce O'Neil, but we don't 1567 01:21:00.520 --> 01:21:02.960 have to do a Royce O'Neil vers Nikia Alexander Walker 1568 01:21:03.039 --> 01:21:06.520 segment today, and then obviously Joey Ingles as well. I 1569 01:21:06.680 --> 01:21:09.000 know we're supposed to be mad at Aunt, I guess 1570 01:21:09.079 --> 01:21:12.760 because I watch your network. I like it's odd to 1571 01:21:12.880 --> 01:21:16.560 me because he's twenty three years old, and I don't know, 1572 01:21:16.640 --> 01:21:18.840 I feel like some of the reaction has been people 1573 01:21:19.000 --> 01:21:23.079 upset that he's not more upset at twenty three years old. 1574 01:21:23.159 --> 01:21:24.760 With all the game in the world, he's got plenty 1575 01:21:24.800 --> 01:21:27.239 of time to live up to the hype. As far 1576 01:21:27.319 --> 01:21:30.119 as you know, face the league best domestic player or 1577 01:21:30.199 --> 01:21:32.880 so many of the MVPs as I late been international guys. 1578 01:21:33.479 --> 01:21:35.640 They probably need to make a decision on Mike because 1579 01:21:35.640 --> 01:21:37.119 as much as I love him, it just didn't look 1580 01:21:37.159 --> 01:21:40.520 great this year. He's under contract one more year. You know, 1581 01:21:40.840 --> 01:21:43.520 as a Nick fan, I'm uniquely qualified to talk about 1582 01:21:43.600 --> 01:21:46.680 your issues if Julius Randall is your number two offensive option. 1583 01:21:46.800 --> 01:21:50.000 Even though it looked awesome for a minute against Achieve 1584 01:21:50.039 --> 01:21:52.159 Me against Golden State, I thought Julius was probably the 1585 01:21:52.199 --> 01:21:54.520 best player in that series, and they were also able 1586 01:21:54.560 --> 01:21:57.640 to beat the Lakers, So they're gonna be fine based 1587 01:21:57.680 --> 01:21:59.840 off the fact that they have a Superstars twenty three 1588 01:22:00.039 --> 01:22:02.199 years old. But it's clear now two straight years in 1589 01:22:02.239 --> 01:22:05.439 the Western Conference finals, they've got to find whatever is 1590 01:22:05.520 --> 01:22:07.239 next to get them to that next level. And the 1591 01:22:07.279 --> 01:22:09.479 problem is the next level, at least for now and 1592 01:22:09.560 --> 01:22:12.279 probably for the next three or four years, will reside 1593 01:22:12.319 --> 01:22:12.840 in Okac. 1594 01:22:13.079 --> 01:22:14.920 But what's the off season look like for Minnesota? 1595 01:22:14.920 --> 01:22:17.079 They also have to make a decision about Tim Conley, right, 1596 01:22:17.119 --> 01:22:18.000 I think he's a free. 1597 01:22:17.800 --> 01:22:25.319 Agent, right, con you know, and speaking to you know, 1598 01:22:25.960 --> 01:22:29.840 people with knowledge of the new ownership structure, they're big 1599 01:22:29.920 --> 01:22:32.720 fans in Mark Lauria and Alex Rodriguez are big fans 1600 01:22:32.760 --> 01:22:35.399 of Tim Conley. So I believe there's a ton of 1601 01:22:35.479 --> 01:22:39.479 motivation to get an extension done there now. Of course, though, 1602 01:22:39.600 --> 01:22:44.279 because he's proven himself in Denbury and Minnesota, like, there 1603 01:22:44.319 --> 01:22:46.840 could be some godfather off or somewhere else like you 1604 01:22:46.960 --> 01:22:49.479 got to always keep that in mind, but I think 1605 01:22:49.520 --> 01:22:52.920 the intention would be to keep Conley there. The biggest 1606 01:22:53.720 --> 01:22:55.920 thing that the Wolves can do in terms of getting 1607 01:22:55.920 --> 01:23:00.159 better for next year is it's really of course, got 1608 01:23:00.239 --> 01:23:03.159 to take care of Nazrita to v opts out Joyce Ryannol. 1609 01:23:03.199 --> 01:23:06.920 If he opts out, I don't think Nikhil Alexander Walker 1610 01:23:07.000 --> 01:23:09.960 will be extended by them. I think he's going to 1611 01:23:09.960 --> 01:23:11.439 be the guys that they're going to have to see 1612 01:23:11.479 --> 01:23:14.279 walk and then hope they can replace his production with 1613 01:23:14.600 --> 01:23:17.600 Terrence Channon Junior and Rob Dillingham and Jalen Clark who 1614 01:23:17.840 --> 01:23:19.760 you know, Terrence Shang Junior at thirty five points of 1615 01:23:19.800 --> 01:23:22.159 the last three five games of the Western Conference Finals 1616 01:23:22.399 --> 01:23:25.520 have to really not play in all playoffs long and 1617 01:23:26.359 --> 01:23:29.520 you know, Chris Finch after Game five admitted. 1618 01:23:29.199 --> 01:23:30.520 That it's on him. 1619 01:23:30.680 --> 01:23:32.600 He needs to lengthen this bench with some of his 1620 01:23:32.720 --> 01:23:35.960 younger guys. It's those will be the guys that fill 1621 01:23:36.199 --> 01:23:39.399 the Alexander Walker spot. But really, I think the biggest 1622 01:23:39.680 --> 01:23:43.439 room for improvement here is will be ankeetting to the 1623 01:23:43.640 --> 01:23:46.680 level which we all assume he will. But then Jade 1624 01:23:46.720 --> 01:23:49.399 McDaniels and mcdaniald's so much better than it was a 1625 01:23:49.520 --> 01:23:53.399 year ago, but still there's a big gap between him 1626 01:23:54.000 --> 01:23:56.920 and say Jaylen Williams, who's the second best player for 1627 01:23:57.000 --> 01:23:59.159 Okay see and you saw that in the series. You know, 1628 01:23:59.600 --> 01:24:02.920 in game five, Jane McDaniels goes oh for six to 1629 01:24:03.000 --> 01:24:06.800 start the game and they're down twenty before there's a 1630 01:24:06.840 --> 01:24:09.920 blink of an eye, and yeah, give him credit for 1631 01:24:10.720 --> 01:24:14.760 you know, looking to see open scoring opportunities and taking 1632 01:24:14.840 --> 01:24:16.359 them that they need a guy to do that, but 1633 01:24:16.439 --> 01:24:19.560 then you obviously have to convert. So I think they 1634 01:24:19.600 --> 01:24:22.760 were a team that were treading water a lot of 1635 01:24:22.800 --> 01:24:26.800 the year. They had some injuries, they were an awkward fit, 1636 01:24:27.039 --> 01:24:29.560 trying to make Julius work, trying to make don to 1637 01:24:29.680 --> 01:24:34.560 di vitenso comfortable going away from obviously the system they 1638 01:24:34.600 --> 01:24:37.399 had had with Kat and Ant being the two pillars 1639 01:24:37.439 --> 01:24:40.680 for them for three straight years. There's still a lot 1640 01:24:40.720 --> 01:24:43.680 of encouragement there. I think the part that's concerning is that, 1641 01:24:43.920 --> 01:24:47.239 like they are still in a super crowded Western Conference, 1642 01:24:47.800 --> 01:24:51.800 And this is what Finch said after the game game five. 1643 01:24:51.840 --> 01:24:53.600 He says, like forty two and forty might be a 1644 01:24:53.760 --> 01:24:55.800 good year for a team in the West next year. 1645 01:24:57.079 --> 01:24:59.479 And then you're talking about an uphill battle again in 1646 01:24:59.520 --> 01:25:02.800 the playoff where you don't have one port advantage, and 1647 01:25:03.000 --> 01:25:04.560 when you got to go in and play a place 1648 01:25:04.640 --> 01:25:07.960 like ok See, where it's a madhouse, it's gonna be 1649 01:25:08.000 --> 01:25:09.039 tough win a series that way. 1650 01:25:10.239 --> 01:25:11.840 Is there hurt your feelings that you're not on the 1651 01:25:11.880 --> 01:25:12.520 Hoop Collective. 1652 01:25:16.479 --> 01:25:19.239 I mean, I think it probably saves my sanity from 1653 01:25:19.279 --> 01:25:23.279 having to listen to Tim and Tim every day. But yeah, 1654 01:25:23.359 --> 01:25:24.960 it's a good group. I would like to be about 1655 01:25:25.000 --> 01:25:27.119 a little bit more. I'll go out to the live 1656 01:25:27.159 --> 01:25:28.880 show in Vegas. They had me on stage for it 1657 01:25:28.920 --> 01:25:30.960 a couple of years ago, so we'll see if I 1658 01:25:31.039 --> 01:25:33.640 gets to call up for that. But it's kind of see. 1659 01:25:33.880 --> 01:25:37.359 The thing about it is none of those guys actually 1660 01:25:37.680 --> 01:25:39.680 cover a team that everybody cares about on a daily 1661 01:25:39.720 --> 01:25:42.920 basically the Lakers. So my time is better spent, you know, 1662 01:25:43.079 --> 01:25:45.279 dealing with Luca and Lebron and the Lakers most of 1663 01:25:45.359 --> 01:25:47.680 the time than carving out an hour and a half 1664 01:25:47.880 --> 01:25:51.000 to hear those guys talk about the same issues over 1665 01:25:51.039 --> 01:25:54.319 and over again. But they do do a great job. 1666 01:25:54.479 --> 01:25:56.720 Hey, hey, Porter, I want you to clip that answer, 1667 01:25:56.800 --> 01:25:58.760 except the final part when you said they do a 1668 01:25:58.800 --> 01:26:00.520 great job and it's a good time to nine folks 1669 01:26:00.560 --> 01:26:02.199 that Tim McMahon covers the jazz. 1670 01:26:03.640 --> 01:26:04.039 All right. 1671 01:26:04.720 --> 01:26:08.079 You know you've mentioned Finch's postgame press conference. 1672 01:26:08.399 --> 01:26:09.960 Did I hear him right when he said there are 1673 01:26:10.039 --> 01:26:13.079 thirteen teams in the West that will be jockeying for 1674 01:26:13.359 --> 01:26:13.800 home court. 1675 01:26:13.880 --> 01:26:14.760 Did he say thirteen? 1676 01:26:14.840 --> 01:26:15.239 Is that right? 1677 01:26:16.079 --> 01:26:18.840 Yeah, you did say thirteen, so that maybe a bit 1678 01:26:18.960 --> 01:26:23.199 of an overextension, but I mean it's not it's not absurd. 1679 01:26:23.600 --> 01:26:28.159 Well, it also clearly excludes two teams. One probably resides 1680 01:26:28.199 --> 01:26:29.039 here in Salt Lake. 1681 01:26:29.159 --> 01:26:29.920 Is that fair to say? 1682 01:26:30.680 --> 01:26:33.079 I think that's fair to say. Yes, But I think 1683 01:26:33.479 --> 01:26:37.800 no one in your city you formed listeners having paid 1684 01:26:37.880 --> 01:26:39.560 tens Tor show, would be shocked by that. 1685 01:26:40.119 --> 01:26:43.000 Isaiah Callier broke John Stockton's rookie assist record, Dave, I 1686 01:26:43.039 --> 01:26:43.720 don't know if you read that. 1687 01:26:46.199 --> 01:26:48.239 I actually didn't know that. I'm glad that you shared 1688 01:26:48.239 --> 01:26:49.039 that information with it. 1689 01:26:49.239 --> 01:26:51.479 John Stockton also average fourteen minutes a game as a 1690 01:26:51.560 --> 01:26:54.319 rookie because the starting point Carver's rookie green. Anyway, moving on, 1691 01:26:54.479 --> 01:26:56.720 does Lowry Marketing start for Oklahoma City? 1692 01:26:59.520 --> 01:27:02.439 He does not, Dave, Yeah, I don't. I don't think. 1693 01:27:02.920 --> 01:27:05.920 I don't think he does. Yeah, I don't think he does. 1694 01:27:06.159 --> 01:27:08.479 What does that say about your team when your best 1695 01:27:08.479 --> 01:27:10.520 player would not even start for the team that's in 1696 01:27:10.560 --> 01:27:11.000 the finals. 1697 01:27:12.640 --> 01:27:17.960 M I mean, it's a it's a really good question 1698 01:27:18.119 --> 01:27:21.439 to Brazil. I think there's a certain style that Okay 1699 01:27:21.479 --> 01:27:24.840 See plays that you know, lou dort Is, they would 1700 01:27:24.840 --> 01:27:27.920 decide to go with a guy who's limited offensively because 1701 01:27:27.920 --> 01:27:30.920 he's such a beast defensively in that position. Market is 1702 01:27:30.920 --> 01:27:34.520 a very good player. I mean, so I think it's 1703 01:27:34.600 --> 01:27:38.119 a little unfair to wedge that conversation in because I 1704 01:27:38.199 --> 01:27:41.720 think he could start, for say, the Knicks, like he 1705 01:27:41.760 --> 01:27:42.840 could start over Josh Hart. 1706 01:27:45.720 --> 01:27:47.960 That's you know what, we're hanging the banner. Our best 1707 01:27:48.000 --> 01:27:50.880 player would start over Josh Art. We're gonna we're gonna 1708 01:27:50.920 --> 01:27:54.399 hang that here in sall like, okay, before we'll end 1709 01:27:54.439 --> 01:27:56.279 with Nick Spacers. But before we get there, let me 1710 01:27:56.319 --> 01:27:59.880 ask you a question without the sarcasm laced in it. 1711 01:28:01.479 --> 01:28:03.960 There are now, as a result of the way that 1712 01:28:04.079 --> 01:28:07.800 the CBA is structured, several avenues as far as how 1713 01:28:07.880 --> 01:28:11.319 you can build a contending team. It's no longer was 1714 01:28:11.439 --> 01:28:13.800 Lebron born in your city? Or does he want to 1715 01:28:13.840 --> 01:28:17.039 live in South Beach? And certainly with Luke and Lebron 1716 01:28:17.279 --> 01:28:19.840 and other you know, Golden State grabs Jimmy Butler, there 1717 01:28:19.960 --> 01:28:22.439 always will be those teams that can grab the star 1718 01:28:22.600 --> 01:28:25.560 to put next to other players. But ultimately, when you 1719 01:28:25.680 --> 01:28:29.000 look at Indiana, when you look at Oklahoma City. Even 1720 01:28:29.039 --> 01:28:31.079 the way the Knicks did it. The Knicks did it slowly, 1721 01:28:31.239 --> 01:28:33.560 you know it really Jalen, of course turned out to 1722 01:28:33.600 --> 01:28:37.119 be a great decision. How do the Jazz take advantage 1723 01:28:37.479 --> 01:28:41.479 of this parody era in the NBA? And the CBA 1724 01:28:41.800 --> 01:28:44.359 expires in twenty thirty so, and I don't know if 1725 01:28:44.359 --> 01:28:46.000 they are going to be massive changes. I think a 1726 01:28:46.039 --> 01:28:48.000 lot of people don't love how punitive some of the 1727 01:28:48.840 --> 01:28:51.640 second apron stuff seems to be for owners having the right. 1728 01:28:51.640 --> 01:28:53.279 Checks, just for the right to have the roster. 1729 01:28:53.720 --> 01:28:55.600 So if we say that the Jazz have at least 1730 01:28:55.680 --> 01:28:59.319 five years in this new ecosystem of pro basketball, how 1731 01:28:59.359 --> 01:28:59.840 do they do it? 1732 01:29:00.079 --> 01:29:00.239 Dave? 1733 01:29:01.359 --> 01:29:05.079 Because it's hard to draw a straight line between who 1734 01:29:05.159 --> 01:29:07.720 the Jazz are now and who Oklahoma City is now, 1735 01:29:07.880 --> 01:29:10.000 even though Oklahoma City not too long ago was in 1736 01:29:10.119 --> 01:29:11.079 this rebuilding space. 1737 01:29:11.439 --> 01:29:13.319 Presty has just knocked it out of the park. 1738 01:29:13.600 --> 01:29:16.760 Like they drafted the right guys, they were able to 1739 01:29:16.840 --> 01:29:20.199 receive their generational piece in exchange for Paul George, and 1740 01:29:20.319 --> 01:29:22.720 they found guys off the scrap peep they weren't even drafted. 1741 01:29:23.000 --> 01:29:25.359 It's hard to say, do a Presty because he's done 1742 01:29:25.359 --> 01:29:28.560 it so brilliantly, But we are a basketball market star 1743 01:29:28.720 --> 01:29:30.720 for a decent team. How did Danny and jay Z 1744 01:29:30.840 --> 01:29:31.359 get this done? 1745 01:29:32.960 --> 01:29:36.800 So it starts with you gotta draft well, and when 1746 01:29:36.840 --> 01:29:40.079 you're in the position where you're in the lottery for 1747 01:29:40.680 --> 01:29:43.640 you know, three out of five years, whatever it will 1748 01:29:43.680 --> 01:29:44.319 end up being. 1749 01:29:44.159 --> 01:29:44.720 For the Jazz. 1750 01:29:44.840 --> 01:29:47.039 Like if you get even one of those guys wrong, 1751 01:29:47.239 --> 01:29:50.439 like you're putting yourself beyond a ball. Then you gotta 1752 01:29:51.239 --> 01:29:55.840 look at the Pacers identifying Tyree Calliburton as someone who 1753 01:29:56.079 --> 01:29:59.279 was underutilized and turning him into a guy. They did 1754 01:29:59.359 --> 01:30:01.840 it through a tray. The next same way with Gelen Bruns, 1755 01:30:01.880 --> 01:30:04.920 that is, through free agency, identified a guy who was 1756 01:30:05.159 --> 01:30:07.680 underutilized and took him to another level. I think the 1757 01:30:07.800 --> 01:30:11.000 Jazz kind of tried to do that with a guy 1758 01:30:11.079 --> 01:30:17.479 like Colin Sexton, and probably they unleashed a slightly higher 1759 01:30:17.560 --> 01:30:20.600 levels than he showed in Cleveland. But he's not one 1760 01:30:20.640 --> 01:30:22.680 of those two guys. But you guys to continue to 1761 01:30:22.760 --> 01:30:26.239 try to find a guy that fits that archetype. And 1762 01:30:26.399 --> 01:30:30.039 then you need a system and a coach and a 1763 01:30:30.399 --> 01:30:33.560 clarity of vision. And you know you and I are 1764 01:30:33.640 --> 01:30:36.479 both think aligned and being will Hardy fans, So they 1765 01:30:36.600 --> 01:30:40.720 got that part done. I think the jury is still 1766 01:30:40.800 --> 01:30:43.760 out on how they've done on the draft. You know, 1767 01:30:44.640 --> 01:30:48.079 obviously there's probably a reason why so many people are 1768 01:30:48.199 --> 01:30:51.039 calling about Walker Tesler, probably because that was a probably 1769 01:30:51.239 --> 01:30:55.159 a pretty good pick. And so that's a guy you 1770 01:30:55.479 --> 01:30:57.960 can build around. And hey, you just told me you 1771 01:30:58.039 --> 01:31:01.840 got the guy breaking constacks this record, So maybe that's 1772 01:31:01.840 --> 01:31:04.079 another guy you can build around as well. I mean, 1773 01:31:04.239 --> 01:31:06.720 Collier has built like a young Marcus Smart and if 1774 01:31:06.720 --> 01:31:11.399 you can turn that body into a defensive engine, and 1775 01:31:11.520 --> 01:31:14.760 I like kind of my inside outside pieces of built around. 1776 01:31:14.800 --> 01:31:18.359 And then again you got to marketing. It was another 1777 01:31:18.399 --> 01:31:21.600 guy that they identified. I just think the marketing kind 1778 01:31:21.640 --> 01:31:23.840 of timeline won't fit with where they're at right now. 1779 01:31:24.000 --> 01:31:28.319 So you're probably gonna have to commit to staying in 1780 01:31:28.439 --> 01:31:31.279 this lottery mode. 1781 01:31:31.199 --> 01:31:31.800 For a bit. 1782 01:31:33.319 --> 01:31:36.119 Hit with some luck, you know, the ping bom balls 1783 01:31:36.119 --> 01:31:38.319 got to go your way and get the right guy. 1784 01:31:38.520 --> 01:31:40.800 And you know, like again, I know we were talking 1785 01:31:40.840 --> 01:31:43.720 about the idea of this being you're already on the 1786 01:31:43.760 --> 01:31:47.399 fast track with Cooper Flag, but you know it could 1787 01:31:47.439 --> 01:31:50.199 be you're already on the fast track if you get 1788 01:31:50.520 --> 01:31:55.079 to bits out of Boyu it's just a year delayed 1789 01:31:55.199 --> 01:31:56.439 from what we thought. Maybe it would be. 1790 01:31:56.960 --> 01:31:59.119 All right, before I set you loose, let's do a 1791 01:31:59.159 --> 01:32:03.079 little Eastern Conference finals. And you know, if you were 1792 01:32:03.319 --> 01:32:07.279 like on vacation overseas and did not watch the first 1793 01:32:07.359 --> 01:32:10.479 four games of Nick Pacers and came home last night, 1794 01:32:10.600 --> 01:32:12.359 like I'm gonna watch in basketball, you'd be like, why 1795 01:32:12.520 --> 01:32:15.600 is this close? I mean, it was a mismatch, and 1796 01:32:15.680 --> 01:32:18.159 it really was Dave from my vantage point. And it's 1797 01:32:18.199 --> 01:32:21.000 ironic here because Tom is such a defensive minded guy. 1798 01:32:21.800 --> 01:32:25.239 But this is not Oak and Mace and Ewing and 1799 01:32:25.600 --> 01:32:27.720 Anthony Bonner, if we want to go deep. This is 1800 01:32:27.800 --> 01:32:31.600 not like a big, physical, defensive, dominant basketball team. I 1801 01:32:31.640 --> 01:32:34.640 think they were thirteenth in defensive rating this year, and 1802 01:32:34.680 --> 01:32:36.840 they were close to top five in offense. I'm not 1803 01:32:36.880 --> 01:32:39.600 sure if they finished top five in offense, but it's 1804 01:32:39.600 --> 01:32:42.119 pretty clear after last night because it was the first 1805 01:32:42.199 --> 01:32:45.119 game that they were actually closing out in respect to 1806 01:32:45.159 --> 01:32:49.039 the Pacers, like guard Aaron Nee Smith game one, don't 1807 01:32:49.119 --> 01:32:52.119 give Tyree Salibert and a bunch of airspace in game three, 1808 01:32:52.319 --> 01:32:56.920 like actually play defense, you know, And last night was 1809 01:32:57.000 --> 01:33:00.720 a concerted defensive effort for the thirty two four minutes, 1810 01:33:00.760 --> 01:33:03.119 it was competitive before kind of things got loose in 1811 01:33:03.159 --> 01:33:07.319 the fourth. Can they replicate that in game I guess 1812 01:33:07.359 --> 01:33:10.479 it would be Game six now in Indianapolis, because you 1813 01:33:10.560 --> 01:33:12.239 know what, man like I am to the point with 1814 01:33:12.359 --> 01:33:16.199 this series, I can see all three of the scenarios unfolding. 1815 01:33:16.399 --> 01:33:19.520 I could see the Pacers winning on Saturday. I could 1816 01:33:19.520 --> 01:33:22.079 see the next winning on Saturday and losing Game seven. 1817 01:33:22.119 --> 01:33:24.760 I could see the next winning Saturday and winning Game seven. Like, 1818 01:33:24.800 --> 01:33:26.640 all three of those things still are on the table, 1819 01:33:27.239 --> 01:33:29.239 But the Knicks are gonna have to guard last night 1820 01:33:29.239 --> 01:33:30.560 in a way that they haven't yet. 1821 01:33:30.760 --> 01:33:33.439 Can they replicate that performance for two more games? 1822 01:33:35.680 --> 01:33:38.359 Primarily I completely rearview all three of those things around 1823 01:33:38.399 --> 01:33:42.520 the table the Knicks. You know with the Ananob's that 1824 01:33:42.600 --> 01:33:45.520 they have Robinson Really for a guy who came in 1825 01:33:45.640 --> 01:33:50.319 with an offensive reputation as completely sacrificed that point of 1826 01:33:50.359 --> 01:33:53.520 the game to give his energy and attention towards defense 1827 01:33:53.600 --> 01:33:57.399 this series, it's been really impressive to me. And then 1828 01:33:57.439 --> 01:33:59.920 you got some of like Karl Anthony Towns who seen 1829 01:34:00.199 --> 01:34:04.119 committed more than we normally see him committed to attacking 1830 01:34:04.680 --> 01:34:08.039 the paint. And then I think that aggression offensively is 1831 01:34:08.119 --> 01:34:10.600 carrying over to what he brings defensively. Now he's not 1832 01:34:12.079 --> 01:34:19.199 you know, pick your Gionnaskupo down there, but he's bringing 1833 01:34:19.239 --> 01:34:23.079 some of that level to it. I think it will 1834 01:34:23.119 --> 01:34:27.199 come down to you know, Tyres Alibert quite frankly. I mean, 1835 01:34:27.439 --> 01:34:34.800 Haliburton was invisible in game five and that's not the 1836 01:34:34.880 --> 01:34:36.479 way things are going to work for this team. And 1837 01:34:36.520 --> 01:34:39.239 he doesn't score thirty two and have a you know, 1838 01:34:39.319 --> 01:34:42.399 a near perfect offensive game with fifteen assistants zero turnovers 1839 01:34:42.479 --> 01:34:45.520 like he did earlier in the series. But he's got 1840 01:34:45.640 --> 01:34:49.119 to be a guy who's attacking the paint, breaking down 1841 01:34:49.159 --> 01:34:52.199 the defense, kicking it out to those shooters. 1842 01:34:52.239 --> 01:34:53.920 So even when they the Knicks are. 1843 01:34:53.880 --> 01:34:58.319 Committed to closing out, they have already collapsed on Haliburton. 1844 01:34:58.399 --> 01:35:00.880 So it's a longer close out to get to Anie 1845 01:35:00.960 --> 01:35:04.039 Smith or you know, get out to Mathurin, who you 1846 01:35:04.119 --> 01:35:05.960 know is really starting to catch fire a little bit. 1847 01:35:06.079 --> 01:35:10.840 So the Pacers should feel good about things right now. 1848 01:35:12.079 --> 01:35:17.439 They are going home. They took their lumps, sure, but 1849 01:35:18.039 --> 01:35:20.319 now they have the human nature side. If I want 1850 01:35:20.319 --> 01:35:23.359 to make up for what has happened, uh, And that's 1851 01:35:23.399 --> 01:35:26.479 a place that gets rocking to the field House, which 1852 01:35:26.560 --> 01:35:28.560 I don't well, I don't even know what they've called it. 1853 01:35:28.640 --> 01:35:31.039 So many different things at field House, I don't feel 1854 01:35:31.079 --> 01:35:36.359 confident saying is it games Bridge now Bridge? Yeah, they 1855 01:35:36.560 --> 01:35:40.640 should feel good. At the same time, the Knicks are like, 1856 01:35:41.560 --> 01:35:44.880 we see our pathway and so like it is a 1857 01:35:45.000 --> 01:35:47.239 toss up, it could be tossed up. I think it's 1858 01:35:47.279 --> 01:35:51.760 beautiful that we get a Saturday night with what could 1859 01:35:51.840 --> 01:35:53.479 be the best game of the playoffs thus far, and 1860 01:35:53.880 --> 01:35:55.520 it's been a pretty damn good playoffs. 1861 01:35:55.960 --> 01:35:58.600 If Kenny Smith corners you in Bristol, do you think 1862 01:35:58.640 --> 01:35:59.279 you can handle that? 1863 01:36:02.279 --> 01:36:06.640 I believe, I believe I can. I've seen his races 1864 01:36:06.720 --> 01:36:09.720 to the big board with those knock knees. I'm not 1865 01:36:09.840 --> 01:36:10.680 too worried about. 1866 01:36:11.039 --> 01:36:11.239 Yeah. 1867 01:36:11.239 --> 01:36:13.000 If he was gonna start something with me, I just 1868 01:36:13.079 --> 01:36:13.520 run away. 1869 01:36:17.560 --> 01:36:19.479 Oh, Dave, you're such a good sport man. Have a 1870 01:36:19.520 --> 01:36:22.439 good weekend. Takes for the time, Okay, Nick? 1871 01:36:22.560 --> 01:36:22.880 All right? 1872 01:36:22.960 --> 01:36:26.119 The Great Dave mcminnimon go Nicks for several different reasons, 1873 01:36:26.199 --> 01:36:28.600 mainly so Dave and his lovely wife Malik Andrews do 1874 01:36:28.680 --> 01:36:31.600 not have to work in Indianapolis or well, Oklahoma, city 1875 01:36:31.600 --> 01:36:34.000 they're gonna have to go to no matter what. All Right, 1876 01:36:34.720 --> 01:36:37.359 Dave stops by today, Courtzy of my friends at Prize Picks. 1877 01:36:37.479 --> 01:36:39.479 Prize Picks is the best place to turn your sports 1878 01:36:39.560 --> 01:36:42.479 knowledge into cash. With millions of members, Prize Picks has 1879 01:36:42.520 --> 01:36:45.479 made daily fantasy sports accessible to all. You just spick 1880 01:36:45.520 --> 01:36:47.119 more or less on at least two players for a 1881 01:36:47.159 --> 01:36:48.960 shot that went up to two thousand times for cash. 1882 01:36:49.000 --> 01:36:51.319 You can run your game all season long on Prize Picks. 1883 01:36:51.800 --> 01:36:53.960 Download the Prize Picks app today, used the promo code 1884 01:36:54.159 --> 01:36:56.279 ESPN seven hundred and get fifty dollars in so after 1885 01:36:56.279 --> 01:36:58.640 you play your first five dollars lineup, download the Prize 1886 01:36:58.680 --> 01:37:01.439 Picks app today. You used the promo code ESPN seven 1887 01:37:01.520 --> 01:37:03.319 hundred to get fifty dollars instantly after you play your 1888 01:37:03.319 --> 01:37:05.640 first five dollars line of Prize Picks, run your game 1889 01:37:05.840 --> 01:37:06.800 all season long. 1890 01:37:07.520 --> 01:37:09.720 Get to the five o'clock out of the program. 1891 01:37:09.880 --> 01:37:12.760 Coming up in a bit Brett Yormark, Commissioner the Big 1892 01:37:12.840 --> 01:37:18.039 Twelve with some specific numbers as far as distribution to 1893 01:37:18.399 --> 01:37:20.840 members to member schools. We'll tell you what the University 1894 01:37:20.880 --> 01:37:23.079 of Utah took home last year. By you still not 1895 01:37:23.199 --> 01:37:26.000 a full share member. Yet we'll get to some of 1896 01:37:26.039 --> 01:37:27.800 that coming up in a bit. But you heard pit Bull, 1897 01:37:27.840 --> 01:37:30.079 which means you're in a bad mood, but it also 1898 01:37:30.199 --> 01:37:33.479 means it's time for Zach Harper on a Friday afternoon. Zach, 1899 01:37:33.520 --> 01:37:34.720 Happy Friday, buddy, How are we doing? 1900 01:37:35.359 --> 01:37:35.960 Happy Friday? 1901 01:37:35.960 --> 01:37:40.399 You cannot possibly be mad at Timber though. That's a banger. 1902 01:37:40.600 --> 01:37:41.479 Now we've been over it. 1903 01:37:41.640 --> 01:37:43.920 Man, there are no bangers, O Tapper, Now, there are 1904 01:37:43.920 --> 01:37:46.359 no bangers. There are no toe tappers. He's horrible, But 1905 01:37:46.520 --> 01:37:48.039 you know it's part of the bit, and I can't 1906 01:37:48.119 --> 01:37:48.760 quit a good bit. 1907 01:37:48.840 --> 01:37:49.479 That's how I rolled. 1908 01:37:49.560 --> 01:37:52.319 It was good enough for the NBA playoffs like eleven 1909 01:37:52.399 --> 01:37:52.800 years ago. 1910 01:37:53.119 --> 01:37:57.720 That's what ruined it for me watching pit Bull every night. No, no, no, 1911 01:37:57.920 --> 01:38:01.920 that's okay, still making it worse. That's called your compounding 1912 01:38:01.960 --> 01:38:05.800 the issue. Having to watch playoff basketball every night and 1913 01:38:05.880 --> 01:38:07.520 here Pitbull playoffs. 1914 01:38:07.840 --> 01:38:10.159 Oh, it ruined it. It ruined it for me. Where 1915 01:38:10.239 --> 01:38:11.640 are you are you in Los Angeles? 1916 01:38:12.000 --> 01:38:12.199 Yeah? 1917 01:38:12.199 --> 01:38:12.960 I'm in Los Angeles? 1918 01:38:13.039 --> 01:38:13.239 Yeah? 1919 01:38:13.399 --> 01:38:13.680 Okay. 1920 01:38:13.800 --> 01:38:17.600 So which media member will complain the most if they 1921 01:38:17.640 --> 01:38:20.239 have to travel between Indianapolis and Oklahoma City? 1922 01:38:21.079 --> 01:38:26.520 No question, absolutely, Amino Hassen like that is a guarantee. 1923 01:38:26.640 --> 01:38:29.479 That is a minus ten thousand at the books, if 1924 01:38:29.800 --> 01:38:31.039 if it's even on the books. 1925 01:38:32.359 --> 01:38:34.520 Is he a big city snob? Is mean a big 1926 01:38:34.600 --> 01:38:35.159 city snob? 1927 01:38:35.239 --> 01:38:35.399 Guy? 1928 01:38:35.760 --> 01:38:40.039 Absolutely like the biggest city snob there is. 1929 01:38:41.079 --> 01:38:44.000 Okay, Okay, I did see some Instagram video. He was 1930 01:38:44.079 --> 01:38:46.119 mad at you for something on Instagram, wasn't he? 1931 01:38:46.960 --> 01:38:50.680 Yeah, I was out at dinner and he called me. Well, 1932 01:38:50.680 --> 01:38:54.319 he was in Minneapolis because sometime last year he went 1933 01:38:54.359 --> 01:38:57.960 to Minneapolis. He went to get a late night slice 1934 01:38:58.000 --> 01:39:01.119 of cheese pizza because he just only eats cheese pizza. 1935 01:39:01.560 --> 01:39:03.279 He went to the wrong place and then said that 1936 01:39:03.439 --> 01:39:05.680 all of Minneapolis food is bad, even though it's got 1937 01:39:05.760 --> 01:39:09.520 some of the best restaurants in the country. And I said, 1938 01:39:09.560 --> 01:39:11.560 that's wrong. Plus, you went to the wrong pizza place. 1939 01:39:11.640 --> 01:39:14.000 So then he called me to get me to give. 1940 01:39:13.960 --> 01:39:15.600 Him the right place. But I was at dinner, like 1941 01:39:15.680 --> 01:39:16.640 I was, I was out with someone. 1942 01:39:16.680 --> 01:39:19.199 I'm I'm not going to answer the phone. That's crazy. 1943 01:39:19.640 --> 01:39:22.239 That's on him cheese pizza? What is he twelve? 1944 01:39:22.880 --> 01:39:23.359 Exactly? 1945 01:39:23.600 --> 01:39:23.640 That? 1946 01:39:24.359 --> 01:39:26.359 Okay, Okay, we love him and that's our guy. 1947 01:39:26.399 --> 01:39:29.359 I did not realize he was such a snob, all right, 1948 01:39:29.479 --> 01:39:33.720 let's start out west. And you know, look, man, you 1949 01:39:33.760 --> 01:39:36.399 and I have talked all year long, and Oklahoma City 1950 01:39:36.520 --> 01:39:41.119 is eighty and eighteen. They're twenty nine and one against 1951 01:39:41.119 --> 01:39:45.560 the East. Minnesota is good and they undressed them. I mean, 1952 01:39:45.720 --> 01:39:48.560 is this is this just is this something that feels 1953 01:39:48.640 --> 01:39:50.880 like it's been inevitable for a while and now we're 1954 01:39:50.920 --> 01:39:52.199 just seeing the proof in front of us. 1955 01:39:52.920 --> 01:39:54.920 No, I don't think it's been inevitable. Like I think 1956 01:39:55.000 --> 01:39:58.079 they've I think they've learned. I think that they've gotten better. 1957 01:39:58.119 --> 01:40:01.439 I think they even they've learned in this season of dominance. 1958 01:40:01.560 --> 01:40:04.439 Like I mean, this wasn't something that was just definite, 1959 01:40:04.520 --> 01:40:07.840 Like they went to game seven against against Denver, right like, 1960 01:40:07.920 --> 01:40:11.720 this is something that was like they won handling game seven, 1961 01:40:11.800 --> 01:40:14.359 but that wasn't something that was a definite and that 1962 01:40:14.520 --> 01:40:17.279 was not a good Denver team, right Like that Denver 1963 01:40:17.359 --> 01:40:20.279 team was not good, but they had the best player 1964 01:40:20.279 --> 01:40:21.039 in the world, or they had. 1965 01:40:20.960 --> 01:40:21.760 The best player in the world. 1966 01:40:22.079 --> 01:40:24.239 So like there were still some things here and there 1967 01:40:24.359 --> 01:40:26.800 that they needed to prove. But I think they've learned 1968 01:40:26.880 --> 01:40:29.479 along the way. I think they've grown up in this 1969 01:40:29.720 --> 01:40:32.199 in this playoff experience. And I think they're poised to 1970 01:40:32.800 --> 01:40:34.800 be whoever comes out of the East. But no, like 1971 01:40:34.920 --> 01:40:37.600 I think that, you know, we always get into this 1972 01:40:37.720 --> 01:40:39.439 thing of you know, as not you and me, but 1973 01:40:39.600 --> 01:40:43.520 like as a as a collective talking head of like this, 1974 01:40:44.399 --> 01:40:48.039 you know, oh everyone doubtedn't look and we never considered 1975 01:40:48.039 --> 01:40:52.439 the idea of this actually progressively got better during the 1976 01:40:52.560 --> 01:40:54.960 journey or during the campaign or whatever. And that's what 1977 01:40:55.000 --> 01:40:56.640 I think happened. Like, yes, they were winning games in 1978 01:40:56.640 --> 01:40:59.479 the regular season, so with Cleveland, look what happened. 1979 01:41:00.600 --> 01:41:04.000 Yeah, No, that's that's really fair. And certainly Shay has 1980 01:41:04.079 --> 01:41:06.800 been Shay for a while now. It's it's it's the 1981 01:41:07.000 --> 01:41:10.159 Jalen stuff that I think changes them because he's just 1982 01:41:10.319 --> 01:41:12.520 so ready as their number two, you know what I mean. 1983 01:41:13.239 --> 01:41:17.399 Yeah, And he was bad against against Denver until Game seven. Yeah, 1984 01:41:17.560 --> 01:41:19.640 Like he was really bad offensively. I should say he 1985 01:41:19.680 --> 01:41:22.880 was great defensively, but he was really bad offensively. Couldn't 1986 01:41:22.920 --> 01:41:25.600 hit a shot shot like thirty five or thirty seven 1987 01:41:25.640 --> 01:41:29.800 percent in that series. And then he was a monster 1988 01:41:30.000 --> 01:41:33.640 against Minnesota against good defenders like that. You're like, you're right, 1989 01:41:33.800 --> 01:41:37.720 that Minnesota team's really good. And people overreacting that saying, oh, 1990 01:41:38.079 --> 01:41:39.560 this is the same thing as last year. It's not 1991 01:41:39.600 --> 01:41:41.399 the same thing as last year. That's a good team 1992 01:41:41.479 --> 01:41:44.199 that just got undressed by the best team. And I 1993 01:41:44.239 --> 01:41:46.840 don't think there's any any shame in that. And Jalen 1994 01:41:46.840 --> 01:41:50.199 Williams was, I mean man like. It seemed like anytime 1995 01:41:50.279 --> 01:41:53.560 a player turned their head away from him, he stole 1996 01:41:53.600 --> 01:41:55.399 the ball from them, Like, I don't like you look 1997 01:41:55.399 --> 01:41:57.720 at the stat sheet for that series. I don't know 1998 01:41:57.800 --> 01:42:00.399 how it doesn't say he is thirty steals. It seemed 1999 01:42:00.439 --> 01:42:02.319 like he took the ball from everybody constantly. 2000 01:42:02.880 --> 01:42:04.680 Yeah, and you know, I'm gonna give our die Gordy 2001 01:42:04.800 --> 01:42:07.279 chiasis and credit. During our draft and night coverage a 2002 01:42:07.279 --> 01:42:09.840 couple of years ago, he brought up Case and Wallace quick. 2003 01:42:09.920 --> 01:42:12.720 He's like, watch out for this kid. And you know 2004 01:42:12.840 --> 01:42:17.680 what's wild, Zach When Dagnall sits Hartenstein Hardenstein and puts 2005 01:42:18.039 --> 01:42:22.119 a chat at five and you've got Dort, Shay, Jalen 2006 01:42:22.239 --> 01:42:26.439 and then either Caruso or Case and Wallace. Perimeter players 2007 01:42:26.479 --> 01:42:29.199 have no prayer, they have no shot. Like everybody wants 2008 01:42:29.199 --> 01:42:32.199 to knock on ant, but when every one of your 2009 01:42:32.319 --> 01:42:35.279 dribble handoff actions or pick and roll ball screen actions 2010 01:42:35.720 --> 01:42:38.560 lead to you being handed off between Lou Dort and 2011 01:42:38.720 --> 01:42:40.479 Alex Caruso and Shay. 2012 01:42:40.640 --> 01:42:42.479 You cannot you can't go with Shay. 2013 01:42:42.600 --> 01:42:46.880 I mean he's not Dort necessarily, and Jalen's legitimate like 2014 01:42:47.399 --> 01:42:50.920 all NBA defensive type player as well. Like when they 2015 01:42:51.079 --> 01:42:53.279 go with that, we used to call the Golden State 2016 01:42:53.319 --> 01:42:55.239 line up the death lineup. You know, with Draymond of 2017 01:42:55.279 --> 01:42:59.199 the center, it feels similar like there's no space for 2018 01:42:59.319 --> 01:43:01.960 anybody on pimeter. So for all the heat Ant has 2019 01:43:02.039 --> 01:43:05.399 been taking, to me, it's much more about who Okase 2020 01:43:05.760 --> 01:43:07.680 is and has been than who Ant is currently. 2021 01:43:08.359 --> 01:43:10.319 Yeah, Ant could have played better, he could have done, 2022 01:43:10.479 --> 01:43:13.720 but you look at like the video of what was 2023 01:43:14.439 --> 01:43:15.880 what was there on the court for him? 2024 01:43:16.000 --> 01:43:17.239 I mean, where was he supposed to go? 2025 01:43:17.960 --> 01:43:21.079 There was no room, like there was nothing like, Okay, 2026 01:43:21.640 --> 01:43:23.960 he could I guess space jamut and just jump over 2027 01:43:24.039 --> 01:43:26.640 everybody from forty feet away. But I mean they they 2028 01:43:27.039 --> 01:43:30.800 just schemed it really well and with the personnel that 2029 01:43:30.840 --> 01:43:32.319 the Wolves had. I mean, if you think about this, 2030 01:43:32.920 --> 01:43:35.560 Tim Connelly built that team to beat the Denver Nuggets 2031 01:43:36.159 --> 01:43:39.319 and they did like it worked, and then a year later, 2032 01:43:40.199 --> 01:43:43.079 here's the thunder that that's just at you know, at 2033 01:43:43.119 --> 01:43:45.359 a historic place. And now they've got to figure out Okay, 2034 01:43:45.479 --> 01:43:47.800 now we got to retool this team. But yeah, like 2035 01:43:47.960 --> 01:43:51.039 I thought Ant played well, he didn't play. He didn't 2036 01:43:51.199 --> 01:43:53.640 you know, play to the best that you would want 2037 01:43:53.680 --> 01:43:56.960 him to. Also, he's twenty three, Like what do we 2038 01:43:57.079 --> 01:43:57.520 do here? 2039 01:43:57.600 --> 01:43:58.479 Like he's twenty three? 2040 01:43:58.600 --> 01:44:00.800 Like I just I think this is just the Internet 2041 01:44:00.880 --> 01:44:03.359 being the Internet, and you got to find a way 2042 01:44:03.439 --> 01:44:06.600 to kill a team instead of instead of just acknowledging 2043 01:44:06.680 --> 01:44:07.760 like the best team. 2044 01:44:07.880 --> 01:44:10.039 One in a way that they probably should have won. 2045 01:44:10.239 --> 01:44:10.399 Well. 2046 01:44:10.479 --> 01:44:13.479 In some of the revisionist history stuff you hear with 2047 01:44:13.600 --> 01:44:15.960 the coverts, it's like, well, Jordan would have found a 2048 01:44:16.000 --> 01:44:18.479 way to take every shot. And it's like, no, Jordan 2049 01:44:18.560 --> 01:44:21.199 actually never won until he decided he wanted to be 2050 01:44:21.239 --> 01:44:24.079 a teammate, until he actually had good players around him. 2051 01:44:24.439 --> 01:44:26.760 You know, I can one of my earliest basketball memories. 2052 01:44:26.840 --> 01:44:29.600 This will age me, but watching Jordan score sixty three 2053 01:44:29.720 --> 01:44:34.279 at Boston Garden on TV, like that was an insane performance. 2054 01:44:34.319 --> 01:44:36.600 Guess what happened? They lost to the Celtics. 2055 01:44:36.720 --> 01:44:40.319 Like the whole thing, like right right, like the whole 2056 01:44:40.359 --> 01:44:43.079 thing about Aunt should do what Jordan did, and Jordan 2057 01:44:43.119 --> 01:44:45.560 would just take every big shot. No, Like, Jordan started 2058 01:44:45.600 --> 01:44:49.239 winning championships when he became a more willing teammate and 2059 01:44:49.399 --> 01:44:52.680 became more of a willing defender. I thought aunt when 2060 01:44:52.720 --> 01:44:54.640 he said after I think it was Game four, Like 2061 01:44:55.199 --> 01:44:57.720 I made all the right plays. Maybe not all of them, 2062 01:44:57.800 --> 01:44:59.760 but more often than not, he was making the right 2063 01:45:00.119 --> 01:45:01.800 It's like the way that we knock on some of 2064 01:45:01.840 --> 01:45:04.439 these players that are generational just gets so exhausting. 2065 01:45:05.199 --> 01:45:07.119 Yeah, I mean, look, if you just break it down, 2066 01:45:07.159 --> 01:45:09.479 I like, I completely agree with you, and you break 2067 01:45:09.520 --> 01:45:13.960 it down. The Minnesota Timberwolves, the same Minnesota Timberwolves we've 2068 01:45:13.960 --> 01:45:16.479 known for the last thirty plus years, were just in 2069 01:45:16.680 --> 01:45:20.840 back to back Western Conference finals because of that guy. 2070 01:45:21.600 --> 01:45:23.920 And he's twenty three years old. Like he's going he's 2071 01:45:24.000 --> 01:45:26.560 going to get better. You look at like him versus Shay, 2072 01:45:26.720 --> 01:45:28.760 she's three and a half years older than him, Like 2073 01:45:28.800 --> 01:45:30.760 shehase would be better than him, right, Like they're just 2074 01:45:30.960 --> 01:45:33.399 you got to give give him time for growth. He 2075 01:45:33.520 --> 01:45:37.159 has gotten to a certain level. He probably has another 2076 01:45:37.239 --> 01:45:41.000 couple of levels he can get to. But I mean, man, like, 2077 01:45:41.399 --> 01:45:43.680 he's made the Timberwolves relevant in a way that isn't 2078 01:45:43.680 --> 01:45:48.079 a joke, And I just I don't think people remember all, 2079 01:45:48.279 --> 01:45:51.479 like not all that long ago, like literally, like until two. 2080 01:45:51.479 --> 01:45:54.359 Years ago, this was one of the biggest jokes in 2081 01:45:55.279 --> 01:45:57.000 sports history as a franchise. 2082 01:45:58.039 --> 01:46:01.199 All right, So, uh, before we to the potential matchup, 2083 01:46:01.279 --> 01:46:03.079 let's move out east, and you know, we've had a 2084 01:46:03.119 --> 01:46:05.279 couple of NBA guys on today, So I'm gonna ask 2085 01:46:05.319 --> 01:46:08.079 you kind of a similar type question. I mean, like 2086 01:46:08.199 --> 01:46:11.800 if you were on vacation and you came back and 2087 01:46:11.880 --> 01:46:13.399 you hadn't had a chance to watch any of the 2088 01:46:13.439 --> 01:46:15.680 Knicks Pacers series and you watched last night, you'd be like, 2089 01:46:15.720 --> 01:46:16.680 how is it even close? 2090 01:46:17.720 --> 01:46:17.840 Now? 2091 01:46:18.039 --> 01:46:21.640 Ultimately, it was the first game, at least from my prism, 2092 01:46:21.880 --> 01:46:25.560 that the Knicks actually tried to guard with intent and 2093 01:46:25.640 --> 01:46:28.359 purpose on the perimeter, like for all the Nie Smith 2094 01:46:28.439 --> 01:46:31.720 Game one stuff like those were walking practice shots. Do 2095 01:46:31.840 --> 01:46:33.760 respect to Nie Smith. He knocked him down, but he 2096 01:46:33.960 --> 01:46:37.159 was not under a lot of pressure. Halliburton was awesome 2097 01:46:37.279 --> 01:46:41.159 last game, but he had so much space, and the 2098 01:46:41.239 --> 01:46:43.920 Knicks this game made a very concerted effort to make 2099 01:46:43.960 --> 01:46:46.159 sure Halliburton could not get off early and they actually 2100 01:46:46.239 --> 01:46:49.199 did close out on shooters. So We can talk Cat, 2101 01:46:49.680 --> 01:46:52.119 we can talk Jalen, but those guys score no matter what. 2102 01:46:52.319 --> 01:46:54.800 It's the defense that's been the issue. Can the Knicks 2103 01:46:54.880 --> 01:46:56.680 keep it up as far as what you saw them, 2104 01:46:57.520 --> 01:46:59.800 you know, be able to do last night defensively with 2105 01:47:00.239 --> 01:47:01.000 concerted effort. 2106 01:47:01.680 --> 01:47:05.159 Yeah, I mean, I think the concern I have is that, look, 2107 01:47:05.359 --> 01:47:08.520 everything looks a lot better at home, right, And I 2108 01:47:08.600 --> 01:47:10.880 get it, like they lost the first two games at home, 2109 01:47:11.000 --> 01:47:14.119 but with your back against the wall, Game five, down 2110 01:47:14.199 --> 01:47:17.680 three to one, you know, home teams are I think 2111 01:47:17.880 --> 01:47:21.119 what was the stat I saw from the ringer was 2112 01:47:21.199 --> 01:47:24.520 like home teams down three to one in game five 2113 01:47:24.640 --> 01:47:27.319 or like thirty two and twelve or something like that, right, 2114 01:47:27.479 --> 01:47:30.640 Like they usually win those games. And there was a 2115 01:47:30.680 --> 01:47:31.920 point like I don't want to take away from what 2116 01:47:31.960 --> 01:47:34.279 the Knicks did, So this is kind of a tough statement, 2117 01:47:34.399 --> 01:47:36.920 but there was a point where I wonder, I was, 2118 01:47:36.960 --> 01:47:41.159 like the Pacers really come out there thinking like we're 2119 01:47:41.199 --> 01:47:43.760 gonna win this game? Or do they? Or was it 2120 01:47:43.800 --> 01:47:46.359 that classic like all right, we'll see, Oh the Knicks 2121 01:47:46.399 --> 01:47:48.479 really want to play tonight. Well, we got game six 2122 01:47:48.560 --> 01:47:51.199 on Saturday at home. You know, like I couldn't really 2123 01:47:51.279 --> 01:47:54.399 tell what their what their focus level was. And so 2124 01:47:54.880 --> 01:47:56.600 I do think the Knicks had a great game plan. 2125 01:47:56.800 --> 01:48:00.880 I think they maybe can replicate that game plan defensively, 2126 01:48:00.920 --> 01:48:03.600 but I also expect Rick Carlisle to make adjustments. It's 2127 01:48:04.119 --> 01:48:07.760 it is a novel idea to not just allow the 2128 01:48:07.840 --> 01:48:12.000 opposing team to walk into the jumpers like it. I mean, 2129 01:48:12.319 --> 01:48:14.560 there was a moment in game four when Haliburton's having 2130 01:48:14.600 --> 01:48:18.239 that transcendent game where Jalen Brunson like just walked away 2131 01:48:18.319 --> 01:48:21.359 from him and he and he just like Halibert just 2132 01:48:21.439 --> 01:48:24.479 stepped into a twenty five foot three pointer and like, 2133 01:48:24.640 --> 01:48:26.520 we know he can hit that, and he knocked it 2134 01:48:26.600 --> 01:48:29.159 down cold, and I like, you just you can't give 2135 01:48:29.199 --> 01:48:31.199 these guys space, Like the NBA players are too good 2136 01:48:31.199 --> 01:48:32.399 at shooting at this point, you can't. 2137 01:48:32.720 --> 01:48:33.760 You can't give them space. 2138 01:48:33.960 --> 01:48:37.760 I didn't think that the Pacers had the same, you know, 2139 01:48:38.239 --> 01:48:42.640 the same relentlessness offensively of getting into the paint. Maybe 2140 01:48:42.680 --> 01:48:44.319 some of that was the defense, Maybe some of that 2141 01:48:44.439 --> 01:48:46.680 was apathy, Maybe some of that was just you know, 2142 01:48:46.880 --> 01:48:49.000 I will get him on Saturday. I don't really know 2143 01:48:49.159 --> 01:48:53.039 how to how to judge that from an outside looking in, 2144 01:48:53.279 --> 01:48:56.039 but the you know, the Knicks did what they need 2145 01:48:56.119 --> 01:48:58.560 to do. I just I don't know if they can 2146 01:48:58.680 --> 01:49:03.079 easily get that same kind of result, not even just 2147 01:49:03.119 --> 01:49:05.680 from a score standpoint, but from just a defensive execution 2148 01:49:05.800 --> 01:49:08.039 standpoint when they're on the road Saturday. 2149 01:49:08.279 --> 01:49:10.479 Yeah, and you know, the good news is now we 2150 01:49:10.600 --> 01:49:13.159 know that Tom Thibodau does watch tape and it was like, oh, 2151 01:49:13.239 --> 01:49:16.720 campaign isn't very good at this, So you know, like, 2152 01:49:16.880 --> 01:49:19.920 thank goodness that those minutes are going to Delon, who 2153 01:49:19.960 --> 01:49:22.079 can at least guard now offensively. It's a little weird 2154 01:49:22.119 --> 01:49:24.359 because Delon was a ute and he was a really good, 2155 01:49:24.479 --> 01:49:28.279 like ball in hand offensive initiator. It doesn't look very 2156 01:49:28.399 --> 01:49:30.479 confident with the ball in his hand on offense, but 2157 01:49:30.560 --> 01:49:33.439 he has given them good defensive minutes. Landry Shammit's played 2158 01:49:33.439 --> 01:49:36.680 pretty well and at least he's trying. But the problem 2159 01:49:36.800 --> 01:49:38.880 is Rick has been playing eleven players all year and 2160 01:49:38.960 --> 01:49:40.600 Tom's just starting to do it now. 2161 01:49:40.760 --> 01:49:41.880 But what are your. 2162 01:49:41.880 --> 01:49:45.159 Thoughts on Tom Thibodau at least actually trying to extend 2163 01:49:45.279 --> 01:49:47.359 minutes to the bench so his starters don't die in 2164 01:49:47.439 --> 01:49:47.840 the fourth. 2165 01:49:48.640 --> 01:49:51.439 I mean, there's there's a moment in the movie Face 2166 01:49:51.520 --> 01:49:55.600 Off where John Travolta, who's actually Nicholas Cage. You know, 2167 01:49:55.680 --> 01:49:58.720 they're surprised at what his character is doing, and he goes, well, 2168 01:49:58.760 --> 01:50:01.720 you know what they say in all SLS fresh tactics 2169 01:50:01.760 --> 01:50:03.520 like that seems to be Tom Sibodol. I think someone 2170 01:50:03.680 --> 01:50:06.800 is actually a different person inside of his inside of 2171 01:50:06.840 --> 01:50:08.760 his body right now. I don't think it's actually him. 2172 01:50:09.840 --> 01:50:11.560 I don't think Landry Shammitt is the answer. 2173 01:50:12.800 --> 01:50:13.199 I don't like. 2174 01:50:13.239 --> 01:50:14.880 I don't think that's gonna go well in game six. 2175 01:50:15.079 --> 01:50:17.279 I do like Duce McBride. I think he's I think 2176 01:50:17.279 --> 01:50:19.279 he's kind of fearless. I think he's a good a 2177 01:50:19.359 --> 01:50:21.880 good bench option. I love Delan right off the bench, 2178 01:50:21.960 --> 01:50:24.279 like he's just solid right, he's gonna guard, he's gonna 2179 01:50:24.359 --> 01:50:26.159 run the offense. He's not much of a scorer, but 2180 01:50:26.239 --> 01:50:28.520 I just I think he's I think he's much a 2181 01:50:28.640 --> 01:50:32.000 much better option than than Campaign. I, you know, would 2182 01:50:32.119 --> 01:50:33.960 maybe throw a show out there a little bit and 2183 01:50:34.039 --> 01:50:36.159 just see if him give you five minutes. But they 2184 01:50:36.199 --> 01:50:38.119 don't need a lot, right, They don't need a lot 2185 01:50:38.159 --> 01:50:40.039 with these bench guys. They just need a little bit 2186 01:50:40.119 --> 01:50:43.840 of competency and just so didn't get their guys a 2187 01:50:43.880 --> 01:50:46.600 little bit extra rest. But with the way you know 2188 01:50:46.760 --> 01:50:50.359 Indiana is going to turn up the tempo on on 2189 01:50:50.479 --> 01:50:55.319 Saturday tomorrow. I just meant like Stibbo's gotta get into it. 2190 01:50:55.520 --> 01:50:57.680 He's got to get into his bench a little bit more. 2191 01:50:58.479 --> 01:51:00.880 So, what's the lean. I've said this earlier, and this 2192 01:51:01.079 --> 01:51:04.279 is how I truly feel. Any of the three scenarios 2193 01:51:04.359 --> 01:51:07.199 left I can actually see happening. I can see Indiana 2194 01:51:07.279 --> 01:51:10.119 winning Saturday. I can see the Knicks winning Saturday and 2195 01:51:10.159 --> 01:51:12.479 then losing Game seven. And I could even see the 2196 01:51:12.560 --> 01:51:15.359 next winning Saturday and winning Game seven. I really don't 2197 01:51:15.399 --> 01:51:17.079 have a lean. Every time I feel like I have 2198 01:51:17.199 --> 01:51:19.920 a pulse on how this is gonna go, I'm proven wrong. 2199 01:51:20.199 --> 01:51:21.640 Are you leaning one way or the other? 2200 01:51:22.439 --> 01:51:22.640 Yeah? 2201 01:51:22.880 --> 01:51:26.640 I do think Indiana closes out. I think they've proven 2202 01:51:26.800 --> 01:51:31.479 to be a more focused team in terms of knowing 2203 01:51:31.720 --> 01:51:34.319 what their identity is and knowing what they should do. 2204 01:51:35.239 --> 01:51:36.800 And it's not a knock on the Knicks. I just 2205 01:51:36.880 --> 01:51:40.520 think the Knicks have gotten sucked into like what Indiana 2206 01:51:40.600 --> 01:51:42.760 wants to do the next of a couple of games 2207 01:51:42.800 --> 01:51:44.720 in the series. You know, we saw it at the 2208 01:51:44.800 --> 01:51:48.239 end of regulation in Game one, where they got tricked 2209 01:51:48.239 --> 01:51:51.760 into running with Indiana instead of slowing things down. We 2210 01:51:51.880 --> 01:51:54.439 saw it in Game four for sure, where they were 2211 01:51:54.520 --> 01:51:57.119 just running with Indiana for no reason. I'm just like, 2212 01:51:57.319 --> 01:51:59.640 just slow it down, run some pick and roll, like, 2213 01:52:00.159 --> 01:52:02.640 grind out some of these possessions. And the thing that 2214 01:52:02.720 --> 01:52:05.159 bothers me about the Knicks offense, they're hitting shots like. 2215 01:52:05.199 --> 01:52:06.880 You can look at their offensive numbers and they look 2216 01:52:07.199 --> 01:52:09.560 they look good. So it you know, you can look 2217 01:52:09.560 --> 01:52:11.880 at the results and it's fine as much, you know, 2218 01:52:11.920 --> 01:52:15.039 as Boogian will attest to right now, but you like 2219 01:52:15.159 --> 01:52:17.720 you you look at that and you be like, oh, 2220 01:52:17.760 --> 01:52:20.800 what's the problem. But doesn't that seem like every bucket 2221 01:52:20.880 --> 01:52:24.039 they get a side, you know, game five aside one, 2222 01:52:24.199 --> 01:52:27.560 Games one through four, every bucket they're just working so 2223 01:52:27.880 --> 01:52:30.359 hard to get each basket and then on the other end, 2224 01:52:30.439 --> 01:52:32.800 Indiana is just getting easy buckets. Like That's the thing 2225 01:52:32.880 --> 01:52:34.960 that worries me about the Knicks offense is they have 2226 01:52:35.039 --> 01:52:37.720 to work so hard for every shot and that's just 2227 01:52:37.840 --> 01:52:39.399 not the case for Indiana. And when you go on 2228 01:52:39.439 --> 01:52:41.960 the road for Game six, it just can't be that 2229 01:52:42.479 --> 01:52:43.479 for forty eight minutes. 2230 01:52:44.199 --> 01:52:47.479 If the Knicks lose on Saturday, you know, one of 2231 01:52:47.520 --> 01:52:50.520 the wildest stats, and this is prior to last night, 2232 01:52:50.640 --> 01:52:52.720 so I don't have it updated, But prior to last night, 2233 01:52:53.319 --> 01:52:58.039 Jalen Bronson had one assist to Cat all series long. Yeah, 2234 01:52:58.279 --> 01:53:01.800 like they don't play well together offensively. I mean you 2235 01:53:01.840 --> 01:53:03.479 can get into some of the pick and roll stuff 2236 01:53:03.520 --> 01:53:05.479 and Kat you know, comhoot it from three and Jalen 2237 01:53:05.600 --> 01:53:08.319 such a bold and then sometimes when Jalen does have 2238 01:53:08.479 --> 01:53:10.680 his has his head down all the time, like he's 2239 01:53:10.720 --> 01:53:12.319 so good at it, you let him do it. But 2240 01:53:12.399 --> 01:53:14.960 at times it is at the expense of the other 2241 01:53:15.399 --> 01:53:17.800 players offensively, which is why the plus minus stuff and 2242 01:53:17.880 --> 01:53:20.880 gets so murky. So I mean, look, when you look 2243 01:53:20.920 --> 01:53:23.319 at their books, the core kind of is in place 2244 01:53:23.399 --> 01:53:26.239 unless they want to do something drastic. Maybe you look 2245 01:53:26.279 --> 01:53:28.359 at the head coach. I don't know, I mean, Dolan' 2246 01:53:28.399 --> 01:53:30.640 such a wild card. If the Knicks lose tomorrow night, 2247 01:53:31.279 --> 01:53:34.319 there's part of me that believes, because they beat Boston 2248 01:53:34.520 --> 01:53:36.359 and nobody thought they would, they might be a little 2249 01:53:36.359 --> 01:53:38.319 bit ahead of schedule because they were kind of built 2250 01:53:38.359 --> 01:53:40.279 with the idea that Boston was gonna have to break 2251 01:53:40.319 --> 01:53:41.119 it down this summer. 2252 01:53:41.640 --> 01:53:42.760 So there's part of me the beliefs. 2253 01:53:42.760 --> 01:53:44.520 Okay, you run it back your head of schedule, But 2254 01:53:44.560 --> 01:53:46.479 then there's part of me that believes there's enough data 2255 01:53:46.600 --> 01:53:50.319 indicates that maybe this group doesn't necessarily work to the 2256 01:53:50.319 --> 01:53:53.119 point where you can win the thing. What's the offseason 2257 01:53:53.199 --> 01:53:55.039 look like in New York if they lose on Saturday. 2258 01:53:55.560 --> 01:53:59.359 I mean, the thing is that the East, who knows, right, 2259 01:53:59.720 --> 01:54:02.640 like Cleveland doesn't look ready, as we talked about before, 2260 01:54:02.760 --> 01:54:05.640 Like Cleveland looks, you know, kind of mentally weak. Indiana 2261 01:54:05.720 --> 01:54:10.960 is really good, Orlando and Detroit are coming, Milwaukee good 2262 01:54:11.039 --> 01:54:13.439 luck with this whole situation, and who knows if they 2263 01:54:13.479 --> 01:54:15.279 even you know, maybe they deal with Giannis and then 2264 01:54:15.359 --> 01:54:19.199 that's that's out of the question. Boston, you know, Tatum's 2265 01:54:19.199 --> 01:54:23.239 probably out for the year. Next year, you know, it 2266 01:54:23.560 --> 01:54:25.279 does leave them. It's just kind of like, well, it 2267 01:54:25.359 --> 01:54:27.640 might just be you in Indiana next season, right to 2268 01:54:27.680 --> 01:54:30.079 see who can win the East. Now that maybe someone 2269 01:54:30.199 --> 01:54:33.039 comes along and surprise them, but it is. 2270 01:54:33.079 --> 01:54:33.760 Set up for them. 2271 01:54:34.199 --> 01:54:38.560 At the same time, it's James Dolan, like you're asking 2272 01:54:38.720 --> 01:54:42.760 him to be competent and reasonable. And that's the thing 2273 01:54:42.840 --> 01:54:44.920 I look at is like, you know, I had heard 2274 01:54:44.920 --> 01:54:48.359 towards the end of the season. If Tom Ziboo, you know, 2275 01:54:48.880 --> 01:54:51.840 if they don't get to the conference finals or or deeper, 2276 01:54:52.520 --> 01:54:54.279 you know, he's gonna get fired. And I didn't know 2277 01:54:54.319 --> 01:54:55.760 what to make of that. You know. Some of it 2278 01:54:55.960 --> 01:54:58.560 was was people like, yeah, that's true, and somebody like, no, 2279 01:54:58.640 --> 01:55:01.800 that's not true. That's that's dramatic. Right, So they get 2280 01:55:01.800 --> 01:55:04.039 to the Commons files, you think he's safe. Yeah, But 2281 01:55:04.079 --> 01:55:06.039 if James Dolans seas and gets to the Commons Finals 2282 01:55:06.039 --> 01:55:07.960 and then lose to a Pacers team that he doesn't 2283 01:55:07.960 --> 01:55:10.840 think is good is as good as them, which is 2284 01:55:11.000 --> 01:55:13.239 very possible. Now, and you know this is me guessing, 2285 01:55:13.359 --> 01:55:16.199 but I'm trying to put my brain in, you know, 2286 01:55:16.279 --> 01:55:18.640 with James Dolans right now, Like, would it shock you 2287 01:55:18.760 --> 01:55:20.920 if he if he used that against Tom? Finlin just said, 2288 01:55:20.920 --> 01:55:23.119 all right enough enough, let me go get me Michael Malone. 2289 01:55:23.119 --> 01:55:25.760 He's from New York. You know, he's repped by CIA. 2290 01:55:26.079 --> 01:55:28.359 That works for me. Like, I just think that all 2291 01:55:28.399 --> 01:55:31.159 this stuff, like you can't predict that. Now, if they 2292 01:55:31.239 --> 01:55:33.880 do keep them, and they do look at this and say, hey, 2293 01:55:33.920 --> 01:55:37.520 we're right there, then you're trying to you know, use 2294 01:55:37.640 --> 01:55:40.199 all of this momentum and the openness of the East 2295 01:55:40.279 --> 01:55:42.760 and everything and the gliss and glamour of New York 2296 01:55:42.840 --> 01:55:46.079 and being a Nick and all that to hopefully bring 2297 01:55:46.119 --> 01:55:49.199 in some bargains. You know, you've got some relief with 2298 01:55:49.359 --> 01:55:52.600 the contract extension that Jalen Brunson's signe like, there are 2299 01:55:52.680 --> 01:55:55.479 some ways to hopefully still out the roster. But then 2300 01:55:55.520 --> 01:55:58.039 you got to hope that you know, Tom plays them 2301 01:55:58.039 --> 01:55:58.399 next year. 2302 01:55:58.720 --> 01:55:59.039 I don't know. 2303 01:55:59.119 --> 01:56:02.199 I don't know, Like I think that's another conversation between 2304 01:56:02.920 --> 01:56:05.800 Tom Tibodeau in the front office that he may be 2305 01:56:05.840 --> 01:56:06.399 sick of having. 2306 01:56:06.479 --> 01:56:08.760 At this point, do either of the Knicks or the 2307 01:56:08.840 --> 01:56:12.800 Pacers even make it interesting in the NBA Finals? 2308 01:56:13.720 --> 01:56:16.439 I think Indiana can. I think that their style of play, 2309 01:56:16.640 --> 01:56:18.600 the way that they don't really turn the ball over 2310 01:56:18.840 --> 01:56:20.560 of I mean Game five aside, they turned the ball 2311 01:56:20.560 --> 01:56:23.239 over Ton last night, but you know, they don't really 2312 01:56:23.279 --> 01:56:26.119 turn the ball over there there. They've got an interesting style, 2313 01:56:26.239 --> 01:56:30.319 They're deep, Halliburton's amazing. I think that they can make 2314 01:56:30.359 --> 01:56:33.760 it interesting. I think they can maybe even push it 2315 01:56:33.840 --> 01:56:37.399 to six. Everything breaks right, but man, I mean the 2316 01:56:37.479 --> 01:56:39.479 thunder just they're gonna they're gonna beat. 2317 01:56:39.319 --> 01:56:39.880 Both these teams. 2318 01:56:40.239 --> 01:56:47.479 Does lowry marketing start for okac Oh. He doesn't. 2319 01:56:47.520 --> 01:56:49.119 That's gonna be tough if he's on the Kings. 2320 01:56:51.800 --> 01:56:53.000 I don't know why. I feel like you're gonna be 2321 01:56:53.000 --> 01:56:55.520 on the Kings. Just feels like the King's Kings situation. 2322 01:56:56.359 --> 01:56:58.920 He doesn't start for them is when it comes. 2323 01:56:58.760 --> 01:57:00.119 Down, he would know, he would you know, do you 2324 01:57:00.319 --> 01:57:00.960 start for them? Yeah? 2325 01:57:01.680 --> 01:57:03.640 All right, before I say you lose, we will do 2326 01:57:03.880 --> 01:57:05.800 just a little jazz because you were doing radio in 2327 01:57:05.840 --> 01:57:08.279 Salt Lake City, you do a lot of draft stuff. 2328 01:57:08.960 --> 01:57:12.279 Just curious best case scenario at five in your opinion 2329 01:57:12.359 --> 01:57:14.239 for the Jazz to walk away from in the draft 2330 01:57:14.279 --> 01:57:15.199 come up in a few weeks. 2331 01:57:16.159 --> 01:57:18.319 I think Tredy Johnson. I think if Trade Johnson falls 2332 01:57:18.359 --> 01:57:21.000 to five, that's that's huge. Like he's a monster scorer, 2333 01:57:21.439 --> 01:57:24.000 he's a really good guard. I think he's you know, 2334 01:57:24.279 --> 01:57:27.680 he has some things that that you need to iron 2335 01:57:27.760 --> 01:57:30.720 out with him, but he just doesn't like he doesn't 2336 01:57:30.720 --> 01:57:32.920 turn the ball over. He can really shoot, he can 2337 01:57:33.039 --> 01:57:35.680 really score. He's a good free throw shooter. Like I, 2338 01:57:35.840 --> 01:57:38.319 you know, you need to change some things with shot 2339 01:57:38.359 --> 01:57:41.079 selection and everything. But I just think that I that's 2340 01:57:41.119 --> 01:57:43.239 a guy that could average twenty five twenty seven points 2341 01:57:43.239 --> 01:57:45.439 a game at his peak. Like I just I think 2342 01:57:45.520 --> 01:57:47.880 he's a He's a monster, and there's a certain point 2343 01:57:47.880 --> 01:57:50.800 where you just you need guys who can go efficiently 2344 01:57:50.920 --> 01:57:53.800 get buckets, and I think he's gonna be that. Anyone 2345 01:57:53.880 --> 01:57:56.479 else there, I don't know that it's a it's a 2346 01:57:56.600 --> 01:58:00.880 real good fit for them. Maybe if Edgecombe fell to five, 2347 01:58:01.199 --> 01:58:04.159 that could be fun. I do think he has good potential. 2348 01:58:04.239 --> 01:58:08.199 Tho I'm not completely sold. If Ace Bailey fell, all right, 2349 01:58:08.560 --> 01:58:10.680 if you believe in your development, that could be good. 2350 01:58:10.720 --> 01:58:13.439 I've talked to some people that aren't as low on him, 2351 01:58:13.520 --> 01:58:16.720 even after last season, but I think Trey Johnson is 2352 01:58:16.760 --> 01:58:17.000 the guy. 2353 01:58:18.119 --> 01:58:20.279 So Chris Finch and we'll set you loose after this. 2354 01:58:20.479 --> 01:58:23.600 Chris Finch after the Minnesota loss said something that made 2355 01:58:23.640 --> 01:58:26.000 my ears per cup. He said there are thirteen teams 2356 01:58:26.039 --> 01:58:27.720 in the West next year that will be fighting for 2357 01:58:27.800 --> 01:58:29.720 home court. I'm like, oh, all right, well, I guess 2358 01:58:29.800 --> 01:58:32.880 the secrets out. Everybody knows clearly he left out the 2359 01:58:33.039 --> 01:58:35.319 Jazz and probably the Blazers would be my guest. 2360 01:58:35.399 --> 01:58:36.439 Those are the other two teams. 2361 01:58:37.439 --> 01:58:39.279 And then you add on to the fact Zach that 2362 01:58:39.359 --> 01:58:41.439 they have a top eight protected pick that goes to 2363 01:58:41.960 --> 01:58:46.359 you guessed it, Oklahoma City next year. All of the 2364 01:58:46.520 --> 01:58:50.640 signs are pointing to just another atrocious season where they're 2365 01:58:50.720 --> 01:58:52.119 unserious about competition. 2366 01:58:52.279 --> 01:58:55.800 Yeah, oh yeah, for sure. I mean, and you know, 2367 01:58:56.520 --> 01:58:58.920 there's some really good players at the top of next 2368 01:58:59.000 --> 01:59:02.720 year's drafts. So you play the game again, you roll 2369 01:59:02.800 --> 01:59:04.720 the dice, you go back to the crafts table, and 2370 01:59:04.800 --> 01:59:07.600 you just you hope that you hope that you got it. 2371 01:59:07.680 --> 01:59:09.640 You get a long roll and you make some money. 2372 01:59:09.720 --> 01:59:12.439 Like that's what it is, right, Like that's it's not 2373 01:59:12.680 --> 01:59:15.319 just we did it for one draft. We you know, 2374 01:59:15.439 --> 01:59:18.439 and it works like it is part of trust, the 2375 01:59:18.520 --> 01:59:20.640 process and all that stuff, Like you got to do 2376 01:59:20.680 --> 01:59:22.760 it for a couple of these when when it's worth it. 2377 01:59:22.920 --> 01:59:24.840 So it was bad that they didn't do it for Wemby. 2378 01:59:25.079 --> 01:59:27.439 It was fine that they didn't do it for you know, 2379 01:59:27.520 --> 01:59:31.000 the Alex Sar draft, and you know, they tried it 2380 01:59:31.039 --> 01:59:33.000 for this draft and it didn't work out. But there's 2381 01:59:33.039 --> 01:59:34.880 some talent at the top of next year's draft that 2382 01:59:35.039 --> 01:59:39.119 is worth doing it again. After that, man, you got 2383 01:59:39.239 --> 01:59:42.079 to show some progress, especially if you're not really discounting 2384 01:59:42.159 --> 01:59:44.640 these tickets, which I'm sure is not part of the 2385 01:59:44.720 --> 01:59:45.279 business plan. 2386 01:59:45.560 --> 01:59:48.319 It very much is not. All right, Zach, appreciate the time. 2387 01:59:48.399 --> 01:59:50.800 Man, have a good weekend, all right, yelling timber buddy. 2388 01:59:50.960 --> 01:59:54.800 Okay, Zach Harper from the Athletic I always appreciate his time. 2389 01:59:55.119 --> 01:59:57.439 You can follow him on social media at talk Hoops 2390 01:59:57.560 --> 02:00:00.920 is where you find him. All right, happen up the program, 2391 02:00:01.159 --> 02:00:04.079 Final segment of the day, Final segment of the week. 2392 02:00:04.159 --> 02:00:05.960 We've had a really fun week, short week. We had 2393 02:00:06.000 --> 02:00:09.680 Monday off from Memorial Day. Hopefully you did two. Happy 2394 02:00:09.920 --> 02:00:12.600 Friday to you, Happy weekend to you. Good job gang, 2395 02:00:12.680 --> 02:00:14.560 you did it, showed up every day this week, did the. 2396 02:00:14.600 --> 02:00:17.600 Things You've earned. Some time off. Should be a beautiful, 2397 02:00:17.680 --> 02:00:18.479 warm weekend. 2398 02:00:18.680 --> 02:00:22.399 So get elevated, pike, bike, golf, whatever you do, walk 2399 02:00:22.479 --> 02:00:25.439 the dog, enjoy the fact that we have this beautiful 2400 02:00:25.439 --> 02:00:28.000 playground at our disposal, living in Salt Lake. 2401 02:00:28.079 --> 02:00:30.239 So there we go, Hi Porter, how are you? 2402 02:00:30.560 --> 02:00:33.119 We have not really even discussed much of anything with 2403 02:00:33.199 --> 02:00:35.520 you all day as a result of our technical difficulties. 2404 02:00:35.600 --> 02:00:37.600 Our hair was kind of on fire today. It happens. 2405 02:00:37.600 --> 02:00:40.119 It happened. Sometimes I just press the buttons and that's okay. 2406 02:00:40.520 --> 02:00:42.840 Well, you're very good at that. Sometimes you're a lead 2407 02:00:42.880 --> 02:00:45.199 at it quite frankly to switch the butcher. 2408 02:00:45.399 --> 02:00:46.920 Sometimes they switch the buttons. 2409 02:00:46.680 --> 02:00:47.159 Up on me though. 2410 02:00:47.560 --> 02:00:50.560 Well when that happens, we all lose when that happens, 2411 02:00:50.680 --> 02:00:52.399 as we've learned on the show. But I think we're 2412 02:00:52.479 --> 02:00:56.159 used to the new system after you know, some rough days, 2413 02:00:56.239 --> 02:00:57.399 becoming accustomed to it. 2414 02:00:57.439 --> 02:00:58.279 I think that's fair to say. 2415 02:00:58.439 --> 02:01:01.079 I think so, I think so. And yeah, here's the deal. 2416 02:01:01.079 --> 02:01:05.119 When you do live radio, there's always something something that 2417 02:01:05.239 --> 02:01:07.479 could come up. You could do everything right and a 2418 02:01:08.399 --> 02:01:12.680 mouse could chew through a court or something. So that's 2419 02:01:12.880 --> 02:01:15.399 that's how it would be. We still did some sports radio. Hey, 2420 02:01:15.560 --> 02:01:17.439 we may have had the best NBA guest lineup in 2421 02:01:17.439 --> 02:01:18.079 the country. 2422 02:01:17.840 --> 02:01:20.720 Today, So look, you know, not to brag, but there 2423 02:01:20.760 --> 02:01:23.920 are very few radio shows anywhere that would have Howard Beck, 2424 02:01:24.039 --> 02:01:26.439 Tony Jones, Dave mcmannimon, and Zach Harper on it on 2425 02:01:26.560 --> 02:01:27.000 the same day. 2426 02:01:27.039 --> 02:01:27.840 Am Paul Polkmyer. 2427 02:01:28.119 --> 02:01:30.800 Shout out to Pugs, but that was a golf guest today. 2428 02:01:30.880 --> 02:01:31.920 But we love our die. Paul. 2429 02:01:32.960 --> 02:01:35.439 Give me a hot take on what you saw last night. 2430 02:01:35.600 --> 02:01:39.439 Like again, I will lean into one thing you finally guarded. Yeah, 2431 02:01:39.600 --> 02:01:41.640 for all of this stuff about Nie Smith Game one, 2432 02:01:41.760 --> 02:01:45.279 Halliburton triple double, Lake, too much space on the perimeter, 2433 02:01:45.359 --> 02:01:46.800 and the Knicks actually took a little bit of that 2434 02:01:46.920 --> 02:01:47.600 away last night. 2435 02:01:47.840 --> 02:01:51.880 Yeah, I mean it was a I think a solid 2436 02:01:51.920 --> 02:01:53.960 performance for the Knicks for the first time this series, 2437 02:01:54.039 --> 02:01:57.239 even the games spends that they won. I just I 2438 02:01:57.319 --> 02:01:59.760 didn't feel like they put together a great forty eight 2439 02:01:59.760 --> 02:02:02.399 minut You mentioned it. I've talked about it a lot 2440 02:02:02.479 --> 02:02:05.720 through the series. The Karl Anthony Towns forgetting he's playing 2441 02:02:05.800 --> 02:02:09.479 for a minute, the Ananobee, who is a great defender 2442 02:02:10.000 --> 02:02:13.279 kind of just forgetting he's on defense for moments during 2443 02:02:13.359 --> 02:02:17.920 the series. Jalen Brunson has been more sloppy with the 2444 02:02:18.039 --> 02:02:20.560 ball in hand than I can remember him being at 2445 02:02:20.560 --> 02:02:23.399 any time during even the regular season. 2446 02:02:23.840 --> 02:02:24.000 Like that. 2447 02:02:24.359 --> 02:02:27.399 There has been like a more las II fair look 2448 02:02:27.520 --> 02:02:31.720 to the Knicks during the Eastern Conference Finals than I 2449 02:02:31.800 --> 02:02:34.920 ever thought I would have seen. But last night they 2450 02:02:34.960 --> 02:02:38.600 flipped the script. They changed that. They looked sharp, and 2451 02:02:40.119 --> 02:02:42.319 that's the only way they're gonna win. There's not the 2452 02:02:43.079 --> 02:02:45.159 because of what you did in the first couple of games, 2453 02:02:45.439 --> 02:02:48.000 especially because of what you did in Game one. There's 2454 02:02:48.039 --> 02:02:50.119 no more cushion for air, there's no more room for error. 2455 02:02:51.079 --> 02:02:52.760 You got to put forty eight minutes together, and then 2456 02:02:52.840 --> 02:02:54.159 you got to do it again in game seven. 2457 02:02:54.439 --> 02:02:57.680 Well, and you know, growing up you played basketball, and 2458 02:02:58.000 --> 02:03:01.359 I'm sure I certainly did. When you played rec ball 2459 02:03:01.479 --> 02:03:04.560 or junior jazz ball. Growing up, there was always a 2460 02:03:04.600 --> 02:03:07.640 player too on your team that their parents forced them 2461 02:03:07.680 --> 02:03:08.600 to play basketball. 2462 02:03:08.680 --> 02:03:09.920 They want them to make friends. 2463 02:03:11.039 --> 02:03:12.560 And so there's always a couple of guys on your 2464 02:03:12.560 --> 02:03:15.039 team that just don't know how to play. And sometimes 2465 02:03:15.159 --> 02:03:18.680 Josh Hart makes passes that reminds me of my friend Taylor. 2466 02:03:19.039 --> 02:03:20.520 Shout out Taylor, who. 2467 02:03:20.479 --> 02:03:22.039 Was like forced to play on our team but didn't 2468 02:03:22.039 --> 02:03:23.199 know how to play and would like throw it to 2469 02:03:23.279 --> 02:03:25.760 the other team. I love Josh Hart, but some of 2470 02:03:25.840 --> 02:03:29.560 his decision making is so stupid and like mind numbing. 2471 02:03:30.399 --> 02:03:31.560 Take care of the ball, man. 2472 02:03:32.279 --> 02:03:33.920 I come from a small town, so it was like 2473 02:03:34.239 --> 02:03:37.159 a lot of the guys were just like farm boys. 2474 02:03:37.199 --> 02:03:40.199 Who name one you know, no, I know one is 2475 02:03:40.239 --> 02:03:40.840 coming to mind. 2476 02:03:41.239 --> 02:03:43.720 I'll actually say this because he's he wouldn't be offended 2477 02:03:43.760 --> 02:03:48.640 by it. But my buddy Porter Hancock, who's we share 2478 02:03:48.680 --> 02:03:51.520 that we share the first name. Obviously, when we were young. 2479 02:03:51.680 --> 02:03:54.960 He played basketball just to like work out, just to 2480 02:03:55.039 --> 02:03:56.800 be there, and we would be like, hey, go foule 2481 02:03:56.840 --> 02:03:57.880 that guy, Go foul this guy. 2482 02:03:58.079 --> 02:03:59.399 Yeah, that was his role. 2483 02:04:00.159 --> 02:04:03.880 And living in Farmville, there's plenty of wrestlers. There's plenty 2484 02:04:03.920 --> 02:04:07.600 of those types of guys that end up playing basketball 2485 02:04:07.640 --> 02:04:10.600 with you. And yeah, Josh Hart because he is like 2486 02:04:10.680 --> 02:04:14.680 such an energizer. A you see an offensive rebound, like 2487 02:04:14.720 --> 02:04:18.359 a high bounce offensive rebound, and Josh Hart is going 2488 02:04:18.439 --> 02:04:21.439 to like put his body on the line, right, And 2489 02:04:21.720 --> 02:04:25.079 I love that about him, but it makes him play 2490 02:04:25.119 --> 02:04:29.239 at a speed sometimes that he gets out in front 2491 02:04:29.239 --> 02:04:31.279 of his skis is the term you use here, right, 2492 02:04:33.199 --> 02:04:38.239 His action is operating a little quicker than the basketball IQ. 2493 02:04:38.680 --> 02:04:40.960 And that's to give a take you have with players 2494 02:04:41.000 --> 02:04:41.159 like that. 2495 02:04:41.279 --> 02:04:44.079 Yeah, and I love Josh Hart, But between Josh's my 2496 02:04:44.239 --> 02:04:48.640 numbing passes in Cats like brain farts on defense where 2497 02:04:48.640 --> 02:04:50.399 I'm just gonna grab a guy and commit a foul. 2498 02:04:50.479 --> 02:04:52.640 You already have four fouls, dude, we need you on 2499 02:04:52.760 --> 02:04:53.119 the floor. 2500 02:04:53.520 --> 02:04:57.039 Those two dynamics of the Knicks are driving me bonkers 2501 02:04:57.239 --> 02:04:57.560 right now. 2502 02:04:57.760 --> 02:05:01.880 Yeah, that one really when Kat just reached out and 2503 02:05:02.039 --> 02:05:06.439 grabbed like we were he's holding in football. I don't 2504 02:05:06.439 --> 02:05:10.319 even know what to do with those, but that dynamic 2505 02:05:11.359 --> 02:05:15.520 and then I know, Tibbs always just makes me a 2506 02:05:15.560 --> 02:05:18.119 little weary when it comes to the lineup stuff, and 2507 02:05:19.039 --> 02:05:21.920 that's kind of been the entire mo of this postseason. 2508 02:05:21.960 --> 02:05:22.560 Yeah, no doubt. 2509 02:05:22.600 --> 02:05:25.840 All right, Porter, on Monday, are we previewing a Game seven? 2510 02:05:26.079 --> 02:05:29.000 Or are we previewing the NBA Finals? I think we're 2511 02:05:29.000 --> 02:05:32.000 previewing a Game seven. Okay, I think I like it. 2512 02:05:32.159 --> 02:05:36.640 I hope, I hope too. Yeah, the game seven's rule. 2513 02:05:36.680 --> 02:05:39.159 It's not just because the NIXT stuff. I also just 2514 02:05:39.159 --> 02:05:41.319 would love to see Game seven in the conference finals. 2515 02:05:41.640 --> 02:05:44.159 All right, let's get our weekend started. Porter, what comes 2516 02:05:44.199 --> 02:05:46.399 our way in a Monday edition of the program. 2517 02:05:46.159 --> 02:05:48.560 Well, hopefully we'll also be recapping three points from RSL. 2518 02:05:48.680 --> 02:05:51.760 Indeed, probably not, but hopefully. 2519 02:05:51.680 --> 02:05:54.720 Hopefully recapping or looking ahead to a Game seven with 2520 02:05:54.800 --> 02:05:58.840 Tom Haberstrow, Richard Smithy Smith in studio for an entire hour, 2521 02:05:59.199 --> 02:06:03.000 and then our monthly ish catch up, a little offseason chat, 2522 02:06:03.199 --> 02:06:06.560 maybe a little soccer with one Kyle Bonegura of ESPN. 2523 02:06:06.600 --> 02:06:07.239 All Right, there we go. 2524 02:06:07.399 --> 02:06:09.319 That'll be a fun Monday show. And with that we'll 2525 02:06:09.359 --> 02:06:12.680 say goodnight for a Friday edition of the program. Special 2526 02:06:12.760 --> 02:06:15.560 thank you today to Tony Jones, Howard Beck, Paul Pogmyer, 2527 02:06:15.640 --> 02:06:18.079 Dave Mcmanhamon and Zach Harper. That's a lot of good stuff. 2528 02:06:18.720 --> 02:06:20.359 If you missed any of it, go to the website. 2529 02:06:20.399 --> 02:06:23.319 It's ESPN seven hundred Sports dot com. Take us on 2530 02:06:23.399 --> 02:06:26.439 the go by downloading our mobile app. ESPN seven hundred 2531 02:06:26.479 --> 02:06:27.960 app is available in the App Store at the Google 2532 02:06:28.000 --> 02:06:29.920 play Store. Then, finally, for what we do in our 2533 02:06:29.960 --> 02:06:33.479 space every afternoon for four hours, check out our podcast 2534 02:06:33.560 --> 02:06:35.279 page where you can listen whatever part of the show 2535 02:06:35.319 --> 02:06:36.560 you want to listen to on your time. 2536 02:06:36.640 --> 02:06:38.079 It's called The Drive with Spence. Check its. 2537 02:06:38.079 --> 02:06:41.159 It's available wherever you gets your shows. Subscribe, rate, review, 2538 02:06:41.199 --> 02:06:42.960 say nice things in the comments, and give us all 2539 02:06:43.000 --> 02:06:44.960 the stars. It helps support I'm Spence saying, and I 2540 02:06:45.119 --> 02:06:47.319 Begod yourself, Begin to each other. Have a great weekend, 2541 02:06:47.399 --> 02:06:50.039 and we'll talk to you on a Monday edition of 2542 02:06:50.159 --> 02:06:53.159 the Drive right here on ESPN seven hundred ninety two 2543 02:06:53.159 --> 02:06:54.840 and ifm We are proud to be part of Utah's 2544 02:06:55.039 --> 02:06:56.079 ESPN Radio Network.