WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.680 All right, Briday's show rolled along here in downtown Salt 2 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:04.799 Lake City, Utah. Our next guest, I like to call 3 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:08.759 him a friend, but a mentor. First and foremost best 4 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:11.640 known I don't know these days Chris Russo, Mad Dog, 5 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:14.599 of course, mister Russo best known for me with Mike 6 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:16.800 and the Mad Dog. My question out of the gates 7 00:00:16.839 --> 00:00:19.640 these days, what do you get recognized for the most 8 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:21.359 first take? 9 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:23.800 Okay, no question about it's ben So the first take. 10 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:25.440 You know, if I'm in New York, little Mike and 11 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.000 the Mad Dog too, because you just said as a 12 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:31.800 nineteen year show. But as far as the overall thing, 13 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:35.200 if I'm bouncing around a little first take, that would 14 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:38.200 be the one. In the power of television see today, 15 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:43.119 that would definitely be the one. Serious is a little 16 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:46.320 different because it's you know, sort of a it's a 17 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:49.280 little nichey. So ifro am mass standpoint, now everybody kind 18 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:52.200 of puts everything together right away, takes them a minute 19 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:54.640 or two. The riders, oh yeah, that's the guy Mike 20 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:56.840 and the Mad Doorgs saw me plenty of times. It's different, 21 00:00:56.920 --> 00:00:58.960 And of course the first take you on here constantly, 22 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:01.640 so those the first take one is by far the best. 23 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:05.560 Okay, yeah, that makes sense, and I certainly tune in 24 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:07.359 when you're on that show, and I'm glad you brought 25 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:09.000 that up. And I should lead with thank you so 26 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:10.840 much for your time. You're very kind of do this. 27 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:14.079 It's been too long. Every time I watch you on 28 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:16.560 First Take, I have this thought like, is it is 29 00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:19.560 it different or is it similar to the way you 30 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:22.000 and Mike approach the show back in the day, Because 31 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:25.439 a lot of people don't necessarily remember, in my opinion, 32 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:28.680 you guys were the origin of what the modern day 33 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:31.599 debate shows have become. So this is not a new 34 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:34.280 thing for you. Is doing First Take different or is 35 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:35.920 it similar to what you did with Mike and the 36 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:37.000 Mad Dog back in the day. 37 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:41.599 No, it's similar. It's you know, it's a little bit 38 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:46.040 more specific on a topic. It's not as you know, 39 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:47.959 the Mike and the Mad Dog thing would do anything. 40 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:53.640 It's it's a little bit more NBA NFL dominated. But 41 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:55.760 and you got more than just two people in there, 42 00:01:55.799 --> 00:01:58.200 because it's very rarely just Steve and I. You know, 43 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:00.879 sometimes it's you know, it could be football season, you 44 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:03.560 got two or three different guys in their basketball season, 45 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:06.319 you got two three different guys in there, so it's 46 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:09.080 it's very rarely just as two of us. It's more 47 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:13.240 of a trilogy per se. So from that standpoint it 48 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:16.360 is a little different, but the from that, from the 49 00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:18.680 amount of people. But I mean the idea is the same. 50 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:21.919 The idea is to move the needle. The idea is 51 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:24.960 to give obviously your opponent a chance to talk. Your 52 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.159 idea is to you know, give your opinion and hopefully 53 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:33.120 it's organic enough and hopefully it's a situation where it's 54 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:37.479 spurs debate, and hopefully it's opposite with your opponent. In 55 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:40.520 this case, Steve passed. In other words, I might have 56 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:43.400 one opinion and if it really works properly, it would 57 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:46.000 be nice if Steve had the other opinion and Mike 58 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:49.560 and I the same scenario too. So I think there's 59 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:53.879 you know, listen, debate shows on TV came from duet 60 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:57.560 shows on radio, so it's the same theme. There are 61 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:00.639 some intricacies that are a little different. You want to 62 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:02.439 talk a little quicker on TV, you want to be 63 00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:04.800 eating out a little quicker. Radio is a little bit 64 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:07.159 more of a filipbuster element to it. But I mean, 65 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:10.960 the same idea holds both ways. Same idea holds both ways. 66 00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:15.000 Chris Russo, sorry, you're good and finish good and finish dog. 67 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:18.000 No, just have an opinion. I think that's the most 68 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.400 important thing, to go out there and have an opinion 69 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.680 and be you know, part of being good on radio 70 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.439 or TV is being a salesman. You want to be 71 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:29.120 able to sell your opinion even if you think or 72 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:31.240 even if people don't think it's right. You want to 73 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:33.319 make a good case for it. And for the most part, 74 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:34.800 you try to do that a little more so on 75 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:36.879 TV than you do on radio, but you're trying to 76 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:37.960 make a good case for it. 77 00:03:37.960 --> 00:03:40.199 For sure. Chris Russo, better known as the Mad Dog, 78 00:03:40.199 --> 00:03:42.280 as our guests here on ESPN seven hundred out of 79 00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:45.680 a Friday afternoon. You know, mister Russo, I'm gonna call 80 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:47.639 you that all interview long. Probably you were one of 81 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:49.719 the first people I thought about when the news came 82 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:52.400 down that the New York Knicks had fired Tom Thibodeau. 83 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:55.639 And it just has been so long since they've been 84 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:00.280 relevant at all. And you know, for playoffs appearance in 85 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:02.560 five years, back to back fifty win seasons for the 86 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:05.000 first time since ninety four to ninety five, first Eastern 87 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:09.159 Conference appearance since two thousand and It's been so fun 88 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:12.639 for me to watch this team rise to relevance again 89 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:14.360 and reconnect with a lot of my friends that I 90 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:16.519 grew up with back east in southern Connecticut, in the 91 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:20.240 surrounding area. And no part of me thought that he 92 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:22.759 was in danger of losing his job. And I will 93 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:25.240 allow and concede that I think he was probably up 94 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:27.399 coach in the Eastern Conference Finals by one of the 95 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:30.879 best coaches in pro basketball who's now in the NBA Finals. 96 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:32.800 That we'll get to the finals in a moment. But 97 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:35.120 what was your reaction when you heard the news that 98 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:37.040 Tom had lost his job? And now that it's been 99 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:38.759 a few days, why do you think it happened and 100 00:04:38.759 --> 00:04:40.199 who do you think was behind the decision? 101 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:44.439 Well, I listen, I never trust the owner, so I 102 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:47.160 was you know, you never know of him, that's of course, 103 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:49.920 Jim Dolan, you know, But I'm with you. After they 104 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:52.639 beat Detroit, you figured they'd be in good shape. He 105 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:54.959 would have actually been better off if they lost at 106 00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:58.439 Game seven to Boston in a classic series. Tatan doesn't 107 00:04:58.480 --> 00:05:02.279 get hurt. Then beating this Celtics wedding, everybody's appetite and 108 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:05.240 then losing to Indiana the whole series and maybe this 109 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:07.680 next one will be that way as well. With okay, see, 110 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:11.240 but the whole series obviously turned on the whole situation 111 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:15.279 with the with the with Game one with the fourteen 112 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:18.519 point lead, and the Natesmith making all those threes there 113 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:21.519 and the you know in the last thirty to fifty 114 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:23.240 eight seconds of that game, and then of course the 115 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:27.480 two misdepos and the shot that Halburton took that bounced 116 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:30.480 high and went in and then overtime. The whole series 117 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:32.360 changed with that. If the Knicks had won that game, 118 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:34.759 they would have been a minimum seventh game, and I 119 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:36.920 think they would have probably won the series because I 120 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:38.879 don't know if they would have lost the back to 121 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:41.439 back Game seven at home. So but once he beat 122 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:44.199 the Pistons, I thought he was okay. Once he beat 123 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:47.759 the Celtics, whoever thought he'd be And remember the Tatum 124 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:49.240 injury had nothing to do with it, because you're up 125 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:51.720 to be one when he got hurt. Once they beat Boston, 126 00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:54.360 I thought that he was in great shape. I thought 127 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:57.079 they beat Indiana. I thought it'd be a very close series. 128 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:00.319 I wouldn't stake my life on it. But I thought 129 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.839 that they would not lose back to back game sevens 130 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:04.600 at home to the Pacers, so I thought they'd win 131 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:07.959 that series. But you know, listen, I think it's a 132 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:10.759 it's a group thing. First off, Dolan, nobody makes a 133 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:12.959 decision regarding the next of the Rangers of the head 134 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:16.279 coach without going through Dolan. First, he's he got to 135 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:19.639 write a check for thirty million dollars and because you 136 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:21.800 got to pay him off, and you know, you can 137 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:24.000 make the argument that Dolan made this form more than 138 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:27.199 anybody else. A lot of people tell me that worldwide 139 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:28.319 rests who what? 140 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:29.040 Who the hell is? 141 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:32.439 See? Who knows? He's sort of an influencer. Brought Kenny 142 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:35.199 Payne to Louisville, had that workout. A lot of people 143 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:36.839 think he had something to do with it, because it 144 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:40.399 was no secret that he and Thibodeau couldn't stand each other. 145 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:43.319 And then he had Leon Rose, who, you know, Listens, 146 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:45.519 got a lot on the line here. You know, made 147 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:48.240 a band Fay with Bridges, but he was the former 148 00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:52.560 agent for Thibodeaux. You know, I me know, maybe he 149 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:54.000 has I don't. 150 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:56.959 It's really kind of hard to figure why. 151 00:06:57.079 --> 00:07:00.000 First off, it's a stupid decision, and Leon Rose made 152 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:04.079 good decisions. Dolan has stayed out of it for the 153 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:06.399 most part. It appears in the last couple of years, 154 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:09.959 so why would he get involved now? And Worldwide Message 155 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:15.000 Worldwide WES is not really in that decisive decision making scenarios, 156 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:20.319 so it is tricky to pin it on anybody but 157 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:23.480 his it. I would say if Jim Dolan wanted Tom 158 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:26.079 Thibodeau to be his head coach, he would have told 159 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:29.560 Rose and Worldwide West guys, nice guys, just as you 160 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:32.439 said Spence back to back, Eastern back to back fifty 161 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:35.800 one years, I mean Eastern Conference final. I mean there's 162 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:37.800 only two teams in the NBA who had better years 163 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:39.959 than we did when I fired him, And he did 164 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:43.759 not say that. So he's culpable too. And I think 165 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:45.519 the fact that the Knicks are going to try to 166 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:49.319 convince somehow, some way Jason Kidd in Dallas to come 167 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:51.040 to New York tells you that they don't really have 168 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:53.439 a plan B. I mean their number one guy to 169 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:57.120 replace Thibodeaux is an existing head coach you signed to 170 00:07:57.199 --> 00:07:59.879 a big contract. I mean that's their number one guy. 171 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:04.279 That's a little lot. Who's gonna coach Cooper Flagg and 172 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:06.480 you're gonna have to give him compensation to get him? 173 00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:09.879 That is a little lot. So the next look terrible. 174 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.000 Here they did a bad job. The whole world knows 175 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:14.680 it was stupid. Thibodeau's did a hell of a job, 176 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:16.120 all right. You want to say Carl out was a 177 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:18.319 little better, all right, Well, then he was also better 178 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:20.639 than Atkinson. He was also better than Doc Rivers, and 179 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:23.120 now he might be better than duk No, so let's 180 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:26.600 keep that in mind too. But nobody in New York 181 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:28.959 can quite figure it out. Everybody realizes this is a 182 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:32.360 decision that was kind of difficult to stomach. So I 183 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:34.120 feel bad for Tibo. He's a out of a coach. 184 00:08:34.679 --> 00:08:36.360 Or see if he runs out of it again down 185 00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:38.200 the road. And I heard he's very down on what 186 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:41.440 happened here. I think he was definitely surprised. I don't 187 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:43.840 think he saw this coming, and do than anybody else. 188 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.200 By the way, here in New York City, it's. 189 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:48.720 Almost like, don't look a gift horse in the mouth 190 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:53.440 like this for the first time, mister Rousseau. The Knicks 191 00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:56.639 seemed to have played the long game and built up 192 00:08:56.639 --> 00:08:59.320 a team that had something to say about things in 193 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:01.360 the Eastern common fence for a while, if they just 194 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:06.919 allowed this process to continue, and what essentially made them 195 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:10.480 more or less irrelevant in the landscape of pro basketball 196 00:09:10.519 --> 00:09:13.320 for nearly two decades, if not a little more, was 197 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.759 impulsive emotional decision making from an owner that doesn't know 198 00:09:16.840 --> 00:09:18.879 as elbow from as you know what. And I thought, 199 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:22.039 to your point, go build your sphere, go play your kazoo, 200 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:23.759 go be in your band, stay out of it, let 201 00:09:23.799 --> 00:09:26.559 the grown ups run the team. And this, to me 202 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:29.519 is a couple of steps in the wrong direction, and 203 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:33.919 it just reeks of Isaiah Thomas, Mike D'Antoni, Derek Fisher, 204 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:37.480 Kurt Rambus, Jeff horniseack like and all of those people 205 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:40.360 are solid guys, and some are good coaches, and Mike 206 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:42.000 Woodson did a good job for a minute there in 207 00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:46.200 New York. But it's almost like they reverted back to 208 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:50.360 the emotional decision making that made them irrelevant for two 209 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:53.480 decades after you finally built something up. And we'll see 210 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:56.000 what happens moving forward, because the roster is still solid 211 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.399 and they have a lot of good players, but these 212 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:01.200 types of decisions are exac exactly why they were basically 213 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:03.360 irrelevant for nearly twenty five years, you. 214 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:07.559 Know, hundred percent. And I actually think Indiana was better 215 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.960 than the Knicks a player for player. I think the 216 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:14.120 Knicks may have had, you know, the with Brunson in Towns, 217 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:16.000 you can say they had the two of the three 218 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:17.799 best players. But I think if you look at the 219 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:21.120 whole Lobster bench, of course included Oltherough and the Indiana's 220 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:24.919 a little better. But yeah, this is a very puzzling decision. 221 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:27.759 And Leon Rose doesn't make a lot of bad ones, 222 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:32.360 so that he hasn't at least and he hasn't been impetuous, 223 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:35.039 as you just said. So that makes me think that 224 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:38.000 somebody must have told him here something was going on, 225 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:41.000 because he hasn't made these bad decisions with his coaches. 226 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:43.120 He hired the right guy and then a coach for 227 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:45.320 five years and they were successful. So all of a 228 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:47.840 sudden Leon gets over it. I mean, it is a 229 00:10:47.879 --> 00:10:51.240 little shan he's his former agent. It is very strange. 230 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:55.120 I do know that that Thibodeau and Worldwide West did 231 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:57.919 not like each other. Worldwide West has done nothing in 232 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:02.120 his career, no rings, He hasn't won any college championships. 233 00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:05.080 He's never built a team, so the fact that but 234 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:08.080 he's you know, he works for Rose, so you wouldn't 235 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:10.480 think he'd go over Rose. His head go right to Dolan. 236 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:14.200 So that's why it's very puzzling. It's a very very 237 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:18.080 strange decision. Nobody here can quite figure it out. You know, 238 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:21.159 where they go now for a head coach? I mean again, 239 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:23.679 you know, I don't think they want Mike Brown. I 240 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:27.679 don't think they want Mike Malone. You know, I thought 241 00:11:27.720 --> 00:11:31.000 maybe Billy Donovan because he would be maybe easier to get. 242 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:33.720 We'll see what kid they though. They're not getting a 243 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:37.320 Houston coach. You know, why would Dallas allow the Knicks 244 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:38.919 to have kid without compensation? 245 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:40.679 Nicks have no theft picks. 246 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:42.320 To give them. Now, why would kid want to leave 247 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:44.600 Dallas anyway? I mean, they got Cooper Flanner coming there 248 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:47.320 for crying out loud. He got to be seventeen years old. 249 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:49.240 I mean, the guy might be an old timer, so 250 00:11:49.559 --> 00:11:51.679 why would you leave coaching him? I know the Eastern 251 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:54.320 Conference is a little easier at least next year, but 252 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:56.559 why would you leave that to come and work for Dolan? 253 00:11:56.679 --> 00:11:59.720 I would never do it. So we'll see where they go. 254 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:04.360 But everybody puzzled and it was a decision that reverberates it. 255 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:06.559 It makes the Knicks look bad. Just as you said, 256 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:08.320 they haven't made a lot of bad decisions in here. 257 00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:10.799 They made a bad hundred percent right one. 258 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:12.320 More thing here. And I do want to talk NBA 259 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:14.960 Finals with you, mad dog, before I set you loose, 260 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:18.600 because I do think you know the messaging as far 261 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:21.679 as the statement goes. And then other sources that have 262 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:24.440 leaked information across the landscape of the past few days 263 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:26.720 is well, we want to take the next step. We 264 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:29.360 want to win a championship. I could make the argument 265 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:32.159 that this Nick team was ahead of schedule by beating Boston. 266 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:34.799 I think I feel like they were put together with 267 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:37.559 the idea of Boston maybe having one or two more 268 00:12:37.639 --> 00:12:39.080 years and then they're going to have to break their 269 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:41.759 roster down because the new ownership group probably doesn't want 270 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:44.399 to ride a luxury tax check of five hundred million 271 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:46.080 dollars just to have the team, And so when the 272 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:48.120 Celtics are broken down that I felt like this Nick 273 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:50.600 team was ready to take that step. So I really 274 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:53.159 think Tom actually brought them ahead of schedule this year, 275 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:56.080 going to the Eastern Conference Finals. But I think if 276 00:12:56.120 --> 00:12:58.679 they want to win a championship, they have a roster 277 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:00.840 construction issue they have to figure out, and I think 278 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:03.600 it comes down to Cat. Now, Kat just played some 279 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:05.679 of the best basketball that I've ever seen him play 280 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:07.600 in the spring, Okay, so I want to give him 281 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:10.799 credit for that. But defensively, I mean, we talk a 282 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:13.000 lot about Nie Smith making his threes in Game one. 283 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:16.320 Those were walking practice threes with not a lot of 284 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:20.320 defensive pushback, and more often than not, the only time 285 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:22.159 I thought the Knicks had a chance in the series 286 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:24.600 is when they were actually guarding. Now, this is not 287 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.720 a team in the ILK of nineteen ninety five. Charles 288 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:30.240 Oakley's not walking through that door, et cetera, et cetera. 289 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:32.840 But I think if they want to take the next step, 290 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:34.919 they've got a roster issue, and I think it comes 291 00:13:34.919 --> 00:13:37.159 down to Cat. Do you think they look at a 292 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:39.759 deal for a Durant or a deal for a Gyiannis? 293 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:42.240 I mean, even Lowry markin out here in Salt Lake 294 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.879 is available. I'm not saying that makes sense, But if 295 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:47.080 they want to take the next step, it doesn't matter 296 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:50.919 if their coaches. Tom Thibodeau Jason Kidd whoever. I think 297 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.200 they have a roster construction issue. Do you think they 298 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:55.759 adjustin pivot with their personnel this offseason? 299 00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:58.639 Well, I don't think Giannis is coming here, so that's 300 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:02.200 number one. I think if the Bucks, the Bucks won't 301 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:05.320 call Anthony Towns. I mean, I wouldn't want call Anthony 302 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:08.360 Towns to build my franchise around. That is not what 303 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:11.279 I would want. So from that standpoint, I think if 304 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:14.039 he goes anywhere, it might be the Spurs so or Toronto. 305 00:14:14.519 --> 00:14:17.879 So I'm not in love with getting that. And you're right, 306 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:21.399 the roster is where it is. I don't know exactly 307 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:24.039 what they could. They have no draft picks based on 308 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.919 that Bridger's trade. They only got a five I don't 309 00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:29.399 pay too much attention to this capologist nonsense, but they 310 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:32.240 only got a five and a half million dollar mid 311 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:34.759 level exception. And the other thing you got to remember 312 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:36.679 with the Knicks, what would they bring in here? Bring 313 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:39.480 ever they bring in here? Next year they gonna want 314 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:42.200 to They're gonna get to the finals. I mean, you 315 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.480 can't bring somebody Eier to lose in the conference final. 316 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:46.840 What's the point of doing that? And next year the 317 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:50.000 East is going to be very easy. And so as 318 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:51.879 a result, if you somehow don't get to the final 319 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:54.200 next year you did, I mean, the Celtics don't have 320 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:59.039 Tatum Lillard's not playing for Milwaukee and Beide, who knows, uh, 321 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:01.559 you know, you got clear. We'll see how they respond. 322 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:04.480 And he got Indiana. I mean there's nobody else EA stinks. 323 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:08.480 So that puts an awful lot of pressure on a 324 00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:11.759 coach coming in here knowing that he'd better get to 325 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:13.679 an NBA final if he doesn't want to hear from 326 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:16.840 the fans. So, I mean, I think they're in a 327 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.120 little bit of a tough spot. I completely agree, and 328 00:15:19.159 --> 00:15:22.399 I think they put more pressure on themselves with this decision, 329 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:25.720 which I think is it puts It's gonna make everybody say, well, 330 00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:27.879 now you fire Thibodeaux. And he even gets to the final, 331 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:29.960 I'll come the next guy loses in the second round, 332 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:33.159 how does he stead? So I think that plays into 333 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:37.000 two Remember before Thibodau, they had twelve coaches. I'm sorry, 334 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:40.159 they won one playoff I think it was twelve. In 335 00:15:40.159 --> 00:15:42.879 the last twenty five years, they've had twelve coaches. They 336 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:45.320 won one playoff series. You know, Larry Brown and Derek 337 00:15:45.399 --> 00:15:48.480 Fisher and David Fizdale and you know, go on No. 338 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:48.480 No. 339 00:15:49.320 --> 00:15:53.919 One playoff series with Thibodeau, they won five. So I mean, 340 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:55.919 the next guy next year is gonna have to win three. 341 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.519 I don't know what the knickt solution is. I think 342 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:02.440 they're a good team. They're a tough team, but I 343 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:05.879 don't think necessarily they are a championship team. And let's 344 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:08.440 as we swing to Indiana quickly, that's remember this too. 345 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:11.000 Maybe Indiana and losing to them is not gonna be 346 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:13.799 such a big deal. I mean, maybe they beat Oklahoma City, 347 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.279 and maybe they beat Oklahoma some easier than they beat 348 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:18.320 the Knicks after what we saw in Game one, where 349 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:22.559 they continually do these miracle pullbacks and win these crazy games. 350 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:24.879 And you know, I wasn't that impressed in Oklaoma City 351 00:16:24.919 --> 00:16:27.799 last night, who gave up, by the way, sixty something 352 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:29.559 points in the second half and a lot of Indiana 353 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:33.159 to shoot fifty two percent. So the idea that no, listen, 354 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:35.039 Okay sequens to come back and win. But that was 355 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:38.919 an awful, awful loss. So who knows, Maybe Indiana wins 356 00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:41.039 the whole thing makes the Nick loss look a little better. 357 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.159 So very issue. A lot of interesting issues with the 358 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:46.279 nickobocracy here in New York, right, A lot of issues. 359 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:49.879 One question about our local basketball team as we find 360 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:53.440 ourselves in unchartered territory, you know, in the Miller's forty 361 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:57.799 year stewardship of the Utah Jazz. More or less every year, 362 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:00.759 while we've never won a championship out here, we've always 363 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:03.360 had really good teams, and the rebuilds have only taken 364 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:05.920 one or two years. And they were able to bridge 365 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:09.640 the gap between socked him alone to Darren Williamson Carlos Boozer, 366 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.599 and then it was Gordon Hayward and then Donovan Mitchell 367 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:15.319 and Rudy Gobert. We're about to enter our fourth year 368 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:18.240 of a rebuild after Ryan Smith bought the team from 369 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:20.440 the Millers and Danny Ainge left the Celtics for the 370 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:23.680 Jazz Austin as Danny Sun was just hired to run 371 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:27.279 basketball operations. But I wanted to get your take, mister 372 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:29.839 Russo on the lottery situation. 373 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:30.759 Joke. 374 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.759 Yeah, okay, yeah, go ahead. 375 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:35.680 I mean it. I mean, there's no way that Dallas 376 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:37.119 and San Antonio should be won. 377 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:39.079 Too in a lottery, and Utah what a fourth fit 378 00:17:39.240 --> 00:17:40.039 whatever might be them. 379 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:44.079 Yeah, we're fifth with Wizards. I mean it's a joke. 380 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:46.000 I mean, the idea that the NBA has got to 381 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:48.279 do this because these teams lose on purpose to get 382 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:50.960 these picks the last fifteen twenty games of the year 383 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:54.039 is an absolute disgrace. But I know they waited, we 384 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:56.279 all know that, and it's ping punng balls and all that. 385 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:59.640 But Dallas getso has a one point seven percent chance 386 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:02.240 to win the lottery. They and they went flag. I 387 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.960 mean that is a little rough. I don't know what 388 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:08.359 the solution is, but it's it's a disaster. I mean 389 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:11.720 at Drivesha're crazy and I don't like it. And if 390 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:14.200 you're a Utah fan, you know Flags the one guy 391 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:17.480 who wanted to get he's the one, at least on paper, 392 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:21.319 the one guy there that is the transformational player. And 393 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:23.799 he goes to a team that you know, traded Luca 394 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:25.880 and they end up getting another kid now the next year, 395 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:28.119 seventeen years of age. That's why I don't know why 396 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:30.319 kid were go to leave when he's got this guy 397 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:33.519 for the next fifteen years. I know it's the Western Conference, 398 00:18:33.640 --> 00:18:35.359 but I feel bad for Utahn. I feel bad for 399 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:38.240 the Wizards, and I feel bad for Charlotte. Those three 400 00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:41.480 teams had the worst records and they theoretically she get 401 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:44.480