On today’s episode, Jason discusses Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks bouncing back to win Game 2 in Oklahoma City, whether or not the Thunder have any tricks up their sleeve to retake home court as the series shifts to Dallas, why nobody is panicking – yet – about the Boston Celtics blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, why Jayson Tatum’s comments about the Celtics not being a Super Team aren’t all that controversial to begin with and whether the NBA is secretly hoping that Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves win the championship this season. Finally, J-Mac closes the show with his Best Bets for the slate of Friday night NBA Playoffs action.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What is up straight firefam HiT's me Jason McIntyre's straight
fire or Friday May the tenth, It is a tough
morning for your boy. Boston Celtics go down. Jason Tatum's
in the crosshairs of the media again. I just feel
so sick defending this guy. At least the MAVs won,
(00:31):
and then of course the men's league, We're going up
against probably the third best team and we lose seventy
five to seventy three in overtime. I'm not going to
get into the machinations. We just we bricked a couple
free throws in overtime. This stupid rule. You know, it's
one of those leagues where there's the running clock, so
they don't want to slow it totally down with free throws.
So when you go to the line, it's usually one
(00:52):
for two. You make the first, you get two points,
and you move on. So we get fouled late in
the game, but we thought it was still one for two,
but it was one and one. And when it's one
and one, it's only one free throw. If you make it,
it's one point and that's it. You don't get a
second free throw, so our guy up one shoots it
makes the free throw, and we're like, oh, we're up three.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
No three.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
We're all yelling, no, don't give up the three. They
come down, they can't get a three off and one
of their guys gets a lay up and then you know,
the buzzer sounds and that's in. We're like, oh, it's over, okay,
we won, and literally I get up, I'm like getting
ready to go shake hands, and they're like, oh my gosh,
over time. I was like, what are you talking about.
They're like, yeah, one in one is only one point,
and I'm like, oh my goodness. And at that point
I knew we were in trouble. And still their best
(01:34):
player who must have had forty This guy is I mean,
he was a D two guard. He is super fast,
like I can't imagine with the speed of an NBA
player like Kyrie Irving. When I'm watching this guy and
he must have had forty against us. He shoots a
three with two seconds left and they call a foul,
like after the ball hits the ground. It was such
a late whistle. Kid buries three free throws and we lose.
(01:55):
So yeah, I was a little pissed off. I'm not
gonna lie. I'm waking up this morning and I'm just
a little I don't like losing. I'm competitive as hell.
Luckily the MAVs got me to the window last night
with my guy Luka Doncic coming through. And I guess
I'll start with Luca and the Mavericks because this is
a running thing with the Celtics and the Mavericks, but
(02:15):
specifically with Dallas. When their threes are on, they ain't losing.
And the threes were on last night eighteen of thirty
seven PJ Washington mid season pickup seven threes, Luca five
for excuse me, five for eight. Josh Green, who I
on the Herd said, this is a Josh Green series.
He was excellent, three for five from deep. Tim Hardaway
(02:37):
dusted him off. His first game back was rusty Game one,
Game two, six of ten, shooting two or four from three,
seventeen points in nineteen minutes. All their guys hit their threes,
and here's the kicker. They won with Kyrie Irving scoring
nine points. That's it. Usually it's been like, okay, second
Luca your first half, Kyrie your second half, and this
(02:58):
was like Kyrie eleven assists, nine points. So you can
look at this a lot of ways. If you're OKC,
you're spinning this ass. Oh they had a fluky night
from three eighteen of thirty, so they're not PJ. Washington
is not banging home. Seven threes were fine, and then
the counter is, well, actually, you know, Kyrie Irving did
(03:18):
nothing and they won by nine handily, and it was like, oh,
and then you look at the bench and you're like, oh, well,
in game one it was the OKC bench. Remember Wiggins,
we were raving about him, case On Wallace, Isaiah Joe,
and none of those guys really did much in game two.
So and now you go at home if you're Dallas,
and you could take a stranglehold on the series with
(03:40):
games three and four, and we know historically role players
play better at home. The thing I saw Rob that
I like, besides the threes was the hustle stats seemed
to all go to Dallas. They were unselfish. They had
more assists thirty assists to twenty five steals. Another hustle stat.
They had eight to five fewer exact same turnovers ten ten.
(04:02):
But the big woe was offensive rebound. You could see
it in the first quarter, the desire, the want everything,
Derek Jones, Junior Gafford lively like they were getting to
the loose balls and okay See won that in the
first game. Now here's the thing it's really getting. I
feel like round two has been tougher for me with
the betting as Round one rushed. First half, first quarter
(04:25):
just it was awesome. And now I'm getting reluctant, like
I almost didn't bet MAVs. I did ultimately take them,
So it is split since you know Boston was a
loser and I'm an idiot taking Boston first half. It
just it was one of those situations where you watch
the MAVs the way they play, and you're like, oh,
they're gonna be fine and they go home now, and
(04:48):
is okay See going to come out totally energize and
be like we got to steal this, we got to
get home court advantage back, or or are the Dallas
role players going to step up? Dallas maybe gets a
home whistle and the MAVs take us angle hold on
this series. I know people wanted to pencil in Okac
into the conference finals. Everybody's excited about Shay Gilders Alexander
who had a good game. You know, it wasn't great,
(05:08):
but he was good. He got some help from one
of the williams Is, but other than that, like Chad Holgrin,
did not really deliver. And I'm just telling you, Dallas
is gonna be lubricated on Saturday night. It is going
to be poppin'. And I will already tell you I
like the Maps to win that game, and I think
they take control of the series. Rob, are you with me?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Ooh, I'm halfway with you? And now again, I picked
Dallas before the series. I picked Dallas for the playoffs
advance of the Western Conference finals. So I'm all in
on Luca and Kyrie and the guys. However, I am
one of the people you alluded to that is not
all that encouraged by this game to win by Dallas,
Like I don't think you can count on PJ. Washington,
(05:53):
Tim Hardaway Junior and Josh Green going twelve for twenty
from three in the game that you won by single digit.
I said after Game one that if the MAVs had
any chance of winning the series, it starts and ends
with Luka doncicis Luka Donja was great, you know, eleven
for twenty one, twenty nine points, ten rebounds, seven assists,
and even then, you know, playing through the gimpie knee,
(06:15):
he looked hopbled at times. There's a one point his
face bounced off the floor, like we saw all the
versions of Luka Doncic. And even with him returning to
form and having a vintage Luca type game, they needed PJ.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Washington.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
It's seven threes, right, like they needed all these things
to go right for them to beat Oklahoma City and
Oklahoma City. I still feel like has at least one
major adjustment that they can make in the rest of
this series that I don't know that Dallas has.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Like up their sleeve anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Let's hear it.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
And that adjustment is quite simply is the bench Josh Gitty,
Josh Gdty.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
But they basically did.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
They basically have the first two games, but in game two,
Josh Kitty only played eleven minutes. Like as we said
before the series started, I thought that Luca was gonna
have Josh Getty played out of the floor because he
just They're gonna call for picking rolls over and over.
Josh Kitty cannot defend him, and more importantly, on the
other end, Josh Getty cannot shoot, so it's gonna change
the way that you cover the OKAC offense. But Josh
(07:17):
Getty game two, eleven minutes, eight points to rebound, Like, hey, it's.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Not too bad, right, he could have been that bad.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
He was a minus twenty in eleven minutes, Like, I
don't even know how that's possible in a game where
the team only scored one hundred and nineteen points. So
that means that he was just getting absolutely abused out
there by the MAVs offense early.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Oo.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
What Oklahoma City can do, in my opinion, is they
can either go small with Kayseon Wallace, who was a
bulldog defensively and he's been showing a lot of promise
as a rookie, or more likely lean into the U
Andrew Wiggins off the bench and he's a little bit longer,
and I think they like having the size there on
the back court with the defense where they can switch
(07:59):
more at actions. But that is a big adjustment that
OKASE can do. They have been one of the better
three point shooting teams all season into the playoffs, so
them shooting thirty three percent is not like, you know,
a complete outlier like they can. They normally shoot thirty
seven thirty eight. It's not the same thing as what
(08:22):
happened with Dallas, where these guys who are not great
shooters suddenly cannot miss. So I'm to have some confidence
in Dallas because again I picked him for the series.
Luca looks like he's gonna be okay as long as
he doesn't get you know, sideswiping falling on his knee
again like he did in Game one.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
But I don't feel super encouraged either. For the Mavericks.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Well, that's a good point on Giddy. I'm looking it up. Though,
here's the only concern you said earlier that they one
of their weaknesses rebounding. Yes, and Giddy is six s
eight And if you trade him in for Keyson Wallace,
who's like a six to three guy Wiggans six four
to six five, you're giving up more on the glass.
And to me, that is where maybe maybe the Mads.
(09:07):
I don't think they're capable of bullyball, but PJ. Washington
and Gafford or Derek Lively could like I mean, Derek
Lively could not eat inside but control the paint and
I think it could be a risky move, but you're right,
Gough giddy as a liability defensively, Luca, I think it
two threes on him like in the opening moments, and
you were like, ooh, they're going right at him. That
would be It's an interesting adjustment. I think MAVs got this.
(09:29):
I wasn't totally panicked after game one. Luca's name appears fine.
Everybody made a big deal out of the one turnover.
It couldn't score on lou Dort the dorser chamber, Hm,
maybe in the repair shop, right, I mean, he himself
had five fouls in thirty three minutes, did nothing offensively,
one steal, and Luca had one turnover in forty one minutes.
(09:52):
Pretty damn good showing. Now, if you want to pick
a part a superstar, it's not say Gil Show Gils Alexander,
it's not my guy Luka Doncic, and it's probably not Kyrie,
who probably had his worst game in the postseason. The
guy everybody's coming after today is my main man, Jason Tatum. Now,
I've talked about this at length. I am a New
(10:14):
Yorker born in New York. I didn't really grow up there.
We moved when we were my I was like two
and my brother was born in Virginia, and I gravitated
toward all the New York teams, so I'm conditioned to
dislike anything Boston. I hate the Patriots, oh my gosh,
could not stand them. Hate with a passion. The Red Sox.
(10:36):
I don't like, don't like any other players ever. I
can't stand Sweet Caroline because of that freaking seventh inning
or whatever it is when Boston plays it, I don't
know if it's the end of the game. I thought
the movie Fever Pitch, I watched like forty minutes of it.
I was like, this is total trash. I just I
don't like anything about Boston. I'm a New York guy.
I love Jason Tatum and Rob has me with this
(10:57):
future Laker Jason Tatum and his follow the bread Trust,
Kobe Bryant stuff like. I love it. I loved it,
and I root for Tatum. I think he's the top
five player in the league. He has not had the
greatest playoffs. He was a minus twenty two tonight, not
worst on his team, not second worst, evens they were
bad and the Celtics gets smoked once again in game two.
Game two against Miami, they took their foot off the
(11:20):
gas and the heat hit a billion threes. Well, what
do you think of it? A Game two against Cleveland,
Celtics took their foot off the gas, Calves go thirteen
for twenty eight from deep, and the Calves run away
and hide my main man, Donovan Mitchell, single handedly keeping
me alive in the player points pool that the volume
guys created. Mitchell with twenty nine. By the way, listen,
(11:41):
he did tear up Tatum with a nice move right
before the end of the third quarter, but he roasted
Jalen Brown. Now, I don't know if Jalen Brown went
on like went out on Wednesday night, but Rob something
happened to him. He was not locked in defensively. He
was zero for six from deep. I thought the defense
was Olay passive bullshit, and he was minus twenty nine
and thirty one minutes. He was a turnstile against Mitchell
(12:05):
and Max Strus and guard like he couldn't do anything,
and it was a shocking Charros Lavert came off the
bench and put in twenty one like it was one
of those like Boston's, Like, oh we got the series.
They were thirteen and a half point favorites and they
lose by twenty four. After the game is where it
gets interesting. Someone in the media asked a question about
expectations for the Celtics that they're a superteam, and Jason
(12:29):
Tatum said, that's the narrative you might see on TV,
the idea we have a superteam. It's twofold. We didn't
have a Coach of the Year or the MVP. We
only had two All Stars. They say we're a super team,
but we didn't get rewarded like we are now. Some
people perceive this as a shot at the voters. Others
perceive this as a shot at his team. Now. I
went on the roster and I like Drew Holliday as
(12:51):
much as the next guy. He is a phenomenal defender.
He's a two time Ulstar. Chris stabs porzingis who people
think is like the next coming because he was a
top five pick, and I have a rant on that
he made one All Star game in his career. Here's
the weird thing, folks. And I just read a story
about this, and I think it was The New Yorker.
(13:13):
It might have been The Atlantic. For oh no, no,
it was a podcast. It was called It's called Hidden
Brain by NPR. That's what it was. And they did
like a survey about whether or not people respect I
don't know if respect is the right word, but if
they respect someone who is naturally gifted and has been
(13:33):
pegged for greatness forever versus a tryhard aka like the
New York Knicks. Here's the weird part about the Celtics.
Their roster is dotted with guys who were lottery picks.
Tatum was a lottery pick. Jalen Brown was a lottery pick.
And these aren't just lotto these are top five. Al
Horford was the number three overall pick in the draft.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
They've got by the measure of tryhard versus gifted, they've
got studs like legit superstars Drew Holliday right outside the
lottery but uh seven, seventeenth overall.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
And essentially they were a team full of like, oh wow,
they got superstars, but they don't have a show well superstars.
And this happens to the Nuggets a little bit too.
It's like, oh wait, Jokic has no all Stars on
his team. Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray didn't. And they never
been an al star KCP. Huh. Interesting, But like we
(14:32):
look at guys who were like Andrew Wiggins with this, Oh,
Andrew Wiggins was better than Tatum. Really, Andrew Wiggins was
the number two or three on the Warriors when they
won the title. Curry was obviously one. You could debate
Clay Draymond as the two. Wiggins was great, and they
were like, oh, wiggeds outplay Tatum. Yeah, Tatum was the
best player going up against Wiggins, and Wiggins didn't have
(14:56):
to worry about offense. It's like, oh, I'll take scraps.
They're not running tons of plays for Andrew Wiggins, and
so Tatum had to work his butt off to get
anything offensively. Meanwhile, Wiggins is just like, I'll take the
scraps and let me just focus on defense. And so like,
Tatum has this weird negative rap where people just don't
seem to like him. And now that he said this
(15:18):
superteam thing of people are like, oh, look at Tatum
talking down his team. The reality is that they're not
a super team. I don't think adding Porzingis, who, by
the way, was in New York and Dallas and Washington
come on super team and Drew Holliday makes them a superteam.
I just I put totally push back and I agree
(15:38):
with Tatum. They had a bad night. They got cooked
by Donovan Mitchell in Company and the Dirty Little Secret
about Boston. And we've talked about this on the on
the pod. If the threes are hitting, and they were
like ninety percent of the season, they're winning games. But
when they have it off night and listen, it's gonna
happen in the playoffs, the game's different. Eight for thirty five.
(16:01):
They're gonna get smoked because they don't have a counter punch.
And you know, sadly, that's kind of my game. I'm
a three point guy. I randomly collected an offensive board
on Thursday night, and like, you know, you get an
offens ave rebine, you're supposed to go straight up. Uh uh.
There's a six to ten guy on the other team,
volleyball player, and I'm not getting it put back in
my face. I pull it out, you know, come back out.
(16:21):
It's set it up. You know, I'll take a three
fast break. I'm not driving in for layups. I'm on
fireing threes. And that's kind of the Celtics strategy. Threes
are layups and when the threes aren't hitting, they're in trouble.
Now they go to Cleveland now, and I'm sure a
lot of people ooh, dangerous spot, Matt Maybe maybe now
Cleveland is the spot where I believe it was the
(16:42):
Dean Wade game where the Celtics led by like twenty
and then they whittled away, whittled away, and then Dean
Wade like went off for the Calves. Now he's I
believe hurt. Let me you have a double check. Yeah,
he's hurt and not even not even playable, and he
had a monster game and the Cavs came back and won.
(17:02):
You guys, remember Tatum missed a late shot and everybody
and their mom was like, can Tat to make shots
in the clutch? And I don't know, Rob. I still
don't think Boston is in any trouble at all. Evan
Mobley had a really nice game twenty one five assists
and did what he should be doing is eating inside.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, I mean, I don't think they're in trouble either,
just and it says less about them and more about.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Who's left in the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
I think if the New York Knicks were fully healthy,
The New York Knicks could absolutely be Boston in a series.
But I'm not a huge believer in Cleveland, though I
love Donovan Mitchell. The Pacers don't play any defense, and
the Knicks have like three healthy players right now, and
they all you know, went to Villanova apparently. But to
your point about the Boston Celtics spot on. So a
(17:50):
couple of analytics guys put this out and in the
playoffs so far, Boston is fourign two And if you
look at the way the games line up in their
wins and in their losses, they're a positive rating in
twos against the opposition. They're plus one point one in
the wins, plus point six in the two. So it's
(18:12):
very close, but they're still ahead in wins in the threes,
they're plus fourteen in the losses minus twenty. That is
why in their wins the average margin of victory is
over twenty two points in a game, and in their
two losses it's seventeen points per game. The variance of
the three point shot means that if they're hitting, they're
(18:35):
probably gonna blow you out. If they're not hitting, they
are probably gonna get blown out. Because one thing is
for hell, while is sure they are not gonna stop
shooting no matter what's going on. Last night they shot
fifty five percent from inside the three point line. Okay,
they finished the game though as a team shooting forty
(18:56):
one percent, and that's because they went eight for thirty
five from three. So as things slipped away, rather than saying, hey,
let's just get a bucket, let's get like a mid
range pull up, let's get a curl action to get
something going towards the basket that is just short of
a layup, but it's a good shot for us, they
don't have that.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
It's the analytics say that's not worth it. It's better to
just drive. And that applies to the regular season.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Agreed, math is gonna math across eighty two games, because
even if you have a cold streak for a week,
two weeks whatever, it's gonna balance out because you're gonna
have a really hot streak for a week, two weeks whatever.
You cannot afford those kind of ebbs and flows in
a playoff series because if you guys go cold for
three games, you're not just oh, we had a three
(19:42):
game lose streak.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
It is what it is.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
We'll make up four here in the soft part of
our schedule. No, you could be out of the postseason
turnament all together if you go cold for three straight games. Again,
I don't think that they're in trouble, though, because I
think that the rest of the Eastern Conference is so
down this year, and then if they're not down, they're hurt.
I'll the Knicks or you know, the Sixers, the Bucks,
what have you. The thing that I'm more interested in, though,
(20:05):
is you said the Jason Tatum conversation, because he's getting
a lot of heat for making those comments here in
this morning, and I don't see what he said that
is wrong. I mean discounting Al Horford because Al Horford
had a stellar career, especially in Atlanta, but he's thirty seven.
He's not meant to be a high minutes kind of player.
(20:27):
He's a rotational big man at this point in today's career.
He's a high end rotational big man, but he's a
rotational big man. Outside of Tatum, they're four main guys.
There are other starters for Zingis White holiday Brown have
combined in their careers for exactly six All Star teams.
(20:49):
That is not a super team. When Dwayne Wade and
Lebron James linked up in Miami. Even thought counting Chris Bosh,
Dwayne Wade brought with him five all Starts teams and
five all NBA teams, that's not counting everything that Lebron
brought to the table. A super team to me at least,
(21:09):
is not how good your team is. Like Denver is
not a super team, even though they are really good, right,
I don't think Boston is a super team even though
they're really good. To me, a super team is, And
maybe my view of point is skewed. Is how many
Hall of Famers do you have on your team? Because
if you go back, we'll say, in the last twenty
(21:30):
years or so, there's probably what two super teams, Like
you got the Boston Celtics with the Big three over
there with KG, Pearceon and Alan, and then you have
this Steph Katie Clayton.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Well, what about the Heatles. You don't think Boston as.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Three two, ten, Yes, So there's three.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
It's they hold up Kobe. No, there wasn't a third
Heatles Warriors. What about that team in Brooklyn that played
like nine games together, Harden, Kyrie and Durant.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
I mean, if you want to count that, but were
they together long enough to really be a super team.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Well, okay, Clippers have Paul, George Harden and Kawhi. I mean,
I know the injuries, but technically that should be as sure,
sure if you want, if you want to Russell Westbrook,
I don't love him, He's he's all right.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
I guess my view of them as jaded because they're
so hurt and you never really see them all together
at the same time.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
But sure, Russ, Lebron and Ad. I know Russ wasn't
in his prime.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
I mean, but.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
It's the point is is the threshold. The benchmark to
a super team is not one star and four really
good players alongside of him. It is superstar, superstar star
and then a bunch of guys usually like like you
(22:56):
gotta be all time greats coming together there for me
to consider you a super team. And this Boston Celtics
teamven though they're very good, they win a lot of games.
Jason Tatum is a future Laker. I just don't think
that they qualify as a super team.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
It's tough to handicap. Like Al Horford's had a really.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Good career, Rob absolutely is he.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I don't think he's a Hall of It. Does he
have a ring?
Speaker 4 (23:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
No, he is.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
But the thing is that there's another conversation. The issue
with the Hall of Fame is almost everyone gets in
the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Well, Chris Webber's not in, is he?
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Yes? I think he is.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
He got in.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
I think so.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
I mean, like Mitch Richmond's in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Al Horford's gonna get him because of his years in Florida.
They went back to back. He I promise you he will.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Wait, it's a basketball It's not the NBA exactly. Also,
like Derek White, I mean, listen, I know he's had
some out of body experiences. I don't will the will
will the real Derek White stand up three of eleven,
one of eight for three, Like, I mean, he is
a solid player. But let's stop acting like Derek White
is other worldly, you know, I mean, I don't people
(24:03):
are treating him like he I mean, what is he
the equivalent like a Rick Fox? Remember Rick Fox of
the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yeah, he's probably a better version than that. But again,
it's it's the regression to the mean. He was so
hot to start the playoffs that this whatever one for
eight shooting is going to bring his average down. He's
gonna be leveling off right around forty percent, which is
what he is.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
I mean, yeah, it's too early on Jalen Brown Hall
of Fame. I think Tatum is on the track. But
you're right, it's not like Tatum's been the MVP in
the league. I don't know over under half one half
for Tatum MVPs in his.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Career under You don't think he'll ever be an MVP. No,
Dwayne Wade never want an MVP cmdal ant they never wanted.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
No way, Dwayne Wade did not never. I'm sure he's
happy he's got his chip in his finals MVP.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Yeah, And I don't think chips and the way that
the voting is nowadays, like you have to put updiculous numbers,
and the way Jason Tatum plays, I don't think he's.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Ever gonna put up numbers like that.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
I mean, I think Luca was like thirty three, nine
and nine and he came in third.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
That would have my MVP and like probably like eighty
percent of the years in the last twent thirty years, right, Wow,
and listen, Tatum is all all of a sudden like
Anthony Edwards feels like the kind of guy who's gonna
be yearly a threat. But I'm very curious and we
can dovetail into the weekend games.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live. The only thing better than sitting on your
couch watching the game. He's making money while you do it.
(25:50):
Here's your best bet, Rob.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I'm very curious on you know, regards to what happens
simber Wolves Nuggets. I think the win regardless of what
happens Timberwolves MAVs. I like the MAVs. Anthony Davis is here.
He has arrived. I mean, you know, people like us.
We've talked about him for a while last year with
the Olympics.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
We know he's really, really good.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
I'm just I'm gonna put it out there. I would
be willing to make a bet that Carl Anthony Towns
is not on the team next year. Okay, they I'm
just telling you Fiscally, they are up Ship's Creek without
a paddle, and the pat and the owner is notorious
for wanting a paddle and pushing guys overboard. Conley's getting
(26:34):
up there in age. Now listen, you can't pay Nasrie,
Jane McDaniel's Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Kat like they're
gonna be in the second Aprin Like, I think Towns
is gonna be gone. So does that change things for Edwards?
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Well, certainly.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
I mean Carl Anthony Towns in that last in scheme two,
he was like their guy in the first half. I
mean he just went off and it was like we're
forgetting he was like a top five Was he a
number one overall pick?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
At the Edwards are Towns? Well they were number one.
They both went umber one, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah, yeah, I thought Towns was very good at game two.
I just like, it's just so weird. We've seen six
playoff games of Anthony Edwards this season. Rob two months ago,
nobody was saying he could be the face of the NBA. Absolutely,
no one. It was like, oh, Coojah Morant bounce back. Well,
there's always Zion and it's like jokicch Obviously Edwards was
(27:25):
not in the discussion. And now six playoff games later,
everybody's ready to crown him. I don't know. I like
Edwards a lot. He is unbelievable. One of the guys
I follow on Instagram. I think I've told the story
about this guy Devin in the lab. I think is
his name?
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Yep, you know him right, m hm. So one day
I go in the gym and this guy's filming his
buddy doing all these moves. I'm like, damn, this guy's
freaking good, and I was it was clear that they
were like using the court, so I didn't want to interrupt,
so I'm like watching waiting and then I just take
off and then guy's like yo yo j Mack and
I was like, what, who are you? And then he
(28:02):
tells me, oh, you have Devin And then I was
like we're you know and he's like, oh yeah, I'm
on Instagram and I look it up and he had
like four hundred thousand followers, Like how do I not
know who this guy is? And then I followed him.
He's a super nice guy. I never got to play
with him because I guess he's stopped going to the
gym at during COVID and ended up like getting his
own gym somewhere, but he put together a clip of
Anthony Edwards and he was like, you look at these moves,
(28:25):
and you're like, tell me, this isn't Jordan. Like, I
still think I like the Wade comparison as opposed to Jordan,
Rob Where are you on Edwards?
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Yeah, well, I like the way comparison. Actually like the
Kawhi comparison. I think he's a more explosive version of
Kawhi than Jordan. But I mean, I definitely do see
the shades if I squint real hard and watch the
way that he plays. Absolutely, I'll tell you what though,
as far as phase of the league for Anthony Edwards,
I have to imagine that the NBA. I know you
don't like this kind of talk, but I believe that
(28:57):
the NBA wants Anthony Edwards to become the face of
the league, if only because he seems to be the
one player of these young guys. Now that John Moran
has kind of fallen out of favor with all of
his issues that really resonates with the younger crowd. I
(29:18):
saw the stat over the weekend that through the first
round of the of the NBA Playoffs and through Game
one of Timberwolves Nuggets. That the Minnesota Timberwolves were up
ratings wise in every single game that they've played relative
(29:39):
to last season.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Huh.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
And that's with the playoffs as a whole being down
like nine percent. So they're basically carrying the ratings in
a way like Steph Curry and the Warriors did there
for a hot second during their run. And what's more importantly,
because now that everything is digital and streaming and so
on and so forth, this is the start of the
playoffs and this was answering the weekend. I'm sure it's
(30:02):
only gone up since then. Edward had generated the second
most video views across all NBA social and digital platforms,
over one hundred million, trailing only Lebron James. So the NBA,
which I think is desperate for an American face of
the league, and if he's the guy that the younger
(30:23):
generation is gravitating towards, if he seals the deal with
the championship this year and potentially a Finals MVP, then
you can rubber stab him as the face of the NBA,
regardless what Luca and Jokic and Giannis and SGA do.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
I didn't see those numbers. That is interesting so he
is popping big time. Absolutely, Okay, your wife isn't a
huge basketball fan, right, No, if you said Anthony Edwards,
does she know who he is?
Speaker 4 (30:53):
No idea?
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Okay, yeah, my wife would have no clue. Does your
mom know about NBA and stuff?
Speaker 4 (31:01):
She watches more than my than my wife, but even
she has no idea who Anthony?
Speaker 2 (31:04):
No idea? Right, My kids probably don't know who Anthony
Edwards is. Again, it's still a Steph Curry Lebron world, sure, right,
I mean, and I think it's it's gonna take some
time for aunt, you know, like listen, it's gonna take
more than six games, bro, like Zion Williams, and people
know who he is, right. He came in from Duke
(31:25):
with a rep. Anthony Edwards didn't make the NCAA tournament
at Georgia, you know, and like he's a ridiculous dunker.
But I still don't think people really know him, you know,
like that, I think people I'm wondering, like jail, if
you said to your wife, oh, honey, Jalen Brunson's playing
and that we can't go out to dinner, and she
just look at you, like you, what are you talking about?
(31:46):
So so tonight we got Jalen Brunson and the knickt
seven point dogs in Indy Ogan and Obi out Indiana
favored by seven. It smells like a blowout. It's all
almost like one of those like, hey, we got to
We don't want Jalen to further it get injured. At
(32:07):
the first sign of trouble, We're powering him down. I
think the Pacers win this, and I think the only
bet here is betting the Pacers. I think for sure,
first quarter, first half, and I think ultimately they run
away and hide.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
I think that your reasoning is sound, and yet I
would disagree with you only because of Tom Thibodeau. The
wise move is, hey, O, Giananoby's already ruled out for
Game three. They're saying, at best he's questionable for Game four,
which means realistically he's out for Game four.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
WHOA.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Jalen Brunson has a foot issue which we can only
imagine probably flamed up or strolled up after Game two. Like,
I don't think you have this quick of a turnaround,
and you're just back to normal after missing an entire
quarter of NBA playoff action, So you would think the
smart thing to do would be like, Hey, if things
get tough, early, power down, save our guys. Josh Hart's
(33:05):
averaging over forty eight minutes per game, which is incredible
over the last four or five games. Forty eight but
he's averaging forty eight point three minutes, so basically he
doesn't sit out ever never, and then he plays in overtime.
That's how he's got forty eight point three. So hey,
power him down. Hopefully we can steal game four. But
Timms is such a maniac, he's such a psycho and
(33:27):
his team will run through a brick wall for him
that I could absolutely see Josh Hart playing is forty eight,
the Vincenzo playing forty six, and Jalen Brunton, even on
a bad foot, playing forty three. Forty four minutes to
where they're gonna fight and scrap and claw like they
always do and find a way to maybe not win
the game but cover the spread.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Do you think the Knicks put up a fight? What
about the nightcap, which is Denver's season on the line.
Do they show up in Minnesota and make this an
interesting series? Now that this is a tough one, because
logic says Denver is gonna fight I just don't know
if they I just don't know if they have the guys.
I don't, man, I it feels like a sweep to me,
(34:11):
Rob Wow, I think I know, I don't. I mean, listen,
would it shocked me hard of a champion Nuggets come through?
Of course not, I think. And I'm not betting this
because I think if you're doing anything Denver, which just
had three days to stew and ruminate, I think they've
got to come out very, very strong. They have to
because both first games, both of the first two games,
(34:31):
they were down at least double digits in the first
twelve minutes. If that happens here, say good night. Minnesota
will dominate you the way they dominate a Phoenix. So
I'll go Minnesota money line. But that doesn't pay anything.
So I guess I would bet Minnesota Indie money line parlay,
which see that's probably not it's not risky. Bet in
the two favorites, so you parlay them if you for
(34:56):
a hundred. Actually you bet one hundred on Indie and
Minnesota win one hundred and four.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
That's not bad. That's not bad. I like those odds.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
If I was really betting on it, I just think
that until Denver is out of their misery, I'm not
gonna bet against you.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Yeah, you're afraid to be yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Like they've done this too many times where they find
ways to win in the last six minutes of every
game that they play, say for this series apparently, And
I just think you're gonna see, You're gonna have to
see a vintage Jokic Murray type game for them to
win this.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
But I believe that they'll win Game three.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Yeah, all right, that's it for today's pod. We are
back on Monday.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
By the way.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
NFL camps I think OTA's are starting up very soon,
gonna get fascinating. NBA playoffs seating up. NBA Draft by
the way, the draft lottery I think is Sunday night,
So Monday we'll have some draft chatter. It's not a
great draft, but yeah, anyways, talk to you then
This is straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What is up straight firefam HiT's me Jason McIntyre's straight
fire or Friday May the tenth, It is a tough
morning for your boy. Boston Celtics go down. Jason Tatum's
in the crosshairs of the media again. I just feel
so sick defending this guy. At least the MAVs won,
(00:31):
and then of course the men's league, We're going up
against probably the third best team and we lose seventy
five to seventy three in overtime. I'm not going to
get into the machinations. We just we bricked a couple
free throws in overtime. This stupid rule. You know, it's
one of those leagues where there's the running clock, so
they don't want to slow it totally down with free throws.
So when you go to the line, it's usually one
(00:52):
for two. You make the first, you get two points,
and you move on. So we get fouled late in
the game, but we thought it was still one for two,
but it was one and one. And when it's one
and one, it's only one free throw. If you make it,
it's one point and that's it. You don't get a
second free throw, so our guy up one shoots it
makes the free throw, and we're like, oh, we're up three.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
No three.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
We're all yelling, no, don't give up the three. They
come down, they can't get a three off and one
of their guys gets a lay up and then you know,
the buzzer sounds and that's in. We're like, oh, it's over, okay,
we won, and literally I get up, I'm like getting
ready to go shake hands, and they're like, oh my gosh,
over time. I was like, what are you talking about.
They're like, yeah, one in one is only one point,
and I'm like, oh my goodness. And at that point
I knew we were in trouble. And still their best
(01:34):
player who must have had forty This guy is I mean,
he was a D two guard. He is super fast,
like I can't imagine with the speed of an NBA
player like Kyrie Irving. When I'm watching this guy and
he must have had forty against us. He shoots a
three with two seconds left and they call a foul,
like after the ball hits the ground. It was such
a late whistle. Kid buries three free throws and we lose.
(01:55):
So yeah, I was a little pissed off. I'm not
gonna lie. I'm waking up this morning and I'm just
a little I don't like losing. I'm competitive as hell.
Luckily the MAVs got me to the window last night
with my guy Luka Doncic coming through. And I guess
I'll start with Luca and the Mavericks because this is
a running thing with the Celtics and the Mavericks, but
(02:15):
specifically with Dallas. When their threes are on, they ain't losing.
And the threes were on last night eighteen of thirty
seven PJ Washington mid season pickup seven threes, Luca five
for excuse me, five for eight. Josh Green, who I
on the Herd said, this is a Josh Green series.
He was excellent, three for five from deep. Tim Hardaway
(02:37):
dusted him off. His first game back was rusty Game one,
Game two, six of ten, shooting two or four from three,
seventeen points in nineteen minutes. All their guys hit their threes,
and here's the kicker. They won with Kyrie Irving scoring
nine points. That's it. Usually it's been like, okay, second
Luca your first half, Kyrie your second half, and this
(02:58):
was like Kyrie eleven assists, nine points. So you can
look at this a lot of ways. If you're OKC,
you're spinning this ass. Oh they had a fluky night
from three eighteen of thirty, so they're not PJ. Washington
is not banging home. Seven threes were fine, and then
the counter is, well, actually, you know, Kyrie Irving did
(03:18):
nothing and they won by nine handily, and it was like, oh,
and then you look at the bench and you're like, oh, well,
in game one it was the OKC bench. Remember Wiggins,
we were raving about him, case On Wallace, Isaiah Joe,
and none of those guys really did much in game two.
So and now you go at home if you're Dallas,
and you could take a stranglehold on the series with
(03:40):
games three and four, and we know historically role players
play better at home. The thing I saw Rob that
I like, besides the threes was the hustle stats seemed
to all go to Dallas. They were unselfish. They had
more assists thirty assists to twenty five steals. Another hustle stat.
They had eight to five fewer exact same turnovers ten ten.
(04:02):
But the big woe was offensive rebound. You could see
it in the first quarter, the desire, the want everything,
Derek Jones, Junior Gafford lively like they were getting to
the loose balls and okay See won that in the
first game. Now here's the thing it's really getting. I
feel like round two has been tougher for me with
the betting as Round one rushed. First half, first quarter
(04:25):
just it was awesome. And now I'm getting reluctant, like
I almost didn't bet MAVs. I did ultimately take them,
So it is split since you know Boston was a
loser and I'm an idiot taking Boston first half. It
just it was one of those situations where you watch
the MAVs the way they play, and you're like, oh,
they're gonna be fine and they go home now, and
(04:48):
is okay See going to come out totally energize and
be like we got to steal this, we got to
get home court advantage back, or or are the Dallas
role players going to step up? Dallas maybe gets a
home whistle and the MAVs take us angle hold on
this series. I know people wanted to pencil in Okac
into the conference finals. Everybody's excited about Shay Gilders Alexander
who had a good game. You know, it wasn't great,
(05:08):
but he was good. He got some help from one
of the williams Is, but other than that, like Chad Holgrin,
did not really deliver. And I'm just telling you, Dallas
is gonna be lubricated on Saturday night. It is going
to be poppin'. And I will already tell you I
like the Maps to win that game, and I think
they take control of the series. Rob, are you with me?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Ooh, I'm halfway with you? And now again, I picked
Dallas before the series. I picked Dallas for the playoffs
advance of the Western Conference finals. So I'm all in
on Luca and Kyrie and the guys. However, I am
one of the people you alluded to that is not
all that encouraged by this game to win by Dallas,
Like I don't think you can count on PJ. Washington,
(05:53):
Tim Hardaway Junior and Josh Green going twelve for twenty
from three in the game that you won by single digit.
I said after Game one that if the MAVs had
any chance of winning the series, it starts and ends
with Luka doncicis Luka Donja was great, you know, eleven
for twenty one, twenty nine points, ten rebounds, seven assists,
and even then, you know, playing through the gimpie knee,
(06:15):
he looked hopbled at times. There's a one point his
face bounced off the floor, like we saw all the
versions of Luka Doncic. And even with him returning to
form and having a vintage Luca type game, they needed PJ.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Washington.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
It's seven threes, right, like they needed all these things
to go right for them to beat Oklahoma City and
Oklahoma City. I still feel like has at least one
major adjustment that they can make in the rest of
this series that I don't know that Dallas has.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Like up their sleeve anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Let's hear it.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
And that adjustment is quite simply is the bench Josh Gitty,
Josh Gdty.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
But they basically did.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
They basically have the first two games, but in game two,
Josh Kitty only played eleven minutes. Like as we said
before the series started, I thought that Luca was gonna
have Josh Getty played out of the floor because he
just They're gonna call for picking rolls over and over.
Josh Kitty cannot defend him, and more importantly, on the
other end, Josh Getty cannot shoot, so it's gonna change
the way that you cover the OKAC offense. But Josh
(07:17):
Getty game two, eleven minutes, eight points to rebound, Like, hey, it's.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Not too bad, right, he could have been that bad.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
He was a minus twenty in eleven minutes, Like, I
don't even know how that's possible in a game where
the team only scored one hundred and nineteen points. So
that means that he was just getting absolutely abused out
there by the MAVs offense early.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Oo.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
What Oklahoma City can do, in my opinion, is they
can either go small with Kayseon Wallace, who was a
bulldog defensively and he's been showing a lot of promise
as a rookie, or more likely lean into the U
Andrew Wiggins off the bench and he's a little bit longer,
and I think they like having the size there on
the back court with the defense where they can switch
(07:59):
more at actions. But that is a big adjustment that
OKASE can do. They have been one of the better
three point shooting teams all season into the playoffs, so
them shooting thirty three percent is not like, you know,
a complete outlier like they can. They normally shoot thirty
seven thirty eight. It's not the same thing as what
(08:22):
happened with Dallas, where these guys who are not great
shooters suddenly cannot miss. So I'm to have some confidence
in Dallas because again I picked him for the series.
Luca looks like he's gonna be okay as long as
he doesn't get you know, sideswiping falling on his knee
again like he did in Game one.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
But I don't feel super encouraged either. For the Mavericks.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Well, that's a good point on Giddy. I'm looking it up. Though,
here's the only concern you said earlier that they one
of their weaknesses rebounding. Yes, and Giddy is six s
eight And if you trade him in for Keyson Wallace,
who's like a six to three guy Wiggans six four
to six five, you're giving up more on the glass.
And to me, that is where maybe maybe the Mads.
(09:07):
I don't think they're capable of bullyball, but PJ. Washington
and Gafford or Derek Lively could like I mean, Derek
Lively could not eat inside but control the paint and
I think it could be a risky move, but you're right,
Gough giddy as a liability defensively, Luca, I think it
two threes on him like in the opening moments, and
you were like, ooh, they're going right at him. That
would be It's an interesting adjustment. I think MAVs got this.
(09:29):
I wasn't totally panicked after game one. Luca's name appears fine.
Everybody made a big deal out of the one turnover.
It couldn't score on lou Dort the dorser chamber, Hm,
maybe in the repair shop, right, I mean, he himself
had five fouls in thirty three minutes, did nothing offensively,
one steal, and Luca had one turnover in forty one minutes.
(09:52):
Pretty damn good showing. Now, if you want to pick
a part a superstar, it's not say Gil Show Gils Alexander,
it's not my guy Luka Doncic, and it's probably not Kyrie,
who probably had his worst game in the postseason. The
guy everybody's coming after today is my main man, Jason Tatum. Now,
I've talked about this at length. I am a New
(10:14):
Yorker born in New York. I didn't really grow up there.
We moved when we were my I was like two
and my brother was born in Virginia, and I gravitated
toward all the New York teams, so I'm conditioned to
dislike anything Boston. I hate the Patriots, oh my gosh,
could not stand them. Hate with a passion. The Red Sox.
(10:36):
I don't like, don't like any other players ever. I
can't stand Sweet Caroline because of that freaking seventh inning
or whatever it is when Boston plays it, I don't
know if it's the end of the game. I thought
the movie Fever Pitch, I watched like forty minutes of it.
I was like, this is total trash. I just I
don't like anything about Boston. I'm a New York guy.
I love Jason Tatum and Rob has me with this
(10:57):
future Laker Jason Tatum and his follow the bread Trust,
Kobe Bryant stuff like. I love it. I loved it,
and I root for Tatum. I think he's the top
five player in the league. He has not had the
greatest playoffs. He was a minus twenty two tonight, not
worst on his team, not second worst, evens they were
bad and the Celtics gets smoked once again in game two.
Game two against Miami, they took their foot off the
(11:20):
gas and the heat hit a billion threes. Well, what
do you think of it? A Game two against Cleveland,
Celtics took their foot off the gas, Calves go thirteen
for twenty eight from deep, and the Calves run away
and hide my main man, Donovan Mitchell, single handedly keeping
me alive in the player points pool that the volume
guys created. Mitchell with twenty nine. By the way, listen,
(11:41):
he did tear up Tatum with a nice move right
before the end of the third quarter, but he roasted
Jalen Brown. Now, I don't know if Jalen Brown went
on like went out on Wednesday night, but Rob something
happened to him. He was not locked in defensively. He
was zero for six from deep. I thought the defense
was Olay passive bullshit, and he was minus twenty nine
and thirty one minutes. He was a turnstile against Mitchell
(12:05):
and Max Strus and guard like he couldn't do anything,
and it was a shocking Charros Lavert came off the
bench and put in twenty one like it was one
of those like Boston's, Like, oh we got the series.
They were thirteen and a half point favorites and they
lose by twenty four. After the game is where it
gets interesting. Someone in the media asked a question about
expectations for the Celtics that they're a superteam, and Jason
(12:29):
Tatum said, that's the narrative you might see on TV,
the idea we have a superteam. It's twofold. We didn't
have a Coach of the Year or the MVP. We
only had two All Stars. They say we're a super team,
but we didn't get rewarded like we are now. Some
people perceive this as a shot at the voters. Others
perceive this as a shot at his team. Now. I
went on the roster and I like Drew Holliday as
(12:51):
much as the next guy. He is a phenomenal defender.
He's a two time Ulstar. Chris stabs porzingis who people
think is like the next coming because he was a
top five pick, and I have a rant on that
he made one All Star game in his career. Here's
the weird thing, folks. And I just read a story
about this, and I think it was The New Yorker.
(13:13):
It might have been The Atlantic. For oh no, no,
it was a podcast. It was called It's called Hidden
Brain by NPR. That's what it was. And they did
like a survey about whether or not people respect I
don't know if respect is the right word, but if
they respect someone who is naturally gifted and has been
(13:33):
pegged for greatness forever versus a tryhard aka like the
New York Knicks. Here's the weird part about the Celtics.
Their roster is dotted with guys who were lottery picks.
Tatum was a lottery pick. Jalen Brown was a lottery pick.
And these aren't just lotto these are top five. Al
Horford was the number three overall pick in the draft.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
They've got by the measure of tryhard versus gifted, they've
got studs like legit superstars Drew Holliday right outside the
lottery but uh seven, seventeenth overall.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
And essentially they were a team full of like, oh wow,
they got superstars, but they don't have a show well superstars.
And this happens to the Nuggets a little bit too.
It's like, oh wait, Jokic has no all Stars on
his team. Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray didn't. And they never
been an al star KCP. Huh. Interesting, But like we
(14:32):
look at guys who were like Andrew Wiggins with this, Oh,
Andrew Wiggins was better than Tatum. Really, Andrew Wiggins was
the number two or three on the Warriors when they
won the title. Curry was obviously one. You could debate
Clay Draymond as the two. Wiggins was great, and they
were like, oh, wiggeds outplay Tatum. Yeah, Tatum was the
best player going up against Wiggins, and Wiggins didn't have
(14:56):
to worry about offense. It's like, oh, I'll take scraps.
They're not running tons of plays for Andrew Wiggins, and
so Tatum had to work his butt off to get
anything offensively. Meanwhile, Wiggins is just like, I'll take the
scraps and let me just focus on defense. And so like,
Tatum has this weird negative rap where people just don't
seem to like him. And now that he said this
(15:18):
superteam thing of people are like, oh, look at Tatum
talking down his team. The reality is that they're not
a super team. I don't think adding Porzingis, who, by
the way, was in New York and Dallas and Washington
come on super team and Drew Holliday makes them a superteam.
I just I put totally push back and I agree
(15:38):
with Tatum. They had a bad night. They got cooked
by Donovan Mitchell in Company and the Dirty Little Secret
about Boston. And we've talked about this on the on
the pod. If the threes are hitting, and they were
like ninety percent of the season, they're winning games. But
when they have it off night and listen, it's gonna
happen in the playoffs, the game's different. Eight for thirty five.
(16:01):
They're gonna get smoked because they don't have a counter punch.
And you know, sadly, that's kind of my game. I'm
a three point guy. I randomly collected an offensive board
on Thursday night, and like, you know, you get an
offens ave rebine, you're supposed to go straight up. Uh uh.
There's a six to ten guy on the other team,
volleyball player, and I'm not getting it put back in
my face. I pull it out, you know, come back out.
(16:21):
It's set it up. You know, I'll take a three
fast break. I'm not driving in for layups. I'm on
fireing threes. And that's kind of the Celtics strategy. Threes
are layups and when the threes aren't hitting, they're in trouble.
Now they go to Cleveland now, and I'm sure a
lot of people ooh, dangerous spot, Matt Maybe maybe now
Cleveland is the spot where I believe it was the
(16:42):
Dean Wade game where the Celtics led by like twenty
and then they whittled away, whittled away, and then Dean
Wade like went off for the Calves. Now he's I
believe hurt. Let me you have a double check. Yeah,
he's hurt and not even not even playable, and he
had a monster game and the Cavs came back and won.
(17:02):
You guys, remember Tatum missed a late shot and everybody
and their mom was like, can Tat to make shots
in the clutch? And I don't know, Rob. I still
don't think Boston is in any trouble at all. Evan
Mobley had a really nice game twenty one five assists
and did what he should be doing is eating inside.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, I mean, I don't think they're in trouble either,
just and it says less about them and more about.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Who's left in the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
I think if the New York Knicks were fully healthy,
The New York Knicks could absolutely be Boston in a series.
But I'm not a huge believer in Cleveland, though I
love Donovan Mitchell. The Pacers don't play any defense, and
the Knicks have like three healthy players right now, and
they all you know, went to Villanova apparently. But to
your point about the Boston Celtics spot on. So a
(17:50):
couple of analytics guys put this out and in the
playoffs so far, Boston is fourign two And if you
look at the way the games line up in their
wins and in their losses, they're a positive rating in
twos against the opposition. They're plus one point one in
the wins, plus point six in the two. So it's
(18:12):
very close, but they're still ahead in wins in the threes,
they're plus fourteen in the losses minus twenty. That is
why in their wins the average margin of victory is
over twenty two points in a game, and in their
two losses it's seventeen points per game. The variance of
the three point shot means that if they're hitting, they're
(18:35):
probably gonna blow you out. If they're not hitting, they
are probably gonna get blown out. Because one thing is
for hell, while is sure they are not gonna stop
shooting no matter what's going on. Last night they shot
fifty five percent from inside the three point line. Okay,
they finished the game though as a team shooting forty
(18:56):
one percent, and that's because they went eight for thirty
five from three. So as things slipped away, rather than saying, hey,
let's just get a bucket, let's get like a mid
range pull up, let's get a curl action to get
something going towards the basket that is just short of
a layup, but it's a good shot for us, they
don't have that.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
It's the analytics say that's not worth it. It's better to
just drive. And that applies to the regular season.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Agreed, math is gonna math across eighty two games, because
even if you have a cold streak for a week,
two weeks whatever, it's gonna balance out because you're gonna
have a really hot streak for a week, two weeks whatever.
You cannot afford those kind of ebbs and flows in
a playoff series because if you guys go cold for
three games, you're not just oh, we had a three
(19:42):
game lose streak.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
It is what it is.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
We'll make up four here in the soft part of
our schedule. No, you could be out of the postseason
turnament all together if you go cold for three straight games. Again,
I don't think that they're in trouble, though, because I
think that the rest of the Eastern Conference is so
down this year, and then if they're not down, they're hurt.
I'll the Knicks or you know, the Sixers, the Bucks,
what have you. The thing that I'm more interested in, though,
(20:05):
is you said the Jason Tatum conversation, because he's getting
a lot of heat for making those comments here in
this morning, and I don't see what he said that
is wrong. I mean discounting Al Horford because Al Horford
had a stellar career, especially in Atlanta, but he's thirty seven.
He's not meant to be a high minutes kind of player.
(20:27):
He's a rotational big man at this point in today's career.
He's a high end rotational big man, but he's a
rotational big man. Outside of Tatum, they're four main guys.
There are other starters for Zingis White holiday Brown have
combined in their careers for exactly six All Star teams.
(20:49):
That is not a super team. When Dwayne Wade and
Lebron James linked up in Miami. Even thought counting Chris Bosh,
Dwayne Wade brought with him five all Starts teams and
five all NBA teams, that's not counting everything that Lebron
brought to the table. A super team to me at least,
(21:09):
is not how good your team is. Like Denver is
not a super team, even though they are really good, right,
I don't think Boston is a super team even though
they're really good. To me, a super team is, And
maybe my view of point is skewed. Is how many
Hall of Famers do you have on your team? Because
if you go back, we'll say, in the last twenty
(21:30):
years or so, there's probably what two super teams, Like
you got the Boston Celtics with the Big three over
there with KG, Pearceon and Alan, and then you have
this Steph Katie Clayton.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Well, what about the Heatles. You don't think Boston as.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Three two, ten, Yes, So there's three.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
It's they hold up Kobe. No, there wasn't a third
Heatles Warriors. What about that team in Brooklyn that played
like nine games together, Harden, Kyrie and Durant.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
I mean, if you want to count that, but were
they together long enough to really be a super team.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Well, okay, Clippers have Paul, George Harden and Kawhi. I mean,
I know the injuries, but technically that should be as sure,
sure if you want, if you want to Russell Westbrook,
I don't love him, He's he's all right.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
I guess my view of them as jaded because they're
so hurt and you never really see them all together
at the same time.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
But sure, Russ, Lebron and Ad. I know Russ wasn't
in his prime.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
I mean, but.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
It's the point is is the threshold. The benchmark to
a super team is not one star and four really
good players alongside of him. It is superstar, superstar star
and then a bunch of guys usually like like you
(22:56):
gotta be all time greats coming together there for me
to consider you a super team. And this Boston Celtics
teamven though they're very good, they win a lot of games.
Jason Tatum is a future Laker. I just don't think
that they qualify as a super team.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
It's tough to handicap. Like Al Horford's had a really.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Good career, Rob absolutely is he.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I don't think he's a Hall of It. Does he
have a ring?
Speaker 4 (23:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
No, he is.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
But the thing is that there's another conversation. The issue
with the Hall of Fame is almost everyone gets in
the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Well, Chris Webber's not in, is he?
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Yes? I think he is.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
He got in.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
I think so.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
I mean, like Mitch Richmond's in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Al Horford's gonna get him because of his years in Florida.
They went back to back. He I promise you he will.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Wait, it's a basketball It's not the NBA exactly. Also,
like Derek White, I mean, listen, I know he's had
some out of body experiences. I don't will the will
will the real Derek White stand up three of eleven,
one of eight for three, Like, I mean, he is
a solid player. But let's stop acting like Derek White
is other worldly, you know, I mean, I don't people
(24:03):
are treating him like he I mean, what is he
the equivalent like a Rick Fox? Remember Rick Fox of
the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Yeah, he's probably a better version than that. But again,
it's it's the regression to the mean. He was so
hot to start the playoffs that this whatever one for
eight shooting is going to bring his average down. He's
gonna be leveling off right around forty percent, which is
what he is.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
I mean, yeah, it's too early on Jalen Brown Hall
of Fame. I think Tatum is on the track. But
you're right, it's not like Tatum's been the MVP in
the league. I don't know over under half one half
for Tatum MVPs in his.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Career under You don't think he'll ever be an MVP. No,
Dwayne Wade never want an MVP cmdal ant they never wanted.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
No way, Dwayne Wade did not never. I'm sure he's
happy he's got his chip in his finals MVP.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Yeah, And I don't think chips and the way that
the voting is nowadays, like you have to put updiculous numbers,
and the way Jason Tatum plays, I don't think he's.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Ever gonna put up numbers like that.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
I mean, I think Luca was like thirty three, nine
and nine and he came in third.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
That would have my MVP and like probably like eighty
percent of the years in the last twent thirty years, right, Wow,
and listen, Tatum is all all of a sudden like
Anthony Edwards feels like the kind of guy who's gonna
be yearly a threat. But I'm very curious and we
can dovetail into the weekend games.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live. The only thing better than sitting on your
couch watching the game. He's making money while you do it.
(25:50):
Here's your best bet, Rob.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I'm very curious on you know, regards to what happens
simber Wolves Nuggets. I think the win regardless of what
happens Timberwolves MAVs. I like the MAVs. Anthony Davis is here.
He has arrived. I mean, you know, people like us.
We've talked about him for a while last year with
the Olympics.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
We know he's really, really good.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
I'm just I'm gonna put it out there. I would
be willing to make a bet that Carl Anthony Towns
is not on the team next year. Okay, they I'm
just telling you Fiscally, they are up Ship's Creek without
a paddle, and the pat and the owner is notorious
for wanting a paddle and pushing guys overboard. Conley's getting
(26:34):
up there in age. Now listen, you can't pay Nasrie,
Jane McDaniel's Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Kat like they're
gonna be in the second Aprin Like, I think Towns
is gonna be gone. So does that change things for Edwards?
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Well, certainly.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
I mean Carl Anthony Towns in that last in scheme two,
he was like their guy in the first half. I
mean he just went off and it was like we're
forgetting he was like a top five Was he a
number one overall pick?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
At the Edwards are Towns? Well they were number one.
They both went umber one, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah, yeah, I thought Towns was very good at game two.
I just like, it's just so weird. We've seen six
playoff games of Anthony Edwards this season. Rob two months ago,
nobody was saying he could be the face of the NBA. Absolutely,
no one. It was like, oh, Coojah Morant bounce back. Well,
there's always Zion and it's like jokicch Obviously Edwards was
(27:25):
not in the discussion. And now six playoff games later,
everybody's ready to crown him. I don't know. I like
Edwards a lot. He is unbelievable. One of the guys
I follow on Instagram. I think I've told the story
about this guy Devin in the lab. I think is
his name?
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Yep, you know him right, m hm. So one day
I go in the gym and this guy's filming his
buddy doing all these moves. I'm like, damn, this guy's
freaking good, and I was it was clear that they
were like using the court, so I didn't want to interrupt,
so I'm like watching waiting and then I just take
off and then guy's like yo yo j Mack and
I was like, what, who are you? And then he
(28:02):
tells me, oh, you have Devin And then I was
like we're you know and he's like, oh yeah, I'm
on Instagram and I look it up and he had
like four hundred thousand followers, Like how do I not
know who this guy is? And then I followed him.
He's a super nice guy. I never got to play
with him because I guess he's stopped going to the
gym at during COVID and ended up like getting his
own gym somewhere, but he put together a clip of
Anthony Edwards and he was like, you look at these moves,
(28:25):
and you're like, tell me, this isn't Jordan. Like, I
still think I like the Wade comparison as opposed to Jordan,
Rob Where are you on Edwards?
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Yeah, well, I like the way comparison. Actually like the
Kawhi comparison. I think he's a more explosive version of
Kawhi than Jordan. But I mean, I definitely do see
the shades if I squint real hard and watch the
way that he plays. Absolutely, I'll tell you what though,
as far as phase of the league for Anthony Edwards,
I have to imagine that the NBA. I know you
don't like this kind of talk, but I believe that
(28:57):
the NBA wants Anthony Edwards to become the face of
the league, if only because he seems to be the
one player of these young guys. Now that John Moran
has kind of fallen out of favor with all of
his issues that really resonates with the younger crowd. I
(29:18):
saw the stat over the weekend that through the first
round of the of the NBA Playoffs and through Game
one of Timberwolves Nuggets. That the Minnesota Timberwolves were up
ratings wise in every single game that they've played relative
(29:39):
to last season.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Huh.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
And that's with the playoffs as a whole being down
like nine percent. So they're basically carrying the ratings in
a way like Steph Curry and the Warriors did there
for a hot second during their run. And what's more importantly,
because now that everything is digital and streaming and so
on and so forth, this is the start of the
playoffs and this was answering the weekend. I'm sure it's
(30:02):
only gone up since then. Edward had generated the second
most video views across all NBA social and digital platforms,
over one hundred million, trailing only Lebron James. So the NBA,
which I think is desperate for an American face of
the league, and if he's the guy that the younger
(30:23):
generation is gravitating towards, if he seals the deal with
the championship this year and potentially a Finals MVP, then
you can rubber stab him as the face of the NBA,
regardless what Luca and Jokic and Giannis and SGA do.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
I didn't see those numbers. That is interesting so he
is popping big time. Absolutely, Okay, your wife isn't a
huge basketball fan, right, No, if you said Anthony Edwards,
does she know who he is?
Speaker 4 (30:53):
No idea?
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Okay, yeah, my wife would have no clue. Does your
mom know about NBA and stuff?
Speaker 4 (31:01):
She watches more than my than my wife, but even
she has no idea who Anthony?
Speaker 2 (31:04):
No idea? Right, My kids probably don't know who Anthony
Edwards is. Again, it's still a Steph Curry Lebron world, sure, right,
I mean, and I think it's it's gonna take some
time for aunt, you know, like listen, it's gonna take
more than six games, bro, like Zion Williams, and people
know who he is, right. He came in from Duke
(31:25):
with a rep. Anthony Edwards didn't make the NCAA tournament
at Georgia, you know, and like he's a ridiculous dunker.
But I still don't think people really know him, you know,
like that, I think people I'm wondering, like jail, if
you said to your wife, oh, honey, Jalen Brunson's playing
and that we can't go out to dinner, and she
just look at you, like you, what are you talking about?
(31:46):
So so tonight we got Jalen Brunson and the knickt
seven point dogs in Indy Ogan and Obi out Indiana
favored by seven. It smells like a blowout. It's all
almost like one of those like, hey, we got to
We don't want Jalen to further it get injured. At
(32:07):
the first sign of trouble, We're powering him down. I
think the Pacers win this, and I think the only
bet here is betting the Pacers. I think for sure,
first quarter, first half, and I think ultimately they run
away and hide.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
I think that your reasoning is sound, and yet I
would disagree with you only because of Tom Thibodeau. The
wise move is, hey, O, Giananoby's already ruled out for
Game three. They're saying, at best he's questionable for Game four,
which means realistically he's out for Game four.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
WHOA.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Jalen Brunson has a foot issue which we can only
imagine probably flamed up or strolled up after Game two. Like,
I don't think you have this quick of a turnaround,
and you're just back to normal after missing an entire
quarter of NBA playoff action, So you would think the
smart thing to do would be like, Hey, if things
get tough, early, power down, save our guys. Josh Hart's
(33:05):
averaging over forty eight minutes per game, which is incredible
over the last four or five games. Forty eight but
he's averaging forty eight point three minutes, so basically he
doesn't sit out ever never, and then he plays in overtime.
That's how he's got forty eight point three. So hey,
power him down. Hopefully we can steal game four. But
Timms is such a maniac, he's such a psycho and
(33:27):
his team will run through a brick wall for him
that I could absolutely see Josh Hart playing is forty eight,
the Vincenzo playing forty six, and Jalen Brunton, even on
a bad foot, playing forty three. Forty four minutes to
where they're gonna fight and scrap and claw like they
always do and find a way to maybe not win
the game but cover the spread.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Do you think the Knicks put up a fight? What
about the nightcap, which is Denver's season on the line.
Do they show up in Minnesota and make this an
interesting series? Now that this is a tough one, because
logic says Denver is gonna fight I just don't know
if they I just don't know if they have the guys.
I don't, man, I it feels like a sweep to me,
(34:11):
Rob Wow, I think I know, I don't. I mean, listen,
would it shocked me hard of a champion Nuggets come through?
Of course not, I think. And I'm not betting this
because I think if you're doing anything Denver, which just
had three days to stew and ruminate, I think they've
got to come out very, very strong. They have to
because both first games, both of the first two games,
(34:31):
they were down at least double digits in the first
twelve minutes. If that happens here, say good night. Minnesota
will dominate you the way they dominate a Phoenix. So
I'll go Minnesota money line. But that doesn't pay anything.
So I guess I would bet Minnesota Indie money line parlay,
which see that's probably not it's not risky. Bet in
the two favorites, so you parlay them if you for
(34:56):
a hundred. Actually you bet one hundred on Indie and
Minnesota win one hundred and four.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
That's not bad. That's not bad. I like those odds.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
If I was really betting on it, I just think
that until Denver is out of their misery, I'm not
gonna bet against you.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Yeah, you're afraid to be yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Like they've done this too many times where they find
ways to win in the last six minutes of every
game that they play, say for this series apparently, And
I just think you're gonna see, You're gonna have to
see a vintage Jokic Murray type game for them to
win this.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
But I believe that they'll win Game three.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Yeah, all right, that's it for today's pod. We are
back on Monday.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
By the way.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
NFL camps I think OTA's are starting up very soon,
gonna get fascinating. NBA playoffs seating up. NBA Draft by
the way, the draft lottery I think is Sunday night,
So Monday we'll have some draft chatter. It's not a
great draft, but yeah, anyways, talk to you then
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