May 19, 2025 • 36 mins
Doug talks about the Thunder's game seven mauling of the Denver Nuggets as he was there to experience it all. Doug gives his theory on why game six of the Knicks series and game seven of the Thunder series were blowouts. Doug welcomes NBA Insider Ric Bucher onto the show to talk about the two deciding games from the weekend in the NBA and to preview the conference finals. Plus, Dan Beyer takes Doug through a game of "Big Deal, Little Deal or No Deal?".
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gotleb Show podcast. Be
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
As car Booming Up America. Doug Gottlieb Show, Fuck Sports
Radio coming to you from parts unknown. No, I'm kidding,
I am kidding. Do do do do do doo? We
have a lot. We had a jam pack show. Uh.
(00:41):
That was a good sports weekend. I mean, disappointing Game
seven's all right, super disappointing Game sevens, but all in all,
pretty good weekend. Got a chance to take my son
Hayes to Game seven of the thunder game. We'll get
to that in a second. Let me kind of give
you lay out of the hour. Rick Buker joined us
(01:03):
at twenty five. After the hour, we'll talk all things NBA.
We got love and hate for you. Come on top
of next hour, we'll talk about the Angel Reese discussion,
which has multi layered discussion and maybe even be able
to steak in some baseball. Welcome into Dan Byer. Of
(01:26):
course you hear him on Sundays on Fox Sports Radio.
You hear him. He's actually all over the dial filling
in for whomever. And then you got Chase Do and
Sam the crew all back together. Let's start with game seven.
There's a bunch to get to, a bunch to get to.
I mean, I'll give it to Kendrick Perkins. It's not
(01:46):
he didn't invent the phrase, but he has said, hey,
role players play better at home. That was clearly the
case with both the Nuggets, with Julian Strather playing really
well in Game six and playing very poorly in Game seven,
and you look at the role players like Alex Caruso
played incredibly well in Game seven. The difference in that
(02:07):
game for me was two things. Caruso's defense, energy, ability
to guard and front. They did a great job of fronting.
That's playing in between yourself and the basketball of Nikola Jokicz.
Just make everything hard to get in the basketball every
time I got the basketball, and yeah, they're fouling him.
They were fouling him based upon how the game is
(02:29):
officiated all season long, and be playofficials a little bit different.
And then he had help where you know, there's always
a non shooter on the court for the Nuggets, and
they made those guys beat him and they could not.
But the real way in which that game was won
was the turnovers that led to runouts and wide open
dunks and lamps. And whether it was because of injury
(02:50):
with Drew Holiday, I mean Drew Holliday with with Aaron Gordon,
or just the fact that Jokic can't get back that
quickly or other players not getting back when they should have,
I would venture to guess, especially the end of the
first half when that game was blown open. In early
in the second half, there were probably ten uncontested layups
(03:12):
and dunks for the for the Thunder, that's twenty points,
and that's a big enough difference to win the game.
The rest doesn't really matter. What does matter is this,
I love going to games. I think it's one of
the things that separates our show from other shows and
(03:33):
other networks. You know, we have guys that go to
I went to seven Packer games last year, and I
went to a Charger game. We go to college football games.
I obviously coach college basketball. I go to NBA games,
go to NFL games, I go to major League Baseball games. One,
when you go to those places I have friends in
(03:53):
the Thunder organization, you get to see catch up what
they tell you about everybody else. And two it's just
different when you're there. But Buyer I had, I had
an experienced yesterday where it's both good and bad. Okay,
here's the good. The good is that the Thunder the
fans are incredible. And for people who are like, they
(04:16):
don't get why why so many have so many glowing
things to say about Oklahoma State basketball because Oklahoma State
basketball hasn't been really that good for twenty years. Is
that's what it was like at our arena only arena
was a quarter the size of it, But that level
of intensity of fans, If that makes sense, sure, Okay,
(04:38):
so same type of fans, only now there's eighteen thousand
a night and you're talking about playing for an NBA
championship and they're loud. And I've determined I know the
most obnoxious fans outside of the obvious most obnoxious, Like,
there's some people that are just obnoxious. They're constantly trying
to be on TV. You know, they're standing there close
(04:58):
to the court, so they stand up and try and
make a scene with the players. Those are the most annoying.
But we were about I don't know what letter G is, right,
but we're in rowe G.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Maybe CDEFG. Okay, so we're seven rows back, but I
think there are also ten double letters ten like double
letters down loads. We're like seventeen rows back. And so
you're generally in with a solid group of season ticket holders, okay,
and the constant booing, yelling basketball sayings or basketball fan
(05:37):
things to point out that aren't I'll give you two things.
Every time Jokich went to the line, there was one
guy to my left that was calling him a flopper,
and the guy behind me was calling him a free
throw merchant. And I'm like, and I turned the guy
behind me and I was like, you know, maybe, but
you do know like Shay is the big free throw
(06:00):
merchant in the league, right, Like that's a that's a
real thing. Like he's an unbelievable free throw merchant. He
has the ability in the regular season to go and
get fouled. They don't call it much in the postseason,
so pod calling kettle black is just a weird thing
to And then the other one is, hey, here's a deal.
Sometimes your team does, in fact foul right, sometimes outside
(06:25):
of take fouls. It was like anytime there was a
call on the thunder Water you looking at. All they
do is flop like it's not possible that there are
zero fouls committed by your team. So they're using like
common terminology in the NBA. So there are some level
of real NBA fan. They're not like, oh, this is
(06:45):
my first time to get go team in. Are we
in blue or and white?
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Right?
Speaker 2 (06:48):
It's not like they're not knowledgeable, it's they have a
little bit of knowledge, and yet it comes out as obnoxious. Obnoxious.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing at times,
and that seems like the scenario where it is I
can understand complaining about certain calls here and there, the
not the MVP stuff. The ever just to know that
stuff that doesn't bother me, because it's kind of like
an MVP chant, Like you will start an MVP chant
(07:20):
for your guy even if maybe he really isn't even
now SGA obviously is, but you're just trying to support
the guy. Does it really mean that it's that the
players an MVP when maybe he would finish sixth in voting?
Talking about other arenas. I don't mind that sort of stuff.
So you're trying to find something out of Yokich, I'm
cool with that, but I could not stand sitting there
(07:40):
for two hours listening to someone complain about fouls that
are called, especially too, if you think of the the
outcome of it. Imagine if the Thunder were never called
for a foul. Imagine the blowback from the media and
everybody else around the country and saying, how did the
Thunder not get called for any fowls? Yeah, that would
annoy me.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
I'm with you. I would also tell you that I
I like Shay Gildis Alexander. I liked him. You go
back to look at his pre draft stuff. I've always
liked him. I thought when they made the trade with
the Clippers, it's a great trade. I think he's probably
gonna win the MVP. But I would also tell you
that he wasn't close to the best overall player on
(08:21):
the court yesterday, like a good look. A good portion
of it is the Nuggets were in his zone, so
he couldn't be his usual self. And when when Jokicic
went out, Jalen Williams attacked the rim got it going,
and then the turnovers happened, and then it just kind
of snowballed on the nuggets. But it's I think I've
nailed it. In the He's a better score than Yokich's
(08:46):
no question whether he scores more points or not. And
he does score more points, and he's efficient doing it.
He's an unbelievable scorer. But I mean, Jokich makes does
He's the whole team. He does everything, and I get
that we can pick out defensively when he does and
doesn't challenge shots. He is so smart with it and
(09:07):
understands angles and when to foul and when not to foul,
when to wall up, when not to wall up. A
remarkable passer. Yeah, he kind of is sloppy with his body,
throwing it around all the time, but that's kind of
part of the beauty to it. So I yeah, I
have no idea who's gonna win the MVP. I think
it'll be Shay because you get they get fatigue over
(09:28):
the big guys. But Jokic is the best player in
the world, or the best player that I've seen in
the world. Here's Mark Dagno, who's the head coach of
the Thunder, talking about the difference in the game for
his team.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
Yeah, I thought our pressure today was a difference maker
in the game. And we access that at different times
in the series, but today we did it, you know,
most consistently for the forty eight minutes. And we didn't
even play a perfect game on offense, but you know,
it was just such a catalyst for us. The pressure,
the deflections, the turnovers, and you know, even when they
(10:02):
got shots, I thought the pressure and the help really
disrupted the rhythm of those shots. And the guys just
did a great job of, you know, sifting through all
the noise of a Game seven and just focusing on
what we need to do to win, and we really
executed it.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Stug Ott Leep Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Uh,
he's right, and look, of course he sees he's the coach.
But that game, that game was one based on their
pressure defense, pressuring them because if you're gonna front, Yo Kich,
you have to pressure the basketball. You can't front and
then play soft because then they just lop it over the top.
They pressure, pressure, pressured, and then Nuggets had no answers.
(10:41):
Here's SGA talk about how Game seven played out.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
The nerves was natural. We obviously didn't shoot. We actually
shot horrible to start the game, but I knew like
we were getting really good looks and if we just
stuck with it that like we would loosen up in
the ball and you know, find the basket. And it
did so well. I never, like, I never was worried
by the way we started. We had the right intentions.
We had to tighten a little bit up on defensive
down the defensive end, but once I felt the flow
(11:06):
of the game and we had the right intentions and
the right energy, I knew it would turn around for us.
It means a lot, specifically for the city. They've been
so good all year. They've been behind us through good
through bad, Like it doesn't feel like it feels like
like no team in the league has home court advantage
like we do. And that's all due to them. With
the T shirts, the cheering, the screaming, the chance, they
(11:26):
really give us like energy out there, and we've been
a better team because of them and having them behind us.
And to know that if we didn't bring it tonight
it could be over for them as well wasn't fair.
And we wanted to play for them as well.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Here's David Edelman, who's the intermad coach of the Nuggets,
talking about the loss.
Speaker 7 (11:43):
When you lose, it's crushing, and it's the last time
you'll be in the room with those guys, and it's
beyond that. You only get one of these, you know,
this is the one moment we had together to make
this run. And they're all individual to themselves and they're
also special. Anybody that's played sports understands that. So walking
out of that locker room is uh, it's crushing, and
it's going to take a while lead over that one.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Like I thought, you know, it's obviously it's hard, and
I fully confess that I don't watch any many or
maybe any full Nuggets game in the regular season. If
I was to be coach to coach critical, it would
be that you couldn't you know, when the Thunder got
(12:26):
back in the game in the second quarter, it was
when both of his two stars were out of the
game and he left Aaron. I don't know if he
left Aaron Gordon out there, but I know he took
Jok and Murray out at the same time, and you
just they just don't have enough. They just don't have enough.
And then the other part would be if a team
is pressuring you, you have to have pressure counters. You
(12:47):
have to whatever you do, you and this this is
the old AU coach, and me, my dad is the
old AU coach, which is that's how AU basketball is
generally played in California, which is pressure pressure, pressure pressure.
So you actually art with how to break pressure before
you learn about running offense. And I felt like they
just didn't have the predetermined answers for how to attack
(13:08):
that kind of defense. And and look, I also disagree
with Shay. I don't think they took They took good
shots for bad shooters in the first quarter. You know
they had the wrong guy shooting the basketball. But you
get that many steals, that many lay ups, that much momentum,
of course, the ball is going to start going in.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Doug Gotlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. Rick Bucher will joined
us by what six minutes, seven mins, eight minutes, Rick
Buker eight minutes, eight minutes away from Rick Buker, just
here's the discussion point Buyer. I love your opinion, Sean
(14:02):
and Jay stew I have an opinion on this. I
have a couple, and they're more hypotheses. They're more hypotheses
than they are theories.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
A hypothesy is a theory that's not yet proven. Right.
So Game six for the Celtics and Nick's was a
complete and utter blowout, and Game seven for Thunder versus
Nuggets became a complete and utter blowout after early on
(14:34):
Nuggets dominating and then kind of losing control into the
first half. But in trying to figure out why, right,
Like the conversations about about game sevens usually are man,
they were decided by one play here, one play. There
are memories even of Game sevens are that they were
all close. The reality is they're not. There's been plenty
(14:56):
of crummy Game sevens, but having them in basically back
to back fashion. I know it wasn't back to back,
but having a Sunday one and a Friday one makes
it seem like, why are these so bad? So I'll
give you a couple of possible reasons behind it and
then we'll discuss it. So the first thing is quite
(15:21):
obviously the Celtics weren't healthy, and after one game of
playing without Jason Tatum, now reality sets in. Reality sets in,
and there's a reason that Jason Tatum was the Finals VP.
There's a reason that he's gonna make three hundred million
dollars next year. And one day at home, you can
(15:42):
pick up the slack, you can have great energy, you
can get over the hump, but then you have to
go do it again on the road and suddenly they
figure out who you are and how you're different without
Jason Tatum. And then obviously the Nuggets haven't been healthy.
Drew Gordon was the shell of himself. They don't have
a very good bench. And remember the bench, or the
lack of roster building, is the reason that Calvin Booth
(16:04):
is no longer their GM. But I I don't know.
I sit here and I think to myself, is there
something more? And here's what I want to offer up
the possibility if I do think the officiating, at least
in the Oklahoma City game was awful. It was awful.
(16:25):
Now part of it was Denver didn't react well to it,
but part of it was like what are they supposed
to do? They could not get a call. It felt
like out in the PREMI when they're d tripling the basketball,
Oklahoma City's pressuring and the use of the team that
exerts the most pressure physically dominates the game, and that
that's what happened. But usually game sevens are equally officiated.
(16:48):
Usually the home team has it's a great despairit and
the officiating for all the home teams, and then you
get to game seven and it's like they're like, Okay,
hey guys, now, now let's do it on the up
and up. That's usually how it works it or it
feels like it works, and I didn't think that was
the case in the Thunder Thunder game, and which allows
me for my next hypothesis, which is there's just not
(17:11):
that many games of this much energy in the NBA,
and frankly I fewer and few were in college as
they were previously. So players are going to react differently
and officials are going to react differently, and the game
feels very, very different. And I think home court becomes
more important and more useful in these big games because
(17:32):
many of those guys aren't used to playing in real
home court, advantageous situations and getting simply every call. Dan By,
are your thoughts well?
Speaker 5 (17:42):
I don't disagree with either thought. I like the first
one more like that's how I looked at the Celtics,
where then everything builds up for that Game five, Like
if there was a game that they were gonna win
without Jason Tatum, it's that game. Let's rally together, we'll
have twenty thousand Celtics fans having our back. We can
(18:06):
win that game five. Then in Game six, you lose
twenty thousand fans, you don't have Jason Tatum, and you
like to chuck up threes and you're not really gonna
get defensive stops, and then that's what you end up getting.
Like that, I almost felt like you could see that
one coming from a mile away. Yet people still wanted
(18:27):
to put their chips in on the Celtics to think
that for some reason, this team was because they were
champions last year, they were ready to go on a run,
and I just I didn't think they would have anything
left from what they had in Game five, and it
proved that in game six, the Game seven with the thunder,
I just think that that's what Oklahoma City does to you,
(18:49):
and also that maybe the Nuggets aren't that that good,
and then you have those twenty thousand on your side,
and when it gets rolling, it gets rolling. Like Denver
used everything that they had, and it felt like Eron
Gordon had everything he had in the first ten minutes
of the game. And then after that, once they got
blitz creaked by the thunder, I mean, it was it
(19:09):
was over like there there's nothing that there's nothing that
they could do in Oklahoma City just kept going and going,
kind of like how the Knicks did. But I just
don't think the Celtics and the Nuggets were up to
par to win those games. How they were constructed entering
those games.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Jase, do what do you think?
Speaker 7 (19:29):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I don't think the Whisteners want to know my opinion.
But you should see Sam's He's had a little bit
of an episode in the last three minutes. He just
he's wondering why you called him Sean.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
And I love your opinion, Sean and dressed you We're
trying to was so bad.
Speaker 8 (19:47):
I was Shawn who I don't know his name, Sean maybe.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I don't even know. Did I have a Biden moment
right there? Man? Did I have a senior episode? Oh? Man?
That's Sean and Sean and Jay stew All right, Well,
we'll work our way back to Sean and the Sam.
Uh Let's welcome in. He's Rick Buker, Fox Sports, Foxsports One,
(20:15):
Foxsports dot Com. He covers all things NBA for Fox
Sports Radio as well. Uh buke the the Denver Nuggets,
who did not have much of a bench go down
in Game seven. Let's start with Aaron Gordon is like,
you know, not enough time in between games. I think
he means really games three and four, right, that's where
the Nuggets feel like the series was lost. What's the
(20:38):
legitimacy to that argument for you?
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Well, and look, I get it, but it's a business
and a lot of this is determined by all sorts
of other factors. It's not It's not as if the
league and the teams have complete free will, free hand
to put the games where they want to. Some of
(21:03):
it is how do we capture the biggest TV audience.
What are the matchups that we want to feature, what's
the availability of the arenas, what's the travel There's just
there's so many factors that go into it. I understand
the desire to have an ideal set up, but the
(21:23):
reality is is that there's all sorts of inconsistencies and
and and and logistical issues and challenges that that go on.
It's just it's part and parcel of it. I just
I feel like sometimes we get into a little bit
of over analyzation after the fact about various things depending
(21:48):
on what happens. And uh and and I think that's
the case here. There have been scheduling challenges for teams
to overcome in in the play off for decades, and
this just happens to be another one.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Uh. You know the thing about the Nuggets and I was,
I was there yesterday afternoon for the game in Oklahma City.
Was obviously Aaron Gordon wasn't right, wasn't healthy. They only
really have five and a half. I thought Oklahoma City
was the first time that they decided, hey, let's gonfront
the post. Obviously Caruso was a gigantic factor. But the
(22:29):
other thing is like Jamal Murray, you know, I I
understand there's not the space to play because he doesn't
at times he has Russell Westbrook or Peyton's out there
or you know, they have they have too many non
shooters out there. But what do the Nuggets do moving forward?
You're gonna have a new GM, who doesn't have a
(22:49):
tie to any of these guys. He's got to try
and build a championship roster. He's got to move some
piece to do so. Is Jamal Murray the one they
would move?
Speaker 4 (22:58):
I honestly, I would move just I love the chemistry
that that Jokic and Jamal have, But at this point
with the Nuggets, I would be open to moving anyone
and other than than Nikola Jokic. I would be looking
at this strictly from what do the assets that I
(23:20):
have and how do I develop better depth and versatility
on my roster so that I'm not having to lean
on Yokic as heavily as as they have over the
last couple of years. And some of that is also
you know, the disadvantage that they've had over over the
last few years is that you didn't have your GM
(23:42):
and your head coach on the same page. You know
that that infighting was very real and they were at
odds to the point where they were trying to sabotage
each other sabotage each other. So the success that they've
had is really in spite of that. And but to
your point, you know, bringing in a new G and
having them them run the show, assuming it's not the
(24:05):
old TM and they don't try to steal him back.
I would everything would be on the table for me,
and in trying to re reorganize this team around the
one piece there. To me, there's only one indispensable piece,
and that's Nicola Jokicic.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Okay, let's let's get to a couple of the teams. Celtics,
what do they do now?
Speaker 4 (24:30):
I don't know that they have to do as much
as people suggest that they have to. Obviously, they have
some financial issues that they have to take care of.
I don't see Al Horford coming back. Have to figure
out what the health issue is with Christasporzingis. But they were, like,
you know, one of the one of the strengths was
they their depth, And I don't know that that necessarily changes.
(24:56):
I don't think that Jason Tatum's injury necessarily changes things
in a dramatic way, or that you're capable of changing
things in a dramatic way. They were the second best
team in the regular season during the Eastern in the
Eastern Conference, they had the third best record in the league.
You know, I do I do I think that they
(25:17):
have to make some changes and some tweaks, sure, but
they are a very expensive team that is going to
have to give up some pieces uh in order to
uh to meet the specifications of the new ownership. But
that was gonna happen anyway. I just I look, I
look at the Eastern Conference. Who are they competing against?
(25:40):
But do they really have to worry about as being
that that team that they're going after? I think very
you know, even losing an Al Hartford and let's say
everything else is status quo. I think they're I think
they're right there. You know, I've dug deep into the numbers,
uh and whether they'd have to move someone else. And
(26:01):
really it comes down to how willing are you to
pay the tax that's going to come along with it?
And do you think if you pay the tax, can
you can you have the team that you want with
the limitations that the high pay roll puts upon you.
That's going to be the question. But I don't like
this complete makeover because they lost in the second round.
(26:26):
I think that's a wild overreaction.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Okay, the Knicks take on the Pacers. What are your expectations?
Speaker 4 (26:36):
Well, I can't wait to see that first game. I
have the I have the Knicks winning the series, largely
because I think that they're a little deeper and healthier
than they were the last time these two teams played,
and I believe the presence of Mitchell Robinson and Kat
(26:59):
the combination and versus a team that essentially run by
Miles Turner in the front court. As much as I
love the Pacers Wings, as much as I think that
they are vastly underrated, I don't know what I'm going
to get from Tyreese Halliburton from game to game. I
(27:19):
think he's shown a lot, and I think at times
that he's demonstrated that the overrated label was inaccurate. But
there's also times where his passivity or his reluctance to
shoot or attempt to score really troubles me. And I
just I feel like the Knicks are a more known
(27:42):
quantity that Jalen Brunson is a more known quantity. And
while I have my concerns about what Pat is and
he isn't, I'm going to lean. I'm going to lean
mix in that series, but I would not look Pacers
win it or they push it to seven. I would
(28:03):
not be the least that's surprised.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Okay, let me circle back to something I was gonna
ask you previously, which is both the game sevens were blowouts.
Can you find a reason why.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
I think it's I think it largely. I would say
it's largely coincidence in that you had themes that were
simply overwhelmed and and I mean I just look at
the Nuggets. They were they were out of gas, and
they were down to at most five and a half players.
(28:45):
And with the Celtics, it was like I thought the
Knicks demonstrated that they were a physically and maybe even
mentally tougher team. That's that Boston. Boston was a one
trick pony in term of how they play and how
they get back into games that they're not shooting the three, well,
(29:05):
then they're going to have have issues with christophs rozingis
only partially available. I don't they don't feel to me
like the team that has a different way to play.
And so it's feaster famine, and when it's feaster famine,
when it comes to threes, that can result in a
in a lopsided result in a hurry. With Denver, I
(29:27):
think it was just a matter of you're playing against
a young athletic team, and and you're just you've run
out of body. You're asking your Michael Porter Jr. Was
was a disappointment. Jamal Murray had whatever was going on
with him was not one hundred percent. Aaron Gordon clearly
(29:48):
was not one hundred percent. I mean, now you're you're
asking Julian Strather, who had like a string of d
MPs to finish the season, and Peyton Watson, who has
been wildly consistent in his entire career. You're now asking
those guys to go into a road arena and and
gut out a game seven. I just think it was,
(30:12):
you know it was. It was a combination of things
for the Nuggets and but and for the Celtics, just
a different combination in both cases.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Rick Buker, Fox Sports One and Fox Sports Radio's NBA
insider buch are the best man. Can't wait to talk
with you as the Conference finals roll on. Thanks for
being our guest.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
I'm looking forward to it. Thanks.
Speaker 8 (30:34):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
It's a Doug gottlib Show Fox Sports Radio. Dude, du
do do you can stream this show and all of
our Fox Sports Tradio shows live twenty four to seven,
and the new and improved iHeart Radio app just starts
Fox Sports Trade and the app to stream us live.
And one of the newest features in the app is
that you can select Fox Radio one of your presets,
just like presets and rated al So be sure to
(31:03):
preset Fox Sports Trade in the iHeartRadio app and he'll
pop up at the top of your screen. Let's get
to a game.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
This is game time on the Doug Gottlieb Show.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Dan Biro, what's the game today, Doug?
Speaker 8 (31:24):
The game today is big deal, Little Deal, No deal.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
And just a programming note tomorrow and we do rank them.
One of the questions will be provided by Iowa Sam.
If you don't like the question, Doug, then it'll be
provided by Iowa Sean. But tomorrow on Fox Sports Radio.
One of our rankum questions courtesy of Iowa Sam. All Right,
(31:49):
big deal, little deal or no deal? Doug that the
top seed in the Eastern Conference has it made the
NBA Finals in nineteen of the last twenty three seasons.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Uh, that's a big deal. Right, that's a big deal.
It's a. It's what the NBA has tried to get
away from, which is minimizing the importance of the regular season,
and they just can't, just can't. It literally doesn't matter
based upon what you're talking about.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Prior to that. I got this from a Reddit post
made a little over a year ago. Seven times in
an eight year span from nineteen ninety five to two
thousand and two, the East had their top seed make
the NBA Finals. Interesting, big deal, little dealer, no deal,
Doug that the Western Finals will once again be held
in the Central time zone.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Ah, I think that's a big deal from a couple perspectives.
One is you can't really how do you adjust to
gain time. I love to know the tip times right.
It may actually end up helping out the NBA in
terms of tip times because if you try and set
it to seven o'clock West Coast, now it's ten o'clock,
(32:59):
it's six o'clock West Coast. It's not a people in there.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
I bet you it'll be about a bunch of nine
o'clock Easterns. I haven't looked at the schedule. I can
bring it up right now.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
But again, that's not terrible for Central time zone because
now a sudden, you're at.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Eight o'clock, sure right, five yeah, eight thirty Eastern, five
thirty Pacific, seventy.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Seventh thirty Central. That's perfect. It actually works out really
really well. Obviously, you have a bigger number of people
in the West Coast if you get the Lakers or
you have the Warriors involved. But outside of that, from
just a viewing standpoint, we can all admit that. And
I'm Central time zone as well, so seven thirty is perfect,
thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
Big deal, little dealer, no deal that. Jason Kidd, the
head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, hinted today that the
team will take Cooper Flag with the first overall pick
in the draft in June.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
No big deal. I mean, I mean no deal, no deal,
no deal, all right? Did somebody think otherwise, Ace Bailey
or I don't know, Like, look, there's there's other good players.
Cooper Flags widely be considered the best prospect. He's only
eighteen years old. I think that's pretty easy.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
I do remember at a lottery in the past, and
I can't remember if it was New York, but I
felt it may have been a different one where teams
would bring jerseys this is at the lottery. This isn't
at the draft. This is at the lottery where they
won the number one overall pick. If there was a
no brainer at number one, that they would announce that.
And I felt like in the NFL, we knew that
(34:25):
cam Ward was going for so long, Yet the NFL
doesn't want teams to announce anything early in maybe the
NBA for this point, I don't know why if we
all know what's going to happen, but why you wouldn't
want it to be announced? All right? Moving on, this
is the one I added that is not on your script.
Big deal, little deal or no deal. That Paige Becker's
(34:48):
had ten points in her WNBA debut for the Dallas
Wings and a loss to the Links on Friday.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I thought the bigger deal was they had one of
their players like walk off the court at the end
of the game instead of joining the team huddle.
Speaker 5 (35:04):
Iowa Sean, is that correct? Did you see that on Friday?
I did not see that on Friday the Dallas Wings.
You're a w NBA insider. That's okay, good stuff there,
it is if you want to find him on x
at Iowa Sean. Finally, Doug I was looking up, So
don't worry about it, Sean. It's all good. Big deal,
little dealer, no deal that the Angel swept the Dodgers
(35:25):
at Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
I thought that was a big deal. That was a
big deal.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
You know.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Jay Steu tried to play it off as the Angel
stink or whatever. That's a big deal, big deal. Somehow
already Marinos screwed up.
Speaker 5 (35:39):
Anyway, that's game time.
Speaker 8 (35:45):
This is game time on the Doug Gottlap Show.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
It's the Doug Gottleep Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Okay,
so next hour we got love and hate. Things you'd
love from the weekend, things we hated from the weekend.
Plus we gotta discuss the mess that was was supposed
to be like bird Magic second year ends up being
(36:10):
so very WNBA. Both Next Hour and Doug gotlipiho. Foxport
Tradio
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gotleb Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday three to twelve,
two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for The Doug Gottlieb Show at Foxsports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching app.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
As car Booming Up America. Doug Gottlieb Show, Fuck Sports
Radio coming to you from parts unknown. No, I'm kidding,
I am kidding. Do do do do do doo? We
have a lot. We had a jam pack show. Uh.
(00:41):
That was a good sports weekend. I mean, disappointing Game
seven's all right, super disappointing Game sevens, but all in all,
pretty good weekend. Got a chance to take my son
Hayes to Game seven of the thunder game. We'll get
to that in a second. Let me kind of give
you lay out of the hour. Rick Buker joined us
(01:03):
at twenty five. After the hour, we'll talk all things NBA.
We got love and hate for you. Come on top
of next hour, we'll talk about the Angel Reese discussion,
which has multi layered discussion and maybe even be able
to steak in some baseball. Welcome into Dan Byer. Of
(01:26):
course you hear him on Sundays on Fox Sports Radio.
You hear him. He's actually all over the dial filling
in for whomever. And then you got Chase Do and
Sam the crew all back together. Let's start with game seven.
There's a bunch to get to, a bunch to get to.
I mean, I'll give it to Kendrick Perkins. It's not
(01:46):
he didn't invent the phrase, but he has said, hey,
role players play better at home. That was clearly the
case with both the Nuggets, with Julian Strather playing really
well in Game six and playing very poorly in Game seven,
and you look at the role players like Alex Caruso
played incredibly well in Game seven. The difference in that
(02:07):
game for me was two things. Caruso's defense, energy, ability
to guard and front. They did a great job of fronting.
That's playing in between yourself and the basketball of Nikola Jokicz.
Just make everything hard to get in the basketball every
time I got the basketball, and yeah, they're fouling him.
They were fouling him based upon how the game is
(02:29):
officiated all season long, and be playofficials a little bit different.
And then he had help where you know, there's always
a non shooter on the court for the Nuggets, and
they made those guys beat him and they could not.
But the real way in which that game was won
was the turnovers that led to runouts and wide open
dunks and lamps. And whether it was because of injury
(02:50):
with Drew Holiday, I mean Drew Holliday with with Aaron Gordon,
or just the fact that Jokic can't get back that
quickly or other players not getting back when they should have,
I would venture to guess, especially the end of the
first half when that game was blown open. In early
in the second half, there were probably ten uncontested layups
(03:12):
and dunks for the for the Thunder, that's twenty points,
and that's a big enough difference to win the game.
The rest doesn't really matter. What does matter is this,
I love going to games. I think it's one of
the things that separates our show from other shows and
(03:33):
other networks. You know, we have guys that go to
I went to seven Packer games last year, and I
went to a Charger game. We go to college football games.
I obviously coach college basketball. I go to NBA games,
go to NFL games, I go to major League Baseball games. One,
when you go to those places I have friends in
(03:53):
the Thunder organization, you get to see catch up what
they tell you about everybody else. And two it's just
different when you're there. But Buyer I had, I had
an experienced yesterday where it's both good and bad. Okay,
here's the good. The good is that the Thunder the
fans are incredible. And for people who are like, they
(04:16):
don't get why why so many have so many glowing
things to say about Oklahoma State basketball because Oklahoma State
basketball hasn't been really that good for twenty years. Is
that's what it was like at our arena only arena
was a quarter the size of it, But that level
of intensity of fans, If that makes sense, sure, Okay,
(04:38):
so same type of fans, only now there's eighteen thousand
a night and you're talking about playing for an NBA
championship and they're loud. And I've determined I know the
most obnoxious fans outside of the obvious most obnoxious, Like,
there's some people that are just obnoxious. They're constantly trying
to be on TV. You know, they're standing there close
(04:58):
to the court, so they stand up and try and
make a scene with the players. Those are the most annoying.
But we were about I don't know what letter G is, right,
but we're in rowe G.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Maybe CDEFG. Okay, so we're seven rows back, but I
think there are also ten double letters ten like double
letters down loads. We're like seventeen rows back. And so
you're generally in with a solid group of season ticket holders, okay,
and the constant booing, yelling basketball sayings or basketball fan
(05:37):
things to point out that aren't I'll give you two things.
Every time Jokich went to the line, there was one
guy to my left that was calling him a flopper,
and the guy behind me was calling him a free
throw merchant. And I'm like, and I turned the guy
behind me and I was like, you know, maybe, but
you do know like Shay is the big free throw
(06:00):
merchant in the league, right, Like that's a that's a
real thing. Like he's an unbelievable free throw merchant. He
has the ability in the regular season to go and
get fouled. They don't call it much in the postseason,
so pod calling kettle black is just a weird thing
to And then the other one is, hey, here's a deal.
Sometimes your team does, in fact foul right, sometimes outside
(06:25):
of take fouls. It was like anytime there was a
call on the thunder Water you looking at. All they
do is flop like it's not possible that there are
zero fouls committed by your team. So they're using like
common terminology in the NBA. So there are some level
of real NBA fan. They're not like, oh, this is
(06:45):
my first time to get go team in. Are we
in blue or and white?
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Right?
Speaker 2 (06:48):
It's not like they're not knowledgeable, it's they have a
little bit of knowledge, and yet it comes out as obnoxious. Obnoxious.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing at times,
and that seems like the scenario where it is I
can understand complaining about certain calls here and there, the
not the MVP stuff. The ever just to know that
stuff that doesn't bother me, because it's kind of like
an MVP chant, Like you will start an MVP chant
(07:20):
for your guy even if maybe he really isn't even
now SGA obviously is, but you're just trying to support
the guy. Does it really mean that it's that the
players an MVP when maybe he would finish sixth in voting?
Talking about other arenas. I don't mind that sort of stuff.
So you're trying to find something out of Yokich, I'm
cool with that, but I could not stand sitting there
(07:40):
for two hours listening to someone complain about fouls that
are called, especially too, if you think of the the
outcome of it. Imagine if the Thunder were never called
for a foul. Imagine the blowback from the media and
everybody else around the country and saying, how did the
Thunder not get called for any fowls? Yeah, that would
annoy me.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
I'm with you. I would also tell you that I
I like Shay Gildis Alexander. I liked him. You go
back to look at his pre draft stuff. I've always
liked him. I thought when they made the trade with
the Clippers, it's a great trade. I think he's probably
gonna win the MVP. But I would also tell you
that he wasn't close to the best overall player on
(08:21):
the court yesterday, like a good look. A good portion
of it is the Nuggets were in his zone, so
he couldn't be his usual self. And when when Jokicic
went out, Jalen Williams attacked the rim got it going,
and then the turnovers happened, and then it just kind
of snowballed on the nuggets. But it's I think I've
nailed it. In the He's a better score than Yokich's
(08:46):
no question whether he scores more points or not. And
he does score more points, and he's efficient doing it.
He's an unbelievable scorer. But I mean, Jokich makes does
He's the whole team. He does everything, and I get
that we can pick out defensively when he does and
doesn't challenge shots. He is so smart with it and
(09:07):
understands angles and when to foul and when not to foul,
when to wall up, when not to wall up. A
remarkable passer. Yeah, he kind of is sloppy with his body,
throwing it around all the time, but that's kind of
part of the beauty to it. So I yeah, I
have no idea who's gonna win the MVP. I think
it'll be Shay because you get they get fatigue over
(09:28):
the big guys. But Jokic is the best player in
the world, or the best player that I've seen in
the world. Here's Mark Dagno, who's the head coach of
the Thunder, talking about the difference in the game for
his team.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
Yeah, I thought our pressure today was a difference maker
in the game. And we access that at different times
in the series, but today we did it, you know,
most consistently for the forty eight minutes. And we didn't
even play a perfect game on offense, but you know,
it was just such a catalyst for us. The pressure,
the deflections, the turnovers, and you know, even when they
(10:02):
got shots, I thought the pressure and the help really
disrupted the rhythm of those shots. And the guys just
did a great job of, you know, sifting through all
the noise of a Game seven and just focusing on
what we need to do to win, and we really
executed it.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Stug Ott Leep Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Uh,
he's right, and look, of course he sees he's the coach.
But that game, that game was one based on their
pressure defense, pressuring them because if you're gonna front, Yo Kich,
you have to pressure the basketball. You can't front and
then play soft because then they just lop it over the top.
They pressure, pressure, pressured, and then Nuggets had no answers.
(10:41):
Here's SGA talk about how Game seven played out.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
The nerves was natural. We obviously didn't shoot. We actually
shot horrible to start the game, but I knew like
we were getting really good looks and if we just
stuck with it that like we would loosen up in
the ball and you know, find the basket. And it
did so well. I never, like, I never was worried
by the way we started. We had the right intentions.
We had to tighten a little bit up on defensive
down the defensive end, but once I felt the flow
(11:06):
of the game and we had the right intentions and
the right energy, I knew it would turn around for us.
It means a lot, specifically for the city. They've been
so good all year. They've been behind us through good
through bad, Like it doesn't feel like it feels like
like no team in the league has home court advantage
like we do. And that's all due to them. With
the T shirts, the cheering, the screaming, the chance, they
(11:26):
really give us like energy out there, and we've been
a better team because of them and having them behind us.
And to know that if we didn't bring it tonight
it could be over for them as well wasn't fair.
And we wanted to play for them as well.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Here's David Edelman, who's the intermad coach of the Nuggets,
talking about the loss.
Speaker 7 (11:43):
When you lose, it's crushing, and it's the last time
you'll be in the room with those guys, and it's
beyond that. You only get one of these, you know,
this is the one moment we had together to make
this run. And they're all individual to themselves and they're
also special. Anybody that's played sports understands that. So walking
out of that locker room is uh, it's crushing, and
it's going to take a while lead over that one.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Like I thought, you know, it's obviously it's hard, and
I fully confess that I don't watch any many or
maybe any full Nuggets game in the regular season. If
I was to be coach to coach critical, it would
be that you couldn't you know, when the Thunder got
(12:26):
back in the game in the second quarter, it was
when both of his two stars were out of the
game and he left Aaron. I don't know if he
left Aaron Gordon out there, but I know he took
Jok and Murray out at the same time, and you
just they just don't have enough. They just don't have enough.
And then the other part would be if a team
is pressuring you, you have to have pressure counters. You
(12:47):
have to whatever you do, you and this this is
the old AU coach, and me, my dad is the
old AU coach, which is that's how AU basketball is
generally played in California, which is pressure pressure, pressure pressure.
So you actually art with how to break pressure before
you learn about running offense. And I felt like they
just didn't have the predetermined answers for how to attack
(13:08):
that kind of defense. And and look, I also disagree
with Shay. I don't think they took They took good
shots for bad shooters in the first quarter. You know
they had the wrong guy shooting the basketball. But you
get that many steals, that many lay ups, that much momentum,
of course, the ball is going to start going in.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Doug Gotlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. Rick Bucher will joined
us by what six minutes, seven mins, eight minutes, Rick
Buker eight minutes, eight minutes away from Rick Buker, just
here's the discussion point Buyer. I love your opinion, Sean
(14:02):
and Jay stew I have an opinion on this. I
have a couple, and they're more hypotheses. They're more hypotheses
than they are theories.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
A hypothesy is a theory that's not yet proven. Right.
So Game six for the Celtics and Nick's was a
complete and utter blowout, and Game seven for Thunder versus
Nuggets became a complete and utter blowout after early on
(14:34):
Nuggets dominating and then kind of losing control into the
first half. But in trying to figure out why, right,
Like the conversations about about game sevens usually are man,
they were decided by one play here, one play. There
are memories even of Game sevens are that they were
all close. The reality is they're not. There's been plenty
(14:56):
of crummy Game sevens, but having them in basically back
to back fashion. I know it wasn't back to back,
but having a Sunday one and a Friday one makes
it seem like, why are these so bad? So I'll
give you a couple of possible reasons behind it and
then we'll discuss it. So the first thing is quite
(15:21):
obviously the Celtics weren't healthy, and after one game of
playing without Jason Tatum, now reality sets in. Reality sets in,
and there's a reason that Jason Tatum was the Finals VP.
There's a reason that he's gonna make three hundred million
dollars next year. And one day at home, you can
(15:42):
pick up the slack, you can have great energy, you
can get over the hump, but then you have to
go do it again on the road and suddenly they
figure out who you are and how you're different without
Jason Tatum. And then obviously the Nuggets haven't been healthy.
Drew Gordon was the shell of himself. They don't have
a very good bench. And remember the bench, or the
lack of roster building, is the reason that Calvin Booth
(16:04):
is no longer their GM. But I I don't know.
I sit here and I think to myself, is there
something more? And here's what I want to offer up
the possibility if I do think the officiating, at least
in the Oklahoma City game was awful. It was awful.
(16:25):
Now part of it was Denver didn't react well to it,
but part of it was like what are they supposed
to do? They could not get a call. It felt
like out in the PREMI when they're d tripling the basketball,
Oklahoma City's pressuring and the use of the team that
exerts the most pressure physically dominates the game, and that
that's what happened. But usually game sevens are equally officiated.
(16:48):
Usually the home team has it's a great despairit and
the officiating for all the home teams, and then you
get to game seven and it's like they're like, Okay,
hey guys, now, now let's do it on the up
and up. That's usually how it works it or it
feels like it works, and I didn't think that was
the case in the Thunder Thunder game, and which allows
me for my next hypothesis, which is there's just not
(17:11):
that many games of this much energy in the NBA,
and frankly I fewer and few were in college as
they were previously. So players are going to react differently
and officials are going to react differently, and the game
feels very, very different. And I think home court becomes
more important and more useful in these big games because
(17:32):
many of those guys aren't used to playing in real
home court, advantageous situations and getting simply every call. Dan By,
are your thoughts well?
Speaker 5 (17:42):
I don't disagree with either thought. I like the first
one more like that's how I looked at the Celtics,
where then everything builds up for that Game five, Like
if there was a game that they were gonna win
without Jason Tatum, it's that game. Let's rally together, we'll
have twenty thousand Celtics fans having our back. We can
(18:06):
win that game five. Then in Game six, you lose
twenty thousand fans, you don't have Jason Tatum, and you
like to chuck up threes and you're not really gonna
get defensive stops, and then that's what you end up getting.
Like that, I almost felt like you could see that
one coming from a mile away. Yet people still wanted
(18:27):
to put their chips in on the Celtics to think
that for some reason, this team was because they were
champions last year, they were ready to go on a run,
and I just I didn't think they would have anything
left from what they had in Game five, and it
proved that in game six, the Game seven with the thunder,
I just think that that's what Oklahoma City does to you,
(18:49):
and also that maybe the Nuggets aren't that that good,
and then you have those twenty thousand on your side,
and when it gets rolling, it gets rolling. Like Denver
used everything that they had, and it felt like Eron
Gordon had everything he had in the first ten minutes
of the game. And then after that, once they got
blitz creaked by the thunder, I mean, it was it
(19:09):
was over like there there's nothing that there's nothing that
they could do in Oklahoma City just kept going and going,
kind of like how the Knicks did. But I just
don't think the Celtics and the Nuggets were up to
par to win those games. How they were constructed entering
those games.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Jase, do what do you think?
Speaker 7 (19:29):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I don't think the Whisteners want to know my opinion.
But you should see Sam's He's had a little bit
of an episode in the last three minutes. He just
he's wondering why you called him Sean.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
And I love your opinion, Sean and dressed you We're
trying to was so bad.
Speaker 8 (19:47):
I was Shawn who I don't know his name, Sean maybe.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I don't even know. Did I have a Biden moment
right there? Man? Did I have a senior episode? Oh? Man?
That's Sean and Sean and Jay stew All right, Well,
we'll work our way back to Sean and the Sam.
Uh Let's welcome in. He's Rick Buker, Fox Sports, Foxsports One,
(20:15):
Foxsports dot Com. He covers all things NBA for Fox
Sports Radio as well. Uh buke the the Denver Nuggets,
who did not have much of a bench go down
in Game seven. Let's start with Aaron Gordon is like,
you know, not enough time in between games. I think
he means really games three and four, right, that's where
the Nuggets feel like the series was lost. What's the
(20:38):
legitimacy to that argument for you?
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Well, and look, I get it, but it's a business
and a lot of this is determined by all sorts
of other factors. It's not It's not as if the
league and the teams have complete free will, free hand
to put the games where they want to. Some of
(21:03):
it is how do we capture the biggest TV audience.
What are the matchups that we want to feature, what's
the availability of the arenas, what's the travel There's just
there's so many factors that go into it. I understand
the desire to have an ideal set up, but the
(21:23):
reality is is that there's all sorts of inconsistencies and
and and and logistical issues and challenges that that go on.
It's just it's part and parcel of it. I just
I feel like sometimes we get into a little bit
of over analyzation after the fact about various things depending
(21:48):
on what happens. And uh and and I think that's
the case here. There have been scheduling challenges for teams
to overcome in in the play off for decades, and
this just happens to be another one.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Uh. You know the thing about the Nuggets and I was,
I was there yesterday afternoon for the game in Oklahma City.
Was obviously Aaron Gordon wasn't right, wasn't healthy. They only
really have five and a half. I thought Oklahoma City
was the first time that they decided, hey, let's gonfront
the post. Obviously Caruso was a gigantic factor. But the
(22:29):
other thing is like Jamal Murray, you know, I I
understand there's not the space to play because he doesn't
at times he has Russell Westbrook or Peyton's out there
or you know, they have they have too many non
shooters out there. But what do the Nuggets do moving forward?
You're gonna have a new GM, who doesn't have a
(22:49):
tie to any of these guys. He's got to try
and build a championship roster. He's got to move some
piece to do so. Is Jamal Murray the one they
would move?
Speaker 4 (22:58):
I honestly, I would move just I love the chemistry
that that Jokic and Jamal have, But at this point
with the Nuggets, I would be open to moving anyone
and other than than Nikola Jokic. I would be looking
at this strictly from what do the assets that I
(23:20):
have and how do I develop better depth and versatility
on my roster so that I'm not having to lean
on Yokic as heavily as as they have over the
last couple of years. And some of that is also
you know, the disadvantage that they've had over over the
last few years is that you didn't have your GM
(23:42):
and your head coach on the same page. You know
that that infighting was very real and they were at
odds to the point where they were trying to sabotage
each other sabotage each other. So the success that they've
had is really in spite of that. And but to
your point, you know, bringing in a new G and
having them them run the show, assuming it's not the
(24:05):
old TM and they don't try to steal him back.
I would everything would be on the table for me,
and in trying to re reorganize this team around the
one piece there. To me, there's only one indispensable piece,
and that's Nicola Jokicic.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Okay, let's let's get to a couple of the teams. Celtics,
what do they do now?
Speaker 4 (24:30):
I don't know that they have to do as much
as people suggest that they have to. Obviously, they have
some financial issues that they have to take care of.
I don't see Al Horford coming back. Have to figure
out what the health issue is with Christasporzingis. But they were, like,
you know, one of the one of the strengths was
they their depth, And I don't know that that necessarily changes.
(24:56):
I don't think that Jason Tatum's injury necessarily changes things
in a dramatic way, or that you're capable of changing
things in a dramatic way. They were the second best
team in the regular season during the Eastern in the
Eastern Conference, they had the third best record in the league.
You know, I do I do I think that they
(25:17):
have to make some changes and some tweaks, sure, but
they are a very expensive team that is going to
have to give up some pieces uh in order to
uh to meet the specifications of the new ownership. But
that was gonna happen anyway. I just I look, I
look at the Eastern Conference. Who are they competing against?
(25:40):
But do they really have to worry about as being
that that team that they're going after? I think very
you know, even losing an Al Hartford and let's say
everything else is status quo. I think they're I think
they're right there. You know, I've dug deep into the numbers,
uh and whether they'd have to move someone else. And
(26:01):
really it comes down to how willing are you to
pay the tax that's going to come along with it?
And do you think if you pay the tax, can
you can you have the team that you want with
the limitations that the high pay roll puts upon you.
That's going to be the question. But I don't like
this complete makeover because they lost in the second round.
(26:26):
I think that's a wild overreaction.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Okay, the Knicks take on the Pacers. What are your expectations?
Speaker 4 (26:36):
Well, I can't wait to see that first game. I
have the I have the Knicks winning the series, largely
because I think that they're a little deeper and healthier
than they were the last time these two teams played,
and I believe the presence of Mitchell Robinson and Kat
(26:59):
the combination and versus a team that essentially run by
Miles Turner in the front court. As much as I
love the Pacers Wings, as much as I think that
they are vastly underrated, I don't know what I'm going
to get from Tyreese Halliburton from game to game. I
(27:19):
think he's shown a lot, and I think at times
that he's demonstrated that the overrated label was inaccurate. But
there's also times where his passivity or his reluctance to
shoot or attempt to score really troubles me. And I
just I feel like the Knicks are a more known
(27:42):
quantity that Jalen Brunson is a more known quantity. And
while I have my concerns about what Pat is and
he isn't, I'm going to lean. I'm going to lean
mix in that series, but I would not look Pacers
win it or they push it to seven. I would
(28:03):
not be the least that's surprised.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Okay, let me circle back to something I was gonna
ask you previously, which is both the game sevens were blowouts.
Can you find a reason why.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
I think it's I think it largely. I would say
it's largely coincidence in that you had themes that were
simply overwhelmed and and I mean I just look at
the Nuggets. They were they were out of gas, and
they were down to at most five and a half players.
(28:45):
And with the Celtics, it was like I thought the
Knicks demonstrated that they were a physically and maybe even
mentally tougher team. That's that Boston. Boston was a one
trick pony in term of how they play and how
they get back into games that they're not shooting the three, well,
(29:05):
then they're going to have have issues with christophs rozingis
only partially available. I don't they don't feel to me
like the team that has a different way to play.
And so it's feaster famine, and when it's feaster famine,
when it comes to threes, that can result in a
in a lopsided result in a hurry. With Denver, I
(29:27):
think it was just a matter of you're playing against
a young athletic team, and and you're just you've run
out of body. You're asking your Michael Porter Jr. Was
was a disappointment. Jamal Murray had whatever was going on
with him was not one hundred percent. Aaron Gordon clearly
(29:48):
was not one hundred percent. I mean, now you're you're
asking Julian Strather, who had like a string of d
MPs to finish the season, and Peyton Watson, who has
been wildly consistent in his entire career. You're now asking
those guys to go into a road arena and and
gut out a game seven. I just think it was,
(30:12):
you know it was. It was a combination of things
for the Nuggets and but and for the Celtics, just
a different combination in both cases.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Rick Buker, Fox Sports One and Fox Sports Radio's NBA
insider buch are the best man. Can't wait to talk
with you as the Conference finals roll on. Thanks for
being our guest.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
I'm looking forward to it. Thanks.
Speaker 8 (30:34):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
It's a Doug gottlib Show Fox Sports Radio. Dude, du
do do you can stream this show and all of
our Fox Sports Tradio shows live twenty four to seven,
and the new and improved iHeart Radio app just starts
Fox Sports Trade and the app to stream us live.
And one of the newest features in the app is
that you can select Fox Radio one of your presets,
just like presets and rated al So be sure to
(31:03):
preset Fox Sports Trade in the iHeartRadio app and he'll
pop up at the top of your screen. Let's get
to a game.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
This is game time on the Doug Gottlieb Show.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Dan Biro, what's the game today, Doug?
Speaker 8 (31:24):
The game today is big deal, Little Deal, No deal.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
And just a programming note tomorrow and we do rank them.
One of the questions will be provided by Iowa Sam.
If you don't like the question, Doug, then it'll be
provided by Iowa Sean. But tomorrow on Fox Sports Radio.
One of our rankum questions courtesy of Iowa Sam. All Right,
(31:49):
big deal, little deal or no deal? Doug that the
top seed in the Eastern Conference has it made the
NBA Finals in nineteen of the last twenty three seasons.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Uh, that's a big deal. Right, that's a big deal.
It's a. It's what the NBA has tried to get
away from, which is minimizing the importance of the regular season,
and they just can't, just can't. It literally doesn't matter
based upon what you're talking about.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Prior to that. I got this from a Reddit post
made a little over a year ago. Seven times in
an eight year span from nineteen ninety five to two
thousand and two, the East had their top seed make
the NBA Finals. Interesting, big deal, little dealer, no deal,
Doug that the Western Finals will once again be held
in the Central time zone.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Ah, I think that's a big deal from a couple perspectives.
One is you can't really how do you adjust to
gain time. I love to know the tip times right.
It may actually end up helping out the NBA in
terms of tip times because if you try and set
it to seven o'clock West Coast, now it's ten o'clock,
(32:59):
it's six o'clock West Coast. It's not a people in there.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
I bet you it'll be about a bunch of nine
o'clock Easterns. I haven't looked at the schedule. I can
bring it up right now.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
But again, that's not terrible for Central time zone because
now a sudden, you're at.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Eight o'clock, sure right, five yeah, eight thirty Eastern, five
thirty Pacific, seventy.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Seventh thirty Central. That's perfect. It actually works out really
really well. Obviously, you have a bigger number of people
in the West Coast if you get the Lakers or
you have the Warriors involved. But outside of that, from
just a viewing standpoint, we can all admit that. And
I'm Central time zone as well, so seven thirty is perfect,
thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
Big deal, little dealer, no deal that. Jason Kidd, the
head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, hinted today that the
team will take Cooper Flag with the first overall pick
in the draft in June.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
No big deal. I mean, I mean no deal, no deal,
no deal, all right? Did somebody think otherwise, Ace Bailey
or I don't know, Like, look, there's there's other good players.
Cooper Flags widely be considered the best prospect. He's only
eighteen years old. I think that's pretty easy.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
I do remember at a lottery in the past, and
I can't remember if it was New York, but I
felt it may have been a different one where teams
would bring jerseys this is at the lottery. This isn't
at the draft. This is at the lottery where they
won the number one overall pick. If there was a
no brainer at number one, that they would announce that.
And I felt like in the NFL, we knew that
(34:25):
cam Ward was going for so long, Yet the NFL
doesn't want teams to announce anything early in maybe the
NBA for this point, I don't know why if we
all know what's going to happen, but why you wouldn't
want it to be announced? All right? Moving on, this
is the one I added that is not on your script.
Big deal, little deal or no deal. That Paige Becker's
(34:48):
had ten points in her WNBA debut for the Dallas
Wings and a loss to the Links on Friday.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I thought the bigger deal was they had one of
their players like walk off the court at the end
of the game instead of joining the team huddle.
Speaker 5 (35:04):
Iowa Sean, is that correct? Did you see that on Friday?
I did not see that on Friday the Dallas Wings.
You're a w NBA insider. That's okay, good stuff there,
it is if you want to find him on x
at Iowa Sean. Finally, Doug I was looking up, So
don't worry about it, Sean. It's all good. Big deal,
little dealer, no deal that the Angel swept the Dodgers
(35:25):
at Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
I thought that was a big deal. That was a
big deal.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
You know.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Jay Steu tried to play it off as the Angel
stink or whatever. That's a big deal, big deal. Somehow
already Marinos screwed up.
Speaker 5 (35:39):
Anyway, that's game time.
Speaker 8 (35:45):
This is game time on the Doug Gottlap Show.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
It's the Doug Gottleep Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Okay,
so next hour we got love and hate. Things you'd
love from the weekend, things we hated from the weekend.
Plus we gotta discuss the mess that was was supposed
to be like bird Magic second year ends up being
(36:10):
so very WNBA. Both Next Hour and Doug gotlipiho. Foxport
Tradio
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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