May 17, 2022 • 38 mins
Doug explains why Luka Doncic is the closest player we've seen to Larry Bird since the Hall of Famer last played. Doug thinks the main similarity is that both dominate and control a game when they are on the court. Doug and the crew play the game "2 Lies, 1 Cup". FS1 NBA analyst Ric Bucher joins Doug for his weekly hit to talk about the two game sevens in the NBA playoffs and to preview the conference finals. Plus, Dan Beyer takes Doug through the Monday edition of "The Press".
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Doug gott Leap Show podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday three to
six Eastern twelve to three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug got Leap Show
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fs R. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What I
(00:26):
want you, Doug gott Leave Show, Fox Sports Radio. I
hope you're okay with the things I'm about to say.
If not, it's gonna be a you problem. It just
is you're gonna bring in your own biases, your own feelings. Look,
(00:46):
I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that I
know everything about every basketball situation. I learned things from
what's from my friends that are in the NBA, in
college sports, in high school, in a you in training. Okay,
but this is in fact in my wheelhouse. And basketball
(01:10):
is a really really interesting sport and lifestyle. Sport and
lifestyle and by that I mean, um, I think that
there's a perception in the rest of the world that
doesn't understand sports specific that when you use terms about
(01:34):
or you actually identify people's races that somehow there are
people like both that's racist, or there's a certain like, no,
it ain't basketball, just like football. And Tony Romo said
it best. It's a meritocracy. You remember when Tony Romo
um was done playing any or he came back from
(01:55):
being injured, and many of you, myself included, thought the
Cowboys would be smart to insert Tony Romo because he'd
give you the best chance to win in the playoffs.
And I still believe to this day that that thirteen
win team with Dak Prescott led him the thirteen wins
as a rookie starting quarterback would have been better off
in the playoffs with a healthy Tony Romo. I reserve
(02:19):
the right to have been wrong, but his experience, his
ability to be creative under pressure, his confidence, and when
I just thought he was better used as Bryant better,
they were just better with Tony Romo. But what Romo
said was football's a meritocracy. I got hurt. Dak Prescott
(02:40):
came in, they won bunch of football games. He gets
the job and I don't. That's how it works. So
when I say generally basketball and is steal from the
great Larry Birds black Man sport, it's not really arguable.
It doesn't mean if you're white you can't play basketball,
doesn't mean if you're black predetermined to play basketball. And
(03:03):
there's a lot of socioeconomic as well as cultural reasons
why there's a dominance of it. But it's not a
crazy statement. It's just not. But there is one thing
about if you can really play, really play and you're white,
(03:25):
it's it's like it's breaking through on a level of
respect that you can't possibly imagine. My daddies tell me
all the time. I like, father, you telling me about
the time he said, you know, I when I I'd
go and play in Harlem when I was in college.
He was like a college JV player, you know. And
after a college, like you are, you go and play.
(03:46):
And I hardly grew up in New York playing Harlem,
and you'd be the only white guy playing. And if
you just play, you just hooped right and and and
we're and just play basketball. And then you were respectful
to everybody, like people will treat you like gold because
they respected that. You didn't care about anything else. You
(04:08):
just came here to hoop. And I can say I've
experienced that, not just playing pick up all, but like
playing in college games or playing in high level high
school games, like if you're the white dude that can
really hoop, everybody's like, man that white boys tough. Larry
Bird was that guy in the NBA, right and it
(04:28):
didn't and everybody respected him. You know. The only guy,
Saiah Thomas liked him. I think there were dudes that
questioned him, but Larry Bird, he was that dude. And
he had that kind of confident swagger, that a little
bit of Steph Curry there right where, you know, just
unreasonable self confidence. And somehow he found a way. He
(04:51):
didn't win every year because they had the Lakers over there,
and then he got hurt and it was the Pistons.
Larry Bird was a dude. And despite the fact that
so many of the all time great basketball players remember Kareem.
I have you guys ever seen that Kareem going up
for a ball at U c l A where his
(05:12):
hand is like at the top of the backboard, his
head is above the rim. Like many people's image of
Kareem Abdul Jabar is four year old Creme Abdul Jabbar
running up and down the floor of Magic john'son like
cream is in any conversation the greatest Alzheimer's. And he
was a great athlete who also had great skill and intelligence.
(05:33):
But Larry Bird was able to dominate a game. He
was big labors, he was a great passer, he was
a great shooter. He knew how to use his body.
He had unbelievable footwork, and honestly, like one of the
(05:54):
things Kobe Bryant unbelievable footwork, Jordan's unbelievable footwork. But it's
the ability to use a body which is big, more
than quick, strong, more than explosive, right, skilled, more than anything.
(06:16):
And oh yeah, by the way, you'd be very careful
if you talk trash to that dude, was it Billy
Hoyle in a white man can't jump all right? He
come out looking like a dork with his hat up
and doing all those stretches right, and then all of
a sudden, he's taking your money, Larry Bird, country bumpkin
(06:41):
from French liqu He just come in and whoop your ass.
And you know, Devin Booker tried to run his mouth
to him, And I have no problem, like trash talk
is part of the sport. It's part of sports. Be
very careful what you talked to, you better know. And
(07:01):
by now, if you don't have the scatteringport on Luca,
you better know. Did you have to understand what happened
in that game? Because what happened that game was at
the start of a game seven, a lot of dudes
are tight, Luca had two straight threes and his smiling
and rolling going down the court. He had eight before
(07:23):
you could blink, and then it got a little bit tighter.
Is fort with four and a half to go? Then
go look at the halftime score. I think it was
fifties seven to seven at the half, is that right? Okay?
By the way, when it was forty one, Luca had
fourteen points. That's what happened. It's it's not necessarily how
(07:50):
many points you score. Sometimes it's when you score him
and what he did it was like tom Brady esque
against green Bay two years go. In green Bay, tom
Brady was terrible in the second half, nearly lost in
the game. But with Tampa on the road in green
Bay and guys are a little tight, and what he
(08:10):
gets the ball first drive of the game marches down
in scores. By the way, they took the kickoff in
that game, which they never do. And it was a hey, fellas,
I got this, and it causes everybody else to relax. Luca,
same thing. You got a young team, they don't want anything.
Lucas got this. And then when he get a little
(08:31):
tight into the first half, he goes on like a
personal thirteen to two run and they and the game
was never a game was over. It was over. He
got seven a half and it felt like there's some
bad stuff going on that Phoenix locker room. All that,
kumbai ya, all that mony's the best, All that we're about.
(08:52):
We that you go into locker room with twenty seven
points down thirty and a guy and the other team
has the same amount of point as you have, and
there's a helpless feeling to it, and people are making
a lot of of Luca Lucas smiling. He's smiling, but
(09:12):
it's a smirk. He's talking that talk, he's walking that walk.
And the last guy we'd seen and yeah, like, why
do you have to make a comparison because he's white?
He is tell me the tell me the player who's
white who's had that sort of impact in the NBA
since Larry Bird. I'm listening, I'm waiting okay. And he's
(09:43):
also happens to be. While he's not as big as Bird,
he's still a big old dude. He knows how to
use his body. He's got great footwork. He, like Larry Bird,
an unbelievable passer. I would say Bird probably a better
shooter in terms of percent es. But like again, Birds
game would have changed so dramatically, would have shotten such
(10:04):
a higher number of volume of threes. I don't know
what the percentages would have been. He was a great
shop But part of this, Luca, all of so many
of them are step backs, right, and he's had to
learn how to create space because he can't do it
with speed, so he does it with his body. And
then he's got incredible footwork. He bounces the ball while
stepping back. It's a different way of shooting a shot.
Step shoots a step back, but differently. That shot, by
(10:25):
the way, was technically invented by Kiki vand Away. Okay,
for the first thirty years of my life, a step
back move was called a Kiki It's a Kiki step, okay.
And why did Kiki Vanduway have to use that to
get off his beautiful jump shot? Got one blown by dudes.
(10:47):
But he was big and he had a high release
and he shoot a step back and everybody copied it.
Lebron's got his own kind of you know that weird
where it was his right hand and steps back kind of.
They've all kind of had their own sort of way
of doing it, and le Bronze had to do it
because he's not as explosive as he used to be.
But the last guy we had that was big, that
(11:10):
was white, that was cocky, that dudes talk track like. Remember,
I don't know if you guys know this story. Um shoot,
I gotta think of the year. I think it was.
It was mid eighties? Was it eighties? The Lakers wanted
so I think it was eighties six, Okay, go back
(11:32):
and look Isaiah, that was the year. I believe Isaiah
Thomas said he'd just beat you know, if he was
whitey be any other guy, right, I mean he was
if Larry Bird was black, he'd just be any other guy.
All the hypes because he's white. And I'm I'm butchering
the actual quote. But in that series where Isaiah talked
(11:54):
all that trash, I think it's the same series where
Larry Bird missed what would have been a game winning shot.
Isaiah Thomas took the ball in bounds, rushed it, and
guess who stole the ball Larry freaking Bird. So you
end up, I think, losing in the finals anyway, but
Larry Bird. And that's how it's seen happen. Guys came
(12:17):
and talk tries to Larry Bird all the time, and
he talked right back, and then he made him pay
for it. He was that guy like, you don't want
to talk to Larry That just gets gives Larry more
more more motivation to to light you up. All right.
He's the guy who, remember he played left handed against
Portland's so he could save his right hand for the Lakers.
(12:37):
That's a real story that really happened. Would talk trash
to an entire bench, Luca, He's not exactly like Bird.
He's smaller, obviously. Now there's a positional change. He's basically
the point guard. But the use of his body, the
(12:58):
use of angles, the ability to hit and get space
for shots. An unbelievable passer, Birds a better rebounder. They're
both very smart and tough defenders when they want to
be a little bit athletically challenged. But those aren't two
guys you want to trifle with. Um. By the way,
(13:20):
here's Jason Terry Friday. He was on the show. We
were talking about Jason, that's the jet longtime NBA player,
NBA champion. We're talking about not talking. Don't talk trash
to the wrong dude. No, there's two people for me
in my career that it was Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson.
Is like, you just don't say nothing to those guys.
(13:41):
You can't like you say anything out of the ordinary,
and you're gonna be it. You're already here for a
long night. Why make it even harder than what it's
already going to be. And so Luca watching him throughout
his career is short lived career. He came in that way.
He came in as a guy that was like, Okay,
I'm cool, I'm gonna go about my business. But if
(14:02):
you just so happened to move a muscle or better
eyelash and look at me sideway, oh yeah, I'm coming
at you. And I just love that about him. Um,
he's not a big talker, but he does it with
his actions and you gotta respect the guy like that.
Here's Jason Kidd on Lucas performance. He's Luca. He loves
the stage, he loves the As it gets bigger, he
(14:24):
he gets better. And uh, I thought he set the
tone um of getting everyone involved, um and taking shots
when they were presented themselves. But I thought again defensively,
was where we we set the tone? Um? Yeah, he's Luca.
He his The expression in basketball is his sneakers squeak different.
(14:44):
That's a different cat. And the irony to doing that
to the Sun's if and he let me just jog
your memory. Okay. The Sons last head coach before Monty
Williams was his head coach in with the Slovenian national team.
They had won the euro Cup with Luca as their star,
(15:08):
and the Suns because Robert Sarver is an Arizona alum
and DeAndre Atan played in Arizona. Instead of drafting Luca,
don Check took DeAndre Ayton, who didn't play a minute
in the fourth quarter, probably not on the team for
next year, and the team had a complete and total meltdown.
(15:29):
While Luca had as many points as the Mavericks did
at the half against the same Phoenix Suns. You can
talk to talk, but you better walk to walk and
be very careful about who you talk to, talk against.
Luca is an exactly like Bird, but he's the closest
thing we've seen to Larry Bird since Larry Bird. All right,
(15:51):
we'll do a little hockey as we see if John
Ramos can identify the truth in all the lies around
the puck. That's next. Be sure to catch the live
edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three p m.
Easter noon Pacific. Well dire stage for you money and
(16:11):
for nothing, chicks for free. Why is it that every
time I hear this, I like wins like it's hurting
me to play the air guitar. Oh oh, it's such
a great solo to start that show. Doug gotlic show,
Fox Sports Radio, Rick Bucker in a second, got the
bridgetone microwave ovens, custom kitchen delivering. Let's play a little hockey. Hey,
(16:40):
this part of the show, I do a terrible friendship
Canadian accent there, yet they stand as sided by each Okay,
we must update the world on the hockey. We gotta
talk hockey. I don't know why we just we gotta
do that. Another game seven overtime, How hockey all right,
(17:02):
definitely better than Games seven NBA. I gotta tell that
wasn't really competitive. So we present John Ramos with three
stories of the hockey two our lives. One He's the Cup,
He's the Cup? Which is the truth? Johnny? Ready? Yes,
Doug here we got this one's true. I mean I
(17:24):
just made sure. I said, James, do give me a
story that's true, and he gave me this one. The
Carolina Hurricanes Game seven in front of their home fans
and Greensboro, North Carolina as they beat the Bruins three
to two. Actually, this is the right one, John. The
Carolina Hurricanes won Game seven in front of their home
fans and Charlotte as they beat the Bruins three to two. Uh, John,
(17:50):
this is the one you want to go with? The
Carolina Hurricanes one Game seven in front of their home
fans and Raleigh, North Carolina as they beat the Bruins
three to two. Which, I tell you what, I do
know the Hurricanes wand I do know that the Game
seven they're moving on. This is what happens. Did you
(18:10):
get a winning streak? John's been doing well in this game. Yes,
So now I have to figure out what the actual
city is that they play is it was Raleigh, it
was Queens And what was the other one role is Charlotte,
which is the Queens City. Okay, the Queen City, right, Greensboro, Greensboro,
North Carolina, all the north, all the our three three
(18:31):
our cities in North Carolina. The Carolina Hurricane used to
be the Hartford Whalers, bring back to Well, bring back
to Well. I'm sorry. It was Raleigh, Charlotte, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greensboro. Okay,
who I'm gonna go with. I'm gonna go with Greensboro.
(18:51):
Who had Greensboro? I'll say Doug, doug z is the
puck the cup? Alright, then cup? Alright. Jason Stewart, your
line was, yeah, not in Charlotte. You thought maybe the
Hornets they would play in the same arena as the Hornets.
That is not the case. As for as for Doug's
line of Carolina winning in their Game seven at home
(19:14):
in front of the fans in Greensboro, No, it was
in le yes Leigh, North Carolinas, where the Carolina Hurricanes
play Raleigh also Great Airport, Great Airport, Great Airport, and
Raleigh they share that arena with NC State. That's how
(19:36):
you should know that's in the triangle. Triangle. Okay, three
college towns in the triangle. Raleigh is the big city,
Durham where Dukes and Chapel Hill where Carolina is Raleigh,
North Carolina, home of the Hurricanes. Uh, let's let's start
with Let's start with Luca. Okay, I said, look, I
know that people like well Bird was a big guy
(19:58):
and played inside. I und basketball is evolved and change.
But if I said, hey, we had a white dude
who wasn't crazy athletic, Hey, but big, great shooter, knew
how to get a shot off, great passer, better rebounder,
like he's the click trash talker, and if you talk
to him it makes it worse. And love the big moment,
(20:20):
loved the big stage, closest thing we've had two Bird
since Bird. Is that fair? Yeah? I can't argue with that.
I mean, certainly better than the Lebron James comparison. I
don't know, let's put it this way. I don't know
that there's a better comparison. And the game has changed,
as you said, dramatically, but in terms of being able
to utilize both of them, utilizing their size and strength
(20:46):
and basketball like Q to compensate for like pure athleticism
and written by that, whether it's hops or speed, and
uh yeah, I mean that's it's yeah, they're they're very
they're very similar. I would say that the interesting thing
(21:08):
has been to watch Luca kind of acclimating to the
N B A A AU sort of vibe or atmosphere
and how guys conduct themselves, because I think he came
in with a lot more. My hesitation is because Bird
(21:28):
came in from day one like he owned the place.
And I think Luca always knew he was good. It
was never afraid, but I kind of had to figure out, Okay,
I'm I am you know, I'm a I'm a foreigner,
I'm an international player, and I need to figure out
the culture and how all of this works. And I
(21:49):
think now we're getting to see the Luca don sets
the people who watched him over in Europe saw from
the very beginning, and that he's not taking any guff
from anybody. He's not afraid of anybody, and he's more
than willing to put it in your face. Yea um,
I mean, how how amazing is that the juxtaposition of
(22:10):
the team they beat the Sons they had the number
one pick had his national team coach as their head coach,
and instead they listened to the owner and they took
DeAndre Aden, who didn't even play in the fourth quarter
and probably doesn't play for the Sons ever. Again, like
the that decision alone, like coming to a game seven
(22:34):
that that that was. That's an amazing thing last night. Yeah,
without question, And but it goes to the everything starts
from the top, and at some point, every decision that
a franchise makes, if it is not the right decision,
if it is not the best decision, at some point,
(22:56):
it is going to come back and haunt them, and
it's going to cost them. It may take a while,
but ultimately it's going to show up. And I would
say the same thing for the Atlanta Hawks and the
Tray Young Tray like it. You can tell me that
you picked up a couple of extra picks, then you
did wall that whatever. Trey Young and Lucas donche Itch,
(23:19):
we're not, are not and will not ever be in
the same stratosphere when it comes to their ability to
lead a team. Trey Young is good, not gonna be Steph.
I'm certainly not going to be Luca And at some point,
and I believe the reckoning has already begun. Uh so
(23:41):
uh And when I mean we can then we don't
have to go to the Sacramento Kings in that concision, basically,
I mean anybody who understood what Luca accomplished. So even
if you hadn't seen him play, if you understood what
he had accomplished over in Europe there, that was a
no brainer. He was going to be the best player
in that draft period. And the fact that anybody looked
(24:05):
past that and rationalized why they would go in some
other directions was not taking into account exactly what it
meant that Luca don Ch did everything that he did
in Europe as a teenager before he got here. What um,
what happened with Aton and Monty Williams? Uh? As best
(24:29):
as I can tell, and I haven't gotten them, but
the drill drill all the way down. But you know,
Ayton was questioning why he wasn't seeing the ball like
what are we doing? Like? And Monty took great exception
to that, as I understood a coach, would you don't
if if if you if you approach things the way
(24:51):
Monty Williams does, and you have the culture and built
the team the way you have of You can't in
that moment except a player saying that or going that way.
DeAndre might have felt that way and may have been right,
(25:11):
may have been accurate. That's not where you go when
when everything is falling apart and you know the flip
side is you basically saw Bobby Portis act out that way.
Bobby Portis was acted in a very similar way, except
he actually did a couple of things that reflected one,
I'm mad about my foul trouble. I'm not going to
(25:34):
play the same because of my foul trouble. And then
I'm going to try to make up for lost time
of time because of my foul trouble, all of which
kicked the book sideways. No, but I I do think,
and again I don't know what was said or how
it was said, but there is a certain like, look,
if we're getting lit up and we got twenty seven points,
(25:56):
deand the issues with Deandret are at the defensive end,
not the offensive, and get him the ball. So I do,
I do understand. So Okay, I'm not saying that I
don't not wrong. I get it's not wrong, it's it's
not what you do, it's how you do it, and
and and and of all the guys, if you piss
off Monty Williams, then no one's gonna take your side.
(26:16):
That's just no no one, no no one's take yourself. Okay,
So uh is not gonna take a whole lot like
like Bud Bud obviously, but you know, if we're gonna
compare the two coaches like my but Mike Budenholzer, you
might get away with a little bit of that and
he'll pretend he didn't hear it. Monty Williams is not
going to pretend he didn't hear it. Stu Gotli Show,
(26:38):
Fox Sports Radio. There is something too though that I
just I don't think you can win with traditional center
is one of your top players, I don't think. I'm
also not sure you came in with a traditional um,
you know, kind of undersized point guard as one of
your top players. Like it's really really hard to do so,
and they had both and it got exposed. It's hard,
(27:01):
but I wouldn't say it's impossible, and and and and
it's and some of it has to do with I
It's not so much that Chris Paul is under size
it's Chris. It's that Chris Paul is undersize seven years old.
That's that's the bigger issue, because you can make a
case that Steth Curry is undersize for a point guard.
So I'm not I don't necessarily go there. This was
a terrible This is a really bad matchup for them,
(27:23):
and um and I believe that DeAndre Ayton can operate
because of his athleticism and because of his ability to
operate from the mid range like he doesn't and he
can rim run. I don't I believe you can win
a championship with DeAndre Ayton as your center, and especially
the way they've used him, because they don't for the
most part, they don't run things through him. If you
(27:46):
want to make this case about Joel mbes I now
I'm like, now I'm listening because well and be um
uh Rudy go bay Air and DeAndre and like again,
they're dissimilar, but they're all similar in that, like where
do you put them on defense? When they got when
(28:07):
they got a center who's standing out in the corner
shooting threes like you can't and they've tried to play
zones and you know, teams are finally getting good about
attacking zones and figuring that trying everything they can. It's
really hard to play those guys when it matters, when
everybody's got that small ball five. And then it's hard
to score inside because as much of the officiating is
tied in the perimeter, they call nothing in the low post.
(28:29):
But all true, but all of the But of all
those guys that you listed to me, when I look
at DeAndrea eight, and physically and athletically he's and at
his age, I look at him and think I can
make him a guy who like I gotta get get
him over stepping out, but I believe like he could
(28:50):
get out and get back. I just look at him
athletically and how he moves, and I'm thinking there's no
reason that he can't. You know, Brook Lopez is gonna
be Brook Lopez. Um embib I just don't want to
And that's more of a challenge. Rudy Gobert, no chance.
(29:11):
But DeAndre eight, and I feel is like he's as
close to Capella as any of the four that you mentioned.
And I believe it's more like understanding, I need you
to go out there. And the first the first couple
of times I need to go out there and move
your feet and use your length and let them know
(29:33):
on those first couple of possessions that's going to be
a contested shot. You don't have to do it all
games because, as you know, once you demonstrate something, it's
like teams don't continue to rather like, okay, you know what,
we probably need to go to something else. You do
not have to have the mindset that you're capable of
doing it a couple of times and come into the
(29:54):
game thinking that way. And of all the guys again,
I'm just gonna say it, DeAndre eight and I feel
as to let at Lee has the capability of playing
as a smaller five. How do you explain the Celtics. Yeah, Um,
that's a combination of things. I mean, they they have
(30:17):
as much versatility as any team that's in the playoffs.
They played against a against the Milwaukee team, and I
should have seen this. I'm kind of kicking myself that
I didn't see this in assessing that series going into it,
think about the Bucks wing players Grayson Allen, Pat Condisson,
(30:45):
George hill um It's and West Math and West Matthews.
That might be one of the least athletic wing of
combinations in the entire league, much less teams that are
in the playoffs, and so there was an opportunity to
(31:06):
exploit that right from the start. And then they're all
buying into emay and they have their Draymond Green and
Marcus Smart uh and they just got a multitude of
ways to to be able to score, and they've all
bought in defensively. And so I think it's it's I
(31:29):
think it's just just right place, right time, the pieces
coming together and at a time where you're looking at
a really unsettled Eastern Conference. I think it's a great point.
I also, and I don't know how much credit Brad's
gonna get. I mean, I don't think Brad. I think
you got to the point where they stopped listening to
Brad right. There's some a couple of different reasons why. Um,
(31:49):
I don't think that Gordon Hayward was good for the
locker room chemistry. Um there was some other stuff obviously,
you know, the Kyrie stuff through the Mariah as well,
but Brad Bill like those are Brad's decision. Grant Williams
is a Brad decision. You know, somebodys guy those are
Brad decisions. And then you got just the right guy, emays,
just the right guy to get Tatum to play a
(32:11):
little bit more defense in the past, a little bit more, right.
I mean, that's those guys all got threes because they're
helping on Tatum, they're all got three seas, they're helping
on Brown and the spacing. But it's the right coach
and the right decisions. They weren't off with with Brad.
He just couldn't be the in game head coach anymore.
And I thought it it ends up being a genius move. Well,
(32:33):
and this is the other part, and I don't know
this for a fact, but based on just observation, I
feel as if he may empowered Marcus Smart in a
way that Brad Stevens never did. And you needed that
in the same way you needed the same way Steve Kirk.
For all of the like the ups and downs that
(32:53):
Draymond Green may present, you have to empower him. You
have to say, I believe in you, and I'm going
to ride with your mistakes because I know what you
give me on the other side of it is worth it.
You're going to elevate everybody because you're going to demand
something from everybody. And that's why. You know, there's a
lot of people out there that I respect who like
question Marcus Smart being named Defensive Player of the Year.
(33:17):
Um and I voted that he was at the top
of my ballot, and I and I get where they're
coming from. What I think that they miss on, because
you know, look, Marcus Smart in terms of a pure,
lockdown defensive guy, that's not why I put him at
the top of the ballot. It was because of what
he did in infusing defense being a a trademark of
(33:39):
these Boston Celtics and how he led them all in
buying into that along with Emay. Obviously, that's why he
was my Defensive Player of the Year. It's good. It's good.
It's a great point you make. And people who know
the Celtics and remember when he called them all out
and how it was received at the time, and it
probably changed and saved them and they wouldn't be here
(34:00):
without it. Great stuff. We could do this all day,
Maybe we should. Maybe we should do a pod and
talk to even more about it. Appreciate your time, all right,
that's Rick Puker Fox Sports one UH with Prices story
and the pup Discover has You're back with cash back.
You just discovered to earn five percent cash back at
gas stations and a target now through June on up
to purchased when you activates cover Dotcom. Slash rewards limitations apply.
(34:24):
We've got more information on what could be the game
of the year in college football. Next. Fox Sports Radio
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com
and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f s
R to listen live. Doug Gotlip Show Fox Sports Radio.
Let's get to the press, the press. Doug, We've got
(34:50):
some news. College football is gonna be a dandy Ohio
State and Notre Dame playing in Columbus on the opening
weekend of the season. The next week, Alabama app Texas.
We knew that. Now we know this, Doug. You'll see
it on Fox Big Neon kickoff will be there new
an Eastern time kick Saturday, September ten for Alabama and
(35:11):
Texas in Austin midday game. Yes, I'll be hot in
Austin and September it will be He'll be hot. It
would be nice and we'll see if Texas is back
or not quite back, probably more of the ladder. How
about they got Bejon Robinson right driving a Lambo. He's
driving a Lamborghini name image and liked this, Well, you
(35:33):
better be a'll play if you canna drive. He's really good.
You better be able to play if you can drive
name image in Lamborghini by buyer. We touched on this
a little bit in game time, but Jerry Jones, Dallas
Cowboys owners, speaking with Peter King, saying that he thinks
he could get ten billion dollars if he put the
Cowboys up for sale, but says that he will never
(35:56):
ever sell the franchise. Okay, but that's like having a
Honus Wagner card and tell me how much it work
it's worth it. You're not willing to sell it, right,
Like I I have a I have a team where
ten billion dollars, but I'm not gonna sell it. But
I do actually think he's right right, it's a literally
it's it's a one of one. Cowboys are a one
of one. There ain't even mad any good and there's
(36:17):
still the world's biggest draw. How about them Cowboys? By
the way, The mother of raw Gen Rondo's two children
says the Cavalier's point guards, threatened the killer and as
verbally abusive towards their two children. Ashley Bachelor father protective
order against Rondo and Louisville following an alleged incident last week.
She claims Rondo destroyed property while also brandishing a gun.
(36:40):
Just not a good story and not a good look
for Rondo as he's trying to hang onto his NBA career,
getting to a coaching career in the NBA. But again,
let's let's be reasonable and responsible and say there's two
sides to every story. That that is a tough side,
an awful side, really if true. Ahead of tomorrow is
Game one between the Heat and Celtics. Marcus Smart questionable
(37:04):
for the game because of a foot injury. Robert Williams
will have no limitations, no minute restrictions. He'll be available
for Boston. Human pogo stick is back and we'll see
if uh I mean, look that that's one where the
difference in the build is the guys outside of Jimmy
Butler that can score from the Heat aren't great defensive players.
The Tyler hero of the world, whereas um Jayleen Brown
(37:24):
has become better defensively and so has so has Jason Tannum.
I get all time. One more, Yeah, one more. The
Kansas City Royals have fired hitting coach Terry Bradshaw, Howie
and Jimmy staying on with I had no idea, nor
how do you have fire a guy this soon into
this season? Huh? I don't know. Maybe the maybe the
(37:45):
Pirates should fire their hitting coach since they didn't get one.
I proposed yesterday that even though the Pirates won and
they didn't get a hit, they shouldn't be allowed to
shake hands on the field. They should have had to
have gone right until the dugout and then the game.
There's no reward for no hits. And that's get out
there and pressed that the press won the game and
won the game hits because of the Reds, because that's baseball,
(38:08):
that's baseball. Luca is in Bird, but he's the closest
thing we've seen to Bird. I can't win with a
big guy as one of your one of your your
primary pieces. And be careful you talk trash too.
Thanks for listening to the Doug gott Leap Show podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday three to
six Eastern twelve to three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug got Leap Show
at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the I Heart Radio app by searching
fs R. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What I
(00:26):
want you, Doug gott Leave Show, Fox Sports Radio. I
hope you're okay with the things I'm about to say.
If not, it's gonna be a you problem. It just
is you're gonna bring in your own biases, your own feelings. Look,
(00:46):
I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that I
know everything about every basketball situation. I learned things from
what's from my friends that are in the NBA, in
college sports, in high school, in a you in training. Okay,
but this is in fact in my wheelhouse. And basketball
(01:10):
is a really really interesting sport and lifestyle. Sport and
lifestyle and by that I mean, um, I think that
there's a perception in the rest of the world that
doesn't understand sports specific that when you use terms about
(01:34):
or you actually identify people's races that somehow there are
people like both that's racist, or there's a certain like, no,
it ain't basketball, just like football. And Tony Romo said
it best. It's a meritocracy. You remember when Tony Romo
um was done playing any or he came back from
(01:55):
being injured, and many of you, myself included, thought the
Cowboys would be smart to insert Tony Romo because he'd
give you the best chance to win in the playoffs.
And I still believe to this day that that thirteen
win team with Dak Prescott led him the thirteen wins
as a rookie starting quarterback would have been better off
in the playoffs with a healthy Tony Romo. I reserve
(02:19):
the right to have been wrong, but his experience, his
ability to be creative under pressure, his confidence, and when
I just thought he was better used as Bryant better,
they were just better with Tony Romo. But what Romo
said was football's a meritocracy. I got hurt. Dak Prescott
(02:40):
came in, they won bunch of football games. He gets
the job and I don't. That's how it works. So
when I say generally basketball and is steal from the
great Larry Birds black Man sport, it's not really arguable.
It doesn't mean if you're white you can't play basketball,
doesn't mean if you're black predetermined to play basketball. And
(03:03):
there's a lot of socioeconomic as well as cultural reasons
why there's a dominance of it. But it's not a
crazy statement. It's just not. But there is one thing
about if you can really play, really play and you're white,
(03:25):
it's it's like it's breaking through on a level of
respect that you can't possibly imagine. My daddies tell me
all the time. I like, father, you telling me about
the time he said, you know, I when I I'd
go and play in Harlem when I was in college.
He was like a college JV player, you know. And
after a college, like you are, you go and play.
(03:46):
And I hardly grew up in New York playing Harlem,
and you'd be the only white guy playing. And if
you just play, you just hooped right and and and
we're and just play basketball. And then you were respectful
to everybody, like people will treat you like gold because
they respected that. You didn't care about anything else. You
(04:08):
just came here to hoop. And I can say I've
experienced that, not just playing pick up all, but like
playing in college games or playing in high level high
school games, like if you're the white dude that can
really hoop, everybody's like, man that white boys tough. Larry
Bird was that guy in the NBA, right and it
(04:28):
didn't and everybody respected him. You know. The only guy,
Saiah Thomas liked him. I think there were dudes that
questioned him, but Larry Bird, he was that dude. And
he had that kind of confident swagger, that a little
bit of Steph Curry there right where, you know, just
unreasonable self confidence. And somehow he found a way. He
(04:51):
didn't win every year because they had the Lakers over there,
and then he got hurt and it was the Pistons.
Larry Bird was a dude. And despite the fact that
so many of the all time great basketball players remember Kareem.
I have you guys ever seen that Kareem going up
for a ball at U c l A where his
(05:12):
hand is like at the top of the backboard, his
head is above the rim. Like many people's image of
Kareem Abdul Jabar is four year old Creme Abdul Jabbar
running up and down the floor of Magic john'son like
cream is in any conversation the greatest Alzheimer's. And he
was a great athlete who also had great skill and intelligence.
(05:33):
But Larry Bird was able to dominate a game. He
was big labors, he was a great passer, he was
a great shooter. He knew how to use his body.
He had unbelievable footwork, and honestly, like one of the
(05:54):
things Kobe Bryant unbelievable footwork, Jordan's unbelievable footwork. But it's
the ability to use a body which is big, more
than quick, strong, more than explosive, right, skilled, more than anything.
(06:16):
And oh yeah, by the way, you'd be very careful
if you talk trash to that dude, was it Billy
Hoyle in a white man can't jump all right? He
come out looking like a dork with his hat up
and doing all those stretches right, and then all of
a sudden, he's taking your money, Larry Bird, country bumpkin
(06:41):
from French liqu He just come in and whoop your ass.
And you know, Devin Booker tried to run his mouth
to him, And I have no problem, like trash talk
is part of the sport. It's part of sports. Be
very careful what you talked to, you better know. And
(07:01):
by now, if you don't have the scatteringport on Luca,
you better know. Did you have to understand what happened
in that game? Because what happened that game was at
the start of a game seven, a lot of dudes
are tight, Luca had two straight threes and his smiling
and rolling going down the court. He had eight before
(07:23):
you could blink, and then it got a little bit tighter.
Is fort with four and a half to go? Then
go look at the halftime score. I think it was
fifties seven to seven at the half, is that right? Okay?
By the way, when it was forty one, Luca had
fourteen points. That's what happened. It's it's not necessarily how
(07:50):
many points you score. Sometimes it's when you score him
and what he did it was like tom Brady esque
against green Bay two years go. In green Bay, tom
Brady was terrible in the second half, nearly lost in
the game. But with Tampa on the road in green
Bay and guys are a little tight, and what he
(08:10):
gets the ball first drive of the game marches down
in scores. By the way, they took the kickoff in
that game, which they never do. And it was a hey, fellas,
I got this, and it causes everybody else to relax. Luca,
same thing. You got a young team, they don't want anything.
Lucas got this. And then when he get a little
(08:31):
tight into the first half, he goes on like a
personal thirteen to two run and they and the game
was never a game was over. It was over. He
got seven a half and it felt like there's some
bad stuff going on that Phoenix locker room. All that,
kumbai ya, all that mony's the best, All that we're about.
(08:52):
We that you go into locker room with twenty seven
points down thirty and a guy and the other team
has the same amount of point as you have, and
there's a helpless feeling to it, and people are making
a lot of of Luca Lucas smiling. He's smiling, but
(09:12):
it's a smirk. He's talking that talk, he's walking that walk.
And the last guy we'd seen and yeah, like, why
do you have to make a comparison because he's white?
He is tell me the tell me the player who's
white who's had that sort of impact in the NBA
since Larry Bird. I'm listening, I'm waiting okay. And he's
(09:43):
also happens to be. While he's not as big as Bird,
he's still a big old dude. He knows how to
use his body. He's got great footwork. He, like Larry Bird,
an unbelievable passer. I would say Bird probably a better
shooter in terms of percent es. But like again, Birds
game would have changed so dramatically, would have shotten such
(10:04):
a higher number of volume of threes. I don't know
what the percentages would have been. He was a great
shop But part of this, Luca, all of so many
of them are step backs, right, and he's had to
learn how to create space because he can't do it
with speed, so he does it with his body. And
then he's got incredible footwork. He bounces the ball while
stepping back. It's a different way of shooting a shot.
Step shoots a step back, but differently. That shot, by
(10:25):
the way, was technically invented by Kiki vand Away. Okay,
for the first thirty years of my life, a step
back move was called a Kiki It's a Kiki step, okay.
And why did Kiki Vanduway have to use that to
get off his beautiful jump shot? Got one blown by dudes.
(10:47):
But he was big and he had a high release
and he shoot a step back and everybody copied it.
Lebron's got his own kind of you know that weird
where it was his right hand and steps back kind of.
They've all kind of had their own sort of way
of doing it, and le Bronze had to do it
because he's not as explosive as he used to be.
But the last guy we had that was big, that
(11:10):
was white, that was cocky, that dudes talk track like. Remember,
I don't know if you guys know this story. Um shoot,
I gotta think of the year. I think it was.
It was mid eighties? Was it eighties? The Lakers wanted
so I think it was eighties six, Okay, go back
(11:32):
and look Isaiah, that was the year. I believe Isaiah
Thomas said he'd just beat you know, if he was
whitey be any other guy, right, I mean he was
if Larry Bird was black, he'd just be any other guy.
All the hypes because he's white. And I'm I'm butchering
the actual quote. But in that series where Isaiah talked
(11:54):
all that trash, I think it's the same series where
Larry Bird missed what would have been a game winning shot.
Isaiah Thomas took the ball in bounds, rushed it, and
guess who stole the ball Larry freaking Bird. So you
end up, I think, losing in the finals anyway, but
Larry Bird. And that's how it's seen happen. Guys came
(12:17):
and talk tries to Larry Bird all the time, and
he talked right back, and then he made him pay
for it. He was that guy like, you don't want
to talk to Larry That just gets gives Larry more
more more motivation to to light you up. All right.
He's the guy who, remember he played left handed against
Portland's so he could save his right hand for the Lakers.
(12:37):
That's a real story that really happened. Would talk trash
to an entire bench, Luca, He's not exactly like Bird.
He's smaller, obviously. Now there's a positional change. He's basically
the point guard. But the use of his body, the
(12:58):
use of angles, the ability to hit and get space
for shots. An unbelievable passer, Birds a better rebounder. They're
both very smart and tough defenders when they want to
be a little bit athletically challenged. But those aren't two
guys you want to trifle with. Um. By the way,
(13:20):
here's Jason Terry Friday. He was on the show. We
were talking about Jason, that's the jet longtime NBA player,
NBA champion. We're talking about not talking. Don't talk trash
to the wrong dude. No, there's two people for me
in my career that it was Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson.
Is like, you just don't say nothing to those guys.
(13:41):
You can't like you say anything out of the ordinary,
and you're gonna be it. You're already here for a
long night. Why make it even harder than what it's
already going to be. And so Luca watching him throughout
his career is short lived career. He came in that way.
He came in as a guy that was like, Okay,
I'm cool, I'm gonna go about my business. But if
(14:02):
you just so happened to move a muscle or better
eyelash and look at me sideway, oh yeah, I'm coming
at you. And I just love that about him. Um,
he's not a big talker, but he does it with
his actions and you gotta respect the guy like that.
Here's Jason Kidd on Lucas performance. He's Luca. He loves
the stage, he loves the As it gets bigger, he
(14:24):
he gets better. And uh, I thought he set the
tone um of getting everyone involved, um and taking shots
when they were presented themselves. But I thought again defensively,
was where we we set the tone? Um? Yeah, he's Luca.
He his The expression in basketball is his sneakers squeak different.
(14:44):
That's a different cat. And the irony to doing that
to the Sun's if and he let me just jog
your memory. Okay. The Sons last head coach before Monty
Williams was his head coach in with the Slovenian national team.
They had won the euro Cup with Luca as their star,
(15:08):
and the Suns because Robert Sarver is an Arizona alum
and DeAndre Atan played in Arizona. Instead of drafting Luca,
don Check took DeAndre Ayton, who didn't play a minute
in the fourth quarter, probably not on the team for
next year, and the team had a complete and total meltdown.
(15:29):
While Luca had as many points as the Mavericks did
at the half against the same Phoenix Suns. You can
talk to talk, but you better walk to walk and
be very careful about who you talk to, talk against.
Luca is an exactly like Bird, but he's the closest
thing we've seen to Larry Bird since Larry Bird. All right,
(15:51):
we'll do a little hockey as we see if John
Ramos can identify the truth in all the lies around
the puck. That's next. Be sure to catch the live
edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three p m.
Easter noon Pacific. Well dire stage for you money and
(16:11):
for nothing, chicks for free. Why is it that every
time I hear this, I like wins like it's hurting
me to play the air guitar. Oh oh, it's such
a great solo to start that show. Doug gotlic show,
Fox Sports Radio, Rick Bucker in a second, got the
bridgetone microwave ovens, custom kitchen delivering. Let's play a little hockey. Hey,
(16:40):
this part of the show, I do a terrible friendship
Canadian accent there, yet they stand as sided by each Okay,
we must update the world on the hockey. We gotta
talk hockey. I don't know why we just we gotta
do that. Another game seven overtime, How hockey all right,
(17:02):
definitely better than Games seven NBA. I gotta tell that
wasn't really competitive. So we present John Ramos with three
stories of the hockey two our lives. One He's the Cup,
He's the Cup? Which is the truth? Johnny? Ready? Yes,
Doug here we got this one's true. I mean I
(17:24):
just made sure. I said, James, do give me a
story that's true, and he gave me this one. The
Carolina Hurricanes Game seven in front of their home fans
and Greensboro, North Carolina as they beat the Bruins three
to two. Actually, this is the right one, John. The
Carolina Hurricanes won Game seven in front of their home
fans and Charlotte as they beat the Bruins three to two. Uh, John,
(17:50):
this is the one you want to go with? The
Carolina Hurricanes one Game seven in front of their home
fans and Raleigh, North Carolina as they beat the Bruins
three to two. Which, I tell you what, I do
know the Hurricanes wand I do know that the Game
seven they're moving on. This is what happens. Did you
(18:10):
get a winning streak? John's been doing well in this game. Yes,
So now I have to figure out what the actual
city is that they play is it was Raleigh, it
was Queens And what was the other one role is Charlotte,
which is the Queens City. Okay, the Queen City, right, Greensboro, Greensboro,
North Carolina, all the north, all the our three three
(18:31):
our cities in North Carolina. The Carolina Hurricane used to
be the Hartford Whalers, bring back to Well, bring back
to Well. I'm sorry. It was Raleigh, Charlotte, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greensboro. Okay,
who I'm gonna go with. I'm gonna go with Greensboro.
(18:51):
Who had Greensboro? I'll say Doug, doug z is the
puck the cup? Alright, then cup? Alright. Jason Stewart, your
line was, yeah, not in Charlotte. You thought maybe the
Hornets they would play in the same arena as the Hornets.
That is not the case. As for as for Doug's
line of Carolina winning in their Game seven at home
(19:14):
in front of the fans in Greensboro, No, it was
in le yes Leigh, North Carolinas, where the Carolina Hurricanes
play Raleigh also Great Airport, Great Airport, Great Airport, and
Raleigh they share that arena with NC State. That's how
(19:36):
you should know that's in the triangle. Triangle. Okay, three
college towns in the triangle. Raleigh is the big city,
Durham where Dukes and Chapel Hill where Carolina is Raleigh,
North Carolina, home of the Hurricanes. Uh, let's let's start
with Let's start with Luca. Okay, I said, look, I
know that people like well Bird was a big guy
(19:58):
and played inside. I und basketball is evolved and change.
But if I said, hey, we had a white dude
who wasn't crazy athletic, Hey, but big, great shooter, knew
how to get a shot off, great passer, better rebounder,
like he's the click trash talker, and if you talk
to him it makes it worse. And love the big moment,
(20:20):
loved the big stage, closest thing we've had two Bird
since Bird. Is that fair? Yeah? I can't argue with that.
I mean, certainly better than the Lebron James comparison. I
don't know, let's put it this way. I don't know
that there's a better comparison. And the game has changed,
as you said, dramatically, but in terms of being able
to utilize both of them, utilizing their size and strength
(20:46):
and basketball like Q to compensate for like pure athleticism
and written by that, whether it's hops or speed, and
uh yeah, I mean that's it's yeah, they're they're very
they're very similar. I would say that the interesting thing
(21:08):
has been to watch Luca kind of acclimating to the
N B A A AU sort of vibe or atmosphere
and how guys conduct themselves, because I think he came
in with a lot more. My hesitation is because Bird
(21:28):
came in from day one like he owned the place.
And I think Luca always knew he was good. It
was never afraid, but I kind of had to figure out, Okay,
I'm I am you know, I'm a I'm a foreigner,
I'm an international player, and I need to figure out
the culture and how all of this works. And I
(21:49):
think now we're getting to see the Luca don sets
the people who watched him over in Europe saw from
the very beginning, and that he's not taking any guff
from anybody. He's not afraid of anybody, and he's more
than willing to put it in your face. Yea um,
I mean, how how amazing is that the juxtaposition of
(22:10):
the team they beat the Sons they had the number
one pick had his national team coach as their head coach,
and instead they listened to the owner and they took
DeAndre Aden, who didn't even play in the fourth quarter
and probably doesn't play for the Sons ever. Again, like
the that decision alone, like coming to a game seven
(22:34):
that that that was. That's an amazing thing last night. Yeah,
without question, And but it goes to the everything starts
from the top, and at some point, every decision that
a franchise makes, if it is not the right decision,
if it is not the best decision, at some point,
(22:56):
it is going to come back and haunt them, and
it's going to cost them. It may take a while,
but ultimately it's going to show up. And I would
say the same thing for the Atlanta Hawks and the
Tray Young Tray like it. You can tell me that
you picked up a couple of extra picks, then you
did wall that whatever. Trey Young and Lucas donche Itch,
(23:19):
we're not, are not and will not ever be in
the same stratosphere when it comes to their ability to
lead a team. Trey Young is good, not gonna be Steph.
I'm certainly not going to be Luca And at some point,
and I believe the reckoning has already begun. Uh so
(23:41):
uh And when I mean we can then we don't
have to go to the Sacramento Kings in that concision, basically,
I mean anybody who understood what Luca accomplished. So even
if you hadn't seen him play, if you understood what
he had accomplished over in Europe there, that was a
no brainer. He was going to be the best player
in that draft period. And the fact that anybody looked
(24:05):
past that and rationalized why they would go in some
other directions was not taking into account exactly what it
meant that Luca don Ch did everything that he did
in Europe as a teenager before he got here. What um,
what happened with Aton and Monty Williams? Uh? As best
(24:29):
as I can tell, and I haven't gotten them, but
the drill drill all the way down. But you know,
Ayton was questioning why he wasn't seeing the ball like
what are we doing? Like? And Monty took great exception
to that, as I understood a coach, would you don't
if if if you if you approach things the way
(24:51):
Monty Williams does, and you have the culture and built
the team the way you have of You can't in
that moment except a player saying that or going that way.
DeAndre might have felt that way and may have been right,
(25:11):
may have been accurate. That's not where you go when
when everything is falling apart and you know the flip
side is you basically saw Bobby Portis act out that way.
Bobby Portis was acted in a very similar way, except
he actually did a couple of things that reflected one,
I'm mad about my foul trouble. I'm not going to
(25:34):
play the same because of my foul trouble. And then
I'm going to try to make up for lost time
of time because of my foul trouble, all of which
kicked the book sideways. No, but I I do think,
and again I don't know what was said or how
it was said, but there is a certain like, look,
if we're getting lit up and we got twenty seven points,
(25:56):
deand the issues with Deandret are at the defensive end,
not the offensive, and get him the ball. So I do,
I do understand. So Okay, I'm not saying that I
don't not wrong. I get it's not wrong, it's it's
not what you do, it's how you do it, and
and and and of all the guys, if you piss
off Monty Williams, then no one's gonna take your side.
(26:16):
That's just no no one, no no one's take yourself. Okay,
So uh is not gonna take a whole lot like
like Bud Bud obviously, but you know, if we're gonna
compare the two coaches like my but Mike Budenholzer, you
might get away with a little bit of that and
he'll pretend he didn't hear it. Monty Williams is not
going to pretend he didn't hear it. Stu Gotli Show,
(26:38):
Fox Sports Radio. There is something too though that I
just I don't think you can win with traditional center
is one of your top players, I don't think. I'm
also not sure you came in with a traditional um,
you know, kind of undersized point guard as one of
your top players. Like it's really really hard to do so,
and they had both and it got exposed. It's hard,
(27:01):
but I wouldn't say it's impossible, and and and and
it's and some of it has to do with I
It's not so much that Chris Paul is under size
it's Chris. It's that Chris Paul is undersize seven years old.
That's that's the bigger issue, because you can make a
case that Steth Curry is undersize for a point guard.
So I'm not I don't necessarily go there. This was
a terrible This is a really bad matchup for them,
(27:23):
and um and I believe that DeAndre Ayton can operate
because of his athleticism and because of his ability to
operate from the mid range like he doesn't and he
can rim run. I don't I believe you can win
a championship with DeAndre Ayton as your center, and especially
the way they've used him, because they don't for the
most part, they don't run things through him. If you
(27:46):
want to make this case about Joel mbes I now
I'm like, now I'm listening because well and be um
uh Rudy go bay Air and DeAndre and like again,
they're dissimilar, but they're all similar in that, like where
do you put them on defense? When they got when
(28:07):
they got a center who's standing out in the corner
shooting threes like you can't and they've tried to play
zones and you know, teams are finally getting good about
attacking zones and figuring that trying everything they can. It's
really hard to play those guys when it matters, when
everybody's got that small ball five. And then it's hard
to score inside because as much of the officiating is
tied in the perimeter, they call nothing in the low post.
(28:29):
But all true, but all of the But of all
those guys that you listed to me, when I look
at DeAndrea eight, and physically and athletically he's and at
his age, I look at him and think I can
make him a guy who like I gotta get get
him over stepping out, but I believe like he could
(28:50):
get out and get back. I just look at him
athletically and how he moves, and I'm thinking there's no
reason that he can't. You know, Brook Lopez is gonna
be Brook Lopez. Um embib I just don't want to
And that's more of a challenge. Rudy Gobert, no chance.
(29:11):
But DeAndre eight, and I feel is like he's as
close to Capella as any of the four that you mentioned.
And I believe it's more like understanding, I need you
to go out there. And the first the first couple
of times I need to go out there and move
your feet and use your length and let them know
(29:33):
on those first couple of possessions that's going to be
a contested shot. You don't have to do it all
games because, as you know, once you demonstrate something, it's
like teams don't continue to rather like, okay, you know what,
we probably need to go to something else. You do
not have to have the mindset that you're capable of
doing it a couple of times and come into the
(29:54):
game thinking that way. And of all the guys again,
I'm just gonna say it, DeAndre eight and I feel
as to let at Lee has the capability of playing
as a smaller five. How do you explain the Celtics. Yeah, Um,
that's a combination of things. I mean, they they have
(30:17):
as much versatility as any team that's in the playoffs.
They played against a against the Milwaukee team, and I
should have seen this. I'm kind of kicking myself that
I didn't see this in assessing that series going into it,
think about the Bucks wing players Grayson Allen, Pat Condisson,
(30:45):
George hill um It's and West Math and West Matthews.
That might be one of the least athletic wing of
combinations in the entire league, much less teams that are
in the playoffs, and so there was an opportunity to
(31:06):
exploit that right from the start. And then they're all
buying into emay and they have their Draymond Green and
Marcus Smart uh and they just got a multitude of
ways to to be able to score, and they've all
bought in defensively. And so I think it's it's I
(31:29):
think it's just just right place, right time, the pieces
coming together and at a time where you're looking at
a really unsettled Eastern Conference. I think it's a great point.
I also, and I don't know how much credit Brad's
gonna get. I mean, I don't think Brad. I think
you got to the point where they stopped listening to
Brad right. There's some a couple of different reasons why. Um,
(31:49):
I don't think that Gordon Hayward was good for the
locker room chemistry. Um there was some other stuff obviously,
you know, the Kyrie stuff through the Mariah as well,
but Brad Bill like those are Brad's decision. Grant Williams
is a Brad decision. You know, somebodys guy those are
Brad decisions. And then you got just the right guy, emays,
just the right guy to get Tatum to play a
(32:11):
little bit more defense in the past, a little bit more, right.
I mean, that's those guys all got threes because they're
helping on Tatum, they're all got three seas, they're helping
on Brown and the spacing. But it's the right coach
and the right decisions. They weren't off with with Brad.
He just couldn't be the in game head coach anymore.
And I thought it it ends up being a genius move. Well,
(32:33):
and this is the other part, and I don't know
this for a fact, but based on just observation, I
feel as if he may empowered Marcus Smart in a
way that Brad Stevens never did. And you needed that
in the same way you needed the same way Steve Kirk.
For all of the like the ups and downs that
(32:53):
Draymond Green may present, you have to empower him. You
have to say, I believe in you, and I'm going
to ride with your mistakes because I know what you
give me on the other side of it is worth it.
You're going to elevate everybody because you're going to demand
something from everybody. And that's why. You know, there's a
lot of people out there that I respect who like
question Marcus Smart being named Defensive Player of the Year.
(33:17):
Um and I voted that he was at the top
of my ballot, and I and I get where they're
coming from. What I think that they miss on, because
you know, look, Marcus Smart in terms of a pure,
lockdown defensive guy, that's not why I put him at
the top of the ballot. It was because of what
he did in infusing defense being a a trademark of
(33:39):
these Boston Celtics and how he led them all in
buying into that along with Emay. Obviously, that's why he
was my Defensive Player of the Year. It's good. It's good.
It's a great point you make. And people who know
the Celtics and remember when he called them all out
and how it was received at the time, and it
probably changed and saved them and they wouldn't be here
(34:00):
without it. Great stuff. We could do this all day,
Maybe we should. Maybe we should do a pod and
talk to even more about it. Appreciate your time, all right,
that's Rick Puker Fox Sports one UH with Prices story
and the pup Discover has You're back with cash back.
You just discovered to earn five percent cash back at
gas stations and a target now through June on up
to purchased when you activates cover Dotcom. Slash rewards limitations apply.
(34:24):
We've got more information on what could be the game
of the year in college football. Next. Fox Sports Radio
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com
and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f s
R to listen live. Doug Gotlip Show Fox Sports Radio.
Let's get to the press, the press. Doug, We've got
(34:50):
some news. College football is gonna be a dandy Ohio
State and Notre Dame playing in Columbus on the opening
weekend of the season. The next week, Alabama app Texas.
We knew that. Now we know this, Doug. You'll see
it on Fox Big Neon kickoff will be there new
an Eastern time kick Saturday, September ten for Alabama and
(35:11):
Texas in Austin midday game. Yes, I'll be hot in
Austin and September it will be He'll be hot. It
would be nice and we'll see if Texas is back
or not quite back, probably more of the ladder. How
about they got Bejon Robinson right driving a Lambo. He's
driving a Lamborghini name image and liked this, Well, you
(35:33):
better be a'll play if you canna drive. He's really good.
You better be able to play if you can drive
name image in Lamborghini by buyer. We touched on this
a little bit in game time, but Jerry Jones, Dallas
Cowboys owners, speaking with Peter King, saying that he thinks
he could get ten billion dollars if he put the
Cowboys up for sale, but says that he will never
(35:56):
ever sell the franchise. Okay, but that's like having a
Honus Wagner card and tell me how much it work
it's worth it. You're not willing to sell it, right,
Like I I have a I have a team where
ten billion dollars, but I'm not gonna sell it. But
I do actually think he's right right, it's a literally
it's it's a one of one. Cowboys are a one
of one. There ain't even mad any good and there's
(36:17):
still the world's biggest draw. How about them Cowboys? By
the way, The mother of raw Gen Rondo's two children
says the Cavalier's point guards, threatened the killer and as
verbally abusive towards their two children. Ashley Bachelor father protective
order against Rondo and Louisville following an alleged incident last week.
She claims Rondo destroyed property while also brandishing a gun.
(36:40):
Just not a good story and not a good look
for Rondo as he's trying to hang onto his NBA career,
getting to a coaching career in the NBA. But again,
let's let's be reasonable and responsible and say there's two
sides to every story. That that is a tough side,
an awful side, really if true. Ahead of tomorrow is
Game one between the Heat and Celtics. Marcus Smart questionable
(37:04):
for the game because of a foot injury. Robert Williams
will have no limitations, no minute restrictions. He'll be available
for Boston. Human pogo stick is back and we'll see
if uh I mean, look that that's one where the
difference in the build is the guys outside of Jimmy
Butler that can score from the Heat aren't great defensive players.
The Tyler hero of the world, whereas um Jayleen Brown
(37:24):
has become better defensively and so has so has Jason Tannum.
I get all time. One more, Yeah, one more. The
Kansas City Royals have fired hitting coach Terry Bradshaw, Howie
and Jimmy staying on with I had no idea, nor
how do you have fire a guy this soon into
this season? Huh? I don't know. Maybe the maybe the
(37:45):
Pirates should fire their hitting coach since they didn't get one.
I proposed yesterday that even though the Pirates won and
they didn't get a hit, they shouldn't be allowed to
shake hands on the field. They should have had to
have gone right until the dugout and then the game.
There's no reward for no hits. And that's get out
there and pressed that the press won the game and
won the game hits because of the Reds, because that's baseball,
(38:08):
that's baseball. Luca is in Bird, but he's the closest
thing we've seen to Bird. I can't win with a
big guy as one of your one of your your
primary pieces. And be careful you talk trash too.
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