Best of the Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon

Jason and Mike with a big debate on Tyrese Haliburton after he was held scoreless in the first half in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The guys react to Shohei Ohtani stepping back onto the mound for the first time in nearly 2 years. Jason takes an L on Rafael Devers. Plus a visit from Ric Bucher for all things NBA Finals!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Jason Smith
Show with Mike Carmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
live every weeknight from ten pm to two am Eastern
seven to eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find
your local station for The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every night on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
This is the best of the Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Hello, welcome in side Happy Monday, the Jason Smith Show
with my bes friend Mike Harmon. You live from the
Fox Sports Radio studios. For over forty years, tire Rack's
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(00:52):
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Here we are, beginning of the second half, Game five
in the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City, with a fifty nine
to forty five lead over the Pacers. We got show
Heyo Tani taking them out for the first time in

(01:13):
almost two years. Coming up in about ten minutes. We
got a lot of stuff we got tonight here on
the show, and I'll give you one prop bet already. Yeah,
I might go show hey o Tani more strike He's
pitching an inning more strikeouts than Tyre's Halliburton has points.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Whooo, I don't know if that prop bet got put
up on the map.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Right now, I'm even, and the game I haven't started.
I'm even right now because Tyre's Halliburton has not scored
in the first half of this game again, a fifty
nine to forty five lead Oklahoma City, and the big
story Tyre's Halliburton, who missed a couple of minutes a
little bit of calf tightness, had his calf retaped or
or looked out in the locker room, came back out,

(01:55):
he still was not able to score. He didn't look
good before he got hurt. He didn't look after he
got hurt. I'm telling you, he's got so much Anthony
Edwards in him where he just goes ghost for long
periods of time in multiple playoff games and series, no
matter what it is. I feel like, would it be
better if the thunder were all wearing Knicks jerseys? Because
you were motivated for the majority of that series. I

(02:17):
feel like, really, do you really need he really needs
motivation right this Sometimes he just goes absolutely space ghost
on everybody. Seemed like a best of three scenario.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
You know, all those words like legend, legacy and whatever
else we do and ascribe those as quickly as we do.
Haliburton was getting a lot of love, right We started
to see the poison pens coming out, going maybe we
have a new villain, a guy that embraces the hate,
you know, embrace debate, embrace the hate, all of those
kind of fun things. And then you have an effort here.

(02:48):
And he didn't look right early in the game. Wasn't
moving very well defensively, a step slow, looked like he
was dragging his leg a little bit, goes out, gets
taped up, has the bandage on, and then he's on
the sideline and you get the camera shot of him
putting the towel over his face as if he's in anguished.
He's anguished, and then he gets back out and once

(03:09):
again he's less than less than ideal in terms of
his attacking on offense and sliding on d But he's
played seventeen minutes, so it becomes the all right, excuses
and all of that. You're still on the court. I
can only evaluate what's there.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
No look, and here's the thing is that he didn't
look good before, he didn't look good after, right, That's
the whole thing. And the fact is, yes, seventeen minutes,
if he couldn't go, if it was impossible him to go,
he would be sitting out because this is you don't
want to say it's a free game for the Pacers,
but okay, if he was really a danger of exacerbating

(03:49):
his injury, getting hurt and then missing the rest of
the finals, the Pacers would sit him down and say,
you know what, we got three days between games. We're
not playing again until July seventeenth. We're to sit you
down and then we're gonna be ready to go and
we get back it. Maybe we can. We can sneak
this one out here, and you never know, we may
get a big night for McConnell off the bench and
Matheren could start hitting shots. And clearly this is a

(04:10):
game that it looks like Oklahoma City should be up
more than they are the way they've been dominant. But
still the Pacers find a way hit a three now
and again, and stay involved and stay close. But if
it was really bad, he would not be in the game.
But he's out there and he's given it a go
two three times. How many times got to come out
of the locker room, come out and play and sit

(04:30):
down and play and sit down. If it was really
really bad, they would pull him out of the game
and say, you know what, this is gonna be a
night where we try to do it without you, and
we keep you right and get you ready for game
six back home.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, we know cafstrains can escalate quickly into other things too, right,
So that's the other part you're talking pain threshold, but
also to your point about exacerbating it and creating an
issue not only for the rest of these finals, but
something that potentially becomes a long standman. How many guys
have we seen that are already off of our Bingo
cards for twenty twenty five twenty six based on injury

(05:04):
sustained in the playoffs, We're already had an all star
lineup full of guys as we go, so playing through
and trying, but the offense has been sputtering. But he's
playing so Rick Carlisle and Company you're tied best of three.
I know you don't want to go down, but you
are going back home for game six. You got a

(05:26):
couple of days that you get him into intense treatments,
but he's still still working. So our poison pens to
use that term again, are going to be out you play.
I evaluate you on what you're able to do. Because
you didn't tap out right, you haven't gone to the
locker room for good, and you're not done.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
So now you're a detriment to your team.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
We have to evaluate you just as a negative instead
of an injured player.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
So we'll keep you posting on this. I mean, obviously
we are keeping an eye on it. It's a eleven
point lead now for Oklahoma City, early in the third quarter.
A lot of basketball to go here. Meanwhile, what we
are getting set for in about three minutes is the
first appearance of show Hey Otani on a pitcher's mound
in nearly two years. A story breaks late last night

(06:15):
following the the Dodgers game. Hey, guess what, Show Hey's
back tomorrow. Wait, not in a week, No back tomorrow,
but seriously, yes, he's back tomorrow. Probably gonna go an inning.
I don't. I don't believe he's gonna go any more
than that as the Dodgers kind of get him back
in and clearly with all the injuries going on with
their rotation, not a moment too soon for show. Hey,

(06:35):
but you know, seeing all the prop bets that are
out there for show, hit, what's it gonna be? I mean,
I'm gonna take the under on all of them. I mean,
I'll take the over on more more strikeouts for Otani
than points for Halliburton. But I will go under what's
it one and a half because he's not gonna go
more than if I thought he would go more than
an inning, I would say, okay, but I'm pretty sure, hey,
going inning, don't go crazy, and we're gonna have a plan, right,

(06:58):
that's what the Dodgers want to have a plan, and
it's got well, what you go, let's go, because then
if he gets in trouble in the middle of the
second inning, or he labors, he throws a lot of pitches,
they'll want to make a move. It's gonna be one inning.
So I'm gonna go it one and a half for strikeouts,
I'm gonna go under. Yeah, it's even going under for
walks under under for everything except for points, Himmer Halbert.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
How about to record one or more strikeouts and to
hit a home run plus two?

Speaker 1 (07:22):
Okay, so more than one strikeout and a home run? Yeah,
or one strike out on a home run one plus one.
You just got to get at least one, okay, So
one strike out, one strike out on a home run, okay, okay,
So if you strike if he strikes out one and
he hits a home run, how about to go three up,
three down in the first. Oh, that that's a good one.

Speaker 4 (07:43):
I like that.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
It's of course he's going three up, three plus one fifty.
What kind of question was that, Mike and a long drive?
Da Look at this, I can't believe it. Three straight
home runs to start the game off OS one all right?

Speaker 3 (07:58):
To allow and earn run it's at half a run
plus one eighty five.

Speaker 1 (08:02):
Oh I'll go oh yeah, yeah, yeah, to not to
not allow. I'm going I'm no, I'm going to go
back to my last answer.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
It's apodres right, So you're going minus two eighty minus
too eighty for no runs, yes, all right, hits giving
up one and a half hits, no under under minus
two ninety.

Speaker 1 (08:18):
It's already been've already been addressed. We're full Belichick. Yeah,
it's already been addressed. We're already been addressed. Yeah, all
sorts of fun props that come up. You know, it's
also a nice convenient thing. Roki Sasaki probably isn't gonna
pitch again the rest of the year.

Speaker 4 (08:34):
Gotto, TONI, let's go.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
I just got a text for a friend of mine
who got so excited that they were going to the
game tonight. Right, so excited. They got tickets to the
game tonight. They're so excited. It's it's a husband and wife,
really good friends of ours. They're so excited to go.
And I said, leave extra early. Well, we always because
they go to a lot of Dodger games. I go, no,
but I'm serious, because tonight, because of Otani. You want
to get the he's only going to pitch in the
first and it don't worry, We're gonna leave early.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
I go.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
I'm telling you, it's gonna be like a playoff game.
It's not. It's not your garden variety Dodger pottery game.
I know the traffic is lighter because now school is
out in La Traffic is lighter with with school. But
I get and she's a teacher, and they're both teachers,
and I'm like, but leave way early. I'm telling you
because you're gonna miss Otani.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
No, no, no, we'd lived tip. I just got a text. Wow,
parking is worse than the freeway. And Otani is about
to throw his first pitch of the game. I'm like,
what do you want?

Speaker 4 (09:27):
I told you to leave early.

Speaker 1 (09:29):
I told you was a babblehead day.

Speaker 3 (09:31):
Yes, I had all these things early. They opened the
gates an extra hour early. We were watching video when
when he went out to do his warm ups and stretch. Uh.
The ovation that he had from the crowd already inside
the ball ballpark, Uh and rolling through. I mean, just
an incredible announcement right last night into this morning, and

(09:53):
the anticipation tickets if you waited so like you had.
This is one of those that you're a day trader.
I'm like, ad you supost to tell your future? You know
your pumpkin futures before Halloween at about six thirty to
get so, about a half hour, forty minutes before first pitch,
get In had gotten down to sixty four dollars.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
Now you look about four hours prior.

Speaker 3 (10:16):
We're into a couple hundred bucks for that the top tier,
like you're looking at about two hundred and two fifty
all the way down to six sixty four bucks. So
if you were able to white knuckle it and wait
for something to become more available, and and you battled
the parking.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
And that's what thing see a night like that, I
that's what I don't mind white knuckling. Like I'm not
gonna white knuckle a playoff game. I'm not gonna. But
but this, okay, I'll do that. I'll wait, I'll wait
and see, I'll wait time. But I will also make
sure I leave early. I'll also make.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
Sure that a fair just outside of the stadium, right
outside of Tiketey and I was entryway, and I.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
Even I even put down playing Solitaire to check and
make sure they were gonna get to the game in time.
I mean, I got, I got with Otani, I got
the NBA Finals, I got my Solitaire game.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
I got a lot of a lot of things going on,
a lot of yes. I mean, that's why I was
gonna start running down. I had forty five other alternate
prop bets so you could finish that game and see
if you can you can clear your board.

Speaker 1 (11:12):
I just found out you had to alternate red black,
red black red. But I just found that out. You
have to alternate red black. You can't just go unless
you play Spider Solitaire. But I'm not ready for that.
I'm not ready for it because I think that's a
whole different thing. I want to make sure Spider Pig
spider pick Shootani is one batter down and it's one
batter on base. Otani was hitting ninety eight, uh to

(11:35):
the first batter, Fronanotatis Junior, who dunks one in front
of Andy Pajes in center field. Tatise is on board
with a lead off single. Again. Otani hit ninety eight
on two fastballs, a couple of pitches borderline. Looked like
he might have got squeezed a little bit on however,

(11:56):
well it was they looked like.

Speaker 3 (12:00):
It's actually Scott Foster is partn't give any he's extended
lay himself out.

Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah he is, Uh, he is extending this this that's.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (12:10):
And Nowtani has thrown a wild pitch trying to throw
it in the It looked like it might have no
not a hit by pitch for a second. It did
look looked like it might have been hit by pitch,
but it wasn't. Tatis is able to get to second.
So now all of a sudden, Luis Araya is batting
with a runner and scoring position, and uh Otani seven
pitches in, he's already in trouble, all right, I mean,

(12:31):
Mary Hart is incensed, very upset. Yes, a lot of us.
I mean, look, you see it. It looks like it
feels like a playoff game. What's happening right now with
Shoeotani pitching for the.

Speaker 3 (12:41):
First times for the first pitch, And.

Speaker 1 (12:45):
I'm telling man, this is all part of what's good
because I've said this from the beginning with Otani, right,
I've said this from the beginning. Eventually the Dodge are
going to make him a closer. You can't. You can't
put him out there expecting that he's going to pitch
and be a starter every fifth day for a season.
His arm has already been blown out twice. He's over thirty.

(13:06):
He's not gonna do it and hit. You can't do
you just can't do it. Now. Oh so we have
him start and roll the gain? Yeah, okay, that's great.
You want to start the game being an opener of it.
But is that what you really want him for? Do
you want to throw an arm in the bullpen and
lock down the ninth inning and talk about the juice
and the excitement that hits the ballpark and hits the team.
If Otani is trying to close out a game, now,
you don't just put him right out there and close, right,
I get that, right. You don't put him right out

(13:27):
there to close. But here you go, one inning to
start the game, Okay, eventually be one inning to finish
the game.

Speaker 3 (13:32):
Well, that's where a Talis start on the return against
the hated Padres and a big home slate home occurrence
here against the NBA Finals and get the crowd juiced,
and then yeah, you gotta work it back. Look, they're
gonna be active come the deadline. There's no question. You
keep telling me. Arms are coming back. Arms are coming back.
And it's good to see him out on the mound.

(13:54):
But there's a lot of work to do with this
roster yet.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
And if you took the last said that is gonna
take the under for hits allowed in the first inning,
I've already lost. Yeah, plus one ninety's already cash Ariyahs
just lines one to center field too hard, hitting right
at Andy Pajes so to tease, can't score. But now
first and third, nobody out and Otani is already twelve
pitches into the first inning, so I already lost that under.

(14:21):
But I'm winning so far on the on the strikeouts,
so I have that. Yeah, I have that, and the walks.
So strikeouts are two, I'm feeling good on two. I'm
two for three, so I'm feeling all right right now
right again, nobody out, So it's almost like that it's
it's starting. It's just beginning right now. Seven minutes to
go on the third quarter. Oklahoma City leads in the
end to seventy to fifty nine and eleven point lead

(14:45):
for the Thunder As somehow the Pacers are hanging around
despite the fact they have been outplayed from the jump
in this game. We'll have more on this coming up next,
including breaking down a really huge trade that people can't
enough of today. That's coming up next right here, Jason
and Mike Fox Sports Radio. Well, the Big fifty is

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Speaker 3 (16:45):
Seven?

Speaker 1 (16:46):
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Speaker 2 (16:48):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 1 (16:59):
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dot com. Well, where do we sit right now? In

(17:23):
the NBA? The Thunder lead the Pacers seventy five sixty
six late in the third quarter, and I'll tell you
what this game is going very dangerously for the Thunder
because they're playing this game at a pace and a
and a level of desire that tells me, like when

(17:43):
you get in the game where you go, Okay, we're
controlling this game. We don't really need to go crazy
extend ourselves. Let's not try to get too outside the box,
and we're gonna hold on to win here because we've
been controlling this the entire way. Like that's kind of
how I feel the Thunder or playing. And when you
play that weight, that's a recipe for disaster because eventually,
eventually the pacer are gonna start hitting threes, They're gonna move,

(18:04):
they're gonna pace, and all of a sudden, that twelve,
thirteen to fourteen point lead becomes a nine point lead
like it is now. The nine point lead becomes a
five point lead, five gets to three. TJ McConnell starts
hitting turn around twisty buckets in a lane. That doesn't
matter that Tyre's Halliburton's having a horrible game. This is
what happens. But I have seen no sense of urgency
from the Thunder, from the last like a couple of

(18:27):
minutes before halftime to where we are right now. They
just seem, hey, we're playing. Let's not screw things up, right,
We're playing really well. We just need to execute the
rest of the way. And anytime you get to that point,
that's a dangerous point.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
For it took care of business in the first half,
hitting a wide open threes, moving the ball in transition,
protecting the rim, and obviously Haliburton being limited oh of
six from the field. He finally did hit a couple
of free throws though, so that prop bet blew up. Yeah,
as pausing there, but it's you let him hang around, Like,

(18:59):
if you've learned anything watching these playoffs, pacers aren't gonna
go away. The fact that he was still dragging his
leg out there, Haliburton wasn't gonna go away. And again
we evaluated for what it is, but that means they're
not ready to put it, you know, put it on
ice and go back for Game six. They're gonna keep competing.
And we watched their bench and their depth in every series.

(19:22):
You know it as a Knicks fan, it'll go away.
Oh yeah, No, No, they're gonna keep counting. You have
to keep playing, keep coming.

Speaker 1 (19:28):
Uh So again, where we sit right now, it's an
eight point lead for Oklahoma City three and a half
to go in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Shoe Hao Tani's
first inning is over and now he's coming to the
plate for the first time. The Padres lead the Dodgers
one to nothing. Manny Machado would a sacrifice fly a
close play at the plate, but Tatise is safeunted though,
so why shouldn't it have counted? Did you not see

(19:52):
the appeal to first on the check swing, I mean
the full swing? Oh oh yeah, I did see the
appeal to first. It seemed like full swing. Yeah no,
it looked like I thought you met the soaker fights
fly itself. Yeah no, yeah, yeah, Well, I mean I think,
you know, I think maybe the home plate umpire didn't
want to get yelled at by Machado like he yelled
at the umpire last week when he got called out
on strike. If you was scared of Machado, your so

(20:12):
the whole ring doorbell thing, I mean, that would that
would come back. I don't want that would take him
a though it didn't. You get to your house. So
one inning pitch for show, heo Tony twenty eight pitches,
so a heavy workload in the first inning. Two it's
one run. The run is earned, and again the Dodgers
trail the Padres right now won. Nothing is a bat
in the bottom of the first inning.

Speaker 3 (20:31):
Hit in the upper nineties with his fastball. So had
that pop out of the gate. So folks excited, A
little bit erradic right, A lot of juice, a lot
of energy in the crowd. I mean it's also a day.
He's excited because Epe is now behind bars.

Speaker 1 (20:45):
Yes to prison. Yeah, you want to.

Speaker 3 (20:47):
Talk about bookending a historic Oh yeah, you go behind bars.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
You you're back to the mouth. I'll pitch when I
feel safe. When Epe is behind bars, epees behind I'll
pitch tonight. Give me the ball. I'm ready. I'm ready
to go. Give me the ball. Give the ball. So
two hits, neither of them hit very well. No, no,
so you take that.

Speaker 3 (21:05):
I mean it'll look like line drive singles in the
box score tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
I threw the ball, right, if he threw the ball,
there's nothing I saw tonight that tells me, oh boy, oh,
Otani threw the ball. You know he had that little
bit of juice. I'm sure, first time pitching, so that
gave him a couple extra miles an hour on the fastball,
but ninety eight his breaking pitches were breaking right through
the wild pitch. There's nothing I saw tonight in the
first inning from him that tells me, Okay, he's not

(21:29):
going to be back to being himself. He just needs
the reps he needs to get back in. He needs
to extend himself again. I would have him closed, but
the Dodgers have a lot of problems with the starting pitching,
so probably gonna be out there starting for a little while.
But yeah, he looked fun. Yes, not optimal that he
gives up a running the first end of the padres,
but overall you have to be pretty pretty pleased with
what you saw in the first end. Let's just say it.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
Twenty eight pitches, good velocity, some pretty good movement on
the ball, wild pitch aside, of course, But all of
that to say, you get out of that with one inning,
one run allowed. In the inning, I saw his reaction
to the play at the plate and fired up and
given me the umpire and earful, no question about it.
But you now have proof of concept. He's back, and

(22:13):
he's now a piece on the chessboard from the pitching
side of things, and now we'll see where they take
it from here as to how they work out the rotation.
You're gonna have these you already have the opener game
was part of your world, So we'll see how long
that projects. We've talked about Sasaki briefly, the expectation that

(22:34):
he's not going to return this season, but you are
seeing more throwing sessions from Snell on his bobblehead day.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
Some good news there.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
Eventually, Glass now will be back for a couple innings
before he goes back on the show. So you got
all of those things that you work to do. And Claytonkershaw
inching ever closer to three thousand striking.

Speaker 1 (22:53):
I mean, look, I mean I firmly believe that it
doesn't matter how many pitchers the Dodgers could sign in
the offseason. We signed fourteen starting pitchers, all former Cy
Young Award winners, all guys who have gone through and
thrown tons of pitches. They're healthy all the time. The
minute you get them it, yeah, we're gonna be We're
gonna be down to Kershaw being our second starter by

(23:14):
the time we get to the end of gym.

Speaker 3 (23:16):
No, I mean, where's the sage brush? Kyrie ain't working
right now, go get that.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
It's like no matter. He used to like that way
with the Mets, but now the Dodgers have taken that
to an absurd level where they really they have an
all star staff, starting staff, on the on the injured list.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
Yeah, like these are all.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
All multi cy young, all of those things. They get
up the big three, which would be Snell and gladsnew
and and and Sasaki. Any team going into the season
would say, I'd love to have those be my top three. Guys.

Speaker 4 (23:45):
This is the keep on going down a lot. You
gotta station.

Speaker 1 (23:50):
Yeah, I mean it's I mean, really, this is no
matter what the Dodgers are. In fact, I don't know man,
And this is bad news for you, Frostburg, because I
think pictures now in the off season are gonna say, hey,
the Dodgers want to give you a lot of money. No,
I can't go there, man, I'm just gonna get hurt.
I gotta go somewhere so you can't give me bad news.
That's not possible. I gotta go someplace. Ouds like, yeah,
just gonna wind up getting hurt. Man, I want to

(24:10):
go there. Happens to everybody. What are we thinking here?
We're gonna bring him back in, right. I don't know, man.
I think that's a lot of pitches, and I think
he's coming out after the I think the whole plan
was gonna be one inning, no matter what, unless they
had to get him in the first inning because he
threw too many pitches. He gave up three four. So
did you talk to Dave Roberts? How did you know that? No,
I'm just saying for his first start in two years,
they're not gonna be hey, let's see how we feel.

(24:33):
It's gonna be very regimented and one inning and that's it.
Because they also want to show you pitched a no hitter,
you're coming out. They also they also want to plan
how are we gonna start things? How are we gonna
how we want to go this game? One inning? And
then this is our relief pitcher plan. You want to
make sure you know, hey, you know you're coming in
to start the second inning, no matter what. Get ready
to go. You're coming in to start like this. This

(24:54):
is this is how I expect it to go. And
when they just cut to commercial, Otani was looking at
the iPad as a Dodgers like they were taking the
field he was not grabbing his glove in his hat
to go back out there. So I gotta think this
is it for Otani now as we get to as
he gets more and more, Hey, okay, the next start,
maybe a little bit more than any Maybe we think
two innings next time, maybe it's more than that. But

(25:14):
I would see he's gonna be out and and look
it looks like Anthony band is going to be coming in.
And this was the plan all along, was to go
and let him go one aning, which is smart. It's
absolutely so it's now time for the band to try. Yet.
I mean, look, you feel great. If you're the Dodgers,
you feel great. You're holding your breath the entire first
and Anthy all of baseball is holding their breath the
entire first and he going, oh, what's he gonna do?

(25:35):
Oh okay, it's fine because look you want to see this,
and his pitches had life. Everything. There's nothing that I
saw that tells me, okay, I worry about him. Everything
looked fun.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
But there's been a lot of the thought pieces in
the background right as he's been ramping back up to
this moment of do you pitch him again? Yeah, like
obviously he wants to pitch, and it's part of what
the expectation was when he signed the decade long deal
with the Dodge and came over, and part of the
reason to a degree that you pay him the extra money.

(26:05):
Right the unicorn aspect of it, say nothing of merchandising, sales,
et cetera. That I think you've already made that money
back and now it's you're earning interest on it, all
based on what you've been able to sell. But when
you look at he wants to go, and he wants
to give it another shot. And we saw it where
as he was recovering from the injury, sure as hell

(26:26):
didn't affect him at the plate or you know, running,
And we'll see what happens when he's on the base
pats whether that tamps down a little bit in terms
of trying to take an extra base and the stolen
base totals all of those things. But in the interim,
he gives you an extra arm for whatever innings however
they're gonna use him, and Dave Roberts and the Dodgers,
they'll be judicious about it, and so long as he's

(26:49):
honest with them about how he's feeling in terms of
any fatigue, twinges, all of those things, and then everybody
wins and baseball wins.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
Uh, speaking of baseball, winning and winning at baseball, I'm
gonna take well, Okay, what do I do? You know,
it's Monday, I'm feeling okay, you know, even got swept.
I'm sorry. I was looking to see who had the
best record of the National League, and oh, it's still
the Mets. What was it? It was ten teams got
swept this weekday. One of them was the Mets. Yeah,
it's true. Yeah, and I'm still looking. We still have

(27:22):
the best record in the league. Yeah, we still have
the bit of the Rockies, right, Yeah, we lost the
rock We lost nine to nothing, ten to one, and
fourteen to two. Or was it the Oriols to the Rockies? No, no,
the Orioles the Rockies. The Rockies beat the Orioles today.
I think that's did that happen today? I believe that
that part of the men's college world.

Speaker 3 (27:42):
Now that kid struck out in nineteen it was Tampa
over Baltimore one, you know, Washington and the Rocky Rockies
cut on the upside six four final.

Speaker 1 (27:53):
I will tell you I'll take Yeah, since it's Monday.
I'll take the l on my Rafael Dever's trade prediction
that I made at the end of March that he
was going to be gone by the end of April.
Devers gets traded over the weekend to the Giants for
a couple of Jag pitchers, and I mean, look, basically,
this was the Red Sox saying we're done. We're done

(28:14):
with you. We're done with the bad headlines, We're done
with you not wanting to go play first base. We're
done with you bad mouthing the organization and telling us
what we need to be doing, when meanwhile we screwed
things up to look, I'm not gonna sit here in
place blame because the Red Sox had to know how
Devers was going to react. When they brought in Alex
Bregman to play third base. You had to know your

(28:34):
player because he's been there a while. This was a situation.
I told her the end of March was untenable, and
I thought by the end of April he would be
delle He started off what like forty five strikeouts in
his first forty six at batsity really got hot, probably
because he wanted out.

Speaker 5 (28:48):
You know.

Speaker 1 (28:48):
Leading the League leading the American League in RBIs. But
I knew this was going to happen because it was
just untenable. Hey, I know we brought in a guy
to play third base. Can you do No? I don't
want a DHM a third base, but O better third
baseman you are. We're trying to get better, okay, And
you finally convince him to be okay being the designated hitter.
But then your first baseman gets hurt and it's like, hey,
you want to go play first He doesn't want to

(29:09):
do it. Like didn't you learn the first time when
you said, hey, he didn't want it. You only wanted
to play third base, and that's it. And you finally
got him to DH. Then when you asked him to
play first base. That's how it was gonna go. The
situation was completely untenable. I knew it was gonna be
a point where they had to trade him, and they did,
and the Giants get a great player. It's a great
trade for them. They basically they traded away a couple

(29:30):
of jag pitchers, one who's young and maybe has a
little bit of promise. But really, this arn't This isn't
anything other than we're moving on from Devers, and you're
gonna eat all that money that we gave him, and
now we have money to go move and go do
something else. Because I'll tell you this, this is not
gonna be a Red Sox fire sales. Not suddenly here
goes Duran and goes all the other play No, no,
this is gonna be the Red Sox saying we had
to get rid of him. We now have more money

(29:52):
to spend. We can be aggressive at the deadline. You've
already seen some quotes from the Red Sox saying we
feel like we're gonna win more games this year despite
the fact we don't have him. He was a great player.
They just had to get rid of him. And I
knew it was going to be untenable, but I said, okay,
by the end of April, Okay, before the end of June,
way before the trade deadline. I'll take the l But

(30:13):
I told you, I told you was gonna get trade.

Speaker 3 (30:15):
Yeah, just ahead of five hundred in the standings right now,
it's a bit of a mosh pit there. You look
at the idea of all the young up and coming
players they had. Now they traded a few away to
the White Sox to bring in Crochet, but you look
at it clears paths that way, you get rid of
some of whatever's going on in the clubhouse.

Speaker 1 (30:35):
A lot of reports that.

Speaker 3 (30:36):
He wasn't necessarily not only on the field, keen with
whatever plans and yes and improv kind of things, but
also in terms of what the Red Sox expect out
in the community and such, not exactly being forthcoming and
get along kind of guy in that regard either. So

(30:58):
the old edition by subtract, actually you lose. You now
have younger players. We've talked with John Paul Morosi about
this and the promotion of a lot of young guys
across major league. So you get guys that get it, bats,
get innings pitched at the major league level. You get
to test them see if there's a market for them,
if you decide you are sellers. And for San Francisco
they get a huge addition to their roster because we've

(31:21):
watched free agency be a bit of an issue the
last couple of years in terms of bringing in big
time signings. While discounts as a big time signing for
Buster Posey in that front office exit.

Speaker 1 (31:33):
Out about a Fresco exit swalling down the Jason Smith
Show with my best friend Mike Carmon Time Now to
find out what's trending in the wide world of sports
from someone who's been called the Rafael Devers a Fox
Sports Radio. They want him to be an update anchor.
He said, okay, They said, how about He said, no,
I'm an update night current cellos.

Speaker 4 (31:49):
That's all I'll do.

Speaker 6 (31:50):
It's Steve Disager, So you were talking salary. Boston is
won five in the row. Did trade Devers to San
Francisco last night, but rookie Roman Anthony with a home
run tonight. Seattle and the Red Sox are now up
two nothing over the Mariners top of the fourth. This
is the Logan Gilbert start for Seattle, just off the
injured list at Dodger Stadium. One inning for the opener

(32:10):
show Hey Otani on the mound allowed one run on
a sackfly. He threw twenty eight pitches. O'tani had not
pitched in a game in nearly two years. He averaged
ninety nine miles an hour on the fastball tonight. He
is still the ladh leading off the regular position.

Speaker 1 (32:25):
In the order.

Speaker 6 (32:26):
Padres lead in LA one nothing in the top of
the second, and Houston, which is won five in a row,
got a first inning home run from Jose Al Tuove.
It leads one nothing at the A's in the bottom
of the second. The other four games are finals. Philadelphia
won its fifth straight contest five two at Miami. Colorado
homer twice in the top of the ninth to win six'
four At. Washington The nationals have lost nine in a.

(32:48):
Row The angels in eleven innings edge The yankees one
nothing In New. York yanks left bases loaded bottom of the,
eleventh And Tampa bay Beat baltimore seven to one At
College Baseball's World series and hit For arkansas to Eliminate
Murray state. THREE i think Gage wood struck out in.
NINETEEN lsu AND ucla still in a long rain delay
after three. Innings tiger's up five to. Three and did

(33:11):
you know THE Nba finals are going?

Speaker 2 (33:13):
On?

Speaker 1 (33:13):
No apparently there's a game literally right. Now i'm, SORRY
i was Playing. Solitaire there's a game going. On i've
sided to know.

Speaker 6 (33:20):
That by the, way THE Nba finals now averaging about
nine million viewers through the four. Games it was nine
point four million last.

Speaker 1 (33:27):
Game, yeah but how many people are watching and playing
solitaire at the same. Time how many at least?

Speaker 6 (33:31):
One, okay all, right very, Good, Okay so, yeah these
ratings are horrible BY Nba final. Standard it's a little
bit of. Context the first four games of these finals
are the four highest RATED tv shows for the month
Of june Or may for that. Matter and there is
a game going on right, now it's very early in
the fourth quarter At Oklahoma City thunder ninety two to

(33:52):
eighty two Over. Indiana as star guard for The, Pacers
Tyrese halliburton has two points oh of six shooting from the. Floor,
meanwhile some threes for The thunder. Tonight they're eleven of
twenty five from long. Distance Jalen williams twenty nine points
twenty four For Shay Gilgis alexander series for the moment
tied at. Two game six will Be thursday At Indiana Stanley.

(34:13):
Cup game six Is tuesday in THE Fifa Club World,
Cup chelsea BEAT lafc two nothing In.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
Atlanta back to, You thank, You STEVE. O The Jason
Smith show with my best Friend Mike harmon coming up,
next we got The play of The day coming your.
Way i'm pretty sure you could guess what it, is
plus why one of the biggest stories surrounding THE Nba
finals is absolutely. Irrelevant that's, Next jason To Mike.

Speaker 2 (34:35):
Fox be sure to catch live editions Of The Jason
Smith show With Mike harmon weekdays at ten Pm, eastern
seven Pm Pacific.

Speaker 1 (34:44):
Fox Sports Radio The Jason Smith show With my best
Friend Mike. Harmon ready for a new, Job Let Express
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fine work our Sweet spottle's logistics, roles And express never
charges job seekers a. Fee go To express per dot. Com,
well we'll tell you the, biggest most irrelevant story surrounding

(35:06):
THE Nba finals coming up in a, Minute but first
it's time for The play The, day brought to you
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(35:27):
well when you pitch the first no hitter The Men's
College World series in about sixty five years and you
strike out.

Speaker 3 (35:34):
Nineteen, well it's pretty. Easy you get to be the
play of the day.

Speaker 4 (35:41):
On two.

Speaker 1 (35:45):
GRENAGE espn on the. Call gagewood Of arkansas the third
no hitter in Men's College World series, history the first
since nineteen Sixty Jim wixon Of Oklahoma. STATE i had

(36:05):
him in fantasy that you Did Fantasy College baseball nineteen
sixty was really.

Speaker 3 (36:09):
Fun you want to talk about this one game point,
TOTAL i mean just off the. Charts the hard part
is that it takes out one of the cinderella stories
of all of this In Murray.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
State, yeah, well you know it's gonna. Happen Murray state's
always A. Cinderella tell me one. Sport Murray state is
not A. Cinderella, no it's a good.

Speaker 3 (36:24):
Question i'm not familiar with the rest of their sporting everyone. Efforts, yeah,
sure there's not a shot putter off. There, no, no actually,
no you get crushed By lesnar's. Daughter, anyway not one
man dynasty and shot but someone on the fencing team
that has risen through the. RANKS i, MEAN i don't,
know but certainly in the sports that we cover here

(36:45):
on a regular basis On Fox Sports. Radio, yeah the
underdog tag is always going to be. THERE i, mean
watching the highlights of this and just the, form he
looked just as strong on the final pitch as the
first pitch out of the, gate like Just i'm sure
when Would Dave robert had pulled?

Speaker 1 (37:00):
Him, oh probably with two outs in the. Ninth oh
all the way. Down no, no, no, no no. No
not gotta be fair To Dave. Roberts probably after the,
seventh after the seventh and yea. Seventh Then i'm Not,
roberts is not that like when he, says people Think
i'm the Grim reaper WHEN i go out to the. Mount,
no he probably would have pulled him after the. Seventh,
hey really, good great.

Speaker 3 (37:18):
Day at some point he's got to come out where
he he's got to sweat it. Off but then when
he pull he pulls up his. Sleeves he's going to
the mount and it just looks like he's a. Skeleton
like he's coming out and he's got the.

Speaker 1 (37:29):
Bone oh, NO i just want him to fly out
like a dementor from, well he's out of the. DUGOUT
i just whipping around, going oh my, god it's a day,
ready he just shows. Up oh my, god It's Dave,
robert and he just gets it and he gives and
he gives the picture the mentor's. Kiss all of a,
sudden you can see the, tiredness, oh all the energy
leaving his. Body he's gonna have to pull him after.
This he's got nothing left all there carrying him off the.

(37:51):
Mound here comes the.

Speaker 3 (37:52):
Bullpen we're far better at programming these things than the
bananas or anybody else ever could.

Speaker 1 (37:56):
Be i'll tell you, that so Congratulation gage would and
then incredible once in a lifetime performance being the play
of the.

Speaker 3 (38:03):
Day i'll tell you right now we're looking at something
Where dylan ceases on pace to top his strikeout.

Speaker 1 (38:07):
Total oh, yeah, yeah we'll see. That still one nothing
padres over The dodgers, again show How tani one, inning
twenty eight, pitches one run. Alowed we'll have more on
that coming up. Tonight thanks to the crappy play by
the first place. Umpire oh, okay, okay that it looked
like many, okay looked Like Manny mitchatto could have struck out,

(38:28):
well because it.

Speaker 4 (38:30):
Didn't.

Speaker 3 (38:30):
HAPPEN i can't lie to people and say it happened
when it. Didn't it absolutely. Happened he went Around, no
BUT i mean they didn't call him out on.

Speaker 1 (38:38):
It that's the.

Speaker 3 (38:38):
Problem they went to review and they all, concurred do
you CONCUR i concur do you con gur, Sure so
it looked.

Speaker 1 (38:44):
Like Manny mitchatto could have been punched out on, strikes but,
NO i was ruled not to go. Around you Saw otani's.
Reaction machado hits a sacrifice fly and there's your margin
of the lead right now for The padres one nothing
in the second. Inning, MEANWHILE Nba, finals as we told,
You Oklahoma city playing dangerous, game didn't really look like
they're playing with a lot of sense of. Urgency and
The pacers just keep. Coming it is now a four

(39:06):
point thunder lead nine minutes to go in the fourth.
Quarter after a horrendous night going on From Tyree's. HALIBURTON
tj McConnell's been. Rallying he's got at The pacers. Here
it's been. Amazing but let me just say, This, okay
the most irrelevant topic there could possibly, be and really
it only really comes up when it comes about THE.
Nba is that THE Nba finals and the, ratings and

(39:27):
look at where they are and look how low they
are AND i get. It, yes they're. Low some years
are going to be lower than. Others right when you
if it was The nicks and The lakers or ratings
would be, great, right same thing for different. Reasons, yes
there'll be large. Ratings but there's a couple of things.
Here number one is you don't know how many people
are consuming THE Nba finals a different. Way, right you're
watching on their, phone you're. Watching there's so many different.

(39:50):
Ways now can you really really say here's an accurate? Representation?

Speaker 3 (39:53):
Right all those illegal, streams outdated means by which to grab,
ratings all of those.

Speaker 1 (39:58):
Things but the bigger thing is. This, okay so the
ratings are, low what's gonna? Happen tell me what's gonna?
Happen is THE nba gonna go? Away is the next rights?
Deal are they losing? Money are THE tv networks gonna
say you got to owe us? Money make? Goods Like
i'm in, Advertising, hey, yomia make. Good nothing is happening
except THE nba is. Growing the next television, rating the

(40:18):
next television, contract and every subsequent television contract is gonna
be through the.

Speaker 3 (40:23):
Roof it's more and more. Money tell me what? Why
it's a, big tell me what's gonna. Happen if you
gave me a cause and effect for, THIS i would, Say,
okay you're, right there's no effect for.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
This THE nba is going to be. Justified everything is.
Fine and, again Like Kevin durant, says you don't.

Speaker 3 (40:38):
Like, it don't watch it's okay the people seventy six
billion dollar. Deal and What i'd love is more the
deep dive of What silver started to do in terms
of how people are consuming it through the different means social, Media,
twitch all of those other. Things i'd like more data on.
That but certainly internationally still, growing trying to bury. It
you don't want to be part of. It watching break

(41:00):
down the, games that's, fine go. Live nothing rates like
it did in nineteen eighty. Two Basho Exit, out bout A,
fresca ex A. Swallowdome more on this suddenly incredibly CLOSE
Nba finals, game plus the.

Speaker 1 (41:12):
Return this weekend that we were all waiting.

Speaker 3 (41:14):
For IF i probably have a couple of jet throw
toall LYRICS i can fire off from back in the,
day feeling like a dead, benshee, dude, dude how dare you?

Speaker 1 (41:23):
So The Jalen williams game which was THE tj McConnell
game Until Jan williams Decided i'm going for forty forty
from the thunderstud one twenty to one oh nine is
your Final Oklahoma city now one game away from winning
The larry O'Brien, trophy joining us now on the hot
line to break it all. Down nobody, better nobody happier

(41:45):
because it's going to be a conversation about something that
does not include who The knicks head coach is going
to be unless he has something now you never. Know
IT'S fs One Insider extraordinaries On twitter At Rick. Buker
check out The on The ball podcast as. Well maybe
The on The ball podcast has to do with, that
But rick joins us right, now what's? Happening?

Speaker 5 (42:03):
Man oh live in the dream looking for? WELL i
don't think that the pacer is going to win in six, Now.

Speaker 3 (42:16):
So that's a.

Speaker 5 (42:22):
Breakdown there's simulating insider.

Speaker 1 (42:25):
News, Wow, OKAY.

Speaker 5 (42:30):
I thought there was. STILL i thought that they blew
their their opportunity in game. Four we haven't talked since
Since friday night's. GAME i thought that that was their,
window and BUT i held out the. Possibilities still not
not one thousand percent sold on The Oklahoma City thutter maybe.
Nine i'm now one thousand percent. Sold they've taken me

(42:53):
over the. Threshold it's. There their their star are coming
through at the right time and the collective. Efforts, ultimately
when you win a, championship you know we've gone away
from The big, three but you still need when it

(43:15):
comes to this point in the, playoffs in the, finals
when the teams are so familiar with each, other you
need guys you could just go get a, bucket and
The Oklahoma City thunder have two guys who are capable
of doing. That AND i would say that The Indiana
pacers have, won but for some reason they. Don't they

(43:38):
neglect getting him the ball on a regular, basis and
that's PATH. Caliaka so they ultimately have none and then
you get results like you got.

Speaker 1 (43:47):
Tonight, yeah Obviously rick will start With Tyres, halliburton who
didn't look good before he dinged up his, calf came
back in the, game still played thirty four minutes and
really could not get in this. Game, now we talked
about it last hour AND i, said you know what's
kind of becoming from me With, halibert AND i get
he's not one hundred, percent but there's lots of players
that aren't one hundred, percent and Already Rick carlisle has

(44:07):
said he's gonna play the next. GAME i feel Like
halliburton is a great front runner when he gets out
early in the, game when he's, motivated and when he
can get out, early he plays. Fantastic and there's even
games where as long as he's not completely shut down,
early he can still affect the, game Like game one
hits the game winning. Shot but when he can't do,
anything or when he gets shut down that first eight

(44:29):
minutes of the, game like he's, done like he has,
cooked and we see a shell of what we normally,
Get like he's a great front, runner but when it
really hits adversity that he can't get past in the
first few minutes of the, game like the other team is,
won because suddenly it's you, know you're not worried about
him the rest.

Speaker 5 (44:44):
Of the, Night, yeah, whatever whatever it may. BE i
don't like that he concede so, easily and for a point,
guard he picks up his dribble in some of the
worst places before he knows where he's going to go
with the, ball and a lot of his turnovers are
a result of. THAT i also was completely and and

(45:06):
it was it was evident. Tonight but you, know you
set ticks in order to get switches to get the
matchup you, want and multiple times he got the matchup
that he. Wanted he got switched on To Isaiah hartenstein
Or Chet, holmes and he got switched on to a
big and then he didn't attack. It and it's, like,

(45:29):
so what are we doing? Here why do we go
through all the like the effort to get the switch
if you're not going to attack it once you get.

Speaker 2 (45:37):
It and the.

Speaker 5 (45:38):
Difference in The Indiana pacers when he's getting two feet
in the. Paint i'm not sharing anything THAT i don't
think anybody doesn't know at this, point including Ty, reech
including The Oklahoma City thunder is it's not necessarily, scoring
but it's simply attacking and getting to the. Paint and,

(45:59):
Yes i'm taking anything away From Oklahoma city's, defense but
we've seen, Him he's demonstrated he has the capability of doing.
That and yet there are times where he picks up
his dribble without ever attempting to get. There AND i
can't explain to you why that, is but it undercuts

(46:20):
The Indiana pacers in a massive. Way you just and
what baffling and what kind of exposes it. Is on
the flip, side you have a guy LIKE tj McConnell
who just continually is attacking the paint and as a,
result more often than, not is very productive with that second.

(46:40):
Unit and SO i Don't i'm not giving up On
tyres because he has made, strides certainly since the beginning
of the. Year but until he realizes that he needs
to be in the attack mode all the, time or
there's really no point in this because it's the worst

(47:03):
thing for a team when the guy with ball in
his hands and arguably one of your two best, players
you don't know whether he's going to bring the lumber
or not on a given. Night that's a very treacherous
place for a team to.

Speaker 1 (47:17):
Be watch The.

Speaker 3 (47:18):
Thunder you get out to a big halftime, lead but
because of, McConnell they get back in the, game Does?
Indiana and Then Jalen williams with the takeover a game
twenty five, ATTEMPTS i THINK i have to go back
to the game log to see when he ever had
that rick and the QUIET, sga something we've talked about,
before bleeding you for another thirty one when it. Mattered

(47:41):
so for The, thunder not a games from their top,
guys but far more than enough to take care of.

Speaker 1 (47:48):
Business, yeah no.

Speaker 5 (47:49):
Question AND i think what they've done, is you, know
over the course of this, SERIES i Thought Andrew nemhart
And Aaron smith initially we're doing really good jobs on
them and making the game hard on. Them and as
the series has gone, on these guys have figured out
how to get to their spot and how to get

(48:10):
a step on. Them Andre nemhart to me was he
has been The Bell weather or The pacers throughout these.
Playoffs when he's a, plus they, win and when he's a,
minus they. Lose he was a minus twelve tonight AND
i was. Stocked And Rick carlisle has done this a
couple of times in the last two games, now where

(48:32):
he's stayed with guys who are clearly not, effective And
nemhart was. AFRAID i was just, stunned having seen the
way he's played for the better part of this year
and earlier on in this series and in these, playoffs
he was afraid to shoot the. Ball he would get the.
Spots and there's when you're playing against a defense Like

(48:53):
Oklahoma city and in the finals like, this when you
get a look you need to take that show everybody knows, like,
oh that's that's the chances if you pass it, up
you may not get another opportunity to shoot unless it's
under severe duress on that. Possession and he did. That
not only did he not take the, shot but then

(49:14):
he would pick up his dribble and and try to pass,
it and as a, result The Oklahoma city th under
were swarming and his turnovers were live, turnovers not only
resulting in him not shooting and, scoring But Oklahoma city
getting an easy bucket the other.

Speaker 1 (49:30):
Way you, KNOW i can look at it this, Way,
rick when you see the confidence. Level The pacers obviously
played with a much different confidence level against a less
team defensively in The, Knicks and now things have gotten
a little bit more difficult for him, now AND i
feel like the question themselves and it's, like, wait this
is not as easy as you. Thought of course it's
not going to be is he talked one of the
best defensive teams in the league versus the next of

(49:51):
course it's going to be harder.

Speaker 5 (49:52):
Yeah, Yeah well and it's nice of you to slide
into The New York knick. Shade well, yeah but you
know it was As i've watched this, series what has
what they've struggled with is obviously turnovers were a big
huge issue tonight and have been for them throughout the.
Series when they've been able to, maintain like lower their,

(50:15):
turnovers they've been, successful but they they struggle to play
at the pace they want to play at against this
thunder defense and not turn the ball. Over and that's
the next step for, them which is being you, know

(50:36):
finding a way to be, aggressive but to be aggressive under.
Control and a lot of it just is when you
don't have guys that can break down the, defense it
makes everything. Hard when when everybody when when everybody can
kind of stay at home and you don't have to come,
over you don't have to slide over to help on a,
guy then it makes everything. Hard And Tyreek halliburton is

(51:02):
one of those guys who he's capable of, that and
The pacers are a completely different team when he does.
That but when he doesn't against a team Like Oklahoma,
city you really just don't have a.

Speaker 3 (51:13):
Chance, rick we got the draft just over the horizon
starting to see. Trades Desmond bain gets dealt and now
we have the preferred destinations For Kevin. Durant and, look
so San antonio in the leading leader in the, clubhouse
does he get what he?

Speaker 4 (51:30):
Wants?

Speaker 5 (51:31):
Well the question of if he like with a star
LIKE kd and with his contract coming, up the particulars
are are they going to extend? Him he's a little
bit like in The Jimmy butler. Situation does he want
to be? Extended and what is that team willing or
capable of giving? Up and is he going to work

(51:54):
with The Phoenix suns in terms of making sure they
get something back for, him BECAUSE i think ultimately the
best fought for him would be The Miami. Heat that's
the team that they desperately need exactly what he. GIVES
i think if he goes, there there are a lot
to be a playoff. Team he can be a difference maker.

(52:14):
There it's a culture that's already. Set he doesn't have
to be a. Leader he's got a coach who is
not going to take any. GUFF i don't like With
Mits johnson and The San Antonio. SPURS i don't think
they're close enough for him to be that difference maker

(52:34):
that's going to take them to the next. LEVEL i
like what they have, there but the fact of the matter,
is you, know for having The rookie of The year
and Having victor Winmbin yama and all that they, had you,
know they still were thirteenth in The Western. Conference is

(52:54):
is kd at this stage of his? Career is he
going to elevate them into WHERE i? Mean is he
gonna be a fourteen win difference because that's that's what
he'd have to be in order for them to be a.
Factor and, meanwhile you know With miami in The Eastern,
conference you have a winning, record your Your Golden so that's.

(53:19):
True you, know it really comes down to Can San
antonio probably put together the best. Package Can houston put
a better package Than? Miami, Yeah i'm fairly, EASILY i would,
think depending on What phoenix. Wants if they want a starter,
KIT i think if you if you didn't have those
three preference. Places AND i got to, ask, like is

(53:39):
there like did he pick the states that have no state?

Speaker 1 (53:42):
Tax, yeah he's.

Speaker 3 (53:43):
Getting getting down from that two point five flat tax In.
Arizona he wants. OUT i want it to.

Speaker 5 (53:48):
Zero that was too that was too much. There we
got to go to zero BECAUSE i think ultimately the
best place for, him If phoenix were willing to do,
it is to send him to The Denver. Nuggets AND
i would even Say Jamal murray to make that. Happen
IF i IF i Have Aaron gordon And Kevin, DURANT

(54:11):
I i WOULD i first like try to see IF
i could make a deal built Around Michael Porter. Junior
but if they don't go for, THAT i WOULD i
would Deal Jamal murray IF i could GET, Kd Aaron
gordon and Jok Because jokic is My he's My he's
kind of my point center, anyway, RIGHT i can play
through him and the idea of HAVING kd And Aaron

(54:31):
gordon working on on on both sides of the. Floor
off of, THAT i can fill the rest of the.
Blanks AND i would if you PUT kd. THERE i
look at that team AND i think they can contend
with The Oklahoma City right.

Speaker 1 (54:43):
Now twitter At Rick, buker that is At Rick. Buker
check out the on The ball podcast as. Well throwing
absolute fire all, right really, Quick, rick when we when
we talk to You thursday. Night are we printviewing game
seven or are we talking about The thunder winning the.

Speaker 5 (54:59):
Title we are talking about The Oklahoma City thunder winning
the first championship in the franchisees history In Oklahoma.

Speaker 1 (55:10):
City there we, go talk to you On, thursday maybe
the next have a coach that. Night who Knows you never.
Know rick is always buddy. Appreciated. Man enjoy the. Games
we'll talk to you.

Speaker 5 (55:18):
Then you got.

Speaker 3 (55:20):
It Throll, Live JOE, Kd Aaron gordon like that J
k to The. Nuggets that's.

Speaker 1 (55:27):
Tasty