May 8, 2024 • 31 mins
Chris and Rob debate whether the NBA got it right by choosing not to suspend Jamal Murray for throwing a heating pad at an official, discuss whether Shohei Ohtani would be more valuable to his baseball team if he only focused on pitching or hitting (and not both) and argue over the narrative that Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks have been more lucky than good in these NBA Playoffs.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusa and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
But Rob, let's stay there, and good news for the
Denver Nuggets. Jamal Murray will not be suspended. He will
be fined one hundred thousand.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Dollars for throwing a heating pad.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Onto the court. I guess he was throwing it at
an official, but it landed on the court in the
middle of the painted area. No players stepped on it, fortunately,
but a couple came close. Rob the fan of me,
is glad that he's not suspended. I mean, I just
(01:08):
if Denver's gonna go down, I want him to go down,
you know, at full force if they can. You hate
to see any series or game determined by a player
in availability, whether it's injury or suspension, whatever it is.
But I in this case, Rob to me This is
so egregious that if I'm the community, I don't even
(01:33):
care what the what the rule says. You cannot throw
something onto the court while players are playing, and I
would have suspended him for a game.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I just don't know how you don't.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I hate to say it because it's unfortunate, but I
don't know how you don't suspend somebody for that.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Well.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I just think you have to go by what you
have and your bylaws and your rules. You can't make
up rules as you go along if that's not because
if that's just a technical for doing that during the
regular it has to be a technical. Now if he
does that in the regular season and he's just going
to be assessed a technical foul, then it's the same thing.
(02:14):
You can't go, oh, well, you can't do that in
a playoff game? Well, which one is it? So now,
because if they go back and re look at this
and decide that if somebody throws anything on the court
and it's going to be an automatic ejection from the
game and a suspension, then you can live with that.
But if I'm the players union and they tried to
suspend them, they wouldn't the league wouldn't have a leg
(02:37):
to stand on because there's no precedent for it. There's
no history of doing that. And I and I get
it what you're saying, but they've already they've made it
to where it's a misdemeanor and not a felony.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
That's the way it's written.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
What is it?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Because I know that's what the referee said, But there's
also been some reporting that they don't really have a
for that.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Because it's like, you just don't anticipate exactly the rules
for guys throwing things in the crowd off the court,
but not on Is that like right?
Speaker 6 (03:13):
Yeah, there was no explicit rule as far as I
can tell that regulates objects being thrown by players onto
the court, because I don't think they ever anticipated this
situation ever occurring. I mean, I got like, yeah, But
the way that the official described the situation in the
post game, his feeling was if something was thrown on
(03:37):
the court, it would be an automatic technical because you're
interrupting the flow of the game. If it was thrown maliciously,
like I'm aiming this throw at.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Anthony Edwards, then would be an ejection.
Speaker 6 (03:52):
But official, yes, then it would be an ejection, but
because they said they could not determine what his intention was,
that they would not be to eject him.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
And that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I mean that shows which I understand that they didn't
want to eject him or suspend him because you know,
it's a huge game. Denver has very little chance you
would think of winning without him, and they don't want
that to mar a series.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
I get that sentiment.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
But see what I mean, if you're gonna let player
rock and like we said, I'm going off of the
understanding that there is no cut and dried rule that
it's just But then why.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Would you Why do you think the NBA is is
doing this?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Because I think they want they don't want to suspend him,
and I think they're saying they're going almost like a loophole, Well,
we can't determine his intention, and they they really believe
that it don't matter what they really they don't I
don't think they want to suspend him.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
See here's my here's where I disagree with you.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
When the rule with with the knicks in the heat,
that was okay, but no, but I'm just saying, but
the rule was I if you leave the bench, you're
gonna be suspended. The Knicks lost that series, they lost
seven players, but.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
I don't even think they should have suspended. And I
think you go more by the spirit than they should
have suspended.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
They should have suspended.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
I remember that, Chris, and they should have suspended all
those players for one game instead.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
Of they took away the Knicks.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
That was for both games, so many guys, it should
have been one game.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
You lose that game, you know what I mean, and
then you play game seven a full strength like they to.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You shouldn't have businessman, you a like down on the
whole other that was Yeah, but that was David Stern.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
That's a whole different regime.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I Robhram was right, Salon, you're not dangerous that well, you.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
Never say that. I'll never hear you say that that
all the.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
First time ever.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
No, but a player could have easily stepped on that thing, slid,
maybe pulled a growing hamstring, turned an ankle, a knee injury.
I mean, and regardless of that rock, I don't think
that's any less ridiculous than a player just getting up
off the bench and walking onto the court and playing
(06:17):
like as a sixth player on the floor, Like.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
What how in the world. What in the world.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Entered Jamal Murray's mind to think that he could throw
a heating pad at an official onto the court.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
That's like lunacy.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Nah, I get it, but I just it doesn't to me.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
It didn't feel like they had a leg to stand
on it, because I believe if they really believe that
Jamal Murray got off.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
You think they believe what do you think they believe?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
I think that they don't have a precedent to do that.
I just don't think that if it hit me not
to do it. If it hit the official he threw
it and he got up and threw it in his
or threw it right at his feet, Chris, then you
got a different Uh, you got a different take on it.
I just don't think that they can honestly look at
that and go, oh, yeah, you gotta get him out
(07:11):
of the game.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
He's not gonna play because I don't believe that.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I don't believe that they're not doing it just because
I get the money part, and I brought it up
to Ephraim and and the NBA doesn't want sweeps, you
know that, Chris. They don't make money off of sweeps,
So that's not what they want for the league. I
just think in this case, they did the only thing
they could do.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
How is the only thing they could do.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
The Players Association would need to chill because you put
players in danger. No, I mean you can't take one
player over ten. Yeah, the ten they were out on
the court were in danger.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
But you also have to make sure that this is
what has been policy and done.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
There hasn't been a policy.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
You ever seen something like that?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You're telling me that nobody ever threw a ball through
something that I can't recall it, you don't remember it,
but it doesn't mean it didn't happen there.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I haven't seen anything as egregious as that like that.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
That And again, I mean, I can't say I'm happy
about it because it just leaves a bad taste in
my mouth that you don't suspend somebody for something like that.
But the competitive spirit, you know, I'm glad he's able
to play just because it gives them for their best chance.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
But I rob I mean that that's.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
One of those egregious things to me that it's just
like there has to be a significant punishment, and one
hundred thousand dollars there's really no amount I don't care
if it's five hundred thousand to a player.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
It's just not that big of a deal.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
But you know, well he will be there and they
will have their best shot at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Rob, he was frustrated and so they.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
Have to the field.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yeah, he's being hounded like crazy. He wasn't that.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
He wasn't frustrated against the Lakers, and he wasn't shooting
a good percentage either. But they all up in his
grill like there's a reason they shooting poorly.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
These dudes are so warming them. But we'll see, you know,
we'll see if they come back in Game.
Speaker 5 (09:16):
Three, Mike to figure something out.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
All he's a good coach, but their coaches are limited
to like, I mean, I don't see I'm looking at that.
I don't know what their answer is. I'm not a
head coach. But it's not just oh, just make some adjustment, man.
These dudes are a lot longer and quicker than them.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
They're a lot faster, and they're tenacious.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
And a made a good point about if they did
that at altitude, what they gonna do at regular you know.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Sea level.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
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Speaker 7 (09:57):
Hey, this is Tom Berducci from Fox Sports, MLB Networking
Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
And I'm Joe Madden, and we're gonna be around to
talk a little bit about managerial decisions and what may
have occurred to the dugout maybe in the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
It's the Book of Joe podcasts. I can't wait for this, Joe.
We're gonna dive into what goes on in the dugout
and behind the scenes in Major League.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
Baseball, cars, wind, whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 7 (10:18):
Yeah, well, there are no boundaries, right. Listen to the
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Speaker 4 (10:26):
Let's go to Baseball Show Hail Tiny.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Remember a few months ago I said with showhy o'tiny
not pitching, just playing one way. This year hitting, I
would expect, nothing's guaranteed, But I was like, I would
expect him to hit better than he has in the past,
as great as he's hitting the past, just because now
(10:51):
he can totally concentrate on hitting rather than pitching as well.
And Rob Mahn, is he concentrating on hitting the Dodgers
second best record in the National League, Mookie Betts also
having a great year.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
Yeah, but show.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Hey o tany Rob leading the league in nine the league,
not just the National League, Major League Baseball in nine
hitting categories including batting average, three seventy home runs, eleven doubles, hits,
slugging percentage ops. I mean, it's just a horde of
(11:34):
things he's leading the league in.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
And what I want to throw at you, Rob, is
do you think.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
He should just focus going forward on one aspect of
the game or the other? Should he become a full
time pitcher or should he become a full time hitter
or do you think he should continue once he's able
next season and beyond to do both.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Well.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I think Babe Ruth Chris decided to be you know,
gave up pitching and just decided to be a hitter.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
So there's the president that happened before.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
And he wasn't like, no, he his hitter until he stopped.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
You know, pitching, right and and and he just focused
in on hitting and playing every day or whatever. Uh,
And we know what he became legendary status. Okay, so
but in Otani's case, I would vote against it. I
would vote agayeah because it's something we haven't seen in
almost one hundred years. And if he can be he
(12:42):
wouldn't be as he's not like the best pitcher in baseball,
so that that's not what he's a really good one.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
He's not.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
He's just out there in the bullpen. Yeah, right, he's
he's a good one, but he's not the best pitcher. So,
but his pitching ability and then him being able to
you know, d h and or or play the field
Chris the other five days because you know, remember there
would be one day he wouldn't.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Play right prior to his start, so he'd only play
six games a week or whatever.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
And even then, you know, when you mix in some
off days Chris, it probably would be what he would
get anyway, right, like a couple days off and break.
So it's not really a big of a difference. But
if you can do it and do it at a
high level, as soon as he's not really good as
a picture, say, falls off, he comes back from injury,
(13:33):
the injury Chris, and he ain't the same. He getting
tattooed or not, then I would pull the plug on
him being a picture He's got to be an elite
pitcher to make it worthwhile. If you're not an elite pitcher,
then he should just concentrate on hitting, because you play.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
Every day and you're more valuable.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Agree.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
I think they'll become a time rab when he is
just a hitter, right, even if he doesn't. If he
comes back and he's throwing smoke next year and he's pitching, well,
he may do that for the next five years, but
they'll probably will come a time where he can't really
excel at both, right, and you would think he would
then become a hitter because he's still probably could be great.
(14:13):
His numbers are are fantastic as a picture rob in
his you know, let's call it five years.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Thirty eight and nineteen e er of three point.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Zero one, which you'll take, you know what I mean,
and today's baseball you'll take that.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Yeah, that's very good.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And Dwight Gooden one point five three, Chris, but.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
That's strikeouts per nine innings eleven point four. So he's
I mean, like you said, he's not the best pitcher,
but he is an elite pitcher. He can be an
ace on because.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
He hasn't won a cy young, you know what I mean,
when you look at it despite everything.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
And I would not necessarily expect him to.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
Know that would be unbelievable. He is young and.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
MVP and MVP.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
But I think you typically typically ride with these things.
We look at, well, what's what helps the team most? Right, Like,
so if if it would help him more if he
was strictly a pitcher, or helped him more if he
was strictly a hitter, then I think you'd want to
go with that. I know that's not.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
I think they would still take hitting Chris.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
They would still take because if they were equal, if
they say they were equal, right, as great as you
need pitching to win, we talk about all the time.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Right to win championships, you need pitching.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Right, but also if you have a guy of that
ILK who is leading the league in all these categories
and is a tremendous threat every time he gets up
to the plate, it's hard to not want that guy,
you know what I mean, to get forced for.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
A bats like.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
I actually feel like in that scenario you painted that
if he's and he is elite at both, but let's
let's presume if he did one or the other, he
would be like his hitting has improved obviously, at least
to this point this season, if his pitching were to
improve to the same degree, where maybe he becomes a
(16:16):
top three pitcher in the league, in all of baseball,
I actually think, especially on the Dodgers, they're a unique
situation because they have so much hitting outside of him.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
He got a team of two seventy three.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Yeah, it's really crazy.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
I mean, Mookie, like you said, is having a phenomenal
year himself, and they got other guys as well. I
would think, particularly on the Dodgers, if it had to
be one now, for the crowd, Rob, for ticket sales,
for you know, box office, I would want him to hit.
But for winning a World Series, I would rather him
(16:51):
be an ace pitcher.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
In that case. But here's what I was gonna say initially, Rob.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
That's take right now. Let me say this, the Giants
had Barry Bonds.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
They didn't win right during his heyday when he was
but they didn't win video game right exactly, So I would.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Go that route. But overall, Rob.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
I think doing both, if he can do both and
be a three hundred hitter, hit forty home runs a year,
pitch with a three point oher e r A. You
know what I mean, like be maybe a second starter
or maybe even your first. Like I think that that
is more valuable than having him just hit three seventy
(17:40):
and fifty homers. Right, if he can hit a little
better just hitting but he doesn't hit quite as well,
but he's also pitching at a high level. I actually
think the best way he can help his team is
to do both.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Yeah, no, I Would's why I think that they would.
They're gonna keep him doing that as long as he can,
you know what I mean. As soon as he falls
off Chris pitching wise, I think that's when they would
pull the plug. And I'm not saying it's automatic that
he would fall off, but I'm saying if it happens,
if it were to happened, you wouldn't just put him
out there. He'd be like, dude, we need you to
(18:17):
we need you to get four bats every single day
and play outfield.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
And I don't know how important this is to him, Rob,
I mean, you're human. I would imagine it's it's something
you want to do. But what makes him so unique
and iconic and legendary is his ability to do both.
Like you know, you've heard me say, I think he's
the best baseball player ever. I'm not calling him to go.
(18:43):
He's obviously got accomplish a whole heck of a's a
long way to go time, right, But he's I think
he's the best baseball player I've ever seen. That's because
he does both things right. He as good a hitter
as he is. I wouldn't be saying that if he's
just hitting three seventy and hit fifty homers.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
I mean maybe over time, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Maybe, But it's that he's a dual threat, and no
doubt about it.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I mean something we never thought we'd see.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Not at this level, not at this level. And that's
why they made the exception Chris. You know, in the
minor leagues all the time, there are guys who are
pitchers or whatever they make them, everyday players. They go like,
now we want you to play shortstop. You're too good
of an athlete, yep to pitch once a week.
Speaker 5 (19:25):
We just we need you to play shortstop.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
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Speaker 3 (19:39):
We're gonna talk a little Knicks, Rob, because New York
City is going crazy over this basketball team.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
And I get it.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
The Knicks have not had a lot of success this
century and now finally they've got a team. They've got
a player in Jalen Brunson who is providing some excite
And I'm not mad at the fans for being.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Zealous about the Knicks.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
And of course, last night the Knicks Rob take a
one o lead over the Indiana Pacers. Great game, thrilling game. Unfortunately,
there were a lot of questionable and bad calls and
non calls or miscalls, wrong calls, miss calls at the
(20:31):
end of that game that a lot of people are
talking about more so than the game.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
But I'll go over. The NBA brought out.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Its last two Minute report today and Rob the controversial
pick that Miles Turner set on Dante DiVincenzo and Devincenzo
will be getting an Oscar for.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Was for his flopping. The league said that was a
good call.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Now by the letter of the law, Rob, maybe, but
the bottom lines, you never shit like in that point
when twelve seconds left.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
You know, game on the line. You don't call that.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
So that's there's that and their rob. They also admitted
this one was huge. There was the basket that the Knicks,
basically the game winning basket was a three pointer by
Dante Devencenzo Rob before the pick a legal screen by
Miles Turner.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
There were the referees called a kicked ball.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Jalen Brunson made a turn on and got the ball
stolen from him.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
But the reason, you know what, I mean, you're out.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
It would have been a three on one for the Pacers,
and so instead of being that deeven Chinzo hits a
three and so and the unfortunate thing rob. And this
is where sometimes these rules get on your nerves. They
weren't able to challenge it because it was a kickball.
I mean, I'm like, well, at the end of the day,
(22:05):
I mean, the whole goal of this thing is to
get stuff right, So I would feel like, man, let
them challenge it.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
But anyway, so that that is, you.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Know, there were also two other calls that basically last
two minute reports said Miles Turner got away with that
weren't called so fouls and things like that. So uh,
it is what it is. But Rob, where you where
are you at on the Knicks? Obviously in control of
this series so far as early? But where are you
(22:36):
at on the Knicks now?
Speaker 4 (22:37):
One?
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (22:37):
On the Pacers?
Speaker 1 (22:38):
The Knicks so far, Chris, on this run have been
more lucky than they have been good. And and I'm
not I'm just going by the numbers like and then
and their two series. Chris, you know the point differential
in the in the in the seven games that they've played.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
You know what it is?
Speaker 3 (22:58):
It's like, yeah, don't I'm sorry because it was one
with Philly and they won by four last night.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Five points, Chris, do you know? Like the swing and
they got two huge calls three four officials in games
at Madison Square Garden. We know that for Philly. And
what was that game two, Chris?
Speaker 5 (23:20):
The two?
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Yeah, they filed Tyrese Maxie twice twice, not even steal
that enabled them to Yeah, basically went Now I will
say this, Rob, Remember was a game three in Philly
where the Knicks had it won and Maxie came back
with the heroics a four point play on a three
pointer in which he was filed, and then another three
(23:45):
pointer the last two minute reports said he actually traveled
on that play, Maxie, so that would not have counted.
That probably cost Philly the game, or it would have
cost Philly the game, and so that kind of evened out.
I would look, they.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Know, but I get that, and those happened, and you
know me, I'm I'm a definitely I'm a sports as
a short menu got they won the games.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
But all I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Is it's with tape and ice pop sticks and glue
or whatever it is. I just don't know, Chris long
term if that's gonna be enough to get you where
you want to go.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
That they they're not a championship team, No, that's what.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
But but people, I think.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
They're playing with house money. Now. They gotta beat Indiana.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
They do.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
If they don't beat Indiana, right, a huge disappointment. But
if they beat Indiana and then lose, they feel like it.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Took another step from last year, right.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Yeah, and they I mean, they're not expected to beat Boston,
So if they I don't, I mean, this is to
me not a championship team. So as long as they
get by Indiana, then everything after that is gravy.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
But saying that that it's it's such a shoestring on
everything that that it could come apart.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
But they're not that that's because they're not that talented
of a team, especially without Julius Randall.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
And I'm not I don't.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I don't love his fit, So I'm not even saying
they be much better with him right now.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
They might not better. He's another good player.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
I don't know if they'd be doing better in this series.
He hasn't been good in the playoffs. He would take
the ball out of Brunson's hands. But he is a
good player. I will give you that, and that's why
I think he has trade value. I would trade him
this summer if I can, if I can get something
good for him. But yeah, I'm gonna disagree with you.
(25:43):
As far as they've been more lucky than good. They
have gotten some calls, but again it kind of evened
out in the sixers series. I tend to I think
if you're saying, I think Philly is a better team,
but Joe LMB was not one hundred percent. He was
dealing with all types of injuries. I'm not trying to
give him an excuse. My grand bells Paul's either knee injury,
(26:08):
so he was battling with a lot.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
I think healthy Philadelphia wins that series.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
But I think the Knicks Rob, they play hard, they
execute well. Tom Thibodeau, you know, he's one of those
coaches that gets the most out of kind of lesser talent, right.
He can get the blood from a turnip, so to speak.
(26:36):
Jalen Brunson is having an historic run, playing tremendously.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
And Rob also. I think the Knicks are.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Evidence of like because their top three players now in
this postseason have been Jalen Brunson, Dante Devencenzo, and Josh Hart,
all guys that played at Villanova for multiple years. None
of them were won and done and Rob. They know
and I get it people saying, well, they got that
(27:08):
chemistry with each other. Yeah, that's true, but you're in
a whole new system, you got a whole different coach.
I don't think it's a huge factor for them, but
I just think it shows the value.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Of guys staying in school.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
None of these guys, you know, were expected to come
into the NBA and light it on fire, And what
they showed you is that they stayed in school. They
learned how to play. They became smarter players, and there's
a value in that. And we see it a lot,
(27:48):
you know, guys that weren't as talented, guys that weren't
one and donees, but they know how to play.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
They play smart, they're more experienced.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
And a lot of times they end up being really
good pros, sometimes better than the one and done guys.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
And Devincenzo and Brunson.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Rob stayed three years at Villanova, Josh Hart stayed four years,
and now you see them having this terrific run.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
Yeah, I hear, I hear that, But can you win?
You know? I hear you.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
You know, like sticking around and staying long and all
that and playing well together. But I always looked at it,
like even the Tom Izzo and Michigan State, like he
had those kind of players, Chris, they went to final fours, well,
Villanova won. No, no, no, I'm just saying, but you
know it doesn't It's not an automatic recipe for winning, is.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
What I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
I'm talking about the pros, right, I mean, they did
win championships. I think Brunson won two at Villanova, two
NCAA championships.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
But I'm just saying that those guys.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
You know, I think a lot of those guys, it's
not a you know, not all of them, but they
do get a lot of they play well, a lot
of them at the pro level. That's all I'm saying now.
I don't think they can win it. I just don't
think this team is good enough to win a championship.
I mean unless nine of the playoff superstars were hurt,
(29:19):
you know, so I don't see that. But it'll be
interesting to see what they do rib this offseason because
in Brunson and some of these other guys, I mean,
you got a nice building block, and this is a
good time for people to kind of.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
See the Garden and other players around the.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
League to see, man, they really get behind their team,
like you play well there.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
It's it must be an experience, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
People know that Chris, we both covered basketball there and
people love basketball, and uh in New York we talk
about it all the time. And they've been starving. Franchise
hasn't won anything since the seventies, you know, since Moby
Dick was a guppy whatever you want a term you
want to use. It's been a long time. And not
that they hadn't had a couple of chances. You know
(30:11):
that they went in ninety nine. Even that was a
long time ago. We talking about twenty five years right,
twenty five years ago. That's a generation, so that people
have a reason to be excited. It's just been so
much bad. The ownership is bad, you know what I mean.
They do Charles Barkley, Charles Oakley out of the building.
(30:31):
You know, they've had like a lot of bad will
U superstars saying they have no interest in coming to
play at Madison Square Garden and to play for Dolan
Chris like. There have been plenty of free ages available.
Even the Kyrie Durand disc tells you a lot about
where ownership and just the thinking of the Knicks was,
(30:51):
you know for a long time now because they came
to New York, but they still didn't want to go there,
you know what.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
The Marian Mellow did push their way there, but you know,
so
Speaker 3 (31:03):
I think it's it's you know, there's something that don't
want to go there and others that did
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusa and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
But Rob, let's stay there, and good news for the
Denver Nuggets. Jamal Murray will not be suspended. He will
be fined one hundred thousand.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Dollars for throwing a heating pad.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Onto the court. I guess he was throwing it at
an official, but it landed on the court in the
middle of the painted area. No players stepped on it, fortunately,
but a couple came close. Rob the fan of me,
is glad that he's not suspended. I mean, I just
(01:08):
if Denver's gonna go down, I want him to go down,
you know, at full force if they can. You hate
to see any series or game determined by a player
in availability, whether it's injury or suspension, whatever it is.
But I in this case, Rob to me This is
so egregious that if I'm the community, I don't even
(01:33):
care what the what the rule says. You cannot throw
something onto the court while players are playing, and I
would have suspended him for a game.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I just don't know how you don't.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I hate to say it because it's unfortunate, but I
don't know how you don't suspend somebody for that.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Well.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I just think you have to go by what you
have and your bylaws and your rules. You can't make
up rules as you go along if that's not because
if that's just a technical for doing that during the
regular it has to be a technical. Now if he
does that in the regular season and he's just going
to be assessed a technical foul, then it's the same thing.
(02:14):
You can't go, oh, well, you can't do that in
a playoff game? Well, which one is it? So now,
because if they go back and re look at this
and decide that if somebody throws anything on the court
and it's going to be an automatic ejection from the
game and a suspension, then you can live with that.
But if I'm the players union and they tried to
suspend them, they wouldn't the league wouldn't have a leg
(02:37):
to stand on because there's no precedent for it. There's
no history of doing that. And I and I get
it what you're saying, but they've already they've made it
to where it's a misdemeanor and not a felony.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
That's the way it's written.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
What is it?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Because I know that's what the referee said, But there's
also been some reporting that they don't really have a
for that.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Because it's like, you just don't anticipate exactly the rules
for guys throwing things in the crowd off the court,
but not on Is that like right?
Speaker 6 (03:13):
Yeah, there was no explicit rule as far as I
can tell that regulates objects being thrown by players onto
the court, because I don't think they ever anticipated this
situation ever occurring. I mean, I got like, yeah, But
the way that the official described the situation in the
post game, his feeling was if something was thrown on
(03:37):
the court, it would be an automatic technical because you're
interrupting the flow of the game. If it was thrown maliciously,
like I'm aiming this throw at.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Anthony Edwards, then would be an ejection.
Speaker 6 (03:52):
But official, yes, then it would be an ejection, but
because they said they could not determine what his intention was,
that they would not be to eject him.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
And that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
I mean that shows which I understand that they didn't
want to eject him or suspend him because you know,
it's a huge game. Denver has very little chance you
would think of winning without him, and they don't want
that to mar a series.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
I get that sentiment.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
But see what I mean, if you're gonna let player
rock and like we said, I'm going off of the
understanding that there is no cut and dried rule that
it's just But then why.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Would you Why do you think the NBA is is
doing this?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Because I think they want they don't want to suspend him,
and I think they're saying they're going almost like a loophole, Well,
we can't determine his intention, and they they really believe
that it don't matter what they really they don't I
don't think they want to suspend him.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
See here's my here's where I disagree with you.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
When the rule with with the knicks in the heat,
that was okay, but no, but I'm just saying, but
the rule was I if you leave the bench, you're
gonna be suspended. The Knicks lost that series, they lost
seven players, but.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
I don't even think they should have suspended. And I
think you go more by the spirit than they should
have suspended.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
They should have suspended.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
I remember that, Chris, and they should have suspended all
those players for one game instead.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
Of they took away the Knicks.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
That was for both games, so many guys, it should
have been one game.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
You lose that game, you know what I mean, and
then you play game seven a full strength like they to.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You shouldn't have businessman, you a like down on the
whole other that was Yeah, but that was David Stern.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
That's a whole different regime.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I Robhram was right, Salon, you're not dangerous that well, you.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
Never say that. I'll never hear you say that that
all the.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
First time ever.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
No, but a player could have easily stepped on that thing, slid,
maybe pulled a growing hamstring, turned an ankle, a knee injury.
I mean, and regardless of that rock, I don't think
that's any less ridiculous than a player just getting up
off the bench and walking onto the court and playing
(06:17):
like as a sixth player on the floor, Like.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
What how in the world. What in the world.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Entered Jamal Murray's mind to think that he could throw
a heating pad at an official onto the court.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
That's like lunacy.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Nah, I get it, but I just it doesn't to me.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
It didn't feel like they had a leg to stand
on it, because I believe if they really believe that
Jamal Murray got off.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
You think they believe what do you think they believe?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
I think that they don't have a precedent to do that.
I just don't think that if it hit me not
to do it. If it hit the official he threw
it and he got up and threw it in his
or threw it right at his feet, Chris, then you
got a different Uh, you got a different take on it.
I just don't think that they can honestly look at
that and go, oh, yeah, you gotta get him out
(07:11):
of the game.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
He's not gonna play because I don't believe that.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I don't believe that they're not doing it just because
I get the money part, and I brought it up
to Ephraim and and the NBA doesn't want sweeps, you
know that, Chris. They don't make money off of sweeps,
So that's not what they want for the league. I
just think in this case, they did the only thing
they could do.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
How is the only thing they could do.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
The Players Association would need to chill because you put
players in danger. No, I mean you can't take one
player over ten. Yeah, the ten they were out on
the court were in danger.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
But you also have to make sure that this is
what has been policy and done.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
There hasn't been a policy.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
You ever seen something like that?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You're telling me that nobody ever threw a ball through
something that I can't recall it, you don't remember it,
but it doesn't mean it didn't happen there.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I haven't seen anything as egregious as that like that.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
That And again, I mean, I can't say I'm happy
about it because it just leaves a bad taste in
my mouth that you don't suspend somebody for something like that.
But the competitive spirit, you know, I'm glad he's able
to play just because it gives them for their best chance.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
But I rob I mean that that's.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
One of those egregious things to me that it's just
like there has to be a significant punishment, and one
hundred thousand dollars there's really no amount I don't care
if it's five hundred thousand to a player.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
It's just not that big of a deal.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
But you know, well he will be there and they
will have their best shot at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Rob, he was frustrated and so they.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
Have to the field.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yeah, he's being hounded like crazy. He wasn't that.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
He wasn't frustrated against the Lakers, and he wasn't shooting
a good percentage either. But they all up in his
grill like there's a reason they shooting poorly.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
These dudes are so warming them. But we'll see, you know,
we'll see if they come back in Game.
Speaker 5 (09:16):
Three, Mike to figure something out.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
All he's a good coach, but their coaches are limited
to like, I mean, I don't see I'm looking at that.
I don't know what their answer is. I'm not a
head coach. But it's not just oh, just make some adjustment, man.
These dudes are a lot longer and quicker than them.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
They're a lot faster, and they're tenacious.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
And a made a good point about if they did
that at altitude, what they gonna do at regular you know.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Sea level.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
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listen live.
Speaker 7 (09:57):
Hey, this is Tom Berducci from Fox Sports, MLB Networking
Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
And I'm Joe Madden, and we're gonna be around to
talk a little bit about managerial decisions and what may
have occurred to the dugout maybe in the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
It's the Book of Joe podcasts. I can't wait for this, Joe.
We're gonna dive into what goes on in the dugout
and behind the scenes in Major League.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
Baseball, cars, wind, whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 7 (10:18):
Yeah, well, there are no boundaries, right. Listen to the
Book of Joe podcast on the iHeartRadio app, on Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Let's go to Baseball Show Hail Tiny.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Remember a few months ago I said with showhy o'tiny
not pitching, just playing one way. This year hitting, I
would expect, nothing's guaranteed, But I was like, I would
expect him to hit better than he has in the past,
as great as he's hitting the past, just because now
(10:51):
he can totally concentrate on hitting rather than pitching as well.
And Rob Mahn, is he concentrating on hitting the Dodgers
second best record in the National League, Mookie Betts also
having a great year.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
Yeah, but show.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Hey o tany Rob leading the league in nine the league,
not just the National League, Major League Baseball in nine
hitting categories including batting average, three seventy home runs, eleven doubles, hits,
slugging percentage ops. I mean, it's just a horde of
(11:34):
things he's leading the league in.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
And what I want to throw at you, Rob, is
do you think.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
He should just focus going forward on one aspect of
the game or the other? Should he become a full
time pitcher or should he become a full time hitter
or do you think he should continue once he's able
next season and beyond to do both.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Well.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I think Babe Ruth Chris decided to be you know,
gave up pitching and just decided to be a hitter.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
So there's the president that happened before.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
And he wasn't like, no, he his hitter until he stopped.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
You know, pitching, right and and and he just focused
in on hitting and playing every day or whatever. Uh,
And we know what he became legendary status. Okay, so
but in Otani's case, I would vote against it. I
would vote agayeah because it's something we haven't seen in
almost one hundred years. And if he can be he
(12:42):
wouldn't be as he's not like the best pitcher in baseball,
so that that's not what he's a really good one.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
He's not.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
He's just out there in the bullpen. Yeah, right, he's
he's a good one, but he's not the best pitcher. So,
but his pitching ability and then him being able to
you know, d h and or or play the field
Chris the other five days because you know, remember there
would be one day he wouldn't.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Play right prior to his start, so he'd only play
six games a week or whatever.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
And even then, you know, when you mix in some
off days Chris, it probably would be what he would
get anyway, right, like a couple days off and break.
So it's not really a big of a difference. But
if you can do it and do it at a
high level, as soon as he's not really good as
a picture, say, falls off, he comes back from injury,
(13:33):
the injury Chris, and he ain't the same. He getting
tattooed or not, then I would pull the plug on
him being a picture He's got to be an elite
pitcher to make it worthwhile. If you're not an elite pitcher,
then he should just concentrate on hitting, because you play.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
Every day and you're more valuable.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
Agree.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
I think they'll become a time rab when he is
just a hitter, right, even if he doesn't. If he
comes back and he's throwing smoke next year and he's pitching, well,
he may do that for the next five years, but
they'll probably will come a time where he can't really
excel at both, right, and you would think he would
then become a hitter because he's still probably could be great.
(14:13):
His numbers are are fantastic as a picture rob in
his you know, let's call it five years.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Thirty eight and nineteen e er of three point.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Zero one, which you'll take, you know what I mean,
and today's baseball you'll take that.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Yeah, that's very good.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And Dwight Gooden one point five three, Chris, but.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
That's strikeouts per nine innings eleven point four. So he's
I mean, like you said, he's not the best pitcher,
but he is an elite pitcher. He can be an
ace on because.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
He hasn't won a cy young, you know what I mean,
when you look at it despite everything.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
And I would not necessarily expect him to.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
Know that would be unbelievable. He is young and.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
MVP and MVP.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
But I think you typically typically ride with these things.
We look at, well, what's what helps the team most? Right, Like,
so if if it would help him more if he
was strictly a pitcher, or helped him more if he
was strictly a hitter, then I think you'd want to
go with that. I know that's not.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
I think they would still take hitting Chris.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
They would still take because if they were equal, if
they say they were equal, right, as great as you
need pitching to win, we talk about all the time.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Right to win championships, you need pitching.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Right, but also if you have a guy of that
ILK who is leading the league in all these categories
and is a tremendous threat every time he gets up
to the plate, it's hard to not want that guy,
you know what I mean, to get forced for.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
A bats like.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
I actually feel like in that scenario you painted that
if he's and he is elite at both, but let's
let's presume if he did one or the other, he
would be like his hitting has improved obviously, at least
to this point this season, if his pitching were to
improve to the same degree, where maybe he becomes a
(16:16):
top three pitcher in the league, in all of baseball,
I actually think, especially on the Dodgers, they're a unique
situation because they have so much hitting outside of him.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
He got a team of two seventy three.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Yeah, it's really crazy.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
I mean, Mookie, like you said, is having a phenomenal
year himself, and they got other guys as well. I
would think, particularly on the Dodgers, if it had to
be one now, for the crowd, Rob, for ticket sales,
for you know, box office, I would want him to hit.
But for winning a World Series, I would rather him
(16:51):
be an ace pitcher.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
In that case. But here's what I was gonna say initially, Rob.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
That's take right now. Let me say this, the Giants
had Barry Bonds.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
They didn't win right during his heyday when he was
but they didn't win video game right exactly, So I would.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Go that route. But overall, Rob.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
I think doing both, if he can do both and
be a three hundred hitter, hit forty home runs a year,
pitch with a three point oher e r A. You
know what I mean, like be maybe a second starter
or maybe even your first. Like I think that that
is more valuable than having him just hit three seventy
(17:40):
and fifty homers. Right, if he can hit a little
better just hitting but he doesn't hit quite as well,
but he's also pitching at a high level. I actually
think the best way he can help his team is
to do both.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Yeah, no, I Would's why I think that they would.
They're gonna keep him doing that as long as he can,
you know what I mean. As soon as he falls
off Chris pitching wise, I think that's when they would
pull the plug. And I'm not saying it's automatic that
he would fall off, but I'm saying if it happens,
if it were to happened, you wouldn't just put him
out there. He'd be like, dude, we need you to
(18:17):
we need you to get four bats every single day
and play outfield.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
And I don't know how important this is to him, Rob,
I mean, you're human. I would imagine it's it's something
you want to do. But what makes him so unique
and iconic and legendary is his ability to do both.
Like you know, you've heard me say, I think he's
the best baseball player ever. I'm not calling him to go.
(18:43):
He's obviously got accomplish a whole heck of a's a
long way to go time, right, But he's I think
he's the best baseball player I've ever seen. That's because
he does both things right. He as good a hitter
as he is. I wouldn't be saying that if he's
just hitting three seventy and hit fifty homers.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
I mean maybe over time, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Maybe, But it's that he's a dual threat, and no
doubt about it.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
I mean something we never thought we'd see.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Not at this level, not at this level. And that's
why they made the exception Chris. You know, in the
minor leagues all the time, there are guys who are
pitchers or whatever they make them, everyday players. They go like,
now we want you to play shortstop. You're too good
of an athlete, yep to pitch once a week.
Speaker 5 (19:25):
We just we need you to play shortstop.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
Dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
We're gonna talk a little Knicks, Rob, because New York
City is going crazy over this basketball team.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
And I get it.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
The Knicks have not had a lot of success this
century and now finally they've got a team. They've got
a player in Jalen Brunson who is providing some excite
And I'm not mad at the fans for being.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Zealous about the Knicks.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
And of course, last night the Knicks Rob take a
one o lead over the Indiana Pacers. Great game, thrilling game. Unfortunately,
there were a lot of questionable and bad calls and
non calls or miscalls, wrong calls, miss calls at the
(20:31):
end of that game that a lot of people are
talking about more so than the game.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
But I'll go over. The NBA brought out.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Its last two Minute report today and Rob the controversial
pick that Miles Turner set on Dante DiVincenzo and Devincenzo
will be getting an Oscar for.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Was for his flopping. The league said that was a
good call.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Now by the letter of the law, Rob, maybe, but
the bottom lines, you never shit like in that point
when twelve seconds left.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
You know, game on the line. You don't call that.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
So that's there's that and their rob. They also admitted
this one was huge. There was the basket that the Knicks,
basically the game winning basket was a three pointer by
Dante Devencenzo Rob before the pick a legal screen by
Miles Turner.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
There were the referees called a kicked ball.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Jalen Brunson made a turn on and got the ball
stolen from him.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
But the reason, you know what, I mean, you're out.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
It would have been a three on one for the Pacers,
and so instead of being that deeven Chinzo hits a
three and so and the unfortunate thing rob. And this
is where sometimes these rules get on your nerves. They
weren't able to challenge it because it was a kickball.
I mean, I'm like, well, at the end of the day,
(22:05):
I mean, the whole goal of this thing is to
get stuff right, So I would feel like, man, let
them challenge it.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
But anyway, so that that is, you.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Know, there were also two other calls that basically last
two minute reports said Miles Turner got away with that
weren't called so fouls and things like that. So uh,
it is what it is. But Rob, where you where
are you at on the Knicks? Obviously in control of
this series so far as early? But where are you
(22:36):
at on the Knicks now?
Speaker 4 (22:37):
One?
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (22:37):
On the Pacers?
Speaker 1 (22:38):
The Knicks so far, Chris, on this run have been
more lucky than they have been good. And and I'm
not I'm just going by the numbers like and then
and their two series. Chris, you know the point differential
in the in the in the seven games that they've played.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
You know what it is?
Speaker 3 (22:58):
It's like, yeah, don't I'm sorry because it was one
with Philly and they won by four last night.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Five points, Chris, do you know? Like the swing and
they got two huge calls three four officials in games
at Madison Square Garden. We know that for Philly. And
what was that game two, Chris?
Speaker 5 (23:20):
The two?
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Yeah, they filed Tyrese Maxie twice twice, not even steal
that enabled them to Yeah, basically went Now I will
say this, Rob, Remember was a game three in Philly
where the Knicks had it won and Maxie came back
with the heroics a four point play on a three
pointer in which he was filed, and then another three
(23:45):
pointer the last two minute reports said he actually traveled
on that play, Maxie, so that would not have counted.
That probably cost Philly the game, or it would have
cost Philly the game, and so that kind of evened out.
I would look, they.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Know, but I get that, and those happened, and you
know me, I'm I'm a definitely I'm a sports as
a short menu got they won the games.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
But all I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Is it's with tape and ice pop sticks and glue
or whatever it is. I just don't know, Chris long
term if that's gonna be enough to get you where
you want to go.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
That they they're not a championship team, No, that's what.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
But but people, I think.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
They're playing with house money. Now. They gotta beat Indiana.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
They do.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
If they don't beat Indiana, right, a huge disappointment. But
if they beat Indiana and then lose, they feel like it.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Took another step from last year, right.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Yeah, and they I mean, they're not expected to beat Boston,
So if they I don't, I mean, this is to
me not a championship team. So as long as they
get by Indiana, then everything after that is gravy.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
But saying that that it's it's such a shoestring on
everything that that it could come apart.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
But they're not that that's because they're not that talented
of a team, especially without Julius Randall.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
And I'm not I don't.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I don't love his fit, So I'm not even saying
they be much better with him right now.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
They might not better. He's another good player.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
I don't know if they'd be doing better in this series.
He hasn't been good in the playoffs. He would take
the ball out of Brunson's hands. But he is a
good player. I will give you that, and that's why
I think he has trade value. I would trade him
this summer if I can, if I can get something
good for him. But yeah, I'm gonna disagree with you.
(25:43):
As far as they've been more lucky than good. They
have gotten some calls, but again it kind of evened
out in the sixers series. I tend to I think
if you're saying, I think Philly is a better team,
but Joe LMB was not one hundred percent. He was
dealing with all types of injuries. I'm not trying to
give him an excuse. My grand bells Paul's either knee injury,
(26:08):
so he was battling with a lot.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
I think healthy Philadelphia wins that series.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
But I think the Knicks Rob, they play hard, they
execute well. Tom Thibodeau, you know, he's one of those
coaches that gets the most out of kind of lesser talent, right.
He can get the blood from a turnip, so to speak.
(26:36):
Jalen Brunson is having an historic run, playing tremendously.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
And Rob also. I think the Knicks are.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Evidence of like because their top three players now in
this postseason have been Jalen Brunson, Dante Devencenzo, and Josh Hart,
all guys that played at Villanova for multiple years. None
of them were won and done and Rob. They know
and I get it people saying, well, they got that
(27:08):
chemistry with each other. Yeah, that's true, but you're in
a whole new system, you got a whole different coach.
I don't think it's a huge factor for them, but
I just think it shows the value.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Of guys staying in school.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
None of these guys, you know, were expected to come
into the NBA and light it on fire, And what
they showed you is that they stayed in school. They
learned how to play. They became smarter players, and there's
a value in that. And we see it a lot,
(27:48):
you know, guys that weren't as talented, guys that weren't
one and donees, but they know how to play.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
They play smart, they're more experienced.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
And a lot of times they end up being really
good pros, sometimes better than the one and done guys.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
And Devincenzo and Brunson.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
Rob stayed three years at Villanova, Josh Hart stayed four years,
and now you see them having this terrific run.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
Yeah, I hear, I hear that, But can you win?
You know? I hear you.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
You know, like sticking around and staying long and all
that and playing well together. But I always looked at it,
like even the Tom Izzo and Michigan State, like he
had those kind of players, Chris, they went to final fours, well,
Villanova won. No, no, no, I'm just saying, but you
know it doesn't It's not an automatic recipe for winning, is.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
What I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
I'm talking about the pros, right, I mean, they did
win championships. I think Brunson won two at Villanova, two
NCAA championships.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
But I'm just saying that those guys.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
You know, I think a lot of those guys, it's
not a you know, not all of them, but they
do get a lot of they play well, a lot
of them at the pro level. That's all I'm saying now.
I don't think they can win it. I just don't
think this team is good enough to win a championship.
I mean unless nine of the playoff superstars were hurt,
(29:19):
you know, so I don't see that. But it'll be
interesting to see what they do rib this offseason because
in Brunson and some of these other guys, I mean,
you got a nice building block, and this is a
good time for people to kind of.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
See the Garden and other players around the.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
League to see, man, they really get behind their team,
like you play well there.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
It's it must be an experience, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
People know that Chris, we both covered basketball there and
people love basketball, and uh in New York we talk
about it all the time. And they've been starving. Franchise
hasn't won anything since the seventies, you know, since Moby
Dick was a guppy whatever you want a term you
want to use. It's been a long time. And not
that they hadn't had a couple of chances. You know
(30:11):
that they went in ninety nine. Even that was a
long time ago. We talking about twenty five years right,
twenty five years ago. That's a generation, so that people
have a reason to be excited. It's just been so
much bad. The ownership is bad, you know what I mean.
They do Charles Barkley, Charles Oakley out of the building.
(30:31):
You know, they've had like a lot of bad will
U superstars saying they have no interest in coming to
play at Madison Square Garden and to play for Dolan
Chris like. There have been plenty of free ages available.
Even the Kyrie Durand disc tells you a lot about
where ownership and just the thinking of the Knicks was,
(30:51):
you know for a long time now because they came
to New York, but they still didn't want to go there,
you know what.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
The Marian Mellow did push their way there, but you know,
so
Speaker 3 (31:03):
I think it's it's you know, there's something that don't
want to go there and others that did
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