February 27, 2025 • 43 mins
On today’s episode, Jason discusses while sports media bruhaha at the NFL Combine between FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz and the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Plus, FOX Sports NBA analyst Ric Bucher swings by to discuss whether or not Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves qualifies as a Big Three, why he believes there is no clear-cut favorite to win the NBA championship this year, the narrative that Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns are headed for a divorce this offseason, how Jimmy Butler has helped to reshape the Golden State Warriors and much more!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What is up, Firefam, It's me Jason McIntyre, Straight Fire
for Thursday, February twenty seventh. The month is almost over.
Oh man, I can't wait for March. You know, I
love me some March madness. But before we get to March.
Great guest on Today's pod Rick Buker. I've known him
for a while. Many moons we go back. I mean
(00:33):
it's probably at least six seven years. We've been working
together at Fox. On occasion, we love to spar I
think you like today's podcast heavy on the NBA before
without giving away too much, and there is some sparring
way that we like each other. I think.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I don't really text him or anything, but he seems
like a reasonable guys. We're just talking NBA. You know,
it's not personal. Quickly, I don't want to get into
this because I know both parties involved. I'm sure you
guys have seen this by now. But there was a
report from Fox's Jordan Schultz that said Matt Stafford was
(01:07):
being wooed by Tom Brady hanging out with him in Montana.
They went skiing, blah blah, blah. Within a couple I
was like, holy cow, Oh my gosh, Tom Brady the
Raiders wooing Matt Stafford to the Raiders. Oh wow, that's
a big story. And within like two hours, Ian Rappaport
comes out and says, not the case. It was merely
(01:28):
a bump into on the slopes and they hung out.
There was no hosting, none of that stuff. And of
course Schultz fires back on social media. Oh yeah, okay,
if you believe that Matt Stafford and Tom Brady just
happened to bump into each other on the slopes and
start hanging out, I've got a bridge to sell you. Okay.
So everybody got a chuckle. Then apparently, somehow Ian Rappaport
(01:53):
of NFL Network and Jordan Schultz were both in Starbucks,
and the way Rappaport phrased his tweet on it kind of,
you know, made it sound like Schultz had no idea
what he was talking about. So Schultz kind of verbally
was like, you know, blah blah blah, and then I
guess kind of stepped into Ian space. Now again, I've
(02:14):
known Ian for probably fifteen years. Super nice guy. My
kids met him at Chargers camp He's a nice guy.
I've known Jordan Schultz much shorter timeframe, but i've you know,
he played I think D two college basketball. He's much
bigger than Ian Rappaport. Rapaport. According to this report from
Pro Football Talk, Rapaport felt somewhat threatened called security and
(02:39):
you know that was that it. Listen, this is silly stuff.
This is the kind of stuff that goes on at
the combine, right, and I listen, I know both parties,
so I'm not gonna I'm not gonna weigh in here.
I like both of the guys. I've known Rapaport longer.
I will be honest. I do believe, firmly, firmly that
this was not a bump into. Okay, do you guys
(03:00):
remember how McVeigh ended up hanging out with Stafford the
random bump into on the beach in Cabo. Yeah, listen, man,
this idea that there isn't recruiting is silly. Now, the
Rams did give Stafford permission to go check out the
(03:20):
market and see what we could get, So I don't think
there's anything untoward here. That's my read on it. But
obviously a funny story to start the podcast. Anyway, without
further ado, let's get to our guest, Rick Buker, Fox
Sports NBA Analyst.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
You know a guy Jason likes to think he knows
everything when it comes to sports.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
I know what sports fans.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Want, but for everything he doesn't. He knows a guy
who does.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Let's just say, I.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Know a guy who knows the guy who knows another guy.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
All right, he's back on straight fire. Everybody's favorite. I
can't open by calling him a Lebron hater, although him
and Lebron have a rich history going back many years.
Rick Bucker, Fox Sports NBA Analyst, Rick, how are you man?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
I'm good, Mac, how are you?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I'm excellent. Listen, the NBA has really gotten a hot
fire in the last what two three weeks. Jimmy Butler
traded to the Warriors. They're on fire, Luca and Lebron
joining forces. You've got the seventy six ers cratering, the
Phoenix Suns going down the tubes. I don't where do
you want to start, Rick, So much happening around the
league right now.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Well, I think we have to start with Luca and Lebron,
considering we just saw them play against the Nuggets and
then against the Mavericks, and now everybody has them as
going to the NBA Finals and winning another championship. So
something like that, I guess we should start right there.
Are you? Are you among that?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Are you?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Are you on that wagon?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
I didn't jump on the wagon, but as soon as
the trade was made, I you know, kind of looked
at the landscape in the West, and you know, at
that time it was we didn't know about the Warriors.
You know, the Sons were still mired, was still playing.
But I don't I'm not a firm believer in OKAC
is a playoff team, like in the playoffs or you know,
they referee different at different sport in the playoffs. And
(05:09):
I don't think Denver's as good as they were two
years ago when they won the title. So I do
believe the West is open, and I think the Lakers
are going to the Western Conference finals, and I do
believe now they're probably headed to the NBA Finals. I
just I love what that when they put Luca Reeves
and Lebron on the court, they are really tough to defend.
It has the feel rick of a little Celtics light
(05:31):
with Tatum Brown and Holiday just much less defense. Obviously
with Luca, Lebron and Reeves.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Well, there you go, and that's that's a big, a
bigger caveat than you are giving it credit for. And
I would also say, I don't know that the pieces
like who's the Christaps Porzingis in.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
That, I would guess, ruey Hachi Mora.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
No, no, no, no, you gave me a big three. Like
if I'm going to look at the Celtics and I'm
going to say big three, I'm saying probably Tatum, Jalen
Brown and Porzingis. But well, look, I would put holiday
in that I don't believe in big threes. I should
probably start there. But if we're going to talk big three,
(06:17):
and we're going to compare the Lakers to the Celtics
because of their top three, and I've seen this elsewhere,
I believe my my colleague Emmanuel Otro made the same
point about this, that Austin Reeves has joined the big three,
has created, has allowed the Lakers to create a big three.
And now that's the same as the big three that
(06:37):
Lebron had in Miami and that he might have had
in Cleveland at one point.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
And so.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
To me, the big three has always been sort of
a false concept in terms of leading to championships. But
you bring up a point in terms of, like, let's
stop short and making the Lakers the next Celtics, because
what the Lakers don't have as good as those top
three are looking to be. I like Dorian Finney Smith
(07:13):
as a piece, right, Ruie Hotcha Mura doesn't really fill
a void that the top three already provide. And so
it's a matter of what's your depth and your versatility,
Like where are the other pieces when I look at Boston, Tatum,
Brown and Porzingis. But then I've got Drew Holliday, I've
(07:37):
got Derek White, I've got you know, even Al Horford
is still a serviceable player. At this point, I have
all these pieces that can amplify what the big three are.
And then those big three kind of do different things, right,
Tatum is rebounder and defender, and Jalen is your go
(08:00):
to guy, whether you want him to be or not,
and then Brezingis is your room protector and your stretch four.
And so I think that that's where I'm not so
quick to say that the Lakers are are going to
be conference finals, and even in watching them against Denver. Look,
here's the reality. It was a big, big game for
the Lakers, and it was a big big game for
(08:22):
JJ Reddick in particular, Like I need to show that
I can coach my team up in a way that
my predecessor did not, particularly against the Denver Nuggets. And
there's a pretty easy I would say it's easily formed,
it's not easily done, which is, we're just going to
crowd the hell out of Jokic and we're gonna make
somebody else beat us, right, And that's essentially what they did.
(08:45):
They muddied up the floor, they fronted him, they backed
him like they just made him play in a crowd
the entire time. Nuggets, conversely, did nothing to adjust to
this particular version of the l They played them like,
you know what, we haven't always played them well, But
we play in the fourth, we get to the fourth quarter,
(09:06):
we start to execute, we end up winning. Like that's
just the way it's been and that's the way they
approach that game. And so I don't want like, I
think it's great for the Lakers in terms of their
confidence and their belief in JJ and all of that.
It was a huge positive. It it pretty much erased
the debacle against the Hornets only two or three nights earlier.
(09:30):
But the idea that they're going to be that team.
I would take the Dallas Mavericks reference, and they had
difficulty beating them without Anthony Davis, without Derek Lively, like
without the frontline pieces that make the Dallas Mavericks a
dramatically different team. So I love I love what I'm
(09:53):
seeing from the Lakers. I'm happy for Lakers fans that
like there's something meaningful going on. And I agree with you.
I think the West is wide open. I think the
entire league is wide open. I don't think there is
necessarily a team to.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Be interesting, but.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Like to say that the Lakers are. You know, they're
the ones with the little star next to their name
shooting up the charts. Not quite ready to give them that.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
So let's forget one offs like Denver and Dallas and Charlotte,
forget those. The last nineteen games over that sample size,
the Lakers have the number one defense in the league. Now,
obviously they are caveats. I think six or seven of
those were with Ad. We're five with Luca. Yeah, and
they did some of the early games on that schedule
were pretty rotten teams. But again, in nineteen games, sample
(10:43):
size is not exactly trivial.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
No, But for the Lakers it comes good.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Mac, I love you.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Like I don't even I don't need to comment on this.
You just made every point that I would make. What
look at the schedule? Who did they play?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Third of those A third of those games were without
Anthony Davis. Look Jared. Getting Jared Vanderbilt back helps certainly.
Lebron feeling like I have to you know, I have to,
I have to make up for some of Ad being gone.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Helps Yeah, But look so Rick, for instance, down the
stretch in a close game, the Lakers, we know they're
gonna play Lebron, Luca Reeves and Ruy. Those are your
four horses, And from my opinion, every night could be
different for that fifth spot. It might be Vando for
defensive purposes. Maybe they're playing a Trey Young type and
they want gave Vincent back there. Maybe it's a Dulton
(11:36):
connect hit six threes, Hey, we're gonna play him down
the stretch. He's hot. Maybe it's Jackson as and I
like that flexibility. Again, I look around the West. Denver
just doesn't scare me. At this point, I don't think
they're as formidable as they were a couple of years ago.
The injuries have mounted for Murray Gordon doesn't really look
like the same player he was, Michael Porter junior, eh
and and then the other team is okay, seeing a
(11:58):
great regular season team, they feel a little like the
like the Baltimore Ravens. Hey, we're gonna smash you. We're
very exciting and fast and all the and then you
get to the playoffs and Luca dismantled him last year.
Luca took apart the Timberwolves. Okay, he's got a better
supporting cast I think with the Lakers than he had
with the MAVs last year. And you look at that.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
I don't know there, well, I would not go again.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Lebron. Lebron's better than Kyrie Irving. Lebron this year's better
than Kyrie Irving was last year. You know in Austin
Reeves is your three. It's PJ Washington better than him.
I don't know PJ.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Washington well, but it's not I mean better and better
how And I'm not I'm not just sputing who does more.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
PJ Washington works great with Luca awesome Go sitting in
the corner. I'll find you because I'm a great wizard
with passing. Right now, you take away Luca and it's like, oh,
well PJ. Washington not as effective. Well, Kyrie Irving doesn't
really pass. I just think Nico miscalculated this so badly,
thinking like, hey, I'm the man who brought in PGO stuff,
I drafted live, I traded for Gaffley, I did all this.
(12:56):
Luca's fat and he's out of shape and he doesn't
want to listen. By the way, what do you make
of all this?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Unless you've been reading Nico's emails, you can't You can't
suppose that you know why Nico did it. And and
by everything we've heard, this was not Look, does Nico
have issues as people have had issues with Luca's lifestyle
(13:21):
and conditioning. I mean it was the question if you
look at what he accomplished in Europe, he should have
been the number one pick, no doubt about it, no
doubt about it. But people had concerns about his body
and his lifestyle. And are those are the concerns that
the Dallas Mavericks have going forward? And it's not just
(13:44):
it's not look all things being equal, he's probably still
in Dallas if not for the fact that they're looking
at signing him to a five year, three hundred and
forty five million dollar extension. And I look at some
of the guys who have been poor in conditioning, have
issues with their bodies. Who those guys and have had
injuries like Shaq Joel Embiid. Those are centers on Zion Williamson, Well,
(14:09):
he's two seventy, he's Zion as a center.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
So I look by the way Lucas lucas career injury
history in the NBA has not been significant Yon Embiid.
Those guys are missing like full seasons. Lucas missed nothing
like that, Right, No.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
But he's played with injuries and he's had the same
calf injury three times in the last year.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Obviously, Right, you're gissing on an injury to trade the franchis.
By the way, the two guys drafted ahead of them,
Trey Young, who the Hawks could not trade anywhere if
they wanted to, Right, he had no value. And I
believe Marvin Bagley with the other guy, what's he doing?
Is he delivering door dash now in the Bay Area?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
What's a good question exactly where he is right now.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Horrific decisions to take out.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Understood, understood. I'm not I'm not debating any of that.
I'm just saying, you have new ownership in Dallas, somewhat
new to the NBA, and they're just looking at five years,
three hundred and forty five million dollars for a guy
who has had the same injury three times in the
(15:17):
last year and is not playing and is not changing
his diet. Didn't come into the season any different after
losing in the finals because he wasn't in shape and
because he was getting picked on defensively. He came back
no different than he had been. So it is there
is no question that is a roll of the dice.
(15:38):
And if Luca decides, you know what, I'm going to
start taking care of my body. I'm going to start
eating and living better, I'm going to drink less, then
he could transform himself and this will this will have
been a huge mistake by the Dallas Mavericks, by the way,
but it goes the other direction then J Mack, we're
(15:58):
gonna have a conversation about how prescient the Dallas Mavericks
were in that they didn't go let's put it this.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I'll put it simply your odds.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Hold on, do you think wait, hold on, hold on?
Who do you think feels better about their decision right now?
The Los Angeles Clippers not resigning Paul George for what
he wanted or letting him go sign with the Philadelphia
seventy six ers. And that's not getting anything back in return.
That's not getting a Defensive Player of the Year candidate
(16:27):
in return, that's not signing him to that money and
just letting him walk.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
So wait, thirty five year old Paul George, who's never
led anybody anywhere since leaving Indiana, since his early days
in India, hasn't anything.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
I take that back. No, no, no, no, no, no no
clips Okay, see Clippers with Kawhi out if I'm not mistaken,
did they not?
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I think they lost to the Jazz Or did they
beat the Jazz?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
No? No, no, they went second round, third round, the double.
I want to say, they went to the conference finals
and then you just got smoked.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
But Luca in his prime, early prime, just took the
matter to the final. Yes, Like, I don't think that's comparable.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
We're not We're not paying him for what he's done.
We're not paying him for what he's done, but next
five pays him for what he's going to do over
the next five years.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Twenty five to thirty, twenty six to thirty one, that range.
I have zero concerns for Luca. Maybe he gets hurt.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
You have zero concerns. You have no concerns about Luka Doncicic.
I really remember?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Okay, how's this? How's this? Do you remember Kyrie Irving
before Lebron went back to Cleveland. He was the number
one overall pick, massive ego, super talent, but couldn't win
twenty five games, couldn't win thirty games. Yep, Lebron shows up.
Everybody falls in line, Kyrie grows up quickly. Yeah in
the finals.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Okay, I think it took that. I think it took
a little longer. And here's the.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Difference Kyrie got. But you you're alongside Lebron. Do you
think Luca's going to show up like wreaking of alcohol
and out of shape? No?
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Yeah, it's a scene.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
It's his team. I don't know, no way Lebron's letting
that happen. No shot, Plus, what Lebron.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Going to do?
Speaker 2 (17:53):
You live out here in California.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
You know sameybody's I heard the same argument. You know what,
Rus Westbrook, He's gonna fall online like, oh, well, Luca
is and this is Luca's team.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
It is Lebron there. What Lebron's still there. It's okay,
but it's not his team.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
It's Lucas team.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
You're making this sound like a Kobe Shack kind of
thing where one's going to get shoved out. I don't
think there's shoving Lebron anywhere. This team is.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
They've just said, you're this is the difference. This is
the difference. It's it is sort of a Kobe Shack comparison.
But when they re signed Kobe, Kobe didn't have a
problem with Shaq Stang. Shaq had a problem with being
number two, right, he said, I want out. I don't
know that Lebron if if, if Luca can get him
(18:47):
another ring, Lebron's not gonna have an issue with it.
But Lebron's not driving this bus. No, Lebron is not
leading this parade exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
That's not to admit. If Luca is for tigue, like
you saw against Dallas, he was worn down emotionally, He's
still not one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Oh my god, here we go here. Emotionally, he's not
in shape. He hasn't been in shape.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
The fourth quarter seven of nine shooting just took over
the game because he's rested. He's not running the friggin' offense.
I mean, they got Austin Reeves running the offense and
Luca a lot. Lebron's almost saving himself for the fourth quarter.
There's just so much love. All right, Let's move on
from the Lakers, get to your Warriors real quick.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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listen live.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry hard charging out of the play in.
Do you think they end up with six or five seed?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Boy, the West is just so thick that I don't
know if they get out of the play in. Now,
I do like their chances if they're in the play
in of getting to the playoffs overall, whether it's getting
to the six seed or it's being seven. They're eighth, like,
I think they can get to one of those spots.
But I mean, look, Minnesota looks like it's coming on
(20:06):
a little bit. I expect, you know, depending on when
the Mavericks get healthy, that they're going to be in
the mix. I'm I'm over the Kings having some sort
of a renaissance. I don't expect Houston like I don't
the teams that are up top. I don't expect them
to crater. So we're just it's a log jam. I mean,
(20:28):
they could, they could play well, and they could. Look
at the Look at the Western Conference, We've got nine
teams with winning records. Look at the Eastern Conference, we've
got six teams with winning A winning record guarantees you
a playoff spot in the East. A winning record in
the Western Conference doesn't even guarantee you necessarily a play
in right now. So that's how that's how competitive it is.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
I'm looking at a strength of schedule. Rick Minnesota currently
is twenty ninth in it's basically the second easiest remaining schedule.
Number one feed we'll get you shortly, then Sacramento, Denver
and the Lakers or fourth. We know they back end
the lebron schedules because so he could be on TV
when there's no NFL. But it's gonna be tough for
(21:11):
Phoenix to make the playoffs. Golden State, if you're curious,
is at twenty one? I think they're I mean, we're
gonna see some teams like the Sixers tank here. I
think the Warriors are going to steal that sixt seed.
I would not want to face them.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
I'm not well. Yeah, I think more than ever, matchups
are really going to dictate, you know, exactly who gets
who's who's standing at the end. I do love the
addition of Jimmy Butler. He solves so many of their issues.
I didn't know this until they looked it up because
I was curious because I was like, Jimmy's getting to
(21:43):
the line a lot, and he is shooting at like
a ninety percent clip from the free throw line. He's
he's averaging nine free throws a game since he's come
to the to Golden State. Golden State was bottom third
in free throw attempts and dead last in free throw percentage.
(22:05):
So he fills that void in a big, big, big way.
And especially when you got three thirty somethings that you're
leaning on getting to the free throw line a lot,
that's like built in rest that's Lebron and ad I
lived off of that in the bubble and have been
living and lived off it all the years that they
played together. It's a huge plus there. And then you
(22:28):
look at where he's scoring from. He scores more than
a third of his or attempts more than a third
of his shots at the rim. Andrew Wiggins was attempting
half of that, like fourteen percent of his shots at
the rim. Both shoot about sixty percent there. So he's
added dynamics. And then defensively he's been as good, if
(22:50):
not better than Wiggins. And I think the biggest thing
is Jimmy's got like swagger, Jimmy's got residence, Jimmy's got
like you know that, he's got bravado, And since Draymond
has fallen off a little bit, his bravado doesn't resonate
the same way. And so I think Jimmy, just from
(23:11):
a culture standpoint, a chemistry standpoint, has added something that
is intangible. Now I don't know that I get them.
I don't see them going past the second round, but
I see them as a playoff team and as a
as a a dark horse to win at least one round.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Quick question regarding the Warriors before we get to the Suns.
So there's been no adversity yet for the Warriors with
Jimmy Butler. We know Draymond runs hot. He had issues
with Kevin Durant. He has barked at many players. It
doesn't usually uh end well, Jordan Poole, we know how
that did. There's no shot he's yelling at Jimmy Butler, right,
(23:48):
there's zero chance that he's going to be barking stuff
at Jimmy Butler, who is an alpha in his own right.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Those guys are twins.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah, I don't so so the same. I don't.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I don't see. I mean, what's he gonna yell at
Jimmy about. Jimmy's all about defense. Jimmy's about sharing the ball.
When when Jimmy's motivated and feels like he's being treated fairly,
then he's a great teammate and he's a great presence
he has. He checks all the boxes. It's when he
(24:20):
thinks that Miami, like, oh, you're not gonna pay me.
I need to get out of here because this is
my last you know, this is my last swing at
the big pinata, Like I need to be someplace else
you're saying you're not gonna trade me. I'm gonna make
everybody so miserable that you're gonna have no choice. That's
(24:40):
Jimmy just being Jimmy. But when Jimmy is right, boy
is he right?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Pretty pretty impressive stuff. Let's wrap up with the Phoenix Suns.
Rick probably the biggest disappointment. I know the Sixers are
up there, but the Suns, I think have to be
like everybody thought, Okay, you guys got swept by the Timberwolves,
you're gonna bounce back. They've been relatively healthy. I know,
you know, Bils missed some gains. Kd's missing gains. This
has been just probably like the biggest cluster for KD
(25:08):
since leaving the Warriors, And I just I've got to
ask you, like, nobody thinks Kd's gonna stay with the
Suns after this. I just don't know where he lands.
The only team I keep coming back to is if
a Houston were to go down in the first round
and they're like, we need more firepower, maybe they make
a trade for him. But other than that, like I
don't you know, I floated to the Washington Wizards. Maybe
(25:29):
he goes home Wizards get Cooper flag, You've got KD.
Cooper flag, and I don't know whoever whatever, Jordan Poole, whatever,
but that seems like a long shot. I just don't
know what becomes of Kevin Durant. Who He's really screwed
things up man, that departing the Warriors, that injury against
the Raptors in the finals. I mean, nothing's ever been
the same. I know his toe was on the line
against the Bucks, but it's just it's been disappointing for
(25:51):
Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
This is the wildest part of all this. I don't care.
Like Kevin Durant can go wherever he wants to, like
do I think it's going to change the power dynamic
of the league. Wherever he goes, do I suddenly go, oh,
those are now championship contenders. Like he's part We have
(26:15):
to look at it. For as talented as he is
and as innocuous as his presence is with teams, he's
not necessarily a trouble maker. But he's also I mean,
this is, this is and this is the mistake that
I made is I looked at the Phoenix suns. I
looked at the way Devin Booker played with the Olympic team.
(26:35):
I looked at the way Kevin played with the Olympic team,
and I was thinking, you know what, these guys are
going to springboard off of this experience being around those
great players, and they are going to come back and
they're going to be different guys and they're going to
lead this Phoenix Suns team. And it simply hasn't happened.
(26:56):
And I had I had a GM. I told him,
I said, this is what I was thinking, and he
was like, he goes, Look, Devin Booker came off the
bench at Kentucky. He's a great he's a great scorer.
He's never had to lead and when he had his
greatest success, Chris Paul was there to lead the team.
(27:17):
Like He's never stepped into that role and at this point,
I don't know that he ever will. He can be
a he's a good guy. I think he's a very
talented player. But who's the leader of that Phoenix Suns team.
Kevin Durant has said many times.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I don't want to am.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Don't ask me for that. I show up, I work hard, eyeball,
I'm not I'm not. Don't ask me to be a leader.
Don't ask me to be the face of the franchise,
don't ask me to do any of that stuff. I'm
not interested in that. And I'm like, okay, fine, But
then you get what you get because you're on a
team that has a vacuum. And honestly, I feel like
(27:54):
KD could. I feel like if KD wanted to embrace
that role, guys would follow him. But there's a responsibility
that comes with that, and there's a weight, and but
he doesn't want it, and so as a result he
doesn't want it, Devin Booker doesn't know how to do it,
and the Phoenix Suns, as a result, are immensely talented
(28:16):
and to your point, probably not going to make the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
You know, you look at it.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
You look at any list rick of the top ten
players of all time, and everybody's got like a a
couple of different ones. You know, one common thread among
all those guys is they were all alpha leaders in
the locker room with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, all those guys,
big time leaders.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
You didn't have to ask him to be leader, and
they were like, I am leader.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
I don't think you can. He's not a top ten
guy all time Top fifteen. He has a strong case.
But like again, you compare the careers of Curry and
Durant and I'm sorry, I think it's Curry and it's
not particular.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Yeah, I look. I think where we get tangled up
is if you look at just in terms of pure
ability scoring wise and ability to score at three levels,
and you look at Kevin size, you look at it
and you go, well, he's a more accomplished scorer. The
(29:13):
game comes easier for him in scoring just because of
his combination of skills and physical size and gifts. It's
much tougher for Steph to get a shot. I mean,
it really is remarkable that he makes the shots that
he does and he gets the shots that he does.
But the difference, and I don't know that people really
(29:36):
can appreciate this unless you've been around both of them
and you've seen their impact on a team. Steph Curry
is we talk about gravity on the floor, the gravity
that he provides when it comes to bringing a team
together and making everybody feel like they're capable and part
of and the way he celebrates them. I know that
(29:59):
that sound like Harry high school type stuff, but there's
a real legitimate aspect to Steph Curry's indistinguishable belief and
the confidence that he infuses his teammates with and the
example that he sets. Because everybody wants to look at
the Draymond Green and Jordan Poole thing, the first thing
(30:22):
I remember is Jordan Poole taking a stupid shot and
Steph Curry throwing his mouthpiece. Like Draymond Green wasn't the
only one who had issues with the way that Jordan
Poole played, He is the only one to play that.
Draymond Green decided to do something about it in a
more violent way than anybody deciding it.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
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 2 (30:56):
All right, Rick, let's wrap up real quick. So I
had this really take a couple maybe a month or
so ago, that inside the NBA has been bad for
the league in that it is so negative among the
best teams and players that it's tuning fans out. It's like,
if the number one show is gonna be so negative,
then why would fans be negative? Why would they tune in.
(31:18):
They keep. All they do is bash the product. Too
many threes wearre's are soft, Kevin Durant's a bus driver
or whatever, not a bus driver, whatever. All the negative comments,
and quietly we've heard Channing Fry come around. Yeah, TV
League partners are being too negative. They're hung up on
Michael Jordan. And then you hear Gilbert Arenez come out
(31:38):
and hey, the negativity coming from some of these popular shows.
You're starting to hear people come to my side now again,
it's just a couple of people. I know you've known
Barkley forever. You're tight with Shack. I'm not. I wasn't
blasting those guys. I just rick. I feel like any
time I turned it on, it was they were taking
a dump on somebody Anthony Edward z one, you know,
(32:00):
and I just got sick of it. Your thoughts and
you could disagree with me, I'm not gonna be bothered.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
Well, I think we remember them dumping on people because
it one they don't hold anything back, they go overboard,
and and two because nobody else does, particularly when it
comes to the broadcast partners. I get as sick to
my stomach when I hear players being lauded that for
(32:27):
things that that are not laudable and and are being
or or are overwrought of in terms of of what
they are doing. And maybe that's me kind of seeing
it as a whole or being you know, having come
up as a journalist and you want to be objective.
But I don't think you can lie to the fans either.
(32:48):
I don't think you can be out there and saying, well,
this is the great the game's never been better and
all these three points.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Shott, what's that? Do you think the game has been
better than it is right now? Oh?
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Hell yeah? The game this is the dumb This is
such a dumb down version of the game.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Now you have to have it deep.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Plenty of highlights, right, but the game I'm watching like
I'm watching Hornet's Warriors. It was like an AAU game,
like even Lakers, MAVs, like humans all over the place.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Like carmel take a top twenty player all time. Let's
alone top Carmelan is a top twenty player all time. Right,
great player went to the finals twice. Who is more skilled?
Pallo Bankaro or cal Malone? Take your time on this one.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
As of right now? Yeah, Camelone, No way.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
I love Ben Carrol has way more in his bag already.
He's a better shooter.
Speaker 3 (33:43):
I mean, what does that mean?
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Where?
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Where are the where are their land of magic? Right now?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
If you I don't care, well I said Pallo ban Caro,
I didn't say the magic. If you give Paalo the
ban Caro the ball at the top of the three
point line, he can take almost anyone off the dribble,
get to the ten and score.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
I love look big, I love. I love as much
as anybody. He's in the book that I'm just wrapping up,
the manuscript that I'm just wrapping up. So you're singing
to the choir when it comes to Paolo. But this, this,
to me, what you just did is exactly why people
(34:16):
like Charles Barkley and maybe even me, and why there's
so much negativity out there because we don't go. Paolo
Benkaro is a great player, and look at all the
skills he has. We have to immediately take an all
time great who went to the finals twice, who has
done all these things for years and years and years
(34:38):
and never missed games like all the things that Karl
Malone did, and we're gonna say yeah, paalagamn CAA's better.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Well a skill, that's a fair point, that's a great literally, but.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
That's not how you framed it. And that's what happens
all too often we're saying, you know what, Anthony Edwards,
Anthony Edwards looks a lot like Michael Jordan, or somebody
does a fade away to you know, turn around jumper
and they go, you know who, does that remind you
of Kobe Bryant. I'm like, okay, yeah, the shot reminds
me of Kobe Bryant. The player does not remind me
of Kobe Bryant. Anthony edwards athleticism reminds me of Michael
(35:10):
Jordan's athleticism. Anthony Edwards does not remind me of Michael
Jordan in any way, shape or form. So when we
start putting those two names together just at this point,
like that's what gets people worked up about saying like,
that's what causes the negativity is that we crown guys
way before they've accomplished anything that's fair.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Now, again, like this group of young guys who are
like six', ten The Wagner Bankaro Cooper, flagh they're at
such a different skill level than we've ever seen for
six foot. Ten six foot ten guys used to be
power forward bruisers That Charles oakley were of the. World
then you got a Couple Rishard lewis who could just hit,
(35:53):
threes but they're not going to really take you off
the bounce that. Often these guys are a combination of
the big.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Breed pretty Much Kevin garnett's out.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
There uh that's not a terrible. One, YEAH i, mean
these guys are immensely, skilled and that's WHY i think
the league now is better than it's ever, been AND
i don't think it's even close. Now is the is
it as pleasing on the eyes because there's so much
more on the? Eyes LIKE i could go on my
phone and doom scroll for an hour and miss two
quarters of a game and not miss. Anything, well that's also.
(36:23):
You you're saying not to miss.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
Anything, YEAH i mean.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Meanwhile in like nineteen eighty, SEVEN i had to watch
ONE nba game a week IF i were home and
it were ON tv BECAUSE i didn't have, cable and
there's just wasn't.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
ANYTHING i, MEAN i think the exposure to the game
is it's that's that's been here for a while and
and there Are, look we have players that play in
a unique style, today more of them than we did
in the. Past but that's because the game has changed.
(36:56):
Too like a lot of these guys couldn't get on
the floor or if they didn't have a post game
right like they've they've developed skills that fits today's. Game,
now WHERE i take issue with is suggesting That Michael
jordan Or Karl malone or any of these guys who
perfected their skills to the nth degree to fit the
(37:19):
game that they, played would not be able to do
the same in today's. Game and the, question and the
question THAT i have is because it was so physical
and it was so tough back in the, day and
there was so many bigger bodies clogging the, paint and
that's where you have to score the three point. Shots,
(37:40):
simply it wasn't it wasn't part of the. Strategy it
wasn't because people couldn't shoot. It it was because coaches
didn't game plan for. IT i my issue, is you
take any of those guys and you put them intoday's,
era they are going to Adopt they're gonna they're gonna
have the same games that we have today and who
(38:00):
would be better or. Not that's that's impossible to.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Impossible it's it's just a fun discussion that you have
with the buddies at a game or at a bar
or whatever you're hanging out and which is which is?
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Fine but but you know the. Declarative so you got
me all riled. Up Pallo bankaro is way better Than
kyle CARL i would. STAND i can't stand on the.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Bill is immensely. BETTER i, MEAN i don't even think it's,
close but it was.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
That But polo is allowed to do things and has
been developed to do.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Things, Yeah Jerry slan might have, pulled was not LIKE i,
MEAN i had another. ONE i, know you got to
go And i'm running. Late, SORRY i. Said Austin reeves
is as good of a player right, now or better
Than Mark price was in his best season when he
was ALL nba and a bunch of heads. EXPLODED i have, Friends,
jason what are you talking? About Mark price was so
good my, dad no, ship he was really. Good Austin
(38:53):
reeves he could do Everything Mark price did and, oh
by the, way he's six.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Seven Can Austin? Reeves Can Austin reeves lead a? Team
the way That Mark price did because he's never been that.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Team he's never been At, Doherty Ron Von, Harper Larry Mark.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
Price Mark price was the engine of that. Team and
if you give, me if you, Say Austin reeves is
now going to be What Lebron james, Was he's going
he's going to be the focal point of your offense
night in and night, out and he's going to take
this team to the. Playoffs If Austin reeves was your
(39:28):
your point guard or your primary, playmaker could he take
a team to the? Playoffs could he take him to
the second?
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Round, Yes Mark Mark.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Price that's What Mark price. Did on a consistent.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Base he Got i'm looking it up. Now he got
to the second round. Twice they got swept By jordan
and then they lost four to three to The. Celtics,
Okay i'm. Sorry, yeah they lost four to three To.
Celtics so how many times did they go to the?
Playoffs almost every?
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Year?
Speaker 2 (39:54):
What? What? What almost every? YEAR yea very. Good they
had good. Teams they were good fifty win teams that
didn't up.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
In the led led by my there's a reason why
he was The ALL nba. Guy they were led by
him between his, scoring HIS i, mean you talk about
pick and roll champions like formidable he, was he was
amazing And JUSTIN i don't want to take anything From
austin is Like austin tortures. Guys i'm a Little i'm
(40:22):
still amazed that he gets the love that he does
from the officials because he is very good at drawing.
Fouls half of the fouls that he gets are not.
Fouls if you, look you, LOOK i, mean he is really.
Perfected like he's as good as any flopper in the.
League he does the herky jerk and shot like he
(40:43):
makes everything look like he just got. Barreled and the
reality IS i was just watching the. Game the game last.
Night there was at least three three. Calls three of
them are legit, forced you, know the defender got him off,
balance created the. Contact, good you're going to the. Line
there's three of. Them you, watch you watch, It i'm,
like there's nothing happened other Than reeves made it look
(41:07):
like something.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
Happened he's selling, stuff is good at.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
It but usually guys that are like the you, know
undrafted ad, guy like the role player role, players usually
don't get the calls That austin. Gets it's pretty. Impressive it.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Is, yeah maybe it's the head, band all, Right, RICK
i kept you wait too. Long Rick buker's super. Busy
you can find him. Everywhere he's been covering the league.
Forever i'm excited about this new. Book is there one
guy headlining? It or what do you want to tease
it or? Not? Really, no IT'S.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
I Talk i've been promoing in my in my. Podcast it's,
coachable the difference between good and. Great and it looks
at athletes and sports across the. Spectrum uh From Steve
young To Brandy chastain To Landon donovan To rojang To
Caroline marks the surfer who just won gold medal at The,
(41:57):
olympics To Dark novitsky To Palo, Bancaro fred Van feliet
and and how there they and their parents' willingness to
allow them to face adversity as they were coming up
and synthesize who and what they wanted to be with
someone else's vision of who and what they could be
(42:19):
is what allowed them to accomplish what they did as
opposed to now where it's like AND i just experienced
this firsthand with my, Kids like if you're you, know
if your kid isn't getting A d one scholarship or
they're not starting on THEIR aau, team well it must
be the. Coach it's, like can be my? Kid LIKE
(42:40):
i gotta go find another. TEAM i gotta go find
somebody who's gonna put my. Kid OR i need my
kid needs to be. SEEN i just. NEED i need
my kid to be. Seen, no your kid needs to
learn how to play and how to accept failure and
to look at their shortcomings and work on. Them that's
the things that's.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
AWESOME i love That Rick buker continued. Success my, Friend
i'll see you.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Soon you got, it
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What is up, Firefam, It's me Jason McIntyre, Straight Fire
for Thursday, February twenty seventh. The month is almost over.
Oh man, I can't wait for March. You know, I
love me some March madness. But before we get to March.
Great guest on Today's pod Rick Buker. I've known him
for a while. Many moons we go back. I mean
(00:33):
it's probably at least six seven years. We've been working
together at Fox. On occasion, we love to spar I
think you like today's podcast heavy on the NBA before
without giving away too much, and there is some sparring
way that we like each other. I think.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I don't really text him or anything, but he seems
like a reasonable guys. We're just talking NBA. You know,
it's not personal. Quickly, I don't want to get into
this because I know both parties involved. I'm sure you
guys have seen this by now. But there was a
report from Fox's Jordan Schultz that said Matt Stafford was
(01:07):
being wooed by Tom Brady hanging out with him in Montana.
They went skiing, blah blah, blah. Within a couple I
was like, holy cow, Oh my gosh, Tom Brady the
Raiders wooing Matt Stafford to the Raiders. Oh wow, that's
a big story. And within like two hours, Ian Rappaport
comes out and says, not the case. It was merely
(01:28):
a bump into on the slopes and they hung out.
There was no hosting, none of that stuff. And of
course Schultz fires back on social media. Oh yeah, okay,
if you believe that Matt Stafford and Tom Brady just
happened to bump into each other on the slopes and
start hanging out, I've got a bridge to sell you. Okay.
So everybody got a chuckle. Then apparently, somehow Ian Rappaport
(01:53):
of NFL Network and Jordan Schultz were both in Starbucks,
and the way Rappaport phrased his tweet on it kind of,
you know, made it sound like Schultz had no idea
what he was talking about. So Schultz kind of verbally
was like, you know, blah blah blah, and then I
guess kind of stepped into Ian space. Now again, I've
(02:14):
known Ian for probably fifteen years. Super nice guy. My
kids met him at Chargers camp He's a nice guy.
I've known Jordan Schultz much shorter timeframe, but i've you know,
he played I think D two college basketball. He's much
bigger than Ian Rappaport. Rapaport. According to this report from
Pro Football Talk, Rapaport felt somewhat threatened called security and
(02:39):
you know that was that it. Listen, this is silly stuff.
This is the kind of stuff that goes on at
the combine, right, and I listen, I know both parties,
so I'm not gonna I'm not gonna weigh in here.
I like both of the guys. I've known Rapaport longer.
I will be honest. I do believe, firmly, firmly that
this was not a bump into. Okay, do you guys
(03:00):
remember how McVeigh ended up hanging out with Stafford the
random bump into on the beach in Cabo. Yeah, listen, man,
this idea that there isn't recruiting is silly. Now, the
Rams did give Stafford permission to go check out the
(03:20):
market and see what we could get, So I don't think
there's anything untoward here. That's my read on it. But
obviously a funny story to start the podcast. Anyway, without
further ado, let's get to our guest, Rick Buker, Fox
Sports NBA Analyst.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
You know a guy Jason likes to think he knows
everything when it comes to sports.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
I know what sports fans.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Want, but for everything he doesn't. He knows a guy
who does.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Let's just say, I.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Know a guy who knows the guy who knows another guy.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
All right, he's back on straight fire. Everybody's favorite. I
can't open by calling him a Lebron hater, although him
and Lebron have a rich history going back many years.
Rick Bucker, Fox Sports NBA Analyst, Rick, how are you man?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
I'm good, Mac, how are you?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I'm excellent. Listen, the NBA has really gotten a hot
fire in the last what two three weeks. Jimmy Butler
traded to the Warriors. They're on fire, Luca and Lebron
joining forces. You've got the seventy six ers cratering, the
Phoenix Suns going down the tubes. I don't where do
you want to start, Rick, So much happening around the
league right now.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Well, I think we have to start with Luca and Lebron,
considering we just saw them play against the Nuggets and
then against the Mavericks, and now everybody has them as
going to the NBA Finals and winning another championship. So
something like that, I guess we should start right there.
Are you? Are you among that?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Are you?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Are you on that wagon?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
I didn't jump on the wagon, but as soon as
the trade was made, I you know, kind of looked
at the landscape in the West, and you know, at
that time it was we didn't know about the Warriors.
You know, the Sons were still mired, was still playing.
But I don't I'm not a firm believer in OKAC
is a playoff team, like in the playoffs or you know,
they referee different at different sport in the playoffs. And
(05:09):
I don't think Denver's as good as they were two
years ago when they won the title. So I do
believe the West is open, and I think the Lakers
are going to the Western Conference finals, and I do
believe now they're probably headed to the NBA Finals. I
just I love what that when they put Luca Reeves
and Lebron on the court, they are really tough to defend.
It has the feel rick of a little Celtics light
(05:31):
with Tatum Brown and Holiday just much less defense. Obviously
with Luca, Lebron and Reeves.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Well, there you go, and that's that's a big, a
bigger caveat than you are giving it credit for. And
I would also say, I don't know that the pieces
like who's the Christaps Porzingis in.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
That, I would guess, ruey Hachi Mora.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
No, no, no, no, you gave me a big three. Like
if I'm going to look at the Celtics and I'm
going to say big three, I'm saying probably Tatum, Jalen
Brown and Porzingis. But well, look, I would put holiday
in that I don't believe in big threes. I should
probably start there. But if we're going to talk big three,
(06:17):
and we're going to compare the Lakers to the Celtics
because of their top three, and I've seen this elsewhere,
I believe my my colleague Emmanuel Otro made the same
point about this, that Austin Reeves has joined the big three,
has created, has allowed the Lakers to create a big three.
And now that's the same as the big three that
(06:37):
Lebron had in Miami and that he might have had
in Cleveland at one point.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
And so.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
To me, the big three has always been sort of
a false concept in terms of leading to championships. But
you bring up a point in terms of, like, let's
stop short and making the Lakers the next Celtics, because
what the Lakers don't have as good as those top
three are looking to be. I like Dorian Finney Smith
(07:13):
as a piece, right, Ruie Hotcha Mura doesn't really fill
a void that the top three already provide. And so
it's a matter of what's your depth and your versatility,
Like where are the other pieces when I look at Boston, Tatum,
Brown and Porzingis. But then I've got Drew Holliday, I've
(07:37):
got Derek White, I've got you know, even Al Horford
is still a serviceable player. At this point, I have
all these pieces that can amplify what the big three are.
And then those big three kind of do different things, right,
Tatum is rebounder and defender, and Jalen is your go
(08:00):
to guy, whether you want him to be or not,
and then Brezingis is your room protector and your stretch four.
And so I think that that's where I'm not so
quick to say that the Lakers are are going to
be conference finals, and even in watching them against Denver. Look,
here's the reality. It was a big, big game for
the Lakers, and it was a big big game for
(08:22):
JJ Reddick in particular, Like I need to show that
I can coach my team up in a way that
my predecessor did not, particularly against the Denver Nuggets. And
there's a pretty easy I would say it's easily formed,
it's not easily done, which is, we're just going to
crowd the hell out of Jokic and we're gonna make
somebody else beat us, right, And that's essentially what they did.
(08:45):
They muddied up the floor, they fronted him, they backed
him like they just made him play in a crowd
the entire time. Nuggets, conversely, did nothing to adjust to
this particular version of the l They played them like,
you know what, we haven't always played them well, But
we play in the fourth, we get to the fourth quarter,
(09:06):
we start to execute, we end up winning. Like that's
just the way it's been and that's the way they
approach that game. And so I don't want like, I
think it's great for the Lakers in terms of their
confidence and their belief in JJ and all of that.
It was a huge positive. It it pretty much erased
the debacle against the Hornets only two or three nights earlier.
(09:30):
But the idea that they're going to be that team.
I would take the Dallas Mavericks reference, and they had
difficulty beating them without Anthony Davis, without Derek Lively, like
without the frontline pieces that make the Dallas Mavericks a
dramatically different team. So I love I love what I'm
(09:53):
seeing from the Lakers. I'm happy for Lakers fans that
like there's something meaningful going on. And I agree with you.
I think the West is wide open. I think the
entire league is wide open. I don't think there is
necessarily a team to.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Be interesting, but.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Like to say that the Lakers are. You know, they're
the ones with the little star next to their name
shooting up the charts. Not quite ready to give them that.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
So let's forget one offs like Denver and Dallas and Charlotte,
forget those. The last nineteen games over that sample size,
the Lakers have the number one defense in the league. Now,
obviously they are caveats. I think six or seven of
those were with Ad. We're five with Luca. Yeah, and
they did some of the early games on that schedule
were pretty rotten teams. But again, in nineteen games, sample
(10:43):
size is not exactly trivial.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
No, But for the Lakers it comes good.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Mac, I love you.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Like I don't even I don't need to comment on this.
You just made every point that I would make. What
look at the schedule? Who did they play?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Third of those A third of those games were without
Anthony Davis. Look Jared. Getting Jared Vanderbilt back helps certainly.
Lebron feeling like I have to you know, I have to,
I have to make up for some of Ad being gone.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Helps Yeah, But look so Rick, for instance, down the
stretch in a close game, the Lakers, we know they're
gonna play Lebron, Luca Reeves and Ruy. Those are your
four horses, And from my opinion, every night could be
different for that fifth spot. It might be Vando for
defensive purposes. Maybe they're playing a Trey Young type and
they want gave Vincent back there. Maybe it's a Dulton
(11:36):
connect hit six threes, Hey, we're gonna play him down
the stretch. He's hot. Maybe it's Jackson as and I
like that flexibility. Again, I look around the West. Denver
just doesn't scare me. At this point, I don't think
they're as formidable as they were a couple of years ago.
The injuries have mounted for Murray Gordon doesn't really look
like the same player he was, Michael Porter junior, eh
and and then the other team is okay, seeing a
(11:58):
great regular season team, they feel a little like the
like the Baltimore Ravens. Hey, we're gonna smash you. We're
very exciting and fast and all the and then you
get to the playoffs and Luca dismantled him last year.
Luca took apart the Timberwolves. Okay, he's got a better
supporting cast I think with the Lakers than he had
with the MAVs last year. And you look at that.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
I don't know there, well, I would not go again.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Lebron. Lebron's better than Kyrie Irving. Lebron this year's better
than Kyrie Irving was last year. You know in Austin
Reeves is your three. It's PJ Washington better than him.
I don't know PJ.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Washington well, but it's not I mean better and better
how And I'm not I'm not just sputing who does more.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
PJ Washington works great with Luca awesome Go sitting in
the corner. I'll find you because I'm a great wizard
with passing. Right now, you take away Luca and it's like, oh,
well PJ. Washington not as effective. Well, Kyrie Irving doesn't
really pass. I just think Nico miscalculated this so badly,
thinking like, hey, I'm the man who brought in PGO stuff,
I drafted live, I traded for Gaffley, I did all this.
(12:56):
Luca's fat and he's out of shape and he doesn't
want to listen. By the way, what do you make
of all this?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Unless you've been reading Nico's emails, you can't You can't
suppose that you know why Nico did it. And and
by everything we've heard, this was not Look, does Nico
have issues as people have had issues with Luca's lifestyle
(13:21):
and conditioning. I mean it was the question if you
look at what he accomplished in Europe, he should have
been the number one pick, no doubt about it, no
doubt about it. But people had concerns about his body
and his lifestyle. And are those are the concerns that
the Dallas Mavericks have going forward? And it's not just
(13:44):
it's not look all things being equal, he's probably still
in Dallas if not for the fact that they're looking
at signing him to a five year, three hundred and
forty five million dollar extension. And I look at some
of the guys who have been poor in conditioning, have
issues with their bodies. Who those guys and have had
injuries like Shaq Joel Embiid. Those are centers on Zion Williamson, Well,
(14:09):
he's two seventy, he's Zion as a center.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
So I look by the way Lucas lucas career injury
history in the NBA has not been significant Yon Embiid.
Those guys are missing like full seasons. Lucas missed nothing
like that, Right, No.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
But he's played with injuries and he's had the same
calf injury three times in the last year.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Obviously, Right, you're gissing on an injury to trade the franchis.
By the way, the two guys drafted ahead of them,
Trey Young, who the Hawks could not trade anywhere if
they wanted to, Right, he had no value. And I
believe Marvin Bagley with the other guy, what's he doing?
Is he delivering door dash now in the Bay Area?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
What's a good question exactly where he is right now.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Horrific decisions to take out.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Understood, understood. I'm not I'm not debating any of that.
I'm just saying, you have new ownership in Dallas, somewhat
new to the NBA, and they're just looking at five years,
three hundred and forty five million dollars for a guy
who has had the same injury three times in the
(15:17):
last year and is not playing and is not changing
his diet. Didn't come into the season any different after
losing in the finals because he wasn't in shape and
because he was getting picked on defensively. He came back
no different than he had been. So it is there
is no question that is a roll of the dice.
(15:38):
And if Luca decides, you know what, I'm going to
start taking care of my body. I'm going to start
eating and living better, I'm going to drink less, then
he could transform himself and this will this will have
been a huge mistake by the Dallas Mavericks, by the way,
but it goes the other direction then J Mack, we're
(15:58):
gonna have a conversation about how prescient the Dallas Mavericks
were in that they didn't go let's put it this.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I'll put it simply your odds.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Hold on, do you think wait, hold on, hold on?
Who do you think feels better about their decision right now?
The Los Angeles Clippers not resigning Paul George for what
he wanted or letting him go sign with the Philadelphia
seventy six ers. And that's not getting anything back in return.
That's not getting a Defensive Player of the Year candidate
(16:27):
in return, that's not signing him to that money and
just letting him walk.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
So wait, thirty five year old Paul George, who's never
led anybody anywhere since leaving Indiana, since his early days
in India, hasn't anything.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
I take that back. No, no, no, no, no, no no
clips Okay, see Clippers with Kawhi out if I'm not mistaken,
did they not?
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I think they lost to the Jazz Or did they
beat the Jazz?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
No? No, no, they went second round, third round, the double.
I want to say, they went to the conference finals
and then you just got smoked.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
But Luca in his prime, early prime, just took the
matter to the final. Yes, Like, I don't think that's comparable.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
We're not We're not paying him for what he's done.
We're not paying him for what he's done, but next
five pays him for what he's going to do over
the next five years.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Twenty five to thirty, twenty six to thirty one, that range.
I have zero concerns for Luca. Maybe he gets hurt.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
You have zero concerns. You have no concerns about Luka Doncicic.
I really remember?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Okay, how's this? How's this? Do you remember Kyrie Irving
before Lebron went back to Cleveland. He was the number
one overall pick, massive ego, super talent, but couldn't win
twenty five games, couldn't win thirty games. Yep, Lebron shows up.
Everybody falls in line, Kyrie grows up quickly. Yeah in
the finals.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Okay, I think it took that. I think it took
a little longer. And here's the.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Difference Kyrie got. But you you're alongside Lebron. Do you
think Luca's going to show up like wreaking of alcohol
and out of shape? No?
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Yeah, it's a scene.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
It's his team. I don't know, no way Lebron's letting
that happen. No shot, Plus, what Lebron.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Going to do?
Speaker 2 (17:53):
You live out here in California.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
You know sameybody's I heard the same argument. You know what,
Rus Westbrook, He's gonna fall online like, oh, well, Luca
is and this is Luca's team.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
It is Lebron there. What Lebron's still there. It's okay,
but it's not his team.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
It's Lucas team.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
You're making this sound like a Kobe Shack kind of
thing where one's going to get shoved out. I don't
think there's shoving Lebron anywhere. This team is.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
They've just said, you're this is the difference. This is
the difference. It's it is sort of a Kobe Shack comparison.
But when they re signed Kobe, Kobe didn't have a
problem with Shaq Stang. Shaq had a problem with being
number two, right, he said, I want out. I don't
know that Lebron if if, if Luca can get him
(18:47):
another ring, Lebron's not gonna have an issue with it.
But Lebron's not driving this bus. No, Lebron is not
leading this parade exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
That's not to admit. If Luca is for tigue, like
you saw against Dallas, he was worn down emotionally, He's
still not one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Oh my god, here we go here. Emotionally, he's not
in shape. He hasn't been in shape.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
The fourth quarter seven of nine shooting just took over
the game because he's rested. He's not running the friggin' offense.
I mean, they got Austin Reeves running the offense and
Luca a lot. Lebron's almost saving himself for the fourth quarter.
There's just so much love. All right, Let's move on
from the Lakers, get to your Warriors real quick.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
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 2 (19:37):
Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry hard charging out of the play in.
Do you think they end up with six or five seed?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Boy, the West is just so thick that I don't
know if they get out of the play in. Now,
I do like their chances if they're in the play
in of getting to the playoffs overall, whether it's getting
to the six seed or it's being seven. They're eighth, like,
I think they can get to one of those spots.
But I mean, look, Minnesota looks like it's coming on
(20:06):
a little bit. I expect, you know, depending on when
the Mavericks get healthy, that they're going to be in
the mix. I'm I'm over the Kings having some sort
of a renaissance. I don't expect Houston like I don't
the teams that are up top. I don't expect them
to crater. So we're just it's a log jam. I mean,
(20:28):
they could, they could play well, and they could. Look
at the Look at the Western Conference, We've got nine
teams with winning records. Look at the Eastern Conference, we've
got six teams with winning A winning record guarantees you
a playoff spot in the East. A winning record in
the Western Conference doesn't even guarantee you necessarily a play
in right now. So that's how that's how competitive it is.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
I'm looking at a strength of schedule. Rick Minnesota currently
is twenty ninth in it's basically the second easiest remaining schedule.
Number one feed we'll get you shortly, then Sacramento, Denver
and the Lakers or fourth. We know they back end
the lebron schedules because so he could be on TV
when there's no NFL. But it's gonna be tough for
(21:11):
Phoenix to make the playoffs. Golden State, if you're curious,
is at twenty one? I think they're I mean, we're
gonna see some teams like the Sixers tank here. I
think the Warriors are going to steal that sixt seed.
I would not want to face them.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
I'm not well. Yeah, I think more than ever, matchups
are really going to dictate, you know, exactly who gets
who's who's standing at the end. I do love the
addition of Jimmy Butler. He solves so many of their issues.
I didn't know this until they looked it up because
I was curious because I was like, Jimmy's getting to
(21:43):
the line a lot, and he is shooting at like
a ninety percent clip from the free throw line. He's
he's averaging nine free throws a game since he's come
to the to Golden State. Golden State was bottom third
in free throw attempts and dead last in free throw percentage.
(22:05):
So he fills that void in a big, big, big way.
And especially when you got three thirty somethings that you're
leaning on getting to the free throw line a lot,
that's like built in rest that's Lebron and ad I
lived off of that in the bubble and have been
living and lived off it all the years that they
played together. It's a huge plus there. And then you
(22:28):
look at where he's scoring from. He scores more than
a third of his or attempts more than a third
of his shots at the rim. Andrew Wiggins was attempting
half of that, like fourteen percent of his shots at
the rim. Both shoot about sixty percent there. So he's
added dynamics. And then defensively he's been as good, if
(22:50):
not better than Wiggins. And I think the biggest thing
is Jimmy's got like swagger, Jimmy's got residence, Jimmy's got
like you know that, he's got bravado, And since Draymond
has fallen off a little bit, his bravado doesn't resonate
the same way. And so I think Jimmy, just from
(23:11):
a culture standpoint, a chemistry standpoint, has added something that
is intangible. Now I don't know that I get them.
I don't see them going past the second round, but
I see them as a playoff team and as a
as a a dark horse to win at least one round.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Quick question regarding the Warriors before we get to the Suns.
So there's been no adversity yet for the Warriors with
Jimmy Butler. We know Draymond runs hot. He had issues
with Kevin Durant. He has barked at many players. It
doesn't usually uh end well, Jordan Poole, we know how
that did. There's no shot he's yelling at Jimmy Butler, right,
(23:48):
there's zero chance that he's going to be barking stuff
at Jimmy Butler, who is an alpha in his own right.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Those guys are twins.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah, I don't so so the same. I don't.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I don't see. I mean, what's he gonna yell at
Jimmy about. Jimmy's all about defense. Jimmy's about sharing the ball.
When when Jimmy's motivated and feels like he's being treated fairly,
then he's a great teammate and he's a great presence
he has. He checks all the boxes. It's when he
(24:20):
thinks that Miami, like, oh, you're not gonna pay me.
I need to get out of here because this is
my last you know, this is my last swing at
the big pinata, Like I need to be someplace else
you're saying you're not gonna trade me. I'm gonna make
everybody so miserable that you're gonna have no choice. That's
(24:40):
Jimmy just being Jimmy. But when Jimmy is right, boy
is he right?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Pretty pretty impressive stuff. Let's wrap up with the Phoenix Suns.
Rick probably the biggest disappointment. I know the Sixers are
up there, but the Suns, I think have to be
like everybody thought, Okay, you guys got swept by the Timberwolves,
you're gonna bounce back. They've been relatively healthy. I know,
you know, Bils missed some gains. Kd's missing gains. This
has been just probably like the biggest cluster for KD
(25:08):
since leaving the Warriors, And I just I've got to
ask you, like, nobody thinks Kd's gonna stay with the
Suns after this. I just don't know where he lands.
The only team I keep coming back to is if
a Houston were to go down in the first round
and they're like, we need more firepower, maybe they make
a trade for him. But other than that, like I
don't you know, I floated to the Washington Wizards. Maybe
(25:29):
he goes home Wizards get Cooper flag, You've got KD.
Cooper flag, and I don't know whoever whatever, Jordan Poole, whatever,
but that seems like a long shot. I just don't
know what becomes of Kevin Durant. Who He's really screwed
things up man, that departing the Warriors, that injury against
the Raptors in the finals. I mean, nothing's ever been
the same. I know his toe was on the line
against the Bucks, but it's just it's been disappointing for
(25:51):
Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
This is the wildest part of all this. I don't care.
Like Kevin Durant can go wherever he wants to, like
do I think it's going to change the power dynamic
of the league. Wherever he goes, do I suddenly go, oh,
those are now championship contenders. Like he's part We have
(26:15):
to look at it. For as talented as he is
and as innocuous as his presence is with teams, he's
not necessarily a trouble maker. But he's also I mean,
this is, this is and this is the mistake that
I made is I looked at the Phoenix suns. I
looked at the way Devin Booker played with the Olympic team.
(26:35):
I looked at the way Kevin played with the Olympic team,
and I was thinking, you know what, these guys are
going to springboard off of this experience being around those
great players, and they are going to come back and
they're going to be different guys and they're going to
lead this Phoenix Suns team. And it simply hasn't happened.
(26:56):
And I had I had a GM. I told him,
I said, this is what I was thinking, and he
was like, he goes, Look, Devin Booker came off the
bench at Kentucky. He's a great he's a great scorer.
He's never had to lead and when he had his
greatest success, Chris Paul was there to lead the team.
(27:17):
Like He's never stepped into that role and at this point,
I don't know that he ever will. He can be
a he's a good guy. I think he's a very
talented player. But who's the leader of that Phoenix Suns team.
Kevin Durant has said many times.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
I don't want to am.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Don't ask me for that. I show up, I work hard, eyeball,
I'm not I'm not. Don't ask me to be a leader.
Don't ask me to be the face of the franchise,
don't ask me to do any of that stuff. I'm
not interested in that. And I'm like, okay, fine, But
then you get what you get because you're on a
team that has a vacuum. And honestly, I feel like
(27:54):
KD could. I feel like if KD wanted to embrace
that role, guys would follow him. But there's a responsibility
that comes with that, and there's a weight, and but
he doesn't want it, and so as a result he
doesn't want it, Devin Booker doesn't know how to do it,
and the Phoenix Suns, as a result, are immensely talented
(28:16):
and to your point, probably not going to make the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
You know, you look at it.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
You look at any list rick of the top ten
players of all time, and everybody's got like a a
couple of different ones. You know, one common thread among
all those guys is they were all alpha leaders in
the locker room with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, all those guys,
big time leaders.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
You didn't have to ask him to be leader, and
they were like, I am leader.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
I don't think you can. He's not a top ten
guy all time Top fifteen. He has a strong case.
But like again, you compare the careers of Curry and
Durant and I'm sorry, I think it's Curry and it's
not particular.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Yeah, I look. I think where we get tangled up
is if you look at just in terms of pure
ability scoring wise and ability to score at three levels,
and you look at Kevin size, you look at it
and you go, well, he's a more accomplished scorer. The
(29:13):
game comes easier for him in scoring just because of
his combination of skills and physical size and gifts. It's
much tougher for Steph to get a shot. I mean,
it really is remarkable that he makes the shots that
he does and he gets the shots that he does.
But the difference, and I don't know that people really
(29:36):
can appreciate this unless you've been around both of them
and you've seen their impact on a team. Steph Curry
is we talk about gravity on the floor, the gravity
that he provides when it comes to bringing a team
together and making everybody feel like they're capable and part
of and the way he celebrates them. I know that
(29:59):
that sound like Harry high school type stuff, but there's
a real legitimate aspect to Steph Curry's indistinguishable belief and
the confidence that he infuses his teammates with and the
example that he sets. Because everybody wants to look at
the Draymond Green and Jordan Poole thing, the first thing
(30:22):
I remember is Jordan Poole taking a stupid shot and
Steph Curry throwing his mouthpiece. Like Draymond Green wasn't the
only one who had issues with the way that Jordan
Poole played, He is the only one to play that.
Draymond Green decided to do something about it in a
more violent way than anybody deciding it.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
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 2 (30:56):
All right, Rick, let's wrap up real quick. So I
had this really take a couple maybe a month or
so ago, that inside the NBA has been bad for
the league in that it is so negative among the
best teams and players that it's tuning fans out. It's like,
if the number one show is gonna be so negative,
then why would fans be negative? Why would they tune in.
(31:18):
They keep. All they do is bash the product. Too
many threes wearre's are soft, Kevin Durant's a bus driver
or whatever, not a bus driver, whatever. All the negative comments,
and quietly we've heard Channing Fry come around. Yeah, TV
League partners are being too negative. They're hung up on
Michael Jordan. And then you hear Gilbert Arenez come out
(31:38):
and hey, the negativity coming from some of these popular shows.
You're starting to hear people come to my side now again,
it's just a couple of people. I know you've known
Barkley forever. You're tight with Shack. I'm not. I wasn't
blasting those guys. I just rick. I feel like any
time I turned it on, it was they were taking
a dump on somebody Anthony Edward z one, you know,
(32:00):
and I just got sick of it. Your thoughts and
you could disagree with me, I'm not gonna be bothered.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
Well, I think we remember them dumping on people because
it one they don't hold anything back, they go overboard,
and and two because nobody else does, particularly when it
comes to the broadcast partners. I get as sick to
my stomach when I hear players being lauded that for
(32:27):
things that that are not laudable and and are being
or or are overwrought of in terms of of what
they are doing. And maybe that's me kind of seeing
it as a whole or being you know, having come
up as a journalist and you want to be objective.
But I don't think you can lie to the fans either.
(32:48):
I don't think you can be out there and saying, well,
this is the great the game's never been better and
all these three points.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Shott, what's that? Do you think the game has been
better than it is right now? Oh?
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Hell yeah? The game this is the dumb This is
such a dumb down version of the game.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Now you have to have it deep.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Plenty of highlights, right, but the game I'm watching like
I'm watching Hornet's Warriors. It was like an AAU game,
like even Lakers, MAVs, like humans all over the place.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Like carmel take a top twenty player all time. Let's
alone top Carmelan is a top twenty player all time. Right,
great player went to the finals twice. Who is more skilled?
Pallo Bankaro or cal Malone? Take your time on this one.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
As of right now? Yeah, Camelone, No way.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
I love Ben Carrol has way more in his bag already.
He's a better shooter.
Speaker 3 (33:43):
I mean, what does that mean?
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Where?
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Where are the where are their land of magic? Right now?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
If you I don't care, well I said Pallo ban Caro,
I didn't say the magic. If you give Paalo the
ban Caro the ball at the top of the three
point line, he can take almost anyone off the dribble,
get to the ten and score.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
I love look big, I love. I love as much
as anybody. He's in the book that I'm just wrapping up,
the manuscript that I'm just wrapping up. So you're singing
to the choir when it comes to Paolo. But this, this,
to me, what you just did is exactly why people
(34:16):
like Charles Barkley and maybe even me, and why there's
so much negativity out there because we don't go. Paolo
Benkaro is a great player, and look at all the
skills he has. We have to immediately take an all
time great who went to the finals twice, who has
done all these things for years and years and years
(34:38):
and never missed games like all the things that Karl
Malone did, and we're gonna say yeah, paalagamn CAA's better.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Well a skill, that's a fair point, that's a great literally, but.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
That's not how you framed it. And that's what happens
all too often we're saying, you know what, Anthony Edwards,
Anthony Edwards looks a lot like Michael Jordan, or somebody
does a fade away to you know, turn around jumper
and they go, you know who, does that remind you
of Kobe Bryant. I'm like, okay, yeah, the shot reminds
me of Kobe Bryant. The player does not remind me
of Kobe Bryant. Anthony edwards athleticism reminds me of Michael
(35:10):
Jordan's athleticism. Anthony Edwards does not remind me of Michael
Jordan in any way, shape or form. So when we
start putting those two names together just at this point,
like that's what gets people worked up about saying like,
that's what causes the negativity is that we crown guys
way before they've accomplished anything that's fair.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Now, again, like this group of young guys who are
like six', ten The Wagner Bankaro Cooper, flagh they're at
such a different skill level than we've ever seen for
six foot. Ten six foot ten guys used to be
power forward bruisers That Charles oakley were of the. World
then you got a Couple Rishard lewis who could just hit,
(35:53):
threes but they're not going to really take you off
the bounce that. Often these guys are a combination of
the big.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Breed pretty Much Kevin garnett's out.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
There uh that's not a terrible. One, YEAH i, mean
these guys are immensely, skilled and that's WHY i think
the league now is better than it's ever, been AND
i don't think it's even close. Now is the is
it as pleasing on the eyes because there's so much
more on the? Eyes LIKE i could go on my
phone and doom scroll for an hour and miss two
quarters of a game and not miss. Anything, well that's also.
(36:23):
You you're saying not to miss.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
Anything, YEAH i mean.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Meanwhile in like nineteen eighty, SEVEN i had to watch
ONE nba game a week IF i were home and
it were ON tv BECAUSE i didn't have, cable and
there's just wasn't.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
ANYTHING i, MEAN i think the exposure to the game
is it's that's that's been here for a while and
and there Are, look we have players that play in
a unique style, today more of them than we did
in the. Past but that's because the game has changed.
(36:56):
Too like a lot of these guys couldn't get on
the floor or if they didn't have a post game
right like they've they've developed skills that fits today's. Game,
now WHERE i take issue with is suggesting That Michael
jordan Or Karl malone or any of these guys who
perfected their skills to the nth degree to fit the
(37:19):
game that they, played would not be able to do
the same in today's. Game and the, question and the
question THAT i have is because it was so physical
and it was so tough back in the, day and
there was so many bigger bodies clogging the, paint and
that's where you have to score the three point. Shots,
(37:40):
simply it wasn't it wasn't part of the. Strategy it
wasn't because people couldn't shoot. It it was because coaches
didn't game plan for. IT i my issue, is you
take any of those guys and you put them intoday's,
era they are going to Adopt they're gonna they're gonna
have the same games that we have today and who
(38:00):
would be better or. Not that's that's impossible to.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Impossible it's it's just a fun discussion that you have
with the buddies at a game or at a bar
or whatever you're hanging out and which is which is?
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Fine but but you know the. Declarative so you got
me all riled. Up Pallo bankaro is way better Than
kyle CARL i would. STAND i can't stand on the.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Bill is immensely. BETTER i, MEAN i don't even think it's,
close but it was.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
That But polo is allowed to do things and has
been developed to do.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Things, Yeah Jerry slan might have, pulled was not LIKE i,
MEAN i had another. ONE i, know you got to
go And i'm running. Late, SORRY i. Said Austin reeves
is as good of a player right, now or better
Than Mark price was in his best season when he
was ALL nba and a bunch of heads. EXPLODED i have, Friends,
jason what are you talking? About Mark price was so
good my, dad no, ship he was really. Good Austin
(38:53):
reeves he could do Everything Mark price did and, oh
by the, way he's six.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Seven Can Austin? Reeves Can Austin reeves lead a? Team
the way That Mark price did because he's never been that.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Team he's never been At, Doherty Ron Von, Harper Larry Mark.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
Price Mark price was the engine of that. Team and
if you give, me if you, Say Austin reeves is
now going to be What Lebron james, Was he's going
he's going to be the focal point of your offense
night in and night, out and he's going to take
this team to the. Playoffs If Austin reeves was your
(39:28):
your point guard or your primary, playmaker could he take
a team to the? Playoffs could he take him to
the second?
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Round, Yes Mark Mark.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Price that's What Mark price. Did on a consistent.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Base he Got i'm looking it up. Now he got
to the second round. Twice they got swept By jordan
and then they lost four to three to The. Celtics,
Okay i'm. Sorry, yeah they lost four to three To.
Celtics so how many times did they go to the?
Playoffs almost every?
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Year?
Speaker 2 (39:54):
What? What? What almost every? YEAR yea very. Good they
had good. Teams they were good fifty win teams that
didn't up.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
In the led led by my there's a reason why
he was The ALL nba. Guy they were led by
him between his, scoring HIS i, mean you talk about
pick and roll champions like formidable he, was he was
amazing And JUSTIN i don't want to take anything From
austin is Like austin tortures. Guys i'm a Little i'm
(40:22):
still amazed that he gets the love that he does
from the officials because he is very good at drawing.
Fouls half of the fouls that he gets are not.
Fouls if you, look you, LOOK i, mean he is really.
Perfected like he's as good as any flopper in the.
League he does the herky jerk and shot like he
(40:43):
makes everything look like he just got. Barreled and the
reality IS i was just watching the. Game the game last.
Night there was at least three three. Calls three of
them are legit, forced you, know the defender got him off,
balance created the. Contact, good you're going to the. Line
there's three of. Them you, watch you watch, It i'm,
like there's nothing happened other Than reeves made it look
(41:07):
like something.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
Happened he's selling, stuff is good at.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
It but usually guys that are like the you, know
undrafted ad, guy like the role player role, players usually
don't get the calls That austin. Gets it's pretty. Impressive it.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Is, yeah maybe it's the head, band all, Right, RICK
i kept you wait too. Long Rick buker's super. Busy
you can find him. Everywhere he's been covering the league.
Forever i'm excited about this new. Book is there one
guy headlining? It or what do you want to tease
it or? Not? Really, no IT'S.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
I Talk i've been promoing in my in my. Podcast it's,
coachable the difference between good and. Great and it looks
at athletes and sports across the. Spectrum uh From Steve
young To Brandy chastain To Landon donovan To rojang To
Caroline marks the surfer who just won gold medal at The,
(41:57):
olympics To Dark novitsky To Palo, Bancaro fred Van feliet
and and how there they and their parents' willingness to
allow them to face adversity as they were coming up
and synthesize who and what they wanted to be with
someone else's vision of who and what they could be
(42:19):
is what allowed them to accomplish what they did as
opposed to now where it's like AND i just experienced
this firsthand with my, Kids like if you're you, know
if your kid isn't getting A d one scholarship or
they're not starting on THEIR aau, team well it must
be the. Coach it's, like can be my? Kid LIKE
(42:40):
i gotta go find another. TEAM i gotta go find
somebody who's gonna put my. Kid OR i need my
kid needs to be. SEEN i just. NEED i need
my kid to be. Seen, no your kid needs to
learn how to play and how to accept failure and
to look at their shortcomings and work on. Them that's
the things that's.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
AWESOME i love That Rick buker continued. Success my, Friend
i'll see you.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Soon you got, it
Host
Jason McIntyre
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