On today's episode, Jason discusses Team USA's blowout victory over South Sudan in the Olympics, Steve Kerr's decision to bench former NBA MVP Joel Embiid altogether after benching All-NBA star Jayson Tatum in the previous game, why Steph Curry continues to get heavy minutes despite underperforming thus far during Olympic play, whether or not Anthony Edwards is the 'flawless' player D'Angelo Russell says he is and why Ant-Man continues to receive heavy praise from his peers despite having a lighter resume than some of his contemporaries.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What is up straight Fiream, It's me Jason McIntyre. Straight
Fire for Thursday August. First, we got football tonight, the
preseason football better than nothing. You mixing that with a
little Olympics and boy, weekend's getting off to a rip,
roar and start. But we had fun action on the
(00:33):
hardwood in the Olympics on Wednesday. Oh yeah, my guy,
Jason Tatum back in the starting lineup. Solid night for Tatum.
And wouldn't you know it, as called on this here
podcast Monday, much to the scorn and derision of one
Rob g Joellembe did not play. Coach's decision. Did not play.
(00:57):
I actually predicted this Monday. I said it's not a
great matchup for it. Wouldn't be surprised if he didn't play.
Now do my quick victory lap. Now the lap's over.
EMBIID obviously will start, according to Steve Kurr against Puerto Rico.
And just so you know, that's a slumpbuster. Puerto Rico.
They are not good. They just lost to Serbia by
forty one. Yo gets went off, the other bigs went off,
so EMBIID will go off. But USA one to oh
(01:19):
three South Sudan eighty six. No drama here, like the
exhibition matchup. USA came out early and was like, Yo,
we're ready, we're going ad in the starting lineup, Jason
Tatum in the starting lineup. UH and South Sudan never
really had a chance. I don't even think it got
to single to just once in the second half. And
(01:42):
you know, if you're looking for a hero, remember last game,
it was like, oh, Kevin Durrett came in and couldn't
miss in the first half, I would lean on bam
out of Bayo, who banged two corner threes eighteen and seven.
Bam out of Bio looks incredible. I mean, if you
are not an NBA fan and you're just you're like
watching the Olympics. And by the way, Rob, did you
see that the USA matchup on Sunday got like ten
(02:05):
million viewers. That's more than like some of the NBA
Finals games. I mean, people are tuned in. And if
you're just tuned in to US men's basketball and you
see bam Adebayo, You're like, who is this guy? He
defends centers, he passes, he rebounds, he blocks, he dunks
and Oh yeah, he can hit corner threes. That right
there is the modern NBA player, folks. Bam Adebayo looks sensational,
(02:28):
and the US rolled to victory. Lebron kind of turnover
prone Quiet twelve seven and five d Book with ten.
The bench is the story. The bench just came in
and obliterated South Sudan. Bam with eighteen KD fourteen, Aunt
Edwards thirteen. He had a nice rip and dunk at
(02:48):
the end of the game. That was pretty sweet. Derek
White with ten. The US had thirteen steals. That's being
locked in defensively. They did not cover the spread. I
told you I liked him to win. I didn't twenty
eight twenty nine. I'm sorry, guys. You know that out
of principle, I cannot lay four touchdowns with the USA
(03:11):
against South Sudan. That being said, at least there's no
drama in this one. I think given the way that
Tatum drama built after the first game, my guess is
that's why Kurk came out. Essentially in the postgame was like, yeah,
Joel Embido will be starting in the next game against
Puerto Rico and be the only guy who did not play,
(03:31):
and I don't like how this has become a thing
who's not playing, who's playing the leaseman. I just I
don't like that as a narrative excws negative when this
is an utterly dominant team and the fact that Steph
Curry continues to struggle and they're still dominating. Curry was
rough on both ends. He did have four assists, only
(03:54):
one of nine, shooting zero for six from three. Maybe
he had a bad lights night's sleep, you know, maybe
he's just not feeling the ball. Whatever it is, Curry's
struggling and they're still dominating. I mean, Rob, there's really
nothing to pick apart here. I think the only thing
I would look at is Kerr and massaging some of
(04:14):
these egos because I'm telling you, if it's a nip
and tuck game with Germany or France or Serbia around
three whoever, I don't know that he's going to be
able to be like, Okay, we got to get all
these minutes for Derek White and dru Holliday. By the way,
Drew Holiday had been starting now coming off the bench.
He's really mixing it up, which is good. But when
(04:36):
it gets to as Rob likes to say nut cutting time.
I think at that point you got to kind of
ride your horses, like Lebrono to play twenty one minutes
against South Student they didn't need more in the opener
against Serbia, I think he was like at twenty seven minutes,
but yeah, no need to force guys. I think Puerto
Rico will be a blowout. Do you also be heavily favored?
(04:57):
And part of me wonders, we haven't seen them play
Puerto Rico in the run up at least I don't
think I know. There was Australia, Germany, South Sudan. Uh,
there is a bit of an unknown with with Puerto Rico,
but it's not like.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
A good unknown.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
They're just they're not a really good team. The only
two NBA guys I recognize are Jose Alvarado and the
kid Waters, who was I believe somewhere in the SEC
and then I think he was had a cup of
coffee with the Celtics. But overall the Puerto Rico team
is just is not very strong, and with the oh
and two start for them, you wonder if they kind
(05:34):
of start hot. Maybe if you if you're looking for action,
you lookan Puerto Rico first quarter, they come out with
a chip on the shoulder, the US is like, Okay,
we advanced, and then the US blitz is them later.
But overall I'm happy rob no drama with USA men's basketball.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Jason, I know that you're a fan of movies. Do
you remember in the movie Dumb and Dumber when Jim
Carrey's character says, yeah, that John Denver was full of
crap man. The thing they're driving through the Rockies, it's
not the Rockies. I'm going to amend that quote here
on August first, that's Steve Kurrz full of crap man
because all of those excuses that he gave for benching
(06:11):
Jason Tatum. He said, you know, I felt like an idiot.
You know, it's not to think about JT. It's about matchups,
and you know, realistically, in a forty minute game, you
can't play more than ten guys. And then flash forward
to Wednesday, Jason Tatum starts, so it seems like the
internet kind of bullied him into making sure that Tatum
got some minutes.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Number two.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
They played eleven guys in the first half of that game,
so obviously the whole thing about only being able to
play ten is wrong, and number three, he said he
felt like an idiot because he should have found a
way to get him in. Then he backtracks it for saying, well,
the reason we didn't play Joel Embiid is because they're
a fast team and we wanted to match up. We
(06:53):
wanted to switch a lot of actions. So that's why
we couldn't play em Beid. I wasn't an idiot this
time for not playing Embiid. I was being so smart
because I wanted to play different kind of defense. And
yet his argument is they're a fast team. We wanted
to switch and stay in front of people. Yeah, Jason,
who is the worst defender on team USA basketball?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It's it's not a perimeter defender.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Yes, who is the worst perimeter defender? Joe, you want
to switch every action? Joell Eenbiz the center.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
So you're not gonna say who is the.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Worst defensive wing player or front line player defender.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
You bully me into saying Steph Curry.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
It's Steph Curry.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Steph Curry is the worst perimeter defender, Steph curR. If
you're gonna run a switching and staying in front of
people type defense, Steph Curry is not the guy to
be out there, however, again because he plays for Steve
Kurkr for the Warriors, because Steve Kerr is a politician
at heart.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Check some of his political leanings.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
He definitely puts that kind of stuff out there, whether
you agree disagree, He's very much into that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Steph Curry, despite.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Shooting one for nine from the field and being a
general turnstyle defensively, he had four fouls and played over
almost twenty two minutes. He was third most on the
team behind Devin Booker and Kevin Durant in minutes. Steph
Curry is out there because he has a reputation for
being a great shooter defensively is not where his bread
(08:22):
gets buttered. And yet Steph Curry in this tournament so
far through two games is shooting twenty nine percent overall,
twenty three percent from three. Devin Booker, who is a
better defender than Steph Curry, is shooting seventy one percent
from three. Anthony Edwards, who is a better defender than
(08:43):
Steph Curry, is shooting fifty seven percent from three, Derek
White the same thing, fifty seven percent from three, and
Drew Holliday, who is the best defender of the bunch
is shooting fifty percent from three. Why Steve Kerr, if
the plan for this lineup that he trotted out there
was about switching and playing good defense. Was Steph Curry
(09:05):
the worst defender on the team getting the most minutes.
Steve curR is just gonna say whatever he has to
say to keep guys like you and Colin and Steven A.
Smith and Chris Brussard and whoever your favorite nick right,
whoever your guy is in the media, to keep him
off his back because he is doing some of the
(09:26):
most inconsistent, laughable rec league coaching I've ever seen at
this level.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Who was the coach of the ninety two Dream Team?
Was it Chuck Daily?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, Chuck Daily didn't have to deal with this, didn't
have to deal with Rob g coming off the top
rope on a podcast. You put this, you clip this
off and put on social and it goes. Chuck Daily
did not have to deal with this rotational minutia man,
Rob That is harsh, Yes, Yeh is Steph Curry struggling? Yes,
through two games, he's not been great in the exhibition,
(10:00):
he was not phenomenal. We know they're attacking him defensively.
Got it. He's Steph Curry, you know, all of a
sudden reduce him to like eight minutes just because he's
struggling a little bit. It's Steph freakin' Curry, a top
fifteen player in the history of the sport, who despite
not playing that way in the first couple of games here,
Remember he doesn't have a ton of FEBA experience. Lebron
(10:22):
does kdi? Does? I mean hell Ant was doing this
last summer. I don't. This might be Steph's first FEBA experience,
maybe since way way, way, way way back. I have
to look it up, but I don't know. It just
seems like he's still kind of a sort of adjusting
and it's taking some time. Luckily, he's getting the ugliness
out of the way. And as you as we know,
(10:44):
with Curry, he is one made shot away from getting
incendiary and just taking a blow towards to the opposing team.
And there's even moments out now. Listen, this happened in
the first one, but Curry made like a went under
the hoop and was without the ball and was getting
ready to come up on a screen right both Curry's
defender and the screener's defender jumped Curry at the three
(11:07):
point line. Lebron saw that passed it to the screener
who cut to the hoop, easy dunk. I think the
screeners drew holiday.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
The opponents are so terrified of Curry catching fire. And
by the way, they're clearly afraid of Kevin Durant because
if you notice, he got fouled a lot more eight
of nine from the free throw line for Kevin Durant,
only two of five shooting. They were hugging him up.
They fouled him. I think it was one or two
times he was shooting threes and he got fouled. But
they're like, oh, we can't let Duran go off, so
(11:37):
they defended him a little differently. And Curry's clearly getting
the treatment because you know, he's a starter and he's
frick steph frickin' Curry. It will be interesting what happens
with Jose Alvarado. Now I am a big Alvarado fan.
I like to fashion myself as one of those guys
who's sneaky on defense and gets some steals. People are
used to it now, so it doesn't work as well
as it did two years ago. But nevertheless, like it's
(12:00):
Alvarado's pesky. Now do they put him on KD?
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Do they?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I don't know, We'll see. I don't think Puerto Rico
is really a threat. I think the team you got
to legitimately be worried about rob is a team with
guards that also can handle somewhat the bigs, and that's Canada,
because Canada is the only team that's looked as good
in my opinion as the US, and I think it
right now. Sga and RJ Barrett, those are tough matchups
(12:25):
for Steph Curry. And I know he's gonna have Embiid
or Ant or Bam whoever on the back line, and
the US is gonna win that game almost certainly. But
I do wonder like it's just going to become a narrative.
Curry keeps his supper. Do you think this is just
a book because they don't really have a Curry on
the bench. White is a good three point shooter with
three of three. I get that, but he's not like Curry.
(12:48):
The defenses don't respect him. You don't have to like
worry about his gravitational pull from twenty five feet out.
Drew Holliday more of a he's going to create his
own shot kind of guy from deep Halliburton. But he's
not going to get the minutes. Anthony Edwards can but
he I like Aunt a lot. But have you noticed
Rob how bald dominant he is The ball gets sticking.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
It's very tunnel vision. He's very tunnel vision. And I
don't want to say like I don't hope people don't
misscontrue what I'm saying and take it as a shot
at Steph Curry because it's watching watching these games, you know,
the exhibition and then even the two that count the guys.
The two guys who have struggled the most for me
in Team USA so far have been Joel Embiid and
(13:30):
Steph Curry. And it's because they're not used to style
of play. But it's for wildly different reasons. Joel Embiid
is a great NBA player. He's a foul merchant, right.
He's a heliocentric style of player. If you play everything
drew out through Joel Embiid, good things will happen because
that's the way that he plays. Like Luca Dncs is
(13:52):
a heliocentric style of player. If you don't play that
way with him. He's not as effective, right and so
that's kind of where Joel Embiid is struggling. Steph Curry
doesn't play like that. Steph Curry runs off of screens,
flare screens, pinned downs. He's more dangerous when he doesn't
have the ball than he does have the ball. And
the issue that he's running to with Team USA is
(14:12):
the system that they're running with. The guys that they're
playing with. They're not used to setting all these different
screens to get Steph free. They're not used to doing
those kind of things. So his style of play is
being muted a little bit because he's having to adjust
to play how they want to play. And we obviously
know that Steph can is one of the best players
in the world, but if you're asking him to just
(14:34):
play like a prototypical point guard or to play like
Jew Holliday and Derek White like, that's not his game.
So it's not his fault that he's not playing as
well as we've seen him. My issue again is just
with Steve Kerr. Steve Curry is so inconsistent with his commentary,
inconsistent with his rotations, inconsistent throughout this entire process. He
(14:57):
tried to tell us in the beginning that his plan
was to do hockey subs five by five by five
by five, and he's already gotten rid of that.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
His said that I think he did it once at
the beginning.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Was it yeah, because they were struggling, Because they were struggling,
so we needed a full five.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Maybe it was third quarter, you're right, yeah, third quarter.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
And but you know, he said, hey, Tyrese Halliburton probably
might get a lot of minutes. That's why he was
a DMPCD in the last couple of games. And yet
he had found way to get him in, you know,
against a Sudan. So there's just so many inconsistencies with
what he's doing and what he's saying.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
And that's what I'm pointing out.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Speaker 4 (15:46):
There was some audio that came out from a podcast
with the Angelo Russell, who was teammates with Anthony Edwards
in Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Forget traded to the Lakers.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Okay, and I wanted to get your thoughts on this one.
During the podcast, DeAngelo Russell, talking about Anthony Edwards and
his excitement level for him, says he's a fan, but
the headline is quote, I think he's flawless. To be honest,
he is a flawless NBA player. Now, I think we
(16:14):
get all agree Anthony Edwards as good. He's not flawless.
So what do you make of the hyperbole, the constant
showering of adulation for Anthony Edwards, given that he's not
really doing anything. He's a great player, but he's not
doing anything we haven't seen before. Like nobody was comparing
(16:37):
Jason Tatum to Michael Jordan. Nobody was saying, well, you know,
Luka Doncic, who's been All NBA basically every year of
his NBA career save his rookie season, you know, he
should be the face of the league. Nobody has ever
called Luka doncis the face of the NBA, and he
is a better player than Anthony Edwards. Nobody has said
(16:57):
Kevin Durant coming up through OKC is a flawless basketball player.
So I'm just I'm interested to get your thoughts on
the commentary that continues to surround Anthony Edwards.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
All Right, I've been reluctant to fire this bullet because listen,
people just don't like to hear this. This is the
stuff that can potentially get me in trouble. But also
why I think I am where I am. So let's
go through the guys you named Luka Doncic, European basketball
(17:30):
player barely ever dunks, Okay, no swag, well no, yes, no,
yes swag. He just doesn't dunk. He talks a lot
of trash. Jason Tatum can dunk on you will, but
is you know, loves a good step back, little fade
away midbi light skin guy doesn't talk any trash. Now,
(17:52):
let's do Anthony Edwards. The most iconic moment in the
twenty twenty four NBA Playoffs was Anthony Edwards Wards getting
the better at KD and then looking at his hand,
looking staring at KD and clapping his hands like yeah,
we got you. It's over, we got you, and like that.
Trash talk checks all the boxes. He looks like Michael
(18:14):
Jordan when he's playing because of the aerial assault that
he'll dunk on anyone. I think he's I made this
case during last season. He's the greatest dunker Anthony Edwards
in game in NBA history. People got freaked out, and
I said, look, listen, look at the catalog. Dominicquilkin's had
amazing dunks, Michael Jordan outstanding. Look at Anthony Edwards. He's
murdering people on the court through the air. So he
(18:37):
checks the swag box. He looks like Jordan. He is
a dunking machine. He talks trash, hits threes, and let's
go through the playoffs. I don't know, dropped forty in
Phoenix in the deciding game, forty on the road to
sweep the Suns, goes up against the Nuggets in Game
one in Denver, serves notice with forty three four in
(19:00):
another game, and even though he was not tremendous in
Game seven, they won the series. And he's the face
of the team against Dallas Good not great, clearly wore down,
but shot forty percent in the Gentleman's Suite from Deep.
This guy, he just checks all the boxes. And when
we talk about why Jah Morant was so popular and
(19:21):
were mystified by it, Rob John Morant checks all the
boxes for basketball fans, talks trash, swag dunking machine. That's
what the people like here. Americans love that stuff. Is
it a winning formula? Not for jaw. We'll find out
with Anthony Edwards. It's just it's a weird thing where
(19:41):
it's basketball is a city game with a suburban crowd,
and you get that mix of fans of what they want.
And I think undeniably, if you ask fans who do
they like, it's Anthony Edwards, because this is what matters
to them, swag dunking, trash talk, you know, just sounding
(20:05):
cool and brash and cocky and confident. Jason Tatum does
not give off any of that. And I can't even
tell you one postgame interview Jason Tatum's ever done that's
gone viral or been super interesting or memorable. Now, Anthony
Edwards does this all that? I felt like he was
cursing in every postgame press conference? Just drop an F
bomb left and right. I mean, he's ultra confident. He
(20:26):
is what young basketball players eat up. Does that make
sense or make me sound like I don't know, an
idiot racist, No, I don't think.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
I don't think so at all. And I would largely
agree with you as to why he's so popular and
why he's being looked at as the next guy. So
I understand that part. I guess what's a little bit
giving me some pause is that it's not just young
people who are excited about Anthony Edwards, right. I mean,
(20:58):
you had Kevin Garnett's here's some quotes. He's like a
young eighty four Jordan Kendrick Perkins. We're watching the future
face of the NBA, Draymond Green. Anthony Edwards is going
to be the next All Caps guy. And now D'Angelo
Russell calling him a flawless player. So these are guys
who do this for a living, and even they are, like,
(21:22):
you know, in awe of him.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
It will also they're also I believe all those guys
are Americans, Perkins. That is crazy, Okay. The big narrative
is that the NBA has gotten two's European and the
best players are Jannis and Jokic and Luca and Wemby's coming.
And I think this is American former players caping up
(21:46):
for their own guy. Now, I will also admit I'm
a huge Anthony Edwards fan. I like his game a lot.
I've been hyping him for a while. I just think
it's it almost is Carmelo Anthony. Like, now, we'll see.
I think Anthony Edwards will have more success than Carmelo
Anthony for sure. Carmelo Anthony, I'm sorry, team success. Carmelo
(22:07):
Anthony is scoring machine, but team's success. Mellow was always
about mellow. Anthony Edwards has to make it about winning.
Can he do that? And like, listen, Michael Jordan wasn't
winning until Phil Jackson came along and said, you know what,
We're going to take the ball out of your hands
a little bit and do this triangle thing. Because what
you've been doing with Doug Collins and all these other
(22:28):
coaches that didn't work. We got to change it up
and get other people involved because you could drop fifty
and we're still losing. And so Jordan had to change
and fit the system. Will Anthony Edwards have to change?
I don't know, We'll see. I don't know. Does that
any of this make sense? I mean, I'm in a
bit of a ramble here, but I do feel like
I'm I'm onto something.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
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 fs are
to listen live.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
I definitely agree with you that there is some kind
of discourse, you know, amongst players and even amongst some fans,
that it's like okay to disparage and talk down on
international players. Like Rudy Gobert is a multiple time Defensive
Player of the Year. He's not going to be a
first buy Hall of Famer, and the way that Draymond
(23:23):
Green and Shaq and others talk about him, you would
think that he's some scrub at the end of the bench,
right Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. Probably in any other
if this or any other sport of this was football baseball,
they would be the marquee guys as the face of
the league. Like, those would be the guys that we
would be selling because they're both at the top of
(23:45):
their games, they're in their prime, and their teams win
a lot for the most part. I think what you're
kind of getting into a little bit as well, though,
is Anthony Edwards may have replaced like Kiro re Irving
as your favorite player's favorite player, Like there's just something
about him and his style and the way he goes
(24:07):
about things. You know you're seeing it on display here
in the Olympics, where he's the guy getting the pickpockets
and the dunks, and he's jawing at the crowd, even
though I don't think half the crowd even might even
know who he is, because all these arenas are played
in like an Aau style gym, and it's all these
different countries, and I don't know how much they follow
the Minnesota Timberwolves. But he's taking it upon himself to be,
(24:30):
you know, the big bad so to speak. So I think,
like you said, American born athletes and American fans and
American media members, you know, it's it. Maybe it's just
a subconscious pride thing, like no, we're not giving it
up to the Europeans, we're not giving it up to
international guys, because we have this guy and he's our guy,
and so we're gonna maybe even over shower him with
(24:51):
praise because he's the one we're gonna ride with.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Yeah, I like your favorite players player, wait, your favorite
player's favorite player. Sorry, yeah, to get that right, But yeah,
that's what it feels like with D'Angelo Russell. Like D'Angelo
Russell is all about the drip and the swag and
the ice in my veins. That's his celebration, right, Yeah,
he's all about that. Is he a winning player? Has
he ever been.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Lit?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
There's nothing wrong with that, dude, do your thing, celebrate,
show out. I would prefer to win, and I want
the guy who's gonna win, And if it's Tatum or
Aunt Edwards, I for now, now you could argue tat
him as a better team. They got three Celtics on
the Olympic team, whereas there's just one from Minnesota. Well,
actually two, I guess with Rudy Gobert actually Carla day Towns.
(25:41):
What's in he?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
I think he was with like the Dominican Republic.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
For a r but I don't think they call it that.
You're right, So technically Minnesota has three and the Celtics
have three and Jaylen Brown kind of got snubbed or
whatever you want, So I don't know. I mean, I'm sorry,
I still would lean. Who would I rather build around?
I would build around Jason Tatum over? And who would
you do.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Jason Tatum because his is more is established like everything. Again,
I'm not trying to disparage Anthony Edward. Anthony Edwards is great,
He's awesome, but as we've said on this podcast for
months now, going back to the NBA Finals, everything that
Anthony Edwards is currently doing, Jason Tatum has already done.
(26:26):
Jason Tatum as a rookie, I believe, dunked on Lebron
James in an Eastern Conference Finals game. He pushed Lebron
James at the height of his powers to Game seven
with a young team missing half of their best players.
And it's like, this is not a knock on Anthony Edwards,
It's just it's weird to me. And maybe we've kind
(26:49):
of figured this out during this conversation. How we decide
who's gonna be the guy that.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
We're going to rally behind?
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Well, who's we or that's a good question, the athletes,
the media.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I think without question that there is going to be
a push to rally around an American star, especially when
Europeans are taking over. I know, what is that called
when you're so pro American that you don't uh. I
can't believe it's facing on the word. You hear it
all the time at the Olympics. Stam it. If I
come up with it, I'll say it. But it definitely
(27:24):
feels like there is a push Hey, this is not
turning into a European league. Even though the league is
heavily international, We've still got the good Americans. Meanwhile, American
guys are getting rubbed out, left rubbed out. American guys
are struggling. Let's see what happens with Daalen Green in Houston.
That's gonna be a big test case because he's got
all of it. I think he's got the celebrity girlfriend, right,
(27:45):
didn't he gets some super famous Instagram model pregnant, and
he's scored a lot of points, didn't make the playoffs,
doesn't pass great, doesn't board, but could get buckets like
we'll see what become like. That's he is a young
American player in that he's the antithesis of some of
(28:05):
these international players who are team first fundamentals over dunks
and just give me points points points.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Yeah, I mean I think that's fair. I mean, you
know what's funny is for all of this discourse and
this conversation as adulation for Anthony Edwards, He's not without controversy.
Wasn't he the one who God, I hope I'm right
about this. He was the one who was had some
tweets or some texts leaked out where he was asking
(28:35):
a woman to prove that the kid was his and
that she should get an abortion or something like that.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
That's possible.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I might have missed that, and you know, oh, yes,
here it is Anthony Edwards in one hundred k abortion
scandal after texts exposed.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
Yeah, and then he all he says, you know, it
was a heat of the moment type thing, and then
like everyone forgot about it and last I checked. Depending
on what side of the aisle you're on, abortion is
like a really hot topic. And it's kind of surprising
that that didn't become a bigger story because again, people
have decided that we like Anthony Edwards and we're not
gonna dwell on that stuff.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
So it's interesting. John Morant, American star, a lot of controversies.
Zion Williamson, don't make me bring up the strippers and
baby daddies and all the stuff he's been doing. Now,
this Anthony Edwards thing, these young American guys they got listen,
they got to clean it up and they can and listen,
Magic Johnson went through stuff. Obviously, plenty of stuff back
in the day with the Lakers. It happens to young
(29:32):
athletes a lot of money. It happens in all sports, NFL, NBA, baseball, soccer.
I just hope Edwards can keep it together, because man,
he is. I just like watching him when he's got
the ball. It's not quite Stiff Gury level, but I
do really enjoy watching Anthony Edwards. So goodwin for the US.
They are back at I don't even think I have
the Puerto Rican game in my calendar. Do you even
(29:53):
know when that is?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Rob?
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Oh? No, it's Saturday morning at eight fifteen am. Yeah,
Saturday morning, eight fifteen Pacific against Puerto Rico. The US win.
But before then we got football tonight. Enjoy the whole
of Fame game. This will be the last weekend approaching
without football for I think five months, five and a
(30:15):
half months until the Super Bowl, right, because we got
college football start. We got preseason college football, NFL bowl games,
whatever you want, college football playoff, NFL playoffs. Oh, it's
going to be so good. Just get ready.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Talk to you tomorrow
This is straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What is up straight Fiream, It's me Jason McIntyre. Straight
Fire for Thursday August. First, we got football tonight, the
preseason football better than nothing. You mixing that with a
little Olympics and boy, weekend's getting off to a rip,
roar and start. But we had fun action on the
(00:33):
hardwood in the Olympics on Wednesday. Oh yeah, my guy,
Jason Tatum back in the starting lineup. Solid night for Tatum.
And wouldn't you know it, as called on this here
podcast Monday, much to the scorn and derision of one
Rob g Joellembe did not play. Coach's decision. Did not play.
(00:57):
I actually predicted this Monday. I said it's not a
great matchup for it. Wouldn't be surprised if he didn't play.
Now do my quick victory lap. Now the lap's over.
EMBIID obviously will start, according to Steve Kurr against Puerto Rico.
And just so you know, that's a slumpbuster. Puerto Rico.
They are not good. They just lost to Serbia by
forty one. Yo gets went off, the other bigs went off,
so EMBIID will go off. But USA one to oh
(01:19):
three South Sudan eighty six. No drama here, like the
exhibition matchup. USA came out early and was like, Yo,
we're ready, we're going ad in the starting lineup, Jason
Tatum in the starting lineup. UH and South Sudan never
really had a chance. I don't even think it got
to single to just once in the second half. And
(01:42):
you know, if you're looking for a hero, remember last game,
it was like, oh, Kevin Durrett came in and couldn't
miss in the first half, I would lean on bam
out of Bayo, who banged two corner threes eighteen and seven.
Bam out of Bio looks incredible. I mean, if you
are not an NBA fan and you're just you're like
watching the Olympics. And by the way, Rob, did you
see that the USA matchup on Sunday got like ten
(02:05):
million viewers. That's more than like some of the NBA
Finals games. I mean, people are tuned in. And if
you're just tuned in to US men's basketball and you
see bam Adebayo, You're like, who is this guy? He
defends centers, he passes, he rebounds, he blocks, he dunks
and Oh yeah, he can hit corner threes. That right
there is the modern NBA player, folks. Bam Adebayo looks sensational,
(02:28):
and the US rolled to victory. Lebron kind of turnover
prone Quiet twelve seven and five d Book with ten.
The bench is the story. The bench just came in
and obliterated South Sudan. Bam with eighteen KD fourteen, Aunt
Edwards thirteen. He had a nice rip and dunk at
(02:48):
the end of the game. That was pretty sweet. Derek
White with ten. The US had thirteen steals. That's being
locked in defensively. They did not cover the spread. I
told you I liked him to win. I didn't twenty
eight twenty nine. I'm sorry, guys. You know that out
of principle, I cannot lay four touchdowns with the USA
(03:11):
against South Sudan. That being said, at least there's no
drama in this one. I think given the way that
Tatum drama built after the first game, my guess is
that's why Kurk came out. Essentially in the postgame was like, yeah,
Joel Embido will be starting in the next game against
Puerto Rico and be the only guy who did not play,
(03:31):
and I don't like how this has become a thing
who's not playing, who's playing the leaseman. I just I
don't like that as a narrative excws negative when this
is an utterly dominant team and the fact that Steph
Curry continues to struggle and they're still dominating. Curry was
rough on both ends. He did have four assists, only
(03:54):
one of nine, shooting zero for six from three. Maybe
he had a bad lights night's sleep, you know, maybe
he's just not feeling the ball. Whatever it is, Curry's
struggling and they're still dominating. I mean, Rob, there's really
nothing to pick apart here. I think the only thing
I would look at is Kerr and massaging some of
(04:14):
these egos because I'm telling you, if it's a nip
and tuck game with Germany or France or Serbia around
three whoever, I don't know that he's going to be
able to be like, Okay, we got to get all
these minutes for Derek White and dru Holliday. By the way,
Drew Holiday had been starting now coming off the bench.
He's really mixing it up, which is good. But when
(04:36):
it gets to as Rob likes to say nut cutting time.
I think at that point you got to kind of
ride your horses, like Lebrono to play twenty one minutes
against South Student they didn't need more in the opener
against Serbia, I think he was like at twenty seven minutes,
but yeah, no need to force guys. I think Puerto
Rico will be a blowout. Do you also be heavily favored?
(04:57):
And part of me wonders, we haven't seen them play
Puerto Rico in the run up at least I don't
think I know. There was Australia, Germany, South Sudan. Uh,
there is a bit of an unknown with with Puerto Rico,
but it's not like.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
A good unknown.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
They're just they're not a really good team. The only
two NBA guys I recognize are Jose Alvarado and the
kid Waters, who was I believe somewhere in the SEC
and then I think he was had a cup of
coffee with the Celtics. But overall the Puerto Rico team
is just is not very strong, and with the oh
and two start for them, you wonder if they kind
(05:34):
of start hot. Maybe if you if you're looking for action,
you lookan Puerto Rico first quarter, they come out with
a chip on the shoulder, the US is like, Okay,
we advanced, and then the US blitz is them later.
But overall I'm happy rob no drama with USA men's basketball.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Jason, I know that you're a fan of movies. Do
you remember in the movie Dumb and Dumber when Jim
Carrey's character says, yeah, that John Denver was full of
crap man. The thing they're driving through the Rockies, it's
not the Rockies. I'm going to amend that quote here
on August first, that's Steve Kurrz full of crap man
because all of those excuses that he gave for benching
(06:11):
Jason Tatum. He said, you know, I felt like an idiot.
You know, it's not to think about JT. It's about matchups,
and you know, realistically, in a forty minute game, you
can't play more than ten guys. And then flash forward
to Wednesday, Jason Tatum starts, so it seems like the
internet kind of bullied him into making sure that Tatum
got some minutes.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Number two.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
They played eleven guys in the first half of that game,
so obviously the whole thing about only being able to
play ten is wrong, and number three, he said he
felt like an idiot because he should have found a
way to get him in. Then he backtracks it for saying, well,
the reason we didn't play Joel Embiid is because they're
a fast team and we wanted to match up. We
(06:53):
wanted to switch a lot of actions. So that's why
we couldn't play em Beid. I wasn't an idiot this
time for not playing Embiid. I was being so smart
because I wanted to play different kind of defense. And
yet his argument is they're a fast team. We wanted
to switch and stay in front of people. Yeah, Jason,
who is the worst defender on team USA basketball?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It's it's not a perimeter defender.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Yes, who is the worst perimeter defender? Joe, you want
to switch every action? Joell Eenbiz the center.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
So you're not gonna say who is the.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Worst defensive wing player or front line player defender.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
You bully me into saying Steph Curry.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
It's Steph Curry.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Steph Curry is the worst perimeter defender, Steph curR. If
you're gonna run a switching and staying in front of
people type defense, Steph Curry is not the guy to
be out there, however, again because he plays for Steve
Kurkr for the Warriors, because Steve Kerr is a politician
at heart.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Check some of his political leanings.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
He definitely puts that kind of stuff out there, whether
you agree disagree, He's very much into that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Steph Curry, despite.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Shooting one for nine from the field and being a
general turnstyle defensively, he had four fouls and played over
almost twenty two minutes. He was third most on the
team behind Devin Booker and Kevin Durant in minutes. Steph
Curry is out there because he has a reputation for
being a great shooter defensively is not where his bread
(08:22):
gets buttered. And yet Steph Curry in this tournament so
far through two games is shooting twenty nine percent overall,
twenty three percent from three. Devin Booker, who is a
better defender than Steph Curry, is shooting seventy one percent
from three. Anthony Edwards, who is a better defender than
(08:43):
Steph Curry, is shooting fifty seven percent from three, Derek
White the same thing, fifty seven percent from three, and
Drew Holliday, who is the best defender of the bunch
is shooting fifty percent from three. Why Steve Kerr, if
the plan for this lineup that he trotted out there
was about switching and playing good defense. Was Steph Curry
(09:05):
the worst defender on the team getting the most minutes.
Steve curR is just gonna say whatever he has to
say to keep guys like you and Colin and Steven A.
Smith and Chris Brussard and whoever your favorite nick right,
whoever your guy is in the media, to keep him
off his back because he is doing some of the
(09:26):
most inconsistent, laughable rec league coaching I've ever seen at
this level.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Who was the coach of the ninety two Dream Team?
Was it Chuck Daily?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, Chuck Daily didn't have to deal with this, didn't
have to deal with Rob g coming off the top
rope on a podcast. You put this, you clip this
off and put on social and it goes. Chuck Daily
did not have to deal with this rotational minutia man,
Rob That is harsh, Yes, Yeh is Steph Curry struggling? Yes,
through two games, he's not been great in the exhibition,
(10:00):
he was not phenomenal. We know they're attacking him defensively.
Got it. He's Steph Curry, you know, all of a
sudden reduce him to like eight minutes just because he's
struggling a little bit. It's Steph freakin' Curry, a top
fifteen player in the history of the sport, who despite
not playing that way in the first couple of games here,
Remember he doesn't have a ton of FEBA experience. Lebron
(10:22):
does kdi? Does? I mean hell Ant was doing this
last summer. I don't. This might be Steph's first FEBA experience,
maybe since way way, way, way way back. I have
to look it up, but I don't know. It just
seems like he's still kind of a sort of adjusting
and it's taking some time. Luckily, he's getting the ugliness
out of the way. And as you as we know,
(10:44):
with Curry, he is one made shot away from getting
incendiary and just taking a blow towards to the opposing team.
And there's even moments out now. Listen, this happened in
the first one, but Curry made like a went under
the hoop and was without the ball and was getting
ready to come up on a screen right both Curry's
defender and the screener's defender jumped Curry at the three
(11:07):
point line. Lebron saw that passed it to the screener
who cut to the hoop, easy dunk. I think the
screeners drew holiday.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
The opponents are so terrified of Curry catching fire. And
by the way, they're clearly afraid of Kevin Durant because
if you notice, he got fouled a lot more eight
of nine from the free throw line for Kevin Durant,
only two of five shooting. They were hugging him up.
They fouled him. I think it was one or two
times he was shooting threes and he got fouled. But
they're like, oh, we can't let Duran go off, so
(11:37):
they defended him a little differently. And Curry's clearly getting
the treatment because you know, he's a starter and he's
frick steph frickin' Curry. It will be interesting what happens
with Jose Alvarado. Now I am a big Alvarado fan.
I like to fashion myself as one of those guys
who's sneaky on defense and gets some steals. People are
used to it now, so it doesn't work as well
as it did two years ago. But nevertheless, like it's
(12:00):
Alvarado's pesky. Now do they put him on KD?
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Do they?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I don't know, We'll see. I don't think Puerto Rico
is really a threat. I think the team you got
to legitimately be worried about rob is a team with
guards that also can handle somewhat the bigs, and that's Canada,
because Canada is the only team that's looked as good
in my opinion as the US, and I think it
right now. Sga and RJ Barrett, those are tough matchups
(12:25):
for Steph Curry. And I know he's gonna have Embiid
or Ant or Bam whoever on the back line, and
the US is gonna win that game almost certainly. But
I do wonder like it's just going to become a narrative.
Curry keeps his supper. Do you think this is just
a book because they don't really have a Curry on
the bench. White is a good three point shooter with
three of three. I get that, but he's not like Curry.
(12:48):
The defenses don't respect him. You don't have to like
worry about his gravitational pull from twenty five feet out.
Drew Holliday more of a he's going to create his
own shot kind of guy from deep Halliburton. But he's
not going to get the minutes. Anthony Edwards can but
he I like Aunt a lot. But have you noticed
Rob how bald dominant he is The ball gets sticking.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
It's very tunnel vision. He's very tunnel vision. And I
don't want to say like I don't hope people don't
misscontrue what I'm saying and take it as a shot
at Steph Curry because it's watching watching these games, you know,
the exhibition and then even the two that count the guys.
The two guys who have struggled the most for me
in Team USA so far have been Joel Embiid and
(13:30):
Steph Curry. And it's because they're not used to style
of play. But it's for wildly different reasons. Joel Embiid
is a great NBA player. He's a foul merchant, right.
He's a heliocentric style of player. If you play everything
drew out through Joel Embiid, good things will happen because
that's the way that he plays. Like Luca Dncs is
(13:52):
a heliocentric style of player. If you don't play that
way with him. He's not as effective, right and so
that's kind of where Joel Embiid is struggling. Steph Curry
doesn't play like that. Steph Curry runs off of screens,
flare screens, pinned downs. He's more dangerous when he doesn't
have the ball than he does have the ball. And
the issue that he's running to with Team USA is
(14:12):
the system that they're running with. The guys that they're
playing with. They're not used to setting all these different
screens to get Steph free. They're not used to doing
those kind of things. So his style of play is
being muted a little bit because he's having to adjust
to play how they want to play. And we obviously
know that Steph can is one of the best players
in the world, but if you're asking him to just
(14:34):
play like a prototypical point guard or to play like
Jew Holliday and Derek White like, that's not his game.
So it's not his fault that he's not playing as
well as we've seen him. My issue again is just
with Steve Kerr. Steve Curry is so inconsistent with his commentary,
inconsistent with his rotations, inconsistent throughout this entire process. He
(14:57):
tried to tell us in the beginning that his plan
was to do hockey subs five by five by five
by five, and he's already gotten rid of that.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
His said that I think he did it once at
the beginning.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Was it yeah, because they were struggling, Because they were struggling,
so we needed a full five.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Maybe it was third quarter, you're right, yeah, third quarter.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
And but you know, he said, hey, Tyrese Halliburton probably
might get a lot of minutes. That's why he was
a DMPCD in the last couple of games. And yet
he had found way to get him in, you know,
against a Sudan. So there's just so many inconsistencies with
what he's doing and what he's saying.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
And that's what I'm pointing out.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
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 before the game.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
There was some audio that came out from a podcast
with the Angelo Russell, who was teammates with Anthony Edwards
in Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Forget traded to the Lakers.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Okay, and I wanted to get your thoughts on this one.
During the podcast, DeAngelo Russell, talking about Anthony Edwards and
his excitement level for him, says he's a fan, but
the headline is quote, I think he's flawless. To be honest,
he is a flawless NBA player. Now, I think we
(16:14):
get all agree Anthony Edwards as good. He's not flawless.
So what do you make of the hyperbole, the constant
showering of adulation for Anthony Edwards, given that he's not
really doing anything. He's a great player, but he's not
doing anything we haven't seen before. Like nobody was comparing
(16:37):
Jason Tatum to Michael Jordan. Nobody was saying, well, you know,
Luka Doncic, who's been All NBA basically every year of
his NBA career save his rookie season, you know, he
should be the face of the league. Nobody has ever
called Luka doncis the face of the NBA, and he
is a better player than Anthony Edwards. Nobody has said
(16:57):
Kevin Durant coming up through OKC is a flawless basketball player.
So I'm just I'm interested to get your thoughts on
the commentary that continues to surround Anthony Edwards.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
All Right, I've been reluctant to fire this bullet because listen,
people just don't like to hear this. This is the
stuff that can potentially get me in trouble. But also
why I think I am where I am. So let's
go through the guys you named Luka Doncic, European basketball
(17:30):
player barely ever dunks, Okay, no swag, well no, yes, no,
yes swag. He just doesn't dunk. He talks a lot
of trash. Jason Tatum can dunk on you will, but
is you know, loves a good step back, little fade
away midbi light skin guy doesn't talk any trash. Now,
(17:52):
let's do Anthony Edwards. The most iconic moment in the
twenty twenty four NBA Playoffs was Anthony Edwards Wards getting
the better at KD and then looking at his hand,
looking staring at KD and clapping his hands like yeah,
we got you. It's over, we got you, and like that.
Trash talk checks all the boxes. He looks like Michael
(18:14):
Jordan when he's playing because of the aerial assault that
he'll dunk on anyone. I think he's I made this
case during last season. He's the greatest dunker Anthony Edwards
in game in NBA history. People got freaked out, and
I said, look, listen, look at the catalog. Dominicquilkin's had
amazing dunks, Michael Jordan outstanding. Look at Anthony Edwards. He's
murdering people on the court through the air. So he
(18:37):
checks the swag box. He looks like Jordan. He is
a dunking machine. He talks trash, hits threes, and let's
go through the playoffs. I don't know, dropped forty in
Phoenix in the deciding game, forty on the road to
sweep the Suns, goes up against the Nuggets in Game
one in Denver, serves notice with forty three four in
(19:00):
another game, and even though he was not tremendous in
Game seven, they won the series. And he's the face
of the team against Dallas Good not great, clearly wore down,
but shot forty percent in the Gentleman's Suite from Deep.
This guy, he just checks all the boxes. And when
we talk about why Jah Morant was so popular and
(19:21):
were mystified by it, Rob John Morant checks all the
boxes for basketball fans, talks trash, swag dunking machine. That's
what the people like here. Americans love that stuff. Is
it a winning formula? Not for jaw. We'll find out
with Anthony Edwards. It's just it's a weird thing where
(19:41):
it's basketball is a city game with a suburban crowd,
and you get that mix of fans of what they want.
And I think undeniably, if you ask fans who do
they like, it's Anthony Edwards, because this is what matters
to them, swag dunking, trash talk, you know, just sounding
(20:05):
cool and brash and cocky and confident. Jason Tatum does
not give off any of that. And I can't even
tell you one postgame interview Jason Tatum's ever done that's
gone viral or been super interesting or memorable. Now, Anthony
Edwards does this all that? I felt like he was
cursing in every postgame press conference? Just drop an F
bomb left and right. I mean, he's ultra confident. He
(20:26):
is what young basketball players eat up. Does that make
sense or make me sound like I don't know, an
idiot racist, No, I don't think.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
I don't think so at all. And I would largely
agree with you as to why he's so popular and
why he's being looked at as the next guy. So
I understand that part. I guess what's a little bit
giving me some pause is that it's not just young
people who are excited about Anthony Edwards, right. I mean,
(20:58):
you had Kevin Garnett's here's some quotes. He's like a
young eighty four Jordan Kendrick Perkins. We're watching the future
face of the NBA, Draymond Green. Anthony Edwards is going
to be the next All Caps guy. And now D'Angelo
Russell calling him a flawless player. So these are guys
who do this for a living, and even they are, like,
(21:22):
you know, in awe of him.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
It will also they're also I believe all those guys
are Americans, Perkins. That is crazy, Okay. The big narrative
is that the NBA has gotten two's European and the
best players are Jannis and Jokic and Luca and Wemby's coming.
And I think this is American former players caping up
(21:46):
for their own guy. Now, I will also admit I'm
a huge Anthony Edwards fan. I like his game a lot.
I've been hyping him for a while. I just think
it's it almost is Carmelo Anthony. Like, now, we'll see.
I think Anthony Edwards will have more success than Carmelo
Anthony for sure. Carmelo Anthony, I'm sorry, team success. Carmelo
(22:07):
Anthony is scoring machine, but team's success. Mellow was always
about mellow. Anthony Edwards has to make it about winning.
Can he do that? And like, listen, Michael Jordan wasn't
winning until Phil Jackson came along and said, you know what,
We're going to take the ball out of your hands
a little bit and do this triangle thing. Because what
you've been doing with Doug Collins and all these other
(22:28):
coaches that didn't work. We got to change it up
and get other people involved because you could drop fifty
and we're still losing. And so Jordan had to change
and fit the system. Will Anthony Edwards have to change?
I don't know, We'll see. I don't know. Does that
any of this make sense? I mean, I'm in a
bit of a ramble here, but I do feel like
I'm I'm onto something.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
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 fs are
to listen live.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
I definitely agree with you that there is some kind
of discourse, you know, amongst players and even amongst some fans,
that it's like okay to disparage and talk down on
international players. Like Rudy Gobert is a multiple time Defensive
Player of the Year. He's not going to be a
first buy Hall of Famer, and the way that Draymond
(23:23):
Green and Shaq and others talk about him, you would
think that he's some scrub at the end of the bench,
right Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. Probably in any other
if this or any other sport of this was football baseball,
they would be the marquee guys as the face of
the league. Like, those would be the guys that we
would be selling because they're both at the top of
(23:45):
their games, they're in their prime, and their teams win
a lot for the most part. I think what you're
kind of getting into a little bit as well, though,
is Anthony Edwards may have replaced like Kiro re Irving
as your favorite player's favorite player, Like there's just something
about him and his style and the way he goes
(24:07):
about things. You know you're seeing it on display here
in the Olympics, where he's the guy getting the pickpockets
and the dunks, and he's jawing at the crowd, even
though I don't think half the crowd even might even
know who he is, because all these arenas are played
in like an Aau style gym, and it's all these
different countries, and I don't know how much they follow
the Minnesota Timberwolves. But he's taking it upon himself to be,
(24:30):
you know, the big bad so to speak. So I think,
like you said, American born athletes and American fans and
American media members, you know, it's it. Maybe it's just
a subconscious pride thing, like no, we're not giving it
up to the Europeans, we're not giving it up to
international guys, because we have this guy and he's our guy,
and so we're gonna maybe even over shower him with
(24:51):
praise because he's the one we're gonna ride with.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Yeah, I like your favorite players player, wait, your favorite
player's favorite player. Sorry, yeah, to get that right, But yeah,
that's what it feels like with D'Angelo Russell. Like D'Angelo
Russell is all about the drip and the swag and
the ice in my veins. That's his celebration, right, Yeah,
he's all about that. Is he a winning player? Has
he ever been.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Lit?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
There's nothing wrong with that, dude, do your thing, celebrate,
show out. I would prefer to win, and I want
the guy who's gonna win, And if it's Tatum or
Aunt Edwards, I for now, now you could argue tat
him as a better team. They got three Celtics on
the Olympic team, whereas there's just one from Minnesota. Well,
actually two, I guess with Rudy Gobert actually Carla day Towns.
(25:41):
What's in he?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
I think he was with like the Dominican Republic.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
For a r but I don't think they call it that.
You're right, So technically Minnesota has three and the Celtics
have three and Jaylen Brown kind of got snubbed or
whatever you want, So I don't know. I mean, I'm sorry,
I still would lean. Who would I rather build around?
I would build around Jason Tatum over? And who would
you do.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Jason Tatum because his is more is established like everything. Again,
I'm not trying to disparage Anthony Edward. Anthony Edwards is great,
He's awesome, but as we've said on this podcast for
months now, going back to the NBA Finals, everything that
Anthony Edwards is currently doing, Jason Tatum has already done.
(26:26):
Jason Tatum as a rookie, I believe, dunked on Lebron
James in an Eastern Conference Finals game. He pushed Lebron
James at the height of his powers to Game seven
with a young team missing half of their best players.
And it's like, this is not a knock on Anthony Edwards,
It's just it's weird to me. And maybe we've kind
(26:49):
of figured this out during this conversation. How we decide
who's gonna be the guy that.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
We're going to rally behind?
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Well, who's we or that's a good question, the athletes,
the media.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I think without question that there is going to be
a push to rally around an American star, especially when
Europeans are taking over. I know, what is that called
when you're so pro American that you don't uh. I
can't believe it's facing on the word. You hear it
all the time at the Olympics. Stam it. If I
come up with it, I'll say it. But it definitely
(27:24):
feels like there is a push Hey, this is not
turning into a European league. Even though the league is
heavily international, We've still got the good Americans. Meanwhile, American
guys are getting rubbed out, left rubbed out. American guys
are struggling. Let's see what happens with Daalen Green in Houston.
That's gonna be a big test case because he's got
all of it. I think he's got the celebrity girlfriend, right,
(27:45):
didn't he gets some super famous Instagram model pregnant, and
he's scored a lot of points, didn't make the playoffs,
doesn't pass great, doesn't board, but could get buckets like
we'll see what become like. That's he is a young
American player in that he's the antithesis of some of
(28:05):
these international players who are team first fundamentals over dunks
and just give me points points points.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Yeah, I mean I think that's fair. I mean, you
know what's funny is for all of this discourse and
this conversation as adulation for Anthony Edwards, He's not without controversy.
Wasn't he the one who God, I hope I'm right
about this. He was the one who was had some
tweets or some texts leaked out where he was asking
(28:35):
a woman to prove that the kid was his and
that she should get an abortion or something like that.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
That's possible.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I might have missed that, and you know, oh, yes,
here it is Anthony Edwards in one hundred k abortion
scandal after texts exposed.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
Yeah, and then he all he says, you know, it
was a heat of the moment type thing, and then
like everyone forgot about it and last I checked. Depending
on what side of the aisle you're on, abortion is
like a really hot topic. And it's kind of surprising
that that didn't become a bigger story because again, people
have decided that we like Anthony Edwards and we're not
gonna dwell on that stuff.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
So it's interesting. John Morant, American star, a lot of controversies.
Zion Williamson, don't make me bring up the strippers and
baby daddies and all the stuff he's been doing. Now,
this Anthony Edwards thing, these young American guys they got listen,
they got to clean it up and they can and listen,
Magic Johnson went through stuff. Obviously, plenty of stuff back
in the day with the Lakers. It happens to young
(29:32):
athletes a lot of money. It happens in all sports, NFL, NBA, baseball, soccer.
I just hope Edwards can keep it together, because man,
he is. I just like watching him when he's got
the ball. It's not quite Stiff Gury level, but I
do really enjoy watching Anthony Edwards. So goodwin for the US.
They are back at I don't even think I have
the Puerto Rican game in my calendar. Do you even
(29:53):
know when that is?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Rob?
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Oh? No, it's Saturday morning at eight fifteen am. Yeah,
Saturday morning, eight fifteen Pacific against Puerto Rico. The US win.
But before then we got football tonight. Enjoy the whole
of Fame game. This will be the last weekend approaching
without football for I think five months, five and a
(30:15):
half months until the Super Bowl, right, because we got
college football start. We got preseason college football, NFL bowl games,
whatever you want, college football playoff, NFL playoffs. Oh, it's
going to be so good. Just get ready.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Talk to you tomorrow
Host
Jason McIntyre
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