On today’s episode, Jason and Super Producer Rob G (Robert Guerra) get the party started by discussing the Boston Celtics' ability to stave off elimination in Game 4 against the Miami Heat. The Celtics shot the lights out to keep their season alive, but that's not the story here. The Heat were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA throughout the regular season but somehow turned into the best in the League during their improbable playoff run. Unfortunately for Heat fans, Jimmy Butler and Co. had a regression to the mean in Game 4 - and that could become a big problem moving forward. Later, the guys share a quick laugh over a ridiculous Trae Young-to-the-Lakers trade rumor that went viral on Tuesday afternoon. We all agree the Lakers need to upgrade at the point guard position but nobody in their right mind believes Atlanta would accept a poo-poo platter trade offer for Young. Finally, J-Mac and Rob close the show by taking the Phoenix Suns to task for making Doc Rivers a finalist for their head coaching vacancy. Does the Phoenix front office not realize that Doc is statistically the worst big-game coach in NBA history?!?!
Click here to subscribe, rate and review all of the latest Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre podcasts! #Volume
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
This is straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up
straight Fire?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Fam h's me Jason McIntyre Straight Fire for Wednesday, May
twenty fourth. I thought, I really did think that would
be clear to sweeps in the conference finals, and it
did not happen because Water found its level. The Miami
Heat regressed from three, Boston went bonkers from deep. They
(00:36):
hit let me check here eighteen to three pointers. My guy,
Jason Tatum finally got a fourth quarter bucket. He had
a phenomenal game. Tatum finished box score here says thirty three,
eleven and seven and oh, by the way, five baskets
in the fourth quarter of the Celtics hanging on for
dear life, they get to win in Miami. A lot
of people are making jokes about being down three a
(00:58):
Rod and Jeter being in Miami for the game. The
TNT cameras or TBS, whichever channel it was, I always
get those mixed up. They kept showing a Rod and Jeter,
and then eventually they showed the Red Sox who came
back from down zero three against my Yankees. Yes, born
in New York, coming Yankees guy, And it reminded me
of the Dumb and Dumbers team Jim Carrey just obviously
(01:19):
one of the seminal comedians of my youth in Living
Color was you know, I've talked about this on the
pod a million times for the new audience on video
in Living color was a show My brother and I
would watch it, and then eventually my parents are like, oh,
let's see what this show is that you guys keep
laughing at and they're like, no, shot, you are not
watching in living color. So we would record it on
the sly. You know, you'd have the TV off, the
(01:40):
VCR on. We'd have to put a pillow up so
you couldn't see that. It was like recording, and then
we'll watch it when they were not there and in
living color Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey then went on to
do Dumb and Dumber and had one of the funnier
lines in the movie where essentially the attractive redhead I'm
spacing on her name was like, it's not happening, dude,
(02:00):
I'm not interested in you.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And he said, so you're saying there's a chance.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
And one of my Celtics buddies I don't have many
of those, sent me a text with that giff As
just as we started to record the podcast here, Jiff
giff whatever, and the Celtics.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Are not dead.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
They're not listen, folks. I don't want to be up
Miami Heat basher, but I'm being a realist. This ain't
a good basketball team. They are on an unbelievable hot streak,
knocking out the Bucks, getting the Bucks coach fired. They
scrapped by the Knicks four to two. Jalen Brunson fought hard,
and they're about to get Missoula fired, and all of
a sudden, it's like, whoa, they can't throw in the ocean.
(02:38):
I mean, listen, Undrafted guys, remember how we've talked about
how they they been going off in this series. Undrafted
dudes from deep in Game four, Gabe Vincent, who hurt
his ankle, one of four, Max Strus one of five,
Duncan Robinson, oh for four, Caleb Martin, who looked like
Jamal Murray in the first half.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
He went off.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
He two of five from deep. He's just not gonna
cut twenty five percent. And Boston basically goes off in
the fourth quarter. Jason Tatum comes in the score I
wrote it down here, eighty eight eighty three fourth quarter.
You're waiting for Boston to collapse again. I think the
stat is Miami has had six double digit deficits overcome
in these playoffs, which is insane. I think the Nuggets
(03:19):
have trailed by double digits twice in the entire postseason.
Miami's done it six times and come back to win.
So you're like, all right, maybe they can hold him off.
Tatum comes in at the nine to twelve mark, Tatum scores,
gets an assist, step back three Tatum, bucket, Tatum assist.
Next thing you know, it is a twelve to zero
(03:39):
run and they go up by seventeen, and they were
able to hold off the Miami Heat, who looked a
little despondent at the end. I'm not gonna make too
much of it. You know, we're recording this. The game
just ended about thirty minutes ago. Kyle Lowry tweaked his
growing there on a slippery spot. He didn't seem to
play effective after that. He didn't have a good game,
four turnovers. He had a good first half, second half
(04:01):
he did not.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
He was not the same.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
And then Vincent tweaked his ankle, ended up running to
the locker room and you know, Jimmy Butler. You notice
I saw I saw some people talking about this online,
the way Boston changed defensively in the second half.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
They just switched everything.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
They didn't try to do the hedge, they didn't try
to like get back to their original They just stuck
and Miami ended up going a lot of one on
one basketball. And you know, listen, Jimmy Butler had a
good game. If you look at the counting stats, he
had twenty nine to nine to five way to go.
That's a good game, right, Well, he was nine to
twenty one. Robert Williams did a pretty solid job on
him when he got the switch, and Butler got to
(04:38):
the foul line twelve times, but not hitting from deep
and not as efficient from the field. And folks, listen,
I'm not gonna draw any parallels to the Red Sox
coming back from down oh three. I'll leave that to
the Bill Simmons crowd. And yes, by the way, I
did get your text messages about Simmons mentioning me and
Cowherd on one of his TV show podcasts. My wife
(05:00):
even got a text message from one of her high
school friends like I didn't know Simmons had that kind
of clout at any rate. I know Boston Celtics fans
are very fired up. They think they got a chance.
Let's simmer down. Okay, the Celtics are below five hundred,
I believe. I think it's eleven and twelve in the
postseason at home in their last sorry, in their last
(05:22):
twenty three postseason games, eleven and twelve. So I don't
want to make too much of this win. But I
also would like to point out, and I know that's like, Jake,
you need to take huh kid talk out of both
sides of your mouth. The reality is, Miami ain't that good.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
They're not.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
You can't be the twenty.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Seventh rated three point shooting team in the regular season
all of a sudden morphed to first in the playoffs
and then you're great.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I mean, you could have a tweight great.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
What is this six games against the Knicks, five games
against the Bucks? So this is like a great fourteen games?
Do you know what that is? You guys know, that's
like a month. That's like, oh, they're cooking for the
month of December. That's what the Biamy heat basically are.
And then regression sets in and we'll see Boston, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
They hit eighteen threes, eighteen out of forty five forty percent.
The stat here courtesy of stat man Rob G. The
Boston Celtics are nine to two in the postseason when
they make thirteen or more threes. They're zero and six
when they don't. So they're jacking the threes. And in
the first half they weren't totally falling. Second half, it
was just a tsunami. So Boston going home Thursday, no hoops. Wednesday,
(06:31):
we did record an awesome interview. I'm gonna I'm not
gonna say the person's name. I'll give it a tease.
They have over three million followers on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I'll just leave it at that.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
So great interview tomorrow, and then we get Thursday, we
get Celtics heat, and then it gets interesting because you
guys don't I'm taken off on vacation Friday, and I
don't know if Rob G's gonna take over the podcast
for a few days or what's gonna happen. But there's
a chance since I'm gonna be in a different time zone,
then I might miss if this goes six seven, rob
I don't know. I think the Celtics have a chance.
(07:03):
I would say chances are low. This feels like maybe
a Jimmy Butler forty burger to you know, put them away.
If you remember in the bubble Rob against the Lakers
in the finals, the Lakers were up two oh and
then came the Jimmy Butler game where he was exhausted,
had all the memes. At the end of the game,
he was like leaning on the thing under the basket
(07:25):
and just exhausted from carrying Miami. And he did it
for one game they got to win. They were down
to one and then Lakers went up three to one.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
That was that.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
But I'm not ruling out Jimmy Butler on anything. He's
gonna take this to heart. He knows he's gonna look
around that locker room and see a bunch of undrafted
dudes who may have some uncertainty.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Could get interesting.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I'll still say the heat have him, but at the
confidence level has gone way way down for Miami.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Look, I still think that Miami is gonna win this series.
I mean, history says that if you're three to zero
in a series, then it's it's pretty much a rap
I thin, it's a hundred and forty nine and zero
and as high of an end as the Boston Celtics have.
They also find ways to trick away games better than
anybody in this NBA postseason that's been eliminated or still
(08:13):
out there. They find ways to blow games, and that's
just what they do. So even though I believe they're
still the better team, I don't think to be able
to come back. But the my big takeaway from last
night's game is to your point about Miami, Like the
law of average just says you're not gonna be able
to shoot thirty nine percent from three when all season
(08:34):
you've been a thirty four percent shooting team, Like, that's
just gonna happen. So the Knights, when you shot forty
two forty five earlier in this series, you're gonna have
nights like Game four where they shoot twenty five percent
and it's all gonna average out. And it got me
thinking that, let me know if this makes sense, I'm
gonna run it by you. You let me know if
this comparison fits. This Miami Heat team reminds me a
(08:54):
lot of the twenty twelve Baltimore Ravens. They were ten
and six during the regular season, very solid, if unspectacular.
They're just a good, gritty team, you know, like, hey,
they might make some noise. Nobody's really picking them to
do anything because they have shortcomings offensively. And then what happens.
Joe Flacco goes from being a two hundred and thirty
(09:19):
eight yards per game eighty seven point seven passer rating
quarterback the definition of mediocre to two eighty five passer
rating of one point seventeen. In the postseason goes four
to ozho eleven touchdowns, zero picks, one of the great
postseason runs we've seen in the NFL. And that's exactly
(09:39):
what's happened to this Miami Heat offense. They were a
not even average, they were a bad offense. There's a
reason why there's only been two teams in the NBA's
history that ranked last ten points per game like this
Miami eight team and made the finals nineteen sixty four
and nineteen fifty six. I don't even know if you
can count that, Yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Oh, those are like, well what eight teams in the
league right ninety You.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Know, I don't even know if you throw that one
out there. So Miami is on this really really hot
streak and their three point shooting is Joe Flacco esque.
They're just in a zone right now that doesn't make
any sense relative to what you've seen throughout the regular season. Now, I,
like I said, I expect.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Hold on, I'm looking at the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
So you're spot on because they and they were nine
and two in that season. They close out losing four
or five people forget this buy me team lost to
the first playing game to Trey Young, and we will
talk about the Trey Young Lakers stuff at the end
a little bit. But they lost that game and then
they had to beat Chicago and my guy, Zach Lavine,
Zach Lavine had.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Him on the ropes. There's like a one possession game
with four minutes left, like the heat.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Kind of sort of lucky to be here, right, I mean,
those Ravens were cratering at the end of the season
and then Joe Flacco gets hot.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Thing is, though you.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Only got to win four games in the NFL playoffs, right,
these hei are gonna have to probably up winning like
nineteen twenty games, no, sixteen games to win it, but
it'll probably end up being twenty twenty one games.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Yeah. So, like I said, I don't think they're going
to be able to sustain the shooting. I think Game
four was indicative of what we're going to see because
I think they're eventually going to dispatch it. This Boston
Celtics team just that's just I don't expect them to
win four straight. But when they get to Denver, you're
gonna see these nights where they are shooting twenty five
percent and they're just not as talented as the Denver Nuggets,
(11:29):
and Denver is going to blow the doors off them
in the finals. And people are gonna be like, well,
I wish that, you know, Denver was challenging more, and
it's like, well, you can't help. But they ran into
a team that played above their heads for a month,
and this is what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, I like your phrase above their heads.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So I'm sure a lot of people have heard I
wrote down a couple punching above their weight. You guys
have heard that out kicking their coverage. I'll never forget.
So I had met, you know, my girlfriend who became
my wife, and I introduced her to some buddies and
then my like next tier group of guys and I
end up, you know, wh at a bar and I
would go to the bathroom, you know, in a stall,
(12:07):
and my buddy's next is like next to me, he's like,
mac man, you're playing above the rim. And I never
heard that phrase before, so I didn't know what he
was talking about. And then he describes it as, you know,
like I'm a below the rim player and you know,
the girl who I got engaged to and married and
everything is above the rim. And I kind of laughed
at that, and I feel like that's what the Miami
(12:29):
Heat have been in this postseason, and eventually, Miami Heat,
I'm sorry to report like that it's at some point
it's gonna end. Now we don't know if it's gonna
end against the Nuggets or here against the Celtics. I
will say, Rob, you mentioned Denver. I had to write
up a prediction for the finals with like a breakdown
of where to gamble and all that stuff. I went
(12:51):
Nuggets in seven. I know that's probably a little more
than a lot of people will think. A lot of
people are gonna pick the Nuggets. The logic is, this
is not a great defensive Denver team. Meanwhile, the Celtics
are a good defensive team and I just I wonder
bam Adebayo really good defensive center, Like can they hide
him in another Aaron Gordon and come over and help
(13:14):
the way Ruey and Ad did.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
I mean, I don't want to go too much into
the finals. Who knows that they might even get there.
But I went Denver seven. We'll save it for official
pick later in the week. But is that what you're
thinking or you thinking like Denver and five or something.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
I think it's going to be closer to Denver and five.
I think Denver is locked in in a way that
very few teams have been recently. Their offense is clicking
and all cylinders. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are putting
together one of the great postseason runs we've seen from
any two players in NBA history period.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
My problem is I picked the Knicks, picked the Celtics,
and I wrote, like, you know you're writing it up,
you're breaking it down. I'm like this Celtics could sweep
these guys, but I'll pick Celtics in five. And you know,
you look like an idiot when what's broken down has
actually happened. So we'll obviously get more into that game.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I know you're a huge Lakers guy, and I know
the Lakers have been extinguished. However, the Lakers are going
to be the topic du jour throughout the league. This
Kyrie Irving stuff is big, obviously, and Trey Young. I
didn't even notice this, but Trey Young was at the
game Game four, the loss to Denver, and there was
(14:26):
speculation our guest we had what two weeks ago, Yovann
Buja said that there have been internal discussions within the
Lakers about what a trade package would look like for
Trey Young. Remember there was some Trey Young friction with
Quinn Snyder. There's talk about the ownership. Right before the playoffs,
We're like, yeah, this Tray Young. He's not playing defense,
he's not getting his act together. You know, everything's on
(14:48):
the table. Basically, I don't know if that was to
wake him up.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Trey Young.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Actually, I thought had a pretty good showing in that
opening round against Boston, really good Game five. I think
it was, yeah, game five. So, at any rate, Trey
Young loves to come out here to LA He's out
here every summer. And someone floated this. Now listen, I
did not float it. I got it sent to me
by a Lakers fan. I don't want you guys thinking
I'm some Lakers homer, but the graphic says, who says,
(15:14):
no Lakers get Trey Young.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
The Atlanta Hawks receive and.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Rob, I need you know, I need you to not
blurt out laughter when you hear it. Okay, The Hawks
received D'Angelo Russell and as sign and trade Malik Beasley Mobomba.
The Lakers set number seventeen pick in twenty twenty three.
Now they can't trade that pick, but essentially, if they're
going to do a deal, the Hawks would say, draft
(15:39):
Joe Smith.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
We won him.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Lakers would draft Joe Smith and then the Lakers twenty
twenty nine first.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Round pick, So Russell was a top five pick, Mobomba
was a lottery pick. The twenty twenty three pick is
a first, and twenty twenty nine is the first, so
that's essentially four firsts and Malik Beasley for Trey Young.
I'm curious as to your thoughts. Again, this is not
my trade, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
As you know, I am not a huge Tray Young fan,
but even I would say, from an Atlanta Hawks perspective, like,
what the heck are you smoking? My guy, there is
no way I'm giving up a franchise point guard for
Malik Beasley who may or may not be in the
league come two years from now Mo Bamba who couldn't
even get playing time with the Orlando Magic, a non
(16:27):
lottery first round pick, and a future what eighth grade player? Like, No,
it's just not gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Actually, actually twenty twenty nine is a sixth grader because
my son, okay, the sixth grade, he graduates.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
In two nine.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
All right, so what I'm trying not to lie?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
What if you throw into Vanderbilt?
Speaker 1 (16:48):
No, of course not.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I mean I'm partially partially.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Joking, aside from Trey Young rolling up to Landry Field's
house like with a knife in his hand and says,
if you don't trade me to the Los Angeles Lakers,
I'm gonna slash up all your couches so that you
can't sit down properly.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Yes, so I know everyone's cracking up now obviously. However,
when I put this on social media, like every Hawks
fan so like basically the two dozen people who root
for the Hawks that go to the Highlight Factory.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
They wrote in sure, we'll do this.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
You throw an Ad, We'll add John Collins, And I'm like,
why are the Lakers giving away Ad? So they're going
no defense Tray Young and they're losing their best interior defender.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Like that doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
So I guess there's a Tray Young package would be
very difficult to pull off. Huh.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah. And you know what's funny is that's probably even
as crazy it is, it's probably more realistic than a
Kyrie Irving trade because any you know, I guess maybe
you're banking on Kyrie notpping sensicle, but who the heck
is willingly giving up fifteen to twenty million dollars to
go play somewhere else, Because that's basically what he'd.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Have to do.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
The Lakers can't get him for max forty seven million
dollars contract. It's just not possible. He'd have to be
willing to take a massive pay cut.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Yeah, and that's not gonna happen. It's just tough.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Listen, this is I know, this is gonna be a
summer of a lot of stuff, crazy stuff in the NBA.
I'm just gonna point out as laughable as the Trey
Young stuff is and Kyrie Irving taking a pay cut.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Let's be real.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
These DeAndre Ayton trades to the Mavericks sound ridiculously stupid.
This idea that DeAndre Ayton is gonna is gonna work
with Luka Doncic, who rides officials, rides his teammates like
Chris Paul and Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are washing
their hands of Ayton.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
You think Luka Doncis is gonna take him on, that's insanity.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Like, I don't see who would want Aiden. The only
way you're getting Aytan is you're shipping him to like
a Detroit, a Charlotte, one of these other teams who
traded for James Wiseman.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
I've already forgotten the Detroit Pistons.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Detroit Pistons.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Okay, so they're not bringing out Aiden, but it's like, like,
who wants Ayton?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
And I don't want to hear this.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
You know, in the NFL, there's this lovely theory that
everybody loves to rehabilitate quarterbacks because every coach is morn
enough and dog gone it. I can get this done.
He just hasn't worked with me. You know, there's that
coach mindset and it's like, no, DeAndre Aiden does not
work hard like. That's well chronicled. Monty Williams, one of
(19:22):
the better coaches in the league, one of the better
guys in the league, like openly could not get.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Along with him, didn't call him in the offseason.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Like folks, this idea that DeAndre Aiden's gonna be easy
to trade is that's just comical. So now he got
Trey Young not going anywhere, Kyrie Irving not going anywhere,
DeAndre Ayton tough to trade.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Rob. I'm gonna hit you with what I thought was
the craziest news. Are you ready for this?
Speaker 3 (19:45):
According to Adrian Wodjenerowski late on hell, what is today Tuesday?
Speaker 1 (19:51):
That would have been on Tuesday nightsday.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Yes, yes, it's Tuesday night.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So according to Adrian Wojenerowski, as I call it off
on my phone, here are the finalists for the Phoenix
Sun's coaching job.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Are you ready?
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Hit me?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Nick Nurse understandable. I think he probably gets it.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
King's associate head coach Jordi Fernandez. I don't know who
that is.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Number one offenses association.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
They got the number one offense in the league. Maybe
they want that?
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Oh okay, yeah, yeah, it's all, it's all Jeordy Fernandez obviously,
that's right. And then Son's associate head coach Kevin Young,
who's highly thought of, apparently. And then the final guy
is someone named Doc Rivers. She does nothing but lose.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Elimination games, choke Away three to one leads, Gag three
two leads, and if memory serves.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Doc Rivers spent some time in LA with the Lob
City group with Chris Paul.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
How'd that workout? Rob?
Speaker 3 (20:43):
I wasn't living out here at the time in La,
so I didn't have a front row seat for Doc
Rivers and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
I know Blake Griffin ended up hating Chris Paul. How
did it go with Doc Rivers and Chris Paul? How
about had that workout?
Speaker 1 (20:56):
I think that, uh, Chris Paul also hates Doc Rivers. Jason.
I think it failed spectacularly to put him mildly.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah. Interesting, So now Doc Rivers is a finalist for Phoenix.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Is this like it almost feels like this is like
a charity mention of Doc Rivers took like because he
wants to get back in coaching. He's embarrassed to get
a run out of town by James Harden or as
you call him, Rob Jim Harden because he didn't show
up in Game six and seven.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
As usual, Doc.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Rivers has won a lot of games in the NBA.
He's won a title in Boston. He was a really
scrappy point guard with the Atlanta Hawks back in the day. Yeah,
I remember Dominique Wilkins, Tree, Rollins, Cliff Livingston, I.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Know my Hawks back in the day. Doc Rivers a
good NBA player.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
This idea that he's getting the Phoenix Sun's job is
I mean, completely perplexing the idea he's a finalist. Now, Listen,
Doc has seen the highs in the NBA. The guys
won a title.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
He coached. Where where did he coach before this? Rob
six Ers? Why am I spacing Clippers? Yeah? He coached
the Clippers. Obviously, said you nobody had another good job.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
The Boston Celtics boss.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Yeah, there was another good one.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
No, they got fired from g Oh it was the
Clippers in the bubble. Yes, that's right, the Clippers.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
In the bubble. That's the other one.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
I was thinking of three to one lead over Denver
and Doc Rivers. Just I mean, I know, I know
we could say, well, Doctor Lujah Kawhi playoff p Remember
Paul George throwing shots off the side.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Of the pandemic p Wayda's p Yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
When that came out, pandemic p okay. I didn't know
that was a thing.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
This idea that the Sons would hire him, You gotta
be kidding me now. Nick Nurse is interesting because I
don't want Toronto to hate me all over again, given
the Chicago and San Antonio stuff I've said about recently.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
But Nick Nurse won one of.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
The more questionable titles, shall we say, in recent years. Yes,
Kawhi hit that prayer to beat the Sixers. Yes they
got to the finals. They did not face Kevin Durant
except for eleven minutes. Klay Thompson goes down in Game
six when Steph Curry looked like he was gonna maybe
be able to force Game seven, or did he go
(23:10):
down in Game five? Bottom line, Klay Thompson got hurt.
Kevin Durant barely played in the series, and we're talking
about a raptor scene that won the title and then
hasn't done Jack squat since Kawhi did leave. But Pascal
Siakam has regress. Fred van Vilvliet's looking like he's on
his way out. By the way, Robb g aside Fred
van Vliet to the Lakers, I bet you, I guarantee,
(23:30):
I'm with that he would take less.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
I think he's a clutch you he would take left.
I think he's a clutch guy.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Clutch clutch guy, clutch play. If memory serves, I think
he was the second best player.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
On the Raptors when Kawhi won the title because his
defense on Curry was tremendous. So he's basically like a
Dennis Shreuter defensively. And oh, by the way, he can score.
So yeah, let's just flog that right there. Fred van
Vliet possibly Lakers at any rate. I didn't see what
Nurse did. Otherwise. Now as a tactician, he's supposedly very good.
(24:02):
I know, not everybody could win a title. He does
have the championship. He coached up a lot of guys
like Pascal Siako turned into an All NBA player With him,
Fred VanVleet turned into a very very good player.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
He's gonna make a lot of money. I don't know
if he's the answer.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It's clear that Bodenholder is not a kind of guy
they want. This is the Phoenix Suns, man, I could
see that team regressing badly, badly if they don't make
some major moves. Good luck with Ayton. We'll see what
happens with Chris Paul. But I'm stunned that Doc Rivers
is a finalist.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Rob Yeah, me too. I mean, if I have these numbers,
I'm sure they do. Doc Rivers has lost ten times
in game seven, five more than any other coach. He's
lost five straight game seven since twenty fifteen. He's never
won a road game seven. His teams have blown seven
to three to two series leads, and as of a
(24:56):
week and a half ago, he has now lost thirty
three series Clinchy's games as the head coach, the most
in NBA history. Like it's one thing for Doc Rivers
to get rehired in the NBA, Like, I get it.
It's kind of like a if you're in the club,
you're in the club. You can get jobs all the time.
I understand that. But for Doc Rivers to go from
(25:17):
the Boston Celtics, who in my opinion, they wildly underperformed
with that talent, to only have one championship is crazy
to me, the Big Three Celtics only having one ring
is wild. They then get the Lob City Clippers gig
who at that time. I don't people make fun of
them now, but at that time they were probably what
a top five most talented team in the NBA, Like
(25:39):
you know at one point if.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
People forget weren't they ahead of the world.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
That was That was the team that the Warriors couldn't
get lost to, right, the Warriors could not get by them.
And then when they finally did, it was like they
went to warp. They were right to the title.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Then it was Curtains and so he goes from that
team that that blows up. He gets the Kawhi Paul
George team the three. They blow the three to one lead.
Not only does he get the plumb job in Philly
with Joel Embiid, he gets it like two days after
getting fired, Like it was just like, oh, Doc Riversville,
we got to get him. And now he gets fired again.
(26:14):
And now about a week and he's in line to
get a job with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Like
there's there's failing upward and then there's failing to the moon,
and that's exactly what Doc Rivers continues to do.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Yeah, it's almost like the Michael Malone strategy is impressive.
I looked at he was an assistant in the NBA
for thirteen years, got the King's job, did not last
very long, then got the Nuggets job and has been awesome.
He has been tremendous and he's now the favorite obviously
to win the title. So Rob, but were missing any
any other players we can get to the Lakers? We
(26:48):
got Trey Young, Kyrie. I really like this Lakers talk,
Fred van Vliet. We will workshop some more the same way.
Rob Workshop January. Joe Flacco as the heat. By the way,
do you want to quickly guess I just got the
alert on my phone what the line is for game
(27:09):
for Game five on Thursday?
Speaker 2 (27:12):
You want to guess?
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Don't look in Boston. They're coming off an emotional win.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
By the way, Boston was just old on. The Celtics
were just an underdogging game for first time in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
And I think I read that underdogs have won every
game in this series. So that's probably not good for Boston.
But I'm going to guess Boston minus six and a half.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Oh, that's close. So Boston seven and a half.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Ah okay, Well.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Listen, I've been saying all week that I think the
the Miami Heat broke, like statistical models, they have ruined
all this, like all this analytics net rating, Like what
does that mean when the Heat are on the verge
they have a negative net rating and they're on the
verge of going to the finals, Like that's not supposed
to happen. None of this makes any sense. Celtics big
favorites Vegas. They've been taking a bath in this series.
(27:57):
Maybe Boston bounces back. All right, We'll be back tomorrow
with that big interview. Keep it locked.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Talk to you then,
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
This is straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up
straight Fire?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Fam h's me Jason McIntyre Straight Fire for Wednesday, May
twenty fourth. I thought, I really did think that would
be clear to sweeps in the conference finals, and it
did not happen because Water found its level. The Miami
Heat regressed from three, Boston went bonkers from deep. They
(00:36):
hit let me check here eighteen to three pointers. My guy,
Jason Tatum finally got a fourth quarter bucket. He had
a phenomenal game. Tatum finished box score here says thirty three,
eleven and seven and oh, by the way, five baskets
in the fourth quarter of the Celtics hanging on for
dear life, they get to win in Miami. A lot
of people are making jokes about being down three a
(00:58):
Rod and Jeter being in Miami for the game. The
TNT cameras or TBS, whichever channel it was, I always
get those mixed up. They kept showing a Rod and Jeter,
and then eventually they showed the Red Sox who came
back from down zero three against my Yankees. Yes, born
in New York, coming Yankees guy, And it reminded me
of the Dumb and Dumbers team Jim Carrey just obviously
(01:19):
one of the seminal comedians of my youth in Living
Color was you know, I've talked about this on the
pod a million times for the new audience on video
in Living color was a show My brother and I
would watch it, and then eventually my parents are like, oh,
let's see what this show is that you guys keep
laughing at and they're like, no, shot, you are not
watching in living color. So we would record it on
the sly. You know, you'd have the TV off, the
(01:40):
VCR on. We'd have to put a pillow up so
you couldn't see that. It was like recording, and then
we'll watch it when they were not there and in
living color Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey then went on to
do Dumb and Dumber and had one of the funnier
lines in the movie where essentially the attractive redhead I'm
spacing on her name was like, it's not happening, dude,
(02:00):
I'm not interested in you.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And he said, so you're saying there's a chance.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
And one of my Celtics buddies I don't have many
of those, sent me a text with that giff As
just as we started to record the podcast here, Jiff
giff whatever, and the Celtics.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Are not dead.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
They're not listen, folks. I don't want to be up
Miami Heat basher, but I'm being a realist. This ain't
a good basketball team. They are on an unbelievable hot streak,
knocking out the Bucks, getting the Bucks coach fired. They
scrapped by the Knicks four to two. Jalen Brunson fought hard,
and they're about to get Missoula fired, and all of
a sudden, it's like, whoa, they can't throw in the ocean.
(02:38):
I mean, listen, Undrafted guys, remember how we've talked about
how they they been going off in this series. Undrafted
dudes from deep in Game four, Gabe Vincent, who hurt
his ankle, one of four, Max Strus one of five,
Duncan Robinson, oh for four, Caleb Martin, who looked like
Jamal Murray in the first half.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
He went off.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
He two of five from deep. He's just not gonna
cut twenty five percent. And Boston basically goes off in
the fourth quarter. Jason Tatum comes in the score I
wrote it down here, eighty eight eighty three fourth quarter.
You're waiting for Boston to collapse again. I think the
stat is Miami has had six double digit deficits overcome
in these playoffs, which is insane. I think the Nuggets
(03:19):
have trailed by double digits twice in the entire postseason.
Miami's done it six times and come back to win.
So you're like, all right, maybe they can hold him off.
Tatum comes in at the nine to twelve mark, Tatum scores,
gets an assist, step back three Tatum, bucket, Tatum assist.
Next thing you know, it is a twelve to zero
(03:39):
run and they go up by seventeen, and they were
able to hold off the Miami Heat, who looked a
little despondent at the end. I'm not gonna make too
much of it. You know, we're recording this. The game
just ended about thirty minutes ago. Kyle Lowry tweaked his
growing there on a slippery spot. He didn't seem to
play effective after that. He didn't have a good game,
four turnovers. He had a good first half, second half
(04:01):
he did not.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
He was not the same.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
And then Vincent tweaked his ankle, ended up running to
the locker room and you know, Jimmy Butler. You notice
I saw I saw some people talking about this online,
the way Boston changed defensively in the second half.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
They just switched everything.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
They didn't try to do the hedge, they didn't try
to like get back to their original They just stuck
and Miami ended up going a lot of one on
one basketball. And you know, listen, Jimmy Butler had a
good game. If you look at the counting stats, he
had twenty nine to nine to five way to go.
That's a good game, right, Well, he was nine to
twenty one. Robert Williams did a pretty solid job on
him when he got the switch, and Butler got to
(04:38):
the foul line twelve times, but not hitting from deep
and not as efficient from the field. And folks, listen,
I'm not gonna draw any parallels to the Red Sox
coming back from down oh three. I'll leave that to
the Bill Simmons crowd. And yes, by the way, I
did get your text messages about Simmons mentioning me and
Cowherd on one of his TV show podcasts. My wife
(05:00):
even got a text message from one of her high
school friends like I didn't know Simmons had that kind
of clout at any rate. I know Boston Celtics fans
are very fired up. They think they got a chance.
Let's simmer down. Okay, the Celtics are below five hundred,
I believe. I think it's eleven and twelve in the
postseason at home in their last sorry, in their last
(05:22):
twenty three postseason games, eleven and twelve. So I don't
want to make too much of this win. But I
also would like to point out, and I know that's like, Jake,
you need to take huh kid talk out of both
sides of your mouth. The reality is, Miami ain't that good.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
They're not.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
You can't be the twenty.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Seventh rated three point shooting team in the regular season
all of a sudden morphed to first in the playoffs
and then you're great.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I mean, you could have a tweight great.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
What is this six games against the Knicks, five games
against the Bucks? So this is like a great fourteen games?
Do you know what that is? You guys know, that's
like a month. That's like, oh, they're cooking for the
month of December. That's what the Biamy heat basically are.
And then regression sets in and we'll see Boston, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
They hit eighteen threes, eighteen out of forty five forty percent.
The stat here courtesy of stat man Rob G. The
Boston Celtics are nine to two in the postseason when
they make thirteen or more threes. They're zero and six
when they don't. So they're jacking the threes. And in
the first half they weren't totally falling. Second half, it
was just a tsunami. So Boston going home Thursday, no hoops. Wednesday,
(06:31):
we did record an awesome interview. I'm gonna I'm not
gonna say the person's name. I'll give it a tease.
They have over three million followers on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I'll just leave it at that.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
So great interview tomorrow, and then we get Thursday, we
get Celtics heat, and then it gets interesting because you
guys don't I'm taken off on vacation Friday, and I
don't know if Rob G's gonna take over the podcast
for a few days or what's gonna happen. But there's
a chance since I'm gonna be in a different time zone,
then I might miss if this goes six seven, rob
I don't know. I think the Celtics have a chance.
(07:03):
I would say chances are low. This feels like maybe
a Jimmy Butler forty burger to you know, put them away.
If you remember in the bubble Rob against the Lakers
in the finals, the Lakers were up two oh and
then came the Jimmy Butler game where he was exhausted,
had all the memes. At the end of the game,
he was like leaning on the thing under the basket
(07:25):
and just exhausted from carrying Miami. And he did it
for one game they got to win. They were down
to one and then Lakers went up three to one.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
That was that.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
But I'm not ruling out Jimmy Butler on anything. He's
gonna take this to heart. He knows he's gonna look
around that locker room and see a bunch of undrafted
dudes who may have some uncertainty.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Could get interesting.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I'll still say the heat have him, but at the
confidence level has gone way way down for Miami.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Look, I still think that Miami is gonna win this series.
I mean, history says that if you're three to zero
in a series, then it's it's pretty much a rap
I thin, it's a hundred and forty nine and zero
and as high of an end as the Boston Celtics have.
They also find ways to trick away games better than
anybody in this NBA postseason that's been eliminated or still
(08:13):
out there. They find ways to blow games, and that's
just what they do. So even though I believe they're
still the better team, I don't think to be able
to come back. But the my big takeaway from last
night's game is to your point about Miami, Like the
law of average just says you're not gonna be able
to shoot thirty nine percent from three when all season
(08:34):
you've been a thirty four percent shooting team, Like, that's
just gonna happen. So the Knights, when you shot forty
two forty five earlier in this series, you're gonna have
nights like Game four where they shoot twenty five percent
and it's all gonna average out. And it got me
thinking that, let me know if this makes sense, I'm
gonna run it by you. You let me know if
this comparison fits. This Miami Heat team reminds me a
(08:54):
lot of the twenty twelve Baltimore Ravens. They were ten
and six during the regular season, very solid, if unspectacular.
They're just a good, gritty team, you know, like, hey,
they might make some noise. Nobody's really picking them to
do anything because they have shortcomings offensively. And then what happens.
Joe Flacco goes from being a two hundred and thirty
(09:19):
eight yards per game eighty seven point seven passer rating
quarterback the definition of mediocre to two eighty five passer
rating of one point seventeen. In the postseason goes four
to ozho eleven touchdowns, zero picks, one of the great
postseason runs we've seen in the NFL. And that's exactly
(09:39):
what's happened to this Miami Heat offense. They were a
not even average, they were a bad offense. There's a
reason why there's only been two teams in the NBA's
history that ranked last ten points per game like this
Miami eight team and made the finals nineteen sixty four
and nineteen fifty six. I don't even know if you
can count that, Yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Oh, those are like, well what eight teams in the
league right ninety You.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Know, I don't even know if you throw that one
out there. So Miami is on this really really hot
streak and their three point shooting is Joe Flacco esque.
They're just in a zone right now that doesn't make
any sense relative to what you've seen throughout the regular season. Now, I,
like I said, I expect.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Hold on, I'm looking at the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
So you're spot on because they and they were nine
and two in that season. They close out losing four
or five people forget this buy me team lost to
the first playing game to Trey Young, and we will
talk about the Trey Young Lakers stuff at the end
a little bit. But they lost that game and then
they had to beat Chicago and my guy, Zach Lavine,
Zach Lavine had.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Him on the ropes. There's like a one possession game
with four minutes left, like the heat.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Kind of sort of lucky to be here, right, I mean,
those Ravens were cratering at the end of the season
and then Joe Flacco gets hot.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Thing is, though you.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Only got to win four games in the NFL playoffs, right,
these hei are gonna have to probably up winning like
nineteen twenty games, no, sixteen games to win it, but
it'll probably end up being twenty twenty one games.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Yeah. So, like I said, I don't think they're going
to be able to sustain the shooting. I think Game
four was indicative of what we're going to see because
I think they're eventually going to dispatch it. This Boston
Celtics team just that's just I don't expect them to
win four straight. But when they get to Denver, you're
gonna see these nights where they are shooting twenty five
percent and they're just not as talented as the Denver Nuggets,
(11:29):
and Denver is going to blow the doors off them
in the finals. And people are gonna be like, well,
I wish that, you know, Denver was challenging more, and
it's like, well, you can't help. But they ran into
a team that played above their heads for a month,
and this is what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, I like your phrase above their heads.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So I'm sure a lot of people have heard I
wrote down a couple punching above their weight. You guys
have heard that out kicking their coverage. I'll never forget.
So I had met, you know, my girlfriend who became
my wife, and I introduced her to some buddies and
then my like next tier group of guys and I
end up, you know, wh at a bar and I
would go to the bathroom, you know, in a stall,
(12:07):
and my buddy's next is like next to me, he's like,
mac man, you're playing above the rim. And I never
heard that phrase before, so I didn't know what he
was talking about. And then he describes it as, you know,
like I'm a below the rim player and you know,
the girl who I got engaged to and married and
everything is above the rim. And I kind of laughed
at that, and I feel like that's what the Miami
(12:29):
Heat have been in this postseason, and eventually, Miami Heat,
I'm sorry to report like that it's at some point
it's gonna end. Now we don't know if it's gonna
end against the Nuggets or here against the Celtics. I
will say, Rob, you mentioned Denver. I had to write
up a prediction for the finals with like a breakdown
of where to gamble and all that stuff. I went
(12:51):
Nuggets in seven. I know that's probably a little more
than a lot of people will think. A lot of
people are gonna pick the Nuggets. The logic is, this
is not a great defensive Denver team. Meanwhile, the Celtics
are a good defensive team and I just I wonder
bam Adebayo really good defensive center, Like can they hide
him in another Aaron Gordon and come over and help
(13:14):
the way Ruey and Ad did.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
I mean, I don't want to go too much into
the finals. Who knows that they might even get there.
But I went Denver seven. We'll save it for official
pick later in the week. But is that what you're
thinking or you thinking like Denver and five or something.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
I think it's going to be closer to Denver and five.
I think Denver is locked in in a way that
very few teams have been recently. Their offense is clicking
and all cylinders. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are putting
together one of the great postseason runs we've seen from
any two players in NBA history period.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
My problem is I picked the Knicks, picked the Celtics,
and I wrote, like, you know you're writing it up,
you're breaking it down. I'm like this Celtics could sweep
these guys, but I'll pick Celtics in five. And you know,
you look like an idiot when what's broken down has
actually happened. So we'll obviously get more into that game.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I know you're a huge Lakers guy, and I know
the Lakers have been extinguished. However, the Lakers are going
to be the topic du jour throughout the league. This
Kyrie Irving stuff is big, obviously, and Trey Young. I
didn't even notice this, but Trey Young was at the
game Game four, the loss to Denver, and there was
(14:26):
speculation our guest we had what two weeks ago, Yovann
Buja said that there have been internal discussions within the
Lakers about what a trade package would look like for
Trey Young. Remember there was some Trey Young friction with
Quinn Snyder. There's talk about the ownership. Right before the playoffs,
We're like, yeah, this Tray Young. He's not playing defense,
he's not getting his act together. You know, everything's on
(14:48):
the table. Basically, I don't know if that was to
wake him up.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Trey Young.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Actually, I thought had a pretty good showing in that
opening round against Boston, really good Game five. I think
it was, yeah, game five. So, at any rate, Trey
Young loves to come out here to LA He's out
here every summer. And someone floated this. Now listen, I
did not float it. I got it sent to me
by a Lakers fan. I don't want you guys thinking
I'm some Lakers homer, but the graphic says, who says,
(15:14):
no Lakers get Trey Young.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
The Atlanta Hawks receive and.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Rob, I need you know, I need you to not
blurt out laughter when you hear it. Okay, The Hawks
received D'Angelo Russell and as sign and trade Malik Beasley Mobomba.
The Lakers set number seventeen pick in twenty twenty three.
Now they can't trade that pick, but essentially, if they're
going to do a deal, the Hawks would say, draft
(15:39):
Joe Smith.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
We won him.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Lakers would draft Joe Smith and then the Lakers twenty
twenty nine first.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Round pick, So Russell was a top five pick, Mobomba
was a lottery pick. The twenty twenty three pick is
a first, and twenty twenty nine is the first, so
that's essentially four firsts and Malik Beasley for Trey Young.
I'm curious as to your thoughts. Again, this is not
my trade, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
As you know, I am not a huge Tray Young fan,
but even I would say, from an Atlanta Hawks perspective, like,
what the heck are you smoking? My guy, there is
no way I'm giving up a franchise point guard for
Malik Beasley who may or may not be in the
league come two years from now Mo Bamba who couldn't
even get playing time with the Orlando Magic, a non
(16:27):
lottery first round pick, and a future what eighth grade player? Like, No,
it's just not gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Actually, actually twenty twenty nine is a sixth grader because
my son, okay, the sixth grade, he graduates.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
In two nine.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
All right, so what I'm trying not to lie?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
What if you throw into Vanderbilt?
Speaker 1 (16:48):
No, of course not.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I mean I'm partially partially.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Joking, aside from Trey Young rolling up to Landry Field's
house like with a knife in his hand and says,
if you don't trade me to the Los Angeles Lakers,
I'm gonna slash up all your couches so that you
can't sit down properly.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Yes, so I know everyone's cracking up now obviously. However,
when I put this on social media, like every Hawks
fan so like basically the two dozen people who root
for the Hawks that go to the Highlight Factory.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
They wrote in sure, we'll do this.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
You throw an Ad, We'll add John Collins, And I'm like,
why are the Lakers giving away Ad? So they're going
no defense Tray Young and they're losing their best interior defender.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Like that doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
So I guess there's a Tray Young package would be
very difficult to pull off. Huh.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah. And you know what's funny is that's probably even
as crazy it is, it's probably more realistic than a
Kyrie Irving trade because any you know, I guess maybe
you're banking on Kyrie notpping sensicle, but who the heck
is willingly giving up fifteen to twenty million dollars to
go play somewhere else, Because that's basically what he'd.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Have to do.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
The Lakers can't get him for max forty seven million
dollars contract. It's just not possible. He'd have to be
willing to take a massive pay cut.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Yeah, and that's not gonna happen. It's just tough.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Listen, this is I know, this is gonna be a
summer of a lot of stuff, crazy stuff in the NBA.
I'm just gonna point out as laughable as the Trey
Young stuff is and Kyrie Irving taking a pay cut.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Let's be real.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
These DeAndre Ayton trades to the Mavericks sound ridiculously stupid.
This idea that DeAndre Ayton is gonna is gonna work
with Luka Doncic, who rides officials, rides his teammates like
Chris Paul and Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are washing
their hands of Ayton.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
You think Luka Doncis is gonna take him on, that's insanity.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Like, I don't see who would want Aiden. The only
way you're getting Aytan is you're shipping him to like
a Detroit, a Charlotte, one of these other teams who
traded for James Wiseman.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
I've already forgotten the Detroit Pistons.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Detroit Pistons.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Okay, so they're not bringing out Aiden, but it's like, like,
who wants Ayton?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
And I don't want to hear this.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
You know, in the NFL, there's this lovely theory that
everybody loves to rehabilitate quarterbacks because every coach is morn
enough and dog gone it. I can get this done.
He just hasn't worked with me. You know, there's that
coach mindset and it's like, no, DeAndre Aiden does not
work hard like. That's well chronicled. Monty Williams, one of
(19:22):
the better coaches in the league, one of the better
guys in the league, like openly could not get.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Along with him, didn't call him in the offseason.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Like folks, this idea that DeAndre Aiden's gonna be easy
to trade is that's just comical. So now he got
Trey Young not going anywhere, Kyrie Irving not going anywhere,
DeAndre Ayton tough to trade.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Rob. I'm gonna hit you with what I thought was
the craziest news. Are you ready for this?
Speaker 3 (19:45):
According to Adrian Wodjenerowski late on hell, what is today Tuesday?
Speaker 1 (19:51):
That would have been on Tuesday nightsday.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Yes, yes, it's Tuesday night.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So according to Adrian Wojenerowski, as I call it off
on my phone, here are the finalists for the Phoenix
Sun's coaching job.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Are you ready?
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Hit me?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Nick Nurse understandable. I think he probably gets it.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
King's associate head coach Jordi Fernandez. I don't know who
that is.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Number one offenses association.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
They got the number one offense in the league. Maybe
they want that?
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Oh okay, yeah, yeah, it's all, it's all Jeordy Fernandez obviously,
that's right. And then Son's associate head coach Kevin Young,
who's highly thought of, apparently. And then the final guy
is someone named Doc Rivers. She does nothing but lose.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Elimination games, choke Away three to one leads, Gag three
two leads, and if memory serves.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Doc Rivers spent some time in LA with the Lob
City group with Chris Paul.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
How'd that workout? Rob?
Speaker 3 (20:43):
I wasn't living out here at the time in La,
so I didn't have a front row seat for Doc
Rivers and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
I know Blake Griffin ended up hating Chris Paul. How
did it go with Doc Rivers and Chris Paul? How
about had that workout?
Speaker 1 (20:56):
I think that, uh, Chris Paul also hates Doc Rivers. Jason.
I think it failed spectacularly to put him mildly.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah. Interesting, So now Doc Rivers is a finalist for Phoenix.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Is this like it almost feels like this is like
a charity mention of Doc Rivers took like because he
wants to get back in coaching. He's embarrassed to get
a run out of town by James Harden or as
you call him, Rob Jim Harden because he didn't show
up in Game six and seven.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
As usual, Doc.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Rivers has won a lot of games in the NBA.
He's won a title in Boston. He was a really
scrappy point guard with the Atlanta Hawks back in the day. Yeah,
I remember Dominique Wilkins, Tree, Rollins, Cliff Livingston, I.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Know my Hawks back in the day. Doc Rivers a
good NBA player.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
This idea that he's getting the Phoenix Sun's job is
I mean, completely perplexing the idea he's a finalist. Now, Listen,
Doc has seen the highs in the NBA. The guys
won a title.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
He coached. Where where did he coach before this? Rob
six Ers? Why am I spacing Clippers? Yeah? He coached
the Clippers. Obviously, said you nobody had another good job.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
The Boston Celtics boss.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Yeah, there was another good one.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
No, they got fired from g Oh it was the
Clippers in the bubble. Yes, that's right, the Clippers.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
In the bubble. That's the other one.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
I was thinking of three to one lead over Denver
and Doc Rivers. Just I mean, I know, I know
we could say, well, Doctor Lujah Kawhi playoff p Remember
Paul George throwing shots off the side.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Of the pandemic p Wayda's p Yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
When that came out, pandemic p okay. I didn't know
that was a thing.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
This idea that the Sons would hire him, You gotta
be kidding me now. Nick Nurse is interesting because I
don't want Toronto to hate me all over again, given
the Chicago and San Antonio stuff I've said about recently.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
But Nick Nurse won one of.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
The more questionable titles, shall we say, in recent years. Yes,
Kawhi hit that prayer to beat the Sixers. Yes they
got to the finals. They did not face Kevin Durant
except for eleven minutes. Klay Thompson goes down in Game
six when Steph Curry looked like he was gonna maybe
be able to force Game seven, or did he go
(23:10):
down in Game five? Bottom line, Klay Thompson got hurt.
Kevin Durant barely played in the series, and we're talking
about a raptor scene that won the title and then
hasn't done Jack squat since Kawhi did leave. But Pascal
Siakam has regress. Fred van Vilvliet's looking like he's on
his way out. By the way, Robb g aside Fred
van Vliet to the Lakers, I bet you, I guarantee,
(23:30):
I'm with that he would take less.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
I think he's a clutch you he would take left.
I think he's a clutch guy.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Clutch clutch guy, clutch play. If memory serves, I think
he was the second best player.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
On the Raptors when Kawhi won the title because his
defense on Curry was tremendous. So he's basically like a
Dennis Shreuter defensively. And oh, by the way, he can score.
So yeah, let's just flog that right there. Fred van
Vliet possibly Lakers at any rate. I didn't see what
Nurse did. Otherwise. Now as a tactician, he's supposedly very good.
(24:02):
I know, not everybody could win a title. He does
have the championship. He coached up a lot of guys
like Pascal Siako turned into an All NBA player With him,
Fred VanVleet turned into a very very good player.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
He's gonna make a lot of money. I don't know
if he's the answer.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It's clear that Bodenholder is not a kind of guy
they want. This is the Phoenix Suns, man, I could
see that team regressing badly, badly if they don't make
some major moves. Good luck with Ayton. We'll see what
happens with Chris Paul. But I'm stunned that Doc Rivers
is a finalist.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Rob Yeah, me too. I mean, if I have these numbers,
I'm sure they do. Doc Rivers has lost ten times
in game seven, five more than any other coach. He's
lost five straight game seven since twenty fifteen. He's never
won a road game seven. His teams have blown seven
to three to two series leads, and as of a
(24:56):
week and a half ago, he has now lost thirty
three series Clinchy's games as the head coach, the most
in NBA history. Like it's one thing for Doc Rivers
to get rehired in the NBA, Like, I get it.
It's kind of like a if you're in the club,
you're in the club. You can get jobs all the time.
I understand that. But for Doc Rivers to go from
(25:17):
the Boston Celtics, who in my opinion, they wildly underperformed
with that talent, to only have one championship is crazy
to me, the Big Three Celtics only having one ring
is wild. They then get the Lob City Clippers gig
who at that time. I don't people make fun of
them now, but at that time they were probably what
a top five most talented team in the NBA, Like
(25:39):
you know at one point if.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
People forget weren't they ahead of the world.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
That was That was the team that the Warriors couldn't
get lost to, right, the Warriors could not get by them.
And then when they finally did, it was like they
went to warp. They were right to the title.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Then it was Curtains and so he goes from that
team that that blows up. He gets the Kawhi Paul
George team the three. They blow the three to one lead.
Not only does he get the plumb job in Philly
with Joel Embiid, he gets it like two days after
getting fired, Like it was just like, oh, Doc Riversville,
we got to get him. And now he gets fired again.
(26:14):
And now about a week and he's in line to
get a job with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Like
there's there's failing upward and then there's failing to the moon,
and that's exactly what Doc Rivers continues to do.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Yeah, it's almost like the Michael Malone strategy is impressive.
I looked at he was an assistant in the NBA
for thirteen years, got the King's job, did not last
very long, then got the Nuggets job and has been awesome.
He has been tremendous and he's now the favorite obviously
to win the title. So Rob, but were missing any
any other players we can get to the Lakers? We
(26:48):
got Trey Young, Kyrie. I really like this Lakers talk,
Fred van Vliet. We will workshop some more the same way.
Rob Workshop January. Joe Flacco as the heat. By the way,
do you want to quickly guess I just got the
alert on my phone what the line is for game
(27:09):
for Game five on Thursday?
Speaker 2 (27:12):
You want to guess?
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Don't look in Boston. They're coming off an emotional win.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
By the way, Boston was just old on. The Celtics
were just an underdogging game for first time in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
And I think I read that underdogs have won every
game in this series. So that's probably not good for Boston.
But I'm going to guess Boston minus six and a half.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Oh, that's close. So Boston seven and a half.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Ah okay, Well.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Listen, I've been saying all week that I think the
the Miami Heat broke, like statistical models, they have ruined
all this, like all this analytics net rating, Like what
does that mean when the Heat are on the verge
they have a negative net rating and they're on the
verge of going to the finals, Like that's not supposed
to happen. None of this makes any sense. Celtics big
favorites Vegas. They've been taking a bath in this series.
(27:57):
Maybe Boston bounces back. All right, We'll be back tomorrow
with that big interview. Keep it locked.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Talk to you then,
Host
Jason McIntyre
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!