Vince Carter and Ros Gold-Onwude react to the Heat tying up the Finals (1-1), discuss potential adjustments for game three, and what worked for Miami in game two. Plus, Ros shares an exclusive on Tyler Herro’s health and his potential return to play and much more!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The VC Show is presented for the people by Caesar
Sports Book, the greatest sports betting app of all times downloaded,
but you must be twenty one or older. The VC
Show Let's go doing the part with Rod.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
We got the sports on deck for our audiyons, whether
it's big news, hot topics, updates, straight facts, storytelling, breakdown
a special guests VC Shows, The VC Show.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Lets go sho. Welcome to the VC Show, presented by
Caesar Sports Book on Omaha Audio. I'm Vince Carter. There
she is right there, Roz. What's going on? It's been busy,
you know.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It's Game two, Game two baby. I literally just from
Denver and now I'm heading to Miami for Games three
and four. I'm in the middle of travel, Yore.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Your sky Mountain should be crazy right now.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I'm literally doing the whole summer for free traveling the
whole summer on look. I don't want to. I was
gonna say, what's your favorite airline? But nobody paid for
that promotion, So.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Yep, kids, Yeah, we're talking about that. Another time off camera,
kill Man is how good? You know?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
All of a sudden, like we've got a series man.
The heat stole Denver are you surprised before?
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I'm going to ask you a question first, because you
know you're in the building, the build up, pregame show
and all of that. What was the building looking like
after a game won by by Denver and and the
way they handled their business? Yes, we know coach Mike
Malone wasn't happy about their play, but they still had
an eleven point win. What did the building look like
(01:43):
feel like for game two? Getting ready for it? Because
I'm sure the Denver fans felt like, oh, we're leaving
out here too, and o mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
It was an incredible atmosphere. Don't forget you know, this
is Denver Nuggets. This is they've never won a championship,
you know, like we're in first tories. These are new experiences,
not just for the players but the fans, And it
was incredible right before the game tipped. Actually, I mean,
they've got quite an entertaining game day show. Even outside,
(02:14):
they've got.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
The rally towels, so the whole place is like rally toweling,
and and that's always like an interesting atmosphere when you've
got these things shaking in the air and then it's
super loud in there.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
They've got all these signs, like huge signs, make them
noise not loud enough, and then please excuse me for
forgetting the name of their mascot. I didn't even want
to ask.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
This Rocky Rocky?
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Is it Rocky? Okay? So there if Rocky the mascot.
He climbs like all the way up to the the arena,
and I was like, this place is crazy. So I
thought the fans have absolutely showed out for Denver. Absolutely,
it's been exciting in there.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
It looked like it. It looked like it. I mean,
I mean obviously being you know in arenas, in situations
like that, you kind of get an idea, you know,
in being with the elevation out there, like all of
the anxiety excitement like that that can weigh you out
in itself. So it looked like it was live. And
I mean it's the finals.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Well let me tell you one thing end of the
game though, that was a stunned crowd in there. Absolutely,
can I tell you during the heat through these playoffs,
it's a scene that I've seen a lot because of them.
I've seen them have some home crowds that looked amazing
in this game, just quiet, awkward, like you know, kind
(03:38):
of stunned would be the word. The atmosphere after Game
two in Denver was one I've seen before in this
Heat run to the finals. Were you surprised they pulled
that off? Because for a second there after Game one,
the narrative was, man, you know what, the Nuggets are
really those guys and they're really that good and they've
(04:00):
been that good old season, and you know what this
might be where the Heat, you know, run out of steam.
What did you think of Game two?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
The Miami Heat had an opportunity to rest and prepare,
figure out how they wanted to actually game plan the
Denver Nuggets. And I mean this thing. They went from
Game seven on the plane, a little bit of rest,
shoot around, hey, toss it up, and they had to
(04:29):
figure it out a game plan, but more generic if
you would, trying to, you know, figure it out like
a first round boxing match. You kind of feel your
way through. It's kind of a game. That's what Game
one was for the Miami Heat. Game two more physical.
Obviously hitting shots. They they hit shots, but it was
a credit to the Miami Heat creating confusion which allowed
(04:54):
those shooters to hit shots. Shooters shoot yes, and you
knew they wouldn't go you know, you would't go over
ten again. But they created those those opportunities by getting
open shots once again. Like these guys were getting open
shots with late contests that didn't matter. I mean they
were doing picking rolls to slips. They didn't come together slips,
(05:16):
no communicating open threes. And I kind of think, you know,
I heard somebody, I heard somebody talk about it on
TV and analysts about Denver has bullied their way through.
They've they've taken care of business, they've handled their business,
handled their business, and they were like, all right, this
is another game. Yes, they were locked into the you know,
to the moment, but not at the level that the
(05:40):
Miami heat brought the fight. And I thought they hit first.
And once they hit first, they're like, all right, nah,
this ain't this. Ain't that, and you know, shout out
to the to the to the to the Denver Nuggets
like they they got they got punched in the mouth
and made it a game. And as much as you know,
(06:00):
you talk about not you know, if you're in the finals,
you shouldn't as a coach have to talk about effort
like you gotta go, you go on if you would
balls to the wall like like I need four wins
and I get a championship, like like it's no tomorrow,
you know what I'm saying. So it was kind of
(06:22):
it was kind of surprising, and you can see and
you know the disappointment and the disappointment and coach the players.
But at the same time, they didn't lay down and
they brought the fight back to give themselves the chance
and for what all of the things that people are
talking about and talk about the time out and talk
about the effort, they found a way like good teams do.
(06:46):
They found a way to stay close, to stay in
the game and give themselves a chance to tie, to
potentially win an overtime because if Jamal Murray makes that shot,
we go to overtime. We're talking about a totally different thing.
All they didn't bring the fight early, but they found
a way. Superstar players rising, you know in crunch time
(07:08):
and big moments.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
So is it crazy how narratives change man so quick,
like the whole and honestly, to your point, Jamal Murray
hits that shot and then the Nuggets go on to win,
like the series is in.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
You know, deep threat to territory but you know, as
I'm watching the game, you know, and I'm you know,
doing postgame interviews and different hits, and then I'm on
the game broadcast for the national radio call. So I'm
like calling the game alongside legends in Doris Burke and PJ.
Carlossimo and Marquesh. I'm just like lucky to be alongside
(07:43):
them and to have the opportunity to be around the finals.
And I'm watching the game and I'm like, oh nah,
this favors the Heat. Like I'm like, okay, the game
stays close. Like I actually postgame interviewed Gave Vincent and
I was like, what is it about you guys in
close game situations where you just look so comfortable? And
he was like, We've been in a lot of close
(08:05):
postgame situations. I was like, what is it about you
guys in close games? Like We've been in a lot
of close games, and like that's so true. And you know,
another thing that I would point out in my conversations
just kind of moving around with different HEAT members and
having a conversation with them here and there. The two
days in between Game one and two were pivotal, were huge,
(08:28):
and not just for the rest for the prep. I
thought that was an excellent point brought up the rest
was key. Right, of course, they're human. Perhaps while they
wouldn't use the excuse of course, there was a lot
that they did. There's a fatigue there. But the prep
was key. That was a quick turnaround from Boston, and
(08:49):
the two days in between gave them the proper amount
of time to truly understand the opponent. And that is
the strength of the Heat and that is the strength
of coach Spolstrap, the ability to adjust, the ability to
understand the opponent and make sure his team understands it.
And those two days in between was used to strengthen
(09:10):
the mind. And so coming into game two, Heat players
Heat staff felt very confident about their familiarity with the
opponent and of course like their ability to have the
right disposition. So the prep was was like just as big,
if not bigger than.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
The rest and rod real quick, you know, and they
had the luxury of playing a game and having two
days of prep. It's not like you have these days
of prep. And yes, you watch them on film and
you know, we don't know what's gonna what that's gonna
look like against us. They had a game regardless of
losing or not. They had a game two games, I'm sorry,
two games two days in between with the game played,
(09:50):
which I think helped them also, so they knew the
physicality that they really need to bring. It wasn't just
talking about it. You knew how to go about it
because you've gone through and you now see, oh remember
this play. Yeah, if I was more physical, you know,
like for instance, in the zone, I was thoroughly impressed
with him because I was like, okay, Denver with the
ability to shoot, Yo Kisch's ability to pass, I'm sticking
(10:13):
him in the middle of the floor of the zone
and just picked him apart shot corner threes or whatever.
The multiple efforts from the guards gave Vincent up Top
sometimes Kyle Lowry, you name it. They were able to
guard the free throw at the middle pass and still
(10:34):
get to whoever the guy up top was. So they
were taken away the middle pass, but still can get
to the three to contest it, to discourage it, whatever
you choose. And I was impressed with that. Yes, it
took a perfect pass to get over the top or
Yo Kics had to fight, fight, fight to get the ball,
and once he gets free from that guard. Guess what
(10:55):
Boom Kevin Love or big Somebody's there, Boom, meetium and
they were physical go with him. And everybody's talking about
making him score low assists. Okay, sure, but y know,
at the same time, there were open shots from that
zone or in in the one on one situation that
(11:18):
guys Michael Porter did not shoot the ball, well, KCP
did not shoot the ball, well who had good looks?
Those are a couple of cists there. So I don't
don't I mean, I don't know what the right formula is.
And I know, you know, Steve Kerr talked about that's
what they made him do, and maybe that's it, you know,
I mean, that's kind of a game plan because it's like, yes,
(11:38):
the effect that he has on the game by distributing
is tremendous because it's multiple guys scoring fifteen to twenty
plus points as opposed to him scoring forty and guys
are in you know, the teams, which is a huge
different in scoring. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Well, let's directly address the quotes that came out of
the post game. So you know, quote unquote, you know,
Miami pushes Jokic to be a scorer. He drops forty
one points but only four assists. The question came up
in the postgame interviews with coach Spolstra and he immediately
like hsactically shut it down, like just as if it
(12:20):
was so disturbing this concept of, you know, could you
force Jokic to be a scorer versus being a primary
a playmaker or a passer. And he didn't like the
question at all. He shut it down. He's like, that's
just nowherelistic, Why why did he do that?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
He not giving you the game plan ideas, even if
he's like, yeah, that was our game plan, so you know,
whether we know it's the obvious or not. You know,
sometimes you have to be careful about your answers when
you're playing a team potentially six to seven games.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
So it was so it was a valid question and
it was true, and Sposhit was just trying to know
what we said.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I think, so what I just say? He's like, okay,
you know, whether it's like sometimes.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Like you know, shut up, don't say that, don't give
away herd secrets? Is that what he was doing?
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Like with Jayalen Green, Jaylen Brown, excuse me, it's like okay, yeah,
we were definitely trying to push him left. We understood that,
but we all never come out and say it, you know,
until it was over, Like, yeah, we definitely were trying
to you know, that was our game planning the whole time,
trying to push him left, like oh okay, it's.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Just it's so dramatic in it. It seemed like it
really kind of like threw him for a loop the
concept of it. Do you that So you're trying to
say that this is just my opinion.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I don't know, but I don't know about an act.
But it's just kind of be aggressive with it. Nah, yeah, exactly.
Nah man, we'll talk man, y'all get out of here
with that. Nah nah whatever in the locker room, do
you have to have a game plan, you have to
have something, you know, And that's kind of what it was.
It was one on one. Did we didn't see a
lot of double teams?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
No, we did not.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
You played this guy who has been killing straight up,
you know, so there could be some truth to that
out on both sides.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Was Zella a decoy because it was like you, Almo,
you almost put a mouse trap there. You put the
food out because you know the mouse is gonna eat
the cheese, but he's gonna go for it, right because
it was a trap the whole time anyway, was Zeller
the cheese and the mouse trap could.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Be because thick about this, you know you played it.
You played it because I thought at one point he
was getting he Jokis was getting the best of Zella
and I'm like, Okay, it's time to put Bam back
in in the third quarter. They did not. Bam came
back in in the fourth quarter. In the fourth and
then things kind of just changed then and he started
(14:47):
going at Yo kitsch as well, because he you know,
they put your kitchen picking rolls and you see he
was a little late for some of them, started to
gamble on some of the bounce passes like that was to, uh,
what's the big duncan Robinson. He's late in the pick
and roll. You know, he's actually having the guard Bam
going at him. He's sitting back a few trying to help.
(15:08):
Now he's getting it. So it's just it's just they
made him do a lot, and I don't think that's
what my point was, Like, yes, they made him score,
but they they made him defend. And that's one of
the things I said if the heat we're going to
have success, you have to make that dude defend in
the pick and roll.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
He has to, all right, can I can I just
for the health of conversation, give a Devil's advocate, just
for the health of conversation, because I absolutely understand what
you're pointing out. Devil's advocate for the health of conversation.
The other side could be the heat came out swinging.
I don't even know why I'm doing all this action
nest in my hands, but hey sell it. But anyway,
(15:47):
Devil's advocate, the heat come out swinging. So now the
Nuggets need a response. And Yokish with an understanding of
time and situation, with a versatile toolkit of ways that
he can dominate a game. He could take three shots
and have ten assists at the half and dominate that way,
(16:09):
or he can take thirteen and attack one on one
and dominate that way. So what you could see that
perhaps Jokic was recognizing that there was an emotional burst
from the heat and he needed to take it within
his own hands to assert himself and attack the basket
and attack the defender. It is odd that the great
single coverage so long on Jokic, Right, But you think
(16:31):
about it, how many possible defenders do the Heat even
have to throw out there at Jokic, you know. So yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
There's a thing to that. Ron's because Heat understand double TM.
He's such a great passer. You open up three point
shots and possibly makes as opposed to two point shots
and makes. And you know, I think Jokic understood that
the ball needed to get into the basket. This is
what coss for because look at this, that assists number
(17:00):
could change could have changed as well. If KCP hit
one or two of those, it could have been six
assists with every one points and eleven rebounds in five
turnal so or you know, or whatever. So it just depends.
He just has to read the moment. I thought Jamal
Murray struggled early and found his way, but it was
(17:20):
just kind of too late, you know. They I think,
regardless of Jamal and Jokics having their their nights, they
need they need another guy having another guy to having
good nights. And that's created by Yokics, and that that's
it was kind of that wasn't the case.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
You know, it's a team game. Basketball is a simple
game if you really allow yourself like it's a team.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Game, and think about this, look real quick. Forty one
and eleven, Yo Kics twelve and seven, Aaron Gordon eighteen
and ten, Jamal Michael Porter Jr. Five points, KCP six points,
Bruce Brown eleven points, Jeff Green nine points. So you
didn't have anybody who had like a breakout game. I mean,
(18:07):
I guess you could say Aaron Gordon with twelve was
was you know, I mean, he had a big game
Game one, but you know that was subsided by the adjustment.
I thought it was a great adjustment. I thought it
was an obvious adjustment because you know, we're hearing people say, oh, yeah,
you know, I said after game one that needed to happen.
I thought that was the obvious adjustment. We knew that
(18:27):
was going to happen because they took advantage up there.
Huh to do what and obvious, Yeah, the obvious adjustment
was to put Kevin Love into the starting lineup.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Height A good adjustment and how do you think it went?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Because it went well because now you have instead of
Jimmy playing the four, Jimmy place to three if you would,
you have a bigger body to put on Aaron Gordon,
and then you can move Jimmy to Jamal Burray to
put a bigger body on him, you know, great defender.
That makes you know you can get shots off on him,
but he's gonna make it tough when he made him
(19:03):
earn it. And I just thought that's what was good
because Aaron Gordon couldn't just go post up. Yes, he
can post up Kevin Love and go, but it was
he was trying to post He was posting up Gabe Vincent,
he was posting up whoever Duncan Robinson, whoever was trying
to guard him. You know, he's not the shooter. So
(19:24):
they he was the guy that they were allowing to
take the open threes, right, But he said, okay, you
guys are coming off me. He did a great job
of when a guy would come off to them, he
would run right to the front of the rim and
post up. Well, you can't do that when you if
Kevin Love is coming off now you're trying to run
behind him to post up. You're still posting up against
sixty nine sixty ten, you know what I'm saying. And
(19:45):
I thought Kevin Love did a great job on switches,
moving his feet and.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
One thing that coach Folstra said too was you know,
excuse me for not remembering his exact words, but it
was something post game to the effect of, I didn't
have the exact foresight heading into game one. I should have,
but he pointed to the quick turnaround and he immediately
after game one realized I should have gone back to
Mike Kevin Love lineup. And that's where those two days
(20:11):
in between really paid off where Spolstra can can showcase,
you know, his strength as one of the great adjustment
coaches in the game. So I think that was a
cool adjustment. And for me, like I was in the huddle,
you know, as a reporter in the game two, and
what I reported on and saw multiple times in the
(20:33):
Nuggets huddle, Ryan Saunders on staff comes into the middle
of the huddle and they with the Nuggets watch video
right in the huddle, Like right, I know that video
is a big part of the in game experience, but
it's not always immediately at the center of the huddle
and everybody's immediately watching video. That's something I've noticed a
lot from the Nuggets in the playoffs. And Ryan comes
(20:54):
out and he's literally showing them breakdowns and it's an
animated huddle. You know, Jokic is yelling, not in a
negative way, more just like, come on, guys, we've got
to communicate. Coach Malone comes in and addresses the team.
It's about their defense against the three point shot, and
Coach Malone is like, look, we're starting. We started the
second half the same way we started the first half.
(21:16):
He didn't like the energy from the starters. Then he
didn't like their communication, their willingness to work and fight
on the defensive end against the threes. And if there's
an adjustment for me that needs to happen against the Heat,
they've got to figure out where the breakdowns are happening
for these open three point shots, because the three not
only ignites all of those role players, it also allows
(21:40):
the Heat to set up their defense.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
And in the fourth quarter, all those.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Threes allowed the Heat to set up zone defense after
zone defense, and you could just tell the Heat we're
more prepared. And I also think, let's shout out Jimmy Butler,
who had nine assists, Like he was more aggressive, He
took way more shots. He said he was going to
get to the free throw line. He did all that.
It wasn't some crazy fifty point game. But I thought
he got the defense shifting which allowed for extra passes,
(22:08):
and then you get guys like Dunkin and Strew's coming
out there making nice shots. And I thought Strews he
hit those four four to threes early, never hit another one.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
That's all he needed his job.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
He's the tone for the entire team. It was gutsy.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
It was gutsy and Rod. The thing the offensive adjustment
was in the pick and roll game one. They come
to a body and when you know you feel somebody
when you're hit, that's when you switch. You come to
contact instead of point switching. This is the thing that's
talked about. If you and I a pick and roll
(22:42):
and your man comes to set a screen on me
and I'm hit, I know then to switch because now
you're gonna take mine. But if they never actually come together,
what do we do? And there was a lot of
point switching, or there were just a lot of guys
assuming that it was an actual screen when it was
(23:03):
a slip, and they never particularly in the first quarter,
they never got a grasp of that. And that's what
I think freed up Streus more so than any exotic
player or anything. It was just the adjustment was you
don't come to a stop. It's just slow to fast
we call it. If you're running to set the screen,
you slow down just a little bit to get your
(23:23):
guy to kind of show a little bit, and you're fast.
You're out of there. Now you get your guy committed,
plus the guy going over the screen because there was
no communication. Either you're pointing or you don't say anything,
and everybody started to assume that's why you see boom boom.
Two guys on there and they immediately got off the ball.
And that was the adjustment more than anything. They didn't
run anything different than what we've seen before. It was
(23:46):
just don't come together. And those guys were getting wide
open looks and once great shooters, particularly who struggle before,
get an open look and see one go down. It's
a different ball game.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
I could see one mental life and mistake. But as
someone again who was outside of the Nuggets Hub, it
was good letter discussed by the coaching staff. This was
not a coach. You cannot say the coaching staff didn't
recognize an issue bringing They literally had the laptop in
the middle with showing the tape and they just kept
getting broken down. My feeling is, it's the NBA Finals.
(24:20):
How are y'all not communicating? You know, I never played
at this level, but I did play in college. When that,
when those screens are happening, you got to be able
to talk through it. How do you keep not having mistakes?
How is two people going with one person? If you're
communicating properly and at least meeting with each other, you
can you can work through the screen. But to have
the same thing happening over and over and mistakes and
(24:41):
mind farts in the NBA Finals, what that was a
little bit surprising. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
It was definitely surprising, and one of those things you're like,
all right, they're gonna make an adjustment, and they did.
They played a little better. Like I said, they played
well enough to get themselves back into it. And then
you know, it's it's when you fight so hard, do
you have enough gas in the tank? And I thought
they did. They they didn't play great, but sometimes you
have ugly wins, and you know, good teams find ways
(25:13):
to wins. And you know that good team was the
Miami Heat, who understood the assignment. They Okay, we didn't
play great. Game one we're gonna get out of here
and split. And they did. They did what they needed
to do. They did their job. So now it's like,
what happens to them? What does Denver look like? Now?
(25:35):
What adjustment will they make? And the simple adjustment, regardless
of the lineup, is playing harder because you know, they
just they exposed them. They they they played harder than them.
I mean, this is all I'm saying. I'm not saying
anything different than what the players and coach Mike Malone said,
but that's it's the reality, and it's the truth, and
(25:58):
I'm interested the real quickly. One thing I like about
Spoe is, regardless of the adjustment that will be made
game three, his willingness to me in game adjustments, yeah,
is second to none. Because yes, he's great at making adjustments.
Like we talked about, he had two days of preparation,
but his willingness to scrap that to pick what works
(26:21):
right now to get us a win now is what
I love about him and some of these coaches in
this league. Because I've had coaches, like I said, they're
stuck in their waist. They spent all night studying and preparing.
It's going to work if you guys would just stick
to the game plan and trust it, Like all right, coach,
it's not working, be willing to change, you know, Vince.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
After the game, coach Michael Malone called out the effort
of his team, and from your viewpoint as a player,
how do you react to that? How does that feel
for the players? And why do do you think that
coach Malone perhaps was just expressing himself or was he
(27:02):
trying to communicate to the team through the media, like
what's going on in these types of situations?
Speaker 1 (27:07):
A wake up call? And he's hoping you know, obviously,
coach Mike Malone wears his emotion on his sleeve. He's
gonna say what he's thinking. And you know, if you're
if you're a player, you understand that at this point,
you understand it. And you know, we heard coach Malone
talk about how you know, when they won Game one
against the Lakers, people still talking about the Lakers' like, wait,
(27:30):
we won the game and we're we don't get talked about.
So he you know, he's doing for his team and
he's going to do whatever it takes to get his
guy to get his guy's four wins. And he was
thoroughly disappointed. But there were also other players. Jeff Green,
you know, he said he spoke up in the locker room.
He also spoke up in in the media. You clearly
could see the disgust in his tone and his face
(27:54):
about it. So they understand that and maybe this is
a wake up call because it has I don't know
if I want to use the word easy, but Denver
has been dominant throughout the playoffs and this is the
first challenge and they had some slippage, which at the
yes we're saying is like, how could you have how
can you can you not have the effort in the
(28:17):
NBA finals. True, but they've made games easy for themselves
and I think they thought this is you know, yes,
they're gonna come greater to play and they're gonna try
to put Miami away, but Miami hit first.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
If you're a player, is it all good? Is that cool?
Speaker 1 (28:33):
It is? I mean some guys don't like it, don't
like to be challenging front of the media to bring
everybody in their business. Cool it is what it is.
I as a player, I don't have a problem with it.
It's it's not like he's telling the lives It's not
like I'm saying no, look I didn't No, it was true.
That's not true. What is he talking about, Coach Don,
what you're talking about. No, he's telling the truth. So
(28:54):
I'm I'm okay with it. I think you know, if anything,
if your feelings hurt, you know, Mike Malone like his dad,
play for his dad. It's one of those guys. Okay, well,
then do something about it. Do something about it.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Game three.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
You will have a chance to change the narrative game three.
That our one adjustment that we can make without it
being a huge secret is our effort because guess what
Miami's gonna be prepared for. I think Miami understands, old man,
what we did to them, what they're saying, what their
coaches saying, what one of their veterans saying. That's gonna
(29:30):
be a point of emphasis come in game three. Why
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Speaker 6 (29:51):
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Speaker 1 (31:14):
Miami has in their back pocket that guy Tyler Heroll,
Here's another guy. Here's another guy. You know. So all
of that that whenever you know he gets, whenever he's
ready to come back, is another shooter. Now I'm gonna
say this. I know something that I know that you
interviewed him, and I know that you had the chance
(31:34):
to talk to him. When is he coming back? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (31:37):
I I spoke with him right before the start of
game two. He came out and was doing his prew Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I saw that. I was like, oh shoot, they about
to get another guy. But what happened?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, So, I mean there was a lot of hope
that Tyler would play in game two, and he obviously
he didn't and he stayed out. And I was able
to just kind of understand in a quick conversation with
him right before he started to shoot, because we always
say what's up, and had the chance to tap in
with him on like how his hand was doing, and
this is really how he was weighing the decision of
(32:13):
when to come back. But he actually came right next
to me and he showed me the right hand and
he was like, you know, after he shoots, he has
some swelling and some soreness, and that's the hardest part
of this return and trying to make it back in
time for these finals. And the swelling is actually really
on the top of his wrist where the scar is,
(32:34):
and it was actually well, well talking about the swelling
for now, like it was actually in the scar on
the top of his hand. We're not even talking about
the follow through yet, and he was just like, you know,
it actually looked pretty raised when I looked at it,
But after shooting, it further swells and then the soreness.
He can feel the soreness when he follows through in
the follow through motion of his shot, so obviously that
(33:00):
it's something you consider go if you're shooting and then
after shooting, you know, he experiences those things. And I
think there's also like the mental aspect of this too,
the respect for what the Heat have done, you know,
without him as well. And he did share his considerations
of of hey, I want to come back, but I
(33:21):
also don't want to mess up the rhythm of you know,
the team that's doing so well. And so I think
it's not a matter of like is I know for
game two, Tyler for these reasons, you know, just wants
to make sure that he picks the right time to
come back, both physically and also like emotionally mentally and
for the rhythm of the team. That's not to rule
(33:43):
him out of game three, by the way, that's just
kind of what was being weighed for Game two. And
I think he's taking a really thoughtful approach. And you
also want to make sure that you know, look, he
just had a surgery recently. There's still some physical ailments
of this. He wants to also, you also want to
make sure that he's physically as well. So I think
that obviously, like the Heat winning Game two takes a
(34:07):
little bit of the pressure off of it, and if
he doesn't come back game three, there's still a lot
of hope that he'll be coming back in these finals.
So it was a quick and good conversation with Tyler.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
You got to put that Kobe glove on. He's a
great quess able to come back.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
How do you think he should be worked back in
knowing this information.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I think they should, you know, work him back as
a as a six seventh man or it depends on
I mean, I know you bring Kyle off the bench early,
but I would bring him off the bench for sure
and just give him spot minutes because, like you said,
he had surgery fine, and more so than the physical part,
(34:51):
the mental part, you know, just being hesitant on shooting
the ball, feeling like you know in live action that
you're okay. You know. I think he'll be just a
huge burst in uplift this team, just for the simple
fact that who he is and what he can do.
Maybe if he doesn't hit a show, maybe you know
what if he doesn't hit a shot, cool, But you
(35:11):
still got to respect Tyler Herro's ability to score. I
wouldn't want to see, you know, and I don't think
the Heat will do this, but I wouldn't want to
see them put him in the starting lineup and mess
up the rhythm and rhythm and the flow with how
the Heat have played all, you know, throughout the finals obviously,
but throughout the playoffs in general, since he's been out,
(35:31):
they have been spectacular. It's worked, and they figured it out,
and you kind of implement him slowly because you know,
hearing this, it just made me immediately think of Jamiir Nelson,
the Orlando Magic in the finals with against the Lakers
when their guards were playing so well. Jami had been out.
He comes back and they put him back in the
(35:52):
starting lineup and they kind of threw off the Magic's
rhythm and you know what happened from there. And I
just don't want to see shut out to Jamiir, though
he's my guy, but you know, you just don't want
to see that. And I think he sees that sounds
like what you like what you're saying. Even if they
wanted to put him in the star line, which I
don't think they would, he would not do. So, you know,
(36:12):
he doesn't want to mess up the rhythm because this
is a unbelievable opportunity like.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
That would hard push against. None of that was said
to me, and certainly that's just how.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
He's saying, like, you know, I just want to I
want to mess the rhythm up. That just says, will.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Clarify after like I'm the only person who's spoken to
Tyler Hero. We haven't heard from him since, so I
want to make sure, like we're really clear about what
was actually said. You know, he he shared though that
like as a huge like he's a human being, like
of course he sees what's happening, and there are some
understandings of not wanting to mess up that rhythm full stop.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
That's what I'm saying, and that is that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
I want to come back. It doesn't mean that if
he came back, should he come off the bench of
the start. It's just that he understands that and actually
as a fellow, you know, just as two huge beings
having a conversation about the game that we both played
and we both love. Like I actually said back to him,
I was like, you know, man, like you know, you
just gotta I feel like you can't carry that weight
(37:11):
and burden with you, like if you're going to come back,
like just free.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Yourself of That's exactly what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Free yourself of the concept of am I messing something up?
Because that's not for you to control. Just come out
and you know, do your thing, great, your thing, and
so like that was just that was my thoughts on it,
because that's a lot of weight to bear. You're coming
on the court and you're worried about what you'll do
for others. Let coach figure that out. That's coaches, uh,
And that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Ross, Yeah, that's what I think. I think they will
protect him as a player and bring him off the
bench and let him slowly get his confidence back before
we just throw him in the starting lineup and and
put that pressure on him to or to even allow
that to creep in his mind. Bring me because I
don't I feel like, why would you put him in
to play huge minutes and he hasn't played in a
long time, Like my I don't.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Think starting him as on the table. I think if
Tyler was available from what I've read from a lot
of FaceTime with Heat staff and Heat you know, team people,
if Tyler was able to come back, I'd imagine it'd
be off the bench, but you know, given everything that's
(38:23):
available there for consumption. Another thing that is of note, though,
that I can and already have reported on, is that Tyler,
through this whole playoff run, with the understanding with the Heat,
understanding that they had hopes to bring him back in
the finals, he's been absolutely engaged with the team, like
all the way through, like at all practices, like engaged
(38:48):
at the video sessions. Sometimes when a player is injured,
they don't have to participate in everything, like he's been
mentally activated and engaged in the scouts, in the planning,
being around the team and all that, just so that
he's in playoff mode as best as he can be.
On top of it. It's not a leg injury. He's
been able to do all the cardio things, so as
(39:08):
good as conditioning as you can be without playing in games,
he's been doing that. And in the past week he's
he's been doing full content, uh contact, you know, multiple players, scrimmages,
he's doing everything in practice. From what I've heard, he
looks good, you know, So now it's just a matter
of you know, how does he feel, and what's what's
(39:30):
the right timing for him, and you know, and obviously,
how does his how does his hand feel too? You know,
you don't just want to rush rush back into these things.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Yeah, the confidence of when you're out there playing and
if you get hit, the hesitation like, oh no, it's
all good, it didn't hurt. You know, I was five,
you know. So he has to get past that that
mental hurdle. But like I said, he will be a huge,
huge asset to their team.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
Okay, So I think that's enough Finals talk for today
because we still have a little time before Game three.
But the Heat know how to make this thing interesting.
But the NBA, the NBA is always interesting. It never
ceases to amaze us with the content comes out. And
I tell you, these guys always find a way to
(40:18):
be in the headline. So there's reports out like I
can't wait for Michael Malone to be like y'all not
even talking about us in the finals. He talking about
Lebron James and Kyrie go up to Dallas, Like I.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Know, I know.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
When we saw the reports come out that Kyrie Irving
has been meeting with Lebron James trying to convince him
to join Kyrie and Luca in Dallas. Somewhere, Michael Malone
was plunging the air. He was like, Danny, Lebron, can't
you let us have anything? No, I'm playing, I'll play,
coach Malone. You know I'm playing. Come on, man. But
(40:56):
but and then, and then the Lakers came out on
Monday and immediately shot it down, shut down conversation. Thought
that they aren't looking to bring in Kyrie to La.
So maybe we had it wrong the whole way. Maybe
it was Kyrie trying to bring over Lebron.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
So do you do you?
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Do you believe it?
Speaker 1 (41:15):
One?
Speaker 3 (41:15):
Do you believe it? Or is this putting more pressure
on the Lakers to be aggressive to fill out a roster,
perhaps bring Kyrie to play with Lebron? Like what is
real or not? I can't even tell what's real anymore.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
That's That's what I was just gonna say. I'm not
one hundred percent sure, you know. I remember hearing, you know,
the Dallas Mavericks saying no, they're not gonna, you know,
help Kyrie in a sign trade. So they're like, no,
you got to do this on your own. So I
think once he hears that, he's like, hey, Lebron, whence
you come to Dallas? You know what I'm saying, hey,
because he can make the most money there. You know,
they you know, they have you know, it's like, what
(41:49):
do you be willing? But my thing is, Okay, we
hear Kyrie and we hear Lebron talking about it. What
is Luca saying? What does Luca think about this? Because
Luca is a guy that likes to have the ball
in his and lucas the guy is you know, yes, okay,
I can play off the ball with Kyrie, but now
I gotta play off the ball with Kyrie and Lebron.
You know, how does he adjust to that? It's a
(42:10):
lot of things. There's a lot of questions. There's a
lot of ifs and and would be's and can do's
and could it happens? And it's just it's just crazy.
It's like, wait, who's who's going to? Where? Who might go?
And for sure the Lakers are going to you know,
obviously want to keep Lebron as long as possible. You know,
they have this, They have a d in August to
(42:32):
make a decision on him. You know, what will you
do up until then? So they have a lot of
a lot of things, and you know, but I do
think I'm not giving up Austin Reeves or.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
You would pass as far to keep and Austin Reeves.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
Hear what I say, like that, they're they're huge, Like okay,
so if you lose, okay, so you have Kyrie, you
have Lebron, what else? Maybe a d cool to me,
they're gonna be right back in the situations.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
Okay, we had a trade one of those trade machines,
and you saw Kyrie irving here for Austin Reeves, and.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
So those two.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Said, I'm asking you, bro, you said that, right, you didn't.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I'm not giving up all of it. But you know,
I'm not putting I'm not putting myself as an organization.
I'm not putting myself in the situation again to be
where we we. Yes, we got Russell Westbrook and then
we didn't have any depth on our team. Again, Like
I just I don't know, like what what happens if
Kyrie comes in and Kyrie things happened, whatever.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
That is what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
You know what I'm saying. That's that's what I'm saying.
It's just to hesitation. I'm not saying like he's not great.
I'm not saying like I wouldn't take him a drop
of the hat. Yes, but what do we have to
give up to get him? You know, That's that's my hesitant,
would be my hesitation, He's all I'm saying. I'm not.
It's not the fact that I wouldn't take him. It's
just all right there Again, one of the things that says,
like would you take Kyrie? Well, if we could possibly
(44:10):
bringing Kyrie, Wendy had talked about it, We had talked
about this before, but you know, him possibly taking less
money to make sure he keeps one of those guys,
you know, Okay, cool, but it's just right now, the
Lakers don't want to do The Lakers want to go
through what they had. They had, like Rob Polinka had
to pull one out like deep down in the bag
to find a team that worked, that was satisfactory for
(44:36):
their fans, the organization, and you know, for the rest
of their season, and it worked. I mean it, Well,
do you want to start and risk that again? I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
I'd like to give an also shout out to Rob Polenka.
He's a wonderful person and also you know Flowers for
what he was able to pull off. You know, with
such small margin to do it anything. It ended up
it ended up being an improvement and the Lakers from
(45:07):
the last season and where they were at the top
of the season took a step forward. Is it a
long term solution, No, But in the short term I think, like,
you know, you gotta at least say, hey, he made
something shake you know, and so now.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
And Darvin Ham was able to make get that group
together on the same page to make a hell of
a run. Like shut up to him as well, came
on our show. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely so it was just
great to see, like, I mean, this is the first
year coach, who like, who expected that? Like, you just
want to go through a season, you coach your team whatever.
(45:45):
And obviously, like you said, the NBA is always interesting
and everything happens. But Darvin Ham was like, what my
whole team's gonna change? All right? Cool, all right, let's
make it work. And they made it work and they
got out of the first round. You know, they had
they ran into a very very good deal of the
Nuggets team. But like some coaches first year with little experience,
(46:06):
I don't care if you assistant coach or not. You're
the head coach and you have to make those decisions.
You have to make the right decisions, and he did that.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Flowers Flower shout out to Darvingham speaking of coaches, speaking
the first year's let's take it to the Celtics.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yes, it's a lot of coaches going a lot of
places right now.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
Boy, I'll tell you that, Vince. You know, look, they've
given out thirteen million year. You should get into coaching, man,
Like you know, I'm playing like, yeah, in time if
that's something that you uh want to do. But let's
take it to the Celtics. Joe Mizzula just brought on
(46:43):
Sam Cassell joins.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
The love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
What are your thoughts?
Speaker 1 (46:48):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (46:49):
I think Sam Milwaukee because like Sam, I coussel ahead, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:53):
Yeah, I think Sam is a very very good coach.
He's due to be a head coach himself. We've seen him,
you know, very influential, and I think I think the
seventy six ers will miss him and the players and
(47:14):
the work that he's done with those guys. He worked with,
James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. I think Tyras Maxey will
miss some more than anyone. I'll be interested to see
how his growth. I think he'll get better. But like
but Sam can Sell brings out of your former player
very animated, very real, very forward a lot. I mean,
(47:35):
had an opportunity to talk to other players, Tyrese Maxey
being one of them and loves his approach. I think
this is great for the Boston Celtics. It will be
great for Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. I really do, wow,
because of the guy that he is. He's a guy
that's not gonna hold back punches. He's the guy that
will give these guys the truth and he's gonna prepare them.
(47:57):
He's gonna prepare like you if you go back and
just cat some tape. Sam Cassell was always in James
harden face, whether he didn't want to hear it. Loe,
He's like, no, no, listen to me. This is just
this this and you are every Every team needs a
guy like like that, particularly a former player. You know.
Not no not saying I need a job, but you
need a former player, a guy who's been there, who
(48:18):
understand it and can talk to these guys that these
guys will respect. And I think in those moments and
those situations where they're having a rough time, you have
a guy like, yes, you have your coach, and sometimes yes,
the coach doesn't. Always in the in the heat of battle,
they say something, they don't respond. But that's what your
your assistants are for. And that's what he's very good at.
And I think he's gonna do. Oh man, he's gonna
(48:41):
he's gonna put this health this team kind of get
over the top.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
Absolutely. I know a lot of people are excited to
see a respected and you know, veteran guy you know
joined Joe Missoula happy. I'm always happy to see a
coach get some LEAs. You can't say you're serious about,
you know, your friend. If you're knocking coaches out after
a year commitment, come on, man. So as much as
people want to agree with that Joe Mizula, you know,
(49:08):
walked off the plank after an zero to three start,
you know, he got his team to Game seven. He's
clearly he was putting a tough position to begin with. Uh,
He's clearly a bright, talented coach. And I'm happy that
they didn't. The Celtics didn't bow down to pressure. And
if you want to see an example, and this has
been well documented, if you want to see an example
(49:29):
of what sticking through pressure to drop your coach looks at.
Just look at the NBA finals, Spostra, there was a
time they try to push him out. You look at
Michael Malone. He was allowed to, you know, marinate through
seasons that didn't end up where they hoped to be.
So you're looking at long tenured coaches in these NBA
finals and I think that goes a long way. So
(49:51):
kudos to the Red Seas and the Celtics. Will see
how it works.
Speaker 1 (49:54):
Out, and I think it helps your organization too.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
Now the pressure too, you know, don't think two years
is young. But you know, as you allow a coach marinate,
the pressure sits on them, you know, to perform. But
speaking of performances, we gotta we gotta wrap this one up, man,
I gotta get on the road. I gotta go to Miami.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
Always busy.
Speaker 3 (50:18):
Oh my god, you are always dramatic. You're always dramatic because.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
You're always busy. So like, what what am I supposed
to say here? No, it's all good, it's all good.
I know you gotta work, you gotta.
Speaker 3 (50:28):
I wish golf like you all the time.
Speaker 1 (50:31):
I wish I don't do that a lot of times.
But anyway, but it's uh, I'm looking forward to Game
three and seeing him on you, you and my TV
for like that, she goes, you want to text you
while you're walking fast on the TV, like yo, slow down,
slow down.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
No, you just said that our show was over. I know,
I know you love talking hoops for sure.
Speaker 1 (50:55):
Man, it's a lot of good stuff going out there.
Shout out to all these coaches getting the new opportunity.
You know, it's just great to see the NBA is
gonna once again be interesting. Hopefully there's a new parody
more parody. Excuse me in the league. David Fizdal. I
want to give him some shout out, our old coach.
He's insistent now in Phoenix. I love him. Got to
give him some love. So once again, good people, we
(51:18):
appreciate you. We appreciate you listening to us. Listen, let's
banter and go back and forth, talk about basketball and
all the great stuff that's going on. We love you.
The VC Show. We out of here until next time.
We out. Let's go
The VC Show is presented for the people by Caesar
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Speaker 2 (00:17):
We got the sports on deck for our audiyons, whether
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Speaker 1 (00:29):
Lets go sho. Welcome to the VC Show, presented by
Caesar Sports Book on Omaha Audio. I'm Vince Carter. There
she is right there, Roz. What's going on? It's been busy,
you know.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It's Game two, Game two baby. I literally just from
Denver and now I'm heading to Miami for Games three
and four. I'm in the middle of travel, Yore.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Your sky Mountain should be crazy right now.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I'm literally doing the whole summer for free traveling the
whole summer on look. I don't want to. I was
gonna say, what's your favorite airline? But nobody paid for
that promotion, So.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Yep, kids, Yeah, we're talking about that. Another time off camera,
kill Man is how good? You know?
Speaker 3 (01:15):
All of a sudden, like we've got a series man.
The heat stole Denver are you surprised before?
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I'm going to ask you a question first, because you
know you're in the building, the build up, pregame show
and all of that. What was the building looking like
after a game won by by Denver and and the
way they handled their business? Yes, we know coach Mike
Malone wasn't happy about their play, but they still had
an eleven point win. What did the building look like
(01:43):
feel like for game two? Getting ready for it? Because
I'm sure the Denver fans felt like, oh, we're leaving
out here too, and o mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
It was an incredible atmosphere. Don't forget you know, this
is Denver Nuggets. This is they've never won a championship,
you know, like we're in first tories. These are new experiences,
not just for the players but the fans, And it
was incredible right before the game tipped. Actually, I mean,
they've got quite an entertaining game day show. Even outside,
(02:14):
they've got.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
The rally towels, so the whole place is like rally toweling,
and and that's always like an interesting atmosphere when you've
got these things shaking in the air and then it's
super loud in there.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
They've got all these signs, like huge signs, make them
noise not loud enough, and then please excuse me for
forgetting the name of their mascot. I didn't even want
to ask.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
This Rocky Rocky?
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Is it Rocky? Okay? So there if Rocky the mascot.
He climbs like all the way up to the the arena,
and I was like, this place is crazy. So I
thought the fans have absolutely showed out for Denver. Absolutely,
it's been exciting in there.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
It looked like it. It looked like it. I mean,
I mean obviously being you know in arenas, in situations
like that, you kind of get an idea, you know,
in being with the elevation out there, like all of
the anxiety excitement like that that can weigh you out
in itself. So it looked like it was live. And
I mean it's the finals.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Well let me tell you one thing end of the
game though, that was a stunned crowd in there. Absolutely,
can I tell you during the heat through these playoffs,
it's a scene that I've seen a lot because of them.
I've seen them have some home crowds that looked amazing
in this game, just quiet, awkward, like you know, kind
(03:38):
of stunned would be the word. The atmosphere after Game
two in Denver was one I've seen before in this
Heat run to the finals. Were you surprised they pulled
that off? Because for a second there after Game one,
the narrative was, man, you know what, the Nuggets are
really those guys and they're really that good and they've
(04:00):
been that good old season, and you know what this
might be where the Heat, you know, run out of steam.
What did you think of Game two?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
The Miami Heat had an opportunity to rest and prepare,
figure out how they wanted to actually game plan the
Denver Nuggets. And I mean this thing. They went from
Game seven on the plane, a little bit of rest,
shoot around, hey, toss it up, and they had to
(04:29):
figure it out a game plan, but more generic if
you would, trying to, you know, figure it out like
a first round boxing match. You kind of feel your
way through. It's kind of a game. That's what Game
one was for the Miami Heat. Game two more physical.
Obviously hitting shots. They they hit shots, but it was
a credit to the Miami Heat creating confusion which allowed
(04:54):
those shooters to hit shots. Shooters shoot yes, and you
knew they wouldn't go you know, you would't go over
ten again. But they created those those opportunities by getting
open shots once again. Like these guys were getting open
shots with late contests that didn't matter. I mean they
were doing picking rolls to slips. They didn't come together slips,
(05:16):
no communicating open threes. And I kind of think, you know,
I heard somebody, I heard somebody talk about it on
TV and analysts about Denver has bullied their way through.
They've they've taken care of business, they've handled their business,
handled their business, and they were like, all right, this
is another game. Yes, they were locked into the you know,
to the moment, but not at the level that the
(05:40):
Miami heat brought the fight. And I thought they hit first.
And once they hit first, they're like, all right, nah,
this ain't this. Ain't that, and you know, shout out
to the to the to the to the Denver Nuggets
like they they got they got punched in the mouth
and made it a game. And as much as you know,
(06:00):
you talk about not you know, if you're in the finals,
you shouldn't as a coach have to talk about effort
like you gotta go, you go on if you would
balls to the wall like like I need four wins
and I get a championship, like like it's no tomorrow,
you know what I'm saying. So it was kind of
(06:22):
it was kind of surprising, and you can see and
you know the disappointment and the disappointment and coach the players.
But at the same time, they didn't lay down and
they brought the fight back to give themselves the chance
and for what all of the things that people are
talking about and talk about the time out and talk
about the effort, they found a way like good teams do.
(06:46):
They found a way to stay close, to stay in
the game and give themselves a chance to tie, to
potentially win an overtime because if Jamal Murray makes that shot,
we go to overtime. We're talking about a totally different thing.
All they didn't bring the fight early, but they found
a way. Superstar players rising, you know in crunch time
(07:08):
and big moments.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
So is it crazy how narratives change man so quick,
like the whole and honestly, to your point, Jamal Murray
hits that shot and then the Nuggets go on to win,
like the series is in.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
You know, deep threat to territory but you know, as
I'm watching the game, you know, and I'm you know,
doing postgame interviews and different hits, and then I'm on
the game broadcast for the national radio call. So I'm
like calling the game alongside legends in Doris Burke and PJ.
Carlossimo and Marquesh. I'm just like lucky to be alongside
(07:43):
them and to have the opportunity to be around the finals.
And I'm watching the game and I'm like, oh nah,
this favors the Heat. Like I'm like, okay, the game
stays close. Like I actually postgame interviewed Gave Vincent and
I was like, what is it about you guys in
close game situations where you just look so comfortable? And
he was like, We've been in a lot of close
(08:05):
postgame situations. I was like, what is it about you
guys in close games? Like We've been in a lot
of close games, and like that's so true. And you know,
another thing that I would point out in my conversations
just kind of moving around with different HEAT members and
having a conversation with them here and there. The two
days in between Game one and two were pivotal, were huge,
(08:28):
and not just for the rest for the prep. I
thought that was an excellent point brought up the rest
was key. Right, of course, they're human. Perhaps while they
wouldn't use the excuse of course, there was a lot
that they did. There's a fatigue there. But the prep
was key. That was a quick turnaround from Boston, and
(08:49):
the two days in between gave them the proper amount
of time to truly understand the opponent. And that is
the strength of the Heat and that is the strength
of coach Spolstrap, the ability to adjust, the ability to
understand the opponent and make sure his team understands it.
And those two days in between was used to strengthen
(09:10):
the mind. And so coming into game two, Heat players
Heat staff felt very confident about their familiarity with the
opponent and of course like their ability to have the
right disposition. So the prep was was like just as big,
if not bigger than.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
The rest and rod real quick, you know, and they
had the luxury of playing a game and having two
days of prep. It's not like you have these days
of prep. And yes, you watch them on film and
you know, we don't know what's gonna what that's gonna
look like against us. They had a game regardless of
losing or not. They had a game two games, I'm sorry,
two games two days in between with the game played,
(09:50):
which I think helped them also, so they knew the
physicality that they really need to bring. It wasn't just
talking about it. You knew how to go about it
because you've gone through and you now see, oh remember
this play. Yeah, if I was more physical, you know,
like for instance, in the zone, I was thoroughly impressed
with him because I was like, okay, Denver with the
ability to shoot, Yo Kisch's ability to pass, I'm sticking
(10:13):
him in the middle of the floor of the zone
and just picked him apart shot corner threes or whatever.
The multiple efforts from the guards gave Vincent up Top
sometimes Kyle Lowry, you name it. They were able to
guard the free throw at the middle pass and still
(10:34):
get to whoever the guy up top was. So they
were taken away the middle pass, but still can get
to the three to contest it, to discourage it, whatever
you choose. And I was impressed with that. Yes, it
took a perfect pass to get over the top or
Yo Kics had to fight, fight, fight to get the ball,
and once he gets free from that guard. Guess what
(10:55):
Boom Kevin Love or big Somebody's there, Boom, meetium and
they were physical go with him. And everybody's talking about
making him score low assists. Okay, sure, but y know,
at the same time, there were open shots from that
zone or in in the one on one situation that
(11:18):
guys Michael Porter did not shoot the ball, well, KCP
did not shoot the ball, well who had good looks?
Those are a couple of cists there. So I don't
don't I mean, I don't know what the right formula is.
And I know, you know, Steve Kerr talked about that's
what they made him do, and maybe that's it, you know,
I mean, that's kind of a game plan because it's like, yes,
(11:38):
the effect that he has on the game by distributing
is tremendous because it's multiple guys scoring fifteen to twenty
plus points as opposed to him scoring forty and guys
are in you know, the teams, which is a huge
different in scoring. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Well, let's directly address the quotes that came out of
the post game. So you know, quote unquote, you know,
Miami pushes Jokic to be a scorer. He drops forty
one points but only four assists. The question came up
in the postgame interviews with coach Spolstra and he immediately
like hsactically shut it down, like just as if it
(12:20):
was so disturbing this concept of, you know, could you
force Jokic to be a scorer versus being a primary
a playmaker or a passer. And he didn't like the
question at all. He shut it down. He's like, that's
just nowherelistic, Why why did he do that?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
He not giving you the game plan ideas, even if
he's like, yeah, that was our game plan, so you know,
whether we know it's the obvious or not. You know,
sometimes you have to be careful about your answers when
you're playing a team potentially six to seven games.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
So it was so it was a valid question and
it was true, and Sposhit was just trying to know
what we said.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I think, so what I just say? He's like, okay,
you know, whether it's like sometimes.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Like you know, shut up, don't say that, don't give
away herd secrets? Is that what he was doing?
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Like with Jayalen Green, Jaylen Brown, excuse me, it's like okay, yeah,
we were definitely trying to push him left. We understood that,
but we all never come out and say it, you know,
until it was over, Like, yeah, we definitely were trying
to you know, that was our game planning the whole time,
trying to push him left, like oh okay, it's.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Just it's so dramatic in it. It seemed like it
really kind of like threw him for a loop the
concept of it. Do you that So you're trying to
say that this is just my opinion.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I don't know, but I don't know about an act.
But it's just kind of be aggressive with it. Nah, yeah, exactly.
Nah man, we'll talk man, y'all get out of here
with that. Nah nah whatever in the locker room, do
you have to have a game plan, you have to
have something, you know, And that's kind of what it was.
It was one on one. Did we didn't see a
lot of double teams?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
No, we did not.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
You played this guy who has been killing straight up,
you know, so there could be some truth to that
out on both sides.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Was Zella a decoy because it was like you, Almo,
you almost put a mouse trap there. You put the
food out because you know the mouse is gonna eat
the cheese, but he's gonna go for it, right because
it was a trap the whole time anyway, was Zeller
the cheese and the mouse trap could.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Be because thick about this, you know you played it.
You played it because I thought at one point he
was getting he Jokis was getting the best of Zella
and I'm like, Okay, it's time to put Bam back
in in the third quarter. They did not. Bam came
back in in the fourth quarter. In the fourth and
then things kind of just changed then and he started
(14:47):
going at Yo kitsch as well, because he you know,
they put your kitchen picking rolls and you see he
was a little late for some of them, started to
gamble on some of the bounce passes like that was to, uh,
what's the big duncan Robinson. He's late in the pick
and roll. You know, he's actually having the guard Bam
going at him. He's sitting back a few trying to help.
(15:08):
Now he's getting it. So it's just it's just they
made him do a lot, and I don't think that's
what my point was, Like, yes, they made him score,
but they they made him defend. And that's one of
the things I said if the heat we're going to
have success, you have to make that dude defend in
the pick and roll.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
He has to, all right, can I can I just
for the health of conversation, give a Devil's advocate, just
for the health of conversation, because I absolutely understand what
you're pointing out. Devil's advocate for the health of conversation.
The other side could be the heat came out swinging.
I don't even know why I'm doing all this action
nest in my hands, but hey sell it. But anyway,
(15:47):
Devil's advocate, the heat come out swinging. So now the
Nuggets need a response. And Yokish with an understanding of
time and situation, with a versatile toolkit of ways that
he can dominate a game. He could take three shots
and have ten assists at the half and dominate that way,
(16:09):
or he can take thirteen and attack one on one
and dominate that way. So what you could see that
perhaps Jokic was recognizing that there was an emotional burst
from the heat and he needed to take it within
his own hands to assert himself and attack the basket
and attack the defender. It is odd that the great
single coverage so long on Jokic, Right, But you think
(16:31):
about it, how many possible defenders do the Heat even
have to throw out there at Jokic, you know. So yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
There's a thing to that. Ron's because Heat understand double TM.
He's such a great passer. You open up three point
shots and possibly makes as opposed to two point shots
and makes. And you know, I think Jokic understood that
the ball needed to get into the basket. This is
what coss for because look at this, that assists number
(17:00):
could change could have changed as well. If KCP hit
one or two of those, it could have been six
assists with every one points and eleven rebounds in five
turnal so or you know, or whatever. So it just depends.
He just has to read the moment. I thought Jamal
Murray struggled early and found his way, but it was
(17:20):
just kind of too late, you know. They I think,
regardless of Jamal and Jokics having their their nights, they
need they need another guy having another guy to having
good nights. And that's created by Yokics, and that that's
it was kind of that wasn't the case.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
You know, it's a team game. Basketball is a simple
game if you really allow yourself like it's a team.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Game, and think about this, look real quick. Forty one
and eleven, Yo Kics twelve and seven, Aaron Gordon eighteen
and ten, Jamal Michael Porter Jr. Five points, KCP six points,
Bruce Brown eleven points, Jeff Green nine points. So you
didn't have anybody who had like a breakout game. I mean,
(18:07):
I guess you could say Aaron Gordon with twelve was
was you know, I mean, he had a big game
Game one, but you know that was subsided by the adjustment.
I thought it was a great adjustment. I thought it
was an obvious adjustment because you know, we're hearing people say, oh, yeah,
you know, I said after game one that needed to happen.
I thought that was the obvious adjustment. We knew that
(18:27):
was going to happen because they took advantage up there.
Huh to do what and obvious, Yeah, the obvious adjustment
was to put Kevin Love into the starting lineup.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Height A good adjustment and how do you think it went?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Because it went well because now you have instead of
Jimmy playing the four, Jimmy place to three if you would,
you have a bigger body to put on Aaron Gordon,
and then you can move Jimmy to Jamal Burray to
put a bigger body on him, you know, great defender.
That makes you know you can get shots off on him,
but he's gonna make it tough when he made him
(19:03):
earn it. And I just thought that's what was good
because Aaron Gordon couldn't just go post up. Yes, he
can post up Kevin Love and go, but it was
he was trying to post He was posting up Gabe Vincent,
he was posting up whoever Duncan Robinson, whoever was trying
to guard him. You know, he's not the shooter. So
(19:24):
they he was the guy that they were allowing to
take the open threes, right, But he said, okay, you
guys are coming off me. He did a great job
of when a guy would come off to them, he
would run right to the front of the rim and
post up. Well, you can't do that when you if
Kevin Love is coming off now you're trying to run
behind him to post up. You're still posting up against
sixty nine sixty ten, you know what I'm saying. And
(19:45):
I thought Kevin Love did a great job on switches,
moving his feet and.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
One thing that coach Folstra said too was you know,
excuse me for not remembering his exact words, but it
was something post game to the effect of, I didn't
have the exact foresight heading into game one. I should have,
but he pointed to the quick turnaround and he immediately
after game one realized I should have gone back to
Mike Kevin Love lineup. And that's where those two days
(20:11):
in between really paid off where Spolstra can can showcase,
you know, his strength as one of the great adjustment
coaches in the game. So I think that was a
cool adjustment. And for me, like I was in the huddle,
you know, as a reporter in the game two, and
what I reported on and saw multiple times in the
(20:33):
Nuggets huddle, Ryan Saunders on staff comes into the middle
of the huddle and they with the Nuggets watch video
right in the huddle, Like right, I know that video
is a big part of the in game experience, but
it's not always immediately at the center of the huddle
and everybody's immediately watching video. That's something I've noticed a
lot from the Nuggets in the playoffs. And Ryan comes
(20:54):
out and he's literally showing them breakdowns and it's an
animated huddle. You know, Jokic is yelling, not in a
negative way, more just like, come on, guys, we've got
to communicate. Coach Malone comes in and addresses the team.
It's about their defense against the three point shot, and
Coach Malone is like, look, we're starting. We started the
second half the same way we started the first half.
(21:16):
He didn't like the energy from the starters. Then he
didn't like their communication, their willingness to work and fight
on the defensive end against the threes. And if there's
an adjustment for me that needs to happen against the Heat,
they've got to figure out where the breakdowns are happening
for these open three point shots, because the three not
only ignites all of those role players, it also allows
(21:40):
the Heat to set up their defense.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
And in the fourth quarter, all those.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Threes allowed the Heat to set up zone defense after
zone defense, and you could just tell the Heat we're
more prepared. And I also think, let's shout out Jimmy Butler,
who had nine assists, Like he was more aggressive, He
took way more shots. He said he was going to
get to the free throw line. He did all that.
It wasn't some crazy fifty point game. But I thought
he got the defense shifting which allowed for extra passes,
(22:08):
and then you get guys like Dunkin and Strew's coming
out there making nice shots. And I thought Strews he
hit those four four to threes early, never hit another one.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
That's all he needed his job.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
He's the tone for the entire team. It was gutsy.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
It was gutsy and Rod. The thing the offensive adjustment
was in the pick and roll game one. They come
to a body and when you know you feel somebody
when you're hit, that's when you switch. You come to
contact instead of point switching. This is the thing that's
talked about. If you and I a pick and roll
(22:42):
and your man comes to set a screen on me
and I'm hit, I know then to switch because now
you're gonna take mine. But if they never actually come together,
what do we do? And there was a lot of
point switching, or there were just a lot of guys
assuming that it was an actual screen when it was
(23:03):
a slip, and they never particularly in the first quarter,
they never got a grasp of that. And that's what
I think freed up Streus more so than any exotic
player or anything. It was just the adjustment was you
don't come to a stop. It's just slow to fast
we call it. If you're running to set the screen,
you slow down just a little bit to get your
(23:23):
guy to kind of show a little bit, and you're fast.
You're out of there. Now you get your guy committed,
plus the guy going over the screen because there was
no communication. Either you're pointing or you don't say anything,
and everybody started to assume that's why you see boom boom.
Two guys on there and they immediately got off the ball.
And that was the adjustment more than anything. They didn't
run anything different than what we've seen before. It was
(23:46):
just don't come together. And those guys were getting wide
open looks and once great shooters, particularly who struggle before,
get an open look and see one go down. It's
a different ball game.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
I could see one mental life and mistake. But as
someone again who was outside of the Nuggets Hub, it
was good letter discussed by the coaching staff. This was
not a coach. You cannot say the coaching staff didn't
recognize an issue bringing They literally had the laptop in
the middle with showing the tape and they just kept
getting broken down. My feeling is, it's the NBA Finals.
(24:20):
How are y'all not communicating? You know, I never played
at this level, but I did play in college. When that,
when those screens are happening, you got to be able
to talk through it. How do you keep not having mistakes?
How is two people going with one person? If you're
communicating properly and at least meeting with each other, you
can you can work through the screen. But to have
the same thing happening over and over and mistakes and
(24:41):
mind farts in the NBA Finals, what that was a
little bit surprising. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
It was definitely surprising, and one of those things you're like,
all right, they're gonna make an adjustment, and they did.
They played a little better. Like I said, they played
well enough to get themselves back into it. And then
you know, it's it's when you fight so hard, do
you have enough gas in the tank? And I thought
they did. They they didn't play great, but sometimes you
have ugly wins, and you know, good teams find ways
(25:13):
to wins. And you know that good team was the
Miami Heat, who understood the assignment. They Okay, we didn't
play great. Game one we're gonna get out of here
and split. And they did. They did what they needed
to do. They did their job. So now it's like,
what happens to them? What does Denver look like? Now?
(25:35):
What adjustment will they make? And the simple adjustment, regardless
of the lineup, is playing harder because you know, they
just they exposed them. They they they played harder than them.
I mean, this is all I'm saying. I'm not saying
anything different than what the players and coach Mike Malone said,
but that's it's the reality, and it's the truth, and
(25:58):
I'm interested the real quickly. One thing I like about
Spoe is, regardless of the adjustment that will be made
game three, his willingness to me in game adjustments, yeah,
is second to none. Because yes, he's great at making adjustments.
Like we talked about, he had two days of preparation,
but his willingness to scrap that to pick what works
(26:21):
right now to get us a win now is what
I love about him and some of these coaches in
this league. Because I've had coaches, like I said, they're
stuck in their waist. They spent all night studying and preparing.
It's going to work if you guys would just stick
to the game plan and trust it, Like all right, coach,
it's not working, be willing to change, you know, Vince.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
After the game, coach Michael Malone called out the effort
of his team, and from your viewpoint as a player,
how do you react to that? How does that feel
for the players? And why do do you think that
coach Malone perhaps was just expressing himself or was he
(27:02):
trying to communicate to the team through the media, like
what's going on in these types of situations?
Speaker 1 (27:07):
A wake up call? And he's hoping you know, obviously,
coach Mike Malone wears his emotion on his sleeve. He's
gonna say what he's thinking. And you know, if you're
if you're a player, you understand that at this point,
you understand it. And you know, we heard coach Malone
talk about how you know, when they won Game one
against the Lakers, people still talking about the Lakers' like, wait,
(27:30):
we won the game and we're we don't get talked about.
So he you know, he's doing for his team and
he's going to do whatever it takes to get his
guy to get his guy's four wins. And he was
thoroughly disappointed. But there were also other players. Jeff Green,
you know, he said he spoke up in the locker room.
He also spoke up in in the media. You clearly
could see the disgust in his tone and his face
(27:54):
about it. So they understand that and maybe this is
a wake up call because it has I don't know
if I want to use the word easy, but Denver
has been dominant throughout the playoffs and this is the
first challenge and they had some slippage, which at the
yes we're saying is like, how could you have how
can you can you not have the effort in the
(28:17):
NBA finals. True, but they've made games easy for themselves
and I think they thought this is you know, yes,
they're gonna come greater to play and they're gonna try
to put Miami away, but Miami hit first.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
If you're a player, is it all good? Is that cool?
Speaker 1 (28:33):
It is? I mean some guys don't like it, don't
like to be challenging front of the media to bring
everybody in their business. Cool it is what it is.
I as a player, I don't have a problem with it.
It's it's not like he's telling the lives It's not
like I'm saying no, look I didn't No, it was true.
That's not true. What is he talking about, Coach Don,
what you're talking about. No, he's telling the truth. So
(28:54):
I'm I'm okay with it. I think you know, if anything,
if your feelings hurt, you know, Mike Malone like his dad,
play for his dad. It's one of those guys. Okay, well,
then do something about it. Do something about it.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Game three.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
You will have a chance to change the narrative game three.
That our one adjustment that we can make without it
being a huge secret is our effort because guess what
Miami's gonna be prepared for. I think Miami understands, old man,
what we did to them, what they're saying, what their
coaches saying, what one of their veterans saying. That's gonna
(29:30):
be a point of emphasis come in game three. Why
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Speaker 1 (31:14):
Miami has in their back pocket that guy Tyler Heroll,
Here's another guy. Here's another guy. You know. So all
of that that whenever you know he gets, whenever he's
ready to come back, is another shooter. Now I'm gonna
say this. I know something that I know that you
interviewed him, and I know that you had the chance
(31:34):
to talk to him. When is he coming back? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (31:37):
I I spoke with him right before the start of
game two. He came out and was doing his prew Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I saw that. I was like, oh shoot, they about
to get another guy. But what happened?
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, So, I mean there was a lot of hope
that Tyler would play in game two, and he obviously
he didn't and he stayed out. And I was able
to just kind of understand in a quick conversation with
him right before he started to shoot, because we always
say what's up, and had the chance to tap in
with him on like how his hand was doing, and
this is really how he was weighing the decision of
(32:13):
when to come back. But he actually came right next
to me and he showed me the right hand and
he was like, you know, after he shoots, he has
some swelling and some soreness, and that's the hardest part
of this return and trying to make it back in
time for these finals. And the swelling is actually really
on the top of his wrist where the scar is,
(32:34):
and it was actually well, well talking about the swelling
for now, like it was actually in the scar on
the top of his hand. We're not even talking about
the follow through yet, and he was just like, you know,
it actually looked pretty raised when I looked at it,
But after shooting, it further swells and then the soreness.
He can feel the soreness when he follows through in
the follow through motion of his shot, so obviously that
(33:00):
it's something you consider go if you're shooting and then
after shooting, you know, he experiences those things. And I
think there's also like the mental aspect of this too,
the respect for what the Heat have done, you know,
without him as well. And he did share his considerations
of of hey, I want to come back, but I
(33:21):
also don't want to mess up the rhythm of you know,
the team that's doing so well. And so I think
it's not a matter of like is I know for
game two, Tyler for these reasons, you know, just wants
to make sure that he picks the right time to
come back, both physically and also like emotionally mentally and
for the rhythm of the team. That's not to rule
(33:43):
him out of game three, by the way, that's just
kind of what was being weighed for Game two. And
I think he's taking a really thoughtful approach. And you
also want to make sure that you know, look, he
just had a surgery recently. There's still some physical ailments
of this. He wants to also, you also want to
make sure that he's physically as well. So I think
that obviously, like the Heat winning Game two takes a
(34:07):
little bit of the pressure off of it, and if
he doesn't come back game three, there's still a lot
of hope that he'll be coming back in these finals.
So it was a quick and good conversation with Tyler.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
You got to put that Kobe glove on. He's a
great quess able to come back.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
How do you think he should be worked back in
knowing this information.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I think they should, you know, work him back as
a as a six seventh man or it depends on
I mean, I know you bring Kyle off the bench early,
but I would bring him off the bench for sure
and just give him spot minutes because, like you said,
he had surgery fine, and more so than the physical part,
(34:51):
the mental part, you know, just being hesitant on shooting
the ball, feeling like you know in live action that
you're okay. You know. I think he'll be just a
huge burst in uplift this team, just for the simple
fact that who he is and what he can do.
Maybe if he doesn't hit a show, maybe you know
what if he doesn't hit a shot, cool, But you
(35:11):
still got to respect Tyler Herro's ability to score. I
wouldn't want to see, you know, and I don't think
the Heat will do this, but I wouldn't want to
see them put him in the starting lineup and mess
up the rhythm and rhythm and the flow with how
the Heat have played all, you know, throughout the finals obviously,
but throughout the playoffs in general, since he's been out,
(35:31):
they have been spectacular. It's worked, and they figured it out,
and you kind of implement him slowly because you know,
hearing this, it just made me immediately think of Jamiir Nelson,
the Orlando Magic in the finals with against the Lakers
when their guards were playing so well. Jami had been out.
He comes back and they put him back in the
(35:52):
starting lineup and they kind of threw off the Magic's
rhythm and you know what happened from there. And I
just don't want to see shut out to Jamiir, though
he's my guy, but you know, you just don't want
to see that. And I think he sees that sounds
like what you like what you're saying. Even if they
wanted to put him in the star line, which I
don't think they would, he would not do. So, you know,
(36:12):
he doesn't want to mess up the rhythm because this
is a unbelievable opportunity like.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
That would hard push against. None of that was said
to me, and certainly that's just how.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
He's saying, like, you know, I just want to I
want to mess the rhythm up. That just says, will.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Clarify after like I'm the only person who's spoken to
Tyler Hero. We haven't heard from him since, so I
want to make sure, like we're really clear about what
was actually said. You know, he he shared though that
like as a huge like he's a human being, like
of course he sees what's happening, and there are some
understandings of not wanting to mess up that rhythm full stop.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
That's what I'm saying, and that is that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
I want to come back. It doesn't mean that if
he came back, should he come off the bench of
the start. It's just that he understands that and actually
as a fellow, you know, just as two huge beings
having a conversation about the game that we both played
and we both love. Like I actually said back to him,
I was like, you know, man, like you know, you
just gotta I feel like you can't carry that weight
(37:11):
and burden with you, like if you're going to come back,
like just free.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Yourself of That's exactly what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Free yourself of the concept of am I messing something up?
Because that's not for you to control. Just come out
and you know, do your thing, great, your thing, and
so like that was just that was my thoughts on it,
because that's a lot of weight to bear. You're coming
on the court and you're worried about what you'll do
for others. Let coach figure that out. That's coaches, uh,
And that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Ross, Yeah, that's what I think. I think they will
protect him as a player and bring him off the
bench and let him slowly get his confidence back before
we just throw him in the starting lineup and and
put that pressure on him to or to even allow
that to creep in his mind. Bring me because I
don't I feel like, why would you put him in
to play huge minutes and he hasn't played in a
long time, Like my I don't.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Think starting him as on the table. I think if
Tyler was available from what I've read from a lot
of FaceTime with Heat staff and Heat you know, team people,
if Tyler was able to come back, I'd imagine it'd
be off the bench, but you know, given everything that's
(38:23):
available there for consumption. Another thing that is of note, though,
that I can and already have reported on, is that Tyler,
through this whole playoff run, with the understanding with the Heat,
understanding that they had hopes to bring him back in
the finals, he's been absolutely engaged with the team, like
all the way through, like at all practices, like engaged
(38:48):
at the video sessions. Sometimes when a player is injured,
they don't have to participate in everything, like he's been
mentally activated and engaged in the scouts, in the planning,
being around the team and all that, just so that
he's in playoff mode as best as he can be.
On top of it. It's not a leg injury. He's
been able to do all the cardio things, so as
(39:08):
good as conditioning as you can be without playing in games,
he's been doing that. And in the past week he's
he's been doing full content, uh contact, you know, multiple players, scrimmages,
he's doing everything in practice. From what I've heard, he
looks good, you know, So now it's just a matter
of you know, how does he feel, and what's what's
(39:30):
the right timing for him, and you know, and obviously,
how does his how does his hand feel too? You know,
you don't just want to rush rush back into these things.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Yeah, the confidence of when you're out there playing and
if you get hit, the hesitation like, oh no, it's
all good, it didn't hurt. You know, I was five,
you know. So he has to get past that that
mental hurdle. But like I said, he will be a huge,
huge asset to their team.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
Okay, So I think that's enough Finals talk for today
because we still have a little time before Game three.
But the Heat know how to make this thing interesting.
But the NBA, the NBA is always interesting. It never
ceases to amaze us with the content comes out. And
I tell you, these guys always find a way to
(40:18):
be in the headline. So there's reports out like I
can't wait for Michael Malone to be like y'all not
even talking about us in the finals. He talking about
Lebron James and Kyrie go up to Dallas, Like I.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Know, I know.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
When we saw the reports come out that Kyrie Irving
has been meeting with Lebron James trying to convince him
to join Kyrie and Luca in Dallas. Somewhere, Michael Malone
was plunging the air. He was like, Danny, Lebron, can't
you let us have anything? No, I'm playing, I'll play,
coach Malone. You know I'm playing. Come on, man. But
(40:56):
but and then, and then the Lakers came out on
Monday and immediately shot it down, shut down conversation. Thought
that they aren't looking to bring in Kyrie to La.
So maybe we had it wrong the whole way. Maybe
it was Kyrie trying to bring over Lebron.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
So do you do you?
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Do you believe it?
Speaker 1 (41:15):
One?
Speaker 3 (41:15):
Do you believe it? Or is this putting more pressure
on the Lakers to be aggressive to fill out a roster,
perhaps bring Kyrie to play with Lebron? Like what is
real or not? I can't even tell what's real anymore.
Speaker 1 (41:26):
That's That's what I was just gonna say. I'm not
one hundred percent sure, you know. I remember hearing, you know,
the Dallas Mavericks saying no, they're not gonna, you know,
help Kyrie in a sign trade. So they're like, no,
you got to do this on your own. So I
think once he hears that, he's like, hey, Lebron, whence
you come to Dallas? You know what I'm saying, hey,
because he can make the most money there. You know,
they you know, they have you know, it's like, what
(41:49):
do you be willing? But my thing is, Okay, we
hear Kyrie and we hear Lebron talking about it. What
is Luca saying? What does Luca think about this? Because
Luca is a guy that likes to have the ball
in his and lucas the guy is you know, yes, okay,
I can play off the ball with Kyrie, but now
I gotta play off the ball with Kyrie and Lebron.
You know, how does he adjust to that? It's a
(42:10):
lot of things. There's a lot of questions. There's a
lot of ifs and and would be's and can do's
and could it happens? And it's just it's just crazy.
It's like, wait, who's who's going to? Where? Who might go?
And for sure the Lakers are going to you know,
obviously want to keep Lebron as long as possible. You know,
they have this, They have a d in August to
(42:32):
make a decision on him. You know, what will you
do up until then? So they have a lot of
a lot of things, and you know, but I do
think I'm not giving up Austin Reeves or.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
You would pass as far to keep and Austin Reeves.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
Hear what I say, like that, they're they're huge, Like okay,
so if you lose, okay, so you have Kyrie, you
have Lebron, what else? Maybe a d cool to me,
they're gonna be right back in the situations.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
Okay, we had a trade one of those trade machines,
and you saw Kyrie irving here for Austin Reeves, and.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
So those two.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Said, I'm asking you, bro, you said that, right, you didn't.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I'm not giving up all of it. But you know,
I'm not putting I'm not putting myself as an organization.
I'm not putting myself in the situation again to be
where we we. Yes, we got Russell Westbrook and then
we didn't have any depth on our team. Again, Like
I just I don't know, like what what happens if
Kyrie comes in and Kyrie things happened, whatever.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
That is what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
You know what I'm saying. That's that's what I'm saying.
It's just to hesitation. I'm not saying like he's not great.
I'm not saying like I wouldn't take him a drop
of the hat. Yes, but what do we have to
give up to get him? You know, That's that's my hesitant,
would be my hesitation, He's all I'm saying. I'm not.
It's not the fact that I wouldn't take him. It's
just all right there Again, one of the things that says,
like would you take Kyrie? Well, if we could possibly
(44:10):
bringing Kyrie, Wendy had talked about it, We had talked
about this before, but you know, him possibly taking less
money to make sure he keeps one of those guys,
you know, Okay, cool, but it's just right now, the
Lakers don't want to do The Lakers want to go
through what they had. They had, like Rob Polinka had
to pull one out like deep down in the bag
to find a team that worked, that was satisfactory for
(44:36):
their fans, the organization, and you know, for the rest
of their season, and it worked. I mean it, Well,
do you want to start and risk that again? I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
I'd like to give an also shout out to Rob Polenka.
He's a wonderful person and also you know Flowers for
what he was able to pull off. You know, with
such small margin to do it anything. It ended up
it ended up being an improvement and the Lakers from
(45:07):
the last season and where they were at the top
of the season took a step forward. Is it a
long term solution, No, But in the short term I think, like,
you know, you gotta at least say, hey, he made
something shake you know, and so now.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
And Darvin Ham was able to make get that group
together on the same page to make a hell of
a run. Like shut up to him as well, came
on our show. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely so it was just
great to see, like, I mean, this is the first
year coach, who like, who expected that? Like, you just
want to go through a season, you coach your team whatever.
(45:45):
And obviously, like you said, the NBA is always interesting
and everything happens. But Darvin Ham was like, what my
whole team's gonna change? All right? Cool, all right, let's
make it work. And they made it work and they
got out of the first round. You know, they had
they ran into a very very good deal of the
Nuggets team. But like some coaches first year with little experience,
(46:06):
I don't care if you assistant coach or not. You're
the head coach and you have to make those decisions.
You have to make the right decisions, and he did that.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Flowers Flower shout out to Darvingham speaking of coaches, speaking
the first year's let's take it to the Celtics.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yes, it's a lot of coaches going a lot of
places right now.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
Boy, I'll tell you that, Vince. You know, look, they've
given out thirteen million year. You should get into coaching, man,
Like you know, I'm playing like, yeah, in time if
that's something that you uh want to do. But let's
take it to the Celtics. Joe Mizzula just brought on
(46:43):
Sam Cassell joins.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
The love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
What are your thoughts?
Speaker 1 (46:48):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (46:49):
I think Sam Milwaukee because like Sam, I coussel ahead, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:53):
Yeah, I think Sam is a very very good coach.
He's due to be a head coach himself. We've seen him,
you know, very influential, and I think I think the
seventy six ers will miss him and the players and
(47:14):
the work that he's done with those guys. He worked with,
James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. I think Tyras Maxey will
miss some more than anyone. I'll be interested to see
how his growth. I think he'll get better. But like
but Sam can Sell brings out of your former player
very animated, very real, very forward a lot. I mean,
(47:35):
had an opportunity to talk to other players, Tyrese Maxey
being one of them and loves his approach. I think
this is great for the Boston Celtics. It will be
great for Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. I really do, wow,
because of the guy that he is. He's a guy
that's not gonna hold back punches. He's the guy that
will give these guys the truth and he's gonna prepare them.
(47:57):
He's gonna prepare like you if you go back and
just cat some tape. Sam Cassell was always in James
harden face, whether he didn't want to hear it. Loe,
He's like, no, no, listen to me. This is just
this this and you are every Every team needs a
guy like like that, particularly a former player. You know.
Not no not saying I need a job, but you
need a former player, a guy who's been there, who
(48:18):
understand it and can talk to these guys that these
guys will respect. And I think in those moments and
those situations where they're having a rough time, you have
a guy like, yes, you have your coach, and sometimes yes,
the coach doesn't. Always in the in the heat of battle,
they say something, they don't respond. But that's what your
your assistants are for. And that's what he's very good at.
And I think he's gonna do. Oh man, he's gonna
(48:41):
he's gonna put this health this team kind of get
over the top.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
Absolutely. I know a lot of people are excited to
see a respected and you know, veteran guy you know
joined Joe Missoula happy. I'm always happy to see a
coach get some LEAs. You can't say you're serious about,
you know, your friend. If you're knocking coaches out after
a year commitment, come on, man. So as much as
people want to agree with that Joe Mizula, you know,
(49:08):
walked off the plank after an zero to three start,
you know, he got his team to Game seven. He's
clearly he was putting a tough position to begin with. Uh,
He's clearly a bright, talented coach. And I'm happy that
they didn't. The Celtics didn't bow down to pressure. And
if you want to see an example, and this has
been well documented, if you want to see an example
(49:29):
of what sticking through pressure to drop your coach looks at.
Just look at the NBA finals, Spostra, there was a
time they try to push him out. You look at
Michael Malone. He was allowed to, you know, marinate through
seasons that didn't end up where they hoped to be.
So you're looking at long tenured coaches in these NBA
finals and I think that goes a long way. So
(49:51):
kudos to the Red Seas and the Celtics. Will see
how it works.
Speaker 1 (49:54):
Out, and I think it helps your organization too.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
Now the pressure too, you know, don't think two years
is young. But you know, as you allow a coach marinate,
the pressure sits on them, you know, to perform. But
speaking of performances, we gotta we gotta wrap this one up, man,
I gotta get on the road. I gotta go to Miami.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
Always busy.
Speaker 3 (50:18):
Oh my god, you are always dramatic. You're always dramatic because.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
You're always busy. So like, what what am I supposed
to say here? No, it's all good, it's all good.
I know you gotta work, you gotta.
Speaker 3 (50:28):
I wish golf like you all the time.
Speaker 1 (50:31):
I wish I don't do that a lot of times.
But anyway, but it's uh, I'm looking forward to Game
three and seeing him on you, you and my TV
for like that, she goes, you want to text you
while you're walking fast on the TV, like yo, slow down,
slow down.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
No, you just said that our show was over. I know,
I know you love talking hoops for sure.
Speaker 1 (50:55):
Man, it's a lot of good stuff going out there.
Shout out to all these coaches getting the new opportunity.
You know, it's just great to see the NBA is
gonna once again be interesting. Hopefully there's a new parody
more parody. Excuse me in the league. David Fizdal. I
want to give him some shout out, our old coach.
He's insistent now in Phoenix. I love him. Got to
give him some love. So once again, good people, we
(51:18):
appreciate you. We appreciate you listening to us. Listen, let's
banter and go back and forth, talk about basketball and
all the great stuff that's going on. We love you.
The VC Show. We out of here until next time.
We out. Let's go
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