Vince Carter and Ros Gold-Onwude react to the Heat defeating the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, NBA Finals Preview between the Nuggets and the Heat, how will the Heat defend Nikola Jokic, what’s next for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown’s next team, time to get Caleb Martin paid and much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The VC Show is presented for the people by Caesar Sportsbook,
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Let's go doing the part with Rod. We got the
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(00:21):
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Good people, Welcome to the VC Show presented by Caesar Sportsbook.
I'm Vince Carter and you know who's back. Yeah, she's back.
The finals are here and Roz gets a quick break,
now a little break. You get a quick break and
(00:42):
heading back on the road. But we wanted to catch
up with you, Roz. How are you welcome back? How
was your experience in the Eastern Conference finals. I've been
seeing you in the background. I'm seeing you walking by
the screen working hard like hey man, thanks for joining us,
thanks for having some time for us. I understand you're busy. Lea,
welcome back.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I'm about to open up right after the finals so
we can have, you know, a wax poetic on all
things off season on the VC Show. But Yeah, it's
a busy time. I was out there covering it for ESPN.
I've been doing all the postgame interviews for Sports Center
and doing the radio call for all the games with
Doris Burke, and it was Dave Pash on the call
(01:23):
as well, and it was fantastic. You know. I thought
we would be off and quick and maybe have a
week before the finals. I was thinking about, Okay, I'm
gonna do this, I'm gonna do this. Nope. We took
it in dramatic fashion to Game seven. And the only
thing I would say it was like the Game seven
was so exciting. Finally this we got there. Perhaps we
(01:48):
were going to see history. The atmosphere was electric and
to have it turned out that way where you know,
it was a great performance for the heat, but the Celtics,
I you know, they just really I guess that's what
I thought of themselves. Yeah, and so it was a
(02:09):
little bit anti climactic in that way, but and somewhat
embarrassing for the Celtics and how that beat that loss
went down, But an incredible series nonetheless. So I just
right now literally just landed from Boston this morning. In
LA I'm doing a million appointments. I'm repacking, I got
launcher going, and then I'm on another flight to Denver
(02:30):
because media day is tomorrow and Denver for the finals,
and we've got it. Just is NonStop. I can only
imagine what it's like for the players and the coaches
on the Heat having to make this turnaround.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Just state real quick immediately, I mean, yes, we won, Yes,
finals whatever. They're already breaking down film, getting ready for
the guys to look at, figuring out a game plan.
You know, when you're you're the Denver Nuggets, you have
time to sit back and you've kind of game plan
for both teams trying to figure it out. Because for
me watching it was kind of like everywhere I go,
people like what do you think? Who do you think
(03:03):
wins this? And I honestly Roz didn't know what to
tell him. I was like, I don't know. I don't know,
because it's like, you know, all these historic facts and
numbers you could throw at people about you know, Boston
being great when their backs against the wall, they're proven it,
but not good at home, and you know the Miami
(03:23):
Heat being good at home and all of a sudden
not playing well at home on the road, excuse mem
not at home playing well on the road and dropping
that game and not playing well, and then you get
the game seven, it's like, I don't know, I wanted
to see a good game. I think it was just
like interesting early, but it was like wowing immediately Jason
Tatum goes down because it's you know, and it's it's
(03:45):
like always the what could have been? What could have been? If?
What would it look like if Jason was one hundred percent,
because he's still you know, was giving it what he had.
I mean, he still was outrunning guys getting layups. But
you it wasn't like I said, I've always said this
about me, Dunky. The basketball is not going up, it's
coming down. And you saw every time the time he
dunked the ball, you can tell he was thinking hard
(04:05):
about that landing. And I was like, man, I feel you, brother,
I feel you so. But me and Roz, I'm good man.
I've been you know, working a little bit, you know,
doing some studio stuff and just staying busy. You know,
you get kids, and I got one graduating soon. It's
like on to the next chapter. You know. It's this work, work, work,
So I'm ready to talk about the finals and and
(04:28):
and see what comes about this, because I think this
has been a great playoffs. I don't know how you
see it, but I think the playoffs have been fantastic.
And I think as much as any person analysts, reporter,
whoever comes into this playoffs like oh, such and such
is gonna win. This team looks like the team is
(04:49):
gonna you you're not sure, And very few people I
think you can agree with this didn't give Denver their
props until we watch. Until we watched them, and we're like, nah, right,
I deserve it. So I just I like the like
like the playoffs being so unpredictable, you're not sure. It
wasn't a clear cut, Oh this team is going to
(05:09):
go like you know, you know years past, where were you?
Where were we for the finals? All the time. You
were either in Cleveland when Lebron was there. You were
either in Golden State, you know whatever, because you kind
of had an idea of where you're going to go.
Now you had no idea, which I think made it fun.
It made it fun.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
So before we even get to the finals, like, let's
take a quick moment to digest what just happened during
you know, Game seven and the Eastern Conference Finals. What
does the result of Game seven and how it went down,
what does it say to you about the Celtics and
their future?
Speaker 1 (05:46):
It says to me that the Celtics have a lot
of questions that need to be answered. You know. The
frustrating thing for me, and this is probably the player side,
is to to to see and it's happened with a
lot of coaches, is to see a guy like coach
Joe Missoula, who had great success in regular season and
(06:06):
he's still obviously, you know, learning the difference between regular
season and the playoffs, and he was on death row
first three games, and then all of a sudden he
gets his team in position and then you can turn
on the TV because of their loss in Game seven.
You turn on the TV and it's still like, should
Mosoula be there? But which one is it? Do you do? You?
(06:29):
Do you dislike him or do you like him? You know,
you like the coach when he's winning. I liked I
think the coach. I think every coach, like Phil Jackson,
I mean Nick Nurses is a guy who okay, he
wanted his rookie year, got it. I got it. And
then you know, everybody can question how all that came about.
I don't care. He still got the job done. He
still had to coach his team to a win. I
(06:51):
just feel like every coach is going to is going
to go through tough times. Every coach has to go
through these experience experiences to gain the knowledge and experience,
you know, moving forward. I guarantee Joe Miszoula next year
will be an even better coach because he understands the moment,
(07:11):
just like players. Players go through the playoffs the first time,
it's the first time, but you know, just like guys
go through their second year. Ross your freshman year of college,
it was an eye opener and you're justin. But your
sophomore year, like bro, I already know what to expect.
I know how this works. And that's kind of the
same thing now that you go through it. Like I
remember my first time, my first playoffs, getst the Knicks
(07:32):
and Jeff ben Gundy, and they threw double teams after
double teams, sometimes triple teams at me, and it was
just like, man, what is going on? Like this not
what the regular season season was about, but it's just
a progression. Like you learn that preseason is not like
regular season. You learn regular season is definitely not like
the playoffs, and you know, and it just gets tougher
(07:53):
and tougher as you go, like the final. Shelby. I
didn't get the chance to play in the finals, but
you know, I have a pretty good understand of what
it feels like and what it takes. And I just
I feel like Joe Missoula and his team will be
better because now you have that same voice coming back
into your locker room again, and he can learn from
his mistakes. They it's not like you have to go
(08:14):
and learn a new offense once again. Allah the seventy
six ers who will be learning a new offense again,
you know. So it's just a lot of factors to this.
And you know, I think you keep this guy in place,
Joe Missoula. I think you got to figure out what
you're gonna do with Jalen Brown. That is that is
now the key to all this.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Jalen Brown. What do you think about Jalen? It was
obviously a tough performance and games have in which you know,
to his credit, absolutely manned up raised his hand at all.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Sure did he did? He Sure did? He's my I
think up until to this, he was the the best player.
I think he was able to guide this Celtics team
and Jason Tatum, who was playing you know, okay up
and down in the Sixers series, and prior to he
(09:02):
was Jaylen Brown talking about was outstanding, playing great basketball.
So I think they can compliment each other. A lot
of people, you know heurt today like they don't look
like they play for each other. I mean, I think
that's just kind of the way their offensive structure right now.
A little more ball movement, playing for and off of
each other, I think would be great for him. At
the end of the day. We can want. What we
(09:23):
want is kind of what he is feeling because he's
in he's in the driver's seat after I mean, what
he can make its insane, It's insane. I personal would
like to see them together. You make your justice to
your team. But you know, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
My thoughts on on Jalen you especially when you think
about the regular season, just put that in a bottle.
I mean, he was he had an all Star season.
He was incredible. You know, he needs to cut down
his mistakes and his turnovers, and that's probably making Yeah,
his decision making is a weak spot in his game.
And it's not to say that something that should define
(10:02):
his entire career. I think with the right guidance and
the right discipline and focus from him and putting him
in the right situations, you know that's something that he
can improve. And you know, you surround you know with
capable players and sets where you know that doesn't get
as amplified as it did. And I think, you know,
(10:27):
in general, when I look at this Celtics team, I'm
not willing to say that their star players are not
big time guys in the big time moments. They've all
had huge moments when the lights were bright and when
it was pressure, so it's been mixed back. They haven't
been all you know, they haven't all messed those moments up,
(10:49):
and they haven't all shine at the brightest. So like,
how do you bring those players to a position where
more with higher efficiency showing up as the best version
of themselves in the most high pressure situations. And I
think there that there's a component of that that comes
to coaching, the ability to Okay, you recognize that your
(11:10):
team somehow is like losing hold or grip of the
game of the situation. How do you stop the bleeding.
I also think too, like unlike the unlike the the Heat,
like the Celtics did, there were moments throughout and watching
them through this series where and through the playoffs where
(11:31):
you could feel the boldness slipping away from them. You
you could almost see the air deflating out of them,
and you kind of had this moment of well, here
we go. Even Game six, you know, Derek White, Derek
White came there and bailed him out with some like
you know, crazy putback, But before that shot, it was
(11:52):
the Heat who were looking really down the stretch, and
all of a sudden, here go to turnovers, here go
to mistakes, and there's just this there was like an
unsureness that I think permeates a team and that's not
who I actually think these players are. And I don't
know when that became part of their fabric and their DNA,
(12:13):
but it's been part of who they've been this season.
Because I don't want to make it about coaches, I
think the great ingredients to a coach being successful first
is with continuity, Like you can't give somebody a one
year look and then if that's it, you say and
then have the audacity to say you gave them a
fair shot. You've got to give them the chance. That's
(12:34):
why choosing your coach is important, because you're making a
minimum but a two year commitment if you're really serious
three And I think that Joe Missoula is fantastic. He
has obviously a lot to learn. Of course, he's a
first year head coach, and there were moments that were
clearly exposed that has been widely and loudly talked about,
(12:56):
you know, during this series, especially going up against Spoe,
who is one of the great coaches of all time.
But one thing I would say is that coach Joe
Mizula was put in a very tough position to begin with.
You know, you come in and they replace somebody who
already took him to the finals. They replaced somebody in
the midst of controversy and scandal. You're thrown into a
team as a first time head coach with major expectations,
(13:20):
major spotlight on them, and like, you've got to handle.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
All of that.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
And I also think that they didn't have to make
him the head coach midway through the season. They could
have kept the interim tag, allowed him to get through
this season, and it would have made where we are
right now, a lot less hot. Right now, it's hot
because you've committed to him, and it put extra heat
on everybody, the players, Joe, the organization, Brad Stevens, and
(13:49):
so I think maybe that's where it put a magnifying
glass on Joe in a way that maybe he could
have avoided. But now this is what they've done. This
is you know, this is where they're at. And now
you've got to ask yourself, like what gets shaken up
at this point because there's still a lot about the
Celtics that is elite and just I feel like just
(14:12):
needs the right fine tuning or before I hear people
saying blow the whole thing up, I'm like, dang. But
when they look good, they.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Look good, you know, yeah, and that's the thing, And
they look good. They look good all season and and
moments leading up to you know, the Eastern Conference finals.
So it's just like tweaking. And I think those both
of those guys will will get better. And you know,
we've seen Jalen Brown, he's gotten better since what happened
(14:39):
to them last year. You know, felt like they missed
an opportunity. He got He's gotten better, and I just
think his decision, make it and you just get guys,
and you get some veterans in the ear, you know,
just to kind of kind of coach them through that,
and they're gonna learn from these moments. You can see
the hurt even though he made up, you can see
the hurt in him because he's like, I failed, I
(15:00):
let my team down, and I have a I have
no problem with it of him stepping up, because yeah,
it was a huge obviously it was a huge opportunity
for him. And I think they'll learn. I mean, you
you said one thing about it is like now you
have you have to have an offensive, winning offense where
it's kind of like, yet we're up, now, how do
we protect the ball? We want to make sure we
(15:21):
get a shot. You know, play you have, you go,
you have your your your your pet plays where it's
kind of downhill, doesn't allow you to drive shoot shots
because after a while, like you said in game six,
they're they're either throwing the ball all over the court
or just taking bad shots. And and and then and
that's kind of what it was. And that last shot
I just want to say about that, it's kind of
(15:44):
it's it was an unfortunate play. But it's what Derek
White did was a counter to what probably every coach
is going to tell the guy on the ball to do.
You know, usually the best player is coming up up
top to get the ball for more space. You very
rarely want to run a play last second play in
(16:05):
corners where it's tight quarters. In case of double team,
at least they took it away to making sure Jason
Tatum didn't get the ball. At the end of the day,
you say, if Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown didn't get
the ball, we lose to somebody else, because you could
have to pick someone. Okay, and the guy I think
they would say got the ball who took the shot
(16:25):
was Marcus Smart. You say, we'll live with that long
as we didn't lose to are their superstars? Okay. Now,
while you have Max Shrews extending himself like he did,
doing what he's supposed to do. Derek White did, that's
the counter to it. You cut to the basket because
it's either because easily, if you look at it, Marcus
(16:47):
Smart because could have easily thrown the ball right back
to Derek White for an open jump shot. Because Max
Drews has extended himself, denying, you know, so far so
running to the basket. He has a free, free, free
shot at offense and rebound. The only person I thought,
in my opinion that could have if you go back
and look at it, could could have possibly done something
(17:08):
about it is Bam. And I say Bam because he's
the best rebounder, he's your big man. You want him
going to the real because all they had to do
is knock the ball out of bounds, or knock it
in the air, knock it back, or just tip the
ball away. The game's over, and it is a natural reaction.
A couple of players. I've seen a couple of NBA
players since then around here, and I asked him about it.
(17:30):
He's like, yeah, we've taught you know, when a shot
goes up, find a body. That's what you hear that
from coaches. Find a body. But sometimes in the big moment,
particularly in the last second shot, that's when coaches tell
guys to crash the boards because our natural reaction is
to watch the shot. That's just how it goes and
it was. It was unfortunate.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, and even just the you know, the inability to
consistently defend when they're capable of it. Yeah, the inability
to not down to three and then to hunt the
right shots once the three ball isn't going down and
it becomes a careful dance too. And I think on
part that's partly the coach's job. And also like where
(18:13):
is the poise of this team that is extremely veteran.
They're young in age, don't forget, they've been, you know,
at this Eastern Conference finals a lot, but they're still
like sub twenty seven all of them, but their experience.
So what's disappointing is the lack of poise when things
(18:33):
got rough, the lack of discipline in shot selection, and
the lack of execution to not execute what they're capable of,
especially on the defensive end, which we often say as players,
and you say, like that's one thing I can control
is my defensive effort intensity and habits. So for those reasons,
(18:55):
you know, that is perplexing and disappointing. And then to
go and force a game set you got the whole
crowd like, let me tell you, it was cracking. Like
upon being in that TD garden, I was starting to
recognize something like really special was happening here because We're
(19:16):
about twenty minutes out of the game, and I'm looking around.
The whole place is filled, and like, normally the arenas
aren't filled like that, but it's filled. Not only is
it filled, everybody's standing, nobody's sitting, everybody's standing. So I
already immediately recognized that we're now about twelve minutes out.
When I recognized that, I recognized something was different was
(19:37):
going on. Then they were like playing anything clips of
Derek White's last shot, or Jason Tatum in the back
stretching or an old Celtic alum. Crowd was going wild,
cheering for anything, like we're still twelve minutes out from
the game, and I was like, oh man, it's about
to be crazy.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
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Speaker 2 (21:36):
Okay, let's take it to the other side for the Heat,
because they're the ones that advanced and they're heading to
the finals against the Nuggets, and I'm about to get
your thoughts on the Heat and the Nuggets. What was
most impressive about the run that the Heat had been
making from the eight seed play in to now the
NBA Finals.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
They're pois and they're confidence and they're rallying with each other,
whether it's on the on the road or at home.
You know, you think about I think about that that
lost to the Hawks in the playing tournament where they
didn't they didn't look good at all, and I was like, oh, oh, what,
(22:17):
what what? And then all of a sudden, they go
on their run. They start making noise and it's like, Okay,
they they're here, then you know what they did to
the to the Milwaukee Bucks, who at that time I
thought was the best team in playing the best basketball.
You know, Jimmy Butler, man, the way he goes about
(22:40):
his business is rather interesting because you don't see this
type of this Jimmy Butler all season long. But as
it leads it gets closer to the closer to closer
to the playoff time, he turns into a different player.
It's a good thing. It's a cool thing to see,
(23:00):
and it's pretty. It's it's it's great for their team
at the end of the day. Because I said this
because of listening to Gabe Vincent when he was sitting
at the table with checking those guys, and he said,
Jimmy Butler and obviously he said, the superstars and the
coaching staff has empowered me to play my game and
(23:21):
I don't feel hesitant about anything I do. And I said,
and people like, oh, man, yeah, giving them that power
in the play in the playoffs. Yet no, that started
in the regular season. Jimmy is Jimmy on special occasions
and nights, but all year long, those guys are playing
those minutes and feeling comfortable and Jimmy making plays for
(23:44):
them all year long, you know, not you know, not
putting up the big numbers like we're seeing in the playoffs,
but at the same time allowing them to be themselves.
Kyle Lowry going down injured, coming back healthy, can get
his starting job back, and he says, no, Gabe, you
go ahead, he's done. He's done great for this team.
Let him. I'll come off and man the second unit.
(24:05):
All of these things are just little nuggets, little gems
that that build up and you cash in come playoff
time and you're getting this and you're you're getting this performance.
Caleb Martin, these guys were going going and playing with
zero hesitation. You know, I thought they were in trouble
with Tyler Hero going down, like where they're gonna get
(24:26):
the scoring from jokes on me, jokes on us Finel's.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
M v P your your Eastern Conference Finals m v P.
Because he was he was looking first team.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
On NBA, he was looking first team, yes NBA, and
he was extremely consistent. I thought I thought he was
the saving but I just Finals MVP. Jimmy Butler. Okay,
still Jimmy Butler, It's still It's still Jimmy Butler, but
it was kind of like it was kind of like
(25:01):
he can't look like it was like, and he played
that well, and I felt like, but Jimmy Butler has
been fantastic. I thought he was the second best player. Well,
at one point I thought he was well, I thought
he was the second or third best player at one
point when Phoenix with Booker m in the playoffs, you
(25:24):
know what I'm saying. So I felt jo Kics, Booker
and Jimmy and then once obviously Phoenix, it was like
Jokics and Jimmy for sure, and I thought Jimmy was first.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Round against the Bucks, was the best player in the playoffs,
in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
These are facts, and I just thought, like, you know,
but there again, I felt Jimmy empowered these guys and
and allowed them to still play that way. And after
a while, Caleb Martin is like he's no young I
mean he's a young guy, but at the same time
and he doesn't have that much much experience, but at
the same time he's like, Jimmy need somebody, Jimmy and
(26:04):
Bam need something. And like it was like like I'm
sure everybody, if you ask anybody, were like, bro, it
could Jimmy, but it could have been Caleb Martin, like
he played at that level. And yes he's gonna get paid,
Yes he's gonna get paid. Yeah he's earned it. And
I'm interested in crazy and I'm interested to see how
(26:27):
things work out. Here's my thing. Anytime you you know,
you you have your your your set squad, and potentially
another player comes back. Yes, Tyler hero you know, can
possibly come back. How do you use and utilize him
with the momentum and what's going on. I feel like
Tyler has sat back and had seen the success and
(26:51):
feel like, hey, I'll come off the bench and play
my limited minutes. But we've seen.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
If he's ready. Would you want to how would you
use him?
Speaker 1 (27:00):
I will use him sparingly early first of all, let
him get his legs and his feetback, went to this
league and in the speed, and then we'll just see
how it progresses. If he's playing well, he's in the rotation,
but I'm not throwing them back into my starting unit
immediately unless we have to make adjustments. Let's make an
(27:20):
adjustment where we throw something different out there. Then maybe,
but I'm not I'm if i'm not, I'm not messing
up what's worth this?
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Does you know? Like I feel like he was a
beneficiary of Tyler going down.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Yes, but I think that he's he's earned the right
to play in the rotation. He was huge for them,
you know in the Eastern Conference finals where that is
a weapon of yours. And if you notice they used
the zone to protect him, you know, they played they
play played so and at times where they played man,
he didn't he was I mean there was sometimes he
(27:53):
got beat like straight line drives. Cool, That's that's what
it is. But coach Spoe did a great job of
kind of mixing the zone when yeah, okay, you know
it's coming. That's cool, Boston, you know it's coming, But
can you stop it? And they couldn't. They can you
beat it? Can you beat it? They couldn't beat it.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
So it really slowed Boston down the use of the zone.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
You couldn't because they couldn't play the one on one
I so ball. They had to kind of move the
ball to get into the paint, you know, or force
your way into it. And they were turning it over
and they were just getting open threes and open threes,
and like Kyle, they got the one three where Kyle
Lowry's under transition. He had Caleb Martin ahead. You probably
remember this play and Duncan Robinson trail. He stops, he
looks at Duncan Robinson and throws it to Caleb Martin
(28:35):
wide open in the corner. That's off a turnover out
of the zone. You know, it's just like right.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
The turnovers out of the zone especially were really opportunistic
for the heat. But there are points where Caleb Martin,
I mean, you talk about open shows, Caleb was defended,
he was hounded.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
He was hitting step back, fade away Jordan Ess mid
range jumpers. Literally, I was sitting next to like I
sit next to up of each team, like right right
around the second row or middle of the court, and
we were just looking at each other, just having a
good giggle, like what like this.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Is starting to get crazy? Like confidence, you know, you know,
not not in a like a positive way, like bro,
you should go you should do it, you should run
for president right now?
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Like yeah, confidence, man, And that's what you're seeing. You're
seeing a confident Caleb Martin. You're seeing a confident Duncan Robins.
Just like he This dude didn't play he was out
of the rotation and to.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Be to be can talk about real quick because this
is from Mark Spears. There's a tweet put out he
went undrafted. This is Caleb Martin undrafted in twenty nineteen.
You know it was with the Hornets. Was waved by
the Hornets in twenty twenty one. J Cole nice story.
You know, ended up training out at j Cole's gym
(29:52):
in North Carolina and Jake Hole calls Karen Butler and
was like, hey, this, you know, my guy, Caleb's really
good a ball. So then he signs a two way
contract with the Heat. Mind you, last season in game
seven he had a DNP playing in the Eastern Conference
Finals against the Celtics, so he didn't even play. He
didn't even see the court. This year he could have
(30:15):
been the final, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP game seven.
So twenty twenty two, in July he gets a three year,
twenty million dollar contract and then he becomes a hero
in the playoffs. You know what, friends, there were a
lot of great stories in these in the Eastern Conference Finals.
You just you you be a star in your role.
You stay ready, You stay ready.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Listen to that us He's three years twenty million. They
got this man playing like this on a discount discounted.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
You know, sometimes I see contracts for teams that have
won a championship or whatever, and I'm like, that's old
money at this point, Like you know, people will look
at the number because we're still not getting used to
what these new contracts are going to look like. And
you were like, that's so much. This is what they
owe them, Like he's made that money. And then some
already in his role the finals. I don't care how
(31:09):
will get paid all these guys.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
That's all about to saying. I hope regardless of the result,
the ending result of this playoffs, whether Miami wins it
or loses it, I hope the organization Miami Heat goes
back to the table and they redo Caleb's contract.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Yeah, and and I think, you know, and he also,
like a lot of these guys like gave Vincent, you know,
like Caleb committed to the culture of the Heat. And
I'll tell a story. I told this earlier. Why so
we talked about the unsureness in the Celtics and I
look at them and I'm like, why, you know, given
all that they have the potential to be why aren't
(31:49):
they able to stand up to that and be and
be that when when when it matters. Then I look
at the heat and I'm like, well, why are so
many of these role players looking having outer body experiences
and looking like you know, first team all NBA guys
out there? And I think it really starts organizationally from
(32:10):
the top. And I think it starts, you know, I
think Jimmy's confidence is big. I think Spoe and the
way that he not only like obviously is a great
x's and o's coach and can adjust on the fly.
It was actually as a report, Kron Butler was telling me, like,
what what makes Foe different is that he can adjust
on the snap on the spot. He doesn't need to
go at halftime and then.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Willing to do it. That's why there's a lot of
coaches I've played for that not willing to.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Do that or can't even recognize that they need a night,
you know, to watch film or to wait till halftime.
But he's doing instantaneously. But even beyond that, Doris Burk
and I were talking about it because before every game,
we get to talk with the coaches right before the broadcast,
so we're talking with Spoe and his way of humanizing
the game and recognizing your just concern what might actually
(33:01):
be going through your head and heart as a player,
as a human being, and then putting it to word
and then putting into something that you can hold it onto,
and like channel within the game is crazy. I'm gonna
tell you what he said. I am paraphrasing, so I
will not be as eloquent as his, but you'll feel it.
Like he literally was talking to us after the heat.
(33:22):
Derek White his that shot, they lose three in a row,
They're heading to Boston for a game seven, and how
does the team emotionally rebound from that and come into
that ready not only to win, but be so dominant
in that way, And he was talking about pregame. Pregame
he said he wanted the guys to embrace all that
comes with this moment, all of the challenge and emotion
(33:43):
and the emotions that come with it, and to be
with it, like not try to avoid it or hide
from it. Like he talked about the fragility of winning,
how fragile victory is, and that he told his players
like you have to be okay with the vulnerability that
comes with going for it, putting yourself out there to
(34:07):
go for it in front of everyone, for everyone to
see and judge you, and be okay with what that
feels like. And he wanted them to embrace all that
comes with it and the discomfort that comes with the
quests that they were on, and like understand that it's
there and be with it and embrace it. And I
was just like, whoa, you know, like that's life advice,
(34:31):
you know, forget about the game advice, and you talk
about getting these guys like again to keep coming back
to the Celtics anytime it became crunch time. You immediately
saw that those guys were not They weren't one hundred
percent sure, but you looked at the Heat and you know,
each series for the Heat was different. The Bucks series
(34:52):
was Jimmy Butler, high flying offense, fifty point games. The
next series was more of a grind series, and then
this series against the Celtics was a depth series. It
was about role players. It was the Caleb Martin game,
it was the Duncan Robinson game, it was the Gabe
Vincent game, and like, you know, the Celtics had enough
depth of defender to really kind of stimmy Jimmy Butler
(35:14):
because they had mad different looks that could go at him.
It was hard for him, but they still were able
to have these out of body experiences from like Caleb
and Gabe. And I think that starts from the top down,
that starts from the mentality down, that these guys are
able to do that. It was absolutely the stuff that
will give you goosebumps. And I think this is all
part of what makes coach Spolstra. His intensity, his humanity.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
His.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Ferocity. You should see this man in a huddle, and
of course his intelligence as a coach. That makes him
one of the greats, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
And I want to add to that and there again,
I'm gonna give Jimmy some love as well as band,
but I'm gonna give Jimmy some love mostly about what
I said earlier about regular season allowing these guys to
do so, because yes, you could see the attention that
Jimmy was getting from the Boston Celtics, whether it was
from Grant Williams or anybody else of their defenders they
(36:12):
had they had to change their look when Dokian Robinson
hitting shots, Caleb Martin going crazy, Gay Vinson getting crazy,
Kyle Lowry just having his moments here and there, like
when different guys like you said, have a moment, they
had to go from that. So it's it's because of
the confidence and being empowered by Jimmy from the regular
season and into the playoffs where they feel like, oh, man,
(36:35):
I gotta save my man by knocking down shots. I
gotta get going. I gotta make sure I'm in his
window so he can see me when this double team
come knock down shots. Because of what it started doing,
the double teams turned into stab back and get that.
Oh I gotta get back to my man because he
hitting shots. And that's what it did, and that made
things easier for Jimmy. Like Game six, he was bad.
(36:56):
Jimmy was bad. He couldn't hit a shot. But guess
what all of those other guys were playing well, Okay,
Martin obviously was hitting shots, and then he was able
to get free in the fourth quarter and late in
the game to be Jimmy. That's all you want as
a player. I've always said this, and I always tell
like these young stars, I'm like, get your guys going early.
Get your guys because you're gonna need them late, you know.
(37:17):
Trey and I used to argue about it all the time,
particularly his his rookie year. I'm like, you gotta get
these guys because if these guys are hitting shots and
they're rolling, the fourth quarter is easy for you because
they have a decision to make. Either they're gonna keep
double team you and you're gonna get a twenty five
ascents because these guys are hitting shots, or they're gonna
kind of get hesitant. And the natural reaction or reality
(37:38):
is as a player, I'm not about to get get
my head busted by this guy because coach said, oh,
we gotta get here, and this bill keeps hitting shots.
It's just no, I'm you know, those stunts get a
little short and short because I want to get closer
to my guy. And now Jimmy Butler, who's great with
the pump fake in the past, fait it was now drive,
I drive fake the pump. Oh I got a lay
up because those guys are hitting shots. You know, it's
just crazy, and that's all I think. It's a it's
(38:01):
a it's a tip of the hat to Jimmy Butler
for for for what he what he the groundwork that
he laid early and those guys understood it. Can you
feed up? You can find us on all platforms and
that for him to beat the hottest on them platform.
Your family now got to listen to what we're talking about.
(38:22):
The v C show. Let's go, it's time to turn
it out. Show, let's go, let's go.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
What are they gonna do with Vince? What can the
heat do against?
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Here's here's here's the here's the crazy thing about that,
you know, and we talked about, you know, to nauseum
about Jokic and a D. Whoever wins that matchup, will
you know, will probably have a lot of success and
when it will come out victor in that matchup. And
I think this is what you mean a D Anthony
(39:00):
Davis Lakers, you know. And I look at it now
as far as guarding or you know, making yokis guard,
and it's gonna be the same type of thing. I
don't think Bam is the same kind of player as
a D. He's not as far as offensively and even defensively,
like he's darn good. He's super athletic, but you know,
(39:20):
he's giving up height and weight. So I think Miami's
gonna have to play fast and you're gonna have to
throw bodies out. They're gonna have to scramble around because
you allow Yokis to have his way, and I think
they're gonna have a decision to make either you're gonna
let Yokis have big knights and not allow the triple
double knights because if he's getting triple doubles, that means
multiple guys are having good knights. Also, while he's playing well,
(39:41):
you can't allow him to have thirty thirty five point doubles.
You know That's that means three or four guys are
having good knights as well, not just Jokic and Murray.
Those guys are gonna do their thing. But maybe, you know,
I think we'll see maybe a try where you allow
Yokis to go ahead and do his thing. Is KCP
is not getting threes because they're they're big on not
(40:03):
allowing three point shots already Miami he defense. So maybe
you stand out there so you don't let Bruce Brown
have a big night. You don't allow well more so
KCP and Michael Porter Jr. Not allowing those guys to
kill you from the three, because if they're hitting threes,
that means that pain is wide open. Because you got
to close out to those guys. So I'm interested to
(40:23):
see what approach they take first. You wouldn't dare play
Yo kics straight up, I don't think, particularly when you
don't have a lot of bigs. Well, no, you don't
have any bigs. They don't play any biggs. I think
for Bam, you're gonna have to play defense, scramble whatever,
and Bam has to play fast. I think it was
great for them is BAM's ability to rebound and start
(40:45):
the offense. That means Jokis has to get back. While
he's getting back, now Bam can go into dribble handoffs.
Yokis can't do both. Yeah, So you know you're gonna
have to put them in those situations because other than that, man,
if you're not getting that dude, the foul trouble and
off the floor, good look. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
And when the heat really looked a little bit, you know,
out of sorts, it was when they couldn't run their
offense through Bam because the paint was so crowded. You know,
to your point, Bam in space is the game changer,
and he does make nice decisions to either facilitate or
that's when he's going to catch you for a foul
or finish or make the right play there. So you
(41:23):
know what what are going to be the the defensive tactics.
You know, the Nuggets will use to soak up space
from everybody. And then I think you know that the
zone shakes up a lot of teams. One, it takes
away their pace. Two, it often puts you in positions
to have to make the right decision on which types
of threes to hunt. And you know, three, it changes
(41:48):
if a team's not disciplined. It changes who who they
run their offense through and how they want to get
to their points. And like I think, obviously the Nuggets
are really strong. You know when Joki is a playmaker,
and that's.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
What I'm saying. He he you. I put him at
the free throw line or somewhere in the zone and
let him Obviously, you know, the weakest spot of a
zone is in the middle. So I'm making sure I'm
flashing yo kics from different areas, sometimes from the top
of the key, go turn, pull, I play through him.
He finds guys or his you know, he could he
shoots the heck out of that free throw jump line,
jump shot. I bring him in off the baseline or
(42:21):
different places, just to get him in the middle of
the floor and start finding guys because there again, if
he gets the ball in the middle of the zone,
that's Bam who's gonna now have to guard him one
on one because you wouldn't dare it usually gets zones,
particularly in the NBA, when the ball is in the middle,
they typically go to man there. Well, that that will
be the opportunity for Jokis to have Bam one on
(42:42):
one and not see the double teams unless you know
they choose the double team at the middle of the
in the middle of the floor, which he's a great passer,
so you can't show you can't show a great player
the same look often because he's gonna pick you apart.
So look for look for the heat to switch up
their defenses free yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
Oh, and they've done that throughout. One thing I will
say about the Nuggets though you know, I was joking.
I was joined Somebody's show and I was joking earlier.
It's almost like a chip off. Both of these teams
are coming into the to the series saying you people
never believed in us. Oh y'all counted us out. Oh,
(43:22):
you never talk about us, Oh we fly under the radar.
Well here both they are Nuggets. Here you are center stage.
Here you are he you know, knocked off the number one.
See the best team in the NBA was the Bucks.
He knocked them off. Then they went through the Celtics,
which was arguably too if not the Nuggets in my
personal opinion. Now you've got the Nuggets, who, by the way,
(43:44):
do not sleep on. This is a team that is
has a diversity of defender. They have much more grit
to them than they've had in the past. They've shown
the ability to win gritty. They are better and more
committed on the defensive end. They are have shooters and
can stretch it. They obviously have a generational talent in Jokic,
(44:05):
and they have a closer. They have a guy with
Kobe like instinct in Jamal Murray, who really is that
guy and looks and feels comfortable. I cover a lot
of West Coast games, so when people were going to sleep,
you know, after the first East Coast game, that's usually
the game I was on. I had a lot of
Nuggets this season. Nothing about them running through you know,
(44:25):
the playoffs and sleeping the Lakers none of that surprised me.
I was like, that would have been your fatal mistake
if you were, you know, having an emotional letdown after
defeating the Warriors and maybe you thought you were going
to walk through the Nuggets, that was your mistake. The
Nuggets have been that, and well not, I'll say that better.
They haven't been that, but they are that this season.
And it took getting healthy and improving after years and
(44:48):
also brilliant play of Jokic and also the way Michael
Malone has put his players in good position. So I
think I think that this is a very tough challenge,
a very complete Nuggets team that's very good. My main
concern for them is they've been resting for like a
weekend change and I just literally left the Heat like, yeah,
(45:10):
they got fatigued, but they also are like foaming at
the mouth dogs like they're dogs right now, like there
would I wouldn't even want the Heat to have a
week off, Like I'm afraid if they took a month off,
Like is Caleb Martin still gonna.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Be all first all team facts with.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
The pump with the carriage turned into a pumpkin with
the glass slipper fall off and all this be over
because what I'm seeing right here, they should never stop.
They should go right straight into finals. They're exactly where
they need to be. I'm worried. I hope that the
time off doesn't affect the intensity of the nugget.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
But this is their first opportunity. Ross Like, I just
can't imagine Denver letting this opportunity slip away. Particularly, who
do you have winning? I got Denver right now, Denver,
and how many Hey wait, let me give it shout
out to Aaron Gordon, who's you know, real quick? Because
(46:07):
this guy man, he bring him in and he made
an adjustment with being the man in in Orlando, coming there,
falling in line and being a huge, huge factor to
their team. Uh, you know, defensively taking the toughest defender.
I thought he you know what he did in the
close out game versus the Lakers. Yes, Lebron went crazy,
(46:29):
he went crazy in the first half, but he made
Lebron work, work, work, work for what he got to
wear him down. And I thought, Aaron has has made
the sacrifice for the good of that team. He's taking
the challenge defensively, Gardened. I'm talking about guys smaller than him,
guys bigger than him, faster, whatever, and done a great
job and has made it easier for everyone else. Jamal,
(46:50):
just go out there and ball. Uh, Michael Porter, just
go out there and be a shooter and score and
not have to you know, Gardener, that that that challenge.
I got it. I got it and still play well.
You know, Yeah, he's his office is gonna sock, gonna
gonna take a hit a little bit because he's you
guarded some great offensive players. But it's okay. And he
you know, Game four was was was great for him.
(47:12):
You know, not only did he play well off defensively,
he did he played well offensively. Now, Denver and ah Man,
that's tough. Now, that's tough. That's tough because you can't
count off the Heat and I'm not counting them out
for sure. I still I think it's gonna get to
(47:33):
a six.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
You think he'll give me six? So Denver, I feel
you in that too.
Speaker 1 (47:38):
I can't see five. I see six something.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
You know, at this point, with as much as I've
covered the Heat in this postseason, I should know better
than to bet against them, and after seeing the way
they beat down the toughness that you know, this series
was about toughness too. They are tough. I wouldn't put
it past them to make this a great series. But
I truly do believe that the Nuggets are having a
(48:04):
special year and and that Yo Kic in his own way,
has something he wants to to achieve and.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Said he wants to prove also like he wants to
prove Yeah that was that should have been mine? That
third one.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
Yeah, you know he won't admit that, but he's he
got them. He got the instinct in them, all right,
So real quick? So who will win finals? MVP?
Speaker 1 (48:31):
Before we go, we just talked about.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
Jamal Murray also coming through it.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
Maybe it could be where maybe we're looking at like, ooh,
Jamal Murray. What Yo Kic? I just feel like jam
I think Jamal is gonna have his special games, but
we're gonna look at Yokis like bro another triple double
like this, like that's and it's one of those things
where if Yo Kids wasn't on the court, Jamal would
be it. But like he's just doing a little better.
(49:00):
It's like Anthony Davis had the great Game one at
forty two points, but Jogis had a thirty five point
triple double like he's playing at that level.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
So yeah, okay, well then I don't think I think
you know, these are all pretty safe. Best we didn't
say nothing controversial. Maybe I should go out on a
limb and say, you know, look, gave Vincent, man, I
don't know, like you don't even know what the heat.
It could be the Duncan Robinson series, like the Fate
of the Finals. Let wrestle on the back of Caleb Martin,
(49:29):
but and Gay Vincent.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
I think Gay Vince is gonna have a huge night job.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
Yeah, he's gonna have ele Nigerians.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
He's gonna have a huge role in this because I
think if he plays well offensively, he's making Jamal Murray
have to guard hopefully if you would wearing him down.
So we shall see, we shall see.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
I'm walking with you cause I gotta go. I got
a car outside that fights to catch.
Speaker 1 (49:53):
Well, there you go with people's roz Rod got to go.
She got things to do. We appreciate you guys as always.
A check rise out doing her thing at the finals.
And yeah, we'll check back in with you guys talking
about what we've seen so far in the finals. All right,
y'all be good at the VC show Let's Go, we Go,
The VC Show is presented for the people by Caesar Sportsbook,
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Let's go doing the part with Rod. We got the
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(00:21):
hot topics, updates, straight fact, storytelling, breakdown, so special guesst
BC show, Let's go, It's time to turn it downd show.
Good people, Welcome to the VC Show presented by Caesar Sportsbook.
I'm Vince Carter and you know who's back. Yeah, she's back.
The finals are here and Roz gets a quick break,
now a little break. You get a quick break and
(00:42):
heading back on the road. But we wanted to catch
up with you, Roz. How are you welcome back? How
was your experience in the Eastern Conference finals. I've been
seeing you in the background. I'm seeing you walking by
the screen working hard like hey man, thanks for joining us,
thanks for having some time for us. I understand you're busy. Lea,
welcome back.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I'm about to open up right after the finals so
we can have, you know, a wax poetic on all
things off season on the VC Show. But Yeah, it's
a busy time. I was out there covering it for ESPN.
I've been doing all the postgame interviews for Sports Center
and doing the radio call for all the games with
Doris Burke, and it was Dave Pash on the call
(01:23):
as well, and it was fantastic. You know. I thought
we would be off and quick and maybe have a
week before the finals. I was thinking about, Okay, I'm
gonna do this, I'm gonna do this. Nope. We took
it in dramatic fashion to Game seven. And the only
thing I would say it was like the Game seven
was so exciting. Finally this we got there. Perhaps we
(01:48):
were going to see history. The atmosphere was electric and
to have it turned out that way where you know,
it was a great performance for the heat, but the Celtics,
I you know, they just really I guess that's what
I thought of themselves. Yeah, and so it was a
(02:09):
little bit anti climactic in that way, but and somewhat
embarrassing for the Celtics and how that beat that loss
went down, But an incredible series nonetheless. So I just
right now literally just landed from Boston this morning. In
LA I'm doing a million appointments. I'm repacking, I got
launcher going, and then I'm on another flight to Denver
(02:30):
because media day is tomorrow and Denver for the finals,
and we've got it. Just is NonStop. I can only
imagine what it's like for the players and the coaches
on the Heat having to make this turnaround.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Just state real quick immediately, I mean, yes, we won, Yes,
finals whatever. They're already breaking down film, getting ready for
the guys to look at, figuring out a game plan.
You know, when you're you're the Denver Nuggets, you have
time to sit back and you've kind of game plan
for both teams trying to figure it out. Because for
me watching it was kind of like everywhere I go,
people like what do you think? Who do you think
(03:03):
wins this? And I honestly Roz didn't know what to
tell him. I was like, I don't know. I don't know,
because it's like, you know, all these historic facts and
numbers you could throw at people about you know, Boston
being great when their backs against the wall, they're proven it,
but not good at home, and you know the Miami
(03:23):
Heat being good at home and all of a sudden
not playing well at home on the road, excuse mem
not at home playing well on the road and dropping
that game and not playing well, and then you get
the game seven, it's like, I don't know, I wanted
to see a good game. I think it was just
like interesting early, but it was like wowing immediately Jason
Tatum goes down because it's you know, and it's it's
(03:45):
like always the what could have been? What could have been? If?
What would it look like if Jason was one hundred percent,
because he's still you know, was giving it what he had.
I mean, he still was outrunning guys getting layups. But
you it wasn't like I said, I've always said this
about me, Dunky. The basketball is not going up, it's
coming down. And you saw every time the time he
dunked the ball, you can tell he was thinking hard
(04:05):
about that landing. And I was like, man, I feel you, brother,
I feel you so. But me and Roz, I'm good man.
I've been you know, working a little bit, you know,
doing some studio stuff and just staying busy. You know,
you get kids, and I got one graduating soon. It's
like on to the next chapter. You know. It's this work, work, work,
So I'm ready to talk about the finals and and
(04:28):
and see what comes about this, because I think this
has been a great playoffs. I don't know how you
see it, but I think the playoffs have been fantastic.
And I think as much as any person analysts, reporter,
whoever comes into this playoffs like oh, such and such
is gonna win. This team looks like the team is
(04:49):
gonna you you're not sure, And very few people I
think you can agree with this didn't give Denver their
props until we watch. Until we watched them, and we're like, nah, right,
I deserve it. So I just I like the like
like the playoffs being so unpredictable, you're not sure. It
wasn't a clear cut, Oh this team is going to
(05:09):
go like you know, you know years past, where were you?
Where were we for the finals? All the time. You
were either in Cleveland when Lebron was there. You were
either in Golden State, you know whatever, because you kind
of had an idea of where you're going to go.
Now you had no idea, which I think made it fun.
It made it fun.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
So before we even get to the finals, like, let's
take a quick moment to digest what just happened during
you know, Game seven and the Eastern Conference Finals. What
does the result of Game seven and how it went down,
what does it say to you about the Celtics and
their future?
Speaker 1 (05:46):
It says to me that the Celtics have a lot
of questions that need to be answered. You know. The
frustrating thing for me, and this is probably the player side,
is to to to see and it's happened with a
lot of coaches, is to see a guy like coach
Joe Missoula, who had great success in regular season and
(06:06):
he's still obviously, you know, learning the difference between regular
season and the playoffs, and he was on death row
first three games, and then all of a sudden he
gets his team in position and then you can turn
on the TV because of their loss in Game seven.
You turn on the TV and it's still like, should
Mosoula be there? But which one is it? Do you do? You?
(06:29):
Do you dislike him or do you like him? You know,
you like the coach when he's winning. I liked I
think the coach. I think every coach, like Phil Jackson,
I mean Nick Nurses is a guy who okay, he
wanted his rookie year, got it. I got it. And
then you know, everybody can question how all that came about.
I don't care. He still got the job done. He
still had to coach his team to a win. I
(06:51):
just feel like every coach is going to is going
to go through tough times. Every coach has to go
through these experience experiences to gain the knowledge and experience,
you know, moving forward. I guarantee Joe Miszoula next year
will be an even better coach because he understands the moment,
(07:11):
just like players. Players go through the playoffs the first time,
it's the first time, but you know, just like guys
go through their second year. Ross your freshman year of college,
it was an eye opener and you're justin. But your
sophomore year, like bro, I already know what to expect.
I know how this works. And that's kind of the
same thing now that you go through it. Like I
remember my first time, my first playoffs, getst the Knicks
(07:32):
and Jeff ben Gundy, and they threw double teams after
double teams, sometimes triple teams at me, and it was
just like, man, what is going on? Like this not
what the regular season season was about, but it's just
a progression. Like you learn that preseason is not like
regular season. You learn regular season is definitely not like
the playoffs, and you know, and it just gets tougher
(07:53):
and tougher as you go, like the final. Shelby. I
didn't get the chance to play in the finals, but
you know, I have a pretty good understand of what
it feels like and what it takes. And I just
I feel like Joe Missoula and his team will be
better because now you have that same voice coming back
into your locker room again, and he can learn from
his mistakes. They it's not like you have to go
(08:14):
and learn a new offense once again. Allah the seventy
six ers who will be learning a new offense again,
you know. So it's just a lot of factors to this.
And you know, I think you keep this guy in place,
Joe Missoula. I think you got to figure out what
you're gonna do with Jalen Brown. That is that is
now the key to all this.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Jalen Brown. What do you think about Jalen? It was
obviously a tough performance and games have in which you know,
to his credit, absolutely manned up raised his hand at all.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Sure did he did? He Sure did? He's my I
think up until to this, he was the the best player.
I think he was able to guide this Celtics team
and Jason Tatum, who was playing you know, okay up
and down in the Sixers series, and prior to he
(09:02):
was Jaylen Brown talking about was outstanding, playing great basketball.
So I think they can compliment each other. A lot
of people, you know heurt today like they don't look
like they play for each other. I mean, I think
that's just kind of the way their offensive structure right now.
A little more ball movement, playing for and off of
each other, I think would be great for him. At
the end of the day. We can want. What we
(09:23):
want is kind of what he is feeling because he's
in he's in the driver's seat after I mean, what
he can make its insane, It's insane. I personal would
like to see them together. You make your justice to
your team. But you know, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
My thoughts on on Jalen you especially when you think
about the regular season, just put that in a bottle.
I mean, he was he had an all Star season.
He was incredible. You know, he needs to cut down
his mistakes and his turnovers, and that's probably making Yeah,
his decision making is a weak spot in his game.
And it's not to say that something that should define
(10:02):
his entire career. I think with the right guidance and
the right discipline and focus from him and putting him
in the right situations, you know that's something that he
can improve. And you know, you surround you know with
capable players and sets where you know that doesn't get
as amplified as it did. And I think, you know,
(10:27):
in general, when I look at this Celtics team, I'm
not willing to say that their star players are not
big time guys in the big time moments. They've all
had huge moments when the lights were bright and when
it was pressure, so it's been mixed back. They haven't
been all you know, they haven't all messed those moments up,
(10:49):
and they haven't all shine at the brightest. So like,
how do you bring those players to a position where
more with higher efficiency showing up as the best version
of themselves in the most high pressure situations. And I
think there that there's a component of that that comes
to coaching, the ability to Okay, you recognize that your
(11:10):
team somehow is like losing hold or grip of the
game of the situation. How do you stop the bleeding.
I also think too, like unlike the unlike the the Heat,
like the Celtics did, there were moments throughout and watching
them through this series where and through the playoffs where
(11:31):
you could feel the boldness slipping away from them. You
you could almost see the air deflating out of them,
and you kind of had this moment of well, here
we go. Even Game six, you know, Derek White, Derek
White came there and bailed him out with some like
you know, crazy putback, But before that shot, it was
(11:52):
the Heat who were looking really down the stretch, and
all of a sudden, here go to turnovers, here go
to mistakes, and there's just this there was like an
unsureness that I think permeates a team and that's not
who I actually think these players are. And I don't
know when that became part of their fabric and their DNA,
(12:13):
but it's been part of who they've been this season.
Because I don't want to make it about coaches, I
think the great ingredients to a coach being successful first
is with continuity, Like you can't give somebody a one
year look and then if that's it, you say and
then have the audacity to say you gave them a
fair shot. You've got to give them the chance. That's
(12:34):
why choosing your coach is important, because you're making a
minimum but a two year commitment if you're really serious
three And I think that Joe Missoula is fantastic. He
has obviously a lot to learn. Of course, he's a
first year head coach, and there were moments that were
clearly exposed that has been widely and loudly talked about,
(12:56):
you know, during this series, especially going up against Spoe,
who is one of the great coaches of all time.
But one thing I would say is that coach Joe
Mizula was put in a very tough position to begin with.
You know, you come in and they replace somebody who
already took him to the finals. They replaced somebody in
the midst of controversy and scandal. You're thrown into a
team as a first time head coach with major expectations,
(13:20):
major spotlight on them, and like, you've got to handle.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
All of that.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
And I also think that they didn't have to make
him the head coach midway through the season. They could
have kept the interim tag, allowed him to get through
this season, and it would have made where we are
right now, a lot less hot. Right now, it's hot
because you've committed to him, and it put extra heat
on everybody, the players, Joe, the organization, Brad Stevens, and
(13:49):
so I think maybe that's where it put a magnifying
glass on Joe in a way that maybe he could
have avoided. But now this is what they've done. This
is you know, this is where they're at. And now
you've got to ask yourself, like what gets shaken up
at this point because there's still a lot about the
Celtics that is elite and just I feel like just
(14:12):
needs the right fine tuning or before I hear people
saying blow the whole thing up, I'm like, dang. But
when they look good, they.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Look good, you know, yeah, and that's the thing, And
they look good. They look good all season and and
moments leading up to you know, the Eastern Conference finals.
So it's just like tweaking. And I think those both
of those guys will will get better. And you know,
we've seen Jalen Brown, he's gotten better since what happened
(14:39):
to them last year. You know, felt like they missed
an opportunity. He got He's gotten better, and I just
think his decision, make it and you just get guys,
and you get some veterans in the ear, you know,
just to kind of kind of coach them through that,
and they're gonna learn from these moments. You can see
the hurt even though he made up, you can see
the hurt in him because he's like, I failed, I
(15:00):
let my team down, and I have a I have
no problem with it of him stepping up, because yeah,
it was a huge obviously it was a huge opportunity
for him. And I think they'll learn. I mean, you
you said one thing about it is like now you
have you have to have an offensive, winning offense where
it's kind of like, yet we're up, now, how do
we protect the ball? We want to make sure we
(15:21):
get a shot. You know, play you have, you go,
you have your your your your pet plays where it's
kind of downhill, doesn't allow you to drive shoot shots
because after a while, like you said in game six,
they're they're either throwing the ball all over the court
or just taking bad shots. And and and then and
that's kind of what it was. And that last shot
I just want to say about that, it's kind of
(15:44):
it's it was an unfortunate play. But it's what Derek
White did was a counter to what probably every coach
is going to tell the guy on the ball to do.
You know, usually the best player is coming up up
top to get the ball for more space. You very
rarely want to run a play last second play in
(16:05):
corners where it's tight quarters. In case of double team,
at least they took it away to making sure Jason
Tatum didn't get the ball. At the end of the day,
you say, if Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown didn't get
the ball, we lose to somebody else, because you could
have to pick someone. Okay, and the guy I think
they would say got the ball who took the shot
(16:25):
was Marcus Smart. You say, we'll live with that long
as we didn't lose to are their superstars? Okay. Now,
while you have Max Shrews extending himself like he did,
doing what he's supposed to do. Derek White did, that's
the counter to it. You cut to the basket because
it's either because easily, if you look at it, Marcus
(16:47):
Smart because could have easily thrown the ball right back
to Derek White for an open jump shot. Because Max
Drews has extended himself, denying, you know, so far so
running to the basket. He has a free, free, free
shot at offense and rebound. The only person I thought,
in my opinion that could have if you go back
and look at it, could could have possibly done something
(17:08):
about it is Bam. And I say Bam because he's
the best rebounder, he's your big man. You want him
going to the real because all they had to do
is knock the ball out of bounds, or knock it
in the air, knock it back, or just tip the
ball away. The game's over, and it is a natural reaction.
A couple of players. I've seen a couple of NBA
players since then around here, and I asked him about it.
(17:30):
He's like, yeah, we've taught you know, when a shot
goes up, find a body. That's what you hear that
from coaches. Find a body. But sometimes in the big moment,
particularly in the last second shot, that's when coaches tell
guys to crash the boards because our natural reaction is
to watch the shot. That's just how it goes and
it was. It was unfortunate.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, and even just the you know, the inability to
consistently defend when they're capable of it. Yeah, the inability
to not down to three and then to hunt the
right shots once the three ball isn't going down and
it becomes a careful dance too. And I think on
part that's partly the coach's job. And also like where
(18:13):
is the poise of this team that is extremely veteran.
They're young in age, don't forget, they've been, you know,
at this Eastern Conference finals a lot, but they're still
like sub twenty seven all of them, but their experience.
So what's disappointing is the lack of poise when things
(18:33):
got rough, the lack of discipline in shot selection, and
the lack of execution to not execute what they're capable of,
especially on the defensive end, which we often say as players,
and you say, like that's one thing I can control
is my defensive effort intensity and habits. So for those reasons,
(18:55):
you know, that is perplexing and disappointing. And then to
go and force a game set you got the whole
crowd like, let me tell you, it was cracking. Like
upon being in that TD garden, I was starting to
recognize something like really special was happening here because We're
(19:16):
about twenty minutes out of the game, and I'm looking around.
The whole place is filled, and like, normally the arenas
aren't filled like that, but it's filled. Not only is
it filled, everybody's standing, nobody's sitting, everybody's standing. So I
already immediately recognized that we're now about twelve minutes out.
When I recognized that, I recognized something was different was
(19:37):
going on. Then they were like playing anything clips of
Derek White's last shot, or Jason Tatum in the back
stretching or an old Celtic alum. Crowd was going wild,
cheering for anything, like we're still twelve minutes out from
the game, and I was like, oh man, it's about
to be crazy.
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Speaker 2 (21:36):
Okay, let's take it to the other side for the Heat,
because they're the ones that advanced and they're heading to
the finals against the Nuggets, and I'm about to get
your thoughts on the Heat and the Nuggets. What was
most impressive about the run that the Heat had been
making from the eight seed play in to now the
NBA Finals.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
They're pois and they're confidence and they're rallying with each other,
whether it's on the on the road or at home.
You know, you think about I think about that that
lost to the Hawks in the playing tournament where they
didn't they didn't look good at all, and I was like, oh, oh, what,
(22:17):
what what? And then all of a sudden, they go
on their run. They start making noise and it's like, Okay,
they they're here, then you know what they did to
the to the Milwaukee Bucks, who at that time I
thought was the best team in playing the best basketball.
You know, Jimmy Butler, man, the way he goes about
(22:40):
his business is rather interesting because you don't see this
type of this Jimmy Butler all season long. But as
it leads it gets closer to the closer to closer
to the playoff time, he turns into a different player.
It's a good thing. It's a cool thing to see,
(23:00):
and it's pretty. It's it's it's great for their team
at the end of the day. Because I said this
because of listening to Gabe Vincent when he was sitting
at the table with checking those guys, and he said,
Jimmy Butler and obviously he said, the superstars and the
coaching staff has empowered me to play my game and
(23:21):
I don't feel hesitant about anything I do. And I said,
and people like, oh, man, yeah, giving them that power
in the play in the playoffs. Yet no, that started
in the regular season. Jimmy is Jimmy on special occasions
and nights, but all year long, those guys are playing
those minutes and feeling comfortable and Jimmy making plays for
(23:44):
them all year long, you know, not you know, not
putting up the big numbers like we're seeing in the playoffs,
but at the same time allowing them to be themselves.
Kyle Lowry going down injured, coming back healthy, can get
his starting job back, and he says, no, Gabe, you
go ahead, he's done. He's done great for this team.
Let him. I'll come off and man the second unit.
(24:05):
All of these things are just little nuggets, little gems
that that build up and you cash in come playoff
time and you're getting this and you're you're getting this performance.
Caleb Martin, these guys were going going and playing with
zero hesitation. You know, I thought they were in trouble
with Tyler Hero going down, like where they're gonna get
(24:26):
the scoring from jokes on me, jokes on us Finel's.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
M v P your your Eastern Conference Finals m v P.
Because he was he was looking first team.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
On NBA, he was looking first team, yes NBA, and
he was extremely consistent. I thought I thought he was
the saving but I just Finals MVP. Jimmy Butler. Okay,
still Jimmy Butler, It's still It's still Jimmy Butler, but
it was kind of like it was kind of like
(25:01):
he can't look like it was like, and he played
that well, and I felt like, but Jimmy Butler has
been fantastic. I thought he was the second best player. Well,
at one point I thought he was well, I thought
he was the second or third best player at one
point when Phoenix with Booker m in the playoffs, you
(25:24):
know what I'm saying. So I felt jo Kics, Booker
and Jimmy and then once obviously Phoenix, it was like
Jokics and Jimmy for sure, and I thought Jimmy was first.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Round against the Bucks, was the best player in the playoffs,
in the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
These are facts, and I just thought, like, you know,
but there again, I felt Jimmy empowered these guys and
and allowed them to still play that way. And after
a while, Caleb Martin is like he's no young I
mean he's a young guy, but at the same time
and he doesn't have that much much experience, but at
the same time he's like, Jimmy need somebody, Jimmy and
(26:04):
Bam need something. And like it was like like I'm
sure everybody, if you ask anybody, were like, bro, it
could Jimmy, but it could have been Caleb Martin, like
he played at that level. And yes he's gonna get paid,
Yes he's gonna get paid. Yeah he's earned it. And
I'm interested in crazy and I'm interested to see how
(26:27):
things work out. Here's my thing. Anytime you you know,
you you have your your your set squad, and potentially
another player comes back. Yes, Tyler hero you know, can
possibly come back. How do you use and utilize him
with the momentum and what's going on. I feel like
Tyler has sat back and had seen the success and
(26:51):
feel like, hey, I'll come off the bench and play
my limited minutes. But we've seen.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
If he's ready. Would you want to how would you
use him?
Speaker 1 (27:00):
I will use him sparingly early first of all, let
him get his legs and his feetback, went to this
league and in the speed, and then we'll just see
how it progresses. If he's playing well, he's in the rotation,
but I'm not throwing them back into my starting unit
immediately unless we have to make adjustments. Let's make an
(27:20):
adjustment where we throw something different out there. Then maybe,
but I'm not I'm if i'm not, I'm not messing
up what's worth this?
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Does you know? Like I feel like he was a
beneficiary of Tyler going down.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Yes, but I think that he's he's earned the right
to play in the rotation. He was huge for them,
you know in the Eastern Conference finals where that is
a weapon of yours. And if you notice they used
the zone to protect him, you know, they played they
play played so and at times where they played man,
he didn't he was I mean there was sometimes he
(27:53):
got beat like straight line drives. Cool, That's that's what
it is. But coach Spoe did a great job of
kind of mixing the zone when yeah, okay, you know
it's coming. That's cool, Boston, you know it's coming, But
can you stop it? And they couldn't. They can you
beat it? Can you beat it? They couldn't beat it.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
So it really slowed Boston down the use of the zone.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
You couldn't because they couldn't play the one on one
I so ball. They had to kind of move the
ball to get into the paint, you know, or force
your way into it. And they were turning it over
and they were just getting open threes and open threes,
and like Kyle, they got the one three where Kyle
Lowry's under transition. He had Caleb Martin ahead. You probably
remember this play and Duncan Robinson trail. He stops, he
looks at Duncan Robinson and throws it to Caleb Martin
(28:35):
wide open in the corner. That's off a turnover out
of the zone. You know, it's just like right.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
The turnovers out of the zone especially were really opportunistic
for the heat. But there are points where Caleb Martin,
I mean, you talk about open shows, Caleb was defended,
he was hounded.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
He was hitting step back, fade away Jordan Ess mid
range jumpers. Literally, I was sitting next to like I
sit next to up of each team, like right right
around the second row or middle of the court, and
we were just looking at each other, just having a
good giggle, like what like this.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Is starting to get crazy? Like confidence, you know, you know,
not not in a like a positive way, like bro,
you should go you should do it, you should run
for president right now?
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Like yeah, confidence, man, And that's what you're seeing. You're
seeing a confident Caleb Martin. You're seeing a confident Duncan Robins.
Just like he This dude didn't play he was out
of the rotation and to.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Be to be can talk about real quick because this
is from Mark Spears. There's a tweet put out he
went undrafted. This is Caleb Martin undrafted in twenty nineteen.
You know it was with the Hornets. Was waved by
the Hornets in twenty twenty one. J Cole nice story.
You know, ended up training out at j Cole's gym
(29:52):
in North Carolina and Jake Hole calls Karen Butler and
was like, hey, this, you know, my guy, Caleb's really
good a ball. So then he signs a two way
contract with the Heat. Mind you, last season in game
seven he had a DNP playing in the Eastern Conference
Finals against the Celtics, so he didn't even play. He
didn't even see the court. This year he could have
(30:15):
been the final, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP game seven.
So twenty twenty two, in July he gets a three year,
twenty million dollar contract and then he becomes a hero
in the playoffs. You know what, friends, there were a
lot of great stories in these in the Eastern Conference Finals.
You just you you be a star in your role.
You stay ready, You stay ready.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Listen to that us He's three years twenty million. They
got this man playing like this on a discount discounted.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
You know, sometimes I see contracts for teams that have
won a championship or whatever, and I'm like, that's old
money at this point, Like you know, people will look
at the number because we're still not getting used to
what these new contracts are going to look like. And
you were like, that's so much. This is what they
owe them, Like he's made that money. And then some
already in his role the finals. I don't care how
(31:09):
will get paid all these guys.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
That's all about to saying. I hope regardless of the result,
the ending result of this playoffs, whether Miami wins it
or loses it, I hope the organization Miami Heat goes
back to the table and they redo Caleb's contract.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Yeah, and and I think, you know, and he also,
like a lot of these guys like gave Vincent, you know,
like Caleb committed to the culture of the Heat. And
I'll tell a story. I told this earlier. Why so
we talked about the unsureness in the Celtics and I
look at them and I'm like, why, you know, given
all that they have the potential to be why aren't
(31:49):
they able to stand up to that and be and
be that when when when it matters. Then I look
at the heat and I'm like, well, why are so
many of these role players looking having outer body experiences
and looking like you know, first team all NBA guys
out there? And I think it really starts organizationally from
(32:10):
the top. And I think it starts, you know, I
think Jimmy's confidence is big. I think Spoe and the
way that he not only like obviously is a great
x's and o's coach and can adjust on the fly.
It was actually as a report, Kron Butler was telling me, like,
what what makes Foe different is that he can adjust
on the snap on the spot. He doesn't need to
go at halftime and then.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Willing to do it. That's why there's a lot of
coaches I've played for that not willing to.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Do that or can't even recognize that they need a night,
you know, to watch film or to wait till halftime.
But he's doing instantaneously. But even beyond that, Doris Burk
and I were talking about it because before every game,
we get to talk with the coaches right before the broadcast,
so we're talking with Spoe and his way of humanizing
the game and recognizing your just concern what might actually
(33:01):
be going through your head and heart as a player,
as a human being, and then putting it to word
and then putting into something that you can hold it onto,
and like channel within the game is crazy. I'm gonna
tell you what he said. I am paraphrasing, so I
will not be as eloquent as his, but you'll feel it.
Like he literally was talking to us after the heat.
(33:22):
Derek White his that shot, they lose three in a row,
They're heading to Boston for a game seven, and how
does the team emotionally rebound from that and come into
that ready not only to win, but be so dominant
in that way, And he was talking about pregame. Pregame
he said he wanted the guys to embrace all that
comes with this moment, all of the challenge and emotion
(33:43):
and the emotions that come with it, and to be
with it, like not try to avoid it or hide
from it. Like he talked about the fragility of winning,
how fragile victory is, and that he told his players
like you have to be okay with the vulnerability that
comes with going for it, putting yourself out there to
(34:07):
go for it in front of everyone, for everyone to
see and judge you, and be okay with what that
feels like. And he wanted them to embrace all that
comes with it and the discomfort that comes with the
quests that they were on, and like understand that it's
there and be with it and embrace it. And I
was just like, whoa, you know, like that's life advice,
(34:31):
you know, forget about the game advice, and you talk
about getting these guys like again to keep coming back
to the Celtics anytime it became crunch time. You immediately
saw that those guys were not They weren't one hundred
percent sure, but you looked at the Heat and you know,
each series for the Heat was different. The Bucks series
(34:52):
was Jimmy Butler, high flying offense, fifty point games. The
next series was more of a grind series, and then
this series against the Celtics was a depth series. It
was about role players. It was the Caleb Martin game,
it was the Duncan Robinson game, it was the Gabe
Vincent game, and like, you know, the Celtics had enough
depth of defender to really kind of stimmy Jimmy Butler
(35:14):
because they had mad different looks that could go at him.
It was hard for him, but they still were able
to have these out of body experiences from like Caleb
and Gabe. And I think that starts from the top down,
that starts from the mentality down, that these guys are
able to do that. It was absolutely the stuff that
will give you goosebumps. And I think this is all
part of what makes coach Spolstra. His intensity, his humanity.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
His.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Ferocity. You should see this man in a huddle, and
of course his intelligence as a coach. That makes him
one of the greats, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
And I want to add to that and there again,
I'm gonna give Jimmy some love as well as band,
but I'm gonna give Jimmy some love mostly about what
I said earlier about regular season allowing these guys to
do so, because yes, you could see the attention that
Jimmy was getting from the Boston Celtics, whether it was
from Grant Williams or anybody else of their defenders they
(36:12):
had they had to change their look when Dokian Robinson
hitting shots, Caleb Martin going crazy, Gay Vinson getting crazy,
Kyle Lowry just having his moments here and there, like
when different guys like you said, have a moment, they
had to go from that. So it's it's because of
the confidence and being empowered by Jimmy from the regular
season and into the playoffs where they feel like, oh, man,
(36:35):
I gotta save my man by knocking down shots. I
gotta get going. I gotta make sure I'm in his
window so he can see me when this double team
come knock down shots. Because of what it started doing,
the double teams turned into stab back and get that.
Oh I gotta get back to my man because he
hitting shots. And that's what it did, and that made
things easier for Jimmy. Like Game six, he was bad.
(36:56):
Jimmy was bad. He couldn't hit a shot. But guess
what all of those other guys were playing well, Okay,
Martin obviously was hitting shots, and then he was able
to get free in the fourth quarter and late in
the game to be Jimmy. That's all you want as
a player. I've always said this, and I always tell
like these young stars, I'm like, get your guys going early.
Get your guys because you're gonna need them late, you know.
(37:17):
Trey and I used to argue about it all the time,
particularly his his rookie year. I'm like, you gotta get
these guys because if these guys are hitting shots and
they're rolling, the fourth quarter is easy for you because
they have a decision to make. Either they're gonna keep
double team you and you're gonna get a twenty five
ascents because these guys are hitting shots, or they're gonna
kind of get hesitant. And the natural reaction or reality
(37:38):
is as a player, I'm not about to get get
my head busted by this guy because coach said, oh,
we gotta get here, and this bill keeps hitting shots.
It's just no, I'm you know, those stunts get a
little short and short because I want to get closer
to my guy. And now Jimmy Butler, who's great with
the pump fake in the past, fait it was now drive,
I drive fake the pump. Oh I got a lay
up because those guys are hitting shots. You know, it's
just crazy, and that's all I think. It's a it's
(38:01):
a it's a tip of the hat to Jimmy Butler
for for for what he what he the groundwork that
he laid early and those guys understood it. Can you
feed up? You can find us on all platforms and
that for him to beat the hottest on them platform.
Your family now got to listen to what we're talking about.
(38:22):
The v C show. Let's go, it's time to turn
it out. Show, let's go, let's go.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
What are they gonna do with Vince? What can the
heat do against?
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Here's here's here's the here's the crazy thing about that,
you know, and we talked about, you know, to nauseum
about Jokic and a D. Whoever wins that matchup, will
you know, will probably have a lot of success and
when it will come out victor in that matchup. And
I think this is what you mean a D Anthony
(39:00):
Davis Lakers, you know. And I look at it now
as far as guarding or you know, making yokis guard,
and it's gonna be the same type of thing. I
don't think Bam is the same kind of player as
a D. He's not as far as offensively and even defensively,
like he's darn good. He's super athletic, but you know,
(39:20):
he's giving up height and weight. So I think Miami's
gonna have to play fast and you're gonna have to
throw bodies out. They're gonna have to scramble around because
you allow Yokis to have his way, and I think
they're gonna have a decision to make either you're gonna
let Yokis have big knights and not allow the triple
double knights because if he's getting triple doubles, that means
multiple guys are having good knights. Also, while he's playing well,
(39:41):
you can't allow him to have thirty thirty five point doubles.
You know That's that means three or four guys are
having good knights as well, not just Jokic and Murray.
Those guys are gonna do their thing. But maybe, you know,
I think we'll see maybe a try where you allow
Yokis to go ahead and do his thing. Is KCP
is not getting threes because they're they're big on not
(40:03):
allowing three point shots already Miami he defense. So maybe
you stand out there so you don't let Bruce Brown
have a big night. You don't allow well more so
KCP and Michael Porter Jr. Not allowing those guys to
kill you from the three, because if they're hitting threes,
that means that pain is wide open. Because you got
to close out to those guys. So I'm interested to
(40:23):
see what approach they take first. You wouldn't dare play
Yo kics straight up, I don't think, particularly when you
don't have a lot of bigs. Well, no, you don't
have any bigs. They don't play any biggs. I think
for Bam, you're gonna have to play defense, scramble whatever,
and Bam has to play fast. I think it was
great for them is BAM's ability to rebound and start
(40:45):
the offense. That means Jokis has to get back. While
he's getting back, now Bam can go into dribble handoffs.
Yokis can't do both. Yeah, So you know you're gonna
have to put them in those situations because other than that, man,
if you're not getting that dude, the foul trouble and
off the floor, good look. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
And when the heat really looked a little bit, you know,
out of sorts, it was when they couldn't run their
offense through Bam because the paint was so crowded. You know,
to your point, Bam in space is the game changer,
and he does make nice decisions to either facilitate or
that's when he's going to catch you for a foul
or finish or make the right play there. So you
(41:23):
know what what are going to be the the defensive tactics.
You know, the Nuggets will use to soak up space
from everybody. And then I think you know that the
zone shakes up a lot of teams. One, it takes
away their pace. Two, it often puts you in positions
to have to make the right decision on which types
of threes to hunt. And you know, three, it changes
(41:48):
if a team's not disciplined. It changes who who they
run their offense through and how they want to get
to their points. And like I think, obviously the Nuggets
are really strong. You know when Joki is a playmaker,
and that's.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
What I'm saying. He he you. I put him at
the free throw line or somewhere in the zone and
let him Obviously, you know, the weakest spot of a
zone is in the middle. So I'm making sure I'm
flashing yo kics from different areas, sometimes from the top
of the key, go turn, pull, I play through him.
He finds guys or his you know, he could he
shoots the heck out of that free throw jump line,
jump shot. I bring him in off the baseline or
(42:21):
different places, just to get him in the middle of
the floor and start finding guys because there again, if
he gets the ball in the middle of the zone,
that's Bam who's gonna now have to guard him one
on one because you wouldn't dare it usually gets zones,
particularly in the NBA, when the ball is in the middle,
they typically go to man there. Well, that that will
be the opportunity for Jokis to have Bam one on
(42:42):
one and not see the double teams unless you know
they choose the double team at the middle of the
in the middle of the floor, which he's a great passer,
so you can't show you can't show a great player
the same look often because he's gonna pick you apart.
So look for look for the heat to switch up
their defenses free yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
Oh, and they've done that throughout. One thing I will
say about the Nuggets though you know, I was joking.
I was joined Somebody's show and I was joking earlier.
It's almost like a chip off. Both of these teams
are coming into the to the series saying you people
never believed in us. Oh y'all counted us out. Oh,
(43:22):
you never talk about us, Oh we fly under the radar.
Well here both they are Nuggets. Here you are center stage.
Here you are he you know, knocked off the number one.
See the best team in the NBA was the Bucks.
He knocked them off. Then they went through the Celtics,
which was arguably too if not the Nuggets in my
personal opinion. Now you've got the Nuggets, who, by the way,
(43:44):
do not sleep on. This is a team that is
has a diversity of defender. They have much more grit
to them than they've had in the past. They've shown
the ability to win gritty. They are better and more
committed on the defensive end. They are have shooters and
can stretch it. They obviously have a generational talent in Jokic,
(44:05):
and they have a closer. They have a guy with
Kobe like instinct in Jamal Murray, who really is that
guy and looks and feels comfortable. I cover a lot
of West Coast games, so when people were going to sleep,
you know, after the first East Coast game, that's usually
the game I was on. I had a lot of
Nuggets this season. Nothing about them running through you know,
(44:25):
the playoffs and sleeping the Lakers none of that surprised me.
I was like, that would have been your fatal mistake
if you were, you know, having an emotional letdown after
defeating the Warriors and maybe you thought you were going
to walk through the Nuggets, that was your mistake. The
Nuggets have been that, and well not, I'll say that better.
They haven't been that, but they are that this season.
And it took getting healthy and improving after years and
(44:48):
also brilliant play of Jokic and also the way Michael
Malone has put his players in good position. So I
think I think that this is a very tough challenge,
a very complete Nuggets team that's very good. My main
concern for them is they've been resting for like a
weekend change and I just literally left the Heat like, yeah,
(45:10):
they got fatigued, but they also are like foaming at
the mouth dogs like they're dogs right now, like there
would I wouldn't even want the Heat to have a
week off, Like I'm afraid if they took a month off,
Like is Caleb Martin still gonna.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Be all first all team facts with.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
The pump with the carriage turned into a pumpkin with
the glass slipper fall off and all this be over
because what I'm seeing right here, they should never stop.
They should go right straight into finals. They're exactly where
they need to be. I'm worried. I hope that the
time off doesn't affect the intensity of the nugget.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
But this is their first opportunity. Ross Like, I just
can't imagine Denver letting this opportunity slip away. Particularly, who
do you have winning? I got Denver right now, Denver,
and how many Hey wait, let me give it shout
out to Aaron Gordon, who's you know, real quick? Because
(46:07):
this guy man, he bring him in and he made
an adjustment with being the man in in Orlando, coming there,
falling in line and being a huge, huge factor to
their team. Uh, you know, defensively taking the toughest defender.
I thought he you know what he did in the
close out game versus the Lakers. Yes, Lebron went crazy,
(46:29):
he went crazy in the first half, but he made
Lebron work, work, work, work for what he got to
wear him down. And I thought, Aaron has has made
the sacrifice for the good of that team. He's taking
the challenge defensively, Gardened. I'm talking about guys smaller than him,
guys bigger than him, faster, whatever, and done a great
job and has made it easier for everyone else. Jamal,
(46:50):
just go out there and ball. Uh, Michael Porter, just
go out there and be a shooter and score and
not have to you know, Gardener, that that that challenge.
I got it. I got it and still play well.
You know, Yeah, he's his office is gonna sock, gonna
gonna take a hit a little bit because he's you
guarded some great offensive players. But it's okay. And he
you know, Game four was was was great for him.
(47:12):
You know, not only did he play well off defensively,
he did he played well offensively. Now, Denver and ah Man,
that's tough. Now, that's tough. That's tough because you can't
count off the Heat and I'm not counting them out
for sure. I still I think it's gonna get to
(47:33):
a six.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
You think he'll give me six? So Denver, I feel
you in that too.
Speaker 1 (47:38):
I can't see five. I see six something.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
You know, at this point, with as much as I've
covered the Heat in this postseason, I should know better
than to bet against them, and after seeing the way
they beat down the toughness that you know, this series
was about toughness too. They are tough. I wouldn't put
it past them to make this a great series. But
I truly do believe that the Nuggets are having a
(48:04):
special year and and that Yo Kic in his own way,
has something he wants to to achieve and.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Said he wants to prove also like he wants to
prove Yeah that was that should have been mine? That
third one.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
Yeah, you know he won't admit that, but he's he
got them. He got the instinct in them, all right,
So real quick? So who will win finals? MVP?
Speaker 1 (48:31):
Before we go, we just talked about.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
Jamal Murray also coming through it.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
Maybe it could be where maybe we're looking at like, ooh,
Jamal Murray. What Yo Kic? I just feel like jam
I think Jamal is gonna have his special games, but
we're gonna look at Yokis like bro another triple double
like this, like that's and it's one of those things
where if Yo Kids wasn't on the court, Jamal would
be it. But like he's just doing a little better.
(49:00):
It's like Anthony Davis had the great Game one at
forty two points, but Jogis had a thirty five point
triple double like he's playing at that level.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
So yeah, okay, well then I don't think I think
you know, these are all pretty safe. Best we didn't
say nothing controversial. Maybe I should go out on a
limb and say, you know, look, gave Vincent, man, I
don't know, like you don't even know what the heat.
It could be the Duncan Robinson series, like the Fate
of the Finals. Let wrestle on the back of Caleb Martin,
(49:29):
but and Gay Vincent.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
I think Gay Vince is gonna have a huge night job.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
Yeah, he's gonna have ele Nigerians.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
He's gonna have a huge role in this because I
think if he plays well offensively, he's making Jamal Murray
have to guard hopefully if you would wearing him down.
So we shall see, we shall see.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
I'm walking with you cause I gotta go. I got
a car outside that fights to catch.
Speaker 1 (49:53):
Well, there you go with people's roz Rod got to go.
She got things to do. We appreciate you guys as always.
A check rise out doing her thing at the finals.
And yeah, we'll check back in with you guys talking
about what we've seen so far in the finals. All right,
y'all be good at the VC show Let's Go, we Go,
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