May 20, 2024 • 50 mins
It was huge Sunday of hoops with TWO game 7s and BULLY BALL is here to recap it all. Rachel, Boogie & IT give their reactions to the Pacers and Wolves impressive game 7 wins. Plus, they discuss the Knicks and Nuggets future, and give a full preview of our conference finals matchups.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to Bullyball, presented by DraftKings. I am Rachel Nichols,
as always, mister DeMarcus Cousins, still in Taiwan, and greetings
my friend Isaiah Thomas. Always nice to have you back. Gentlemen,
I just want to say, one of us is supporting
over here with the outfit, and one of us isn't.
So you know very much, this is your this is
(00:29):
a team you're currently playing for.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Oh man, I appreciate that. I need I need some
gear too, I get a hat or something.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Love, you're rocking the nice fitted today. You got theirs.
You want a good place, and I now will get it.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I gonna say you're good, You're good. I I just
want you to know, even though you're far away, but
we're with you.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I appreciate you. Rachel.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
You did miss well, you didn't miss it because I
know you watched them from over there. But man, some
amazing game seven's happened over here in the States yesterday.
Two road teams winning, I mean, just not what we
would expect. And I want to start with what happened
in the West Minnesota, erasing a twenty point deficit, taking
down the champs in a game seven. On the road,
(01:25):
Minnesota outscored Denver sixty to thirty seven. In the second half.
Six players were in double figures. Carl Anthony towns Man,
I just want to stop for a second and give
him his due, because he could have easily this year
just checked out with the way Anthony Edwards ascended on
that team. There are so many other players and we've
(01:48):
seen it over and over again where the guy who
had been the unquestioned number one would just take his
ball and go home and wouldn't participate in the same
way anymore. And I think Carl got better. Actually, I
think that he not only bought in that he worked
on his game and he's the best he has ever
been as a player. And I've just been so impressed
(02:11):
twenty three and twelve last night. And he is the reason,
by the way, to me, that they were even able
to have a comeback, because in the first half almost
no one else was doing anything, and Carl was the
one who was over and over against showing up for
that team in the first half kept them just close
enough to get there and then have that great comeback. So,
(02:31):
you know, I just want to make sure people recognize
his part of this as well, and then the defense
overall was exceptional. They held Denver to forty one percent
on field goals, twenty four percent on threes, Yoki Chi
Murray only two in double figures. Everybody else was struggling
to score. So look, I can't say enough about how
(02:52):
impressive Minnesota has been, but I want to know from
you guys, did you expect this When it was halftime?
Were you like, this game is over? What did what
did you think going into and during this game?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I would definitely say, you know, towards halftime, it looked
as if, you know, Denver kind of had this in
the bag. You know, obviously Denver is a tough place
to play. You got the altitude against you, and obviously
they're there defending champs. The experience is there. This is
a team that's been there time and time again. They've
seen the ups and downs of the playoffs. So I
(03:29):
feel like at halftime everything was pointing towards them coming
out of this series successfully.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
But man, Man's dogs.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
There's some dogs on the other end of that floor, man,
And there's some young dogs.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
They full of hard, they're full.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Of energy, good energy, and you know, obviously that starts
with you know, the young Cat Anthony Edwards. But you
know you said it first, Rachu call Anthony Towns performed greatly,
He's been a great sport about you know, becoming a
number two option.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
And I mean for me on the.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Outside looking you know, looking in, when you have a
talent like Anthony Edwards, that's not a hard decision to make.
I mean, I know we want to give him his credit,
but this ain't some bumb we're talking about. That's the
number one option like this, this is this is a
future Hall of Famer. We can all sit here and
say that he's that good. He's the real deal. He's
(04:27):
a superstar and in my opinion, the new face of
the NBA. So you know, I don't think that was
a hard decision for for Cat and you know, Hoopers
respect Hooper's when when you know it's a talent, it's
easy to you know, fall that line. And you know,
I think Cat made the right choice with you know,
being cool with this and you know, falling into that
(04:49):
second option, which which I think will help extend his career.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
And not only that, I.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Think he'll become a better player from this because you know,
me and I taking both you know speak on this
being that number one option is hard like and and
it's it's a responsibility that comes with that every single
night to where you know, you get to blame for everything,
and that ship can start to you know, it can
get it can get to your mental you know. So
(05:18):
kind of sliding into that second option, you know, it's
it's it's a little less responsibility, but it's it's a
more it's more of a comfort level there and you
can you can be more of yourself, which I feel
like Cat has now become. So I think that was
an easy choice for him. But for me, the biggest,
the biggest X factor in this entire series that isn't
(05:41):
getting the credit I feel.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
He deserves is Jay mcdame's Seattle.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Kid, by the way, my bad, bad, I know it's
the difference, but I don't think he's getting the the
shine that he deserves. And when we talk about the
defensive anchor, you know, obviously the narrative is Rudy Gobert,
(06:07):
but that kid is the defensive anchor of this team,
and I think he's shown a time and time again,
and for some reason, we highlight every you know, every
word that Anthony Erwits says obviously, So I mean he's entertaining.
He says all the right things. You love to hear
him talk, but he's not just talking to talk. When
(06:28):
he speaks, his facts facts behind it. And he said
it in Round one interview Kevin Durant, he said, well,
we got j McDaniels and it's the reason.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
He said that, and this kid.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
In the post postgame interview last night. But yeah, I
don't know if you get I don't know what you
what you broadcast you get over there. But last night
on the T and T broadcast, they interviewed him and
Ali asked some version of you know, what's who's the
reason you won this game? And he just answered right away,
he said, Jim McDaniel's like.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
I'm definitely not getting the T and T product, but
he's one hundred percent correct. He's the defensive anchor at
this Minnesota team, and I just want to make sure
he gets the credit he deserves because not only is
he their best wing defender and defender in general, he's
(07:21):
also playing on the offensive side of the ball. He
ended the game with twenty three points, So I think
this kid's future is going to be really Bright and
he's definitely on his way to a big payday, So
I just want to make sure he gets the credit
he deserves.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
And your guy nas read Boogie, who has been championing
since October.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I love.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
He put it up, man, I mean he was he
was amazing. I just didn't know if you could talk
a little bit more about the defensive effort from the
Wolves and what that did to the Nuggets, because they
just the Nuggets looked dead by the end of that game.
I mean, they look so tired. What did you see
and how is that when you're on the court facing.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
That they just warmed down?
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I mean you see at the Everards was having a
tough game in the first half, even the start of
the third quarter, but he just stayed picking up Murray
for a court even though Murray had a great first half,
he just stayed at it warmed down. He possession by
possession and you see that in the box score as well.
With the with the Denver Nuggets, like they usually have
five or six guys in double figures, they had two
(08:27):
Like that That says a lot about them taking away
the role players and also making it tough on Joker
and Jamal Murray. So they just stayed with what they knew,
and that was they laid their hat on the defensive end.
They obviously was able to make some big plays offensively,
like you just mentioned. Nas Reed was huge in the
fourth quarter, like play after play, Golbert was huge on offense,
(08:49):
like he got a few and ones had the fadeaway
jump shot, like you knew it was something when he
hit the.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Fadeaway buzzer beater, like and it was all net and
then at the.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Edwards still exactly and then just ran back like that
was just in his like that was in his bag.
So you just seen You've seen a lot from a
Minnesota Timberwolves team that you wouldn't expect, Like they looked
like they had championship experience. They were never rattled, even
though they were down twenty at halftime, like they took
(09:18):
it possession by possession, and you've seen it like and
then when the energy turned and the momentum turn, it
was like it was all she wrote like that that's
the definition of a team. You could tell those guys.
Those guys don't just like playing with each other, they
play for each other. And that's the definition of what
they got going over there, and it's it's energy on
a ten at all times. So like, you got to
(09:39):
tip your out into a team like that that came
in to the defending champs home court in a Game
seven and turned the whole game around in the last
twenty four minutes of the game. So that team is
special and they got something. They got something good this
year for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah, and said in the press conference after the game,
someone asked him when did you know you really had this?
He's like, oh, when Rudy hit that turnaround fair, He's
like from then on, he's like, I'm I'm good. You know,
it was interesting you make the point about who had
double figures or not. Denver did not invest in its
bench this offseason. You know, they let guys go, they
(10:16):
didn't replace them. They have a very young bench, and
you know, I just remember when Lebron and Dwayne those
heat teams that were winning finals. You know, one of
the backbreakers that cost them an additional third title together
was Mike Miller was not brought back because ownership decided
it's going to cost us too much and they could
(10:38):
have within the salary cap, but they would have had
to pay more luxury tax things like that, and I
just think when you have a team that has won,
that is the time to pour your money in it
to it. It's not the time to pull back. We've
seen it a couple of times now, and I do
think that that was a huge part of why Denver
(10:59):
lost this series. It's also the sixth year in a
row that the defending champ has not advanced past the
second round. I mean, that's crazy. The last team to
do it was Golden State in twenty nineteen. I don't
know if that's exhaustion or what do you think, Bog
Is that just something about how much more competitive the
league is now?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Nah, that's that falls on ownership. Cheap ass owners. Let's
just call it a book. There's no reason you shouldn't.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Have you mean in general, not you mean in general,
not Devers we're talking about.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
We're talking about Denver because the last year I was there,
we were literally practicing around a bucket where it was
a leak in the ceiling. So like, it doesn't even
make sense, So we're gonna call it out. It's a
cheap ass owner. There's no reason you shouldn't have brought
Bruce Brown back after the way he contributed to that
(11:50):
championship team. He I would say outside of Jokis and Jamal,
he might have been the third most important piece of.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
That championship team. For sure. It is. It's no reason
for him not to have been brought back.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yeah, the bench was And I'm not going to go
out on a limb and say that bench was trash
because I don't want to shit on anybody, but it's something.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
It smells something similar. And with that.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Being said, it was just so inexperienced. Outside of Reggie Jackson,
you don't really have a lot of experience. DeAndre Jordan
didn't really see minutes and obviously so with being behind Jokis,
but you know, you got young kids like Peyton and
Chris Brown and they just don't have the experience to play,
(12:37):
you know, at a championship level and actually contribute.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
So that falls on ownership.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
And like you said, after a team wins a championship,
that's the time to go all in. That's when you
want to spend because obviously you're going to get that
return back. So that falls on ownership being cheap and
you know, stepping around exit.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
So it works. If you want to win, you gotta
spind Yeah, yeah, you definitely.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Like you said, if I'm winning the championship, I'm doing
everything i can to bring back my main guys. They
contribute to the championship, whether it costs money or not.
Like you gotta if you're trying to repeat, that's hard
to repeat with new guys on that bench. They haven't
really been in those situations. They haven't really had those
experience with this type of team. So you've seen it.
(13:27):
You've seen it fall down on them in Game seven,
like like we said, they're a team that's usually five
guys in double figures, everybody's sharing the sugar. They really
went two on five the last twenty four minutes where
like nobody was really getting shots, nobody was capitalized on anything.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
It was really the Joker and Jamal Murray show, which
they just died down.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
They're human, Like we've seen it in the other series too,
over on the East Coast, Like, guys just died down.
And that's going to happen when when the guys are
playing heavy minutes and every possession is is for them
to make some happen like that, that has definitely gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Yeah, for sure. And look I do think the competitive
balance in the NBA is a thing, and we've talked
about it a lot the last few weeks, that the
international players really being such forces in the league. It's
it's not something. Look twenty years ago, it certainly wasn't
the case, and I'm not sure it was even the
case seven years ago. You know, you have a team
(14:26):
where I mean, you have teams, these teams led by
guys like Jokic, like Yannis By, you know, even Shake
Gilgers Alexander is not American. I mean, you've got guys
around the league who are raising the level of other
teams game. And I just think we do have more
teams that you could say, oh, they could win, they
could win a title, Luka Duncich, they could win a title.
And I do think it makes it harder for everyone
(14:48):
else and more exciting for the fans, because anyone can
win on a given day. What do you guys think
with that?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Right?
Speaker 4 (14:55):
I got one more thing, Right, I got one more thing.
Shout out to Tim Connolly, right, he yeah, he built
Minnesota to beat Denver. Like he looked, he looking like this,
he and the crowd was like this. He was probably like, yeah,
say something, everybody was, you know, shipping on them about
making the trade for Goldberg at one point and saying
(15:15):
it wouldn't work. Like he really slowly built the team
to beat the defending champs with the team he had
built previously. So we got to give a shout out
to Tim Connelly. He doing something right over there, man.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
I mean, look, he built both teams.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Exactly, exactly slowly built. He built that ship in a year.
Oh yeah, yeah, quick, quick, it was right off.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
He knew, he knew the plan right away. So definitely
shut up to Tim Connor, still pissed at you.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yeah yeah, but it's all good. You know how that goes.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
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Let's talk about the team that Minnesota's gonna face next,
the Mavericks. Look, that was a hard fought series, came
right down to the very end of the very last game.
They beat the Clippers, they beat the thunder from the
position of being a five seed, and I just I
(17:25):
don't know what do you guys make of that series
coming up?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Yeah, it's gonna be It's gonna be a good series.
You see, uh, you see Anthony Erras already say, you know,
my matchup is Kyrie, so I'm gonna see what he
can do.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
He can do. It is so like that type of energy.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Look, look, that type of energy rubs off on your teammates.
Like if your head leaders already saying something like that,
you're like, all right, let's get it cracky. So it's
gonna it's gonna be a good series. Luca and Kyrie's
gonna be something special. In the Western Conference finals, you've
seen that they pulled that together against a tough and
well coached okay see team. But it's like it's something
(18:02):
with them Timberwoods, Like they're.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Not afraid to say anything.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
They're not afraid to rub anybody's feathers wrong, Like they're
not trying to be nobody's friend, Like they really accepting
the challenge of anybody and everybody. And they're standing on
business like they're they're they're standing on business when it
comes to the talk and talking to talk, but walking
the walk.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
But you you definitely got to know it's gonna be tough.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
It's not gonna be easy because the Dallas Mavericks are
well coached they got some young guys that are playing
out of their mind and Lively and PJ. Washington guys
has never seen the playoffs. It's taking advantage of their opportunities.
So I got Minnesota. But I think it's gonna go
six to seven games for sure. It's gonna be back
(18:46):
and forth and a lot of good action in this series.
Like I can't wait for the I can't wait for
the competition for sure.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
I think I think with one, I'm a firm believe and.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
You know, defense wins championships, and obviously I feel like
the best defensive team coming out of the West is
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Once again, I spoke on the kid earlier.
I think Jada McDaniels, this is another opportunity for him
to display his defensive talent. I think I think that
(19:21):
match up between him and Luca will explain a lot.
I think he'll make the game very tough for Luca
a sixty eleventh frame. I don't think Lucas used to
that type of a defensive matchup. I think that I
think what helped Dallas, you know, getting through this last series,
outside of their start playing Kyrie and Luca was the
(19:43):
big man matchup. I think their bigs just had way
more experience than a young check Holt. That's not necessarily
the case when it comes to Minnesota's big Like Minnesota bigs,
they're a real deal, so I don't think they're as
dominant when it comes to you know, Rudy Gobert, a
(20:04):
naj read and the.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Calling Anthony Towns.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I think I think their responsibilities will become, you know,
a lot tougher this this round. So for me, I
see Minnesota coming out of the West. I think I
do think it'll be the games will go to a
six or seven game series.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
But for me, I see Minnesota pulling out this series.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I think that's going to be an amazing playoff series.
I am going to be glued to my television. You're
totally right about the defensive efforts. And Anthony Edwards when
he wasn't shooting last night, played great defense. And the
ability to do that is such for young player. I
think we don't see that that often. We don't see
them buckling down and being like great, what else can
(20:48):
I do? They get a little obsessed with their shot,
they keep trying to force it, and instead he played
great defense. So that matchup between him and Kyrie, which
I mean, it's just unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Look, it's got to be box shopping. It's going to
be box office. That's how you can tell nobody's calling
Kyrie Irving out like nobody that nobody's accepting that talleting
like that defensively. So there's something in the water over
in Minnesota, like them boys is ready not saying he's
going to stop Kyrie, but like to have that type
of confidence. It's like, let's get it cracking. So that's
(21:20):
that's big time of a twenty two year old to
do something like that.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yeah, it's twenty two year old to call out a
future Hall of Famer and be like, and by the way,
one of the best guy around the hoop that we've
ever seen for sure, you know, great handles, the whole nine.
So I just for him to do that, and I'm
curious how Kyrie will respond, because especially the back half
of that series with Oklahoma City, you know, he was
the whole series. He was never able to have a
(21:45):
breakout game because the under I mean, they are a
legit defensive force and the team defense they play is
really strong, and they were able to buckle down on
Kyrie in a way that he really hadn't seen in
these playoffs. He had some breakout games against the Clippers
that did not happen in this last series. So the
defense is only getting better. Minnesota the number one defense
(22:06):
in the league this year, anchored by the defensive Player
of the Year, and I know the controversy over that,
but you can't argue with where Minnesota finished, and I
just think it will be a very different series for them.
I do think, though, that that team is so finely
tuned and built around Luka Dancic, and I think that
we need to give Nico Harrison credit for that because
(22:27):
first time GM there was some criticism of some of
his early moves, obviously the Jalen Brunson thing, and I
honestly don't remember if Nico was there for that, but
it was a move from ownership that you know, there's
been criticism of what Dallas has done with their personnel
over recent years, and the fact that they were able
to make the trades at the deadline, have confidence in
(22:48):
those trades when not everybody did, and get those role
players playing as well as they did. I just I
don't know. I think it's going to be a great, great,
great series. I'm very excited about it. Do you want to,
by the way, just call out before we move on
to the east.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
You mentioned Derek Lively and he posted on Instagram last
night about his mom, who died of cancer earlier this year.
I think she was just fifty two, just really really
sad and difficult, and he just basically said, you know,
I love you, I miss you. Just sit back and
watch mama. And I was, you know, to be able
(23:24):
to play the way he does, considering some of the
personal stuff he's gone through and who he's playing for,
I think is really touching and effective.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
For sure, he's doing his thing. You're in a tough
situation he's doing He's doing his thing.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
So shout out here for Isaiah. You know all about that.
I mean, you are dealing with the death of your
sister and sometimes, you know, those tragedies can undo you
or they can power you. And what he's been able
to do is has been exceptional, just like with you.
So I'm very impressed.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
You know, being around your teammates in these hostile environments,
that just only makes it, you know, that much a
little a little easier because you got your brothers around you,
supporting you, helping you through those tough times. I'll be
feeling like, especially when I was going through it, it's
like when you get back to the crib, that's when
that's just tough.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
When you're around your teammates.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
And around the arena and all that love, that's like,
that's like helping him out as much as as much
as it can. So, you know, shout out to him,
prayers to him and his family. You know, good luck
moving forward as well.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Absolutely for sure. All right, let's move on to the
East Indiana. A historic offensive performance versus a shorthanded Knicks team.
I mean sixty seven percent from the field that has
literally never been done before. I mean that is bananas
in a play I think it's in any playoff game,
certainly in a game seven, fifty four percent from three
(24:52):
six players in double figures. Halliburton, who has had an
uneven series drop twenty six, Yakam drop twenty and I
just want to give them their due first, because I
know we're going to talk about the Knicks health and
the NIXT or the team everyone talks about. But to
walk into Madison Square Garden in a game seven and
(25:12):
be a young team that most of the guys have
never played in a Game seven in that situation before,
and stand up the way they did, I don't care
who's on the other end and how beat up they are.
I thought that was super impressive. The confidence that they
came in with the belief and the activity. You know,
game sevens in some ways are can kind of be
(25:34):
crazy and all over the place, and they kept their
focus and concentration. They played their game, the pace of it,
the way they were playing. So I just want to
make sure people appreciate that this was a very hard
thing to do, no matter what was going on with
the Knicks. And then, of course, on the other side,
the Knicks had some health problems to under the understatement
of the year. When og And and Obi came out for
(25:55):
warm ups, it did not look good. And then when
you get to when the game started, he just couldn't defend.
And he scored five points in the first few minutes
and gave them a little boost on offense. But when
the Pacers went at him on the other end, they
were four for four against him and he had to
come out. So I don't know what do you guys
make of that game? Overall and sort of how the
(26:17):
Pacers won.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I think they played through their strengths, which is, you know,
their youth and their speed, and I think they realized
that this Knicks team was starting to wear down, so
I think they continued to put their foot on the
gas and you know, they made the best of their situation,
which led to them being successful. Obviously, coming into this series,
(26:40):
I thought the Knicks were the favorite to come out.
But I mean, you hate to kick a man while
he's down. But this is a typical TIBs movie. Like
it's like it's like going to see a Fast and
the Furious move. You know exactly what the funk's gonna
happen at the end of movies watch but you know
(27:04):
exactly what's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Bro.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
So yeah, it's like, man, I think I felt like
this series was the next to Wind. It's just you know,
history repeats itself, which we said before, it's just not
a recipe for success. I mean, playing seven guys an
entire playoff run, that's that's really really hard to do.
(27:27):
And at the end of the day, these guys aren't machines.
They they're human beings. Like we wear down that's that's
just that's a natural thing. It's natural instinct. Like your
body wears down, your energy wears down.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
It happens.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
And you know, Tim's gotta figure out a new recipe, man,
Like you can't. You can't keep cooking out of the
same cookbook, bro and expecting you know, a different flavor.
Like it's it's gonna be the same thing over and
over and over again. So you you obviously you want
to give credit to this Pacers team. But I think
I think the Knicks lost this series. I don't think
(28:06):
the Pacers win won it. I just think the Knicks
win and lost this series. And that's how it played out.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
I give a shout out to the Pacers. Oh they
You know. The crazy thing about Game seven is it's
like the NCAA tournament like that one day, y'all, Like
somebody can be on fire, like somebody can have a
career night career like those Game sevens are so tough
because anything can happen, and it's one game. And that's
what Indiana did, like they stuck to what they were
great at. We're gonna push the pace, try to score
(28:37):
one hundred and thirty points, which they did, and then
see if see if the Knicks can keep up, like
Indiana hit shots, and I think that's what gave them
their energy. And they knew the Knicks was down bad.
They knew, like at the end of the day, like
books said, like they're human, like we gonna see if
they can play catch up the whole game. We're gonna
see if they can run run with us the whole game.
(28:59):
And they did that, and it just it backfired on
the Knicks. Obviously they had injuries, but like that's tough
to do what they did, Like they got to make
some real adjustments. They got to add I feel like
they got to add a star player to take some
responsibility off of you know, Jalen Brunson, because he had
a lot like he did his thing in the playoffs,
(29:19):
but he played a lot of minutes, and like like
we've seen time and time again, it just it doesn't
last as long as you need it to. Like even
if they won that series and was going to play
the Celtics, I was going to be tough to play
six to seven guys that many minutes against a team
well equipped like them.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
So at some point it.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
Was going to die down, and it just it just
bit them in the behind. Game seven at home, Like
you never thought the Knicks would lose a Game seven
at home with all those with all those celebrities in
the building like they like you thought it was Game
seven of the NBA Finals. How many people in the building.
So it was a tough situation for the Knicks to
go out like that. But we always said like it
(30:01):
was going to end like that at some point, just
because those guys are human and they they they got
no rest, and they have some major injuries, like some
pivotal injuries that you you just can't you can't fight through.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
And to piggyback off of that, like sorry, Rach, but
to piggyback off of that, you know, you don't want
to sit here and just put this narrative on TIBs
like he injures his players. But the fact that the
matter is one, when you play guys that many minutes,
it obviously increases the risk of injury. Like so that's
(30:37):
just how they go hand in hand. On on top
of that, Timms has this is no knock outside of
Jalen Bronson. Tims has a team full of role players,
like so it's only so far those guys can take
you to expect. And I love Devin Chanzo. He was
a teammate of mind. He's a great teammate, he's a
(30:59):
talented work he is, but he's not a twenty point
per game score like that's that's not who he is.
The offensive bag just isn't deep enough and expect him
to average twenty twenty five on top of being a
guy playing forty eight minutes. Jalen Brunston playing forty eight minutes,
(31:19):
he has to average forty just for you to have
a chance at winning the game.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Those just aren't that's that's not realistic. Like so.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
The point I was going to make, I do like
this next team. I do think they have a great
foundation right now, and I do think they have a
bright future. But I think going into the offseason, they're
going to have to make some important changes, not just.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Like draft, they have to make important changes.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
And I think it's some guys out there that that
fit into that, you know, that culture, in that style
of play, and I think it starts with a wing.
You know, a wing scorer to take some of the
pressure off Bruston. You got guys like Bradley Beal and
even though he has, you know, a trade clause in
his deal. I'm pretty sure he'll be open and going
(32:07):
to the next to play there. And you obviously got
a guy and Jimmy Butler is not. I don't think
the paradise is shining as much as it was in
Miami at one point. You know, pat Riley came out
with some pretty wild, you know comments. Jimmy Butler has
a history with TIBs, so you can see a guy
like that fitting in well. So I do think they
(32:30):
can make some you know changes in the offseason that
will get them over the hump and improve his team drastically.
But you know it's gonna take them making some really
important decisions this offseason.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Well, look, when you look at the TIBs factor and
the injuries and all of that, I think it's both
is the answer. Because TIBs has not made the conference
finals since twenty eleven, thirteen years, and he's only missed
one year of that coaching, so clearly there is something
about the way he plays guys because he's an excellent
X and O coach. The adjustments he made throughout the
(33:03):
series were great.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
You know, he.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
Just has had a reputation with running those players into
the ground. It's why he is voted again. I think
it was the third year in a row when they
did the players survey, he was voted the coach that
players who don't play on the Knicks currently would least
like to play for Now. His team loves him. That's
kind of all you need. But around the league, I
think guys see the minutes that he puts on these
(33:27):
guys during the year and they don't want to have
their careers affected by that. So that's all real. However,
I want to make the point that these injuries this year,
I don't think they had much to do with being
run into the ground. Julius Randall hurt his shoulder when
someone fell on him. We had, let's see, I'm going
to go through these, mister Robinson. As we saw with
(33:48):
the Joel Embiid incident. That's not an overuse injury, right,
Julius Randall got hurt after taking a charge. I'm by
someone fell on him. Even in this last game. Jaylen
Brunson broke his hand in this game when he was
trying to make a steal. That is not an overused injury. Now,
(34:10):
og Ananobi hamstrings, those are overuse so you can point
to that one, but I do think that there was
just a lot of bad luck with how a bunch
of these guys got injured, and that's why he ended
up playing these guys so much in the playoffs, because
there just wasn't anyone left, you know, he had to
kind of put everyone out there. And I just think
(34:32):
we have to keep that in mind when we talk
about the Knicks this year and Tibbs and his reputation
and what he did or didn't do. Most of those
injuries came with things, incidents that happened on the court,
not sort of that overused thing where we saw og
just kind of like him give out on a play
and that that's different. But I think we have to
remember how a lot of these guys got hurt. So
(34:55):
there's that, and then you guys talking about what the
Knicks need going forward. T what do you think Julius
Randall's role on this team is going to be once
he gets healthy.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
I'm not sure, Like you know, how quick the NBA
turns on you.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
It's tough, Like he's an All NBA type of guy,
all Star, but it's like if we got this far
without him, like you think we could push it a
little further, Like I'm not sure what they got in
mind for a guy like Julius Randall. You know, hopefully
he stays and he's still in the mix with the
Knicks because he definitely makes Like if they had him,
(35:33):
I think it would have been tougher.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
For Indiana to win for sure.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
But you just never know how how they look at it,
Like Julius Randall is a special talent, but you know
how the teams are, like it's like, what have you
done for me lately?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Especially if you've been injured.
Speaker 4 (35:46):
It can be that we might have seen him play
his last game in the nixt uniform. You just never know,
Like I'm not you know, I'm not guaranteeing that, Like
I know he does make the Knicks better, but is
that in the next future plans, Like so.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I'm not sure what they do.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
Like like Book said, like you definitely need to I
feel like you definitely need a wing score and a
guy that can defend as well, and to get take
some responsibility off of off of Jalen Brunson because he
has to do everything. And like Buog said as well,
I don't want Dante and Josh Hart to have to
do all these things that they're doing, Like their games
(36:27):
ain't meant to play forty seven minutes and get twenty
to twenty five points in games.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
That's not what they're built to do.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
Obviously they can do that, but for you to be
a championship caliber team, those guys don't need to be
doing those things at it on a nightly basis.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
So the Knicks have a lot of decisions to make.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
You know, hopefully Julius Randall is in the plays because
he's a hell of a player, all star caliber player,
but you just never know what their thoughts are moving forward.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
You think he plays for the next next season.
Speaker 5 (36:57):
Book No, oh man, Like I Tea said, the NBA
moves quickly, and they turned.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
On you quickly. We've both experienced it. One day. You
can be at the mountaintop.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
The next day you know you're you're out of their plans,
or you know we're moving in a different direction, or
you don't.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Really fit the style of the team. So I definitely
think he is.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Obviously there's a chance he could be back, but I
feel like he's in a great area right now. And
I don't think the Knicks really know what they want
to do moving forward yet, But.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
I don't think they're in the worst situation.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Obviously, you have your star in Jalen Brynson is I
think this team, I think they do know who they
want to build around, which is the more important decision,
which is Jalen Bronson.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
But who you put around him is going to be
very important.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
And that's why I said they have some very important
decisions to make this off season.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Well, look, some of the guys you brought up would
have to come through trade. You didn't mention any free agents.
So maybe Julius Randall gets thrown into one of those packages.
We'll have to see. But it's going to be an
interesting off season.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
It might it might be better for It might be
better for him to get up out of there too,
would I think, you know, it might be a better
situation for him, So yeah, I think so fighting against
being the leader of the team, fighting against being the man.
And then he's been injured the last two years, like
season India injuries. So like you might you might want
a new fresh you know, some some fresh air somewhere else.
(38:37):
But you, like like you guys say, you never know,
you never know what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Yeah, we'll see.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I just want my guy to be healthy. I just
wanted to be healthy and get back right.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Yes, yes, absolutely, I want to move on to the
Eastern Conference finals. The teams still playing and it I
don't know how you feel. You consider them your Celtics,
you know at this point in your life. But I
assume you're rooting for them, uh as they go forward
here and just it's going to be an interesting matchup
to see. Look Indiana as an underdog, there's no other
(39:07):
way to say it, and it's going to be interesting
to see if they can assert themselves in this series
or not. And then the Celtics. You know, I have
sympathy for Celtics fans and the Celtics themselves because they
kind of feel like they're damned if they do and
they're damned if they don't. You know, if they beat
a team by twenty, it's like, oh, you haven't really
had any real competition. And if they struggle against the team,
(39:28):
it's like, why are you struggling against this team? It's
been true, by the way, because you know when they
struggle or they drop a game to Miami that has
you know, doesn't have a bunch of their key guys.
You drop a game to just a team that doesn't
have Dnavan Mitchell out on the floor because you're sitting
on the bench. I mean, I understand the criticism, and
(39:49):
I also understand the frustration of the Celtics players. You
can only play who is in front of you, and
they have one indominant fashion, and there will be no
matter what happens in the series, people saying, oh, the
easiest walk to the finals ever. You can only play
who's in front of you. And I just think it's
going to be interesting to see whether Indiana can assert
itself here. What do you think.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
I'm gonna be polite and say that's a gentleman's sleep.
All the way in my heart is telling me you're sweet,
But like I said, I'll be polite and say a
gentleman's sweep. I think I think the persons will be
able to pull off, you know, win in their first
home game. The energy would be crazy, all of those things.
But this Celtics team has been dominant all year. They've
(40:37):
been dominant throughout the playoffs. The only time they really
lose is when they get bored or uninterested, which is
crazy to even say in the NBA setting, but it
hasn't really been a matchup for them in the Eastern
Conference this entire year. And it's not gonna start now.
(40:58):
This team has been here time and time and ship.
They've been here since I t was doing this thing there.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
And this team is full of experience.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
They've been here, They've they've been locked in for the
entire year. They're built for this moment. They have probably
one of the most well constructed rosters I've.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
Seen in a long time.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Just the Pacers overachieved this year, and I think they
should be very happy about that. They they know they
have something to build, you know, their future on They
found them for down their foundational pieces. You know, they
they got their coach. Everything is moving in the right
direction for this pass team. But I think I think
(41:45):
they they hit their stride like this, this is this
is the end once they meet up with the Celtics team.
And I'm trying to be you know, I don't want to,
I don't want to on them.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
I'm just it's more oh it's no, not to the Pacers,
but more credit to the Celtics. They're just that dominant
And we've been calling the Celtics to be at this
moment all year long, since you know, the beginning of
the season. So, like I said, it's not gonna change now.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
So you know, I think they'll get a game and
you know that's that'd be good for them.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
Like the Celtics are definitely the the more dominant team
in this series. I got them winning it, but I
do got Indiana. I don't think they're gonna blow them
out every game.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
Boston. I think they're gonna it's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (42:39):
It's not gonna be blowouts like we think, but I
think it's gonna be. For one, I think Indiana will
win one game at home. They've been exceptional at home
all playoffs. They're gonna have some good energy. But Boston
is just especially if Porzingis comes back at some point.
You never know if he's gonna come back or not.
But I just think they're the better team overall and
(43:02):
there they're going to get to the finals again for sure.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah, thank you. Thing.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
The Holy Road thing is real. I mean that's going
to be a little rubber meets the Road thing for
this series. Because Boston has been foreign two at home,
it's not as bad as everyone thinks. It's not fifty
to fifty. I know that over the last three years
they were five hundred at home blah blah blah blah
on the playoffs. But this playoffs they're foreign two at home,
which is respectable, but they are four and oh on
(43:28):
the road, and Indiana is six and oh at home,
two and five on the road. So those games in Indiana,
where the Celtics have had so much success on the
road and the Pacers have had so much success at home,
I think are going to be pretty interesting, a little
bit tooth and nail, so we will see what happens.
I have tremendous respect for both teams and think the
(43:49):
Celtics are going to be pretty dominant, so we'll see.
All right again, I'm wearing my shirt here I want.
This is a cute logo. By the way, I think
this is like their secondary logo.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
I can't even really see it. I can't see it,
all right.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
All right, I'll send you a picture afterwards. But uh,
we got to take a peek at what you have
been doing over there. We've had the Chronicles of Boogie,
which we've got to watch last week. I don't know
if you caught it, but I want to show you,
guys chapter two. Take a look.
Speaker 3 (44:25):
I want to, you know, learn this is find on
my legs, find on my wind, pushing myself, helping my condition.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
I do it in chemistry with the guys, guys.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
Allowing them to learn me, figuring out tendencies, figuring out
what the coach is looking for.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
You know, I want to come in and fit in
and push this thing in our hearts.
Speaker 6 (44:42):
Well, I think the main challenge that we don't have
a lot of time and I'll see us playing with
him is you know, it's a blessing and it's our
job to make sure that works seamlessly and in a
short period of time. But you know, you need elite
talent to win championships, and I think, you know, Bookie
definitely brings us closer to that.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
It always feels good to you know what I mean.
So victorious day, I left out the shooting champion.
Speaker 7 (45:11):
Today we want to fight for home court advantage in
the playoffs. With Boogie coming in the last three games
of the season, that that adds a different, different threat
that we didn't necessarily have.
Speaker 2 (45:23):
Well, he's obviously a phenomenal talent.
Speaker 8 (45:25):
He's an enormous body with with unbelievable hands, the ability
to shoot, to pass, to play on the block, to
dominate people physically, and I don't think there's a talent,
you know, anything close to that in the league right now.
Speaker 9 (45:38):
So you know, you you you have to learn how
to play through that, because he's obviously in a great
position to be a go to guy for us and
someone we can play through because he can, you know,
get us some buckets, but he can also be really
in selfish and make everyone around him better, which is
his unique ability.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
In my opinion, I know it would be a process.
Speaker 3 (45:57):
So just to see account of unfold when you start
to shortly happen for me, everything's coming together at the
right time. We do a more serious number. This is
(46:26):
the point, you know, where we lock in. We right there,
felas we got a little bit more to go. Seven wins,
that should be we should have that number seven wins,
you know, the.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Seven wins times forty eight minutes. It's roughly three hundred.
Speaker 6 (46:42):
And fifty minutes of basketball where we have to show
ergency in every position.
Speaker 8 (46:45):
We do that, we're champions in.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
The what's about every man fighting for the next man
Game one shows a after the game.
Speaker 7 (47:04):
You know, we have the leading scorer, beating assist person
per game player and Hassan and then now we had
to book him to that train.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
You know.
Speaker 10 (47:11):
I like our chances like coming down, like like we
can subverbly talk to the other made playing by yo,
why to come off with strange pop if he don't
look back him, It's like defenders looking like, man, he right,
what can I do?
Speaker 2 (47:24):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 10 (47:25):
So it's like that's the kind of like advantage I
feel like we have on this team with it.
Speaker 11 (47:30):
This is what real move is enjoy when it comes
to the game play off basketball.
Speaker 12 (47:49):
M h, I love it.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
I love it. But last week we saw a lot
of you off the court, going to the zoo, getting
lost on your way at a restaurant, all that kind
of stuff. I love that we got so much on
the court in this one, and the clip of you
talking to the team leading the team, I would expect
nothing less, and the dominance you're showing on the court,
(48:25):
I firmly believe you should be on an NBA roster
right now. But I also really love the fact that
if that didn't happen this season, you still get to
go hoop and you have those crowds screaming your name
and all of those sort of things that come with
the champagne, soap, locker room and those experiences. You know,
wherever in the world they are are pretty cool and
(48:47):
it's fun to see that everywhere.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
Oh I appreciate that, right, Oh yeah, I had to
come to that point. But you realize it's so much
basketball out here, so many more experiences to make, and
you can still enjoyed his game wherever you decide to play.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
So that's where I'm just and just that smile, that
smile you know how this ship is.
Speaker 3 (49:09):
Don't matter if it's the YMCA, it don't matter. I mean,
you get that feeling, that same feeling you got as
a kid. So I'm embracing and I'm having fun with it.
And you know, I'm loving where I'm at in life.
So it's all good.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Keep doing.
Speaker 1 (49:22):
I love it. I love it well. Also, I t
you you getting back on a roster and getting back
in the league is inspiring story in itself and for
both you guys. I just think you got bad turns
by injuries and some management decisions after that, And I
love the way both of you have just sort of
continued to hoop. It's again super impressive. A lot of
guys just check out and either one of you did that,
(49:43):
and I think it's great. So there you go. Appreciate
I'm ready for the finals. I'll be cheering Boogie to
see it. There you go, everyone out there. You can
catch all of the episodes of bully Ball on the
Draft Kings Network, which is very cool, on the All
the Smoke Productions YouTube channel, and of course you can
listen to us wherever you get your podcast. Rate us,
(50:04):
review us, tell us how much you love Boogie, tell
us how much it his brunt of the show. We
want to hear all the good comments. Tell me what
you think of my shirt, which I expect to only
be awesome. Thank you very much. We will check in
and catch you next week. See ya.
Speaker 2 (50:23):
Thanks
Welcome to Bullyball, presented by DraftKings. I am Rachel Nichols,
as always, mister DeMarcus Cousins, still in Taiwan, and greetings
my friend Isaiah Thomas. Always nice to have you back. Gentlemen,
I just want to say, one of us is supporting
over here with the outfit, and one of us isn't.
So you know very much, this is your this is
(00:29):
a team you're currently playing for.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Oh man, I appreciate that. I need I need some
gear too, I get a hat or something.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Love, you're rocking the nice fitted today. You got theirs.
You want a good place, and I now will get it.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I gonna say you're good, You're good. I I just
want you to know, even though you're far away, but
we're with you.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I appreciate you. Rachel.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
You did miss well, you didn't miss it because I
know you watched them from over there. But man, some
amazing game seven's happened over here in the States yesterday.
Two road teams winning, I mean, just not what we
would expect. And I want to start with what happened
in the West Minnesota, erasing a twenty point deficit, taking
down the champs in a game seven. On the road,
(01:25):
Minnesota outscored Denver sixty to thirty seven. In the second half.
Six players were in double figures. Carl Anthony towns Man,
I just want to stop for a second and give
him his due, because he could have easily this year
just checked out with the way Anthony Edwards ascended on
that team. There are so many other players and we've
(01:48):
seen it over and over again where the guy who
had been the unquestioned number one would just take his
ball and go home and wouldn't participate in the same
way anymore. And I think Carl got better. Actually, I
think that he not only bought in that he worked
on his game and he's the best he has ever
been as a player. And I've just been so impressed
(02:11):
twenty three and twelve last night. And he is the reason,
by the way, to me, that they were even able
to have a comeback, because in the first half almost
no one else was doing anything, and Carl was the
one who was over and over against showing up for
that team in the first half kept them just close
enough to get there and then have that great comeback. So,
(02:31):
you know, I just want to make sure people recognize
his part of this as well, and then the defense
overall was exceptional. They held Denver to forty one percent
on field goals, twenty four percent on threes, Yoki Chi
Murray only two in double figures. Everybody else was struggling
to score. So look, I can't say enough about how
(02:52):
impressive Minnesota has been, but I want to know from
you guys, did you expect this When it was halftime?
Were you like, this game is over? What did what
did you think going into and during this game?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
I would definitely say, you know, towards halftime, it looked
as if, you know, Denver kind of had this in
the bag. You know, obviously Denver is a tough place
to play. You got the altitude against you, and obviously
they're there defending champs. The experience is there. This is
a team that's been there time and time again. They've
seen the ups and downs of the playoffs. So I
(03:29):
feel like at halftime everything was pointing towards them coming
out of this series successfully.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
But man, Man's dogs.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
There's some dogs on the other end of that floor, man,
And there's some young dogs.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
They full of hard, they're full.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Of energy, good energy, and you know, obviously that starts
with you know, the young Cat Anthony Edwards. But you
know you said it first, Rachu call Anthony Towns performed greatly,
He's been a great sport about you know, becoming a
number two option.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
And I mean for me on the.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Outside looking you know, looking in, when you have a
talent like Anthony Edwards, that's not a hard decision to make.
I mean, I know we want to give him his credit,
but this ain't some bumb we're talking about. That's the
number one option like this, this is this is a
future Hall of Famer. We can all sit here and
say that he's that good. He's the real deal. He's
(04:27):
a superstar and in my opinion, the new face of
the NBA. So you know, I don't think that was
a hard decision for for Cat and you know, Hoopers
respect Hooper's when when you know it's a talent, it's
easy to you know, fall that line. And you know,
I think Cat made the right choice with you know,
being cool with this and you know, falling into that
(04:49):
second option, which which I think will help extend his career.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
And not only that, I.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Think he'll become a better player from this because you know,
me and I taking both you know speak on this
being that number one option is hard like and and
it's it's a responsibility that comes with that every single
night to where you know, you get to blame for everything,
and that ship can start to you know, it can
get it can get to your mental you know. So
(05:18):
kind of sliding into that second option, you know, it's
it's it's a little less responsibility, but it's it's a
more it's more of a comfort level there and you
can you can be more of yourself, which I feel
like Cat has now become. So I think that was
an easy choice for him. But for me, the biggest,
the biggest X factor in this entire series that isn't
(05:41):
getting the credit I feel.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
He deserves is Jay mcdame's Seattle.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Kid, by the way, my bad, bad, I know it's
the difference, but I don't think he's getting the the
shine that he deserves. And when we talk about the
defensive anchor, you know, obviously the narrative is Rudy Gobert,
(06:07):
but that kid is the defensive anchor of this team,
and I think he's shown a time and time again,
and for some reason, we highlight every you know, every
word that Anthony Erwits says obviously, So I mean he's entertaining.
He says all the right things. You love to hear
him talk, but he's not just talking to talk. When
(06:28):
he speaks, his facts facts behind it. And he said
it in Round one interview Kevin Durant, he said, well,
we got j McDaniels and it's the reason.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
He said that, and this kid.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
In the post postgame interview last night. But yeah, I
don't know if you get I don't know what you
what you broadcast you get over there. But last night
on the T and T broadcast, they interviewed him and
Ali asked some version of you know, what's who's the
reason you won this game? And he just answered right away,
he said, Jim McDaniel's like.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
I'm definitely not getting the T and T product, but
he's one hundred percent correct. He's the defensive anchor at
this Minnesota team, and I just want to make sure
he gets the credit he deserves because not only is
he their best wing defender and defender in general, he's
(07:21):
also playing on the offensive side of the ball. He
ended the game with twenty three points, So I think
this kid's future is going to be really Bright and
he's definitely on his way to a big payday, So
I just want to make sure he gets the credit
he deserves.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
And your guy nas read Boogie, who has been championing
since October.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I love.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
He put it up, man, I mean he was he
was amazing. I just didn't know if you could talk
a little bit more about the defensive effort from the
Wolves and what that did to the Nuggets, because they
just the Nuggets looked dead by the end of that game.
I mean, they look so tired. What did you see
and how is that when you're on the court facing.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
That they just warmed down?
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I mean you see at the Everards was having a
tough game in the first half, even the start of
the third quarter, but he just stayed picking up Murray
for a court even though Murray had a great first half,
he just stayed at it warmed down. He possession by
possession and you see that in the box score as well.
With the with the Denver Nuggets, like they usually have
five or six guys in double figures, they had two
(08:27):
Like that That says a lot about them taking away
the role players and also making it tough on Joker
and Jamal Murray. So they just stayed with what they knew,
and that was they laid their hat on the defensive end.
They obviously was able to make some big plays offensively,
like you just mentioned. Nas Reed was huge in the
fourth quarter, like play after play, Golbert was huge on offense,
(08:49):
like he got a few and ones had the fadeaway
jump shot, like you knew it was something when he
hit the.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Fadeaway buzzer beater, like and it was all net and
then at the.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Edwards still exactly and then just ran back like that
was just in his like that was in his bag.
So you just seen You've seen a lot from a
Minnesota Timberwolves team that you wouldn't expect, Like they looked
like they had championship experience. They were never rattled, even
though they were down twenty at halftime, like they took
(09:18):
it possession by possession, and you've seen it like and
then when the energy turned and the momentum turn, it
was like it was all she wrote like that that's
the definition of a team. You could tell those guys.
Those guys don't just like playing with each other, they
play for each other. And that's the definition of what
they got going over there, and it's it's energy on
a ten at all times. So like, you got to
(09:39):
tip your out into a team like that that came
in to the defending champs home court in a Game
seven and turned the whole game around in the last
twenty four minutes of the game. So that team is
special and they got something. They got something good this
year for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah, and said in the press conference after the game,
someone asked him when did you know you really had this?
He's like, oh, when Rudy hit that turnaround fair, He's
like from then on, he's like, I'm I'm good. You know,
it was interesting you make the point about who had
double figures or not. Denver did not invest in its
bench this offseason. You know, they let guys go, they
(10:16):
didn't replace them. They have a very young bench, and
you know, I just remember when Lebron and Dwayne those
heat teams that were winning finals. You know, one of
the backbreakers that cost them an additional third title together
was Mike Miller was not brought back because ownership decided
it's going to cost us too much and they could
(10:38):
have within the salary cap, but they would have had
to pay more luxury tax things like that, and I
just think when you have a team that has won,
that is the time to pour your money in it
to it. It's not the time to pull back. We've
seen it a couple of times now, and I do
think that that was a huge part of why Denver
(10:59):
lost this series. It's also the sixth year in a
row that the defending champ has not advanced past the
second round. I mean, that's crazy. The last team to
do it was Golden State in twenty nineteen. I don't
know if that's exhaustion or what do you think, Bog
Is that just something about how much more competitive the
league is now?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Nah, that's that falls on ownership. Cheap ass owners. Let's
just call it a book. There's no reason you shouldn't.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Have you mean in general, not you mean in general,
not Devers we're talking about.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
We're talking about Denver because the last year I was there,
we were literally practicing around a bucket where it was
a leak in the ceiling. So like, it doesn't even
make sense, So we're gonna call it out. It's a
cheap ass owner. There's no reason you shouldn't have brought
Bruce Brown back after the way he contributed to that
(11:50):
championship team. He I would say outside of Jokis and Jamal,
he might have been the third most important piece of.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
That championship team. For sure. It is. It's no reason
for him not to have been brought back.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yeah, the bench was And I'm not going to go
out on a limb and say that bench was trash
because I don't want to shit on anybody, but it's something.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
It smells something similar. And with that.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Being said, it was just so inexperienced. Outside of Reggie Jackson,
you don't really have a lot of experience. DeAndre Jordan
didn't really see minutes and obviously so with being behind Jokis,
but you know, you got young kids like Peyton and
Chris Brown and they just don't have the experience to play,
(12:37):
you know, at a championship level and actually contribute.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
So that falls on ownership.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
And like you said, after a team wins a championship,
that's the time to go all in. That's when you
want to spend because obviously you're going to get that
return back. So that falls on ownership being cheap and
you know, stepping around exit.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
So it works. If you want to win, you gotta
spind Yeah, yeah, you definitely.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Like you said, if I'm winning the championship, I'm doing
everything i can to bring back my main guys. They
contribute to the championship, whether it costs money or not.
Like you gotta if you're trying to repeat, that's hard
to repeat with new guys on that bench. They haven't
really been in those situations. They haven't really had those
experience with this type of team. So you've seen it.
(13:27):
You've seen it fall down on them in Game seven,
like like we said, they're a team that's usually five
guys in double figures, everybody's sharing the sugar. They really
went two on five the last twenty four minutes where
like nobody was really getting shots, nobody was capitalized on anything.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
It was really the Joker and Jamal Murray show, which
they just died down.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
They're human, Like we've seen it in the other series too,
over on the East Coast, Like, guys just died down.
And that's going to happen when when the guys are
playing heavy minutes and every possession is is for them
to make some happen like that, that has definitely gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Yeah, for sure. And look I do think the competitive
balance in the NBA is a thing, and we've talked
about it a lot the last few weeks, that the
international players really being such forces in the league. It's
it's not something. Look twenty years ago, it certainly wasn't
the case, and I'm not sure it was even the
case seven years ago. You know, you have a team
(14:26):
where I mean, you have teams, these teams led by
guys like Jokic, like Yannis By, you know, even Shake
Gilgers Alexander is not American. I mean, you've got guys
around the league who are raising the level of other
teams game. And I just think we do have more
teams that you could say, oh, they could win, they
could win a title, Luka Duncich, they could win a title.
And I do think it makes it harder for everyone
(14:48):
else and more exciting for the fans, because anyone can
win on a given day. What do you guys think
with that?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Right?
Speaker 4 (14:55):
I got one more thing, Right, I got one more thing.
Shout out to Tim Connolly, right, he yeah, he built
Minnesota to beat Denver. Like he looked, he looking like this,
he and the crowd was like this. He was probably like, yeah,
say something, everybody was, you know, shipping on them about
making the trade for Goldberg at one point and saying
(15:15):
it wouldn't work. Like he really slowly built the team
to beat the defending champs with the team he had
built previously. So we got to give a shout out
to Tim Connelly. He doing something right over there, man.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
I mean, look, he built both teams.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Exactly, exactly slowly built. He built that ship in a year.
Oh yeah, yeah, quick, quick, it was right off.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
He knew, he knew the plan right away. So definitely
shut up to Tim Connor, still pissed at you.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yeah yeah, but it's all good. You know how that goes.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
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(16:21):
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(16:43):
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(17:04):
or you can listen to add free by joining Wondery. Plus.
Let's talk about the team that Minnesota's gonna face next,
the Mavericks. Look, that was a hard fought series, came
right down to the very end of the very last game.
They beat the Clippers, they beat the thunder from the
position of being a five seed, and I just I
(17:25):
don't know what do you guys make of that series
coming up?
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Yeah, it's gonna be It's gonna be a good series.
You see, uh, you see Anthony Erras already say, you know,
my matchup is Kyrie, so I'm gonna see what he
can do.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
He can do. It is so like that type of energy.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Look, look, that type of energy rubs off on your teammates.
Like if your head leaders already saying something like that,
you're like, all right, let's get it cracky. So it's
gonna it's gonna be a good series. Luca and Kyrie's
gonna be something special. In the Western Conference finals, you've
seen that they pulled that together against a tough and
well coached okay see team. But it's like it's something
(18:02):
with them Timberwoods, Like they're.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Not afraid to say anything.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
They're not afraid to rub anybody's feathers wrong, Like they're
not trying to be nobody's friend, Like they really accepting
the challenge of anybody and everybody. And they're standing on
business like they're they're they're standing on business when it
comes to the talk and talking to talk, but walking
the walk.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
But you you definitely got to know it's gonna be tough.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
It's not gonna be easy because the Dallas Mavericks are
well coached they got some young guys that are playing
out of their mind and Lively and PJ. Washington guys
has never seen the playoffs. It's taking advantage of their opportunities.
So I got Minnesota. But I think it's gonna go
six to seven games for sure. It's gonna be back
(18:46):
and forth and a lot of good action in this series.
Like I can't wait for the I can't wait for
the competition for sure.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
I think I think with one, I'm a firm believe and.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
You know, defense wins championships, and obviously I feel like
the best defensive team coming out of the West is
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Once again, I spoke on the kid earlier.
I think Jada McDaniels, this is another opportunity for him
to display his defensive talent. I think I think that
(19:21):
match up between him and Luca will explain a lot.
I think he'll make the game very tough for Luca
a sixty eleventh frame. I don't think Lucas used to
that type of a defensive matchup. I think that I
think what helped Dallas, you know, getting through this last series,
outside of their start playing Kyrie and Luca was the
(19:43):
big man matchup. I think their bigs just had way
more experience than a young check Holt. That's not necessarily
the case when it comes to Minnesota's big Like Minnesota bigs,
they're a real deal, so I don't think they're as
dominant when it comes to you know, Rudy Gobert, a
(20:04):
naj read and the.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Calling Anthony Towns.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I think I think their responsibilities will become, you know,
a lot tougher this this round. So for me, I
see Minnesota coming out of the West. I think I
do think it'll be the games will go to a
six or seven game series.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
But for me, I see Minnesota pulling out this series.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I think that's going to be an amazing playoff series.
I am going to be glued to my television. You're
totally right about the defensive efforts. And Anthony Edwards when
he wasn't shooting last night, played great defense. And the
ability to do that is such for young player. I
think we don't see that that often. We don't see
them buckling down and being like great, what else can
(20:48):
I do? They get a little obsessed with their shot,
they keep trying to force it, and instead he played
great defense. So that matchup between him and Kyrie, which
I mean, it's just unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Look, it's got to be box shopping. It's going to
be box office. That's how you can tell nobody's calling
Kyrie Irving out like nobody that nobody's accepting that talleting
like that defensively. So there's something in the water over
in Minnesota, like them boys is ready not saying he's
going to stop Kyrie, but like to have that type
of confidence. It's like, let's get it cracking. So that's
(21:20):
that's big time of a twenty two year old to
do something like that.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yeah, it's twenty two year old to call out a
future Hall of Famer and be like, and by the way,
one of the best guy around the hoop that we've
ever seen for sure, you know, great handles, the whole nine.
So I just for him to do that, and I'm
curious how Kyrie will respond, because especially the back half
of that series with Oklahoma City, you know, he was
the whole series. He was never able to have a
(21:45):
breakout game because the under I mean, they are a
legit defensive force and the team defense they play is
really strong, and they were able to buckle down on
Kyrie in a way that he really hadn't seen in
these playoffs. He had some breakout games against the Clippers
that did not happen in this last series. So the
defense is only getting better. Minnesota the number one defense
(22:06):
in the league this year, anchored by the defensive Player
of the Year, and I know the controversy over that,
but you can't argue with where Minnesota finished, and I
just think it will be a very different series for them.
I do think, though, that that team is so finely
tuned and built around Luka Dancic, and I think that
we need to give Nico Harrison credit for that because
(22:27):
first time GM there was some criticism of some of
his early moves, obviously the Jalen Brunson thing, and I
honestly don't remember if Nico was there for that, but
it was a move from ownership that you know, there's
been criticism of what Dallas has done with their personnel
over recent years, and the fact that they were able
to make the trades at the deadline, have confidence in
(22:48):
those trades when not everybody did, and get those role
players playing as well as they did. I just I
don't know. I think it's going to be a great, great,
great series. I'm very excited about it. Do you want to,
by the way, just call out before we move on
to the east.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
You mentioned Derek Lively and he posted on Instagram last
night about his mom, who died of cancer earlier this year.
I think she was just fifty two, just really really
sad and difficult, and he just basically said, you know,
I love you, I miss you. Just sit back and
watch mama. And I was, you know, to be able
(23:24):
to play the way he does, considering some of the
personal stuff he's gone through and who he's playing for,
I think is really touching and effective.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
For sure, he's doing his thing. You're in a tough
situation he's doing He's doing his thing.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
So shout out here for Isaiah. You know all about that.
I mean, you are dealing with the death of your
sister and sometimes, you know, those tragedies can undo you
or they can power you. And what he's been able
to do is has been exceptional, just like with you.
So I'm very impressed.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
You know, being around your teammates in these hostile environments,
that just only makes it, you know, that much a
little a little easier because you got your brothers around you,
supporting you, helping you through those tough times. I'll be
feeling like, especially when I was going through it, it's
like when you get back to the crib, that's when
that's just tough.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
When you're around your teammates.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
And around the arena and all that love, that's like,
that's like helping him out as much as as much
as it can. So, you know, shout out to him,
prayers to him and his family. You know, good luck
moving forward as well.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Absolutely for sure. All right, let's move on to the
East Indiana. A historic offensive performance versus a shorthanded Knicks team.
I mean sixty seven percent from the field that has
literally never been done before. I mean that is bananas
in a play I think it's in any playoff game,
certainly in a game seven, fifty four percent from three
(24:52):
six players in double figures. Halliburton, who has had an
uneven series drop twenty six, Yakam drop twenty and I
just want to give them their due first, because I
know we're going to talk about the Knicks health and
the NIXT or the team everyone talks about. But to
walk into Madison Square Garden in a game seven and
(25:12):
be a young team that most of the guys have
never played in a Game seven in that situation before,
and stand up the way they did, I don't care
who's on the other end and how beat up they are.
I thought that was super impressive. The confidence that they
came in with the belief and the activity. You know,
game sevens in some ways are can kind of be
(25:34):
crazy and all over the place, and they kept their
focus and concentration. They played their game, the pace of it,
the way they were playing. So I just want to
make sure people appreciate that this was a very hard
thing to do, no matter what was going on with
the Knicks. And then, of course, on the other side,
the Knicks had some health problems to under the understatement
of the year. When og And and Obi came out for
(25:55):
warm ups, it did not look good. And then when
you get to when the game started, he just couldn't defend.
And he scored five points in the first few minutes
and gave them a little boost on offense. But when
the Pacers went at him on the other end, they
were four for four against him and he had to
come out. So I don't know what do you guys
make of that game? Overall and sort of how the
(26:17):
Pacers won.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I think they played through their strengths, which is, you know,
their youth and their speed, and I think they realized
that this Knicks team was starting to wear down, so
I think they continued to put their foot on the
gas and you know, they made the best of their situation,
which led to them being successful. Obviously, coming into this series,
(26:40):
I thought the Knicks were the favorite to come out.
But I mean, you hate to kick a man while
he's down. But this is a typical TIBs movie. Like
it's like it's like going to see a Fast and
the Furious move. You know exactly what the funk's gonna
happen at the end of movies watch but you know
(27:04):
exactly what's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Bro.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
So yeah, it's like, man, I think I felt like
this series was the next to Wind. It's just you know,
history repeats itself, which we said before, it's just not
a recipe for success. I mean, playing seven guys an
entire playoff run, that's that's really really hard to do.
(27:27):
And at the end of the day, these guys aren't machines.
They they're human beings. Like we wear down that's that's
just that's a natural thing. It's natural instinct. Like your
body wears down, your energy wears down.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
It happens.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
And you know, Tim's gotta figure out a new recipe, man,
Like you can't. You can't keep cooking out of the
same cookbook, bro and expecting you know, a different flavor.
Like it's it's gonna be the same thing over and
over and over again. So you you obviously you want
to give credit to this Pacers team. But I think
I think the Knicks lost this series. I don't think
(28:06):
the Pacers win won it. I just think the Knicks
win and lost this series. And that's how it played out.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
I give a shout out to the Pacers. Oh they
You know. The crazy thing about Game seven is it's
like the NCAA tournament like that one day, y'all, Like
somebody can be on fire, like somebody can have a
career night career like those Game sevens are so tough
because anything can happen, and it's one game. And that's
what Indiana did, like they stuck to what they were
great at. We're gonna push the pace, try to score
(28:37):
one hundred and thirty points, which they did, and then
see if see if the Knicks can keep up, like
Indiana hit shots, and I think that's what gave them
their energy. And they knew the Knicks was down bad.
They knew, like at the end of the day, like
books said, like they're human, like we gonna see if
they can play catch up the whole game. We're gonna
see if they can run run with us the whole game.
(28:59):
And they did that, and it just it backfired on
the Knicks. Obviously they had injuries, but like that's tough
to do what they did, Like they got to make
some real adjustments. They got to add I feel like
they got to add a star player to take some
responsibility off of you know, Jalen Brunson, because he had
a lot like he did his thing in the playoffs,
(29:19):
but he played a lot of minutes, and like like
we've seen time and time again, it just it doesn't
last as long as you need it to. Like even
if they won that series and was going to play
the Celtics, I was going to be tough to play
six to seven guys that many minutes against a team
well equipped like them.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
So at some point it.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
Was going to die down, and it just it just
bit them in the behind. Game seven at home, Like
you never thought the Knicks would lose a Game seven
at home with all those with all those celebrities in
the building like they like you thought it was Game
seven of the NBA Finals. How many people in the building.
So it was a tough situation for the Knicks to
go out like that. But we always said like it
(30:01):
was going to end like that at some point, just
because those guys are human and they they they got
no rest, and they have some major injuries, like some
pivotal injuries that you you just can't you can't fight through.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
And to piggyback off of that, like sorry, Rach, but
to piggyback off of that, you know, you don't want
to sit here and just put this narrative on TIBs
like he injures his players. But the fact that the
matter is one, when you play guys that many minutes,
it obviously increases the risk of injury. Like so that's
(30:37):
just how they go hand in hand. On on top
of that, Timms has this is no knock outside of
Jalen Bronson. Tims has a team full of role players,
like so it's only so far those guys can take
you to expect. And I love Devin Chanzo. He was
a teammate of mind. He's a great teammate, he's a
(30:59):
talented work he is, but he's not a twenty point
per game score like that's that's not who he is.
The offensive bag just isn't deep enough and expect him
to average twenty twenty five on top of being a
guy playing forty eight minutes. Jalen Brunston playing forty eight minutes,
(31:19):
he has to average forty just for you to have
a chance at winning the game.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Those just aren't that's that's not realistic. Like so.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
The point I was going to make, I do like
this next team. I do think they have a great
foundation right now, and I do think they have a
bright future. But I think going into the offseason, they're
going to have to make some important changes, not just.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Like draft, they have to make important changes.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
And I think it's some guys out there that that
fit into that, you know, that culture, in that style
of play, and I think it starts with a wing.
You know, a wing scorer to take some of the
pressure off Bruston. You got guys like Bradley Beal and
even though he has, you know, a trade clause in
his deal. I'm pretty sure he'll be open and going
(32:07):
to the next to play there. And you obviously got
a guy and Jimmy Butler is not. I don't think
the paradise is shining as much as it was in
Miami at one point. You know, pat Riley came out
with some pretty wild, you know comments. Jimmy Butler has
a history with TIBs, so you can see a guy
like that fitting in well. So I do think they
(32:30):
can make some you know changes in the offseason that
will get them over the hump and improve his team drastically.
But you know it's gonna take them making some really
important decisions this offseason.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Well, look, when you look at the TIBs factor and
the injuries and all of that, I think it's both
is the answer. Because TIBs has not made the conference
finals since twenty eleven, thirteen years, and he's only missed
one year of that coaching, so clearly there is something
about the way he plays guys because he's an excellent
X and O coach. The adjustments he made throughout the
(33:03):
series were great.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
You know, he.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
Just has had a reputation with running those players into
the ground. It's why he is voted again. I think
it was the third year in a row when they
did the players survey, he was voted the coach that
players who don't play on the Knicks currently would least
like to play for Now. His team loves him. That's
kind of all you need. But around the league, I
think guys see the minutes that he puts on these
(33:27):
guys during the year and they don't want to have
their careers affected by that. So that's all real. However,
I want to make the point that these injuries this year,
I don't think they had much to do with being
run into the ground. Julius Randall hurt his shoulder when
someone fell on him. We had, let's see, I'm going
to go through these, mister Robinson. As we saw with
(33:48):
the Joel Embiid incident. That's not an overuse injury, right,
Julius Randall got hurt after taking a charge. I'm by
someone fell on him. Even in this last game. Jaylen
Brunson broke his hand in this game when he was
trying to make a steal. That is not an overused injury. Now,
(34:10):
og Ananobi hamstrings, those are overuse so you can point
to that one, but I do think that there was
just a lot of bad luck with how a bunch
of these guys got injured, and that's why he ended
up playing these guys so much in the playoffs, because
there just wasn't anyone left, you know, he had to
kind of put everyone out there. And I just think
(34:32):
we have to keep that in mind when we talk
about the Knicks this year and Tibbs and his reputation
and what he did or didn't do. Most of those
injuries came with things, incidents that happened on the court,
not sort of that overused thing where we saw og
just kind of like him give out on a play
and that that's different. But I think we have to
remember how a lot of these guys got hurt. So
(34:55):
there's that, and then you guys talking about what the
Knicks need going forward. T what do you think Julius
Randall's role on this team is going to be once
he gets healthy.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
I'm not sure, Like you know, how quick the NBA
turns on you.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
It's tough, Like he's an All NBA type of guy,
all Star, but it's like if we got this far
without him, like you think we could push it a
little further, Like I'm not sure what they got in
mind for a guy like Julius Randall. You know, hopefully
he stays and he's still in the mix with the
Knicks because he definitely makes Like if they had him,
(35:33):
I think it would have been tougher.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
For Indiana to win for sure.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
But you just never know how how they look at it,
Like Julius Randall is a special talent, but you know
how the teams are, like it's like, what have you
done for me lately?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Especially if you've been injured.
Speaker 4 (35:46):
It can be that we might have seen him play
his last game in the nixt uniform. You just never know,
Like I'm not you know, I'm not guaranteeing that, Like
I know he does make the Knicks better, but is
that in the next future plans, Like so.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I'm not sure what they do.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
Like like Book said, like you definitely need to I
feel like you definitely need a wing score and a
guy that can defend as well, and to get take
some responsibility off of off of Jalen Brunson because he
has to do everything. And like Buog said as well,
I don't want Dante and Josh Hart to have to
do all these things that they're doing, Like their games
(36:27):
ain't meant to play forty seven minutes and get twenty
to twenty five points in games.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
That's not what they're built to do.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
Obviously they can do that, but for you to be
a championship caliber team, those guys don't need to be
doing those things at it on a nightly basis.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
So the Knicks have a lot of decisions to make.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
You know, hopefully Julius Randall is in the plays because
he's a hell of a player, all star caliber player,
but you just never know what their thoughts are moving forward.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
You think he plays for the next next season.
Speaker 5 (36:57):
Book No, oh man, Like I Tea said, the NBA
moves quickly, and they turned.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
On you quickly. We've both experienced it. One day. You
can be at the mountaintop.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
The next day you know you're you're out of their plans,
or you know we're moving in a different direction, or
you don't.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Really fit the style of the team. So I definitely
think he is.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Obviously there's a chance he could be back, but I
feel like he's in a great area right now. And
I don't think the Knicks really know what they want
to do moving forward yet, But.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
I don't think they're in the worst situation.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Obviously, you have your star in Jalen Brynson is I
think this team, I think they do know who they
want to build around, which is the more important decision,
which is Jalen Bronson.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
But who you put around him is going to be
very important.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
And that's why I said they have some very important
decisions to make this off season.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Well, look, some of the guys you brought up would
have to come through trade. You didn't mention any free agents.
So maybe Julius Randall gets thrown into one of those packages.
We'll have to see. But it's going to be an
interesting off season.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
It might it might be better for It might be
better for him to get up out of there too,
would I think, you know, it might be a better
situation for him, So yeah, I think so fighting against
being the leader of the team, fighting against being the man.
And then he's been injured the last two years, like
season India injuries. So like you might you might want
a new fresh you know, some some fresh air somewhere else.
(38:37):
But you, like like you guys say, you never know,
you never know what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Yeah, we'll see.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I just want my guy to be healthy. I just
wanted to be healthy and get back right.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Yes, yes, absolutely, I want to move on to the
Eastern Conference finals. The teams still playing and it I
don't know how you feel. You consider them your Celtics,
you know at this point in your life. But I
assume you're rooting for them, uh as they go forward
here and just it's going to be an interesting matchup
to see. Look Indiana as an underdog, there's no other
(39:07):
way to say it, and it's going to be interesting
to see if they can assert themselves in this series
or not. And then the Celtics. You know, I have
sympathy for Celtics fans and the Celtics themselves because they
kind of feel like they're damned if they do and
they're damned if they don't. You know, if they beat
a team by twenty, it's like, oh, you haven't really
had any real competition. And if they struggle against the team,
(39:28):
it's like, why are you struggling against this team? It's
been true, by the way, because you know when they
struggle or they drop a game to Miami that has
you know, doesn't have a bunch of their key guys.
You drop a game to just a team that doesn't
have Dnavan Mitchell out on the floor because you're sitting
on the bench. I mean, I understand the criticism, and
(39:49):
I also understand the frustration of the Celtics players. You
can only play who is in front of you, and
they have one indominant fashion, and there will be no
matter what happens in the series, people saying, oh, the
easiest walk to the finals ever. You can only play
who's in front of you. And I just think it's
going to be interesting to see whether Indiana can assert
itself here. What do you think.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
I'm gonna be polite and say that's a gentleman's sleep.
All the way in my heart is telling me you're sweet,
But like I said, I'll be polite and say a
gentleman's sweep. I think I think the persons will be
able to pull off, you know, win in their first
home game. The energy would be crazy, all of those things.
But this Celtics team has been dominant all year. They've
(40:37):
been dominant throughout the playoffs. The only time they really
lose is when they get bored or uninterested, which is
crazy to even say in the NBA setting, but it
hasn't really been a matchup for them in the Eastern
Conference this entire year. And it's not gonna start now.
(40:58):
This team has been here time and time and ship.
They've been here since I t was doing this thing there.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
And this team is full of experience.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
They've been here, They've they've been locked in for the
entire year. They're built for this moment. They have probably
one of the most well constructed rosters I've.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
Seen in a long time.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Just the Pacers overachieved this year, and I think they
should be very happy about that. They they know they
have something to build, you know, their future on They
found them for down their foundational pieces. You know, they
they got their coach. Everything is moving in the right
direction for this pass team. But I think I think
(41:45):
they they hit their stride like this, this is this
is the end once they meet up with the Celtics team.
And I'm trying to be you know, I don't want to,
I don't want to on them.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
I'm just it's more oh it's no, not to the Pacers,
but more credit to the Celtics. They're just that dominant
And we've been calling the Celtics to be at this
moment all year long, since you know, the beginning of
the season. So, like I said, it's not gonna change now.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
So you know, I think they'll get a game and
you know that's that'd be good for them.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
Like the Celtics are definitely the the more dominant team
in this series. I got them winning it, but I
do got Indiana. I don't think they're gonna blow them
out every game.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
Boston. I think they're gonna it's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (42:39):
It's not gonna be blowouts like we think, but I
think it's gonna be. For one, I think Indiana will
win one game at home. They've been exceptional at home
all playoffs. They're gonna have some good energy. But Boston
is just especially if Porzingis comes back at some point.
You never know if he's gonna come back or not.
But I just think they're the better team overall and
(43:02):
there they're going to get to the finals again for sure.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah, thank you. Thing.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
The Holy Road thing is real. I mean that's going
to be a little rubber meets the Road thing for
this series. Because Boston has been foreign two at home,
it's not as bad as everyone thinks. It's not fifty
to fifty. I know that over the last three years
they were five hundred at home blah blah blah blah
on the playoffs. But this playoffs they're foreign two at home,
which is respectable, but they are four and oh on
(43:28):
the road, and Indiana is six and oh at home,
two and five on the road. So those games in Indiana,
where the Celtics have had so much success on the
road and the Pacers have had so much success at home,
I think are going to be pretty interesting, a little
bit tooth and nail, so we will see what happens.
I have tremendous respect for both teams and think the
(43:49):
Celtics are going to be pretty dominant, so we'll see.
All right again, I'm wearing my shirt here I want.
This is a cute logo. By the way, I think
this is like their secondary logo.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
I can't even really see it. I can't see it,
all right.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
All right, I'll send you a picture afterwards. But uh,
we got to take a peek at what you have
been doing over there. We've had the Chronicles of Boogie,
which we've got to watch last week. I don't know
if you caught it, but I want to show you,
guys chapter two. Take a look.
Speaker 3 (44:25):
I want to, you know, learn this is find on
my legs, find on my wind, pushing myself, helping my condition.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
I do it in chemistry with the guys, guys.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
Allowing them to learn me, figuring out tendencies, figuring out
what the coach is looking for.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
You know, I want to come in and fit in
and push this thing in our hearts.
Speaker 6 (44:42):
Well, I think the main challenge that we don't have
a lot of time and I'll see us playing with
him is you know, it's a blessing and it's our
job to make sure that works seamlessly and in a
short period of time. But you know, you need elite
talent to win championships, and I think, you know, Bookie
definitely brings us closer to that.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
It always feels good to you know what I mean.
So victorious day, I left out the shooting champion.
Speaker 7 (45:11):
Today we want to fight for home court advantage in
the playoffs. With Boogie coming in the last three games
of the season, that that adds a different, different threat
that we didn't necessarily have.
Speaker 2 (45:23):
Well, he's obviously a phenomenal talent.
Speaker 8 (45:25):
He's an enormous body with with unbelievable hands, the ability
to shoot, to pass, to play on the block, to
dominate people physically, and I don't think there's a talent,
you know, anything close to that in the league right now.
Speaker 9 (45:38):
So you know, you you you have to learn how
to play through that, because he's obviously in a great
position to be a go to guy for us and
someone we can play through because he can, you know,
get us some buckets, but he can also be really
in selfish and make everyone around him better, which is
his unique ability.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
In my opinion, I know it would be a process.
Speaker 3 (45:57):
So just to see account of unfold when you start
to shortly happen for me, everything's coming together at the
right time. We do a more serious number. This is
(46:26):
the point, you know, where we lock in. We right there,
felas we got a little bit more to go. Seven wins,
that should be we should have that number seven wins,
you know, the.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Seven wins times forty eight minutes. It's roughly three hundred.
Speaker 6 (46:42):
And fifty minutes of basketball where we have to show
ergency in every position.
Speaker 8 (46:45):
We do that, we're champions in.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
The what's about every man fighting for the next man
Game one shows a after the game.
Speaker 7 (47:04):
You know, we have the leading scorer, beating assist person
per game player and Hassan and then now we had
to book him to that train.
Speaker 2 (47:11):
You know.
Speaker 10 (47:11):
I like our chances like coming down, like like we
can subverbly talk to the other made playing by yo,
why to come off with strange pop if he don't
look back him, It's like defenders looking like, man, he right,
what can I do?
Speaker 2 (47:24):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 10 (47:25):
So it's like that's the kind of like advantage I
feel like we have on this team with it.
Speaker 11 (47:30):
This is what real move is enjoy when it comes
to the game play off basketball.
Speaker 12 (47:49):
M h, I love it.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
I love it. But last week we saw a lot
of you off the court, going to the zoo, getting
lost on your way at a restaurant, all that kind
of stuff. I love that we got so much on
the court in this one, and the clip of you
talking to the team leading the team, I would expect
nothing less, and the dominance you're showing on the court,
(48:25):
I firmly believe you should be on an NBA roster
right now. But I also really love the fact that
if that didn't happen this season, you still get to
go hoop and you have those crowds screaming your name
and all of those sort of things that come with
the champagne, soap, locker room and those experiences. You know,
wherever in the world they are are pretty cool and
(48:47):
it's fun to see that everywhere.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
Oh I appreciate that, right, Oh yeah, I had to
come to that point. But you realize it's so much
basketball out here, so many more experiences to make, and
you can still enjoyed his game wherever you decide to play.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
So that's where I'm just and just that smile, that
smile you know how this ship is.
Speaker 3 (49:09):
Don't matter if it's the YMCA, it don't matter. I mean,
you get that feeling, that same feeling you got as
a kid. So I'm embracing and I'm having fun with it.
And you know, I'm loving where I'm at in life.
So it's all good.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Keep doing.
Speaker 1 (49:22):
I love it. I love it well. Also, I t
you you getting back on a roster and getting back
in the league is inspiring story in itself and for
both you guys. I just think you got bad turns
by injuries and some management decisions after that, And I
love the way both of you have just sort of
continued to hoop. It's again super impressive. A lot of
guys just check out and either one of you did that,
(49:43):
and I think it's great. So there you go. Appreciate
I'm ready for the finals. I'll be cheering Boogie to
see it. There you go, everyone out there. You can
catch all of the episodes of bully Ball on the
Draft Kings Network, which is very cool, on the All
the Smoke Productions YouTube channel, and of course you can
listen to us wherever you get your podcast. Rate us,
(50:04):
review us, tell us how much you love Boogie, tell
us how much it his brunt of the show. We
want to hear all the good comments. Tell me what
you think of my shirt, which I expect to only
be awesome. Thank you very much. We will check in
and catch you next week. See ya.
Speaker 2 (50:23):
Thanks
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