March 6, 2024 • 36 mins
Chris and Rob argue over whether the Buffalo Bills’ roster housecleaning proves that their Super Bowl window is officially closed and debate whether LeBron James will be remembered as a ‘Laker’ or a ‘Cav’ whenever he ultimately decides to retire. Plus, longtime NBA writer Tom Haberstroh swings by to discuss his latest article on Jayson Tatum’s struggles in the clutch and how they might impact the Celtics’ championship aspirations.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusa and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Rob, speaking of hurt, there might be some hurt feelings
among the fans of the Buffalo Bills. You heard Mazie
Bellinos talk about all the moves that they made today.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Just to clear up some salary cap room.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Release Jordan Poyer, who was a key figure on that
team and he's a safety, and then cornerback to Davis White,
and center Mitch Morse.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Among others. Naim Heines the running back. So they they're
gonna look a lot different next year.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Rob, what are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
This is the NFL, And you know what I'd say
all the time is you think your window is gonna
be open for a long time and all this other stuff.
And now you could see Chris dating back that this
is probably for them their time. Their day in the
sun is coming gone for the Buffalo Bills. Another missed
(01:29):
wow Bield goal U thirteen seconds in Kansas City.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Probably should have dribbled.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
The ball or taken you know what I mean, like, uh,
definitely should have taken it, taking some time off the clock,
squipt kick it, whatever you want to call it. So
you go back and you start to look at all
these things that didn't work, and you're in a situation
now where you can't hold on to the players you
had that would put together. You're gonna have to try
to regroup and add some new pieces. I'm not saying
(01:57):
anything gonna fall off the map, but leave the Buffalo
Bills are going to win a super Bowl. No with
Josh and they will not win a super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Nope.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I do not believe they're gonna win a super Bowl.
If they didn't win, they had a couple of chances.
Josh Allen was fantastic in that game again in Kansas City,
put them up ahead a few years ago. Yeah, with
thirteen seconds ago, couldn't beat them with you know in
Buffalo in the situation, another missfield goal which cost them
(02:27):
the game. In that playoff game, Chris, I'm just looking
at it. It's just trending downward. I don't believe they're
the same team. And I told you this before the
season started. I didn't like them. I didn't like where
they were headed, even if they picked them right, but
I didn't like them though. I did say that that
that they were trending down, and uh, they were trending
(02:49):
down a long part of the season and then turned
it on and won the last six or whatever.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
It was to at least make the playoffs. But anyway, yeah,
I mean, I look, I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
It's gonna be interesting, you know, to see what they
look like next year. I do think Rob that their
window to win a Super Bowl is open as long
as Josh Allen is in his prime. Like we all
know that the key component unless you just have a
stack team like.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
San Francisco has done. Right.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
They've gone with the quarterbacks not gonna make a lot
of money, or at least that's where they're at been
the last few years, and we're just gonna try to
build around him because our quarterback's not making a ton.
But very few teams are built that way, and so
that's why you need that like superstar quarterback. And I
(03:46):
do feel like their window will be open as long
as Josh Allen is in his prime. I feel like
the Ravens window will be open as long as Lamar
Jackson is near the top of his game.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Joe Burrow and Cincinnati, we'll see if CJ.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Stroud, you know how he comes out after his great
rookie year.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
But he could be that type of guy.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
And obviously Mahomes is just the guy that's spoiling it
for all these guys.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
But I'm not.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I mean, we'll see what the team looks like, you know,
who they fill out the roster with, and what players
they bring in to replace the ones they've released. And
it's not time for us to make predictions anyway, But
I hear you. I don't imagine they're gonna do anything
that's gonna make me pick them to win the AFC,
that's for sure. But I do think with Alan, you
(04:39):
got the great quarterback. He's got some wartz. I think
a big thing is they gotta work on those. They
got to figure out how to maximize him as a
passer and a runner, how to keep him from making
the huge mistakes, from being so reckless and yet find
that balance between not being a reckless but still be
(05:02):
in the dynamic quarterback he is, whether it's with his
legs or with his own arm. So if they can
do that, that's that's the first thing I'm trying to do,
rob And then if they get that fixed, everything else
will fall into place and they'll have a shot. But
it's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
But the difference is I hear what you're saying. The
difference for me is, Chris, it was more than just
a shot. I get it when you say, well, they
got a shot. A few teams have a shot if
everything goes right right. They were and they were scheduled.
They were on a path to look like they had
a great shot to finally win a super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
When they got Josh Allen and.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
When he improved and you looked at the other pieces,
and when they got Stefan Diggs, Chris and they got
him from Minnesota, you know, like they started to build
this team that you were like, they don't have more
than a shot they could win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
That's that's what I don't think you could say that
more than a punch shot.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
To see what they build. Look I will say this, Rob.
Last year they had a ton of injuries on the
defensive side of the ball, and their defense still was
a very good defense. And so I think they feel
like they'll be able to build, you know, loo Again,
(06:16):
nobody in the league is Patrick Mahomes, but we saw
it with Kansas City, Rob. I mean they dars was
on the offensive end where they you know, let Tyreek
Hill go and had a bunch of young players on
defense and at least this year not a very good
receiving court. Last year not a great receiving court at
(06:37):
Juju Smith Schuster didn't have him this year, and they
were able to make it work.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Now again, a lot of.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
That's Mahomes and Andy Reid is great, but I think
that's what Again, I'm not picking them new when the
AFC right now, but I'm just saying I do.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Think the door is still open.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
But look that conference is, man, Rob, It's balt is
not going anywhere. Cincinnati's gonna be better because if Burrow's healthy,
the Chargers are gonna be better.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
With Harbaugh, We'll see what Miami is up doing.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
But it is good Houston if they continue to improve,
like and that's not even to mention Cleveland and Pittsburgh
who are always just there. So it's gonna be tough
for him. But I'm just looking forward to seeing how
they round this thing out and what other moves they make.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Do they What about Diggs? Is he gonna be?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
But I just I look at it, Chris, when you
start to strip down really good players because you can't
pay them, you're not gonna replace them with better players,
like you're gonna replace them with cheap.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Well you might replace them with young players who could
become as good.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Yeah, but how long does that happen. I'm just saying, like,
when you start to do this, here you are you're
hoping that you can replace people and it's not gonna
be a big difference. But with the other team teams
and the other scenarios in the a f C, I
just I don't look at them the same way. I
don't know what the Jets are gonna be. Uh we
(08:08):
know about like you said, you got Miami there, you
got the other teams, uh, in the in the in
the in the Central crisis.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Yeah, like like you look at them.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
You look at those two North North Central eighty seven,
I know that was that was when the Lions went
in the NFC Central right right.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
No, I hear you, But you know, like I just
I just think when you track.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Record last year of playing through a lot of injuries,
you gotta admit that football last year fo No, But
I mean their their backups came in and played well
well enough for them to go eleven and six, six
straight wins at the end, and you.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Look, they lost by was it three to the to
the Super Bowl champions.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
So we'll see. I hear you, I get it.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
I'm just saying I do think they're gonna be wrecked,
have to be reckoned with as long as Josh Allen
is there and in his prime. So that's still the case,
so we'll see how they rebuild around him.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 6 (09:24):
Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller along with my trustee sidekick David Gascon. Would mean
a lot to have you join us on our weekly
auditory journey. You're ask one in God's name is the
Fifth Hour. I'll tell you it's a spin off of it.
Ben Maler Show a cult hit overnights on FSR.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Why should you listen? Picture if you will?
Speaker 6 (09:43):
A world where we chat with captains of industry in media, sports,
and more every week. Explore some amazing facts about human
nature and more. Listen to the Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Longtime NBA writer worked what he meant the Old Network
does a fantastic job covering not only in the NBA anymore,
but all sports. You can check him out on substack
at Tom the Finder, Tomdefinder dot com.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Tom.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
We welcome in, Tom Haberstrow Tom. What's up man?
Speaker 4 (10:18):
What's happening?
Speaker 7 (10:20):
Brew?
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Rob?
Speaker 7 (10:20):
What's going on? Guys? Great?
Speaker 4 (10:22):
We were great? Get that name? Is that what you're
gonna ask Rob?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
No?
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I want to ask him about it sometime. Find and
how people can subscribe and how's it going? Oh?
Speaker 7 (10:32):
Substack's great. Uh, you have your own website. I mean
you can say what you want and people pay you
to subscribe and support your work. And it's a great
way to get one on one interaction with the with
your readers and they also give you tips and story ideas.
So like, man, it's it's like having your own little community.
So it's a Tomdefinder dot com. And that's the name
(10:54):
that my mama gave me. When I was a little kid. Uh,
they used to put me to work and when they
lost their glasses or the remote control or what the
phone around the house? Wow, you know what they call
call they put me. I was six years old and
they would just say, hey, Tommy, go find that. And
(11:14):
so I love that nickname that my mama gave me,
and so it inspired me.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
No, that's cool. That's cool man, it's a good story.
All right, let's get to speaking the stories. Your one
of your latest if now your latest story on substack
about Jason Tite Tatum's struggles in the clutch. You right that,
and this is based on your research. You put the
numbers right there. His effective field goal percentage thirty eight
(11:40):
point three in clutch situations, which of course is last
five minutes game within five points.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
He is.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
That's over the last three seasons as well, and he
is way down there behind the other stars in the league,
for instance, Jokic Lee and he's shooting fifty four point
six percent. Even a Lebron James at this age is
at fifty percent. So we talked, We just talked on
our last segment time about I'm not gonna make too
(12:12):
much out of yesterday's game with the Calves, but still
there are patterns you see with them. You saw Tatum
go one for nine in the fourth quarter. You saw
and miss the shot at the end of the game,
which wasn't really a good shot anyway, And so what
do you do talk about Tatum not being clutch and
how much of a problem you think it is or
(12:33):
is it for the Celtics.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
Yeah, Chris, I mean when I when I look at
the data and I watched the film, the thing that
jumped out to me is the mom of mentality. He
is really trying to emulate Kobe Bryant's attack, aggressive attack
mentality where sometimes he puts the blinders on, and last
night was indicative of that. Like, I don't want to
read too much into the shooting percentages last night or
(12:59):
the fact that he miss the last second shot, but
I will say this is representative of a larger story here,
a larger trend of him trying to go one on three.
When Jared Allen is switching off of Derek White and
leaving Derrick White wide open. Jason Tatum decides to go
into double coverage, takes his fadeaway jumper mid range two,
and it's a low percentage shot. You're not going to
(13:21):
draw contact and get a foul. So he flops a
lot on those to try to get to the free
throw line. And that's not a healthy brand of basketball.
And it's not just about last night, like you said,
over the last three years, he is the least efficient
star in clutch situation at thirty eight percent of that's
even waiting for the three point shot. It's giving him
(13:42):
extra credit for the three pointers that he made. The
problem is Chris He's shooting eighteen percent from downtown in
clutch situations over the last three years. So this guy
has so much talent, and he's twenty six years old
and he's coming into his prime. I want to stress
that he is the best players in the NBA, but
I don't think he needs to feel like he's got to,
(14:04):
you know, emulate Kobe or try to do the things
that he did and basically go one on four. It's
a different NBA. He has a lot more talent in
terms of teammates than he had last year, and I
think he needs to lean on the more and not
try to do it all by himself. And that's what
I wrote about at Tomdefinder dot com.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Well, well we also Chris and I talked about this.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Tom is you know, at the All Star Break when
he was the odds of him winning the MVP, he
was like fifth, and people are like, how could he
be fifth? I mean that team is rolling, he's putting
up great numbers, this, that and the other thing. I
think these numbers here hurt a little bit. You know
when people think about MVP, is that fair to say?
Speaker 7 (14:49):
Yeah, I mean high leverage moments. Rob Like, the idea
of an MVP is someone that you can go to
not just in the first forty seven minutes of the game,
but also when the game is in balance and you
need a bucket, or you need a smart play, or
you need a defensive stop who comes up big. And
so I don't want to make you know. The Celtics
are great this year. They're the number one seed, they're
(15:10):
the favorite for a reason. They have one of the
best point differentials in NBA history, and Jason Tatum, by
all measures, is the best player on this team. But
when we talk about the MVP conversation, shake goes is
Alexander Nikola, Jokic, Luka Dancic, Janna Sandan, d Koopo. They're
all way more efficient and in high volume scoring in
(15:31):
those high leverage moments when the game's in balance, they
come up time and time again. And Jason Tatum this
season has fallen short of those expectations and well not
well below the numbers that I you know, at the top,
you mentioned it, Chris, you know Jokic is at fifty
eight percent shooting. Steph Curry's right there, y'ah on the
same thing. They're all above fifty percent. And then you
(15:52):
got to go all the way down on the list
that Jayson Tatam's at thirty eight percent. And so I mean,
for me, guys, I don't know where you guys stand
on this, but I get really nervous about last year.
In Game seven against the Miami Heat, he had fourteen
points and in the previous game he was zero for
eight from downtown. And so as much as I want
(16:12):
to say this Celtics team is a juggernaut and they're
about on pace for sixty five wins. I also think
when the game gets tightest and the light gets brightest,
do I feel confident in Jason Tatum's abilities? And I
just think that the Miami Heat, with Eric Spolster, bam
Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, I feel like they have the
mental edge. And also, you know, Jimmy Butler is such
(16:34):
an assassin in the postseason. I just no matter what
those wins say in the regular season, I'm a little
nervous about Jason Tatum leading them down the stretch unless
he gets a mentality reset here at the rest of
the season.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
No, that's well said. Let me ask you about this
because and you said it.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
The Celtics are playing great, They're winning by eleven plus
points a game, they're running away with the Eastern Conference,
and so on and so forth.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
But do you wonder like I feel like, And I
get shooting.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
I get the analytics now and the effectiveness of shooting
so many threes, especially when you shoot them at a
high clip.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Like they do.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
But you can always that's just the nature of jump shooting.
You can go cold, and sometimes I feel like they
don't attack, like if they go cold from three. Sometimes
I feel like they don't go do other things as
much as they should. Last night, you saw zero for
eight from three in the fourth quarter, and we know
what happened there. They don't get to the foul line
(17:38):
as much as you might think they should. Last night,
took one free throw in the fourth quarter. Do you
think that could be an issue or not? I mean,
I know the analytics. They're right there doing what the
analytics say they should. But do you feel like there
could be maybe an over reliance on the three at
times for them?
Speaker 7 (17:58):
Chris, you said an overreliant right, Like, it's not that
you can't choot threes or you shouldn't shoot threes. You
want a healthy dose of three pointers. I mean they're
worth three. Three is more than two. But I will
say you want variety in the postseason. You know, you
talk to coaches, they scout you as in the postseason,
they almost know you better than you know yourself. And
(18:18):
so I think you need variety and surprise and a
little bit of lack of predictability in your offense. And
to me, I think getting downhill for Jason Tatum and
the Boston Celtics and turning the corner and attacking the
paint and getting to the cup is something they got
to do more of, not just because it's you know,
getting to the rack is a smart play, but also
(18:40):
it makes the defense have to be honest. They can't
overplay the three point line. You got to switch it up.
And one of the things that I write about at
the sub stack in there, I point out that they're
like all world efficiencies. You know, they're the best offense
in the NBA at one hundred and twenty points for
one hundred possessions. That falls to seventy nine when it's
one game in the final five minutes, so it goes
(19:02):
from one hundred and twenty rate to seventy nine. They
just clam up. And the big reason I think is
they only have three paint buckets in that in this season,
in that scenario, one possession game, final minute, they only
have three paint buckets. Twenty fifth in the NBA, twenty
fifth in the NBA. This is the best offense in
NBA history points for possession wise, and they don't get
(19:24):
to the rack. And I think that's what you're talking about.
You want more variety, you want attacking downhill, and only
three paint baskets in those super clutch moments, gotta be
better guys.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Wow, no doubt, last thing, real quick. I still I'm still,
I still am with Denver when it comes to the championship,
Ken Boston beat them if they are to meet in
a seven game series or not yet or not what
you've seen so far.
Speaker 7 (19:54):
I mean, Jokic, who do you trust in late game situations?
I mean, I know that's the problem, right Yo, He's
always going to make the right play, super efficient. And
if those guys are healthy, Michael Porter Junior, Aaron Gordon
and of course Jamal Murray with the shin splints, a
little worried someome. But if they go right now seven
(20:14):
game series, I'm taking Denver in six. And I think
that's something that you know, the regular season numbers in
terms of the standings don't reflect that. But I just
have so much more confidence and so much more belief
in the Denver Nuggets offense and defensively. I think they're
about even when they lock in. So I think when
you talk about who's gonna win in the biggest moments, man,
(20:36):
Boston's got to be so thankful they got home court
advantage in such a series, because I really do believe
that if the game is tight in four out of
those seven games, it's gonna be Denvers.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
All right.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
That's Tom haberstro Check him out on Tom Theefinder dot com.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
That's on Substack.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Tomdefinder dot com does some great stuff.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
Tom, Thanks man, it was great to have you on.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
Hey, appreciate it, guys. Anytime.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
There was a story written ESPN dot com Dave mcmannimon
about Lebron is his next Roger. He's eye at five
hundred million his next deal with the Lakers. Not not
one contract for five hundred million, but his next deal
with the Lakers could bring him to five hundred million.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
For his career.
Speaker 8 (21:36):
No, so, whether he earning, whether he ops in or
opts out to this next year salary, he's gonna be
the first player ever to cross the five hundred million dollar.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Career earning mark. So he's that's gonna happen. It's gonna happen.
Speaker 8 (21:48):
He's at forty two right now, so no matter what
happens next year, first.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Player NBA history, wid first only played twenty five years.
Speaker 8 (21:54):
Just wait till Jalen Brown breaks that. You know, that's
gonna be the next thame. Well, Jay, the last deal
was what he saw, Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so it's gonna
be the new norm.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
It is what it is. Yeah, but it's just right.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
That's awesome for Lebron, right, and man, that's half a
billion and with his other businesses, so he's you know,
he's gonna be in position to own.
Speaker 8 (22:15):
An NBA tany laughs at Lebron's like, oh, that's all
you made twenty years like.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
One, but you know, you know, Rob couldn't wait.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
You know, I was like, he got seven hundred million,
been in the league six years.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
He got hunt the contract seven hundred How long is
that contract?
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Is not twenty years? Not that much? No, it's ten
ten years. I don't tell you. It's ten years, all right.
Speaker 8 (22:40):
So anyways, ESPN's David many Men and Bobby Mark's co
wrote a story talking about Lebron's future and whether or
not or excuse me, the salary implications of him opting
in opting out is extension, YadA, YadA, YadA. Buried deep
into the story was a note about Lebron James's psyche
and how Lebron has privately been worried about whether or
(23:07):
not Laker Nation would ever fully embrace him, given their
history with Kobe Bryant, his quote unquote rivalry with Kobe
and so on and so forth. So the guys note
that it meant a whole heck of a lot to
Lebron James the night that he cracked the forty thousand
point mark, how much the franchise and most importantly, the
fan base seemed to embrace him that evening.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
So the question is, do you feel like Lebron's a Laker?
I mean, obviously he's a Laker right now, and he's
been there now, this is sixth year.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
But Rob, I think that.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Lebron and Kevin Durant a lot of guys from this era,
to be quite honest, Westbrook's been all over the place.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
He wanted to be loyal to.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Okay see, but they traded him and he's been all
over the place. I don't think like they they like
Lebron will be viewed as a calve.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
But Rob, I think that's.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Really only because he's from northeast Ohio.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
I don't think it's just that.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
If he was from Memphis and just got drafted by
the Calves, I don't know. I don't think he be
viewed as I mean, I guess maybe because that was
his first team. Like if you had to pick a
squad for Durant, I don't know if you pick Okay,
see here Golden State. You picked Golden State because he
won there, because he won two there. Well, Rob, he
(24:37):
Lebron only won one in Cleveland. He won two in Miami.
I think Rob, if he was from my quick statement,
if he was from Memphis, Texas wherever and went to
the Calves as a you know, drafted and his career
went the way it has, I think he might be
viewed more as a Miami Heat player because that's where
(24:59):
he won two rings. And I don't think so. I mean,
why why would it be the Calves.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
I just think it's the Calves a lot of times.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
Chris, because he's from there.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But why But it's not It's not even if when
you're first drafted and he played there a while and
he came back and they won a championship. It's about
Cleveland because that's where he started and he became a
star almost immediately you know what I mean in that place,
and that's what people remember did the same thing he did,
(25:30):
but they just yeah, I'm just saying in this case.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
Uh, I agree it. Now he's viewed as a calve't believe.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
I think the Miami thing was while they won two championships,
it was kind of a little controversial him and pat
Riley on the way out. You know, it just didn't
end like it was a happy thing on the end,
back end of it.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Chris so that that the Miami thing.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Was was good, but it wasn't as great as it
could have been.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
So I think that there's a piece of.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
That, Uh that doesn't make people think, oh, yeah he
was a Miami heat.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
I mean Lakers and the Lakers are back end. The
Lakers are just the back end, you know, Like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
I don't. I don't think of him as I mean,
you know, we're speaking.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Figure and it's gonna wind up playing more years with
the Lakers than any franchise, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Well the Calves he was with for eleven years, you know,
seven and first and then four when win.
Speaker 8 (26:28):
Well, Chris to piggyback off Rob's point. If Lebron gets
this three year extension that's been rumored, he will have
spent more consecutive years with the Lakers than any other.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Team consecutive because which is crazy to think about it. Yeah, yeah,
and I gotta be I don't. I mean, nah, I don't.
I think I think of him as a calf first
and a heat player second, and.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Then a Laker. I agree with that.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I agree because this has as great as Lebron's numbers
have been with the Lakers, and obviously they won a
championship and last year they had a nice run to
the conference finals. It hasn't been your typical Lebron James success, right.
I mean Cleveland, Lebron did some even though he never
won to ring the first go round.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
Well he did as a young player, but.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Coming right out of high school averaging twenty leading that
team to the finals over that really good Detroit team
in two thousand and seven, having the two MVP years
there and the great records even though they didn't get
to the finals his last two years there and then
going back and winning a championship. Like Cleveland, he did
(27:46):
great things. Miami, obviously, he did great things. Four straight
trips to the finals, two MVPs two championships, and as
good as this Lakers run has been for him, Rob.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
It hadn't been your typical Lebron James run. It's been bumpy.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
It's been bumpy Chris a couple of times that didn't
make the playoffs, a couple of times Lebron was heard. Yeah,
I mean there's a lot of stuff, some drama. I mean,
it wasn't and my god, thank god he won that championship,
because if he didn't win that Bubble Championship, this would
have been a bust, like coming to LA But yeah,
(28:25):
I know what I.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
Mean, if you go there, you better win because Elgin, Baylor,
all the huge names, and we.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Had to win and he and he won, Chris and
and that is gonna, you know, help him. But you're right,
it could have been a disaster. Really could have because
going in, we remember, we weren't expecting them to win
that one, but they did.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
I think for him to be again, I don't think
he would ever be viewed first and foremost as a Laker,
but I think he they'd have to like win some
a bunch of championships, right like going forward and don't
forget the real show to start coming close to thinking
of him as a Laker. Win it this year, win
it next year, to you know, the following year, like
(29:08):
and I don't think that's gonna happen. Rob You you're
a Lakers fan, So where you at like on this?
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I mean the fans fully embracing Lebron?
Speaker 3 (29:17):
I do feel like and a lot of this is
because Lebron's just been gone so many places that we
kind of view him as he's a rental, right, I
mean kind of like.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
He's a rental because he's so great.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
He came here to win and he's not really our guy,
but he's great. We want him, we want to win,
so we we love him while he's here. But I
don't know if they're fully giving themselves over to him
because just the way his career is gone.
Speaker 5 (29:46):
And don't forget rob G's people, and I mean Laker fans,
rob G, I'm not see.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
I knew he was gonna say that.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
Rob G's people they spray painted the Lebron.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
Murals when they first went out. Do you remember that?
But that was when he first got here.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
No, I'm just saying, I'm just saying, like, but Rob G,
where are you on Lebron.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
You know what I always say about him when they
make his statue.
Speaker 8 (30:09):
Yeah, he's gonna have the basketball in one hand and in
the suitcase in the other. That's one of your jokes
that has aged very gracefully.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Jokes that's actually funny.
Speaker 8 (30:22):
You know what, I think that I have the pulse
of Laker Nation, and I think I speak for them
correctly when I say that we don't view him as
a you know, a Laker or an all time great Laker.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
You know, he's always going to be a Calf.
Speaker 8 (30:35):
I think that because that's where he came up, because
of that one championship in Cleveland means more than any
of the rings he has anywhere else, and also because
Rob alluded to it, the the Lebron experience has been
very uneven. Like he got here and as much as
(30:57):
excited as people were to have the best player in
the league on your team, which seems to happen a
lot for Laker fans, so the expectation was, well, all
the other great players we had wat championships, so the
minimum is you got to get at least one, and
once Lebron got.
Speaker 4 (31:11):
Here, he delivered the one, which was great.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
But everything other than that has been very up and down,
a lot of drama, a lot of you know, coach
changes teams, kind of quitting mid season, it feels like
at certain times. And so I don't think that Lakers
fans as a group. I'm sure there's pockets here and there,
but as a group they're like, yeah, we got Lebron,
(31:34):
Now he helps us win.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
We like that, but he's not really our guy.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Yeah, And I think a lot of that's just again,
Lebron has.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Traveled around the league.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
No, right, I don't think fans are gonna like fully
give themselves over to it because you feel like and
I get I mean there's talk now that he might lead.
I don't think he will, but there's talk that he
might leave the Lakers. I mean that right there tells
you why. It's like you're dating a woman that won't
(32:09):
marry you. You're gonna give you fully give your heart
over to her if she won't just commit to you
and get married and get the ring.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
You know.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
So I just think that's whether it's Lebron, whether it's Durant,
whether it's you know, guys that have been around the
league at this point, Harden Westbrook, you know, it's a
ton of teams. It's just like, I mean, you think
you're they're a great player and you're glad to have him,
(32:37):
but are you going to just fully It's funny.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
I don't think if Kyrie as a calf, I don't
think of him as what team do you think of him, Chris,
I really don't think.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
I think really, I would say he was drafted there,
he wonted.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
So that's interesting you said that.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Now I agree that it's not like I don't think
of him as a calf like I think of Lebron
as a calf.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Lebron differently because Kyrie didn't start out well when he
was there.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Well, Lebron didn't make the playoffs the first two years
when he was.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Yeah, but they were I mean when they even though
they didn't when they got swept by the Spurs. I mean,
he had he put on a show against the fourth year. No, no,
I'm saying, but Kyrie.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
You said about Kyrie, I think that supports my point
that if Lebron wasn't from Northeast Ohio, I'm not.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Sure he be viewed as a calf.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Because Kyrie hit Rob arguably the biggest shot in NBA
history to give the Calves their first championship.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
He was drafted number one by Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
And how is he not viewed as a calv because
he ain't from Cleveland?
Speaker 1 (33:45):
No, it ain't just because of that. I just think
he's been on like ten teams. Kawhi Leonard's been on
ten teams.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Kyrie's been on Cleveland, Boston, Uh, Brooklyn and Dallas four.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Lebron's been on three.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
You could kind of say four because if you went
back to the you know, that's four iterations.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
But well, right, right, right, all right, Rob, you got something?
Speaker 8 (34:12):
Just a quick one that's way saying yeah, you're right.
I think that I think Kawhi question was a good
one for you, Rob. But in that line of things,
because Kawhi's got a championship in San Antonio.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
I kind of think of Kawhi as a Spur.
Speaker 8 (34:24):
Right, he's got the one in Toronto first team. I
think is it really as simple as just where you win?
Because a guy like Shaq played for like seventeams but everybody'
used him as a Laker.
Speaker 4 (34:34):
No, but is that really that?
Speaker 8 (34:37):
Really what it comes down to is wherever you want
the most, that's where we're gonna and in Orlando.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
No, because Lebron won more championships in Miami.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
I think the fact that he's from northeast to me,
Robb g where you at on that with Lebron because
he's from Cleveland and.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
I and I say it the way it ended in Miami,
I don't see him as like being even fully embraced
there with pat Riley and.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
You know what I mean, it didn't end.
Speaker 8 (35:01):
I think it was the return that cemented him as
a calf. That the whole I'm coming home and then
he delivers on the promise. I think that made him
No matter what happens, he could play fifteen years with
the Lakers, he's going to be a calf always, right.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
But I think a lot of that's because he's from
Cleveland or you know, greater Cleveland.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
He's from Aklin. Difference, it's a difference between Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
I know it's a difference, but when not but Acres
is very close, Actress, like thirty minutes away. I mean
I worked in Akron and lived in Cleveland when I
worked there close.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
Yeah, why did you live in Aklan because it was
cheaper no Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
I mean it was a suburban Cleveland Maple Heights. But
but I went, I drove from there to.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
Where did you live? What was that suburbs? What was it?
Maple Heights?
Speaker 3 (35:47):
I lived in a few, but I was Maple Heights
when I worked in Active Beacon Journal.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
But uh, there were in Cleveland. There's two. There's two suburbs.
There's Shaker Heights, right, Shaker Heights. I lived in Shaker Heights,
and then.
Speaker 5 (35:59):
With the white people live is called the Salt Shaker Heights, right?
Speaker 4 (36:02):
Is that right? That was just there's a pepper pike
there too?
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
You can joke about that.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
Alex nothing, Alex nothing.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
You don't give him anything, Salt Shaker Heights people. I'm
ready for Obie Dick again, you know, Okay? I like
the Louisiana purchase myself. That's I know. I'm sorry, all right, Amobi?
Right anyway? And chocolate chips
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusa and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Rob, speaking of hurt, there might be some hurt feelings
among the fans of the Buffalo Bills. You heard Mazie
Bellinos talk about all the moves that they made today.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Just to clear up some salary cap room.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Release Jordan Poyer, who was a key figure on that
team and he's a safety, and then cornerback to Davis White,
and center Mitch Morse.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Among others. Naim Heines the running back. So they they're
gonna look a lot different next year.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Rob, what are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
This is the NFL, And you know what I'd say
all the time is you think your window is gonna
be open for a long time and all this other stuff.
And now you could see Chris dating back that this
is probably for them their time. Their day in the
sun is coming gone for the Buffalo Bills. Another missed
(01:29):
wow Bield goal U thirteen seconds in Kansas City.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Probably should have dribbled.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
The ball or taken you know what I mean, like, uh,
definitely should have taken it, taking some time off the clock,
squipt kick it, whatever you want to call it. So
you go back and you start to look at all
these things that didn't work, and you're in a situation
now where you can't hold on to the players you
had that would put together. You're gonna have to try
to regroup and add some new pieces. I'm not saying
(01:57):
anything gonna fall off the map, but leave the Buffalo
Bills are going to win a super Bowl. No with
Josh and they will not win a super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Nope.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I do not believe they're gonna win a super Bowl.
If they didn't win, they had a couple of chances.
Josh Allen was fantastic in that game again in Kansas City,
put them up ahead a few years ago. Yeah, with
thirteen seconds ago, couldn't beat them with you know in
Buffalo in the situation, another missfield goal which cost them
(02:27):
the game. In that playoff game, Chris, I'm just looking
at it. It's just trending downward. I don't believe they're
the same team. And I told you this before the
season started. I didn't like them. I didn't like where
they were headed, even if they picked them right, but
I didn't like them though. I did say that that
that they were trending down, and uh, they were trending
(02:49):
down a long part of the season and then turned
it on and won the last six or whatever.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
It was to at least make the playoffs. But anyway, yeah,
I mean, I look, I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
It's gonna be interesting, you know, to see what they
look like next year. I do think Rob that their
window to win a Super Bowl is open as long
as Josh Allen is in his prime. Like we all
know that the key component unless you just have a
stack team like.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
San Francisco has done. Right.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
They've gone with the quarterbacks not gonna make a lot
of money, or at least that's where they're at been
the last few years, and we're just gonna try to
build around him because our quarterback's not making a ton.
But very few teams are built that way, and so
that's why you need that like superstar quarterback. And I
(03:46):
do feel like their window will be open as long
as Josh Allen is in his prime. I feel like
the Ravens window will be open as long as Lamar
Jackson is near the top of his game.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Joe Burrow and Cincinnati, we'll see if CJ.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Stroud, you know how he comes out after his great
rookie year.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
But he could be that type of guy.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
And obviously Mahomes is just the guy that's spoiling it
for all these guys.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
But I'm not.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I mean, we'll see what the team looks like, you know,
who they fill out the roster with, and what players
they bring in to replace the ones they've released. And
it's not time for us to make predictions anyway, But
I hear you. I don't imagine they're gonna do anything
that's gonna make me pick them to win the AFC,
that's for sure. But I do think with Alan, you
(04:39):
got the great quarterback. He's got some wartz. I think
a big thing is they gotta work on those. They
got to figure out how to maximize him as a
passer and a runner, how to keep him from making
the huge mistakes, from being so reckless and yet find
that balance between not being a reckless but still be
(05:02):
in the dynamic quarterback he is, whether it's with his
legs or with his own arm. So if they can
do that, that's that's the first thing I'm trying to do,
rob And then if they get that fixed, everything else
will fall into place and they'll have a shot. But
it's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
But the difference is I hear what you're saying. The
difference for me is, Chris, it was more than just
a shot. I get it when you say, well, they
got a shot. A few teams have a shot if
everything goes right right. They were and they were scheduled.
They were on a path to look like they had
a great shot to finally win a super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
When they got Josh Allen and.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
When he improved and you looked at the other pieces,
and when they got Stefan Diggs, Chris and they got
him from Minnesota, you know, like they started to build
this team that you were like, they don't have more
than a shot they could win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
That's that's what I don't think you could say that
more than a punch shot.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
To see what they build. Look I will say this, Rob.
Last year they had a ton of injuries on the
defensive side of the ball, and their defense still was
a very good defense. And so I think they feel
like they'll be able to build, you know, loo Again,
(06:16):
nobody in the league is Patrick Mahomes, but we saw
it with Kansas City, Rob. I mean they dars was
on the offensive end where they you know, let Tyreek
Hill go and had a bunch of young players on
defense and at least this year not a very good
receiving court. Last year not a great receiving court at
(06:37):
Juju Smith Schuster didn't have him this year, and they
were able to make it work.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Now again, a lot of.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
That's Mahomes and Andy Reid is great, but I think
that's what Again, I'm not picking them new when the
AFC right now, but I'm just saying I do.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Think the door is still open.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
But look that conference is, man, Rob, It's balt is
not going anywhere. Cincinnati's gonna be better because if Burrow's healthy,
the Chargers are gonna be better.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
With Harbaugh, We'll see what Miami is up doing.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
But it is good Houston if they continue to improve,
like and that's not even to mention Cleveland and Pittsburgh
who are always just there. So it's gonna be tough
for him. But I'm just looking forward to seeing how
they round this thing out and what other moves they make.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Do they What about Diggs? Is he gonna be?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
But I just I look at it, Chris, when you
start to strip down really good players because you can't
pay them, you're not gonna replace them with better players,
like you're gonna replace them with cheap.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Well you might replace them with young players who could
become as good.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Yeah, but how long does that happen. I'm just saying, like,
when you start to do this, here you are you're
hoping that you can replace people and it's not gonna
be a big difference. But with the other team teams
and the other scenarios in the a f C, I
just I don't look at them the same way. I
don't know what the Jets are gonna be. Uh we
(08:08):
know about like you said, you got Miami there, you
got the other teams, uh, in the in the in
the in the Central crisis.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Yeah, like like you look at them.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
You look at those two North North Central eighty seven,
I know that was that was when the Lions went
in the NFC Central right right.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
No, I hear you, But you know, like I just
I just think when you track.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Record last year of playing through a lot of injuries,
you gotta admit that football last year fo No, But
I mean their their backups came in and played well
well enough for them to go eleven and six, six
straight wins at the end, and you.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Look, they lost by was it three to the to
the Super Bowl champions.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
So we'll see. I hear you, I get it.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
I'm just saying I do think they're gonna be wrecked,
have to be reckoned with as long as Josh Allen
is there and in his prime. So that's still the case,
so we'll see how they rebuild around him.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
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listen live.
Speaker 6 (09:24):
Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller along with my trustee sidekick David Gascon. Would mean
a lot to have you join us on our weekly
auditory journey. You're ask one in God's name is the
Fifth Hour. I'll tell you it's a spin off of it.
Ben Maler Show a cult hit overnights on FSR.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Why should you listen? Picture if you will?
Speaker 6 (09:43):
A world where we chat with captains of industry in media, sports,
and more every week. Explore some amazing facts about human
nature and more. Listen to the Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Longtime NBA writer worked what he meant the Old Network
does a fantastic job covering not only in the NBA anymore,
but all sports. You can check him out on substack
at Tom the Finder, Tomdefinder dot com.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Tom.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
We welcome in, Tom Haberstrow Tom. What's up man?
Speaker 4 (10:18):
What's happening?
Speaker 7 (10:20):
Brew?
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Rob?
Speaker 7 (10:20):
What's going on? Guys? Great?
Speaker 4 (10:22):
We were great? Get that name? Is that what you're
gonna ask Rob?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
No?
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I want to ask him about it sometime. Find and
how people can subscribe and how's it going? Oh?
Speaker 7 (10:32):
Substack's great. Uh, you have your own website. I mean
you can say what you want and people pay you
to subscribe and support your work. And it's a great
way to get one on one interaction with the with
your readers and they also give you tips and story ideas.
So like, man, it's it's like having your own little community.
So it's a Tomdefinder dot com. And that's the name
(10:54):
that my mama gave me. When I was a little kid. Uh,
they used to put me to work and when they
lost their glasses or the remote control or what the
phone around the house? Wow, you know what they call
call they put me. I was six years old and
they would just say, hey, Tommy, go find that. And
(11:14):
so I love that nickname that my mama gave me,
and so it inspired me.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
No, that's cool. That's cool man, it's a good story.
All right, let's get to speaking the stories. Your one
of your latest if now your latest story on substack
about Jason Tite Tatum's struggles in the clutch. You right that,
and this is based on your research. You put the
numbers right there. His effective field goal percentage thirty eight
(11:40):
point three in clutch situations, which of course is last
five minutes game within five points.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
He is.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
That's over the last three seasons as well, and he
is way down there behind the other stars in the league,
for instance, Jokic Lee and he's shooting fifty four point
six percent. Even a Lebron James at this age is
at fifty percent. So we talked, We just talked on
our last segment time about I'm not gonna make too
(12:12):
much out of yesterday's game with the Calves, but still
there are patterns you see with them. You saw Tatum
go one for nine in the fourth quarter. You saw
and miss the shot at the end of the game,
which wasn't really a good shot anyway, And so what
do you do talk about Tatum not being clutch and
how much of a problem you think it is or
(12:33):
is it for the Celtics.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
Yeah, Chris, I mean when I when I look at
the data and I watched the film, the thing that
jumped out to me is the mom of mentality. He
is really trying to emulate Kobe Bryant's attack, aggressive attack
mentality where sometimes he puts the blinders on, and last
night was indicative of that. Like, I don't want to
read too much into the shooting percentages last night or
(12:59):
the fact that he miss the last second shot, but
I will say this is representative of a larger story here,
a larger trend of him trying to go one on three.
When Jared Allen is switching off of Derek White and
leaving Derrick White wide open. Jason Tatum decides to go
into double coverage, takes his fadeaway jumper mid range two,
and it's a low percentage shot. You're not going to
(13:21):
draw contact and get a foul. So he flops a
lot on those to try to get to the free
throw line. And that's not a healthy brand of basketball.
And it's not just about last night, like you said,
over the last three years, he is the least efficient
star in clutch situation at thirty eight percent of that's
even waiting for the three point shot. It's giving him
(13:42):
extra credit for the three pointers that he made. The
problem is Chris He's shooting eighteen percent from downtown in
clutch situations over the last three years. So this guy
has so much talent, and he's twenty six years old
and he's coming into his prime. I want to stress
that he is the best players in the NBA, but
I don't think he needs to feel like he's got to,
(14:04):
you know, emulate Kobe or try to do the things
that he did and basically go one on four. It's
a different NBA. He has a lot more talent in
terms of teammates than he had last year, and I
think he needs to lean on the more and not
try to do it all by himself. And that's what
I wrote about at Tomdefinder dot com.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Well, well we also Chris and I talked about this.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Tom is you know, at the All Star Break when
he was the odds of him winning the MVP, he
was like fifth, and people are like, how could he
be fifth? I mean that team is rolling, he's putting
up great numbers, this, that and the other thing. I
think these numbers here hurt a little bit. You know
when people think about MVP, is that fair to say?
Speaker 7 (14:49):
Yeah, I mean high leverage moments. Rob Like, the idea
of an MVP is someone that you can go to
not just in the first forty seven minutes of the game,
but also when the game is in balance and you
need a bucket, or you need a smart play, or
you need a defensive stop who comes up big. And
so I don't want to make you know. The Celtics
are great this year. They're the number one seed, they're
(15:10):
the favorite for a reason. They have one of the
best point differentials in NBA history, and Jason Tatum, by
all measures, is the best player on this team. But
when we talk about the MVP conversation, shake goes is
Alexander Nikola, Jokic, Luka Dancic, Janna Sandan, d Koopo. They're
all way more efficient and in high volume scoring in
(15:31):
those high leverage moments when the game's in balance, they
come up time and time again. And Jason Tatum this
season has fallen short of those expectations and well not
well below the numbers that I you know, at the top,
you mentioned it, Chris, you know Jokic is at fifty
eight percent shooting. Steph Curry's right there, y'ah on the
same thing. They're all above fifty percent. And then you
(15:52):
got to go all the way down on the list
that Jayson Tatam's at thirty eight percent. And so I mean,
for me, guys, I don't know where you guys stand
on this, but I get really nervous about last year.
In Game seven against the Miami Heat, he had fourteen
points and in the previous game he was zero for
eight from downtown. And so as much as I want
(16:12):
to say this Celtics team is a juggernaut and they're
about on pace for sixty five wins. I also think
when the game gets tightest and the light gets brightest,
do I feel confident in Jason Tatum's abilities? And I
just think that the Miami Heat, with Eric Spolster, bam
Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, I feel like they have the
mental edge. And also, you know, Jimmy Butler is such
(16:34):
an assassin in the postseason. I just no matter what
those wins say in the regular season, I'm a little
nervous about Jason Tatum leading them down the stretch unless
he gets a mentality reset here at the rest of
the season.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
No, that's well said. Let me ask you about this
because and you said it.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
The Celtics are playing great, They're winning by eleven plus
points a game, they're running away with the Eastern Conference,
and so on and so forth.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
But do you wonder like I feel like, And I
get shooting.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
I get the analytics now and the effectiveness of shooting
so many threes, especially when you shoot them at a
high clip.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Like they do.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
But you can always that's just the nature of jump shooting.
You can go cold, and sometimes I feel like they
don't attack, like if they go cold from three. Sometimes
I feel like they don't go do other things as
much as they should. Last night, you saw zero for
eight from three in the fourth quarter, and we know
what happened there. They don't get to the foul line
(17:38):
as much as you might think they should. Last night,
took one free throw in the fourth quarter. Do you
think that could be an issue or not? I mean,
I know the analytics. They're right there doing what the
analytics say they should. But do you feel like there
could be maybe an over reliance on the three at
times for them?
Speaker 7 (17:58):
Chris, you said an overreliant right, Like, it's not that
you can't choot threes or you shouldn't shoot threes. You
want a healthy dose of three pointers. I mean they're
worth three. Three is more than two. But I will
say you want variety in the postseason. You know, you
talk to coaches, they scout you as in the postseason,
they almost know you better than you know yourself. And
(18:18):
so I think you need variety and surprise and a
little bit of lack of predictability in your offense. And
to me, I think getting downhill for Jason Tatum and
the Boston Celtics and turning the corner and attacking the
paint and getting to the cup is something they got
to do more of, not just because it's you know,
getting to the rack is a smart play, but also
(18:40):
it makes the defense have to be honest. They can't
overplay the three point line. You got to switch it up.
And one of the things that I write about at
the sub stack in there, I point out that they're
like all world efficiencies. You know, they're the best offense
in the NBA at one hundred and twenty points for
one hundred possessions. That falls to seventy nine when it's
one game in the final five minutes, so it goes
(19:02):
from one hundred and twenty rate to seventy nine. They
just clam up. And the big reason I think is
they only have three paint buckets in that in this season,
in that scenario, one possession game, final minute, they only
have three paint buckets. Twenty fifth in the NBA, twenty
fifth in the NBA. This is the best offense in
NBA history points for possession wise, and they don't get
(19:24):
to the rack. And I think that's what you're talking about.
You want more variety, you want attacking downhill, and only
three paint baskets in those super clutch moments, gotta be
better guys.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Wow, no doubt, last thing, real quick. I still I'm still,
I still am with Denver when it comes to the championship,
Ken Boston beat them if they are to meet in
a seven game series or not yet or not what
you've seen so far.
Speaker 7 (19:54):
I mean, Jokic, who do you trust in late game situations?
I mean, I know that's the problem, right Yo, He's
always going to make the right play, super efficient. And
if those guys are healthy, Michael Porter Junior, Aaron Gordon
and of course Jamal Murray with the shin splints, a
little worried someome. But if they go right now seven
(20:14):
game series, I'm taking Denver in six. And I think
that's something that you know, the regular season numbers in
terms of the standings don't reflect that. But I just
have so much more confidence and so much more belief
in the Denver Nuggets offense and defensively. I think they're
about even when they lock in. So I think when
you talk about who's gonna win in the biggest moments, man,
(20:36):
Boston's got to be so thankful they got home court
advantage in such a series, because I really do believe
that if the game is tight in four out of
those seven games, it's gonna be Denvers.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
All right.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
That's Tom haberstro Check him out on Tom Theefinder dot com.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
That's on Substack.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Tomdefinder dot com does some great stuff.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
Tom, Thanks man, it was great to have you on.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
Hey, appreciate it, guys. Anytime.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
There was a story written ESPN dot com Dave mcmannimon
about Lebron is his next Roger. He's eye at five
hundred million his next deal with the Lakers. Not not
one contract for five hundred million, but his next deal
with the Lakers could bring him to five hundred million.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
For his career.
Speaker 8 (21:36):
No, so, whether he earning, whether he ops in or
opts out to this next year salary, he's gonna be
the first player ever to cross the five hundred million dollar.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Career earning mark. So he's that's gonna happen. It's gonna happen.
Speaker 8 (21:48):
He's at forty two right now, so no matter what
happens next year, first.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Player NBA history, wid first only played twenty five years.
Speaker 8 (21:54):
Just wait till Jalen Brown breaks that. You know, that's
gonna be the next thame. Well, Jay, the last deal
was what he saw, Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so it's gonna
be the new norm.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
It is what it is. Yeah, but it's just right.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
That's awesome for Lebron, right, and man, that's half a
billion and with his other businesses, so he's you know,
he's gonna be in position to own.
Speaker 8 (22:15):
An NBA tany laughs at Lebron's like, oh, that's all
you made twenty years like.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
One, but you know, you know, Rob couldn't wait.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
You know, I was like, he got seven hundred million,
been in the league six years.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
He got hunt the contract seven hundred How long is
that contract?
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Is not twenty years? Not that much? No, it's ten
ten years. I don't tell you. It's ten years, all right.
Speaker 8 (22:40):
So anyways, ESPN's David many Men and Bobby Mark's co
wrote a story talking about Lebron's future and whether or
not or excuse me, the salary implications of him opting
in opting out is extension, YadA, YadA, YadA. Buried deep
into the story was a note about Lebron James's psyche
and how Lebron has privately been worried about whether or
(23:07):
not Laker Nation would ever fully embrace him, given their
history with Kobe Bryant, his quote unquote rivalry with Kobe
and so on and so forth. So the guys note
that it meant a whole heck of a lot to
Lebron James the night that he cracked the forty thousand
point mark, how much the franchise and most importantly, the
fan base seemed to embrace him that evening.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
So the question is, do you feel like Lebron's a Laker?
I mean, obviously he's a Laker right now, and he's
been there now, this is sixth year.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
But Rob, I think that.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Lebron and Kevin Durant a lot of guys from this era,
to be quite honest, Westbrook's been all over the place.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
He wanted to be loyal to.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Okay see, but they traded him and he's been all
over the place. I don't think like they they like
Lebron will be viewed as a calve.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
But Rob, I think that's.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Really only because he's from northeast Ohio.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
I don't think it's just that.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
If he was from Memphis and just got drafted by
the Calves, I don't know. I don't think he be
viewed as I mean, I guess maybe because that was
his first team. Like if you had to pick a
squad for Durant, I don't know if you pick Okay,
see here Golden State. You picked Golden State because he
won there, because he won two there. Well, Rob, he
(24:37):
Lebron only won one in Cleveland. He won two in Miami.
I think Rob, if he was from my quick statement,
if he was from Memphis, Texas wherever and went to
the Calves as a you know, drafted and his career
went the way it has, I think he might be
viewed more as a Miami Heat player because that's where
(24:59):
he won two rings. And I don't think so. I mean,
why why would it be the Calves.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
I just think it's the Calves a lot of times.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
Chris, because he's from there.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But why But it's not It's not even if when
you're first drafted and he played there a while and
he came back and they won a championship. It's about
Cleveland because that's where he started and he became a
star almost immediately you know what I mean in that place,
and that's what people remember did the same thing he did,
(25:30):
but they just yeah, I'm just saying in this case.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
Uh, I agree it. Now he's viewed as a calve't believe.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
I think the Miami thing was while they won two championships,
it was kind of a little controversial him and pat
Riley on the way out. You know, it just didn't
end like it was a happy thing on the end,
back end of it.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Chris so that that the Miami thing.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Was was good, but it wasn't as great as it
could have been.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
So I think that there's a piece of.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
That, Uh that doesn't make people think, oh, yeah he
was a Miami heat.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
I mean Lakers and the Lakers are back end. The
Lakers are just the back end, you know, Like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
I don't. I don't think of him as I mean,
you know, we're speaking.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Figure and it's gonna wind up playing more years with
the Lakers than any franchise, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Well the Calves he was with for eleven years, you know,
seven and first and then four when win.
Speaker 8 (26:28):
Well, Chris to piggyback off Rob's point. If Lebron gets
this three year extension that's been rumored, he will have
spent more consecutive years with the Lakers than any other.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Team consecutive because which is crazy to think about it. Yeah, yeah,
and I gotta be I don't. I mean, nah, I don't.
I think I think of him as a calf first
and a heat player second, and.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Then a Laker. I agree with that.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I agree because this has as great as Lebron's numbers
have been with the Lakers, and obviously they won a
championship and last year they had a nice run to
the conference finals. It hasn't been your typical Lebron James success, right.
I mean Cleveland, Lebron did some even though he never
won to ring the first go round.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
Well he did as a young player, but.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Coming right out of high school averaging twenty leading that
team to the finals over that really good Detroit team
in two thousand and seven, having the two MVP years
there and the great records even though they didn't get
to the finals his last two years there and then
going back and winning a championship. Like Cleveland, he did
(27:46):
great things. Miami, obviously, he did great things. Four straight
trips to the finals, two MVPs two championships, and as
good as this Lakers run has been for him, Rob.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
It hadn't been your typical Lebron James run. It's been bumpy.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
It's been bumpy Chris a couple of times that didn't
make the playoffs, a couple of times Lebron was heard. Yeah,
I mean there's a lot of stuff, some drama. I mean,
it wasn't and my god, thank god he won that championship,
because if he didn't win that Bubble Championship, this would
have been a bust, like coming to LA But yeah,
(28:25):
I know what I.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
Mean, if you go there, you better win because Elgin, Baylor,
all the huge names, and we.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Had to win and he and he won, Chris and
and that is gonna, you know, help him. But you're right,
it could have been a disaster. Really could have because
going in, we remember, we weren't expecting them to win
that one, but they did.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
I think for him to be again, I don't think
he would ever be viewed first and foremost as a Laker,
but I think he they'd have to like win some
a bunch of championships, right like going forward and don't
forget the real show to start coming close to thinking
of him as a Laker. Win it this year, win
it next year, to you know, the following year, like
(29:08):
and I don't think that's gonna happen. Rob You you're
a Lakers fan, So where you at like on this?
Speaker 4 (29:15):
I mean the fans fully embracing Lebron?
Speaker 3 (29:17):
I do feel like and a lot of this is
because Lebron's just been gone so many places that we
kind of view him as he's a rental, right, I
mean kind of like.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
He's a rental because he's so great.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
He came here to win and he's not really our guy,
but he's great. We want him, we want to win,
so we we love him while he's here. But I
don't know if they're fully giving themselves over to him
because just the way his career is gone.
Speaker 5 (29:46):
And don't forget rob G's people, and I mean Laker fans,
rob G, I'm not see.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
I knew he was gonna say that.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
Rob G's people they spray painted the Lebron.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
Murals when they first went out. Do you remember that?
But that was when he first got here.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
No, I'm just saying, I'm just saying, like, but Rob G,
where are you on Lebron.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
You know what I always say about him when they
make his statue.
Speaker 8 (30:09):
Yeah, he's gonna have the basketball in one hand and in
the suitcase in the other. That's one of your jokes
that has aged very gracefully.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Jokes that's actually funny.
Speaker 8 (30:22):
You know what, I think that I have the pulse
of Laker Nation, and I think I speak for them
correctly when I say that we don't view him as
a you know, a Laker or an all time great Laker.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
You know, he's always going to be a Calf.
Speaker 8 (30:35):
I think that because that's where he came up, because
of that one championship in Cleveland means more than any
of the rings he has anywhere else, and also because
Rob alluded to it, the the Lebron experience has been
very uneven. Like he got here and as much as
(30:57):
excited as people were to have the best player in
the league on your team, which seems to happen a
lot for Laker fans, so the expectation was, well, all
the other great players we had wat championships, so the
minimum is you got to get at least one, and
once Lebron got.
Speaker 4 (31:11):
Here, he delivered the one, which was great.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
But everything other than that has been very up and down,
a lot of drama, a lot of you know, coach
changes teams, kind of quitting mid season, it feels like
at certain times. And so I don't think that Lakers
fans as a group. I'm sure there's pockets here and there,
but as a group they're like, yeah, we got Lebron,
(31:34):
Now he helps us win.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
We like that, but he's not really our guy.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Yeah, And I think a lot of that's just again,
Lebron has.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Traveled around the league.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
No, right, I don't think fans are gonna like fully
give themselves over to it because you feel like and
I get I mean there's talk now that he might lead.
I don't think he will, but there's talk that he
might leave the Lakers. I mean that right there tells
you why. It's like you're dating a woman that won't
(32:09):
marry you. You're gonna give you fully give your heart
over to her if she won't just commit to you
and get married and get the ring.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
You know.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
So I just think that's whether it's Lebron, whether it's Durant,
whether it's you know, guys that have been around the
league at this point, Harden Westbrook, you know, it's a
ton of teams. It's just like, I mean, you think
you're they're a great player and you're glad to have him,
(32:37):
but are you going to just fully It's funny.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
I don't think if Kyrie as a calf, I don't
think of him as what team do you think of him, Chris,
I really don't think.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
I think really, I would say he was drafted there,
he wonted.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
So that's interesting you said that.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Now I agree that it's not like I don't think
of him as a calf like I think of Lebron
as a calf.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Lebron differently because Kyrie didn't start out well when he
was there.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Well, Lebron didn't make the playoffs the first two years
when he was.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Yeah, but they were I mean when they even though
they didn't when they got swept by the Spurs. I mean,
he had he put on a show against the fourth year. No, no,
I'm saying, but Kyrie.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
You said about Kyrie, I think that supports my point
that if Lebron wasn't from Northeast Ohio, I'm not.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Sure he be viewed as a calf.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Because Kyrie hit Rob arguably the biggest shot in NBA
history to give the Calves their first championship.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
He was drafted number one by Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
And how is he not viewed as a calv because
he ain't from Cleveland?
Speaker 1 (33:45):
No, it ain't just because of that. I just think
he's been on like ten teams. Kawhi Leonard's been on
ten teams.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Kyrie's been on Cleveland, Boston, Uh, Brooklyn and Dallas four.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Lebron's been on three.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
You could kind of say four because if you went
back to the you know, that's four iterations.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
But well, right, right, right, all right, Rob, you got something?
Speaker 8 (34:12):
Just a quick one that's way saying yeah, you're right.
I think that I think Kawhi question was a good
one for you, Rob. But in that line of things,
because Kawhi's got a championship in San Antonio.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
I kind of think of Kawhi as a Spur.
Speaker 8 (34:24):
Right, he's got the one in Toronto first team. I
think is it really as simple as just where you win?
Because a guy like Shaq played for like seventeams but everybody'
used him as a Laker.
Speaker 4 (34:34):
No, but is that really that?
Speaker 8 (34:37):
Really what it comes down to is wherever you want
the most, that's where we're gonna and in Orlando.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
No, because Lebron won more championships in Miami.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
I think the fact that he's from northeast to me,
Robb g where you at on that with Lebron because
he's from Cleveland and.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
I and I say it the way it ended in Miami,
I don't see him as like being even fully embraced
there with pat Riley and.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
You know what I mean, it didn't end.
Speaker 8 (35:01):
I think it was the return that cemented him as
a calf. That the whole I'm coming home and then
he delivers on the promise. I think that made him
No matter what happens, he could play fifteen years with
the Lakers, he's going to be a calf always, right.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
But I think a lot of that's because he's from
Cleveland or you know, greater Cleveland.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
He's from Aklin. Difference, it's a difference between Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
I know it's a difference, but when not but Acres
is very close, Actress, like thirty minutes away. I mean
I worked in Akron and lived in Cleveland when I
worked there close.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
Yeah, why did you live in Aklan because it was
cheaper no Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
I mean it was a suburban Cleveland Maple Heights. But
but I went, I drove from there to.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
Where did you live? What was that suburbs? What was it?
Maple Heights?
Speaker 3 (35:47):
I lived in a few, but I was Maple Heights
when I worked in Active Beacon Journal.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
But uh, there were in Cleveland. There's two. There's two suburbs.
There's Shaker Heights, right, Shaker Heights. I lived in Shaker Heights,
and then.
Speaker 5 (35:59):
With the white people live is called the Salt Shaker Heights, right?
Speaker 4 (36:02):
Is that right? That was just there's a pepper pike
there too?
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
You can joke about that.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
Alex nothing, Alex nothing.
Speaker 4 (36:15):
You don't give him anything, Salt Shaker Heights people. I'm
ready for Obie Dick again, you know, Okay? I like
the Louisiana purchase myself. That's I know. I'm sorry, all right, Amobi?
Right anyway? And chocolate chips
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