April 29, 2024 • 38 mins
Chris and Rob discuss the unceremonious end to an incredibly underwhelming season for the Phoenix Suns, tell us if Phoenix should consider trading way Kevin Durant this offseason, explain why Jalen Brunson isn’t quite good enough to get the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals this season, discuss how Jamal Murray’s calf injury could impact the Denver Nuggets championship hopes and take a trip out to Shekel City for Rob’s nightly bets.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to check us out 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
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Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's get this pun. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Ah yay, it is the Odd Couple.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
I'm Chris Bruce Hard alongside my partner is not Our Parker,
and we are broadcasting live from the tirerag dot Com studios.
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(01:08):
Tirereck dot Com is the way tire buying should be.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
In this, The Odd.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
Couple is the way sports talk radio should be.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
So keep it locked here for the next three hours
on Fox Sports Radio, the iHeartRadio app or Series XM
Channel eighty three. You will not be disappointed. With that said,
let me welcome in my partner, Rob Parker.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
What's up man, what's happening? Mister Chris Bussard how are you.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
I'm fantastic, man, How are you doing great?
Speaker 1 (01:38):
On a Magic City Monday? I woke up first, let
me tell you about Sunday. I woke up Sunday morning.
I had a Zoom meeting schedule for Monday. Woke up
Chris at like seven fifteen on Sunday in a panic.
Oh my god, I overslept the Zoom meeting. Then I
(01:58):
realized it was Sunday. Thought it was Monday when I
woke up. And then today I woke up feeling just great.
No classes, school is over. I told you, just have
my final one Monday. So it's a different part of
life now, you know, with three days not working at
school at USC So I'm good, feeling great, getting a
lot of things done. And about two and a half
weeks before, we launched a radio station in Detroit, sports
(02:22):
Wrap Radio, which the Odd Couple will be on Monday
through Friday seven to ten pm Eastern, which is a
great news.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Do I get to rap on that one?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yes? Can you wrap? No? Matter of fact? Chris.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
When we debut on the sixteenth, we want to do
like a little crossover interview and that would be your
debut to wrap.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Can you come on Chris, why.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I'm stay I'm gonna stay in my lane. Chris, do
have some bars?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Rob G?
Speaker 4 (02:51):
They got some bars on me out there, Chris. No,
rob G got some bar? Why will he wrap?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
This should be the rap? I want you to wrap.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
You know sometimes it's good to stay in lane. No,
this will be great sports rap radio.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
You could rap. Just do a little rap about the station.
I'll give you the names of the people who are
on it, and you do a little rap. Bj Armstraw
he played with Jordan or whatever. I a rap better
than that. I know you want, I know you want.
But it is at Magic City Monday. We should add that.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Let's let's introduce the I couple crew we got on
uh the super producer rap G of course is in
the house running things.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
On the social media.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Our man Elijah sebun Hall.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
That's right on the.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
Update you heard him a moment ago, Steve de.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Sager and on the ones in twos in for DJ
Alex Tyser.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
It is why you bug?
Speaker 4 (03:52):
And that's an intro. That's an intro that'll make college jem.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Mary, you get your star now. People like that, don't
hear that? Mary, Mary? Why you bugting? In like, wow,
and they think about you. That's right. I'm so flattered.
And she's only like sixteen and a half, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Four somebody said that.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
They were like, how old are the people you're hiring
at Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
She didn't even vote in the last election, I is
not I know does she did?
Speaker 1 (04:22):
They see her not because when she made that point
about not being old enough to vote, that's when they
realized that was almost four years ago, you know what
I mean, He's.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
On the fast track, that's right, Mary, Mary got a
bright future? All right? Well, you know who doesn't have
a bright future?
Speaker 5 (04:38):
Role?
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Who's that the saying in Tony, I'm sorry the Phoenix Son.
I don't know why I was thinking saying that. The
Phoenix Sons, Rob and Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal
Championship coach Frank Vogel swapped like so many dust balls
(05:03):
into the dust bin, swapped like so many balls of
lent into the trash. Four games, four ls against the
Minnesota Timberwolves and Rob.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
The first three of them were routes, yep, double digit victories.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Last night, they you know, they played a little bit better,
but still went down by six.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
Points and Rob.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
First question, there's a lot to get to here.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
First thing, I want to ask you, who do you
blame for this debacle that is the Phoenix suns.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Well, I'm gonna blame the front office, Chris, for putting
this together, because they did not put together a good
enough froster. The bill trade whoever pulled that trade off
in Washington, Chris should get a double raised today when
they realized that they were able to get rid of
Bradley Beal and that man atrocity of a contract right
(06:02):
that you're saddled with because, Chris, we talk about all the.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Time, Oh, the contract, you can't get rid of it.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Somebody's always willing to take a bad contract. Apparently this
one might be. I don't know about this one.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Now, you know they got rid of it. Nobody thought
that they could.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Nobody thought that they could get him right, uh, that
they could trade him in Washington, and they were able
to do it. But but Chris, when you think about
where they are and what happened, we talked about it before.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I told you.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Kevin Durant is NBA dead and and now Chris, we
went before it was just that he wasn't a conversation anymore, right,
That's what I was saying.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
He wasn't even a conversation.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
He still was putting up his number.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
He was doing his number. He's gonna probably make second
team All NBA.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Right, But but but there was no buzz about Kevin
Durant despite the numbers, and now he can't even win
a playoff game, forget about a series he was swept
to years ago Brooklyn when they got swept and and
he was dismantled by uh but they didn't make what
they make the playing last year or did they even
make it?
Speaker 4 (07:10):
They made the playoffs, but he didn't you know, they
they did win around I think, and got beat in
the second round.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Okay, yeah, but but but when you look at where
Durand and the Clippers, right, they beat the Clippers without
Paul George and Kawhi So and then they got beat
by Denver in the second round. That was it, right,
I almost forget about that series because of the Clippers
injuries depleted. But but my point is he's NBA dead now.
(07:38):
I mean I don't even know. And that doesn't mean
that he's not. I'm not taking away his accomplishments and
his place in the NBA. But to go to Phoenix, Chris,
where they had gone to the to the championship without them, Okay,
they were up too oh and everybody was random raven
and when they got Kevin Durant, you included me. We
(07:59):
thought they're going to be viable in the West. They
will be viable, okay, and they just haven't been viable.
And to have this blow up in their face when
they have these three guys and really nothing else and
not be able to forget about winning the series because
Minnesota is a really good team and have been all year, Chris,
(08:20):
but to not be able to even win a game,
to not when they.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Meet Minnesota three to zero in the regular season, I.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Mean, I know, you know again it shows you all right, right,
but now I agree.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
I'm looking at the front office and I'm even going.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Above this the owner huh yeah, Matt Ishbia, because too.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
Many times these owners robbed.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
They come in and they think they're about to play
fantasy basketball in the real NBA.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Right, Oh, let me go get KD with these there?
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Oh who was you know what?
Speaker 4 (08:55):
These are human beings. Chemistry matters, fit matters. They would
have been better off in every way. Rob keeping Chris
Paul instead of trading from Bradley Beal.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I got Bradley Bill.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
In fact, I've got a better Bradley Bill in Devin Booker.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I didn't need another one. You know what, I need
a point guard. You put Booker at point.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Yeah, he's good enough to run the point, get seven
assists the game, but he's not a point guard.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He's a two. You needed a point guard.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
And Chris Paul's money next year wasn't even guaranteed. Rob,
so now, instead of or instead of having three years
one hundred and sixty million dollars due to Bradley Bill
on a on a contract that has a no trade
clause to add you know, insult to injury, you could
have had Chris Paul and either let him walk this
(09:50):
summer or kept him for thirty million dollars one year.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
You'd have been better. And I know they would have
been a better team.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
I don't know that they would have beat Minnesota, but
they would have been a better basketball team even with
Chrispaul and this diministration. I also think Rob, and this
is all hindsight, but hey, it is what it is.
They shouldn't have traded DeAndre Ayton now that yo Usef
Nurkic and I get Ayton was tired of Phoenix Eighton
wanted out. You were tired of him. But Manty Williams,
(10:21):
the coach was gone. That was a big part of
the problem, right him and Ayton he was gone.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Couldn't you have made good on.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
Ayton and made up with him?
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Right because the coach wasn't there. The problem that was
the rub was gone.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Because Ayton is was seventeen and ten. I'm not saying
he's Joe l em beat, but he was seventeen points,
ten rebounds with no plays run for him. He's a
He was a factor on the defensive end and the
offensive end, much more than U Sef Nurkic. So they
made some bad moves, rob So and that that all
(10:57):
is on the owner, Mattish, because he's not an absentee owner.
He wants to be involved. He wants his fingerprints. This
is his plate and now here are your fingerprints, right?
This is his plate there, This is.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Jerry Jones and a small way, smaller scale. But instead
of making sure you go out and get the people
you can own the team. Chris sit in the front road,
have your drinks, entertain your people, and leave the basketball
stuff to the basketball people like that is the best
way to do it. And it's just when you think
about where the Sons are, they're doomed there. They're really
(11:32):
in a bad spot for a long time to go.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Here's what I think they have to do.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
As great as he is, still, I think they have
to trade Kevin Durant because, like you said that, there's
nowhere else in it.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
You can't trade Bradley Beal.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I mean, Rob, we talked about it. Untradeable contracts. No
one is one hundred percent untradeable. But Rob, who is
taking him for three years, one hundred and sixty million
dollars when he hasn't played more than sixty games since
twenty nineteen and he didn't play that well this year
in these playoffs terrible yesterday?
Speaker 5 (12:08):
Who's taking that?
Speaker 4 (12:09):
And Kevin Booker's young enough where I want to build
around Booker. He's still young enough where I can build
around him.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
And so I think, Rob, I'm.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Looking to see what I can get for Kevin Durant,
Golden State, Jonathan Kamingauh. Then I can get Chris Paul's contract.
I mean, I got to get more than Kamen. I
got to get a bunch of picks, but I don't know.
I mean Oklahoma City with they you know, they got
a ton of picks, but they probably don't have the
(12:40):
contracts to make it work. There's been talking about the Lakers,
Rob the Knicks. I mean, there are a lot of
teams out there that could use Kevin Durant.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
It's gotta be a team ROB that's close to a championship. Yeah,
and Bill has no trade right.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
Yeah, Ude, that's why I don't think you can trade.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
You can trade him. So now with Durant, I hear you.
I just at this point, Yeah, it's gotta be a team.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
What if Boston loses, If Boston for some reason doesn't
get to the Eastern Conference Finals, would you take a
maybe a Jalen Brown.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
And Drew Holliday for Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I don't even know.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
I'm gonna be honest at this point, Chris, I know
this sounds crazy growing names, No, I know, but I'm
saying I don't know where Kevin Durant is.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
I gotta be honest, and I'm not.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Saying you saying you might not even want him.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
If I might not want Kevin Durant at this point.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
I want him if I'm right there.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Yeah, and it would have to do.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
I agree with that, you're not you're not getting him
on a team that's that's trying to get there or
or a year or two away.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
He's not that player.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
But I just wonder, like like recently, it just he
just doesn't seem the same to me even in the postseason,
Like the numbers are there, but it doesn't seem like
they register into wins, and that that's scary as you
get older. And then Chris, let's be honest, that health
issue there is always there with him as oh you now.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Just this year, God blessing me was healthy. But there's
no doubt that that's always going to be a factor.
All right, A seven seven ninety nine on Fox, You'll
turn the way in who do you blame for the
Phoenix Suns going out unceremoniously in these playoffs? And would
you trade Kevin Durant if you're the Sons, because there's
(14:39):
really no other way for them to improve. Have no
draft picks, essentially, have you know a couple of untradeable
players they're gonna have the highest play roll in the
league next year, so that's really the only way to improve.
I don't want to trade Booker because he's younger. Maybe
you want to trade Booker your thoughts? Eight seven, seven
ninety nine on Fox And where would you like to
see k Go? It's the Acauple Chris a Rap Fox
(15:02):
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (15:14):
What do you get when you combine a three time
Manager of the Year at a three time National Sports
Writer of the Year.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
It's the Book of Joe Podcast.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Hey, this is Tom Ferducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network
and Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
And I'm Joe Madden, and we're going to be around
to talk a little bit.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
About managerial decisions, playoff games, and what may have occurred
to the dugout maybe in the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
That can't wait for this, Joe.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
We're going to dive into what goes on in the
dugout and behind the scenes in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Cars, wind whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 6 (15:43):
Listen to the Book of Joe podcast on the iHeartRadio app,
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Speaker 4 (15:50):
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learn more, visit Safety Runs First dot com. That Safety
Runs First dot Com. All right, eight seven, seven ninety nine.
On Fox, who do you blame for the Sun's demids?
And should they trade or entertain trading? Kevin Durant, where'd
you like to see him go?
Speaker 1 (16:29):
You thought, all right, let's kick it off with Dre
in Michigan. You're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio.
What's up, Dre?
Speaker 8 (16:35):
You two dudes?
Speaker 9 (16:35):
What's going on?
Speaker 8 (16:36):
Fellas?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
How you buddy?
Speaker 5 (16:37):
Good Man?
Speaker 10 (16:38):
How are you doing great?
Speaker 9 (16:39):
Man?
Speaker 10 (16:39):
I'm doing great.
Speaker 8 (16:40):
I blame managing. I've blame ownership, man, because everybody wants
this instant gratification. Microwave teams just got to let him
sitting on the stove and letting it simmer for a while.
If you look at Minnesota, look at okay See, you
look at the Boston and that's playing real well. They
just because they let they put their teams on, they
let it simmer and they let to build up and then.
Speaker 11 (17:01):
It works out.
Speaker 8 (17:02):
But if I think if it's for trade, I think
it'd be a win win to trade him back to
ok See because okay See got a ton of first
and second round draft picks for the next couple of years,
and Kd'd be able to go back home and finish
where he started without ruining that team, because it's still
Shay team. You still had your home right, and you
still got He would.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Be a great fit.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
I would not trade, obviously, not trading SGA or home grinned.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
I wouldn't even trade Jalen Williams for him.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
I would just want to get him for a bunch
of draft picks and anybody else and fit him right in.
Here is a fit. He's a guy you can drop in.
I don't need him to lead. I just need him
to give me twenty five points a night with his jumper.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
I don't know if it's possible, but I like it,
Alan and Oregon.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
You're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's
up Alan?
Speaker 11 (17:51):
Long time listener and I've called in a few times
and he just for reference my first game, I was
sitting half court and I saw February nineteen seventy six,
I saw Kareem Abdul Jabbar out, Dual Pistol, Pete Merrivitch.
From then on out as a fan.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Wow.
Speaker 11 (18:07):
Anyway, Anyways, it starts at the top. Really, your most
valuable player in a sense, is going to be your coach.
He makes the players. There's a wealth of talent. Granted,
the league is stacked, so it's difficult. But if you
want to blame somebody, you find someone that fits in.
(18:29):
And look at your Coach of the Year candidates. They
were able to touch their players to make things work.
Bogel did not make it work. So if you want
to blame somebody, I guess you could start with a GM,
but I think I'd get rid of Bogel. You got
a wealth of talent on the Phoenix Suns, even young
talent there, and they could make it work.
Speaker 10 (18:49):
They didn't.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
Well, look, the reports are coming out that he's lost
the locker room, he's only been there a year, Rob,
I mean, Chris, he might this is not you keep
replacing your coach in your roster. But and I don't
think he did a great jobs coach.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
I don't think he did a great job.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
I'm went you, but I just you can't every time
you lose blame the Look at what they have there,
But like, what, show me what didn't he do? Like
like you'd have to give me an example for me
to They didn't give him a point guard?
Speaker 3 (19:20):
You know what I mean, thank you? That's what I'm saying.
Like that is that the coaches faulted.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
On the point guard, right, And you know me, I'm
not in the protecting coaches if they don't know who.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
The job is, right, But I look, if they were,
if they replaced him, I mean, you know, it's hard
to defend him, but I don't think he was terrible.
The question is has he lost them? Rob, Once you've
lost players, it is hard to get him back. And
if that's true, it's gonna be tough for him. But
if not, then you know, I mean, he won a
(19:51):
championship with the Lakers. He did a great job in Indiana.
He didn't win in Orlando. Who does recently how they're
starting to play a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
But I just I don't I don't see that as
that coach of the year going to get another coach
Chris and there's nobody out there who's got a championship
you're going to hire, So whoever you get is going
to be starting over.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
I mean, they gave those out four.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Years, Rob four years, I think thirty one million something
like that.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
I mean, you gotta pay him. I agree with you.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
It's just hard to keep replacing coaches.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Alex in Florida, you're on they couple of Fox Sports Radio.
What's up, Alex?
Speaker 10 (20:26):
What a good fellow too, of the realist dudes on radio.
I'm feeling y'all.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Thank you, my man. I appreciate it. I'm five years.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Thirty one million is vocals blame.
Speaker 10 (20:35):
I blame the roster builders, the GM. Ultimately the owner
has it, because come on, man, you I get you
on Tyler, I get you watch your Big three. But
they they done. They got no bench right now. You
got one draft pick, first round draft pick this year,
and you ain't got nothing until twenty thirty.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
What that's crazy?
Speaker 10 (20:53):
How do you that don't even make sense to be
twenty thirty. That looks like you know what I mean,
was that thirty five years? I mean, I'm joking, but
you know what it was.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
You know what it's like. It's like the charge. It's
like the Rams. Remember fter picks, You remember that was
their big thing, and they got that one. They can
actually back. At least they got one, Chris. But you
know what I mean, like, if you don't get one,
it could be a disaster.
Speaker 10 (21:16):
Absolutely absolutely my trade idea. Yes, I would entertain trading him.
If I'm the Knicks, I give him a call. I'm
only giving up draft picks.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
The Knicks got picks.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
Yeah, I mean you have to usually have to make
financial Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
You gotta match up salaries. You gotta match salaries.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
Yeah, that's I know.
Speaker 10 (21:38):
They gotta make the money, right.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Randall and Bogdanovich, Chris, what about those two?
Speaker 10 (21:43):
You know what I mean? Because he's a plugging He's
a plug and plate you know what I mean? You
him with with h with Brunson, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (21:51):
Oh, he is a plugging play No, there's no doubt.
And Brunson is a leader. So that's what you need.
You need a leader because it's not gonna be KD.
So I agree with you on that.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Yep, thanks, Alan, appreciate it. Hey, ch do we have
to talk for one more?
Speaker 11 (22:05):
No?
Speaker 3 (22:05):
One more?
Speaker 5 (22:06):
Go one more?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Quick, let's go to Mike in Montana. You're on the
odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's up, Mike?
Speaker 9 (22:13):
Hey, guys, I blame Kevin Durant. Okay, and if I
was an NBA GM, here's the reason why I would
not want him on my team. And he's in the
Western Conference Finals, up three to one with OKC with
two Hall of famers on his team, doesn't win. A
month later, he goes and joins the team that beats him,
which means he's kind of a quitter on that team.
(22:34):
He goes and wins a couple championships, but he can't
get along with those guys there, so yet he gets
out of there. He goes to Brooklyn, has another couple
Hall of Fame guys with him, can't win there. He
wants out again. Now he's in Phoenix. When your best
player is constantly unhappy, there's no cohesiveness to the team.
He's supposed to be the leader of the team, and
if you're always unhappy, and always blaming somebody else as
(22:58):
opposed to putting it on your shoulders, are saying hey,
we're gonna go win. He should have stayed in OKC
and Virginally and said we're gonna go win a championship.
He's always looking for a way out. He's always looking
for an excuse. The guy's not a winner.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
He only won.
Speaker 10 (23:11):
Because he.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
I don't know how you could say that he won.
He won the MVP and OS and he played really well.
I mean, you can't take that from him. I'm not
gonna say he's not a winner.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
I can't take that.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
But I I look, I don't put as much weight
in those championships.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
He played well.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
He was the best player, but any number, in my view,
any number of great players that are shooters, could have
stepped right in there and done the same thing.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
I mean, it just it just come on. They were
seventy three win team.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
I don't I can't say championship without him. I just
can't say that anybody would have got it done.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
I don't believe that.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
With his skills set, the way he plays. He is
a plug and play and that's the credit to him.
But I mean, he never should have left gold State.
You can talk about okay, see he definitely.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Nah, he should have left Golden State.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
The way that they treated him and talked about him,
I'm not you're.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
Going now he might have four or five rings, but.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
But there's way, I mean, there's a way to be treated, Chris.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
I think they joked with him and he probably didn't
take it. They got his fields hurt. And I don't blame.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
But you talk because they suspended Draymond, not not KD.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
I mean they joked with him at the parade.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
I remember that and that you know if you want
to say that was I mean, it was jokes nobody
you know.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
But if he took it that weight, then you just
talk it.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Out, Chris.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
That would be like, all right, we won some big
award in the radio business and Scott and donn are
up at the mic and they go, well, there are
a couple. You know. If it wasn't for Rob Parker,
we wouldn't be standing here. I mean, you wouldn't feel
you could say all you want, oh, well, you just
got they were just joking around. That would not sit
right with you if you were.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
And and look, and I will say this, when he left.
I understand because it wasn't because of the slights to me,
at least for me to me, it was he wanted
to go somewhere and show he could win. But then
the flip side happened. He showed he couldn't. And I'll
give him a pass in New Jersey or Brooklyn because
they were injured, that don't we didn't really have a chance.
(25:20):
And here he is. They've been a bit banged up
in Phoenix, but still.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
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 5 (25:35):
Live from the tire Rack dot com studios. Rob.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
One of the absolute best stories out there in the
NBA right now is Jaylen Brunson.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
Rob.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Jaylen Brunson, a second round pick thirty third player picked
overall out of Villanova, has turned himself into a bona
fide star. Remember he was in Dallas, of course, coming
off the bench.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
To something more large. Didn't want to pay him. Remember that.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
They could have gotten for five years, fifty five million.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Unbelievable, and sometimes they didn't want to pay him.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Yeah, and what he signed with the Knicks, I think
for four years, one hundred million, and that was viewed
four years, one hundred and four million, Rob, and that
was viewed as like.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Most people, nobody he thought, come on, that's a that's
a bit that that was a typical Nick move where
they pay overpay to get somebody to come you know
what I mean, That's what it felt like.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
And uh, four years fifty five million, Rob is what
Dallas didn't give him.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
U they could have kept him for that amount.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
And but anyway, he is playing fantastic basketball.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
I had him on my second team All NBA.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
I think that's where he'll land.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Uh, he might even be in the top five MVP candidates.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
But Rob, they're up three to one the Knicks.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
He's dropped forty seven points, ten assists. Forty seven points
is the Knicks playoff high, first Nick player ever to
go forty and ten in the playoff game. And remember
we had talked about this series and how he had
struggled against Philadelphia in the regular season, and he struggled
in the first two games, shooting about twenty eight percent
(27:29):
in those first two and then since then.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
He's just been awesome. Thirty nine points, thirteen.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Assists on forty eight percent shooting in game four of
Game three, and then, as I said, the forty seven
to ten on fifty three percent shooting in Game four,
they're up three to one. Rob, I picked the Knicks
in seven. I don't think it's gonna go that much.
But look, I think people Jalen Brunton is a fantastic story.
(27:58):
He seems like a really great character guy, high character,
He's a leader, and Rob, I think the Knicks ceiling
with him as their best player.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Like this year, I think they get to Boston.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
I think they beat Indiana, assuming they finish off the Bucks,
and I think they can make it a tough series
with Boston, like six. I'm gonna say six because they
are similar to Miami in terms of their.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Mental toughness, their physical toughness.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
They're just gonna be pesky and they're gonna bother the
Celtics and make it rough on them.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
But at the end of the day, I think the
Celtics have too much talent.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
But I don't think as great as Jalen Brunt's has played,
I'm not ready to say and I am ready to
say he's not the best player on a championship team.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Right, I'm with you on that. I just think it's premature.
And I understand why Nick fans have gone crazy. Yeah,
I mean, Chris, it's been so awful for so long long,
and I get it, you know what I mean. Anything,
Oh my god, they got the playoff games, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Electricity, Yeah, is where we are.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Uh me and you both covered the Knicks and we
worked that Madison Square Garden on a nightly basis, and
and and when it's when it's electric and you got
something to play for. I did plenty of Knicks playoff games.
I was at the Reggie Miller game, Chris. I covered that.
I was sitting under the basket when when I saw
Reggie Miller pushed down Greg Anthony on the m bag,
(29:33):
just a shut down, and the ball came straight to Reggie,
took a step back and knocked down a three.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
I don't know how the official missed that.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
I mean, I was watching that, but I'm just saying
so so I understand the excitement. And oh, he's the
MVP and he's this and he's that. I mean, that's
all fan hyperbole and I get all that. I'm not
even mad at them. You know, Chris, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
I'm not. I mean, enjoy it, but I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
If they beat the Celtics the final up, wake the kids,
call the neighbors like you gotta you got a story,
because if that happens, something magical has happened, and the
Knicks are back in the finals for the first time
since nineteen seventy three. Since option said that have a
chance to win for the first time since nineteen seventy three,
and the first time back since when was that ninety
(30:21):
season when they played fifty games?
Speaker 4 (30:24):
I covered that series, yep with the Spurs when the
Spurs beat them. Yeah, I'm with you, Rob, It's a
great story. Let's enjoy it. If you're a Knicks fan,
enjoy it while it lasts.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
And look, have faith.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
But we're objective and we're telling you you're going down
when you get to Boston.
Speaker 5 (30:45):
Some people think Indiana might beat them.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
I think they'll beat Indiana rop I think Indiana plays
no defense. I think they'll beat Indiana, but I'd be
shocked if they can beat Boston. But look, let's see,
all right, it is the odd couple Christ and Robs.
Shekel City is next let's see what Rob's bets are
and keep it lock.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
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 4 (31:19):
All right, it's the Eye Couple Chris Brussarr Rob Parker
live from the tire Rack dot com studios.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
And it's time y'all for Shekel City.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
All right, Chris, here we go a little Shekel City
Basketball Edition playoff edition.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Best bet.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
I got the Nuggets minus six and a half at
home against the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
I know, Murray, we're not sure.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
It's questionable right tonight with questionable, but I'm still gonna
take the Nuggets minus six and a half, Thunder minus
four and a half, Chris at the Pelicans in New
Orleans and the Celtics minus ten and a half. I
know the Heat play him close. That Heat won the
last game. But I'm gonna go with the Celtics minus
ten and a half. On a rebound, I'll make good game, Chris.
(32:02):
So I got the Celtics minus ten and a half,
the Thunder minus four and a half, and the Nuggets
minus six and a half. And remember, I'm not telling
you who to bet on. I'm telling you who I
bet on.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
All right, Rob, Well, let's talk about the Nuggets, Lakers,
and Jamal Murray.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
I'm gonna say this, Rob, and I'm gonna go with you.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Without knowing whether Murray's playing tonight, I'm going to say
I think the Nuggets win this game. But I'm gonna
tell you if Jamal Murray does not play, Like, if
he's done for the series, there's no way the Denver
Nuggets win the West without Jamal Murray. But Rob, if
(32:46):
Jamal Murray doesn't play the rest of this series, I
think the Lakers have a legitimate chance to become the
first team to bounce back from three to zero.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
A legitimate chance.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
I don't. I don't, not even most to the same
without Murray.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I agree with that, but I don't think that for
them to win one game, I believe they would still.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
Beat the Lakers even without Jamal Murray. Chris, he played.
He played poorly in the first two games. Like let's
look at.
Speaker 4 (33:17):
The second game he won with a hit all those
points in the He hasn't shot well. I'm just but
he hit all those baskets in the fourth quarter in
Game two and obviously the game winner.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Right, But his numbers than what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
His shoot he hadn't been efficient, but I wouldn't say
he hasn't played. He's still averaging over twenty points a game, and.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
He would have twenty shots.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
Yeah, yeah, but I mean that they playoffs.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
That happens. No, I know, some low shooting percentages.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
I'm just saying I don't think he's He's played like
like lights out where Oh my god, if they don't
have him or he has his bad I'm just.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
Looking at their history without him, like they look at
them in the playoffs without Jamal Murray. Uh, last year
he's healthy, they would the championship. The year before that
he's out, they get bounced in the first round. The
year before that he's out, they get bounced in five
in the second round. The year before that he's healthy,
(34:12):
they go to the conference finals. Like, as great as
Jokic is, he needs some help. The only player even
close to being an All Star on that team outside
of Jokic is Jamal Murray. Now, I'm not saying I
would pick the Lakers to win the series, but I'm
saying I would give them a legitimate chance. If Jamal
(34:35):
Murray is out, I mean because and like I said,
I think I'm gonna go with Denver tonight.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
But that is that changes everything, rob, at least in
my mind.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
And I don't think they could win the win the West.
I think they probably get beat by Minnesota in the
next run.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
He's a big clog, a cog I mean in their team,
So there's no doubt if you're going into to that
series without him, Uh, that would be a big, a
big loss. If he's out like that, gosh, I mean,
he's not ruled out. He might play and they might
want to get him out there to to I would
play him man to try and win and get this over.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
Yeah, if he can play home, you don't want to
can't play you got prod right, But if he can play,
then I play him to night and we go we
go for it, all right, because you're right because the
other series probably won't start until the weekend.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
You don't want to you don't want to get you
don't want.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
To try to get him some red.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
You don't want to give the Lakers any by not
playing him. And where that's where.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
When you know when teams talk about or if you're
up three to zero you relax, or even Rob when
they talked about the Lakers, should you know, tank that
game against New Orleans? Right for the eighths and get
the eighth seed and get Okay, see, you know they'd
have to beat would have had to beat Golden they
(36:01):
or at that point it was Golden State or New Orleans.
I think, to get the eight seed. But Rob, this
is why you can never do that. This is why
you never relax and.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Let series go on because you don't want them to
be longer than somebody could get hurt. It changes everything.
So as soon as you can get rid of a team,
you gotta get rid of them. I'm one under letting
series go longer than they should be. When you're up
three to zero, Okay, they won one game, that's fine,
you're not gonna you're not gonna sweep everybody.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Run the next game you're at home, and get it
over with. Yeah, if they they need to.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
I mean, look, they'll still be in control of the
series if they lose, but they need to win the night.
Speaker 5 (36:40):
Just go ahead and get it over with. Not just one.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
For Murray's health, let him try to get rested and
healed up before the next game or next series. But
also Rob, because all of a sudden, if you lose tonight,
you're only up three to two, You're going back to
La where you know they would have beaten you twice
now in a row. They gonna feel great about their chances.
(37:04):
Momentum would be all on their side, and then next
thing you know, you got a game seven where anything
goes and again, who even knows what Murray's status would
be at that point.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Rob, So no, no, yeah, they need to go ahead
and take them out. No, Rob, G, you got to
schedule for the rest of.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
The Yeah, for round two.
Speaker 7 (37:21):
They already announced it for Minnesota because they already advanced
to round two. So the winner of this series will
face them in round two. If the series ends tonight,
game one would not be until Saturday, so that would
give Jamal Murray four.
Speaker 5 (37:34):
In line the other side.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Right, here's the problem.
Speaker 7 (37:37):
If they lose game Game six of this series will
be on Thursday, then the game on Game one for
Minnesota could be on Monday.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
So now you've got a three days rest.
Speaker 7 (37:48):
So the further this goes along, if it goes to seven,
game one is still on Mondays. You have one day off, right,
it's imperitive forever that they have to get it done
quickly because according to Multiples, this is not a day
to day injury.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
He is legitimately hurt.
Speaker 7 (38:03):
He's gonna be playing through injury for the foreseeble future.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
Well, this is why Rob and I think we talked
about was it better for the Lakers to meet Denver
in the first round or later on in the playoffs?
And I said later on because Murray was banged up.
Remember he was banged up at the end of the season.
I was like, look, this is a guy that's been
hurt a lot, and if you meet him later in
the playoffs, you don't want it.
Speaker 5 (38:27):
We don't want it of course as fans, but maybe
he might get hurt.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Like he's healthy right now, but he might get hurt
and that is huge. Like I said, they are not
the same team without Jamal Murray. And hopefully he's healthy
because you never want injuries to determine everything.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Keep it like ah.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
A couple
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to check us out 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 every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's get this pun. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Ah yay, it is the Odd Couple.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
I'm Chris Bruce Hard alongside my partner is not Our Parker,
and we are broadcasting live from the tirerag dot Com studios.
Tirerack dot Com will help you get there wherever there
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(01:08):
Tirereck dot Com is the way tire buying should be.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
In this, The Odd.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
Couple is the way sports talk radio should be.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
So keep it locked here for the next three hours
on Fox Sports Radio, the iHeartRadio app or Series XM
Channel eighty three. You will not be disappointed. With that said,
let me welcome in my partner, Rob Parker.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
What's up man, what's happening? Mister Chris Bussard how are you.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
I'm fantastic, man, How are you doing great?
Speaker 1 (01:38):
On a Magic City Monday? I woke up first, let
me tell you about Sunday. I woke up Sunday morning.
I had a Zoom meeting schedule for Monday. Woke up
Chris at like seven fifteen on Sunday in a panic.
Oh my god, I overslept the Zoom meeting. Then I
(01:58):
realized it was Sunday. Thought it was Monday when I
woke up. And then today I woke up feeling just great.
No classes, school is over. I told you, just have
my final one Monday. So it's a different part of
life now, you know, with three days not working at
school at USC So I'm good, feeling great, getting a
lot of things done. And about two and a half
weeks before, we launched a radio station in Detroit, sports
(02:22):
Wrap Radio, which the Odd Couple will be on Monday
through Friday seven to ten pm Eastern, which is a
great news.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Do I get to rap on that one?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yes? Can you wrap? No? Matter of fact? Chris.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
When we debut on the sixteenth, we want to do
like a little crossover interview and that would be your
debut to wrap.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Can you come on Chris, why.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I'm stay I'm gonna stay in my lane. Chris, do
have some bars?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Rob G?
Speaker 4 (02:51):
They got some bars on me out there, Chris. No,
rob G got some bar? Why will he wrap?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
This should be the rap? I want you to wrap.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
You know sometimes it's good to stay in lane. No,
this will be great sports rap radio.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
You could rap. Just do a little rap about the station.
I'll give you the names of the people who are
on it, and you do a little rap. Bj Armstraw
he played with Jordan or whatever. I a rap better
than that. I know you want, I know you want.
But it is at Magic City Monday. We should add that.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Let's let's introduce the I couple crew we got on
uh the super producer rap G of course is in
the house running things.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
On the social media.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Our man Elijah sebun Hall.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
That's right on the.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
Update you heard him a moment ago, Steve de.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Sager and on the ones in twos in for DJ
Alex Tyser.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
It is why you bug?
Speaker 4 (03:52):
And that's an intro. That's an intro that'll make college jem.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Mary, you get your star now. People like that, don't
hear that? Mary, Mary? Why you bugting? In like, wow,
and they think about you. That's right. I'm so flattered.
And she's only like sixteen and a half, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Four somebody said that.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
They were like, how old are the people you're hiring
at Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
She didn't even vote in the last election, I is
not I know does she did?
Speaker 1 (04:22):
They see her not because when she made that point
about not being old enough to vote, that's when they
realized that was almost four years ago, you know what
I mean, He's.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
On the fast track, that's right, Mary, Mary got a
bright future? All right? Well, you know who doesn't have
a bright future?
Speaker 5 (04:38):
Role?
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Who's that the saying in Tony, I'm sorry the Phoenix Son.
I don't know why I was thinking saying that. The
Phoenix Sons, Rob and Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal
Championship coach Frank Vogel swapped like so many dust balls
(05:03):
into the dust bin, swapped like so many balls of
lent into the trash. Four games, four ls against the
Minnesota Timberwolves and Rob.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
The first three of them were routes, yep, double digit victories.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Last night, they you know, they played a little bit better,
but still went down by six.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
Points and Rob.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
First question, there's a lot to get to here.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
First thing, I want to ask you, who do you
blame for this debacle that is the Phoenix suns.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Well, I'm gonna blame the front office, Chris, for putting
this together, because they did not put together a good
enough froster. The bill trade whoever pulled that trade off
in Washington, Chris should get a double raised today when
they realized that they were able to get rid of
Bradley Beal and that man atrocity of a contract right
(06:02):
that you're saddled with because, Chris, we talk about all the.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Time, Oh, the contract, you can't get rid of it.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Somebody's always willing to take a bad contract. Apparently this
one might be. I don't know about this one.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Now, you know they got rid of it. Nobody thought
that they could.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Nobody thought that they could get him right, uh, that
they could trade him in Washington, and they were able
to do it. But but Chris, when you think about
where they are and what happened, we talked about it before.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I told you.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Kevin Durant is NBA dead and and now Chris, we
went before it was just that he wasn't a conversation anymore, right,
That's what I was saying.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
He wasn't even a conversation.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
He still was putting up his number.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
He was doing his number. He's gonna probably make second
team All NBA.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Right, But but but there was no buzz about Kevin
Durant despite the numbers, and now he can't even win
a playoff game, forget about a series he was swept
to years ago Brooklyn when they got swept and and
he was dismantled by uh but they didn't make what
they make the playing last year or did they even
make it?
Speaker 4 (07:10):
They made the playoffs, but he didn't you know, they
they did win around I think, and got beat in
the second round.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Okay, yeah, but but but when you look at where
Durand and the Clippers, right, they beat the Clippers without
Paul George and Kawhi So and then they got beat
by Denver in the second round. That was it, right,
I almost forget about that series because of the Clippers
injuries depleted. But but my point is he's NBA dead now.
(07:38):
I mean I don't even know. And that doesn't mean
that he's not. I'm not taking away his accomplishments and
his place in the NBA. But to go to Phoenix, Chris,
where they had gone to the to the championship without them, Okay,
they were up too oh and everybody was random raven
and when they got Kevin Durant, you included me. We
(07:59):
thought they're going to be viable in the West. They
will be viable, okay, and they just haven't been viable.
And to have this blow up in their face when
they have these three guys and really nothing else and
not be able to forget about winning the series because
Minnesota is a really good team and have been all year, Chris,
(08:20):
but to not be able to even win a game,
to not when they.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Meet Minnesota three to zero in the regular season, I.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Mean, I know, you know again it shows you all right, right,
but now I agree.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
I'm looking at the front office and I'm even going.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Above this the owner huh yeah, Matt Ishbia, because too.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
Many times these owners robbed.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
They come in and they think they're about to play
fantasy basketball in the real NBA.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Right, Oh, let me go get KD with these there?
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Oh who was you know what?
Speaker 4 (08:55):
These are human beings. Chemistry matters, fit matters. They would
have been better off in every way. Rob keeping Chris
Paul instead of trading from Bradley Beal.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I got Bradley Bill.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
In fact, I've got a better Bradley Bill in Devin Booker.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I didn't need another one. You know what, I need
a point guard. You put Booker at point.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Yeah, he's good enough to run the point, get seven
assists the game, but he's not a point guard.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He's a two. You needed a point guard.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
And Chris Paul's money next year wasn't even guaranteed. Rob,
so now, instead of or instead of having three years
one hundred and sixty million dollars due to Bradley Bill
on a on a contract that has a no trade
clause to add you know, insult to injury, you could
have had Chris Paul and either let him walk this
(09:50):
summer or kept him for thirty million dollars one year.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
You'd have been better. And I know they would have
been a better team.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
I don't know that they would have beat Minnesota, but
they would have been a better basketball team even with
Chrispaul and this diministration. I also think Rob, and this
is all hindsight, but hey, it is what it is.
They shouldn't have traded DeAndre Ayton now that yo Usef
Nurkic and I get Ayton was tired of Phoenix Eighton
wanted out. You were tired of him. But Manty Williams,
(10:21):
the coach was gone. That was a big part of
the problem, right him and Ayton he was gone.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Couldn't you have made good on.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
Ayton and made up with him?
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Right because the coach wasn't there. The problem that was
the rub was gone.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Because Ayton is was seventeen and ten. I'm not saying
he's Joe l em beat, but he was seventeen points,
ten rebounds with no plays run for him. He's a
He was a factor on the defensive end and the
offensive end, much more than U Sef Nurkic. So they
made some bad moves, rob So and that that all
(10:57):
is on the owner, Mattish, because he's not an absentee owner.
He wants to be involved. He wants his fingerprints. This
is his plate and now here are your fingerprints, right?
This is his plate there, This is.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Jerry Jones and a small way, smaller scale. But instead
of making sure you go out and get the people
you can own the team. Chris sit in the front road,
have your drinks, entertain your people, and leave the basketball
stuff to the basketball people like that is the best
way to do it. And it's just when you think
about where the Sons are, they're doomed there. They're really
(11:32):
in a bad spot for a long time to go.
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Here's what I think they have to do.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
As great as he is, still, I think they have
to trade Kevin Durant because, like you said that, there's
nowhere else in it.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
You can't trade Bradley Beal.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I mean, Rob, we talked about it. Untradeable contracts. No
one is one hundred percent untradeable. But Rob, who is
taking him for three years, one hundred and sixty million
dollars when he hasn't played more than sixty games since
twenty nineteen and he didn't play that well this year
in these playoffs terrible yesterday?
Speaker 5 (12:08):
Who's taking that?
Speaker 4 (12:09):
And Kevin Booker's young enough where I want to build
around Booker. He's still young enough where I can build
around him.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
And so I think, Rob, I'm.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Looking to see what I can get for Kevin Durant,
Golden State, Jonathan Kamingauh. Then I can get Chris Paul's contract.
I mean, I got to get more than Kamen. I
got to get a bunch of picks, but I don't know.
I mean Oklahoma City with they you know, they got
a ton of picks, but they probably don't have the
(12:40):
contracts to make it work. There's been talking about the Lakers,
Rob the Knicks. I mean, there are a lot of
teams out there that could use Kevin Durant.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
It's gotta be a team ROB that's close to a championship. Yeah,
and Bill has no trade right.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
Yeah, Ude, that's why I don't think you can trade.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
You can trade him. So now with Durant, I hear you.
I just at this point, Yeah, it's gotta be a team.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
What if Boston loses, If Boston for some reason doesn't
get to the Eastern Conference Finals, would you take a
maybe a Jalen Brown.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
And Drew Holliday for Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I don't even know.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
I'm gonna be honest at this point, Chris, I know
this sounds crazy growing names, No, I know, but I'm
saying I don't know where Kevin Durant is.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
I gotta be honest, and I'm not.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Saying you saying you might not even want him.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
If I might not want Kevin Durant at this point.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
I want him if I'm right there.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Yeah, and it would have to do.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
I agree with that, you're not you're not getting him
on a team that's that's trying to get there or
or a year or two away.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
He's not that player.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
But I just wonder, like like recently, it just he
just doesn't seem the same to me even in the postseason,
Like the numbers are there, but it doesn't seem like
they register into wins, and that that's scary as you
get older. And then Chris, let's be honest, that health
issue there is always there with him as oh you now.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Just this year, God blessing me was healthy. But there's
no doubt that that's always going to be a factor.
All right, A seven seven ninety nine on Fox, You'll
turn the way in who do you blame for the
Phoenix Suns going out unceremoniously in these playoffs? And would
you trade Kevin Durant if you're the Sons, because there's
(14:39):
really no other way for them to improve. Have no
draft picks, essentially, have you know a couple of untradeable
players they're gonna have the highest play roll in the
league next year, so that's really the only way to improve.
I don't want to trade Booker because he's younger. Maybe
you want to trade Booker your thoughts? Eight seven, seven
ninety nine on Fox And where would you like to
see k Go? It's the Acauple Chris a Rap Fox
(15:02):
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (15:14):
What do you get when you combine a three time
Manager of the Year at a three time National Sports
Writer of the Year.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
It's the Book of Joe Podcast.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Hey, this is Tom Ferducci from Fox Sports, MLB Network
and Sports Illustrated.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
And I'm Joe Madden, and we're going to be around
to talk a little bit.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
About managerial decisions, playoff games, and what may have occurred
to the dugout maybe in the nineteen eighties.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
That can't wait for this, Joe.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
We're going to dive into what goes on in the
dugout and behind the scenes in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Cars, wind whatever else we want to talk about.
Speaker 6 (15:43):
Listen to the Book of Joe podcast on the iHeartRadio app,
on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
All right, it's the Acabble live from the tire Rag
dot com studios. Thoroughbred Razie has a new independent regulators
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(16:11):
learn more, visit Safety Runs First dot com. That Safety
Runs First dot Com. All right, eight seven, seven ninety nine.
On Fox, who do you blame for the Sun's demids?
And should they trade or entertain trading? Kevin Durant, where'd
you like to see him go?
Speaker 1 (16:29):
You thought, all right, let's kick it off with Dre
in Michigan. You're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio.
What's up, Dre?
Speaker 8 (16:35):
You two dudes?
Speaker 9 (16:35):
What's going on?
Speaker 8 (16:36):
Fellas?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
How you buddy?
Speaker 5 (16:37):
Good Man?
Speaker 10 (16:38):
How are you doing great?
Speaker 9 (16:39):
Man?
Speaker 10 (16:39):
I'm doing great.
Speaker 8 (16:40):
I blame managing. I've blame ownership, man, because everybody wants
this instant gratification. Microwave teams just got to let him
sitting on the stove and letting it simmer for a while.
If you look at Minnesota, look at okay See, you
look at the Boston and that's playing real well. They
just because they let they put their teams on, they
let it simmer and they let to build up and then.
Speaker 11 (17:01):
It works out.
Speaker 8 (17:02):
But if I think if it's for trade, I think
it'd be a win win to trade him back to
ok See because okay See got a ton of first
and second round draft picks for the next couple of years,
and Kd'd be able to go back home and finish
where he started without ruining that team, because it's still
Shay team. You still had your home right, and you
still got He would.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Be a great fit.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
I would not trade, obviously, not trading SGA or home grinned.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
I wouldn't even trade Jalen Williams for him.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
I would just want to get him for a bunch
of draft picks and anybody else and fit him right in.
Here is a fit. He's a guy you can drop in.
I don't need him to lead. I just need him
to give me twenty five points a night with his jumper.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
I don't know if it's possible, but I like it,
Alan and Oregon.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
You're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's
up Alan?
Speaker 11 (17:51):
Long time listener and I've called in a few times
and he just for reference my first game, I was
sitting half court and I saw February nineteen seventy six,
I saw Kareem Abdul Jabbar out, Dual Pistol, Pete Merrivitch.
From then on out as a fan.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Wow.
Speaker 11 (18:07):
Anyway, Anyways, it starts at the top. Really, your most
valuable player in a sense, is going to be your coach.
He makes the players. There's a wealth of talent. Granted,
the league is stacked, so it's difficult. But if you
want to blame somebody, you find someone that fits in.
(18:29):
And look at your Coach of the Year candidates. They
were able to touch their players to make things work.
Bogel did not make it work. So if you want
to blame somebody, I guess you could start with a GM,
but I think I'd get rid of Bogel. You got
a wealth of talent on the Phoenix Suns, even young
talent there, and they could make it work.
Speaker 10 (18:49):
They didn't.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
Well, look, the reports are coming out that he's lost
the locker room, he's only been there a year, Rob,
I mean, Chris, he might this is not you keep
replacing your coach in your roster. But and I don't
think he did a great jobs coach.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
I don't think he did a great job.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
I'm went you, but I just you can't every time
you lose blame the Look at what they have there,
But like, what, show me what didn't he do? Like
like you'd have to give me an example for me
to They didn't give him a point guard?
Speaker 3 (19:20):
You know what I mean, thank you? That's what I'm saying.
Like that is that the coaches faulted.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
On the point guard, right, And you know me, I'm
not in the protecting coaches if they don't know who.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
The job is, right, But I look, if they were,
if they replaced him, I mean, you know, it's hard
to defend him, but I don't think he was terrible.
The question is has he lost them? Rob, Once you've
lost players, it is hard to get him back. And
if that's true, it's gonna be tough for him. But
if not, then you know, I mean, he won a
(19:51):
championship with the Lakers. He did a great job in Indiana.
He didn't win in Orlando. Who does recently how they're
starting to play a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
But I just I don't I don't see that as
that coach of the year going to get another coach
Chris and there's nobody out there who's got a championship
you're going to hire, So whoever you get is going
to be starting over.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
I mean, they gave those out four.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Years, Rob four years, I think thirty one million something
like that.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
I mean, you gotta pay him. I agree with you.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
It's just hard to keep replacing coaches.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Alex in Florida, you're on they couple of Fox Sports Radio.
What's up, Alex?
Speaker 10 (20:26):
What a good fellow too, of the realist dudes on radio.
I'm feeling y'all.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Thank you, my man. I appreciate it. I'm five years.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Thirty one million is vocals blame.
Speaker 10 (20:35):
I blame the roster builders, the GM. Ultimately the owner
has it, because come on, man, you I get you
on Tyler, I get you watch your Big three. But
they they done. They got no bench right now. You
got one draft pick, first round draft pick this year,
and you ain't got nothing until twenty thirty.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
What that's crazy?
Speaker 10 (20:53):
How do you that don't even make sense to be
twenty thirty. That looks like you know what I mean,
was that thirty five years? I mean, I'm joking, but
you know what it was.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
You know what it's like. It's like the charge. It's
like the Rams. Remember fter picks, You remember that was
their big thing, and they got that one. They can
actually back. At least they got one, Chris. But you
know what I mean, like, if you don't get one,
it could be a disaster.
Speaker 10 (21:16):
Absolutely absolutely my trade idea. Yes, I would entertain trading him.
If I'm the Knicks, I give him a call. I'm
only giving up draft picks.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
The Knicks got picks.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
Yeah, I mean you have to usually have to make
financial Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
You gotta match up salaries. You gotta match salaries.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
Yeah, that's I know.
Speaker 10 (21:38):
They gotta make the money, right.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Randall and Bogdanovich, Chris, what about those two?
Speaker 10 (21:43):
You know what I mean? Because he's a plugging He's
a plug and plate you know what I mean? You
him with with h with Brunson, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (21:51):
Oh, he is a plugging play No, there's no doubt.
And Brunson is a leader. So that's what you need.
You need a leader because it's not gonna be KD.
So I agree with you on that.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Yep, thanks, Alan, appreciate it. Hey, ch do we have
to talk for one more?
Speaker 11 (22:05):
No?
Speaker 3 (22:05):
One more?
Speaker 5 (22:06):
Go one more?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Quick, let's go to Mike in Montana. You're on the
odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's up, Mike?
Speaker 9 (22:13):
Hey, guys, I blame Kevin Durant. Okay, and if I
was an NBA GM, here's the reason why I would
not want him on my team. And he's in the
Western Conference Finals, up three to one with OKC with
two Hall of famers on his team, doesn't win. A
month later, he goes and joins the team that beats him,
which means he's kind of a quitter on that team.
(22:34):
He goes and wins a couple championships, but he can't
get along with those guys there, so yet he gets
out of there. He goes to Brooklyn, has another couple
Hall of Fame guys with him, can't win there. He
wants out again. Now he's in Phoenix. When your best
player is constantly unhappy, there's no cohesiveness to the team.
He's supposed to be the leader of the team, and
if you're always unhappy, and always blaming somebody else as
(22:58):
opposed to putting it on your shoulders, are saying hey,
we're gonna go win. He should have stayed in OKC
and Virginally and said we're gonna go win a championship.
He's always looking for a way out. He's always looking
for an excuse. The guy's not a winner.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
He only won.
Speaker 10 (23:11):
Because he.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
I don't know how you could say that he won.
He won the MVP and OS and he played really well.
I mean, you can't take that from him. I'm not
gonna say he's not a winner.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
I can't take that.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
But I I look, I don't put as much weight
in those championships.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
He played well.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
He was the best player, but any number, in my view,
any number of great players that are shooters, could have
stepped right in there and done the same thing.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
I mean, it just it just come on. They were
seventy three win team.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
I don't I can't say championship without him. I just
can't say that anybody would have got it done.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
I don't believe that.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
With his skills set, the way he plays. He is
a plug and play and that's the credit to him.
But I mean, he never should have left gold State.
You can talk about okay, see he definitely.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Nah, he should have left Golden State.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
The way that they treated him and talked about him,
I'm not you're.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
Going now he might have four or five rings, but.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
But there's way, I mean, there's a way to be treated, Chris.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
I think they joked with him and he probably didn't
take it. They got his fields hurt. And I don't blame.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
But you talk because they suspended Draymond, not not KD.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
I mean they joked with him at the parade.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
I remember that and that you know if you want
to say that was I mean, it was jokes nobody
you know.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
But if he took it that weight, then you just
talk it.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Out, Chris.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
That would be like, all right, we won some big
award in the radio business and Scott and donn are
up at the mic and they go, well, there are
a couple. You know. If it wasn't for Rob Parker,
we wouldn't be standing here. I mean, you wouldn't feel
you could say all you want, oh, well, you just
got they were just joking around. That would not sit
right with you if you were.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
And and look, and I will say this, when he left.
I understand because it wasn't because of the slights to me,
at least for me to me, it was he wanted
to go somewhere and show he could win. But then
the flip side happened. He showed he couldn't. And I'll
give him a pass in New Jersey or Brooklyn because
they were injured, that don't we didn't really have a chance.
(25:20):
And here he is. They've been a bit banged up
in Phoenix, but still.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
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 5 (25:35):
Live from the tire Rack dot com studios. Rob.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
One of the absolute best stories out there in the
NBA right now is Jaylen Brunson.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
Rob.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Jaylen Brunson, a second round pick thirty third player picked
overall out of Villanova, has turned himself into a bona
fide star. Remember he was in Dallas, of course, coming
off the bench.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
To something more large. Didn't want to pay him. Remember that.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
They could have gotten for five years, fifty five million.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Unbelievable, and sometimes they didn't want to pay him.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Yeah, and what he signed with the Knicks, I think
for four years, one hundred million, and that was viewed
four years, one hundred and four million, Rob, and that
was viewed as like.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Most people, nobody he thought, come on, that's a that's
a bit that that was a typical Nick move where
they pay overpay to get somebody to come you know
what I mean, That's what it felt like.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
And uh, four years fifty five million, Rob is what
Dallas didn't give him.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
U they could have kept him for that amount.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
And but anyway, he is playing fantastic basketball.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
I had him on my second team All NBA.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
I think that's where he'll land.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Uh, he might even be in the top five MVP candidates.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
But Rob, they're up three to one the Knicks.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
He's dropped forty seven points, ten assists. Forty seven points
is the Knicks playoff high, first Nick player ever to
go forty and ten in the playoff game. And remember
we had talked about this series and how he had
struggled against Philadelphia in the regular season, and he struggled
in the first two games, shooting about twenty eight percent
(27:29):
in those first two and then since then.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
He's just been awesome. Thirty nine points, thirteen.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Assists on forty eight percent shooting in game four of
Game three, and then, as I said, the forty seven
to ten on fifty three percent shooting in Game four,
they're up three to one. Rob, I picked the Knicks
in seven. I don't think it's gonna go that much.
But look, I think people Jalen Brunton is a fantastic story.
(27:58):
He seems like a really great character guy, high character,
He's a leader, and Rob, I think the Knicks ceiling
with him as their best player.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Like this year, I think they get to Boston.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
I think they beat Indiana, assuming they finish off the Bucks,
and I think they can make it a tough series
with Boston, like six. I'm gonna say six because they
are similar to Miami in terms of their.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Mental toughness, their physical toughness.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
They're just gonna be pesky and they're gonna bother the
Celtics and make it rough on them.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
But at the end of the day, I think the
Celtics have too much talent.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
But I don't think as great as Jalen Brunt's has played,
I'm not ready to say and I am ready to
say he's not the best player on a championship team.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Right, I'm with you on that. I just think it's premature.
And I understand why Nick fans have gone crazy. Yeah,
I mean, Chris, it's been so awful for so long long,
and I get it, you know what I mean. Anything,
Oh my god, they got the playoff games, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Electricity, Yeah, is where we are.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Uh me and you both covered the Knicks and we
worked that Madison Square Garden on a nightly basis, and
and and when it's when it's electric and you got
something to play for. I did plenty of Knicks playoff games.
I was at the Reggie Miller game, Chris. I covered that.
I was sitting under the basket when when I saw
Reggie Miller pushed down Greg Anthony on the m bag,
(29:33):
just a shut down, and the ball came straight to Reggie,
took a step back and knocked down a three.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
I don't know how the official missed that.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
I mean, I was watching that, but I'm just saying
so so I understand the excitement. And oh, he's the
MVP and he's this and he's that. I mean, that's
all fan hyperbole and I get all that. I'm not
even mad at them. You know, Chris, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
I'm not. I mean, enjoy it, but I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
If they beat the Celtics the final up, wake the kids,
call the neighbors like you gotta you got a story,
because if that happens, something magical has happened, and the
Knicks are back in the finals for the first time
since nineteen seventy three. Since option said that have a
chance to win for the first time since nineteen seventy three,
and the first time back since when was that ninety
(30:21):
season when they played fifty games?
Speaker 4 (30:24):
I covered that series, yep with the Spurs when the
Spurs beat them. Yeah, I'm with you, Rob, It's a
great story. Let's enjoy it. If you're a Knicks fan,
enjoy it while it lasts.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
And look, have faith.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
But we're objective and we're telling you you're going down
when you get to Boston.
Speaker 5 (30:45):
Some people think Indiana might beat them.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
I think they'll beat Indiana rop I think Indiana plays
no defense. I think they'll beat Indiana, but I'd be
shocked if they can beat Boston. But look, let's see,
all right, it is the odd couple Christ and Robs.
Shekel City is next let's see what Rob's bets are
and keep it lock.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
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 4 (31:19):
All right, it's the Eye Couple Chris Brussarr Rob Parker
live from the tire Rack dot com studios.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
And it's time y'all for Shekel City.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
All right, Chris, here we go a little Shekel City
Basketball Edition playoff edition.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Best bet.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
I got the Nuggets minus six and a half at
home against the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
I know, Murray, we're not sure.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
It's questionable right tonight with questionable, but I'm still gonna
take the Nuggets minus six and a half, Thunder minus
four and a half, Chris at the Pelicans in New
Orleans and the Celtics minus ten and a half. I
know the Heat play him close. That Heat won the
last game. But I'm gonna go with the Celtics minus
ten and a half. On a rebound, I'll make good game, Chris.
(32:02):
So I got the Celtics minus ten and a half,
the Thunder minus four and a half, and the Nuggets
minus six and a half. And remember, I'm not telling
you who to bet on. I'm telling you who I
bet on.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
All right, Rob, Well, let's talk about the Nuggets, Lakers,
and Jamal Murray.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
I'm gonna say this, Rob, and I'm gonna go with you.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Without knowing whether Murray's playing tonight, I'm going to say
I think the Nuggets win this game. But I'm gonna
tell you if Jamal Murray does not play, Like, if
he's done for the series, there's no way the Denver
Nuggets win the West without Jamal Murray. But Rob, if
(32:46):
Jamal Murray doesn't play the rest of this series, I
think the Lakers have a legitimate chance to become the
first team to bounce back from three to zero.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
A legitimate chance.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
I don't. I don't, not even most to the same
without Murray.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I agree with that, but I don't think that for
them to win one game, I believe they would still.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
Beat the Lakers even without Jamal Murray. Chris, he played.
He played poorly in the first two games. Like let's
look at.
Speaker 4 (33:17):
The second game he won with a hit all those
points in the He hasn't shot well. I'm just but
he hit all those baskets in the fourth quarter in
Game two and obviously the game winner.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Right, But his numbers than what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
His shoot he hadn't been efficient, but I wouldn't say
he hasn't played. He's still averaging over twenty points a game, and.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
He would have twenty shots.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
Yeah, yeah, but I mean that they playoffs.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
That happens. No, I know, some low shooting percentages.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
I'm just saying I don't think he's He's played like
like lights out where Oh my god, if they don't
have him or he has his bad I'm just.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
Looking at their history without him, like they look at
them in the playoffs without Jamal Murray. Uh, last year
he's healthy, they would the championship. The year before that
he's out, they get bounced in the first round. The
year before that he's out, they get bounced in five
in the second round. The year before that he's healthy,
(34:12):
they go to the conference finals. Like, as great as
Jokic is, he needs some help. The only player even
close to being an All Star on that team outside
of Jokic is Jamal Murray. Now, I'm not saying I
would pick the Lakers to win the series, but I'm
saying I would give them a legitimate chance. If Jamal
(34:35):
Murray is out, I mean because and like I said,
I think I'm gonna go with Denver tonight.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
But that is that changes everything, rob, at least in
my mind.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
And I don't think they could win the win the West.
I think they probably get beat by Minnesota in the
next run.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
He's a big clog, a cog I mean in their team,
So there's no doubt if you're going into to that
series without him, Uh, that would be a big, a
big loss. If he's out like that, gosh, I mean,
he's not ruled out. He might play and they might
want to get him out there to to I would
play him man to try and win and get this over.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
Yeah, if he can play home, you don't want to
can't play you got prod right, But if he can play,
then I play him to night and we go we
go for it, all right, because you're right because the
other series probably won't start until the weekend.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
You don't want to you don't want to get you
don't want.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
To try to get him some red.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
You don't want to give the Lakers any by not
playing him. And where that's where.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
When you know when teams talk about or if you're
up three to zero you relax, or even Rob when
they talked about the Lakers, should you know, tank that
game against New Orleans? Right for the eighths and get
the eighth seed and get Okay, see, you know they'd
have to beat would have had to beat Golden they
(36:01):
or at that point it was Golden State or New Orleans.
I think, to get the eight seed. But Rob, this
is why you can never do that. This is why
you never relax and.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Let series go on because you don't want them to
be longer than somebody could get hurt. It changes everything.
So as soon as you can get rid of a team,
you gotta get rid of them. I'm one under letting
series go longer than they should be. When you're up
three to zero, Okay, they won one game, that's fine,
you're not gonna you're not gonna sweep everybody.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Run the next game you're at home, and get it
over with. Yeah, if they they need to.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
I mean, look, they'll still be in control of the
series if they lose, but they need to win the night.
Speaker 5 (36:40):
Just go ahead and get it over with. Not just one.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
For Murray's health, let him try to get rested and
healed up before the next game or next series. But
also Rob, because all of a sudden, if you lose tonight,
you're only up three to two, You're going back to
La where you know they would have beaten you twice
now in a row. They gonna feel great about their chances.
(37:04):
Momentum would be all on their side, and then next
thing you know, you got a game seven where anything
goes and again, who even knows what Murray's status would
be at that point.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Rob, So no, no, yeah, they need to go ahead
and take them out. No, Rob, G, you got to
schedule for the rest of.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
The Yeah, for round two.
Speaker 7 (37:21):
They already announced it for Minnesota because they already advanced
to round two. So the winner of this series will
face them in round two. If the series ends tonight,
game one would not be until Saturday, so that would
give Jamal Murray four.
Speaker 5 (37:34):
In line the other side.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
Right, here's the problem.
Speaker 7 (37:37):
If they lose game Game six of this series will
be on Thursday, then the game on Game one for
Minnesota could be on Monday.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
So now you've got a three days rest.
Speaker 7 (37:48):
So the further this goes along, if it goes to seven,
game one is still on Mondays. You have one day off, right,
it's imperitive forever that they have to get it done
quickly because according to Multiples, this is not a day
to day injury.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
He is legitimately hurt.
Speaker 7 (38:03):
He's gonna be playing through injury for the foreseeble future.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
Well, this is why Rob and I think we talked
about was it better for the Lakers to meet Denver
in the first round or later on in the playoffs?
And I said later on because Murray was banged up.
Remember he was banged up at the end of the season.
I was like, look, this is a guy that's been
hurt a lot, and if you meet him later in
the playoffs, you don't want it.
Speaker 5 (38:27):
We don't want it of course as fans, but maybe
he might get hurt.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Like he's healthy right now, but he might get hurt
and that is huge. Like I said, they are not
the same team without Jamal Murray. And hopefully he's healthy
because you never want injuries to determine everything.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Keep it like ah.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
A couple
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