May 18, 2024 • 33 mins
Chris and Rob debate whether the TV ratings (2.1 million viewers) for Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut were a good or bad indicator of what’s to come, explain why there’s no realistic path towards Jalen Brunson becoming a legitimate superstar during these NBA Playoffs and discuss why it is that American-born NBA players feel empowered to publicly (and relentlessly) trash foreign-born NBA players.
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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 (00:23):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusha and Rob Harker.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
All right, Rob, we talked about it a bit last night.
It was happening during our show. Caitlin Clark makes her
WNBA debut and the results.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I mean, they lost handily.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
She had twenty points, but it was not you know,
that's misleading. She had ten turnovers, so it wasn't, you know,
a debut to write home about. But nevertheless, twenty points,
ten turnovers in a loss in her first game. But
(01:09):
the ratings, Rob rob ge two point one million, is
that what it was?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
That is correct?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
And that is the highest rated WNBA game, regular season
or playoff in the past twenty years. Twenty three years.
I mean how long has the WNBA been around, Almost
thirty so it's not the all time, yeah, but I
mean twenty three years. My goodness, that's pretty good. I
(01:37):
think that's a good start. She's going against NBA All
Star games. I mean, I'm not All Star game playoff games,
and she gets their highest rated show in twenty three years.
I think that's pretty good. I mean, obviously she could
play better. She's gonna need to play better. But what
are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Rob Chris, I'm in the minority on the outside looking in.
If you're WNBA fans, WNBA hierarchy, WNBA commissioner, and you
had the dreaming goal and hopes that Caitlyn Clark was
gonna turn this league around, I got news for you
(02:16):
is this on her WNBA debut was a flop and
Caitlyn Clark, Chris Broussard is dead on arrival for the WNBA.
You could take a look at those numbers and go,
my god, it's the best ratings in twenty three years.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Here's my issue.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
It's outside the top ten of all time TV ratings,
outside the top ten for this woman. Yeah, WNBA, NBA,
she's outside the top ten. This is a woman who
captured all basketball fans, not just women's basketball. All basketball
(03:01):
fans had incredible numbers for the Ncuba, all those big
numbers and for her debut to be port shooting ten turnovers,
more turnovers than a bakery and they lost the game.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
That is a bad sign.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
They were expecting American idol ratings. They got old Barnaby
jones A ratings.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
I'm talking about. It's a ridiculous thing.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I'm talking about great ratings, well great ratings, Okay. I
don't think they were expecting American idol ratings.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
They wanted.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
To show that, oh my god, the Messiah has arrived easily.
I thought Christy would be the all time ratings for
a w NBA game. It was one of ESPN. It
was up again a non sexy Pacers Nicks blowout. That
(04:05):
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
The Knicks have had the highest rated games in the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Okay, I'm telling you that if people had any curiosity
about her, she blew the opportunity. It's just like I've
said all the time, the XFL, the USFL, the UFL,
their best ratings are Week one, they only go down.
And because she didn't play that great, Am I really
(04:30):
going now? If she had blew the lid off of it,
Chris and had these ridiculous numbers and the all time
leading TV raitings for the WNBA. People would be like,
oh my god, I missed it. I want to see
I gotta see this. If she has another poor game
or doesn't play that well, and as time goes on,
people will be like, she's not even that good. She
(04:51):
hadn't even been that great in the WNBA, Like there
was a missed opportunity. Chris, I don't know. I'm not
saying they should have had a forty TV raiting. Well
what I am? I am stunned that she wasn't in
the top ten all time in the WNBA coming off
the monster College numbers.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
That's what I'm shocked at.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
And even to sellout crowd, you want to parade eight
thousand people in the casino in Connecticut. Okay, they sold
it out great. It just was a flop. It was
a dud, and we needed her to have some fantastic
game to build and have people be like, oh my god,
(05:33):
I missed it. I have to see it next week
or her next game.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I have to be there. It has to be appointment television.
NBA game stop. You know what's a dud and a flop?
That little monologue, I mean.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
What did you expect? Really, you threw out American idol.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
I don't think they you ad meant that, because Roger,
what are American idols ratings?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Chris, it's an analogy? Please?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Well, I'm just saying it's an analogy about the situation.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Why don'd you just say great?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Because I don't know if it's an analogy or if
that's really.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
What you think they were expecting.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
It was the highest rated WNBA game in twenty three years.
I mean, Rob Cheryl Miller did ratings like Caitlyn Clark
way back in the eighties. So should we take that
and say, oh, she wasn't even we've seen this before.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
It's relative. All the other top games were in.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Like the nineteen nineties, so that's when the league was
fairly new and there was a curiosity about the league.
Those games were on NBC and national television. They weren't
on cable when you look at the top ten ratings now,
(06:49):
So I don't know if you were Are you saying
it was a flop because of how she played or
because the ratings number was so low, or do you think.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Has she played better the radies number would have been?
Like is it a mix? Or what. I'm just trying
to get what you're saying.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Debut was a flop both for her the way she played,
we know it and the numbers. The numbers she was
coming off an eighteen point seven million, they were the
people watch it.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I know, but two point one. It ain't outside the
top ten, Chris.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Most TV numbers, when you talk about the past or whatever,
it's shocking that she was outside the top ten.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
She went outside the top ten.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
They've been averaging six thousand fans in the WNBA the
last decade outside the top ten.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Nah, that's an years. That's a flop. About that the
highest than twenty three years? What do you make of that?
It ain't the highest? It ain't.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
It got to be in the top ten. She's supposed
to be a game changer. She's supposed to move the needle, Chris.
She didn't move the needle enough on her day Bud.
It was a day bud, not a debut.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
I disagree. I mean, she certainly didn't play well, So
I'm with you there.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Iowa against Iowa against Ohio State, Chris got a three
point three nine Iowa against Ohio State, and she got
a two point.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
One on ESP said yesterday.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Look, the WNBA is not women's college basketball. It's not
in Cuba, especially cublea tournament basketball. It's just not I
even said last night, it doesn't have the same buzz Chris.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Her draft night two point four to five million creach
on the draft night, what well?
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I don't think that was because of the way she played. No,
I'm just talking about this whole life. You hyped about
that game. I wasn't hyped about that. It was like, Okay,
let's see what she does. But am I hyped about it?
Am I turning away from the NBA playoffs to watch it? No,
you gotta look at what they were up against. They're
up against the NBA playoffs, and you said a Knicks
(09:05):
pas Knicks.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Draw a blowout, a blowout game? You a blowout? Chris?
You're watching that? No, No, you had any today?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Are different because there's always a chance you might be
able to come back.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
We talk about it all the time. If you had
any curiosity, is it what it used to be?
Speaker 4 (09:27):
If the average Joe had any curiosity about Caitlin on
the next level and the WNBA. If you're not watching
her debut, I'm sorry you're not watching Game seven when
they're playing the Tulsa Shock.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
I don't even know is that a real team? Is
that a team anymore?
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Rob?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
G The Tulsa Shock that used to be.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
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Speaker 3 (10:27):
Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
All right, Rob, let's get to this because you have
a strong take. You feel like yesterday you talked about
you felt like there was a lot of disrespect out
there for Nicola Jokics, and now you're extending it to
where you feel like there's a lot of disrespect of
international players in general.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Brent rob G.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
There have been a few statements made by American players
and ex players recently. Can you kind of run down
a few things so just to give the audience some contact.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Absolutely so.
Speaker 7 (11:01):
I think it all started, at least to my knowledge,
publicly a couple of years ago, when James Harden was
in the thick of the MVP race with the Houston
Rockets and he was going head to head with Giannis
out of the Gumbo, and you recall, thank you, you
recall that James Harden was not feeling the idea of
the Greek freak being named the MVP over him. Here's
(11:23):
that viral comment from James Harden back in the day.
Speaker 8 (11:26):
When it's all said and done, you know, they'll appreciate
it more, you know. But I wish I could just
run running with seven feet and run and just dump
like that. Takes no skill at all. I got to
actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill,
you know. I take that in the day.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I don't know if that was based on Janni's being
you know international player.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
It was.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I think it was based on his style of play
and Harden that's fair.
Speaker 7 (11:52):
Okay, well but let me let me hear you defend
this next one though, Chris, because it's go only gets
worse from there.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I know they they've been, so I'm not I'm just
saying that particular sure.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
So uh that one, that one that, yeah, it does,
and only from this standpoint, and we'll go forward. I
don't want to get too bogged down, but I think
it's easier for these ex players to rip on people
who are not from here, like like to just rip
on them where they don't do that to play from
the United States.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
That's that's all about. You have said that when he
said something like that about shot. Nope, check he wouldn't.
He wouldn't do that as much as Giannis as.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Far as there you go, there you go, christ and
nobody would say that about shot.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
That's fair. Go ahead, right, So we flashed forward up
to last year.
Speaker 7 (12:40):
You had Kendrick Perkins famously say that Yogis not only
was the stat batting, but he was only getting m
v P love because he was white. We're gonna choose
not to play that one because I was a little
bit too off color.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Was that in America? I mean, I don't know. There
aren't any white guys from America VP. That's the problem.
Speaker 7 (13:01):
But Gilbert Arenas has taken the toys from Kendrick Perkins
and he's been really going heavy on Nikola Jokic, including
a couple of weeks ago where he suggested that Joker
would be the worst MVP the NBA has ever seen.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Take listen.
Speaker 9 (13:16):
Serious, Now, I do understand when they say this about Jokic.
Jokicic is probably, statistically when it comes to overall game,
the worst MVP winner. He's the worst MVP winner in
the last forty years. Why you say that when you're
talking about MVP the guys outside of first and second place,
(13:41):
their teams was first and second place. The people who
won the MVP their teams was first and second.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Okay, I will say, and I'm not trying to again
defend Gilbert Arenas, but I want is he if he's
saying worse in terms of your seeding, because before it's
true that Yoka's first two championships, I'm sorry, MVPs, they
(14:10):
didn't win fifty games and it's rare for a player
to win the MVP without fifty wins. One of them
was the strike short or the pandemic shortened season, so
that kind of thrown out. But the other one was
not fifty wins, and one of his first two MVPs.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Was as a sixth seed. He's talking about No, this
was before Yokis won it. No, but he's talking about
this one, Chris.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
But rob My point Arenas's comment was made before Yokis
was naming.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Nobody was saying it was.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
It was in the if he's going to be But
I'm just telling him what I'm just saying. He in
that quote that we just heard, he referenced the seating
of the past, and he referenced the the fifty wins.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Did he or not?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
They won fifty seven games this year this year? Nobody
but the first two he did.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I'm just saying.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
I'm not trying to defend him, because Jokic is nasty.
He is a phenomenal player. All I'm trying to say
is was Gilbert. I don't know if he was saying
he's the worst MVP as far as he's just not
as good of a player as the rest of them,
or if he was one of the few.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
To win it as a sixty.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
The only other six seed I know in the last
since nineteen eighty and writers have been voting to win
the MVP eighty one nineteen eighty one was Russell Westbrook
when he did it with a triple double. That's the
only other sixth seed that I can recall winning the MVP.
So I'm just saying it's possible. He meant that, but
(15:45):
go ahead, that is possible.
Speaker 7 (15:46):
He also said earlier this week that if we take
away the assists, then Yogic's numbers are not that great.
But last one and this is probably the most prevalent
because it's been going on all week. If you've been
watching Inside the NBA, Draymond Green, he's been filling in
doing an admirable job, but he can't seem to stop
taking shots at Rudy Gobert.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Here's one of the things he said, this series ain't
coming back to Minnesota.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Number one. The big Frenchman is sitting on that podium
speaking his native language. We need to do this. You
you you need to get a stop. It ain't we
Carl Anthony Towns is actually doing a pretty good job.
When he's on Joker, it's you, my man, that's getting cooked.
So it's no we Now, yes, you do need help
from the other guys, but on some of those help
(16:28):
can't help you.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Like you just got to get a stop. It's been worse.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
It's just every circumstance he has a chance to get
a dig in. That's where, Chris, where you're too close
to it, Like you can't be honest because Rudy Gobert
wins Defensive Player of the Year, is that you also
have won and you want to win. So I think
every dig and doesn't mean he can't criticize him, but
I do think he's taking it too far anyway. I
(16:54):
don't want to be too long winded, Chris. I do
believe that players in the NBA, former players in the
NBA feel that they give, but they feel like they
can rip on the European players because they're not gonna
push back, They're not going to be confrontational. They would
not do this to other black players in the league.
(17:16):
That's just my gut feeling that they would have never
just American, yeah, black American players that they would Johannest
what is gonna do?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
That's just not his makeup.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
Chris the Joker, Shaq says to his face, you're not
gonna you didn't deserve the MVP.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
He wouldn't do that if it was some other I
just don't believe.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
It in my heart, and I don't have any proof,
but I don't believe that they would call these guys out.
And I do believe there's a and they better get
ready because winby Chris, as you know, is the next
hotness and he ain't from the United States. But I
do think that there's a wave of anti foreign players
(17:56):
that is going on because they're winning the awards and
they're playing at a high level, and I think it's
I think it's disgraceful. I think they should understand how
hard it is to play this game and don't try
to beat down people who are excelling at it. They're
doing great stuff, that's all.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I don't disagree with what you've said, and I think
there is some jealousy because these dudes are let's just
face it, guys, right now, the best players in the
world are not from America playing the site now. Overall,
if you want to go fifty deep, you want to
go twenty five deep.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
You wanna go fifty deep, you want to go one
hundred deep.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Sure, we got the best, you know, the majority of
the better players, but the absolute elite level, the top five.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
We got Carry Kittles on the show What's that Hour today?
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Yeah, and Carry and I were texting earlier in the
day and he sent me I can find it. He
sent me his top six players, and I'm his top
six players right now in the NBA here it is Joker,
Luca and Man mb Shaye Giannis.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Six are international, right.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
And and and then the next group is saying his
rounded out his top ten. Rob Lebron, Durant Curry and
Jason Tatum. Lebron Durant Curry are gonna be retiring in
a few so where and you said Wimby Wimby is
gonna be his list? I mean Wimby next year might
be top five. I think he'll definitely be top ten.
(19:33):
And so I would I agree with you, Rob, I
do think. Look, they better not mess up and think
these international dudes aren't as tough, because you know, they
just are soft spoken and they're in a different country
and they might right, they might not want to come
out here.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
And just act the fool.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
But don't think that some of these dudes can't knock
you out just like an American could knock you out. Secondly,
and I think the more important point, Rob, is it's
probably some jealousy because they are they are taking over,
and like you know, we have felt like this is
(20:18):
our game, Black Americans, this is our game. And now
you see, the best player in the world is a
slow white dude that can't jump, and he's the best player.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
In the world by a nice margin.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
And then you got Luca who's kind of a slow
white dude who can't jump, and he might be the
second best player in the world. So I think I
think there's some jealousy there, Rob, I think there is.
So I don't disagree. All Right, you know what we
need to do play better. Let's let's play better at
the younger ages and and really learn the skills as
(20:53):
Harden was referring to skills, because that's what yoki Ja
Luka have.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
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Speaker 1 (21:09):
All right, Rob, tonight, we got a big game on
starting in about a half an hour. The Knicks at
the Pacers in Indianapolis and it's game six.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Knicks up third, three games to two.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
This has been a home series, right the home team
has won all the games. And I do think, Rob,
you picked the Pacers. I initially picked the Knicks in six.
I think I feel now like they will win it
in seven. I feel like you know, so I think
(21:43):
the Pacers get this.
Speaker 8 (21:45):
Rob.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Look the Pacers, and I know if they lose this series, Look,
they can say we're the sixth seed.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
We weren't even supposed to take them to six or seven.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
But Rob, and there they will also say, and these
are true, they will say we're young. It will be
a building block for us. We had a great year.
But Rob, I gotta be honest. And this is with
no disrespect for the Knicks, because I respect them greatly
after what they've been doing, Jalen Brunson and crew. But Rob,
if you're the Pacers, you should win this series. Because
(22:20):
of the injuries to the Knicks, obviously they're without Julius.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Randall and they have been for a while now.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
But Mitchell Robinson is out, o gian Nanobi is out,
and Jalen Brunton, you know, is playing with at least
a foot that's not one hundred percent. I know he
played great last game, but still, Rob, I'm just saying,
in situations like this, Rob, you should win this series.
The Knicks aren't your typical two seed right where there
(22:48):
to be feared, and their talent is above most everybody
else in the league. No, and so Indiana. Rob. Also,
they can say to make themselves feel good, hey we're young.
Well we'll be back, you know, we this is just
the first time. We we we're growing from this. But Rob,
(23:09):
guess who's gonna be around next year, assuming there aren't injuries?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Miami, you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Like this was a unique year and that's why Rob
quickly Boston better win the East, like it's not gonna
ever be any easier. And Rob, yeah, they do too,
but I'm telling they got to do it. They need
to be broken up. And if you're the Knicks and
you win this series, Rob, you I think they will give.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Boston some some headaches. Yeah six Yeah, I don't think
that they'll beat them, though.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
I agree that they it won't be a four game
sweep to Celtics just aren't of that ilk right just for.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Them, for them, For the Knicks to beat Boston, Rob,
Boston would have to beat itself, right.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
You didn't have to have like a couple of nights
where they don't make threes. We saw it, Chris, what
was the night that they didn't make threes? You know,
when you lose like that, And that's what we've seen
in the postseason. I don't know, I mean, it seems
like it's more than the not Chris, when those bad
you know, we see the lopsided playoff game. We never
(24:21):
used to see like such lopsided playoff game.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Would you agree with that?
Speaker 5 (24:25):
Like?
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Not like we see are like last night, We didn't
see games like that. We loached by forty five in
a playoff game in.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
A close out right possible close.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I mean outside of the Knicks, Rob, there most of
these games have been blowouts, if I'm not mistaken, And
again Rob, the NBA is gonna.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
Need to look at all of this stuff because.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Even Rob, in a close series where it goes six
or seven, if every or let's say five of the seven.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Games are blowouts.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
That's not good even though it's competitive as a series, overall.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
You know what, but the games are bad to watch,
like they were there nights. Would you just turn it off, Chris,
because it's just it's and we've seen it. There was
a Patients blowout of the Knicks one night, right, yeah,
there have been a few.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Yeah, they You don't want, no, you want closer games. Look,
Laker's Nuggets was actually exciting, even though it was only
five games, because most of those games were close, a
relatively close. So all right, Rob, But here's the question
I want to ask you. Because we had Carrie Kittles
on last night, we left Carrie mad respect for him,
but a terrible take. This take was almost as bad,
(25:43):
well not really, but still it was within I don't know,
spitting distance.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
Of the take that Caitlin.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Clark, who's averaging a robust fourteen points, and then she
would do.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
Better, she would do better, she would do better than
the PA and the W wouldn't be because in the
W n B and they let.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Him play defense. Ahead. I gotta say something.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Carrie told us that Jalen Brunson right now, obviously not historically,
but Jalen Brunson is better than Kevin Durant and you
and I of course shot that down. But you got
Harry Kittles talking about Brunson is better than Durant, my
partner on first things First, Nick Wright has Rick Brnt
(26:29):
Jalen Brunson in club superstar. Others Rob are calling him
a superstar. You and I have held fast and no
because Chris, slowdown.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
How many superstars do they think is in the NBA?
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Is Donovan Mitchell the superstar? I think is better than right?
Speaker 4 (26:48):
But if we don't call him a superstar, Chris, he's
a star. There's a difference between a star and a superstar.
To me, there's only a handful of superstars. How many
guys are walking around for these superstars? Everybody on every team? Well, look,
there are different cries that you. I think you and
Rob g go about five or six deep. I might
(27:11):
go ten twelve deep deep.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
I put right, I put no, no, no, I'll tell
you I don't go deep enough to have Brunson in there, right,
I could go deep enough to have Mitchell in there.
I think Mitchell is a superstar or better than a
higher on the list than Brunson. But let me ask
you this, is there anything Jalen Brunson can do this
(27:34):
season to make you think.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
He's a superstar.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
No, because I know and I'm gonna just say it,
not even win the championship, Chris. First, I would take
a look at his path to the championship and how
weak it was. I would look at that and say,
this is an outlier, this is a fluke. I would
And that's no disrespect to what he did, Chris none.
I want people to understand I'm not dissing him, right,
(28:02):
but I would look at that. Superstar status is more
than just winning a championship. It just like you just
can't win a championship out of nowhere and then oh
he's a superstar and that's the end of it.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
It's more than that. To me.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
It's like people look at you no matter what, Chris,
you're the You're you're that guy, no matter who joins
the team, no matter who's on the court. You know,
like a lot of stuff that would go into it,
not just strictly you want a team and they won
a championship that you're, oh, yeah, you're a superstar and
(28:38):
that's it for your career.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
No.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
No, When I think about superstars Lebron, Steph KD like
like they've won finals MVP.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
They want MVPs right.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Now, and Lebron's losing. Now, you're not taking away their supers. No,
and and where's it?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Where's the where's the MVP that bruntson w Chris Like, seriously, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Which signified you're one of the greatest players.
Speaker 8 (29:06):
In the league.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
That doesn't that isn't that what MVP does? Yeah, he
was fifth this year, there's credit. But look, look, I'm
with you.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
I just do not feel in my bones that Jayalen
Brunson is a superstar. And look, if they were to
somehow win this championship, beat a healthy Denver team or
Minnesota or whoever Dallas comes out of the West, beat
Boston and he's putting up forty or thirty five to
(29:41):
forty a night like he has been, I mean, I
would feel compelled to say okay, But I do think
I don't know if I feel comfortable saying it. I
might have to just give it to him, because it's like,
look at what he did, but I don't know that
I feel comfortable with it. Rober, And this is what
it is. You remember little Isaiah Thomas rode with the Celtics.
(30:05):
He finished fourth in MVP voting. I remember, yes, absolutely
get paid Prince plus games, yep. Led him to these
then conference finals. No one was saying he was a superstar.
And my thing with Brunson.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Rob is.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Even a year ago he was not the best player
on his team on a on a mediocre team, and
you can say, well, he really was better than than
Julius Randall. Julius Randall is the one that made the
All Star Brunson didn't. Julius Randall is the one who
was third team All NBA. Brunson was not all of
the NBA.
Speaker 9 (30:45):
Rob.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I can't go from you were a role player for
the first four years of your career, never made an
All Star team in the first five years of your
career to all of a sudden, in one fell swoop,
you're a superstar. What I would have to see from me,
because I don't even think them winning the championship is realistic? No,
(31:06):
I mean just crazy, right, But let's say they go
out in six games to Boston and he continues to
play well. Rob, what I would have to see from
him to say he's like a superstar is next season
he comes out and is doing you know, like this
(31:29):
year twenty seven twenty eight points a game, seven dimes,
and the Knicks sorry a factor. I don't mean because
everybody's hurt in the East. I mean like they're fifty
five wins. They remember how Chicago was with Derrick Rose,
it was like, oh they could, they might win the
championship like that, I would the Knicks would have to
(31:51):
be like an elite team and he is carrying them
next year for me to say okay, And I don't
don't even know if he does all that, Rob, I
don't necessarily have to wait till the playoffs. If he
was averaging twenty eight and seven and I know people say, well, wow,
those are crazy now, but you know, twenty seven and
(32:11):
seven something like that leading the Knicks the clear best player.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
They're fifty five wins.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
They're on the same tier as Boston and Milwaukee and
Philly when they're healthy, like they're right there.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Then I'll say, okay.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Dude, look he's this is the second third great, third,
very good year for him, second spectacular of the year.
He's carrying his team to elite levels. Something like that
would have to happen before I'm ready to say okay,
he's grown into a superstar. But we're ways away from that.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
I'm with you.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
I just think it's too premature, too prisoner of the moment.
And I get it, you're a Nick fan. They haven't
won anything of gazillion years.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
That's a big part.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
And if he was in Sacramento with people being crazy
that that's that's what it's all about. Like they just
can't get over, like the Knicks irrelevant. It's almost June.
Oh wow, we haven't like we haven't turned our focus
to the Yankees, right, you know what I mean? But
like that's really one it is, and New York dominates.
(33:18):
I look at the talk shows. They got like Knicks
commentators on the show.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
No it's been of course they're gonna be like pubbing
the Knicks, and and you know, New York is a
basketball town, Chris, when the Knicks were good, you know
that you covered the Knicks Madison Square Guard and the
whole thing.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
There's no doubt about it. So people are there, they
want this team to be good. And I'm and I
get all that, but I'm sorry, I just think this
is way overblown and it's no disrespect to him.
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
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusha and Rob Harker.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
All right, Rob, we talked about it a bit last night.
It was happening during our show. Caitlin Clark makes her
WNBA debut and the results.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I mean, they lost handily.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
She had twenty points, but it was not you know,
that's misleading. She had ten turnovers, so it wasn't, you know,
a debut to write home about. But nevertheless, twenty points,
ten turnovers in a loss in her first game. But
(01:09):
the ratings, Rob rob ge two point one million, is
that what it was?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
That is correct?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
And that is the highest rated WNBA game, regular season
or playoff in the past twenty years. Twenty three years.
I mean how long has the WNBA been around, Almost
thirty so it's not the all time, yeah, but I
mean twenty three years. My goodness, that's pretty good. I
(01:37):
think that's a good start. She's going against NBA All
Star games. I mean, I'm not All Star game playoff games,
and she gets their highest rated show in twenty three years.
I think that's pretty good. I mean, obviously she could
play better. She's gonna need to play better. But what
are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Rob Chris, I'm in the minority on the outside looking in.
If you're WNBA fans, WNBA hierarchy, WNBA commissioner, and you
had the dreaming goal and hopes that Caitlyn Clark was
gonna turn this league around, I got news for you
(02:16):
is this on her WNBA debut was a flop and
Caitlyn Clark, Chris Broussard is dead on arrival for the WNBA.
You could take a look at those numbers and go,
my god, it's the best ratings in twenty three years.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Here's my issue.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
It's outside the top ten of all time TV ratings,
outside the top ten for this woman. Yeah, WNBA, NBA,
she's outside the top ten. This is a woman who
captured all basketball fans, not just women's basketball. All basketball
(03:01):
fans had incredible numbers for the Ncuba, all those big
numbers and for her debut to be port shooting ten turnovers,
more turnovers than a bakery and they lost the game.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
That is a bad sign.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
They were expecting American idol ratings. They got old Barnaby
jones A ratings.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
I'm talking about. It's a ridiculous thing.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I'm talking about great ratings, well great ratings, Okay. I
don't think they were expecting American idol ratings.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
They wanted.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
To show that, oh my god, the Messiah has arrived easily.
I thought Christy would be the all time ratings for
a w NBA game. It was one of ESPN. It
was up again a non sexy Pacers Nicks blowout. That
(04:05):
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
The Knicks have had the highest rated games in the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Okay, I'm telling you that if people had any curiosity
about her, she blew the opportunity. It's just like I've
said all the time, the XFL, the USFL, the UFL,
their best ratings are Week one, they only go down.
And because she didn't play that great, Am I really
(04:30):
going now? If she had blew the lid off of it,
Chris and had these ridiculous numbers and the all time
leading TV raitings for the WNBA. People would be like,
oh my god, I missed it. I want to see
I gotta see this. If she has another poor game
or doesn't play that well, and as time goes on,
people will be like, she's not even that good. She
(04:51):
hadn't even been that great in the WNBA, Like there
was a missed opportunity. Chris, I don't know. I'm not
saying they should have had a forty TV raiting. Well
what I am? I am stunned that she wasn't in
the top ten all time in the WNBA coming off
the monster College numbers.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
That's what I'm shocked at.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
And even to sellout crowd, you want to parade eight
thousand people in the casino in Connecticut. Okay, they sold
it out great. It just was a flop. It was
a dud, and we needed her to have some fantastic
game to build and have people be like, oh my god,
(05:33):
I missed it. I have to see it next week
or her next game.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I have to be there. It has to be appointment television.
NBA game stop. You know what's a dud and a flop?
That little monologue, I mean.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
What did you expect? Really, you threw out American idol.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
I don't think they you ad meant that, because Roger,
what are American idols ratings?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Chris, it's an analogy? Please?
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Well, I'm just saying it's an analogy about the situation.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Why don'd you just say great?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Because I don't know if it's an analogy or if
that's really.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
What you think they were expecting.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
It was the highest rated WNBA game in twenty three years.
I mean, Rob Cheryl Miller did ratings like Caitlyn Clark
way back in the eighties. So should we take that
and say, oh, she wasn't even we've seen this before.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
It's relative. All the other top games were in.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Like the nineteen nineties, so that's when the league was
fairly new and there was a curiosity about the league.
Those games were on NBC and national television. They weren't
on cable when you look at the top ten ratings now,
(06:49):
So I don't know if you were Are you saying
it was a flop because of how she played or
because the ratings number was so low, or do you think.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Has she played better the radies number would have been?
Like is it a mix? Or what. I'm just trying
to get what you're saying.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Debut was a flop both for her the way she played,
we know it and the numbers. The numbers she was
coming off an eighteen point seven million, they were the
people watch it.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I know, but two point one. It ain't outside the
top ten, Chris.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Most TV numbers, when you talk about the past or whatever,
it's shocking that she was outside the top ten.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
She went outside the top ten.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
They've been averaging six thousand fans in the WNBA the
last decade outside the top ten.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Nah, that's an years. That's a flop. About that the
highest than twenty three years? What do you make of that?
It ain't the highest? It ain't.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
It got to be in the top ten. She's supposed
to be a game changer. She's supposed to move the needle, Chris.
She didn't move the needle enough on her day Bud.
It was a day bud, not a debut.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
I disagree. I mean, she certainly didn't play well, So
I'm with you there.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Iowa against Iowa against Ohio State, Chris got a three
point three nine Iowa against Ohio State, and she got
a two point.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
One on ESP said yesterday.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Look, the WNBA is not women's college basketball. It's not
in Cuba, especially cublea tournament basketball. It's just not I
even said last night, it doesn't have the same buzz Chris.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Her draft night two point four to five million creach
on the draft night, what well?
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I don't think that was because of the way she played. No,
I'm just talking about this whole life. You hyped about
that game. I wasn't hyped about that. It was like, Okay,
let's see what she does. But am I hyped about it?
Am I turning away from the NBA playoffs to watch it? No,
you gotta look at what they were up against. They're
up against the NBA playoffs, and you said a Knicks
(09:05):
pas Knicks.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Draw a blowout, a blowout game? You a blowout? Chris?
You're watching that? No, No, you had any today?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Are different because there's always a chance you might be
able to come back.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
We talk about it all the time. If you had
any curiosity, is it what it used to be?
Speaker 4 (09:27):
If the average Joe had any curiosity about Caitlin on
the next level and the WNBA. If you're not watching
her debut, I'm sorry you're not watching Game seven when
they're playing the Tulsa Shock.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
I don't even know is that a real team? Is
that a team anymore?
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Rob?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
G The Tulsa Shock that used to be.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker week days at seven
pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the iHeartRadio App.
Speaker 6 (09:57):
Hey, it's Ben, host of a Fifth Hour with along
with my trustee sidekick David Gaskin. Would mean a lot
to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey.
You're asking, what 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. Why should
you listen? Picture if you will, a world where we
chat with captains of industry in media, sports and more
(10:19):
every week explore some amazing facts about human nature and more.
Listen to The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller or the
iHeartRadio app, Apple.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
All right, Rob, let's get to this because you have
a strong take. You feel like yesterday you talked about
you felt like there was a lot of disrespect out
there for Nicola Jokics, and now you're extending it to
where you feel like there's a lot of disrespect of
international players in general.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Brent rob G.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
There have been a few statements made by American players
and ex players recently. Can you kind of run down
a few things so just to give the audience some contact.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Absolutely so.
Speaker 7 (11:01):
I think it all started, at least to my knowledge,
publicly a couple of years ago, when James Harden was
in the thick of the MVP race with the Houston
Rockets and he was going head to head with Giannis
out of the Gumbo, and you recall, thank you, you
recall that James Harden was not feeling the idea of
the Greek freak being named the MVP over him. Here's
(11:23):
that viral comment from James Harden back in the day.
Speaker 8 (11:26):
When it's all said and done, you know, they'll appreciate
it more, you know. But I wish I could just
run running with seven feet and run and just dump
like that. Takes no skill at all. I got to
actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill,
you know. I take that in the day.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I don't know if that was based on Janni's being
you know international player.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
It was.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I think it was based on his style of play
and Harden that's fair.
Speaker 7 (11:52):
Okay, well but let me let me hear you defend
this next one though, Chris, because it's go only gets
worse from there.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I know they they've been, so I'm not I'm just
saying that particular sure.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
So uh that one, that one that, yeah, it does,
and only from this standpoint, and we'll go forward. I
don't want to get too bogged down, but I think
it's easier for these ex players to rip on people
who are not from here, like like to just rip
on them where they don't do that to play from
the United States.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
That's that's all about. You have said that when he
said something like that about shot. Nope, check he wouldn't.
He wouldn't do that as much as Giannis as.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Far as there you go, there you go, christ and
nobody would say that about shot.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
That's fair. Go ahead, right, So we flashed forward up
to last year.
Speaker 7 (12:40):
You had Kendrick Perkins famously say that Yogis not only
was the stat batting, but he was only getting m
v P love because he was white. We're gonna choose
not to play that one because I was a little
bit too off color.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Was that in America? I mean, I don't know. There
aren't any white guys from America VP. That's the problem.
Speaker 7 (13:01):
But Gilbert Arenas has taken the toys from Kendrick Perkins
and he's been really going heavy on Nikola Jokic, including
a couple of weeks ago where he suggested that Joker
would be the worst MVP the NBA has ever seen.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Take listen.
Speaker 9 (13:16):
Serious, Now, I do understand when they say this about Jokic.
Jokicic is probably, statistically when it comes to overall game,
the worst MVP winner. He's the worst MVP winner in
the last forty years. Why you say that when you're
talking about MVP the guys outside of first and second place,
(13:41):
their teams was first and second place. The people who
won the MVP their teams was first and second.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Okay, I will say, and I'm not trying to again
defend Gilbert Arenas, but I want is he if he's
saying worse in terms of your seeding, because before it's
true that Yoka's first two championships, I'm sorry, MVPs, they
(14:10):
didn't win fifty games and it's rare for a player
to win the MVP without fifty wins. One of them
was the strike short or the pandemic shortened season, so
that kind of thrown out. But the other one was
not fifty wins, and one of his first two MVPs.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Was as a sixth seed. He's talking about No, this
was before Yokis won it. No, but he's talking about
this one, Chris.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
But rob My point Arenas's comment was made before Yokis
was naming.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Nobody was saying it was.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
It was in the if he's going to be But
I'm just telling him what I'm just saying. He in
that quote that we just heard, he referenced the seating
of the past, and he referenced the the fifty wins.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Did he or not?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
They won fifty seven games this year this year? Nobody
but the first two he did.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I'm just saying.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
I'm not trying to defend him, because Jokic is nasty.
He is a phenomenal player. All I'm trying to say
is was Gilbert. I don't know if he was saying
he's the worst MVP as far as he's just not
as good of a player as the rest of them,
or if he was one of the few.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
To win it as a sixty.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
The only other six seed I know in the last
since nineteen eighty and writers have been voting to win
the MVP eighty one nineteen eighty one was Russell Westbrook
when he did it with a triple double. That's the
only other sixth seed that I can recall winning the MVP.
So I'm just saying it's possible. He meant that, but
(15:45):
go ahead, that is possible.
Speaker 7 (15:46):
He also said earlier this week that if we take
away the assists, then Yogic's numbers are not that great.
But last one and this is probably the most prevalent
because it's been going on all week. If you've been
watching Inside the NBA, Draymond Green, he's been filling in
doing an admirable job, but he can't seem to stop
taking shots at Rudy Gobert.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Here's one of the things he said, this series ain't
coming back to Minnesota.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Number one. The big Frenchman is sitting on that podium
speaking his native language. We need to do this. You
you you need to get a stop. It ain't we
Carl Anthony Towns is actually doing a pretty good job.
When he's on Joker, it's you, my man, that's getting cooked.
So it's no we Now, yes, you do need help
from the other guys, but on some of those help
(16:28):
can't help you.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Like you just got to get a stop. It's been worse.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
It's just every circumstance he has a chance to get
a dig in. That's where, Chris, where you're too close
to it, Like you can't be honest because Rudy Gobert
wins Defensive Player of the Year, is that you also
have won and you want to win. So I think
every dig and doesn't mean he can't criticize him, but
I do think he's taking it too far anyway. I
(16:54):
don't want to be too long winded, Chris. I do
believe that players in the NBA, former players in the
NBA feel that they give, but they feel like they
can rip on the European players because they're not gonna
push back, They're not going to be confrontational. They would
not do this to other black players in the league.
(17:16):
That's just my gut feeling that they would have never
just American, yeah, black American players that they would Johannest
what is gonna do?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
That's just not his makeup.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
Chris the Joker, Shaq says to his face, you're not
gonna you didn't deserve the MVP.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
He wouldn't do that if it was some other I
just don't believe.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
It in my heart, and I don't have any proof,
but I don't believe that they would call these guys out.
And I do believe there's a and they better get
ready because winby Chris, as you know, is the next
hotness and he ain't from the United States. But I
do think that there's a wave of anti foreign players
(17:56):
that is going on because they're winning the awards and
they're playing at a high level, and I think it's
I think it's disgraceful. I think they should understand how
hard it is to play this game and don't try
to beat down people who are excelling at it. They're
doing great stuff, that's all.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I don't disagree with what you've said, and I think
there is some jealousy because these dudes are let's just
face it, guys, right now, the best players in the
world are not from America playing the site now. Overall,
if you want to go fifty deep, you want to
go twenty five deep.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
You wanna go fifty deep, you want to go one
hundred deep.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Sure, we got the best, you know, the majority of
the better players, but the absolute elite level, the top five.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
We got Carry Kittles on the show What's that Hour today?
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Yeah, and Carry and I were texting earlier in the
day and he sent me I can find it. He
sent me his top six players, and I'm his top
six players right now in the NBA here it is Joker,
Luca and Man mb Shaye Giannis.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Six are international, right.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
And and and then the next group is saying his
rounded out his top ten. Rob Lebron, Durant Curry and
Jason Tatum. Lebron Durant Curry are gonna be retiring in
a few so where and you said Wimby Wimby is
gonna be his list? I mean Wimby next year might
be top five. I think he'll definitely be top ten.
(19:33):
And so I would I agree with you, Rob, I
do think. Look, they better not mess up and think
these international dudes aren't as tough, because you know, they
just are soft spoken and they're in a different country
and they might right, they might not want to come
out here.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
And just act the fool.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
But don't think that some of these dudes can't knock
you out just like an American could knock you out. Secondly,
and I think the more important point, Rob, is it's
probably some jealousy because they are they are taking over,
and like you know, we have felt like this is
(20:18):
our game, Black Americans, this is our game. And now
you see, the best player in the world is a
slow white dude that can't jump, and he's the best player.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
In the world by a nice margin.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
And then you got Luca who's kind of a slow
white dude who can't jump, and he might be the
second best player in the world. So I think I
think there's some jealousy there, Rob, I think there is.
So I don't disagree. All Right, you know what we
need to do play better. Let's let's play better at
the younger ages and and really learn the skills as
(20:53):
Harden was referring to skills, because that's what yoki Ja
Luka have.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
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Speaker 1 (21:09):
All right, Rob, tonight, we got a big game on
starting in about a half an hour. The Knicks at
the Pacers in Indianapolis and it's game six.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Knicks up third, three games to two.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
This has been a home series, right the home team
has won all the games. And I do think, Rob,
you picked the Pacers. I initially picked the Knicks in six.
I think I feel now like they will win it
in seven. I feel like you know, so I think
(21:43):
the Pacers get this.
Speaker 8 (21:45):
Rob.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Look the Pacers, and I know if they lose this series, Look,
they can say we're the sixth seed.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
We weren't even supposed to take them to six or seven.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
But Rob, and there they will also say, and these
are true, they will say we're young. It will be
a building block for us. We had a great year.
But Rob, I gotta be honest. And this is with
no disrespect for the Knicks, because I respect them greatly
after what they've been doing, Jalen Brunson and crew. But Rob,
if you're the Pacers, you should win this series. Because
(22:20):
of the injuries to the Knicks, obviously they're without Julius.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Randall and they have been for a while now.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
But Mitchell Robinson is out, o gian Nanobi is out,
and Jalen Brunton, you know, is playing with at least
a foot that's not one hundred percent. I know he
played great last game, but still, Rob, I'm just saying,
in situations like this, Rob, you should win this series.
The Knicks aren't your typical two seed right where there
(22:48):
to be feared, and their talent is above most everybody
else in the league. No, and so Indiana. Rob. Also,
they can say to make themselves feel good, hey we're young.
Well we'll be back, you know, we this is just
the first time. We we we're growing from this. But Rob,
(23:09):
guess who's gonna be around next year, assuming there aren't injuries?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Miami, you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Like this was a unique year and that's why Rob
quickly Boston better win the East, like it's not gonna
ever be any easier. And Rob, yeah, they do too,
but I'm telling they got to do it. They need
to be broken up. And if you're the Knicks and
you win this series, Rob, you I think they will give.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Boston some some headaches. Yeah six Yeah, I don't think
that they'll beat them, though.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
I agree that they it won't be a four game
sweep to Celtics just aren't of that ilk right just for.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Them, for them, For the Knicks to beat Boston, Rob,
Boston would have to beat itself, right.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
You didn't have to have like a couple of nights
where they don't make threes. We saw it, Chris, what
was the night that they didn't make threes? You know,
when you lose like that, And that's what we've seen
in the postseason. I don't know, I mean, it seems
like it's more than the not Chris, when those bad
you know, we see the lopsided playoff game. We never
(24:21):
used to see like such lopsided playoff game.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Would you agree with that?
Speaker 5 (24:25):
Like?
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Not like we see are like last night, We didn't
see games like that. We loached by forty five in
a playoff game in.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
A close out right possible close.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I mean outside of the Knicks, Rob, there most of
these games have been blowouts, if I'm not mistaken, And
again Rob, the NBA is gonna.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
Need to look at all of this stuff because.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Even Rob, in a close series where it goes six
or seven, if every or let's say five of the seven.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Games are blowouts.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
That's not good even though it's competitive as a series, overall.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
You know what, but the games are bad to watch,
like they were there nights. Would you just turn it off, Chris,
because it's just it's and we've seen it. There was
a Patients blowout of the Knicks one night, right, yeah,
there have been a few.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Yeah, they You don't want, no, you want closer games. Look,
Laker's Nuggets was actually exciting, even though it was only
five games, because most of those games were close, a
relatively close. So all right, Rob, But here's the question
I want to ask you. Because we had Carrie Kittles
on last night, we left Carrie mad respect for him,
but a terrible take. This take was almost as bad,
(25:43):
well not really, but still it was within I don't know,
spitting distance.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
Of the take that Caitlin.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Clark, who's averaging a robust fourteen points, and then she
would do.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
Better, she would do better, she would do better than
the PA and the W wouldn't be because in the
W n B and they let.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Him play defense. Ahead. I gotta say something.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Carrie told us that Jalen Brunson right now, obviously not historically,
but Jalen Brunson is better than Kevin Durant and you
and I of course shot that down. But you got
Harry Kittles talking about Brunson is better than Durant, my
partner on first things First, Nick Wright has Rick Brnt
(26:29):
Jalen Brunson in club superstar. Others Rob are calling him
a superstar. You and I have held fast and no
because Chris, slowdown.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
How many superstars do they think is in the NBA?
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Is Donovan Mitchell the superstar? I think is better than right?
Speaker 4 (26:48):
But if we don't call him a superstar, Chris, he's
a star. There's a difference between a star and a superstar.
To me, there's only a handful of superstars. How many
guys are walking around for these superstars? Everybody on every team? Well, look,
there are different cries that you. I think you and
Rob g go about five or six deep. I might
(27:11):
go ten twelve deep deep.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
I put right, I put no, no, no, I'll tell
you I don't go deep enough to have Brunson in there, right,
I could go deep enough to have Mitchell in there.
I think Mitchell is a superstar or better than a
higher on the list than Brunson. But let me ask
you this, is there anything Jalen Brunson can do this
(27:34):
season to make you think.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
He's a superstar.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
No, because I know and I'm gonna just say it,
not even win the championship, Chris. First, I would take
a look at his path to the championship and how
weak it was. I would look at that and say,
this is an outlier, this is a fluke. I would
And that's no disrespect to what he did, Chris none.
I want people to understand I'm not dissing him, right,
(28:02):
but I would look at that. Superstar status is more
than just winning a championship. It just like you just
can't win a championship out of nowhere and then oh
he's a superstar and that's the end of it.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
It's more than that. To me.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
It's like people look at you no matter what, Chris,
you're the You're you're that guy, no matter who joins
the team, no matter who's on the court. You know,
like a lot of stuff that would go into it,
not just strictly you want a team and they won
a championship that you're, oh, yeah, you're a superstar and
(28:38):
that's it for your career.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
No.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
No, When I think about superstars Lebron, Steph KD like
like they've won finals MVP.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
They want MVPs right.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Now, and Lebron's losing. Now, you're not taking away their supers. No,
and and where's it?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Where's the where's the MVP that bruntson w Chris Like, seriously, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Which signified you're one of the greatest players.
Speaker 8 (29:06):
In the league.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
That doesn't that isn't that what MVP does? Yeah, he
was fifth this year, there's credit. But look, look, I'm
with you.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
I just do not feel in my bones that Jayalen
Brunson is a superstar. And look, if they were to
somehow win this championship, beat a healthy Denver team or
Minnesota or whoever Dallas comes out of the West, beat
Boston and he's putting up forty or thirty five to
(29:41):
forty a night like he has been, I mean, I
would feel compelled to say okay, But I do think
I don't know if I feel comfortable saying it. I
might have to just give it to him, because it's like,
look at what he did, but I don't know that
I feel comfortable with it. Rober, And this is what
it is. You remember little Isaiah Thomas rode with the Celtics.
(30:05):
He finished fourth in MVP voting. I remember, yes, absolutely
get paid Prince plus games, yep. Led him to these
then conference finals. No one was saying he was a superstar.
And my thing with Brunson.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Rob is.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Even a year ago he was not the best player
on his team on a on a mediocre team, and
you can say, well, he really was better than than
Julius Randall. Julius Randall is the one that made the
All Star Brunson didn't. Julius Randall is the one who
was third team All NBA. Brunson was not all of
the NBA.
Speaker 9 (30:45):
Rob.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I can't go from you were a role player for
the first four years of your career, never made an
All Star team in the first five years of your
career to all of a sudden, in one fell swoop,
you're a superstar. What I would have to see from me,
because I don't even think them winning the championship is realistic? No,
(31:06):
I mean just crazy, right, But let's say they go
out in six games to Boston and he continues to
play well. Rob, what I would have to see from
him to say he's like a superstar is next season
he comes out and is doing you know, like this
(31:29):
year twenty seven twenty eight points a game, seven dimes,
and the Knicks sorry a factor. I don't mean because
everybody's hurt in the East. I mean like they're fifty
five wins. They remember how Chicago was with Derrick Rose,
it was like, oh they could, they might win the
championship like that, I would the Knicks would have to
(31:51):
be like an elite team and he is carrying them
next year for me to say okay, And I don't
don't even know if he does all that, Rob, I
don't necessarily have to wait till the playoffs. If he
was averaging twenty eight and seven and I know people say, well, wow,
those are crazy now, but you know, twenty seven and
(32:11):
seven something like that leading the Knicks the clear best player.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
They're fifty five wins.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
They're on the same tier as Boston and Milwaukee and
Philly when they're healthy, like they're right there.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Then I'll say, okay.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Dude, look he's this is the second third great, third,
very good year for him, second spectacular of the year.
He's carrying his team to elite levels. Something like that
would have to happen before I'm ready to say okay,
he's grown into a superstar. But we're ways away from that.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
I'm with you.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
I just think it's too premature, too prisoner of the moment.
And I get it, you're a Nick fan. They haven't
won anything of gazillion years.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
That's a big part.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
And if he was in Sacramento with people being crazy
that that's that's what it's all about. Like they just
can't get over, like the Knicks irrelevant. It's almost June.
Oh wow, we haven't like we haven't turned our focus
to the Yankees, right, you know what I mean? But
like that's really one it is, and New York dominates.
(33:18):
I look at the talk shows. They got like Knicks
commentators on the show.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
No it's been of course they're gonna be like pubbing
the Knicks, and and you know, New York is a
basketball town, Chris, when the Knicks were good, you know
that you covered the Knicks Madison Square Guard and the
whole thing.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
There's no doubt about it. So people are there, they
want this team to be good. And I'm and I
get all that, but I'm sorry, I just think this
is way overblown and it's no disrespect to him.
Hosts And Creators
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Rob Parker
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