October 20, 2022 • 37 mins
Jason and Mike react to another riveting day full of NBA games, the Yankees gaining the fandom of everyone to beat the Astros, and Ric Bucher - NBA Insider joins the guys for everything around the NBA world!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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the way tire buying should be Well. We have a
lot of stuff happening right now. Every other batter for
the Astros is hitting a home run McCormick and Schmick.
A lot of big NBA game is on the real
opening night coming down of the wire. The Knicks are
down by a point right now, with twenty seconds left
(01:06):
to go. I'm feeling for the next buddy, I'm feeling it. Yeah,
Desmond Baine went back to the locker room, pulled up
on one of the last possessions for the Grizz to
keep an eye on that. Uh you had a couple
of times when they literally just came up and took
John Morant's money. But as we you and I start speaking,
he's uh calling everybody to say, uh, well, you're done
because he just hit a backdoor lay up. You know
(01:28):
he does that that. I mean, for a guy that
has made that kind of his signature, move that little
back door and that long because he's got such long arms.
He goes into that lefty layup. You can't block it.
I mean it's impossible. It's almost like a like it's
a different version obviously, but remember Mona Genobli always had
that left handed let you couldn't block because he was
able to just square his body so much. But John
(01:49):
Ranch is able to get to the hoop and then
just give you that big long scoop scoop up and
score reminiscent of the old Doctor j Highlights said he
saw your guy, Julius Randall had no chance. Yeah, he
went through. He went by three Knicks to get that land.
So the Memphis Grizzlies, thanks to John Morant, lead the
Knicks right now one oh eight, one oh five with
eight seconds left to go. We got some big stuff.
(02:10):
Make our big NBA Finals predictions tonight here on the show.
But this is that I've seen some really bad basketball
by some of these teams after one night. Yeah, I mean,
I might go so far as to say the Lakers
won't win the title. I I whoa, whoa, that's over
(02:32):
the line. Smoky's over the line. Uh, yeah it is. Look,
that's the best part of the NBA, and we we've
talked about this is that every night for the first
month of the season feels like Opening Ua. You got
I mean really for the first month because you get
big teams and then you get big matchups in the
(02:52):
first time we see them. It's always so incredibly interesting. Look,
that's what the NBA has dined out on for a
long time. It's not Opening Night, it's month of the NBA.
And then he get to Christmas when this season really
really kicks into gear. But I mean Opening Night, you
get it every night for you know, for for a
good month. And right now we're watching the Knicks try
to send this game. Oh wow, it's three. Oh the
(03:16):
next tiet, Oh, the next tiet You thought the Mets
shop was annoying. American VP m v P m v
P m v P all three second Cam Reddish with
a three from the corner to send the gate well
(03:36):
to night. Three seconds left. They're saying three seconds is
a long time. It's a long time. But oh buddy,
Cam Reddish finds up opening on the side, drills the three.
He's got twenty off the bench for the next or
Rick Buker came on the show and said he talked
to a big time scout has been in the league
for a long time and said, listen, Cam Reddish is
(03:56):
the most talented player on the Knicks. It's just getting
him to get to that level. But he is the
most talented player on the Knicks, and here he is
now finally getting some minutes. Twenty three minutes off the bench,
He's got twenty points and he hits the three with
three seconds left. The Knicks are going to the Nixer
going to the final fourth year in the league. He
just turned twenty three last month, so there we go.
(04:20):
I really did enjoy that, though, they let's talk about
the get did it's opening night? It happened. He hit
the three, Jason, Yeah, what's you do know? John Muran's
gonna hit a bucket here. Of course, he's gonna be
able to drive the lake, of course, and scoop another.
He's gonna take three steps and he's gonna start from
half court and his left arm is gonna extend. It's
(04:41):
gonna be it's gonna be a layup. That's gonna But
Jarius Randall does have the mixer playing well tonight. Man.
I'm telling you the sleep on the Knicks at your
own because you get seven, seven or fifteen time outs
per half. Take the ball into the front court. It
is a lot and he gets an up tunity and
doesn't count. No, he called an offensive fensive foul. Oh
(05:05):
I need more of Albert offensive no, no, no, offensive foul.
Often it was called on the court offensive foul, offensive foul,
offensive foul, offensive foul, offensive foul. I'm putting it out
there to make it happens. Sure there is Jalen Brunson
steps in front. That's an offensive foul. He was set.
(05:27):
He was set offensive foul. The Nicks get to inbound
with a chance to win it with half a second left.
Here's the throut. We go to overtime. Overtime. I'd be
a great play by play guy for the NBA, wouldn't I.
I was really glad you did that like ten seconds
after it happened. That would be awesome. We're on the delay.
It's okay. Your computer is ahead of what I'm watching
on TV here, so it's okay, okay, so I see
(05:50):
what happens. I know what's going on, all right, But
look at that. Look at that he look at this.
It's not a terrible call. It's a good call. It
was the right call he set. He said he wasn't sick.
Yes he was. He was. It's the rest of his body.
He got to be still. You can't be moving around
trying to get your forearms up trying to block. No. No,
(06:10):
you'd be the worst color analyst ever. That's not what
happened on the catcular move by John Morant at the buzzer,
and the Grizzlies win by two, so they're putting point
five seconds back on the clocks, not by us at all.
That's where that's where I would have, Well, wait, will
we see what I have to say about the Grizzlies
coming up in a few minutes. Let me just say this. Listen,
(06:33):
that did not happen every putting time time for that charge. Okay,
hang on, this is what happened. There is no time
to put back on the clock. We're just going to
fight about fishing. Gon fight about it. I don't care.
And what that referee if you tell people that that's
what's you can't say that time back on the clock
and they're gonna know the game is going to overtime.
(06:56):
That's no stop you guys. We gotta tell the truth.
What's wrong with you? You say the Mets are always good? Listen, listen, listen,
Maybe you need to come off the bench. Maybe you
need to come off the bench now. And how do
you guys both feeling you know what? Honestly and and
really I'm rooting for the Padres. I realized their fans already.
(07:20):
It took no time at all. Look, I can't I
can't root for the Phillies. I can't watch another n
L East team that's not the Mets win the World Series.
I can't watch the Nationals do it, and then the
Braves do it, and then the Phillies do it. I
can't have that happen. I under can't have it. Yeah,
that game is going to overtime. Yes, I was just
telling my Marvel alterna universe where reality really should have
(07:43):
played out. Because that was not a charge. It was
It wasn't one. It was why did they keep showing
at night? Because it's showing because they're showing you, because
it's the Knicks broadcast, and they're showing you the smart
play that Jalen Brunson made the twenty five million dollar
a year. Man. I'll give him his credit. He gave
him self up. It's not the next broadcast, that's where
(08:05):
the Knicks broadcast. Look, No, there's more. He's in the
States the game from Rose seven. It's the the Knicks
broadcast ESPN. That's the Knicks broadcast. He talking about Frost
progacy right there. So more on this game as it
goes to overtime. Now it is to overtime. There's other games,
and let's get to one of them, because tonight we
(08:26):
watched the New Orleans Pelicans absolutely dismantle the Brooklyn Nets
one thirty to one oh eight. A big night for
basically everyone in the Pelicans uniform. Zion had twenty five
and nine. Ah, he looked great, he looked healthy. Brandon
Ingram was seven and five. It was all the starters
were big for the Pelicans tonight, and they just waxed
(08:49):
the Nets. This game was never close once you got
to know the third quarter, it was all Pelicans. And
for everybody who seems to think because no one wants
to say what they think about the Nets, because I
noticed one for everybody who talks about the Nets, no
one wants to say it's done. They're not going to win.
I mean, I'll say they're done. I told you for
three they're done. They're not gonna win with this lineup,
(09:09):
but nobody wants to say it because no one wants
to have people on social media go, uh, you said
the Nets couldn't win, and look at them in the finals.
So what everybody and all experts have gone to is
the Nets can either win the title or miss the playoffs.
What a big swing of No, nobody can win the
title or miss the playoffs. The Nets aren't good. They
don't have people buying in. Kevin Durant is there because
(09:33):
they couldn't work out a trade. Kyrie Irving is there
because they couldn't work out a trade. These guys are
gonna be there punching the clock until something happens and
they either find their way off the team or something
else occurs and Kevin Durant gets named the new head coach.
But this is what it is with the nets. And
you watch Ben Simmons in his debut tonight, you talk
about rusty in twenty three minutes four points, five rebounds,
(09:55):
five assists, and he fouled out of you're calling that
rust and he fouled out of the game, and that
that's where we're at in the Ben Simmons. Well, I'm
not gonna say rush because that's telling you in two
weeks Ben Simmons when he played, Look, he doesn't shoot,
but he does a lot of other things very well.
I can't. I can't say the guy doesn't because he does.
(10:17):
But to come back and he's okay, Ben Simmons is
gonna be the number three guy for this team. Four
points five us, his five rebounds and six fouls he
had played anything else, Yes, I'm glad. I mean that.
That's the bottom line here is that he got back
on a court. So say what we will about what
the season becomes for him and expectations whatever else. The
(10:39):
long road began with just putting on the uniform and
getting out on the court. Now twenty three minutes and
minus twenty six it's not gonna be good for anybody.
And if you're not gonna be willing to shoot, then
that's still a problem. But if you don't have to,
you don't have to. If this is don't worry, will
all these other people will shoot the kay I'll shoot,
(10:59):
Kyriel shoot. Don't worry about it, and you don't have
to shoot at all. Okay, So I mean you're still
looking and they don't have their shooters yet. All those
guys are still hurt. They're all still on. They're on
the Lakers right now. The Lakers have all the shooters,
didn't you hear they have all the shooters. Lebron is
so happy with all the shooting. We have so many
options on this team, you know what, Everybody can make
a shot. I like the fact that he's got a
great sense of humor about it already, know I mean,
(11:20):
we don't exactly have guys shooting lasers out like he's
doing a stand up back. You might as well have
done a five minute rant. No, But just to think
about the Nets for a second, is every year we
feel like we are on the cusp of well, the
Knicks are gonna put it all together. They're gonna win.
The Nets are gonna put it all to the Knicks,
and Nicks are close. The Nets are gonna put it
(11:41):
all together. They're gonna win the championship. You can't count
out Kevin Durant, can't count out Kyrie Irving, because we
have the memory of these guys being such great players,
and still from time to time they can put on
a show, Kevin Durant much more frequently than Kyrie Irving.
But the bottom line is this is not a really
good team. They're not invested in winning, and they're just
gonna go out there and play until divine intervention comes
(12:03):
and either, hey, the trade happens and Kyrie Irving becomes
a Laker and Kevin Durant goes to Denver whatever it
winds up being, and then we're gonna move on. So
that's going to be the Nets. They're punching a clock
until something happens. They're only together because nobody could figure
out what the best way to go forward was. The
Nets realized we can't get as much for Kevin Durant
as we thought, so we're not going to give them away.
(12:24):
They're gonna have to recalibrate and understand it's a different
landscape than it was two and a half years ago.
So they're all just together because right when you're and
when you're together, because you're not gonna win. So I'll
tell you, I'm not believing that's I have it in
three years and I've been right the entire time, the
entire time. But if people want to hide back, they
can either win the title or they can be I
don't know, I don't know. Just come, I'll just pick
(12:45):
a side pickle. If you're wrong, you're wrong, picko Lane.
Have a very long ran to go on the other
side of that, but we'll get to that in a minute.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific, Fox Sports Radio The Jason Smith Show with
My best friend Mike Harmon live from the tire Act
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(13:06):
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ye three seconds left and overtime, the Grizzlies lead the
Knicks one fifteen one twelve. Ties Jones with a three
(13:29):
to give Memphis a three point lead to Knicks have
the ball again with three seconds left, hoping to try
to force double overtime, and Evan four and misses from
the corner. Memphis winsto overtime one fifteen to one twelve.
That was how did they not give Allan Houston the
ball right there? They should have. They're finally done. That's
(13:52):
why they didn't give the ball. Listen, we don't have
to where we're done paying you, We don't have to.
Good for that guy. Man, You want to talk about
a contract, people can play about today's contracts. We can
go back in history and find a few. Yeah, great
googly movie, my guy R. J. Barrett, though, did gave
me nothing today? No? Well not every Knick could have
(14:13):
a good three of eighteen from the field, oh for
six from three point range eleven points, eight boards and
a plus minus of zero. You played thirty eight minutes,
you got the plus minus of zero. Well, it was,
it was. It was a three point I know, but
generally you still have some variants when when you got
a guy out of court that long, but Reddish gave
(14:34):
you a great effort. He went sixteen sixteen Reddish and Hartenstein.
That's found money. Tom Thibodeau grew an entire beard in
the amount of time it took for that game to play. Now,
let me tell you two things coming off of this game.
Number BI stuck. No, come on, stop, not this year.
Uh sleep on the Knicks at your own peril. The
(14:55):
Knicks are gonna be fine. They're gonna be fine. They're
gonna be a playoff four seed, five seed middle the packet.
Because listen, they lost. They lost on the roadway. Wait,
just wait, what's worse. The two ways to improve your
team in the NBA the fest as you get a
superstar or you get a point guard. That's the mix
(15:17):
did They went out and got Jalen Brunson, Who's exactly
what they need. Because now all the Knicks players they
don't have to worry about playing different positions and r. J.
Barrett doesn't have to slide between shooting guard and small forward,
and Forty doesn't have to slide between small ford. Guys
can play different spots, and they can and they don't
have to worry about moving around as much as they
did a year ago. The Knicks are gonna be fine
because they have a lot of talent and Brunson's the
(15:39):
guy they needed to bring it all together. It's gonna
take them a little while. They'll probably meander for a
little bit, and then it will be very similar to
the year they had two years ago, where once you
got to the midway point of the year, they started
stacking wins and it's it's you know, they went three
out of four here and then two out of three,
and three out of four and two out of three. Uh,
that's going to happen. The Knicks are talent. They have
a really deep rotation. As you can see opening night,
(16:02):
cam Reddish finally gets to play and look at what
and look at what he does right, He sends the
game to overtime with the Big Three from the corner.
Hartenstein is great. You know why they went out to
get him and made him a priority. The Knicks are
gonna be fine. I am not worried about the Knicks
this year, right, the Mets. The Jets five a year ago,
sixteen games behind your Miami Heat. Like the long road
(16:23):
we we talked about it. You gotta start somewhere, and
you gotta begin a rebuilding process. Part of that is
Thibodeau starting to trust those younger players. And but I
mean Reddish coming over, right, there was a lot of
you know you you mentioned the Rick Bucker quote earlier
of hey, he's the most talented guy here. But he
wasn't a guy that Thibodeau trusted at all because he
hadn't had regular minutes in Atlanta before he comes over.
(16:47):
And now you're trying to fit him in. And what's
key with Thibodeau, You've gotta be able to buy in
on playing some level of defense, at least showing that
you're given. You can't just say, hey, listen, whoa, I
don't you can't do the Bill Murray spaces Champ, whoo,
I don't play defense? Right in Atlanta, you were able
to do that for for long stretches, especially as a
role player, bench guy trying to break through, which is
(17:08):
part of the reason he hadn't, but you get a
full off season of getting Tibbs, coaching him up and
recognizing that sense of urgency. I mean, your bench guys
came up big. So opportunity knocks for the Knicks to
at least make some strides. Eastern Conference, as we know,
is UH is just as deep as the West at
this point when you when you look at it, you
may have two or three teams at the head of
(17:30):
the pack, but there's nine or ten teams that really
look the same. Yeah, and I know, Look, the Knicks
have good young talent. Now it's time to trust it.
And this is I believe in the bounce back. Did
you say trust the process, trust the trust the process.
I don't think the Knicks have a pricess trust the
We're gonna throw this all up at a wall and
see what sticks. That's the Knicks process. But at least
they got some sticky stuff. They got sticky stuff with
(17:51):
the other the other they are the spider tack of
the NBA. I did that. But the thing that needs
to stick is consistent effort from Julius Randall. And you
saw it tonight. A couple of old a defense kind
of opportunity especially against Morant. But I mean that's a
big guy trying to match the footwork at John Morant
and the length. That's okay. Then I'm telling you that
(18:11):
Knicks are gonna be fine. The Knicks are gonna be fine.
Now you want to go big game hunting, You want
to go big Gamelies, go big game hunting. Tonight it
was a big night for John morand and we're gonna
say that every single night in the NBA calendar this year.
Moran did it basically all by himself Tonight again, something
we're gonna say throughout the calendar year thirty four and
opening night to go along nine assists and four rebounds.
(18:34):
Everything they needed him to do, he did. Uh, this
is the year where two things are gonna happen. This
is the year John Moran becomes the best player in
the NBA and he takes the Grizzlies to the NBA Finals.
Look at you, the people forget last year the Grizzlies
without John Moran pushed the Warriors to six games. The
(18:55):
Grizzlies are a pretty good defensive team, and that was
the team the Warriors had the most of a culty
with all right. Game one against Boston. They had tough time,
but the rest of the series was a Warrior's walk over.
But the series with the Grizzlies, the Grizzlies gave them
so many problems, and John Morant missed it. He was
out early in the series. You're talking about a guy
(19:15):
who was a top five ish NBA player, uh, missing that.
They're not deep with scorers. But this is a team
that can make that move at the deadline, right. You
don't need to be that team coming out of the gate.
And and let's get to the top of the Western Conference.
We gotta make sure we win sixty five games. You
can have home court all the way through. That's not
quite the end all be all like it used to be.
(19:38):
The Grizzlies are gonna be really good. They were a
top two team in the conference last year. And as
long as John Morand stays healthy, they're going to win
and they're gonna go to the NBA finals. Jaren Jackson
coming back is gonna be a big deal because they're
missing him right now. Depends when he comes back, and
hope he comes back earlier, comes back sometime in December
would be okay. So they're gonna get by without him,
But with John Morant, you can get by the regular
(20:00):
season without some guys for a long period of time.
This is the same system again, you're turning over some
really good players. Hopefully Bane is okay. He left the
game tonight with an injury at the end. But I'm
telling you, man, give me the Grizzlies in the NBA Finals.
In fact, I would go so far as I would
go Grizzlies Pelicans in the Western Conference Finals. But I
just can't trust that Zion is going to be healthy enough.
(20:22):
Is that Is that team good enough with even even
if he were to be hurt, because you saw what
they did last year right the second half of the season.
Those guys started to gel and there were a lot
of There was a lot of talk that Zion would
have been healthy enough to come back and play, and
that he was held back. One just why why risk
it at that point if you can buy him another
(20:43):
three or four months of rehab, diet, exercise, all that
stuff and make sure that he's completely sound. The other
ones that they were fearing that it would room chemistry
if suddenly he said, all right, we gotta find thirty
minutes for Zion Williamson when you've got your rotations working
as well as they did. I thought it was a
cool little piece. There are our friend Jan Hale doing
(21:04):
the postgame interview, and pretty much the entire team came
over to do an interview. Instead of one guy, you
had McCollum, you had Ingram, you had Zion, you had everybody,
And like there's there's a celebration and an energy they're
pushing forward that they're they're building out what was a
fantastic season, so they they could be in the mix
(21:26):
even if he were. And nobody wants to see this
because he is such a potential superstar in this league.
But I think they might be deep enough to still
be trouble for a bunch of teams. Instead of being trouble,
they'd be deep enough to be, hey, we're on a
collision course for for the for the Western Conference Final,
I toy with the Lakers. I mean that was like
a cat's Remember Warriors. Warriors are a year older. But
(21:51):
now they've got like four other guys that are gonna
take minutes to Draymond and those guys to play. You're
still gonna need stuff you most, you're gonna be able
to come in Yeah, they're gonna play the Lakers a lot.
Lakers kept up within thirty what they did they did,
and you were live betting, you kept watching that spread. Swell,
what the hell's happening? I'm getting more and more. You're
(22:12):
betting a Laker game. You got big problems? Is fair? Well,
it depends which way you're betting. I think if there's
no money to make the other way there is money,
there's just not a lot of money exactly. And when
you're gonna bet, you want to win a lot. Well,
but I mean if you do incremental you can. You
just take a little bits at a time and it
adds up to a big pious So I bet a
thousand dollars, what do I win? Ten? Oh? The thought
(22:36):
that that guy bet sixty thou dollars, how much does
he get back? I don't know how to do it.
And then in the NFL, if you're doing that, you're sweating.
Think about all those people playing in Survivor pools this year. Ah,
that's an easy win. They may not cover the nine
and a half or ten and a half or fourteen
and a half, but they're gonna win the game. And
then they go out and get buried. I'm gonna get
you bucket ears. Look if I thought that that Zion
(22:58):
could be healthy for sixty games and then through the playoffs,
but is he really going to The guy hasn't played
basketball in two years. What's he gonna have left when
it comes down to it at the end, right, I'm hoping.
I'm hoping he stays helping. He's so exciting he had
those two years. He's shocked Matthew Stafford at the start
(23:19):
of his career, he's injury prone, and then he doesn't
miss a game forever. So hopefully we see Zion and
he's able to keep his weight off. That's a big deal.
And and I don't I don't like to do that
to guys because, let's face it, I'm not exactly walking
around here. You know, your fitness model, But the reality
is the guys trying to be a pogo stick with
(23:40):
a huge upper body on on legs that are aren't
necessarily ready to support that. It's hard, man, hard, It's
a hard run at thirty six minutes of game I
I just I just don't. I just can't see him
being healthy enough to make that big run. I mean,
Morant and the Grizzlies. I'm all in at the who's
on the side of that battles? Are there? Be sure
(24:03):
to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show with
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(24:46):
your podcasts. Rich give me hell Yeah. Rick Buker, Fox
Sports One NBA insider Can Raddish got on the court.
So what Nicks in the finals? Nick sweeping the finals?
What is it? Uh? Again? And you'd have to ask
Matt Nuker about that. He's the one who brokeer in it.
So it really depends on whether he decides to keep
(25:07):
tam with the Knicks at this point. Um, but if
he does, no, I'm not gonna go quite that far.
East is loaded. Although the way things look tonight, they
could be the best team in New York, which would
be an accomplishment. What do you make of that Ben
Simmons did get on the court? Rick? So, I mean
we celebrate little advances, don't we, uh, well, well as
(25:31):
Knicks fans, Yeah, I would say that that's pretty pretty
much par for the course, celebrating small, tiny advances. So yes, yes,
And then in that vein yes, taking his page from
the next the Brooklyn Nets should be celebrating that Ben
Simmons was on the court the same as Tom Thibodeau
decided that he would play cam Reddish. So I'm all,
(25:52):
I know they both lost, but they come on, we're
trying to be positive because they get season just beginning.
I look at the Nets and I see a team
that is punching a clock. K D is going to
punch the clock until something happens and either he's traded
or he becomes the head coach. Same thing with Kyrie.
Irving said, they're just going out there to play there
(26:12):
only there because they couldn't find trade partners, and they're
just gonna go out there and play. And there's gonna
be a lot of nights like this. I mean, you
get you get blown out by a team that that
that's one of the big rising teams in the NBA.
I get it, but this is Opening night. You're at
home and you were never in the game. Yeah, and
not only that, but you were coming back from a
very disappointing getting swept out of the playoffs. Didn't have
(26:32):
everybody all the drama during the summer. I mean, the
Warriors went through their drama and obviously defending champions, but
you saw how they came out, and they came out
and they played sloppy or whatever, but they found a
way to come together. There was a resilience there and
and for me, that's the biggest thing missing with the
(26:53):
net And if we're gonna make comparisons, I see the
same thing with the Lakers, only the next that's so
much more talented. They're they're loaded with talent, But in
both cases, I don't see any leadership when things get tough,
and things are always going to get tough, and things
were tough last year, and things were tough over the summer.
(27:14):
So you meet someone who is going to galvanize you
and bring you together. Who is that with the Net?
Who who leads them and brings them together? That's what
is missing. And I would say the same with the Lakers.
We know what Lebron is capable of when he's engaged,
but I would say the same thing with them, Like
(27:35):
I'm I was at the game last night. Uh, Lebron
could not be more disengaged than than he was last night.
I mean even the preseason when we see somebody gathering
guys and talking it up, who's doing it? It's Pat
Beverley and everybody's like, oh, Lebron's James can listen to
Pat Beverley. But Russ Westbrook camps and I'm like, why
is Pat Beverly talking to Lebron? James? Wait a minute,
(27:58):
We're let's we got we gotta get this equaze it
a little bit differently. There's something wrong here, but it
ain't that. So I just I had high hopes for
the Nets. I really, you know, as you guys may know,
I did a survey for Fox Sports dot Com. I
talked to a collection of twenty coaches, GM, scouts, UM
(28:20):
people at every level in the NBA. And one of
the things I asked them was, you know what's the
biggest boom or bus team in in the n b
A And that's where first, Lakers were second. And I
don't see the boom possibility for the Lakers, but I did,
I did, and maybe I still do see it for
the Nets. But you couldn't come out with a more
(28:42):
disappointing performance, and if you look at their next four games,
it doesn't get any easier. And my concern is that
to the point that you guys made right from the
start like this looks like a team that's just looking
for a reason to throw in the towel, and they
may get reason very early on, and that could potentially
(29:04):
change everything as far as what Josiah and Sean Marks
do with this team going forward. Can you name names
of who was saying boom for the Lakers, because I
want to fade anything they're trying to tell me, right,
come on, UM, I cannot an anonymous survey because I
(29:24):
will say it was five of the twenty and this
is where like I didn't I just asked people for
their answers. I didn't debate them in some cases them
to elaborate. UM. I think what the Lakers, the way
they looked at it was if they can make it
to the playoffs, they could be a tough out because
that's when the game slows down, that's when their experience
(29:47):
takes over. Um. You know, that's when now Lebron's got
someone to play for, a D has got something to
play for. I just don't see how Honestly, I don't
see how they're going to make the play off because
there's only two teams from last year that are worse,
and that's the Jazz and the first that finished ahead
(30:07):
of the Lakers. And as I'm looking at both the
Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trailblazers, UM, I like the
potential of those guys getting better as the season goes
on than I do with the Lakers. I just and
and this is the number one thing that the Lakers
don't have. That it doesn't matter how well Lebron and
(30:30):
a D play, it doesn't matter how many games they play.
They can't defend the three. And they can't shoot the three,
and that is such a massive disadvantage that you have
to be so efficient in every other element of the
game to compensate for that, and they're just not capable
(30:52):
of doing that. Rick to follow that, were you surprised
Lebron went to the stand up comedian role talking about
the shooting woes. You addressed it right off the jump.
That's what exactly exactly what I mean, does Lebron does
he feel this? Does? Does does? What's coming off of
it doesn't gives a vibe that he's all in and
(31:13):
he's looking to drag this team to someplace or is
he looking at it going, yeah, we're not gonna be
any better than we were last year. And let me
just get you know, I mean, I was told by
someone um connected with the team that last year he
made the decision, we're not going anywhere, so let me
(31:33):
try to do something historic and let me try to
win a scoring title at age thirty seven, um, And
that's where his attention was. It wasn't trying to win,
it wasn't trying to get to the playoffs. It was, uh,
it was kind of given up on that aspect and
let me do something that's going to add to my resume.
And I thought, Okay, let me see what happens this year,
(31:56):
because this team isn't isn't any better. He can't be
looking at it going we got any better of a
chance of playing for a title this year than last year?
How is he going to approach this? And based on
what you said, like, there's just this lighthearted kind of
oh well approach. And I'm looking at this team and
they need somebody to light, you know, light a fire
under them. Leron does not seem to be the guy
(32:19):
who feels that or does not sound like the guy
who wants to do that. Rick Buker with us the
Jason Smith who with Mike Carmen live from the tire
Act dot Com studios. All right, so from the bottom
of the Western Conference. I'm gonna give you the big
bull prediction I made earlier in the show, and I
want you to tell me why you think of it.
You're ready, Okay, this is the year that John Morant
(32:41):
becomes the best player in the NBA and he takes
the Grizzlies to the NBA Finals. Didn't we have a
conversation about this a week ago? We talked a little
bit about John Morant, and I told you where I
was leaning, and I'd love to pick the Pelican. I'd
love to pick the Grizzlies Pelicans Western Conference Finals. But
I just I just that would I would think that
Zion's got to play for sixty games and through the playoffs,
(33:03):
and I just can't see that happening. But boy, i'd
love to see that. That would be something. But I'm
a big believer in the Grizzlies and John Moran. I
think that he becomes the best player and he wins
the m v P and a team that's already good defensively,
when Jaren Jackson comes back, they'll be better. They'll make
whatever trade they need for a shooter when they need
to at the deadline, and I'm a big believer them
this year. I love the argument that you're making, and
(33:27):
I my heart wants to go with you because I
love everything about John Moran. I love that he's you know,
he's following up his collegiate underdog persona and he's brought
it to the NBA and he's not looking he's looking
to lift Memphis, not get out of Memphis. Um. He
plays with such energy, he's without question. He's the most
(33:50):
electric player in the league. I just big picture, I
don't know if they overall are better without the Anthony
Melton and Kyle Anderson. Kyle Anderson to me, is quietly
one of those lynch pin guys that doesn't need the
ball and affects the game in so many ways. And um,
(34:14):
and I think they're going to miss him sooner rather
than later. I like their team, and I liked you,
I like job, but I just I don't I don't
see them taking that step forward this year. Maybe Jah
does individually, but I don't know that they're going to collectively.
And the one thing for him to be the best
(34:36):
all around player, you said, you know you're worried Zion
play sixty games. I John has to figure out a
way to score and do all the things that he
does without going fifteen feet in the air, you know,
six seven times a game and landing because he's not
going to be able to last physically playing that way.
(34:59):
And then the other part is is defensively, he has
to he has to get better. Um, he's he's lacking
at that at that end of the floor, and there's
so much energy he puts an offensively understand it. But
if we're talking best player in the league overall, that's
where I need to see the most improvement. Yeah, we
all cringed when he went up and well it ended
(35:20):
up being a charge. But he goes up in the
air like that. It's like, please Land properly learned how
to roll and take a bump. Go to the w
W E school. Yeah. Yeah, when there's there's just you know,
there's there's no guarantee. You know, when you're up in
the air and you just you're off balance and maybe
you come down to brace your fall and now you've
got a sore wrist or sore ankle and and again.
(35:41):
Because of the way he plays, all of that just
you know, becomes compounded. And the way they play because
they play such an up tempo game. I love their game.
I mean I love everything about their Taylor Jenkins one
of my favorite coaches. I'm a I'm a Dylan Brooks fan.
I like the fact that he the stuff that he
talks Desmond. You know, who whoever thought are Arnold Schwarzenegger
(36:03):
could shoot three? I mean it's just an right. So
I there's there's so much for love about them, But
I feel as if you know you you might be
ahead of the curve just a little bit. But who you, Hey,
who knows that's the way, that's the way you put
your name in life. Do you call it before anybody
else saw it? He's on Twitter at Rick Buker. That
(36:26):
is at Rick Buker, a guy who said, tonight, Hey,
with twelve NBA games, my viewing decisions are easy. Pelicans, Nets, Calves, Raptors, Bulls, Heat,
mav Sons, Blazers, Kings. Not one place did he say,
Nick's Grizzlies, Not one place, didn't have been didn't have
in your metal standing him? Your top six, not your
(36:46):
top seven, Ricky, You're out of character. You wound me.
Matt Matt Buker was on Nick tell him to get
a jump shot for r J Barrett the holiday season.
Matt Matt Buker has Julius Randall on his new podcast.
Oh he's on Twitter at Rick Buker. That has Rick Buker.
(37:11):
Also check out the On the Ball with Rick Buker
podcast as well, and all is latest for Fox sports
dot Com. Rick has always buddy appreciated. We'll talk to
you next week next year. Here we come
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Carmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
live every weeknight from ten pm to two am Eastern
seven to eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find
your local station for The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every night on the I Heart Radio app by
searching fs R. This is the best of The Jason
(00:23):
Smith Show with Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio. Greetings
and welcome inside The Jason Smith Show with my bas
friend Mike Harmon hobo broadcasting live from the ti iract
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there an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection,
(00:43):
and over ten thousand recommended installers ti iract dot com
the way tire buying should be Well. We have a
lot of stuff happening right now. Every other batter for
the Astros is hitting a home run McCormick and Schmick.
A lot of big NBA game is on the real
opening night coming down of the wire. The Knicks are
down by a point right now, with twenty seconds left
(01:06):
to go. I'm feeling for the next buddy, I'm feeling it. Yeah,
Desmond Baine went back to the locker room, pulled up
on one of the last possessions for the Grizz to
keep an eye on that. Uh you had a couple
of times when they literally just came up and took
John Morant's money. But as we you and I start speaking,
he's uh calling everybody to say, uh, well, you're done
because he just hit a backdoor lay up. You know
(01:28):
he does that that. I mean, for a guy that
has made that kind of his signature, move that little
back door and that long because he's got such long arms.
He goes into that lefty layup. You can't block it.
I mean it's impossible. It's almost like a like it's
a different version obviously, but remember Mona Genobli always had
that left handed let you couldn't block because he was
able to just square his body so much. But John
(01:49):
Ranch is able to get to the hoop and then
just give you that big long scoop scoop up and
score reminiscent of the old Doctor j Highlights said he
saw your guy, Julius Randall had no chance. Yeah, he
went through. He went by three Knicks to get that land.
So the Memphis Grizzlies, thanks to John Morant, lead the
Knicks right now one oh eight, one oh five with
eight seconds left to go. We got some big stuff.
(02:10):
Make our big NBA Finals predictions tonight here on the show.
But this is that I've seen some really bad basketball
by some of these teams after one night. Yeah, I mean,
I might go so far as to say the Lakers
won't win the title. I I whoa, whoa, that's over
(02:32):
the line. Smoky's over the line. Uh, yeah it is. Look,
that's the best part of the NBA, and we we've
talked about this is that every night for the first
month of the season feels like Opening Ua. You got
I mean really for the first month because you get
big teams and then you get big matchups in the
(02:52):
first time we see them. It's always so incredibly interesting. Look,
that's what the NBA has dined out on for a
long time. It's not Opening Night, it's month of the NBA.
And then he get to Christmas when this season really
really kicks into gear. But I mean Opening Night, you
get it every night for you know, for for a
good month. And right now we're watching the Knicks try
to send this game. Oh wow, it's three. Oh the
(03:16):
next tiet, Oh, the next tiet You thought the Mets
shop was annoying. American VP m v P m v
P m v P all three second Cam Reddish with
a three from the corner to send the gate well
(03:36):
to night. Three seconds left. They're saying three seconds is
a long time. It's a long time. But oh buddy,
Cam Reddish finds up opening on the side, drills the three.
He's got twenty off the bench for the next or
Rick Buker came on the show and said he talked
to a big time scout has been in the league
for a long time and said, listen, Cam Reddish is
(03:56):
the most talented player on the Knicks. It's just getting
him to get to that level. But he is the
most talented player on the Knicks, and here he is
now finally getting some minutes. Twenty three minutes off the bench,
He's got twenty points and he hits the three with
three seconds left. The Knicks are going to the Nixer
going to the final fourth year in the league. He
just turned twenty three last month, so there we go.
(04:20):
I really did enjoy that, though, they let's talk about
the get did it's opening night? It happened. He hit
the three, Jason, Yeah, what's you do know? John Muran's
gonna hit a bucket here. Of course, he's gonna be
able to drive the lake, of course, and scoop another.
He's gonna take three steps and he's gonna start from
half court and his left arm is gonna extend. It's
(04:41):
gonna be it's gonna be a layup. That's gonna But
Jarius Randall does have the mixer playing well tonight. Man.
I'm telling you the sleep on the Knicks at your
own because you get seven, seven or fifteen time outs
per half. Take the ball into the front court. It
is a lot and he gets an up tunity and
doesn't count. No, he called an offensive fensive foul. Oh
(05:05):
I need more of Albert offensive no, no, no, offensive foul.
Often it was called on the court offensive foul, offensive foul,
offensive foul, offensive foul, offensive foul. I'm putting it out
there to make it happens. Sure there is Jalen Brunson
steps in front. That's an offensive foul. He was set.
(05:27):
He was set offensive foul. The Nicks get to inbound
with a chance to win it with half a second left.
Here's the throut. We go to overtime. Overtime. I'd be
a great play by play guy for the NBA, wouldn't I.
I was really glad you did that like ten seconds
after it happened. That would be awesome. We're on the delay.
It's okay. Your computer is ahead of what I'm watching
on TV here, so it's okay, okay, so I see
(05:50):
what happens. I know what's going on, all right, But
look at that. Look at that he look at this.
It's not a terrible call. It's a good call. It
was the right call he set. He said he wasn't sick.
Yes he was. He was. It's the rest of his body.
He got to be still. You can't be moving around
trying to get your forearms up trying to block. No. No,
(06:10):
you'd be the worst color analyst ever. That's not what
happened on the catcular move by John Morant at the buzzer,
and the Grizzlies win by two, so they're putting point
five seconds back on the clocks, not by us at all.
That's where that's where I would have, Well, wait, will
we see what I have to say about the Grizzlies
coming up in a few minutes. Let me just say this. Listen,
(06:33):
that did not happen every putting time time for that charge. Okay,
hang on, this is what happened. There is no time
to put back on the clock. We're just going to
fight about fishing. Gon fight about it. I don't care.
And what that referee if you tell people that that's
what's you can't say that time back on the clock
and they're gonna know the game is going to overtime.
(06:56):
That's no stop you guys. We gotta tell the truth.
What's wrong with you? You say the Mets are always good? Listen, listen, listen,
Maybe you need to come off the bench. Maybe you
need to come off the bench now. And how do
you guys both feeling you know what? Honestly and and
really I'm rooting for the Padres. I realized their fans already.
(07:20):
It took no time at all. Look, I can't I
can't root for the Phillies. I can't watch another n
L East team that's not the Mets win the World Series.
I can't watch the Nationals do it, and then the
Braves do it, and then the Phillies do it. I
can't have that happen. I under can't have it. Yeah,
that game is going to overtime. Yes, I was just
telling my Marvel alterna universe where reality really should have
(07:43):
played out. Because that was not a charge. It was
It wasn't one. It was why did they keep showing
at night? Because it's showing because they're showing you, because
it's the Knicks broadcast, and they're showing you the smart
play that Jalen Brunson made the twenty five million dollar
a year. Man. I'll give him his credit. He gave
him self up. It's not the next broadcast, that's where
(08:05):
the Knicks broadcast. Look, No, there's more. He's in the
States the game from Rose seven. It's the the Knicks
broadcast ESPN. That's the Knicks broadcast. He talking about Frost
progacy right there. So more on this game as it
goes to overtime. Now it is to overtime. There's other games,
and let's get to one of them, because tonight we
(08:26):
watched the New Orleans Pelicans absolutely dismantle the Brooklyn Nets
one thirty to one oh eight. A big night for
basically everyone in the Pelicans uniform. Zion had twenty five
and nine. Ah, he looked great, he looked healthy. Brandon
Ingram was seven and five. It was all the starters
were big for the Pelicans tonight, and they just waxed
(08:49):
the Nets. This game was never close once you got
to know the third quarter, it was all Pelicans. And
for everybody who seems to think because no one wants
to say what they think about the Nets, because I
noticed one for everybody who talks about the Nets, no
one wants to say it's done. They're not going to win.
I mean, I'll say they're done. I told you for
three they're done. They're not gonna win with this lineup,
(09:09):
but nobody wants to say it because no one wants
to have people on social media go, uh, you said
the Nets couldn't win, and look at them in the finals.
So what everybody and all experts have gone to is
the Nets can either win the title or miss the playoffs.
What a big swing of No, nobody can win the
title or miss the playoffs. The Nets aren't good. They
don't have people buying in. Kevin Durant is there because
(09:33):
they couldn't work out a trade. Kyrie Irving is there
because they couldn't work out a trade. These guys are
gonna be there punching the clock until something happens and
they either find their way off the team or something
else occurs and Kevin Durant gets named the new head coach.
But this is what it is with the nets. And
you watch Ben Simmons in his debut tonight, you talk
about rusty in twenty three minutes four points, five rebounds,
(09:55):
five assists, and he fouled out of you're calling that
rust and he fouled out of the game, and that
that's where we're at in the Ben Simmons. Well, I'm
not gonna say rush because that's telling you in two
weeks Ben Simmons when he played, Look, he doesn't shoot,
but he does a lot of other things very well.
I can't. I can't say the guy doesn't because he does.
(10:17):
But to come back and he's okay, Ben Simmons is
gonna be the number three guy for this team. Four
points five us, his five rebounds and six fouls he
had played anything else, Yes, I'm glad. I mean that.
That's the bottom line here is that he got back
on a court. So say what we will about what
the season becomes for him and expectations whatever else. The
(10:39):
long road began with just putting on the uniform and
getting out on the court. Now twenty three minutes and
minus twenty six it's not gonna be good for anybody.
And if you're not gonna be willing to shoot, then
that's still a problem. But if you don't have to,
you don't have to. If this is don't worry, will
all these other people will shoot the kay I'll shoot,
(10:59):
Kyriel shoot. Don't worry about it, and you don't have
to shoot at all. Okay, So I mean you're still
looking and they don't have their shooters yet. All those
guys are still hurt. They're all still on. They're on
the Lakers right now. The Lakers have all the shooters,
didn't you hear they have all the shooters. Lebron is
so happy with all the shooting. We have so many
options on this team, you know what, Everybody can make
a shot. I like the fact that he's got a
great sense of humor about it already, know I mean,
(11:20):
we don't exactly have guys shooting lasers out like he's
doing a stand up back. You might as well have
done a five minute rant. No, But just to think
about the Nets for a second, is every year we
feel like we are on the cusp of well, the
Knicks are gonna put it all together. They're gonna win.
The Nets are gonna put it all to the Knicks,
and Nicks are close. The Nets are gonna put it
(11:41):
all together. They're gonna win the championship. You can't count
out Kevin Durant, can't count out Kyrie Irving, because we
have the memory of these guys being such great players,
and still from time to time they can put on
a show, Kevin Durant much more frequently than Kyrie Irving.
But the bottom line is this is not a really
good team. They're not invested in winning, and they're just
gonna go out there and play until divine intervention comes
(12:03):
and either, hey, the trade happens and Kyrie Irving becomes
a Laker and Kevin Durant goes to Denver whatever it
winds up being, and then we're gonna move on. So
that's going to be the Nets. They're punching a clock
until something happens. They're only together because nobody could figure
out what the best way to go forward was. The
Nets realized we can't get as much for Kevin Durant
as we thought, so we're not going to give them away.
(12:24):
They're gonna have to recalibrate and understand it's a different
landscape than it was two and a half years ago.
So they're all just together because right when you're and
when you're together, because you're not gonna win. So I'll
tell you, I'm not believing that's I have it in
three years and I've been right the entire time, the
entire time. But if people want to hide back, they
can either win the title or they can be I
don't know, I don't know. Just come, I'll just pick
(12:45):
a side pickle. If you're wrong, you're wrong, picko Lane.
Have a very long ran to go on the other
side of that, but we'll get to that in a minute.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific, Fox Sports Radio The Jason Smith Show with
My best friend Mike Harmon live from the tire Act
dot Com Studios. The Breeders Cup World Championships coming to Kona,
(13:06):
Keenland November fourth and fifth. Don't miss the World's Best
Thoroughbred's race for their share of thirty one million dollars
of purses and awards. Visit Breeders Cup dot com to
watch all the action live. On November four and five,
ye three seconds left and overtime, the Grizzlies lead the
Knicks one fifteen one twelve. Ties Jones with a three
(13:29):
to give Memphis a three point lead to Knicks have
the ball again with three seconds left, hoping to try
to force double overtime, and Evan four and misses from
the corner. Memphis winsto overtime one fifteen to one twelve.
That was how did they not give Allan Houston the
ball right there? They should have. They're finally done. That's
(13:52):
why they didn't give the ball. Listen, we don't have
to where we're done paying you, We don't have to.
Good for that guy. Man, You want to talk about
a contract, people can play about today's contracts. We can
go back in history and find a few. Yeah, great
googly movie, my guy R. J. Barrett, though, did gave
me nothing today? No? Well not every Knick could have
(14:13):
a good three of eighteen from the field, oh for
six from three point range eleven points, eight boards and
a plus minus of zero. You played thirty eight minutes,
you got the plus minus of zero. Well, it was,
it was. It was a three point I know, but
generally you still have some variants when when you got
a guy out of court that long, but Reddish gave
(14:34):
you a great effort. He went sixteen sixteen Reddish and Hartenstein.
That's found money. Tom Thibodeau grew an entire beard in
the amount of time it took for that game to play. Now,
let me tell you two things coming off of this game.
Number BI stuck. No, come on, stop, not this year.
Uh sleep on the Knicks at your own peril. The
(14:55):
Knicks are gonna be fine. They're gonna be fine. They're
gonna be a playoff four seed, five seed middle the packet.
Because listen, they lost. They lost on the roadway. Wait,
just wait, what's worse. The two ways to improve your
team in the NBA the fest as you get a
superstar or you get a point guard. That's the mix
(15:17):
did They went out and got Jalen Brunson, Who's exactly
what they need. Because now all the Knicks players they
don't have to worry about playing different positions and r. J.
Barrett doesn't have to slide between shooting guard and small forward,
and Forty doesn't have to slide between small ford. Guys
can play different spots, and they can and they don't
have to worry about moving around as much as they
did a year ago. The Knicks are gonna be fine
because they have a lot of talent and Brunson's the
(15:39):
guy they needed to bring it all together. It's gonna
take them a little while. They'll probably meander for a
little bit, and then it will be very similar to
the year they had two years ago, where once you
got to the midway point of the year, they started
stacking wins and it's it's you know, they went three
out of four here and then two out of three,
and three out of four and two out of three. Uh,
that's going to happen. The Knicks are talent. They have
a really deep rotation. As you can see opening night,
(16:02):
cam Reddish finally gets to play and look at what
and look at what he does right, He sends the
game to overtime with the Big Three from the corner.
Hartenstein is great. You know why they went out to
get him and made him a priority. The Knicks are
gonna be fine. I am not worried about the Knicks
this year, right, the Mets. The Jets five a year ago,
sixteen games behind your Miami Heat. Like the long road
(16:23):
we we talked about it. You gotta start somewhere, and
you gotta begin a rebuilding process. Part of that is
Thibodeau starting to trust those younger players. And but I
mean Reddish coming over, right, there was a lot of
you know you you mentioned the Rick Bucker quote earlier
of hey, he's the most talented guy here. But he
wasn't a guy that Thibodeau trusted at all because he
hadn't had regular minutes in Atlanta before he comes over.
(16:47):
And now you're trying to fit him in. And what's
key with Thibodeau, You've gotta be able to buy in
on playing some level of defense, at least showing that
you're given. You can't just say, hey, listen, whoa, I
don't you can't do the Bill Murray spaces Champ, whoo,
I don't play defense? Right in Atlanta, you were able
to do that for for long stretches, especially as a
role player, bench guy trying to break through, which is
(17:08):
part of the reason he hadn't, but you get a
full off season of getting Tibbs, coaching him up and
recognizing that sense of urgency. I mean, your bench guys
came up big. So opportunity knocks for the Knicks to
at least make some strides. Eastern Conference, as we know,
is UH is just as deep as the West at
this point when you when you look at it, you
may have two or three teams at the head of
(17:30):
the pack, but there's nine or ten teams that really
look the same. Yeah, and I know, Look, the Knicks
have good young talent. Now it's time to trust it.
And this is I believe in the bounce back. Did
you say trust the process, trust the trust the process.
I don't think the Knicks have a pricess trust the
We're gonna throw this all up at a wall and
see what sticks. That's the Knicks process. But at least
they got some sticky stuff. They got sticky stuff with
(17:51):
the other the other they are the spider tack of
the NBA. I did that. But the thing that needs
to stick is consistent effort from Julius Randall. And you
saw it tonight. A couple of old a defense kind
of opportunity especially against Morant. But I mean that's a
big guy trying to match the footwork at John Morant
and the length. That's okay. Then I'm telling you that
(18:11):
Knicks are gonna be fine. The Knicks are gonna be fine.
Now you want to go big game hunting, You want
to go big Gamelies, go big game hunting. Tonight it
was a big night for John morand and we're gonna
say that every single night in the NBA calendar this year.
Moran did it basically all by himself Tonight again, something
we're gonna say throughout the calendar year thirty four and
opening night to go along nine assists and four rebounds.
(18:34):
Everything they needed him to do, he did. Uh, this
is the year where two things are gonna happen. This
is the year John Moran becomes the best player in
the NBA and he takes the Grizzlies to the NBA Finals.
Look at you, the people forget last year the Grizzlies
without John Moran pushed the Warriors to six games. The
(18:55):
Grizzlies are a pretty good defensive team, and that was
the team the Warriors had the most of a culty
with all right. Game one against Boston. They had tough time,
but the rest of the series was a Warrior's walk over.
But the series with the Grizzlies, the Grizzlies gave them
so many problems, and John Morant missed it. He was
out early in the series. You're talking about a guy
(19:15):
who was a top five ish NBA player, uh, missing that.
They're not deep with scorers. But this is a team
that can make that move at the deadline, right. You
don't need to be that team coming out of the gate.
And and let's get to the top of the Western Conference.
We gotta make sure we win sixty five games. You
can have home court all the way through. That's not
quite the end all be all like it used to be.
(19:38):
The Grizzlies are gonna be really good. They were a
top two team in the conference last year. And as
long as John Morand stays healthy, they're going to win
and they're gonna go to the NBA finals. Jaren Jackson
coming back is gonna be a big deal because they're
missing him right now. Depends when he comes back, and
hope he comes back earlier, comes back sometime in December
would be okay. So they're gonna get by without him,
But with John Morant, you can get by the regular
(20:00):
season without some guys for a long period of time.
This is the same system again, you're turning over some
really good players. Hopefully Bane is okay. He left the
game tonight with an injury at the end. But I'm
telling you, man, give me the Grizzlies in the NBA Finals.
In fact, I would go so far as I would
go Grizzlies Pelicans in the Western Conference Finals. But I
just can't trust that Zion is going to be healthy enough.
(20:22):
Is that Is that team good enough with even even
if he were to be hurt, because you saw what
they did last year right the second half of the season.
Those guys started to gel and there were a lot
of There was a lot of talk that Zion would
have been healthy enough to come back and play, and
that he was held back. One just why why risk
it at that point if you can buy him another
(20:43):
three or four months of rehab, diet, exercise, all that
stuff and make sure that he's completely sound. The other
ones that they were fearing that it would room chemistry
if suddenly he said, all right, we gotta find thirty
minutes for Zion Williamson when you've got your rotations working
as well as they did. I thought it was a
cool little piece. There are our friend Jan Hale doing
(21:04):
the postgame interview, and pretty much the entire team came
over to do an interview. Instead of one guy, you
had McCollum, you had Ingram, you had Zion, you had everybody,
And like there's there's a celebration and an energy they're
pushing forward that they're they're building out what was a
fantastic season, so they they could be in the mix
(21:26):
even if he were. And nobody wants to see this
because he is such a potential superstar in this league.
But I think they might be deep enough to still
be trouble for a bunch of teams. Instead of being trouble,
they'd be deep enough to be, hey, we're on a
collision course for for the for the Western Conference Final,
I toy with the Lakers. I mean that was like
a cat's Remember Warriors. Warriors are a year older. But
(21:51):
now they've got like four other guys that are gonna
take minutes to Draymond and those guys to play. You're
still gonna need stuff you most, you're gonna be able
to come in Yeah, they're gonna play the Lakers a lot.
Lakers kept up within thirty what they did they did,
and you were live betting, you kept watching that spread. Swell,
what the hell's happening? I'm getting more and more. You're
(22:12):
betting a Laker game. You got big problems? Is fair? Well,
it depends which way you're betting. I think if there's
no money to make the other way there is money,
there's just not a lot of money exactly. And when
you're gonna bet, you want to win a lot. Well,
but I mean if you do incremental you can. You
just take a little bits at a time and it
adds up to a big pious So I bet a
thousand dollars, what do I win? Ten? Oh? The thought
(22:36):
that that guy bet sixty thou dollars, how much does
he get back? I don't know how to do it.
And then in the NFL, if you're doing that, you're sweating.
Think about all those people playing in Survivor pools this year. Ah,
that's an easy win. They may not cover the nine
and a half or ten and a half or fourteen
and a half, but they're gonna win the game. And
then they go out and get buried. I'm gonna get
you bucket ears. Look if I thought that that Zion
(22:58):
could be healthy for sixty games and then through the playoffs,
but is he really going to The guy hasn't played
basketball in two years. What's he gonna have left when
it comes down to it at the end, right, I'm hoping.
I'm hoping he stays helping. He's so exciting he had
those two years. He's shocked Matthew Stafford at the start
(23:19):
of his career, he's injury prone, and then he doesn't
miss a game forever. So hopefully we see Zion and
he's able to keep his weight off. That's a big deal.
And and I don't I don't like to do that
to guys because, let's face it, I'm not exactly walking
around here. You know, your fitness model, But the reality
is the guys trying to be a pogo stick with
(23:40):
a huge upper body on on legs that are aren't
necessarily ready to support that. It's hard, man, hard, It's
a hard run at thirty six minutes of game I
I just I just don't. I just can't see him
being healthy enough to make that big run. I mean,
Morant and the Grizzlies. I'm all in at the who's
on the side of that battles? Are there? Be sure
(24:03):
to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show with
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(24:25):
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(24:46):
your podcasts. Rich give me hell Yeah. Rick Buker, Fox
Sports One NBA insider Can Raddish got on the court.
So what Nicks in the finals? Nick sweeping the finals?
What is it? Uh? Again? And you'd have to ask
Matt Nuker about that. He's the one who brokeer in it.
So it really depends on whether he decides to keep
(25:07):
tam with the Knicks at this point. Um, but if
he does, no, I'm not gonna go quite that far.
East is loaded. Although the way things look tonight, they
could be the best team in New York, which would
be an accomplishment. What do you make of that Ben
Simmons did get on the court? Rick? So, I mean
we celebrate little advances, don't we, uh, well, well as
(25:31):
Knicks fans, Yeah, I would say that that's pretty pretty
much par for the course, celebrating small, tiny advances. So yes, yes,
And then in that vein yes, taking his page from
the next the Brooklyn Nets should be celebrating that Ben
Simmons was on the court the same as Tom Thibodeau
decided that he would play cam Reddish. So I'm all,
(25:52):
I know they both lost, but they come on, we're
trying to be positive because they get season just beginning.
I look at the Nets and I see a team
that is punching a clock. K D is going to
punch the clock until something happens and either he's traded
or he becomes the head coach. Same thing with Kyrie.
Irving said, they're just going out there to play there
(26:12):
only there because they couldn't find trade partners, and they're
just gonna go out there and play. And there's gonna
be a lot of nights like this. I mean, you
get you get blown out by a team that that
that's one of the big rising teams in the NBA.
I get it, but this is Opening night. You're at
home and you were never in the game. Yeah, and
not only that, but you were coming back from a
very disappointing getting swept out of the playoffs. Didn't have
(26:32):
everybody all the drama during the summer. I mean, the
Warriors went through their drama and obviously defending champions, but
you saw how they came out, and they came out
and they played sloppy or whatever, but they found a
way to come together. There was a resilience there and
and for me, that's the biggest thing missing with the
(26:53):
net And if we're gonna make comparisons, I see the
same thing with the Lakers, only the next that's so
much more talented. They're they're loaded with talent, But in
both cases, I don't see any leadership when things get tough,
and things are always going to get tough, and things
were tough last year, and things were tough over the summer.
(27:14):
So you meet someone who is going to galvanize you
and bring you together. Who is that with the Net?
Who who leads them and brings them together? That's what
is missing. And I would say the same with the Lakers.
We know what Lebron is capable of when he's engaged,
but I would say the same thing with them, Like
(27:35):
I'm I was at the game last night. Uh, Lebron
could not be more disengaged than than he was last night.
I mean even the preseason when we see somebody gathering
guys and talking it up, who's doing it? It's Pat
Beverley and everybody's like, oh, Lebron's James can listen to
Pat Beverley. But Russ Westbrook camps and I'm like, why
is Pat Beverly talking to Lebron? James? Wait a minute,
(27:58):
We're let's we got we gotta get this equaze it
a little bit differently. There's something wrong here, but it
ain't that. So I just I had high hopes for
the Nets. I really, you know, as you guys may know,
I did a survey for Fox Sports dot Com. I
talked to a collection of twenty coaches, GM, scouts, UM
(28:20):
people at every level in the NBA. And one of
the things I asked them was, you know what's the
biggest boom or bus team in in the n b
A And that's where first, Lakers were second. And I
don't see the boom possibility for the Lakers, but I did,
I did, and maybe I still do see it for
the Nets. But you couldn't come out with a more
(28:42):
disappointing performance, and if you look at their next four games,
it doesn't get any easier. And my concern is that
to the point that you guys made right from the
start like this looks like a team that's just looking
for a reason to throw in the towel, and they
may get reason very early on, and that could potentially
(29:04):
change everything as far as what Josiah and Sean Marks
do with this team going forward. Can you name names
of who was saying boom for the Lakers, because I
want to fade anything they're trying to tell me, right,
come on, UM, I cannot an anonymous survey because I
(29:24):
will say it was five of the twenty and this
is where like I didn't I just asked people for
their answers. I didn't debate them in some cases them
to elaborate. UM. I think what the Lakers, the way
they looked at it was if they can make it
to the playoffs, they could be a tough out because
that's when the game slows down, that's when their experience
(29:47):
takes over. Um. You know, that's when now Lebron's got
someone to play for, a D has got something to
play for. I just don't see how Honestly, I don't
see how they're going to make the play off because
there's only two teams from last year that are worse,
and that's the Jazz and the first that finished ahead
(30:07):
of the Lakers. And as I'm looking at both the
Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trailblazers, UM, I like the
potential of those guys getting better as the season goes
on than I do with the Lakers. I just and
and this is the number one thing that the Lakers
don't have. That it doesn't matter how well Lebron and
(30:30):
a D play, it doesn't matter how many games they play.
They can't defend the three. And they can't shoot the three,
and that is such a massive disadvantage that you have
to be so efficient in every other element of the
game to compensate for that, and they're just not capable
(30:52):
of doing that. Rick to follow that, were you surprised
Lebron went to the stand up comedian role talking about
the shooting woes. You addressed it right off the jump.
That's what exactly exactly what I mean, does Lebron does
he feel this? Does? Does does? What's coming off of
it doesn't gives a vibe that he's all in and
(31:13):
he's looking to drag this team to someplace or is
he looking at it going, yeah, we're not gonna be
any better than we were last year. And let me
just get you know, I mean, I was told by
someone um connected with the team that last year he
made the decision, we're not going anywhere, so let me
(31:33):
try to do something historic and let me try to
win a scoring title at age thirty seven, um, And
that's where his attention was. It wasn't trying to win,
it wasn't trying to get to the playoffs. It was, uh,
it was kind of given up on that aspect and
let me do something that's going to add to my resume.
And I thought, Okay, let me see what happens this year,
(31:56):
because this team isn't isn't any better. He can't be
looking at it going we got any better of a
chance of playing for a title this year than last year?
How is he going to approach this? And based on
what you said, like, there's just this lighthearted kind of
oh well approach. And I'm looking at this team and
they need somebody to light, you know, light a fire
under them. Leron does not seem to be the guy
(32:19):
who feels that or does not sound like the guy
who wants to do that. Rick Buker with us the
Jason Smith who with Mike Carmen live from the tire
Act dot Com studios. All right, so from the bottom
of the Western Conference. I'm gonna give you the big
bull prediction I made earlier in the show, and I
want you to tell me why you think of it.
You're ready, Okay, this is the year that John Morant
(32:41):
becomes the best player in the NBA and he takes
the Grizzlies to the NBA Finals. Didn't we have a
conversation about this a week ago? We talked a little
bit about John Morant, and I told you where I
was leaning, and I'd love to pick the Pelican. I'd
love to pick the Grizzlies Pelicans Western Conference Finals. But
I just I just that would I would think that
Zion's got to play for sixty games and through the playoffs,
(33:03):
and I just can't see that happening. But boy, i'd
love to see that. That would be something. But I'm
a big believer in the Grizzlies and John Moran. I
think that he becomes the best player and he wins
the m v P and a team that's already good defensively,
when Jaren Jackson comes back, they'll be better. They'll make
whatever trade they need for a shooter when they need
to at the deadline, and I'm a big believer them
this year. I love the argument that you're making, and
(33:27):
I my heart wants to go with you because I
love everything about John Moran. I love that he's you know,
he's following up his collegiate underdog persona and he's brought
it to the NBA and he's not looking he's looking
to lift Memphis, not get out of Memphis. Um. He
plays with such energy, he's without question. He's the most
(33:50):
electric player in the league. I just big picture, I
don't know if they overall are better without the Anthony
Melton and Kyle Anderson. Kyle Anderson to me, is quietly
one of those lynch pin guys that doesn't need the
ball and affects the game in so many ways. And um,
(34:14):
and I think they're going to miss him sooner rather
than later. I like their team, and I liked you,
I like job, but I just I don't I don't
see them taking that step forward this year. Maybe Jah
does individually, but I don't know that they're going to collectively.
And the one thing for him to be the best
(34:36):
all around player, you said, you know you're worried Zion
play sixty games. I John has to figure out a
way to score and do all the things that he
does without going fifteen feet in the air, you know,
six seven times a game and landing because he's not
going to be able to last physically playing that way.
(34:59):
And then the other part is is defensively, he has
to he has to get better. Um, he's he's lacking
at that at that end of the floor, and there's
so much energy he puts an offensively understand it. But
if we're talking best player in the league overall, that's
where I need to see the most improvement. Yeah, we
all cringed when he went up and well it ended
(35:20):
up being a charge. But he goes up in the
air like that. It's like, please Land properly learned how
to roll and take a bump. Go to the w
W E school. Yeah. Yeah, when there's there's just you know,
there's there's no guarantee. You know, when you're up in
the air and you just you're off balance and maybe
you come down to brace your fall and now you've
got a sore wrist or sore ankle and and again.
(35:41):
Because of the way he plays, all of that just
you know, becomes compounded. And the way they play because
they play such an up tempo game. I love their game.
I mean I love everything about their Taylor Jenkins one
of my favorite coaches. I'm a I'm a Dylan Brooks fan.
I like the fact that he the stuff that he
talks Desmond. You know, who whoever thought are Arnold Schwarzenegger
(36:03):
could shoot three? I mean it's just an right. So
I there's there's so much for love about them, But
I feel as if you know you you might be
ahead of the curve just a little bit. But who you, Hey,
who knows that's the way, that's the way you put
your name in life. Do you call it before anybody
else saw it? He's on Twitter at Rick Buker. That
(36:26):
is at Rick Buker, a guy who said, tonight, Hey,
with twelve NBA games, my viewing decisions are easy. Pelicans, Nets, Calves, Raptors, Bulls, Heat,
mav Sons, Blazers, Kings. Not one place did he say,
Nick's Grizzlies, Not one place, didn't have been didn't have
in your metal standing him? Your top six, not your
(36:46):
top seven, Ricky, You're out of character. You wound me.
Matt Matt Buker was on Nick tell him to get
a jump shot for r J Barrett the holiday season.
Matt Matt Buker has Julius Randall on his new podcast.
Oh he's on Twitter at Rick Buker. That has Rick Buker.
(37:11):
Also check out the On the Ball with Rick Buker
podcast as well, and all is latest for Fox sports
dot Com. Rick has always buddy appreciated. We'll talk to
you next week next year. Here we come
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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