February 22, 2025 • 46 mins
Jason and Mike look forward to the upcoming NFL draft after the completion of the 2024 season. The NBA All-Star weekend is on life support and needs to be saved as soon as possible. Plus, the great Ric Bucher joins the guys and so much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
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Speaker 1 (00:29):
Greetings, Welcome inside, Happy Monday, The Jason Smith Show with
my bass friend Mike Harmon, Well dressed Hobo live from
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Tirerac dot Com is the way tire buying should be. Well,
here we are Monday night, and our focus is on hockey.
Nah Wildcats six seconds question mark at the end, cribs
(01:02):
on hockey wid uh. Yeah, this is how weird and
this is how bad and NBA All Star Weekend was, Well,
shouldn't we just complain for the next four hours? What
an awful week. They that's all we should do. I
think it's terrible.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
It was stomp up and down and tell everybody how
terrible they were. And if you were one of the
fourteen million people that watched it, you're a horrible person
who uses their time terribly.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Isn't that what we're supposed to do? All the players
didn't like the All Star Game, the fans didn't like
the All Star Game. The fans want a new All
Star Game. Everybody wants to criticize the NBA. They don't
know what they're doing. Why do they make these changes.
I don't like the short games. I don't like how
much time there is between games. I don't like the
fact that a rookie team can play on a Sunday night,
(01:46):
on a Sunday Draymond Green on a sudden I like
nobody had a worse weekend than the NBA. I mean really,
it was just I was like, okay, we're waiting. We
knew the game was gonna stink, we knew what was
going on wasn't gonna be great, and then here we
are it happens. Now It's okay, let's just unload on
the NBA. When the All Star Game was exactly what
(02:06):
we thought it was gonna be, you know. And that's
the thing is that the NBA All Star Game not
being good is not the decline and fall of Western civilize.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
It just it's everything. It's it's it's the T shirt,
it's an All Star shirt. Everything there is.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
There is such you know, a difference between the actual
impact of the All Star Game and what people thought
about and then what's being said about it, like like
a personal affront has been done to all the NBA
players and pundits and experts and analysts, like, I can't
believe the NBA put this out there. For me, it's
an All Star game. What the blank do you want
(02:43):
it to be? Man, it's an All Star game. It's here.
We're forgetting about it. We're moving on right that. That's
kind of what the All Star games are like that
you can't think back to, well, the All Star Game
was great, Yeah, it was great years ago.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
It was great.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
It was also the NBA wasn't as great because you
didn't see as many games, you didn't get to see
the players as much as you know, the NBA is
in a better place now than it was when the
All Star Game was great, it's an All Star game.
It's an All Star game. This is not somebody went
into your pocket and took money away from you. It
was an All Star I don't know what people want
it to be. This is a completely overrated topic. As
(03:15):
far as the impact of the All Star Game on
the NBA, Adam Silver is a failure. It's an All
Star game. What the hell do you want?
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Adam Silver should have just been holding up the numbers
seven and six the entire time. I don't care about
any of this, so that DV ratings don't matter. We
already got the bag seventy six billion dollars. You want
to complain about this, the sanctity of All Star Sunday,
the Draymond Green comments, I mean, that's about as laughable
(03:43):
as it gets.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
And for the players themselves, I give them credit.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
They actually look like they wanted to play basketball in
between Kevin Hart and everybody else having to yamor on
and do stand up comedy for fifteen minutes at a time. Yeah,
Shay Gilgess, Alexander be like, can I actually play basketball?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Can we just play basketball? Please?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
So if you'd actually done that in your three and
a half hours of televised time, which included thirty minutes
of basketball play. You know, you came for the basketball.
The rest of it's a fun side show. But when
the guys show up and actually want to play basketball,
guess what. Just roll the ball out and let him
play basketball. Let them do what they do in the
offseason and everything else. So yeah, it was fine when
(04:22):
they had other highlights. Mac mcglung comes out of nowhere
and answers the bats signal and gives you the big
dunk contest. I still think Stefan Castle should have won
because you know what, no props. But that's fine. That's
a whole other debate for another time. But the sanctity
of your product, no worry about getting guys staying healthy
(04:42):
and finishing out the twenty five games that are left.
Maybe re examine when you actually have your all star game.
Now that most of your teams have some opportunity to
sniff the back end of the playoffs, so there's meaningful
basketball had for all but maybe three teams in each
conference figure those things out, figuring out how to kiss
the asses of sponsors and then get a game on.
(05:05):
That doesn't matter as long as they glad handed the right, guys,
and took pictures. Everybody's happy, everybody goes home, all the
sponsors and the seventy six billion will be spent.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Now, you can't ask the game to be something it's not.
But now, what do you want? I don't know, but
I don't want this? Okay, Now the players are mad
and all kinds of stuff. I don't give me a solution.
Not this, I don't know. That's like my kid when
she was little.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Oh yeah, you'd hand her, you know, you'd put the
meal in front of her.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
And she'd go, that's not my favorite. I'm like, no,
I don't care. What do you want.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
I don't want this.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's not my favorite. Tell me something you want? No,
but I want something out No no no, not this,
not this, not no no no. But that's kind of
what it's been. And I get it because the backdrop
of it is the NBA All Star Game had to
watch where Okay, the NHL, which also has been a
we're gonna throw stuff up against the wall and see
(05:54):
what sticks, right, they have found something. Amazingly they found
Wait a minute, this whole four Nations thing is a
huge hit. Ah wow, And now they've hit on something
that is the best idea they've had in probably twenty years.
To go back. The best thing the NHL did was
well they came back from the lockouts. That's a pretty
(06:16):
good four on four overtime, three on three overtime and
eliminating the red line. And now this, like this is
the best thing the NHL has done. But this is
something that cuts through because now this four nation tournament
is a big deal. Yes, you saw the excitement what
happened over the weekend with the United States and Canada
and beating Canada three to one and booing our national
anthem and three fights in the first nine seconds in
(06:38):
Canada like Apollo Creed after winning tonight over filly goal.
We want you, we want you. And now Thursday night
is a Titanic game with the United States and Canada.
For this, like the hockey's figured out, Oh, this is
what the All Star situation should be. And they're stupid
if they don't go to this every year. Because the
(06:59):
one thing about high and this is a good and
bad is that when it's United States hockey, when it's
an Olympic or World Cup setting, everybody's all in all
of a sudden, it cuts through the clutter and becomes
the biggest sports story out there because of Miracle on Ice.
We all still remember, even if we're not old enough
to remember watching it, the impact of Miracle on Ice,
which is still purely the biggest sports story of my lifetime.
(07:19):
This is forty five years later, Like this is a
pure sports impact where it was, you're still feeling it
whenever it's Us against the world, whenever it's it's American pride, like, hey,
we get in on it now. The bad dudes for
hockey is that's really the only thing that people go
crazy for. But now you've seen that this is what
it should be every single year. And you already saw
NBA players saying, we want our own USA versus the world. Right,
(07:42):
we can't have USA. We're at different nations. Not enough
players are there that can make All Star teams. But
they want their version of that. And they talked about
it today and Jokich and Trey Young and hey, we
want this thing now. Because the NHL they figured it out,
this should be every single year. There should be no
All Star game in the NHL. You could still name
people all starts. Hey, congratulations, you're named an All Star,
(08:03):
meaning you get the designation of being an All Star,
and then you have the rosters for the four nation tournament,
which hey, next time next year.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Expand it.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Right, Obviously Russia is not playing this year because of
the sanctions because of the war in Ukraine. But you
have enough to get other teams. Hey, Germany will get
a team in probably next year. They'd have enough to
get in this year. But you expand this thing and
make it a two week you're shutting down the NHL
for two weeks. You can play a big round robin
with with six seven teams in, like everybody gets in
for this man, you would own this week on the calendar.
(08:31):
If the NHL is smart, they make this a permanent
thing and say this is how we're doing it for
the rest of the time. This ald All Star. They Hey,
we threw enough up against the wall. We finally got
something to stick. This should be it.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Oh, US versus the world? Right, And I mean go
through the history different iterations of this. I mean they're
saying that the what US went over Canada saying averaged
about four point four million users or viewers. I should
say that's pretty good number right on the grand scale. Well,
you're not getting NFL numbers, you're not getting college football
(09:02):
playoff numbers.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
But four point four million on a Saturday night.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
The way the things went viral immediately three fights and
nine seconds. I think the over undrowd fights was two
and a half. By the way, I think we had
that cashed nine seconds. So get that money back into
the batting fields immediately. But you tap into the national pride,
as you said, it's always going to be there, whether
it's the miracle on ice, whether it's just the general
(09:29):
geopolitical climate we've been in and have been living in
for I mean decided where you jumped in out there
listening wherever you are on the globe, right the iHeartRadio app,
all our affiliates, wherever you jumped in on that. But
national pride always comes in. I mean that's why they
lean into those ads hey made in the USA. How
(09:49):
many of those have you seen in the last year
or so? Right, leaning back into it. So if that's
gonna trickle down into the players, coaches and those rivalries
and national pride coming in, I mean, think about the
NBA All Star Game. What was the greatest line, But
we came out of Nikola Jokic going yeah, I miss Luca.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I wish he was here. We had a good lot
of good times.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Well they'd be paired together and though good times would
be Roland, no question about it.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
But all of that to say, yeah, you.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Got to try to find something in that formula that's
gonna get folks stoked and keep throwing stuff against the wall,
or just cancel it all together.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
You know what.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
It's a meet and greet, come down, sign some autographs,
take some photos, and just do an extension of the
week long convention that you've already got for the NBA,
the NHL for right now, Gary Bettman's got to be
loving this. Get a couple more teams involved, expand a tournament.
I think everybody's more than happy to break it down
because we've had two week breaks.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
In the past.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
We've seen extended spaces, you know, because of the international play.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Same thing here.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Just dial it up, give it another week and capture
whatever market that you can and sell the hell out
of your stars. Anybody that's going anywhere near a giant
milestone for themselves or on a career chart that should
be in the lower third. Constantly you are watching greatness.
Let me remind you, look.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Right now United States trailing Sweden two to one in
a game. The United States does not need Nobody named
Kulchuk is playing in this game. So just to let
you know, okay, really don't need this. Well, they got
to be ready to fight on Thursday. But look, but
that's the whole thing is that all these sports now
are looking for a way to try to jazz up
the middle of the season. Right The NBA is looking
at the mid season tournaments, the n season tournaments, the
(11:32):
NHL is looking. The NHL's found it, like they found
their mid season tournament. This is a very big deal.
Whatever you want to call this, the four nations, six nations,
a whatever it is. You come up with a real
swell name for it. It's becomes something that every year
everybody's gonna want to play for and everybody's gonna stop
and watch. It's a great place on the calendar. It's
right after the Super Bowl, before we get into the
(11:54):
combine a little bit. You have NBA All Star Weekend.
You're not really competing with anything. You have a nice
two week time tournament that ends with a championship and
some kind of metal, a gold medal. That's fine, it
doesn't need to be Olympics to be gold medal, but
they figured out the midseason tournament that everybody is going
to be in. Because you look at the attention that
this has right away. I think the NHL is going
(12:16):
to look back and say, Okay, what are the biggest
events of the last twenty five years and a few
years they're gonna look back and say Game one or
Game two for the United States, United States Canada in
the first four Nations, the brawl off, the beginning, everything
going with the national anthem and the hatred that Canada
has the United States, United States for Canada with the
whole are we going to annex Canada or not? Are
(12:37):
they going to try to annex California? Like we're gonna
look back at that moment and say, this was the
birth of that in hockey. And now they've they've taken
over and they figured it out. So again it's a
silver lining for the NBA. It's like, hey, keep throwing
stuff up against the wall, man, you never know what's
gonna stick. And the NHL clearly did it for a
long time and look, they found it, so NBA just
keep doing it.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Well for the NBA, they also found the you buried
in and they buried the lead there in. You know,
the end of tournament and playoff playing right, getting to
ten teams whatever we're calling that at this point, it's
sponsored by somebody at this point, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
But the fact that you've got teams.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Outside of the Mavericks a couple of years ago that
everybody takes it seriously if they can actually get to
that ten slot, because then you have a puncher's chance
to maybe make some noise. Right, you get guys healthy,
get the right matchup and your roll.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
We've seen it.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
We watch what the Lakers were able to do out
of those spots. We've seen the Warriors make make runs.
So you've already hit on that. You're not going to
bat a thousand. So for Adam Silver, it's trying to
figure out what the next iteration of things. And if
players are commenting on this hockey win to get on board,
then yeah, this is the next iteration. All right, this
(13:48):
didn't work. Everybody rated it terribly. Everybody said let's cancel,
including Kevin Durant. But if you get him back, I
mean he was crying talking about his USA basketball.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yes, I know.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
There's you're in Adam Silver, Well, I know I got him.
Who else can I get?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Joining us now the Hotline. For more on this Fox
Sports won NBA Insider Extraordinaire. Also check out the AMA
Ball podcast. He's on Twitter at Rick Buker. It is
Rick Buker. What's happening man?
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Right after or right before that, I put out there
on social media that LaMelo Ball is the most I
don't give a bleep player in NBA history. He takes
the most nonsensical shot and then he does that, which
still hasn't ice the game because we just had Lebron
(14:49):
James Burry Barry as three. But we'll see. There's still
the great possibilities to Charlotte Hornets being Charlotte Hornets so
they can give this game back.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, well, look, four and seventeen away from home. This
this will be an embarrassing loss of biblical proportions for
the Lakers.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
Yeah. Yeah, you know what's interesting is just listening. I'm
I'm listening to the Lakers broadcast, and man, they are
trying to hype the lebron Luca to the Answerstry and
I just have a question now, is there is anybody
put anything out on the books yet on who will
(15:29):
shoot the higher three point percentage? Bronnie James or Luca
Dantic Oh?
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Wow what No, I'm just what that what?
Speaker 5 (15:42):
No?
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Jj Reddick's going to be as mad at you as
he isn't me. That's going to happen many.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
After the question. I think it's I think, I mean,
right now, we got a one for nine, we got
we got Luca on a hot one for nine right now.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
He's on a heater and most of them are not close.
Where the shots I'd be putting up right, I mean, Rick,
it was like you know in the when you say
you remember that highlight in college basketball of Caitlin Clark
leaving that one player open to take a three, and
she kind of dismissed it with her hand like you're
not gonna make this, Like that's how open the horns
were leaving Luca tonight to take these threes that he
(16:17):
was missing. I'm like, yeah, hey, go ahead, look at
you shoot it. We know you're not gonna make it.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
Yeah, yeah, it's I mean, well, and the thing is
like nine of them. Dude, if you don't have it
going on and you're as great a player as Luca is,
then go and get something else. But but that's one
of my my big concerns with this combin combination of
Lebron and Luca is that Lebron because of age and
(16:44):
Luca because of conditioning, like they're settling for threes threes
and trying to make an impact from a scoring standpoint,
is the easiest, is the easiest and light least demanding
way to get to get buckets and you don't have
to run very far. You run into three point line.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I'm in shape because I could just go from three
point line to three point line. I'm good.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Yeah, yeah, that was del Curry would run from three
point line to three point lining. When he would run
from offense to defense to three point line. As soon
as he got to the three point line, he would
yell help and so he was he was covered and
uh yeah, So I just and it's really hard to
kind of get into shape during the course of the season,
(17:37):
and especially if you've been dealing with with some injuries.
So I am just again, I'm looking at the age
of Lebron. I'm looking at this the physical state of
Luka Doncic, and I'm not, uh, you know, I'm not
sold as seemingly so many people are, including our man
Jason this that this team is going somewhere and and
(18:01):
and the the Hornets having it actually played very fast
in this game because LaMelo will dri dribble the ball
the you know, the air out of the ball. But
that would be my plan whatever team I have, I
am running at every opportunity because I'm making Luca and
Lebron play transition defense at every turn. And and let's
(18:25):
see if they can maintain I don't even have to
shoot that Well, if I can get those guys, forced
those those guys to get up and down the court,
then I've got a good chance at continuing to make
them take long threes while they are fatigued.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Well, we do get the rare occasion where the globe
gets to watch LaMelo ball in a showcase game, So
you got that going for you. But coming out of
All Star Weekend, I mean, what, what's the the ultimate
takeaway of it all?
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Rick?
Speaker 5 (18:53):
Well, look, I'm not I'm not of the mind that
everybody else is. I mean everybody as bag really hard
on the All Star weekend, the All Star Games, even
players who once played in it, like Draymond Green. And
this is my thing. You know, there's things that I
don't care about. I don't pay attention to, and if
(19:17):
they're falling off, I'm really not that aware of it.
That's the great lie for me. People are complaining about
the All Star Games and saying this is the demise
of the NBA. Why is that what you want to
have happened? Because I don't know of any sport that
we judge the health of the league based on its
(19:40):
All Star Game? Do we do that with Major League Baseball?
Do we do that with the NFL? Do we do
that with the NHL? I mean, so why are we
Why are we looking at this weekend and the game
and the fact is, you know what with the new format, Okay,
so we're kind of up and down. I was curious.
It's almost like that. It's almost like the trick your
(20:02):
buddy pulls on you just made you look. The NBA
made people like we were all interested, we were all curious,
how's it going to work? And whether you thought it worked?
Or not. The fact is I tuned in and watched
because I've paid attention to it as I never have before.
And if I look at Saturday Night, Mac mcclungu and
(20:25):
Stefan Castle ended up giving us a dunk contest that
was memorable long way from Obi Top and winning it.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
So that's Nick's legend, Obie topping. Okay, Rick just got right, yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
Right, yeah, you know. I mean we even had a
few guys in the first round who were joining the
Chris Bird Anderson wing of the unable to our Mattice
b Zellous, like, dude, just do it, dunk. You can
actually convert, right, you don't get poisoner degree of difficulty
(21:02):
if you can't do We need to see the don Look,
I just I look at it as a whole. And
you had Steph Curry on his home floor winning MVP.
You had a fun and memorable dunk contest. You had
(21:22):
the Skills Challenge get more attention than it ever has. Okay,
So it was because the first tried to seat who
Caress ever has. And we're about to add two new
broadcast partners who paid a gazillion dollars in order to
broadcast games So I just I don't get where people
(21:47):
are looking at it and saying, you know, the NBA
is in in pre fall because because what because you
didn't like the format of the All Star Game. I
just I can't look at it that way.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Rick Buker with US, Jason Smith, Mike Carmon live from
the tirec dot Com studio. All right, now, you got
into a big topic that we talked about the other
night that I'm scratching my head, going, I don't get this.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Now.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Mac McClung has won three Slam Dunk Championships and he's
played in five NBA games. Okay, now I get that
he's a guy gotta come up playing the G League.
He's a G League MVP. How can he not get
on the floor not only how can he knocket on
the floor at the Magic. How does nobody trade from
How does the NBA not say, hey, this guy really
should should get a little bit more attention. I don't
(22:31):
understand how he can be this level of star, be
a G League MVP and not get more minutes.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
Well, I would say, number one, it's first of all,
he is with the Magic, and the Magic is one
of the better young teams in the league, and they
pride themselves on what on their defense first and foremost,
and so he would have to be a three and
D player if he was going to get minutes with
(23:00):
the Orlando Magic. And the fact is they've got pretty
good three and D players to play that role. He's
not going to. It's it's you see college players who
when they're the central player, when they're the primary player,
they can do amazing things, they can have triple doubles,
(23:22):
but when they get to the NBA, they're not going
to be given that role and they've got to be
a complimentary player. And so then it becomes a question
of what does mac McClung do that in a complimentary
role that he does it incredibly well, does he shoot
the three incredibly well? Does he defend incredibly well? Like
(23:46):
that's the avenue that he has to play. And just
because we have the Make a Wish program with Bronnie
James does not mean, I mean it really tells this
is this, this is what makes that such a farce
that a guy like Matt McClung normally in the NBA,
(24:07):
for all that he's done at the G league level,
at you know, in the Dunk Contest, all of that.
If you look at him, go wow, but he's not
you can't play an NBA role. It's not that he's
not a great guy, not that he doesn't work hard.
It's just you got to have that fit and uh
(24:31):
and otherwise it's really hard for a guy to get
on an NBA roster. So, you know, from from a
you know, a heartfelt standpoint, you see a guy who
has meant so much to the Dunk Contest and thereby
All Star Weekend, you'd love to see him be rewarded
for that. But the but the the bottom line is
(24:54):
NBA minute. Being on an NBA roster. You don't get
that for being a good like for anything other than
you can contribute to a team winning games. And there
are dozens and dozens of guys that are not in
the NBA who are fighting for one of those spots,
(25:15):
who are pretty damn good players who have accomplished an
awful lot outside of it. But but it just tells
you how difficult it is to be on an NBA roster.
And so I get it. I mean, there's a part
of me that wishes, you know, there was somehow, some
way he finds his spot, but I understand why he
(25:36):
hasn't to this point, in spite of everything else.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Time to trade him to the Wizard Rick from the
Magic to the Wizards. We did there, but on.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
The say, I'm good in Ostiola.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
I'm I'm a hero down here, and I come out
once a year and that's it, and everybody knows what
I can do.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
I don't want to, like, I don't want to go
and watch Jordan Poole do crazy stuff.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
All right.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
One thing that did go around all Star weekend some
rumors about a potential trade of Ja Morant by the
Grizz this off season. Zach Kleman's put out the statement saying,
we're gonna let our performance on the floor speak for itself.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Doft you protest too much?
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (26:18):
Yeah, I looked. Charles Barkley was the one who said
it only a hit dog hollers. In most cases, there
wouldn't even be reason.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
To address this.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
They have to address it because I assure you, jaw
Or his representation went, what are you guys doing? Are
you are you talking to people? What's what?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
What is this about?
Speaker 5 (26:45):
And so they've got to put out the fire. But
you know, if they're where there's smoke, there's there's something
going on. And and I'll say this too, like from
the report that I saw, uh, there is a habit
in the League of executives trading other teams players. Some
(27:07):
of it is we will think. Some of it is
we're like, we're preparing for the possibility. I mean, I've
been hearing for I've been hearing for years that Janniskapo
is going to be on the block at some point,
and at some point it is true.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Just keep saying it. Eventually, you'll be right. I told
you for years it was going to happen.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
Right, and this one the the you know, the caveat
was depending on how the season ends up, he could
potentially be on the block. Okay, well, what does that mean.
We're not at the end of the season. There's no
indication that are the Grizzlies like in last place. No, Like,
Grizzlies look like they're in they're they're in pretty good shape.
(27:52):
And and what I find I find the most interesting
about this subject is watching the Grizzlies this year since
Jah came back, they've really de emphasized his role. It's
not the John Morant show like he plays off the ball.
He has played off the ball more this year than
I've ever seen, and he's been effective as a result,
(28:14):
and he stayed relatively healthy as a result. So now
maybe he has an issue with that. Uh but and
and maybe that inspires a change, But as of right now,
I think he had I think I think the Grizzlies
had to say something to assure joh that that's not
(28:37):
what they're thinking. Even if that's what they're thinking.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
He's on Twitter at Rick Buker, that is at Rick Buker.
Make sure to check out the Latest on the Ball podcast,
all on how the Knick starting five might be the
best starting five in NBA history. Uh Rick, that's what
an hour and a half on that podcast?
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Is that what it is?
Speaker 5 (28:55):
Oh? No, that's that's the four part series right there.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Bro Oh right, it's so I'll have to watch a
TikTok video summing it up. All right, great, take it easy, buddy,
We'll talk to you next week.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Say Rick.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Now that we're starting to get closer to the NFL Draft,
the combines coming up. We're gonna meet all the different quarterbacks,
different players who are gonna come and say certain things,
and we're gonna wow some teams and some teams aren't
gonna be wowed.
Speaker 5 (29:30):
This.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
I love this story from cam Ward. All Right, the
Miami Hurricanes quarterback is gonna be one of the top
three guys taken in the draft. He'll be at worse
the second quarterback, probably gonna be the first quarterback taken overall,
but really is not gonna go any further than three.
Shouldn't un want something really crazy happen? Yeah, look I
(29:51):
saw a lot. Look I always say I watch ACC
football so you don't have to, and cam Ward has
all the If you think Jalen Milroe is terrific, cam
Ward is one of those guys that can just say, Okay,
we're down by twenty. Here you go and all of
a sudden you look up and go, how do they
do that? How is the game tied? Like he has
that kind of dynamite in the bottle to his game.
Speaker 5 (30:11):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
But last night, before getting the Davey O'Brien award as
the nation's top college quarterback, which should go in too
Calm a cord, How dare you? He was asked about
the draft and what about the teams who could be
taking him in the draft, and he said, quote, you're
either gonna draft me or you're not. If you don't
draft me, that's your fault. You gotta remember you're the
(30:32):
same team that's got to play me for the rest
of my career. And I'll remember that. He's gonna remember
all the teams that are gonna pass on him. You
gonna remember two teams, really, maybe one team, maybe no teams.
Maybe you go number one overall. The Titans say we're
gonna take it, really and maybe if the Titans they
want to trade out, they're not sold on cam Ward,
(30:52):
so maybe cam Ward goes to so the Titans. I'm
really I'm gonna I'm gonna hold it again. Every time
I played the Titans in my career, just might have
got it written down on the bullet We're that one team.
I'm gonna make them pay. Like I get If you're
falling through the draft, or you're someone who was projected
to be taken somewhere in the middle of the first
round or the end of the first round to say, hey,
you pass me up, I'm gonna make it personal. Okay,
(31:13):
because a bunch of teams pass on you put a
chip on your shoulder. But he's got a chip on
his shoulder where one team might pass.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
On that I'm thing where he memorized all of the
wide receivers and resent them before everything.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
At least that was a few. This is two teams,
I'll tell you. Do we play either Titans end or
Brown's okay? All right, Just want to make sure because
they're gonna feel the holy hell that I have in
my arm. The wrath of cam Ward is coming for them.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
Do you have the oddity of things like I don't
know when Aaron Rodgers went towards the back of the
first round and sat in the green room a long time.
When I went to the two thousand and six draft,
I mean, the last guy to come out of the
green room was Matt Liner and he was still top
ten guy.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
It seemed like forever, and then was nineteenth. It's a
lot of teams saying no, imagine what Kenny pick It says, Well.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
He's super Bowl champion, he doesn't care. Yeah, yeah, Kenny
Pickett's good.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Point.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
So he's got that going for him. But all of
that to say, look, if this is what's gonna fuel you,
just the idea, or or we read between the lines.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
He's already been.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Told by all these teams he's he's dropping like a
like a lead balloon, like a lead I.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Think I think we would know that. I think we
would know that. Hey, we're gonna lay off a cam
Ward here. Man, I'm looking for hot I'm looking for
clicks here. Dude, there's nothing or one team that doesn't
take me pays for it the rest of my career.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
No, it's better that the ward evidently knows he's dropping
in the draft.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
You take me Tennessee, or I'll make you pay when
we play you once every four years. However long time
in the league.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
You just wait, I might see you two or three
times if I just stay with that originally, Just wait
when it comes down when it's our turn to play
the AMC South. You just wait some believable like whatever
you find your motivation, right, I can't fault.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
It's not even real.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
It's not even real.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
But if it's real to him his mind, the worst
thing is he falls to the Giants and it's okay, okay.
So now I'm in the NFC, so it's gonna be
like one every eight years. I'm gonna play you Cleveland
or you tense. I got twenty thirty four circled on
my calendar right away, but hot takery.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
He was tired of seeing all sorts of stuff about
the Sanders family and he wanted in on the party.
A lot of thought pieces about Shiloh not being invited
to the combine. Here's Dion responding to this. Here we're
talking about the Manning's at Archie Manning a year from now,
two years from now, whatever that becomes. All of that
to say, cam Ward knew he had to go cliche.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
What does he do if he gets picked first? Is
he motivated? I wouldn't pick him first. You're motivated? I
know who don't play against I was taking first. I
got everything I wanted. I peaked at twenty three. I'm sorry,
I'm here, but that's it now. You know what at
twenty three though, I mean a lot of them peak
earlier than that.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Yeah, he goes one.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
He's from Marcus Russell. Uh yeah, well yeah, I mean
if he's not motivated to play against him, is he
gonna find one hundred dollars at the back of the book. Hey,
if he is taking number two overall, I definitely would
start him in fantasy against the Titans. I definitely got
to be my big start.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
They be quarterbacking in Cleveland. Start theme ty shirts guy.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Start of the week, but they passed up on him.
Just the fire in the belly this week unlike anything else.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
Well, we're gonna be close, Mike Carmon. We've made it,
you know, just one more day until the NBA begins
their games again, start the second half of the season.
One more night of no games. So we've almost made
it there, buddy, we've almost made you got the flashy
thing put on your head already, or almost made it
almost no NBA games, There was no NBA games. Did
you get men in blacked? There was no I don't
(34:55):
know what you're talking about. Would you see these games
that are supposedly updated in quotes on social media on website? Uh,
these are just computer uh projections of certain hypothetical matchups.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
The real game start tomorrow night.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
So what you're saying is we we just had an
old update of Steve playing.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean really Steve.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Well, well I think it's Ai Steve Disager too, who
is giving the updates of the basketball game.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
So just some random scores kind of uh brought out
its thin air. Yeah, none, none of these things going
back to prior All Star breaks for the NHL.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
So no games being played there either. What you really
think calves one one oh five was a real score?
Come on, man, that doesn't go well, you think that.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Was real.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Lebron showing up in the garden, I got a bridge
to sell you that's not a real It wasn't a
real game. Didn't happen tonight, but I heard it. I
thought I heard it somewhere that this was the case.
It was Also, it was like like in a Captain
America First Avenger, they went through the whole thing, make
him think he was, you know, back in nineteen forty
two and they're playing the old baseball game that's.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
They do do you.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Let's say this once to make you think, hey, we're back.
When the NBA, NBA doesn't come back for another night,
it's fine is that really the case? Because I thought
I heard it. Let's hear it the final call. Yeah,
let's hear the final call of the Yeah, playlant fake
final call, the fake fire. Yeah, that's the buzzer. The
Knicks suck. They fall to oh and six against the
Calves Celtics and thunder. That sounds like a very disinterested announcer. Yeah,
(36:28):
well on five, what do you expect, like my eyes hurt? Well,
I mean you start doing filler stuff.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
That's where you have a lot of Hey, did you
know where this guy's favorite sandwich joint is when he
comes down the road?
Speaker 3 (36:40):
They were doing that in the second quarter tonight. In
this game, you.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
Know, he visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He was incredulous that such and such a band wasn't in.
This becomes the opportunity for the host to shill for
whatever band he feels has been snubbed to load these
many years.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Say look good, I'll say I'll I'll say this right.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Well, because there is a big take coming off of
this game, the marquee game of the night.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Uh, it really was unfair.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Look, the Knicks are coming off the game they played
the night before, doesn't matter that the Cavaliers played the
night before. Clearly it's an un it's a it's an
unfair advantage that the Cavaliers are to have coming off
of a game the night before. Then the Knicks did
coming off the game the night before as well. And
have you played the Bulls. That's it doesn't matter, that's
something that they rectify. Yeah, I mean, that's like a
(37:27):
day off.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
You need to rectify that.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
In fact, they playing the second night of back to
backs affect some teams differently, and it clearly affected the
Knicks more tonight.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
They expended more energy and had a lot It was unfair.
I mean, it's unfair.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
It's unfair that both teams coming off back to back,
you know, one team's not gonna play.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Well, that's what happened tonight.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
To be true and fair, you you did really struggle
against the Bulls, and earlier today I called for your
you to be relegated.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Wait, we would though it doesn't matter. There's a win
column and a lass.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
But if you're gonna then use it as an excuse
going a you know, we played yesterday, so yeah, we
had nothing left in the tank.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
No, the Cavaliers clearly knew something. Look, clearly the Cavaliers
been given an advantage by the NBA in the second
night of back to back that the Knicks don't have.
It's a way of keeping the Knicks down, right, Oh,
we got to keep the Knicks down. You got to
keep the Knicks down. Can't reward the big market teams, right,
Rick Carlisle tell you that again, all the big market teams,
all the you guys.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Something going on. There's something going on.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
I guess technically you did play the slightly better Bulls
team as opposed to Cleveland playing Brooklyn a night ago.
But all of that to say.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Lainly just slightly better.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Well, I mean, look, Bulls twenty two wins Brooklyn. Now
with twenty no yah, now, look I did. Here's the thing,
and here's where I'm at with this. Really, would I
like the Knicks to have played better tonight?
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Right, it's a marquee game of the night national television.
I wanted them to play well, but they got boat raced.
And I know the big thing is oh and six
against the Cavs, Celtics and Thunder. Okay, I understand that,
but really nobody has a good record against those three teams.
So it's not like something of the Knicks are an outline,
but I would want the Knicks to be playing better
against the best teams because to win an NBA championship,
(39:09):
in theory, you have to go through the best teams.
But it's February twenty first, so I'm a it's not
the change, buddy. It's not the Eastern Conference finals, and
it's not. Everything is fine and the Knicks are their
benches coming back starting to get Hell, they got a
couple of guys coming back to the rotation.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
It's February twenty. First. I don't get too.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
Worked up in regular season games like this. Hey, they
went and they played the best team in the Eastern
Conference so far on their court, and they got killed.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
You're really cute with your company. First couple of guys
coming back to the rotation. It's February twenty, Tom Thibodeau,
you can't lie through your teeth like da code. Well,
we got a couple of guys coming back to the rotation.
They won't play. But now that's the thing. Now, that's
the big thing. They won't play, Mike Carmen, that's the.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Big thing is that it's It sounds crazy, but if
the Knicks don't have a six cessful playoff, right, this
season is fine, They're twenty games over five hundred, everything
is fine, right, can't be good teams, Bud. They gotta
have a successful play It's not the playoffs, man. But
if they don't have a successful playoffs, and by that
I mean they don't go further than they did a
(40:14):
year ago, Tim's is gonna get fired.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
As good a.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Coach as he is, a good a defensive coach as
he is, he's gonna get fired because two big things.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
The Knicks are clearly not as good defensively as they
were the last few years.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
Making the changes to the team they did, yes, you know,
Ruin not ruined, but messed with a little bit of
the chemistry. But they brought in Karl Anthony Towns. Of course,
the guy's been phenomenal, right, he's been fantastic. But his
calling card is defense, and the Knicks are no longer
a defensive team, right they're not. So what are you
keeping him around for if they're no longer do what
(40:47):
he does? But he's there to be a great head
coach defensive or keeping going. If they're no longer defensive team,
then he loses a little bit of his value, but
as long as the team is good, he's gonna stay.
But the Knicks didn't make these moves and send five
number one picks for mcal Bridges and make a big
deal with with Julius Randall and de Vincenzo for Karl
Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson didn't say, hey, I'll take
(41:09):
less money so we can get more guys in here
so we can make this work. They didn't extend O
g Andrew Nobi.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
They didn't pay all these guys to not get out
of the second round of the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
Ye.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
So yeah, if this, if they don't make it out
of the second round, he's gonna get fired.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
You can and you can merit. Hey should they should
they not?
Speaker 1 (41:27):
But if they don't make it, and if they're not,
if defensive is no being great defensively is no longer
their hallmark, then I'll tell you what what are they doing?
Speaker 3 (41:35):
Then?
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Like the Nicks, Knicks are, They're gonna be really upset.
The front front off is gonna be mad. Dolan's gonna
be mad. It's wait a minute, I'm spending all this money.
We have the best starting five in the NBA top
to bottom.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
And here's where we're at. We don't get out of
theecond round of the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
Like if that, if they're not in the Eastern Conference finals,
it's gonna be a new head coach for the nixt time.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
So there's no question about it. They went all in
and made the big move to give him what he needed.
Why he still is reluctant to expand beyond a six
man rotation. All right, occasionally you'll get that seventh guy in,
but only if you're blowing a team out. But I mean,
I was heartened today and very excited for you, as
(42:15):
I'm sure all Knicks fans were. And I mean this
is you're a bulliant And why you really want to
dismiss today's efforts because according to reports, I mean, you
got the inside track to land Victor Oladipo from the
analyst chair.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
I mean, come on, why not? Right?
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (42:35):
I mean, hey, and sometimes, look, I'm okay with getting
anybody who can come off the bench, no matter what
they do.
Speaker 3 (42:43):
Care Yeah, no, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Whatever you need, coach player, Hey, we got to get
somebody that can help coming off the bench, not the
starting five.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
I'm good with it.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
Well, if you can bring Noah back, I mean he
gets your heart and hustle. You got that for you, Yeah,
I mean that's the thing. Oh, they may actually he
might actually get to come down and take over mid
game for TIBs if they're not doing well in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
Like he could.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
I could see him getting allowed back in the garden
coming in like not making the playoffs now, like Hogan
coming in off the side and everybody's yelling his name,
and Oakley's ripping his tie off, He's taking off his jacket.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
He's allowed back in the garden. It's Charles Oakley.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
And Oakley comes and and sticks his thumb out and
push his TIBs out, and TIBs leaves and he walks off,
of course, with his arms folded, hunched over, wondering what happened.
And Oakley says, okay, it's my team, and everybody goes
crazy and the Knicks go on a big run.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
I could see that.
Speaker 4 (43:33):
Tell me, you don't half expect Oakley to show up
either like Terry Cruz in Idiocracy or looking like Jim
Brown from the Running Man.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
It's got electrolytes coming from one.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Or the other either way. His chest is moving without
him moving, right.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
Oh that's it, Yeah, like it's an electro stimulus thing
going on.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
Yeah, Jason, you're gonna cry when they don't make it.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
Dude, what are you talking about?
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Man?
Speaker 3 (43:57):
What are you talking?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
It's February. You've been warned. It's fine, It's it's fine.
We're twenty games over five hundred. Frostburg, we didn't just
spend the last two nights losing. Remember it's February. There's
plenty of time. We didn't spend the last two nights
losing to two teams with a combined twenty seven wins
like the Lakers did.
Speaker 3 (44:12):
Okay, just so.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
You know, let's James got minutes against you guys, cancel
the season.
Speaker 4 (44:18):
No, see, look, I'm not letting you do the Vegas misdirection.
The Hey, we we have a very short bench. Tims
is gonna run these guys until they're tripping over their
tongues and we're gonna have an early exit and he could.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
Be fired too. Yeah, but we didn't lose too in
a row like the Lakers. Frostburg wants come in and
say something and something outlandish and foolish like you're not.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Big in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (44:40):
You might not.
Speaker 3 (44:41):
Frostburg brought that up.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Because those are all losses. If the rest of the
games were against the Cavs and the Celtics and the Thunder,
I would say, yeah, I'd be in trouble.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
But they're not going to be the Lakers. Everything. It's fun.
Speaker 1 (44:53):
That is true. You did we lost, Lakers that we.
Speaker 3 (44:56):
Did lose that game. That's okay.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
The game where the Lakers knew that they were trading
for Luca Dantic, they were clearly more motivated to play
that game.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
You guys played it, Lakers played well that game. It's okay.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
The next time this season you beat somebody a good
it'll be the first.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
Okay, all right, fun.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
What's the Lakers record against the Thunder, Celtics and Cavaliy, yeah,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (45:18):
I don't know that it is, man, I don't know.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
If it's all right?
Speaker 3 (45:21):
Look it up right now? There we go six.
Speaker 4 (45:26):
Remaining strength of schedule. Let's see where are the Knicks, Nick.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Years, sign me the Lakers record against the best three
teams in the NBA.
Speaker 4 (45:38):
But as you talked about the other night, I mean,
the Lakers do have, they're tied for the hardest schedule remaining,
and unlike the Phoenix Suns, they'll actually want to play it.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Oh, why you gotta sideeswipe the Suns?
Speaker 1 (45:53):
Like, did you not watch some of that game last night?
Speaker 4 (45:55):
I mean my dual screen experience was obviously the Nation's
Cup Final and watching the Sun's kind of sleepwalk through
a game against the wemby less San Antonio Spurs to
where they look like they'd rather be anybody anywhere else,
like the guys Charles and Kenny and everybody else. They
could have done the gone fishing emojis for them last night,
(46:19):
the way they were looking around at each other.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yeah, we're just gonna hang that side up and walk away.
Where are you guys going to get the second half?
Speaker 3 (46:25):
No? No, no, we're done.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
We're kind of they're done.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
We're done. Okay, Just so you know, I don't like
each other.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
We don't want to be here.
Speaker 4 (46:31):
The only reason I'm still here, Kevin Durant is I
didn't want to move and the other guy he wouldn't
wave is no trade clause. Otherwise we'd all be in
a different destination. But here we are.
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Carmon 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 iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
This is the best of the Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Greetings, Welcome inside, Happy Monday, The Jason Smith Show with
my bass friend Mike Harmon, Well dressed Hobo live from
the tire rack dot Com Studios.
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here we are Monday night, and our focus is on hockey.
Nah Wildcats six seconds question mark at the end, cribs
(01:02):
on hockey wid uh. Yeah, this is how weird and
this is how bad and NBA All Star Weekend was, Well,
shouldn't we just complain for the next four hours? What
an awful week. They that's all we should do. I
think it's terrible.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
It was stomp up and down and tell everybody how
terrible they were. And if you were one of the
fourteen million people that watched it, you're a horrible person
who uses their time terribly.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Isn't that what we're supposed to do? All the players
didn't like the All Star Game, the fans didn't like
the All Star Game. The fans want a new All
Star Game. Everybody wants to criticize the NBA. They don't
know what they're doing. Why do they make these changes.
I don't like the short games. I don't like how
much time there is between games. I don't like the
fact that a rookie team can play on a Sunday night,
(01:46):
on a Sunday Draymond Green on a sudden I like
nobody had a worse weekend than the NBA. I mean really,
it was just I was like, okay, we're waiting. We
knew the game was gonna stink, we knew what was
going on wasn't gonna be great, and then here we
are it happens. Now It's okay, let's just unload on
the NBA. When the All Star Game was exactly what
(02:06):
we thought it was gonna be, you know. And that's
the thing is that the NBA All Star Game not
being good is not the decline and fall of Western civilize.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
It just it's everything. It's it's it's the T shirt,
it's an All Star shirt. Everything there is.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
There is such you know, a difference between the actual
impact of the All Star Game and what people thought
about and then what's being said about it, like like
a personal affront has been done to all the NBA
players and pundits and experts and analysts, like, I can't
believe the NBA put this out there. For me, it's
an All Star game. What the blank do you want
(02:43):
it to be? Man, it's an All Star game. It's here.
We're forgetting about it. We're moving on right that. That's
kind of what the All Star games are like that
you can't think back to, well, the All Star Game
was great, Yeah, it was great years ago.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
It was great.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
It was also the NBA wasn't as great because you
didn't see as many games, you didn't get to see
the players as much as you know, the NBA is
in a better place now than it was when the
All Star Game was great, it's an All Star game.
It's an All Star game. This is not somebody went
into your pocket and took money away from you. It
was an All Star I don't know what people want
it to be. This is a completely overrated topic. As
(03:15):
far as the impact of the All Star Game on
the NBA, Adam Silver is a failure. It's an All
Star game. What the hell do you want?
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Adam Silver should have just been holding up the numbers
seven and six the entire time. I don't care about
any of this, so that DV ratings don't matter. We
already got the bag seventy six billion dollars. You want
to complain about this, the sanctity of All Star Sunday,
the Draymond Green comments, I mean, that's about as laughable
(03:43):
as it gets.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
And for the players themselves, I give them credit.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
They actually look like they wanted to play basketball in
between Kevin Hart and everybody else having to yamor on
and do stand up comedy for fifteen minutes at a time. Yeah,
Shay Gilgess, Alexander be like, can I actually play basketball?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Can we just play basketball? Please?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
So if you'd actually done that in your three and
a half hours of televised time, which included thirty minutes
of basketball play. You know, you came for the basketball.
The rest of it's a fun side show. But when
the guys show up and actually want to play basketball,
guess what. Just roll the ball out and let him
play basketball. Let them do what they do in the
offseason and everything else. So yeah, it was fine when
(04:22):
they had other highlights. Mac mcglung comes out of nowhere
and answers the bats signal and gives you the big
dunk contest. I still think Stefan Castle should have won
because you know what, no props. But that's fine. That's
a whole other debate for another time. But the sanctity
of your product, no worry about getting guys staying healthy
(04:42):
and finishing out the twenty five games that are left.
Maybe re examine when you actually have your all star game.
Now that most of your teams have some opportunity to
sniff the back end of the playoffs, so there's meaningful
basketball had for all but maybe three teams in each
conference figure those things out, figuring out how to kiss
the asses of sponsors and then get a game on.
(05:05):
That doesn't matter as long as they glad handed the right, guys,
and took pictures. Everybody's happy, everybody goes home, all the
sponsors and the seventy six billion will be spent.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Now, you can't ask the game to be something it's not.
But now, what do you want? I don't know, but
I don't want this? Okay, Now the players are mad
and all kinds of stuff. I don't give me a solution.
Not this, I don't know. That's like my kid when
she was little.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Oh yeah, you'd hand her, you know, you'd put the
meal in front of her.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
And she'd go, that's not my favorite. I'm like, no,
I don't care. What do you want.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
I don't want this.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's not my favorite. Tell me something you want? No,
but I want something out No no no, not this,
not this, not no no no. But that's kind of
what it's been. And I get it because the backdrop
of it is the NBA All Star Game had to
watch where Okay, the NHL, which also has been a
we're gonna throw stuff up against the wall and see
(05:54):
what sticks, right, they have found something. Amazingly they found
Wait a minute, this whole four Nations thing is a
huge hit. Ah wow, And now they've hit on something
that is the best idea they've had in probably twenty years.
To go back. The best thing the NHL did was
well they came back from the lockouts. That's a pretty
(06:16):
good four on four overtime, three on three overtime and
eliminating the red line. And now this, like this is
the best thing the NHL has done. But this is
something that cuts through because now this four nation tournament
is a big deal. Yes, you saw the excitement what
happened over the weekend with the United States and Canada
and beating Canada three to one and booing our national
anthem and three fights in the first nine seconds in
(06:38):
Canada like Apollo Creed after winning tonight over filly goal.
We want you, we want you. And now Thursday night
is a Titanic game with the United States and Canada.
For this, like the hockey's figured out, Oh, this is
what the All Star situation should be. And they're stupid
if they don't go to this every year. Because the
(06:59):
one thing about high and this is a good and
bad is that when it's United States hockey, when it's
an Olympic or World Cup setting, everybody's all in all
of a sudden, it cuts through the clutter and becomes
the biggest sports story out there because of Miracle on Ice.
We all still remember, even if we're not old enough
to remember watching it, the impact of Miracle on Ice,
which is still purely the biggest sports story of my lifetime.
(07:19):
This is forty five years later, Like this is a
pure sports impact where it was, you're still feeling it
whenever it's Us against the world, whenever it's it's American pride, like, hey,
we get in on it now. The bad dudes for
hockey is that's really the only thing that people go
crazy for. But now you've seen that this is what
it should be every single year. And you already saw
NBA players saying, we want our own USA versus the world. Right,
(07:42):
we can't have USA. We're at different nations. Not enough
players are there that can make All Star teams. But
they want their version of that. And they talked about
it today and Jokich and Trey Young and hey, we
want this thing now. Because the NHL they figured it out,
this should be every single year. There should be no
All Star game in the NHL. You could still name
people all starts. Hey, congratulations, you're named an All Star,
(08:03):
meaning you get the designation of being an All Star,
and then you have the rosters for the four nation tournament,
which hey, next time next year.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Expand it.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Right, Obviously Russia is not playing this year because of
the sanctions because of the war in Ukraine. But you
have enough to get other teams. Hey, Germany will get
a team in probably next year. They'd have enough to
get in this year. But you expand this thing and
make it a two week you're shutting down the NHL
for two weeks. You can play a big round robin
with with six seven teams in, like everybody gets in
for this man, you would own this week on the calendar.
(08:31):
If the NHL is smart, they make this a permanent
thing and say this is how we're doing it for
the rest of the time. This ald All Star. They Hey,
we threw enough up against the wall. We finally got
something to stick. This should be it.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Oh, US versus the world? Right, And I mean go
through the history different iterations of this. I mean they're
saying that the what US went over Canada saying averaged
about four point four million users or viewers. I should
say that's pretty good number right on the grand scale. Well,
you're not getting NFL numbers, you're not getting college football
(09:02):
playoff numbers.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
But four point four million on a Saturday night.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
The way the things went viral immediately three fights and
nine seconds. I think the over undrowd fights was two
and a half. By the way, I think we had
that cashed nine seconds. So get that money back into
the batting fields immediately. But you tap into the national pride,
as you said, it's always going to be there, whether
it's the miracle on ice, whether it's just the general
(09:29):
geopolitical climate we've been in and have been living in
for I mean decided where you jumped in out there
listening wherever you are on the globe, right the iHeartRadio app,
all our affiliates, wherever you jumped in on that. But
national pride always comes in. I mean that's why they
lean into those ads hey made in the USA. How
(09:49):
many of those have you seen in the last year
or so? Right, leaning back into it. So if that's
gonna trickle down into the players, coaches and those rivalries
and national pride coming in, I mean, think about the
NBA All Star Game. What was the greatest line, But
we came out of Nikola Jokic going yeah, I miss Luca.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I wish he was here. We had a good lot
of good times.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Well they'd be paired together and though good times would
be Roland, no question about it.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
But all of that to say, yeah, you.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Got to try to find something in that formula that's
gonna get folks stoked and keep throwing stuff against the wall,
or just cancel it all together.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
You know what.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
It's a meet and greet, come down, sign some autographs,
take some photos, and just do an extension of the
week long convention that you've already got for the NBA,
the NHL for right now, Gary Bettman's got to be
loving this. Get a couple more teams involved, expand a tournament.
I think everybody's more than happy to break it down
because we've had two week breaks.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
In the past.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
We've seen extended spaces, you know, because of the international play.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Same thing here.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Just dial it up, give it another week and capture
whatever market that you can and sell the hell out
of your stars. Anybody that's going anywhere near a giant
milestone for themselves or on a career chart that should
be in the lower third. Constantly you are watching greatness.
Let me remind you, look.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Right now United States trailing Sweden two to one in
a game. The United States does not need Nobody named
Kulchuk is playing in this game. So just to let
you know, okay, really don't need this. Well, they got
to be ready to fight on Thursday. But look, but
that's the whole thing is that all these sports now
are looking for a way to try to jazz up
the middle of the season. Right The NBA is looking
at the mid season tournaments, the n season tournaments, the
(11:32):
NHL is looking. The NHL's found it, like they found
their mid season tournament. This is a very big deal.
Whatever you want to call this, the four nations, six nations,
a whatever it is. You come up with a real
swell name for it. It's becomes something that every year
everybody's gonna want to play for and everybody's gonna stop
and watch. It's a great place on the calendar. It's
right after the Super Bowl, before we get into the
(11:54):
combine a little bit. You have NBA All Star Weekend.
You're not really competing with anything. You have a nice
two week time tournament that ends with a championship and
some kind of metal, a gold medal. That's fine, it
doesn't need to be Olympics to be gold medal, but
they figured out the midseason tournament that everybody is going
to be in. Because you look at the attention that
this has right away. I think the NHL is going
(12:16):
to look back and say, Okay, what are the biggest
events of the last twenty five years and a few
years they're gonna look back and say Game one or
Game two for the United States, United States Canada in
the first four Nations, the brawl off, the beginning, everything
going with the national anthem and the hatred that Canada
has the United States, United States for Canada with the
whole are we going to annex Canada or not? Are
(12:37):
they going to try to annex California? Like we're gonna
look back at that moment and say, this was the
birth of that in hockey. And now they've they've taken
over and they figured it out. So again it's a
silver lining for the NBA. It's like, hey, keep throwing
stuff up against the wall, man, you never know what's
gonna stick. And the NHL clearly did it for a
long time and look, they found it, so NBA just
keep doing it.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Well for the NBA, they also found the you buried
in and they buried the lead there in. You know,
the end of tournament and playoff playing right, getting to
ten teams whatever we're calling that at this point, it's
sponsored by somebody at this point, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
But the fact that you've got teams.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Outside of the Mavericks a couple of years ago that
everybody takes it seriously if they can actually get to
that ten slot, because then you have a puncher's chance
to maybe make some noise. Right, you get guys healthy,
get the right matchup and your roll.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
We've seen it.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
We watch what the Lakers were able to do out
of those spots. We've seen the Warriors make make runs.
So you've already hit on that. You're not going to
bat a thousand. So for Adam Silver, it's trying to
figure out what the next iteration of things. And if
players are commenting on this hockey win to get on board,
then yeah, this is the next iteration. All right, this
(13:48):
didn't work. Everybody rated it terribly. Everybody said let's cancel,
including Kevin Durant. But if you get him back, I
mean he was crying talking about his USA basketball.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yes, I know.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
There's you're in Adam Silver, Well, I know I got him.
Who else can I get?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Joining us now the Hotline. For more on this Fox
Sports won NBA Insider Extraordinaire. Also check out the AMA
Ball podcast. He's on Twitter at Rick Buker. It is
Rick Buker. What's happening man?
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Right after or right before that, I put out there
on social media that LaMelo Ball is the most I
don't give a bleep player in NBA history. He takes
the most nonsensical shot and then he does that, which
still hasn't ice the game because we just had Lebron
(14:49):
James Burry Barry as three. But we'll see. There's still
the great possibilities to Charlotte Hornets being Charlotte Hornets so
they can give this game back.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, well, look, four and seventeen away from home. This
this will be an embarrassing loss of biblical proportions for
the Lakers.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
Yeah. Yeah, you know what's interesting is just listening. I'm
I'm listening to the Lakers broadcast, and man, they are
trying to hype the lebron Luca to the Answerstry and
I just have a question now, is there is anybody
put anything out on the books yet on who will
(15:29):
shoot the higher three point percentage? Bronnie James or Luca
Dantic Oh?
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Wow what No, I'm just what that what?
Speaker 5 (15:42):
No?
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Jj Reddick's going to be as mad at you as
he isn't me. That's going to happen many.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
After the question. I think it's I think, I mean,
right now, we got a one for nine, we got
we got Luca on a hot one for nine right now.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
He's on a heater and most of them are not close.
Where the shots I'd be putting up right, I mean, Rick,
it was like you know in the when you say
you remember that highlight in college basketball of Caitlin Clark
leaving that one player open to take a three, and
she kind of dismissed it with her hand like you're
not gonna make this, Like that's how open the horns
were leaving Luca tonight to take these threes that he
(16:17):
was missing. I'm like, yeah, hey, go ahead, look at
you shoot it. We know you're not gonna make it.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
Yeah, yeah, it's I mean, well, and the thing is
like nine of them. Dude, if you don't have it
going on and you're as great a player as Luca is,
then go and get something else. But but that's one
of my my big concerns with this combin combination of
Lebron and Luca is that Lebron because of age and
(16:44):
Luca because of conditioning, like they're settling for threes threes
and trying to make an impact from a scoring standpoint,
is the easiest, is the easiest and light least demanding
way to get to get buckets and you don't have
to run very far. You run into three point line.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I'm in shape because I could just go from three
point line to three point line. I'm good.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Yeah, yeah, that was del Curry would run from three
point line to three point lining. When he would run
from offense to defense to three point line. As soon
as he got to the three point line, he would
yell help and so he was he was covered and
uh yeah, So I just and it's really hard to
kind of get into shape during the course of the season,
(17:37):
and especially if you've been dealing with with some injuries.
So I am just again, I'm looking at the age
of Lebron. I'm looking at this the physical state of
Luka Doncic, and I'm not, uh, you know, I'm not
sold as seemingly so many people are, including our man
Jason this that this team is going somewhere and and
(18:01):
and the the Hornets having it actually played very fast
in this game because LaMelo will dri dribble the ball
the you know, the air out of the ball. But
that would be my plan whatever team I have, I
am running at every opportunity because I'm making Luca and
Lebron play transition defense at every turn. And and let's
(18:25):
see if they can maintain I don't even have to
shoot that Well, if I can get those guys, forced
those those guys to get up and down the court,
then I've got a good chance at continuing to make
them take long threes while they are fatigued.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Well, we do get the rare occasion where the globe
gets to watch LaMelo ball in a showcase game, So
you got that going for you. But coming out of
All Star Weekend, I mean, what, what's the the ultimate
takeaway of it all?
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Rick?
Speaker 5 (18:53):
Well, look, I'm not I'm not of the mind that
everybody else is. I mean everybody as bag really hard
on the All Star weekend, the All Star Games, even
players who once played in it, like Draymond Green. And
this is my thing. You know, there's things that I
don't care about. I don't pay attention to, and if
(19:17):
they're falling off, I'm really not that aware of it.
That's the great lie for me. People are complaining about
the All Star Games and saying this is the demise
of the NBA. Why is that what you want to
have happened? Because I don't know of any sport that
we judge the health of the league based on its
(19:40):
All Star Game? Do we do that with Major League Baseball?
Do we do that with the NFL? Do we do
that with the NHL? I mean, so why are we
Why are we looking at this weekend and the game
and the fact is, you know what with the new format, Okay,
so we're kind of up and down. I was curious.
It's almost like that. It's almost like the trick your
(20:02):
buddy pulls on you just made you look. The NBA
made people like we were all interested, we were all curious,
how's it going to work? And whether you thought it worked?
Or not. The fact is I tuned in and watched
because I've paid attention to it as I never have before.
And if I look at Saturday Night, Mac mcclungu and
(20:25):
Stefan Castle ended up giving us a dunk contest that
was memorable long way from Obi Top and winning it.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
So that's Nick's legend, Obie topping. Okay, Rick just got right, yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
Right, yeah, you know. I mean we even had a
few guys in the first round who were joining the
Chris Bird Anderson wing of the unable to our Mattice
b Zellous, like, dude, just do it, dunk. You can
actually convert, right, you don't get poisoner degree of difficulty
(21:02):
if you can't do We need to see the don Look,
I just I look at it as a whole. And
you had Steph Curry on his home floor winning MVP.
You had a fun and memorable dunk contest. You had
(21:22):
the Skills Challenge get more attention than it ever has. Okay,
So it was because the first tried to seat who
Caress ever has. And we're about to add two new
broadcast partners who paid a gazillion dollars in order to
broadcast games So I just I don't get where people
(21:47):
are looking at it and saying, you know, the NBA
is in in pre fall because because what because you
didn't like the format of the All Star Game. I
just I can't look at it that way.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Rick Buker with US, Jason Smith, Mike Carmon live from
the tirec dot Com studio. All right, now, you got
into a big topic that we talked about the other
night that I'm scratching my head, going, I don't get this.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Now.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Mac McClung has won three Slam Dunk Championships and he's
played in five NBA games. Okay, now I get that
he's a guy gotta come up playing the G League.
He's a G League MVP. How can he not get
on the floor not only how can he knocket on
the floor at the Magic. How does nobody trade from
How does the NBA not say, hey, this guy really
should should get a little bit more attention. I don't
(22:31):
understand how he can be this level of star, be
a G League MVP and not get more minutes.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
Well, I would say, number one, it's first of all,
he is with the Magic, and the Magic is one
of the better young teams in the league, and they
pride themselves on what on their defense first and foremost,
and so he would have to be a three and
D player if he was going to get minutes with
(23:00):
the Orlando Magic. And the fact is they've got pretty
good three and D players to play that role. He's
not going to. It's it's you see college players who
when they're the central player, when they're the primary player,
they can do amazing things, they can have triple doubles,
(23:22):
but when they get to the NBA, they're not going
to be given that role and they've got to be
a complimentary player. And so then it becomes a question
of what does mac McClung do that in a complimentary
role that he does it incredibly well, does he shoot
the three incredibly well? Does he defend incredibly well? Like
(23:46):
that's the avenue that he has to play. And just
because we have the Make a Wish program with Bronnie
James does not mean, I mean it really tells this
is this, this is what makes that such a farce
that a guy like Matt McClung normally in the NBA,
(24:07):
for all that he's done at the G league level,
at you know, in the Dunk Contest, all of that.
If you look at him, go wow, but he's not
you can't play an NBA role. It's not that he's
not a great guy, not that he doesn't work hard.
It's just you got to have that fit and uh
(24:31):
and otherwise it's really hard for a guy to get
on an NBA roster. So, you know, from from a
you know, a heartfelt standpoint, you see a guy who
has meant so much to the Dunk Contest and thereby
All Star Weekend, you'd love to see him be rewarded
for that. But the but the the bottom line is
(24:54):
NBA minute. Being on an NBA roster. You don't get
that for being a good like for anything other than
you can contribute to a team winning games. And there
are dozens and dozens of guys that are not in
the NBA who are fighting for one of those spots,
(25:15):
who are pretty damn good players who have accomplished an
awful lot outside of it. But but it just tells
you how difficult it is to be on an NBA roster.
And so I get it. I mean, there's a part
of me that wishes, you know, there was somehow, some
way he finds his spot, but I understand why he
(25:36):
hasn't to this point, in spite of everything else.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Time to trade him to the Wizard Rick from the
Magic to the Wizards. We did there, but on.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
The say, I'm good in Ostiola.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
I'm I'm a hero down here, and I come out
once a year and that's it, and everybody knows what
I can do.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
I don't want to, like, I don't want to go
and watch Jordan Poole do crazy stuff.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
All right.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
One thing that did go around all Star weekend some
rumors about a potential trade of Ja Morant by the
Grizz this off season. Zach Kleman's put out the statement saying,
we're gonna let our performance on the floor speak for itself.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Doft you protest too much?
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (26:18):
Yeah, I looked. Charles Barkley was the one who said
it only a hit dog hollers. In most cases, there
wouldn't even be reason.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
To address this.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
They have to address it because I assure you, jaw
Or his representation went, what are you guys doing? Are
you are you talking to people? What's what?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
What is this about?
Speaker 5 (26:45):
And so they've got to put out the fire. But
you know, if they're where there's smoke, there's there's something
going on. And and I'll say this too, like from
the report that I saw, uh, there is a habit
in the League of executives trading other teams players. Some
(27:07):
of it is we will think. Some of it is
we're like, we're preparing for the possibility. I mean, I've
been hearing for I've been hearing for years that Janniskapo
is going to be on the block at some point,
and at some point it is true.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Just keep saying it. Eventually, you'll be right. I told
you for years it was going to happen.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
Right, and this one the the you know, the caveat
was depending on how the season ends up, he could
potentially be on the block. Okay, well, what does that mean.
We're not at the end of the season. There's no
indication that are the Grizzlies like in last place. No, Like,
Grizzlies look like they're in they're they're in pretty good shape.
(27:52):
And and what I find I find the most interesting
about this subject is watching the Grizzlies this year since
Jah came back, they've really de emphasized his role. It's
not the John Morant show like he plays off the ball.
He has played off the ball more this year than
I've ever seen, and he's been effective as a result,
(28:14):
and he stayed relatively healthy as a result. So now
maybe he has an issue with that. Uh but and
and maybe that inspires a change, But as of right now,
I think he had I think I think the Grizzlies
had to say something to assure joh that that's not
(28:37):
what they're thinking. Even if that's what they're thinking.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
He's on Twitter at Rick Buker, that is at Rick Buker.
Make sure to check out the Latest on the Ball podcast,
all on how the Knick starting five might be the
best starting five in NBA history. Uh Rick, that's what
an hour and a half on that podcast?
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Is that what it is?
Speaker 5 (28:55):
Oh? No, that's that's the four part series right there.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Bro Oh right, it's so I'll have to watch a
TikTok video summing it up. All right, great, take it easy, buddy,
We'll talk to you next week.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Say Rick.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Now that we're starting to get closer to the NFL Draft,
the combines coming up. We're gonna meet all the different quarterbacks,
different players who are gonna come and say certain things,
and we're gonna wow some teams and some teams aren't
gonna be wowed.
Speaker 5 (29:30):
This.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
I love this story from cam Ward. All Right, the
Miami Hurricanes quarterback is gonna be one of the top
three guys taken in the draft. He'll be at worse
the second quarterback, probably gonna be the first quarterback taken overall,
but really is not gonna go any further than three.
Shouldn't un want something really crazy happen? Yeah, look I
(29:51):
saw a lot. Look I always say I watch ACC
football so you don't have to, and cam Ward has
all the If you think Jalen Milroe is terrific, cam
Ward is one of those guys that can just say, Okay,
we're down by twenty. Here you go and all of
a sudden you look up and go, how do they
do that? How is the game tied? Like he has
that kind of dynamite in the bottle to his game.
Speaker 5 (30:11):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
But last night, before getting the Davey O'Brien award as
the nation's top college quarterback, which should go in too
Calm a cord, How dare you? He was asked about
the draft and what about the teams who could be
taking him in the draft, and he said, quote, you're
either gonna draft me or you're not. If you don't
draft me, that's your fault. You gotta remember you're the
(30:32):
same team that's got to play me for the rest
of my career. And I'll remember that. He's gonna remember
all the teams that are gonna pass on him. You
gonna remember two teams, really, maybe one team, maybe no teams.
Maybe you go number one overall. The Titans say we're
gonna take it, really and maybe if the Titans they
want to trade out, they're not sold on cam Ward,
(30:52):
so maybe cam Ward goes to so the Titans. I'm
really I'm gonna I'm gonna hold it again. Every time
I played the Titans in my career, just might have
got it written down on the bullet We're that one team.
I'm gonna make them pay. Like I get If you're
falling through the draft, or you're someone who was projected
to be taken somewhere in the middle of the first
round or the end of the first round to say, hey,
you pass me up, I'm gonna make it personal. Okay,
(31:13):
because a bunch of teams pass on you put a
chip on your shoulder. But he's got a chip on
his shoulder where one team might pass.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
On that I'm thing where he memorized all of the
wide receivers and resent them before everything.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
At least that was a few. This is two teams,
I'll tell you. Do we play either Titans end or
Brown's okay? All right, Just want to make sure because
they're gonna feel the holy hell that I have in
my arm. The wrath of cam Ward is coming for them.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
Do you have the oddity of things like I don't
know when Aaron Rodgers went towards the back of the
first round and sat in the green room a long time.
When I went to the two thousand and six draft,
I mean, the last guy to come out of the
green room was Matt Liner and he was still top
ten guy.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
It seemed like forever, and then was nineteenth. It's a
lot of teams saying no, imagine what Kenny pick It says, Well.
Speaker 4 (32:01):
He's super Bowl champion, he doesn't care. Yeah, yeah, Kenny
Pickett's good.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Point.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
So he's got that going for him. But all of
that to say, look, if this is what's gonna fuel you,
just the idea, or or we read between the lines.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
He's already been.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Told by all these teams he's he's dropping like a
like a lead balloon, like a lead I.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Think I think we would know that. I think we
would know that. Hey, we're gonna lay off a cam
Ward here. Man, I'm looking for hot I'm looking for
clicks here. Dude, there's nothing or one team that doesn't
take me pays for it the rest of my career.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
No, it's better that the ward evidently knows he's dropping
in the draft.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
You take me Tennessee, or I'll make you pay when
we play you once every four years. However long time
in the league.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
You just wait, I might see you two or three
times if I just stay with that originally, Just wait
when it comes down when it's our turn to play
the AMC South. You just wait some believable like whatever
you find your motivation, right, I can't fault.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
It's not even real.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
It's not even real.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
But if it's real to him his mind, the worst
thing is he falls to the Giants and it's okay, okay.
So now I'm in the NFC, so it's gonna be
like one every eight years. I'm gonna play you Cleveland
or you tense. I got twenty thirty four circled on
my calendar right away, but hot takery.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
He was tired of seeing all sorts of stuff about
the Sanders family and he wanted in on the party.
A lot of thought pieces about Shiloh not being invited
to the combine. Here's Dion responding to this. Here we're
talking about the Manning's at Archie Manning a year from now,
two years from now, whatever that becomes. All of that
to say, cam Ward knew he had to go cliche.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
What does he do if he gets picked first? Is
he motivated? I wouldn't pick him first. You're motivated? I
know who don't play against I was taking first. I
got everything I wanted. I peaked at twenty three. I'm sorry,
I'm here, but that's it now. You know what at
twenty three though, I mean a lot of them peak
earlier than that.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Yeah, he goes one.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
He's from Marcus Russell. Uh yeah, well yeah, I mean
if he's not motivated to play against him, is he
gonna find one hundred dollars at the back of the book. Hey,
if he is taking number two overall, I definitely would
start him in fantasy against the Titans. I definitely got
to be my big start.
Speaker 4 (34:14):
They be quarterbacking in Cleveland. Start theme ty shirts guy.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Start of the week, but they passed up on him.
Just the fire in the belly this week unlike anything else.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
Well, we're gonna be close, Mike Carmon. We've made it,
you know, just one more day until the NBA begins
their games again, start the second half of the season.
One more night of no games. So we've almost made
it there, buddy, we've almost made you got the flashy
thing put on your head already, or almost made it
almost no NBA games, There was no NBA games. Did
you get men in blacked? There was no I don't
(34:55):
know what you're talking about. Would you see these games
that are supposedly updated in quotes on social media on website? Uh,
these are just computer uh projections of certain hypothetical matchups.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
The real game start tomorrow night.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
So what you're saying is we we just had an
old update of Steve playing.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean really Steve.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Well, well I think it's Ai Steve Disager too, who
is giving the updates of the basketball game.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
So just some random scores kind of uh brought out
its thin air. Yeah, none, none of these things going
back to prior All Star breaks for the NHL.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
So no games being played there either. What you really
think calves one one oh five was a real score?
Come on, man, that doesn't go well, you think that.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Was real.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Lebron showing up in the garden, I got a bridge
to sell you that's not a real It wasn't a
real game. Didn't happen tonight, but I heard it. I
thought I heard it somewhere that this was the case.
It was Also, it was like like in a Captain
America First Avenger, they went through the whole thing, make
him think he was, you know, back in nineteen forty
two and they're playing the old baseball game that's.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
They do do you.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Let's say this once to make you think, hey, we're back.
When the NBA, NBA doesn't come back for another night,
it's fine is that really the case? Because I thought
I heard it. Let's hear it the final call. Yeah,
let's hear the final call of the Yeah, playlant fake
final call, the fake fire. Yeah, that's the buzzer. The
Knicks suck. They fall to oh and six against the
Calves Celtics and thunder. That sounds like a very disinterested announcer. Yeah,
(36:28):
well on five, what do you expect, like my eyes hurt? Well,
I mean you start doing filler stuff.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
That's where you have a lot of Hey, did you
know where this guy's favorite sandwich joint is when he
comes down the road?
Speaker 3 (36:40):
They were doing that in the second quarter tonight. In
this game, you.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
Know, he visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He was incredulous that such and such a band wasn't in.
This becomes the opportunity for the host to shill for
whatever band he feels has been snubbed to load these
many years.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Say look good, I'll say I'll I'll say this right.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
Well, because there is a big take coming off of
this game, the marquee game of the night.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Uh, it really was unfair.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Look, the Knicks are coming off the game they played
the night before, doesn't matter that the Cavaliers played the
night before. Clearly it's an un it's a it's an
unfair advantage that the Cavaliers are to have coming off
of a game the night before. Then the Knicks did
coming off the game the night before as well. And
have you played the Bulls. That's it doesn't matter, that's
something that they rectify. Yeah, I mean, that's like a
(37:27):
day off.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
You need to rectify that.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
In fact, they playing the second night of back to
backs affect some teams differently, and it clearly affected the
Knicks more tonight.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
They expended more energy and had a lot It was unfair.
I mean, it's unfair.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
It's unfair that both teams coming off back to back,
you know, one team's not gonna play.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Well, that's what happened tonight.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
To be true and fair, you you did really struggle
against the Bulls, and earlier today I called for your
you to be relegated.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Wait, we would though it doesn't matter. There's a win
column and a lass.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
But if you're gonna then use it as an excuse
going a you know, we played yesterday, so yeah, we
had nothing left in the tank.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
No, the Cavaliers clearly knew something. Look, clearly the Cavaliers
been given an advantage by the NBA in the second
night of back to back that the Knicks don't have.
It's a way of keeping the Knicks down, right, Oh,
we got to keep the Knicks down. You got to
keep the Knicks down. Can't reward the big market teams, right,
Rick Carlisle tell you that again, all the big market teams,
all the you guys.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Something going on. There's something going on.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
I guess technically you did play the slightly better Bulls
team as opposed to Cleveland playing Brooklyn a night ago.
But all of that to say.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Lainly just slightly better.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Well, I mean, look, Bulls twenty two wins Brooklyn. Now
with twenty no yah, now, look I did. Here's the thing,
and here's where I'm at with this. Really, would I
like the Knicks to have played better tonight?
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Right, it's a marquee game of the night national television.
I wanted them to play well, but they got boat raced.
And I know the big thing is oh and six
against the Cavs, Celtics and Thunder. Okay, I understand that,
but really nobody has a good record against those three teams.
So it's not like something of the Knicks are an outline,
but I would want the Knicks to be playing better
against the best teams because to win an NBA championship,
(39:09):
in theory, you have to go through the best teams.
But it's February twenty first, so I'm a it's not
the change, buddy. It's not the Eastern Conference finals, and
it's not. Everything is fine and the Knicks are their
benches coming back starting to get Hell, they got a
couple of guys coming back to the rotation.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
It's February twenty. First. I don't get too.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
Worked up in regular season games like this. Hey, they
went and they played the best team in the Eastern
Conference so far on their court, and they got killed.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
You're really cute with your company. First couple of guys
coming back to the rotation. It's February twenty, Tom Thibodeau,
you can't lie through your teeth like da code. Well,
we got a couple of guys coming back to the rotation.
They won't play. But now that's the thing. Now, that's
the big thing. They won't play, Mike Carmen, that's the.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Big thing is that it's It sounds crazy, but if
the Knicks don't have a six cessful playoff, right, this
season is fine, They're twenty games over five hundred, everything
is fine, right, can't be good teams, Bud. They gotta
have a successful play It's not the playoffs, man. But
if they don't have a successful playoffs, and by that
I mean they don't go further than they did a
(40:14):
year ago, Tim's is gonna get fired.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
As good a.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Coach as he is, a good a defensive coach as
he is, he's gonna get fired because two big things.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
The Knicks are clearly not as good defensively as they
were the last few years.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
Making the changes to the team they did, yes, you know,
Ruin not ruined, but messed with a little bit of
the chemistry. But they brought in Karl Anthony Towns. Of course,
the guy's been phenomenal, right, he's been fantastic. But his
calling card is defense, and the Knicks are no longer
a defensive team, right they're not. So what are you
keeping him around for if they're no longer do what
(40:47):
he does? But he's there to be a great head
coach defensive or keeping going. If they're no longer defensive team,
then he loses a little bit of his value, but
as long as the team is good, he's gonna stay.
But the Knicks didn't make these moves and send five
number one picks for mcal Bridges and make a big
deal with with Julius Randall and de Vincenzo for Karl
Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson didn't say, hey, I'll take
(41:09):
less money so we can get more guys in here
so we can make this work. They didn't extend O
g Andrew Nobi.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
They didn't pay all these guys to not get out
of the second round of the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
Ye.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
So yeah, if this, if they don't make it out
of the second round, he's gonna get fired.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
You can and you can merit. Hey should they should
they not?
Speaker 1 (41:27):
But if they don't make it, and if they're not,
if defensive is no being great defensively is no longer
their hallmark, then I'll tell you what what are they doing?
Speaker 3 (41:35):
Then?
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Like the Nicks, Knicks are, They're gonna be really upset.
The front front off is gonna be mad. Dolan's gonna
be mad. It's wait a minute, I'm spending all this money.
We have the best starting five in the NBA top
to bottom.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
And here's where we're at. We don't get out of
theecond round of the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
Like if that, if they're not in the Eastern Conference finals,
it's gonna be a new head coach for the nixt time.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
So there's no question about it. They went all in
and made the big move to give him what he needed.
Why he still is reluctant to expand beyond a six
man rotation. All right, occasionally you'll get that seventh guy in,
but only if you're blowing a team out. But I mean,
I was heartened today and very excited for you, as
(42:15):
I'm sure all Knicks fans were. And I mean this
is you're a bulliant And why you really want to
dismiss today's efforts because according to reports, I mean, you
got the inside track to land Victor Oladipo from the
analyst chair.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
I mean, come on, why not? Right?
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (42:35):
I mean, hey, and sometimes, look, I'm okay with getting
anybody who can come off the bench, no matter what
they do.
Speaker 3 (42:43):
Care Yeah, no, I don't care.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Whatever you need, coach player, Hey, we got to get
somebody that can help coming off the bench, not the
starting five.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
I'm good with it.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
Well, if you can bring Noah back, I mean he
gets your heart and hustle. You got that for you, Yeah,
I mean that's the thing. Oh, they may actually he
might actually get to come down and take over mid
game for TIBs if they're not doing well in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
Like he could.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
I could see him getting allowed back in the garden
coming in like not making the playoffs now, like Hogan
coming in off the side and everybody's yelling his name,
and Oakley's ripping his tie off, He's taking off his jacket.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
He's allowed back in the garden. It's Charles Oakley.
Speaker 1 (43:20):
And Oakley comes and and sticks his thumb out and
push his TIBs out, and TIBs leaves and he walks off,
of course, with his arms folded, hunched over, wondering what happened.
And Oakley says, okay, it's my team, and everybody goes
crazy and the Knicks go on a big run.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
I could see that.
Speaker 4 (43:33):
Tell me, you don't half expect Oakley to show up
either like Terry Cruz in Idiocracy or looking like Jim
Brown from the Running Man.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
It's got electrolytes coming from one.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Or the other either way. His chest is moving without
him moving, right.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
Oh that's it, Yeah, like it's an electro stimulus thing
going on.
Speaker 1 (43:52):
Yeah, Jason, you're gonna cry when they don't make it.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
Dude, what are you talking about?
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Man?
Speaker 3 (43:57):
What are you talking?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
It's February. You've been warned. It's fine, It's it's fine.
We're twenty games over five hundred. Frostburg, we didn't just
spend the last two nights losing. Remember it's February. There's
plenty of time. We didn't spend the last two nights
losing to two teams with a combined twenty seven wins
like the Lakers did.
Speaker 3 (44:12):
Okay, just so.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
You know, let's James got minutes against you guys, cancel
the season.
Speaker 4 (44:18):
No, see, look, I'm not letting you do the Vegas misdirection.
The Hey, we we have a very short bench. Tims
is gonna run these guys until they're tripping over their
tongues and we're gonna have an early exit and he could.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
Be fired too. Yeah, but we didn't lose too in
a row like the Lakers. Frostburg wants come in and
say something and something outlandish and foolish like you're not.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Big in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (44:40):
You might not.
Speaker 3 (44:41):
Frostburg brought that up.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Because those are all losses. If the rest of the
games were against the Cavs and the Celtics and the Thunder,
I would say, yeah, I'd be in trouble.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
But they're not going to be the Lakers. Everything. It's fun.
Speaker 1 (44:53):
That is true. You did we lost, Lakers that we.
Speaker 3 (44:56):
Did lose that game. That's okay.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
The game where the Lakers knew that they were trading
for Luca Dantic, they were clearly more motivated to play
that game.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
You guys played it, Lakers played well that game. It's okay.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
The next time this season you beat somebody a good
it'll be the first.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
Okay, all right, fun.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
What's the Lakers record against the Thunder, Celtics and Cavaliy, yeah,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (45:18):
I don't know that it is, man, I don't know.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
If it's all right?
Speaker 3 (45:21):
Look it up right now? There we go six.
Speaker 4 (45:26):
Remaining strength of schedule. Let's see where are the Knicks, Nick.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
Years, sign me the Lakers record against the best three
teams in the NBA.
Speaker 4 (45:38):
But as you talked about the other night, I mean,
the Lakers do have, they're tied for the hardest schedule remaining,
and unlike the Phoenix Suns, they'll actually want to play it.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Oh, why you gotta sideeswipe the Suns?
Speaker 1 (45:53):
Like, did you not watch some of that game last night?
Speaker 4 (45:55):
I mean my dual screen experience was obviously the Nation's
Cup Final and watching the Sun's kind of sleepwalk through
a game against the wemby less San Antonio Spurs to
where they look like they'd rather be anybody anywhere else,
like the guys Charles and Kenny and everybody else. They
could have done the gone fishing emojis for them last night,
(46:19):
the way they were looking around at each other.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yeah, we're just gonna hang that side up and walk away.
Where are you guys going to get the second half?
Speaker 3 (46:25):
No? No, no, we're done.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
We're kind of they're done.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
We're done. Okay, Just so you know, I don't like
each other.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
We don't want to be here.
Speaker 4 (46:31):
The only reason I'm still here, Kevin Durant is I
didn't want to move and the other guy he wouldn't
wave is no trade clause. Otherwise we'd all be in
a different destination. But here we are.
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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