March 17, 2022 • 36 mins
Welcome into hour 3 of the Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon!!! Mike and Jason break down the upcoming QB movement within the NFL, Plus, with the Lakers looking like they are ready for the season to be over, Ric Bucher stops by to give us all the insight around the NBA world!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two a m Eastern seven to eleven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
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(00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Now. It's like in
triple stereo and the Obo Cup. No it it look
we've got people asking if we should release a limited
edition maybe Belgian style beer into the market place called
Hope Belgian Waffles. No, well, I mean we can make
(00:46):
waffles too. Maybe we can work with the rock chef
and and make that happen. I do make waffles from scratch.
With with we can do, there's chicken and waffles. Why
can't we do Belgian waffles in Belgian al Why can't?
I got no problem with no absolute white cat could
be a big combination. I don't know why, and that's
not something. It's Belgian Belgian style waffle with Belgian style
ale Okay, it would be half want to crash um
(01:10):
Draft weekend in in Las Vegas and see if we
can't do a meet up to see how many Belgian
ales and Belgian waffles we can all consume. What do
you think it would be a chocolate style ale to
go with the Belgian waffles. That would be you know,
whip cream. And I think that's got a couple of
good chocolate stouts. I can recommend you all right, you
gotta right, you know, you gotta patent that idea right now.
(01:32):
Belgian beer, Belgian waffles, gotta that that'll be the foundation
of a whole new thing, because because how many other
people do chicken wings and chicken tenders, we gotta we
gotta find some other animal that be gun sarcher peace
Well and look, really, what what does Belgian? What? What
does Belgium have? They have waffles, they have stout, and
they have her kuel perow that's really that's Belgium. That's Belgian.
(01:54):
That you've got peroh in I could get her cooked
for you. Uh. It is our three of the Jason
Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon and uh craziness.
In the first four in Dayton, we could be looking
at triple overtime, no trede Dame and Rutgers tied at
(02:15):
eighty seven apiece with the clock ticking down in the
final seconds. Uh no Trede Dame goes ahead with a
bucket no time leftow and the final throw by Rutgers
is no good. No Tree Dame wins it eight nine
eighty seven. They get up put back with a second
left to go and Rutgers tries to inbound the ball.
(02:38):
They get off. I don't even know if they got
it off, doesn't matter. It was well short um no
trade Dame survives and double overtime eighty nine eighty seven.
They will move in to the first round of the
n c A Tournament. The lepre Con is going crazy
right now doing is dancing. Oh no tre Dame. It's
their first n c A Tournament win since before Chris
(02:59):
Bryant was good. Oh wow. I mean you had that
big shot from Ron Harper Jr. Tied it at eight seven,
miss lay up the offensive rebound and put back, and
well that that does it. What a great game though,
And after all of that, and then you just see
(03:20):
the the air out of the room, all those Rutgers
fans stunned. Oh man, it was it really was something
you saw crash in the glass one on four. That's
the other thing, right, I mean, Atkinson Junior gets in there,
he's one on four. You've got got gotta be aggressive.
You can't just watch the basketball. So many teams do
(03:40):
that on big plays. I'm gonna watch the basketball and
think it's just gonna come to me, and someone gets
a great beat on it and gets in and he's
able to get around and put in the lay up.
I mean, it's the number of players who watched the
ball coming off the rim in big moments because they
just don't think I have to go up and get it.
It's just gonna come to me, either it's going in
or it's gonna them to me. Nope, I'm gonna lose it.
(04:01):
And that's where you wind up kicking yourself because that's
about effort, because that's clear. There's no way one guy
should get in there ahead of four players and get
that ball. There's but that's just it, right, you play
it all the way through regulation and to the final
seconds of double ot and then an effort play get
you right where you're diving all over the floor offensive
rebounds because you saw several from Rutgers in the final
(04:24):
minute to help make make plays. Uh and then that
is that's that's a long off season ahead with a
loss like that. Uh So I have more in this
game coming up. We got Rick Bucker in about fifteen
minutes to give us all the big news in the NBA.
The Nets maybe back, Probably not, but they might be.
But right now this has come into us via John
(04:46):
Paul Morossi and Fox Sports, Slots Works Radio, and MLB
Network Insider that the Dodgers and Freddie Freeman are deep
in talks on a contract that could net Freddie Freeman
a six year deal in the hundred sixty million dollar range.
Freddie Freeman could be a Dodger. This is looks like
it's happening. It's not official yet, but they are deep
(05:08):
in talks again that Freddie Freeman could be a Dodger
somewhere in the six year, hundred and sixty million dollar
contract range. Now I like this way more than Chris Bryant.
You would say, Jason, wait a minut, wait and wait wait.
Chris Bryant went for seven years, hundred eighty two million
dollars to the Dodgers. He's this to the Rockies. He's
the same age as Freddie Freeman. But you like six
(05:29):
years and a hundred and sixty million for Freddie Freeman. Yeah,
you know why because Freddie Freeman still good. That's what
I like the deal. Freddie Freeman is still a good
ball player. Chris Bryant's a guy that hasn't been good
in three years. He's been injured and can't stay on
the field. Yes, it's great that he can play left
field and third base, but when you only in the
lineup for ninety games a year, how great is that? Really?
(05:52):
He's not been really good in five years. He's knocked
in a hundred runs once in his Major League baseball career,
one time, one time. Chris Bryant's like the image of
Chris Bryant because he won the World Series with the Cubs.
Is ah, Chris Bryant is still so No, Chris Bryant
hasn't really been good for a while. He's been a
twenty eight and seventies seven guy. And there's thirty of
(06:13):
those guys in Major League Baseball, maybe forty of them.
That's who Chris Bryant is. That's why that contract was
awful because you're the Rockies and you didn't want Ronado
and you'r you may not resign Trevor story because you
don't want to spend money on them, but you want
to give that kind of contract to Chris Bryant. Come on, man,
the guy again. The guy hasn't been good in years.
But this is why the Freddie Freeman contract is good.
(06:34):
Because Freeman still really good coming off winning the m
v P in the shortened season of still at a
really good year last year, finished ninth in m VP voting.
He's someone that's gonna hit three hundred and knock in
eighty five runs and it's thirty home runs. It's a
little bit better than Chris Bryant. He's gonna be in
the lineup for a hundred and fifty eight and sixty games.
(06:55):
That's what Freddie Freeman does. And the fact that d
H is coming to the National League now those last
couple of years of his contract isn't gonna be that bad,
right because the the year's thirty two through thirty five
for Freddie Freeman should be pretty good. Then he had
to thirty six, thirty seven, all right, we'll see where
we're at there. But that's when he could be d ching.
He could be d ching almost full time depending on
what happens with Max Munsey. Because that's the real reason
(07:17):
the Dodgers going after this, because they know that Muns
was still hurt. And look, he was an m v
P candy. He was the top three m v P
candidate until he got hurt last year. So the fact
that they're going after Freeman, you know that Muns is
is still dinged up and you don't know when he's
really gonna be back to being Max Munsey. And when
he does, Freddie Freeman can be the d h all right,
they can. You can figure out a spot and the
rich get richer. That's why I would love this deal
(07:38):
for the Dodgers. Still don't like the deal for Chris Bryant.
Like I said, when the Chris Bryan deal happened, it
seemed like an Onion headline like this is not really no,
this is it. But the real deal for Freddie Freeman, yeah,
six and one sixty And selfishly I love it because
this guy killed the Mets and now he's out of
the n L East. I would be that's one of
that bean, so he is. I love when all the
guys that killed the Mets leave the n L A
(08:00):
and Freddie Freeman is one of those guys. He's leaving
the NL East. That's why I love this more than anything.
Your celebration, Uh, just like the Irish just three minutes
into St. Patrick's day, celebrate that double ot victory. You
celebrate Freddie Freeman leaving your division. Uh. You look at it.
He bats on average for his career seventeen points higher, UH,
(08:24):
career batting average over what Chris Bryant does. Bryant draws
more walks, and Freeman does better putting the ball into play. U.
What what'll be curious is as the Dodgers assess the roster,
still have to make a decision on Trevor Bauer at
some point, but they need pitching help. That much is clear.
So one of these bats is probably gonna get shipped
out at some point. UH going the other way to
(08:46):
make sure they add uh an extra arm, either to
the starting rotation or to the bullpen. And I would
suspect off the jump, you're gonna have an awful lot
of extra arms cycling in and out based on the
shortened spring training and and everything we're looking at as
they try to ramp everybody up. Because I don't think
Clayton Kershaw is gonna be ready to go full tilt
(09:07):
right off the jump. Either could be wrong, but that
would be the expectation. But you look at the numbers
for Freddie Freeman that are being reported here, six one sixty. Again,
always the caveat of it. It's not my money. And
let's face it, the Dodgers are never in a position
where money is an issue right now that can never
(09:27):
ever be claimed. Yes, we get into luxury tax implications
and such, but they print money, they do, you know.
So it's it's one of the organizations. And I know
it's frustrating for a lot of fans of other teams
right now because it became all right, is he gonna
be a Red Sox starter? Is he going to the Yankees?
(09:47):
Are they going to add another one? Or is he
going to the Dodgers. I get it. There's there's a
frustration that flows out of that, you know, the whispers
of the Padres. The only way he was going to
the Padres if they suddenly were able to avoid Fornando
Tatis is kind if suddenly, out of all of the
motorcycles and everything else, they decided to help with it.
We really are going to try to fight this then
(10:09):
maybe maybe dollars a year because he rode that motorcycle.
Because we can out and get a lot of good guys. Man,
if we can cut that down from three forty to
a million, yeah, I mean because they spent their money, right,
I mean they they they went all in and they
and they made their push. But now it said for
for Freddie Freeman, I think for many it's good. It's
done ish right. We await the finalization and and all
(10:31):
of the you know, we we've got him under contract
and here he is showing up in Arizona for workouts,
and all Dodger fans will celebrate because you know there
there's been enough reports of other teams to get get
people a little bit nervous that he was not going
to come in, like, oh no, we missed out on
this guy. And that's where it's hard, right, because I
(10:52):
love our friends and neighbors that are all Dodger fans.
You've had a pretty good run here where you've kind
of it's it's the I gave you a list for
what I want for Christmas, and every year I know
it's it's showing up under the tree. That's kind of
what we've had with the Dodgers here for a while. Uh.
And here's the latest generation, a guy at perennial MVP
(11:13):
candidate and ready to go. So I love it. Mid
thirties home runs, Uh and probably ninety r b I
s for you while batting three hundred. Yeah, let's go. Uh, Dodger.
Dodger car flags will be rising high tomorrow because they
had to take those Laker ones away. Oh yeah, yeah, no,
have you noticed no one drives around l A now
(11:33):
at the Laker with the Laker flags anymore. Yeah, you know,
people have actually taken some of the decals off the
back of the Now there's U, C, l A, and
USC flags, So we're getting into the n C. I've
noticed that the last couple of days. But yeah, those
Laker flags they're gone, man, They're they're just gone. Yeah.
It's literally a new new new world order here. I mean,
(11:55):
that's it is. It is a new world order. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Jason in Smith's
Show with Mike Harman weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart
Radio app Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith's Show with
My best friend, Mike Harman. Hobo got Rick Buker coming
(12:15):
up in about thirty seconds. But first we talked about
it a few minutes ago. And now from the nl East,
David gascon where did Freddie Freeman end up? But he's
staying in the National League. He's going to Los Angeles
Fellows going from Atlanta to l A with the Dodgers
six year deal with a hundred and sixty two million
does man. We will have more on this story coming
(12:39):
up in a few minutes. Thank you very much, d G.
Freddie Freeman is now official. He is a Dodger, and
you know there's something to be said. And I can
put everybody at ease if you just signed somebody to
a big contracting to wondering, oh my god, one of
the last couple of years of it gonna be like, oh,
it's gonna be terrible. I can help you out with that.
But first, a guy who's gonna help us out with
everything in the NBA. Fox Sports One NBA Insider Extraordinaire
(13:03):
hosts the On the Ball podcast. He's on Twitter at
Rick Buker. It is Rick Buker. Rick, what's happening? Man?
How are you? I'm good, But I can't help you
with everything. I cannot possibly help you with the Los
Angeles Lakers or the New York Nick those are beyond
I'm only a man. I can't you couldn't. You couldn't
throw that out as a wish on your birthday. Rick,
(13:24):
Happy birthday, buddy, Thank you, thank you, thank you very much,
thank you very Wow. It's wait. St Patrick's Day is
your birthday or the day before? Day before? Yeah, it's like,
you know, it's like a Buker weekend. You got the
birthday in St. Patrick's Day every year? Uh you know, Um,
mischief ensues for forty eight straight hours, the party starts early.
(13:48):
You've found a way to extend your birthday to make
it a two day event. That's pretty good. Let me
know what think. Yeah, I didn't have a whole lot
to do with it. It's just the ways, you know,
the ways of fates decided that, uh my birthday should
be ahead of St. Patrick's Day, and so yeah, generally
I have when everybody is just beginning to work on
(14:09):
their hangover. Um, I'm I'm already halfway through my guy,
And let me tell you about the Knicks. Jason Smith.
You ask me love more freaking question about them. I'm
hanging up and never talking to you again. Uh, there's
exactly exactly so so so you can't help us with
(14:31):
the Lakers because after the game tonight Lebron said, I'm comfortable.
I'm comfortable being uncomfortable when you win, You're comfortable when
you win, you're uncomfortable. You can't help us out. I
even promised a half hour ago Rick Buker could translate
Lebron James I'm comfortable being uncomfortable statement there, and you
can't help well, I can, I can. I can't translate it,
but I can explain. I can explain where it came from. Okay,
(14:53):
See there's see see there's a there's a book of
script that postgame scripts that on had and he turns
to the wrong section. He turns to the section where
you're down to one in a playoff series. And you
talk about I'm comfortable being an uncomfortable situation, because that
is that's truly, that's truly a noble situation to be
(15:15):
uncomfortable in. He just happened to take the wrong script
and apply it to the wrong situation. I have no
I have no I have no doubt that he is.
He is uncomfortable right now, but I also guarantee you
that he is not comfortable being uncomfortable in this situation
(15:35):
because there's no redeeming value to it. It's like, um, yeah,
you know what, the situation is bad and it's only
gonna get worse, and there's like you being okay in
this circumstance is not okay because you don't want to
be in this situation if you're in the playoffs and
you're down to one or like difficult, you know, difficult
(15:56):
circumstances in winning situations, which Lebron is used to. I'm
I'm guessing that he doesn't even have a script for
situations that are this bad, because generally he would have
traded half the team at the trade deadline before getting
to this point, he wasn't allowed to and so now
here we are, so I you know, it's just it's
funny with him or with Kyrie or you name any guy,
(16:21):
and when they have to tell you over and over
kind of the same thing. Um, that's always to tell
that they're trying to convince you of something that they
know that isn't true, Like uh, because generally you don't
have to tell it's It's like it's almost anything. You
probably have the same experience, like your your friend tells
(16:41):
you man, uh with your wife or your girlfriend. Man,
I really I really love this me. I really love
the way you make the stay. You know what, this
is great stake. I love the state. Like if anybody
says something beyond three times, I get suspicious. I'm like, Okay,
what are you trying to do here? Like there's there's
something beyond the state. It is going on here? What
(17:05):
is going on? And I believe that's the case with
Lebron and any number of guys when they when they
start singing the same song, I'm like, why, why are
you trying to convince me of this? I should just
see it and know it. I like that you also
gave him credit for getting past the first page of
the book, So you're the first guy. Yeah, that's that's
(17:26):
a fair shot. I gotta you know, take take the
low hanging fruit suptimes. I'd also I would have loved
in the post game if someone would have held up.
There's a sequence going around of Russell Westbrook against Patrick Beverley,
and it's like a fifty second super cou Just see
Lebron's reaction to that. You know what, I'll say this
(17:46):
about that that if there's any indication of just how
fraid the Lakers are, it's the fact that no one
took up for Russ Westbrook in that situation. I'm sorry,
I don't care how bad my guy is playing. I
got the other guy calling him trash and holding his nose.
(18:07):
We're gonna we gotta beef. We're gonna fight like I'm gonna.
I'm gonna let him know that's not okay. And the
fact that nobody took umbrage with it, uh, to me,
is as much a reflection on all the Lakers as
it is on whatever it might say about Russ Westbrook.
(18:27):
Rick Uke are our guest here the Jason Smith Show
with Mike Carmen. All Right, So, while the Lakers continue
to flounder, Lebron gets closer to Karl Malone is as look,
give teams still continue to lose at the bottom of
the West. The Lakers are still in a playoff position.
I would not be surprised if they, like if they were,
(18:50):
if there's they're trying to send money to the Portland Trailblazers.
Could you guys just please just move up into the
tenth spot. Put us out of our misery, Like, we
don't want to do this. I fully expect that, you know,
New Orleans is going to pass them. They're gonna be
in the tent spot. They won't be able to fall
out of the play in. So now they gotta play
two road games, we know with the with the nine
(19:10):
and twenty two on the road, like, they look like
a team that if they could find a way to
get out of this entirely at this point, they would
be more than happy to do that. That their problem
is the Trailblazers are are tanking at a mighty speed,
and so there would have to be some under the
table understanding to to make that happen at this point.
(19:31):
But we'll continue. Sorry, Lebron just scores the bucket to pass.
Malone takes the basketball and walks off the court, waving
to everybody, I'll see you next year. I'll see you.
Just you just don't see him again. I you know
you you you you just But I would not I
would not be the last at least bit surprised. That's
just the problem that actually Lebron faces now because he
(19:53):
told us I'm you know, I'm not going to quit
until we're twelve ft under, until you chop my head off,
until all that stuff. So technically, as long as long
as they're mathematically eligible to be in the play in,
he's got to keep playing. And I do think, you know,
one of the other things is I do think he's
trying to chase that scoring record. I think that was
(20:15):
I think he took a hit tonight because I don't
think he got close to his average and he might
have might have lost a tenth or two UM. But
like he's he's in a tough spot because he doesn't
want to come right out and say that he's chasing
karme alone, or he's chasing the scoring record. UM. But
what I mean, honestly, what else I wouldn't blame him.
(20:37):
What else would what else is he would he be
playing for UM? But since he's made it all about
I just play, you know, the right way, and I
played a win, he can't. He can't go down that road.
So he's in a tough spot. So he's very but
he's comfortable being uncomfortable, or so he says. Maverick's nets
and one of the games of the evening outside a
(21:00):
double overtime thriller in the first four Luca don Chet's
and Kevin Durant making plays, but no Kyrie once again obviously,
and then the Ben Simmons part of things interesting right,
had the epidural for his back, and then yesterday in
in the little shooting around back and forth, Steve Nash
had to answer questions and said, we're extremely hopeful that
(21:22):
we can get him back and for the regular season.
Are they legitimately ever going to see him on the
court at this point? Yeah, I mean it's a fair question.
I don't know, back to a tricky thing. I know
that the back issue is legit um from from the
people that I've talked to, and and the Nets really
don't know what is going on with him because he's
not there. He's not working out there, he's not working
(21:44):
on his back at the facility or with the team.
From what I understand, he's got his own people trying
to get that right, and so he hasn't been around. Um.
You know, they're just getting reports in terms of where
he is. And it's not as if he has anything
against the Nets. It's simply like he has to get
that back right at this point before he can start
(22:08):
before you can start playing or practice, and you know
your guest is as good as mine, as good as
the Nets. The Nets honestly don't know if and when
they are going to get him at this point. And
I'll stand by this that as good as Kyrie and
Kady have looked in recent days, I just don't think
that there they have any sort of a legitimate shot
(22:31):
at getting to the finals or getting out of the East.
U if if they don't have Ben Simmons, they need
him defensively as much as anything. Otherwise, You've just got
Patty Mills, You've got Kyrie Irving, got Seth Curry. I
mean that's that is just an incredibly small backcourt without
a legitimate rim protector. Uh to to you know, keep
(22:54):
everybody honest, and that is Kyrie and KD can't score
enough to compensate for that. Uh you know. And I
look at it this way to Rick, is that the
Nets have just been Look, they've never been able to
get it going since they their first incarnation of the
Big Three. When did they finally start. It's like in
the last week and a half, because they had the
Ben Simmons revenge game in Philadelphia, and they're upset about
(23:17):
the vaccination status in New York. And Kyrie it's now
it's important that he comes to the game and sits
and goes in the locker room and they get find
fifty grand. Now now I feel like the Nets are
motivated like k D and Kyrie are motivated when they play.
So this is why even though they look there planning,
This is why I can't believe in them, because I
know they're just gonna play like this for a few
games and then they're gonna go back to where they
(23:37):
were before. Because I just don't know how much basketball
is their priority. I don't know how much winning is
is Kadi and Kyrie's priority anymore. So I can't buy
when they're motivated, they're great, but then how it doesn't
last very long. Yeah, I wouldn't say that about I
wouldn't necessarily say that about Katie. I think Katie has
always got his his eye on the prize. There's very
(23:57):
few times where I thought that he is. He's dialed
it back. And I do believe you're right and that
they're motivated. That you know that James leaving kind of
kind of brought them together, and much as Ben Simmons
getting out from under that cloud helped the seventies sixers
to kind of come together in their way, at least
for a little while. I feel like the same happened
(24:20):
with the Nets, and I think Kyrie and Katie in
particular are motivated right now, uh to to to show
James you thought you you think you have a better
chance of winning a championship with Joel and Be than
you do with us. Let's you know, we've we've got
something to show you. And so I do think that's
the motivation. I agree with you with Kyrie and it's
it's it's why one of the things that I, you know,
(24:42):
I said earlier today, um I talked about that I
think he's too he's too sensitive to be an all
time great or to fully utilize the talent that he has,
and and sensitive in that he's just he's aware of
everything and his mind. He's involved in everything, and he
(25:03):
wants to address everything. And it's like the guys that
I know that um that are truly great, particularly when
it came to scoring in the league, but in general
they're like great white sharks. They just they kind of
hone in on this is what I want to get done.
(25:24):
That's what I want to eat, and I don't really
care about anything else. That is my focus. And I
just have never gotten that from Kyrie. And the example,
you know, I had today was like, he scores sixty,
and he's like, and you know, people are saying that
that he were saying and Jess knowing Kyrie, I think
maybe a little in jest, but he said, you know,
(25:45):
I hope, my hope my teammates weren't unhappy with some
of the shots that I took, you know, um, because
I you know, he pressed, he pressed a little bit. Dude.
Come on, you've been in this game long enough. There's
there's a thing called a heat check, and when you're
going like you're going, nobody faults you for taking a
heat check, like and and who's gonna fault you for
for for scoring sixty? Like it's either he's really trying
(26:09):
to to convince us that he cares so much about
his teammates and what his teammates think. When we didn't
get that feeling when he when he ditched Cleveland, and
we didn't get that feeling when he ditched Boston, and
we didn't get that feeling when everybody agreed to play
in the bubble, and then he suddenly wanted to have
a revolt and going in a different direction. Like again,
(26:30):
it's in that's a situation where you're you're trying to
convince me is something that all the evidence suggests otherwise,
So why don't you just show me rather than tell me?
But it's also like if all these thoughts are going
through your head, like that's a that's a crowded space
up there when the ability to perform at the highest
level in the NBA requires an incredible focus and acuity
(26:55):
to get the job done, to not let anything distract
you from the job at hand. And that's where again,
as good as Kyrie is going right now, I am,
I'm with you. I'm my first My first thought is
I wonder how long is he's gonna last? That's my
first thought. And I don't have that with every with
(27:17):
every great player. I kind of dig that you kind
of went halfway into a Jaws quote. It's really a
miracle of evolution. All the machine does is swim and
eat and make little sharks. Uh. So we get that
in as well. Eastern Conference. All right, So Brooklyn's not winning,
uh for what she said earlier. All of a sudden,
Milwaukee there Boston with another big win tonight. Marcus Smart
(27:38):
was taking out everybody in one fell swoopy Feld, Steph
Curry took down Clay Thompson. But they cruised to a win.
Where where's the victor in the East. You know, when
we we get the final seating, who's taking the crown
into the playoffs? I still think it's Milwaukee, and I
just feel like they've been kind of coasting along. I
(28:01):
think Janice has been coasting along. I mean, he still
plays hard, but I don't think he's shown us everything.
He's shown us that he's added a few things to
a game. They're adding Brook Lopez. Now they should get
Pat Connaughton back. I just feel like they know, hey,
we just need to get through the regular season. Now
(28:22):
that now that we know what it takes to climb
the top of the mountain, we don't care whether we
have the best record or not. We we want home
court early on. But with most of these they're not
afraid to have to go into anybody's arena and and
get a win. I just I just believe they've been
laying in wait and as good as Miami has been.
(28:44):
I still think they're paper tigers. I just you got
you gotta play Duncan Robinson and you gotta play Tyler
Harrow and both of those guys are defensive liabilities. And
so I'm just not convinced. Boston and some of the
other teams. A lot of this is going to have
to do with just who gets matched up by who
and when do you face them? And as always, are
(29:07):
you healthy? But it's healthy. I just think it's it's
there for the Milwaukee Bucks to repeat his champions. You
can fomb on Twitter at Rick Buker, that is at
Rick Buker, and when you go to his Twitter page
you see balloons because Twitter knows it's Rick Buker's birthday.
That guy's scary. That's kind of scary. All the animation
(29:28):
that I did not order. I'm I'm you know, if
a grim Reaper shows up on my Twitter, I am
closing it immediately telling you that. Well, it actually says
right under your name, the Vicinity joined May two thousand nine,
today is his birthday. I mean so much right there. Yeah, yeah,
And I and here's the thing I didn't put that there.
(29:49):
I never told them. Wow, nobody told me. Maybe maybe
Matt Buker is out doing doing good work for you
and wants everybody know what's your birthday? They if they
if they give my like my uh my d n A,
if they're able to list that to now we know,
we know, we got we got, we got a real problem.
Security number here, Rick beuscher soul security number is one
(30:11):
six seven. It's right the Hey, I appreciate on your birthday.
Thank you very much for stopping by. Man. We really appreciate.
There's no place I'd rather be. Um pace yourself. That
that's a lie. Yoh no, that felt good though, Like
it felt good from my soul. Rick, I appreciate it exactly.
(30:33):
See body. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern,
seven pm Pacific. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlie. The podcast is
called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time,
but it's more about the stories about what made these
people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along
(30:56):
the way. We talked to coaches, we talked to players.
We tell you stories. You downloaded you listen to it.
I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with
Doug Gotlieb on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast
or wherever you get your podcast, Fox Sports Radio, The
Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon. I
(31:18):
just went voltized mis mom tonight, Chuck Rogers by one
of our favorite cities, Las Vegas. Your home for live sports,
and that means all sports, every game, match, race and competition.
It is always on. Now going playing your trip at
Visit Las Vegas dot com to see the best and
brightest in Vegas, the greatest arena on Earth. Well, speaking
(31:41):
of best and brightest, uh that may be in Los Angeles. Boy,
the Mets Dodgers NLCS is gonna be epic um. The
big news tonight just came in a few minutes ago.
Freddie Freeman to the Dodgers n L m v P
for six years and a hundred and sixty two million
dollars lars. The Dodgers starting lineup this year could look
(32:03):
like this, Mookie Bets leading off, Trade Turner at short,
Freddie Freeman hitting third, Will Smith hitting fourth, Max Munsey five,
Justin Turner sixth, Cody Bellinger seventh, then Chris Taylor and
Aj Pollock. That could be. That's the doctors line up,
it's a bleeping all star team. Man, Eventually they're gonna
(32:26):
be paying every one of their starting nine million dollars
a year. I mean, can you I guess you can.
But every one of those guys making twenty five million
dollars year at some point. It is an amazing amalgam
of players and talent assembled in one spot. And now
it's the the old, the old adage of they still
have to play the games right because on paper, I mean,
(32:47):
this is the strata matic team that you want. There
you go showing my age right there with a little
strata matic baseball. But when we look at the squad offensively, look,
there's depth, there's extra bets, and it's it's all about health.
But from the pitching side is really where I need
the balance to command. Obviously Bueller and Arius at the top,
(33:10):
but Clayton Kershaw, how many starts are we banking on
him for? And I know Frostberg's texted me right now
thirty five juror um. But beyond those two guys, you've
got a lot of questions in your rotation that that's
that's the only thing for me at this point is
is solving the pitching staff and solidifying a closer right,
(33:31):
some some whispers. You know, it's certainly out of Chicago
that Craig Kimberle unhappy with being the setup man for
Hendricks there, who everybody now shows is wearing the gauntlet,
which I think is kind of cool. Uh, making him
fanos in Chicago. I kind of dig that. But maybe
kimberl is a guy that that provides a bit of
an answer. But I think the Dodgers need to work
(33:54):
on the staff, and they've got that big decision to
make once Major League Baseball has made their determination of
any type of disciplinary measure for Trevor Bauer right cleared
of criminal charges, It's like we get into do with
Deshaun Watson. You still have to make a very large
decision of what it means for your organization, the fan base,
and your locker room as you decide whether a guy
(34:17):
of that talent returns. Uh. Now, here's the best part
for anybody who worries, Hey, we just signed a high
price veteran in baseball, and boy, you know, look Freddie
Freeman six years he's thirty two years old. Those last
couple of years might be rough. Chris Bryant, a few
of those years might be rough. The one silver lining
I can tell you is that remember the universal d
(34:38):
H is your friend. Any big over price veteran who
can't hack it for a hundred and sixty two games
or hundred and fifty games, you if they still have
a bat, they can d H for you, and they
can do it half the time, and at least you're
getting some kind of production. Youn't have to put a
guy who's thirty seven years old and can't do it
in the field anymore out there just because he can
still hit a little bit. Now, you can't do this
(34:59):
for a lot of spots, but one or two spots
on your team. Hey, if you have two guys were
getting paid a lot of money at the end of
their deals and they're both splitting the d H job, great,
I mean that that that that's absolutely okay. Now I
don't like it for Chris Bryant for a lot of reasons,
but that's why I like it for Freddie Freeman, and
that the guy is still gonna be able to hit.
Doesn't play a very taxing position. So the last couple
of years of his deal, when he's thirty six thirty seven.
(35:21):
Who is that going to be good? He'll be d
h and by then it'll be just fine, Freddie, for
this is a great contract for the doctors, and they
will have brought in another guy to pick up where
he can't. That's the beauty of it. They're shark's teeth.
See what I did. I brought it back to what
Puker was laying down. Yeah, they'll get Bryce Harper when
when the Phillies are done paying him, Hey, can you
pay price? Yeah, sure, we can do it for you.
(35:42):
That's all right. We'll get him to play the outfield
for us. You can take Pellinger Twitter and out about
a fresca. Mike gets swollen down the Jason Smith Show
with my best friend Mike Harmon. Hey, but speaking of
Freddie Freeman, not nearly the biggest deal given out today
in sports. We got NFL one on the way that
ext
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two a m Eastern seven to eleven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Fox
Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every night
on the I Heart Radio app by searching fs R.
(00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Now. It's like in
triple stereo and the Obo Cup. No it it look
we've got people asking if we should release a limited
edition maybe Belgian style beer into the market place called
Hope Belgian Waffles. No, well, I mean we can make
(00:46):
waffles too. Maybe we can work with the rock chef
and and make that happen. I do make waffles from scratch.
With with we can do, there's chicken and waffles. Why
can't we do Belgian waffles in Belgian al Why can't?
I got no problem with no absolute white cat could
be a big combination. I don't know why, and that's
not something. It's Belgian Belgian style waffle with Belgian style
ale Okay, it would be half want to crash um
(01:10):
Draft weekend in in Las Vegas and see if we
can't do a meet up to see how many Belgian
ales and Belgian waffles we can all consume. What do
you think it would be a chocolate style ale to
go with the Belgian waffles. That would be you know,
whip cream. And I think that's got a couple of
good chocolate stouts. I can recommend you all right, you
gotta right, you know, you gotta patent that idea right now.
(01:32):
Belgian beer, Belgian waffles, gotta that that'll be the foundation
of a whole new thing, because because how many other
people do chicken wings and chicken tenders, we gotta we
gotta find some other animal that be gun sarcher peace
Well and look, really, what what does Belgian? What? What
does Belgium have? They have waffles, they have stout, and
they have her kuel perow that's really that's Belgium. That's Belgian.
(01:54):
That you've got peroh in I could get her cooked
for you. Uh. It is our three of the Jason
Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon and uh craziness.
In the first four in Dayton, we could be looking
at triple overtime, no trede Dame and Rutgers tied at
(02:15):
eighty seven apiece with the clock ticking down in the
final seconds. Uh no Trede Dame goes ahead with a
bucket no time leftow and the final throw by Rutgers
is no good. No Tree Dame wins it eight nine
eighty seven. They get up put back with a second
left to go and Rutgers tries to inbound the ball.
(02:38):
They get off. I don't even know if they got
it off, doesn't matter. It was well short um no
trade Dame survives and double overtime eighty nine eighty seven.
They will move in to the first round of the
n c A Tournament. The lepre Con is going crazy
right now doing is dancing. Oh no tre Dame. It's
their first n c A Tournament win since before Chris
(02:59):
Bryant was good. Oh wow. I mean you had that
big shot from Ron Harper Jr. Tied it at eight seven,
miss lay up the offensive rebound and put back, and
well that that does it. What a great game though,
And after all of that, and then you just see
(03:20):
the the air out of the room, all those Rutgers
fans stunned. Oh man, it was it really was something
you saw crash in the glass one on four. That's
the other thing, right, I mean, Atkinson Junior gets in there,
he's one on four. You've got got gotta be aggressive.
You can't just watch the basketball. So many teams do
(03:40):
that on big plays. I'm gonna watch the basketball and
think it's just gonna come to me, and someone gets
a great beat on it and gets in and he's
able to get around and put in the lay up.
I mean, it's the number of players who watched the
ball coming off the rim in big moments because they
just don't think I have to go up and get it.
It's just gonna come to me, either it's going in
or it's gonna them to me. Nope, I'm gonna lose it.
(04:01):
And that's where you wind up kicking yourself because that's
about effort, because that's clear. There's no way one guy
should get in there ahead of four players and get
that ball. There's but that's just it, right, you play
it all the way through regulation and to the final
seconds of double ot and then an effort play get
you right where you're diving all over the floor offensive
rebounds because you saw several from Rutgers in the final
(04:24):
minute to help make make plays. Uh and then that
is that's that's a long off season ahead with a
loss like that. Uh So I have more in this
game coming up. We got Rick Bucker in about fifteen
minutes to give us all the big news in the NBA.
The Nets maybe back, Probably not, but they might be.
But right now this has come into us via John
(04:46):
Paul Morossi and Fox Sports, Slots Works Radio, and MLB
Network Insider that the Dodgers and Freddie Freeman are deep
in talks on a contract that could net Freddie Freeman
a six year deal in the hundred sixty million dollar range.
Freddie Freeman could be a Dodger. This is looks like
it's happening. It's not official yet, but they are deep
(05:08):
in talks again that Freddie Freeman could be a Dodger
somewhere in the six year, hundred and sixty million dollar
contract range. Now I like this way more than Chris Bryant.
You would say, Jason, wait a minut, wait and wait wait.
Chris Bryant went for seven years, hundred eighty two million
dollars to the Dodgers. He's this to the Rockies. He's
the same age as Freddie Freeman. But you like six
(05:29):
years and a hundred and sixty million for Freddie Freeman. Yeah,
you know why because Freddie Freeman still good. That's what
I like the deal. Freddie Freeman is still a good
ball player. Chris Bryant's a guy that hasn't been good
in three years. He's been injured and can't stay on
the field. Yes, it's great that he can play left
field and third base, but when you only in the
lineup for ninety games a year, how great is that? Really?
(05:52):
He's not been really good in five years. He's knocked
in a hundred runs once in his Major League baseball career,
one time, one time. Chris Bryant's like the image of
Chris Bryant because he won the World Series with the Cubs.
Is ah, Chris Bryant is still so No, Chris Bryant
hasn't really been good for a while. He's been a
twenty eight and seventies seven guy. And there's thirty of
(06:13):
those guys in Major League Baseball, maybe forty of them.
That's who Chris Bryant is. That's why that contract was
awful because you're the Rockies and you didn't want Ronado
and you'r you may not resign Trevor story because you
don't want to spend money on them, but you want
to give that kind of contract to Chris Bryant. Come on, man,
the guy again. The guy hasn't been good in years.
But this is why the Freddie Freeman contract is good.
(06:34):
Because Freeman still really good coming off winning the m
v P in the shortened season of still at a
really good year last year, finished ninth in m VP voting.
He's someone that's gonna hit three hundred and knock in
eighty five runs and it's thirty home runs. It's a
little bit better than Chris Bryant. He's gonna be in
the lineup for a hundred and fifty eight and sixty games.
(06:55):
That's what Freddie Freeman does. And the fact that d
H is coming to the National League now those last
couple of years of his contract isn't gonna be that bad,
right because the the year's thirty two through thirty five
for Freddie Freeman should be pretty good. Then he had
to thirty six, thirty seven, all right, we'll see where
we're at there. But that's when he could be d ching.
He could be d ching almost full time depending on
what happens with Max Munsey. Because that's the real reason
(07:17):
the Dodgers going after this, because they know that Muns
was still hurt. And look, he was an m v
P candy. He was the top three m v P
candidate until he got hurt last year. So the fact
that they're going after Freeman, you know that Muns is
is still dinged up and you don't know when he's
really gonna be back to being Max Munsey. And when
he does, Freddie Freeman can be the d h all right,
they can. You can figure out a spot and the
rich get richer. That's why I would love this deal
(07:38):
for the Dodgers. Still don't like the deal for Chris Bryant.
Like I said, when the Chris Bryan deal happened, it
seemed like an Onion headline like this is not really no,
this is it. But the real deal for Freddie Freeman, yeah,
six and one sixty And selfishly I love it because
this guy killed the Mets and now he's out of
the n L East. I would be that's one of
that bean, so he is. I love when all the
guys that killed the Mets leave the n L A
(08:00):
and Freddie Freeman is one of those guys. He's leaving
the NL East. That's why I love this more than anything.
Your celebration, Uh, just like the Irish just three minutes
into St. Patrick's day, celebrate that double ot victory. You
celebrate Freddie Freeman leaving your division. Uh. You look at it.
He bats on average for his career seventeen points higher, UH,
(08:24):
career batting average over what Chris Bryant does. Bryant draws
more walks, and Freeman does better putting the ball into play. U.
What what'll be curious is as the Dodgers assess the roster,
still have to make a decision on Trevor Bauer at
some point, but they need pitching help. That much is clear.
So one of these bats is probably gonna get shipped
out at some point. UH going the other way to
(08:46):
make sure they add uh an extra arm, either to
the starting rotation or to the bullpen. And I would
suspect off the jump, you're gonna have an awful lot
of extra arms cycling in and out based on the
shortened spring training and and everything we're looking at as
they try to ramp everybody up. Because I don't think
Clayton Kershaw is gonna be ready to go full tilt
(09:07):
right off the jump. Either could be wrong, but that
would be the expectation. But you look at the numbers
for Freddie Freeman that are being reported here, six one sixty. Again,
always the caveat of it. It's not my money. And
let's face it, the Dodgers are never in a position
where money is an issue right now that can never
(09:27):
ever be claimed. Yes, we get into luxury tax implications
and such, but they print money, they do, you know.
So it's it's one of the organizations. And I know
it's frustrating for a lot of fans of other teams
right now because it became all right, is he gonna
be a Red Sox starter? Is he going to the Yankees?
(09:47):
Are they going to add another one? Or is he
going to the Dodgers. I get it. There's there's a
frustration that flows out of that, you know, the whispers
of the Padres. The only way he was going to
the Padres if they suddenly were able to avoid Fornando
Tatis is kind if suddenly, out of all of the
motorcycles and everything else, they decided to help with it.
We really are going to try to fight this then
(10:09):
maybe maybe dollars a year because he rode that motorcycle.
Because we can out and get a lot of good guys. Man,
if we can cut that down from three forty to
a million, yeah, I mean because they spent their money, right,
I mean they they they went all in and they
and they made their push. But now it said for
for Freddie Freeman, I think for many it's good. It's
done ish right. We await the finalization and and all
(10:31):
of the you know, we we've got him under contract
and here he is showing up in Arizona for workouts,
and all Dodger fans will celebrate because you know there
there's been enough reports of other teams to get get
people a little bit nervous that he was not going
to come in, like, oh no, we missed out on
this guy. And that's where it's hard, right, because I
(10:52):
love our friends and neighbors that are all Dodger fans.
You've had a pretty good run here where you've kind
of it's it's the I gave you a list for
what I want for Christmas, and every year I know
it's it's showing up under the tree. That's kind of
what we've had with the Dodgers here for a while. Uh.
And here's the latest generation, a guy at perennial MVP
(11:13):
candidate and ready to go. So I love it. Mid
thirties home runs, Uh and probably ninety r b I
s for you while batting three hundred. Yeah, let's go. Uh, Dodger.
Dodger car flags will be rising high tomorrow because they
had to take those Laker ones away. Oh yeah, yeah, no,
have you noticed no one drives around l A now
(11:33):
at the Laker with the Laker flags anymore. Yeah, you know,
people have actually taken some of the decals off the
back of the Now there's U, C, l A, and
USC flags, So we're getting into the n C. I've
noticed that the last couple of days. But yeah, those
Laker flags they're gone, man, They're they're just gone. Yeah.
It's literally a new new new world order here. I mean,
(11:55):
that's it is. It is a new world order. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Jason in Smith's
Show with Mike Harman weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart
Radio app Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith's Show with
My best friend, Mike Harman. Hobo got Rick Buker coming
(12:15):
up in about thirty seconds. But first we talked about
it a few minutes ago. And now from the nl East,
David gascon where did Freddie Freeman end up? But he's
staying in the National League. He's going to Los Angeles
Fellows going from Atlanta to l A with the Dodgers
six year deal with a hundred and sixty two million
does man. We will have more on this story coming
(12:39):
up in a few minutes. Thank you very much, d G.
Freddie Freeman is now official. He is a Dodger, and
you know there's something to be said. And I can
put everybody at ease if you just signed somebody to
a big contracting to wondering, oh my god, one of
the last couple of years of it gonna be like, oh,
it's gonna be terrible. I can help you out with that.
But first, a guy who's gonna help us out with
everything in the NBA. Fox Sports One NBA Insider Extraordinaire
(13:03):
hosts the On the Ball podcast. He's on Twitter at
Rick Buker. It is Rick Buker. Rick, what's happening? Man?
How are you? I'm good, But I can't help you
with everything. I cannot possibly help you with the Los
Angeles Lakers or the New York Nick those are beyond
I'm only a man. I can't you couldn't. You couldn't
throw that out as a wish on your birthday. Rick,
(13:24):
Happy birthday, buddy, Thank you, thank you, thank you very much,
thank you very Wow. It's wait. St Patrick's Day is
your birthday or the day before? Day before? Yeah, it's like,
you know, it's like a Buker weekend. You got the
birthday in St. Patrick's Day every year? Uh you know, Um,
mischief ensues for forty eight straight hours, the party starts early.
(13:48):
You've found a way to extend your birthday to make
it a two day event. That's pretty good. Let me
know what think. Yeah, I didn't have a whole lot
to do with it. It's just the ways, you know,
the ways of fates decided that, uh my birthday should
be ahead of St. Patrick's Day, and so yeah, generally
I have when everybody is just beginning to work on
(14:09):
their hangover. Um, I'm I'm already halfway through my guy,
And let me tell you about the Knicks. Jason Smith.
You ask me love more freaking question about them. I'm
hanging up and never talking to you again. Uh, there's
exactly exactly so so so you can't help us with
(14:31):
the Lakers because after the game tonight Lebron said, I'm comfortable.
I'm comfortable being uncomfortable when you win, You're comfortable when
you win, you're uncomfortable. You can't help us out. I
even promised a half hour ago Rick Buker could translate
Lebron James I'm comfortable being uncomfortable statement there, and you
can't help well, I can, I can. I can't translate it,
but I can explain. I can explain where it came from. Okay,
(14:53):
See there's see see there's a there's a book of
script that postgame scripts that on had and he turns
to the wrong section. He turns to the section where
you're down to one in a playoff series. And you
talk about I'm comfortable being an uncomfortable situation, because that
is that's truly, that's truly a noble situation to be
(15:15):
uncomfortable in. He just happened to take the wrong script
and apply it to the wrong situation. I have no
I have no I have no doubt that he is.
He is uncomfortable right now, but I also guarantee you
that he is not comfortable being uncomfortable in this situation
(15:35):
because there's no redeeming value to it. It's like, um, yeah,
you know what, the situation is bad and it's only
gonna get worse, and there's like you being okay in
this circumstance is not okay because you don't want to
be in this situation if you're in the playoffs and
you're down to one or like difficult, you know, difficult
(15:56):
circumstances in winning situations, which Lebron is used to. I'm
I'm guessing that he doesn't even have a script for
situations that are this bad, because generally he would have
traded half the team at the trade deadline before getting
to this point, he wasn't allowed to and so now
here we are, so I you know, it's just it's
funny with him or with Kyrie or you name any guy,
(16:21):
and when they have to tell you over and over
kind of the same thing. Um, that's always to tell
that they're trying to convince you of something that they
know that isn't true, Like uh, because generally you don't
have to tell it's It's like it's almost anything. You
probably have the same experience, like your your friend tells
(16:41):
you man, uh with your wife or your girlfriend. Man,
I really I really love this me. I really love
the way you make the stay. You know what, this
is great stake. I love the state. Like if anybody
says something beyond three times, I get suspicious. I'm like, Okay,
what are you trying to do here? Like there's there's
something beyond the state. It is going on here? What
(17:05):
is going on? And I believe that's the case with
Lebron and any number of guys when they when they
start singing the same song, I'm like, why, why are
you trying to convince me of this? I should just
see it and know it. I like that you also
gave him credit for getting past the first page of
the book, So you're the first guy. Yeah, that's that's
(17:26):
a fair shot. I gotta you know, take take the
low hanging fruit suptimes. I'd also I would have loved
in the post game if someone would have held up.
There's a sequence going around of Russell Westbrook against Patrick Beverley,
and it's like a fifty second super cou Just see
Lebron's reaction to that. You know what, I'll say this
(17:46):
about that that if there's any indication of just how
fraid the Lakers are, it's the fact that no one
took up for Russ Westbrook in that situation. I'm sorry,
I don't care how bad my guy is playing. I
got the other guy calling him trash and holding his nose.
(18:07):
We're gonna we gotta beef. We're gonna fight like I'm gonna.
I'm gonna let him know that's not okay. And the
fact that nobody took umbrage with it, uh, to me,
is as much a reflection on all the Lakers as
it is on whatever it might say about Russ Westbrook.
(18:27):
Rick Uke are our guest here the Jason Smith Show
with Mike Carmen. All Right, So, while the Lakers continue
to flounder, Lebron gets closer to Karl Malone is as look,
give teams still continue to lose at the bottom of
the West. The Lakers are still in a playoff position.
I would not be surprised if they, like if they were,
(18:50):
if there's they're trying to send money to the Portland Trailblazers.
Could you guys just please just move up into the
tenth spot. Put us out of our misery, Like, we
don't want to do this. I fully expect that, you know,
New Orleans is going to pass them. They're gonna be
in the tent spot. They won't be able to fall
out of the play in. So now they gotta play
two road games, we know with the with the nine
(19:10):
and twenty two on the road, like, they look like
a team that if they could find a way to
get out of this entirely at this point, they would
be more than happy to do that. That their problem
is the Trailblazers are are tanking at a mighty speed,
and so there would have to be some under the
table understanding to to make that happen at this point.
(19:31):
But we'll continue. Sorry, Lebron just scores the bucket to pass.
Malone takes the basketball and walks off the court, waving
to everybody, I'll see you next year. I'll see you.
Just you just don't see him again. I you know
you you you you just But I would not I
would not be the last at least bit surprised. That's
just the problem that actually Lebron faces now because he
(19:53):
told us I'm you know, I'm not going to quit
until we're twelve ft under, until you chop my head off,
until all that stuff. So technically, as long as long
as they're mathematically eligible to be in the play in,
he's got to keep playing. And I do think, you know,
one of the other things is I do think he's
trying to chase that scoring record. I think that was
(20:15):
I think he took a hit tonight because I don't
think he got close to his average and he might
have might have lost a tenth or two UM. But
like he's he's in a tough spot because he doesn't
want to come right out and say that he's chasing
karme alone, or he's chasing the scoring record. UM. But
what I mean, honestly, what else I wouldn't blame him.
(20:37):
What else would what else is he would he be
playing for UM? But since he's made it all about
I just play, you know, the right way, and I
played a win, he can't. He can't go down that road.
So he's in a tough spot. So he's very but
he's comfortable being uncomfortable, or so he says. Maverick's nets
and one of the games of the evening outside a
(21:00):
double overtime thriller in the first four Luca don Chet's
and Kevin Durant making plays, but no Kyrie once again obviously,
and then the Ben Simmons part of things interesting right,
had the epidural for his back, and then yesterday in
in the little shooting around back and forth, Steve Nash
had to answer questions and said, we're extremely hopeful that
(21:22):
we can get him back and for the regular season.
Are they legitimately ever going to see him on the
court at this point? Yeah, I mean it's a fair question.
I don't know, back to a tricky thing. I know
that the back issue is legit um from from the
people that I've talked to, and and the Nets really
don't know what is going on with him because he's
not there. He's not working out there, he's not working
(21:44):
on his back at the facility or with the team.
From what I understand, he's got his own people trying
to get that right, and so he hasn't been around. Um.
You know, they're just getting reports in terms of where
he is. And it's not as if he has anything
against the Nets. It's simply like he has to get
that back right at this point before he can start
(22:08):
before you can start playing or practice, and you know
your guest is as good as mine, as good as
the Nets. The Nets honestly don't know if and when
they are going to get him at this point. And
I'll stand by this that as good as Kyrie and
Kady have looked in recent days, I just don't think
that there they have any sort of a legitimate shot
(22:31):
at getting to the finals or getting out of the East.
U if if they don't have Ben Simmons, they need
him defensively as much as anything. Otherwise, You've just got
Patty Mills, You've got Kyrie Irving, got Seth Curry. I
mean that's that is just an incredibly small backcourt without
a legitimate rim protector. Uh to to you know, keep
(22:54):
everybody honest, and that is Kyrie and KD can't score
enough to compensate for that. Uh you know. And I
look at it this way to Rick, is that the
Nets have just been Look, they've never been able to
get it going since they their first incarnation of the
Big Three. When did they finally start. It's like in
the last week and a half, because they had the
Ben Simmons revenge game in Philadelphia, and they're upset about
(23:17):
the vaccination status in New York. And Kyrie it's now
it's important that he comes to the game and sits
and goes in the locker room and they get find
fifty grand. Now now I feel like the Nets are
motivated like k D and Kyrie are motivated when they play.
So this is why even though they look there planning,
This is why I can't believe in them, because I
know they're just gonna play like this for a few
games and then they're gonna go back to where they
(23:37):
were before. Because I just don't know how much basketball
is their priority. I don't know how much winning is
is Kadi and Kyrie's priority anymore. So I can't buy
when they're motivated, they're great, but then how it doesn't
last very long. Yeah, I wouldn't say that about I
wouldn't necessarily say that about Katie. I think Katie has
always got his his eye on the prize. There's very
(23:57):
few times where I thought that he is. He's dialed
it back. And I do believe you're right and that
they're motivated. That you know that James leaving kind of
kind of brought them together, and much as Ben Simmons
getting out from under that cloud helped the seventies sixers
to kind of come together in their way, at least
for a little while. I feel like the same happened
(24:20):
with the Nets, and I think Kyrie and Katie in
particular are motivated right now, uh to to to show
James you thought you you think you have a better
chance of winning a championship with Joel and Be than
you do with us. Let's you know, we've we've got
something to show you. And so I do think that's
the motivation. I agree with you with Kyrie and it's
it's it's why one of the things that I, you know,
(24:42):
I said earlier today, um I talked about that I
think he's too he's too sensitive to be an all
time great or to fully utilize the talent that he has,
and and sensitive in that he's just he's aware of
everything and his mind. He's involved in everything, and he
(25:03):
wants to address everything. And it's like the guys that
I know that um that are truly great, particularly when
it came to scoring in the league, but in general
they're like great white sharks. They just they kind of
hone in on this is what I want to get done.
(25:24):
That's what I want to eat, and I don't really
care about anything else. That is my focus. And I
just have never gotten that from Kyrie. And the example,
you know, I had today was like, he scores sixty,
and he's like, and you know, people are saying that
that he were saying and Jess knowing Kyrie, I think
maybe a little in jest, but he said, you know,
(25:45):
I hope, my hope my teammates weren't unhappy with some
of the shots that I took, you know, um, because
I you know, he pressed, he pressed a little bit. Dude.
Come on, you've been in this game long enough. There's
there's a thing called a heat check, and when you're
going like you're going, nobody faults you for taking a
heat check, like and and who's gonna fault you for
for for scoring sixty? Like it's either he's really trying
(26:09):
to to convince us that he cares so much about
his teammates and what his teammates think. When we didn't
get that feeling when he when he ditched Cleveland, and
we didn't get that feeling when he ditched Boston, and
we didn't get that feeling when everybody agreed to play
in the bubble, and then he suddenly wanted to have
a revolt and going in a different direction. Like again,
(26:30):
it's in that's a situation where you're you're trying to
convince me is something that all the evidence suggests otherwise,
So why don't you just show me rather than tell me?
But it's also like if all these thoughts are going
through your head, like that's a that's a crowded space
up there when the ability to perform at the highest
level in the NBA requires an incredible focus and acuity
(26:55):
to get the job done, to not let anything distract
you from the job at hand. And that's where again,
as good as Kyrie is going right now, I am,
I'm with you. I'm my first My first thought is
I wonder how long is he's gonna last? That's my
first thought. And I don't have that with every with
(27:17):
every great player. I kind of dig that you kind
of went halfway into a Jaws quote. It's really a
miracle of evolution. All the machine does is swim and
eat and make little sharks. Uh. So we get that
in as well. Eastern Conference. All right, So Brooklyn's not winning,
uh for what she said earlier. All of a sudden,
Milwaukee there Boston with another big win tonight. Marcus Smart
(27:38):
was taking out everybody in one fell swoopy Feld, Steph
Curry took down Clay Thompson. But they cruised to a win.
Where where's the victor in the East. You know, when
we we get the final seating, who's taking the crown
into the playoffs? I still think it's Milwaukee, and I
just feel like they've been kind of coasting along. I
(28:01):
think Janice has been coasting along. I mean, he still
plays hard, but I don't think he's shown us everything.
He's shown us that he's added a few things to
a game. They're adding Brook Lopez. Now they should get
Pat Connaughton back. I just feel like they know, hey,
we just need to get through the regular season. Now
(28:22):
that now that we know what it takes to climb
the top of the mountain, we don't care whether we
have the best record or not. We we want home
court early on. But with most of these they're not
afraid to have to go into anybody's arena and and
get a win. I just I just believe they've been
laying in wait and as good as Miami has been.
(28:44):
I still think they're paper tigers. I just you got
you gotta play Duncan Robinson and you gotta play Tyler
Harrow and both of those guys are defensive liabilities. And
so I'm just not convinced. Boston and some of the
other teams. A lot of this is going to have
to do with just who gets matched up by who
and when do you face them? And as always, are
(29:07):
you healthy? But it's healthy. I just think it's it's
there for the Milwaukee Bucks to repeat his champions. You
can fomb on Twitter at Rick Buker, that is at
Rick Buker, and when you go to his Twitter page
you see balloons because Twitter knows it's Rick Buker's birthday.
That guy's scary. That's kind of scary. All the animation
(29:28):
that I did not order. I'm I'm you know, if
a grim Reaper shows up on my Twitter, I am
closing it immediately telling you that. Well, it actually says
right under your name, the Vicinity joined May two thousand nine,
today is his birthday. I mean so much right there. Yeah, yeah,
And I and here's the thing I didn't put that there.
(29:49):
I never told them. Wow, nobody told me. Maybe maybe
Matt Buker is out doing doing good work for you
and wants everybody know what's your birthday? They if they
if they give my like my uh my d n A,
if they're able to list that to now we know,
we know, we got we got, we got a real problem.
Security number here, Rick beuscher soul security number is one
(30:11):
six seven. It's right the Hey, I appreciate on your birthday.
Thank you very much for stopping by. Man. We really appreciate.
There's no place I'd rather be. Um pace yourself. That
that's a lie. Yoh no, that felt good though, Like
it felt good from my soul. Rick, I appreciate it exactly.
(30:33):
See body. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern,
seven pm Pacific. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlie. The podcast is
called All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time,
but it's more about the stories about what made these
people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along
(30:56):
the way. We talked to coaches, we talked to players.
We tell you stories. You downloaded you listen to it.
I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with
Doug Gotlieb on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast
or wherever you get your podcast, Fox Sports Radio, The
Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon. I
(31:18):
just went voltized mis mom tonight, Chuck Rogers by one
of our favorite cities, Las Vegas. Your home for live sports,
and that means all sports, every game, match, race and competition.
It is always on. Now going playing your trip at
Visit Las Vegas dot com to see the best and
brightest in Vegas, the greatest arena on Earth. Well, speaking
(31:41):
of best and brightest, uh that may be in Los Angeles. Boy,
the Mets Dodgers NLCS is gonna be epic um. The
big news tonight just came in a few minutes ago.
Freddie Freeman to the Dodgers n L m v P
for six years and a hundred and sixty two million
dollars lars. The Dodgers starting lineup this year could look
(32:03):
like this, Mookie Bets leading off, Trade Turner at short,
Freddie Freeman hitting third, Will Smith hitting fourth, Max Munsey five,
Justin Turner sixth, Cody Bellinger seventh, then Chris Taylor and
Aj Pollock. That could be. That's the doctors line up,
it's a bleeping all star team. Man, Eventually they're gonna
(32:26):
be paying every one of their starting nine million dollars
a year. I mean, can you I guess you can.
But every one of those guys making twenty five million
dollars year at some point. It is an amazing amalgam
of players and talent assembled in one spot. And now
it's the the old, the old adage of they still
have to play the games right because on paper, I mean,
(32:47):
this is the strata matic team that you want. There
you go showing my age right there with a little
strata matic baseball. But when we look at the squad offensively, look,
there's depth, there's extra bets, and it's it's all about health.
But from the pitching side is really where I need
the balance to command. Obviously Bueller and Arius at the top,
(33:10):
but Clayton Kershaw, how many starts are we banking on
him for? And I know Frostberg's texted me right now
thirty five juror um. But beyond those two guys, you've
got a lot of questions in your rotation that that's
that's the only thing for me at this point is
is solving the pitching staff and solidifying a closer right,
(33:31):
some some whispers. You know, it's certainly out of Chicago
that Craig Kimberle unhappy with being the setup man for
Hendricks there, who everybody now shows is wearing the gauntlet,
which I think is kind of cool. Uh, making him
fanos in Chicago. I kind of dig that. But maybe
kimberl is a guy that that provides a bit of
an answer. But I think the Dodgers need to work
(33:54):
on the staff, and they've got that big decision to
make once Major League Baseball has made their determination of
any type of disciplinary measure for Trevor Bauer right cleared
of criminal charges, It's like we get into do with
Deshaun Watson. You still have to make a very large
decision of what it means for your organization, the fan base,
and your locker room as you decide whether a guy
(34:17):
of that talent returns. Uh. Now, here's the best part
for anybody who worries, Hey, we just signed a high
price veteran in baseball, and boy, you know, look Freddie
Freeman six years he's thirty two years old. Those last
couple of years might be rough. Chris Bryant, a few
of those years might be rough. The one silver lining
I can tell you is that remember the universal d
(34:38):
H is your friend. Any big over price veteran who
can't hack it for a hundred and sixty two games
or hundred and fifty games, you if they still have
a bat, they can d H for you, and they
can do it half the time, and at least you're
getting some kind of production. Youn't have to put a
guy who's thirty seven years old and can't do it
in the field anymore out there just because he can
still hit a little bit. Now, you can't do this
(34:59):
for a lot of spots, but one or two spots
on your team. Hey, if you have two guys were
getting paid a lot of money at the end of
their deals and they're both splitting the d H job, great,
I mean that that that that's absolutely okay. Now I
don't like it for Chris Bryant for a lot of reasons,
but that's why I like it for Freddie Freeman, and
that the guy is still gonna be able to hit.
Doesn't play a very taxing position. So the last couple
of years of his deal, when he's thirty six thirty seven.
(35:21):
Who is that going to be good? He'll be d
h and by then it'll be just fine, Freddie, for
this is a great contract for the doctors, and they
will have brought in another guy to pick up where
he can't. That's the beauty of it. They're shark's teeth.
See what I did. I brought it back to what
Puker was laying down. Yeah, they'll get Bryce Harper when
when the Phillies are done paying him, Hey, can you
pay price? Yeah, sure, we can do it for you.
(35:42):
That's all right. We'll get him to play the outfield
for us. You can take Pellinger Twitter and out about
a fresca. Mike gets swollen down the Jason Smith Show
with my best friend Mike Harmon. Hey, but speaking of
Freddie Freeman, not nearly the biggest deal given out today
in sports. We got NFL one on the way that
ext
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Jason Smith
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