May 28, 2024 • 38 mins
On a Tuesday edition of The Best Of The Doug Gottlieb Show: Doug explains how the Boston Celtics got to the NBA Finals and what the expectations have been for this Celtics' team.
FSR host and NBA Analyst Ryan Hollins joins Doug to talk about the Mavs, Celtics and to cover all of the major headlines around the NBA.
Doug is not buying the notion that Lebron James is going to test the free agency market and explains why. Doug shares personal stories about the late Bill Walton.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
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(00:24):
the tyret dot com studios tyrit dot com. What you
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way tire buying should be welcome in. You know, a
lot of different stuff going on this weekend. Obviously, you
(00:45):
have a tragedy in golf. The Major League season was
helped out a little bump with Angel or Nandez everybody
do the finger quotes, retired, retired, And then we have
the NBA, which we're creeping closer and closer, and maybe
(01:05):
maybe tonight, maybe tonight, you will end up having two
teams that we know will play for an NBA championship,
but we know one team that will play to be
the Boston Celtics second time in three years they get
to the NBA Finals, and I think that's important. I
understand that we hold them in some sort of unrealistic
(01:28):
regard that anything less than a championship is a disappointment
for the Celtics, not because they've won it before, but because, well,
they had the best record. They've been to the finals before,
and even prior to getting to the NBA Finals, they've
been in the Eastern Conference finals. Like the Celtics have
been consistently atop the Eastern Conference for the last decade.
(01:51):
But it's weird. It's really weird how we make it
make it so we make it that way, you know,
like look around in the NBA and you tell me
a franchise that has been as consistently competitive in the
playoffs as the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Can't find one.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
And getting to his second NBA Finals in three years
is huge because the first time didn't feel like they're
ready for it. Might have been a year early. And
we see this a lot with the Eastern Conference finals.
Atlanta's gotten to one. We've had other teams get to
where they get to the conference finals and you think
they're better than they actually are. But the NBA Finals,
(02:35):
we saw the Thunder get to one, but then they
traded Harden and we haven't seen them get to one since.
For this team, the expectations was for them to return.
Now they've lived up to those expectations. Here's Jalen Here's
the Celtics head coach on Jalen Brown's growth.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Credit to him.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
He has a growth mindset, so he's never afraid to
work on the weakness. He's never afraid to go after
something that makes him uncomfortable.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
And between him and Tony.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
And the player development staff like they put him in
any and every situation possible. H Here's Jalen Brown, who
of course won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
On that award.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
I wasn't expecting that at all. You know, I'll never win,
so I was just happy that we want and give
credit to Indiana. You know, they they played as tough.
I know, like people think that Indiana wasn't a good
team or whatever the case mean. I mean, I thought
they were tough as anybody who we played all season.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Well, I think what happens is you don't have Tyre's
halberd in the last two games and look they've been depleted,
and the Pacers wouldn't have gotten there unless the competition
they played were depleted.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
But you know, you don't have Tyrius Halburton.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
And though they were wounded and they were fighting, the
big thing is the Pacers led in the fourth quarter,
led late in the game, in the fourth quarter in
all four of the games. So a lot of this
is based upon your expectations. Right, If your expectations are
that if your expectations were that the Boston Celtics were
(04:20):
the best team in the NBA and that they because
Indiana was depleted, they had to stomp out the Pacers,
well you might have been disappointed by the path to
that four to ROH series sweep. But if your expectations
were just, hey, here's two good teams in the Eastern
Conference and one team won four games a row, you
would come out and said, hey, Boston Celtics looked pretty good.
(04:43):
It's all completely based upon because how whatever your perspective
is on the Celtics, Cleveland pushed him to the max, right,
and then Cleveland broke down and had injuries. Indy was
pushing then in the MAX, and then Indy had injuries.
So if your expectations aren't. Hey, they're just so much
(05:04):
better than the competition. Yeah, I'd say they're a little disappointing,
but they also haven't had prazingis they haven't been healthy
in their own right, and just winning any games in
this tournament is really, really hard. One time the NBA Finals,
Jason Tatum doesn't play well. It's he's young, it's his
(05:24):
first time. We grant you a bit of a pass.
Two times you get labeled. That's what's really at stake
here for this team. One time they can have guys
in Brown and Tatum especially that didn't play well against
the Golden State Warriors. But two times it's a different story.
(05:44):
And as we get ready to watch Luca and Kyrie
very very likely win tonight, I just again I've been
telling you guys, I think that Luca is the best
player on earth. He hit a state back over an
outstretched armed Rudy Gobert, which, by the way, somehow now
(06:04):
has become bad defense. Like, yeah, I would have double
teamed him as soon as he gets the ball. When
I get the ball out of his hands, make somebody
else beat you. As basketball one oh one is when
Luka Donca gets the ball, Double team him, makes somebody
else beat you, and if he gets it back again,
double team him again. They chose not to do so.
(06:28):
Go Bear's defense wasn't bad. He's seven feet tall, his
hand was up. It's just a great shot. But I
do think that there's an immense amount of pressure here
on Tatum, that the Celtics though they're gonna get healthy,
and that the presumption is that prezingis plays. He hasn't played,
and there has to be at least looming. The last
time they were in the NBA final, station team didn't
(06:50):
play well. And if you don't do it for two
consecutive or the two consecutive NBA finals you're in, you
start to earn a label you just do.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
I don't know like I I I get. I get
that you could take Go Bear out. It was a
time out they had the ball in. I don't understand
why you win double team.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Just double team.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
They said, a little ball screen you switch, and I
know that side was cleared, but just make somebody else
like sport one O one, you know, take away when
somebody else does best. Did you not know a step
back was coming from Luka Donzik? I don't know, buyer,
Am I crazy here? Like that's the easy solution here?
And you know, obviously I understand you're listening at home
(07:39):
or you're driving, You're like, oh, here's a guy who's
coaching and he's never coached a game yet in college basketball,
and he's telling you know, he's telling a really talented
NBA head coach what he should do. No, I'm just
taking was sports one oh one, Like, who'd you think
was gonna take the game?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
When he shot?
Speaker 6 (07:56):
I think we all knew it at that point, right, Yes.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I don't. I don't.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
That's the part of it that I don't understand. It's
not that because the people that are crushing Gobert defensively,
I didn't think he looked particularly bad. Yes, it looks
like his legs are getting all tangled up, but he recovered,
he had a hand up. That's just a great shot.
But why is he even being able to make that shot?
And said, make somebody else speach you?
Speaker 2 (08:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
And then there's the whole do you enjoy Luca thing?
Because he does complain a ton, But I think people
are starting to buy into Luca because they like a
little trash talk and his reaction. Although he said it
was in Slovenian, sure looked like he was talking some
ish when he hit that game winner.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
This is the best of the Done Dot Leaf Show
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
It's nug Out Leab Show, Fox Sports Radio. Ryan Hollins
Jonas in moments. So if Dallas wins tonight, no NBA
games for nine days, obviously that benefits the Celtics a
great deal with the chance to get Prezingis, who of
(09:16):
course is a former member of the Dallas Mavericks, to
get him healthy. But it also it's let's let's be honest,
it can help the Mavericks some right, Luca has been
banged up, they get Maxi Kleieber back, but they are
gonna be I believe tonight they'll be without their star
(09:38):
rookie Shoplocker, who I like. Look, everybody kills me, and
rightfully so for when Steph Curry declared for the NBA Draft.
But I will also point out that Derek Lively go
back and check we got the tape. I love that pick.
What an incredible, incredible player. Well, I know Lively is
out tonight, so Kleieber in Kleban obviously gives them a
(10:01):
stretch four or five, but not having lively changes them
without any question for the worst. And of course he
took that popped to the head going back to Game three.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
But no, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
My thing is, I just I understand that you can
have you can find fault. You can find a lot
of fault with the Timberwolves decided to lose to leave
Rudy Gobert in the game when you're up to But
he is an elite shot blocker, elite defensive player, and
it wasn't terrible defense against Luca. He hit a step
(10:36):
back over the outstretched arm of a seven footer. I
don't know, that's a pretty tough shot. And my biggest
question is when they came together and screened to get
that switch, why not double team him right there and
make him get rid of the basketball? Take away what
the other team does best one of the Dallas Mavericks
to best Luka Dontrick with the ball, fade away with
(10:58):
the game, you know, step back.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
With the game on the line.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So I mean it's like, oh, you could have had
a smaller, more athletic you know, Jane Daniel mcdaliel's onya
great You could have he would have hit a setback
over him too, but with no not with with no
basketball for nine days. Honestly, I think the basketball will
be really good in the finals.
Speaker 7 (11:22):
But what are we gonna do? I'm worried about us.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Well again, like we went through this with COVID, we
had plenty to do. We might actually even talk about baseball.
I'm going to Brewers Cubs tonight, another Craig Council comeback game.
Speaker 7 (11:36):
Yeah, they hate Craig Council locally, home.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Hate great Council.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
I mean, he did leave the Brewers for the Cubs,
which is weird because in our you know, my childhood,
the Brewers were an American League team and the Cubs
were always terrible. So why would it actually matter? What
about Ronald leccunya. Here's my question with Ronald leccunya. People
had said worst tract in the history of sports, right,
(12:01):
It's like seventeen million a year for ten years. Now
he tears his acl still, doesn't. I mean, like, obviously
he would get fifty in the market now, but he
is protecting case that need's never the same. But that
is tough, tough news. Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio
coming to you from the tireg dot Com studios. Let's
welcome in Ryan Hollins. Of course, he's our Fox Sports
(12:21):
Radio NBA analysts. He played ten years in the league
and during the year he's the analyst for the Houston
Rockets Television Television Games Television Network, and he joins us
now on the Doug Gottlieb Shows. Let's start with the
end of what was a Game three between the Mavericks
and the Mavericks and the Wolves. Like I get it,
(12:46):
everybody wants to crush Rudy Gobert, but the end of
the play, he's right there. He's challenging the shot. Lucas
just an amazing shot maker, especially on that step back.
My bigger issue is why not double team in miss
as they screen for him to come together?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Make somebody else beat you?
Speaker 4 (13:05):
You know it, Doug. The more that I'm watching the
Mavericks disassemble Minnesota Timberwolves, who were the best defense in
the NBA this year, and I saw him up closing
personal I'm looking at the Mavericks' NBA champions, I don't
know how you guard him. Now, keep in mind, the
(13:25):
mindset all night long was to do what make Luca
pass the basketball, Luca accepted the mid range shot, and
he's getting into one of those zones where it's tough
to guard timb Back to the Oklahoma City series. What
did they do get the ball out of Luca's hands? PJ.
Washington's bucket, Dereck jones junior bucket. When you have trust
(13:47):
in the other guys in the game seven in a
big moment, I don't know what you do, Doug, because
Oklahoma City said, you know what, Rudy's not going to
beat me. Excuse me, Luca's not going to beat me.
But here's the truth of the matter. There's no way,
there's no way that go Bear should have been in
(14:08):
the game. He shouldn't have been in the game. We
know we're going to our you know, our black or
switching coverage. He shouldn't be in. And that's the reality
of the matter. And I get it, that's how you
got here. It's a part of it. But this is
not This is just not Rudy's series. And if he's
going to be in, and this has been the complaint
(14:29):
with Rudy is if you're gonna give up thirty, Rudy,
you better begin thirty on the other end.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
No, I I get it, I get it. But don't
you think they let him in because you want rent protection.
You're you know, it's two point protector.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
You had to give up the two there, the three beats.
You forget that right, give.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Up a two.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
How about you get a stop like you gotta have.
You gotta have no protection. You're gonna go You're gonna
go small there.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
At a certain point, you got to realize they're just
gonna tie the game and we're gonna go to overtime.
That's what's gonna happen because they're cooking man and the dude.
We like to look at Luca and Doug. You know this, right,
if you play defense in our time and the man
you are guarding shot a contested step back, three point jumper.
(15:19):
We just said, Doug, great defense, correct, not anymore, not
with Luca with him. So you know, in our reality,
you got you gotta sometimes respect. And this is where
Golden State was really good. You had to outscore Golden States.
You're not gonna beat Golden State when they were rolling
on the defensive end of the floor.
Speaker 7 (15:41):
You got a.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Score with them. And right now, the play should have
been from Chris Finch to extending the game out and
not lose and not put your guy on an island.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, I agree with a lot of the things you said.
The idea of expecting them or letting them score two
is not one of the things that we would.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
We're gonna let them I wouldn't let them score too,
but I'm not giving up three. Rudy takes a negative
step to the basket, no question, no question in the game.
Question would have tried the game a negative steps play up?
What do you woul no negative step play up? Or
you don't have the foot speed.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Which I understand, but it doesn't it doesn't get to
it doesn't get to that point if when two people
come together, you trap Luca and you make him get
rid of the basketball, make any make anybody else beach you.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Huh No, Doug, I'm not mad at what you're saying.
I'm saying if you watch the film PJ and those
guys have actually gone out and beat no questions.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Yes, yes, yes, but that again but end of end
of game.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
But a lot of that, a lot of that is
he comes down off a ball screen and he finds
finds those guys. I'm saying, as soon as they get together,
get it, get it out of his hands, and he
gets it again, get it out of his hands.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Make somebody else beat you, anybody else beat you in
the game.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
You didn't know, you didn't know Luca was going to
take that shot. Do you think anybody else? Kyrie is
the only other guy that would have any other chance
of a shot there.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
My only, my only thing right there is You're damned
if you do, damned if you don't. But at the
end of the day, do not give up a three.
Your your feet has to contest to the rim, and
then you use your lint and make him score over
your legs a little bit.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Now listen, now, that's that's fair. That's fair.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Ryan Hollands joined us on the Doug Outleib Show here
on Fox Sports Radio. All right, what about the Celtics.
You know the Pacers are depleted and yet they had
to come from behind in every one of the fourth
quarters to win. What is your take on how the
Celtics are actually playing?
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Nothing about what I make. The soft from the Celtics
made me feel good. I think pound for pam we've
seen it this year. There are moments where you go Wow,
there's nothing like them in the league. But the way
they're playing, once they find a team that is of
equal value, I don't know how sustainable it is. And
when I when I'm watching them play, they can defend you.
(18:03):
But at certain times, and Doug, we've talked about this.
If the Celtics offense gets pedestrian and it's one on
one and it's threes, I don't know if that's gonna
work against Dallas. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna
tell you right now, it's not gonna work against Dallas.
They better have something else in hand. And here's the reality.
If Lively gets back and they have the chance to
(18:25):
play big the way that they want to play, you
can call it arout, especially with for Zingis out. And Doug,
here's the thing. When you look at for Zingis injury,
I'm no doctor, I'm no mechal genius, any of that.
When you look at for Zingis injury, it scares me
because it was non contact. It scares me in a
(18:46):
way that Kevin Durant's injury ends up pulling ripping his
achilles in the NBA Finals. It scares me like that,
and it comes with relevant is because if Boston can't
switch gears and play big. I don't think they have
a shot for Dallas, don't.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
I don't know if they don't have a shot, But
I would favor Luca and Dallas and the other reason
I would favor Luca and Dallas. And I understand he
hasn't been in the NBA finals before, but we've seen
how he played at the end. How he's played at
the end of these games. Obviously, with the exception of
the miss free throw against Oklahoma City, what was at
(19:28):
like Game four, right, he missed a free throw, But
how he's played is a lot like how he played
when he won a European Championship with Slovenia, when he
won a FIBA Championship with Real Madrid. And then oh yeah,
by the way, you have Kyrie who's playing some of
the best basketball of his career, and maybe not he
doesn't have the juice he used to have, but the
(19:49):
feel for the game, sometimes being a facilitator, sometimes taking
it over. Like I feel like I know what those
two guys are going to do in the finals.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I don't feel the same about Tatum and Round.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Yeah, Doug, I absolutely agree, And again I just talked
about this. A lot of what they do is predicated
on not having a match up for them, not having
the rim protection on the backside, and Indiana hats off
to them. I mean, that's one hell of the season.
They have nothing to cheer for. But they were the worst,
one of the worst teams, and they did improve in
(20:22):
the playoffs. Defensively, they're one of the worst teams at
the rim. You know, when you're playing Halliburton and McConnell,
they're just small. They're just small. And they fought and
they were tough and they did what they could do.
But guess what, dallast ain't small. Kyrie is the smallest
on the court, and Kyrie is giving effort defensively, and
(20:43):
Doug I couldn't agree more. We always throw together these
super teams or you know, you got the Clippers and
then you know you had the Nuts a couple of
years back, and you think, just get a bunch of
shooters around them. This is the first time. And hats
off to Nico what he's doing over there in Dallas
where you put two high usage guys together. And we
saw it with Westbrook and Harden and Westbrook and Hard
(21:06):
and Chris Paul and you had two high usage guys
and then you put the defense around him, you put
the system around him, and they're different enough in years, Doug,
and I don't know how you feel about this. I
feel like when they're two superstars are peers, they butt heads,
but Kyrie's older and this is he's trying to do
it again and Luca's trying to do it for the
(21:29):
first time. So these guys have a respect and an
admiration for each other and they're like, let's work together.
We're better together, where a lot of times the conflict
is there because the guys are both in their primes
and they end up being the same agent. People don't
remember de Wade was the guy with the ring when
Lebron went over, I played against them. Lebron had to
learn from Wade and he knew that coming in a
(21:50):
lot of times, these peer to peer superstar combos don't
end up working out them.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, no, it's true.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Do you believe that Lebron would really go to the
Phoenix Suns.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
Hey, Doug, When you play in the NBA for so
long and I got ten years in and your kids
getting high school, and you got your roots set in
the city you ain't moving, bro, that's nothing but leverage.
That's rich wallhu'son leverage. Now maybe I'm wrong, but forgive me.
Look at Russell Westbrook. I look at Russell Westbrook when
he left to make it. When he goes, he took
(22:22):
less money for the Clippers, and then he signed back
for a minimum deal with the Clippers. Young kids own enough.
You don't want to move nowhere?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Man, I don't buy that one for one second, not
for not for one not for one second.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
If you're the Clippers, what do you do?
Speaker 4 (22:43):
Do everything I can to sign Paul George. If not,
there's a sign and trade situation where I can get
younger and deeper and I cannot have to rely on
you know, Kawhi Leonard and just say hey, Kawhi, whatever
you give me, you give me.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
No, I think that's accurate. And they got to get
They gotta get probably somebody else with some juice to
be interesting to see what they can do.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Ryan. Awesome stuff. Man.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
We might have nine days off with no NBA Finals,
so we may be calling in you like every day
to give us some great as we get ready for
this thing.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Thanks for our guest.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Very fun stuff.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Talk to.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
That's my guy, Ryan Hollins joining us. Of course, he
does the Rockets games for a living. He's our Fox
Sports Radio NBA insider. Let express some play professionals, help
hire your next pro. Forget about posting jobs and sifting
through resumes and interview with unqualified applicants. Move up to
the pros Goode expresspros dot condafine location near you. That's
expresspros dot com. Again, I'm not saying, and obviously I'm
(23:38):
moving out of Los Angeles, Okay, So I'm not saying
that it hasn't been done. I mean, Shaq left the
Lakers and went to Miami Heat. It does happen. It does.
But he's forty years old. His production company makes movies.
He's got gigantic new build which I don't know they
(24:00):
finished in Beverly Hills. He has one in high school
and one in elementary school. Like, he's not moving. It
just it feels like a bad play. Like last year,
the leverage was, you know, I could maybe think about
retiring this year since no one believes he'd retire because
everybody knows he wants to play with Bronnie. It's you know,
(24:20):
he's really a free agent. I think there's a lot
of things that that the clutch guys actually do well.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Right.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
They created a major player in the basketball agent world
out of nothing, right, and you know, then they partner
with one of the good big brands in agencies and
those guys know what they're doing as well. But there's
a lot of things. What they don't do well. Is
this leverage piece for Lebron James. It's not going to
the Suns. Come on, stop. If you would say, like, well,
(24:54):
maybe go back to Cleveland, all right, maybe you know, like, hey,
I I wanted, I want bright used to go to
my high school and get out of LA and.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Refresh and start over. Like maybe, but the Suns, come on,
what are we doing? What are we doing? They've literally
had how many head coaches here? Right? The Suns.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Here's how And I understand it was a different ownership,
different leadership. They had the head coach of the Slovenian
national team as their coach. They had the number one
pick and they didn't draft Luka Doncik, Right, Like, this
franchise has been mired in I don't want to say
(25:42):
mediocrity because they actually, you know, after the bubble, they
were the hottest team in the bubble, but there's been
all kinds of missteps along the way, and I don't
see there's any way you leave the Lakers with seventeen
championship banners for the Phoenix Suns.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup, and
then catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Would I gotta leave show Fox Sports Radio. Hope you
had just the best three day weekend. Hope you got
three days off. I say it every year, and I'm
glad to help. People pointed out on social media, Memorial
Day is an unbelievably important day. I know it's like
the start of summer, but it's also like we're talking
(26:27):
about people gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and
if you have lived or worked, and to some extent
traveled overseas, you come back.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
And you see old glory and you just, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
To me, I'm even thinking about describing that feeling, and
I get goosebumps. But I get goosebumps because of the
country we live in and the people who fought for
it and died for it and are able to provide
me the freedom to like have the two jobs that
I have that are awesome.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
So if.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
You lost a loved one, anyone close to you or
people you didn't even know we were in your family,
thank you, because that sacrifice should not go unnoticed, and
it shouldn't just be noticed on Memorial Day. It is
that Doug got lip show on Fox Sports Radio. We're
broadcasting from the tyret dot com studios. Tyrat dot com.
We help me get there. Unmatched selection, fast free shipping.
(27:21):
If he roade hass protection for ten dousand recommended dollars
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Speaker 2 (27:24):
It's way tired buying should be.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
So there's talk out there, at least talk of Lebron
James as a free agent. Rich Paul, his agent's like, hey,
he's a free agent. We could do the Phoenix thing.
And I mean, okay, whatever, do we really think that
(27:52):
Lebron James is gonna go to the Phoenix Suns as
a free agent?
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Like how does that?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
How does that make any sense? You know, once you
go LA, once you move your kids, once you buy
a big house that you're gonna scrapped and rebuild in
Beverly Hills, like you're in And I understand that so
much of this is about leverage. So much of this
(28:20):
is about leverage. Can I get the coach I want?
Will they draft Brownie James? Will they get players around
me that I want? It's a power play from Lebron.
But when you go in with leverage, you gotta be
willing to take whatever deal you're saying you could take.
And if you're really going to be a free agent,
(28:42):
that allows the Lakers to really shop a sign in trade.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
But it's it's it's fascinating to me.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
That the two trades that depleted the Lakers roster the
most were both trades essentially made or pushed by Lebron
his camp. There's no question Anthony Davis it's been a
great player when he's been healthy. His health has gone
(29:13):
up and down. But they moved mountains to get that
deal done, and then to get the Russell Westbrook deal done,
they moved mountains. They gave away a bunch of pieces
that they could use as assets. Rob O Linka's had
his own mistakes that he's made. The Alex Caruso thing,
without any question, derailed it. And look, they had a
(29:34):
championship team in the bubble and they chose to essentially
break it apart, you know, break it apart.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
They didn't value enough what they had. KCP was great.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
In the Bubble playoffs and he's been really good for
the most part, not as much this year. With the
last year when they won with the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
He was the Lakers. Alex Crusoe would have stayed for less.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
They had a foster that won a championship, and they
broke it apart, and they've never been the same sense.
So I understand the frustration with Polenka, but let's be honest.
All of those assets that that they came off of
to get Russell Westbrook, that's really been the death. Now
the Westbrook deal has set this franchise back substantially and
(30:22):
now it's finally out the books. But you also don't
have those assets. And oh yeah, by the way, you know,
it's like Lebron you were the one who picked Russell Westbrook.
It was supposed to be you know, DeMar de Rosen
or you know, potentially a couple of others, and instead
he said, no, no, no, we want Russell Westbrook because
(30:44):
we're friends of Russell Westbrook. And look where it's gotten you,
look where it's got you you know, I was watching
this video on.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
On Twitter earlier today.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
I wouldn't be one of these vortexts were like, watch
this video and uh, there's a place I think it's in.
It's like off the coast of Africa where ships come
in and they have empty oil drums and you have
these rubber boats come up and they have fruits and
vegetables for the crew that they sell.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
It's a trade. It's a barter system for uh.
Speaker 7 (31:28):
For the.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Oil for the oil crates, right, and so you'll see
them push these uh you know, big drums that used
to hold oil off of the ships, and then these
guys will collect them and they'll trade them for fruits
and vegetables. And the thinking of it is, it's like
the street values like thirty bucks for these oil drums.
(31:52):
But if they have empty oil drums and they get
to port, they get taxed on them, and there has
there's also a charge for the toxic waste. So it's
it's cutting bait on a loss. And you do wonder
if the Lakers ever get to that part to where
they're like, this has been great. He won us a title, right,
(32:13):
he want us a title. That's awesome, he said. The
all time scoring marker mark in our in our jersey.
We have that, we'll never have that, We'll never be
with that that We've drummed up a lot of interest.
We've gotten back to a championship level. We've been in
the playoffs the past two years, but we're topping out.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
It's not getting better.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I know it won't happen, but is there a part
to where they go, Hey, look, we have these empty
oil drums, we have lebron James coming to an end.
Is it worth it to keep in considering you know,
just tries to leverage us at every possible time, and
the decisions that he wants to leverage us with, like
those aren't the best ones.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
So to answer the question, no, I don't. I don't
buy any of this crap.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
I didn't buy it last time when everybody knew he
was going to Lakers and he showed up at Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
He doing the same thing.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Now he just happens to show up at a Cleveland
playoff game. Now there's oh, his son is only going
to work out for the Suns and the Lakers. I'm
the Lakers College bluff Sons want to draft Bronnie.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Go for it. Go for it. He can't help anybody
this coming year win games that matter. So it's one
of those.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Things where I I don't I believe in leverage. I
understand that star players have had it, and I think, honestly,
you look at the downfall of the Bucks, right most
people think that Giannis was the guy that he could
have saved Bud.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
He chose not to.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Okay, they picked a coach that he pushed for, and
most have said he was ready, that w wasn't a
good fit, and then the team very likely thought, we
need to do something different in order to keep Gianni's here.
Let's get rid of Drewe Holiday and bring in you know,
and and bring in Damian Lillard and Drew Holiday is
(34:07):
still playing in Damian Lillard. And be honest, granted, Gianness
was hurt. It's kind of an unfair but the fact
is they had a disappointing season despite the fact that
on paper they should have been better. There's the old
Jerry Sloan expression, if you listen to the fans, soon
you'll be sitting with them. Soon you'll be sitting with them. Bayer,
(34:31):
do you buy for even one second? And Lebron James
to become a Phoenix Sun.
Speaker 6 (34:35):
No, I think it's would be very difficult for that
to happen.
Speaker 7 (34:40):
Yeah, but there is a great there's a great punchline.
Dann Bayer delivered the best joke about the Phoenix Suns
yesterday as he was feeling in for you. I'm gonna
let him tell it himself.
Speaker 6 (34:56):
So we were talking about not only the domino of
Lebron going to Phoenix, but then drafting of Bronnie James
at number twenty two. And then Monsei said, well, what
are you going to do then when Bryce ends up,
you know, wanting to play professional basketball, are you going
to bring him in as well? And I said, yes,
(35:16):
you're they're going to bring him in and then they're
going to change their name to the Phoenix Suns. Sons.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Ah.
Speaker 6 (35:24):
There's a little Instagram reel about it as well. Props
to Elijah and Saga and the crew for putting that
together so good.
Speaker 7 (35:31):
It was minus a rimshot too. It was actually a
really good organic joke with real laughter. I wanted to laugh,
so I jumped onto the.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Lebron told that joke at a press conference. Though, can
you imagine you imagine the the report echo Chamber of Oh,
the laughter would have been sycophantic laughter.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
So Bill Walton died yesterday, and it's really amazing. There's
a lot of negative to Twitter, negative, just Instagram and
social media, but something really cool has happened with the
death of Bill Walton. For the Hall of Famer is
so many stories of people remembering Bill, and I can
(36:12):
tell you I have about five or six.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
That are unique.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
I first met Bill Walton when I was I think
I was twelve. I think it was twelve when I
met him, and his oldest son, Adam, became my teammate
in travel basketball, which now you'd call AAU and I
will never forget the first time his first wife. You
know that the boy's mom was Susie, who's just awesome.
(36:40):
Usually she would meet us like halfway. They lived in
San Diego or Orange County. It's about an hour and
fifteen to their house and meet us about halfway, pick
up Adam, go to practice, and then meet halfway and
drop him back off. And you know, one time she
couldn't do it, or he took him right to Bill's house.
And I'll never forget, like at the time it was
the biggest house I had ever been in Bill Walton's
(37:03):
knowing it physically bigger than life. The way my dad
described him, Like people forget he was an NBA MVP
with the Portland Trailblazers one NBA Championship. He was a
remarkable college player, remarkable NBA player, and then he had
these really bad foot problems and he ended up having
his ankle fused, and you know, he took pain pills
(37:25):
to play and shots to play and ended up just
completely killing one of his feet. But I never forget
walking into his house and you know, we're having a
soda or something and we're getting ready to go, and I'm.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Like, where's your dad? Like, oh, he sleeps out in
a tepee?
Speaker 4 (37:41):
Like what?
Speaker 1 (37:43):
So it's the nicest house I had ever been in
to that point in my life. Like you know, like
you're twelve years old, Like I grew up, you know,
lower middle income Orange, California. I had a couple friends
that lived in Phillip Park, had nicer houses. But now
you're in an NBA former NBA star at the Yeah
for the NBA Star's house in Sandie.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
You can walk around, You're like, this is awesome. Where's
your dad's room?
Speaker 5 (38:05):
No?
Speaker 2 (38:05):
He sleeps in the he sleeps in the TP outside.
That's Bill. That's Bill.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
I'll share with you more on the on the pod
and throughout the week and when we have other people
on that talk about him.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
But what a life.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Tom Brandan who I used to work with, he's the
former Vermont head coach. He used to always say, like,
I want to be sick when I die, I went,
I want to have lived.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Oh. Bill Walton accomplished that. He lived
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
three to five Eastern twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at
boxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day
on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR Booming Up America.
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio coming to you from
(00:24):
the tyret dot com studios tyrit dot com. What you
get there, unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road as protection.
Over ten thousand recommend installars tyrat dot com. It's the
way tire buying should be welcome in. You know, a
lot of different stuff going on this weekend. Obviously, you
(00:45):
have a tragedy in golf. The Major League season was
helped out a little bump with Angel or Nandez everybody
do the finger quotes, retired, retired, And then we have
the NBA, which we're creeping closer and closer, and maybe
(01:05):
maybe tonight, maybe tonight, you will end up having two
teams that we know will play for an NBA championship,
but we know one team that will play to be
the Boston Celtics second time in three years they get
to the NBA Finals, and I think that's important. I
understand that we hold them in some sort of unrealistic
(01:28):
regard that anything less than a championship is a disappointment
for the Celtics, not because they've won it before, but because, well,
they had the best record. They've been to the finals before,
and even prior to getting to the NBA Finals, they've
been in the Eastern Conference finals. Like the Celtics have
been consistently atop the Eastern Conference for the last decade.
(01:51):
But it's weird. It's really weird how we make it
make it so we make it that way, you know,
like look around in the NBA and you tell me
a franchise that has been as consistently competitive in the
playoffs as the Boston Celtics.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Can't find one.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
And getting to his second NBA Finals in three years
is huge because the first time didn't feel like they're
ready for it. Might have been a year early. And
we see this a lot with the Eastern Conference finals.
Atlanta's gotten to one. We've had other teams get to
where they get to the conference finals and you think
they're better than they actually are. But the NBA Finals,
(02:35):
we saw the Thunder get to one, but then they
traded Harden and we haven't seen them get to one since.
For this team, the expectations was for them to return.
Now they've lived up to those expectations. Here's Jalen Here's
the Celtics head coach on Jalen Brown's growth.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Credit to him.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
He has a growth mindset, so he's never afraid to
work on the weakness. He's never afraid to go after
something that makes him uncomfortable.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
And between him and Tony.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
And the player development staff like they put him in
any and every situation possible. H Here's Jalen Brown, who
of course won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
On that award.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
I wasn't expecting that at all. You know, I'll never win,
so I was just happy that we want and give
credit to Indiana. You know, they they played as tough.
I know, like people think that Indiana wasn't a good
team or whatever the case mean. I mean, I thought
they were tough as anybody who we played all season.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Well, I think what happens is you don't have Tyre's
halberd in the last two games and look they've been depleted,
and the Pacers wouldn't have gotten there unless the competition
they played were depleted.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
But you know, you don't have Tyrius Halburton.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
And though they were wounded and they were fighting, the
big thing is the Pacers led in the fourth quarter,
led late in the game, in the fourth quarter in
all four of the games. So a lot of this
is based upon your expectations. Right, If your expectations are
that if your expectations were that the Boston Celtics were
(04:20):
the best team in the NBA and that they because
Indiana was depleted, they had to stomp out the Pacers,
well you might have been disappointed by the path to
that four to ROH series sweep. But if your expectations
were just, hey, here's two good teams in the Eastern
Conference and one team won four games a row, you
would come out and said, hey, Boston Celtics looked pretty good.
(04:43):
It's all completely based upon because how whatever your perspective
is on the Celtics, Cleveland pushed him to the max, right,
and then Cleveland broke down and had injuries. Indy was
pushing then in the MAX, and then Indy had injuries.
So if your expectations aren't. Hey, they're just so much
(05:04):
better than the competition. Yeah, I'd say they're a little disappointing,
but they also haven't had prazingis they haven't been healthy
in their own right, and just winning any games in
this tournament is really, really hard. One time the NBA Finals,
Jason Tatum doesn't play well. It's he's young, it's his
(05:24):
first time. We grant you a bit of a pass.
Two times you get labeled. That's what's really at stake
here for this team. One time they can have guys
in Brown and Tatum especially that didn't play well against
the Golden State Warriors. But two times it's a different story.
(05:44):
And as we get ready to watch Luca and Kyrie
very very likely win tonight, I just again I've been
telling you guys, I think that Luca is the best
player on earth. He hit a state back over an
outstretched armed Rudy Gobert, which, by the way, somehow now
(06:04):
has become bad defense. Like, yeah, I would have double
teamed him as soon as he gets the ball. When
I get the ball out of his hands, make somebody
else beat you. As basketball one oh one is when
Luka Donca gets the ball, Double team him, makes somebody
else beat you, and if he gets it back again,
double team him again. They chose not to do so.
(06:28):
Go Bear's defense wasn't bad. He's seven feet tall, his
hand was up. It's just a great shot. But I
do think that there's an immense amount of pressure here
on Tatum, that the Celtics though they're gonna get healthy,
and that the presumption is that prezingis plays. He hasn't played,
and there has to be at least looming. The last
time they were in the NBA final, station team didn't
(06:50):
play well. And if you don't do it for two
consecutive or the two consecutive NBA finals you're in, you
start to earn a label you just do.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
I don't know like I I I get. I get
that you could take Go Bear out. It was a
time out they had the ball in. I don't understand
why you win double team.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Just double team.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
They said, a little ball screen you switch, and I
know that side was cleared, but just make somebody else
like sport one O one, you know, take away when
somebody else does best. Did you not know a step
back was coming from Luka Donzik? I don't know, buyer,
Am I crazy here? Like that's the easy solution here?
And you know, obviously I understand you're listening at home
(07:39):
or you're driving, You're like, oh, here's a guy who's
coaching and he's never coached a game yet in college basketball,
and he's telling you know, he's telling a really talented
NBA head coach what he should do. No, I'm just
taking was sports one oh one, Like, who'd you think
was gonna take the game?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
When he shot?
Speaker 6 (07:56):
I think we all knew it at that point, right, Yes.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I don't. I don't.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
That's the part of it that I don't understand. It's
not that because the people that are crushing Gobert defensively,
I didn't think he looked particularly bad. Yes, it looks
like his legs are getting all tangled up, but he recovered,
he had a hand up. That's just a great shot.
But why is he even being able to make that shot?
And said, make somebody else speach you?
Speaker 2 (08:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
And then there's the whole do you enjoy Luca thing?
Because he does complain a ton, But I think people
are starting to buy into Luca because they like a
little trash talk and his reaction. Although he said it
was in Slovenian, sure looked like he was talking some
ish when he hit that game winner.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
This is the best of the Done Dot Leaf Show
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
It's nug Out Leab Show, Fox Sports Radio. Ryan Hollins
Jonas in moments. So if Dallas wins tonight, no NBA
games for nine days, obviously that benefits the Celtics a
great deal with the chance to get Prezingis, who of
(09:16):
course is a former member of the Dallas Mavericks, to
get him healthy. But it also it's let's let's be honest,
it can help the Mavericks some right, Luca has been
banged up, they get Maxi Kleieber back, but they are
gonna be I believe tonight they'll be without their star
(09:38):
rookie Shoplocker, who I like. Look, everybody kills me, and
rightfully so for when Steph Curry declared for the NBA Draft.
But I will also point out that Derek Lively go
back and check we got the tape. I love that pick.
What an incredible, incredible player. Well, I know Lively is
out tonight, so Kleieber in Kleban obviously gives them a
(10:01):
stretch four or five, but not having lively changes them
without any question for the worst. And of course he
took that popped to the head going back to Game three.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
But no, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
My thing is, I just I understand that you can
have you can find fault. You can find a lot
of fault with the Timberwolves decided to lose to leave
Rudy Gobert in the game when you're up to But
he is an elite shot blocker, elite defensive player, and
it wasn't terrible defense against Luca. He hit a step
(10:36):
back over the outstretched arm of a seven footer. I
don't know, that's a pretty tough shot. And my biggest
question is when they came together and screened to get
that switch, why not double team him right there and
make him get rid of the basketball? Take away what
the other team does best one of the Dallas Mavericks
to best Luka Dontrick with the ball, fade away with
(10:58):
the game, you know, step back.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
With the game on the line.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So I mean it's like, oh, you could have had
a smaller, more athletic you know, Jane Daniel mcdaliel's onya
great You could have he would have hit a setback
over him too, but with no not with with no
basketball for nine days. Honestly, I think the basketball will
be really good in the finals.
Speaker 7 (11:22):
But what are we gonna do? I'm worried about us.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Well again, like we went through this with COVID, we
had plenty to do. We might actually even talk about baseball.
I'm going to Brewers Cubs tonight, another Craig Council comeback game.
Speaker 7 (11:36):
Yeah, they hate Craig Council locally, home.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Hate great Council.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
I mean, he did leave the Brewers for the Cubs,
which is weird because in our you know, my childhood,
the Brewers were an American League team and the Cubs
were always terrible. So why would it actually matter? What
about Ronald leccunya. Here's my question with Ronald leccunya. People
had said worst tract in the history of sports, right,
(12:01):
It's like seventeen million a year for ten years. Now
he tears his acl still, doesn't. I mean, like, obviously
he would get fifty in the market now, but he
is protecting case that need's never the same. But that
is tough, tough news. Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio
coming to you from the tireg dot Com studios. Let's
welcome in Ryan Hollins. Of course, he's our Fox Sports
(12:21):
Radio NBA analysts. He played ten years in the league
and during the year he's the analyst for the Houston
Rockets Television Television Games Television Network, and he joins us
now on the Doug Gottlieb Shows. Let's start with the
end of what was a Game three between the Mavericks
and the Mavericks and the Wolves. Like I get it,
(12:46):
everybody wants to crush Rudy Gobert, but the end of
the play, he's right there. He's challenging the shot. Lucas
just an amazing shot maker, especially on that step back.
My bigger issue is why not double team in miss
as they screen for him to come together?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Make somebody else beat you?
Speaker 4 (13:05):
You know it, Doug. The more that I'm watching the
Mavericks disassemble Minnesota Timberwolves, who were the best defense in
the NBA this year, and I saw him up closing
personal I'm looking at the Mavericks' NBA champions, I don't
know how you guard him. Now, keep in mind, the
(13:25):
mindset all night long was to do what make Luca
pass the basketball, Luca accepted the mid range shot, and
he's getting into one of those zones where it's tough
to guard timb Back to the Oklahoma City series. What
did they do get the ball out of Luca's hands? PJ.
Washington's bucket, Dereck jones junior bucket. When you have trust
(13:47):
in the other guys in the game seven in a
big moment, I don't know what you do, Doug, because
Oklahoma City said, you know what, Rudy's not going to
beat me. Excuse me, Luca's not going to beat me.
But here's the truth of the matter. There's no way,
there's no way that go Bear should have been in
(14:08):
the game. He shouldn't have been in the game. We
know we're going to our you know, our black or
switching coverage. He shouldn't be in. And that's the reality
of the matter. And I get it, that's how you
got here. It's a part of it. But this is
not This is just not Rudy's series. And if he's
going to be in, and this has been the complaint
(14:29):
with Rudy is if you're gonna give up thirty, Rudy,
you better begin thirty on the other end.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
No, I I get it, I get it. But don't
you think they let him in because you want rent protection.
You're you know, it's two point protector.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
You had to give up the two there, the three beats.
You forget that right, give.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Up a two.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
How about you get a stop like you gotta have.
You gotta have no protection. You're gonna go You're gonna
go small there.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
At a certain point, you got to realize they're just
gonna tie the game and we're gonna go to overtime.
That's what's gonna happen because they're cooking man and the dude.
We like to look at Luca and Doug. You know this, right,
if you play defense in our time and the man
you are guarding shot a contested step back, three point jumper.
(15:19):
We just said, Doug, great defense, correct, not anymore, not
with Luca with him. So you know, in our reality,
you got you gotta sometimes respect. And this is where
Golden State was really good. You had to outscore Golden States.
You're not gonna beat Golden State when they were rolling
on the defensive end of the floor.
Speaker 7 (15:41):
You got a.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Score with them. And right now, the play should have
been from Chris Finch to extending the game out and
not lose and not put your guy on an island.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, I agree with a lot of the things you said.
The idea of expecting them or letting them score two
is not one of the things that we would.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
We're gonna let them I wouldn't let them score too,
but I'm not giving up three. Rudy takes a negative
step to the basket, no question, no question in the game.
Question would have tried the game a negative steps play up?
What do you woul no negative step play up? Or
you don't have the foot speed.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Which I understand, but it doesn't it doesn't get to
it doesn't get to that point if when two people
come together, you trap Luca and you make him get
rid of the basketball, make any make anybody else beach you.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Huh No, Doug, I'm not mad at what you're saying.
I'm saying if you watch the film PJ and those
guys have actually gone out and beat no questions.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Yes, yes, yes, but that again but end of end
of game.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
But a lot of that, a lot of that is
he comes down off a ball screen and he finds
finds those guys. I'm saying, as soon as they get together,
get it, get it out of his hands, and he
gets it again, get it out of his hands.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Make somebody else beat you, anybody else beat you in
the game.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
You didn't know, you didn't know Luca was going to
take that shot. Do you think anybody else? Kyrie is
the only other guy that would have any other chance
of a shot there.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
My only, my only thing right there is You're damned
if you do, damned if you don't. But at the
end of the day, do not give up a three.
Your your feet has to contest to the rim, and
then you use your lint and make him score over
your legs a little bit.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Now listen, now, that's that's fair. That's fair.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Ryan Hollands joined us on the Doug Outleib Show here
on Fox Sports Radio. All right, what about the Celtics.
You know the Pacers are depleted and yet they had
to come from behind in every one of the fourth
quarters to win. What is your take on how the
Celtics are actually playing?
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Nothing about what I make. The soft from the Celtics
made me feel good. I think pound for pam we've
seen it this year. There are moments where you go Wow,
there's nothing like them in the league. But the way
they're playing, once they find a team that is of
equal value, I don't know how sustainable it is. And
when I when I'm watching them play, they can defend you.
(18:03):
But at certain times, and Doug, we've talked about this.
If the Celtics offense gets pedestrian and it's one on
one and it's threes, I don't know if that's gonna
work against Dallas. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna
tell you right now, it's not gonna work against Dallas.
They better have something else in hand. And here's the reality.
If Lively gets back and they have the chance to
(18:25):
play big the way that they want to play, you
can call it arout, especially with for Zingis out. And Doug,
here's the thing. When you look at for Zingis injury,
I'm no doctor, I'm no mechal genius, any of that.
When you look at for Zingis injury, it scares me
because it was non contact. It scares me in a
(18:46):
way that Kevin Durant's injury ends up pulling ripping his
achilles in the NBA Finals. It scares me like that,
and it comes with relevant is because if Boston can't
switch gears and play big. I don't think they have
a shot for Dallas, don't.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
I don't know if they don't have a shot, But
I would favor Luca and Dallas and the other reason
I would favor Luca and Dallas. And I understand he
hasn't been in the NBA finals before, but we've seen
how he played at the end. How he's played at
the end of these games. Obviously, with the exception of
the miss free throw against Oklahoma City, what was at
(19:28):
like Game four, right, he missed a free throw, But
how he's played is a lot like how he played
when he won a European Championship with Slovenia, when he
won a FIBA Championship with Real Madrid. And then oh yeah,
by the way, you have Kyrie who's playing some of
the best basketball of his career, and maybe not he
doesn't have the juice he used to have, but the
(19:49):
feel for the game, sometimes being a facilitator, sometimes taking
it over. Like I feel like I know what those
two guys are going to do in the finals.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I don't feel the same about Tatum and Round.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Yeah, Doug, I absolutely agree, And again I just talked
about this. A lot of what they do is predicated
on not having a match up for them, not having
the rim protection on the backside, and Indiana hats off
to them. I mean, that's one hell of the season.
They have nothing to cheer for. But they were the worst,
one of the worst teams, and they did improve in
(20:22):
the playoffs. Defensively, they're one of the worst teams at
the rim. You know, when you're playing Halliburton and McConnell,
they're just small. They're just small. And they fought and
they were tough and they did what they could do.
But guess what, dallast ain't small. Kyrie is the smallest
on the court, and Kyrie is giving effort defensively, and
(20:43):
Doug I couldn't agree more. We always throw together these
super teams or you know, you got the Clippers and
then you know you had the Nuts a couple of
years back, and you think, just get a bunch of
shooters around them. This is the first time. And hats
off to Nico what he's doing over there in Dallas
where you put two high usage guys together. And we
saw it with Westbrook and Harden and Westbrook and Hard
(21:06):
and Chris Paul and you had two high usage guys
and then you put the defense around him, you put
the system around him, and they're different enough in years, Doug,
and I don't know how you feel about this. I
feel like when they're two superstars are peers, they butt heads,
but Kyrie's older and this is he's trying to do
it again and Luca's trying to do it for the
(21:29):
first time. So these guys have a respect and an
admiration for each other and they're like, let's work together.
We're better together, where a lot of times the conflict
is there because the guys are both in their primes
and they end up being the same agent. People don't
remember de Wade was the guy with the ring when
Lebron went over, I played against them. Lebron had to
learn from Wade and he knew that coming in a
(21:50):
lot of times, these peer to peer superstar combos don't
end up working out them.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, no, it's true.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Do you believe that Lebron would really go to the
Phoenix Suns.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
Hey, Doug, When you play in the NBA for so
long and I got ten years in and your kids
getting high school, and you got your roots set in
the city you ain't moving, bro, that's nothing but leverage.
That's rich wallhu'son leverage. Now maybe I'm wrong, but forgive me.
Look at Russell Westbrook. I look at Russell Westbrook when
he left to make it. When he goes, he took
(22:22):
less money for the Clippers, and then he signed back
for a minimum deal with the Clippers. Young kids own enough.
You don't want to move nowhere?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Man, I don't buy that one for one second, not
for not for one not for one second.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
If you're the Clippers, what do you do?
Speaker 4 (22:43):
Do everything I can to sign Paul George. If not,
there's a sign and trade situation where I can get
younger and deeper and I cannot have to rely on
you know, Kawhi Leonard and just say hey, Kawhi, whatever
you give me, you give me.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
No, I think that's accurate. And they got to get
They gotta get probably somebody else with some juice to
be interesting to see what they can do.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Ryan. Awesome stuff. Man.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
We might have nine days off with no NBA Finals,
so we may be calling in you like every day
to give us some great as we get ready for
this thing.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Thanks for our guest.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Very fun stuff.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Talk to.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
That's my guy, Ryan Hollins joining us. Of course, he
does the Rockets games for a living. He's our Fox
Sports Radio NBA insider. Let express some play professionals, help
hire your next pro. Forget about posting jobs and sifting
through resumes and interview with unqualified applicants. Move up to
the pros Goode expresspros dot condafine location near you. That's
expresspros dot com. Again, I'm not saying, and obviously I'm
(23:38):
moving out of Los Angeles, Okay, So I'm not saying
that it hasn't been done. I mean, Shaq left the
Lakers and went to Miami Heat. It does happen. It does.
But he's forty years old. His production company makes movies.
He's got gigantic new build which I don't know they
(24:00):
finished in Beverly Hills. He has one in high school
and one in elementary school. Like, he's not moving. It
just it feels like a bad play. Like last year,
the leverage was, you know, I could maybe think about
retiring this year since no one believes he'd retire because
everybody knows he wants to play with Bronnie. It's you know,
(24:20):
he's really a free agent. I think there's a lot
of things that that the clutch guys actually do well.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Right.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
They created a major player in the basketball agent world
out of nothing, right, and you know, then they partner
with one of the good big brands in agencies and
those guys know what they're doing as well. But there's
a lot of things. What they don't do well. Is
this leverage piece for Lebron James. It's not going to
the Suns. Come on, stop. If you would say, like, well,
(24:54):
maybe go back to Cleveland, all right, maybe you know, like, hey,
I I wanted, I want bright used to go to
my high school and get out of LA and.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Refresh and start over. Like maybe, but the Suns, come on,
what are we doing? What are we doing? They've literally
had how many head coaches here? Right? The Suns.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Here's how And I understand it was a different ownership,
different leadership. They had the head coach of the Slovenian
national team as their coach. They had the number one
pick and they didn't draft Luka Doncik, Right, Like, this
franchise has been mired in I don't want to say
(25:42):
mediocrity because they actually, you know, after the bubble, they
were the hottest team in the bubble, but there's been
all kinds of missteps along the way, and I don't
see there's any way you leave the Lakers with seventeen
championship banners for the Phoenix Suns.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup, and
then catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Would I gotta leave show Fox Sports Radio. Hope you
had just the best three day weekend. Hope you got
three days off. I say it every year, and I'm
glad to help. People pointed out on social media, Memorial
Day is an unbelievably important day. I know it's like
the start of summer, but it's also like we're talking
(26:27):
about people gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and
if you have lived or worked, and to some extent
traveled overseas, you come back.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
And you see old glory and you just, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
To me, I'm even thinking about describing that feeling, and
I get goosebumps. But I get goosebumps because of the
country we live in and the people who fought for
it and died for it and are able to provide
me the freedom to like have the two jobs that
I have that are awesome.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
So if.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
You lost a loved one, anyone close to you or
people you didn't even know we were in your family,
thank you, because that sacrifice should not go unnoticed, and
it shouldn't just be noticed on Memorial Day. It is
that Doug got lip show on Fox Sports Radio. We're
broadcasting from the tyret dot com studios. Tyrat dot com.
We help me get there. Unmatched selection, fast free shipping.
(27:21):
If he roade hass protection for ten dousand recommended dollars
tyrat dot com.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
It's way tired buying should be.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
So there's talk out there, at least talk of Lebron
James as a free agent. Rich Paul, his agent's like, hey,
he's a free agent. We could do the Phoenix thing.
And I mean, okay, whatever, do we really think that
(27:52):
Lebron James is gonna go to the Phoenix Suns as
a free agent?
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Like how does that?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
How does that make any sense? You know, once you
go LA, once you move your kids, once you buy
a big house that you're gonna scrapped and rebuild in
Beverly Hills, like you're in And I understand that so
much of this is about leverage. So much of this
(28:20):
is about leverage. Can I get the coach I want?
Will they draft Brownie James? Will they get players around
me that I want? It's a power play from Lebron.
But when you go in with leverage, you gotta be
willing to take whatever deal you're saying you could take.
And if you're really going to be a free agent,
(28:42):
that allows the Lakers to really shop a sign in trade.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
But it's it's it's fascinating to me.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
That the two trades that depleted the Lakers roster the
most were both trades essentially made or pushed by Lebron
his camp. There's no question Anthony Davis it's been a
great player when he's been healthy. His health has gone
(29:13):
up and down. But they moved mountains to get that
deal done, and then to get the Russell Westbrook deal done,
they moved mountains. They gave away a bunch of pieces
that they could use as assets. Rob O Linka's had
his own mistakes that he's made. The Alex Caruso thing,
without any question, derailed it. And look, they had a
(29:34):
championship team in the bubble and they chose to essentially
break it apart, you know, break it apart.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
They didn't value enough what they had. KCP was great.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
In the Bubble playoffs and he's been really good for
the most part, not as much this year. With the
last year when they won with the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
He was the Lakers. Alex Crusoe would have stayed for less.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
They had a foster that won a championship, and they
broke it apart, and they've never been the same sense.
So I understand the frustration with Polenka, but let's be honest.
All of those assets that that they came off of
to get Russell Westbrook, that's really been the death. Now
the Westbrook deal has set this franchise back substantially and
(30:22):
now it's finally out the books. But you also don't
have those assets. And oh yeah, by the way, you know,
it's like Lebron you were the one who picked Russell Westbrook.
It was supposed to be you know, DeMar de Rosen
or you know, potentially a couple of others, and instead
he said, no, no, no, we want Russell Westbrook because
(30:44):
we're friends of Russell Westbrook. And look where it's gotten you,
look where it's got you you know, I was watching
this video on.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
On Twitter earlier today.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
I wouldn't be one of these vortexts were like, watch
this video and uh, there's a place I think it's in.
It's like off the coast of Africa where ships come
in and they have empty oil drums and you have
these rubber boats come up and they have fruits and
vegetables for the crew that they sell.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
It's a trade. It's a barter system for uh.
Speaker 7 (31:28):
For the.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Oil for the oil crates, right, and so you'll see
them push these uh you know, big drums that used
to hold oil off of the ships, and then these
guys will collect them and they'll trade them for fruits
and vegetables. And the thinking of it is, it's like
the street values like thirty bucks for these oil drums.
(31:52):
But if they have empty oil drums and they get
to port, they get taxed on them, and there has
there's also a charge for the toxic waste. So it's
it's cutting bait on a loss. And you do wonder
if the Lakers ever get to that part to where
they're like, this has been great. He won us a title, right,
(32:13):
he want us a title. That's awesome, he said. The
all time scoring marker mark in our in our jersey.
We have that, we'll never have that, We'll never be
with that that We've drummed up a lot of interest.
We've gotten back to a championship level. We've been in
the playoffs the past two years, but we're topping out.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
It's not getting better.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I know it won't happen, but is there a part
to where they go, Hey, look, we have these empty
oil drums, we have lebron James coming to an end.
Is it worth it to keep in considering you know,
just tries to leverage us at every possible time, and
the decisions that he wants to leverage us with, like
those aren't the best ones.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
So to answer the question, no, I don't. I don't
buy any of this crap.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
I didn't buy it last time when everybody knew he
was going to Lakers and he showed up at Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
He doing the same thing.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Now he just happens to show up at a Cleveland
playoff game. Now there's oh, his son is only going
to work out for the Suns and the Lakers. I'm
the Lakers College bluff Sons want to draft Bronnie.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Go for it. Go for it. He can't help anybody
this coming year win games that matter. So it's one
of those.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Things where I I don't I believe in leverage. I
understand that star players have had it, and I think, honestly,
you look at the downfall of the Bucks, right most
people think that Giannis was the guy that he could
have saved Bud.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
He chose not to.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Okay, they picked a coach that he pushed for, and
most have said he was ready, that w wasn't a
good fit, and then the team very likely thought, we
need to do something different in order to keep Gianni's here.
Let's get rid of Drewe Holiday and bring in you know,
and and bring in Damian Lillard and Drew Holiday is
(34:07):
still playing in Damian Lillard. And be honest, granted, Gianness
was hurt. It's kind of an unfair but the fact
is they had a disappointing season despite the fact that
on paper they should have been better. There's the old
Jerry Sloan expression, if you listen to the fans, soon
you'll be sitting with them. Soon you'll be sitting with them. Bayer,
(34:31):
do you buy for even one second? And Lebron James
to become a Phoenix Sun.
Speaker 6 (34:35):
No, I think it's would be very difficult for that
to happen.
Speaker 7 (34:40):
Yeah, but there is a great there's a great punchline.
Dann Bayer delivered the best joke about the Phoenix Suns
yesterday as he was feeling in for you. I'm gonna
let him tell it himself.
Speaker 6 (34:56):
So we were talking about not only the domino of
Lebron going to Phoenix, but then drafting of Bronnie James
at number twenty two. And then Monsei said, well, what
are you going to do then when Bryce ends up,
you know, wanting to play professional basketball, are you going
to bring him in as well? And I said, yes,
(35:16):
you're they're going to bring him in and then they're
going to change their name to the Phoenix Suns. Sons.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Ah.
Speaker 6 (35:24):
There's a little Instagram reel about it as well. Props
to Elijah and Saga and the crew for putting that
together so good.
Speaker 7 (35:31):
It was minus a rimshot too. It was actually a
really good organic joke with real laughter. I wanted to laugh,
so I jumped onto the.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Lebron told that joke at a press conference. Though, can
you imagine you imagine the the report echo Chamber of Oh,
the laughter would have been sycophantic laughter.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:50):
So Bill Walton died yesterday, and it's really amazing. There's
a lot of negative to Twitter, negative, just Instagram and
social media, but something really cool has happened with the
death of Bill Walton. For the Hall of Famer is
so many stories of people remembering Bill, and I can
(36:12):
tell you I have about five or six.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
That are unique.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
I first met Bill Walton when I was I think
I was twelve. I think it was twelve when I
met him, and his oldest son, Adam, became my teammate
in travel basketball, which now you'd call AAU and I
will never forget the first time his first wife. You
know that the boy's mom was Susie, who's just awesome.
(36:40):
Usually she would meet us like halfway. They lived in
San Diego or Orange County. It's about an hour and
fifteen to their house and meet us about halfway, pick
up Adam, go to practice, and then meet halfway and
drop him back off. And you know, one time she
couldn't do it, or he took him right to Bill's house.
And I'll never forget, like at the time it was
the biggest house I had ever been in Bill Walton's
(37:03):
knowing it physically bigger than life. The way my dad
described him, Like people forget he was an NBA MVP
with the Portland Trailblazers one NBA Championship. He was a
remarkable college player, remarkable NBA player, and then he had
these really bad foot problems and he ended up having
his ankle fused, and you know, he took pain pills
(37:25):
to play and shots to play and ended up just
completely killing one of his feet. But I never forget
walking into his house and you know, we're having a
soda or something and we're getting ready to go, and I'm.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Like, where's your dad? Like, oh, he sleeps out in
a tepee?
Speaker 4 (37:41):
Like what?
Speaker 1 (37:43):
So it's the nicest house I had ever been in
to that point in my life. Like you know, like
you're twelve years old, Like I grew up, you know,
lower middle income Orange, California. I had a couple friends
that lived in Phillip Park, had nicer houses. But now
you're in an NBA former NBA star at the Yeah
for the NBA Star's house in Sandie.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
You can walk around, You're like, this is awesome. Where's
your dad's room?
Speaker 5 (38:05):
No?
Speaker 2 (38:05):
He sleeps in the he sleeps in the TP outside.
That's Bill. That's Bill.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
I'll share with you more on the on the pod
and throughout the week and when we have other people
on that talk about him.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
But what a life.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Tom Brandan who I used to work with, he's the
former Vermont head coach. He used to always say, like,
I want to be sick when I die, I went,
I want to have lived.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Oh. Bill Walton accomplished that. He lived
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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