June 1, 2017 • 45 mins
Doug gets you ready for Warriors v Cavaliers Part III! He previews the NBA Finals and breaks down what the expectations are for each team. He argues Kevin Durant could be the smartest player in the NBA and what other players could learn from him. Plus 14 year NBA veteran and FOX Sports Analyst Jim Jackson gives his analysis on the NBA Finals.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the best of the Dog got Lee Show
on Fox Sports Radio. What Up, It's the Dog Gottlieb Show,
Fox Sports Radio Live from the City of Angels. The
NBA Finals are finally here. Now listen. This is a marathon,
not a sprint. Potentially, potentially we got nineteen days to
(00:23):
talk about this thing, right, the eighteen could be Game seven.
Obviously Day nineteen would be the day after Game seven.
So we got this like, pace yourself with your hot takes, America.
I'll give you your phone number eight seven seven six
three six nine eight seven seven nine on Fox. So
much to get to, but so little really to go on, right,
(00:47):
I mean, you've got Lebron and really, how sad and
disgusting it was that somebody spray painted some other house
that he doesn't even live in in a beautiful neighborhood
in southern California. His reaction to it, possibly is overreaction
to it, um, but still, I I do understand how
bothered anybody could be. I'm bothered by it. It's not
(01:09):
my house and I'm not black, and I'm like, dude, really,
but outside of that, Steve Kerr maybe coaching, likely not coaching.
The first we get a chance to see Steph Curry
in the finals since last year when he struggled Kevin
Durant in his first finals, since they were demolished by
the Miami Heat. Like, there's the but outside of that,
(01:29):
it is purely speculation and guessing. I'd like to think
I know a thing or two about basketball, and I'd
like to think I think I have a little bit
more knowledge than the average fan. And I've watched every
one of last year's NBA games, and I think I
(01:50):
know a little bit about how it may play out.
But the whole idea of prognostication over a seven game
series when we learned twice this year that even three
games to one is not enough. And what I've learned
in my lifetime with the Boston Red Sox coming from
three games and none down, is the series really isn't
over until it's over. Is that Let the thing play out,
(02:17):
then let's talk about it. I know that's not that
much fun. Everybody likes to have they come strong, hard take.
I know what's gonna happen, but you don't know what's
gonna happen. Can I start with this though? Why is
it that everyone's bothered by Vegas setting a line as
the Warriors being the favorites, right, it says if like
(02:41):
Steve Kirk did it, said it, and you know he
offered up, Hey, they're the champs, so they should be
the favorite. Tristan Thompson came out and said, I don't
I've never heard of a defending champion not being the favorite.
But like, none of that has anything to do with
Las Vegas, has nothing to do with it. Las Vegas
(03:05):
is trying to pick the most likely outcome, the highest
probability of happening. And oh yeah, by the way, if
they set the line just right per game over under
or for series, all of those things, they get play
on both sides. So this this like anyone who sits
there goes like, well, I don't understand how like America
(03:26):
like it ain America, dude, it's Las Vegas. Las Vegas
carries no bias towards anti Lebron sentiment or whether or
not he has the clutched gene. It carries no bias
towards Uh Cleveland, whether or not you deserve to win
a championship. They don't care about last year trying to
figure out who is most likely to win a seven
(03:48):
game series between two teams that appear to be at
full strength. So um, yeah, I I don't really understand
why people would be bothered, why people would would would
be bothered or especially especially people who are in the
(04:11):
NBA Finals bothered by the idea that, yeah, the Calves
are the underdogs. The Warriors won seventy three, won the
first three finals games, and though they've changed their bench,
they've also changed their starting line, have been added Kevin Durant,
and the last time these two teams met, the game
was not competitive. The Warriors were that much better, and
for the first three quarters in Cleveland. The same could
(04:32):
be said even when they lost the Cleveland Cavaliers. And
so all Vegas is saying is hey, based upon probabilities,
likely outcomes, where we set the line, we think the
Warriors are more likely to win this series, and I
think most of America agrees. And if you're wrong, you
could be wrong. What is your what's your reasoning for
(04:52):
being right? Ah? I will tell you that my my logic,
my logic behind why I think the Warriors will win
is sound in my own mind, even if it doesn't
play out as much. The other Warriors are seven point
favorites Tonight seven a lot. I actually think they win,
(05:14):
I actually think they cover. I think there'll be a
couple of blowouts in this series, and just like last year,
they were all blowouts essentially, with the exception of the
last game. But there'll be a night to which the
Warriors look like no one will could possibly beat them. Um,
but people look back and they people look back, and
(05:34):
they look with these glowing terms of the Warriors, and
forget that Anderson Veriju had to play big minutes in
last year's last couple of games. Side show Bob was awful,
just too awful, just horrendous. And so while some of
the Warriors bench might not be as good as it
(05:56):
was last year, a lot of it is actually become better.
Like David West is better than Maurice Spates. Oh more buckets,
David what's a better player? I don't know what this
version of Sean Livingston and I don't know what this
version of Andrea Goodala is. Those are the same guys.
And then you have Ian Clark, who's at the shooter
off the bench, and JaVale McGee, who's a better shotblocker
(06:18):
and athlete and better than Anderson very shall they have
a better bench, and they probably have a better starting lineup.
And so the two interesting things to me are one,
no Steve Kerr. How does that affect the Warriors. I
(06:39):
think it will affect them in a tight spot in
terms of substitution and play calling off the bench. But two,
both teams were constructed to beat one another, right like
the the Cleveland Cavaliers were put together. With the exception
of Tristan Thompson, who does all the the dirty work,
is the one guy who plays within the lane. Everybody
(06:59):
else has the ability to create space for Lebron James
I gotta create space because he has to get to
the rim because his jump shot can be suspected times.
But the difference in for example, Golden State and Boston,
as we told you Boston would be an easy series,
was Boston did not have any possible good matchup against
(07:21):
Lebron defensively, and that's not the case with the Warriors.
Iguadala won the m v P two years ago because
of his defense on Lebron. To a lesser extent, Draymond
Green can guard le Bron, Clay Thompson can guard Lebron,
and Kevin Durant can guard the Bron. That doesn't mean
that Lebron won't score, that doesn't mean that he'll be ineffective.
(07:44):
But the way in which the Cleveland Cavaliers are constructed
is you put shooters all over the floor because the
assumption is you can't guard Lebron with just one guy,
and if you help or if you double team, he
kicks out to a shooter and the you know, the
two ways to beat him are one, make him go
(08:04):
and get fifty or sixty, which is not what he
wants to do. Or two, make him only get thirty
but still don't double team him. Make him get thirty
over a really good defender, which is what the Warriors
are going to try and do. So I'm fascinated by
a lot of individual matchups. I'm fascinated by Steve Kerr
(08:27):
and whether he coaches or if he coaches from the
locker room, and how that affects the team. I'm interested
and intrigued by Kyrie Irving, who has refound his dominance
from the regular season here late in the postseason. Kevin Love,
who didn't play particularly well for most of the series
last year, was playing great basketball. Now. Who he guards,
how he affects the series, But most of all the
(08:48):
series does come down to Lebron James. Can you make
him make? Can you make him take jump shots? One?
Does he make those jump shots? And two? Can you
guard him with one man? Because if if you can,
Cleveland can be rather ineffective offensively. And that team was
constructed to throw multiple bodies, multiple fouls at Lebron James
(09:11):
and make him take jump shots over long arms. I'm
fascinated by it. But the idea of prognostic and like,
do I think the Warriors win? Like? Yeah, But I
also think that if I was in Vegas anytime one
team wins a double header, I picked the next team
in the back end of the double header. Why just
kind of feels right, man, It feels like you split
(09:34):
the double header. It feels like this one the Warriors
win in Cleveland in Game six. I don't have any
inside knowledge. I have no idea how the series to go.
Just kind of feels right. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Doug gott Leaps Show weekdays at three
p m. Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the I Heart Radio app. Isaiah Thomas apparently carries great
(09:55):
respect for Lebron. Isaiah said this about Lebron and what
he said yesterday. Lebron has always used his platform and
his voice to shine on communities and on the powerless
in our society. In this moment here, he has moved,
in my opinion, into the greatest ever. Why because what
he's done in the game, what he's done outside the game,
what Lebron just did today for his generation and generations
(10:16):
to come on this day, what he stood for and
when he just did socially with that press conference, He's
the greatest player to ever play the game. What did
Lebron say? Take a listen. This is Lebron James talking
about race, talking about the the slur that was apparently
spray painted on his property that he doesn't live in.
That's a twenty one million dollar property in Brentwood that
(10:36):
was painted over. Here was Lebron yesterday. It just goes
to show that that racism will always be a part
of the world, a part of America, and um, you know, hate,
you know, in America, especially for African American is is
living every day, no matter how famous you are, no
matter how many people admire you, you know, being being
(10:58):
black in America is it's and we got a long
way to go, you know, for for us as a
society and for us as African Americans, until we until
we feel equal in America. He compared himself or or
sharing this story to Emmett Till, which Clay Travis, who's
(11:18):
like a historian in addition to being a radio host
here on Fox Sports Radio. Uh, greatly disagree with the
metaphor because it's it's so in his mind dissimilar. Do
I think that he's he's willing to put his equity
out there. Yeah, But I'll also tell you this, like, look,
I'm It's not that I don't have sympathy or empathy
(11:41):
for black people who are put in It's like like
Lebron James don't do anything wrong, right, Like, that's not
even a house. He like, no one's house should be
spray paint on, And no Black person should have those
words spray paint on their house, just like no Jewish
persons here swastika spray paint on their house. Right that
those are symbols of hatred. Like I understand that, Um,
(12:06):
But but taking an anti racism stance is kind of
like taking an anti cancer stance, right, isn't it like
anybody does anybody disagree with anything he said? No, Like
hatred is gross and we have I don't know how
(12:29):
long how far we have to go, Probably further than
we thought, but not as far as is being led
to believe, like everybody's kind of piste about this thing,
like who who spray paints on somebody's house? Who spray
paints on in Brentwood on a twenty one million dollar house?
Then who's spray paints some sort of um, you know,
racist word on something like what? Yeah, like chance are
(12:53):
it's a crazy person, right? So part of me thinks
this is another way for Isaiah Thomas to mention that
he doesn't like Michael Jordan's right because Jordan kept him
off the Dream Team because he froze at Jordan's Part
of this is like he does have a point that
Lebron has chosen to take political stances when others who
(13:15):
are supremely powerful in sports choose to step aside, Like
even Tom Brady, who like he had to make America
great hat and he had some sort of relationship with
Trump and he never really took a side, like he
knew it was such a polarizing and oh yeah, by
the way, like I despise alat of the rhetoric that
came out of our president running for president, even since
(13:37):
he's been president. But you're allowed to support I want
a guy right for president to a guy who actually
is the president, like you're actually allowed to And Tom
wanted nothing to do with with that firestorm. Nothing he
wanted far for his way from possible as possible. So
there is a certain level of bravery view will in
(13:59):
at least discussing such a topic. But let's not I
don't know how heroic it is. On the other hand,
because here I'll give him credit because so many other athletes, white,
black or otherwise. Just Michael Jordan's stay away from any
(14:20):
sort of political hot button issue. I just don't think
that anybody supports anyone in the world spray painting a
word on a black person's house. That's that uh, that's
so vile. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Doug gott Leaves Show weekdays at three p m. Easter
noon Pacific. We had Glenn Davis on our show. He
was on Fox Sports one on Disputed as well, and
(14:44):
he said that, among other things, he was critical of
Doc Rivers, his former coach with both the Celtics and
the Clippers, and he said that there was it was
never right in the Clippers locker room because you had
Austin Rivers, son of Doctor Verse, on the team. Austin
Rivers went on Undisputed with Skip Bayliss, Shannon Sharp, and
(15:09):
Joey Taylor, which you can also hear on Serious x
M Channel eighty three as well as seen on Fox
Sports one. This was Austin Rivers talking about his former
teammate Big Baby Davis yesterday. If someone is constantly out
of shape late, I don't remember plays, how how you're
supposed to play, So so I don't know where that
that even goes with the team. And that had nothing
(15:30):
to do with him coming out my father. I really
don't care. That's between my past. But as far as
him talking about me being my coach, that that that
has never had a play in the team. I've earned
every strip that I've got and I've earned every play
of time. That's just him talking out the side of
his nag. I don't really understand where that comes from.
So I'm not even paying that no. Mone I like
what I like when people goes like it doesn't really
(15:51):
bother me. On the other hand, you do know he's fat,
he was always late, and he can't remember a play,
But it doesn't really bother me. All right. A couple
of things here. I do believe what Austin Versus saying,
but I don't believe that it doesn't bother him. I
also believe that while Austin truly believes everything he's gotten
he's earned. And it's really harder having been a coach's son.
(16:14):
It's hard to be the coach's son because you have
to be one and a half times the player that
everybody else does, because otherwise people don't think you belong
in the court. You're only there because your dad's there.
So Glenn Davis tweeted out his own response to Austin Rivers.
Here's what he had to say. I'm in Hawaii, mind
in my own business, and I look on Understood and
I see old punk as Austin Rivers talking. Come on, man, Yeah,
(16:41):
I might have been overweight a little bit, probably late
for one or two practices. Come on, man, don't know
the place. Come on, bro, you're lying in now, Bro,
now you're lying Come on now, man, that's a lie.
Second of all, your father gave you your money. How
can you like, don't say to me your father gave
(17:04):
me your money. You ain't worked for it. I was there.
I've seen you at practice. You didn't give a thinking.
You all wearing tight ass plants and you know your
father gave you all that money, so you can go
win those tight ass plants. But keep your mouth clothes. Man.
Shut up. Man, you're bump who's been given the world.
(17:25):
Shut up. I say they both kind of bother now, right,
this is we reached full. Uh, it's like a it's
like a twitter storm, twitter fight on TV. It's kind
of amazing. Here's what I'll tell you about Glenn Davis. Talented, uh, socially,
(17:47):
very adept, very bright, gets his point across as good
with the English language. But like Glenn Davis should still
be in the NBA, right, Like Glenn Davis didn't have
some massive injury. He had ankle surgery in two thousand fifteen.
(18:08):
But he's only thirty one years old, and he was
out of the league before he was thirty. So whatever
you think about ostar versus four years old who did
have a pretty good year, Glenn Davis is thirty one.
He was out of the league before he was thirty,
and this is only two years after he averaged what
(18:31):
fifteen a game for the Atlanto Magic Like. It screams
to me that maybe Doc Rivers didn't like him, and
neither did the rest like. The league doesn't lie. The
league has a conscious that the league collectively says, like,
you're too heavy, you can't remember plays, you had a
(18:52):
reputation of being late. So uh. This is the problem
with having a son, a coach's son, be on the
team is when things don't go somebody else's way, they
blame you because you're the coach's son. It's very it's
very normal. This is just abnormal that it's at this
high level of play that the same sort of narrative exists.
(19:18):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Kevin Durant could remember he signed a shortened contract. He
doesn't have his Larry Bird rights for a couple of years,
or he can sign a non bird a non bird
extent extension at the end of this year. But most
(19:40):
believe that Kevin Durant will actually take less money now
four million dollars less allows them to not recuse the rights,
relinquish the rights to Iguadala and Sean Livingston while still
paying Steph Curry. And here's the This is a lot
like the Chris Paul dilemma. Right. People are always like, well,
(20:03):
Chris Paul's two choices are take the most money with
the Clippers, or take less money and go to the Spurs.
You know, he could take less money and stay with
the Clippers, and so they can manipulate the caps so
they get more peoples around him. I mean, everyone says
that they want to win, but a few people show
they are willing to sacrifice financial gain for winning. And
(20:26):
oh yeah, by the way, just like Chris Paul has
Farmers and has Jordan's brand, Kevin Durant has Nike and
as this most recent article that Chris Haynes and Ramona
Shelburne wrote, like, he's really made inroads into Silicon Valley
a lot of the movers and shakers. He was at
uh he WA's the election with Eddie q who's seniors
(20:50):
Apple Senior vice president for Internet Software and Services. He's
he's wants to become business partners with Ronald conn Way,
who's a super angel investor. He's been consulting with Lorraine
Powell Jobs at Steve Jobs ex wife or Jobs is
um widow if you will. Kevin Durant is super smart,
(21:16):
super adept and understands like, just because I might not
make four million dollars more from the Warriors, I have
a greater chance of making that and then some outside
of basketball if we win. I oh, yeah, by the way,
you factor in what I'm making from Nike, and I'm
living where I want to live, in an organization I
want to play for, Like, this is all very smart.
(21:38):
I frankly think that that's actually the challenge to Lebron James, right,
Like Lebron's big thing in the middle of the year was, Hey,
you gotta put pieces around me. But Lebron, he's not
gonna make a billion dollars off Nike, but he'll make
several hundred million dollars off Nike generation generational wealth. Lebron
will have more money than he his kids. His kids
(22:00):
kids could possibly spend. A smart guy surrounding him spells
to smart people. He's got people watching, people who watch
his money. He ain't going broke let me just fine.
But like, there's no reason Lebron can't play for ten
million dollars, right, what is he? What it's? What is it?
(22:21):
Out of respect? Everybody respects le Bron, they would respect
him more and any amount that he makes now doubles
and triples every time he wins a championship. And you're
more likely to win a championship if you're able to
spread out more winning the salary cap. This is actually
what what I always thought about the Kevin Durant move
(22:42):
was a big word that is easy to say, easy
to believe, hard to execute. You know what, it is unselfish?
Like I find what the way in which the Warriors
have purported themselves to be remarkably unselfish. Steph Curry was
a two time defending m v P. He was coming
(23:05):
into a contract year. He's up for the Supermatch super
Max at the end of this year. Remember Steph Curry
has not he's cashed in with the under Armor deal.
He has not cashed in with a big contract. It
was four years, forty four million dollars. That was because
he had those chronic ankle injuries. Right, So, and Steph,
he grew up with some money. He has money. He'll
be fine, but he'll get the super Max. Doesn't have to,
(23:29):
but he can two million dollars. Remember before Steph could
get that two hundred million dollars, he went to Kevin
Rant and said, help me forward together when a couple
of championships have some fun. I'm willing to sacrifice how
many shots I take this year, how many points I score,
because ultimately, if we win win a championship, any money
(23:52):
that we give up will make back to threefold. That's
incredibly unselfish, and it's unselfish for Kevin Rand. Sure to
catch live editions of The Doug gott Leap Show weekdays
at three pm Eastern noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the I Heart Radio app. Let's take you up
to the Bay Area where a guy Jim Jackson. You
(24:12):
can hear every Jim every Sunday on Fox Sports Radio
five to a p m. Eastern Time, alongside my guy
Mike Hill. Jim spent fourteen years in the NBA, covers
the NBA and college basketball for Fox Sports paumb on
Twitter at Jim Jackson one nine four one nine was
at Columbus area code TOWNOO My bad. Also two time
(24:34):
Mr Basketball, the first two time Mr Basketball in the
state of Ohio ever. Jim Jackson joins us, I'm like, look, dude,
we're obviously you played at a much higher level for longer,
but we're all at basketball guys at heart, and I'm
really excited about this series, are you? You know what,
here's the question, can it live up to the heights?
(24:55):
Because Doug, you know, all year we've been looking forward
to this matchup, and let's be honest with it, and
how many times does a big prize time, big prize
fight lead lead up to a great fight. In regards
to the hype behind it, I think we have all
the little intangibles that this could be something special. I
think a lot of things, barring any kind of injury,
(25:18):
could provide us with hopefully seven great competitive games. We
saw last year too, three or four of those games
weren't as competitive. Um, two different teams, different dynamics going on,
different scenarios going on with each individual team, different things
on the line for individual players. Are Kevin Durant compared
(25:40):
to Lebron James? Is this the time that Steph Curry
can get over the top. So I'm looking forward to
I've seen which players really step up in key situations. Uh.
From a coaching perspective, how adjustments are made not only
from game the game, but within the game. You know
what I mean in regard to can the little changes
(26:01):
that could affect the outcome of the game. So it's
a lot of different dynamics that I think you as
a basketball player, I as a basketball player, we look
at a little bit differently, probably in the casual fan
and how this thing will turn out outside of Durant.
Are the Warriors better in your opinion than they were
(26:21):
last year? The maturity factor that you notice because they've
been there before, they understand now this is a different
team because you don't have the same dynamics in regards
to the bench that they had a year ago. You're
talking about Jabelle McGee kind of being on the bigger
stage this year. You're talking about guys like that that
(26:44):
that that come in that haven't probably been in this
situation that are now going to be thrust into it.
But Jim, they they have like like David West, I
like David less better than space right, I like and
he has some experience obviously not winning a title, but
but competing for title um, they still have Livingston, they
still have Iguadala. Like I will grant you Javellemgee, it's
(27:05):
kind of wild card because we have no idea if
it's the first whatever years of his career or this
year of Javelle who seems to matured. But I kind
of feel like I started the year thinking their bench
would be worse, and I think their bench has gotten
maybe to be a bit better than it was last year.
I don't maybe I'm maybe it's a level of competition
the playoffs. That's where I can't. I can't figure out.
(27:27):
I need your help on this. Well. Here, here's the thing.
Cleveland had the same dilemma too, in regards to Kyle
korveror Dee Williams coming in playing in situations. There's bench
is different from Golden States perspective because I thought the
pace and flow that the bench last year, even what
Harrison Barnes and the leanro Spates that they play with
(27:48):
was kind of on Paul with their starting five. They
don't have that same pace in that second Union. I
love Searon Livingston. Iguadala has slowed down a bit in
regardless to his defensive mask, but he can still make play.
So the dynamics with the benches are a lot different, um,
but they figured out a niche I think compliment Golden
(28:11):
State when I'm talking about Golden Staates bench that compliment
the starters. But I think they're two different dynamic benches. Uh,
if you look, if you put the two together, Jim
Jackson joining us in the Doug Gottlip Show. Okay, let's
let's get to durant um. And I grant you I
don't really know, and you know more about it from
(28:31):
from having played in some of these big games and
in the NBA than I do, but even you don't
really know. No, But how do you how do you
think he goes about not wanting to do too much
but also not wanting to be passive? Like, how do
how do you think that goes in Game one? Yeah?
See see I think that's a great question because with okay, see,
(28:52):
he can be more aggressive, I think in his mind,
But why can't he be more aggressive and beat Kevin
Durant with this Golden State team We've seen now the
transition of how he feeled went from trying to fit
in a little bit to kind of really establishing who
he is is probably the second best player in the
league behind Lebron. Why Whitney want to come out now?
(29:13):
Kevin Durant is that kind of player that wants to
fit in. So it's gonna be very interesting to see
early on in the game because I anticipate that Lebron
will be guarding KD. My whole thing is that I
would lick my child and say, Okay, Lebron is gonna
guard me. I'm gonna make him work. I'm gonna make
him work from the beginning. I missed a few shots
(29:33):
early on, so what I'm going to be aggressive. I'm
forcing Lebron to maybe pick up an early found to
put him back on his heel. That's the attitude that
Kevin Durant has to come in with because we've seen
Steph struggle. Not you know, he's still scoring twenty plus
points a game, but his overall effectiveness against this Cleveland
(29:57):
cast team in the last two championships and even the
two games this year where he didn't shoot a high
percentage the Cleveland defense has affected how effective step has been.
So I'm interested to see from the beginning of the game,
just like you, the mindset of Kevin Durrett does he
(30:17):
lay back and allow his teammates to kind of get
him involved early, or does he step out there, take
the chance and say I'm gonna be ultra aggressive within
the confines of the offense, uh and really force not
only Lebron but the Cleveland defense to play special attention
(30:37):
to him and then and then defensively Golden State, I
think we know what they want to do. And what
I what I do like about this roster is you
could put Durant on him. You can put Clay on him.
You can put a good dial on him, you can
put Draymond on him. You you have some options for
to put players on him that have the size and
the length to to at least challenge his while in like, look,
(31:01):
we all know the key is you got to force
him to take jump shots. You can't really double teaming
because he's such a good passion they put such shooting
around him. But if it does feel like if there's
if there's a mix of guys you can put on him,
Golden State has that mix? Is that fair? What what
would they do again? People talking about Iguodala, what the
job he did, but he's not the same player. Let's
(31:23):
keep it this, let's look at it like this, Duggie
Kevin Durant and say Lebron they canceled each other out.
The bigger question is what's the answer for Kyrie for
Golden State? And I said this before. The thing that
Cleveland has is that they can be more physical with
step off the ball, away from the ball, and you
(31:45):
know as a guard that a lot of what happens
off the ball effects when you get the ball. So
last year and even this year when you see it,
they're able to hold, push, nudge, knock, step out of
rhythm early, so when he gets to he's a little
worn down a little bit. And then the job that
they do on their pick and roll defense, meaning Cleveland,
(32:07):
they're able to affect staff a little bit more. So
these are the ones I think we gotta look at.
How do you guard Kevin Love with the switching of
Kevin Durant and maybe Draymond Green, because I would think
they would try to post up Kevin Love on Durant,
But when Petulia and McGee are guarding Kevin Love, they're
(32:28):
gonna spread him and isolate him on the three point
line and forced the course the court to be open
a little bit more So those are the challenges I
think you look at because Lebron is going to be effective,
He's gonna pick and choose his spots. But how do
you come up with an answer to really slow down?
I think there's a key ingredient which is Kyrie. Yeah,
(32:48):
and and and Kyrie, And tell me if I'm going
overboard here, Like step can score has scored more points,
but Kyrie is a better score and by that I
mean like he can score in the post. He's an
unbelieval finisher. He's not this year he shot about the
same percentage from three. He's not as good as shooter,
but he's a better kind of all around diverse score.
(33:09):
Just steps ability to shoot the three gives him more
points at times. But that Kyrie Irvan is probably the
of the scoring point guards. Like he's the best scoring
point guard. Well, he's so dynamic in both of them.
Give them both credit because being little guys so to speak,
quote unquote, they both do an outstanding job of being
(33:29):
able to get to the basket with their floaters and finished.
Kyrie's dynamic is a little bit different. Doesn't it feel
like when Kyrie is attacking the basket, it's almost like
it's you can just count it when he goes inside.
It's it's it's some guys just have that special knack
of being able to create and finish inside over bigger
(33:52):
opponents in key situation. And he's not gonna stay in
front of him. But can you make am miss effectively
for seven games? That's see, that's the question. You know,
if it was a one game series or two game
or three games, but for seven games, what's the defensive philosophy.
(34:13):
What's gonna be the characteristics for a Golden States defense
that's gonna keep Kyrie, especially in their half court sets,
from really breaking down the defense, getting to the basket,
causing files, and getting to the free throw line. That's
the challenge that gold stay that you're up in Oakland,
you're at the game. I'm actually going up after where
it's going to the game as well. Do you like
(34:34):
watching it on TV or in person better? I go
back and forth with that, because sometimes I like to
watch it on TV so I can sit and analyze
and listen to the game itself and break things down.
But then you know, as a basketball player, the electricity
and the energy that's in the building, it's totally different.
You know, during the regular season, I'm be honest with you,
(34:55):
at games, I'll get bored. I'd rather watch it on TV.
So I'm debating right now what I really want to do.
I want to be involved and really be until the
atmosphere of the game because there's going to be a lectures,
or do I want to kind of sit back and
soak it all in and kind of watch it from
the perspective from TV. You know, it's it's hard. It's
the warm ups and opening tip, it's it's it's similar
(35:20):
at every level, like back when you're at Ohio State
when you play in the end or played Michigan and
you guys are winning Big Ten championships right Like there's
those games just you're in high school coming up in Toledo,
like the big game, there's just a buzz to the air.
It's really cool. NBA game still is long. It's hard
to keep kind of that buzz going. And you you
do see so much more so many times more when
(35:41):
you're watching it on TV. It's really well tell us.
So I guess the thing is if you can sit
really really close, uh, then it's worth it. Otherwise you're
you're better off watching it on TV, and I'm guessing
you can sit pretty close. You know, well, I'm a
big time like you do, so I might be upstairs
in the press role. Watch you don't want to that.
(36:02):
Watch that exactly. You don't get to feel. I would
love to say that I can maneuver my way down,
but I ain't that big time, so I don't. But
now Cleveland, you can get down there right in Cleveland.
You don't even need an idea. You're just like I'm
just like, I'm Jim Jackson. And if people don't know you,
just take out show on the Gun Show. They're like, oh,
Jim Jackson, Jim Jackson, But what do you what do
(36:24):
you think? What do you what do you think is
the key? And well, first of all, who do you
have whining? I think warriors in six. I just think, like, look,
I'm worried about the toughness factor and the mental game
of Cleveland, thinking, no matter how many were down, we
can still come back and get these guys. I'm a
little concerned with Hey, Kevin Durant's gonna have to rebound
(36:48):
at the end of the day when they go to
the death lineup, and he's never really been forced to
rebound in a big spot in his career, Like it's
like it's never been what he's been about is about rebounding,
and like, look, games are one with one possession here,
one possession there, one tip out, one three pointer. But
I you know, if the general thought was you're you're
you're sliding him in for Harrison Barnes, Like, I don't know,
(37:10):
they just got just so many guys, like and Clay
hasn't even really gotten going in the playoffs yet He's
going to one or two of these nights. I think
they just have too much. And the last thing is this,
like I think Cleveland has become a really good defensive
team on pick and roll. The Warriors run the fewest
number of pick and rolls in the league. Like they
spread you out, run true motion, make you guard. And
(37:32):
I don't think Cleveland's that well disciplined defense. And now
they react really well and they compete for every shot.
I just I think the words a little bit better.
And then I kind of just think the old idea
last year Golden State wanted, uh, you know, wanted on
axcume me. Last year Cleveland wand on Golden States floor,
it would be apropos if Golden State wanted on Cleveland's floors,
(37:55):
you know, and again a pick and roll defense and
also transition defense for Cleveland is gonna be a sensial
because Golden State is scoring just a little under twenty
points in their fast breaking opportunities. Also another twenty off
of turnover. So if Cleveland limits that part of it.
And that's not to say that Golden State is not
good in their offensive sense because they're dynamic, they negate.
(38:20):
That's how you beat Golden Stated. You take away those
easy bass and I think one of the areas that
we're not addressing too. I think that's the key is
the activity of Tristan Thompson. His activity, especially in late
game situations Doug you to to get it, to tip
a ball, to keep off exactly, come in and take
a charge. And his ability off the pick and roll
(38:43):
defense to maybe not guard Steph but to keep them
in front and then contest the shot. It's invaluable in
particular in late game situation. So he in his activity,
I think it's something that Golden State is going to
have to figure out how a corral because a guy
like that that plays off pure energy where you don't
(39:04):
have to run offensive sets for he feeds off of
doing those little things. He gives energy to the defensive
side for Cleveland, but more importantly for the offensive side.
When he's able to come up with those balls and
keep the possession alive, we gotta run. What was your pick?
I I haven't heard it at Cleveland and seven Ohio guy,
(39:28):
but I understand, I understand. I think it's what I played.
I played for both teams. I'm not like I'm a Homer.
I'm a Homer. I'll see you there tonight. Can't wait
to see on TV. Appreciate you join us, all right, brother,
always it's Jim Jackson stud Be sure to catch live
editions of The Doug gott Leaves Show weekdays at three
p m. Easter noon Pacific. I don't think anybody's ever
set the record straight on Jordan. Okay, so let me
(39:51):
do that for you. Let me do that for you.
There will be people who say, we're like, well, hey,
he never took on a dominant team in the finals.
Well hold on, now, hold on. Michael. Jordan's first NBA
Finals was against the Lakers. He essentially ended the Lakers dynasty.
They were too young, too athletic. UH two perfectly constructed
(40:15):
around Jordan's. Jordan's issues the first seven or so years
were one the team wasn't good enough too. He tried
to win it himself, and the Pistons had their Jordan
rules right where the Jordan rules were. You know, they
would they would beat him up every time he'd come inside,
knock him on the ground because they knew he wasn't
gonna pass. Didn't trust his teammates. Phil Jackson takes over
(40:37):
puts in the triangle, gives triangle, gives you just space
and you know where everybody is. John Paxson becomes their
point guard. He has that weapon. They space the court
perfectly around it. So first they the Celtics dynasty ended
because of Larry Bird's injury right back, you know, with
his back really ended up being the problem. Then the
(41:02):
then they dominated the Detroit Pistons, who were back to
back champions, and they annihilated them. They swept them. The Pistons, remember,
walked off the floor before the final buzzer. Actually, rant
Uh Isaiah ducked out like dude, Isaiah saying Lebron. Isaiah's
always going to say something better about Lebron because he
hates Michael Jordan's. Michael Jordan kept him off the Dream Team.
(41:23):
Michael Jordan out shown him, Michael Jordan's swept him. He
ducked away from Michael Jordan's. He's always had a thing
about Michael Jordan's. He's like Richard Sherman about the Super Bowl,
only this is like twenty five year old beef. He's
still got it. So they end these Pistons dynasty. They
and the Lakers dynasty four games to one. And if
you look back, you look back, Jordan's actually nearly average
(41:47):
of triple double eleven and a half assisted game in
the in the five game series against the Lakers. So
that was championship number one. Um, what people forget about
the other other championships were whether it was the Portland
(42:07):
Trail when he when he went against the Portland Trailblazers
and he had six threes in the first half, that's
when Maggie Johnson was calling the game. He had six
threes in the first half. He looked over Michael Jordan
like the reason that he took it out, that he
was so thoroughly and completely destructive of the Portland's Trailblazers,
were Jordan's had a thing for Clyde draft first he
(42:29):
I think for the Trailblazers because they took they drafted
Sam Booie ahead of him. And uh he had a
thing for Clyde Drexler because people would say, well, you know,
Clyde Drexler was the uh second best to guard in
the game. And just Chrust. They beat the Seat, They
(42:51):
beat the SuperSonics that had Gary Payton and Sean Kemp,
like these are great players. They beat the Utah Jazz
the last two years, and the Utah Jazz were the best,
like one of those best teams to never win it, right,
John Stockton, Karl Malone. And it wasn't just they beat him,
beat him in Game six, meaning winning the game on
(43:13):
the other team's home floor. They didn't have home court
advantage those last two years. The Jazz did because it
used to be two three two. And they beat the
Phoenix And when they beat the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix
Suns had, you know, had Charles Barkley. Phoenix Sons had
(43:33):
Richard Dumas who had that year was an All Pro
caliber player. And it was a weird series where they
actually lost at home to the Suns and then one
I think like three games on the Phoenix Suns home floor,
and that was the year in which his dad had died,
and he after winning and they won when he advanced
past the ball to kick it out John Paxton, it's
the game winner and Jordan grabs the always crying while
(43:56):
laying on the court. That was right before he retired.
The first time like Jordan went in and did he
play against all time grade teams? No, but he played
against all time great players. I think about the NBA Finals,
Magic Worthy Byron Scott four games to one, Clyde Drexler,
(44:16):
Terry Porter, Kevin Duckward's late great Jerome kercy Well. I
think I was like four oh or four one that
wasn't really close. Phoenix Sons, Charles Barkley, Hall of Famer,
all time great SuperSonics was uh was Gary Payton? The
(44:37):
Utah Jazz was stocked in them alone? So was it different? Yeah?
But Jordan's took these things as a personal affront. And
the first time I saw that from Lebron James was
last year when Clay Thompson essentially called him soft because
(44:57):
he was complaining about calls
This is the best of the Dog got Lee Show
on Fox Sports Radio. What Up, It's the Dog Gottlieb Show,
Fox Sports Radio Live from the City of Angels. The
NBA Finals are finally here. Now listen. This is a marathon,
not a sprint. Potentially, potentially we got nineteen days to
(00:23):
talk about this thing, right, the eighteen could be Game seven.
Obviously Day nineteen would be the day after Game seven.
So we got this like, pace yourself with your hot takes, America.
I'll give you your phone number eight seven seven six
three six nine eight seven seven nine on Fox. So
much to get to, but so little really to go on, right,
(00:47):
I mean, you've got Lebron and really, how sad and
disgusting it was that somebody spray painted some other house
that he doesn't even live in in a beautiful neighborhood
in southern California. His reaction to it, possibly is overreaction
to it, um, but still, I I do understand how
bothered anybody could be. I'm bothered by it. It's not
(01:09):
my house and I'm not black, and I'm like, dude, really,
but outside of that, Steve Kerr maybe coaching, likely not coaching.
The first we get a chance to see Steph Curry
in the finals since last year when he struggled Kevin
Durant in his first finals, since they were demolished by
the Miami Heat. Like, there's the but outside of that,
(01:29):
it is purely speculation and guessing. I'd like to think
I know a thing or two about basketball, and I'd
like to think I think I have a little bit
more knowledge than the average fan. And I've watched every
one of last year's NBA games, and I think I
(01:50):
know a little bit about how it may play out.
But the whole idea of prognostication over a seven game
series when we learned twice this year that even three
games to one is not enough. And what I've learned
in my lifetime with the Boston Red Sox coming from
three games and none down, is the series really isn't
over until it's over. Is that Let the thing play out,
(02:17):
then let's talk about it. I know that's not that
much fun. Everybody likes to have they come strong, hard take.
I know what's gonna happen, but you don't know what's
gonna happen. Can I start with this though? Why is
it that everyone's bothered by Vegas setting a line as
the Warriors being the favorites, right, it says if like
(02:41):
Steve Kirk did it, said it, and you know he
offered up, Hey, they're the champs, so they should be
the favorite. Tristan Thompson came out and said, I don't
I've never heard of a defending champion not being the favorite.
But like, none of that has anything to do with
Las Vegas, has nothing to do with it. Las Vegas
(03:05):
is trying to pick the most likely outcome, the highest
probability of happening. And oh yeah, by the way, if
they set the line just right per game over under
or for series, all of those things, they get play
on both sides. So this this like anyone who sits
there goes like, well, I don't understand how like America
(03:26):
like it ain America, dude, it's Las Vegas. Las Vegas
carries no bias towards anti Lebron sentiment or whether or
not he has the clutched gene. It carries no bias
towards Uh Cleveland, whether or not you deserve to win
a championship. They don't care about last year trying to
figure out who is most likely to win a seven
(03:48):
game series between two teams that appear to be at
full strength. So um, yeah, I I don't really understand
why people would be bothered, why people would would would
be bothered or especially especially people who are in the
(04:11):
NBA Finals bothered by the idea that, yeah, the Calves
are the underdogs. The Warriors won seventy three, won the
first three finals games, and though they've changed their bench,
they've also changed their starting line, have been added Kevin Durant,
and the last time these two teams met, the game
was not competitive. The Warriors were that much better, and
for the first three quarters in Cleveland. The same could
(04:32):
be said even when they lost the Cleveland Cavaliers. And
so all Vegas is saying is hey, based upon probabilities,
likely outcomes, where we set the line, we think the
Warriors are more likely to win this series, and I
think most of America agrees. And if you're wrong, you
could be wrong. What is your what's your reasoning for
(04:52):
being right? Ah? I will tell you that my my logic,
my logic behind why I think the Warriors will win
is sound in my own mind, even if it doesn't
play out as much. The other Warriors are seven point
favorites Tonight seven a lot. I actually think they win,
(05:14):
I actually think they cover. I think there'll be a
couple of blowouts in this series, and just like last year,
they were all blowouts essentially, with the exception of the
last game. But there'll be a night to which the
Warriors look like no one will could possibly beat them. Um,
but people look back and they people look back, and
(05:34):
they look with these glowing terms of the Warriors, and
forget that Anderson Veriju had to play big minutes in
last year's last couple of games. Side show Bob was awful,
just too awful, just horrendous. And so while some of
the Warriors bench might not be as good as it
(05:56):
was last year, a lot of it is actually become better.
Like David West is better than Maurice Spates. Oh more buckets,
David what's a better player? I don't know what this
version of Sean Livingston and I don't know what this
version of Andrea Goodala is. Those are the same guys.
And then you have Ian Clark, who's at the shooter
off the bench, and JaVale McGee, who's a better shotblocker
(06:18):
and athlete and better than Anderson very shall they have
a better bench, and they probably have a better starting lineup.
And so the two interesting things to me are one,
no Steve Kerr. How does that affect the Warriors. I
(06:39):
think it will affect them in a tight spot in
terms of substitution and play calling off the bench. But two,
both teams were constructed to beat one another, right like
the the Cleveland Cavaliers were put together. With the exception
of Tristan Thompson, who does all the the dirty work,
is the one guy who plays within the lane. Everybody
(06:59):
else has the ability to create space for Lebron James
I gotta create space because he has to get to
the rim because his jump shot can be suspected times.
But the difference in for example, Golden State and Boston,
as we told you Boston would be an easy series,
was Boston did not have any possible good matchup against
(07:21):
Lebron defensively, and that's not the case with the Warriors.
Iguadala won the m v P two years ago because
of his defense on Lebron. To a lesser extent, Draymond
Green can guard le Bron, Clay Thompson can guard Lebron,
and Kevin Durant can guard the Bron. That doesn't mean
that Lebron won't score, that doesn't mean that he'll be ineffective.
(07:44):
But the way in which the Cleveland Cavaliers are constructed
is you put shooters all over the floor because the
assumption is you can't guard Lebron with just one guy,
and if you help or if you double team, he
kicks out to a shooter and the you know, the
two ways to beat him are one, make him go
(08:04):
and get fifty or sixty, which is not what he
wants to do. Or two, make him only get thirty
but still don't double team him. Make him get thirty
over a really good defender, which is what the Warriors
are going to try and do. So I'm fascinated by
a lot of individual matchups. I'm fascinated by Steve Kerr
(08:27):
and whether he coaches or if he coaches from the
locker room, and how that affects the team. I'm interested
and intrigued by Kyrie Irving, who has refound his dominance
from the regular season here late in the postseason. Kevin Love,
who didn't play particularly well for most of the series
last year, was playing great basketball. Now. Who he guards,
how he affects the series, But most of all the
(08:48):
series does come down to Lebron James. Can you make
him make? Can you make him take jump shots? One?
Does he make those jump shots? And two? Can you
guard him with one man? Because if if you can,
Cleveland can be rather ineffective offensively. And that team was
constructed to throw multiple bodies, multiple fouls at Lebron James
(09:11):
and make him take jump shots over long arms. I'm
fascinated by it. But the idea of prognostic and like,
do I think the Warriors win? Like? Yeah, But I
also think that if I was in Vegas anytime one
team wins a double header, I picked the next team
in the back end of the double header. Why just
kind of feels right, man, It feels like you split
(09:34):
the double header. It feels like this one the Warriors
win in Cleveland in Game six. I don't have any
inside knowledge. I have no idea how the series to go.
Just kind of feels right. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Doug gott Leaps Show weekdays at three
p m. Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the I Heart Radio app. Isaiah Thomas apparently carries great
(09:55):
respect for Lebron. Isaiah said this about Lebron and what
he said yesterday. Lebron has always used his platform and
his voice to shine on communities and on the powerless
in our society. In this moment here, he has moved,
in my opinion, into the greatest ever. Why because what
he's done in the game, what he's done outside the game,
what Lebron just did today for his generation and generations
(10:16):
to come on this day, what he stood for and
when he just did socially with that press conference, He's
the greatest player to ever play the game. What did
Lebron say? Take a listen. This is Lebron James talking
about race, talking about the the slur that was apparently
spray painted on his property that he doesn't live in.
That's a twenty one million dollar property in Brentwood that
(10:36):
was painted over. Here was Lebron yesterday. It just goes
to show that that racism will always be a part
of the world, a part of America, and um, you know, hate,
you know, in America, especially for African American is is
living every day, no matter how famous you are, no
matter how many people admire you, you know, being being
(10:58):
black in America is it's and we got a long
way to go, you know, for for us as a
society and for us as African Americans, until we until
we feel equal in America. He compared himself or or
sharing this story to Emmett Till, which Clay Travis, who's
(11:18):
like a historian in addition to being a radio host
here on Fox Sports Radio. Uh, greatly disagree with the
metaphor because it's it's so in his mind dissimilar. Do
I think that he's he's willing to put his equity
out there. Yeah, But I'll also tell you this, like, look,
I'm It's not that I don't have sympathy or empathy
(11:41):
for black people who are put in It's like like
Lebron James don't do anything wrong, right, Like, that's not
even a house. He like, no one's house should be
spray paint on, And no Black person should have those
words spray paint on their house, just like no Jewish
persons here swastika spray paint on their house. Right that
those are symbols of hatred. Like I understand that, Um,
(12:06):
But but taking an anti racism stance is kind of
like taking an anti cancer stance, right, isn't it like
anybody does anybody disagree with anything he said? No, Like
hatred is gross and we have I don't know how
(12:29):
long how far we have to go, Probably further than
we thought, but not as far as is being led
to believe, like everybody's kind of piste about this thing,
like who who spray paints on somebody's house? Who spray
paints on in Brentwood on a twenty one million dollar house?
Then who's spray paints some sort of um, you know,
racist word on something like what? Yeah, like chance are
(12:53):
it's a crazy person, right? So part of me thinks
this is another way for Isaiah Thomas to mention that
he doesn't like Michael Jordan's right because Jordan kept him
off the Dream Team because he froze at Jordan's Part
of this is like he does have a point that
Lebron has chosen to take political stances when others who
(13:15):
are supremely powerful in sports choose to step aside, Like
even Tom Brady, who like he had to make America
great hat and he had some sort of relationship with
Trump and he never really took a side, like he
knew it was such a polarizing and oh yeah, by
the way, like I despise alat of the rhetoric that
came out of our president running for president, even since
(13:37):
he's been president. But you're allowed to support I want
a guy right for president to a guy who actually
is the president, like you're actually allowed to And Tom
wanted nothing to do with with that firestorm. Nothing he
wanted far for his way from possible as possible. So
there is a certain level of bravery view will in
(13:59):
at least discussing such a topic. But let's not I
don't know how heroic it is. On the other hand,
because here I'll give him credit because so many other athletes, white,
black or otherwise. Just Michael Jordan's stay away from any
(14:20):
sort of political hot button issue. I just don't think
that anybody supports anyone in the world spray painting a
word on a black person's house. That's that uh, that's
so vile. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Doug gott Leaves Show weekdays at three p m. Easter
noon Pacific. We had Glenn Davis on our show. He
was on Fox Sports one on Disputed as well, and
(14:44):
he said that, among other things, he was critical of
Doc Rivers, his former coach with both the Celtics and
the Clippers, and he said that there was it was
never right in the Clippers locker room because you had
Austin Rivers, son of Doctor Verse, on the team. Austin
Rivers went on Undisputed with Skip Bayliss, Shannon Sharp, and
(15:09):
Joey Taylor, which you can also hear on Serious x
M Channel eighty three as well as seen on Fox
Sports one. This was Austin Rivers talking about his former
teammate Big Baby Davis yesterday. If someone is constantly out
of shape late, I don't remember plays, how how you're
supposed to play, So so I don't know where that
that even goes with the team. And that had nothing
(15:30):
to do with him coming out my father. I really
don't care. That's between my past. But as far as
him talking about me being my coach, that that that
has never had a play in the team. I've earned
every strip that I've got and I've earned every play
of time. That's just him talking out the side of
his nag. I don't really understand where that comes from.
So I'm not even paying that no. Mone I like
what I like when people goes like it doesn't really
(15:51):
bother me. On the other hand, you do know he's fat,
he was always late, and he can't remember a play,
But it doesn't really bother me. All right. A couple
of things here. I do believe what Austin Versus saying,
but I don't believe that it doesn't bother him. I
also believe that while Austin truly believes everything he's gotten
he's earned. And it's really harder having been a coach's son.
(16:14):
It's hard to be the coach's son because you have
to be one and a half times the player that
everybody else does, because otherwise people don't think you belong
in the court. You're only there because your dad's there.
So Glenn Davis tweeted out his own response to Austin Rivers.
Here's what he had to say. I'm in Hawaii, mind
in my own business, and I look on Understood and
I see old punk as Austin Rivers talking. Come on, man, Yeah,
(16:41):
I might have been overweight a little bit, probably late
for one or two practices. Come on, man, don't know
the place. Come on, bro, you're lying in now, Bro,
now you're lying Come on now, man, that's a lie.
Second of all, your father gave you your money. How
can you like, don't say to me your father gave
(17:04):
me your money. You ain't worked for it. I was there.
I've seen you at practice. You didn't give a thinking.
You all wearing tight ass plants and you know your
father gave you all that money, so you can go
win those tight ass plants. But keep your mouth clothes. Man.
Shut up. Man, you're bump who's been given the world.
(17:25):
Shut up. I say they both kind of bother now, right,
this is we reached full. Uh, it's like a it's
like a twitter storm, twitter fight on TV. It's kind
of amazing. Here's what I'll tell you about Glenn Davis. Talented, uh, socially,
(17:47):
very adept, very bright, gets his point across as good
with the English language. But like Glenn Davis should still
be in the NBA, right, Like Glenn Davis didn't have
some massive injury. He had ankle surgery in two thousand fifteen.
(18:08):
But he's only thirty one years old, and he was
out of the league before he was thirty. So whatever
you think about ostar versus four years old who did
have a pretty good year, Glenn Davis is thirty one.
He was out of the league before he was thirty,
and this is only two years after he averaged what
(18:31):
fifteen a game for the Atlanto Magic Like. It screams
to me that maybe Doc Rivers didn't like him, and
neither did the rest like. The league doesn't lie. The
league has a conscious that the league collectively says, like,
you're too heavy, you can't remember plays, you had a
(18:52):
reputation of being late. So uh. This is the problem
with having a son, a coach's son, be on the
team is when things don't go somebody else's way, they
blame you because you're the coach's son. It's very it's
very normal. This is just abnormal that it's at this
high level of play that the same sort of narrative exists.
(19:18):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Kevin Durant could remember he signed a shortened contract. He
doesn't have his Larry Bird rights for a couple of years,
or he can sign a non bird a non bird
extent extension at the end of this year. But most
(19:40):
believe that Kevin Durant will actually take less money now
four million dollars less allows them to not recuse the rights,
relinquish the rights to Iguadala and Sean Livingston while still
paying Steph Curry. And here's the This is a lot
like the Chris Paul dilemma. Right. People are always like, well,
(20:03):
Chris Paul's two choices are take the most money with
the Clippers, or take less money and go to the Spurs.
You know, he could take less money and stay with
the Clippers, and so they can manipulate the caps so
they get more peoples around him. I mean, everyone says
that they want to win, but a few people show
they are willing to sacrifice financial gain for winning. And
(20:26):
oh yeah, by the way, just like Chris Paul has
Farmers and has Jordan's brand, Kevin Durant has Nike and
as this most recent article that Chris Haynes and Ramona
Shelburne wrote, like, he's really made inroads into Silicon Valley
a lot of the movers and shakers. He was at
uh he WA's the election with Eddie q who's seniors
(20:50):
Apple Senior vice president for Internet Software and Services. He's
he's wants to become business partners with Ronald conn Way,
who's a super angel investor. He's been consulting with Lorraine
Powell Jobs at Steve Jobs ex wife or Jobs is
um widow if you will. Kevin Durant is super smart,
(21:16):
super adept and understands like, just because I might not
make four million dollars more from the Warriors, I have
a greater chance of making that and then some outside
of basketball if we win. I oh, yeah, by the way,
you factor in what I'm making from Nike, and I'm
living where I want to live, in an organization I
want to play for, Like, this is all very smart.
(21:38):
I frankly think that that's actually the challenge to Lebron James, right,
Like Lebron's big thing in the middle of the year was, Hey,
you gotta put pieces around me. But Lebron, he's not
gonna make a billion dollars off Nike, but he'll make
several hundred million dollars off Nike generation generational wealth. Lebron
will have more money than he his kids. His kids
(22:00):
kids could possibly spend. A smart guy surrounding him spells
to smart people. He's got people watching, people who watch
his money. He ain't going broke let me just fine.
But like, there's no reason Lebron can't play for ten
million dollars, right, what is he? What it's? What is it?
(22:21):
Out of respect? Everybody respects le Bron, they would respect
him more and any amount that he makes now doubles
and triples every time he wins a championship. And you're
more likely to win a championship if you're able to
spread out more winning the salary cap. This is actually
what what I always thought about the Kevin Durant move
(22:42):
was a big word that is easy to say, easy
to believe, hard to execute. You know what, it is unselfish?
Like I find what the way in which the Warriors
have purported themselves to be remarkably unselfish. Steph Curry was
a two time defending m v P. He was coming
(23:05):
into a contract year. He's up for the Supermatch super
Max at the end of this year. Remember Steph Curry
has not he's cashed in with the under Armor deal.
He has not cashed in with a big contract. It
was four years, forty four million dollars. That was because
he had those chronic ankle injuries. Right, So, and Steph,
he grew up with some money. He has money. He'll
be fine, but he'll get the super Max. Doesn't have to,
(23:29):
but he can two million dollars. Remember before Steph could
get that two hundred million dollars, he went to Kevin
Rant and said, help me forward together when a couple
of championships have some fun. I'm willing to sacrifice how
many shots I take this year, how many points I score,
because ultimately, if we win win a championship, any money
(23:52):
that we give up will make back to threefold. That's
incredibly unselfish, and it's unselfish for Kevin Rand. Sure to
catch live editions of The Doug gott Leap Show weekdays
at three pm Eastern noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the I Heart Radio app. Let's take you up
to the Bay Area where a guy Jim Jackson. You
(24:12):
can hear every Jim every Sunday on Fox Sports Radio
five to a p m. Eastern Time, alongside my guy
Mike Hill. Jim spent fourteen years in the NBA, covers
the NBA and college basketball for Fox Sports paumb on
Twitter at Jim Jackson one nine four one nine was
at Columbus area code TOWNOO My bad. Also two time
(24:34):
Mr Basketball, the first two time Mr Basketball in the
state of Ohio ever. Jim Jackson joins us, I'm like, look, dude,
we're obviously you played at a much higher level for longer,
but we're all at basketball guys at heart, and I'm
really excited about this series, are you? You know what,
here's the question, can it live up to the heights?
(24:55):
Because Doug, you know, all year we've been looking forward
to this matchup, and let's be honest with it, and
how many times does a big prize time, big prize
fight lead lead up to a great fight. In regards
to the hype behind it, I think we have all
the little intangibles that this could be something special. I
think a lot of things, barring any kind of injury,
(25:18):
could provide us with hopefully seven great competitive games. We
saw last year too, three or four of those games
weren't as competitive. Um, two different teams, different dynamics going on,
different scenarios going on with each individual team, different things
on the line for individual players. Are Kevin Durant compared
(25:40):
to Lebron James? Is this the time that Steph Curry
can get over the top. So I'm looking forward to
I've seen which players really step up in key situations. Uh.
From a coaching perspective, how adjustments are made not only
from game the game, but within the game. You know
what I mean in regard to can the little changes
(26:01):
that could affect the outcome of the game. So it's
a lot of different dynamics that I think you as
a basketball player, I as a basketball player, we look
at a little bit differently, probably in the casual fan
and how this thing will turn out outside of Durant.
Are the Warriors better in your opinion than they were
(26:21):
last year? The maturity factor that you notice because they've
been there before, they understand now this is a different
team because you don't have the same dynamics in regards
to the bench that they had a year ago. You're
talking about Jabelle McGee kind of being on the bigger
stage this year. You're talking about guys like that that
(26:44):
that that come in that haven't probably been in this
situation that are now going to be thrust into it.
But Jim, they they have like like David West, I
like David less better than space right, I like and
he has some experience obviously not winning a title, but
but competing for title um, they still have Livingston, they
still have Iguadala. Like I will grant you Javellemgee, it's
(27:05):
kind of wild card because we have no idea if
it's the first whatever years of his career or this
year of Javelle who seems to matured. But I kind
of feel like I started the year thinking their bench
would be worse, and I think their bench has gotten
maybe to be a bit better than it was last year.
I don't maybe I'm maybe it's a level of competition
the playoffs. That's where I can't. I can't figure out.
(27:27):
I need your help on this. Well. Here, here's the thing.
Cleveland had the same dilemma too, in regards to Kyle
korveror Dee Williams coming in playing in situations. There's bench
is different from Golden States perspective because I thought the
pace and flow that the bench last year, even what
Harrison Barnes and the leanro Spates that they play with
(27:48):
was kind of on Paul with their starting five. They
don't have that same pace in that second Union. I
love Searon Livingston. Iguadala has slowed down a bit in
regardless to his defensive mask, but he can still make play.
So the dynamics with the benches are a lot different, um,
but they figured out a niche I think compliment Golden
(28:11):
State when I'm talking about Golden Staates bench that compliment
the starters. But I think they're two different dynamic benches. Uh,
if you look, if you put the two together, Jim
Jackson joining us in the Doug Gottlip Show. Okay, let's
let's get to durant um. And I grant you I
don't really know, and you know more about it from
(28:31):
from having played in some of these big games and
in the NBA than I do, but even you don't
really know. No, But how do you how do you
think he goes about not wanting to do too much
but also not wanting to be passive? Like, how do
how do you think that goes in Game one? Yeah?
See see I think that's a great question because with okay, see,
(28:52):
he can be more aggressive, I think in his mind,
But why can't he be more aggressive and beat Kevin
Durant with this Golden State team We've seen now the
transition of how he feeled went from trying to fit
in a little bit to kind of really establishing who
he is is probably the second best player in the
league behind Lebron. Why Whitney want to come out now?
(29:13):
Kevin Durant is that kind of player that wants to
fit in. So it's gonna be very interesting to see
early on in the game because I anticipate that Lebron
will be guarding KD. My whole thing is that I
would lick my child and say, Okay, Lebron is gonna
guard me. I'm gonna make him work. I'm gonna make
him work from the beginning. I missed a few shots
(29:33):
early on, so what I'm going to be aggressive. I'm
forcing Lebron to maybe pick up an early found to
put him back on his heel. That's the attitude that
Kevin Durant has to come in with because we've seen
Steph struggle. Not you know, he's still scoring twenty plus
points a game, but his overall effectiveness against this Cleveland
(29:57):
cast team in the last two championships and even the
two games this year where he didn't shoot a high
percentage the Cleveland defense has affected how effective step has been.
So I'm interested to see from the beginning of the game,
just like you, the mindset of Kevin Durrett does he
(30:17):
lay back and allow his teammates to kind of get
him involved early, or does he step out there, take
the chance and say I'm gonna be ultra aggressive within
the confines of the offense, uh and really force not
only Lebron but the Cleveland defense to play special attention
(30:37):
to him and then and then defensively Golden State, I
think we know what they want to do. And what
I what I do like about this roster is you
could put Durant on him. You can put Clay on him.
You can put a good dial on him, you can
put Draymond on him. You you have some options for
to put players on him that have the size and
the length to to at least challenge his while in like, look,
(31:01):
we all know the key is you got to force
him to take jump shots. You can't really double teaming
because he's such a good passion they put such shooting
around him. But if it does feel like if there's
if there's a mix of guys you can put on him,
Golden State has that mix? Is that fair? What what
would they do again? People talking about Iguodala, what the
job he did, but he's not the same player. Let's
(31:23):
keep it this, let's look at it like this, Duggie
Kevin Durant and say Lebron they canceled each other out.
The bigger question is what's the answer for Kyrie for
Golden State? And I said this before. The thing that
Cleveland has is that they can be more physical with
step off the ball, away from the ball, and you
(31:45):
know as a guard that a lot of what happens
off the ball effects when you get the ball. So
last year and even this year when you see it,
they're able to hold, push, nudge, knock, step out of
rhythm early, so when he gets to he's a little
worn down a little bit. And then the job that
they do on their pick and roll defense, meaning Cleveland,
(32:07):
they're able to affect staff a little bit more. So
these are the ones I think we gotta look at.
How do you guard Kevin Love with the switching of
Kevin Durant and maybe Draymond Green, because I would think
they would try to post up Kevin Love on Durant,
But when Petulia and McGee are guarding Kevin Love, they're
(32:28):
gonna spread him and isolate him on the three point
line and forced the course the court to be open
a little bit more So those are the challenges I
think you look at because Lebron is going to be effective,
He's gonna pick and choose his spots. But how do
you come up with an answer to really slow down?
I think there's a key ingredient which is Kyrie. Yeah,
(32:48):
and and and Kyrie, And tell me if I'm going
overboard here, Like step can score has scored more points,
but Kyrie is a better score and by that I
mean like he can score in the post. He's an
unbelieval finisher. He's not this year he shot about the
same percentage from three. He's not as good as shooter,
but he's a better kind of all around diverse score.
(33:09):
Just steps ability to shoot the three gives him more
points at times. But that Kyrie Irvan is probably the
of the scoring point guards. Like he's the best scoring
point guard. Well, he's so dynamic in both of them.
Give them both credit because being little guys so to speak,
quote unquote, they both do an outstanding job of being
(33:29):
able to get to the basket with their floaters and finished.
Kyrie's dynamic is a little bit different. Doesn't it feel
like when Kyrie is attacking the basket, it's almost like
it's you can just count it when he goes inside.
It's it's it's some guys just have that special knack
of being able to create and finish inside over bigger
(33:52):
opponents in key situation. And he's not gonna stay in
front of him. But can you make am miss effectively
for seven games? That's see, that's the question. You know,
if it was a one game series or two game
or three games, but for seven games, what's the defensive philosophy.
(34:13):
What's gonna be the characteristics for a Golden States defense
that's gonna keep Kyrie, especially in their half court sets,
from really breaking down the defense, getting to the basket,
causing files, and getting to the free throw line. That's
the challenge that gold stay that you're up in Oakland,
you're at the game. I'm actually going up after where
it's going to the game as well. Do you like
(34:34):
watching it on TV or in person better? I go
back and forth with that, because sometimes I like to
watch it on TV so I can sit and analyze
and listen to the game itself and break things down.
But then you know, as a basketball player, the electricity
and the energy that's in the building, it's totally different.
You know, during the regular season, I'm be honest with you,
(34:55):
at games, I'll get bored. I'd rather watch it on TV.
So I'm debating right now what I really want to do.
I want to be involved and really be until the
atmosphere of the game because there's going to be a lectures,
or do I want to kind of sit back and
soak it all in and kind of watch it from
the perspective from TV. You know, it's it's hard. It's
the warm ups and opening tip, it's it's it's similar
(35:20):
at every level, like back when you're at Ohio State
when you play in the end or played Michigan and
you guys are winning Big Ten championships right Like there's
those games just you're in high school coming up in Toledo,
like the big game, there's just a buzz to the air.
It's really cool. NBA game still is long. It's hard
to keep kind of that buzz going. And you you
do see so much more so many times more when
(35:41):
you're watching it on TV. It's really well tell us.
So I guess the thing is if you can sit
really really close, uh, then it's worth it. Otherwise you're
you're better off watching it on TV, and I'm guessing
you can sit pretty close. You know, well, I'm a
big time like you do, so I might be upstairs
in the press role. Watch you don't want to that.
(36:02):
Watch that exactly. You don't get to feel. I would
love to say that I can maneuver my way down,
but I ain't that big time, so I don't. But
now Cleveland, you can get down there right in Cleveland.
You don't even need an idea. You're just like I'm
just like, I'm Jim Jackson. And if people don't know you,
just take out show on the Gun Show. They're like, oh,
Jim Jackson, Jim Jackson, But what do you what do
(36:24):
you think? What do you what do you think is
the key? And well, first of all, who do you
have whining? I think warriors in six. I just think, like, look,
I'm worried about the toughness factor and the mental game
of Cleveland, thinking, no matter how many were down, we
can still come back and get these guys. I'm a
little concerned with Hey, Kevin Durant's gonna have to rebound
(36:48):
at the end of the day when they go to
the death lineup, and he's never really been forced to
rebound in a big spot in his career, Like it's
like it's never been what he's been about is about rebounding,
and like, look, games are one with one possession here,
one possession there, one tip out, one three pointer. But
I you know, if the general thought was you're you're
you're sliding him in for Harrison Barnes, Like, I don't know,
(37:10):
they just got just so many guys, like and Clay
hasn't even really gotten going in the playoffs yet He's
going to one or two of these nights. I think
they just have too much. And the last thing is this,
like I think Cleveland has become a really good defensive
team on pick and roll. The Warriors run the fewest
number of pick and rolls in the league. Like they
spread you out, run true motion, make you guard. And
(37:32):
I don't think Cleveland's that well disciplined defense. And now
they react really well and they compete for every shot.
I just I think the words a little bit better.
And then I kind of just think the old idea
last year Golden State wanted, uh, you know, wanted on
axcume me. Last year Cleveland wand on Golden States floor,
it would be apropos if Golden State wanted on Cleveland's floors,
(37:55):
you know, and again a pick and roll defense and
also transition defense for Cleveland is gonna be a sensial
because Golden State is scoring just a little under twenty
points in their fast breaking opportunities. Also another twenty off
of turnover. So if Cleveland limits that part of it.
And that's not to say that Golden State is not
good in their offensive sense because they're dynamic, they negate.
(38:20):
That's how you beat Golden Stated. You take away those
easy bass and I think one of the areas that
we're not addressing too. I think that's the key is
the activity of Tristan Thompson. His activity, especially in late
game situations Doug you to to get it, to tip
a ball, to keep off exactly, come in and take
a charge. And his ability off the pick and roll
(38:43):
defense to maybe not guard Steph but to keep them
in front and then contest the shot. It's invaluable in
particular in late game situation. So he in his activity,
I think it's something that Golden State is going to
have to figure out how a corral because a guy
like that that plays off pure energy where you don't
(39:04):
have to run offensive sets for he feeds off of
doing those little things. He gives energy to the defensive
side for Cleveland, but more importantly for the offensive side.
When he's able to come up with those balls and
keep the possession alive, we gotta run. What was your pick?
I I haven't heard it at Cleveland and seven Ohio guy,
(39:28):
but I understand, I understand. I think it's what I played.
I played for both teams. I'm not like I'm a Homer.
I'm a Homer. I'll see you there tonight. Can't wait
to see on TV. Appreciate you join us, all right, brother,
always it's Jim Jackson stud Be sure to catch live
editions of The Doug gott Leaves Show weekdays at three
p m. Easter noon Pacific. I don't think anybody's ever
set the record straight on Jordan. Okay, so let me
(39:51):
do that for you. Let me do that for you.
There will be people who say, we're like, well, hey,
he never took on a dominant team in the finals.
Well hold on, now, hold on. Michael. Jordan's first NBA
Finals was against the Lakers. He essentially ended the Lakers dynasty.
They were too young, too athletic. UH two perfectly constructed
(40:15):
around Jordan's. Jordan's issues the first seven or so years
were one the team wasn't good enough too. He tried
to win it himself, and the Pistons had their Jordan
rules right where the Jordan rules were. You know, they
would they would beat him up every time he'd come inside,
knock him on the ground because they knew he wasn't
gonna pass. Didn't trust his teammates. Phil Jackson takes over
(40:37):
puts in the triangle, gives triangle, gives you just space
and you know where everybody is. John Paxson becomes their
point guard. He has that weapon. They space the court
perfectly around it. So first they the Celtics dynasty ended
because of Larry Bird's injury right back, you know, with
his back really ended up being the problem. Then the
(41:02):
then they dominated the Detroit Pistons, who were back to
back champions, and they annihilated them. They swept them. The Pistons, remember,
walked off the floor before the final buzzer. Actually, rant
Uh Isaiah ducked out like dude, Isaiah saying Lebron. Isaiah's
always going to say something better about Lebron because he
hates Michael Jordan's. Michael Jordan kept him off the Dream Team.
(41:23):
Michael Jordan out shown him, Michael Jordan's swept him. He
ducked away from Michael Jordan's. He's always had a thing
about Michael Jordan's. He's like Richard Sherman about the Super Bowl,
only this is like twenty five year old beef. He's
still got it. So they end these Pistons dynasty. They
and the Lakers dynasty four games to one. And if
you look back, you look back, Jordan's actually nearly average
(41:47):
of triple double eleven and a half assisted game in
the in the five game series against the Lakers. So
that was championship number one. Um, what people forget about
the other other championships were whether it was the Portland
(42:07):
Trail when he when he went against the Portland Trailblazers
and he had six threes in the first half, that's
when Maggie Johnson was calling the game. He had six
threes in the first half. He looked over Michael Jordan
like the reason that he took it out, that he
was so thoroughly and completely destructive of the Portland's Trailblazers,
were Jordan's had a thing for Clyde draft first he
(42:29):
I think for the Trailblazers because they took they drafted
Sam Booie ahead of him. And uh he had a
thing for Clyde Drexler because people would say, well, you know,
Clyde Drexler was the uh second best to guard in
the game. And just Chrust. They beat the Seat, They
(42:51):
beat the SuperSonics that had Gary Payton and Sean Kemp,
like these are great players. They beat the Utah Jazz
the last two years, and the Utah Jazz were the best,
like one of those best teams to never win it, right,
John Stockton, Karl Malone. And it wasn't just they beat him,
beat him in Game six, meaning winning the game on
(43:13):
the other team's home floor. They didn't have home court
advantage those last two years. The Jazz did because it
used to be two three two. And they beat the
Phoenix And when they beat the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix
Suns had, you know, had Charles Barkley. Phoenix Sons had
(43:33):
Richard Dumas who had that year was an All Pro
caliber player. And it was a weird series where they
actually lost at home to the Suns and then one
I think like three games on the Phoenix Suns home floor,
and that was the year in which his dad had died,
and he after winning and they won when he advanced
past the ball to kick it out John Paxton, it's
the game winner and Jordan grabs the always crying while
(43:56):
laying on the court. That was right before he retired.
The first time like Jordan went in and did he
play against all time grade teams? No, but he played
against all time great players. I think about the NBA Finals,
Magic Worthy Byron Scott four games to one, Clyde Drexler,
(44:16):
Terry Porter, Kevin Duckward's late great Jerome kercy Well. I
think I was like four oh or four one that
wasn't really close. Phoenix Sons, Charles Barkley, Hall of Famer,
all time great SuperSonics was uh was Gary Payton? The
(44:37):
Utah Jazz was stocked in them alone? So was it different? Yeah?
But Jordan's took these things as a personal affront. And
the first time I saw that from Lebron James was
last year when Clay Thompson essentially called him soft because
(44:57):
he was complaining about calls
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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