December 21, 2017 • 52 mins
Doug explains why he thinks the 49ers have found their quarterback of the future in Jimmy Garoppolo and why there are benefits to sitting on the bench and learning from veterans. He thinks Cowboys running back Ezekiell Elliott was way too sensitive when he walked out on reporters who asked about his 6-game suspension. And Doug talks to Brian Baldinger from the NFL Network about the Seahawks and whether it's time for them to start rebuilding their roster.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the best of the Doug gottli Show on
Fox Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show,
Fox Sports Radio, coming to you from the City of Angels,
getting you ready for a huge Christmas weekend where you
have important NFL games, You've got college footall ball games,
and of course we got NBA Monday, which, coming off
(00:24):
of last night's upset by the l A Lakers over
the Houston Rockets, should give us some great action. We
got a lot to talk about today. I'm not sure
if you've been watching NFL has this show. It's called
Turning Point. NFL Network has show your guys ever seen
Turning Point? I think that also runs on NBC Sports Network.
Turning Point. Turning Point is a good one and it's
(00:46):
NFL films, which all of us love. It's miked up players,
which all of us love, and it talks about some
of the key moments in the key games from the
past weekend. And it takes a couple of days for
them to produce it, cut it up, edit it, put
it out, and um we taught with Garrett Selic It was,
of course the tight end of the San Francisco for
(01:09):
the Niners thought yesterday was the day for us two
days ago. So if you want to download the podcast,
feel free to do so. If you're watching us here
on Facebook Live or on Twitter, you can go back
through Doug Gotlip Show Archives, iTunes, Fox, sport Trade, dot Com,
wherever you download podcast. I thought he was fantastic, really
interesting talk about the change in the culture there and
the change uh specifically with Jimmy Garoppolo. But Garoppolos miked
(01:34):
up for the last drive what led to the game
winning field goal for their third consecutive win against the
Tennessee Titans. And there's so much good stuff in there,
so much If you haven't seen it, you go to Twitter,
you go online, you'll be able to find it. It's
(01:54):
really really interesting. And I even liked the way in
which it's packaged right because at first he's talking to
the field goal kicker Robbie Gold and he's like what
yard line and he's like thirty seven. He's like all right.
And then it shows them going out there and he
first he's talking to the offensive lineman. Talk to each other,
let's go a little kind of motivational stuff goes into
(02:17):
the huddle, quick, little short speech and then three straight completions.
Then clock clock clock clocks the football. They kicked the
field goal, they win it. But then it goes back
and he gets super interesting where you see that in
the in the progress of time. First he goes in
and he talks to his quarterback coach and says, take
(02:38):
me through the two minutes row. Then he goes to
each wide receiver, each receiver, one tight end, sell like
who caught the ball and not only tells them what
the Tennessee Titans are doing and where they'll be open
over the middle of the field, but how specifically to
get open. And then he does it. Take a listen.
(03:04):
This is Jimmy Garoppolo quarterbacks, San Francisco forty Niners. Hey, rich,
can you run me two minutes? Calls a lot, talking
to each other, communicating what we saw out there, and
it helps us in the next drive. Shoot the first
down I fell in this situation, you're running rounds. They
can't handle your quickness that they're trying to grab you.
And just hit him off you and you'll be fine.
(03:25):
We want to hit the middle because they're safety, they're
super wise. Slip them and look as you're like slipping
mcause I'll bang it on you because he has to
turn his hips. The safeties are so deeper you're gonna
get an out of ten twelve yards. I'll bend you
across a little bit if he's playing on top of you, though,
you can do one of these and then go just
feel it out being a football player. And he was
talking to Marquises Goodwin with that last one, who of
(03:46):
course caught the catch which got them into field goal range.
It wasn't it. The precision of what they're going to do,
what you you're gonna run, what I'm gonna call, and
how specifically You're gonna get open and when I'm going
to throw the ball was incredible. Incredible, uh, which leads
(04:08):
me to a couple of thoughts. First, the San Francisco
for the Niners have found themselves a dude, right, A dude.
One of the things that I learned I kind of
instinctively new because quarterback and point guard in basketball are
are one and kind of the same in many ways
in which you see things before they happen. You have
(04:30):
to relate to your teammates who can't necessarily see it.
They're not of a point of view in which they
can see it, but you have to tell them or
give them a sense of what's coming. And it is.
It's a it's a neck up position as much as
it's a neck down position. Yes, you have to be
able to throw a football, but if you saw those
three throws, they weren't terribly difficult throws, although he was
(04:51):
ridiculously precise. It's knowing what they're running, knowing who's gonna
be open, knowing exactly when to release the ball, when
to throw the ball, more so than how hard, how
far you throw out how athletic you are. Let's be honest.
Tom Brady raised a pregnant woman last week, came in third.
That's how slow he is. He's forty years old. He
can still do it. Why, it's a neck up position
(05:13):
as much as the neck down position. But one of
the things that that Phil Simms told me when I
work for Phil Simms was he said, you know, when
you walk in to meet a quarterback, you shake their hand,
you know right away if they're a quarterback, Like, well,
what does that mean? I mean, look at Jimmy Garoppolo,
like he looks he's slightly better looking than most of
(05:34):
the football players. He has a presence about him, and
they instinctively make you believe what they're saying will come
to fruition. Joe Staley, long time left tackle San Francisco
for the Niner, is very calm, collected, focused. Not to
say that wasn't here before, but it definitely has been
(05:54):
a different aura around him. Were excited about him. It's
fun to block for him. Look, a good quarterback makes
you look like a much better coach, much better coach,
and a bad quarterback makes you look like a far
inferior coach. To the reality of Marquis Goodman. We practice
(06:16):
good one. We practice those situations every week. We were
prepared for. We knew what we were going to do.
There was no panic. He took control of the huddle,
knew exactly what we needed to set us, set us
up for at least get a field goal position or
get a touchdown. That's exactly what happened. Good quarterback changes everything,
changes that the complete outlook of your franchise, makes every
(06:37):
gives everybody hope, makes you play harder, makes receivers run
routes more crisply because they think if they do, they're
going to get the football. Makes Lyman want to block
for him. That's really it has really been incredible. This
is Kyle uh to Sick, who of course is their fullback.
(06:58):
He stopped in day one and his own way, commit
his own way to command respect. We all saw that
he was preparing himself and we he went about business.
He's a phenomenal leader. Now there is another takeaway that
I'm not sure I've heard anybody mentioned. Is anybody else
(07:19):
quietly or maybe loudly disappointed the Tennessee Titans? Right? The
Titans were in too deep safeties, playing super wide apparently
most of the day, and they made no adjustment during
the game. Like as much as we want to think
football has all these numbers and stats and analytics and
interesting ways of looking, the fact is they stuck to
(07:40):
the same too deep, too deep, uh too deep zone
that they had been in most the entire day. Garoppolo
knew it, saw it. They made no adjustment. He simply
did and shredded him on three straight pass plays. I'm
not gonna sit here and pick apart Jimmy Garoppolo, who
looks like the real deal and dramatically has changed the
(08:02):
forty Niners who only had to give up a second
round pick they got a bunch of picks. They only
had to give up a second round pick. They will
have to give him a sizeable contract here in the
off season, but they only had to give up a
second to get a franchise caliber quarterback. Uh. But how
(08:24):
about the Titans not doing anything which makes you think, boy,
that that coaching staff is not really ahead of the curve.
They're kind of stuck in. Hey, you know it's worth
good enough so far, let's stick with it. And that's
a team that will likely be eliminated early in the
playoffs if in fact they hold on and make the playoffs.
(08:47):
And then the last part is, I know we have
this sense that others who have worked with Bella Chicken,
Brady Hoyer, who is their starting quarterback to start the
year Niners, I'm talking about Matt Castle, of course, gets
brought up Um. Ryan Mallett, for example, has not succeeded
when he's gone elsewhere. Jacoby Brissette has had some limited
(09:10):
success when they've been able to block form, although he's
playing with a terrible team in Indianapolis. This is one
of those deals to where um studying under a master
has in fact prepared Garoppolo for this moment, didn't that feel,
didn't that sense? Didn't you get the aura of a
Tom Brady sort of clone in watching the way that
(09:33):
Jimmy Garoppolo went about his business. So while so many,
um we're are concerned or desirous to get the next
young star in the upcoming NFL draft, and maybe there
are limitations to guys who are backups, there is something
(09:56):
to learning from the master and being able to understand
how to lead, how to prepare, and how to be
ready for when your time comes. And if you look
around the National Football League, yeah, this might be the
year of Jared Goff and his failures into success, and
it was Carson Wentz before he ultimately got hurt. But
(10:20):
look at how many of these backups have been well
traveled backups foals case Keenum for example, and have prepared
themselves for this moment and have learned through trial and
error and learned from others they've played behind, how to
how to be prepared for that situation, how to lead,
(10:42):
and how to win. I don't know, I was, I was.
I was just blown away by that's like the whole
reasoning logic behind that sort of TV show, And it
makes me think even more so that the Seattle Seahawks
are doomed. The Niners are set. They got a ton
of draft picks, They've got smart coaching staff, they got
a smart general manager, and they've got great history of success.
(11:03):
I think Arizona's in rebuild, Seattle's and rebuild, and it's
gonna be Rams and Niners in the foreseeable future in
that division. But I was equally blown away, or almost
in an embarrassing way, appalled by the fact that Tennessee
Titans did exactly what they had been doing all afternoon long,
and they got shredded by a quarterback who appears to
be ready to lead a franchise back to prominence. Be
(11:26):
sure to catch live editions of The Doug gott Leap
Show weekdays at three p m. Eastern noon Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app so
Zeke Elliott is back with Dallas Cowboys. He met with
the media for the first time yesterday since being reinstated
by the league, and he said he didn't want to
talk about the suspension, only about the upcoming week. Take
(11:47):
a listen to the back and forth between he and
the local media. Um Start Pays and chapter. And I'm
gonna thank and know this Cowboy organization for being behind me,
Thanks for my family and my team and my friends
for uh just supporting me through the time. And you
know expects you to the Cowboys fans who have stuck
(12:10):
by me through this tough time and uh having on
faith in me. But you know, I'm not talking about anymore.
It's gonna be the last time you hear me speak
about it, so please don't even ask me about it.
What was the reception that coming back to this locker itel?
Was great? You know, the energy was high. H I
missed all the guys, they missed me, and we're excited
to continue this season. Okay, you're not gonna talk about
(12:31):
the prospect. I can you talking about what you get
in the last six weeks? No? What about the documentary?
And what message do you want the documentary? Just watching?
Tell me the message you get come out? I don't know.
Can you talk about at least when it's some of
your conditioning. I'm ready to talk about the Seattle Seahawks.
I'm ready talk what the Dallas Cowboys. I'm not speaking
(12:53):
on anymore. Why is it that you don't want to
talk about that secret. All right, I'm done, thank you.
I It's like it's like offended for no reason, guy, Right,
you know the guys like yo, man, that's offensive, Like
what exactly was offensive? Like I don't want to talk
about Like no one asked you about your ex girlfriend
or about the NFL. They asked you about your conditioning,
(13:16):
which of course is part of the documentary right where
he lost weight, he's get in shape, he went to Cobo.
It's kind of like, kind of interesting, but like this
is defensive or offended for no reason guy, which which
really I don't understand. I don't. Fox Sports Radio has
the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all
of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and
(13:37):
within the I Heart Radio app. Maybe Brian Baldinger can help.
His former offensive lineman, of course, works for the NFL network.
You fall on Twitter, you get the Baldi's breakdowns, which
he used the All twenty two footage to teach you
about football, all the things that that we miss just
because we're watching on red zone and things happen so fast. Baldi,
can you figure out exactly what Ezeki Elliott would be
(13:59):
upset about and those that line of questioning well, good afternoon.
I've read in exchange and yesterday you know when the
interview took place, and you know, I guess he's just
didn't name you know. I mean it's at some level
about to answer you know, the questions that he knew
he was gonna be pressed on it. Um. You know,
the Cowboy has got a great pr staff. You know
(14:21):
the collections that were coming, he knows them. Um, if
you didn't want to talk about the past six weeks
and what you did under the suspension, then you shouldn't
have agreed to end doing any interview. Um. But that's
that's his progative to some level. But you know there
is if you canna put a documentary out there about
(14:41):
what you've been doing, then that also opens up a
line of questioning that should follow. And Uh, I don't
know he uh, he just got short, you know about
the whole thing and decided not to do anything. And
maybe he just wants his performance this weekend to do
all the talking for him. Um. How good are the
(15:01):
Dallas Cowboys? I mean there's look, they need a lot
of help in order to make the playoffs as well
as to win their last two games. When you watch
them on tape. Uh, you know, and you you add
in the factor, they'll add Ezeki Elliott. Does that look
and feel like a team that if they got in
they could make a run in the playoffs. Well, if
you could make a case that, you know, Ezekiel Elliott
is the m v P of the Lake because the
(15:22):
team completely fall apart, was out of them, and they
were a pretty good team with them um and who
he were, they were really getting to finding the stride,
uh until the point where you were suspended. So you're
seeing that Dada is a good quarterback, but he he
would be a very good quarterback when Ezekiel ellis runing
the football. They have been a fraction offensive line up front.
(15:46):
They've had injuries throughout, especially Tyland Smith. He's been in
out the lineup now so to stretch, and they were
just not as good. I mean that started when they
played Atlanta Falcons and Dak Prescott was sacked you know,
eight or nine times that day. So if they could
if they could keep the offensive line together and reasonably
healthy with that Prescott and with Ezeko out in the lineup,
(16:09):
they have ten six in ten six might be good
enough depending on all the things that have to happen
to get in the playoffs. And if they get in
the playoffs, I think it's gonna be the best NFC
you know, tournament that we've ever seen. UM And so
if they get in, they could be just as dangerous
as Philadelphia or Minnesota, or Los Angeles or New Orleans
(16:30):
Brian Balding or joining us in the Doug Out lip
Show here on Fox Sports Radio. The Rams. That felt
like a beating like that felt like just a whooping.
And that's the second straight whooping at the line of
scrimmage that the Seahawks have seen. If you're rebuilding the Seahawks,
do you say, look, we're just injured. Once we get
(16:52):
everybody back, we're okay, or do you start seriously considering
um hitting kind of reset and starting over. Well, you
know one thing that you have to do in this league,
and the Seahawks understand it because they've owned the NFC
West for a long time. But if you're gonna compete
right now with the Rams DAMNC West, you better figure
out a way to block Aaron Donald. I mean, he's
(17:13):
single handing ruled the Seahawks offense. You know, one guy
and two guys could block him with any different play.
And you know, if I'm looking to rebuild the Seahawks
and at some level they have to. They have to
address this offensive line. They can't pass work it. They
can't just go make trades the middle season or you know,
go get high priced free agents. I mean, they got
(17:36):
to really rebuilding better, figure out a way to find
the guard or guards that could block Aaron Donald and
at least give his quarterback a chance that it catch
the snap and at least look down the field before
he's under sea. And he was under seas literally every
place by Aaron Donald, Brian Balding or joining us in
(17:57):
the dug out Them show here on Fox Sports Radio,
trying to figure out the Jaguars. Uh, they were very
talented up front on both sides of the football, especially
on defense. Uh, without without Leonard Fournette, they still dominated.
And then the numbers are supporting the fact that Blake
Bortles is improving as a quarterback. But you watch tape,
you see the game at a far higher level than
(18:17):
the rest of us. What are your thoughts on Bordles
and that offense heading into the postseason. Well, I just
announced that game last weekend that that Houston Jacksonville game
in Jacksonville last weekend. So I was around the team
for a good port and really kind of studied them
for the last month. That Blake Bortles is simply getting better.
I mean, there's not one analyst out there that's supposed
to know this this business and could tell you the
(18:40):
three receivers that lined up for Jacksonville last week when
Mark Easley went down. There's not one. I mean, you
better you know know who Keeling Cole is in jade On,
you know, and you know D. D. Westbrook. You better
do your homework. And that's who Blake portals the phone
to his throws last weekend. You break them down anyway
you want. Had some great throws and he's he's poised
(19:02):
right now. He's been accurate. He went and worked with
Tom House this all season. His mechanics are better. He's
an improved player. Um. You if you look at the statistics,
just the staff page right now, and you look at
Jacksonville their number one in the league and more categories,
and you can almost look at any team in in
(19:23):
in the last ten years. You know, from red zone
defense to total defense, to takeaways two interceptions to you know,
running the football, I mean the turnover ratio. I mean
they're not one of every one of those categories. Red
zone defense and a lot of those categories are you know,
the type of categories that if you leave the league
(19:45):
you've got a good chance of doing well the playoffs.
There are a good football team. This Cam Robinson that
they got in the second round to Alabama looks I mean,
he looks all worldly at left tackle right now. The
center is really good. They just won last week without
Leonard for Nett. They've won three times this year without
Leonard for neck Um, so they're not totally relying on him.
(20:05):
Blake Mortals is played well and that was the real
key ingredient to the team. Because the defense is for real.
They they can get after your quarterback. Uh. The big
game obviously the weekend was the Steelers and the Patriots. UM,
it's interesting, I'm sure you've seen by now the video
of Jimmy Garoppolo and not just the two minute drill,
but the preparation for the two minute drill, the conversations
(20:28):
he was having on the sideline. What should we take
away from the dysfunction within the Pittsburgh Steelers offense right
where we now have sounded Mike Tomlin saying give him
a play, run the play, and you have Ben Roethlisberger
even afterwards saying like, yeah, I didn't want to run
a play, I want to clock it, and being accountable
for the interception but not accountable for the route that
(20:48):
was run. What's your take on what went wrong for
the Steelers? Well, I think it's because we don't often
about just what it's like in constant, in real stressful
crunch times of what takes place. I mean, you're up
against the car. You know, you got a playoff game
(21:11):
taking place that's gonna decide the a FC picture for
the most part, who's gonna let the one of the
conference conference championship this day? Thought? All that is on
the line, and in the space of thirty seconds, you're
seeing really through the quarterback size, the coach's eyes, through
(21:31):
the lanes here of incision nazing, the level of decision
vaking has to be made in real time, and sometimes
how difficult it is even for teens experienced as the
Pittsburgh Steelers. And I just think it's interesting to me
to really let it all out like that, because it
was like a you know, in that thirty seconds. There's
(21:51):
a whole documentary about all these different things that go
in to one decision. In this case, the Pittsburgh Steelers
lost the games that decision. Um the look the Patriots
go from looking awful without Rob Grenkowski to looking unstoppable
with Rob Grenkowski, which is the real Patriots as we
(22:12):
get ready for the for the playoffs, well, well, as
you said, I mean, they go some stuss where they
don't look very talented, they don't look very good, and
then all of a sudden they could just come too
and and they could just put together a great drive
and every vall could go to Gronkowski nextually, you know,
the running left behind him as he literally blocks upon
(22:36):
to it, you know, and you know they're gonna see
on Lewis boards getting the touchdown and that's a two
point version, you know, and then win. But he is
an elite player, Rob Gronkowski, and all these things that
people want to say, well that's up nightmare, Okay, why
is he? Well, no one or two people can really
(22:57):
cover them. He's really uncoverable. There's no one a player
like them in this league. Nobody can line up. But
which receiver dominated out there? Nobody can line up right
next to the tackle and dominating the running games like
you can the way that they motioned them and move them,
and where you can't set a double team to him.
There's just there's just no other players quite like Rob
(23:20):
gret House. And he's just a tip staker and the
Patriots are lucky to have him. Who's the most dangerous
team in the playoffs out of that NFC South you
gotta pick one that you think is most likely to
make a run the playoffs. Who is it? Well, I
mean if you start just with the quarterback, all right,
you know what, Caroline is playing lad of football right now?
(23:43):
They got the tight games they also back and they
looked like you know three they couldn't stop at us
and that was a playoff game for tactics. They he
helps it off and said, now has Kim running the
football way did two years ago? And Mayking throws the
guys like the peer bird we nobody heard of before
the way they when he was the und P that
(24:04):
if you look at New Orleans, they've got a Super
Bowl MVP quarterback into breeze and if you put the
ball in his hand at the end of the game,
you're not gonna win the game. And then you know,
Matt Ryan shows you just the other night that he's
still capable of I mean, all three of those teams
right now, with their quarterbacks are capable of winning the
(24:25):
whole tournament in the NFC because their quarterback to play
at that level and we have seen him play at
that level. And if you're trying to defend any of
those teams right now, it's you're the d it's you're
the defense against him. You're saying you hold your back.
You might not hold your breath against the Poles like
all they played very well last week, and you might
(24:45):
not hold your breath against Kings team and maybe even
in Los Angeles as well as the way that you
know they played. But I know that every defense tears
only one of those three quarterbacks in the UNFC the
South right now. Fantastic stuff. Follow him on Twitter, you
get Baldise breakdowns, watches work on the NFL network. He's
(25:06):
Brian Baldinger. He joins us as often as he is
possibly able here on the Doug Outlip Show. Baldi have
a Merry Christmas, great stuff, thanks for joining us on
Fox Sports Radio. Pleasure my Pleasure is Mine. Be 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. As much as
(25:28):
you might not have liked Phil Jackson, Phil Jackson was
doing what everybody in the NBA thought he should do.
Like The only flaw to what Phil Jackson did with
Carmelo Anthony was that a game of no trade clause
when he first signed him to a contract extension after
barely being on the job. Recent piece from ESPNS Ian
(25:48):
uh Ian Bagley gave some insights into the toxic culture
plagued that plagued the Knicks organization, much of which was
pinned on Mellow. One source, everybody was on board and
with trying to get rid of Mellow. The feeling in
meetings was almost unanimous. They felt he just wasn't a
winning player. They thought they could turn everything around if
(26:10):
they just moved him. While it's not exactly shocking in
some ways Anthony showcased his indifference. Are the ways in
which he showcases indifference pretty amusing among his tactics, taking
naps during Jackson's instructural instructional mindfulness meditation training with Jackson
previously used both the Lakers and the Bulls to help
(26:32):
calm themselves in the high pressure and vaulatile situations. During
the session, Jackson instructed the Nicks to sit on the
edge of their chairs, close their eyes, count ten, breathing
in and out, and the objective was to clear their mind.
They repeated the process several times. Some players were dutiful
in the exercise, some were indifferent, some were dacked downright
mocking of its worth. Team members said, as Jackson's relationship
(26:55):
with Anthony deteriorated, so did Melo's commitment to mindfulness training.
He would tilt his head back. I shut, seemingly snoozing.
I mean, I I don't know what you need to see.
The Knicks are in better shape with inferior talent, even
without Tim Hardaway Jr. Who's been out with injury, and
the Oklahoma City Thunder on paper have way better talent
(27:18):
and are not consistently winning games. What do you need
to see? Like, there is nothing to me more Carmelo
Anthony than this past Sunday night. They welcome back Melow
with open arms, and the Knicks won the game without
him and without Hardaway, some guys are just not winners
or just not capable of leading. And it doesn't mean
(27:41):
that you have to become a yogi when he asked
you to be mindful, but to completely dismiss it, to
fall asleep, to mock it, and be the leader of
an almost revolt of something that you know, what's the
worst thing that could happen. You get a chance to
calm yourself before games. It's the opposite of leadership. It's
(28:04):
it's why, with the exception of six games in March
on a miraculous run, that dude hadn't won anything. Bub Kiss, Like,
you want to talk about the n c A tournament creating,
creating fictitious images of who somebody is. I give you
Carmelo Anthony leading the Orange to a national championship. I
(28:28):
mean they were down sixteen Oklahoma State in the second round,
should have been beaten in Boston, Garden, should have been beaten,
didn't get out of it. That doesn't all of a
sudden make him a winning player. I mean you want
to talk about you want to talk about getting hustled,
the idea that Carmelo Anthony is still a star player.
(28:50):
His skill set offensively is mostly isolation basketball inside the
three point line. There's a reason that breed of players
dying because it no longer valued. And then defensively, he's
a diverse defender. Everyone's like, well, he can't he can't
can't guard that guy. No, No, he can't guard to anybody.
(29:11):
You can't guard the point, you can't guard the two,
You can't go to three, you can't go to four,
gig or the five. You know, so, in addition to
some of the athletically limited fact and you can't not
guard anybody for ten years and then all of a sudden,
go like, now now I'm gonna play defense. Just habits
are built and in your body is built, and your
(29:33):
mind is built in a certain way. But now, even
when he does have the desire to do so, he
seemingly seems completely incapable, incapable of doing so. Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app. One of
(29:54):
the great things about me, but this guy right here
is I know I have flaws. I am not flawless, right,
I know I used to have more hair. I know,
though good looking, I'm not the best looking man in
the world. Uh. I am not short, but I am
not tall, right like I I know I'm about I
got I got things I wish I was a little bit.
(30:14):
And I have a tendency to mumble a little bit
or maybe do the little talk under my breath or
almost a um a running narrative, kind of a narration
to outside of like a uh a monologue that I
have going on in my head. I sometimes share with you,
(30:35):
well that what the doc say. Guys like to do.
Guys like to play this all the time with me
where they think it's funny, and I have to point
out that I can I know exactly what I'm saying
when I'm saying it. All right, let's bring in David Gascon. David,
(30:57):
you're the master of the ceremonies. All right, we put
a few things together. So let's start off with act
number one with GODLI have a car, Ryan Music Executive Producer.
What in the world did Doug saying, UH, have a
have some carbs, John, I have a car, Doug. That's
(31:18):
what I heard. I heard I have a car. All right.
Let's see motorcycles. Fun motorcycles, sexy motorcycles are quicker, slow down, faster,
more agile, win in your face if you're like a dog,
kind of like a bird. Got it? Drive a car,
Drive a car, right, dr car? Not bad, not bad
(31:40):
at all. Right, here we go with number two. You
know by oh my god, you know you know hey, yeah,
you know, you know all? You know? Hey, right, like
that's a that's like that's like a meatball meat head
type of what do you got? Yeah, I would say that,
(32:01):
I know, I ain't forgot what it was, but whatever doctor,
whatever was. Doug said, sure, all right, let's get into it.
It was a lot of other people talking, and it
wasn't necessarily Rocky, you know. Uhl Hey, my rockets can change.
(32:23):
You can change. We all can change. Rocky four. Watch
it music, Watch it music as you watch Rocky four.
Yet I have not watched Rocky yet. Unbelievable. All right,
there we go with number three. Not as bad suggestion,
Oh wow, Ryan, not a bad suggestion, not as bad
(32:48):
as suggestion. I'm not as bad as suggested, I think,
is what I said. But go ahead, let's go with
the tape. That's not a that's not a bad suggestion, suggestion,
not as bad suggest Number four. I couldn't even know that.
(33:10):
One more time? Did I really say that I'm radio?
It sounds like a backward tape. Yeah, where was I? Drugs? Drugs?
I can't remember what that's got. One more time? Alright,
one more time for the audience. Was having fun with it?
I think I think the last couple of words were
(33:30):
having fun with it, something about wearing, something about I
haven't found what I wear, having found with it? I
have no idea. I gotta hear context. Anytime you come
home late, anytime you know you're you're on the phone,
Like was the on phone with was on? You're not like,
you're like, well, why did you don't offer that up?
(33:51):
Was he on the fe I don't know what I
was talking about. I remember what I was talking about
the time, But was he on the phone with It's
like when you get pestured with a question when you're
still kind of on the phone and you're asked you
a question and you're and it just it becomes becomes
a little jumble. That's what it felt like to me. Yeah,
is he on the phone with his lawyer? What you said? Alright? Alright?
Go clip number five. I think I think he tried
(34:18):
to say shoulders. Once I said trollers, you gotta hear
in full sentence. I understand You're like, well, this is
his side of the story. Okay, that makes sense. It's
the Pactors, packers doctor. But if his trollers truly screwed up, shoulders, shoulders, shoulders, Alright,
(34:40):
I speak for living last one, fellas, here we go,
mad Now I have first beard dead. That one's easy.
Come on, not my first beard, dad, come on, come on.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Doug Gottlieb
Show weekdays at three p m. Eastern noon Pacific on
(35:00):
Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app on
Christmas Day. You get up Christmas Morning and you can
see me and Chris Bruce Arb co hosting the First
Things First on Fox Sports One. Be pretty fun. Chris,
how are you? I'm great, man, I'm really looking forward
to that. I think, should we do two and a
half hours of basketball of NBA or three hours if
(35:24):
that show? Probably not, just because you're coming off the NFL,
But we can do plenty with with that, I know,
with that huge slate of games. Let me ask you
about about last night. Let's let's start with the Lakers
taking down the Rockets. Is the story of that game
the Lakers or the Rockets. I mean, I I'll be honest.
(35:45):
I think it's just an NBA game, you know what
I mean? Like you, you have upset like this all
the time in the course of an NBA season. But
I do think there are two two storylines that would emerge. One,
it's a great wain for the Lakers. If you have
to choose between the two teams, which storyline you're gonna
emphasize is that this young team, you know, beat the
(36:07):
hot the hottest team in the NBA, uh and look
good doing it. Kuzma obviously the stage wasn't too big
for him lineso for in my opinion, the fourth straight
time a big stage, the Madison Square Garden, Lebron James
Kobe retirement. Now the best team in the league, at
least record wise, and he doesn't shriek. He plays well,
(36:28):
gets the big shot, runs the offense pretty well. Um.
So look, I think it was a good win for
that young team. So I think that's the first storyline,
let's not make too much of it. But the second
one is Chris Paul and the injury. And I know
it's not a huge injury. He's day to day with
the abduct or strain or pull or whatever it is.
(36:49):
But I mean, he's only playing what fourteen games this year,
and he continues to get hurt. Um, So that is
something I know will be back soon. But when's the
next time he might go down? You know, in a
month two months. So that's something that I think that
you also have to look at and just keep an
(37:10):
eye on. All right, let's let's go to the Oklahoma
City Thunder. There's a new story out Ian Bagley. Uh.
Bagley wrote about it where he said, um he um
uh chronicled the fact that there was this wildly dysfunctional
relationship between Mellow and Phil even though everybody agreed in
(37:31):
order to win, they had to get rid of Mellow.
How much is Mellow to blame for the thunder underachieving
to this point in the season. Well, I would blame him,
like a lot of people want to pick on Russell Westbrook.
I would blame Mellow before I blamed Westbrook. Not that
Westley Brooks blameless. But you know, I think I look
(37:52):
at Billy Donovan and I know it's not easy with
three headstrong guys who are used to be in the
number one or number one a option. But that's your
job as a head coach. You have to somehow get
them into a system and get them committed to playing
the system that is best for that unit and those players.
So I blame Billy Donovan. I do have to look
(38:14):
at Melo again before I would look at uh the
other two. George hasn't been great. You know, he's shot
well from three, having shot well overall, that's not all Westbrook,
you know, I think he's shooting forty one percent. George
he shot forty one percent two seasons in his career
in Indiana, So it's not like Paul George is Kevin
(38:35):
Durant in terms of his shooting percentage. So I don't
put that all on Westbrook. But yeah, you have to
look at mellow number one. He's missing shots and they're
open shots. He was shooting. I don't know if he
still is, but a week ago he's below and that's
on him. So and if he's not making shots, you
know this, what else what's he doing? He's not defending,
(38:58):
he's not passing well or great. Um, so he's not
gonna give you much if he's not scoring. And he
hasn't done that very well. I think he's average about
fourteen points or third team maybe over the last month
or so. So Mellow does need to step it up
and play better if this team is gonna become what
people thought they had a chance to beat. Christopers are
(39:20):
joining us in the Doug Gottlip Show. Okay, So do
they see it all the way through or a trade
deadline time to you go, ah, this ain't orcan let's
move Paul George. Yeah, that's that's the big question. I mean,
most of us look on the outside and we say
they gotta trade George. He's not saying I know right now.
Their mentality is they want to try to see this through.
Not just I'm not so much talking about the players,
(39:42):
although they probably feel that way too, but the front office,
the decision makers. Uh, they're giving off every indication that
they're keeping George for the Empire season and they want
to give this team a shot to see what it
can do in the playoffs. Look, Sam Russ, he's one
of the smartest GM in the league. I did think
(40:02):
he made a mistake by moving too fast and trading
James Hard and I think he could have kept in
that whole season. So you know, sometimes you you could
point to lose where he was too quick on the
trigger and other times where he waited too long. I
like Kevin Durant. I can't blame it for that one.
But uh man, they look, here's the thing that's funny.
(40:26):
We're all talking, and I don't think they played great. Right,
we can pick out, you know, warmth in their games.
But they've won seven of ten, and I think it
might even be eight of eleven, and if at least
seven of their last ten, and so they may be
looking at it as look, we're starting to come around now.
One of those games, Westbrook has thirty eight, and George
(40:49):
I think had eight and and Mellow had four. I
don't want to win that way if I'm Oklahoma City,
because I know that's not sustainable, not only for the
good of how good the team could be, but for
the morale, because you know, George and Miller aren't gonna
be happy scoring ten, twelve, fourteen points a game. So,
(41:09):
but they are winning much more than they were in
the beginning of year. They've already moved up to WEB six,
I think in the rest. So I think if they
keep winning these games, the greater likelihood is that they
don't make a move on. George Chris Bruce are joining
us at the Doug Gotlip Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Um,
(41:33):
you know, just kind of lurking out there as the
San Antonio Spurs. I know Kauai is not back fully healthy.
Pretty remarkable what they've been able to do, mostly without
their best player. Uh, what's what's your sense of their
viability at the top of that west. Yeah, I mean
it's just the same old Spurs, you know. I mean
(41:54):
they are I'm not the first to say this. They
are the New England Patriots of the NBA. It's just
as simple as that. And people may feel like and
they have won more championships lately. Remember when they went
ten years without win in a championship in New England
and so, but they're always in the hunt. And that's
the thing with San Antonio. Um, you can't write them off.
(42:18):
I mean, what were they nineteen and eight without Kauai. UM.
I think they're a contender. I wouldn't pick them over
certainly not over Golden State. I don't think they have
the athleticism to play with the Spurs. I don't think
they can score to play with the Warriors. I don't
think they can score with the Warriors either. I know
they'll they may try to slow it down and play big,
(42:40):
and that's probably their best shot. But you can only
slow down the ram stuff and Clay and Draymond so much.
So I don't think they can outscore them like a
Houston might be able to do. But you you know,
I wouldn't hesitate at all to say that they're gonna
be in the West. Well I'm not predicting it, but
let if you told me the Spurs would be in
(43:02):
the Western Conference finals this year, I would not scoff
at that at all, because that's how much respect we
all have to give Greg Kopovitch and those players, because,
as you said, it doesn't it almost doesn't matter who's there.
I mean, they've got guys that people around the league
fans have not even heard of contributing and playing well.
(43:26):
Genobli Is, I mean, my goodness, he's forty years old
and they're still beating teams. So I give him a
shot to get to the conference finals. I don't I think.
I don't think they can win the West, but they
could upset of Houston. Um, you know, and ruined somebody's postseason. Uh,
somebody other than Golden States, I should say, Okay, Uh, Cleveland,
(43:48):
is this the roster they say, haven't got an Isia
Thomas back, but he's gonna go with their G league team? Um?
Is this the roster that that they have when they
get for the get ready for the playoffs? Well, that
depends on what we talked about earlier, Paul George. I
think if he becomes available, Cleveland is one of a
handful of teams that will be on that shortlist that
can get him. I think the Lakers, and I think
(44:11):
Houston if they want to make a move, and Cleveland.
I think those are three teams that will be right there,
uh trying to get him in and able to get
him maybe. Um, so that you have to watch that.
DeAndre Jordan's that's another one. There was a report out
that Cleveland is willing to give up Tristan Times and
(44:31):
Emai Shumfert and their own number one pick, not bought
Brooklyn's number one pick, but their own. That's a lot
to give up for DeAndre um But certainly he makes
you better. There's no question that. I don't I don't
know the ch path Golden State. But he protects that
rim and makes you better. And I mean you're not.
You don't need shumperd Tristan. He's just a DeAndre, the bigger,
(44:53):
better version of Tristan Hounson. And that number one picks
gonna be twenty nine in the So I think that's
the moves you probably make if you're Cleveland, especially if
you think Lebron might leave, and you gotta think you
might leave, do you take one more shot of trying
to get that title? So there could definitely be some
(45:15):
changes to that Cleveland roster before it's all said and
done this season. Yeah, I'm I'm fascinated by the DeAndre
Jordan's thing. Maybe that speaks to what they think about
Tristan and his relationship with Kardashian Uhre more so than
anything else they might say on the service. I don't again,
I don't. I don't understand that how that makes them better?
(45:38):
Right like their whole thing? I mean it does, but look, look,
the whole deal is this. They gotta be able to
beat the Warriors. They can beat everybody in the East
as they're currently constructed. We agree there, right, okay, so
and and the Warriors and the Warriors don't have a
rim protector. So when the Warriors do go bigh this
(46:01):
obviously Ben you know, when they go to uh, when
they go to their big lineup, this makes Cleveland's big
lineup better. But when they go small, you know, when
they go small, yeah, So I don't know if it's
you know, I don't know if it's that useful. Like
I I feel like the way they're trying to outflank
(46:21):
um the Warriors. And here's what I mean. I still
don't think they're starting lineup is as good as as
the Warriors is. But I think coming off their bench,
you bring to wayne weight off their bench. Obviously with
Isaiah Thomas coming in, that means somebody else goes off
their bench. Like I think their bench is in fact stronger,
and so the idea is that they can now take
Lebron out and get the best out of Lebron and
(46:44):
be more and then their bench ends up maybe maybe
gaining some ground as Golden States bench is not as strong.
I think some of that goes away when you have
to trade away for the bench and you're starting lineup,
isn't you know, you don't use that big line up
that much well, if you gave up and Tristan, I
mean you have they have so much death that I
(47:05):
think they could withstand that you're basically losing one for
rim to player because you would place times and with DeAndre,
I think what would be interesting because I'm I'm with
you in that it would it would change Cleveland's dynamic
and it would give them a lot more versatility, right
because they're not going to outshoot the Warriors. They're just not.
(47:28):
I think the only team that could have a prayer
of doing that is Houston. And Cleveland is a good
shooting team, but they can't outshoot the Warriors in a
seven game series. But if you get DeAndre Jordan's you
have the option of trying to go slow and big.
(47:48):
And here's the thing and and Golden State they told
me this in when I was covering that final with
Lebrin James. I don't necessarily like when they played this way,
but if you put the ball in Lebron's hands and
just basically he becomes the point guard. You can't control tempo,
(48:09):
not many teams or I don't know if any other
team can control tempo consistently against Golden State. I think
Cleveland with Lebron handling the ball, can control tempo and
make it a ninety point or maybe in this day
and age, a hundred point game, and that could benefit Cleveland.
(48:31):
The question is would Cleveland do that because they think
they're this high scoring, high octime octame three point shooting
off them and so if you're if you get DeAndre there,
you have to decide at least at something, do we
want to go big and slow sometimes, you know, versus
(48:52):
being the three point shooting team that we've become. So
it would be interesting. Look, the bottom line, my number
one goal would be to get Paul George. If he
becomes the Bill, he would be highest on the pack
in order, no question, because that get that gives in
the ability to play so so much, so much more
versatile style. If you do so, yeah, yeah you can,
you can play, you can defend better on the perimeter,
(49:15):
you still can shoot the three. You know, you're right.
It gives him a lot more athleticism to play with
Golden State where there's Jordan's Now you got to decide
do we weren't going to a time warp right? And
I don't know that they want to do that last
thing Celtics lose but still respectable in their in their comeback.
And now we're Gordon Hayward no more cast on that ankle.
(49:37):
He's walking around on it. And look, we're we're only
in December right like, and it's not even late to
set like that. It's middle to center. We're December one.
We got one, two, three, four, five months until we
really get to playoffs. Are there's there's gotta start to
be whispers that Gordon Hayward may still play this season. Him.
(50:01):
Oh yeah, and he he. I believe I heard him
say recently he wants to at this goal. That's what
he's working towards. Even if he doesn't get it. It's
certainly it's the motivation you need to get through that rehab,
you know that. So he's smart to say this is
my goal. Uh. The question is would the Celtics try
(50:21):
to be, you know, extra cautious and keep him out? Um,
that'd be an interesting I mean, I still don't think
with Gordon Hayward they beat Cleveland. Um. I gotta be honest,
and I like Hayward. He's a very good player, but
I don't think their record would be any better right
now if Hayward had never gotten hurt, do you Uh No,
(50:42):
But I actually think in many ways it's helped them, right,
It's helped them develop Jalen Brown's help help them develop
Jayson Tatum helped them, uh you know, help them developing Brown.
Because I think both of those guys could be better
than Gordon Hayward, you know, in two years, and maybe
you know even sooner it could be better than Hayward. Um,
it would be interesting they bring him back. I mean,
(51:04):
you could start pay them at the four, Hayward at
the three, Brown and the two, so it would make
them better, give him a lot more depth and versatility, um,
and make them more dangerous. But there might be I
won't even say that with Brad Stevens. I'm not gonna
say there would be a period of growing pains where
(51:24):
and maybe I mean could think about it. When he
went out, they just kept cruising like it was no issue.
And then I mean, I know, Kyrie only missed two
games and Orford missed the game or two and they
were able to keep it moving. So they seem to
be you know, there are a lot of ways you
can compare Brass Stevens to a young Gregg Popovitch, and
(51:44):
that just seems to be one more that whoever is
in there, they can kind of keep it moving. That's
Christopers star checking on on weekends here on Fox Sports Tradeo.
First things first being he'll be hosting on Christmas Day.
In the meantime, have a very happy holiday season. Well,
we'll see you in New York on Monday on the
of you side. Yeah, my man, I'm looking forward to
it and I see you on Christmas Day. Pleasure is
(52:04):
mine Christmas. Sorry, joining us
This is the best of the Doug gottli Show on
Fox Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show,
Fox Sports Radio, coming to you from the City of Angels,
getting you ready for a huge Christmas weekend where you
have important NFL games, You've got college footall ball games,
and of course we got NBA Monday, which, coming off
(00:24):
of last night's upset by the l A Lakers over
the Houston Rockets, should give us some great action. We
got a lot to talk about today. I'm not sure
if you've been watching NFL has this show. It's called
Turning Point. NFL Network has show your guys ever seen
Turning Point? I think that also runs on NBC Sports Network.
Turning Point. Turning Point is a good one and it's
(00:46):
NFL films, which all of us love. It's miked up players,
which all of us love, and it talks about some
of the key moments in the key games from the
past weekend. And it takes a couple of days for
them to produce it, cut it up, edit it, put
it out, and um we taught with Garrett Selic It was,
of course the tight end of the San Francisco for
(01:09):
the Niners thought yesterday was the day for us two
days ago. So if you want to download the podcast,
feel free to do so. If you're watching us here
on Facebook Live or on Twitter, you can go back
through Doug Gotlip Show Archives, iTunes, Fox, sport Trade, dot Com,
wherever you download podcast. I thought he was fantastic, really
interesting talk about the change in the culture there and
the change uh specifically with Jimmy Garoppolo. But Garoppolos miked
(01:34):
up for the last drive what led to the game
winning field goal for their third consecutive win against the
Tennessee Titans. And there's so much good stuff in there,
so much If you haven't seen it, you go to Twitter,
you go online, you'll be able to find it. It's
(01:54):
really really interesting. And I even liked the way in
which it's packaged right because at first he's talking to
the field goal kicker Robbie Gold and he's like what
yard line and he's like thirty seven. He's like all right.
And then it shows them going out there and he
first he's talking to the offensive lineman. Talk to each other,
let's go a little kind of motivational stuff goes into
(02:17):
the huddle, quick, little short speech and then three straight completions.
Then clock clock clock clocks the football. They kicked the
field goal, they win it. But then it goes back
and he gets super interesting where you see that in
the in the progress of time. First he goes in
and he talks to his quarterback coach and says, take
(02:38):
me through the two minutes row. Then he goes to
each wide receiver, each receiver, one tight end, sell like
who caught the ball and not only tells them what
the Tennessee Titans are doing and where they'll be open
over the middle of the field, but how specifically to
get open. And then he does it. Take a listen.
(03:04):
This is Jimmy Garoppolo quarterbacks, San Francisco forty Niners. Hey, rich,
can you run me two minutes? Calls a lot, talking
to each other, communicating what we saw out there, and
it helps us in the next drive. Shoot the first
down I fell in this situation, you're running rounds. They
can't handle your quickness that they're trying to grab you.
And just hit him off you and you'll be fine.
(03:25):
We want to hit the middle because they're safety, they're
super wise. Slip them and look as you're like slipping
mcause I'll bang it on you because he has to
turn his hips. The safeties are so deeper you're gonna
get an out of ten twelve yards. I'll bend you
across a little bit if he's playing on top of you, though,
you can do one of these and then go just
feel it out being a football player. And he was
talking to Marquises Goodwin with that last one, who of
(03:46):
course caught the catch which got them into field goal range.
It wasn't it. The precision of what they're going to do,
what you you're gonna run, what I'm gonna call, and
how specifically You're gonna get open and when I'm going
to throw the ball was incredible. Incredible, uh, which leads
(04:08):
me to a couple of thoughts. First, the San Francisco
for the Niners have found themselves a dude, right, A dude.
One of the things that I learned I kind of
instinctively new because quarterback and point guard in basketball are
are one and kind of the same in many ways
in which you see things before they happen. You have
(04:30):
to relate to your teammates who can't necessarily see it.
They're not of a point of view in which they
can see it, but you have to tell them or
give them a sense of what's coming. And it is.
It's a it's a neck up position as much as
it's a neck down position. Yes, you have to be
able to throw a football, but if you saw those
three throws, they weren't terribly difficult throws, although he was
(04:51):
ridiculously precise. It's knowing what they're running, knowing who's gonna
be open, knowing exactly when to release the ball, when
to throw the ball, more so than how hard, how
far you throw out how athletic you are. Let's be honest.
Tom Brady raised a pregnant woman last week, came in third.
That's how slow he is. He's forty years old. He
can still do it. Why, it's a neck up position
(05:13):
as much as the neck down position. But one of
the things that that Phil Simms told me when I
work for Phil Simms was he said, you know, when
you walk in to meet a quarterback, you shake their hand,
you know right away if they're a quarterback, Like, well,
what does that mean? I mean, look at Jimmy Garoppolo,
like he looks he's slightly better looking than most of
(05:34):
the football players. He has a presence about him, and
they instinctively make you believe what they're saying will come
to fruition. Joe Staley, long time left tackle San Francisco
for the Niner, is very calm, collected, focused. Not to
say that wasn't here before, but it definitely has been
(05:54):
a different aura around him. Were excited about him. It's
fun to block for him. Look, a good quarterback makes
you look like a much better coach, much better coach,
and a bad quarterback makes you look like a far
inferior coach. To the reality of Marquis Goodman. We practice
(06:16):
good one. We practice those situations every week. We were
prepared for. We knew what we were going to do.
There was no panic. He took control of the huddle,
knew exactly what we needed to set us, set us
up for at least get a field goal position or
get a touchdown. That's exactly what happened. Good quarterback changes everything,
changes that the complete outlook of your franchise, makes every
(06:37):
gives everybody hope, makes you play harder, makes receivers run
routes more crisply because they think if they do, they're
going to get the football. Makes Lyman want to block
for him. That's really it has really been incredible. This
is Kyle uh to Sick, who of course is their fullback.
(06:58):
He stopped in day one and his own way, commit
his own way to command respect. We all saw that
he was preparing himself and we he went about business.
He's a phenomenal leader. Now there is another takeaway that
I'm not sure I've heard anybody mentioned. Is anybody else
(07:19):
quietly or maybe loudly disappointed the Tennessee Titans? Right? The
Titans were in too deep safeties, playing super wide apparently
most of the day, and they made no adjustment during
the game. Like as much as we want to think
football has all these numbers and stats and analytics and
interesting ways of looking, the fact is they stuck to
(07:40):
the same too deep, too deep, uh too deep zone
that they had been in most the entire day. Garoppolo
knew it, saw it. They made no adjustment. He simply
did and shredded him on three straight pass plays. I'm
not gonna sit here and pick apart Jimmy Garoppolo, who
looks like the real deal and dramatically has changed the
(08:02):
forty Niners who only had to give up a second
round pick they got a bunch of picks. They only
had to give up a second round pick. They will
have to give him a sizeable contract here in the
off season, but they only had to give up a
second to get a franchise caliber quarterback. Uh. But how
(08:24):
about the Titans not doing anything which makes you think, boy,
that that coaching staff is not really ahead of the curve.
They're kind of stuck in. Hey, you know it's worth
good enough so far, let's stick with it. And that's
a team that will likely be eliminated early in the
playoffs if in fact they hold on and make the playoffs.
(08:47):
And then the last part is, I know we have
this sense that others who have worked with Bella Chicken,
Brady Hoyer, who is their starting quarterback to start the
year Niners, I'm talking about Matt Castle, of course, gets
brought up Um. Ryan Mallett, for example, has not succeeded
when he's gone elsewhere. Jacoby Brissette has had some limited
(09:10):
success when they've been able to block form, although he's
playing with a terrible team in Indianapolis. This is one
of those deals to where um studying under a master
has in fact prepared Garoppolo for this moment, didn't that feel,
didn't that sense? Didn't you get the aura of a
Tom Brady sort of clone in watching the way that
(09:33):
Jimmy Garoppolo went about his business. So while so many,
um we're are concerned or desirous to get the next
young star in the upcoming NFL draft, and maybe there
are limitations to guys who are backups, there is something
(09:56):
to learning from the master and being able to understand
how to lead, how to prepare, and how to be
ready for when your time comes. And if you look
around the National Football League, yeah, this might be the
year of Jared Goff and his failures into success, and
it was Carson Wentz before he ultimately got hurt. But
(10:20):
look at how many of these backups have been well
traveled backups foals case Keenum for example, and have prepared
themselves for this moment and have learned through trial and
error and learned from others they've played behind, how to
how to be prepared for that situation, how to lead,
(10:42):
and how to win. I don't know, I was, I was.
I was just blown away by that's like the whole
reasoning logic behind that sort of TV show, And it
makes me think even more so that the Seattle Seahawks
are doomed. The Niners are set. They got a ton
of draft picks, They've got smart coaching staff, they got
a smart general manager, and they've got great history of success.
(11:03):
I think Arizona's in rebuild, Seattle's and rebuild, and it's
gonna be Rams and Niners in the foreseeable future in
that division. But I was equally blown away, or almost
in an embarrassing way, appalled by the fact that Tennessee
Titans did exactly what they had been doing all afternoon long,
and they got shredded by a quarterback who appears to
be ready to lead a franchise back to prominence. Be
(11:26):
sure to catch live editions of The Doug gott Leap
Show weekdays at three p m. Eastern noon Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app so
Zeke Elliott is back with Dallas Cowboys. He met with
the media for the first time yesterday since being reinstated
by the league, and he said he didn't want to
talk about the suspension, only about the upcoming week. Take
(11:47):
a listen to the back and forth between he and
the local media. Um Start Pays and chapter. And I'm
gonna thank and know this Cowboy organization for being behind me,
Thanks for my family and my team and my friends
for uh just supporting me through the time. And you
know expects you to the Cowboys fans who have stuck
(12:10):
by me through this tough time and uh having on
faith in me. But you know, I'm not talking about anymore.
It's gonna be the last time you hear me speak
about it, so please don't even ask me about it.
What was the reception that coming back to this locker itel?
Was great? You know, the energy was high. H I
missed all the guys, they missed me, and we're excited
to continue this season. Okay, you're not gonna talk about
(12:31):
the prospect. I can you talking about what you get
in the last six weeks? No? What about the documentary?
And what message do you want the documentary? Just watching?
Tell me the message you get come out? I don't know.
Can you talk about at least when it's some of
your conditioning. I'm ready to talk about the Seattle Seahawks.
I'm ready talk what the Dallas Cowboys. I'm not speaking
(12:53):
on anymore. Why is it that you don't want to
talk about that secret. All right, I'm done, thank you.
I It's like it's like offended for no reason, guy, Right,
you know the guys like yo, man, that's offensive, Like
what exactly was offensive? Like I don't want to talk
about Like no one asked you about your ex girlfriend
or about the NFL. They asked you about your conditioning,
(13:16):
which of course is part of the documentary right where
he lost weight, he's get in shape, he went to Cobo.
It's kind of like, kind of interesting, but like this
is defensive or offended for no reason guy, which which
really I don't understand. I don't. Fox Sports Radio has
the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all
of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and
(13:37):
within the I Heart Radio app. Maybe Brian Baldinger can help.
His former offensive lineman, of course, works for the NFL network.
You fall on Twitter, you get the Baldi's breakdowns, which
he used the All twenty two footage to teach you
about football, all the things that that we miss just
because we're watching on red zone and things happen so fast. Baldi,
can you figure out exactly what Ezeki Elliott would be
(13:59):
upset about and those that line of questioning well, good afternoon.
I've read in exchange and yesterday you know when the
interview took place, and you know, I guess he's just
didn't name you know. I mean it's at some level
about to answer you know, the questions that he knew
he was gonna be pressed on it. Um. You know,
the Cowboy has got a great pr staff. You know
(14:21):
the collections that were coming, he knows them. Um, if
you didn't want to talk about the past six weeks
and what you did under the suspension, then you shouldn't
have agreed to end doing any interview. Um. But that's
that's his progative to some level. But you know there
is if you canna put a documentary out there about
(14:41):
what you've been doing, then that also opens up a
line of questioning that should follow. And Uh, I don't
know he uh, he just got short, you know about
the whole thing and decided not to do anything. And
maybe he just wants his performance this weekend to do
all the talking for him. Um. How good are the
(15:01):
Dallas Cowboys? I mean there's look, they need a lot
of help in order to make the playoffs as well
as to win their last two games. When you watch
them on tape. Uh, you know, and you you add
in the factor, they'll add Ezeki Elliott. Does that look
and feel like a team that if they got in
they could make a run in the playoffs. Well, if
you could make a case that, you know, Ezekiel Elliott
is the m v P of the Lake because the
(15:22):
team completely fall apart, was out of them, and they
were a pretty good team with them um and who
he were, they were really getting to finding the stride,
uh until the point where you were suspended. So you're
seeing that Dada is a good quarterback, but he he
would be a very good quarterback when Ezekiel ellis runing
the football. They have been a fraction offensive line up front.
(15:46):
They've had injuries throughout, especially Tyland Smith. He's been in
out the lineup now so to stretch, and they were
just not as good. I mean that started when they
played Atlanta Falcons and Dak Prescott was sacked you know,
eight or nine times that day. So if they could
if they could keep the offensive line together and reasonably
healthy with that Prescott and with Ezeko out in the lineup,
(16:09):
they have ten six in ten six might be good
enough depending on all the things that have to happen
to get in the playoffs. And if they get in
the playoffs, I think it's gonna be the best NFC
you know, tournament that we've ever seen. UM And so
if they get in, they could be just as dangerous
as Philadelphia or Minnesota, or Los Angeles or New Orleans
(16:30):
Brian Balding or joining us in the Doug Out lip
Show here on Fox Sports Radio. The Rams. That felt
like a beating like that felt like just a whooping.
And that's the second straight whooping at the line of
scrimmage that the Seahawks have seen. If you're rebuilding the Seahawks,
do you say, look, we're just injured. Once we get
(16:52):
everybody back, we're okay, or do you start seriously considering
um hitting kind of reset and starting over. Well, you
know one thing that you have to do in this league,
and the Seahawks understand it because they've owned the NFC
West for a long time. But if you're gonna compete
right now with the Rams DAMNC West, you better figure
out a way to block Aaron Donald. I mean, he's
(17:13):
single handing ruled the Seahawks offense. You know, one guy
and two guys could block him with any different play.
And you know, if I'm looking to rebuild the Seahawks
and at some level they have to. They have to
address this offensive line. They can't pass work it. They
can't just go make trades the middle season or you know,
go get high priced free agents. I mean, they got
(17:36):
to really rebuilding better, figure out a way to find
the guard or guards that could block Aaron Donald and
at least give his quarterback a chance that it catch
the snap and at least look down the field before
he's under sea. And he was under seas literally every
place by Aaron Donald, Brian Balding or joining us in
(17:57):
the dug out Them show here on Fox Sports Radio,
trying to figure out the Jaguars. Uh, they were very
talented up front on both sides of the football, especially
on defense. Uh, without without Leonard Fournette, they still dominated.
And then the numbers are supporting the fact that Blake
Bortles is improving as a quarterback. But you watch tape,
you see the game at a far higher level than
(18:17):
the rest of us. What are your thoughts on Bordles
and that offense heading into the postseason. Well, I just
announced that game last weekend that that Houston Jacksonville game
in Jacksonville last weekend. So I was around the team
for a good port and really kind of studied them
for the last month. That Blake Bortles is simply getting better.
I mean, there's not one analyst out there that's supposed
to know this this business and could tell you the
(18:40):
three receivers that lined up for Jacksonville last week when
Mark Easley went down. There's not one. I mean, you
better you know know who Keeling Cole is in jade On,
you know, and you know D. D. Westbrook. You better
do your homework. And that's who Blake portals the phone
to his throws last weekend. You break them down anyway
you want. Had some great throws and he's he's poised
(19:02):
right now. He's been accurate. He went and worked with
Tom House this all season. His mechanics are better. He's
an improved player. Um. You if you look at the statistics,
just the staff page right now, and you look at
Jacksonville their number one in the league and more categories,
and you can almost look at any team in in
(19:23):
in the last ten years. You know, from red zone
defense to total defense, to takeaways two interceptions to you know,
running the football, I mean the turnover ratio. I mean
they're not one of every one of those categories. Red
zone defense and a lot of those categories are you know,
the type of categories that if you leave the league
(19:45):
you've got a good chance of doing well the playoffs.
There are a good football team. This Cam Robinson that
they got in the second round to Alabama looks I mean,
he looks all worldly at left tackle right now. The
center is really good. They just won last week without
Leonard for Nett. They've won three times this year without
Leonard for neck Um, so they're not totally relying on him.
(20:05):
Blake Mortals is played well and that was the real
key ingredient to the team. Because the defense is for real.
They they can get after your quarterback. Uh. The big
game obviously the weekend was the Steelers and the Patriots. UM,
it's interesting, I'm sure you've seen by now the video
of Jimmy Garoppolo and not just the two minute drill,
but the preparation for the two minute drill, the conversations
(20:28):
he was having on the sideline. What should we take
away from the dysfunction within the Pittsburgh Steelers offense right
where we now have sounded Mike Tomlin saying give him
a play, run the play, and you have Ben Roethlisberger
even afterwards saying like, yeah, I didn't want to run
a play, I want to clock it, and being accountable
for the interception but not accountable for the route that
(20:48):
was run. What's your take on what went wrong for
the Steelers? Well, I think it's because we don't often
about just what it's like in constant, in real stressful
crunch times of what takes place. I mean, you're up
against the car. You know, you got a playoff game
(21:11):
taking place that's gonna decide the a FC picture for
the most part, who's gonna let the one of the
conference conference championship this day? Thought? All that is on
the line, and in the space of thirty seconds, you're
seeing really through the quarterback size, the coach's eyes, through
(21:31):
the lanes here of incision nazing, the level of decision
vaking has to be made in real time, and sometimes
how difficult it is even for teens experienced as the
Pittsburgh Steelers. And I just think it's interesting to me
to really let it all out like that, because it
was like a you know, in that thirty seconds. There's
(21:51):
a whole documentary about all these different things that go
in to one decision. In this case, the Pittsburgh Steelers
lost the games that decision. Um the look the Patriots
go from looking awful without Rob Grenkowski to looking unstoppable
with Rob Grenkowski, which is the real Patriots as we
(22:12):
get ready for the for the playoffs, well, well, as
you said, I mean, they go some stuss where they
don't look very talented, they don't look very good, and
then all of a sudden they could just come too
and and they could just put together a great drive
and every vall could go to Gronkowski nextually, you know,
the running left behind him as he literally blocks upon
(22:36):
to it, you know, and you know they're gonna see
on Lewis boards getting the touchdown and that's a two
point version, you know, and then win. But he is
an elite player, Rob Gronkowski, and all these things that
people want to say, well that's up nightmare, Okay, why
is he? Well, no one or two people can really
(22:57):
cover them. He's really uncoverable. There's no one a player
like them in this league. Nobody can line up. But
which receiver dominated out there? Nobody can line up right
next to the tackle and dominating the running games like
you can the way that they motioned them and move them,
and where you can't set a double team to him.
There's just there's just no other players quite like Rob
(23:20):
gret House. And he's just a tip staker and the
Patriots are lucky to have him. Who's the most dangerous
team in the playoffs out of that NFC South you
gotta pick one that you think is most likely to
make a run the playoffs. Who is it? Well, I
mean if you start just with the quarterback, all right,
you know what, Caroline is playing lad of football right now?
(23:43):
They got the tight games they also back and they
looked like you know three they couldn't stop at us
and that was a playoff game for tactics. They he
helps it off and said, now has Kim running the
football way did two years ago? And Mayking throws the
guys like the peer bird we nobody heard of before
the way they when he was the und P that
(24:04):
if you look at New Orleans, they've got a Super
Bowl MVP quarterback into breeze and if you put the
ball in his hand at the end of the game,
you're not gonna win the game. And then you know,
Matt Ryan shows you just the other night that he's
still capable of I mean, all three of those teams
right now, with their quarterbacks are capable of winning the
(24:25):
whole tournament in the NFC because their quarterback to play
at that level and we have seen him play at
that level. And if you're trying to defend any of
those teams right now, it's you're the d it's you're
the defense against him. You're saying you hold your back.
You might not hold your breath against the Poles like
all they played very well last week, and you might
(24:45):
not hold your breath against Kings team and maybe even
in Los Angeles as well as the way that you
know they played. But I know that every defense tears
only one of those three quarterbacks in the UNFC the
South right now. Fantastic stuff. Follow him on Twitter, you
get Baldise breakdowns, watches work on the NFL network. He's
(25:06):
Brian Baldinger. He joins us as often as he is
possibly able here on the Doug Outlip Show. Baldi have
a Merry Christmas, great stuff, thanks for joining us on
Fox Sports Radio. Pleasure my Pleasure is Mine. Be 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. As much as
(25:28):
you might not have liked Phil Jackson, Phil Jackson was
doing what everybody in the NBA thought he should do.
Like The only flaw to what Phil Jackson did with
Carmelo Anthony was that a game of no trade clause
when he first signed him to a contract extension after
barely being on the job. Recent piece from ESPNS Ian
(25:48):
uh Ian Bagley gave some insights into the toxic culture
plagued that plagued the Knicks organization, much of which was
pinned on Mellow. One source, everybody was on board and
with trying to get rid of Mellow. The feeling in
meetings was almost unanimous. They felt he just wasn't a
winning player. They thought they could turn everything around if
(26:10):
they just moved him. While it's not exactly shocking in
some ways Anthony showcased his indifference. Are the ways in
which he showcases indifference pretty amusing among his tactics, taking
naps during Jackson's instructural instructional mindfulness meditation training with Jackson
previously used both the Lakers and the Bulls to help
(26:32):
calm themselves in the high pressure and vaulatile situations. During
the session, Jackson instructed the Nicks to sit on the
edge of their chairs, close their eyes, count ten, breathing
in and out, and the objective was to clear their mind.
They repeated the process several times. Some players were dutiful
in the exercise, some were indifferent, some were dacked downright
mocking of its worth. Team members said, as Jackson's relationship
(26:55):
with Anthony deteriorated, so did Melo's commitment to mindfulness training.
He would tilt his head back. I shut, seemingly snoozing.
I mean, I I don't know what you need to see.
The Knicks are in better shape with inferior talent, even
without Tim Hardaway Jr. Who's been out with injury, and
the Oklahoma City Thunder on paper have way better talent
(27:18):
and are not consistently winning games. What do you need
to see? Like, there is nothing to me more Carmelo
Anthony than this past Sunday night. They welcome back Melow
with open arms, and the Knicks won the game without
him and without Hardaway, some guys are just not winners
or just not capable of leading. And it doesn't mean
(27:41):
that you have to become a yogi when he asked
you to be mindful, but to completely dismiss it, to
fall asleep, to mock it, and be the leader of
an almost revolt of something that you know, what's the
worst thing that could happen. You get a chance to
calm yourself before games. It's the opposite of leadership. It's
(28:04):
it's why, with the exception of six games in March
on a miraculous run, that dude hadn't won anything. Bub Kiss, Like,
you want to talk about the n c A tournament creating,
creating fictitious images of who somebody is. I give you
Carmelo Anthony leading the Orange to a national championship. I
(28:28):
mean they were down sixteen Oklahoma State in the second round,
should have been beaten in Boston, Garden, should have been beaten,
didn't get out of it. That doesn't all of a
sudden make him a winning player. I mean you want
to talk about you want to talk about getting hustled,
the idea that Carmelo Anthony is still a star player.
(28:50):
His skill set offensively is mostly isolation basketball inside the
three point line. There's a reason that breed of players
dying because it no longer valued. And then defensively, he's
a diverse defender. Everyone's like, well, he can't he can't
can't guard that guy. No, No, he can't guard to anybody.
(29:11):
You can't guard the point, you can't guard the two,
You can't go to three, you can't go to four,
gig or the five. You know, so, in addition to
some of the athletically limited fact and you can't not
guard anybody for ten years and then all of a sudden,
go like, now now I'm gonna play defense. Just habits
are built and in your body is built, and your
(29:33):
mind is built in a certain way. But now, even
when he does have the desire to do so, he
seemingly seems completely incapable, incapable of doing so. Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app. One of
(29:54):
the great things about me, but this guy right here
is I know I have flaws. I am not flawless, right,
I know I used to have more hair. I know,
though good looking, I'm not the best looking man in
the world. Uh. I am not short, but I am
not tall, right like I I know I'm about I
got I got things I wish I was a little bit.
(30:14):
And I have a tendency to mumble a little bit
or maybe do the little talk under my breath or
almost a um a running narrative, kind of a narration
to outside of like a uh a monologue that I
have going on in my head. I sometimes share with you,
(30:35):
well that what the doc say. Guys like to do.
Guys like to play this all the time with me
where they think it's funny, and I have to point
out that I can I know exactly what I'm saying
when I'm saying it. All right, let's bring in David Gascon. David,
(30:57):
you're the master of the ceremonies. All right, we put
a few things together. So let's start off with act
number one with GODLI have a car, Ryan Music Executive Producer.
What in the world did Doug saying, UH, have a
have some carbs, John, I have a car, Doug. That's
(31:18):
what I heard. I heard I have a car. All right.
Let's see motorcycles. Fun motorcycles, sexy motorcycles are quicker, slow down, faster,
more agile, win in your face if you're like a dog,
kind of like a bird. Got it? Drive a car,
Drive a car, right, dr car? Not bad, not bad
(31:40):
at all. Right, here we go with number two. You
know by oh my god, you know you know hey, yeah,
you know, you know all? You know? Hey, right, like
that's a that's like that's like a meatball meat head
type of what do you got? Yeah, I would say that,
(32:01):
I know, I ain't forgot what it was, but whatever doctor,
whatever was. Doug said, sure, all right, let's get into it.
It was a lot of other people talking, and it
wasn't necessarily Rocky, you know. Uhl Hey, my rockets can change.
(32:23):
You can change. We all can change. Rocky four. Watch
it music, Watch it music as you watch Rocky four.
Yet I have not watched Rocky yet. Unbelievable. All right,
there we go with number three. Not as bad suggestion,
Oh wow, Ryan, not a bad suggestion, not as bad
(32:48):
as suggestion. I'm not as bad as suggested, I think,
is what I said. But go ahead, let's go with
the tape. That's not a that's not a bad suggestion, suggestion,
not as bad suggest Number four. I couldn't even know that.
(33:10):
One more time? Did I really say that I'm radio?
It sounds like a backward tape. Yeah, where was I? Drugs? Drugs?
I can't remember what that's got. One more time? Alright,
one more time for the audience. Was having fun with it?
I think I think the last couple of words were
(33:30):
having fun with it, something about wearing, something about I
haven't found what I wear, having found with it? I
have no idea. I gotta hear context. Anytime you come
home late, anytime you know you're you're on the phone,
Like was the on phone with was on? You're not like,
you're like, well, why did you don't offer that up?
(33:51):
Was he on the fe I don't know what I
was talking about. I remember what I was talking about
the time, But was he on the phone with It's
like when you get pestured with a question when you're
still kind of on the phone and you're asked you
a question and you're and it just it becomes becomes
a little jumble. That's what it felt like to me. Yeah,
is he on the phone with his lawyer? What you said? Alright? Alright?
Go clip number five. I think I think he tried
(34:18):
to say shoulders. Once I said trollers, you gotta hear
in full sentence. I understand You're like, well, this is
his side of the story. Okay, that makes sense. It's
the Pactors, packers doctor. But if his trollers truly screwed up, shoulders, shoulders, shoulders, Alright,
(34:40):
I speak for living last one, fellas, here we go,
mad Now I have first beard dead. That one's easy.
Come on, not my first beard, dad, come on, come on.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Doug Gottlieb
Show weekdays at three p m. Eastern noon Pacific on
(35:00):
Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app on
Christmas Day. You get up Christmas Morning and you can
see me and Chris Bruce Arb co hosting the First
Things First on Fox Sports One. Be pretty fun. Chris,
how are you? I'm great, man, I'm really looking forward
to that. I think, should we do two and a
half hours of basketball of NBA or three hours if
(35:24):
that show? Probably not, just because you're coming off the NFL,
But we can do plenty with with that, I know,
with that huge slate of games. Let me ask you
about about last night. Let's let's start with the Lakers
taking down the Rockets. Is the story of that game
the Lakers or the Rockets. I mean, I I'll be honest.
(35:45):
I think it's just an NBA game, you know what
I mean? Like you, you have upset like this all
the time in the course of an NBA season. But
I do think there are two two storylines that would emerge. One,
it's a great wain for the Lakers. If you have
to choose between the two teams, which storyline you're gonna
emphasize is that this young team, you know, beat the
(36:07):
hot the hottest team in the NBA, uh and look
good doing it. Kuzma obviously the stage wasn't too big
for him lineso for in my opinion, the fourth straight
time a big stage, the Madison Square Garden, Lebron James
Kobe retirement. Now the best team in the league, at
least record wise, and he doesn't shriek. He plays well,
(36:28):
gets the big shot, runs the offense pretty well. Um.
So look, I think it was a good win for
that young team. So I think that's the first storyline,
let's not make too much of it. But the second
one is Chris Paul and the injury. And I know
it's not a huge injury. He's day to day with
the abduct or strain or pull or whatever it is.
(36:49):
But I mean, he's only playing what fourteen games this year,
and he continues to get hurt. Um, So that is
something I know will be back soon. But when's the
next time he might go down? You know, in a
month two months. So that's something that I think that
you also have to look at and just keep an
(37:10):
eye on. All right, let's let's go to the Oklahoma
City Thunder. There's a new story out Ian Bagley. Uh.
Bagley wrote about it where he said, um he um
uh chronicled the fact that there was this wildly dysfunctional
relationship between Mellow and Phil even though everybody agreed in
(37:31):
order to win, they had to get rid of Mellow.
How much is Mellow to blame for the thunder underachieving
to this point in the season. Well, I would blame him,
like a lot of people want to pick on Russell Westbrook.
I would blame Mellow before I blamed Westbrook. Not that
Westley Brooks blameless. But you know, I think I look
(37:52):
at Billy Donovan and I know it's not easy with
three headstrong guys who are used to be in the
number one or number one a option. But that's your
job as a head coach. You have to somehow get
them into a system and get them committed to playing
the system that is best for that unit and those players.
So I blame Billy Donovan. I do have to look
(38:14):
at Melo again before I would look at uh the
other two. George hasn't been great. You know, he's shot
well from three, having shot well overall, that's not all Westbrook,
you know, I think he's shooting forty one percent. George
he shot forty one percent two seasons in his career
in Indiana, So it's not like Paul George is Kevin
(38:35):
Durant in terms of his shooting percentage. So I don't
put that all on Westbrook. But yeah, you have to
look at mellow number one. He's missing shots and they're
open shots. He was shooting. I don't know if he
still is, but a week ago he's below and that's
on him. So and if he's not making shots, you
know this, what else what's he doing? He's not defending,
(38:58):
he's not passing well or great. Um, so he's not
gonna give you much if he's not scoring. And he
hasn't done that very well. I think he's average about
fourteen points or third team maybe over the last month
or so. So Mellow does need to step it up
and play better if this team is gonna become what
people thought they had a chance to beat. Christopers are
(39:20):
joining us in the Doug Gottlip Show. Okay, So do
they see it all the way through or a trade
deadline time to you go, ah, this ain't orcan let's
move Paul George. Yeah, that's that's the big question. I mean,
most of us look on the outside and we say
they gotta trade George. He's not saying I know right now.
Their mentality is they want to try to see this through.
Not just I'm not so much talking about the players,
(39:42):
although they probably feel that way too, but the front office,
the decision makers. Uh, they're giving off every indication that
they're keeping George for the Empire season and they want
to give this team a shot to see what it
can do in the playoffs. Look, Sam Russ, he's one
of the smartest GM in the league. I did think
(40:02):
he made a mistake by moving too fast and trading
James Hard and I think he could have kept in
that whole season. So you know, sometimes you you could
point to lose where he was too quick on the
trigger and other times where he waited too long. I
like Kevin Durant. I can't blame it for that one.
But uh man, they look, here's the thing that's funny.
(40:26):
We're all talking, and I don't think they played great. Right,
we can pick out, you know, warmth in their games.
But they've won seven of ten, and I think it
might even be eight of eleven, and if at least
seven of their last ten, and so they may be
looking at it as look, we're starting to come around now.
One of those games, Westbrook has thirty eight, and George
(40:49):
I think had eight and and Mellow had four. I
don't want to win that way if I'm Oklahoma City,
because I know that's not sustainable, not only for the
good of how good the team could be, but for
the morale, because you know, George and Miller aren't gonna
be happy scoring ten, twelve, fourteen points a game. So,
(41:09):
but they are winning much more than they were in
the beginning of year. They've already moved up to WEB six,
I think in the rest. So I think if they
keep winning these games, the greater likelihood is that they
don't make a move on. George Chris Bruce are joining
us at the Doug Gotlip Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Um,
(41:33):
you know, just kind of lurking out there as the
San Antonio Spurs. I know Kauai is not back fully healthy.
Pretty remarkable what they've been able to do, mostly without
their best player. Uh, what's what's your sense of their
viability at the top of that west. Yeah, I mean
it's just the same old Spurs, you know. I mean
(41:54):
they are I'm not the first to say this. They
are the New England Patriots of the NBA. It's just
as simple as that. And people may feel like and
they have won more championships lately. Remember when they went
ten years without win in a championship in New England
and so, but they're always in the hunt. And that's
the thing with San Antonio. Um, you can't write them off.
(42:18):
I mean, what were they nineteen and eight without Kauai. UM.
I think they're a contender. I wouldn't pick them over
certainly not over Golden State. I don't think they have
the athleticism to play with the Spurs. I don't think
they can score to play with the Warriors. I don't
think they can score with the Warriors either. I know
they'll they may try to slow it down and play big,
(42:40):
and that's probably their best shot. But you can only
slow down the ram stuff and Clay and Draymond so much.
So I don't think they can outscore them like a
Houston might be able to do. But you you know,
I wouldn't hesitate at all to say that they're gonna
be in the West. Well I'm not predicting it, but
let if you told me the Spurs would be in
(43:02):
the Western Conference finals this year, I would not scoff
at that at all, because that's how much respect we
all have to give Greg Kopovitch and those players, because,
as you said, it doesn't it almost doesn't matter who's there.
I mean, they've got guys that people around the league
fans have not even heard of contributing and playing well.
(43:26):
Genobli Is, I mean, my goodness, he's forty years old
and they're still beating teams. So I give him a
shot to get to the conference finals. I don't I think.
I don't think they can win the West, but they
could upset of Houston. Um, you know, and ruined somebody's postseason. Uh,
somebody other than Golden States, I should say, Okay, Uh, Cleveland,
(43:48):
is this the roster they say, haven't got an Isia
Thomas back, but he's gonna go with their G league team? Um?
Is this the roster that that they have when they
get for the get ready for the playoffs? Well, that
depends on what we talked about earlier, Paul George. I
think if he becomes available, Cleveland is one of a
handful of teams that will be on that shortlist that
can get him. I think the Lakers, and I think
(44:11):
Houston if they want to make a move, and Cleveland.
I think those are three teams that will be right there,
uh trying to get him in and able to get
him maybe. Um, so that you have to watch that.
DeAndre Jordan's that's another one. There was a report out
that Cleveland is willing to give up Tristan Times and
(44:31):
Emai Shumfert and their own number one pick, not bought
Brooklyn's number one pick, but their own. That's a lot
to give up for DeAndre um But certainly he makes
you better. There's no question that. I don't I don't
know the ch path Golden State. But he protects that
rim and makes you better. And I mean you're not.
You don't need shumperd Tristan. He's just a DeAndre, the bigger,
(44:53):
better version of Tristan Hounson. And that number one picks
gonna be twenty nine in the So I think that's
the moves you probably make if you're Cleveland, especially if
you think Lebron might leave, and you gotta think you
might leave, do you take one more shot of trying
to get that title? So there could definitely be some
(45:15):
changes to that Cleveland roster before it's all said and
done this season. Yeah, I'm I'm fascinated by the DeAndre
Jordan's thing. Maybe that speaks to what they think about
Tristan and his relationship with Kardashian Uhre more so than
anything else they might say on the service. I don't again,
I don't. I don't understand that how that makes them better?
(45:38):
Right like their whole thing? I mean it does, but look, look,
the whole deal is this. They gotta be able to
beat the Warriors. They can beat everybody in the East
as they're currently constructed. We agree there, right, okay, so
and and the Warriors and the Warriors don't have a
rim protector. So when the Warriors do go bigh this
(46:01):
obviously Ben you know, when they go to uh, when
they go to their big lineup, this makes Cleveland's big
lineup better. But when they go small, you know, when
they go small, yeah, So I don't know if it's
you know, I don't know if it's that useful. Like
I I feel like the way they're trying to outflank
(46:21):
um the Warriors. And here's what I mean. I still
don't think they're starting lineup is as good as as
the Warriors is. But I think coming off their bench,
you bring to wayne weight off their bench. Obviously with
Isaiah Thomas coming in, that means somebody else goes off
their bench. Like I think their bench is in fact stronger,
and so the idea is that they can now take
Lebron out and get the best out of Lebron and
(46:44):
be more and then their bench ends up maybe maybe
gaining some ground as Golden States bench is not as strong.
I think some of that goes away when you have
to trade away for the bench and you're starting lineup,
isn't you know, you don't use that big line up
that much well, if you gave up and Tristan, I
mean you have they have so much death that I
(47:05):
think they could withstand that you're basically losing one for
rim to player because you would place times and with DeAndre,
I think what would be interesting because I'm I'm with
you in that it would it would change Cleveland's dynamic
and it would give them a lot more versatility, right
because they're not going to outshoot the Warriors. They're just not.
(47:28):
I think the only team that could have a prayer
of doing that is Houston. And Cleveland is a good
shooting team, but they can't outshoot the Warriors in a
seven game series. But if you get DeAndre Jordan's you
have the option of trying to go slow and big.
(47:48):
And here's the thing and and Golden State they told
me this in when I was covering that final with
Lebrin James. I don't necessarily like when they played this way,
but if you put the ball in Lebron's hands and
just basically he becomes the point guard. You can't control tempo,
(48:09):
not many teams or I don't know if any other
team can control tempo consistently against Golden State. I think
Cleveland with Lebron handling the ball, can control tempo and
make it a ninety point or maybe in this day
and age, a hundred point game, and that could benefit Cleveland.
(48:31):
The question is would Cleveland do that because they think
they're this high scoring, high octime octame three point shooting
off them and so if you're if you get DeAndre there,
you have to decide at least at something, do we
want to go big and slow sometimes, you know, versus
(48:52):
being the three point shooting team that we've become. So
it would be interesting. Look, the bottom line, my number
one goal would be to get Paul George. If he
becomes the Bill, he would be highest on the pack
in order, no question, because that get that gives in
the ability to play so so much, so much more
versatile style. If you do so, yeah, yeah you can,
you can play, you can defend better on the perimeter,
(49:15):
you still can shoot the three. You know, you're right.
It gives him a lot more athleticism to play with
Golden State where there's Jordan's Now you got to decide
do we weren't going to a time warp right? And
I don't know that they want to do that last
thing Celtics lose but still respectable in their in their comeback.
And now we're Gordon Hayward no more cast on that ankle.
(49:37):
He's walking around on it. And look, we're we're only
in December right like, and it's not even late to
set like that. It's middle to center. We're December one.
We got one, two, three, four, five months until we
really get to playoffs. Are there's there's gotta start to
be whispers that Gordon Hayward may still play this season. Him.
(50:01):
Oh yeah, and he he. I believe I heard him
say recently he wants to at this goal. That's what
he's working towards. Even if he doesn't get it. It's
certainly it's the motivation you need to get through that rehab,
you know that. So he's smart to say this is
my goal. Uh. The question is would the Celtics try
(50:21):
to be, you know, extra cautious and keep him out? Um,
that'd be an interesting I mean, I still don't think
with Gordon Hayward they beat Cleveland. Um. I gotta be honest,
and I like Hayward. He's a very good player, but
I don't think their record would be any better right
now if Hayward had never gotten hurt, do you Uh No,
(50:42):
But I actually think in many ways it's helped them, right,
It's helped them develop Jalen Brown's help help them develop
Jayson Tatum helped them, uh you know, help them developing Brown.
Because I think both of those guys could be better
than Gordon Hayward, you know, in two years, and maybe
you know even sooner it could be better than Hayward. Um,
it would be interesting they bring him back. I mean,
(51:04):
you could start pay them at the four, Hayward at
the three, Brown and the two, so it would make
them better, give him a lot more depth and versatility, um,
and make them more dangerous. But there might be I
won't even say that with Brad Stevens. I'm not gonna
say there would be a period of growing pains where
(51:24):
and maybe I mean could think about it. When he
went out, they just kept cruising like it was no issue.
And then I mean, I know, Kyrie only missed two
games and Orford missed the game or two and they
were able to keep it moving. So they seem to
be you know, there are a lot of ways you
can compare Brass Stevens to a young Gregg Popovitch, and
(51:44):
that just seems to be one more that whoever is
in there, they can kind of keep it moving. That's
Christopers star checking on on weekends here on Fox Sports Tradeo.
First things first being he'll be hosting on Christmas Day.
In the meantime, have a very happy holiday season. Well,
we'll see you in New York on Monday on the
of you side. Yeah, my man, I'm looking forward to
it and I see you on Christmas Day. Pleasure is
(52:04):
mine Christmas. Sorry, joining us
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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