January 11, 2018 • 34 mins
Doug gives his thoughts on Kevin Durant scoring his 20,000th career point and why you can't compare stats across different eras. He looks at the NFL playoff teams and why there are 3 quarterback situations that are interesting. And Jaguars LB Myles Jack stops by and tells Doug whether he thinks the Jags defense can stop the Steelers offense for the second time this season.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the best of the Doug Gottlieb Show on
Fox Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America. Doug Gottlieb Show,
Fox Sports Radio, coming to you from the beautiful sunny
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f C. Second hour of the show, so an hour
and twenty from right now. Burgeoning star in the NBA,
Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns will be our guest.
Our new affiliate, I know in our three plus terrestrial stations.
We've got a big new affiliate in Phoenix. We'll talk
(00:45):
about the growth of the Suns, what it's been like
to have a midseason coaching change, and uh, how far
is the finish line in terms of taking this team
from complete rebuild to being a playoff team and then
a playoff and then a championship contender. We'll talk with
and Booker of the Phoenix Suns in the third and
final in our final out of the show. UM. Now,
(01:05):
if you don't get that when you're listening to us
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on your I Heart radio Apple. Of course, you can
download the podcast. Miles Jack of the Jacksonville Jaguars will
join us, so too will Adam Archer let us CBS
NFL analyst, former of course stud defensive back with cards
and the Rams in the Nation Football League. So we'll
get you ready for this weekend the NFL, talk some
(01:26):
NBA and UM and then sprinkle around a bunch of
other stories in sports. We got some some interesting Lebron
retirement questions, maybe more so than retirement answers. But speaking
of Lebron and when he retires and how many points
he'll have and whatnot. Yet, yesterday or last night, Kevin
(01:47):
Durant scored his two thousandth point in the NBA. Well,
there's a lot of points, right, I mean, that is
a that is a that is a metric ton of points. Now,
the all time leading score in NBA history is Kareem
Abdul Jabbar. For reference, Kareem has three thirty eight thousand
(02:09):
seven points. Thirty eight thousand seven point did thirty eight thousand,
he had one three pointer in his career. By the way,
just I'll to make sure I put the point that
out of thirty nine years, aldi at one three pointer,
and the three pointer actually kind of leads me to
trying to contextualize whether it's Lebron or whether it's Kevin
(02:34):
Durant or any of these modern day players. There are
some there are many that believe Lebron will end his
career as the all time leading score in NBA history.
Now an average, on average, he scores in the points
a year variety. Over the past couple of years it's
been below two thousand, and the reason is he hasn't
(02:55):
played eighty two games. If he plays eighty two games,
he's gonna score two thousand points, logic. Logic would tell us.
And by the way, through forty games this year, he's
got over a thousand points. But he'll probably take some
games off. He'll probably end up around two thousand points
this year. So if he ends up at thirty thousand
and change this year and all he needs, how many
(03:16):
seasons does he need? Like this is the easiest math problem. Ever,
He just needs about four years left become the NBA's
all time scoring leader. It stands a reason he'll end
his career as an all time scoring leader. And what's
kind of remarkable. But Lebron is a couple of things. First,
for a guy who's probably doesn't pride himself most on scoring,
(03:36):
he's gonna end up the all time scoring leader, right, Like,
if we want to properly tell the story of the
tale of Lebron James, we have to say, like, look,
I don't even know if he loves scoring, but he's been.
He's the all time leading scored in NBA history. That's
kind of crazy. But if we also want to properly
contextualize it, he's made and forty forward three point shots
(04:01):
in his career, in other words, by the end of
his career, and of course last year he made the
second You know, I think he's made the second or
third most threes in his career. This year he's shooting
a high percentage, and he'll probably end up shooting the
most threes of his career. As you get older, you
move less, you usually shoot the basketball better shoot about
(04:24):
clip shot about two so far. So look, if you
just pro rate the stats, he'll end up within the
hundred and fifty variety of threes, fifty would far surpass
anything that he's made previously. If again, he plays at
the same number of minutes the same number of games,
maybe he ends up a hundred forty. That's still more.
(04:46):
The point is this, Lebron James has had to make
fewer baskets to score more points than Creem Abdul's bar,
and Lebron came straight at high school or as Kareem
abduls Bar played four years in college. The point is is,
if look, I get that Kevin Durant is a great player,
and I've said that Kevin Durant I believe has surpassed
(05:07):
Lebron James, Lebron gets credit as a great defensive player
when he's not nearly the defensive player he used to be.
Right like, by the time Lebron gets credit now for
his defensive acumen, his defense isn't nearly what it used
to be. On the same token, Lebron James gets criticized
because he's not that great a jump shooter. On the
(05:29):
other hand, his shooting has improved and so this reputation
but lies what the stats will actually tell you. So
what does work both ways? Look when I see Kevin
Duran scored points. I have told you I think he
kind of like Kareem abdul Jabar. There's a certain unguardable
quality to a seven foot jump shooter. Right, you can't
this shot, you can't block. Nobody blocks Kevin Durant's jump shot.
(05:53):
But we should again properly tell the tale that this
is a different era. More sessions, more shots, more points,
more three point shots, and more protecting jump shooters than
we've ever had in the past. Whereas big guys get
fewer touches. It's more physical, not less physical. And so
(06:14):
the office not only has the style of basketball change,
the volume of shots have changed. And so yeah, k
d may he may end up you know in the
thirty hundred, probably won't end up. Um, he went to
one year of college, did have the one year of injury.
And that's the other part about Lebron that's helped his stats.
He'll end up in the top five all time scores list.
(06:40):
But think of how the volume of threes that Kevin Duran. Now, No, look,
this is not any different than college football, right, college football,
now we count your bowl stats. Didn't do that before
college football. Now you play more games. Didn't do that
before college football. Now players play more as freshman. So
in addition to uh single game stats where the stats
(07:02):
are skewed because there's more, there's more plays because everyone's
running tempo offense and the style of offenses throw the
ball more. So now you have all time leading scores
and all time leaning passers, but and even all time
leading rushers. And you're like, well, wait, people don't run
the ball as much. This is true, but you run
more plays, more plays, softer rules that benefit the offense,
(07:27):
and you're playing more games, so you're single game and
single season and career stats will all be skewed towards
this generation. That the point is, it's really hard now
to compare stats from one generation to the next, because
not just the sports have changed, but the way in
which you value stats have changed. The easiest thing, obviously
(07:49):
to point to is four thousand yard pastors in the NFL, right,
And some of that is the the number of plays run.
A lot of that is the amount of physicality or
lack of physicality on wide receivers, and so it's changed
how we watch that. I'm not here to diminish Kevin
Durant stats or Lebron James being the all time ling
(08:10):
score simply here to point out a fact that guys
are the stats are a little fuzzy in comparison to
historic stats because kind of like steroids, only this in
a complete legal fashion. The current generation benefits greatly from
more plays and the type of offense and the type
(08:30):
of officiating that makes it a more offensive generated sport.
And it's not just in the NBA, It's in the NFL,
it's in college football. Heck, gets in almost every sport.
I mean really, it's even even going to be in baseball.
Right The changing of the strike zone and the changing
of how we view strikeouts is going to allow the
(08:51):
home run numbers to continue to spike, as well as
the fact that they moved in fences because they thought
that more home runs would attract more fans. And as
we told you before last year's playoffs when there were
a record number of home runs in the playoffs, it's
actually a lot duller watch than you think it would be.
You kind of wait, wait, strikeout walk, strikeout walk, strikeout walk.
(09:12):
There's not three two out, three run rallies like there
used to be. Nobody bunts, people don't move runners over
nearly as much you stand on base, if you get
on base and you wait for a big slugger to
come up and hit a home run, and so statistically
there's going to be a skewing that takes place now,
much like the skewing that took place during the during
(09:33):
the steroid era. It was just fascinating to me on
how we can't judge stats generation and generation because the
games have changed so dramatically, and because the people who
make the rules understand that. We struggle mentally to formulate
the idea that not all stats are the same. Lebron stats,
(09:54):
not the same as George's stats, not the same as
Kareem stats, not the same as wild stats. It's just different.
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Some questions are planted questions right, some questions like wow,
that's a weird question, and some questions are just hey,
(10:15):
I've always been wondering. Here's the question asked Lebron James
about has he thought about retirement. Take a listen to
his answer. I've been this spotlight for half of my year,
maybe more of thirty three. Now this thing started when
I was three teens us, yeah, more eighteen years. I've
been in this just light right here. So I've already
exceeded everything that I've ever dreamed about something. At this point,
(10:35):
I'm just adding crazy talking on the cake like my
daughter would do it. So just all kind of stuff
on on the cake and whatever happens, and I feel great.
I don't feel thirty three. I don't feel like I
got I don't know. You guys know the minutes I've
played in my career. I don't know that. I don't
feel like I've been to these straight finals in a row.
I don't feel like I came in at eighteen and
I've played pretty much seventy days since I've been done
(10:58):
to the NBA. So let's keep it going. Yeah, So
it was he he blew off the question, and I
think it's fair, like, look, statistically, he's having an outstanding here.
I know they've been struggling recently. He's shooting like from
the floor, which is up there with his career highs
um He's shooting a career high from three. His shooting
numbers um, are as good or better than they've ever
(11:20):
been free throws. Even up at seventy he's averaging twenties
seventy game. Um, he's putting up great stats across the board.
It is hiding the fact that he's not the same defensively,
and that he's not the same at times in terms
of agility offensively. But he's learned about angles and he's
such just an incredible physical specimen. But I I do
buy the idea that I don't feel thirty three, although
(11:43):
thirty three in sports years, that's like, you know, I
got a birthday coming up. I don't feel my age.
I don't think anybody who takes care of themselves now
feels their age. Because we eat differently, we act differently,
we sleep differently, we have different vitamins that we can take,
and he obviously has taken care of his body at
a ridiculous level. UM. I think what's interesting about Lebron
(12:05):
is that it's he's the opposite of Kobe Bryant. Like
Kobe's whole thing was manly. He retires, what's Kobe gonna do?
Because Kobe he didn't really have anything else. Kobe lives
uh far removed from Lakerdom. Don't get me wrong, He's
still Kobe Bryant, and Kobe didn't have any other interest. Now,
(12:26):
what helped Kobe in terms of establishing some other interests
in business was he towards the Killy's tenant. He had
a lot of time while while he was rehabbing away
from basketball Lebron the phase two of Lebron or Lebron
two point or whatever. Five point oh. If you go
one point, I was Cleveland, and two point it was Miami,
and three point I was Cleveland, and four point oh
will be at the end of this year if he moves.
(12:48):
The five point oh is kind of already set, right,
He already has his Now he also is already able
to create kind of a business empire. I think the
the interest, the fascinating thing about Lebron James is going
to be um and this is where he could be
better or maybe just different than Jordan's. Like Jordan's, I
(13:09):
don't even consider the Wizards thing. Right. The Wizards thing
was he just came to do it to show he
could still do it, and he had those young guys
who he had drafted, and it was a team that
he was running and he just had the itch and
he wanted to go play some more ball. I really
feel like that even shouldn't be part of Like he
retired making a game winning jump shot in Utah, that
(13:31):
was the last we saw Jordan. I think on some
level new he couldn't mentally handle not being the go
to guy. He couldn't mentally handle playing a secondary or
tertiary role. Lebron's was interesting because I feel like he's
wired to where he can, like he's one of these
guys to which like as the game slows down he
(13:53):
becomes more of a traditional power forward or maybe even
maybe even late in his career, can he become like
a stretch five life. I think that's not crazy. But
in order to play that role, you're not going to
dominate the ball. You're gonna play off of other people.
And he's never played that way. Don't get me wrong,
Lebron has always been a really good passer, but it's
(14:14):
always been where he has the ball, he commands the
attention and people help and he makes the pass, not
not being the second or third option. Don't get Guys
get a chance to go iso ball and get a
chance to do their own thing. But it's kind of okay,
Lebron saying it's time to do our thing. So where
where Lebron could maybe best Jordan's bird obviously retired too soon,
(14:39):
Magic retired because of because of HIV is could he
play could he accept a secondary or tertiary role and
still be a star in that role? And if the
idea is hey, he's already got business interests set up,
it's already working, he already has the production comment, it's
already doing things. He already has. Pet P rejects that
(15:00):
he does, so why does he have to retire in
order to focus on other things? So it look, it's
probably premature to have the Lebron conversation, but it's not
that premature because at some point you go, you know, like,
there's a lot of travel, there's a lot of stuff.
My brand is already secure. He definitely wants to win
(15:21):
another championship before he'd even consider it. But thirty three,
when you start playing straight out of high school, is
an older thirty three, even if he feels like a
much younger thirty three. 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. You think, when you make it
(15:42):
this far in the playoffs, so where the divisional round? Right,
we're your two games away from playing for the super Bowl,
and so you think, like, all right, we're pretty set
with what we got. So you're set with Matt Ryan,
Tom Brady, you're set with like those are your quarterbacks.
You're good it um but I and and now Ben
(16:04):
Roethlisberger says this will not be his last. He has said, uh,
it's not gonna be my last game at Hines Field. Now,
maybe he thinks that the Titans are gonna upset the
the Newtad Patriots or some of this is Remember last
year he talked about retirement. But let's for a second
take him at his word and say, Ben Roethlisberger is
going to be back, all right. So now you've got
(16:25):
three of the eight teams remaining. And frankly, Tennessee Marcus
Mariota is their quarterback of the now is their quarterback
in the future. Now you got four. But then you
look around like the rest of the rest of it.
The Eagles know that Carson Wentz is their guy when
he returns. That's five. But maybe what's most interesting is
(16:45):
the three other teams, like the Minnesota Vikings got this
interesting thing here like that, Like, does anybody believe case
Keenum is the long term solution. I would say no,
But is Teddy Bridgewater to the long term solution? And
I don't know, Like I'm not sure Teddy Bridgewater was
a long term solution before he got hurt. Go back
(17:06):
and look at how they really limited um any sort
of exposure and real limited his play the playbook. Yes,
they hit the playoff game he played in, they should
have won against the Seattle Seahawks and their kicker blew
it right, but he didn't even throw it for two
hundred yards. Now, Vikings were playing outside at the time,
(17:29):
Like there's one. There's one of those ones, like not reported, right,
Remember Vikings spent two years playing outside when the new
Dome was ready, So you would think Teddy Bridgewater. But
Bridgewater's body type has always been one to which you
think he's exposed to injuries. Now, this was a non
contact injury they got, saying Bradford, But Bradford can't stay healthy.
They got Teddy Bridgewater, who has only been hurt once.
But it was a catastrophic knee injury and then they
(17:51):
have case Keenum, like you would think the Vikings are
set for the Vikings have a really interesting quarterback conundrum
in the upcoming off season. Then you have the Jaguars
with Blake Bortles, who no one thinks is the answer.
Like Bortles can can say haters gonna hate hate, hate,
hate hate, right, Like he can do his own, um,
(18:15):
what's her name? Why my why my blank? You on
her name? Guys, Taylor Swift. He can do his own
Taylor Swift thing. But the fact is that the Jacksonville Jaguars,
most people are like, you're gonna have to get a
different quarterback you want to win big there. And then
there's Drew Brees, who no, no, I'm not saying they're
gonna bench Drew Brees. But Drew Brees a free agent,
(18:37):
and you could get you could franchise tag him, but
that would severely harm your ability to go out and
get other free agents. And like, look at some point,
Drew Brees. Even this year, they've run the football some
because it's allowed them to keep their defense off the
football field and it's played to their strength, but some
of it because Drew Brees is not on the front
(18:57):
end of his careers on the back end of his career.
Maybe what's most fascinating about those three teams, all of
whom could very well advance, is that their quarterback situation
is very much in flux. In the upcoming offseason, be
sure to catch live editions of The Doug Gottlieb Show
weekdays at three p m. Eastern noon Pacific on Fox
(19:19):
Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. Let's welcome
in the leading score for the Phoenix Suns. He's only
twenty one years old. He's Devin Booker. He joins us
on the Doug Gottleap Show. Uh, Devin, let me just
kind of get your sense of where you think your
your team is. You've already had a coaching change mid season.
What's kind of the state of the Suns from your perspective? Honestly,
(19:41):
right now, you know, I think we're in a good spot,
you know, with a lot of young talent that is
getting better by the day. I think our last game
Verse Oklahoma City Dragon Bender Josh Jackson both had the
best game of their career. So we figured, you know,
the NBA is gonna play, you can come in day
one and you know, just be ready to go. UM.
(20:05):
So we have a lot of top picks, We have
a lot of assets with picks that you know, I
feel like we're in a good spot. Granted we're in
a really talented Western conference, um, but you know, we're
working to get better every day. It's interesting because Bender
is a guy that I think a lot of people
have just almost forgotten about nationally, and I'd like, ah,
he wasn't that good last year. He stinks, Let's move on.
(20:26):
He was the fourth pick and he's only twenty years old,
and he has had some spots. I mean, obviously the
Oklahoma City game he had twenty and played great. But
they've been some other times this year which he's he's
he's played well, what's your sense of where he is
in growth and and the things he's done to mature
to this point. I got playing it. You know, the
NBA is the thing that comes with Tom and Dragon
(20:47):
is one of those guys where you know, right off
the bat, I realized he had the i Q. You know,
he's been playing professional basketball since he's been fourteen fifteen
years old. UM, but it's an adjustment. You know, you've
been playing overseas your whole life. You come over to
the NBA, more fast placed game, more athletic people. Um.
But I think he's finally made that adjustment. Um, shooting
(21:09):
the ball really well. Now the game's slowing down for him.
And you know, I think, you know, he's in a
perfect spot. What about you, what's it like to have
guys coming at you now that you are the unquestioned
best player on the teams? Like it's different when the
scattered report has you as the first guy listed and
you are the guy that you want to shut down.
What's that experience been like for you? Honestly new experience. Um.
(21:31):
You know, I've been seeing a bunch of different kind
of deferences, um from double teams, traps, uh, two people
trying to deny me the ball. But you know, I
feel like we're doing a good job. Will put me
in different spots. You know, I've played a little bit
of plant guard this year. I've played off the ball some. Um,
So you know, it's a little bit harder. You know,
I've had to make a lot of adjustments and watch
(21:52):
a lot more film this year. But you know, like
I said, you know, it's all the process with our
young team. And like I said, you know, I feel
like it's gonn all come together. What when when should
turn right? Like you guys, uh tomorrow, you got Houston
coming in and obviously like look, the Oklahoma City game
was great, but that was that was following you know,
Denver and San Antonio blowouts, and so you have to
(22:14):
kind of keep your eye on, Hey, it's in the future.
It's about getting better now. It's not about winning every
game or getting to the playoffs. This is you're you're
saying the prices when when, What are your expectations on
when it should start to turn to when you're competitive
and fighting for at least a playoff spot. Honestly, hopefully
sooner than later. I think the Western Conference right now
(22:35):
was very top heavy with the teams that you know,
you know are gonna gonna be compete for the championship. Well,
I said at bottom half that ston range is up
for grabs, honestly, um, and I think it depends on us.
When are we gonna click When is it going to
be consistent for us? As I said, Oklahoma City was
(22:56):
our last game, that was probably our best game of
the year, and then you look at the two games
before that, probably some of our two worst games. So
I think for us is finding what works and being
consistent with it. Devin Devin Booker joining us on the
Doug Gottlieb Show. What What is it like though, to
lose this much? Right? Like when you're when you're as
(23:16):
good as you've been, and I know you've always been.
You know, you're young at Kentucky, but you guys want
a ton when you're Kentucky and in high school and
a you like, there may be a lot of games,
but you don't lose that much. What is it like
to go What is it like to go home sometimes
and you're like, man, we lost again? How does that
not beat up onundu mentally? Um? But you you know,
(23:37):
you have to find within yourself, you know, I know
me that that's what drives me. You know, sometimes I
can't sleep right over it. The next day I come
into practice and you know the practice of at a
whole new level. Um. But like I said, n b A,
you know, if it was a league where you could
drive four young guys that come in and play in
become playoffs in the first year, you know, it wouldn't
(23:59):
be the NBA. You know, as grown men out there,
you know we're playing against teams that have been together five, six,
seven plus years. You know that just had with each other.
Um so, and I think it's a thing that we're
going to develop on. We're working hard every day and
I feel like it's part of my job. Like I said,
to make it sooner than later. Lou Williams dropped fifty
last night on the Golden State Warriors. Give me a
(24:21):
guy who he's way better than you ever could have imagined.
You're like, man, I had no idea how good that
that dude is. Oh man. The list goes on in
the n b A. I grew up a fan of
the NBA, um but didn't realize that I got here.
Who would I have to say, um wow, somebody has
(24:44):
to have given it to you this year. We're like, damn,
he just gave it to me, and I can. I
we were shaking hands and started the game and I thought,
I'm gonna have a good night, and I did not.
I mean, you see him all the time, but you know,
James harden Um, you know, I know I'm matched up
with him a little bit this here, and you know
it's the NBA where you can play good defense. Three
straight possessions and get scored on three strict possessions. Uh,
(25:08):
just by them making tough shots. So, you know, I
think the way you know, James can pass the ball
with all the sugars he has around him and the
scoring ability, you know, I think he's one of the
toughest to guard in the NBA. Alright, last thing, I
got like thirty seconds left? Okay? Uh k D and
Lebron are probably gonna be drafting in the All Star
Game to split up the teams. Who would you be
(25:28):
more hurt by if they didn't draft you? Who'll be
more hurt Yeah? Like like like Katie like, w wait
you didn't pick me? Or is it Lebron? Like? Who
do you want to be picked by? Man? I honestly
don't even care. What are you cool if you're the
last pick? Like, uh yeah, we'll we'll, we'll We'll take
Booker of course the NBA All Star How many people
(25:50):
can say they've done that? Not not not not too many. Hey, Devin, listen,
thanks so much for joining us. Uh, we'll see, we'll see.
Best of luck tomorrow. You got James Harden tomorrow night,
we'll see how you do. We appreciate you being our
guest on Fox Sports Radio. Thank you thanks for having me.
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.
(26:13):
Let's catch up with Myles Jack of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Have you have you ever? Have you thought of it
yet in those terms? Um, honestly, you know, it's it's
definitely a bigger preach division. But at the end of
the day, you gotta look at what the funny and
what the front of us right now? All right, So
you've seen the Steelers before. How different are they now
(26:36):
from when you played them earlier in the year. Um,
I definitely said they definitely hit a stride. You know,
they got hot later on moving forward as the season
one on, they'd be better and better, and you know
what I mean, they ended up clinching the first round.
Buy So they definitely look good. Um, obviously they've had
some injuries and everything, but they look good at the team.
(26:58):
What was it last time that allowed you guys uh
to wreck creek havoc all over? Ben? What what was
it that you guys were doing that seemed to confuse
him or seemed to really bother him. Um, I really
just think execut you know, everybody was communicating, everybody was
on the same page. Um, and we're moving at a unit.
(27:20):
We're all of them, we're playing at one. So I
just I just feel like we can we can all
be on the same page. We can, you know, try
and put up a dominant performance and trying to slow
down the Steelers. As Miles Jack joining us in the
Doug Gotlip Show here on Fox Sports Radio, Jacks win
the division ten and six, beat the beat the uh
the Buffalo Bills ten to three last week in Jacksonville.
Take on the Steelers on the road. Uh this this weekend. Um, okay,
(27:44):
So look, you're not blind effort, dumb right, you're a
bright guy. You know that people talk bad about the offense,
specifically the quarterback, and here you guys are on the
defense side. No one ever gives the defense and whatever
ever questions you guys defensively, what's that's that like though?
To when you have questions that could divide a locker room,
haven't divided yours? How do you internally? How do you
(28:07):
handle that? Um? We we just feel like, you know
the team is going so I mean often deeper and
special teams. We all just feel like if we all
chipped in and and do our part, maybe one game one Union,
maybe struggling. There were games with the defense struggling, with
the offense had to put up a bunch of points.
So I mean it goes vice versus and we just
(28:28):
feel like it's the offenses struggling, and it's it's all John,
you know, create better field positions, create even create points
on our home because it has a defense. You know,
one of the things that that you guys have done
in your front office is done is they went out
and they add they added some vets. You know. Calais
came in and we know about the start that he
had to see. Booyer came in, Barry Church came in.
(28:49):
What have those what have those old head those veterans done. Uh?
In terms of advice, what do they like to call on?
That's that's helped you guys get ready for this weekend's game.
Uh you know this. So just having those guys in
the locker room, man, it's it's definitely very beneficial. I
see White next to Berry Church, so his locks is
(29:10):
right next to mine, so I chop it up with
him all the time about anything music. Uh, you know,
I asked him about you know works it like playing
the playoffs games and stuff like that. In Kalis as well,
he's like encyclopedia and then with who Yeah, you know
he's a just um, he's he's a cool man. I
really asked him for like a lot of football trims
and stuff like that. So, um, all three of those
(29:31):
guys have very beneficial and you know, it's definitely great
having them in the huddle with man. No one asked
Barry about playing the playoffs. Cowboys never win any games
in the playoffs, like Barry, let me let me say,
this is a division around. This is a little big
during the playoffs and they're used to So if you're nervous,
come on over here and we'll talk about it. I
got you, uh Miles Jack joining us on the Doug
(29:57):
Gotli on the Doug Gotlip Show. You grew up a
fan of the NFL, Like have you as you said,
like you haven't really thought big picture of two games
away from the super Bowl if you thought of the
fact that like this is kind of I know it's
not all three Rivers, but still Steelers on the road,
bad weather, like you know, they're gonna try and run
it at you. This this feels this feels like it's
(30:18):
almost like you're going to be a part of what
feels like a historic football game. Right, this is kind
of old school. Have you ever have you closed your
eyes and thought on the road against the Steelers? This
is what here's the cliche, what it's supposed to be about. Absolutely,
that's kind of been I don't know, like not really
my motivation, but this what's kind of been, I don't know,
given me, you know, like a cool feeling to know that. Man,
(30:41):
I grew up watching the Steelers and in the in
the playoffs watching them, you know, playing those cold games
where you know you've seen guys breathing and then you
can see the break through the helmet, you know what
I mean as a little kids, So to know that,
you know pretty much this is this is gonna be
one of those types of games where, um, you know
it's gonna be one of those football games. Is gonna
be cold. Uh Like you said, they're gonna try to
(31:03):
win the ball to be very physical, So um yeah,
it's it's it's what football is. It's football weather, and
it's it's a football game. So I'm definitely excited, man,
I'm definitely excited. You should be, Um, is it? It
was it out of respect that the buffal that buffalo
didn't give it to Shady around they had six times
gold to go, they didn't give it to Shady one time.
(31:23):
I'm sure you were slobbering at the mouth, go and
give it to Shady. Give it to Shady. They didn't
do it one time. What was your reaction to the
fact that they threw it so much or Tyroders scramble
around back there instead of handling it, handing it to
Shady McCoy. I mean throughout the I mean when it
was happening, I didn't really realize. I mean obviously doing
the one and you're thinking, okay, there's the one, and
then as it goes on, ended up passing it. But
(31:45):
looking back on it, Um, Yeah, that's um. That's the
decision they made, and I'm cool with it. It all
worked out. I'm only up for three points instead of seven,
So yeah, I think it's a good call. Who's the
best Who's the best trash shocker? In your defense, the
best trash soccer is I say Telvin Smith and Zayla Lands,
(32:06):
those two. They got a lot to tell people about themselves.
So yeah, that big trash tal you ever you ever
find you ever hear jailing over your shoulder talking trash
and you start giggling like, man, come on, man, I'm
trying to concentrate here. Meanwhile you're talking trash. No. I mean,
I like it. I'm encouraged it. It's kind of cool,
like in between plays and him tell people, hoday night,
(32:27):
you know what I mean, here's gonna tell people about
what's going on to the game, you know what I mean.
So it's definitely cool. I like it, and he's backing
it up, so I support it. Miles Jack joining us
on the Doug Gotlip Show here on the Fox Sports Radio.
You get draft, of course, had the injury in college,
and everybody knew that that when healthy you had star potential.
But you go to a place to which they're like, man, man,
(32:50):
I'm telling you we're gonna win eventually. What's this been
like to be part of the turnaround in culture? Like,
it's a it's a you know, I mean, look at
how many years between playoff wins considering when you got drafted,
knowing you're going to the Jags to now, what's this
process been like, Um, yeah, that's funny. It's it's really
(33:11):
crazy to think kind of last year and year it's
really been like a dream, um and dream you don't
want to end. So I'm it's cool man. Um it's
ever been big. I think it's mostly big for the
fans man, because they've been waiting for so long. It's
just when you you know, when you talk to to
someone that's been a real jag while fan and really
going to those years where you know, every year they
(33:33):
think it is going to be a different year, and
finally that year comes around and they're just so excited.
I think it's cool you got a restaurant surround jack
So um, I think that's the biggest thing. Man, if
you can just see it in people's eyes, how much
it really means for the for the Jackson with jag
Wards to to finally be good last thing. Levy On
has that unique style to which he's super patient waiting
(33:55):
for a hole to kind of emerge, right. Sometimes don't
feel like he like stops the line of scream and
then and then finds the opening and then explodes. So
how do you handle that? Like, what's the what are
the keys. When Levian does get the ball, when he
goes into that kind of delay sort of style. Yeah, man,
it's that's really a art what he does. Man, it's
(34:16):
just the patient and the craft that he does it with.
But um, I think that the main thing is that
guys holding holding their weight, you know what I mean
against Pittsburgh's officsive line standing at gaps and just allowing
him to bounce. And if you see him about momay,
you're still staying a gap because if you go to
go to shape and finds a hit, be hold. So
(34:37):
it's really just holding holding down your anchor and maintaining
your gap. Yeah, gat little gap disciplined. Well listen, safe
travels to Pittsburgh. Appreciate you catching up with us. Best
of luck and well let's help this this dream season
for you continues. Appreciate you mean, our guest on Box
Sports Radio. Definitely, thank you, thank you for having all Right,
that's Miles Jack, talented young linebacker. Second your linebacker
This is the best of the Doug Gottlieb Show on
Fox Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America. Doug Gottlieb Show,
Fox Sports Radio, coming to you from the beautiful sunny
no longer rainy city of Angels. We got a great
show for you if you're listening on Sirius XM. First
two hours of the show on channel eighty three, Daniel
(00:23):
Jeremiah from the NFL Network will get you ready for
this weekend's Titanic clashes in both the NMC and a
f C. Second hour of the show, so an hour
and twenty from right now. Burgeoning star in the NBA,
Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns will be our guest.
Our new affiliate, I know in our three plus terrestrial stations.
We've got a big new affiliate in Phoenix. We'll talk
(00:45):
about the growth of the Suns, what it's been like
to have a midseason coaching change, and uh, how far
is the finish line in terms of taking this team
from complete rebuild to being a playoff team and then
a playoff and then a championship contender. We'll talk with
and Booker of the Phoenix Suns in the third and
final in our final out of the show. UM. Now,
(01:05):
if you don't get that when you're listening to us
on Sirius XM eight three, you can listen to us
on your I Heart radio Apple. Of course, you can
download the podcast. Miles Jack of the Jacksonville Jaguars will
join us, so too will Adam Archer let us CBS
NFL analyst, former of course stud defensive back with cards
and the Rams in the Nation Football League. So we'll
get you ready for this weekend the NFL, talk some
(01:26):
NBA and UM and then sprinkle around a bunch of
other stories in sports. We got some some interesting Lebron
retirement questions, maybe more so than retirement answers. But speaking
of Lebron and when he retires and how many points
he'll have and whatnot. Yet, yesterday or last night, Kevin
(01:47):
Durant scored his two thousandth point in the NBA. Well,
there's a lot of points, right, I mean, that is
a that is a that is a metric ton of points. Now,
the all time leading score in NBA history is Kareem
Abdul Jabbar. For reference, Kareem has three thirty eight thousand
(02:09):
seven points. Thirty eight thousand seven point did thirty eight thousand,
he had one three pointer in his career. By the way,
just I'll to make sure I put the point that
out of thirty nine years, aldi at one three pointer,
and the three pointer actually kind of leads me to
trying to contextualize whether it's Lebron or whether it's Kevin
(02:34):
Durant or any of these modern day players. There are
some there are many that believe Lebron will end his
career as the all time leading score in NBA history.
Now an average, on average, he scores in the points
a year variety. Over the past couple of years it's
been below two thousand, and the reason is he hasn't
(02:55):
played eighty two games. If he plays eighty two games,
he's gonna score two thousand points, logic. Logic would tell us.
And by the way, through forty games this year, he's
got over a thousand points. But he'll probably take some
games off. He'll probably end up around two thousand points
this year. So if he ends up at thirty thousand
and change this year and all he needs, how many
(03:16):
seasons does he need? Like this is the easiest math problem. Ever,
He just needs about four years left become the NBA's
all time scoring leader. It stands a reason he'll end
his career as an all time scoring leader. And what's
kind of remarkable. But Lebron is a couple of things. First,
for a guy who's probably doesn't pride himself most on scoring,
(03:36):
he's gonna end up the all time scoring leader, right, Like,
if we want to properly tell the story of the
tale of Lebron James, we have to say, like, look,
I don't even know if he loves scoring, but he's been.
He's the all time leading scored in NBA history. That's
kind of crazy. But if we also want to properly
contextualize it, he's made and forty forward three point shots
(04:01):
in his career, in other words, by the end of
his career, and of course last year he made the
second You know, I think he's made the second or
third most threes in his career. This year he's shooting
a high percentage, and he'll probably end up shooting the
most threes of his career. As you get older, you
move less, you usually shoot the basketball better shoot about
(04:24):
clip shot about two so far. So look, if you
just pro rate the stats, he'll end up within the
hundred and fifty variety of threes, fifty would far surpass
anything that he's made previously. If again, he plays at
the same number of minutes the same number of games,
maybe he ends up a hundred forty. That's still more.
(04:46):
The point is this, Lebron James has had to make
fewer baskets to score more points than Creem Abdul's bar,
and Lebron came straight at high school or as Kareem
abduls Bar played four years in college. The point is is,
if look, I get that Kevin Durant is a great player,
and I've said that Kevin Durant I believe has surpassed
(05:07):
Lebron James, Lebron gets credit as a great defensive player
when he's not nearly the defensive player he used to be.
Right like, by the time Lebron gets credit now for
his defensive acumen, his defense isn't nearly what it used
to be. On the same token, Lebron James gets criticized
because he's not that great a jump shooter. On the
(05:29):
other hand, his shooting has improved and so this reputation
but lies what the stats will actually tell you. So
what does work both ways? Look when I see Kevin
Duran scored points. I have told you I think he
kind of like Kareem abdul Jabar. There's a certain unguardable
quality to a seven foot jump shooter. Right, you can't
this shot, you can't block. Nobody blocks Kevin Durant's jump shot.
(05:53):
But we should again properly tell the tale that this
is a different era. More sessions, more shots, more points,
more three point shots, and more protecting jump shooters than
we've ever had in the past. Whereas big guys get
fewer touches. It's more physical, not less physical. And so
(06:14):
the office not only has the style of basketball change,
the volume of shots have changed. And so yeah, k
d may he may end up you know in the
thirty hundred, probably won't end up. Um, he went to
one year of college, did have the one year of injury.
And that's the other part about Lebron that's helped his stats.
He'll end up in the top five all time scores list.
(06:40):
But think of how the volume of threes that Kevin Duran. Now, No, look,
this is not any different than college football, right, college football,
now we count your bowl stats. Didn't do that before
college football. Now you play more games. Didn't do that
before college football. Now players play more as freshman. So
in addition to uh single game stats where the stats
(07:02):
are skewed because there's more, there's more plays because everyone's
running tempo offense and the style of offenses throw the
ball more. So now you have all time leading scores
and all time leaning passers, but and even all time
leading rushers. And you're like, well, wait, people don't run
the ball as much. This is true, but you run
more plays, more plays, softer rules that benefit the offense,
(07:27):
and you're playing more games, so you're single game and
single season and career stats will all be skewed towards
this generation. That the point is, it's really hard now
to compare stats from one generation to the next, because
not just the sports have changed, but the way in
which you value stats have changed. The easiest thing, obviously
(07:49):
to point to is four thousand yard pastors in the NFL, right,
And some of that is the the number of plays run.
A lot of that is the amount of physicality or
lack of physicality on wide receivers, and so it's changed
how we watch that. I'm not here to diminish Kevin
Durant stats or Lebron James being the all time ling
(08:10):
score simply here to point out a fact that guys
are the stats are a little fuzzy in comparison to
historic stats because kind of like steroids, only this in
a complete legal fashion. The current generation benefits greatly from
more plays and the type of offense and the type
(08:30):
of officiating that makes it a more offensive generated sport.
And it's not just in the NBA, It's in the NFL,
it's in college football. Heck, gets in almost every sport.
I mean really, it's even even going to be in baseball.
Right The changing of the strike zone and the changing
of how we view strikeouts is going to allow the
(08:51):
home run numbers to continue to spike, as well as
the fact that they moved in fences because they thought
that more home runs would attract more fans. And as
we told you before last year's playoffs when there were
a record number of home runs in the playoffs, it's
actually a lot duller watch than you think it would be.
You kind of wait, wait, strikeout walk, strikeout walk, strikeout walk.
(09:12):
There's not three two out, three run rallies like there
used to be. Nobody bunts, people don't move runners over
nearly as much you stand on base, if you get
on base and you wait for a big slugger to
come up and hit a home run, and so statistically
there's going to be a skewing that takes place now,
much like the skewing that took place during the during
(09:33):
the steroid era. It was just fascinating to me on
how we can't judge stats generation and generation because the
games have changed so dramatically, and because the people who
make the rules understand that. We struggle mentally to formulate
the idea that not all stats are the same. Lebron stats,
(09:54):
not the same as George's stats, not the same as
Kareem stats, not the same as wild stats. It's just different.
Be 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.
Some questions are planted questions right, some questions like wow,
that's a weird question, and some questions are just hey,
(10:15):
I've always been wondering. Here's the question asked Lebron James
about has he thought about retirement. Take a listen to
his answer. I've been this spotlight for half of my year,
maybe more of thirty three. Now this thing started when
I was three teens us, yeah, more eighteen years. I've
been in this just light right here. So I've already
exceeded everything that I've ever dreamed about something. At this point,
(10:35):
I'm just adding crazy talking on the cake like my
daughter would do it. So just all kind of stuff
on on the cake and whatever happens, and I feel great.
I don't feel thirty three. I don't feel like I
got I don't know. You guys know the minutes I've
played in my career. I don't know that. I don't
feel like I've been to these straight finals in a row.
I don't feel like I came in at eighteen and
I've played pretty much seventy days since I've been done
(10:58):
to the NBA. So let's keep it going. Yeah, So
it was he he blew off the question, and I
think it's fair, like, look, statistically, he's having an outstanding here.
I know they've been struggling recently. He's shooting like from
the floor, which is up there with his career highs
um He's shooting a career high from three. His shooting
numbers um, are as good or better than they've ever
(11:20):
been free throws. Even up at seventy he's averaging twenties
seventy game. Um, he's putting up great stats across the board.
It is hiding the fact that he's not the same defensively,
and that he's not the same at times in terms
of agility offensively. But he's learned about angles and he's
such just an incredible physical specimen. But I I do
buy the idea that I don't feel thirty three, although
(11:43):
thirty three in sports years, that's like, you know, I
got a birthday coming up. I don't feel my age.
I don't think anybody who takes care of themselves now
feels their age. Because we eat differently, we act differently,
we sleep differently, we have different vitamins that we can take,
and he obviously has taken care of his body at
a ridiculous level. UM. I think what's interesting about Lebron
(12:05):
is that it's he's the opposite of Kobe Bryant. Like
Kobe's whole thing was manly. He retires, what's Kobe gonna do?
Because Kobe he didn't really have anything else. Kobe lives
uh far removed from Lakerdom. Don't get me wrong, He's
still Kobe Bryant, and Kobe didn't have any other interest. Now,
(12:26):
what helped Kobe in terms of establishing some other interests
in business was he towards the Killy's tenant. He had
a lot of time while while he was rehabbing away
from basketball Lebron the phase two of Lebron or Lebron
two point or whatever. Five point oh. If you go
one point, I was Cleveland, and two point it was Miami,
and three point I was Cleveland, and four point oh
will be at the end of this year if he moves.
(12:48):
The five point oh is kind of already set, right,
He already has his Now he also is already able
to create kind of a business empire. I think the
the interest, the fascinating thing about Lebron James is going
to be um and this is where he could be
better or maybe just different than Jordan's. Like Jordan's, I
(13:09):
don't even consider the Wizards thing. Right. The Wizards thing
was he just came to do it to show he
could still do it, and he had those young guys
who he had drafted, and it was a team that
he was running and he just had the itch and
he wanted to go play some more ball. I really
feel like that even shouldn't be part of Like he
retired making a game winning jump shot in Utah, that
(13:31):
was the last we saw Jordan. I think on some
level new he couldn't mentally handle not being the go
to guy. He couldn't mentally handle playing a secondary or
tertiary role. Lebron's was interesting because I feel like he's
wired to where he can, like he's one of these
guys to which like as the game slows down he
(13:53):
becomes more of a traditional power forward or maybe even
maybe even late in his career, can he become like
a stretch five life. I think that's not crazy. But
in order to play that role, you're not going to
dominate the ball. You're gonna play off of other people.
And he's never played that way. Don't get me wrong,
Lebron has always been a really good passer, but it's
(14:14):
always been where he has the ball, he commands the
attention and people help and he makes the pass, not
not being the second or third option. Don't get Guys
get a chance to go iso ball and get a
chance to do their own thing. But it's kind of okay,
Lebron saying it's time to do our thing. So where
where Lebron could maybe best Jordan's bird obviously retired too soon,
(14:39):
Magic retired because of because of HIV is could he
play could he accept a secondary or tertiary role and
still be a star in that role? And if the
idea is hey, he's already got business interests set up,
it's already working, he already has the production comment, it's
already doing things. He already has. Pet P rejects that
(15:00):
he does, so why does he have to retire in
order to focus on other things? So it look, it's
probably premature to have the Lebron conversation, but it's not
that premature because at some point you go, you know, like,
there's a lot of travel, there's a lot of stuff.
My brand is already secure. He definitely wants to win
(15:21):
another championship before he'd even consider it. But thirty three,
when you start playing straight out of high school, is
an older thirty three, even if he feels like a
much younger thirty three. 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. You think, when you make it
(15:42):
this far in the playoffs, so where the divisional round? Right,
we're your two games away from playing for the super Bowl,
and so you think, like, all right, we're pretty set
with what we got. So you're set with Matt Ryan,
Tom Brady, you're set with like those are your quarterbacks.
You're good it um but I and and now Ben
(16:04):
Roethlisberger says this will not be his last. He has said, uh,
it's not gonna be my last game at Hines Field. Now,
maybe he thinks that the Titans are gonna upset the
the Newtad Patriots or some of this is Remember last
year he talked about retirement. But let's for a second
take him at his word and say, Ben Roethlisberger is
going to be back, all right. So now you've got
(16:25):
three of the eight teams remaining. And frankly, Tennessee Marcus
Mariota is their quarterback of the now is their quarterback
in the future. Now you got four. But then you
look around like the rest of the rest of it.
The Eagles know that Carson Wentz is their guy when
he returns. That's five. But maybe what's most interesting is
(16:45):
the three other teams, like the Minnesota Vikings got this
interesting thing here like that, Like, does anybody believe case
Keenum is the long term solution. I would say no,
But is Teddy Bridgewater to the long term solution? And
I don't know, Like I'm not sure Teddy Bridgewater was
a long term solution before he got hurt. Go back
(17:06):
and look at how they really limited um any sort
of exposure and real limited his play the playbook. Yes,
they hit the playoff game he played in, they should
have won against the Seattle Seahawks and their kicker blew
it right, but he didn't even throw it for two
hundred yards. Now, Vikings were playing outside at the time,
(17:29):
Like there's one. There's one of those ones, like not reported, right,
Remember Vikings spent two years playing outside when the new
Dome was ready, So you would think Teddy Bridgewater. But
Bridgewater's body type has always been one to which you
think he's exposed to injuries. Now, this was a non
contact injury they got, saying Bradford, But Bradford can't stay healthy.
They got Teddy Bridgewater, who has only been hurt once.
But it was a catastrophic knee injury and then they
(17:51):
have case Keenum, like you would think the Vikings are
set for the Vikings have a really interesting quarterback conundrum
in the upcoming off season. Then you have the Jaguars
with Blake Bortles, who no one thinks is the answer.
Like Bortles can can say haters gonna hate hate, hate,
hate hate, right, Like he can do his own, um,
(18:15):
what's her name? Why my why my blank? You on
her name? Guys, Taylor Swift. He can do his own
Taylor Swift thing. But the fact is that the Jacksonville Jaguars,
most people are like, you're gonna have to get a
different quarterback you want to win big there. And then
there's Drew Brees, who no, no, I'm not saying they're
gonna bench Drew Brees. But Drew Brees a free agent,
(18:37):
and you could get you could franchise tag him, but
that would severely harm your ability to go out and
get other free agents. And like, look at some point,
Drew Brees. Even this year, they've run the football some
because it's allowed them to keep their defense off the
football field and it's played to their strength, but some
of it because Drew Brees is not on the front
(18:57):
end of his careers on the back end of his career.
Maybe what's most fascinating about those three teams, all of
whom could very well advance, is that their quarterback situation
is very much in flux. In the upcoming offseason, be
sure to catch live editions of The Doug Gottlieb Show
weekdays at three p m. Eastern noon Pacific on Fox
(19:19):
Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. Let's welcome
in the leading score for the Phoenix Suns. He's only
twenty one years old. He's Devin Booker. He joins us
on the Doug Gottleap Show. Uh, Devin, let me just
kind of get your sense of where you think your
your team is. You've already had a coaching change mid season.
What's kind of the state of the Suns from your perspective? Honestly,
(19:41):
right now, you know, I think we're in a good spot,
you know, with a lot of young talent that is
getting better by the day. I think our last game
Verse Oklahoma City Dragon Bender Josh Jackson both had the
best game of their career. So we figured, you know,
the NBA is gonna play, you can come in day
one and you know, just be ready to go. UM.
(20:05):
So we have a lot of top picks, We have
a lot of assets with picks that you know, I
feel like we're in a good spot. Granted we're in
a really talented Western conference, um, but you know, we're
working to get better every day. It's interesting because Bender
is a guy that I think a lot of people
have just almost forgotten about nationally, and I'd like, ah,
he wasn't that good last year. He stinks, Let's move on.
(20:26):
He was the fourth pick and he's only twenty years old,
and he has had some spots. I mean, obviously the
Oklahoma City game he had twenty and played great. But
they've been some other times this year which he's he's
he's played well, what's your sense of where he is
in growth and and the things he's done to mature
to this point. I got playing it. You know, the
NBA is the thing that comes with Tom and Dragon
(20:47):
is one of those guys where you know, right off
the bat, I realized he had the i Q. You know,
he's been playing professional basketball since he's been fourteen fifteen
years old. UM, but it's an adjustment. You know, you've
been playing overseas your whole life. You come over to
the NBA, more fast placed game, more athletic people. Um.
But I think he's finally made that adjustment. Um, shooting
(21:09):
the ball really well. Now the game's slowing down for him.
And you know, I think, you know, he's in a
perfect spot. What about you, what's it like to have
guys coming at you now that you are the unquestioned
best player on the teams? Like it's different when the
scattered report has you as the first guy listed and
you are the guy that you want to shut down.
What's that experience been like for you? Honestly new experience. Um.
(21:31):
You know, I've been seeing a bunch of different kind
of deferences, um from double teams, traps, uh, two people
trying to deny me the ball. But you know, I
feel like we're doing a good job. Will put me
in different spots. You know, I've played a little bit
of plant guard this year. I've played off the ball some. Um,
So you know, it's a little bit harder. You know,
I've had to make a lot of adjustments and watch
(21:52):
a lot more film this year. But you know, like
I said, you know, it's all the process with our
young team. And like I said, you know, I feel
like it's gonn all come together. What when when should
turn right? Like you guys, uh tomorrow, you got Houston
coming in and obviously like look, the Oklahoma City game
was great, but that was that was following you know,
Denver and San Antonio blowouts, and so you have to
(22:14):
kind of keep your eye on, Hey, it's in the future.
It's about getting better now. It's not about winning every
game or getting to the playoffs. This is you're you're
saying the prices when when, What are your expectations on
when it should start to turn to when you're competitive
and fighting for at least a playoff spot. Honestly, hopefully
sooner than later. I think the Western Conference right now
(22:35):
was very top heavy with the teams that you know,
you know are gonna gonna be compete for the championship. Well,
I said at bottom half that ston range is up
for grabs, honestly, um, and I think it depends on us.
When are we gonna click When is it going to
be consistent for us? As I said, Oklahoma City was
(22:56):
our last game, that was probably our best game of
the year, and then you look at the two games
before that, probably some of our two worst games. So
I think for us is finding what works and being
consistent with it. Devin Devin Booker joining us on the
Doug Gottlieb Show. What What is it like though, to
lose this much? Right? Like when you're when you're as
(23:16):
good as you've been, and I know you've always been.
You know, you're young at Kentucky, but you guys want
a ton when you're Kentucky and in high school and
a you like, there may be a lot of games,
but you don't lose that much. What is it like
to go What is it like to go home sometimes
and you're like, man, we lost again? How does that
not beat up onundu mentally? Um? But you you know,
(23:37):
you have to find within yourself, you know, I know
me that that's what drives me. You know, sometimes I
can't sleep right over it. The next day I come
into practice and you know the practice of at a
whole new level. Um. But like I said, n b A,
you know, if it was a league where you could
drive four young guys that come in and play in
become playoffs in the first year, you know, it wouldn't
(23:59):
be the NBA. You know, as grown men out there,
you know we're playing against teams that have been together five, six,
seven plus years. You know that just had with each other.
Um so, and I think it's a thing that we're
going to develop on. We're working hard every day and
I feel like it's part of my job. Like I said,
to make it sooner than later. Lou Williams dropped fifty
last night on the Golden State Warriors. Give me a
(24:21):
guy who he's way better than you ever could have imagined.
You're like, man, I had no idea how good that
that dude is. Oh man. The list goes on in
the n b A. I grew up a fan of
the NBA, um but didn't realize that I got here.
Who would I have to say, um wow, somebody has
(24:44):
to have given it to you this year. We're like, damn,
he just gave it to me, and I can. I
we were shaking hands and started the game and I thought,
I'm gonna have a good night, and I did not.
I mean, you see him all the time, but you know,
James harden Um, you know, I know I'm matched up
with him a little bit this here, and you know
it's the NBA where you can play good defense. Three
straight possessions and get scored on three strict possessions. Uh,
(25:08):
just by them making tough shots. So, you know, I
think the way you know, James can pass the ball
with all the sugars he has around him and the
scoring ability, you know, I think he's one of the
toughest to guard in the NBA. Alright, last thing, I
got like thirty seconds left? Okay? Uh k D and
Lebron are probably gonna be drafting in the All Star
Game to split up the teams. Who would you be
(25:28):
more hurt by if they didn't draft you? Who'll be
more hurt Yeah? Like like like Katie like, w wait
you didn't pick me? Or is it Lebron? Like? Who
do you want to be picked by? Man? I honestly
don't even care. What are you cool if you're the
last pick? Like, uh yeah, we'll we'll, we'll We'll take
Booker of course the NBA All Star How many people
(25:50):
can say they've done that? Not not not not too many. Hey, Devin, listen,
thanks so much for joining us. Uh, we'll see, we'll see.
Best of luck tomorrow. You got James Harden tomorrow night,
we'll see how you do. We appreciate you being our
guest on Fox Sports Radio. Thank you thanks for having me.
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.
(26:13):
Let's catch up with Myles Jack of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Have you have you ever? Have you thought of it
yet in those terms? Um, honestly, you know, it's it's
definitely a bigger preach division. But at the end of
the day, you gotta look at what the funny and
what the front of us right now? All right, So
you've seen the Steelers before. How different are they now
(26:36):
from when you played them earlier in the year. Um,
I definitely said they definitely hit a stride. You know,
they got hot later on moving forward as the season
one on, they'd be better and better, and you know
what I mean, they ended up clinching the first round.
Buy So they definitely look good. Um, obviously they've had
some injuries and everything, but they look good at the team.
(26:58):
What was it last time that allowed you guys uh
to wreck creek havoc all over? Ben? What what was
it that you guys were doing that seemed to confuse
him or seemed to really bother him. Um, I really
just think execut you know, everybody was communicating, everybody was
on the same page. Um, and we're moving at a unit.
(27:20):
We're all of them, we're playing at one. So I
just I just feel like we can we can all
be on the same page. We can, you know, try
and put up a dominant performance and trying to slow
down the Steelers. As Miles Jack joining us in the
Doug Gotlip Show here on Fox Sports Radio, Jacks win
the division ten and six, beat the beat the uh
the Buffalo Bills ten to three last week in Jacksonville.
Take on the Steelers on the road. Uh this this weekend. Um, okay,
(27:44):
So look, you're not blind effort, dumb right, you're a
bright guy. You know that people talk bad about the offense,
specifically the quarterback, and here you guys are on the
defense side. No one ever gives the defense and whatever
ever questions you guys defensively, what's that's that like though?
To when you have questions that could divide a locker room,
haven't divided yours? How do you internally? How do you
(28:07):
handle that? Um? We we just feel like, you know
the team is going so I mean often deeper and
special teams. We all just feel like if we all
chipped in and and do our part, maybe one game one Union,
maybe struggling. There were games with the defense struggling, with
the offense had to put up a bunch of points.
So I mean it goes vice versus and we just
(28:28):
feel like it's the offenses struggling, and it's it's all John,
you know, create better field positions, create even create points
on our home because it has a defense. You know,
one of the things that that you guys have done
in your front office is done is they went out
and they add they added some vets. You know. Calais
came in and we know about the start that he
had to see. Booyer came in, Barry Church came in.
(28:49):
What have those what have those old head those veterans done. Uh?
In terms of advice, what do they like to call on?
That's that's helped you guys get ready for this weekend's game.
Uh you know this. So just having those guys in
the locker room, man, it's it's definitely very beneficial. I
see White next to Berry Church, so his locks is
(29:10):
right next to mine, so I chop it up with
him all the time about anything music. Uh, you know,
I asked him about you know works it like playing
the playoffs games and stuff like that. In Kalis as well,
he's like encyclopedia and then with who Yeah, you know
he's a just um, he's he's a cool man. I
really asked him for like a lot of football trims
and stuff like that. So, um, all three of those
(29:31):
guys have very beneficial and you know, it's definitely great
having them in the huddle with man. No one asked
Barry about playing the playoffs. Cowboys never win any games
in the playoffs, like Barry, let me let me say,
this is a division around. This is a little big
during the playoffs and they're used to So if you're nervous,
come on over here and we'll talk about it. I
got you, uh Miles Jack joining us on the Doug
(29:57):
Gotli on the Doug Gotlip Show. You grew up a
fan of the NFL, Like have you as you said,
like you haven't really thought big picture of two games
away from the super Bowl if you thought of the
fact that like this is kind of I know it's
not all three Rivers, but still Steelers on the road,
bad weather, like you know, they're gonna try and run
it at you. This this feels this feels like it's
(30:18):
almost like you're going to be a part of what
feels like a historic football game. Right, this is kind
of old school. Have you ever have you closed your
eyes and thought on the road against the Steelers? This
is what here's the cliche, what it's supposed to be about. Absolutely,
that's kind of been I don't know, like not really
my motivation, but this what's kind of been, I don't know,
given me, you know, like a cool feeling to know that. Man,
(30:41):
I grew up watching the Steelers and in the in
the playoffs watching them, you know, playing those cold games
where you know you've seen guys breathing and then you
can see the break through the helmet, you know what
I mean as a little kids, So to know that,
you know pretty much this is this is gonna be
one of those types of games where, um, you know
it's gonna be one of those football games. Is gonna
be cold. Uh Like you said, they're gonna try to
(31:03):
win the ball to be very physical, So um yeah,
it's it's it's what football is. It's football weather, and
it's it's a football game. So I'm definitely excited, man,
I'm definitely excited. You should be, Um, is it? It
was it out of respect that the buffal that buffalo
didn't give it to Shady around they had six times
gold to go, they didn't give it to Shady one time.
(31:23):
I'm sure you were slobbering at the mouth, go and
give it to Shady. Give it to Shady. They didn't
do it one time. What was your reaction to the
fact that they threw it so much or Tyroders scramble
around back there instead of handling it, handing it to
Shady McCoy. I mean throughout the I mean when it
was happening, I didn't really realize. I mean obviously doing
the one and you're thinking, okay, there's the one, and
then as it goes on, ended up passing it. But
(31:45):
looking back on it, Um, Yeah, that's um. That's the
decision they made, and I'm cool with it. It all
worked out. I'm only up for three points instead of seven,
So yeah, I think it's a good call. Who's the
best Who's the best trash shocker? In your defense, the
best trash soccer is I say Telvin Smith and Zayla Lands,
(32:06):
those two. They got a lot to tell people about themselves.
So yeah, that big trash tal you ever you ever
find you ever hear jailing over your shoulder talking trash
and you start giggling like, man, come on, man, I'm
trying to concentrate here. Meanwhile you're talking trash. No. I mean,
I like it. I'm encouraged it. It's kind of cool,
like in between plays and him tell people, hoday night,
(32:27):
you know what I mean, here's gonna tell people about
what's going on to the game, you know what I mean.
So it's definitely cool. I like it, and he's backing
it up, so I support it. Miles Jack joining us
on the Doug Gotlip Show here on the Fox Sports Radio.
You get draft, of course, had the injury in college,
and everybody knew that that when healthy you had star potential.
But you go to a place to which they're like, man, man,
(32:50):
I'm telling you we're gonna win eventually. What's this been
like to be part of the turnaround in culture? Like,
it's a it's a you know, I mean, look at
how many years between playoff wins considering when you got drafted,
knowing you're going to the Jags to now, what's this
process been like, Um, yeah, that's funny. It's it's really
(33:11):
crazy to think kind of last year and year it's
really been like a dream, um and dream you don't
want to end. So I'm it's cool man. Um it's
ever been big. I think it's mostly big for the
fans man, because they've been waiting for so long. It's
just when you you know, when you talk to to
someone that's been a real jag while fan and really
going to those years where you know, every year they
(33:33):
think it is going to be a different year, and
finally that year comes around and they're just so excited.
I think it's cool you got a restaurant surround jack
So um, I think that's the biggest thing. Man, if
you can just see it in people's eyes, how much
it really means for the for the Jackson with jag
Wards to to finally be good last thing. Levy On
has that unique style to which he's super patient waiting
(33:55):
for a hole to kind of emerge, right. Sometimes don't
feel like he like stops the line of scream and
then and then finds the opening and then explodes. So
how do you handle that? Like, what's the what are
the keys. When Levian does get the ball, when he
goes into that kind of delay sort of style. Yeah, man,
it's that's really a art what he does. Man, it's
(34:16):
just the patient and the craft that he does it with.
But um, I think that the main thing is that
guys holding holding their weight, you know what I mean
against Pittsburgh's officsive line standing at gaps and just allowing
him to bounce. And if you see him about momay,
you're still staying a gap because if you go to
go to shape and finds a hit, be hold. So
(34:37):
it's really just holding holding down your anchor and maintaining
your gap. Yeah, gat little gap disciplined. Well listen, safe
travels to Pittsburgh. Appreciate you catching up with us. Best
of luck and well let's help this this dream season
for you continues. Appreciate you mean, our guest on Box
Sports Radio. Definitely, thank you, thank you for having all Right,
that's Miles Jack, talented young linebacker. Second your linebacker
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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