June 20, 2018 • 31 mins
Dan Beyer and Jonas Knox fill in for Doug and discuss who's to blame in the fall out between Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs. They also point out what the NBA draft means for teams in today's league. Plus Rick Kamla from NBA TV joins the show to tell the guys what the Spurs should do with Kawhi Leonard this summer.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the best of the Dune Dot lea show
on sports radio Boom, and there's John Ramos on this
hump day on the days of the year right now,
more more daylight than ever before, right, I mean, was
it yesterday or today? Anyway, we hope to bring some
daylight to your life because we're worth you for the
next three hours getting you set for an NBA draft
(00:22):
that is tomorrow. And and just quickly at the top.
The NBA Draft just such a different feel nowadays that
then I remember it and just so we're gonna dive
in it. Just it's on the eve of the draft.
It's just the there's just a it's a different field
that I just remember growing up. Um. Yeah, because you
can't pronounce half the guy's name. That's that I think
that's that's part of the reason. Also, by the way,
(00:44):
it is hump day, Dan, as you mentioned, which means
every hump day, John Ramos smokes a pack of camels
in the studio. All right, all right, can we open
the door to the studio to get that gorgeous, beautiful
fresh air like just my first and talk it out man.
And the reason it's unique is because John usually smokes
(01:06):
pall malls with no filter on the six other days.
So today it's just a little different with the Camels.
Is John Ramos is here and that means there's gonna
be a John Ramo show. We can't pronounce the name
of Kauai Leonard and the Spurs forward is in the
news day in and day out because of his status
heading into the NFL or the NBA off season of
(01:29):
is he going to be a San Antonio Spur? Is
he going to be dealt? Well, we do know this.
Kauai Leonard reportedly met with Greg Popovitch last night in
San Diego and now there is even more talk Jonas
about Kawuai Leonard and is possibly leaving the Spurs organization
after this meeting. How bad is this whole situation? Like
(01:50):
how bad does it have to be? Because I was
thinking about this earlier. Greg Popovich just lost his wife.
He missed the last part of the playoffs because his
wife Eid, and Kauai Leonard you would think would maybe
have some sort of not not that it's totally tied
to it, but at least some sort of a well,
you know, he was pretty hard on me this year,
(02:11):
but clearly there was something else going on. You know,
maybe we shouldn't just get away from this organization altogether.
They were dealing with serious things, a serious situation, And
now that I know that, it kind of puts into
perspective what's happening there, and you kind of start to
understand what's really going on. The fact that he still
wants nothing to do with that organization from everything we've
(02:32):
seen and everything Popovich has been through just tells me
that this was either severed instantly when players started calling
him out like Tony Uh, Tony Parker and Mono Genobili,
or he was already leaning this way to begin with
with and it was just tilting over the edge. And
so sometimes not that this isn't real life because it's
Kawhi Leonard's job and the same thing with the San
(02:53):
Antonio Spurs, but sometimes real life ends up intervening and
you realize what what you had. You're maybe drawn back
to something with this situation that unfortunately Greg Popovich had
to go through. So I get what you're saying in
that in that situation there, that this is you know,
not even something like that can be you know, put
into the equation that there there seems to be so
(03:14):
much friction. I think now after everything that we've heard
over the last couple of weeks and even the last
couple of months, considering Boston apparently made an offer to
the San Antonio Spurs. The reason I think that the
meeting was big last night, Jonas, is because I feel
that the Spurs now have a full understanding of what
they need to do, because I don't think they ever
(03:36):
got it because you're in season, you're still trying to
win basketball games. The players are around, and there seems
to be no direct connection or contact between Kauai and
the Spurs. And we saw as recently as last offseason
that LaMarcus Aldridge wanted out of San Antonio. So what
ended up happening. Gregg Popovich had a meeting with with
(03:56):
LaMarcus aldred sat down and said, you know what, I
need to maybe change some things to allow Aldredge to
flourish in our sister. Yeah he did, and it worked out.
And now I think that these Spurs know exactly with
this meeting with Kawai Leonard about what they want to do.
They either know that he's gonna be back and maybe
there's something that they can do on their and to
alter things or know that there's no way that this
(04:18):
thing is going to be repaired. So we've got to
figure out our our best deal so now, and I
know Chris Mannix reported who you can hear Chris with
Karen Butler Sundays at New Eastern here in Fox Sports Radio,
saying that multiple teams have checked in on Kauai and
while they're not shopping him, they are now listening to
offers or they would listen to and offer it if
it was good enough. That's a little different story than
(04:41):
we heard with February with the Celtics, you know, reaching
out and the Spurs not wanting to do anything. If
the Spurs are listening, then I think the Spurs are
getting ready to do something. I know Ramona Shelburn had
a story that went up last night and said they're
not inclined to trade him, but if you'd like to
pass along and offer, you can go right ahead. So yeah, listen,
(05:02):
I'm not really I'm not really interested in uh and
hitting the open market. Dan. You know, I currently have
a girlfriend, But if you wanted to hit on me,
I mean maybe you know who knows she may piss
me off on my way there and hang up on me,
and that gives me a reason to cheat. Like this
is this appears to be Gregg Popovitch and it's no
coincidence that it's happening before the draft so they can
figure out if a draft uh, if a draft day
(05:23):
trade is possible with picks involved and whatnot. But yeah,
two years in a row Man LaMarcus Aldrich. He was
able to save it last minute. But it just it
makes me wonder whose fault this is, Not that there
has to be somebody's fault, but it does make me
wonder where did this all go wrong. I know people
are gonna say that Popovich is the constant in the
(05:45):
two situations, but I just I don't think that he is.
I don't think he's the problem. And while Coli may
not have been happy with the way that Papovich ended
up dealing with his injury in the first place, or
how the Spurs did handle the injury and then how
they dealt with in the the media, maybe Kauai wasn't happy.
Well we know Kauaii reportedly wasn't happy with what Tony
Parker Amanu Ginoboli had to say. But this is the
(06:08):
way that this is the way that the Spurs have
have done it, and this is the way, and and
I just look at I look at their their long
track of success of the twenty plus years, and if
Kauai Leonard is the outlier, no matter how great is
talent is, it seems to me that Kauai Leonard is
the problem. And it's not a Greg Popovitch problem. I
(06:30):
I put this all on Kauai and him wanting to
play somewhere else and him wanting I don't I know,
they may not have been happy with how they wanted
to treat the injury, but man, the Spurs have gone
through this rodeo before, and so that's why I just
think that Kauai Leonard is to blame in all of
this and not Greg Popovitch. It's a similar situation in
New England when Malcolm Butler, that whole incident happened at
(06:52):
the super Bowl where they didn't play him and nobody
could figure it out, and it was almost like everybody
afterwards was siding with Malcolm Butler. Oh, belichickly screwed this
one up. Belichick really butchered this. And I'm thinking, hold
on a second, this is a guy who routinely has
made the right decision over and over and over throughout
(07:12):
his coaching career. Historically, maybe nobody's made better decisions personnel
wise as a head coach and anybody in the history
of the NFL. But this time he screwed it off.
Like it just it seems a little far fetched. So
I do. I do think that to your point, Kawhi
Leonards seemingly and he does appear to be very sensitive. Um,
(07:34):
if you can tolerate that, that that's fine, but he
does appear to be very sensitive here. I will also
think that Gregg Popovich has done it his way and
this way for so long that maybe we've got to
look at this, take a step back and look big
picture and go this is the first time that he's
really had to deal with an in his prime superstar
(07:57):
who's got legitimate options outside of San Antonio. I mean,
Tony Parker and Monto Genoble and Tim Duncan were so
loyal to Popovich that they weren't gonna go anywhere, So
he's never really had to deal with that. And now
in back to back cases after they were able to
land Lad Marcus Ald, which he's now got another in
his prime superstar who maybe wants to sort of navigate
(08:18):
other waters and go around. And I wonder if he's
just not used to having to deal with this, because
he's used to guys that are so loyal and veteran
players that no matter what, we're always going to stick around. Yeah. Yeah,
And I know, like if you if you're Greg Popovitch
and you think of this is the way that we've
done it, some may say and that you're looking at
(08:40):
Greg and it's a new NBA, this is this is
the different type adapter die Bro. I just don't. I
don't believe that, especially from a guy who has been
with USA basketball, who is who is it's this isn't
the first star that he's had to coach. How many
stars of the NBA has Gregg Popovich coming contact with?
(09:00):
How many stars in the NBA have said that they
wanted to play for Greg Popovitch. I mean, we're putting
Lebron James in San Antonio not because of the stupid riverwalk,
but it's only an option because Gregg Popovich is there.
So that's why I don't think like this is this
is a Kauai issue. This is a Kauai getting his
feeling certain not liking this and not like leading that.
And you said because of the leverage of a superstar
(09:22):
with his contract coming near an end, he's in a
situation that no other player has been. But that again
is on Kauai. That's not on how Greg Papovitch has
done things. Kawai has been in their system long enough
anyway to know how things have gone enough now things
are starting to change. That seems to me like a
Kauai problem. Just because the Spurs aren't as great as
they once were and aren't dominating the Western Conference like
(09:44):
they did for so long, doesn't mean that the game
has pass Greg Papovitch bayer that the Papovich is wrong.
This is on Kawuai. Leonard shoulders for how he responded
and where he wants to go now. And there is
something to his teammates calling him out in public, though
there and where did that dire to have come from
and had to have come from Popovitch. I don't think
that that Genoble and Tony Parker would go rogue and
(10:05):
just start calling out I'll say this, if you're Monto
Genoble and you don't know from year to year and
when you're gonna play next If you're the same thing
with Parker, how many years they have left. I don't
want the best player on the team to play knowing like, hey,
I may not win another championship, I may not get back.
We need this guy. I don't think Gregg Popovich has
to go to Tony Parker, Romano Genobol. I think those
(10:26):
guys are saying, hey, this could be my last rodeo.
I'd love it if our best player was here and
not sitting out for his own interest and instead of
being the team because I've got my interests, I'd love
to get back to an NBA finals or Western Conference finals.
I think Parker and man who said it themselves just
because of because of their stature as well. They I mean,
they're such a fixture of the organization and they've got
some they've got some money in the game as well
(10:48):
of wanting to get a title. So I don't think
pop urged them to say it. I think those guys,
just because of who they are, spoke out about Kauai.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Doug Gottlieb
Show weekdays at three p m. E s. The noon
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app.
You can always listen to the show on the I
Heart Radio app and check it out on Syrias Sex
M channel eighty three. We're checking out what's happening in
(11:10):
the NBA drafted so much more A good friend from
NBA TV and ninty two point nine the game in Atlanta.
Rick Camlin joins us a day before the selection process. Hello, Rick,
Dana Jonah is happy NBA draft Eve. You guys excited
as excited as I am. And we had a we
had a trade right when I woke up this morning. Gosh,
Dwight Hallard and now a member of the Brooklyn Nets.
(11:31):
How about there will be I guess come July six.
But um, yeah, quite quite a career arc for Dwight Howard. Yeah,
I mean it's it's look when Atlanta traded him to
Charlotte for like Bell and Ellie and you know all this,
it was like, WHOA Dwight Howard's trade value has plummeted
that much? Yep, And it's plummeted even farther. Uh team
(11:53):
of a moscov who I don't believe has appeared in
a game, uh since his days in Cleveland. Did he
even play with the Lakers? Uh, was shipped to Brooklyn
and the D'Angelo Russell trade. Now he shipped to Charlotte.
He's got one of the worst contracts in the NBA.
But what Brooklyn has done, they've freed up a lot
of money in twenties. They're gonna have to max slots available. Uh.
(12:15):
You know, two entice big time players if they want
to go play for the Brooklyn Nets and Uh, look,
it's just an indication that Dwight Howard has virtually no
trade value left in the NBA. Rick hand La NBA
TV with us here on Fox Sports Radio, Dan Buyer
Jonas Knox in for Doug gottlieb Rick Best guess, how
does this Kawhi Leonards situation pan out? Um? I think
(12:35):
he goes to uh to the team that is going
to present the Spurs with the best package. I think
the team that if they want Kawhi Leonard could present
the Spurs with the best packages the Boston Celtics. And
that doesn't meet Kawhi leonards goals of going to l
A as we've heard the reports on and he favors
the Lakers more than the Clippers. I get that. Gregg
(12:55):
Popovitch gets that, our CBU for the the GM of
the Spurs gets that. But if I'm the Spurs and
you just took your ball and went home, and it's
all about you and your people in your camp, and
it's all about this this quad injury that didn't even
require surgery keeping you out the whole season, why am
I gonna do right by you? You just completely left
me hanging out to dry ruined you know, I didn't
(13:17):
see the Spurs going that far, but ruined the playoff run.
Why am I gonna do right by you? I'm doing
right by me. I'm gonna send you to the team
that sends me the best package back. Uh. And I
think that's gonna be the Boston Celtics. UM and and guys,
I haven't analyzed it to the point of it'll be
exactly this guy, this guy, and this guy. But it
could be you know, Hayward Rosier and a pick. It
(13:37):
could be Marcus Smart Rosier and Jalen Brown. Um, you
could go on and on and on. We all love
and a door, the young talented pieces on that Boston
roster and what it would do if they swing a
deal with Boston again, if Danny Angel the Celtics want
to do it. Um, if you get say Rosier and
Smart and Jalen Brown and that made that asking price
may be too high. But if you get that in
(13:58):
San Antonio doesn't have the bottom Mountain rebuild, that they
would still be a legitimate team with those guys. Rick
Cavil of NBA TV joining us here on Fox Sports Radio,
He's Jonas Knocks. I'm Dan Buyer and for Doug gottlie
Today on The Doug Gottlieb Show, we were just discussing
blame because we were talking about do you blame the Spurs?
Do you blame Tony Parker, Mounto Genoble and Greg papovitch Er,
(14:20):
do you blame Kawhi Leonard for how this played out?
Who do you put the blame on? As this situation
stands where it is great question. I blame it on
Kawhi Leonard, and I blame it on Kawhi Leonard's people.
I blame it on the agent change that Kawhi Leonard made.
I am familiar with his previous agent. I'll be honest,
I'm more than familiar. I'm a buddy of his. But
(14:40):
this has nothing to do with some allegiance and some bias,
but I have I think that his previous agent UM
had him round. It had him centered on what matters
in life, and that's working your butt off and making
money and winning games. I think this new agent has
Kauai thinking about other stuff and in getting up in
his feelings and having to be more about him rather
(15:01):
than it being more about the Spurs or the team
that he is on. Uh So, so I think that's
an issue. I think the people around Kawhi Leonard are
giving him bad advice UM. And I think Kawhi Leonard
is an influenceable guy. I think he is willing to
listen to some people who maybe have a louder voice
than him and follow that direction. UM. I put to
blame on Kawhi Leonard and his people zero percent of
(15:21):
the blame on the Spurs. So, you know, because it
it almost felt to me and Rick ham l MBA
TV with this year on Fox Sports Radio, but it
almost felt like this is the first time like Popovich's
guys Genoblee, Parker, Tim Duncan are so loyal that I
don't think Popovich has ever had to really deal with
this sort of diva is for lack of a better term.
(15:43):
So do you think there's any blame at all in
Popovitch having those guys call out Kawhi Leonard about the
injury and what went on last year? Like Tony Parker,
a man of Genobli did well. Another great question. I
don't think pop had those ballplayers do anything. I think
Tony Parker was asked question, and Tony Parker answered a question.
And Tony Parker and a quad injury. You guys remember
(16:04):
that was devastating and significant. I believe the tendon ripped
from the bone, all that kind of stuff. Uh, Kawhi
Leonard never had to have surgery, Okay, And it's just
unconscionable for a pro ball player as good as Kawhi
Leonard is well conditioned as Kawhi Leonard to miss an
entire season with a quad injury that did not require surgery.
So I think that's what bothered Tony Parker. Has probably
(16:25):
bothered a lot of the grizzled championship vets on that team,
um and and so I think that's what's up with that.
In terms of the Gregg Popovich, you know, did he
want him to return from injury. I think I've probably
said this on your show. I'll say it again. There's
no coach in the NBA that is more cautious and
conservative with the health of his players than Gregg Popovitch. None,
not one. He always differs and errors on the side
(16:48):
of keeping a guy out too long to make sure
he's totally right when he comes back. So that is
a focus. Take a bogus narrative if you if it
ever comes up. Rick Hamba joining us here on Fox
Sports Radio talking Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs and also
talking NBA Draft. One name intrigues you the most tomorrow.
I don't mean to make it such a general question,
but we know Trey Young from college basketball. But Trey
(17:12):
Young is in there amongst a bunch of other names
like Marvin Vagley, who we know from Duke, and a
Mo Bamba from Texas. The most intriguing name that we're
gonna see picked early tomorrow. Who do you think it is?
Mo Bamba? Um? Because Mo Bamba was unable to well
and he wasn't ready for prime time with Texas. His
offensive game was really limited. He showed a willingness to shoot,
(17:33):
which I liked, but the shot wasn't there. Now the
shot is there. I don't know if you guys have
seen the video. Go to my personal Twitter account at
NBA TV, Rick Uh. You know there's a lot of
stuff out there, but scroll down and you will see
a recent video put out by UH by Mo Bamba's
people and get it like there's no defense being played.
He's loaning the gym. I get all that kind of stuff.
What I want you to focus on is the goose neck.
(17:55):
The release the guys seven one with a seven ten
wings fan. He is a Greek of nature when it
comes to athleticism and just his body type. And if
you add a legitimate um hinge goose neck jump shot
to that, we could be talking about the second coming
of Joel Embiid. I think you know. The reports are
that the Hawks are kind of locked in on Luca
don Chech at number three. I don't agree with that.
(18:17):
I would be taking Mobamba at number three if I
were the Hawks, assuming according to the reports that the
Kings are kind of locked in on Marvin Bagley, Rick Campbell,
NBA TV with us here on Fox Sports Radio. Last
one for me, Rick, people you've talked to UH, you're
pretty connected. What's the latest on Lebron James. Does anybody
have a have a lead in the Lebron sweepstakes? Does
he stay in Cleveland? What are you Aaron? I mean,
(18:39):
I've got to be careful about this because I I
don't know what's I'll just give you my opinion, um
and and my my hot take of the day. Uh
and it's it's not a hot take at all. I mean,
it's sort of been out there in the universe and
the ethers for a couple of years now, and it's
Lebron James going to the Purple and Gold to play
for Magic Johnson and the Lakers. No guarantees, no promises.
(19:02):
That's the way I'm feeling right now. And now that
docs are starting to connect, right you have Chris Paul
saying that that Lebron isn't really feeling Houston, that he
prefers to go to l A Well, last I checked,
Chris Paul and Lebron James are great friends, dear friends,
brothers from another mother. Uh So I think that's another
pretty good indication. I mean, I really think that the
(19:23):
Laker fans should be should be pretty excited about the
possibility of Lebron coming there. Um. I don't want to
use words like likely or probably. Um, it's still all
up in the air. But but that's my take right now.
I think Lebron James maybe going to l A. You know,
it's amazing. I think back to when Brett Farven the
Packers were having a standoff, and I'll just wrap up
with this, where there were there was news coming from
(19:44):
the Packers side of things, the team side of things,
and then there were news coming from five side. So
the agents and the team using insiders in sports media
for their own purpose. That's what I'm doing with Lebron now,
and I'm doing with Paul George, like when I hear
Paul jo may stick around with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now,
I'm just trying to vet okay, who's reporting what, because
(20:05):
I think that's the actually only way that we can
kind of just get a feel of what's happening. I
think that those who say that Lebron is going to
go back to Cleveland may just be the people have
the calves most sentious. I don't know what you guys,
are you viewing it, but that's how I'm starting to
I'm with you. I'm you know, I need to know
the source. Uh. Well, you know, people put out reports
(20:26):
paray source blankety blankety blank, and they don't say who
that source actually is because they can't. You gotta protect
your source. But what you but you can consider where
it's from. Like if somebody from Cavaliers dot com, what
kind of report that Lebron James? You know what I'm saying? Yeah, exactly, come.
You know I so I totally agree with you on that.
And in terms of Paul George and the okay see thing. Um,
(20:48):
you know I I don't have a good read on that.
I you know it. It has kind of seemed like
the writings on the wall that that would be a
one and done year for him there um, and that
still could be the case. He could come back on
a one plus one as been reported. Who knows. Man.
That's uh, that's why we're all gonna have our popcorn
sit down on July one. Wait to see where these
guys make agreements to go. Should be amazing. You can
(21:09):
see him on NBA TV. Draft is tomorrow here m
in Atlanta the game, Rick Camela. Find him on Twitter
at NBA TV. Rec appreciate it, right, we'll talk to
you soon. Al right, guys, enjoy the draft piece. 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. There are
some teams that are really good at the NBA Draft.
(21:32):
One of those the Golden State Warriors. NBA Commissioner Adam
Silver was on ESPN Radio today and was addressing the
Kevin Durant rumors, the Kevin Durant stories on Kevin Durant
going to the Golden State Warriors, and guys, if we
don't have it, it's cool because I've got it in
(21:53):
front of me here. But Adam Silver was kind of
attacking the the essence of how Kevin Durant going to
the Warriors ruined the NBA. This was Adam Silver on
ESPN Radio earlier. The twenty other teams, you know that
they're the biggest complainers in terms of the fact that
to these two teams have met four times in a row,
and so they're ultimately collectively, our thirty teams are in
(22:14):
charge of what system we have together with the players.
And by the way, the players want to win two.
I mean, it's not just owners. The players on twenty.
Other teams want a system that allows every player, regardless
of where they get drafted or where they get traded
or where they signed, to be able to compete for championships.
And that's what you want. So there's there's Adam Silver
talking about the teams are trying to compete. The issue
(22:36):
that he brings up is that they don't want to.
They don't want to make fake parody. I guess in
a way, Jonas of of taking a Kevin Durant away
from a team, like you don't want to penalize the
Warriors for drafting well and saying like you can't get
free agents because you drafted well and trying to come
up rules to make that. They don't want to do that.
(22:57):
The toughest part that that I see with this is
the Warriors drafted well and they can now get free agents,
and not every team in the NBA can do that.
Like some we just talked about teams earlier, there are
certain teams that just aren't going to get free agents.
And that's what I think made it so different, so
so tough is because maybe maybe free agents are going
(23:19):
to go to Oklahoma City, and in that gap is
where where Kevin Durant left, and I think that's maybe
what Adam silver Is is trying to to to go
out of here is they can't they can't trade, they
can't do anything to the Warriors. I guess what I'm
trying to say. But what made it so tough for
the other teams is other teams maybe don't have the
advantages that the Warriors have in free agents. Um, if
you think that the Golden State Warriors have some now
(23:40):
ruined the NBA. You're a child, Okay, you're a little kid.
You're a toddler. When I've said this before, when I
was younger, my parents didn't have a lot of money.
We were poor, and so I remember getting like kind
of upset when I would see other kids with like
nice things or cars and stuff like that. I'm still
walking around in thrift store clothes and all that, and
I would get I would kind of bother me a
little bit. Then the older I got, the more I said,
(24:02):
you know what, good for them, they got the money,
spend it. You want another car, go buy another car.
And and part of the reason why I changed my
tune on that is because well, I'm not a little kidneymore.
These people complaining that the Warriors have Kevin Durant. It's
like telling somebody, hey, you already have a nice house.
You can't have a They can't have a nice car too,
can't have both of them. They built this organization and
(24:24):
this team and this roster primarily through the draft players
that were available for other people to draft, and they didn't.
You don't like it, tough balls. They went out and
signed one free agent and they're better than you at this.
So the crying about, well it's not fair and Golden
States ruined it for the league, that's crap. Those players
were available for anybody to have. You didn't pull the
(24:47):
trigger and make the move and and and and take
those picks. That's your problem. And this this whole we've
got to like they're talking about not only a hard
cap now and uh and trying to create a better
playoff system, like because of the Warriors, they're now talking
about redoing how the how the playoffs work and in
(25:08):
different conferences, and it's got to go. Come on, man,
just acknowledge they're better than you at this. You don't
like it, figure it out and beat them. Period. The
when you look at how the NBA is and you're
trying to figure out the big three, and we see
teams tanking all the time, and this isn't anything new.
And if if you've heard me, if you've you've heard
others say it as well, guaranteeing top picks in the
(25:30):
top three picks in three consecutive drafts does not bring
you the big three that you want. You can just
look at the Lakers with Brandon Ingram and in D'Angelo Russell,
Alonzo Ball and the guys that they took early in
the draft tank. Russell isn't even there anymore. So there's
there's no guarantee with that. It's good, Like we'll look
back in time and say, man, what a run with
(25:52):
the Golden State Warriors. But when you're in the midst
of it, I mean, it's you know, it's stuff. I
think that the finals as well also played a role,
because we forget how close Houston was to actually knocking
off Golden State. Like we we forget about that. We
just see the dominance, but really we're like, Okay, one
team really did close the gap, and if their veteran
point guard was healthy, that gap, like you know, very
(26:13):
well could have been closed. Period. And and so we
end up losing that. I don't I don't, I don't hate.
I got sick of the Warriors because of everybody jumping
on their their fan base. And I did not like
Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City and going to Golden State.
But I can't appreciate of them taking Steph Curry when
teams didn't, you know, like Clays Minnesota Draymond Green was
(26:36):
the second round pig. You know, they even even getting
Jordan Bell last year in the draft of of making
those moves. And you know, Andrea Gadalas came into his
own leg almost fell off at Staple Center. Nobody wanted him. Yeah,
And I don't think that Steve Kirr gets enough credit
as well, because everybody thinks anybody could could coach that team. Well,
(26:56):
I know he was out and they continued to to
to roll, But I also I think it's like a
a a mantra, a mentality that that he was able
to bring along from Popovich and from Jackson, and and
it's just you can't you can't duplicate what they did
because of how many places they've hit the jackpot, whether
it be with Kerr, whether it be with those draft
(27:18):
picks that they made, and then within free agency it's
it's it's really like the Triple Crown. And it's the
same thing to your point where you said, people forget
how close they were to losing Game seven in Houston.
Same on the Eastern Conference. Everyone says, well, Lebron has
been dominating this conference for so long, we're tired of it.
We need somebody new it. Just okay, you you understand
(27:39):
that in that Game seven, had Boston's backcourt not gone
three of a thousand from the field, the Celtics win
that game. I mean, like like those two games those
we were we were a third quarter and a couple
of threes away from having Celtics Rockets in the finals.
And none of this is a conversation, but everyone just
(28:00):
wants to label the all were sick and tired of
the Warriors, like who you would never do that in
any other walk of life. You wouldn't. You wouldn't look
at somebody and say, oh my god, you've already got
you've already got one car, you really need another one.
It's not your money, don't worry about it. Like you
would never punish somebody for that. But now we're trying
to punish the Golden State Warriors for figuring it out
(28:22):
when other people didn't. Sorry, you you have options here.
You can tank if you want, go right ahead. There's
no guarantees you can go out and pursue big time
free agents. Fine, play your cards that way. There's no guarantees.
They've figured out something that's worked. It's worked several years
in a row. If you don't like it, figure out
(28:42):
a way to beat it. Stop crying. Do you think
the NFL would be better if the Patriots didn't make
these Super Bowls over the last let's just say, three
or four years. I I look at it as like
if you would have put Jacksonville or Pittsburgh in the
you know, any of the whether it be last year
or whatever. I don't think that. I mean, it's almost
(29:06):
because New England lost at least this this past year,
and and maybe how they came back against the Falcons.
I think that the the NFL wouldn't have been as
good without them in the Super Bowl. Well, and also
the Patriots Golden States figured out a formula, right. Their
formula was they looked at their roster, this is what works. Um,
we add Kevin Durant, we get better. They figured out
(29:26):
a formula and everyone else is trying to figure out
that formula. You know what the New England formula is.
And this is just a fact. You play in the
a f C East, so you're gonna get a minimum
of five wins extra. Okay, So there's five extra wins
on top of whatever you do outside the division. And
then because you pile up and stack up wins in
the division, you're most certainly going to get at least
(29:47):
a first round by So you play one less game
than everybody else, and you're probably gonna end up with
home field advantage. So the only road game you have
in the playoffs is a neutral site game in the
Super Bowl. You can say, well, that's not fair, they're
play in a bad division. Or you can say, hey,
that formulas worked pretty good from fifteen to twenty years,
so why should we complain about it? Like if you don't,
(30:08):
if you see that that's working, go and do it too,
Like it's the blueprint is there. You just need to
figure it out and and and and make that part
of your whatever route that you want to take to
get to a title. Just the crying about it's not fair,
and we need to make it even stop. Go earn
the evenness. Don't don't bitch about it. I'm not a
fan of I'm not a fan of the Golden State Warriors,
(30:30):
and and as I said, I didn't like when Durant
ended up going there. But I also look as a
fan of a team that I feel, you know, you
have to cash in on your draft picks, and the
Bucks did that with johannessynthetic Gumpo. But they also made
a good trade with Chris Middleton with the Pistons to
bring him in. So there are other ways, you know,
for for teams to do that. And if if you would, hey,
if another team is looking to dump salary and they've
(30:52):
got a you know, a better piece, maybe you can
bring them in. So so I get that, and I
look at the NBA Finals, I wasn't sick of the Warriors.
Almost rather have just not had the Calves in there
this year. Warriors were fine because I felt that they
were one of the top two teams, but at least
Boston I think would have given Golden State a better match.
And here's the other thing. The Warriors made two ballsy moves.
One of them gets talked about a lot. They won
(31:13):
fifty games, and they fired Mark Jackson because they felt
like there was a better option out there. They also
traded away Monta Ellis, who was their best player for
a long time on that team, and that was a
move that was ripped by a lot of people. Why
are you trading this guy away? Because they felt like
they had something in Steph Curry and they could maximize
his potential without Monta Ellis there. Nobody talks about that move,
(31:35):
Nobody brings that up, like those are two ballsy moves
they made. They gambled on it and they hit, but
now they're being punished because they hit. It makes no sense.
This is the best of the Dune Dot lea show
on sports radio Boom, and there's John Ramos on this
hump day on the days of the year right now,
more more daylight than ever before, right, I mean, was
it yesterday or today? Anyway, we hope to bring some
daylight to your life because we're worth you for the
next three hours getting you set for an NBA draft
(00:22):
that is tomorrow. And and just quickly at the top.
The NBA Draft just such a different feel nowadays that
then I remember it and just so we're gonna dive
in it. Just it's on the eve of the draft.
It's just the there's just a it's a different field
that I just remember growing up. Um. Yeah, because you
can't pronounce half the guy's name. That's that I think
that's that's part of the reason. Also, by the way,
(00:44):
it is hump day, Dan, as you mentioned, which means
every hump day, John Ramos smokes a pack of camels
in the studio. All right, all right, can we open
the door to the studio to get that gorgeous, beautiful
fresh air like just my first and talk it out man.
And the reason it's unique is because John usually smokes
(01:06):
pall malls with no filter on the six other days.
So today it's just a little different with the Camels.
Is John Ramos is here and that means there's gonna
be a John Ramo show. We can't pronounce the name
of Kauai Leonard and the Spurs forward is in the
news day in and day out because of his status
heading into the NFL or the NBA off season of
(01:29):
is he going to be a San Antonio Spur? Is
he going to be dealt? Well, we do know this.
Kauai Leonard reportedly met with Greg Popovitch last night in
San Diego and now there is even more talk Jonas
about Kawuai Leonard and is possibly leaving the Spurs organization
after this meeting. How bad is this whole situation? Like
(01:50):
how bad does it have to be? Because I was
thinking about this earlier. Greg Popovich just lost his wife.
He missed the last part of the playoffs because his
wife Eid, and Kauai Leonard you would think would maybe
have some sort of not not that it's totally tied
to it, but at least some sort of a well,
you know, he was pretty hard on me this year,
(02:11):
but clearly there was something else going on. You know,
maybe we shouldn't just get away from this organization altogether.
They were dealing with serious things, a serious situation, And
now that I know that, it kind of puts into
perspective what's happening there, and you kind of start to
understand what's really going on. The fact that he still
wants nothing to do with that organization from everything we've
(02:32):
seen and everything Popovich has been through just tells me
that this was either severed instantly when players started calling
him out like Tony Uh, Tony Parker and Mono Genobili,
or he was already leaning this way to begin with
with and it was just tilting over the edge. And
so sometimes not that this isn't real life because it's
Kawhi Leonard's job and the same thing with the San
(02:53):
Antonio Spurs, but sometimes real life ends up intervening and
you realize what what you had. You're maybe drawn back
to something with this situation that unfortunately Greg Popovich had
to go through. So I get what you're saying in
that in that situation there, that this is you know,
not even something like that can be you know, put
into the equation that there there seems to be so
(03:14):
much friction. I think now after everything that we've heard
over the last couple of weeks and even the last
couple of months, considering Boston apparently made an offer to
the San Antonio Spurs. The reason I think that the
meeting was big last night, Jonas, is because I feel
that the Spurs now have a full understanding of what
they need to do, because I don't think they ever
(03:36):
got it because you're in season, you're still trying to
win basketball games. The players are around, and there seems
to be no direct connection or contact between Kauai and
the Spurs. And we saw as recently as last offseason
that LaMarcus Aldridge wanted out of San Antonio. So what
ended up happening. Gregg Popovich had a meeting with with
(03:56):
LaMarcus aldred sat down and said, you know what, I
need to maybe change some things to allow Aldredge to
flourish in our sister. Yeah he did, and it worked out.
And now I think that these Spurs know exactly with
this meeting with Kawai Leonard about what they want to do.
They either know that he's gonna be back and maybe
there's something that they can do on their and to
alter things or know that there's no way that this
(04:18):
thing is going to be repaired. So we've got to
figure out our our best deal so now, and I
know Chris Mannix reported who you can hear Chris with
Karen Butler Sundays at New Eastern here in Fox Sports Radio,
saying that multiple teams have checked in on Kauai and
while they're not shopping him, they are now listening to
offers or they would listen to and offer it if
it was good enough. That's a little different story than
(04:41):
we heard with February with the Celtics, you know, reaching
out and the Spurs not wanting to do anything. If
the Spurs are listening, then I think the Spurs are
getting ready to do something. I know Ramona Shelburn had
a story that went up last night and said they're
not inclined to trade him, but if you'd like to
pass along and offer, you can go right ahead. So yeah, listen,
(05:02):
I'm not really I'm not really interested in uh and
hitting the open market. Dan. You know, I currently have
a girlfriend, But if you wanted to hit on me,
I mean maybe you know who knows she may piss
me off on my way there and hang up on me,
and that gives me a reason to cheat. Like this
is this appears to be Gregg Popovitch and it's no
coincidence that it's happening before the draft so they can
figure out if a draft uh, if a draft day
(05:23):
trade is possible with picks involved and whatnot. But yeah,
two years in a row Man LaMarcus Aldrich. He was
able to save it last minute. But it just it
makes me wonder whose fault this is, Not that there
has to be somebody's fault, but it does make me
wonder where did this all go wrong. I know people
are gonna say that Popovich is the constant in the
(05:45):
two situations, but I just I don't think that he is.
I don't think he's the problem. And while Coli may
not have been happy with the way that Papovich ended
up dealing with his injury in the first place, or
how the Spurs did handle the injury and then how
they dealt with in the the media, maybe Kauai wasn't happy.
Well we know Kauaii reportedly wasn't happy with what Tony
Parker Amanu Ginoboli had to say. But this is the
(06:08):
way that this is the way that the Spurs have
have done it, and this is the way, and and
I just look at I look at their their long
track of success of the twenty plus years, and if
Kauai Leonard is the outlier, no matter how great is
talent is, it seems to me that Kauai Leonard is
the problem. And it's not a Greg Popovitch problem. I
(06:30):
I put this all on Kauai and him wanting to
play somewhere else and him wanting I don't I know,
they may not have been happy with how they wanted
to treat the injury, but man, the Spurs have gone
through this rodeo before, and so that's why I just
think that Kauai Leonard is to blame in all of
this and not Greg Popovitch. It's a similar situation in
New England when Malcolm Butler, that whole incident happened at
(06:52):
the super Bowl where they didn't play him and nobody
could figure it out, and it was almost like everybody
afterwards was siding with Malcolm Butler. Oh, belichickly screwed this
one up. Belichick really butchered this. And I'm thinking, hold
on a second, this is a guy who routinely has
made the right decision over and over and over throughout
(07:12):
his coaching career. Historically, maybe nobody's made better decisions personnel
wise as a head coach and anybody in the history
of the NFL. But this time he screwed it off.
Like it just it seems a little far fetched. So
I do. I do think that to your point, Kawhi
Leonards seemingly and he does appear to be very sensitive. Um,
(07:34):
if you can tolerate that, that that's fine, but he
does appear to be very sensitive here. I will also
think that Gregg Popovich has done it his way and
this way for so long that maybe we've got to
look at this, take a step back and look big
picture and go this is the first time that he's
really had to deal with an in his prime superstar
(07:57):
who's got legitimate options outside of San Antonio. I mean,
Tony Parker and Monto Genoble and Tim Duncan were so
loyal to Popovich that they weren't gonna go anywhere, So
he's never really had to deal with that. And now
in back to back cases after they were able to
land Lad Marcus Ald, which he's now got another in
his prime superstar who maybe wants to sort of navigate
(08:18):
other waters and go around. And I wonder if he's
just not used to having to deal with this, because
he's used to guys that are so loyal and veteran
players that no matter what, we're always going to stick around. Yeah. Yeah,
And I know, like if you if you're Greg Popovitch
and you think of this is the way that we've
done it, some may say and that you're looking at
(08:40):
Greg and it's a new NBA, this is this is
the different type adapter die Bro. I just don't. I
don't believe that, especially from a guy who has been
with USA basketball, who is who is it's this isn't
the first star that he's had to coach. How many
stars of the NBA has Gregg Popovich coming contact with?
(09:00):
How many stars in the NBA have said that they
wanted to play for Greg Popovitch. I mean, we're putting
Lebron James in San Antonio not because of the stupid riverwalk,
but it's only an option because Gregg Popovich is there.
So that's why I don't think like this is this
is a Kauai issue. This is a Kauai getting his
feeling certain not liking this and not like leading that.
And you said because of the leverage of a superstar
(09:22):
with his contract coming near an end, he's in a
situation that no other player has been. But that again
is on Kauai. That's not on how Greg Papovitch has
done things. Kawai has been in their system long enough
anyway to know how things have gone enough now things
are starting to change. That seems to me like a
Kauai problem. Just because the Spurs aren't as great as
they once were and aren't dominating the Western Conference like
(09:44):
they did for so long, doesn't mean that the game
has pass Greg Papovitch bayer that the Papovich is wrong.
This is on Kawuai. Leonard shoulders for how he responded
and where he wants to go now. And there is
something to his teammates calling him out in public, though
there and where did that dire to have come from
and had to have come from Popovitch. I don't think
that that Genoble and Tony Parker would go rogue and
(10:05):
just start calling out I'll say this, if you're Monto
Genoble and you don't know from year to year and
when you're gonna play next If you're the same thing
with Parker, how many years they have left. I don't
want the best player on the team to play knowing like, hey,
I may not win another championship, I may not get back.
We need this guy. I don't think Gregg Popovich has
to go to Tony Parker, Romano Genobol. I think those
(10:26):
guys are saying, hey, this could be my last rodeo.
I'd love it if our best player was here and
not sitting out for his own interest and instead of
being the team because I've got my interests, I'd love
to get back to an NBA finals or Western Conference finals.
I think Parker and man who said it themselves just
because of because of their stature as well. They I mean,
they're such a fixture of the organization and they've got
some they've got some money in the game as well
(10:48):
of wanting to get a title. So I don't think
pop urged them to say it. I think those guys,
just because of who they are, spoke out about Kauai.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Doug Gottlieb
Show weekdays at three p m. E s. The noon
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app.
You can always listen to the show on the I
Heart Radio app and check it out on Syrias Sex
M channel eighty three. We're checking out what's happening in
(11:10):
the NBA drafted so much more A good friend from
NBA TV and ninty two point nine the game in Atlanta.
Rick Camlin joins us a day before the selection process. Hello, Rick,
Dana Jonah is happy NBA draft Eve. You guys excited
as excited as I am. And we had a we
had a trade right when I woke up this morning. Gosh,
Dwight Hallard and now a member of the Brooklyn Nets.
(11:31):
How about there will be I guess come July six.
But um, yeah, quite quite a career arc for Dwight Howard. Yeah,
I mean it's it's look when Atlanta traded him to
Charlotte for like Bell and Ellie and you know all this,
it was like, WHOA Dwight Howard's trade value has plummeted
that much? Yep, And it's plummeted even farther. Uh team
(11:53):
of a moscov who I don't believe has appeared in
a game, uh since his days in Cleveland. Did he
even play with the Lakers? Uh, was shipped to Brooklyn
and the D'Angelo Russell trade. Now he shipped to Charlotte.
He's got one of the worst contracts in the NBA.
But what Brooklyn has done, they've freed up a lot
of money in twenties. They're gonna have to max slots available. Uh.
(12:15):
You know, two entice big time players if they want
to go play for the Brooklyn Nets and Uh, look,
it's just an indication that Dwight Howard has virtually no
trade value left in the NBA. Rick hand La NBA
TV with us here on Fox Sports Radio, Dan Buyer
Jonas Knox in for Doug gottlieb Rick Best guess, how
does this Kawhi Leonards situation pan out? Um? I think
(12:35):
he goes to uh to the team that is going
to present the Spurs with the best package. I think
the team that if they want Kawhi Leonard could present
the Spurs with the best packages the Boston Celtics. And
that doesn't meet Kawhi leonards goals of going to l
A as we've heard the reports on and he favors
the Lakers more than the Clippers. I get that. Gregg
(12:55):
Popovitch gets that, our CBU for the the GM of
the Spurs gets that. But if I'm the Spurs and
you just took your ball and went home, and it's
all about you and your people in your camp, and
it's all about this this quad injury that didn't even
require surgery keeping you out the whole season, why am
I gonna do right by you? You just completely left
me hanging out to dry ruined you know, I didn't
(13:17):
see the Spurs going that far, but ruined the playoff run.
Why am I gonna do right by you? I'm doing
right by me. I'm gonna send you to the team
that sends me the best package back. Uh. And I
think that's gonna be the Boston Celtics. UM and and guys,
I haven't analyzed it to the point of it'll be
exactly this guy, this guy, and this guy. But it
could be you know, Hayward Rosier and a pick. It
(13:37):
could be Marcus Smart Rosier and Jalen Brown. Um, you
could go on and on and on. We all love
and a door, the young talented pieces on that Boston
roster and what it would do if they swing a
deal with Boston again, if Danny Angel the Celtics want
to do it. Um, if you get say Rosier and
Smart and Jalen Brown and that made that asking price
may be too high. But if you get that in
(13:58):
San Antonio doesn't have the bottom Mountain rebuild, that they
would still be a legitimate team with those guys. Rick
Cavil of NBA TV joining us here on Fox Sports Radio,
He's Jonas Knocks. I'm Dan Buyer and for Doug gottlie
Today on The Doug Gottlieb Show, we were just discussing
blame because we were talking about do you blame the Spurs?
Do you blame Tony Parker, Mounto Genoble and Greg papovitch Er,
(14:20):
do you blame Kawhi Leonard for how this played out?
Who do you put the blame on? As this situation
stands where it is great question. I blame it on
Kawhi Leonard, and I blame it on Kawhi Leonard's people.
I blame it on the agent change that Kawhi Leonard made.
I am familiar with his previous agent. I'll be honest,
I'm more than familiar. I'm a buddy of his. But
(14:40):
this has nothing to do with some allegiance and some bias,
but I have I think that his previous agent UM
had him round. It had him centered on what matters
in life, and that's working your butt off and making
money and winning games. I think this new agent has
Kauai thinking about other stuff and in getting up in
his feelings and having to be more about him rather
(15:01):
than it being more about the Spurs or the team
that he is on. Uh So, so I think that's
an issue. I think the people around Kawhi Leonard are
giving him bad advice UM. And I think Kawhi Leonard
is an influenceable guy. I think he is willing to
listen to some people who maybe have a louder voice
than him and follow that direction. UM. I put to
blame on Kawhi Leonard and his people zero percent of
(15:21):
the blame on the Spurs. So, you know, because it
it almost felt to me and Rick ham l MBA
TV with this year on Fox Sports Radio, but it
almost felt like this is the first time like Popovich's
guys Genoblee, Parker, Tim Duncan are so loyal that I
don't think Popovich has ever had to really deal with
this sort of diva is for lack of a better term.
(15:43):
So do you think there's any blame at all in
Popovitch having those guys call out Kawhi Leonard about the
injury and what went on last year? Like Tony Parker,
a man of Genobli did well. Another great question. I
don't think pop had those ballplayers do anything. I think
Tony Parker was asked question, and Tony Parker answered a question.
And Tony Parker and a quad injury. You guys remember
(16:04):
that was devastating and significant. I believe the tendon ripped
from the bone, all that kind of stuff. Uh, Kawhi
Leonard never had to have surgery, Okay, And it's just
unconscionable for a pro ball player as good as Kawhi
Leonard is well conditioned as Kawhi Leonard to miss an
entire season with a quad injury that did not require surgery.
So I think that's what bothered Tony Parker. Has probably
(16:25):
bothered a lot of the grizzled championship vets on that team,
um and and so I think that's what's up with that.
In terms of the Gregg Popovich, you know, did he
want him to return from injury. I think I've probably
said this on your show. I'll say it again. There's
no coach in the NBA that is more cautious and
conservative with the health of his players than Gregg Popovitch. None,
not one. He always differs and errors on the side
(16:48):
of keeping a guy out too long to make sure
he's totally right when he comes back. So that is
a focus. Take a bogus narrative if you if it
ever comes up. Rick Hamba joining us here on Fox
Sports Radio talking Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs and also
talking NBA Draft. One name intrigues you the most tomorrow.
I don't mean to make it such a general question,
but we know Trey Young from college basketball. But Trey
(17:12):
Young is in there amongst a bunch of other names
like Marvin Vagley, who we know from Duke, and a
Mo Bamba from Texas. The most intriguing name that we're
gonna see picked early tomorrow. Who do you think it is?
Mo Bamba? Um? Because Mo Bamba was unable to well
and he wasn't ready for prime time with Texas. His
offensive game was really limited. He showed a willingness to shoot,
(17:33):
which I liked, but the shot wasn't there. Now the
shot is there. I don't know if you guys have
seen the video. Go to my personal Twitter account at
NBA TV, Rick Uh. You know there's a lot of
stuff out there, but scroll down and you will see
a recent video put out by UH by Mo Bamba's
people and get it like there's no defense being played.
He's loaning the gym. I get all that kind of stuff.
What I want you to focus on is the goose neck.
(17:55):
The release the guys seven one with a seven ten
wings fan. He is a Greek of nature when it
comes to athleticism and just his body type. And if
you add a legitimate um hinge goose neck jump shot
to that, we could be talking about the second coming
of Joel Embiid. I think you know. The reports are
that the Hawks are kind of locked in on Luca
don Chech at number three. I don't agree with that.
(18:17):
I would be taking Mobamba at number three if I
were the Hawks, assuming according to the reports that the
Kings are kind of locked in on Marvin Bagley, Rick Campbell,
NBA TV with us here on Fox Sports Radio. Last
one for me, Rick, people you've talked to UH, you're
pretty connected. What's the latest on Lebron James. Does anybody
have a have a lead in the Lebron sweepstakes? Does
he stay in Cleveland? What are you Aaron? I mean,
(18:39):
I've got to be careful about this because I I
don't know what's I'll just give you my opinion, um
and and my my hot take of the day. Uh
and it's it's not a hot take at all. I mean,
it's sort of been out there in the universe and
the ethers for a couple of years now, and it's
Lebron James going to the Purple and Gold to play
for Magic Johnson and the Lakers. No guarantees, no promises.
(19:02):
That's the way I'm feeling right now. And now that
docs are starting to connect, right you have Chris Paul
saying that that Lebron isn't really feeling Houston, that he
prefers to go to l A Well, last I checked,
Chris Paul and Lebron James are great friends, dear friends,
brothers from another mother. Uh So I think that's another
pretty good indication. I mean, I really think that the
(19:23):
Laker fans should be should be pretty excited about the
possibility of Lebron coming there. Um. I don't want to
use words like likely or probably. Um, it's still all
up in the air. But but that's my take right now.
I think Lebron James maybe going to l A. You know,
it's amazing. I think back to when Brett Farven the
Packers were having a standoff, and I'll just wrap up
with this, where there were there was news coming from
(19:44):
the Packers side of things, the team side of things,
and then there were news coming from five side. So
the agents and the team using insiders in sports media
for their own purpose. That's what I'm doing with Lebron now,
and I'm doing with Paul George, like when I hear
Paul jo may stick around with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now,
I'm just trying to vet okay, who's reporting what, because
(20:05):
I think that's the actually only way that we can
kind of just get a feel of what's happening. I
think that those who say that Lebron is going to
go back to Cleveland may just be the people have
the calves most sentious. I don't know what you guys,
are you viewing it, but that's how I'm starting to
I'm with you. I'm you know, I need to know
the source. Uh. Well, you know, people put out reports
(20:26):
paray source blankety blankety blank, and they don't say who
that source actually is because they can't. You gotta protect
your source. But what you but you can consider where
it's from. Like if somebody from Cavaliers dot com, what
kind of report that Lebron James? You know what I'm saying? Yeah, exactly, come.
You know I so I totally agree with you on that.
And in terms of Paul George and the okay see thing. Um,
(20:48):
you know I I don't have a good read on that.
I you know it. It has kind of seemed like
the writings on the wall that that would be a
one and done year for him there um, and that
still could be the case. He could come back on
a one plus one as been reported. Who knows. Man.
That's uh, that's why we're all gonna have our popcorn
sit down on July one. Wait to see where these
guys make agreements to go. Should be amazing. You can
(21:09):
see him on NBA TV. Draft is tomorrow here m
in Atlanta the game, Rick Camela. Find him on Twitter
at NBA TV. Rec appreciate it, right, we'll talk to
you soon. Al right, guys, enjoy the draft piece. 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. There are
some teams that are really good at the NBA Draft.
(21:32):
One of those the Golden State Warriors. NBA Commissioner Adam
Silver was on ESPN Radio today and was addressing the
Kevin Durant rumors, the Kevin Durant stories on Kevin Durant
going to the Golden State Warriors, and guys, if we
don't have it, it's cool because I've got it in
(21:53):
front of me here. But Adam Silver was kind of
attacking the the essence of how Kevin Durant going to
the Warriors ruined the NBA. This was Adam Silver on
ESPN Radio earlier. The twenty other teams, you know that
they're the biggest complainers in terms of the fact that
to these two teams have met four times in a row,
and so they're ultimately collectively, our thirty teams are in
(22:14):
charge of what system we have together with the players.
And by the way, the players want to win two.
I mean, it's not just owners. The players on twenty.
Other teams want a system that allows every player, regardless
of where they get drafted or where they get traded
or where they signed, to be able to compete for championships.
And that's what you want. So there's there's Adam Silver
talking about the teams are trying to compete. The issue
(22:36):
that he brings up is that they don't want to.
They don't want to make fake parody. I guess in
a way, Jonas of of taking a Kevin Durant away
from a team, like you don't want to penalize the
Warriors for drafting well and saying like you can't get
free agents because you drafted well and trying to come
up rules to make that. They don't want to do that.
(22:57):
The toughest part that that I see with this is
the Warriors drafted well and they can now get free agents,
and not every team in the NBA can do that.
Like some we just talked about teams earlier, there are
certain teams that just aren't going to get free agents.
And that's what I think made it so different, so
so tough is because maybe maybe free agents are going
(23:19):
to go to Oklahoma City, and in that gap is
where where Kevin Durant left, and I think that's maybe
what Adam silver Is is trying to to to go
out of here is they can't they can't trade, they
can't do anything to the Warriors. I guess what I'm
trying to say. But what made it so tough for
the other teams is other teams maybe don't have the
advantages that the Warriors have in free agents. Um, if
you think that the Golden State Warriors have some now
(23:40):
ruined the NBA. You're a child, Okay, you're a little kid.
You're a toddler. When I've said this before, when I
was younger, my parents didn't have a lot of money.
We were poor, and so I remember getting like kind
of upset when I would see other kids with like
nice things or cars and stuff like that. I'm still
walking around in thrift store clothes and all that, and
I would get I would kind of bother me a
little bit. Then the older I got, the more I said,
(24:02):
you know what, good for them, they got the money,
spend it. You want another car, go buy another car.
And and part of the reason why I changed my
tune on that is because well, I'm not a little kidneymore.
These people complaining that the Warriors have Kevin Durant. It's
like telling somebody, hey, you already have a nice house.
You can't have a They can't have a nice car too,
can't have both of them. They built this organization and
(24:24):
this team and this roster primarily through the draft players
that were available for other people to draft, and they didn't.
You don't like it, tough balls. They went out and
signed one free agent and they're better than you at this.
So the crying about, well it's not fair and Golden
States ruined it for the league, that's crap. Those players
were available for anybody to have. You didn't pull the
(24:47):
trigger and make the move and and and and take
those picks. That's your problem. And this this whole we've
got to like they're talking about not only a hard
cap now and uh and trying to create a better
playoff system, like because of the Warriors, they're now talking
about redoing how the how the playoffs work and in
(25:08):
different conferences, and it's got to go. Come on, man,
just acknowledge they're better than you at this. You don't
like it, figure it out and beat them. Period. The
when you look at how the NBA is and you're
trying to figure out the big three, and we see
teams tanking all the time, and this isn't anything new.
And if if you've heard me, if you've you've heard
others say it as well, guaranteeing top picks in the
(25:30):
top three picks in three consecutive drafts does not bring
you the big three that you want. You can just
look at the Lakers with Brandon Ingram and in D'Angelo Russell,
Alonzo Ball and the guys that they took early in
the draft tank. Russell isn't even there anymore. So there's
there's no guarantee with that. It's good, Like we'll look
back in time and say, man, what a run with
(25:52):
the Golden State Warriors. But when you're in the midst
of it, I mean, it's you know, it's stuff. I
think that the finals as well also played a role,
because we forget how close Houston was to actually knocking
off Golden State. Like we we forget about that. We
just see the dominance, but really we're like, Okay, one
team really did close the gap, and if their veteran
point guard was healthy, that gap, like you know, very
(26:13):
well could have been closed. Period. And and so we
end up losing that. I don't I don't, I don't hate.
I got sick of the Warriors because of everybody jumping
on their their fan base. And I did not like
Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City and going to Golden State.
But I can't appreciate of them taking Steph Curry when
teams didn't, you know, like Clays Minnesota Draymond Green was
(26:36):
the second round pig. You know, they even even getting
Jordan Bell last year in the draft of of making
those moves. And you know, Andrea Gadalas came into his
own leg almost fell off at Staple Center. Nobody wanted him. Yeah,
And I don't think that Steve Kirr gets enough credit
as well, because everybody thinks anybody could could coach that team. Well,
(26:56):
I know he was out and they continued to to
to roll, But I also I think it's like a
a a mantra, a mentality that that he was able
to bring along from Popovich and from Jackson, and and
it's just you can't you can't duplicate what they did
because of how many places they've hit the jackpot, whether
it be with Kerr, whether it be with those draft
(27:18):
picks that they made, and then within free agency it's
it's it's really like the Triple Crown. And it's the
same thing to your point where you said, people forget
how close they were to losing Game seven in Houston.
Same on the Eastern Conference. Everyone says, well, Lebron has
been dominating this conference for so long, we're tired of it.
We need somebody new it. Just okay, you you understand
(27:39):
that in that Game seven, had Boston's backcourt not gone
three of a thousand from the field, the Celtics win
that game. I mean, like like those two games those
we were we were a third quarter and a couple
of threes away from having Celtics Rockets in the finals.
And none of this is a conversation, but everyone just
(28:00):
wants to label the all were sick and tired of
the Warriors, like who you would never do that in
any other walk of life. You wouldn't. You wouldn't look
at somebody and say, oh my god, you've already got
you've already got one car, you really need another one.
It's not your money, don't worry about it. Like you
would never punish somebody for that. But now we're trying
to punish the Golden State Warriors for figuring it out
(28:22):
when other people didn't. Sorry, you you have options here.
You can tank if you want, go right ahead. There's
no guarantees you can go out and pursue big time
free agents. Fine, play your cards that way. There's no guarantees.
They've figured out something that's worked. It's worked several years
in a row. If you don't like it, figure out
(28:42):
a way to beat it. Stop crying. Do you think
the NFL would be better if the Patriots didn't make
these Super Bowls over the last let's just say, three
or four years. I I look at it as like
if you would have put Jacksonville or Pittsburgh in the
you know, any of the whether it be last year
or whatever. I don't think that. I mean, it's almost
(29:06):
because New England lost at least this this past year,
and and maybe how they came back against the Falcons.
I think that the the NFL wouldn't have been as
good without them in the Super Bowl. Well, and also
the Patriots Golden States figured out a formula, right. Their
formula was they looked at their roster, this is what works. Um,
we add Kevin Durant, we get better. They figured out
(29:26):
a formula and everyone else is trying to figure out
that formula. You know what the New England formula is.
And this is just a fact. You play in the
a f C East, so you're gonna get a minimum
of five wins extra. Okay, So there's five extra wins
on top of whatever you do outside the division. And
then because you pile up and stack up wins in
the division, you're most certainly going to get at least
(29:47):
a first round by So you play one less game
than everybody else, and you're probably gonna end up with
home field advantage. So the only road game you have
in the playoffs is a neutral site game in the
Super Bowl. You can say, well, that's not fair, they're
play in a bad division. Or you can say, hey,
that formulas worked pretty good from fifteen to twenty years,
so why should we complain about it? Like if you don't,
(30:08):
if you see that that's working, go and do it too,
Like it's the blueprint is there. You just need to
figure it out and and and and make that part
of your whatever route that you want to take to
get to a title. Just the crying about it's not fair,
and we need to make it even stop. Go earn
the evenness. Don't don't bitch about it. I'm not a
fan of I'm not a fan of the Golden State Warriors,
(30:30):
and and as I said, I didn't like when Durant
ended up going there. But I also look as a
fan of a team that I feel, you know, you
have to cash in on your draft picks, and the
Bucks did that with johannessynthetic Gumpo. But they also made
a good trade with Chris Middleton with the Pistons to
bring him in. So there are other ways, you know,
for for teams to do that. And if if you would, hey,
if another team is looking to dump salary and they've
(30:52):
got a you know, a better piece, maybe you can
bring them in. So so I get that, and I
look at the NBA Finals, I wasn't sick of the Warriors.
Almost rather have just not had the Calves in there
this year. Warriors were fine because I felt that they
were one of the top two teams, but at least
Boston I think would have given Golden State a better match.
And here's the other thing. The Warriors made two ballsy moves.
One of them gets talked about a lot. They won
(31:13):
fifty games, and they fired Mark Jackson because they felt
like there was a better option out there. They also
traded away Monta Ellis, who was their best player for
a long time on that team, and that was a
move that was ripped by a lot of people. Why
are you trading this guy away? Because they felt like
they had something in Steph Curry and they could maximize
his potential without Monta Ellis there. Nobody talks about that move,
(31:35):
Nobody brings that up, like those are two ballsy moves
they made. They gambled on it and they hit, but
now they're being punished because they hit. It makes no sense.
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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