The Best of The Doug Gottlieb Show

Doug Gottlieb is joined by Eric Snow, TJ Houshmandzadeh, and Julian Edlow on today's edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
from three to six pm Eastern Time, that's twelve to
three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio by your local station
for the Doug gottlib Show at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the I Heart
Radio app by searching fs R. This is the best

(00:21):
of the Doug Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio. This
is great to have Eric Snow on because we were
talking about that Sixers team and how in many ways
it some it mirrored um the Heat team this year. Right,
we've seen this in these guys just Junkyard Dog Defenders
with one guy who gets to take all the shots. Anyway,

(00:43):
Eric Snow he also hosts Believe in U seventy six
Ers podcast. Of course, he was on that NBA Finals
team with the seventy six ers that played against the Lakers.
That's when, of course Tyler got stepped over by Alan
Iverson Eric Snow joins Eric, how are you? I'm you
don't good? Good? Good? To catch up. Um, let's let's
start with the do you like as a guy who

(01:06):
actually played in this league. As a guy who's been
through the wars, played in the NBA final, like self
made player, do you get caught up in the all
time rankings that you see so many in the media
throughout there. No, I don't. I mean I think that
is it's good to kind of have, you know, the
quote unquote barbershop conversations that you know people in backyard talk. Um.

(01:30):
But I don't. I don't put any meaning into it.
I just think there's a lot of great players, a
lot of terrific players, and and the whole ranking thing,
um is to me is the irrelevant. I mean, it
really does. It makes no sense that really doesn't have
anything to do with um guys playing. Uh uh, you
you're you're you're preaching to the choir here. Let's let's

(01:52):
get to let's get to the warriors. Um. Obviously the
style is so different from anybody plays in the NBA.
But as a guy who was an unbelievable defender and leader, Uh,
what are your thoughts on Steph Curry and this thought
that he has to win a finals m v P
to solidify maybe not rankings, but his stature as one

(02:16):
of the all time grades. Um, I don't I don't
think he has to do that. I mean, I think
that the people that are making that comment, it's obviously
whomever they're comparing him to probably have already done that,
so it's a need for them to kind of validate
their feelings. Well, I think that's just more of an
individual people looking to validate themselves. Um. I think what

(02:40):
he's done for the game of basketball in the way
he's played, Um, he has a legacy of his own,
and to me, is about creating the legacy of your own.
And he's done that. Um. He's been very successful and
continues to be successful. So I think he's done more
than enough. He's a top seventy five player of all time.
He's the first Batlet Hall of Famer, So I don't
think that he needs to do anything go from to

(03:01):
get a crow fee to determine his legacy anymore. How
do you think they match up with the Celtics. I
think it, Man, It's interesting. I think I've seen a
lot of people that just think that it's maybe they
just you know, go by the odds and think that
it's they're just going to roll. I think the Celtics
match up really well personally. Um, if you look, they

(03:24):
have you know, two guys that can score the ball
main UM, their main guys. UM. They have terrific role
players to fit their role and play it well. UM.
They can match them with size, they can go bigger,
they can go smaller. UM. And and they they're they're deaf,
isn't They don't go deep into their bench. But their
top seven UM, I think can go go ahead to

(03:45):
head with anybody. UM. Golden State UM obviously is a
really good team. But if you look to me, if
you look one through seven, I don't see much of
a difference. I just think that you know, they have
that you know, the gist, they have, that championship, you know,
players that have been there. So it's really the inexperience

(04:06):
with Boston that in the younger players that people are
looking at. But if you're looking for me from a
talent standpoint, one through seven, I don't see that much
of a difference. What about the level of fatigue they've
played at something like games and fifty two days they
had to play you know, game six and game seven. UM.
In regards to the level of fatigue, how much do

(04:27):
you think and they're only playing they played seven guys
that they'll play Prettchard, I'm sure earlier in this series.
How how much do you believe fatigue will play a
factor in the finals. Um. I would say when I
was playing, I think it would matter more, UM, But
now I think it matters maybe during the game, but
but not really because they have so many days off

(04:50):
in between. I mean, they play, you know, I believe
they play. You know, they played Thursday. They don't play
a game to Sunday. So I think the days in
between kind of of helps with that, um. Whereas in
the past, you kind of you know, those games were
coming to me faster. But those gaps, I mean, you
can heal, you get two days off, You're not going

(05:11):
to practice very much. So it's just two days off
for three days off to play one game. I think
that the teams right now can manage it for what's
at stake. Okay, let's the Celtics were a team that
they were below five hundred January. One January. You gotta
give credit to Emay, but you also, I think give
some credit to Marcus Martyhood. He called out his teammates.

(05:32):
But what is it like you cover this league? You
played in it, you know it what changed from your
perspective about the Celtics that's allowed them to be so
so successful here in the postseason. I think some of
it was there. I think what Emay was kind of preaching,
he was probably preaching that. I'm sure he was preaching
that from the beginning, and you know Marcus kind of

(05:52):
calling them out publicly shoved. But I think when all
things kind of fell in place when when when they
started winning and then they started saying, oh, this formally,
it does work. So I think when they started winning
and it continued to improve, UM, you have guy's kind
of buy in and kind of take part in continuing
that path. But the winning helped. I mean, you know,

(06:15):
if people are you can talk all you want, but
if you say let's do this and it's not working,
and pretty soon guys are just going to tune you out.
But the fact that they kind of brought in and
they started winning kind of change things for them. And
obviously you start seeing the energy UM, and I think
that that helped them when they have faith situations when

(06:35):
they were down. You know, that big Game six win.
To me, that's still their biggest win is that Game
six win in Milwaukee. UM, when when things didn't really
go their way. No, no, no question about it. Um.
In terms of the Warriors, how do you guard that? Right?
It's it's so different from every everyone else. You gotta
worry about ball screens and and switches. They're kind of
in perpetual motion. Obviously, Marcus Smart's a plus defender. Um.

(07:01):
You know they have two different bigs. Robert Williams an
unbelievable defender at the rim, But how do you guard
the way in which they play? I mean that's the one.
The one great thing to me about Stephan Curry's his
ability to shoot the ball, shoot the three, off the dribble,
and to be able to have a huge impact without

(07:21):
the basketball. UM. But in addition to that, it's been
Draymond Green's ability to initiate play for them at that
position where you don't have many guys that can pressure
Draymond and then stay in front of him at that size.
That's where I think Boston is different. That's where I

(07:41):
think what Boston has a ourt hor or Grant Williams
that can pressure Draymond and stay in front of him. UM.
So that's one way I think you can do it.
You can kind of make those entry passes harder. Um,
So that would give defensive time to adjust or catch up,
and those guys are getting clean shot. And I think

(08:01):
the other thing you have to do UM against Golden
State that I don't think people talk about enough is
preventing transition basket. Those easy baskets end up being better.
Threes are easier. These are translation threes is where they
kind of hurt you. So your offense has to be
pretty good. And getting defensive balance and taking care of
the basketball. I think those are ways that kind of

(08:24):
help you kind of manage the game and kind of
keep those guys somewhat under control because we all know
they can score the back. Eric Snow Johnny st got
live show here on Fox Sports Radio, of course, playing
in the NBA Finals, and started with the Philadelphia seventies sixers. Um.
I did want to ask you about the Lakers. They're
trying to figure out what to do with Russell Westbrook,
and I know the league has changed, but I mean, like, look, dude,

(08:46):
you're a guy who was able to have a long
and super successful NBA career without a three point shot.
That wasn't what you did. How hard is it? How
hard is it going to be in this NBA at
his age to find a place for him when he's
used to dominating the ball and he can't with those guys.
But he also doesn't provide the space that they need

(09:08):
because the lack of shooting. Yeah, I mean, I if
I think that the issue that we're saying that Russ
had isn't an issue that we kind of felt he
developed when he got to l A. Um is if
you're getting the Russell restaurant, you kind of know what
you're getting. So I was surprised when they got him,

(09:31):
not not when they got him, but how they used him. Um,
how do you how would you use it? Well, I
think he has to he has to be your primary
ball handler. Okay, but you have you have Lebron James. Yes,
Lebron James is your your primary playmaker, but not there
you're necessarily your primary ball handler. So you know it's

(09:52):
different when Lebron James bring the ball up the court
and then you just stick Russell on the wing. I'm
saying you gotta have him initiate the fense. He can
make a play, they could drive hit action. The guy's
going to play him and then by that time the
shot clocks going down. You've initiated your offense. You've taken
the ball from side to side where defense has to play.

(10:12):
They don't know where the shots coming from. You bring
Lebron James from the bottom. Now, all of a sudden,
the defense can't key in from him because they don't
all see him. So if he catches on the wing
now with a sudden, the defense has to just ruskin
dive and he can get it. He could end up
in that same position that he ended up in before.
But you're not just leaving him wide open with the
fifteen seconds on the shot clock. That's the difference when

(10:33):
he's an initial ball handler versus just standing over in
the corner where they can just leave him early in
the clock, and now you're just throwing it to him
and now he has to take a lot over the
shot early in the shot clock. Would you keep him?
Would I keep him? Um? I would keep him because
of his contract. Yes, he has one year left. Yeah,

(10:55):
I think, I think. I think. I think he brings value.
His contract brings value in making a decision. I wouldn't
do it just to say, hey we got to get
rid of him. I would do it based on it
being a good um salary cap or financial decision for me.

(11:16):
That to me for for me when I've seen them
getting him, I thought it was I thought that's what
it was for Eventually he's gonna be a free agent.
You can use that celebrity to go get some younger
guys and now you can approve the team and you
can decide what Lobon is gonna decide of what he's
gonna do. Are you're gonna build row a d how
are you going to change your team? That's what I
thought the move was initially for going into the future
because he's towards the end of that contract. Go ahead, now,

(11:43):
let let me ask you quickly. All right, James Harden,
you do the Believe in seventy six Ers podcast. If
you're Elton Brand, what do you do with James Harden?
I think you pay them. I think it comes down
to how much. I think. I think you've got to
have a limit. I think you do. You do have

(12:05):
to have a limit because I think that, um, you
have a I believe the Sixers have a smaller window
than maybe other people do. With Joe l and this
history of injuries. I just don't think that I think
they have a window, but I don't think it's a
very big one. So so what what is that? Obviously
every there's there's room in between paying him very little

(12:27):
and paying him everything. What what is what is that
to you? What is that? And and does and does
Harden do that? Right? Yeah? I mean I think if
you look at James numbers, James put up really good numbers,
and he put up numbers that that if the Sixers
were to win the championship this year, he put those
numbers up, he would have had in a substantial paid day.

(12:47):
But I think it comes down to um, what the
expectations are for him? So and eight what is that
is that? Like like we're making it seem like that
nothing that's really good? Those are really good numbers. But
what are we based it on? We based on his
his stats? Are we basing it on? Um? We want?

(13:10):
What do you want? What you want? What we want
him to do in the playoffs? Is he our number
two option? Is he number three option? That's what I'm saying,
because you have to buy his hairs there also, So
if the number two and he's the number three, I
don't know in the eyes of SIXTSS management. How they
view him. I'm speaking of kind of what I see,
but I don't know how they view him James at

(13:31):
this stage of his career. Eric Snell, check out the
Believe in Seventies six Ers podcast. He does a great
job with it, Eric, awesome stuff. Really appreciate you joining us.
Look forward to talking again real soon. Thank you. Be
sure to catch the live edition of The Doug got
Leap Show weekdays at three p m. Easter noon Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio. A

(13:52):
ap T Jazana joined us down the Dug gotlip Sell.
You're on Fox Sports Radio. Um, who, let's let's start
where your your heart really is? What do you think
of the Lakers higher Well, I mean from from our reports,
it seemed like as this that's what they wanted. I
like the fact that he's a former player, he's been

(14:14):
an assistant a long time. He been with the coach
and a team that they value defense a lot of games,
and we in every sport, defense is gonna win it
for you, and so I like to hire. He's gonna
have to be sterns and he's gonna have to mean

(14:34):
what he's saying, say what do you means you're coaching
grown men, but they got to respect you. Do you
think they should keep Russell Westbrook? It depends on what
you can get from me. You just don't give him away.
If I'm watching Colin Cowards show, Uh, I believe it

(14:54):
was yesterday. If you can get Kyrie Irving, I love
Russell Westbrook, but he gotta go. And so why would
the Nets give up Kyrie Irving for Russell Westbrook if
he's not available? The he missed so many games because
he didn't want to get vaccinated. And if you can't

(15:16):
be there, like when you play on the team, dougas people,
it's always about the team and it's about you as well.
Let's not get you know. Everybody says, oh, it's always
we before me. But if you're a top player and
me is doing good, that means we will be doing good.
We will be playing well. And so he's just not available.

(15:41):
If they're not going to give him max extension, that's
going to create problems. That's going to cause problems. So
he's probably not gonna want to play and he's not
gonna play the way he should play. And so you
eliminate the distraction Russell Westbrook has played with Durant, He's
had success with Durant, well Durant that I don't know,
but Russell Westbrook could play vogue with in wanting and

(16:06):
so he probably saw that animosity towards them and it
just didn't It didn't work out the way many expected to.
But if you can get caught every and I love
Russell weever, but he gotta go. No, no question about
Doug Gotli show here on Fox Sports Radio. How big
a deal is it when quarterbacks miss ot s you're
the quarterback? To me, it's a huge deal, and everybody

(16:28):
always smelled a big deal. Yeah it is, Yes it is,
and they know it is. When when the quarterback isn't
there and he's a leader of the team, Um, don't
try to have him lead when the season starts, because
for sure, guys in the locker room talking about him.
I don't give it down. If it's Aaron Rodgers, they're
talking about him, Briant even here, can you believe it?

(16:51):
I can't believe they're talking about them. And they know
they are and everybody knows they are. And so let's
specifically talk to Aaron Rodgers. You have a whole new
receiving corps. Technically you don't have any starters returning from
last year. You need to be there. He knows he
needs to be there. The fleur knows he needs to
be there. The players in the locker room that are

(17:12):
at O t A, they're talking about him. To me,
all quarterbacks need to be there because too much as
given much is required and you're required to be there
when you're the quarterback of a team and they expect
you to be a leader. Uh, what's the right number
for Deebo? Samuel? Who Doug? That's tricky man. If I'm

(17:36):
if I'm the forty Niners and I want to make
a fair deal for both sides. I try to give
him similar to what A. J. Brown got. I believe
that's fair for both sides. Um I don't. He had
a fantastic year, first team All Pro. But I don't
know many people. When you say name the top receivers

(17:58):
in football, they're gonna name or five or six, maybe
seven before you get the debo. Debo is the hell
of a football player. But you're gonna name DeVante Adams,
You're gonna name Stefan Diggs, You're gonna name deadre Hopkins.
You're gonna name Tyreek Hill, You're gonna name Cooper Cup.
It's justin Jefferson, Jamaar Chase. So you're gonna name guys
before him. There's no disrespecting debo. But to me, it's

(18:22):
around what A J. Brown got from Philadelphia that that
that's sound fair to you? Um, I mean I think
that the Eagles Massiville or paid a J. Brown. I
guess the issue is a couple of Like, one, he's
been beat up a little bit, okay, but two does
he really not want to be used the way he's
been used or is that simply about the money? To me,

(18:44):
the way he was choosed as the reason he was
the first team All Pro. That's why if they use
you strictly as a receiver, you're not gonna be a
first team All Pro. You you can do think that
other receivers cannot do. And so yeah, may shorten your career,
and if it does, you're gonna walk away with a
hundred million dollars ships short, excuse my language, short my

(19:05):
career for a hundred million? What I go play offensive line?
It means guy's gotta understanding when you're in it Doug.
When you're in it, you don't realize the stuff you
take for granted and the things you should just ignoring
the things that really matter. He is a first team

(19:26):
All Pro because Shanahan put a package together that really
made him shine. Not many coaches can do that or
would do that. And so if I'm Deebo, give me
what A J. Brown has and that market a little
bit more because I'm signing after him, and we gotta
deal a negotiation. Both parties should feel like they gave

(19:50):
a little Both parties should also feel like I could
have got a little more, or I could have paid
a little less. That's a negotiation. Both parties walk away satisfied.
But Hilman like I could have done better. At this point,
stug got Live show here on Fox Sports Radio, um
Calhert suggested Baker to the Saints. I could be wrong,

(20:13):
but like and I know uh that, somebody point out
Jamis has got a little bit of limp. Like, look, dude,
he's coming off in a c L. Sometimes you limp.
That doesn't mean he ain't gonna be able to play.
I mean, how did that? How did that even work?
I'm gonna tell you, I don't think that works. Um,
I don't think it's possible because Jarvis Lander is now

(20:34):
in New Orleans, and I don't believe Jarvis Landry would
say it publicly. But I don't think he's a fan
of Baker Mayso there's his quarterback, and so it would
be he would probably be the home. My God, here
we go again. I think I'm leaving him now back
with him. It's more of the same. The locker room
and people that play for Jamis they enjoy him, they

(20:57):
like him as a quarterback. And I don't know Baker.
I think Beck can play honestly, Um, his personality might
be a bit much, but I don't think he's a
bad quarterback. But I just don't see what Jarvis Landry
Mike Thomas, Um, I just don't. I don't see that
as being a fit because if they go speak with Jarvis,

(21:17):
what is he going to say? Uh, considering not one
player when they were going through everything they were going
through in Cleveland came out and said, man, Baker, ain't
what y'all talking about? They they nobody put that out
there on social media. That's rare. That doesn't happen that somebody,
one person would at least come to your defense. It

(21:38):
never happened in the era of social media. That's rare
that some people within that locker room just doesn't They
don't like the way Baker carries himself. That's all I
can think of. If I was on the team and
somebody was talking about a teammate of mind and we
got along, I would defend him publicly. Whether I agreed

(22:04):
with the criticism or not, I would just defend him
because I think that's the right thing to do. Because
once one teammate defends him, you might have you might
have a couple more come out, and then it ends
the narrative of oh, he's not like Doug not one.
Cleveland Brown came out and said, you guys are wrong
about Baker Mayfield. I believe that's why going to the

(22:26):
Saints with Jarvis LANGI there to no go. Yeah, I
tend to I tend to agree with you. Aaron Donald said, hey,
be fine walking away, walk away. I don't buy that
for one second, and then he did the it's not
about money, but this is this is a business which
I don't know what what what do you do? If

(22:48):
you're the rams you got Aaron Donald, it's always about money. Um,
Aaron Donald is too good to retire. Aaron Donald, uh
will not be retiring. I don't see that it happened.
He just wants to be rewarded for his play rightfully, so,
and I've said this, if he's playing like trash Doug,

(23:08):
they're telling him to take a pay cunt. Uh. They
cut Todd Gurley because he couldn't give them the production
they expected. So when you're outperforming your contract, give him
a new deal. They did it with Cooper Cup. Why
can't you do it if Aaron Donald's not on that
defensive line against the Bengals games over, Bengals won the

(23:31):
Super Bowl. No, no, no question. But there's also the
there's a there's a limit to what you're gonna pay
anybody because you have you know, you got all those
ballets to fit. There is a limit, but it can't
be a limit when it comes to your best defensive player.
There's a limit. But when he's your best defensive player.
I mean, did then they just redo Matthew Stafford? Yeah?

(23:52):
They did, they did, they did, and so redo mind?
And that that's all Aaron Donald is saying is you
will never come out and say, oh, I'm the reason.
But he is a big and I'm trying. We're talking puzzles.
He's a big piece of that puzzle, and so he
won Don't don't tell me you value me in the
world of sports. You can't tell me. You show me,

(24:14):
and you show me by the zeros on that contract.
I believe something will get done. But he's just too
good to retire at this point in time. He's putting
pressure on him. They feel that they hear it. Um,
they'll get something done. Stub Gottlip Show, Fox Sports Radio.
Uh t J Hushman Zada is our guest. Um, these

(24:34):
rookie wide receivers, who's gonna have the greatest impact your one? Wow. Obviously,
when I'm act this question, Doug, I'm biased. I'm biased
because I work with him. But I'll be honest and say, uh,
the guys that can get opportunity to play early. Um,

(24:56):
you look at Drake London, you look at Garrett Wilson.
Oliva is gonna have guys he can learn from. I
like George Pickens in Pittsburgh if they can figure out
that quarterback position. But it all boils down to can
you stay healthy? You talk Drake London. Will Mariota be
able to get him the ball? They're going to be

(25:18):
run heavy, play action with him and Kyle Pitts. He's
gonna get his targets. Can he stay healthy? Can they
give him catchable balls? And with and so it boils
down to who's your quarterback and how many targets are
you going to get? When you're drafting the top twelve,
thirteen and receiver, you're gonna get plenty of targets. So

(25:41):
the easy answer would be at Drake London, Garrett Wilson,
the guys picked in the second round, George Pickens. But
then will it be Kenny Pickett? Will it be Trabinski?
Christian wantson heard rogers out there. They're not developing any chemistry,
and so you you just you don't know. Sky Moore
in Kansas City in the second round picked the kid

(26:03):
and play you like that dude, and so will he
get the targets with Jujumiko Harman, Travis Kelsey. But if
I'm a batman, I'm going with Drake London or Garrett Wilson.
Stuff got show here on Fox Sports trailer. That's the
voice of t J. Hush Manzata We covered a lot
of ground. Right. We went from Lakers. Uh, oh, who
are you like in the finals? Oh? Man, you know

(26:26):
it's funny, Doug It this is really weird. Man. I
got to I'm a Laker fan, as you know, dude.
It is so weird. Man. My son loved the Celtics
and Jason Tatum. It's annoying to me. I'm like, I
try to like force him to be a Laker fan.
She refused. The boy eight years old, rif you had
to buy my Celtics had, I'm like, I don't even
want this in my house. I had to buy my

(26:47):
Tatum Jersey. I don't get it. But with that being said,
we're gonna be arguing this week. I was going for
the Celtics and in Boston, I mean against Miami just
because of my son. But I believe Golden State gonna win.
So either one, he's gonna be talking trash to me,
I'm gonna be talking trash to him. So I'm taking
the Warriors in a seven game series, four to three.

(27:08):
Awesome stuff, TJ, You're the best. Touch soon take care
of to be sure to catch the live edition of
The Doug gott Leap Show weekdays at three p m.
Easter noon Pacific. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me three
time pro bowler La Barrington and I couldn't be more
excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game.
What is up on Game? You asked, along with my

(27:28):
fellow pro bowler t J. Hudgman's Otta and Super Bowl
champion Yep, that's right, Plexico Birds. You can only name
a show with that type of talent on it. Up
on Game We're going to be sharing our real life
experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game
with Me, LaVar Arrington, t J. Hudgmans Otta, and Plexico

(27:50):
Birds on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or
wherever you get your podcast from. Julian Edlow Jolant us
NBA analysts for Draft Kings uh. By the way Draft
Kings has their series odds out. Warriors are favorites in
the series minus one fifties Celtics plus one thirty Game

(28:11):
one Warriors are a three and a half point favorite.
The overunder is twenty two d and twelve and a half.
This is the twenty fourth playoff series in which the
Warriors have been favored, the longest streak by any team
in the past thirty five seasons. They've been favored in
all twenty four Playoffs series under Steve Kerr, including these

(28:31):
the series and the Steve Curve, of course, only has
two serious losses in his tenure with the Golden State Warriors.
Julian Um, Let's let's start with the Heat losing. Are
you of the thought that the Heat have to add
another score if they actually want to win a championship?
It certainly looked that way in the last series, right. Uh.

(28:53):
Jimmy Butler did absolutely everything he possibly could in Game
six and seven, and although the Evan came down to
the wire and he had a shot to be a hero,
they split those games. And uh, you know he notably
after the knee injury, and he missed that that half
in Boston in Game three when the Celtics came back,
the Heat almost gave it up in that half, and

(29:15):
then they go on to lose games four and five
when Butler was dinged up score to combine I think
it was nineteen points in sixty seven minutes, shot seven
of thirty two from the field those two games following
when he missed the half with the knee so if
he's not right, the heat are are pretty close to nothing,
and even when he was right, it wasn't quite enough
to get him over the hump um, including that year

(29:38):
they lost to the Lakers in the finals in the bubbles.
So Bam is great heroes, an awesome six man um.
You know, Lowry's a dog, But it does feel like
they need that other guy that Jalen Brown, Jayson Tatum
type type of combo to go with Jimmy Butler. If
they're going to get over the hump what are the
Maverish need to go with Luca? But the Mavericks need

(30:02):
they need something like Bronson and Dinwoodie are great. Credit
to them for like what a combination, what a what
a formula. They have to be able to like move
away from Porzingis and get a six man like din
Witty and get better like they're they have really impressive
role pieces around Luca, And they might be losing Bronson

(30:23):
because obviously he's about to get paid. We'll see where
that is, but they need less of a secondary piece.
I would say, like then then Miami needs um. They
need somebody that can play without the ball but score.
Maybe that's so like the first guy come into my mind,
probably because it's in the series Klay Thompson. We know
Klay Thompson can drop forty points on like ten dribbles.
Get a guy like that they can play with. Luca

(30:46):
stug got live show here on Fox Sports Radio. Okay,
let's um, let's let's let's go to the to the Celtics.
What do you think changed there? One game below five
hundred January and Southern Now they're in the NBA Finals
and so like they were bad all the way up
into the playoffs, then good in the playoffs. They started
to get good obviously dust off the nets and then

(31:07):
uh they were they were fortunate with Middleton being out
and to beat the Bucks in a game seven, game
six on the road. Now win a game seven on
the road. What changed with this team? Yeah, I I
honestly think and it was a point that a lot
of people, you know, looked at once this turnaround started
to happen. They lost that game in New York, up
big to the Knicks. Nicks come all the way back.
R J Verrett Banks of three at the buzzer and

(31:31):
the Knicks win. Celtics going on that ridiculous pair, they're
the best team in the NBA since then. Right around
that time with the Knicks loss, is when Marcus Smart
Coast game was basically calling out Jayson Tatum and Jalen
Brown for not passing us um and we kind of
had never known exactly what happened in the locker room
and what happened around the team from that incident until now.

(31:55):
Emaiudoka actually came out prior to the finals, I don't
know if it was today or yesterday to reporter is
when asked about that kind of turning point and said, yeah,
you know that those were things that I, meaning Judoka,
was saying to the team behind doors, but Marcus Smart
came out and said it publicly, so it didn't necessarily
apply to that game. Docus said that Smart was horrible
himself in that game and that he needed to take

(32:16):
ownership for for that, and that Brown and Tatum would
take ownership for their part, and they kind of had
a team meeting, it sounds like, and came to a
mutual agreement like, Hey, we're all gonna call upon ourselves
to be better. And that was kind of the point
when Marcus Smart became the point guard of the Celtics
and became more of a distributor, which helped spark this run.
And you get rid of Shrewder and put more more

(32:37):
trust and Smart whatever that meeting was for Smart publicly
calling out Tatum and Brown. That made the team sit down,
That made them kind of approach this differently. And I
think that's absolutely why the Boston Celtics are where they
are are where they are right now. All right, let's
let's get to the Golden State Warriors. Uh. It feels
like Draymond could say Katie was great, but Steph is

(33:00):
double times seven times, said double teams seven times many times?
Like are are we really? Are people really trying to
say that Steph Curry is better than Kevin Durant. I
don't think so. I think it's just the combination of
talent on that team is like pretty much unmatched. You
took that seventy three win team. Yes, they came up

(33:21):
short in Game seven to the Calves in the finals,
so you know, it doesn't mean as much if you
don't win it that season, but we know what that
Warrior's team was, and just plopped Durant into the mix
like you got you know, Durant is probably one of
the two best players with Lebron at the time. Curry's
the third, fourth, fifth best player in the NBA and

(33:41):
you have the rest of that core around him. I
think there's just so much talent there that it doesn't
there's no real way to look at it, like if
Curry is not there, they're not quite as good. If
Durant not there, they're not quite as good. But they
had all that talent, it would have been embarrassing to
lose to anyone, and they didn't during that time until
they got completely run down and Duran got hurt and

(34:03):
then Clay Thompson got hurt and you know it was over.
But I don't I have like, I don't really have
many takes on that team because they were just so good.
If they were at full strength, Like what do you
think they're gonna do, They're not gonna lose. And if
you start taking top five players out of the mix,
then yeah, they start to become waters So was a
better player and that's why he got two finals MVPs. Yeah,
I think that's that's that's completely and utterly fair. What

(34:26):
do you think of the matchup? I think the matchup
is extremely intriguing because it's you know, this young team
that's been knocking at the door in the East and
they finally get through and Tatum kind of becomes that guy.
They match up very well with Golden State. We know,
you know, we've seen the numbers. Whatever it is, I
think it's nine and seven. The Celtics are since Kerr

(34:47):
took over. That's the only team to have a winning
record against the Warriors since Steve Kerr became the coach.
So they played them well. They match up well. They
have the exercise with Horford, Rob Williams if he's healthy,
and then Golden States just has all that experience with
their core and they've been in this spot and it
means a lot of them to show that they can
get back to this point and win it without Durant
after you know, the two the two down years. So

(35:09):
the matchup is incredibly intriguing. XS and OS wise, I
think it leans to the Celtics a little bit experience wise,
and uh, you know with Curry and Thompson shooting wise,
I think it leans a little bit to the Warriors.
I think it's amazing. Also, the betting angles on this series,
like it's like the the Nerds versus the books or
whatever you want to call it, because analytics sites will

(35:32):
tell you that the Celtics should be like heavily favored
in this series, where a sports book obviously laying out
draftings were laying out Warriors minus one fifty. There. It's
pretty interesting how like high some types of analytics going
like over chance the Celtics win the series, which I
don't see like it is. I think it is more
of a coin flip series, which is why I like

(35:52):
the Celtics as underdogs because you're getting that plus money.
But there's just so many takes on this series and
I think it's just an extremely close and well balanced,
well balanced matchup. Yeah, I think it's interesting. Um, I
also think, you know, and this is not something analytics
takes in. I think fatigue at least in this Thursday game,

(36:12):
it has to play a park concerning how many games,
how many games the Celtics have played. Yeah, I'm with
you there. So like one of the bets that I
put out in my best bets article on on d
K Playbook, I'm on the Celtics first half in this
game because I think they're going to come out and
you know, be ready for this game, and I point
to the Celtics played twelve games in twenty three days,

(36:35):
but that game seven turnaround from Milwaukee to uh to
Miami in Game one of the Eastern Conference Finals. They
lost that game. That was the two to two run
in the third quarter by the heat, But the Celtics
were up eight at halftime of that game. Without Marcus
Smart or Al Horford, they came ready to play. Now
they have twice as much time to get ready for
this game. This is the most time the Celtics at

(36:56):
off since between games two and three against the Bucks,
m a full week off for the Warriors. I think
that the Celtics come out ready to play now. Like
you said, the fatigue, if it comes into play, I
think it comes into play in the second half and
they might start to fall apart a little bit. Maybe
you come back on a live line and look at
the Warriors third quarter. That seems to be their quarter.
But I think the Celtics come out to, you know,

(37:18):
prove a point in the first half and we'll we'll
see where the game goes from there. Should be awesome,
should be awesome. Okay, So your pick is you're you're
taking the Celtics because of the dog. I'm taking the
Celtics because they're the dog. I'm taking the Celtics because
the matchup. If I'm if, I you know, just kind
of clear my mind and take the Warriors experience out

(37:38):
of it, because you can't necessarily put a betting value
on experience. The numbers tell you to take the Celtics
um because of their defense and because of their balance,
a lot of things that the Warriors do really well too. Um.
But yeah, it's it's a very close series. The value
that was available on the Celtics in like January and
February is really where wanted to get in and I'm

(38:01):
I'm fortunate enough to have some of that value. But yeah,
you know, you've got to pick the theories now. And
I think if you're if you're you know, you're sitting
there with moth tickets and you want to bet the
NBA Finals. I I do believe that the Celtics are
gonna wind up being the side. Julian Edelow check them
out on social media. He works for DraftKings NBA Analysts,
does an outstanding outstanding job. Julian, enjoy this serious. Let's

(38:23):
talk in very very soon Thank you very guest. Yeah,
for sure looking forward to it. Thanks for having me