The Best of The Week on The Dan Patrick Show

Dan Patrick reacts to the shocking selection of Michael Penix Jr. by the Atlanta Falcons eighth overall. Falcons Longtime Beat Writer D. Orlando Ledbetter joins Dan to explain why the Penix pick was not as surprising as it appears. Prior to the draft, Dan talked with eventual third overall pick Drake Maye. Plus, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix stops by to discuss the NBA Playoffs.

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Episode Transcript

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Fretz, come on in, that's perfect. Stay awhile Rich Eisen
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(02:02):
your team is the focal point the day after the
first day of the draft, your team either did something
really really well or did real something really really controversial,
come on down, Atlanta Falcons, because you're the lead story today.
As you take Michael Pennix Junior, the third nobody, Nobody

(02:24):
had them sniffing a quarterback at number eight, and why
would you you just spent one hundred million dollars guaranteed
on Kirk Cousins. You're locked in with him the next
three years. It's a four year deal. You're locked in
for three years with Kirk Cousins, and you take Michael
Pennix Junior. Surprise when I thought of this and I

(02:46):
was reminded of this, and it was Hey, Packers, they
took Jordan Love, and we see how that worked out. Okay,
I still don't think it was the right pick at
the time. So they got your Love. He's turned out
to be a good quarterback. Maybe he's going to be
a great quarterback, but you sat him for three years.
You didn't help out Aaron Rodgers, who was still peak.

(03:09):
Aaron Rodgers. You got your future quarterback, But what did
you do to the present day quarterback, and that is
you maybe robbed him of an opportunity to get an
offensive player. But we can say now after the fact,
because we watched Jordan Love certainly the second half of
the season might have been the best quarterback in the NFL. Hey,

(03:30):
it worked out, But did it work out because Aaron
Rodgers wasn't helped out right there in the moment. So
you are planning for the future while ignoring the present.
And then you look at what the Falcons did, all right,
so you could use some defense, and you decide you're
going to bring in Michael Pennix Junior. I got a

(03:50):
quarterback that I'm locked up for three years. I got
one hundred million guaranteed, and he's coming off Achilles surgery.
First of all, I wouldn't have signed him. Second of all,
if I knew that I was going to be in
love with Michael Pennix Junior, and I could have gotten
him because nobody else was going to go up that high.
Now I know teams have said, hey, Seattle was going

(04:12):
to go up, Denver tried to go up, the Raiders
tried to go up. How high did you try to
go up? Because I was told probably the Jets were
open for business if you wanted to move up there.
Nobody had Atlanta taking Michael Pennox. Now I told you
he was rising, I didn't know he was rising that high.
And you had some teams who truly fell in love

(04:34):
with him, literally fell in love with him after they
saw that his attention to detail in how he approaches
the game and what football means to him but here
is the Commissioner, Roger Goodell making the announcement, and listen
to the reaction.

Speaker 4 (04:51):
With the eighth pick in the twenty twenty four NFL Draft,
the l NFL can select Michael Pennix.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Quarterback Washington.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Now that's the Detroit crowd. I mean, imagine the Falcons crowd.
It's like, wait, wait, did we trade the pick?

Speaker 5 (05:13):
No?

Speaker 2 (05:14):
No, no, no, you guys have the pick and you
took Michael Pennock's junior, yes, Ston.

Speaker 6 (05:18):
How long does it take after you make a pick
like that where you're like, yeah, we got him, we
got our guy. Yes, yes, everybody, yeah, we shocked the one.
We're like no, no, no, see here's what we're thinking. Where
you have to start explaining yourself. No, no, no, mister Blake,
see this is what we're doing. Okay, let me explain this.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
When the owner is in the war room and he
looks confused, and you have some of his lieutenants and
they're trying to explain to him, hey, we you know,
you could see the.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Gestures, hand gestures. You don't know what they're saying.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
It's no, no, no, we And then we got to
and because of this, we got Arthur Blank's got to
be going. Wait, I'm spending one hundred million dollars on
Kirk Cousins coming off Achilles surgery and we just drafted
his replacement.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
Explain this to me like I'm a child. Wait a minute,
what are we doing? Yes, ud, so you're saying he
had a blank expression on his face. Okay, all right,
I'm gonna give you a blue, early blue a little bit.

Speaker 7 (06:13):
Yea.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Here is the Falcons GM Terry Fonto about the pick
for the future.

Speaker 8 (06:21):
Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. We're very excited about Kirk,
very excited about this team. And Michael Penix is we're
talking about the future. The draft is you look at
the future and you look at big picture. But we
are very excited about that quarterback room. And again Kirk
is our quarterback. But adding Michael Penix is thinking about the.

Speaker 2 (06:43):
Future, and I don't want to wait three years the
NFL was now now no you can plan. But are
you trying to tell me that Michael Pennix Junior will
be a quarterback that you must have and you'll top
any other quarterback candidate prospect that you might have the

(07:04):
opportunity to draft over the next three years. There's a
lot of quarterbacks every year. Look at this year, a
lot of quarterbacks. Not everybody's gonna work out. But you're
gonna wait now if you drafted him because you don't
know if Kirk Cousins is going to be playing, then
I'm going to put that on you that why.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Did you sign him in the first place? And you're
gonna wait three years.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yes, it worked out for the Packers, but you could
have still armed Aaron Rodgers with somebody offensively, a wide receiver,
and they never did that while he was there. It's
Kirk Cousins. That's a winnable division and you got a
lot of talent. And this might be the sneaky team
this year, but I think you did Kirk Cousins dirty.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
There.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
Here is Terry Fonteau the Falcons GM on how Kirk
Cousins reacted to the draft choice.

Speaker 8 (08:01):
Questions For Terry or Raheen, whichever one of you called
Kirk when you were on the clock, and you tell
me about.

Speaker 9 (08:06):
It, what's his reaction?

Speaker 8 (08:08):
Well that's a private ooh and yeah, share that, you know,
and alas.

Speaker 4 (08:12):
Who reactions are pretty private, right, Yeah, you know he
got called in the clock. Obviously because of the sensitive
time with the issues of what you got going on.
It's never a right time to talk to a quarterback
about those things. And reactions are always going to be
private when it comes to those things, unless Kirk decides
to tell you some of those things that whatever the
case may be. But he's a competitor just like us all,

(08:33):
and you can always expect those things to go just
like you kind of think.

Speaker 2 (08:37):
Okay, if it was a great reaction, would they have
told us that, Oh my god, you know what when
Kirk Hurd, it's like, yes, man, I love that guy.
Can't wait for him to take my job. Of course, Kirk,
by the way it was reported.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
He was stunned.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Now, I can be stunned, you know when you see
somebody and you go, oh my god, I'm stunned, or
you can go, I'm stunned in a bad way.

Speaker 1 (09:05):
What the hell are we doing? Why am I here? Yeah? Ston, Yeah,
you know.

Speaker 6 (09:09):
Obviously, reactions to a draft pick of this nature or
a sensitive and a price. Yeah, you just brought him in,
you just signed him, you just gave him one hundred
million dollars and oh yeah, by the way, we're drafting
a quarterback right now? Why what the hell you just
gave me a hundred million that you just brought me in.

Speaker 1 (09:24):
Of course I'm going to be reacting. Kirk Cousins.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
If you signed him for two years, then I get it,
I mean I sort of.

Speaker 9 (09:30):
I can't.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
I can get it, and I like PANICX. But could
I have gotten him later? Could I have traded down?
Was that the guy you truly wanted? And it's three
years down the road and a guy coming off Achilles Like,
none of this sinks up for me. First of all,

(09:51):
I wouldn't have paid Kirk that money. He's thirty five
coming off Achille surgery. I think he's a really good quarterback,
but I wouldn't paid that money to him at this time.
And you whiffed on Desmond Ritter. He wasn't ready to play.
You've tried kind of a mismash of quarterbacks there, and

(10:14):
then you draft a quarterback who won't be able to
help you for a couple of years, and you got
skill position players right now ready to go. So and
and by the way, you also passed on Bill Belichick
as your head coach.

Speaker 1 (10:29):
Content, Yeah, how's the last couple of months gone?

Speaker 5 (10:33):
Mister?

Speaker 6 (10:33):
Kraft told us to go with a quarterback here with
this picks, and you know, we listened to him.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
He recommended Reader.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
So the first seven picks kind of what we thought
was going to happen, at least what I thought was
going to happen. I had, let's see Caleb Jaden, Drake May.
Drake May was in the mix. He was going to
be a top you know, three or four pick. I
thought Arizona, if they didn't blow him away, would stay

(11:03):
with Marvin Harrison. I was told initially, which I told
you on Monday, Joe Alt would be with the Chargers.
Malik Neighbors I said that I thought the JJ McCarthy
stuff was a smoke screen, and I thought Minnesota was
going to get him. I thought they were going to
be able to stay where they wore eleven. Well, they
decided that they needed to move up one slot because

(11:25):
the Jets were open for business at ten, and they
went up and took their pick. I thought the Bears
did a wonderful job at Douneesay from Washington.

Speaker 1 (11:33):
I love that.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
Bowneck's going to Denver. I'm like, okay, so that's the
guy you want? Is that the guy you had to
settle for because I'm sure Sean Payton's going to go, Hey,
that's the guy we wanted. So if you could have
had Jayden Daniels or Drake may or Caleb Williams, that's
your guy. Can I see your draft board, coach, because

(11:56):
now this is on Sean Payton. Can't blame this on
anybody else. Can't say a previous regime. This is your guy,
rookie contract. Now you've got to make some magic here.
I was surprised bo Nicks went that high. Not surprised
he went in the first round, but I was surprised
that he was. You know that we had six quarterbacks

(12:17):
taken in the first fifteen picks. That surprised me.

Speaker 10 (12:20):
Yes, Marvin, sorry, But to go back to the Falcons.

Speaker 11 (12:23):
Does what needs to happen for Michael Pennix in order
to say, hey, this is a great pick for the Falcons.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
Well, he gets to sit this is what you say. Hey,
it'll be an honor and a privilege to sit behind
and learn from a professional like Kirk Cousins. And when
I get my time, I hope it's the right time,
and I hope that Kirk is able to play high
end quarterback like we expect him to, and I'll be
learning from him all along the way. Like you can

(12:54):
say all the right things here, but still it comes
back to if I'm Michael Pennix, I'm gonna sit for
three years and if Kirk Cousins play is healthy, now,
they can always bench him. But I think you're locked
into three of those four years financially, yes, PO.

Speaker 12 (13:12):
And I know we're trying to compare this lightly to
Jordan Love and the Packers. Jordan Love is twenty one
years old when he's drafted by the Packers.

Speaker 9 (13:18):
He's just he's.

Speaker 12 (13:19):
Turning twenty five. Michael Penix turns twenty four before this season,
so three years from now he'll be twenty seven. Let's
say all goes well and he sits for three years.
That means Cousins plays well. You've got to make a
contract decision on him when he's twenty seven turning twenty
eight years old. Yeah, Love is a different category two
and a half years younger.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, but you still had to sit him and then
he got to play, and now you're gonna have to
spend probably forty five to fifty million dollars on him.
Now he's he's younger. But here's Pennix, who's going to
be twenty seven when maybe he gets that opportunity. By
the way, over under for the Falcons. Before we take

(13:58):
a break, Richisen will join us. This according to DraftKings
over under Todd.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
Nine and a half. Bloop bloop. I love it. What Yeah, I'll.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
Have some over unders on some other teams, including Todd's Broncos.

Speaker 1 (14:17):
By the way, the Chiefs.

Speaker 2 (14:21):
I had to laugh when I go, Okay, wait, the
Bills are trading.

Speaker 1 (14:25):
Bills shouldn't be trading with the Chiefs.

Speaker 6 (14:27):
At what point did they sell their soul to just
keep getting this lucky?

Speaker 7 (14:31):
Like?

Speaker 1 (14:31):
What the hell?

Speaker 9 (14:31):
Wait?

Speaker 2 (14:32):
Wait, you just got one of the fastest guys in
the history of the sport and wide receiver Xavier Worthy
out of Texas.

Speaker 6 (14:39):
Even if you don't want him, just draft them so
he doesn't go there. No, you know what I mean, Like,
this guy's blazing fast.

Speaker 2 (14:45):
Don't let the Chiefs get Can you imagine mahomes is going, wait, wait,
are we really getting this guy?

Speaker 1 (14:51):
He can make anybody better?

Speaker 12 (14:54):
Yeah, Pauling that pick bothers me more than the Falcons pick.
You do not trade and give the choice of water
receivers to the Chiefs who need another wide receiver. Your
goal is to get past the Chiefs. They're the only
team you shouldn't trade you.

Speaker 1 (15:06):
Your goal is to get a receiver.

Speaker 13 (15:08):
Right.

Speaker 12 (15:08):
The Bills have passed on three different receivers by trading
down twice and gave the best available to the Chiefs.

Speaker 1 (15:13):
Crazy tanking.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yes, great, well, thanks for listening to The Dan Patrick
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
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What is Up on Game?

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Speaker 2 (16:13):
Our two on this Meet Friday, gang's all here ready
to go. And in case you're wondering, what are you
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Pretzel bun sliders, many pretzel dogs, baked pretzel bites, and
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Speaker 1 (16:33):
Than we do?

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Nobody, nobody, nobody has it better than you the audience.
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(17:48):
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Speaker 1 (17:49):
Coming up.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
We found somebody in his mont draft had the Falcons
taking Michael Pennix Junior. He'll join us coming up here
in a moment. Let me get some other business out
of the way. Good morning. If you're watching on Peacock,
our streaming partner, download the app if you haven't done so.
Radio affiliates around the country, iHeartRadio, Fox Sports Radio, those
chatting on chat row Lewis Riddick, ESPN football analyst joins

(18:14):
us a little bit later on Ross Tucker will stop
by as well. The Magic Meet the Cabs, seventy six Ers,
Handle the Knicks and the Nuggets up three to zero
on the Lakers. You got rounds two and three tonight
in the NFL Draft, also Bucks, Pacers, Clippers, MAVs, Timberwolves,
and the Suns. Poll question before we get to our
guest seat, No connor, right now, Dan, we've got up there.

(18:39):
We've got two.

Speaker 6 (18:40):
Okay, best non quarterback pick made last night in the
first ten Marvin Harrison Junior going to the Cardinals. Yeah,
Joe Alt and the Chargers. It's not sexy, but that's
a great pick that makes them better. Yeah, Roma Dunda
going to the Bears.

Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yeah, I love that was that's a fun pick. That's
a lot of fun. Yes, And then you have neighbors
going to the Giants. But then you're going to the
Giants and who's throwing it to you? Right?

Speaker 6 (19:07):
And Marvin Harrison Junior plug him in. He's ready to
play superstar. Yes, And I thought that that was going
to happen. I didn't buydo the JJ McCarthy hype, although
I'm told this morning by a source that teams they
did want to go up to where Arizona was. They
just weren't giving enough and teams were I said there'd

(19:29):
be a team that would get squirrely.

Speaker 1 (19:30):
It does.

Speaker 2 (19:31):
It happens every year. Now, I didn't know that team
would be Atlanta, and there were other teams that were
interested in Michael Penix junior, Seattle, reportedly the Raiders, Denver.
But Atlanta gets their man, and our man, de Orlando
Ledbetter has been covering the Falcons for twenty years, I believe,
and you and your mock draft back in early April

(19:53):
had them taking Michael Pennix junior. I'll let you take
a victory lap here, but why did you think Michael
Pennix Junior was going to the Falcons?

Speaker 15 (20:03):
Well, thank you so much, Dan, Yeah, I moved off
of it. So, uh yeah, I won't take the victory lap.
But they have went out to Seattle till to work
him out last year, the whole Arthur Blank plane, the
general manager, the whole.

Speaker 5 (20:18):
Coach of staff.

Speaker 15 (20:19):
And so they did the same thing last year when
they went to Austin to do uh Bjon Robinson. So
I'm like, oh, this is the full entourage's trip. So
that's a tip that this is the pick. And so
I wrote it and I went I went and said, hey,
you know this is the pick because they went full
Monty on the visit.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
Okay, I'm just trying to understand. Now, let me let
me ask you. Do you like the pick?

Speaker 5 (20:47):
I understand the pick. I'm into my.

Speaker 13 (20:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, No.

Speaker 15 (20:54):
I think you could have picked help your team out immediately. Uh,
but I understand what they were doing.

Speaker 5 (21:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (21:00):
Yeah, you could have got a more impact player, maybe
a defensive star Wars that's gonna be on the field
for you for ten years, where you picked the guy
that's gonna clearly sit for a couple Yeah.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
I don't get it because he's twenty four, he's probably
gonna be twenty seven by the time he's the full
time quarterback. And you're invested in Cousins for I think
you're tied up at least for three years here.

Speaker 5 (21:26):
Yeah, the hit would be massive.

Speaker 15 (21:28):
If it's a two year deal, you're okay after three
and certainly fine after four.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
Oh my gosh, how do you think Kirk Cousins is
going to take this?

Speaker 15 (21:42):
Oh he hasn't taken it. Well, we've talked to his agent.
We've heard from confused. Confused, shock is what we heard, dismay,
you know where some of the reactions of Kirk cousins.
He hasn't come out publicly, but on his agent, Mike McCartney,
he has expressed those emotions on behalf of his client.

Speaker 1 (22:06):
How does this work out?

Speaker 5 (22:09):
You know, there's a there's a couple different ways.

Speaker 15 (22:12):
You know, Hey, Kirk comes in, they win, they develop Pinnis,
they have a transition plan in place. The other scenarios Kirk,
you know, they don't win, they lose. They put the
kid in there too early, and they're back here in
the draft and number eight picking trying to pick another
quarterback in a couple of years.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
Let's go back a little ways when we thought Belichick
was going to Atlanta and we found out some more details,
maybe Robert Kraft telling his friend Arthur Blank that don't
do it. What was your thought when the Falcons decided
that they weren't going to hire Bill Belichick?

Speaker 5 (22:48):
Yeah?

Speaker 15 (22:49):
They I was caught out what most people were. I
thought it was a lot. You know, when you got
rid of a coach that, you know, Arthur Smith had
done a credible job given the set of circumstances that
he had, and you're gonna cut him short early, that
was indicating that you already had something in place with Bilchick.

Speaker 5 (23:10):
So we were stune that that didn't happen.

Speaker 15 (23:13):
He couldn't win over the building and so the owner
had to move in another direction there. Raheem had support
within the building and ended up getting the job.

Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yeah, this is wild.

Speaker 5 (23:28):
It's the.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
You've seen a lot over twenty years.

Speaker 5 (23:37):
The federal dog fighting trouts to this.

Speaker 1 (23:40):
Yeah, yeah, you've seen it all.

Speaker 2 (23:42):
But you know it's still I wouldn't have brought in
Kirk Cousins thirty five coming off Achilles surgery and it's
gonna cost me one hundred million dollars guaranteed. No, I
just now I know maybe he's the final piece here.
We're assuming he's going to be healthy to be able
to play. But man, I just I'm puzzled by this.
I'm puzzled. I'm not easily puzzled in this business. This

(24:05):
this one the whole thing. In the off season, No, Belichick,
you got Kirk Cousins and now you take Michael Pennox.

Speaker 15 (24:12):
Yeah, I think you gotta go back to them going
after the Shawn Watson in UH two twenty one, when
Matt they decided that Matt Ryan couldn't keep going, and
you know, they found out the price tag was too
hot for him. Then the two thirty guaranteed was too high.
So then you ended up playing with Mariota and Rinter

(24:33):
for two years and I didn't work out. So now
you're in desperate quarterback move. So you don't want to
be one of those teams like Denver playing sixteen different
quarterbacks for the next ten years. So you make a
move and get Cousins, and now you make another move
and get his apparent success.

Speaker 5 (24:53):
And so that's the backdrop. You kind of got to start.

Speaker 15 (24:55):
At them trying to get to Sean Watson, uh, and
that failing and then the subsequent move being bad.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
Well, you got a lot of things to write about
down there, so make your job easy. Hey, thanks for
joining us.

Speaker 5 (25:14):
You're welcome, Dan, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
De Orlando led better. He initially had the Falcons taking
Michael Pennix Junior, had him among the final five players
in the Falcons radar. And what he did is basically
apply logic of they went all in, everybody went out
to see Bjon Robinson, and then he used the same

(25:37):
logic of Arthur Blank and his private jet and everybody
is going to go out to the workout for Michael
Pennix Junior.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
Yeah, Paul, it.

Speaker 12 (25:46):
Makes more sense now when you hear him say that
they went out looked at him and fell in love
with him. They also got cousins to them, They're like,
well we got both, we got two things. Yeah, it's
a generation to go. But Steve Young sat for four
seasons for the forty nine ers. I don't think he
took over till he's twenty nine.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
Yeah, but you had the one of the greatest quarterbacks
of all time in front of him, just.

Speaker 1 (26:05):
Like it, cousin.

Speaker 12 (26:07):
Sorry, I thought you were setting me up.

Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yes, I get it.

Speaker 2 (26:10):
If I got the one of the greatest court he
was the greatest quarterback in the in the league at
the time, and you got Steve Young and you were
able to have him.

Speaker 1 (26:19):
Wait, I get that.

Speaker 12 (26:20):
It's like we're trying to find reasons that this could
work out long term, not short term.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
Well, it can work out. It doesn't mean it was
the right decision right now. But look, would I have
hired Belichick? I guess, I gasp. But look, it's the
front office is going telling the owner, we don't think
you should hire him because they don't want to lose
their jobs. Philadelphia should have hired Bill Belichick, absolutely, but okay,

(26:50):
and then you bring in Kirk Cousins. I like Kirk
great guest. I wouldn't have paid him that money coming
off of achilles surgery and he's thirty five. And then
you take Michael Pennix. Okay, it might work out, just
like Jordan Love worked out, but it wasn't the right
decision in the moment in my opinion. And you're lucky

(27:13):
he did, you know, came out of his shell when
he's played well. He played really well second half of
the season. And I've been a Jordan Love fan, said
that he was going to be a franchise quarterback. But
in the moment, you had the best quarterback in the
NFL and you didn't get him any weapons in Aaron Rodgers,
All righty, we'll talk to Lewis Riddicill join us coming up.

(27:36):
Let's see James in Virginia is back? Hi, James, what's
on your mind today? Oh?

Speaker 7 (27:41):
Thank you for taking my call. Brother at the Friday
DP Dan, that solute the commanders. Man, it's a new
Aaron Washington. But I'm calling about Michael Pennick Jr. Man.
I love this guy. And I love this hit man
you discovered is not there in Atlanta. You got the Robinson,
Drayon London, Kyle Pitt. Offensively, they got a solid on line.

(28:05):
They're gonna be good. And if Kirk Cousins does what
Kirk Cousins is supposed to do, when is the next
time Atlanta's drafting in the top ten. Meanwhile, you got
a young rookie sitting Timmering learning the playbook. He's uber smart.
And when he comes into play, if he's twenty seven,
if he's playing for thirty four.

Speaker 2 (28:24):
James, James, you're a Commander's fan, and here you are
falling in love with the Falcons.

Speaker 7 (28:31):
I love football, but my heart is burging in gold.
But I loves football, man. But I'll be honest with you, man,
if he plays seventy seasons in seventy seasons watching in
his head fifteen.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
Quarterbacks, okay, If I said you could have Michael Pennix
Junior for the Commanders or Jaden Daniels, See.

Speaker 7 (28:53):
I'm biased, man, because I wanted them to trade back.
The thing that about Daniels that worries me is that
he's like but he is busy than I thought at
sixth floor, and his speed does give him an ability
to move around the pocket and make place. It's just
that that scat yesterday.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
You didn't you didn't answer the question.

Speaker 7 (29:12):
I got to take number five Jaydon Daniels because he's
on the team.

Speaker 9 (29:15):
Man.

Speaker 7 (29:15):
But I.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
All right, thank you, James. Have a good weekend. Uh
can in Atlanta? Who Marvin hung up on before Ken
could say something about the Falcons? I Ken, sorry about that.

Speaker 3 (29:32):
No worries, just a little brother or brother Klaren thinks
a lot.

Speaker 1 (29:35):
But I'm sorry, Kate, Hey, no.

Speaker 3 (29:39):
Worries, No worries. You know, I got to see who
was who and what was what. But but being in Atlanta,
and especially being a season ticket holder, our two trips
to the Super Bowl, with the Eugene Robinson scare scandal
and the twenty eight to three thing, the twenty eighty
three was the closest to a death like losing that

(30:02):
Super Bowl and having the year after Mike Vick left
and having a year without Matt Ryan. With two years
without Matt Ryan, this is the first time that aches
and old hugs and kisses kind of franchise was very shrewd,
and of all the sports, nothing no sport is more
shrewd than football. And this was one hundred percent about business.

(30:26):
It may not make sense to anybody that's on them anywhere,
even us, but those guys Terry and Raheem looks like
they are dug in, and it makes sense to make
sure that we don't have anything like that.

Speaker 1 (30:42):
I get it.

Speaker 2 (30:43):
I get it, and thank you Ken for calling back.
I get it. But it's just you deal.

Speaker 1 (30:50):
Now.

Speaker 2 (30:51):
The NFL is now, it's the now Football League. You know,
the Chiefs have this window. Would they do they trade
up a couple of spots? They get the fastest guy
in the draft? You're thinking now? And that's where you know.
I'm confused with this because Atlanta can be they can
win that division. They can, but I'm not helping who

(31:17):
they have now. They have young talent. Now, okay, it's
not enough to win like you can win the division.

Speaker 1 (31:23):
What's your goal?

Speaker 2 (31:25):
I would think it would be to win a few
games in the playoffs, not just win your division. John
and Hartford, Hi, John, what's on your mind today?

Speaker 13 (31:34):
I'm five ten, two hundred and let's move on. I
literally have news about the word literally okay, and so
because young people were using it, incorrectly for the past,
I don't know. A few years Merriam Webster's Dictionary had

(31:56):
to add an additional definition of the word literally, and
it includes the word hyperbolic. Okay, so literally, the word
literally doesn't mean.

Speaker 1 (32:15):
Literally.

Speaker 6 (32:15):
The word literally doesn't mean literally anymore because so many
people use it incorrectly. They had to change the meaning
of the word just so that many people aren't wrong.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
Okay, thank you, John, that's okay. Crazy.

Speaker 2 (32:29):
I know my kids will say that literally like oh,
you know, blah blah blah literally, and then you go no, no, no,
no figuratively then like, huh go never mind.

Speaker 6 (32:41):
That's mine for me is the one that really gets
because everyone that's dropped l y from words like you
took that personal. No, you took it personally. You took
it personally. You didn't take it personal. That's that's a
different word. It's personally.

Speaker 11 (32:55):
Yes, man, did you ask the school that you paid
for for their money back?

Speaker 7 (33:00):
Like?

Speaker 1 (33:00):
Wait?

Speaker 7 (33:00):
Literal?

Speaker 2 (33:02):
Well, if you have a conversation with somebody under twenty five,
count the number of times they say like, like, and
then like and then like, and I'll go how many
likes do you need?

Speaker 1 (33:15):
My daughters all the time. Okay, how about we drop
the like or the slang words?

Speaker 2 (33:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (33:22):
Literally all right.

Speaker 6 (33:23):
My wife just said Riz yesterday and we were like,
what are you doing?

Speaker 1 (33:27):
She said it tongue in cheekly.

Speaker 6 (33:30):
She said it like, uh, which is is funny when
you're starting to notice these moments where you're like, I
can't believe this is how old you're getting.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
But what if we say Riz, we sound so much older? Yeah? Uh,
it was hilarious.

Speaker 6 (33:40):
The cringe factor was hilarious because it's just like, oh no, it.

Speaker 1 (33:45):
Wasn't cringey now, that's calf Yeah.

Speaker 2 (33:47):
No, cav Now. I heard that one time and uh.
One of my daughters said, oh man, that album it's
so Riz. It's got so much Riz. And I go,
what yeah Charisma? What Yeah?

Speaker 1 (34:01):
Riz? I go okay, Riz, you got Riz? All right,
let me take a break.

Speaker 2 (34:06):
We'll talk some more about the NFL Draft, Lewis Riddick,
and the on Deck Circle.

Speaker 1 (34:09):
More phone calls as well. Back after this.

Speaker 2 (34:11):
Thanks for listening to The Dan Patrick Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday morning nine to
noon Eastern or six to nine Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Danpatrick show at Foxsportsradio
dot com or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching FSR or stream us live on

(34:31):
the Peacock app. Drake may set to join us on
the program. All right, before we get started, give me
your official height and weight bisial.

Speaker 9 (34:40):
Height and weight six four and a half two twenty
five right now, probably close to two thirty when I
get closer to the season, to twenty five right now.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
Best athlete in the family.

Speaker 11 (34:50):
I'm a mom.

Speaker 9 (34:51):
Your mom, Yeah, sir, Yes, she was a great athlete
in high school. Shehuldn't show as much now, but she
grabs some clubs and you played nine hole show play
a team, but she she grabs me pups, she'll she'll
still beat us, US, US, US brothers. So it's it's
pretty sad.

Speaker 2 (35:05):
But about with you and your brothers. Best athlete amongst
the three?

Speaker 9 (35:10):
Yeah, myself. I think it's a pretty easy answer. Every
athlete though, But I'll take myself.

Speaker 2 (35:16):
All right, Uh, what's the best thing that's happened through
this whole process so far?

Speaker 9 (35:23):
The best thing that's happened, No, I think the chances
to reflect on my college years and how far, how
many different people you know, kind of poured into my
life and being a chance to reflect and see how
many special people in my life and maybe this moment
special and to be here on Thursday with all my
my family and all my brothers coming into one place
and all my friends and family to enjoy one moment

(35:45):
kinds of reflect on that and kind of you always
dream of this and kind of coming to it and
realizing that it's about to happen. It's pretty pretty cool.

Speaker 1 (35:52):
What team did you grow up liking?

Speaker 9 (35:54):
Oh, Panthers fan. He was Panthers fan. You know, we
got season tickets and you know, when Cam Newton came
and you know, it was the best thing ever. So
we are big Panthers fans.

Speaker 1 (36:02):
Have you met Cam?

Speaker 5 (36:04):
I have, I have.

Speaker 9 (36:05):
He played I played him in seven on seven. He
coached the seven on seventh team and we played him,
you know, growing up, and he has he has a
good squad.

Speaker 1 (36:12):
He's a big guy.

Speaker 9 (36:13):
Yeah, it's huge. Yeah. I'm about six six four and
six five and he's got like two inches tar than me,
probably like thirty pounds on me. So he's a big dude.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
As far as other teams that you visit, give me
something interesting that you've been asked.

Speaker 9 (36:29):
Instant I've been asked. Hmm, it's a good question. Probably
the most interesting they've been asked is kind of why me.
I think that's that's always the most interesting.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
You know.

Speaker 9 (36:41):
You always start with that and say, watch we draft you,
And I think it's one of those questions that hey,
he kind of puts you on the spot, but you
to me kind of ready for it. So it's ready
to be kind of be the guy and ready to
kind of translate my game in the NFL. I'll fit
in the NFL game a little more. And I'm excited
for that.

Speaker 2 (36:58):
Okay, But when they say why you do, they want
to know if you want to start, Like is that
part of this too, that hey I want to commit
and start or yeah, you know that we we'd prefer
somebody to come in and want to learn exactly.

Speaker 9 (37:13):
That's why it's tricky. You kind of have to play
it both ways because obviously, you know, the competitor and
me want to go in there and start right away
and you know, be a be a be the gay,
the you know, the game one guy and the day
one starter. But at the same time, that's not reality
and get you ready forever. So I'm just kind of
ready to compete that, you know, like I'm gonna be
the starter and you know, up to their decision, but
I'm going to try to prove them that I'm ready

(37:33):
to be the starter. Other than that, you're ready, you know,
to learn and uh, you know, wait until you know
I'm iron that job.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
What's it like to read the negative reviews?

Speaker 9 (37:44):
Yeah, try not to. I think that's the you know,
the biggest fault of athletes in our space, especially our
base social media is nowaday. You know, so many, so
many fans out there that I don't like you, and
there's even more that that're a fan of you. So
try to enjoy the positives. And you know, unless it's
my coach or well, my family members or somebody in
an inner circle, you know, saying something negative about me
or someone I need to change, and that's you know,

(38:04):
that's a different, you know, different subject than you know,
Joe smo works at Applebee's or something.

Speaker 2 (38:11):
But do do your brothers look for the negative stuff
just to give you grief? To say, Like, if you
were my brother, I'd be trying to find some things
to needle to you a little bit.

Speaker 1 (38:22):
Would your brother stoop to that level.

Speaker 9 (38:25):
No, you got real personally would but I think my
brothers have been three of my biggest supporters, So I think, uh,
kind of much to get to this stage in the NFL.
There's so many people out there that that aren't fans
of you and saying, you know, negative stuff. So I
think if your brothers, you know, I think it's a
certain point. You know, maybe in high school sports you
get on for something, but kind of on this stage,
I think it's a little bit past.

Speaker 1 (38:45):
That favorite quarterback when you were growing up.

Speaker 9 (38:48):
Quarterback Cam Newton was my first one being a big
Panthers fan. Other than that and Aaron Rodgers, I was
a big Aaron Rodgers fan.

Speaker 1 (38:55):
Have you met Rogers?

Speaker 2 (38:57):
I'd not.

Speaker 9 (38:57):
Nope, but I have not.

Speaker 1 (38:58):
Okay, let's go around the room.

Speaker 2 (39:00):
Has Drake met Michael Jordan, Todd I'll start with you.

Speaker 1 (39:06):
I'm gonna say no, Seaton. I got to know on
that one, Marvin.

Speaker 12 (39:10):
Yes, Paulie Drake played basketball, He's been in his presence
before Michael Jordan's presence.

Speaker 2 (39:16):
And his brother played on a national title. Yes, yes,
in North Carolina. I'm gonna say yes, you've met Michael Jordan.

Speaker 1 (39:24):
I have met him j all right, it's pretty old.
M oh it's MJ.

Speaker 9 (39:30):
Okay, if you call him your goat, he's got to
be MJ. Right, you don't call him Michael Jordan. You
call him the goat MJ.

Speaker 1 (39:35):
So what'd you talk about.

Speaker 9 (39:38):
I'm in him at the halftime of one of the
basketball games. I'm not getting recruited. Coach Brown, you know,
brought me down there and very sweet.

Speaker 2 (39:47):
That's nice. That's a part of your NIL package. You
get to meet Michael Jordan. I was in high school.

Speaker 9 (39:52):
I was in high school before I even committed, so
I was committed Alabam at the time. So getting to
meet him, you know, getting to meet him was pretty sweet.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
Okay, what's that conversation like when you call Saban and
you say, coach, I'm not coming to Alabama.

Speaker 9 (40:05):
Yeah, tough. Yeah, I've tried it for a while. You
being with coach Saban, he's one of my favorite and
recruitment process. So having to tell him that I'm gonna
stay home was tough. But I think Coach Savan understood,
and shoot, you know, maybe they would have worked out
a little differently. By the same time, you know, Coach
Savan he's you know, I think he's the goat of
college football.

Speaker 1 (40:24):
So he did. Okay, he did. Okay, you're not all right?

Speaker 2 (40:27):
Uh Draft night suit? You already got it picked up.

Speaker 9 (40:31):
Yeah, I'm simple, no swag, so I'm keep it simple.

Speaker 1 (40:35):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (40:35):
Is there a light blue Carol? Is there a Carolina
blue in the suit?

Speaker 1 (40:40):
I don't know.

Speaker 9 (40:40):
I mean you want to, you know, find out.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
Okay, because you might do like a New York Giants blue, or.

Speaker 9 (40:48):
That's that's a little too world closer to Duke. I can't.

Speaker 1 (40:52):
Blue at all. Or you could have like Patriot blue
in there.

Speaker 9 (40:58):
Yeah, that's that Navy. So if I'd wear a blue
would be Caroline.

Speaker 1 (41:01):
Do you know where you're going?

Speaker 9 (41:03):
I wish I did, and I wish it was that easy. Nothing.
I'll know once I hear that phone ring.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
But do you I mean, do you have an idea?
You don't have to tell me, but do you have
an idea?

Speaker 9 (41:12):
I think I have an idea?

Speaker 1 (41:13):
Okay, all right? And do you like the cold?

Speaker 9 (41:18):
I don't mind it at all? Okay, you gotta play football?
Is cold better sport nowadays.

Speaker 2 (41:23):
I just want to make sure do you plan on
hugging the commissioner or you're going to give like just
a firm handshake.

Speaker 1 (41:30):
Mmm, I ain't.

Speaker 9 (41:31):
Thought about that one hugging him. Oh I'm you know, it.

Speaker 1 (41:36):
Strike me as a hugger you did.

Speaker 9 (41:39):
Like maybe maybe uh maybe like a like a dap
and a one arm around. Okay, you know a hug,
a two arm hug. It doesn't seem like.

Speaker 1 (41:47):
But don't treat him like your mom when you come home.

Speaker 2 (41:50):
You know that when when I see the draft, guys
do that and they pick him up and we don't need.

Speaker 9 (41:55):
That'd be funny. Oh god, I think pretty cool though,
some of the d Lineman or off of the line,
and I think that fits.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
So all right, you want to be the next Peyton
Manning when it comes to selling products. So here's your turn.
You're you're joining us on behalf of Low's. Let me
hear Drake may pitch Lows.

Speaker 9 (42:14):
Yeah, first off Lows. You know it's a snow kind
of company. It was an easy fit for me. I
was excited when this opportunity came kind of right off
the Bat was joining joined their home team as the
newest member, and ra Off the Bat them helping in
the community and got a community service event tomorrow that
I'll be helping out at just giving back the community.
It means so much to me and kind of an
easy fit.

Speaker 5 (42:33):
You know.

Speaker 9 (42:33):
I grew up you know, Loaws right across the street
in a neighborhood shopping center. And shoot, when we had
our our we need our driveway extended, we went to
Lows to get a half court hoop and uh, you know,
get ready to go. And we had our backyard. We
had a long part forty our backyard that we painted
with Low's pain and we did it all. So I think,
you know, one of the coolest things. I was here

(42:54):
two weeks ago and we came in the Lows and
uh I did a you know, kind of a pre draft,
little draft and it was awesome. We got even surprised
one of the local pros at Low's, you know, with
the chance to go up on stage and announce a
pick and just stuff like that just means so much
to me. And uh, Low's is a great company and
a partner of the NFL, and little things like that
go a long way. And my family is you know,

(43:15):
full surprises, to be Low surprises.

Speaker 2 (43:16):
So that fit right in uh is the green room
built by Lows it is.

Speaker 9 (43:21):
You had loads did it all. You know, the draft
stays did it all. So I got to walk by
it and preview all, you know, two weeks ago and
I get a little preview, and now walking across the
Thursday will be we'll be special, even more special now
that you know I got to see it before and
partner with the Lows and know that they all did the work.

Speaker 2 (43:35):
So well, good luck, good luck with the giants, and uh,
you know, we appreciate you.

Speaker 9 (43:40):
Wait, Sty, thanks for having me on.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
You didn't you didn't react when I said good luck
with the giants there.

Speaker 9 (43:45):
Yeah, shoot, you know, if you could throw an any
team in.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
There now right forever Carolina, you're not going to be playing.

Speaker 9 (43:52):
For Yeah, exactly, Yeah, I wish so now it's got
to handle.

Speaker 2 (43:56):
Hey, good luck, congratulations, have fun Thursday night.

Speaker 9 (44:00):
Thanks Dan, appreciate it, Uh.

Speaker 2 (44:02):
Drake may thanks for listening to The Dan Patrick Show podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday morning nine
until noon eastern sixty nine Pacific on Fox Sports Radio,
and you can find us on the iHeartRadio app at
FSR or stream us live on the Peacock app. I
had mentioned I had some Joker stats for you. Percentage
of games where this player took the most shots for

(44:26):
his team this season Luca eighty five percent of the games,
Shay Gilgis Alexander eighty six percent of the games, Joker
fifty three percent.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
Also, I was wondering.

Speaker 2 (44:41):
Where, like, if you looked at MVP seasons, where would
Joker rank among these players the fewest shots for an
MVP in a season. And we got our stats guy,
John Tuvey working on this. Joker was nineteenth in the
NBA during the regular seas in shot attempts. Four teams

(45:03):
had two players who averaged more shot attempts than Joker
did this year, the seventy six Ers, Celtic Sons, and
the Mavericks.

Speaker 1 (45:16):
The stat of the day, That of the day. Here
it comes the stat of the day.

Speaker 5 (45:22):
Yay, stat of the day. Stat of the day.

Speaker 13 (45:27):
Here it comes the stat of the day.

Speaker 2 (45:30):
The stat of the Day brought you by Panini America,
the official trading cards of the Dan Patrick Show. Chris Mannix,
He'll be in Boston tomorrow night Game two between the
Heat and Celtics. Always great to have him on the
Sports Illustrated NBA senior writer. Let me start with Joker.
Can you remember an MVP in a season who averaged

(45:50):
less shots. I don't know if Steve Nash would be somebody,
but how many MVPs average fewer shots than Joker does
in the regular season?

Speaker 16 (46:01):
Yeah, top of my head, Steve Nash would be the
only one that comes to mind, because he was a
playmaker and a lot of his production. The reason was
the MVP came off of Cis. But Jokic just does
it and dominates in unique ways every game. I mean,

(46:21):
watching that game last night, it was the offensive rebounding
that was dominant. It was the playmaking that was dominant.

Speaker 9 (46:30):
Dan.

Speaker 16 (46:30):
One thing that struck me in that final sequence where
Jamal Murray made that shot. If you rewind the tape
a little bit and you look at the moments after
the defensive rebound by Denver, the instant they got the
ball in their hands, Jokic was already orchestrating that final play.

(46:50):
He was waving guys around and gave them position. She said,
somebody and I forgot who was over from the right
side of the play to the left, essentially to clear
room for what was a developing two man game between
himself and Jamal Murray. So great shot by Jamal Murray
in the face of Anthony Davis. But give Jokic's credit

(47:13):
in part for kind of clearing that room for him,
giving him enough space to operate. You know, it's plays
like that make nikolea Jokic so special.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
I'm trying to understand how a Laker fan can spin
this in a positive way that you were up twenty
and it feels like they're trying to win games in
the first half, like let's go out and use all
of our energy, and then they limped to the finish line.
You've been close with Denver even last year when they
got swept, they weren't getting blown out. So I'm trying
to figure out, if I'm a Laker fan, what positives

(47:46):
do I take away from losing back to back games.

Speaker 16 (47:49):
I mean, I think among the positives was how well
D'Angelo Russell played in the first half, how well Anthony
Davis played in the first half. Both those guys seem
to run out of gas though in the second. I
mean Davis, you know, he had he had a great
regular season, played seventy six games, the most games he's

(48:10):
played in his NBA career, averaged more minutes per game
than he has at any times since his New Orleans days.
But you start to wonder watching a series like this,
if there's enough gas left in the tank for Anthony
Davis to be a dominant two way player for thirty
five thirty six minutes. I mean on the defensive end
in the fourth quarter, Nicol Jokic was was great. I mean,
an Ad is as good as he is defensively, he

(48:33):
just couldn't do much to stop him in the post.
And with Russell, Dan, I said coming into this series,
the only way the Lakers can win is if D'Angelo
Russell is the kind of player we've seen in the
regular season and not in the games he's played against Denver.
I mean the Conference finals last year, Dan, the Nuggets
played D'Angelo Russell right off the floor. I mean he

(48:53):
was benched in the Conference finals. First half of Game two,
he had eighteen points, made six of seven pre point RNs,
he was one of four from three point range. The
rest of the way just five points in that second half.
I mean you can draw a line between D'Angelo Russell,
you know, being a effective offensive player to that fifteen
point lead the Lakers built to you know that, you know,

(49:14):
collapse so to speak in the second half. So both
those guys have to find a way to play four
full quarters to give the Lakers a.

Speaker 2 (49:22):
Chance better chance of coming back. The Lakers are seventy
six ers.

Speaker 16 (49:28):
I'm gonna give the seventy six ers a better chance
of coming back. But that was just heartbreaking. I mean,
the Knicks, Reggie Millard, the seventy six ers down the stretch,
like the run they had in that final fifteen to
twenty seconds, whatever it was, I haven't seen anything like
it an MSG since Reggie Miller did what he did

(49:49):
so many years ago. And I mean credit the Knicks
that just they just never stopped playing. Like you know,
Jalen Brunson has had a terrible series statistically, he has
shut under thirty percent in the first two games of
this series, but he still has the confidence to make
that shot. Dante DiVincenzo misses one shot on the wing,
makes the second at the top of the key in Philadelphia,

(50:10):
I mean, what are we doing down the stretch there?
You call a time out when you need it on
the inbounds, you don't. If you're Kyle Lowry, don't just
flip the ball in to Tyrese Maxi on that inbound play.
Don't put him in the position that he was in.
I know a lot of the focus dan is on
the refereeing and should they have called the foul down
the stretch maybe, But the Sixers blew that game. They

(50:31):
couldn't come up with an offensive rebound or a defensive
rebound when they needed it, and they made multiple four
plays in that final minute that allowed the Knicks to,
you know, keep that door open to win that game.

Speaker 1 (50:44):
What do the Nuggets have to do to be labeled
one of the great teams?

Speaker 16 (50:50):
I mean, multiple championships is kind of It kind of
opens the door for you. It puts you in that
rarefied air of teams that have won multiple championships, and
then you kind of bump them up a tier from there, Like,
you know, does three championships put them in the mix
with the early aughts Lakers that won free straight with

(51:14):
with Shaq and Kobe, the Celtics and the Lakers of
the nineteen age, You start talking about them as being
in that conversation. So I think it starts with two
championships and then you build from there.

Speaker 2 (51:28):
Yeah, it's kind of like the Rockets when they won
back to back titles. That might be example, because you know,
when we're saying, you know, do I think they're one
of the great teams.

Speaker 1 (51:37):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
But I think if you're gonna be labeled great, it's
got to be more than one year. I think they
might be, though, Dan, because it's not like this is
the final chapter of their their run. They've got most
of that team under long term contract and most of
that team is in or in the case of someone
like Michael Porter Junior just entering the prime of their

(51:59):
caris or Junior's year was sensational. It's a guy that
you know, many people wondered if you would ever be
able to play the kind of season that he did.

Speaker 16 (52:07):
Played what like eighty plus games this year. I mean,
that's just an incredible accomplishment for MPJA. I mean, Jokic
is incredibly durable. Mury's had his bumps along the way,
but he's still young. I mean, you know, anything can
happen this year because the playoffs in the Western Conference
especially are going to be brutal. But I think this
team's window is probably three or four more years to

(52:29):
win championships.

Speaker 2 (52:30):
We're talking to Chris Mannix, the senior writer for the
NBA with Sports illustrade him. But Joker, now with the
third MVP coming up, now, all of a sudden, we
start to get into a little bit more interesting conversation
with him. That a nice story. Oh I got another MVP.
Well let's see if you can win a ty Oh

(52:51):
you got a title, Now you get another MVP.

Speaker 1 (52:53):
Favor to win another title.

Speaker 2 (52:55):
At what point does he start to get into that
top twenty players there's of all time conversation?

Speaker 16 (53:03):
I mean, I think we're there, aren't we. I mean,
he's a top twenty player of all time. I'd have
to make it, you know, I haven't made a list lately,
but yeah, I mean a third MVP. There's only a
handful of guys that have done that. So at some
point the results speak for themselves and the completeness of

(53:24):
his game at that position.

Speaker 2 (53:26):
Okay, if I said Durant or Joker, who's going to
be ranked higher when their careers are over?

Speaker 16 (53:33):
When their careers are over, I would say Jokic will
probably be ranked higher.

Speaker 1 (53:39):
Okay, Yiannis, that's a.

Speaker 16 (53:43):
Tougher one because Jiannis is still in his prime and Yiannis.
This year, he's gonna finish top five MVP. He's not
going to fish inside the top three. But he had
a insane statistical season, and he is a two way player.
He's as good defensively most Knights as he is offensively.

(54:04):
I'm gonna say Jokic, but it's a lot.

Speaker 1 (54:05):
Closer Karl Malone.

Speaker 16 (54:11):
I mean Jokic probably because of the championship and whatever
happens over the next three I think he's gonna get
at least one more so. I think three MVPs and
two championships nudges him above Malone. He just being me,

(54:32):
Probably Jokic. I mean Dirk revolutionized the game, made shooting three,
made half the things.

Speaker 10 (54:39):
That Jokic does now.

Speaker 16 (54:41):
And Vogue, I mean Jokic probably in a way learned
some of the game from from Dirk Davitsky, or figured
out how to play a certain way because of Dirk Navitzky.

Speaker 10 (54:51):
I just think, I just think Jokic is the completeness
of his.

Speaker 16 (54:53):
Game, Like he's a playmaker where Dirk wasn't, not to
that level. He's a rebounder I think better than than Dirk.
I mean, you can you give the ball to Dirk
in the high post in his prime and good night,
that's an eighteen footer that's going in seventy five percent
of the time.

Speaker 10 (55:13):
You give the ball to Jokic and you don't know
what's gonna happen.

Speaker 16 (55:16):
He could shoot a fadaway jump shot himself in a
high percentage.

Speaker 10 (55:19):
He can go to the basket.

Speaker 16 (55:20):
You saw him get to the free throw line a
lot and down the stretch against Anthony Davis, or he
can make the right play and find an open teammate
for three. Jokic's ability to dissect the defense I think
probably separates.

Speaker 10 (55:32):
It from Dirk as well.

Speaker 1 (55:34):
Larry Bird.

Speaker 16 (55:35):
I get so much hate mail from like a hate
more hate message than usual because of this debate.

Speaker 10 (55:43):
Probably Jokic as well. I I you know, I.

Speaker 1 (55:45):
Wait, do you really mean that? I Are you crying
right now? I'm not crying.

Speaker 16 (55:52):
I'm I'm I'm trying to think of what I'm missing
here with I mean, look, you're talking about all time
great players and scorers.

Speaker 1 (56:00):
Yes, what they do.

Speaker 16 (56:03):
Larry was more clutch in big Larry had the weight
of the world on his team down the stretch in
big moments, and he made shots that that we hadn't
seen in that era. But again, the the completeness of
Jokic's game, I got to put him, Yeah, I gotta
put him up there. I mean, I'm you're whittling guys

(56:24):
off the potential top twenty list. I'm bumping him ahead
of all these guys. So I think we're there. I
think we're there with NICOLEA. Jokic as as a top
twenty player.

Speaker 2 (56:33):
It feels like the Celtics are hard to root for nationally,
hard to buy into because all we're doing. You know,
there's certain teams in certain sports where you go like Cowboys, Hey,
thirteen regular season wins, I don't care, what are you
going to do in the playoffs. The Celtics are there,
like a wonderful regular season. Now you got to win

(56:54):
a title.

Speaker 1 (56:57):
Yeah, I know.

Speaker 10 (56:57):
I think that's fair.

Speaker 16 (56:59):
You know, how how many years now, six seven years
in a row or six seven years total, we've seen
the Celtics at least the conference finals, NBA finals, you know,
a couple of years back, and have been to the
mountaintop but have not yet won a championship.

Speaker 10 (57:12):
And you mentioned.

Speaker 16 (57:13):
The the hard to root for part of it is
when you go through a regular season that's effectively over
by like ash Wednesday, like for them, like you're you're
not gonna get behind a team like that. I think
part of the skepticism, though, is that there is a
belief nationally that when the games on the line, Jason
Tatum is not as good as some of the other

(57:36):
players in key moments like where would you rank Jason
Tatum among the guys that you would trust with the
ball in their hands down the stretch? Among playoff teams, Dan,
we could probably sit here and name six seven guys
that you know, many people would take in those moments.

Speaker 10 (57:52):
So I don't think a lot of that is fair.

Speaker 16 (57:54):
I think that Tatum has taken a step back this
year in a way to allow Jalen Brown to keep growing,
to allow Porzingis to be a twenty point per game score,
to allow Drew Holiday to get his shots. But I
think there's a perception out there that in tight, competitive games,
Jason Tatum.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
Is going to be.

Speaker 16 (58:17):
Not a liability, but not going to be the greatest
option in those moments.

Speaker 10 (58:21):
I disagree with it.

Speaker 16 (58:22):
I think he's going to prove in these playoffs that
he is an elite fourth quarter score, an elite crunch
time player, a guy that can play out of the
high post the low post and beat you in a
variety different ways. But that is one of the skepticisms
that people have about Boston in this playoffs, that they've
won so many games, huge margin of victory, blowing teams

(58:43):
out across the field when it gets tight late in games.
Can they rely on Jason Tateum good to talk to you, buddy,
Thanks for joining us as always?

Speaker 10 (58:52):
Can I ask the question Dan before I go?

Speaker 16 (58:55):
I've been watching, of course, and I understand then you're
kind of Are you make me a short list for
your potential replacements?

Speaker 10 (59:04):
Is that's what what's happening? Last?

Speaker 2 (59:06):
No, No, I just had somebody who contacted me and
I was a little bit surprised that the person said,
do I put my name in the hat? And I
said for what? And he said to replace you? And
I said, no, no hat yet. But I mean, I
don't even know if the dan Nets want to continue
to do this. But are you throwing your name in

(59:27):
the hat? I would I would like to formally.

Speaker 1 (59:30):
Formally name that. Can we get a hat?

Speaker 2 (59:34):
Well, okay, how do you guys feel about what Mannix
just said, we're going to.

Speaker 12 (59:39):
Need time to process this.

Speaker 1 (59:40):
This is out of nowhere. No one saw this, Marvin,
what do you think NBA talk all day? Yeah, I mean, okay, Todd,
I love Chris.

Speaker 10 (59:49):
That's excellent news that is interested in that.

Speaker 2 (59:51):
So that's your choice. If I run by some other
candidates for you, you're taking Mannix.

Speaker 5 (59:58):
Oh, that's really putting me on the spot. Russ. Tucker
is a good guy.

Speaker 11 (01:00:00):
I don't know if he's interested, but I love Chris Mannix,
and I will leave it at that.

Speaker 1 (01:00:04):
See what about you.

Speaker 6 (01:00:06):
I think Chris would be fantastic. I don't know that
it necessarily I want to be much like a Tucker
at I don't know if I'm going to be a
manic set either, but I think that I think Chris
would be fantastic.

Speaker 16 (01:00:18):
Paul, Dan just just to let me, let me make
a briefcase here, right, So I have a good relationship
obviously with the Dannettes.

Speaker 10 (01:00:27):
As you saw there, Paulie and I Vermont Vermont.

Speaker 16 (01:00:30):
Well, I was gonna say, Paul you and I Vermont neighbors,
like we're yes, you know, we're kindred spirits up there.
Proximity Dan, I could seamlessly move to Connecticut, continue doing
that show right there in that studio.

Speaker 10 (01:00:41):
No issue with that.

Speaker 16 (01:00:43):
And look, I know you you've said that you want
to differentiate the next host from you a little bit.
Why you said you weren't considering the Dynets. Everybody loves you.
Everybody hates me, So I mean, that's I think a nice,
nice differentiator.

Speaker 2 (01:00:59):
There. There have to be some people who like that.
I haven't found them, but but we there has to
be somebody who likes Chris mannings.

Speaker 16 (01:01:09):
Members of Ricky Rubio's family maybe wait, what was that?

Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
What was that Chris Rock show? Everybody hates Chris?

Speaker 2 (01:01:16):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
Hello, we can bring that back.

Speaker 2 (01:01:19):
Everybody hates Chris, Come on in, all right, your name
is officially in the hat.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
Thank you dad.

Speaker 2 (01:01:26):
All right, that's Chris Mannix Sports Illustrated NBA Senior Writer