NBA Finals, Damian Lillard & Fan Questions W/ Paul Pierce | WHAT’S BURNIN | SHOWTIME Basketball

I'm hearing you might becoming part of the Showtime family, so we could we could be seeing you here more. Oh yeah, we got some stuff in the words well welcome, but let's get right into it. Milwaukee Phoenix. Phoenix goes up to oh Milwaukee wins the next two at home, goes in Game five after being down double digits, uh to secure win um with some tough defense from jew Holiday. Tell me how the momentum has swung in these finals. I'm telling this series might be over man, truthfully, because

Drew Holiday, think about this. He played terrible in Game four, and that was a game Phoenix should have won. It's always that one swing game. It was Game four, Phoenix should have won that. So now all the momentums in Milwaukee, and I don't know how Phoenix is gonna recover because I can't even see them playing much better. They shot over from the field from three. I mean, what can they do better? Usually when you see them numbers Matt,

you usually win a game like that. They was up sixteen and game in Game five in the first quarter, it's like, Now you go to Milwaukee, where they've been dominant at home. I don't know how they get back in it, to be all honest, They're a whole different team at home, and I think it's you know, that Game four lost in Milwaukee was big. Obviously, that turnover down the stretches what stands out, you know when CP lost the ball and they go down and get that

the bucket by Middleton. But same thing in game five, Drew Holiday again in there. You know, Devin Booker's hesitant. Instead of pulling up, he turns and Drew takes it down and takes it and then throws a lot to Janice. It's the three point play and the momentum is gone. I see flashes of this teams and what I've been impressed with them all playoffs is they haven't showed their age. You know, all those CPS, their leader, they're a young team, and that to me, they haven't showed their age. They've

showed like they belong or they've done it before. You're seeing spells now in these final games where it's it's just a little bit tighter um that they're showing their their age with shot selections, defensive rotations and small careless turnovers that Milwaukee is eating on. So Holiday has been up and down, but you also got to say, like his defense has been so pivotal on CP. I think he's starting to wear CP down. And then that last game,

obviously Holiday was on fire with the scoring. I think when they have those three guys over twenty, they're hard to beat. Yeah, I mean when you look at both of them, they're they're so called big threes. Booker is kind of like high end taking you honest the numbers. You know, they're both high thirties forties. Then you look at Dtleton, he's up and down. CP is not taking advantage of that matchup. You know, they posted a CP post to dominate one of these matchups. But then Middleton

he goes for thirty eight. Then he has another good game he's been clutched for them, and then eight and the X factor he's pposted. He got to be the X factor and Drew Holidays the X factor. And we've seen their two X factors take advantage of this series because in every series you gotta have that X factor and drews Bean the X factor because you know what

you're gonna get from the stars. The X factors, especially in the finals, there are kind of the wild card they're gonna hw are they're gonna play in That kind of dictates how it goes. Yeah, and so when you look at it from top to bottom, from their top three to to Milwaukee's top three and Phoenix they're just getting out played. You know, Johannese has been consistent, Booker has been consistent, Middleton has been great down the stretch, And I think that's what it comes down to. And

then you gotta have that. See, Phoenix never took advantage of when the role players played great. You know, when Crowder have a game where he getting you fifteen eighteen points, you know you gotta win them games. You have six team at home, that's a swing game, and it's tough to come back from that. So Obviously we both know the world knows. Milwaukee is a much tougher team and a different team mindset wise. At home, it's gonna be a tough job to go in there and do it.

But I think, like I said, Phoenix can because it's coming down to the wires. I like they're getting blown out. It's been really it's been one play here, one play there. So if they can go in there and have that mindset of, you know, we gotta get this back to Phoenix, it could happen. But I think we all know it's gonna be really tough. Man. But but one more thing. When you got the best player in the series, all Milwaukee at home, I don't know. You gotta you gotta

like their chances. You gotta like the Milwaukee has to have the mindset we're celebrating after, you know, Tuesday night and you're walking on for their beer. They better have a lot of beer ready. They're gonna have it ready this Tuesday. So this Tuesday, tomorrow night will be Game

six in Milwaukee. We talked a little bit about you know who's doing what Bookers at thirty points a game from the field CPS twenty one, nearly nine assist from the field aiden uh fifteen and thirteen, and then you jump across Janice at thirty two thirteen and nearly six sixty cent from the field, free throw percenters nearly up to sixty sixty. And one thing we forgot though, is I gotta admit when I saw y'all this hyper extended his knee and the Eastern Conference Finals, I thought he

was done. Man. I thought I thought the season was over right, and he thought that too. And to think that he can, you know, rally that up and and and possibly come back and win his first championship and probably when the if they win his finals M v P, that's the hell of a story. And I'm happy for him because this has always been the question about Jannie. Can he do it on the biggest stage in the

biggest game. He's been great during the regular season, and he's taking a lot of heat for not getting his team where they need to be. Now, you could say what you want about teams were hurt, but that a lot of you note, a lot of luck goes into teams win the championships. Lost one of your big players going into l A for your guys a second championship,

you know this has been a great run. Obviously, Middleton at nearly twenty six and seven and six man, he's been killing the Holidays picked this game up at sixteen and a half, nine assists and nearly six rebounds a game and nearly two steals and playing forty minutes a game. So Drew Holiday to me, has been the ultimate X factor that hasn't always been from the scoring side. Has been from the scoring side of late, but the defensive side,

you can. I think he's really starting to wear CP down, picking up CP full court and really making him work every time down the court, and that that obviously favorites Milwaukee. Yeah, but when you look at through Holiday's game, you look, there's nothing sexy about his game. He's just a hard hat player and and I believe the reason that he hasn't been that effective on offense, if you just look at his playoff run. He's had the match up with heart Trade Young then he come in this series, he

got book or Chris Paul. That can take a lot away from you because I remember in two thousands of ten, I matched up with Lebron for the second time in the series, and I put so much energy on defense. People don't even know. I average like fourteen points for that series, but I I expended so much energy on just trying to slow him down. That takes a lot away from your offense, especially when you put that much effort in the defense in and that's that's the reason

Holiday've been up and down offensively. And I agree because I mean I've seen that firsthand. You know, that's the kind of the Clay Tompson effect with Golden State. You know, when he's always had the tough matchups and he would have offshooting nights or his points on his high he's literally taking that's the best player on the other end every night, and that ship. Like he said, it's a mindset.

But then that also just mentally and physically, what does Phoenix have to do to get this back to Phoenix for Game seven? In your opinion, man, I'm not I'm not even sure because when I'm saying you gotta go into a hostile environment, you need some goons, I'm not sure if they got the goons, you know, to get it done. I mean, yes, CP is great, and I love, you know, his mental because I feel like CP is a guy who's never shaken. So I think his leadership

gotta come into play right here. You know, he gotta look at everybody in the eye and be like, look, this one game we gotta win. You know, I think it's really gotta come from here. You gotta stand up, look everybody in the eye, and like, look one guy. Y'all telling me we can't beat this guy's one time on the road. We've been good all year long. We've been one of the best teams in the league. We can get us one game. It's gut checking time. It's gut checking time. This is it. I mean, he gotta

look and they gotta come with it. We know. I think Booker is gonna come with it. He found a rhythm. It'll be interesting to see. So it's gonna be a dog fight. And uh but I know Milwaukee Smell Championship. They're gonna have the trophy. That's one thing when you at home, Because I was there, I knew the trophy was in the building somewhere. It's in the building. I'm like, ain't no way this trophy leaving the building tonight. And so this is a tough one. But I don't know

what Phoenix can do. Talk to me about you. I mean, you've had experience in these situations. You know, you've been up three two with the chance to close at home, um three to versus l a close out and then three too and uh and lost in Game seven with the Lakers and ten. But talk to us about both sides of that coin. I mean, you feel a lot more comfortable when you up three two at home. That's just I mean, I'm sitting at my couch sitting. It's

like you're being at home, putting up my feet. I got my food ready, and come know, the bathroom is I ain't gonna ask. But when you go on the road, you're like, where is this? It's it's it's tough that that was one of the toughest going on the road. Were up three two. You just feel like, man, two games in l A, we gotta get one. Then Pert go down. It just took the air out of this. It's tough to win on the road, man. That's why I always tough me. It's hard to win the championship.

I mean you've been a part of it. You said that's hard to win a championship. Man, I don't care. You know, you've got some guys that did the two or three times, four or five times just to win one. It's tough. And that game seven you were talking about off came before we started with was that energy like uh in Staples Center? Uh? For for that it was surreal. Man. I just remember we we were up most of the game, fourth quarter, everybody standing up. It was just surreal. Dude,

they didn't feel real. I really can't even explain it, because every shot you took, it was just like something was on the line. It was like one of them. I felt like, it's like almost like one of them shots. You take a half courter NBA game where you can you can go win a ten thousand dollars. If you miss, you just feel so down. And so that's every shot you're taking the finals of the fourth quarter. You just felt so down every shot you miss, and then every

shot your hit was so big. It was just like, man, I still I still didn't watch that game. That's tough. I still be sitting on two chips. But you know that's the way the cookie crumble sometime. Yeah. Next step we have on the radar presented you by Draft Kings. Dame Lillard is in the discuse since of late. You know he's he's he he wants to see some activity from that Portland's front office. He's put a lot of time in and they haven't really got over that hump um.

You were in a similar position in the early two thousand's where you know, guys are trying to get you to leave bust and you stayed down and uh you know, ended up picking up ray Allen and KG and and making your guys run. Do you think Dame will ask out of this situation or he's he gonna, you know, give Chauncey a chance and kind of see what they can do with there, Because, like I said, you've been

in a situation like this. Yeah, I think my circumstances was a little different because when I look around the league, what Dame needs is not out there. And what I mean by that, there's no other superstar that you can say, is this grundo that you can bring over to Dame to say, all right, if we add this piece. This has put us in championship contention, and uh so I think the best thing for Damn. I think he needs

to get out of it. I really do. I really think he don't have to be loud about it, you know, Dame has always been one of the most loyal guys. So more it's more his situation unlike mine, is more like KGS because kg was doing all he could from Minnesota and they just got to the point he couldn't do no more, and uh it was like, you know, it was time for him to go. I think Dame's time is up there, and you know they don't squeezed

all the limit juice out of him. He can't make no more limit name man, I mean even making even making too much limit name for years. He gotta move on. So if he does end up moving in whatever fashion that may happen, where do you see a good landing

spot or a good fit for him? Who are maybe two or three teams you obviously any team he goes who's gonna help, But anyone off the top that that comes to mind that could be like damn, Yeah, well there's two teams off the top that if you land Damn Lillard, you put yourself in championship contention, which is I mean, there's a lot of teams, but I'm saying best fit. I think the seventy sixers because I believe they got the pieces that they can make a trade.

You know, maybe Ben Simmons, who knows. It's it's a lot of things rumbling over there. Who knows in Miami, the Miami, I think they got a lot of young pieces. If you don't get rid of Jimmy Butler, and you could find a way to keep Bam, try to forego some of them other little pieces Duncan, Robinson, Tyler, Hero and you can bring Damn in there. I think those two are realistic, and I would really look into that

if I'm all the those GMS something. I don't know if it's been unofficial or or official, if it's actually real talk. But I've heard Golden State try to trade their two picks and maybe one of their young players for Dame to join Clay Draymond and Steph back at the crib. I mean, dude, you know what greatness always figuring it out. I don't care how much of it you got around each other and people. Yeah, just like you know, if hardened Katie and Kyrie would have been healthy,

they probably would have won. And so like if they come together and and you know, the casuals are gonna be like, that's two repetitive Dame. You know he played like staff and clay. It won't work. It's too no. I love to try to figure that out. Greatness always gonna figure it out if they if they're healthy, they'll figure out a way to make that work, and they will be the favorite surmise if that happened. And you think, I'm going back to the town too and be at home.

This Thursday July, catch our next all the smoking episode of Our mann e Manuo cho himself. Enjoy this teaser. Care Richardson band for spoken with marijuana on the days after her mom had passed. And I saw what you said. You made a comment on something. I remember what it was, and I said, I said, come on, bro, you're better than that. And you had made a comment, and I think you were taking a lot of heat that forced you to kind of go back and do some home

work in your research on the situation. Man, let's go there. Fellas literally came here for this. Welcome to all the smokes. A pleasure to be here all right. First and foremost, let me preface with this, I was at a Lympic trials. Let me press with this. Track is actually my first love. I love track because track is quantifiable. It's like why I love math two plus two will always before. I don't care if Stack feels like it's five or if Matt feels like it's six. Two plus two is four.

Point blank. We watched the NBA finals. How much was jan Is helping? How much was Middleton helping? How much was Chris Paul helping? Track is simple, I ran faster than you, point blank got a debate nothing. So let me preface with this my first love. Let me preface with I was at the Olympic trials. Let me preface with I keep up with not only what goes on in American track circuit, but the entire track circuit, Jamaican's, Nigerian's everything, because I love track. Also preface with condolences

to she carry does not overstep. Let's not overlook. This is a woman who lost her biological mother. Let's not stup over that for the sake of debate number one. So my my comment after she got she tested positive for marijuana, and so many people was jumping out saying they should legalize, it should be legalized, it should be legalized, it should be legalized. I'm like, okay, here's a kicker.

It's only illegal in competition. You can smoke all the weeds you want as a professional track athlete, you just can't do it in competition. A rule exists. A rule exists, whether it's fair or not. You broke the rule, you should be punished accordingly. I grew up in Texas. I drive through the back roads in Texas. If there is a red light, and I see the red light, camera and I choose to run the red light, and I see it flash. I got in the middle. I've seen the red light and I ran to joint. Now I

can debate why was the red light there. We can debate that to me all day. But the fact that the matter is the red light was there. Last thing I'm gonna say on this matter is this, and again I was there. The fastest man in the in the world, not in America. Noah Liles through twos, the fastest man

in the world. We're reigning world champion. He said that the USA Olympic Trials make the World Championships feel like nothing, just saying Olympic trials are more difficult than the World champions I was in a warm up area with Noah before he had to rent run, nervous as all could be. He was watching my phone he was had my phone is hand dropped, nervous as all could be the fastest woman ever through two hundred meters second to flow Joe Gabby Thomas, she trains in Austin. I know her well,

graduated from Harvard, fastest woman ever. She had to take off her whoop watch the week before the two because she didn't want to see how bad her CNS was because she was so anxious. So everybody was anxious there. With that being said, everybody had to deal with their anxiety differently. So there was a rule in place. No, weed doesn't make you faster, It don't make you stronger, doesn't make you have more quick twitch muscles. No. But the fact of the matter is it was a rule.

She broke the rule. And the last thing is remember this in the NBA, this in the NFL, This is not the MLB. This is global stages in China, if you smoke. In Japan, if you smoke weed, punishable by five to ten years in prison. So the tests in Japan have to match the tests in America because they compete against each other. Unlike America. We can just do rules for America. But the rules got to compete against

each other. So you can't make something legal for one country that's illegal in another country because the country has got to compete. And so this is a nuanced conversation. It has to be had with nuanced individuals. You can't just fire off a hundred eight characters to make sense of it. Over But that's my stance. Racism is why marijuana was ever made illegal in the first place. Marijuana

should not be illegal. Shaky did break a rule, shi carry should be punished accordingly for the rules she broke. All of those things can be true. Next up, one of our favorite segments. We have fan questions, So let's get started with this step up and get clowned. What is the US basketball team missing in order to be successful? In your opinion, the US basketball team is never missing nothing. Come on, we we hadn't shoulders the best in the world. I don't care who we put out there. We just

need time. We just need time together. I don't care who we put out there. We're heading shoulders better than everybody in the world. Everybody wants to be in the NBA. And we're sitting twelve fortune NBA guys over there, and most of these teams maybe got one NBA player maybe too. We don't need nothing, just time to gather for them to get their chemistry. But this should be USA go every time. Hands down, I agree. The one thing I will say is, obviously I think the world has not

caught up, but has gotten better. It has definitely gotten better from a standpoint, and we've just been up used to be able to just throw whoever out there, and it was just we're that much better. We're gonna be fine. Now that chemistry is starting to weigh in because I think there is more NBA players from around the world. So and the way I was having a conversation from my homeboy and I think that people don't understand is

we have twelve guys on the team. Probably ten of those guys are the man on their team, the go to man that takes shots all these other teams, even if they haven't even played their role players, so they know how to play in a system. They know what they have to do, the cuts, the passes, the screens, that ship they have to do. We just have to get used to playing with so many stars that are used to not playing together, but also being the man

on their team. So that just takes time in that chemistry to get that ball because once you saw the last game against Spain, once that ball starts moving around, there's nothing you could do with us. Not only adjustment US gotta be ready for is international whistle. It's different from the NBA whistle because the fouls used to get you know, the Lebron calls, Tatum calls. You know, they're not getting those over there. So once they get used to that, I think they'll be fine. What was your

Olympic experience? Like, oh, man, I didn't play Olympics, but I played World Games and it was it was tragic two thousand two and we were the first team. We had Baron Davis, Andre Miller, remember Jermaine O'Neil el and brand Reggie Miller, uh, the Matrix, Sean Marion being Wallace. We just didn't get it done. But this is where the world, this is where we ran into the first time I ran into a guy named man new Genoboli.

This is the first time. You know, he wasn't in the league and it was like this kid, So I was like, what whatever I got him? Man? He put it on us. He put it on It was a monster too. You do everything to keep off that left he'll still get to us left and he used to dunk that bit in the lane on you too. Yeah.

So my USA experience was all bad. And I think the reason after two thousand and this was a two thousand I believe U three and four around there, they changed the whole USA program to where now how they started bringing guys earlier out for camp because we just showed them, got together, practice for a couple of days and play. Now it's a whole program. After that, after that, that tragic event, they changed the whole USA program. And

that's why we're back on top. This is it's just me what team you both would want to rematch against to beat both would want to rematch against probably in our careers. I would want to run it back with that. We believe team versus Utah, I think we had we were we were on a crazy high that year and we was up in Utah. Both games, whistles got crazy um and they ended up battling San Antonio in the

Eastern Conference finals excuse me, Western Conference finals. So that I mean to me, that would probably be a one. Let's run it back because I thought we should have beat them. Yeah, I mean, mine is clear obvious the Lakers Game seven. I mean, gosh, we was up eight, nine, ten points. I don't hurt. I don't still stink to you. Is that your biggest that's just, you know, just your biggest crush man right there and then, But like a couple of them, people don't like like when we say

you have to be good and lucky. People forgetting two thousand and nine. We came back and started the season like twenty nine and three, and KG gets hurt and uh we probably would go back to back because we was crushing teams and then we get healthy the next year and then we lose per I mean, you gotta be good and lucky man. Injuries are a factors. So all you people out here saying that Phoenix wouldn't be there or Milwaukee wouldn't be there, Injuries are a factor.

It is a part of the game. It happens every year Toronto one Katie went down. Oh well, it's part of the game. Yeah, absolutely, I agree. You can't definitely take nothing away from these teams. Uncle one e pH one, What the funk that says after partially tearing his a c L With his injury history, will Qua be the next star? To have his career altered by injury. Who tough question. I mean, how much altering can you do

with Kauai's career? Look at his career, you know, it's not the same as when I look at like Penny Hardaway or Grant Hill or Tracy McGrady. You know, Kauai has won a couple of championships, He's been on great teams already. I don't think it alters his career. Will he win Moore? Who knows? But his career is set in stone pretty much. His legacy is there, and so I like, like I said, al turn it, I don't think so, because Kauai could retire today and he's going

down one of the greatest. So I would agree. Now this might alter his longevity, I think, um, just because there's always been whispers there's something going on in his hip. Now he has this minor a c L tear um, already had the surgery recovering. We wish him the best, but this could probably prolong that probably the length of time he plays. But I think, like Paul said, I mean to championships, two finals, m vps um, he's pretty

much all right. We got a question from S. J. C forty four oh one, Matt, where was you rank Joannice currently? If he wins a ring this year? I really to be honest with you when we're talking about greats and we'll just go top twenty five grades. I don't think he's cracked that list yet. I think, um, he's at a great start, still young, two time m v P. But like, what about amongst the league right now? Current, like, like, who's the best player in the league? If he wins

a ring this year, I think we gotta. I think you gotta put him in the top five. I think you gotta put him in the top five. And that's that's saying a lot because there's a lot of motherfucker's in the number one in the league. I don't think so. I don't think so you gotta be you gotta be number one? Oh you got him? Because I'm still like and I'm if I'm thinking number one, I'm still taking k D over Jannice. I don't know. And this is what all due respect, I don't know if going into

here night about this. We won, right So I go to Spain to do a bad skitball camp and it was like, hey, Ida interview and He was like, hey, you bess, you just beat the best player in the world. And I was like, huh. I was like, currently, I'm the best player in the world because I beat them I want and so like I think, Janice, if he wins a chip, he's the king. He's the best player in the world. I mean, look at the numbers he's putting up. Dude. Man, he's sixty who shoots six from

the field average, and his impact is on the novel. Yeah, he's not that player, but neither with Shock. You know, everybody asking Honest to do all this. He's not a closer. That's why they need Middleton and Drew Holiday to do that. But everything else in between he taking care of. You know, there's other guys who we got in front of them. They closers, Okay, Katie, uh bron, you know these guys, you know, they closer, they do it all. But this dude, he the best right now, He coming off two m

vps and and he win it. Not mad at that. It's gotta be he gotta he gotta feel he's the best. Yeah. Absolutely, and you I'm not even allow you made a better argument than me. So I'm good with that now. We're up with quick hitters. We touched on this early in the show. Uh. The U S team defeats Spain. They're

off to Tokyo. First game I think is versus France. Uh. One thing I did like, and this was kind of controversial because they added Kelton Johnson, was a young player off San Antonio who got a lot of respect in the process leading up to being able to join the big team, and then they grabbed JaVale McGee and there was a lot of controversies saying that possibly other guys deserved it or earned it more. What was your thoughts on those feeling those two pieces, two spots with role

players instead of bona fide stars. This is the one thing I think people gotta get because it's easy for me to say, you know why you didn't add a Trey Young or or um, well it's Donovan Donovan Mitchell is not on the squad. No Donovan Mitchell. But you gotta understand sometimes these guys turned down and people don't know that that, Like they might have asked these guys trade,

do you want to play? Or it's about availability. You know, some guys turned it down and so it's not about why they didn't pick them up like I turned down Team USA. You know it's sometimes it was like why they didn't put peers because I didn't want to play that something had other things to do. Uh, But there's no excuses. These guys are more than enough. They added some role players. They got their stars. K D. Think

about this. You can add two of them guys on the NBA team on the USA team and there're be contenders in the NBA. So they got more than enough. And so there's regardless, maybe to help with their chemistry and to help them with defense. Then when the finals is over, they ad Booker, Middleton and Drew that they'll be fine. I like the Obviously there are people who are more solidified and and maybe put more work in

UM then these guys. By the end of the day, I think role players needed because as we touched on earlier, we've got so many ball dominant stars that are used to being the man on their team. Is good because you know, Kelton Johnson came in and and fucked the whole energy up for Spain with his hustle, is rebounding, his cutting, it's splitting his ass back on defense, and you know we've all seen with Javel's. Javal's to me

has been unsung. He's got what two or three championships, always to keep peace on championship teams, plays hardy, rebound, the ultra shots. So with these adding these two role players, yes, like but think could you imagine a couple of years ago before I go to State, Absolutely not, they would have been they would have been going. That's a testament to him. Shout out javail Man, your hard work over the last few years. Alutely man, he's always been a

key peace on championship teams. Reported and then like you said, you know, book, Middleton and Holiday will come after the final. So obviously we're still ODZ on favor. I don't see anyone really being in problem and may not be dream team number blowouts, but it's gonna be you know, the USA with if you do that thing up next West Unsell Junior name the head coach of the Washington Wizards. Um, I think we want to say we have seven new black head coaches in the league, which were running total

of the thirteen. I think it's a beautiful thing with your thought on this, I think it's a long time coming because I think with this new generation. You've got a lot of these guys as former players, and they can relate. That's the key word, you think. I think to now, coaching is more about relatability to actual excell those. Yeah, because you can get some excells and those, but you need a guy who they can relate to, who they're

gonna respect. J K Chauncey. When I look around these guys who may they respected in the NBA circles, ty Louse, we already know they respected. And you know I respected Doc because he knows where we go through on the day to day crime. He's somebody I feel like, man, you know, away from basketball, I could really have a real conversation with him and ain't always gotta be basketball talk.

You know, he can understand and like if something I'm going through off the court is affecting me on the court, I feel like I'm comfortable and having that conversation and see people don't see that part of you know. And that's what I love when you get these young black coaches who've been there, who understand the new generation who've

been around them, because it's it's more than just hoop sometime. Absolutely, you know, I didn't have to have conversations with Doc, not even about who, just somebody who I can that's important. And then it got my mind back right now I can hoop. Yeah. What I think is dope too is six have the seven coaches were assistance And when it comes to this situation, normally the black assistance are the cool assistant coaches. They'll have to go wrangle us up,

talk to Paul talk. So for these guys to failing, you know, not have to be them dudes, no more. I actually get to sit in that front seat. Man. It shout out to my man, really green who got the job over in New Orleans. Good luck you know, hopefully you guys do what you do in the finals. But congratulations on the job in man, So I love to see it. Let's also talk about your team, who's got a new head coach? Email Udoko but then also

picked up David Stoudemire as an assistant. Talk about he May's job and what what you know being a part of the Celtics franchise looks like in them building around Brown and Tatum. Well, yeah, I think you know Brad Stevens, you know he you know, he already made the foundation and I think his time was up as far as coaching and now I love the fact that you're bringing these two uh, former players who who understand the game.

They're both are guards, you know, and this team is guard heavy, uh Tatum and Brown and guys that they're gonna respect. You know. David Stoudom are definitely made a name for himself in this league. I mean we all know that. And uh, you know sometimes about having a new voice, but the right voice key, you know, but the right voice, and that can take a team to the next level. Um, you know, the Steltics still as far as being a continder, they need some few a

few more pieces. That was gonna be my next question. What do you feel like they're missing? I like the Moses Brown pick up from He's Raw from Oklahoma City, former us A kid to put up a couple of nights, was gonna you know, push, uh, the the young Williams kid to work harder. What do you feel like they're missing? I think they need a young athletic big you know, just when you look across the board, uh at the contenders, you get they got the guards. The wings is fine,

you know, Brown at Tatum could handle. But I think they need a young guy, theng athletic big who's capable any given night giving you a twenty and ten night. Now, they may have one already there my young boy over there. But I just think you need somebody consistent in that spotted a borderline All Star, uh, if they want to take the leap, you know, like how Milwaukee went on got Drew Holler, who's a borderline All Star to go

with the other two All Stars. And this lead to that you need three all Stars or two in the borderline one to win it all or to you a contender. And that's all they're missing. But they're young. They can keep building on what they got for a long time. Because these guys are about to sign some long term deals in the next year or two. They're gonna beat there, I believe, you know, they signed once, but they'll sign again.

I think they need a playmaking point guard and a point guard they can hit big shots, like Malcolm Brogden like to me they had Kyrie but but but those are those are score first guards. Brock can make plays, plays defense, and hits big shots. He doesn't have to have the ball in his hands and be the go to you know. I mean he feels a great road to me, and to me, you know, it's although Marcus smartest,

kind of hard and soul that team. The reason why I think he's expendable is because Tatum around both play defense. Normally don't get young stars to play both ways. Both these dudes try to lock up on defense too. So to me, if you can get a playmaking point guard that can knock down big shots and guard his position, to me, I think that's what they need, because I

think they do. I agree young athletic bigs. But again, I think with Horford kind of being the o G mentoring these young kids, with the Williams kid in the in the in the Brown kids from u c l A over there, I think there's gonna have some good mentorships. So it'll be um, It'll be interesting to see, will be interesting to see. I still think the East is wide open now. Milwaukee win this year. I still feel like there's teams that's right there. Brooklyn is not to ship.

They just got to be healthy. So I think the end of the era of Dynasty's is over. I agree, I agree. I think there's a more movement now. Although the the last team that could possibly be a dynasty. In my opinion is if they can stay together is Brooklyn, they can make a dynasty run. I think I think they can win with consider dynasty back to back three out of four, so I would think that team has a chance. And if Dame drops to the Bay, look out. Well man, it's been a hell of a season, a

lot of ups and downs, shortened off season. Um, the season is going to be even shorter um after this break. Also the Olympics and they're starting on time next year. I think as fans and first as certainly as players, we have to watch how how these guys get their rest. I think in the playoffs this year, like you said, it always happens, but it happened un an alarming right

this year. Uh, two guys getting hurt, especially key players getting hurt, and I just think that kind of stems stems down to these motherfucker's were playing a lot of basketball of late, and it doesn't seem like there's any time to slow down soon. So hopefully these guys can find some rest and we can get a healthy season next year. Man, So appreciate you man for your time, like you around here more. I hope you guys enjoyed

this episode of West Bertie. You can catches every week on Showtime Basketball and the I Heart Platform, Black Effects and Show Basketball on Twitter. See you how next week