Welcome to Ona's Vernon, joined by Jamal Crawford, the Man, the Man, the Legend.
I am so happy you're back with us, sir, Welcome.
Talking about yourself again the intro, I could have said the exact same thing about you.
Thank you. How you doing?
I don't have quite the hardware you do, but we can discuss that later. Maybe you can share one of those trophies with me, one of the six Man Awards. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see get into Son's nuggets with you right away because you're a longtime teammate, Chris Paul. Another groin injury. Son's going down two in that series. Groin injuries, as we know, do not tend to be quick turnaround situations. This is a team that's already thinned due to the trade that got them Kevin
Durant their bench, Jamal, this is gonna hurt you. Their bench only scored four points in Game two, So even with Devin Booker and Kadi, do you see any way Phoenix comes back and wins the series.
I do see them win the series, but they have to use their bench right, so their bench have four more points than you? Like, what are we doing you have TJ. Warren over there, you have Terrence Ross over there. You have to use your depth. That's where Denver's beating them. They're not playing their top guys forty plus minutes and having to work every single possession. I feel like also
Denver's has more continuity. They're doing more misdirection stuff. They're getting easier baskets, where on Phoenix it looks like your turn, my turn, and that's not best for them in my opinion. I feel like they have misdirection as well, getting KD and Devin Booker in space and then letting them attack. But we can't just have him go one on one every single time down the court.
I mean, you're right, but Green Katie actually lead the league in postseason minutes. They're at forty three minutes a game. But is that because Monty isn't using his bench or because that bench isn't reliable enough? Like would you go to those guys?
I absolutely would. Terrence Ross is proven. TJ.
Warren's proven. Just a couple of year ago. Years ago, in the bubble, TJ. Warren was looking like MVP bubble guys, like he was getting buckets. And I'm not saying these guys have to play thirty minutes a game. But if they can get you six to eight to ten points in an eight to ten point game where they can go off and burst, these guys are electric. Give him a chance to see what we have. But I would do that, and I will also change in my defensive coverage.
I think you have to play some zone as well.
Okay, all right, well, so are you still picking Phoenix to win this series? Even down oh two?
I'm still picking Phoenix, I said them of the Warriors will come out the West. I stay true right now.
All right, that is a brave man. But you know what, that's how you got where you are.
By rag. I got hard.
I took the craziest shots ever I had heart. I can't be scared to fail. I'm still staying on what I said.
I love it. I love it. I want to get back to Chris Paul though, because he has now missed eight playoff games due to injury over his career. And look, everyone remembers those two huge games in the twenty eighteen Western Conference Finals. The Rockets, of course, had that chance to beat Golden State. But there's a couple of seasons you played with him. He had that hamstring injury in twenty fifteen, the broken hand in twenty sixteen. Is it bad luck? Is it because he's a smaller guard in
the player so physical? Why does this keep happening to CP?
I'm going to say bad luck, because nobody prepares like him. Like when we're in the playoffs together, he was doing every possible thing, from the hyperbaric chamber to code tubs and massages to strength and conditioning work to change in his diet. As we've seen over the last couple years, He's done every possible thing you could do to take care of himself and prepare himself because of his love
for the game, because of what he's chasing. And to see him get injured at these moments and these times, it is disheartening as a basketball fan because out of all the players active players playing right now, I want to see him win a ring more than anybody else because I know what he pours into it. And for him to get hurt with these fluke injuries. Yesterday it was just a routine rebound and now his growing is
bothering them. So I feel bad for him, and there's nothing any of us can do but hope for the best.
It's frustrating if you're someone who's followed his career closely, because he's had great playoff performances. He had stellar outings in the playoffs, and I feel like people don't remember that compared to the injuries. It feels like, oh, Chris Paul's legacy is playoff disappointment, quote unquote. But he's had some amazing, mind blowing games in the postseason. I don't know, do you think people are going to remember that or do you think the injuries should just overshadow all of it.
I think they'll think about the injuries first because it's right here in front of us the biggest moments.
Something always happens.
But I'll take it back to when we beat the Spurs in twenty fifteen, the Spurs that just won the championship. Chris Hamstring goes, I have to play point guard in game seven for a large majority of the game, right, and then he comes back. It's the game when it shot. So you just root for people like that. He's an all time great player and all time great point guard. But I don't want it to be the narrative all
the biggest moments. He always gets hurt because don't forget when he was playing yesterday, they were up eight, Like, he didn't have the best stat line, but he was organized and he was conducted.
He was starting to pick his spots.
And to see him get hurt like that, I thought, I thought he got hit in the low area. To be honest with you, I thought he's gonna walk it off when I heard about it growing and it's just hard.
No.
I mean, he can create his own shot in a way that not everyone on that team can, so they need him. Hopefully he'll be able to be more of himself later in the series, be able to come back. We'll have to find out. I do want to talk about the Nuggets, though, because Nikola Jokic had a monster game thirty nine, sixteen and five the number one seed.
Right a few months.
Ago, you talked about how teams were going to run one hundred picking rolls at Jokic. But what have you seen out of him defensively?
What I've seen is they've been two major adjustments. One is he's actually coming up higher on the pick and roll, so it's almost like a trap, excuse me. And then secondly, he's actually point switching, so whatever guy's going up, he's.
Sending another guy up there.
And they have athletic wings on the second line with the Jeff Greens and the Aaron Gordons. He's having those guys switch out and he's guarding somebody in the corner. And what I'm noticing is when that happens, other guys aren't getting the ball to the corner to attack him that way. They're just kind of saying, Okay, we worked the clock, we got the ball in our best player's hands.
We're just going to make a play.
So it's a small but big adjustment what Denver's doing, and he's picking them apart offensively.
He doesn't want to score thirty plus points.
He's like, you know what, brother, I'll get fifteen assists, I'll get twelve rebounds.
I'll do it whatever's needed.
But in the game where his shooters were struggling, Jamal Murray struggling, you know, other guys were struggling getting going, he said I'll take over scoring wise, he had no emotion.
He's like, whatever I'll score, we'll win. This is what I do.
I do think those little, tiny strategy adjustments have made such a big difference. But if you ask him to talk about it. They asked him after the game about what he was doing differently. He goes, you know what, when I'm open, I shoot, and when I'm not, I passed the ball.
If it was also simple, right, that's how we teach basketball. It's also simple if you're open shooting, if you're not, pass the ball. The joker is playing a whole different game like race. If we went and we all hung out and went to a bar, he could be the bartender behind the bar, like you would never know our security outside. You would never know those guys are two
time MVP with the way he plays. He's so smart, and he's so cerebral, and he's so selfless and he builds their care and that's why they're special.
I feel like I have no knowledge at all.
I am now just speculating, but I feel like he could put away a few.
I feel like in the off season he's.
Yeah, yeah, he could have a good time. He could have a good time.
I think just the right you would think MVP, most athletic guy, the strongest, the guy is the fastest. He's none of that. But he's playing with his mind first, and he's playing with being selfless and because of that, he's special and he's I mean to ask you, you've been around the league a long time. Have you seen somebody as unique at the center position?
Yeah?
Not like that.
I mean, what that's what's so great about basketball right now is that people keep stretching the game. I mean, I'm watching Steph Curry and we'll get to the Warriors a little bit later in this conversation, but like, I'm watching Steph Curry.
And it wasn't that long ago.
It was what twenty fifteen, so less than a decade ago. Did Steph Curry completely changed basketball with those shots? Right, with those three pointers and how far out he was shooting and everything else. And then we have Nicolaiokicic come over and change basketball with the way he plays that position. And even in the interim where you have you know, the Unicorns come and Joel Embad and guys who are starting to shoot from outside more from that center spot.
I mean, I love the fact that this game has stretched and changed so much just in the last decade, much less as long as you've been playing. I mean, it's kind of crazy.
Right, It's crazy because Rach we were the last team at the Clippers last Western Conference team to eliminate the Warriors. So we saw their run in real time, like we saw it happy and everybody's like, yeah, seven seconds or less play like this. They played fast, but you can't wait like that. So when he won, it like opened up everybody's mind and they became the blueprint, right, And now a guy like Joker, all these guys are like taking it even further.
I'm glad that we're open to it.
I'm glad that people want to see positionless basketball because it's a beautiful game and now it's such a creative game that it can extend the imagination and kids all around the world say, you know what, I can start shooting and turn around before it goes in and it's okay.
Yeah.
I just love how Kerr used to be like, that's a bad shot.
Never Mind, that's a bad never mind, never mind doesn't say that anymore. I want to move back to the East, that's for sure. Celtic Sixers James Harden tying his career playoff high forty five and a big time win. No Joel Embiid on the floor. Look, I think the week plus Philadelphia had off between the series and Round one certainly helped James have more bounce than I have seen with him in a while. And the fact that Doc Rivers likely knew the whole week Embiid wasn't playing. That
gave him time to really game plan for Harden. But James went back to the Houston days right with his style of play, and he had to actually deliver right. It's easy to say it, but to go do it. What did you see watching him in Game.
One, right before he even stepped on the court, the outfit, when he came with that blue outfit and he came with that swag on a record. I said, you know what, he's going to get fitf nobody's walking in with that kind of confidence and that kind.
Of swag and about to have a bad game. He walked in. He put himself in that play. He put himself in Houston Hart.
And what did we talk about the last conversation we had Luca James Harden. You saw some of the Luca the in between games. James Harden's first three shots were mid range shots. Yesterday, he didn't go right to the three line. He had forty five points on only four free throws. So he played that style of game. It was a mix of Houston James Harden and okay, see James Harden. Because he utilized the mid range, they had to have a big game. He showed up and showed out.
And what it really did was it said, Okay, he really is just playing point guard because he's selfless to get his team involved. He can still go off and get points and get buckets. And he showed that last night and he willed them to a win. He gave them the swagger and say, you know what, tonight, I'm going to be the best player on the court.
I'm curious to see what he can deliver now that he hasn't had that big stretch of time off.
Because I agree.
I think the way he has been playing in Philadelphia has been largely because that is his role, right, that is what Doc has asked him to do. That's the smartest thing when you're playing with Joelle Embiid. Also, though we have seen him slow down, we have seen him not physically be able to be the player he was in his prime. So I'm curious to see if he does get another green light, if embat is out for another game, can we see it again without that chunk
of time off. But I mean, look the answer until it's no, it's yes, right until he shows me he can't, it's yes because he's already done it once. I do have a question for you about the clothes though, as someone who was in the NBA and well and you were in the NBA and part of the David Stern dress code era, I mean, how do you feel that outfit would have gone over with the Lake commissioner?
Oh?
Oh no, he wouldn't be able to get off the bus with that outfit. Like it's such a different time. Like even in New York when I was playing there, Isaiah, we could have a suit on, a button up, a button down, slacks and everything and still not be able to get on the bus with all the time. So to see that outfit, there was no possible way that would have worked. But this is the anything goes ere.
It got everybody's attention. Then he backed it up more importantly than anything I think when it also did was two things. Is it bought Joel and be more time because now he doesn't have to rush back because they stole one right.
And then secondly, and this is what's scared for Boston.
It may have unlocked James mentally because he's been in this point guard role when I played, and I played different positions. When I was in the point guard mode, even being a score, I was in that mode. I was trying to get people the ball. I wasn't even thinking about my own shot. They may have unlocked his scorn, which is scary for everybody because if he can tap into that consistently, to your point, it's gonna be a serious well.
Look, he also had a little mental It wasn't just a physical break when you talk about his mental state, he had a little mental break over the time between rounds one and two. He was studied in Las Vegas, Jamal and look a lot of people up in arms
in that. Of course, Phil Jackson is we know, let Dennis Robin go to Vegas during the playoffs and that last dance season, and his attitude was it's better to let Rodman bloff steam the way he wants and get in that right mental state, then let it have it all build up.
If you were the.
Coach in this situation with James, would you have done the same thing.
He's going to get me forty five in a win. Rache go to Vegas we may send our team jet. Don't have fun. I'll make sure you're safe. Security, It's all good. You just come back and produce and be the pro u R and be the best player on the court. Do whatever you need to do to get your mind right, your physicals there. He was working out after the game last night. He told he told his teammates, you know what, that's only one win.
That's not enough. Go get in the locker room. You got work to do. If that got him to this place, we're sending the jet form.
I like how you were picturing Nicole Yokich at a bar earlier, because I'm sure he and Harden it would just be the same.
Right, Yeah, Yeah, whatever they do, they do, they both perform at that level.
Go have your fun.
Oh boy. Boston, of course, did not help matters in that game with their costly turnovers a little shaky fourth quarter defense. The Celtics did have some good play though they shot close to sixty percent. They had twenty points off turnovers, sixty six points in the paint. Tatum was great thirty nine, eleven and five. So given those two sides of the coin, there are you worried about Boston?
I'm worried about Boston for what the reasons you said, But I'm also worried that Jalen Brown was eight for ten and only got ten shots. If I'm Jalen Brown, I'm saying, you know what, I understand who Taylum is, but I understand who I am as well.
We have to have balance.
I think Boston's better when both those guys get thirty, are both get close to thirty, and then the others kind.
Of fell around.
Rodden may get eighteen, Smart may get twelve, Horford may get fourteen. Like, I think they're better when they're when that's the formula versus Tatum going off for almost forty and then everybody else kint it down there, and Jalen Brown was eight for ten and he played forty two minutes, like he played forty two minutes. That's not the recipe. But they can't turn the ball over when it matters most.
That was their Achilles Hill last year in the finals, right, Like, we can't have that and a team that is missing their best player and you're at home. There's no way that should happen. There's no excuse for that.
Yeah, I mean it was, it was so close at the end. I don't know. I'm not going to take too much out of that game on either side, frankly, just because I mean, you had you had a random turnover Tyre's Max, he stole the ball. You know, if that hadn't happened, game would have turned differently. There's just a bunch of stuff. If they had sent a double of James right at the end, maybe the game would have gone differently. So I'm I'm a reserve judgment. But it's not what point in game.
One it should have been that close though.
Rage Even with that, this should have been over right, Like, come on, they should have they should have handled businesses, should have been double figure in.
They could have. They could have to control of the game way before the last quarter.
Yeah, and to your point, they could have forced Joelle to try to come back in game two and now, yes, you know, we'll see what happens, but he doesn't have to certainly, all right, let's get to the game out here in Los Angeles where I am a Lakers Warriors series.
I don't know, man, I can't.
I've been I've been trying to figure this out all day, Like I can't. I can't pick one here because they both they both I don't know they batch up well against each other. You know, I think the Warriors are a more complete team now that Wiggins is back. But you know, I don't bet against Lebron in the playoffs. I don't bet against Steph in the playoffs. So really, can they both win?
I know, right, I think I think they're both gonna win. But I think we're all gonna win. By seeing the greatness I'm saying the Warriors, just by seeing the I'm saying Warriors, and I think it could go seven, just the fact that it will be a chess match. But the Warriors move so much, and I think that's where the Lakers struggle.
On defense.
They're really good if you're playing isolation ball. They have the limp, they have the size, they can pack it in. But when you have that much movement, it takes communication. It takes different people switching that may not want to switch on Curry, all those different things to cause confusion.
And it's gonna come down to a chess match. It's gonna be Lebron and Dremond thinking it's gonna be Steph and you know, eighty thinking about different things or schrodering like it's gonna come down to a chess match, And I think that's what's gonna be fun about it, because they both just play young teams and players. They both won, right, They're going to be playing their chest masters, they're both champions. It's gonna be a dare for a field this one
and how they adjust. But I think the Warriors went.
It's tough.
I don't feel like I know who the Lakers are yet, even after all this time, right because I don't know if the team we saw against Memphis is going to be the team that we saw we see against the Warriors because Memphis had those frontline injuries. I mean, I think there was so much attention on Dylan Brooks and everything else that was going on, But the bottom line is Memphis was not at full strength in the exact
place that the Lakers are the strongest. So I don't feel like we saw a real test of them in that way. And Anthony Davis is frankly a wildcard to me, because some nights he is exceptional and he played great defense that entire series, by the way, but some nights he's not that aggressive. And I don't know which one of those were gonna get in this Warrior series. When you watch Ad, are you frustrated sometimes or you.
Just say, hey, that's how it is. You can't be one thousand percent all the time.
I think, to be honest with you, they have to make Ad the best player. And what I mean by that is they have to publicly say, and specifically Lebron. I believe Lebron to me has to do what Way did for him when he was in Miami, say you know what, Ad is the guy.
We're going to go as far as he takes us.
I think that will free Ad mentally, because I'm sure Lebron said that behind closed doors and he may have said it publicly, but maybe he needs to hear it again because you can tell when AD's playing with Lebron, He's like, I'm little brother, I'm not going to step on his toes. Lebron's an all time great, and Lebron's like no a D He's doing this the right thing, like no go. But he may have to do it a little bit more and Ad may hear it differently
if he comes through in a public manner. Just because if Ad is carrying them first to third, then Lebron can take over the fourth quarter. You don't want Lebron take it over in the first quarter and then expect him to take over the fourth quarter as well. So I think Ad has to be the guy for them, with everybody else feeling in Yeah.
I mean, this was the plan right when Lebron came to LA the idea was and then they got Anthony Davis. The idea was, Hey, I'll be the guy at the beginning, and then over time that will change, and then Anthony Davils will come up and he'll be the guy and Lebron will be.
The older legend dude.
Right, And I kind of feel like this is the year, this is the playoffs where we have to see that happen. Can't really wait anymore.
But I'm not sure any of us thought.
And you're twenty, Lebron be still age thirty, so I'm sure Ad is looking like a hold on, man, what am I supposed to.
Do with this dude?
Still after thirty boys, I'm naturally gonna fall back. So I think that's why Lebron may need to come out. And it's not any fall of Lebron's at all, it's just from what they need let Ad be the main guy to take over. Let Austin Reeves feel in, let Dangela Russell get going, and then Lebron score through it out. But the fourth quarter, give him the basketball and let him create his magic. But I think that's when the Lakers are at their best with Steph.
I mean, there was a lot of talk after that game seven in Sacramento. Where would you put him in turns of the best point guard ever in history? Where is he rank overall in terms of players, best ever overall?
Where are you on all that?
I would look at him as a player before I did a point guard. And what I mean by that is his responsibility isn't necessarily to just come down and be the traditional point guard that Isaiah Thomas or Magic or Jason Kidd or those guys. We're doing our John Stockton. His job is to make everybody better in a different way, and he does that. Steph is so selfless and his his not only his gravitational pull, his electricity, his his his movement. Steph is a movement by himself. So all
time great players. His book is still being written, but I would say he's somewhere in the top without thoroughly thinking about it, somewhere in the top ten to fifteen right now, I would say, for sure, and win another championship. He goes even higher, right and he continues to eclipse. He may end somewhere really really high, but he's still you know, he's still got four or five years at this level.
I was gonna say I put him safely in the top ten. I mean, I'm you're right like you and I need we would need to actually make the list because it always drives me crazy when people are like, he's one of the top three, and it's like, well, who are you taking out? But but I mean, the man has getting more rings than fingers these days, and he's setting records every five seconds, and he literally changed the game of basketball. I mean, what I don't know, that's not top.
His story is that you're absolutely right his story, and he might be I'm just thinking off the top. And you know, I've seen a lot of old school guys, obviously from the Kareems and Magics and Kobe's and all those guys. So he may end up right there with everybody else, but right now, he's still going. So it's like, yeah, all right, we'll keep going and we'll talk about the end of the day, but already he's you'll talk about it later, but he already is top ten to fifteen.
He has to be like he's he's ridiculous, He's ridiculous, he's we've never seen nothing like it, Like we've never seen a player like this and be this good in this self.
I mean, it's bananas. Let's get to Miami and the Knicks series. Because you were in New York on Celebrity Row. I loved the people paying homage as they ship to you. What was the energy, Like.
You can't duplicate it.
I've never been to arena that feels like that in the city that feels like that. And from from the Ben Steelers to the Tracy Morgan's to the Spikes, like all just being New Yorkers and just being fans, and they're mixing with everybody else who grew up in the Bronx or Hard Them or whatever else. It's like a melting pot for everybody and they all have the same
joy to be in that arena was magic. I was thinking, I'm like literally talking to my wife like, Yo, we have to move to New York, Like this is crazy, Like just the feel of it, the feel of the city, the feel of everything is totally different. You can't duplicate. I've never seen a fan base like it's ever in my life.
I'm not sure you would have to pay for a meal if you move to New York for you.
Yeah, I think I could. I think I could slide by. I could slide and give me a psychle pizza this home.
I'm just thinking, Wait, take us behind the curtain a little bit, all right, so at halftime, explain what happens at halftime where you can go in the back and mix with the with the other famous peeps and explain. Take everyone back behind the car.
I'm gonna go pregame first. I'm gonna go before I get to the court. They take us up to this suite, right and Latrell spree Wheel's over there, Oh, coach Coach Patino's over there. Okay, there's been Stiller over there. Oh okay, there's Michael Rainey over there. Oh okay, there's Spike over there. Oh, Tracy Morgan's over there. Like it's just like and everybody's mingling. We can't wait to get downstairs to the game. We get to the court before the game starts and it's electric.
Nobody's sitting down. The energy is ridiculous, Like it feels like the whole city is just in this arena. That's what it feels like. It feels like all eight million people are in just this arena. So the energy is crazy. Then they're playing well. Right then halftime, everybody's talking about how they're playing. Everybody's you know, like wow, this is
really gonna happen. And then we all get down there after the third quarter starts, so we're a little bit late, and at the time Cleveland made a run, right, so they're back in the game. Everybody's a little nervous. Right fast forward to the end of the game. They pull it out. Brunton starts hitting big shots. They're in love with Josh Harp by the way, side note like, oh my god, do no wrong right now? Right, So that's fun And I'm not bragging. I'm saying this humbly. It
was worse before that. Before that was rolling because we try to go a different way and it was like it was crazy. So we're like, no, we're going a different way, and we went that way and then that's the clip everybody saw.
I mean, you were mobbed.
And by the way, Josh Hart will also never need to buy another meal for himself.
And no, he's not.
Right, Yeah, I mean say his name to get a meal like that may happening right now.
Let me tell you. Let me tell you this one part. This is how I know.
There was a Crawford jersey and somebody put a piece of tape over with Bruss and I.
Said, oh my gosh, this is crazy. What's going on right now? New York. They're in love with their names. Jalen was absolutely killing. He deserved it.
I love it. I love seeing him get this kind of reception.
I love that.
You know, they didn't make that trade for Donovan and this team went ahead and said, no, no, we're good.
With what we got.
We're good.
Will be interesting to see what happens in this heat series, because I was frankly pretty surprised when Jimmy got.
Hurt toward the end of Game one.
I thought, oh, okay, look, they've got at least five more minutes left on the clock. Miami doesn't have its best player able to move. We know that the Knicks are a physical team, and I thought they would take advantage of it. They didn't as we sit here and recording this, we don't know quite how bad Butler's ankle injury is. We can say that we do know at the very least he's not going to be one hundred percent going forward.
So overall, what effect.
Do you think Butler having that bum ankle is going to have on the rest of the series.
Here's the fact, because not only offensively defense, Jimmy's one of a few players in the league who is just as comfortable being on the game when he shot where he has to defend somebody and they have a chance or having the ball in a game with a shot.
That's very few people that can do that.
And I'm watching how he's guarded Jaylen Brunston and how Jaylen Brunston is trying to like get him off of him. Right, So, just mentally, if Jimmy can't go, a guy like Jaylen Brunston like ooh, Jimmy's not daring.
Got to worry about that. Cool.
I got the freedom to do what I need to do, and it may get him confidence and give his team confidence. So if Jimmy can go, honestly, I think I will play in this game just to try to make sure I get a too elite and then wrest them because now you really have them, you know where you want them. But if you play around, they get one. They only got to come to Miami with you get you know,
getting the one to get home for advantage back. So if he can go, or maybe we play the game like this, right, maybe we say, you know what, Jimmy, We're not going to tell them you may play that you may not, but you'll be a uniform put in your mind you'll play, but you may not play a second. But just to mess with them, if we need you for that one possession, we'll put you out there.
If your TIBs, what do you tell your guys, especially a younger guy like Brunson about going against an injured player, because again, you know, we don't know how bad it is with Jimmy right now, but and we might not know really he might be out there from game to game and it might be up and down. What do you tell the Knicks players about going at him? Because they didn't do it at the end of game one, So what do you tell them to make them more aggressive?
Well, if I know TIBs, I play for him and I know him, he's going to say, you attack them, go at him, make him work, get him tired, try to you know down. That's exactly what Tibbs is telling them, and also knowing Timms, nobody's watched more tape since that game, so I'm sure he's looking at all those things to say. You know what, Jimmy was kind of hanging out the last five minutes. If he plays, We're going right at him.
We're gonna put him in every action. We're gonna make sure he's involved in every play, just to wear him down. So I believe that's what's gonna be the next approach, no matter who he's guarden, somebody run up in the pick and roll, somebody run around, make him chase and make him put some wear and tear on that body.
By the way, I want to give a little shout out to Kyle Lowry because I know fans were killing him throughout the regular season, but he's shown again in the playoffs and by the way he did this last year, he is solid for them. The experience he has, the savvy he has, and look ten points a game on forty percent from three. He just kind of contributes every night as a guy who provided that experience later in
your career. I can't even speak you tell me how important that is that, especially on a team where you're in situations that are new to some players.
Every minute rach don't bets matter, doesn't the mirror range matter?
Like all the things great round on.
The regular season, these things come to show themselves at the most important time.
Kyle Lowry is a champion. He's a winner. He's not a rattle.
He's always ready for the big moment. He's cerebral, so he knows how to make the player or the angle that play should happen, or take the charge or whatever it takes to win. He has that that grit and that gristle. Side note, isn't amazing how many Villanova stars are showing up in the playoffs like the winners they have with hard runs and Michael Bridges early and obviously k Loo Like, these guys are winners and he's a winner,
and you want people like that in your program. So, no, they may not get twenty five a game in the regular season, but when it matters between winning and losing, that's what they do best, and you want guys like that on your side.
I just feel like, even though he's an NBA champion, he's still underrated. I just think he does all those little things on the court, and I liked seeing him shine at this time of year because people notice. They're like, oh yeah, right, Kyle Lowry.
Oh yeah, Kyle Lowry is great, right, champion?
Oh right, that's really important. Let's get to our legendary moments top Shot. The most legendary moments of the twenty twenty three NBA Playoffs live forever as collectibles on NBA top Shot. Steph's fifty point game, Jimmy's huge shots against Milwaukee, all of it.
Now.
As the playoffs continue, the best highlights from each round are available as limited edition video collectibles, and you can start that collection today with the new NBA top Shot app or by heading to nbatop shot dot com. So, Jamal, we're looking at this second round. Which player I just named from the last round? Right, we had Steph and Jimmy. Which player do you think do you predict we'll have a signature moment of the conference, semis.
Steph Curry for sure.
And I'm saying this with Jimmy being my MVP of the first round, but right now with him being a little banged up. He can have a Willis Reed moment where he doesn't play all game and comes in special. But Steph Curry, I feel like he's going to have one of those moments where he's just he mints his history. He's see mints his legacy. It's already seen minute, but he just takes up another level and the biggest moments, Steph curR. He always shines the brightest. He always shines
the brightest. And I know for a fact Lebron's gonna have moments, right, but Steph Curry at some point is gonna have that moment where we all run down the street like we were were kids, or run out where we're at like he just did this. I can't believe he just shot from half court for a game winner. He's gonna do something that's gonna be crazy. That's Steph Curry.
No, if he drops like a dozen threes in a game forty plus to beat the Lakers with Lebron James, I mean, that's that's going to be your signature moment. We'll see, We'll see what happens. Start your NBA Top Shot collection today at NBA topshot dot com. You can get closer than ever to the game and the players you love. Sign up today. Let's get to on the Radar, presented by DraftKings, the only sportsbook you need this postseason.
Let's look at Wednesday nights game Celtics nine point favorites over the Sixers in Game two, nine point favorites jabal.
That's huge, right, right, they like they got a chance. Yeah, that's crazy, that's big, that's big. I agree though, I agree, though I'm being Boston will make some corrections. Yeah, they shooting sixty six percent first stretch and losing the game, getting that many points in the paint, Like, they got to make the adjustice. I think they'll watch film. They'll be honest with each other. They were here last year obviously going to the finals and making the adjustment. They're
gonna win Game two. This is in Boston. It's gonna burn. They're gonna involve Jaylen Brown some more. They're not gonna turn the ball over.
They win the game. Game two.
You take the over in that one.
Yeah, Yeah, they'll blow it out. They're gonna have to put it hard now early in that one, for sure.
And Friday's action. You've got the Sun's four point favorites against the Nuggets. We don't know about CP three, but it is a must win for the Suns. You're picking Phoenix to win the series still, so I assume that you're You're good with that. You like the Suns being favorite that.
One, Yeah, I like the Sons being favorite. I think Mani's gonna absolutely use his bitch more. I think he'll do a little bit more misdirection, and I think he'll give them a different look defensive. We've proven that you cannot guard them, man and man, they're picking you apart. You have to throw a zone at Doc put his zone last night against Boston. You have to throw a zone at Denver to absolutely mess up their rhythm. They're connected, so if Joker gets it, somebody cuts, somebody else cuts
handoff there it's like ABC in Someway. Jokers, you know, making the main play. At least in his zone, you could dictate who you want to shoot the ball with them having to come through the middle.
So I believe they'll make the proper justice and get those wins.
Well, look, I may die on this hill, but I still think that Kevin Durant is going to give us a forty point plus playoff game coming up. I think he's too good not to, and he had a bad shooting night the other night. But I mean, I just I he's Kevin Durant and he plays He's Kevin Durant.
What would help him? Yes, what would help him?
He has to get some misdirection like it looked like how it looks last year when Brooklyn played Boston where he had to go one on one every single possession for four quarters in four games. Like, let's get some misdirection like we had when he first came to the team. Remember how easy it was. He was scoring easy, Booker was scoring. Everybody's touching it, they're attacking. They need to get back to that for me.
We'll see And obviously Chris Paul's health status will be an issue game to game in that series. Yeah, little news. The Athletic reporting the quote, the Memphis Grizzlies have informed pending unrestricted free agent Dylan Brooks he will not be brought back under any circumstances. So that's huge. According to the Athletic sources, Memphis and Brooks discussed in the exit interview meetings that this is what would be best for
both sides to have a fresh start. I mean, Jamal, was this just inevitable at this point?
So let me ask you this, right, are they basically saying, Dylan Brooks, You're the reason why we lost. You're the reason why we lost. We have to get away from you. You ruined everything we built this whole year? Are they saying that?
Before?
I answered, I mean, I don't.
Look.
I think that they have been looking to move on from Dylan Brooks in different ways at different points over the last year or two. I mean they've certainly they tried to make that trade for Michale Bridges that would have made Dylan.
Not as much part of their plan going forward.
I think that they knew that this maybe wasn't the best fit for them long term, either culture wise or on the court.
But it didn't help. I mean, I want to listen for you.
Things he did in this series. He called Lebron old, he called him tired. He punched Lebron in the groin in Game three, which got him ejected. He missed two key defensive assignments in that pivotal Game four that pretty much won that game for the Lakers.
Meanwhile, on the offensive end, he.
Was frequently left open by la couldn't make them pay. And remember this is all after last season where he was suspended during the playoffs for punching Gary Payton the second in the head.
Oh, I forgot about that.
So rag I think Dylan Brooks had a chance to be the villain and own the villain. And I think if he had, if it had worked out in his favorite, he would have made a boatload of money. Like I just feel like teams have been like, you know what, we need that guy on our team to help with culture and be that irritant to the best players, and it works in his favor and it works in the team's favor. It went the complete opposite way. So now people are going to say, oh, we can't bring you
in to leave. We're not bringing you back under any circumstances. So he had a chance to be the villain and own it. He became the villain and then didn't own it and then didn't talk to the media, and that, right there is what turns for well.
I mean, that's the thing about owning it, right, I mean, if he had sort of handled himself differently, I don't know how other teams are going to view him. Now, where do you see him ending up after this because he will play next season.
Yeah, he'll play next season, but it'll just be a struggle.
It'll take a specific team that needs a very specific thing, and it'll be probably a shorter relationship between the two to say, you know what, you kind of have to prove it here now that you can fit into what we're doing. Because this last year, this last playoffs, I should say, it's been a disaster and for him, you know, going forward, if you're going to do something like that, you got to stand on that and he didn't really stay on that hill.
I feel like this was a good example of how hard it is to really play that villain role well in the NBA, right. I mean we see the guys who do it and pull it off, but it's tough. It's a balance, right. You have to know who to target, when, when to run your mouth, when not to. You have to be able to back it up, and you have to be comfortable playing that way, and not everybody is. I mean, who is the best sort of villain while you were playing?
You feel like I think Draymond Green was a great villain. I feel like Kevin Garnett was a great villain. To some yeah, I loved him, He's one of my favorites ever, but those type of guys. And to Dylan, he went against not only all time great player, we know Lebron where he is all time, but he went against an all time fan favorite, Like so he's going against a whole different beast, Like, so you got to do that
and then back it up. You can't do that and then you know what you're playing, is this all time great and not show up? That was just he didn't show up on or off the court. Like that was disheartening because I was like, oh, it's about to get real, like, Okay, you're really going with this. You're saying this man is just this and the third you're about to really go at it, and it just it was disappointed.
Well, look, I don't think you can say to someone, hey, I don't respect until he gives me forty if the hymn in question is the all time leading scorer in NBA history, because he's given forty a lot. I mean that's just happened a lot, So you can't really.
He doesn't excite him anymore, right, Like I got forty thousand exactly.
Jamal Crawford, thank you so much. Everyone out there.
What's Burning is available every week on Showtime Basketball, YouTube, on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at show Basketball. We'll see you soon, sir.
See you appreciate it. Thanks Rach