All right, sorry guys for those who were expecting a live podcast and an actual podcast. Wednesday, I lost my voice. I got laryngitis. Went to the doctor that told me to rest for somewhere between seven to ten days.
I told him absolutely not. So I gave her.
I gave her Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I gave her four days.
We split the difference when you talk for a living.
Let's just really quickly say, there's all kinds of bad thoughts that go through your head when you can't project, nothing's coming out, just like it's a whisper.
You think you're talking like this, and I could project pretty well. It was a whisper.
Like people who have never uttered these words to me were uttering them all the time.
What'd you say? Uh, what'd you say? Sorry? One more time? Would you say? I said I'd like a hot tea? It's like I like a hot tea. It's a very nine hundred.
I actually got out a text the next day because I do these beat the Books things on all of our Odyssey stations, and it's like, you know, whatever, we guess I'm betting trend. And I did it on Tuesday before the show, before they kicked me out and and I could tell it was like very nine hundred.
Like Ryan, my co host, was like, it sounds so I'm getting kind of turned on right now.
I get a text the next day from the PD from WFA and he was like, hey, Trista, this is a long story short. He's like, hey, something was weird with that beat the books today? What was happening?
Question Mark?
Question Mark question Mark? And I laughed and I was like, I had larryn giitis. I had to get sent home.
He goes. Honestly, I didn't think much of it. I knew it was weird.
And then another PD reached out to me and was like, what's going on with trisda? Is she trying out sexy?
Now?
It's like nothing I love more than a good run line trend.
Anyway. Anyway, that's all that to say I'm sorry. All that to say I'm sorry.
Uh, Before we talk about the Warriors as we suspected, coming back to life in Boston, which is what they did, as we knew that they would because it's Warriors and seven, Let's get into a little news. After James Barrego was inexplicably fired, everything Okay, after James Brego was inexplicably fired with his team consistently improving year after year after year despite nobody liking to play defense.
I e.
Kelly oubre former Nets head coach current Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, known for his player development acumen, has currently apsepted export. According to Sham's Pew.
This is the bomb. This is the sun of the Shams Bomb.
Anyway, he is now Charlott Hornet's head coach. He signed a four year deal, which shows you that Michael Jordan actually trusts him or has so much money than if he fires them. He doesn't care about having two coaches on payroll for two years. Because let's be honest, if Kenny Ikinson does.
Get fired from Charlotte Waarance probably not.
Gonna be intil you're three or four when players tune him out like they do Tom Thibodau.
But I actually love this hire.
Takes over one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. You've got ten players on this roster under twenty six years old. They have the thirteenth pick in this year's draft, which is fuck my fucking pick, Blazer's pick. Pretty far cry from rehabbing the careers of Spencer Dimwittie, Joe Harris, D'Angelo Russell, which he actually did by changing the culture of the Nets. He turned Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris after being out of the league altogether, to getting paid.
Jared Allen got paid. People forget by the way, that Tatum and Brown were actually Nets draft picks. That's a little fun fact. Yeah, because of the the Boston trade that they did to send Paul Pierce and kg Deron Williams all that little scrub trade that they did, and he credited He's also credited with developing Jared Allen into what we now know as one of the best big men in the league.
Right.
So this is what Greg Popovich had to say about Kenny Atkinson when he was turning things around with the Nets, because I went and found some old quotes about how he changed the culture there was, changing players, getting them to buy in. He said, the system is in there. Kenny set the standards and makes people accountable. They slowly but surely built a culture and all the things that have come from that are starting to show.
So I'm happy for all of them. They've done a great job.
And he did since resigning in twenty twenty because he was fired.
KD fired him. He did.
He's been on the bench in LA with Tyl Lou and now he got hired to be the developed development person on the Warriors, which is what, quite frankly, the Warriors were missing last year, and now you're getting you Jordan Poole to take a step, Andrew Wiggins to take a step, and both teams really vastly. While he was there, Steve Kurse said this about Kenny. It's still coming back, folks, Laryn Jay has still come back. One of the reasons I hired Kenny was his feel for analytics. Kenny's really
well versed on that stuff. He's a believer in it. This year has been the first time we've ever achieved the right balance balance between analytics and the eye test. Either people are in the nerd camp or in the fuck the nerd camp. Kenny is the is the balance between them two. And now he's coaching a team that is young and exciting and can't play defense.
Right, That's basically what Brooklyn was.
Young and exciting, not really that exciting at the time, but young and couldn't play defense. That was a team that he took over in Brooklyn, it was twenty ninth in defen defensive efficiency he took over, and then like that, thirteenth in defensive deficiency in his final year. Right, So not like the most Migliciles's. The pieces in the NETS organization weren't amazing to get them in the top five
a defensive efficiency. Let's be serious and remember this was done without any real player or roster changes, right, no stars. You could say that D'Angelo Russell at the time was a star, but let's look at him now, he's on the trade block. He's not a real like superstar superstar, and Kenny Atkinson developed him in a way that D'Angelo Russell said really helped him. My prediction is Charlotte. Charlotte will be a playoff team next year.
They were a play in team this year. There were only three four wins away from being five to six seed.
I think that My guess is that they win forty eight games five they get five extra games.
They won forty three this year, they get forty eight.
They're the five of the six seed next year, and two years from real they get fifty wins, they're a top four seed. That's my guess I think the Nets take a big step back obviously. I think the Sixers can only go down from where they are. Bucks continue to reign supreme. I think Miami may take a step back, and Boston continues to be on this trajectory as well. So my prediction is that they've got all the pieces. If they can get any fucking thing out of Gordon Hayward, anything, anything,
just anything, even if they trade them, don't care. Even if they get him to buy in on defense again, I don't care. But they've got Miles Bridges, they've got Lonzo Alonzo, they got LaMelo Ball. Wish they had Lonzo and LaMelo. They've got really good young Terry Rozier. They've got playmakers, they're exciting, good wings.
PJ. Washington trying his very might to make a living when he knocked up Brittany Renner.
So lots of things happening for the Hornets. All that stuff's very successful. Maybe he can turn James Booknight into something, who knows, who knows. My prediction, though, is things get vastly improved in Charlotte. Oh man, guys, let's move on. It was fun while it lasted. It would appear that the marriage of DeAndre Ayton in the Phoenix Suns is
about to end. According to mark Stein, what seems clear, he says, with less than three weeks to go until free agency commences, is that Phoenix is increasingly expected to engage in serious sign and trade talks centered around Aighton, with external skepticism only rising regarding the Sun's willingness to make a healty, long term investment in the center. Let's
be honest, Da, it's bad timing for you dog. You've got an owner who's probably about to lose ownership, and you're not putting out two hundred and fifty million dollars right before you sell a team. And I think that there's going to be hayah, a guillotine on our man, Robert Sarver. Things are going to come down the pipe. The investigation has been going on for almost a year now,
so listen, things are ruminating. Bubbling will say, obviously like an announcement of him being forced Donald Sterling like out, it's gonna happen in the NBA finals. But I promise you it's probably gonna happen sometime soon, and it might be before free agency, it might be after free agency. It might be before the season, but I know what's happening, and I know the Robert Starver is not gonna want to pay DeAndre Ayton in the midst of all that.
So now Stein believes Aiighten is the most prominent player.
That will switch teams. Good news for me, good news for my team.
His agent, Bill Duffy, who's also an awesome guy, went on NBA Radio just the other day and said, this things will work out for DeAndre.
He's a valuable player. And you know what, there's other teams in the league as well. This is true, twenty nine other teams.
DeAndre Ayton is a restricted free agent, meaning that he must do a sign in trade in order to make that move, or possibly he can go into the last five and final year and be a complete free agent, which mark Stein does not think will happen. The chances are not great for him staying in Phoenix. I don't know what Chris Paul is gonna do. This team is
significantly worse without DeAndre Ayton. If you're a basketball you know how many high screens DeAndre Ayton sets for Devin Booker and Chris Paul to turn into easy buckets, either turning to pull up jays or turn into rolls lobs for DA or for whoever else on the.
Wing, like a drive in kick scenario.
So DA is very very underrated player in my opinion, and I think he's gonna probably make more money going elsewhere if he stays one additional year and does a sign in trade. But I don't think he's going to leave eight figures on the table and maybe risking injury. So the latest is that the Sons are now taking inquiries yes on a sign and trade for DeAndre.
Where will he end up? That's a good question. San Antonio is on the table, that'd be an awesome spot for him.
Can you imagine this, motherfucker, Jake Craig Popovich, you get come on, it's an embarrassment of riches. We'll give you, yaka peerdl No, we'll give you. So you have David Robinson and then you get Tim Duncan.
Do you know what he would do with Da? Stop it? Stop it please?
Uh? Toronto is another landing spot that people are talking about, which would be excellent for what they do. DeAndre Ayton can switch on defense, very athletic, put the ball in his hand, he'd be a perfect fit there. What they would get for him, maybe like an og and Anobi. Maybe a young piece would be nice, little move move litt'll win win. Portland potentially will give you, Like I said, we'll give you Nurkic and Anfrety Simons.
How about that?
What about Drew EU Banks as the backup center? Will give you NRK, Drew U Banks and Anthrety Simons. Listen, Anthony Simons will play the one when Chris Paul retires, He'll come off the bench and you can give us back campaign and DeAndre Aiden. Detroit and Atlanta are also the leading landing spots. But for me, I've got one destination in mind that I think DeAndre Aiden would.
Be perfect for Chicago Wolves. I think that would be an awesome spot for him.
They need defense, they need somebody to stop the gaping hole that is Nicola Vusovich.
Because he doesn't play defense.
You could pair him with Patrick Williams kind of like a nice little balance between what they both bring to the table. And especially if zach Lavine goes somewhere else, which like if you're gonna pay either Zach Lavine or DeAndre Ayton, I don't even know what to say. I don't even know what to say. Does Zach Lavine fit with Devin Booker? Probably not, I don't think so. But you could do like a three team trade get something back.
And I actually think the bull swapping Zach for DeAndre is probably a huge upgrade, huge, huge upgrade, because let's be honest, their issue is is defense healthy. Crusoe, you got Lonzo, Ball, you got Ayton. Come on now, like this becomes a really good defensive team overnight. Then you got Tomorrow Rosen too, Demarta Rosen, Lonzo if he ever comes back, Caruso, Patrick Williams Ayton, Like this was a six seed.
Now what do they become next year? I don't know, maybe a five, maybe a four, or but just maybe a six seed that actually ends up competing in the first round instead of just getting absolutely mollywomped in the first round. And of course, as you guys know, I would love to see him with Dame Lollard. I would love to see him setting high picks for game Lillard. Yes, and maybe if we could keep Anfretty.
Simon's I'm in on that, or maybe we get DeAndre Ayton and maybe another piece. I don't know, we'll have to see. I have to see how it all shakes out. Maybe maybe we'll get AJ. Maybe we'll get AJ Griffin and DeAndre Ayton and we'll have Josh Hart still who knows the list of possibilities for us is endless, endless.
I tell you, oh man, how insane has step been?
He has been insane thirty four and a half.
There's round video. R is John here? John's here? John? What's up? John? Where are you?
What's up? I'm at Chase Center right now, live, ready to roll.
I'm at Chase Yo. How insane is Steph? Right now?
Incredible? I mean, it's it's all time legendary type stuff? Here is this is MJ or magic or bird all in real time? Lebron, you want to throw him in any of the greats of the greats. He's putting his name right up there by the way.
You look really good.
I was just about because I didn't know when you were gonna come on, so I was just about to say that I think that we as fans are benefiting from Steph not having as many pieces around. Right, You've got clay, but clay's not one hundred percent of the clay that we're used to seeing right, you've got no KD. So it's a different team than Steph's ever had before, to the point where, especially considering I think that he's playing a better team overall.
Than he's ever played in the finals before.
So he has to put the team on his back, which kind of makes it a lot better for fans because we get to see what Steph is capable of in ways that we maybe never really gotten the pleasure of seeing because he's such a good playmaker.
Yeah, and the Celtics taking the Warriors offense away is a big part of that as well. I mean, it's the Warriors want to have the open flow ball movement, but it's had to be because their defense is so elite. It's had to really be Steph versus the world in a lot of ways for the Warriors to win in this series. And that's what it was in Game four, and he saved him. He did enough to save them.
I think, you know, Andrew Wiggins kind of being up and down, and Klay Thompson not really being around aside from a few big shots in a couple of these games, and Jordan Poole non existent, all of that.
Non existent.
Yeah, I think he's been non existent and for a good bulk of the series. Third quarter really the end of the third quarter of Game two, and he played a pretty good game in Game four. I would say up until Game four non existent. They got enough from the others in the game Friday, but still they don't win it if Steph doesn't go all time legend and put forty three up and just with phenomenal shot making, and I mean any one or two of those shots
rim out or a little bit short. I mean, we may be talking about the Celtics trying to try to close this thing out tonight in San Francisco.
Now that you came on early, I just want to give you a little intro welcoming to the show. My guy John Dickinson, who hosts the pre and post game Warriors Show on Austine station ninety five point seven, the game radio home of Golden State. He also hosts the Warriors This Week podcast.
Do you remember how we met?
Yeah, we met in Toronto? Right or was it? Did we meet in Toronto?
It might have been Toronto.
During that series. It might have been in San Francisco at the charity game. Was it at the charity basketball game?
It might have been the Cherry Basketball game, so to give people a little context, that was hosted by Chris Haynes and Yahoo at the time.
I think we ended up speaking of Steph. I think it was at Steph's Jim.
Yeah, under armored Jim outside of SF and John Dickinson does what John Dickinson does so well, which is man of many traits. Played played some hoop in the charity game media game, and also was the broadcaster on it. And I believe you did a postgame interview with me because I was the player that of No, I don't even know why they gave that to me. I think I took a really hard Ethan Strauss check. He knocked my ass to the ground on it, Like I remember,
my chest caved in and everybody could hear it. The fan, you know, like the people who were related to the media members and the bank, and they were like, god, damn, that looked like it hurt.
Yeah, that makes sense. I think you nailed it there. Yes, I interviewed you after that game, and yeah, you were a quote machine. I remember that.
I was like the I was like.
The guard version of Draymond Green before Draymond Green decided he wanted to go.
To the media.
Yes with the game of say Damon Stodomyer or Nick.
Without without the I remember after that game being like, listen, I need to get my cardio up because it was rough.
It was rough.
Janey was playing in that game. Any who else There was a couple of other women media members. You know what I want to segue to really fast is I'm thinking about Draymond Green in his pod.
Like do you know why that ended up getting started?
When it got started, and kind of like, what's your thoughts on him as an obvious star because he's been a quote machine his entire career, but also just him as like balancing the I have a pod and I'm also a player at the same exact time.
I think it's an opportunity to do something completely different that nobody had really done before, to be a player that's in the mix, hopefully at the highest level. I think, really if he could have done it a couple of years ago when the Warriors were in two, three, four five finals in a row and winning three of the five and all of that, I think he would have
loved to have been doing it then. But I think it's really something unprecedented for a player that's on the highest stage to be able to be also one of the best talkers in the league and then do both at the same time and be able to constantly address anything he wants to address, whether it's his own game, whether it's his team's game, whether it's some of the
chatter or the noise or social media. He still does all the regular media sessions, so I think everybody loves him for that, and occasionally, well all the time, he'll use those media sessions to try and promote the podcast in any way possible. But I think he just sees himself as a pioneer, really, somebody that's the first of many move moving forward that are i think not only going to want to play and play at a high level,
but also be media members at the same time. It's not something that's that's frowned upon like it used to be. I mean, CJ McCollums got his thing. I mean, niggod Alla's doing his podcast. I mean, I think the next generation of player is going to be taken after Draymond Green in that way and wanting to to really be
multi platform. But Draymond's in his own category. I mean, I think we're going to be talking about Draymond thirty years from now as Oh wow, he's been one of the greatest broadcasters, analysts, whatever you want to call it.
You got a question about basketball. Do you remember what he did like that?
Oh?
Yeah, I do remember that. I do remember that.
That's when I.
Knew that man was a cold blooded killer.
You know.
I think that's the thing. As we listened to a little I think there's some Bay Area yay Area music.
Yeah, they just cranked up the PA, so I had to just crank up my make sure I can hear you. Hopefully that's not drowned day out? Is it good on that?
I think we're good. I think we're good. You know.
The thing that I think is interesting is you think about media, or you think about players that are in the media or at least like doing media stuff, which is Kad who's got thirty five ventures and he lives on Twitter, so he knows how he's perceived.
And then he's got Graymon, who I think with the.
Podcast, maybe because he's wanting to engage with the stand base and grow this pod. So there's a certain element he almost feels the same things that we feel, where it's like we need to be on social media and we need to kind of see how things are working
or whether they're not working. And maybe there's a possibility I'd like to know kind of where whether you think this is true or not, is that maybe there's a slight bit of him tapping a little too much in to the way and what people are saying about him, not just like quote unquote blue check media in print, but what fans are saying about his play.
When he talked about maybe, you know, being a little bit too much in his head.
I think he just loves talking period. I mean, I should he have admitted that, I mean, maybe not, but I think he just he just loves talking. I think somebody asked him in between maybe Game three and Game four, like do you ever get sick of it? And I think maybe sam Amok the Athletic wrote about it. It just he didn't get sick of it. He just wan he loves always being on to your point. I think
he loves the platitudes and the analysis. But I also think he enjoys when things maybe aren't going as well, trying to address it or trying to call somebody out or trying to say, hey, you know, what this take is kind of bs and even though maybe something maybe where they's smoke, there's fire in a small way, but it's not exactly the same way that things are messed up and maybe the way that you think. And here's why, I think it's just raw and which is what Draymond is.
Love him or hate him, and in the Bay he's loved. In Boston right now and in some other cities, he's public enemy number one, and that's fine. I think he embraces all of it and enjoys it and and really appreciates. I think he appreciates the respect that comes with somebody you know that is always going to be gravitated towards.
Do you think there's any correlation though, between him tapping in to the to the public right now with the pod and.
Maybe some of his play that's suffering because he said, like what I'm hearing about myself has got me kind of thinking about things differently and over analyzing myself.
Yeah, I think it's possible. I think it's it always comes up when the Warriors lose or when he doesn't play well, even here in the Bay, it always comes up. I mean we after Game three to call after call after call, Draymond's got to put the microphone down and put the hell set the podcast aside until the finals are over, and he's got to focus on basketball in this series and helping Steph and trying to figure out who he can defend and can he score more than
two points? And so I think he's aware of it. But I also think he's such a defiant personality in general. There's a part of him well, he is extremely thoughtful and philosophical and analytical and all of that. I think there's a part of him though that's defiant. He's like, forget this. Y'all are telling me that that I'm in my in my head, or you're telling me that I need to put the podcast down or put the microphone down. I'm not doing that, no chance, because that's you're telling
me to do it. If you're telling me to do it, then there's no way I'm doing it.
I've got an audience to give to serve it up for, and I'm going to continue to serve it up for them.
You know, it's.
Interesting too, and the NFL as would never be allowed to happen, like never. Even Taylor lawan offensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans. As soon as the season is on, he is not allowed to do his podcast. Mike Rabel doesn't allow it. NFL frowns on it, NBA obviously embracing it.
What does Steve Kerr think about it?
He loves it, He hasn't, well, at least publicly. Yeah, he loves it. I mean I don't know that he necessary. I mean, Steve Kerr would never admit that he doesn't like it or isn't for it. He did jokingly. He said he got asked a question about something Draymond said on the pod and his answer within the last week was why I don't listen to the pod so and everybody got a good chuckle out of that. But he's always been the first one to say, hey, look this
is uncharted waters, it's new territory. Guys can do what they want. It's not previous bygone eras. And look, I think, I mean, Steve Kerr is a pretty forward thinking dude, So he would be the last one I think that would frown upon something like that. But I think he also knows that it doesn't do anybody any good. If he frowned upon Draymond Green doing it. Considering that he is still the dude that's the heart and soul in
many ways of this Warriors franchise. I mean, Steph is the system, Steph is the best player, Steph is the MVP, the legend, whatever. But Draymond still in many ways is the engine for the Warriors greatness. I mean, and really, and it's Steph and it's Draymond, and it's playing and it's just the three personality. It's the three style of games.
But it's the three personalities being so different I think is a big part of why they've been able to last as long as they have and even get back to the point where they're two games away from maybe winning another chip. It's just their personalities fit and they don't offend, and it's the reason why there hasn't been all the drama between stars that exists I think in
so many other places which is broken up. A lot of these would be champions and maybe even teams that have been able to get the job done.
Yank, I think he is. I think Draymond's a Hall of Famer.
I think, yeah, you can talk about Dennis Rodman having more rebounds than Draymond, but Draymond being a better playmaker than Rodman, Draymond being more integral to the system than Rodman. Other people don't think that he is just based on his lack of offense and some of the other enforcers in the league that didn't get in. Where do you think he falls in terms of that.
I think he's in for sure, And if he adds another chip here in the next week, I mean that that only furthers the argument for him. The Defensive Player of the Year, the All Defensive first team, second team accolades are right up there. I mean, just really the
consummate winner. And I'll give you another one. I mean, in basketball, it's it's not just the NBA, right, It's it's the the He gets credit for the things that he did at Michigan State and leading them to Final fours, and and winning a lot there and and being really a you know, kind of a model college athlete in many ways, uh for for his generation. So I think he's a borderline lock to get too.
I think he's like first ballot because you think about what Steph did to change and transform the game, but think about what Draymond did to transform the game.
Tweeners are now.
Something that we're all looking like every team, every GM is looking for their Draymond Green, a point forward with an otherworldly basketball IQ who can play make but also you know, knows how to get their star in rhythm.
No, that's that's exactly right. I mean, yeah, everybody's looking for Draymond. I know, Squad, that's fond to your heart. The Portland Portland Trailblazers could have used to Draymond in the last eight years, right, maybe they had it would have a chip if they if they know the rockets for all the years that they battled the Warriors, maybe if they had a guy like Treymond, they'd have a chip or a couple at this point. So I think
I think that's a great point. I mean gold medals as well, yep, And yeah, add that to the list. I mean, I I know you may get some pushback from from some that say, you know, just you look at the stats and all of this and triple single and and some of that kind of stuff. But I
to me, he's he's a borderline lock. And if he's a four ring player with the medals, with the college success, I mean, to me, he's even there are people around here I don't know what your take is on this one, and maybe we don't have to go too deep into it. But I've always been kind of a no on Igdala being a Hall of Famer, But around here, I think because he's so beloved, I kind of mix it up
with people on that one a little bit. A lot of people say, oh, he did this, this and this and the winning and and you know, being kind of the dude that's ahead of the game, and where are you on Igdala, I.
Think I'm really borderline, like I need to go back to his time sure Denver and Philly to kind of because it's he's the.
Cliff and I hate this for him. The cliff that Iggy dropped off of was very steep, you know.
Like just physically, but Finals MVP.
Finals MVP physically though when he when his body declined, it declined so fast, you know what I mean, even in Miami. Uh, it was just like didn't look right right, and it was even struggling with it in the twenty nineteen series against Toronto, and you could tell he had a bunch of it was like knee inflammation, which I think he's still dealing with now.
To this day. On and off again with it. He was like really battling it.
So it's hard to remember how much of it because he was a very good pure scorer, and some would say that a key piece to the Warriors going from that Mark Jackson era to getting a chip like he was that piece that was added that got them that chip. Needless to say, no Kyrie, no Kevin Love, but still with him, I think that helped a lot.
Oh without a doubt, I think he definitely helped enable them to heights that that I think many didn't believe were going to be possible. And also the willingness to come off the bench to allow Harrison Barnes to start is kind of part of that story too in that two thousand fifteen season, and then he winds up back in the starting lineup in the finals, wins the Finals MVP after they fell down to one in that series and wound up winning game four, game five, in game six to take it four to two.
How are people feeling about this series' vibe wise, like, whether that's media, whether that's fans that you come in contact with compared to other Finals run because I know I've seen some ninety five to seven the game like pro mode tweets of like Warriors fans, are you panicked?
Like?
Is the sense of emotions different than any other that they've faced before?
And why?
Yeah? I think as far as this series goes, first of all, I mean, you got to deal with where we are now and it's two to two, and I think huge sigh relief from the Warrior fan base that they were able to get Game four in Boston and bring it back here two to two. So I do feel like over the last twenty four to forty eight hours there is more of a sense of oh, they got this. Now, they got this, whether it's in six
or in seven, they got this. But I think the biggest thing that I've heard doing the post game shows every single night when we take calls and we go we go for three hours. Wow, that's that's loud. We go for three hours every night Mike check and we take calls, is I didn't realize the Celtics were this good. We get We have had many calls with people like I didn't realize the Celtics were this good. I thought
this was going to be a five game series. And I think there is a there is a threat level in so the West Coast.
That is, like we talk about regional biases, John, like we talk about New York East Coast bias. That is is one of the most insane West Coast like Bay Area, like locked into our shit that I've ever heard.
It's a it's a Warrior bias. I think, yeah, it is a Warriors fan elitist bias, there's no doubt.
And I hear that about Memphis too, because Memphis was given on them.
No, they were worried about Memphis. Memphis was actually the one team even more than maybe Phoenix, and I don't you know, the East didn't really come up a lot. I think that the thought was, well, Memphis is the toughest team among the fan base. Memphis was the toughest team because you know, Warrior fans hate Chris Paul. So they thought, oh, Steph, he owns Chris Paul. If they play Phoenix, they're gonna win that series. Maybe it goes
six or seven, but they're gonna they're gonna win that series. Ultimately, something will happen. And yeah, something happened. They didn't even play them because they couldn't get get pied Dallas. But no, the fan base here was legitimately afraid of Memphis, and then when John Morant went down, it was like, oh, we got this, and then miss steriously the Grizzlies were.
I mean, it wasn't a surprise, but they were much better defensively without John Moran and actually hung in that series to the point where it kind of left you thinking maybe if John Moran played that whole series and Memphis had figured some things out, they could have still won that series or at least maybe forced to Game seven. So Memphis had the fear maybe more than any team
and their head to head matchups. Not to get too wonky on you, but they really would would physically kind of manhandle the Warriors, and they knocked him out last year in the play and so no, there there was some worry there. But I think as far as everybody else goes, the Warrior fan base is so used to
a position of advantage. They're so used to it, always up to nothing, always up three to one, going for the gentleman's sweep, never truly in a position of feeling vulnerable in series, to where I think the Celtics stunning them in Game one the way that they did really put everybody, you know, kind of hiding behind the couch for a couple of days until the Warriors answered back, and then oh wait, it was almost Oh, they've got this.
Now they're going to Boston. They've figured it out. And the one thing I kept saying in between was, well, game three is gonna tell you who's figured out what and whether Game two was the outlier weather game one
maybe was the outlier. And then the Celtics win Game three, and from that point on it's really been Oh, I didn't realize the Celtics were this good, respect like, maybe this is gonna be a seven game series, because even after Friday, I'll give you the pulse a Friday night, Friday night in Boston, Steph with this Jordanesque performance in TD Garden, and you know, fans will get loose a little bit and say whatever they're gonna say, and then it'll be, oh, all right, all right, thanks Warriors in
six or Warriors in you know all fans do that. It was all Warriors in seven. It was all Warriors. It wasn't Warriors in six. It was Warriors at seven. So they were feeling good and great that it was two two, But it wasn't like, oh, we're just rolling the next two. It was like, oh no, we'll win one though one maybe what would another one? The Celtics have the Warrior fan base respect, I'll put it that way.
How do you we talked about this what was it maybe they maybe Thursday? It was after the loss in Game three, and we talked about just like how if they win the Chip Warriors, if the Warriors win the Chip, how like that may not be the best for the franchise in the long term, right, And I thought you made some really interesting points about that, and I wanted you to share them just in terms of, like we've.
Got a choose your own adventure. Warriors win, where Warriors lose. You know, what happens in each one of these different cases, in terms of decision making tree, in terms of how they're they're covered the next year, in terms of you know, kind of like the state of affairs in the next three years.
Yeah. I mean, look, if if they there's a couple of different angles, right, I mean, if the Warriors win it, obviously, I mean they want to win it, and the fan base wants them to win it and all of that. If the Warriors win it, I think it's almost gravy the next couple of years. I mean, the belief will be kind of like would Lebron say, not five, not six,
not like like at that point. I mean, if you win this year, I think a lot of the conversation is going to be about this two timeline thing, and well, if Steph wasn't MVP regular season level going back to this year, well then maybe he can just kind of get through the regular season. Maybe Clay will be a little better, and Draymond's still around, and there's all these young players. What about Wiseman and Kaminga and Moses Moody
who was picked fourteenth. Like, if they win it, I think it's almost gravy like they they pretty much.
Don't do really anything in the they run it.
I think they run it back and they allow the young players to maybe be a bigger part of it. They still would have the Pepper and some veterans, I think with some playoff experience along the way, Paige Jordan Poole ride it out with Wiggins play cominga more Wiseman like. There's just a freedom I think that comes with winning
it this year for the next year for them. If they don't win it, I think That's where it gets a little tricky because then the conversation sort of shifts to do you were this close within two games or one game, depending upon how it ends of winning the NBA Championship and you couldn't get over the hump? And Steph put up maybe an Finals MVP performance even in losing. Do you owe it to him and Clay and Raymond? But really deal it to him to do whatever it
takes to get over the hump? And does that mean you look to trade a Kaminga or a Wiseman or something like that. And I don't think they want to do that as an organization, But and the veterans did go in last offseason and say, hey, we we would we need veteran help if we're going to make a playoff run, and maybe you should consider making some kind of a trade, and the and the front office and Joe Lacob I think at the head of that was like, no,
we're not gonna do that. We're gonna we're gonna see how far this group you Steph, Clay, Draymond Wiggins, how far that group can take you. But I do think it gets trickier if they don't win it. And the and the question as far as as the anthem begins here behind me, little little test anthem, Uh, the question then becomes what do you have to do to get over that hump?
So and then we talked about media coverage too, and I think that's really interesting because it feels like some of the flags that might have come with Memphis ended up. He's having domerant that maybe people would have identified or franchised, recuganized and said, like Saint I may is a defensive ability, et cetera, a bigger, stronger teams. The Bucks aren't going in there, right, You've got Miami may or may not go anywhere, and obviously Boston's going anywhere either.
So how do you think the way that there'll be will be covered?
And changes too with the ninety five to seven of the game, the white years of the world like war years, twitter.
Et cetera.
What's gravy If they win it, I mean, if they win it, literally.
No criticism the entire year.
If they win it, there's no criticism. If they win it, it's it's top of the mountain. And hey, come at us, come at us, bro come at us. Sis Like that really is what Hey we're on top of the mountain. It's Joey light Ears. You can't stop us. Kaminga is the next Giannis. Uh. You know, Wiseman is going to be exactly everything they didn't have. He's Robert Williams plus Jaron Jackson, like combined into one. And that's what he's gonna be. And it's just it.
Yeah, you mean, the delusions will in it from where they already are.
It will it will be come at us. Hey, Boston, that was cute. You couldn't get it done. Now we're better.
That's annoying, though, don't you think that's annoying?
It can be.
Yeah, I mean, are you gonna do that?
I don't ever do that. Like That's that's why I don't ever do that. I I love talking about the games. I love talking about the teams. I'm not you know, I'm not here to you know, pat myself on the back. Although I think I did, yeah, exactly, No, I didn't know it was I was gonna say I didn't. I didn't know it was this kind of this kind of show. Although you do video, you did cuss a couple of times, so that's okay, we can do that. Okay, I got you. So the video is only for.
Us, Yep, exactly, It's just I got.
Okay, Well that's good, all right, Well then I then I should I should have just taken the jacket off. Then I'm sure.
Whatever you need to do.
Yeah, just get real, Dell and so Sonya curry with it.
Just get real comfortable. Yeah, real comfortable. But no, yeah, I don't. I don't roll like that. I mean you could. You could make the case that the Warriors not winning it would make for more compelling for a more compelling conversation moving forward.
Do you think Adam Silver wants.
I think that's interesting. I think Adam Silver likes having the Warriors at the top of the mountain. To be honest, I think he does. I think he likes everybody. I mean, the ratings would say he does, right. I mean, and look, the Celtics are part of that too, But I think he likes having them back at the top of the mountain and everybody's sort of aspiring to be them. But in terms of conversation, you could make a case that them not winning it leads to juicing your conversation.
More interesting outcomes too. Where'd you go now?
I'm here?
Oh, more interesting outcomes in my opinion too, Do you think so?
I think so. I think it could be. Excuse me, I need to take a sip here in.
This, That's okay.
We talked also about fan bases, and I said this to you when we talked after Game three.
I said, you know, it's.
Funny that the Warriors, you know, they faced Cleveland, the Cleveland Cavaliers fan base for a million years, and then they faced Toronto for one year.
Toronto was a.
Nice place to play, fine, passionate fan base, but they're civilized.
Let's be honest. They're civilized folk. They're Canadians, and they're not They're not messing around.
I think there might have been one little interesting thing that happened with the fan during that series, but nothing crazy, no like real scuttle butt.
Outside of the whole Drake thing that I got roasted for.
There was no.
There was no yeah, there was no like, oh my god, I needed to take my dubs jersey off when I left the arena. Like, do you do you think that this is the first like real deal fan base that the war have faced in the finals, And you think that's like a fair fair estimation?
Well, we're only talking about three. I mean we're talking Yeah, we're talking about Boston, Toronto, and Cleveland. And look, the games in Cleveland were I thought tremendous atmospheres, especially the two years where the Calves had a chance. They didn't really have a chance in seventeen or eighteen, but fifteen and sixteen they did. So I think I think that the Calves crowds were good. Toronto, I was blown away. I'd always heard great things about Toronto, but yeah, it
was more of a joyous crowd. They were really happy that their team was in it. Yeah, and I think they knew, hey, we're playing the Juggernauts that have been in this thing five years in a row like this.
Is just happy to be like winning games.
There and yeah they yeah, no, And they had a lot of years where they couldn't quite get over the hump. So I think just being in the finals and having home court advantage and all of the things that went through that to get to that point, I thought they were just really really really happy and loud and it was awesome. I would put Toronto probably ahead of Cleveland in terms of the overall atmosphere, but yeah, Boston's on another level. I mean, that's a that's a town, that's
it's it's an edgier fan base. They take it seriously all of their sports, whether it's the Red Sox or the Patriots or the Celtics. And yeah, it's gonna get a little salty maybe in terms of of the language or or the interaction if you're if you're wearing a warrior's jersey. They're used to winning, Yeah, and they demand winning. I mean what I mean, this is their twenty second finals and I think they've lost what five I think
so or four five whatever that. Yeah, this is the twenty one and they won seventeen, So seventeen and four. I mean that's pretty good, pretty good.
And they're known for doing things, you know, all kinds of outlandish things throughout the course of time. If you watch winning time, Uh, Norm Nixon talked about how insane the fans were, and even the the home cooking in the refs and all that that noise before we let you run, raising.
The basket, raising the basket during warmups.
Maybe maybe rough and tough stuff, pooping in in Bill Russell's bed in the hotel room, rats skurring around the breezeway, so we're far cry from that. But uh, I want to pivot to just something really interesting that has happened, which Kenny Atkinson now the new head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. As per Shams, this is the bomb. This is the sound of the Shams bomb. So one, I want two things from you. One, what has Kenny done
putting his fingerprints on this organization this season? Because the number one thing that I think was missing last year maybe the year before that was the development side, right, and that's kind of what even Steve said was sort of missing and what they brought Kenny into do. So from what you've covered and what you know, what has Kenny done for this this team this year that you can kind of says he's leaps.
For him, I think you hit on it. I think I think individual player development was a big part of that. And the Warriors because they had so many young players, they put a real emphasis on on player development as far as how does Jordan Poole make a jump? Maybe
make two jumps? How does that work? Wiseman. A part of it Kaminga did this year as well, is how does he go from somebody that that can you know, be a player more Anthem, Tony Lindsay, Tony Lindsay, everybody Santana favorite here in the Bay going round two, Round two for Tony Lindsay. But no, it was it was excellent. I'm sure it'll be excellent at six o'clock here Pacific
too when we when we hear it Korea. But uh, it's it was all of that, Like, how does kaminga go from somebody that played the G League get you know, ignite team and then gets drafted seven overall and become somebody that I think by year two playable in the playoffs if need be, but by year two can be somebody that's a factor to maybe take somebody's spot moving forward.
So also individual game preparation. The Warriors kind of went out of their way at least at the beginning of the year and said we want to chase wins, none of this, like they want to win as much as possible to put themselves in position to where.
They we've regretted that.
It was an awful look. It was an awful look, and I think he knew it. And I think Mike Brown defensively, some jankie defenses in some like they got far more game plan specific this year on a game to game basis in the regular season, especially early, and I think Kenny Atkinson was a big part of that, taking a look at at scouting other teams and hey, what can we do not just to run our stuff on offense and just run our regular defense, but how can we make sure we do everything possible to win
these games on these nights. I think it's why they got up to the eighteen and two, forty one and thirteen. Then they had some injuries and everything kind of went awry a little bit. They couldn't get everybody on the same page after Clay came back until the playoffs. But now in the playoffs they've been able to do enough to put themselves to where now they're they're two games away from a title.
How does Kenny do it?
He's just exceptionally maniacally organized from what I understand of him, and I think, you know, he'll be a great hire for Charlotte. That I think is, you know, a couple of levels behind maybe where the where the Warriors are at. But I think you know, you look at at LaMelo
Ball and some of the talent that they have. They're some good young talent and he developed Brooklyn to a point where they were they were a team that was ready for a couple of stars to come in and maybe help them along the way, not completely take it over and kick him to the curb while they were at it, or whether they were preparing for that to
that point where they were going to get there. But no, he's one of the most I think prepared, organized, maybe even to the point of just maniacal dudes in the league. And so I think Charlotte found themselves a good one on that front as far as trying to get out of the playing tournament and get into maybe the top six and then who knows from there.
One of the number one things that I read about Kenny and when I talked to d Lo when he was playing on the nets that year, is just the building of culture. And like the word culture was written I don't know man like thirty forty fifty times in one article about Kenny just from your time around the team, like how does he do how does he build culture? And how do you think he can do that?
In Charlotte.
I think accountability is a big part of it. I think with the Warriors, though, he and this will be interesting to see how far he takes it from his Warriors time, you know, going back to now coach Charlotte as a head coach. But I think the Warriors culture is so ingrained that I think he probably had to fit more with what the Warriors do. But I think,
you know, I'll use Mike Brown as an example. Mike Brown coming in after being a dude that was, you know, kind of viewed as overly stressed and maybe maybe a little obsessive, compulsive and things like that. The Warriors taught him he needed to chill a little bit. And and he spent a number of years here and we'll see and he's got a little different task as he goes
ninety miles down the road to Sacramento. But I think it's more what maybe Kenny learned from his time here, and maybe that is that you want to have a great culture, but you can't necessarily be obsessed with the with the culture and having every particular part of it fit in the in the same box, if that makes sense. So just a little bit more laid back I think is probably the way.
To go time in the Bay.
Bruh, Yeah, No, I I think that's an interesting point because that was one of the main things that I remember hearing there's.
A fourth time doing Tony Lindsay wasn't happy with how he sounded.
Talk about maniacal and attention to detail, Tony Lindsay with a bunch of national anthems here. I think the number one thing that I've heard in my time when I've kind of asked, well, like, why did Kevin Durant want Kenny gone? So that was essentially what happened is you know, you got to go. Him and Kyrie were like task and one of the things that I heard was that he had a very strict way of training protocol getting guys ready, and that worked for young guys and for
stars who have been doing things a certain way. They've got a certain protocol that they have also designed that works for them. And so when those two things clashed, you know, then you've got issues. Do you think that that's something that we're going to see Kenny evolve from even with the young team.
I think he's probably gonna have to, And that's a good reason. I think that's a big takeaway is you got to change a little bit here and there. I think with you gotta find that balance and look he's got LaMelo ball. That's it needs to work with LaMelo Ball there, because he's that good. At least it appears he's that good a couple of years into his career to where you want him to be the face of the Hornets, not for just the next two or three years, but you want him to be the face of the
franchise for the next ten plus years. And so you know, Kenny's job is to build everything around him, but it's also his job to make sure that everything stays harmonious. So I think, yeah, being a little bit more laid back and understanding that not everything has to fit in the too each particular box is probably a big part of what he would take away from from a potential championship year with the Warriors, and getting.
Those boys to play some defense because they are atrocious at that right, no doubt. Their paint defense was I want to say, thirtieth in the league, So that'll be an interesting thing. Final thoughts before we let you Oh, also, really quickly, someone floated out the idea that we should all collectively start to go fund me for four and a half million dollars to put thoughts on the hardwood for Jordan Pool to play better?
Did you see that news story? Thoughts on that new thoughts.
On that I didn't. I hadn't seen that. I had not seen that. We run that back for me again, what is going on here?
All right?
So there's the campaign out there on Twitter or some news outlet that was like, how much is too much to pay for Jordan Poole to be motivated to play better and for court side seats, to get little batties, batties on the on the court side all together it would cost if they had that entire area, you can buy four and a half million dollars for the next two games for Chase Center. I'm not sure why people think that that's what's gonna make Jordan Poole play better.
We played better in game four. And look, even even I had almost forgotten earlier we were talking about No, he played pretty well in game four. It's does it translate? Was it one game or does it translate to a couple of more games? Here? And this is I'm not I'm not chipping in on that one, Trista, Sorry, I'm not. I'm out. That one's against my principles.
I saw it and I was like, even for you.
This is maybe the most bonkers, the most bonker story I've I've ever heard Warriors in what what do you think is gonna happen? Is it?
Warriors? And you have to be honest?
Now Warriors and seven Warriors. I think I think the Warriors are winning tonight in Game five. I think Boston's gonna hold serve and then I think the Warriors eke out a Game seven win back here on Father's Day Sunday and win the championship. Close game down the stretch.
I think they win it five to seven points at the end, sort of a maybe a similar finish to the finish in Game four with a close game and then Boston unable to Boston missing a couple of shots and the Warriors hitting a couple of big ones to put them over the top.
Good stuff, Good stuff, John Dickinson, my guy. We appreciate you for those who are joining us live. That is all the time that we have for the Heat Check. Will be back Wednesday with a new episode previewing game.
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Sae unodos trace quatro sinco sacee seven.
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Uh and follow us on Heat Check as we go down the stretch, are you going to Summer League by the way.
To be determined at this point.
All right, well you I see, I am, I'm gonna be.
There the oh, well, then I'm there, then I'm there, then then I'm there. I'm there in the entire I just made my decision.
Then do not forget to download subscribe. Also, John, tell them where they can find you.
Yeah, eight at JD John Dickinson on on Twitter and same thing on Instagram, and you know the Odyssey app for all the the pre and post game shows as well ninety five to seven the game on Twitter as well a lot of our videos and audio files and links to everything or there. So yeah, that's that's it.
One of the best dudes in the fucking business. One of the best dudes in the business.
Follow us. We will see you soon, John.
I wish I was not here, but you know what, I got other shows and other bills and people to pay.
So Boston's not that far from where you're at. I mean I am, I am going to be in Boston tomorrow.
So we'll see what happens. We'll see what happens. Love you, John, Thank you guys. We'll see you guys next time.