On this episode of the Heat Check, It's an interview extravaganza. This episode not one, not two, not three, but four interviews for your NBA enjoyment. We start with Brendan Tobin who covers the Miami Heat He drops some knowledge on our dome. Kyle Madsen covers the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors from ESPN thirteen twenty out in Sacramento.
Ryan Edwards gives us a little insight into the Denver Nuggets, and finally, generalist NBA guru Kurt Healing for NBC Sports this year to all make it make sense, get so much to get into, Anthony drop that motherfucking beat that should be readers. Today's we Check In what we call a check in episode, where were checking in out what's happening from around the league with some of the local MBA markets and Hot damn we got some pipeing hot tea for you all about some of the best teams
in the weegue. All these interviews were conducted on my other show BETMGM Tonight, which airs nationally in most major markets as well as live on Twitch and YouTube Monday through Friday from seven to eleven Eastern Standard Time. I am joined on these interviews by my co host Nick Ashu. Check it out when you get a chance. By the way,
we talk a lot of hoops on that show. We started our extravaganz and by checking in on the Miami Heat with Brendan Tobin, co host of Tobin and Leroy on five sixty Sports WQAM in Miami, an honesty station Dodo Do Doo. Tobin and Leroy airs Monday through Friday ten am to two pm on ESPN. He gives us some great info on the Heat and their chances going fours.
Brendan Tobin joked on with us five to sixty Sports in Miami, also tapped out on Beckul as well. But I love this Heat team now, man, like I do, even as a Knicks fan. The rivalry is not a rivalry anymore. We go way back for that, so it doesn't matter. But like watching the way that they now play defense, it feels like the Miami Heat team we remember, and I know offensively it hasn't been. It's been a struggle of times, especially recently even through this winning streak.
Just all you know, the games they've had. But like I look at it and go well, Tyler heroes healthy once you get to the playoffs. They didn't have him for the majority of that run last year. Terry Rozier, if he starts to consistently score for them and do what he's done in his last two stops, this team can be better offensively than where they were last year. Jimmy Butler is Jimmy Butler. I really think that this team is better than the team that went to the
finals last year. You're in the middle of it. You hear this every day. You watch this team closely. What do you think of this Heat team right now?
I think they went through some real struggles at parts of this year. Part of it was that they couldn't
get everybody together. But even when they had everybody together, it was it was weird because they had this weird hierarchy problem with their scoring because it was very much like, you know, still try to make it Bam and Tyler to like carry in the regular season when everybody knows Jimmy Butler still the best player on the team, and they go through this seven game losing streak and it's finally like just dawns on these guys who have been
playing together for five seasons. Oh yeah, we realized it's Jimmy Butler, spam Autebayo, then it's Tyler hero and it was just it was weird that they couldn't get to that pecking order playing with each other for so long because all the other pieces, I agree with you, there are some pieces that make them a little bit deeper and make them more intriguing and more versatile in.
Certain playoff matchups.
But they had to figure out, you know, their top guys first and then how all those things fall in line. And you know, simple enough, it is, hey, Jimmy Butler is, even though it's a bit of a you know, lazy river of him to before he just starts to pick it up in the regular season. That time came and they started playing a lot better. But certainly there has been more emphasis on the defensive side, which Spoe has been very happy about.
When everyone's healthy, who's in the starting lineup.
It's a great question, Trista, because I think their answer was just going to be, you know, Terry Tyler, Jimmy
Bam and then go with Nikola Jovich. But Duncan Robinson has been playing so spectacular as of late, and it's It's so interesting to see his relationship with their expulsion because it's a guy who's basically gone from the wonder child who is a D three guy to a ninety million dollars contract to not playing and now spose like, well, we're just you know, he can't ignore how much better they are, how much better the numbers are with him on the court. So that's gonna be the interesting thing.
I cannot see them benching Tyler Hero because that's that feels like it's gonna crush his ego moor anything. I don't think they're gonna do that for Terry because they just trade him. So the only coin flip is do they bench the rookie Yovic because you know he's gonna be the good soldier about it, or do they just keep Duncan Robinson coming off the bench and go in
that direction. But the only swab I potentially see once everybody is healthy is Duncan Robinson and I guess essentially being there four but sticking with a with a Tyler Hero terror Rogier backcourt.
So, Brendan, you got kind of this log jam right now from the fourth spot in the east down to the eighth spot where the heat are and it's you. We're looking at literally a game, game and a half difference between the four and the eighth spot. Where does Miami stack up in your eyes right now in the Eastern Conference.
I mean, I think, like, look, everybody is marveling at what Boston's doing. They've had in this good run that they've had since turning around the win streak. I would say three matchups against true title contenders Denver, the Clippers, and Boston, those are their three losses in this whole spend. They've been competitive games. I mean, they've stuck right in them. There's been some you know, injury adversity for both teams
on both sides and that. So I do think that there's something to Miami still having that ability to make a deep run if they get into it. I'm still a little queasy about what the Bucks have become and if they're gonna have this all with Doc Rivers. Spoe usually coaches circles around Doc Rivers, no matter the teams and who changes there. He just seems to have a
big advantage there and we'll figure things out. Obviously, you know, the Sixers, it's all dependent upon Joel andbu though they've had success in series against them before.
Cleveland's interesting.
I mean, it's just a matter of, you know, everybody sees the talent and I think, you know, with their size, has some like Denver stuff that could give Miami issues. You know, Denver definitely has probably the best blueprint to slow down Miami, but as an Eastern Conference team, they probably have a lot of those elements that could give Miami some troubles. It's just a matter of do you believe in what they've done this regular season being able
to translate into the playoffs. So I just think the reason everybody is is still giving Miami a punch of chances because the guys who are kind of on the rise, the Knicks. Two if the Knicks are you know what they were before everybody got hurt. When I watched them in the playoffs last year and watching that series with Jalen Brunson, I really did think, like, man, if they got one more piece, they'd give Miami a lot of trouble.
They're just a matter of, you know, are they going to be all physically right.
You mentioned the calves. One of the things that is a big vulnerability for the Calves. Brendan is just their offense at times, it feels like it's sputters, very similarly to that match Heat had with the Knicks where it was just a brickfest. Miami fifth and defensive rating right now in the last five games, but offensively, like Nick said,
just kind of middle of the pack. That happened though last year in the postseason where they were shooting thirty three percent from three point during the regular season and then damn near forty in the playoffs. How does this team turn it up offensively when the lights get bright? Not just a scheme wise, but how do they do it with these guys this year?
It's a good question because you know, they don't have a ton of guys who can you know, be ignitable from three other than Duncan Robinson and Tyler Hero And obviously you're you're gonna have some defensive letdown with having those guys on the court.
Terror's year.
We can all kind of see the idea of Terry Rozier in the good spots, but he is not shot well since he's traded over here. He said all the right things. He hasn't been a bad character guy or any of that stuff. It's just he just hasn't been making shots, So on that side, you're gonna have to uh, you know, lean onto to Jimmy and and Bam has definitely picked things up from you know, an aggression standpoint and being able to get to the free throw line
a lot better. But they know what their identity is going into these playoffs. They're going to make it ugly. You know, some fan bases on NBA Twitter will say they're borderline dirty. We all see the montages that they put together to you know, to try and to try and and call the Heat out. But that's how they like it. They like to in a in a league that is, you know, going at these crazy offensive numbers.
They don't have those guys.
Jimmy Butler's never scored forty points in the regular season for the Miami Heat and then when it gets to the regular seat, when it gets to the postseason, I think he has nine in his career. You know, thirteen of his top fifteen playoff scoring performances are with the Heat. His top in regular season he has two in his top fifteen of his career. So it just shows you kind of how he knows to go to a different
level offensively for them. It has become almost a running joke this whole when he turns into playoff Jimmy thing, But there is a veteran savviness to it. He knows how to build himself up in that regard and when to kind of get into that mode, and when he gets to the playoffs, he turns into a different player offensively.
Yeah, and I was just about to ask you about that. There was but all summer long for the Dame trade doesn't happen? Is Tyler Hero now safe from trade rumors? And how does the emergence of Haimi Hawkes coming in to the mix and really just delivering almost like Jimmy Butler two point zero vibes alter the Heats plan for someone like Tyler Hero.
It's very interesting because weirdly enough, I had like the heats marketing guy on this year this week because they were talking about out uh you know, they had like some family fest. And I remember when Tyler Hero was like the marketing darling for the Heat and that is now flipped because now they're all about Hi May Hawks, like he has beloved, He's already done like every autograph sign and they love Hi May Hawkes.
They're all about him. I would have a hard.
Time believing if this is a Heat team that honestly, if it doesn't even end in the championship, I would have a hard time believing they're going to run it back with Bam, Jimmy and Tyler once again. They're gonna have to shake something up just because this is year five of those guys playing together.
And yes, Tyler has had.
Inconsistencies of either injuries or just poor performances in the playoffs, He's the obvious guy that they would go to, so that's why he's got the most riding. I mean, bam Is is like mister Heat. They've loved him since he's walked in the building. They've they you know, Alonzo Morning, I remember him telling me when he was twenty, He's like, we're gonna raise his jersey the rafters.
They he's he buys into all Heat things.
And you know, Jimmy Butler, unless like pull a swerve and change Jimmy Butler. I don't think they're going to trade him. You know that he says this is where he wants to end his career. So yeah, that's just it always just by process of elimination, always gets back to If they're gonna make a big move, it's gonna be Tyler. And that's why you know he probably wants to be as physically right going into this postseason because there's a lot riding on it for him.
Area is Brendan Tobin five to sixty Sports in Miami.
Great to stock again.
Then next you move on to Kyle Madson of The Insiders, which airs weekdays on Sacramento's ESPN thirteen twenty, another Ardissey station from ten am to twelve pm. Kyle covers both the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors, and he is here to give us a little knowledge on bolts. Let's get right into.
Kyle.
I'm watching this.
I'm watching this.
King's vers Timberwolves game, and it feels like shifting over to the NBA, and it feels like the better the team that the Kings play, the better the King's play. Right, No Deer in Fox Tonight up nine to nine ninety six, Malik Monk solidifying his case for six Man of the Year, which is just wild that he figured out a way to snake to the top of that list. But where are we at with the Kings right now?
We are at a place where the fine like they are exactly to me, they're exactly what they were last year. I've learned everything I need to know about the King. It's Domos, it's Fox. They need Keithan Murray to become more of a dude as a as a scorer and as a creator. But other than that, like everybody on that team is expendable to me, I think they need some dogs. I think they need to step up. Yeah, Malik's a dog for sure, but he's two up and down the.
Oh.
I'm sorry, no, no, no, no, no, I'm sorry. You're right. No, Malik Mounk is not. He is their most important player to me. But but on the other hand, tristed to
that point. I think it's those four dudes. But also I think they need to make another pretty significant move if they're going to contend with the Nuggets, if they're going to contend with whatever Okac is going to become in the next couple of years, if they're going to contend with a Minnesota, a Minnesota team where Anthony Edwards kind of fully realizes what he's gonna be, I think to need to make another major move, and that might mean moving on from one of those four guys that
I just mentioned, Like, that's that's kind of where I land with them as for this year. If you told me they made the playoffs and won a playoffs seras, they wouldn't be shocked. If you told me they lost in the plan and I wouldn't be shocked. And they are so up and down, and I don't you just the fact that you don't know what team you're getting on a given night is kind of their their problem right.
Now, especially too though, I mean just how jammed the Western Conference is. It just makes everything that much more difficult for a team that if you go to the East, you'd be sitting there like outside of the play in tournament with not having to worry about that. And that's where I mean Golden State right now, we look at this Warriors team and say, wait, did they they figured things out a little bit?
Are they?
I know they're not the Warriors of the past. You've got guys coming off the bench that used to start, like Klay Thompson, but it feels like the roles have been adjusted. Steve Kerrz figured it out and they've kind of rounded that corner. Is this a Warriors team that can maybe make some noise in the playoffs.
After all, man, it feels more like that with each passing win. I didn't think so at the beginning of this year, just because, I mean, you saw last year against the Lakers, they just ran out of gas. Man like Klay Thompson was dreadful in that series because he's just been hurt a couple of times, and he's coming off He's coming off a couple of injuries, and he's old,
and that was kind of a problem for them. And then you get Steph I think had a little bit of the same problem because he's carrying such a heavy workload at thirty four thirty five, I think he turned thirty six this year. Like he's They've been reliant on those guys for so long. But now you get Jonathan come in who has developed into a legitimate scoring threat, Moses Moody and Andrew Willgians that's Moses Moody has been outstanding and that's something Warriors fans have kind of been clamoring.
For for a while.
So now all of a sudden, you have a couple of young guys who you can legitimately rely on. And Brandon Pajemski, of course, has been one of the best rukies in the NBA this year, who's closing games for them? Now, all of a sudden, you have some young guys that you can really lean on where you're taking some of the onus office down and you're putting Clay into a bench role where you're taking some of the load off
of him and he can start being more effective. So I am not saying I'm going to go run and bet on the Warriors to win a title, but I am saying that I don't think that is as outrageous as I thought it was, maybe even three weeks ago.
Yeah, No, they look really good. And what's fascinating to me, Kyle's it's like it's the external factors outside of Steve Kerr's control that lead Steve Kurr to finally making the right decision. Moses Moody only coming in because Andrew Wiggins has to leave due to a personal issue, Kaminga fighting with him in the media and leaking things to Schaum's, Klay Thompson just being asked, and Pajemski emerging really with the Draymond suspension, a lot of things shuffling around and
then Steve Kerr gets the extension. Did you feel like when he got the extension that the timeline for this team to still contend had been extended?
Yeah, yeah, a little bit. And I think that's a great point you make, because everything that has happened this year has been something go back, don't do this because it's awful, but just for argument's sake, go back to Warriors Twitter for the last couple of years, or who talked to any reader Warrior's blog, listening to the Warriors podcast. It's all that it's been. Start Moses, movie star JOHNA.
Vigaminga move Clay to the bench, and Steve Kerr, I think is a really good coach, and I think you're kind of seeing that he was just up against this this issue of Okay, well Clay has to start and clothes, and so does Draymond and so does Steph. And it's gonna be relying heavily on veterans because that they just won a title in twenty twenty two, and so this is what they're gonna do, and they're gonna they're gonna ride it out. And that was the wrong thing to do.
And now he's kind of been pushed him into the right thing to do. I think you're seeing that he's a he's a really good coach. It just kind of took a little bit of a forced push to get him where he needed to go.
So I assume at this point we can just go with Clay Thompson is going to be coming off the bench the rest of the season, then yeah.
Unless it doesn't sound like the Brandon Pajemski injury that kept him out tonight is going to be major. I think Steve Kirk called it day to day, So yeah, that would be my That would be my guess. And I hate it for Clay because I know it kills him, Like you know that he wants to be out there starting. He know he wants to be out there clothing games.
But if you're being realistic, like as awesome as he's been, and I mean he's gonna have a jersey in the Raptors, he's just I think he should get a statue outside of Chase like he's been so so essential and has had so many moments. But at this point in twenty twenty four, if the Warriors are seriously going to try and contend, I think he's and I think they've realized this now. He is at his best coming off the bench, and the Warriors are their best when he's coming off
the bench. And frankly, I think that's how it should be for him the rest of the way in his career. And I think he could probably extend his career several years and have a lot of good seasons doing that. So I think that's where it stays this year, and for him and for the Warriors, say, I hope it stays that way.
The most improved Player market is pretty wide open after the unbeat injury. Tyree Maxi is still the favorite at minus two fifty, but super Bowl week it was minus eight hundred. But Jonathan kaminga slowly but surely working his way up. What do you think it will take for him to win Most Improved?
Ooh, that's a really really good question. I think you're I think it needs to average like continue putting up like twenty plus a nine. I think that's really going to kind of have to be and doing so efficiently, and then maybe having a couple of big games like on National TV. I think I think having a huge game at the Garden last night it really helped, especially defensively. I thought he was really good last night, so I think it's that. And then I think the Warriors too
have to continue their run. I think they have to. They have to finish the season really strong, maybe push for the like a seven or eight seed, maybe scare a six seed, depending on what happens in front of them. I don't think that's going to happen tho. I think there's too many good teams in front of them. But I think they would really have to make a run where they win. I don't know exactly how many games they have left, twenty three, twenty four games left. If
they have twenty three games left, call it. I think they have to go like like eighteen and five and have Minga be really really good in those games to get in there.
I think, well, Kaminga average twenty points a game in January, eighteen in February, so he's certainly getting on pace for somebody that should at least be in the conversation more and more as the season reps up. Kyle Madson, really appreciate you coming on with us. Thanks for the time time, guys, Thank you, thank you so much.
Appreciate that.
Next, let's do a quick pop in on the Denver Nugget. Shall we with Ryan Edwards, who hosts KOA Sports weekdays from three to six pm Mountain Time on KOA eight to fifty AM ninety four point one FM in Denver, Colorado. Of course, of course it's an Odyssey station. Ryan gives us a brief but interesting look at the Nuggets, which we'll get into right here.
Nikolai Jokic clearly looks like an MVP this year. There's a reason why he's the favorite. Do you think that he wins another MVP when it's all said and done.
I think it's his to lose. I mean, there's certainly a scenario where if the Nuggets decide to rest him down the stretch, and I think that did impact things a little bit. You mentioned the fatigue. I think that was absolutely part of it, and there were people out there in the NBA community that weren't quite ready to give nikola Jokic a third MVP and that would be three in a row. And so again, Joel Mbid had a tremendous season. I think he did deserve to be
in that conversation. But the Koli Jokis was actually putting up old better numbers than the previous year last year, but they did rest him down the stretch, and I think the combination of those things ultimately went to Joelle and b this year. Yeah, Shay Gildis Alexander is just an unreal talent and he will be in that conversation. But there's nobody affecting the game like the Koleoks right now.
And you see the way they've come out of the All Star Break, just triple double after every single night, that they're making a statement right now. They went into the break on a three game slide. People are like, all right, are they really bored? Is this a team that can sort of sustain and just at least have home court in the first round, And they came out on fire. They've won every game except for last night and double digits, and now you got MPG really doing
his thing. AG's been great the entire time. So as long as they again health remains, I think this team they just they just know who they are and that that's a very dangerous thing for everybody else.
Yeah.
I was looking at some of the things that just the analytics on the Denver Nuggets, and they're not top eight in almost any statistical category. Until you start looking at their top seven, top eight guys. It feels like Michael Malone is fine to play maybe less effective players or rotations that aren't as meaningful in the regular season, but when you look at what we're going to see in the playoffs, I think that they're a monster offensively. What do you think the strategy is to keep those
guys from getting worn out? Like you said, was a possibility down the stretch last.
Year, Yeah, it was. It was interesting and it got tested a little bit last year. When I mean Michael Malone stuck to an eight man rotation, he just did not. He did a mess with it in the postseason, and he said going into that he's going to try to give these guys breaks where possible. But I would not be surprised if once again we get to the postseason, he's just gonna say, listen, you're our max players, you're our star players. I got to play you. We need
to take this just as seriously. Everybody's gonna be give us, giving us their best shot because you're the defending champions, and they've had that mindset for a while. I think it was startling for the you know, for a lot of the young players on this team to have that target on their back coming into this year, and I think there's spend some adjustment moments in the season, but I think they've kind of figured that out now about
what they're going to get night in, night out. And again, I think I think some of those trials and tribulations this year have ultimately led them to a place where they're they're comfortable being in their own skin and comfortable with teams coming after them. So I think we're going to get back to that eight man rotation of the postseason starts. But yeah, you might see some weird lineups over the next couple of weeks.
Ryan Edwards, Koi Spards and ed were great to talk to you, man.
Thanks you done.
Finally, let's talk to Kurt Healin, the NBA writer for NBC Sports. Kurt is going to make it all make sense for us, So no more filibustering. Let's get right into that interview. A lot of great information.
If you bring on Kurt Healing. He's a lead NBA rider managing editor for nbcsports dot Com. And you know, we look at the Celtics team, man, and you see so much talent. You see, so just every like they like adding Kristaps worzinkis brought like a whole new dimension in this team. With Drew Holliday on top of that, it just feels like you said this during the break, So I'm not gonna pretend that this wasn't you that
said it from the beginning, but we all agreed. We kind of feel like we're on a collision course for Boston and Denver in the NBA Finals as long as both these teams stay healthy.
Exactly, and like tonight's a great example where we're like, well, Denver's been playing a lot better defense, and Gafford really fits with them, and that gives them a couple bigs, and their minutes have looked really good, and yeah, they can't beat Boston. It's just Boston's just the best team
in the NBA right now. Denver can be that way, and frankly has looked that way the last what since the break, maybe like for the last few games where they're kind of in a tough stretch of the schedule and you could see them like gear up and get serious, and I would say that's bad news for the Lakers. Yet I don't know if anything I haven't seen anything officially yet on Jamal Murray unless you guys have seen it. I haven't seen it yet, but I can't imagine he plays.
So maybe there's a door, maybe that door's open a little, But even then, I just I don't see anything that gets in the way of that collision.
Course.
They're just every time I try to talk myself into hey, Cleveland's playing really well, you know, I just can't get there.
We were talking about confidence ratings in the West, Kurt and the only other team that I have a high level of confidence in other than Denver in the West. Not that they they don't have talent, not that they're not playing well or they have the horses, but then I actually feel good in what they've accomplished before this year moving forward, and that's the ten Spot Warriors. They're playing really well in their last I don't know, twenty
five games or so on the road. The road record is great against the spread road favorite is also really great. They end up getting the dub by, you know, ten points or so to the Raptors tonight, even though the Raptors kept it close.
For you, is there any is that right?
Do you feel like the Warriors have started to figure some things out.
I would say this. I do think they've started to figure things out. They found their identity, and it took Steve Kerr a long time.
To get there because it meant not going with Keevon Looney, who I don't know. Look, last year he was pretty good and this year it's just fell off a cliff and Wiggins, you know, is on the back of a milk carton somewhere for much of this season. Like so like it took him a long time to get around to. We gotta play Kamingo, we gotta play pods, you know, Klay Thompson coming off the bench. But now that they're leaning into that, it worked with Draymond has played great
since coming back from his suspension. They're playing better basketball. But I still think they just you can bully them a little bit. They're a little bit small, they don't quite have the same depth. I just I feel like they can only get there, and I think everybody, a lot of teams in the wester this way.
It's all about matchups and avoiding Denver.
Like, if they can find a way to get a good matchup, maybe they can Maybe they can surprise Minnesota or somebody or Okayce who doesn't have the playoff experience in the first round and make a little run. But I feel like everything's got to break.
Just right for them. Lakers kind of the same way.
Right, if everything breaks just right, we've got a chance. But those are long odds for that to happen. Man the other team, by the way, I have confidence in sort of. I do think the Clippers can get there. I'm just worried that in the last as much as we've talked them up, and I'm one of those people like you know, you know, I think.
They've got the talent al this. They're just not executing of late, like the last few weeks. They're just stagnant, almost in February.
And if they don't start executing, if they don't start you know, to use Kawi's words, they don't stop winning on just talent, They're not gonna get there.
You mentioned the Warriors and the Lakers, and if the playoffs were to start right now, they would have to play one another, just like they did in twenty twenty one. Nine to ten. Spot loser goes to the crib and licks their wounds. That is what I need in my veins injected into me.
Kurt, who wins that game?
To you, that's a really good question.
I kind of think weirdly, I think that could be better for the Lakers in that the way you can beat these Warriors is push them around a little bit.
Just be too big, too strong for them. They aren't.
Lakers are a big team with Ruy Hatchamura starting, and leron and ad like, they are a physically large team.
I think this is a pretty good matchup for them.
But it's one game, and Steph Curry, Steph Curry, he could just hey, here's forty and I've gonna hit seven threes and there's nothing you can do about it. You could also have those I mean, Clay's looked great off the bench. They have enough guys who can get hot. So I mean, it's one game. It's that NCAA tournament excitement. I think there's a lot of people, though, who are
with you. There's a lot of US fans who are like that would be awesome in the first round that would or you know, the play in that would be so much fun. Win or go home game between those two and then a bunch of ABC and TNT executives would be crying that night.
Once it's over.
The Warriors are in that spot where, like trist had just brought up, like they're playing great basketball. We're getting to that spot where you go, well, yeah, this is the Warriors. They've got the experience, They're turning it up at the right time. Maybe they do go on a run in the East. We really started to feel that way, at least on this show about the Miami Heat. They're a team that went out and made, you know, some
moves this season add a little more scoring punch. Maybe if Terry Rozier can stay consistent, if Tyler Hero can stay healthy. So you have a lot of these, But then we also know Jimmy Butler's Jimmy Butler in the playoffs, Bam Autebio's continuing to get better and better. And we're looking at a team now that's been in a really good stretch of basketball, especially defensively. There's concerns about what
they do offensively. But do you look at that Heat team as a team that can maybe do something similar this year that they did last year.
I don't think they can get.
By Boston, but beyond that, yes, absolutely, and it's it's Jim Hawke is giving them the second scoring option out of anywhere. By the way, if you want to watch Laker fans cry, bring up that they passed him up in the draft, the local UCLA kid that they saw for four years.
It tortures them, but I think they can.
I think that things again in terms of confidence factor, Boston's up here, and then it's what's left with Joel Embiid and do you really trust Cleveland?
And the Knicks still need a guy right.
As much as I love the way they play, they also Tom Thibodeau teams play eighty two playoff games a year and sometimes can't find that next gear when they get into the postseeds or.
They gonna be ready all through that.
You look at Miami and the way they're hitting their stride right now, And like you said, we know Jimmy Butler's got in a playoff.
Jimmy, he doesn't want to believe, say that's a real thing. It's a real.
Thing, right, Jimmy Butler is gonna come in and play great, and they absolutely could make a run I think to the conference finals if things broke their way. I just ultimately I don't think they can get past Boston with Porzingis. This year that Porzingis creates Porzingis creates matchup nightmares for them, but he kind of does everyone.
Yeah, That's what I was gonna ask you about, is that the Celtics right now are making it look so easy. You got four or five guys on any given night that can be in double digits. You've got Derek White having the best season of his entire career, probably gonna get all NBA or all defense. Right. You've got same thing going on with Drew Holliday, one of the best defenders in the NBA, and they use him in so
many different ways. What do you see with your own two eyes about how different this Celtics like makeup is since versus say, last year.
I think two things. It's it's Holiday on defense, that holiday. I mean, now you've got Porzingis, who's a big in the middle. But now between Brown, Tatum, Holiday, and White, you're starting four guys who can switch a lot almost everything, who there's no weak linked defensively, that's huge. There's nobody you can just target, right, there's nobody you can just go at. This's quite the same way. And then on offense,
it is Porzingis, Porzingis. Boston fans are knocking on Wood every time we say his name, right, just like keep the knees healthy through the playoffs. But he is such a matchup problem because he pulls your big out. He can put it on the floor a little. But the things he's just he is a ramped up version of what Al Horford could give them last year. In the last couple of years, he's a better version of that.
And it's just there's no good answer. I mean, their top six is the best top six in the league.
Kirk got about a minute left tiers. So when you talked about the knicks, it made me think of something, and it was right. Eighty two eighty two playoff games. Tom Thibodeau, we know he's always been notorious kind of running his guys into the ground. Are all these injuries maybe a little bit of a result of that again, maybe.
You know it tends to be the more wear and tear on that. I think, you know, the the Randall things a bit of a fluke. The Mitchell thing, I'm not sure we can blame on him, So I think I'm gonna give them a cut him some slack this year. But Thibodeau feels like the kind of coach where as a GM you almost have to put together a roster that forces him. You know, hey, let's take this player away from him so he doesn't lean on him too much.
Let's do this to kind of try to get him to lean into those other minutes for guys and keeps guys minutes down and keep them rested.
Because it's not in his nature. You've kind of got to force him to do it.
Tell you what is a tortured Knicks ban, Kurt? I would love to see. I would love to see this team just get healthy, just so there's something to be excited about.
But an you guys even know what to.
No, no, we just expected Leon Rose to completely ruin this whole thing. Thought Jalen Brunson was a complete disaster, and it's like maybe maybe he knows what he's doing. As long as James Dolan stays out of the way, they may actually still have a future here if these guys can stay healthy. Kurt Healing, nbcsports dot Com. Great to talk to you, man, Thanks for coming on, Thanks having.
Thanks Church.
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