On this episode of The check Man.
Have we had some momentum shifts in the last I don't know a week in three of the four second round series over the weekend, we gotta get you all caught up. And then we've got not one but two dope as interviews. The first with Brennan Glasheen WNBA Insider covers the Connecticut Sun. He's helping us break down the opening the WNBA series because that's what we're gonna do. The future of the league is right now, so let's make sense of it.
Got a lot to cover.
We also have Kurt Helen, who is an NBA writer for NBC as well.
Let's not waste any time, Anthony. Let's drop that motherfucker be that should be Rihanna.
Oh yes, let's start in Indiana. Pacers have officially feared God in the New York Next oh Man, after losing Games one and two, going down oh to Rick Carlisle's losing his goddamn mind. He's filing grievances with the NBA League office.
They got uh big boy.
Pants on and absolutely put a hurt on the Knicks in India on Sunday afternoon, it was like never close never close. They won by thirty two, and it was even worse at times than that. And this game, more than probably any other, has revealed what we already kind of knew, which is like maybe.
The Knicks playing too many damn minutes.
Maybe a five man rotation in the NBA playoffs is two or.
Three men shy of what you need.
It's not even injuries folks like og Andobi is probably gonna miss Game four.
In game five, but like folks, the Knicks look gast.
They shot thirty four percent from the field, and that is with Alec Brooks emerging from the crypt to give him twenty points. Most of the shots were front of the iron bricks, tired ass legs. No wonder Josh Hart hasn't missed a minute in what seems like ninety five consecutive games. No Knick starter was better than a negative twenty seven. Dante DiVincenzo aka Dante's Inferno went Dante ice cold, and he was an incredible negative forty negative forty plus minus.
The Pacers, on the other hand, had eight players that were plus sixteen or above, including seven players that were a plus twenty one or higher. And now what seemed like an easy cruise to the Eastern Conference Finals to meet up with the Boston Celtics. Now hangs by a thread because Tibbs is like, yo, I'm not giving you a blow.
I'm sorry you want to blow, go get some cocaine. Fuck off. Pause.
Seriously, if the Pacers ran the Knicks out of the gym in Game five, I wouldn't be shocked, even if it was in the garden. Game five is probably gonna be the biggest game of the season out in Minnesota, though the narrative it's changed. After getting blown out on their home court twice, the Wolves go back to Minnesota, they got their swag.
Anthony Edwards thinks that.
It's gonna be an easy street no problem. If you were to ask Anthony Edwards, they probably thought they were gonna sweep Denver.
No.
No, they get marked in game three, Okay, no problem, that's fine. Like you lose one at home, but you got to.
On the Rose. Fine, we still got multiple games of home court advantished. And just take take came four.
Just take came four, Anthony, and just like, let's go back to Denver and figure it out.
Up.
I don't know three to one.
Nobody told Theyaron Gordon and Jamal Murray or even Nikole Jokis, especially not nikol Jokic, who decided they would to show the world they like, we were actually unbeatable when we want to be uh three times three times, three time MVP.
And he was incredible. Thirty five points.
Nuggs shot fifty seven percent from the field, forty five percent from three against the best defense in the NBA. Gordon at one point in the game was ten for ten, twenty five points, eleven for twelve, Jokic fifteen for twenty six, thirty five, seven and seven, and in the second half, Jamal Murray was like, I didn't even know there was anything wrong with him. He was unstoppable, wet splash, bang boom. Edwards, it was just Edwards, It was just Dan. It was
just the ant Man show. He carried the Wolves forty four five and five three stocks. And Karl Anthony Towns was of course just like turned back into a pumpkin.
He is in fouled trouble.
He's whining at the refs, he's missing free throws, he's missing shots.
I don't even remember.
Oh yeah, five for eighteen, he was ooh, Nikaile, Alexander Walker.
You know the guy that we thought maybe.
The Portland Trailblazers and the LA Lakers just whiffed on. Oh yeah, he went back to being one for seven. So he can't win when your role players don't do a goddamn thing. Ask Denver in games one and two. Now the series is tied, heading back to Denver where the Wolves need to figure it out fast. Ear'll be curtains as my friend who's a Minnesota Timberwolves fan said, this basketball game's pretty dumb.
I don't like the sport right now.
He said that after games of four and three, So I'll tell you where his head is at the third series, though, that took a dramatic turn, is now Okase in Dallas were after game one, everybody was ready to crown the thunder King and say that the Dallas Mavericks was a big time, big fat disappoint Nobody told PJ Washington, though, because he went ballistic in games two and three, averaging he averaged twenty eight points, nine rebounds, five assists, three
steals and blocks per game. Excuse me, PJ. Washington, where have you been hiding? Then you add in Luca, then you add in Kyrie and all of a sudden, the Thunder are down two to one and they're looking for answers. You know who's got answers, The Thunder play by play guy. You know what he thinks. He thinks that the Thunder are getting mugged. And the Dallas Mavericks you can fucking touch them, but they are still getting outscored.
Now played in the third quarter and it is costing them.
The series has shown a few things. The Thunder are athletic, they are exciting. They are missing a few things though, some backup height and some backup rim protection.
You always need backup protection. Pause.
Like the other two series, this one could easily go seven, folks, it's gonna be so remember we're like, oh, this is so boring.
The second round is the worst. No, actually it's just the Boston series. It's the worst.
As per usual, they are dominant. About the only place where things are going to plan, like I said, is Boston. They hold a two to one lead over the Calves. Now go back play Game four without Jared Allen, who hasn't played at all in this series, and maybe, just maybe even Donovan Mitchell, who's questionable with a calf or
a thigh string. The Celtics won Game three, of course, because the Boston Celtics always play with their food in Game two and they wouldn't get the Celtics come back Game three one oh six ninety three put them on their shoulders. Evan Mobley even though he uh even though the Cavaliers lost, Evan Mobley was excellent seventeen to eight and one thirty three from Spider. Spider just can't get thirty five or forty kenny. If you want to bet on Spider, bet him on like thirty one and a
half points. Just not remotely enough. Though, Tatum and Brown returned to being excellent. Tatum had his best game of the playoffs. Boston shot fifty one percent from the field. All start at five starters were plus eight or better. So with the healthy, fully fully healthy, him and the Cavs probably could extend this to six. But with a banged up Mitchell, I do not think so. I think it's night night, sleep mask, see you later, goodbye, lick your wounds and start to get it.
Moving forwards.
The other news of the week is that we had the NBA lottery on Mother's Day on a Sunday without anything going on, and if without Twitter, you probably didn't even know what happened three o'clock. What an awful decision by the week. If you're a fan of the Detroit Pistons, it was also awful for you. For the third straight year in a row, who had the worst record in basketball, and for the third year in a row, ended up with a.
Number fifth pick in the draft.
If you're a fan of Jesus and you live in Detroit, are you questioning your religion because God must hate you, God must hate the Pistons. Do you know who got the number one pick this year? If you probably have not been on Twitter, then this is all news to you. The Atlanta fucking Hawks, the team that was in the play in Tournament. Yeah, the same Hawks that made the fucking play in Tournament, The same Hawks who won thirty six games even though they missed Trey Young for two months.
The same Atlanta that was looking to trade Clint Capella, de Jean de Murray and maybe even Trey Young. They are now getting bailed out by the chance to get Alex Saar. Those same Hawks who had a three percent chance three snagging the first pick. They get the first pick, the fifth longest odds in history for any team getting the fifth first prick pick overall, and all of a sudden, a mediocre draft, a draft that we thought would have absolutely.
Zero fanfare, now has a lot of interest.
The Hawks have a huge decision to make. Do you keep the first pick and take Alex Saar or do you trade it? Maybe you trade Trey Young as well,
maybe you rebuilt. The draft order is now as follows, number one, the Atlanta Hawks, number two, the Washington Wizards number three, the Houston Rockets, who are interested in selling or trading that pick, The Spurs at four, the Pistons at five, the Hornets at six, my Trailblazers at seven, with the worst pick we could possibly get the Spurs again at eight.
Grizzlies get nine.
Really good spot for the Grizzlies, who work pesky all year. The Jazz with the tenth pick, eleven, the Bulls twelve, Thunder thirteen Kings, and fourteen Trailblazers. Both the Spurs and Trailblazers have not one but two lottery picks. I get the feeling that this draft could get really, really interesting, and maybe more interesting than other drafts. Considering that we have no idea who's good, who's not, and what any of these teams are gonna do. We're gonna have a
full draft show breakdown soon. But this draft, I promise you, is gonna be very, very spicy.
All right, let's do it. Let's get into the guests.
It's time to welcome on our first guest, Brendan Glasheen, who is the voice of the Action Network as well as the voice of the main Celtics.
Play by play announcer for the Connecticut Sun.
He's here to take a little talk, a little WNBA and NBA and help us get into the new season. Brendan is joined on my other show bet MGM Tonight, which air seven to eleven Eastern Standard Time on the radio in most markets, as well as live on video on twitch and YouTube.
So let's get into it with Brendan.
Brendan glasstem joins us.
Sorry now play by play for the main Celtics Connecticut Son. We're gonna talk a little NBA, some WNBA. Caitlin Clark had twelve points last night in a preseason game. Pretty excited for that regular season to tip off. Brennan, First off, did you do anything tonight with the Knicks and the Pacers. Pacers were seven and a half point favorites they closed. The Knicks have an eight point lead right now. Any thoughts on this game so far?
The Knicks are feisty, right, They've got a feel. I'm based in Boston. They've got a little Isaiah Thomas Bridge Celtics.
Feel to them, taught me.
Brunson is certainly stronger and has finishing ability around the rim. But man, how they've handled this postseason without Randall and how they've pieced it together with those Villanova kids.
Tips hasn't playing hards.
Know they could be a They could make it interesting in the conference finals, I think against Boston. But it's pretty incredible what Brunson's been doing. A little scare last game, but came back and they're a handful, right, The Knicks are a handful. They want to muck it up, make it, make it difficult in the games they play in.
So they're a feisty.
Team in a conference finals birth I think gives Knicks fans MSGS some life here in the in the springtime.
Yeah, another team that's pretty feisty, very fun to watch, as well as the Connecticut Sun. Man boy, I do love watching them. What do you think about them this upcoming season. I know their next game.
Is the Fever.
They're five and a half point favorites there. I kind of feel like that's a little bit of the Caitlin Clark effect that that number is what it is, because let's be honest, outside of Caitlin and Alia Boston, there's not a ton of talent there right now. That's why they picked number one overall. Well, what do you think about the Sun this year overall in terms of how they can compete with the Aces in the liberty?
Yeah, they were right there last year at Trista in the Conference finals semifinals against New York and those games. While it was a four game series, they kept it pretty competitive. They did get one game in that series. They retooled their roster a bit. They have Breonna Jones back, which is a huge boost, and they changed the way they played last year when she got hurt at the end of June Tourer Achilles and then they became a pace in space three point shooting team.
They lost Rebecca Allen.
They also lost Tiffany Hayes to retirement, but they brought in Rian Jefferson, Rachel Bannham. Those are two pieces Tiffany Mitchell from previously with the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Link. So and you got a list of Thomas, who is the I think should have probably won MVP. I know, probably biased when people think Connecticut's son broadcaster, then you thought lista Thomas should have won MVP. But broke records
and assists triple doubles record, double double record. She reminds me a lot of what we see in the NBA at Russell Westbrook. Can bring the ball up the floor, can also be a presence off the ball in the post,
and be an elite facilitator. So Indwana Bonner. The key to her season is she didn't play overseas for the first time in her career in a decade plus, had a full offseason off, so they're expecting while she is thirty six years old, they expect to Wanta Bonner to still be an elite scorer in and around the rim and also shoot the outside shot. So they are going to be with Breonna Jones back, they are still a handful and still have quite the tandem the big three
that you need in the front court. And then they're gonna need some steps from their guard play, and I think they're very much still in the picture. They've got an older team, experienced team. I mentioned those pieces they got in the offseason. All of those players eight to ten years in the league. So Opening Night will be
fascinating on Tuesday. They've got some players with some chips on their shoulders and they should be very much I think if healthy, which is the key to the whole thing for every team, they should be very much.
In the mix.
What do you think about all of this scuttle butt where WNBA veterans have been coming out and being a little less than welcoming to this crop of WNBA rookies. I personally think it's kind of good for the game. It's what we see in the NBA. What do you think about that?
Yeah, I kind of I'll be honest, it's kind of annoying at this point, like it's competition, and I don't think Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese go right down the list, Cameron Brink. These players were all on the biggest stage at the college level and they don't need I mean, we'll get into the charter flights, I'm shore, which is a huge development for the league. It's gonna sound counterintuitive, but they don't need protecting like Caitlin's handled every moment
like an absolute pro. They've had microphones sticked in their faces now constantly, and for Caitlin and Angel Rees specifically the last two years, going all the way to the Final four and in LSU's case, to the Elite eight this past year, it's to the point where I'm like Diana Tarassi does this to rookies all the time. And now there are new eyeballs on the w which that's important, and this current draft class has a big part of that.
Without questioning, Kitlin Clark carries a lot of weight in that, so I understand what kind of impact and gravitational she has on this league. But if we're just gonna all make it friendly, then where how does the league now take a step where we can do a show like this, We can get up and watch the mainstream media and pick a part a game. If she has a great game, if she has a bad game. You want it to be like normal sports talk debate. If someone was bad,
you get on them. If they were great, you give them their flowers. That's the step, and I think we have to have that same standard now with the WNBA with more eyeballs on the league with a TV deal down the line with we'd think I would like to think healthier players better competition with these chartered flights. We have to hold them to that same standard, and I think Caitlin Clark is up for that. She's passed all those tests to this point. So the tarasseis the Brianda Stewarts.
Sue Byrd was kind of in the thick of it too, Like Christy Sides, who is the head coach of the Indiana Fever, as you called out Trista, they've got a younger team. Melissa Smith, Kelsey Mitchell's from other those of some of those other supporting cast players. Like they called out Caitlin the other day. I thought she had a great game in her second preseason game. But like there's also she's gonna have some learning curves to the pro game because she's playing with other elite players and no
one's ever heard of them before. And I understand that because the league hasn't had this kind of attention.
Yeah, Kelsey Mitchell's the beast.
Kelsey Mitchell was an all time score all time leading scorer in college basketball at Ohio State and Melissa Smith was a number two overall pick, Aleah Boston a number one overall pick. They've been bad, and by being bad, you hope to nail your draft picks. And while they only won thirteen games last year, their win total I think now is like twenty twenty one and a half. So they're asking Caitlin Clark to just put them at five hundred, which I think is very much doable.
Now. Their schedule out of the gate is not easy.
They got to play Connecticut twice, New York twice, they go to Seattle, they go to Vegas. That's not that's a gauntlet to start your pro career. So but long and short of the whole thing is like these these stars that are coming out of college with the shoe deal, Caitlyn just signed, the media attention they've see, they don't need to be protected. I think they get it. They understand what they're getting into. And I know they're young.
I understand that, but I think they're very much ready for the moment.
You know, I'm glad that you brought that up. And I don't know if this is a dumb question, but do you think that makes like home court this year in the WNBA mean less or maybe there's an extra battsfit betting the road teams. You know, because for the next two seasons, like you said, the WNBA is going to begin traveling to away games on these chartered flights. And you know, since the league's inception, like three decades ago,
nearly thirty years ago, it's been a different case. So do you think that that means less for home court advantage?
It's interesting, right because Connecticut is one of the toughest places to get to around me. There's twelve teams in Connecticut's and I mean, you don't know if you guys have been in Mohigan Sun it's in the middle of nowhere. Now, like Alyssa Thomas to want to Bonner, they're an engaged couple. That's a public thing. Now they've been a couple. They like their privacy, they like their time away. They like missed it Connecticut with the beaches. They like Eastlme beautiful
little town in Connecticut right by the water. It's a good question though, because I think and the impact that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are going to have is now these teams are moving their home games. When Clark is on the road with Indiana, and when Reese is on the road with Chicago. They're moving their games to
bigger arenas. So now you're asking it's now it's not just the home fans that are attending, it's visiting fans of these players when they were in college, because that's just I think, just natural casual basketball fans or fans that got into the game these last couple of years of the college game.
Now they're coming out to the arena.
So now I'll just give an example, like the Vegas Aces play at Michelobultra at Mandala Bay. Now they're going to play when Caitlin Clark comes to town, they're going to play over at the T Mobile Arena where the Golden Knights play. So no question, there's just going to be more more people and more casual fans going to games.
I don't know about Connecticut though, because like I still think Connecticut's got a special its own spot compared to the rest of the league from a nationwide standpoint, What.
Do you think in terms of like a team no one's talking about that may be better than we think, whether that's just betting them against the spread as underdogs, maybe thinking about taking the over on their season long win total, or maybe even just like a player that's kind of being undervalued that maybe we want.
To look at her props.
Yeah, I think the Seattle Storm had a low key great offseason by bringing in their own big three with Neka Guo McKay, who has a very high role in the Players Association. Jewel Lloyd led the league in scoring, was an absolute dog when she played at Notre Dame, led the league in scoring last year. And then you add Skyler digg and Smith who was out of the league last year going through some things off the court.
Now you bring in two players that in Jewe Lloyd and Skyler Digg and Smith that played together at Notre Dame, They've already had chemistry playing together in their previous ties at the college level.
Seattle comes to mind.
I like what Phoenix did in the offseason as much as Tarasi gut headlines for what she was saying and the smack talking the Tasha Cloud won a championship when she was in Washington. Kalia Copper was a finals MVP just a couple of years ago. They're a little they feel a little under doggish, being counted out, and then The other team I think would be the Dallas Wings.
They brought back almost their entire team. Rique is a elital Score had her best year as a facilitator, led her career best and assists at four and a half a game. So Saboly is a budding star. So those three teams out West and Dallas last year gave Vegas some fits during the regular season. So those were some teams that come to mind. And as crazy as it sounds, I feel like last year's attention in the league was about New York and Vegas super team against super team,
and now I think folks are forgetting it. Vegas has had their shine, no doubt. They just visited the White House this week. But like, don't forget, Like New York has its year two with that that core four Ambonije, Lany So Stewie, John Quell Jones, Sabrinio and Escu Court Evanderslout. They bring that whole team back and they just had kind of their feeling out year and they went to a finals. It kind of that New York team last year reminded me a lot of what Lebron, Wade and Bosh went through.
New New super team.
They're the next big thing and then you get your you kind of get smacked in the face when you went to the finals against a juggernaut like Vegas. New York's gonna chip on their shoulder and had some time together last year that should help them this year.
Yeah, New York plus two thirty to be the WNBA Finals winner.
What's your thoughts just kind of briefly.
On Toronto getting an expansion team, and you think my hometown Portland might be next, because I was a big Portland Power fan growing up.
Yeah, Portland.
So Portland was in some chatter about getting a team and then I'm not sure what happened there. They had a bid and then it kind of it kind of collapsed. I'm not entirely sure what happened with the Portland thing. There are a lot of noise about Philadelphia and their basketball culture, and their fans are certainly certainly into it. So Philadelphia had a lot of chatter, but Toronto was always in the mix. They did a game in Edmonton in the preseason. They had a game in Toronto last year,
your preseason game. So I think the Toronto angle also ties into the Chartered flights because now it's like all right, we want to bring Toronto into the mix. That's going to be an important component to have flights that can be serviceable in and out, in and around the border.
So no, I mean, I mean, look at the when the Raptors are good, and that they they've certainly they've moved off players here the last couple of years of the Toronto Raptors, but when they had Kawhi, there was some real buzz.
With that team. So and look look at the NBA.
Now, the amount of talent that comes out of Canada is unreal and I would imagine that's the same case when it comes to the women. So Toronto makes a lot of sense. They are they're pumping out really good basketball players from north of the border.
Would you do anything We still got about one minute left. Rookie of the Year Caitlyn Clark's minus seven to fifty, But would you do anything other than Wilson with the MVP. You have Breonna Stewart plus five fifty, Caitlin Clark's ten to one.
She has the third best at crazy any other looks.
Yeah, so I see Jewel Lloyd's on that board. I think a little bit further down. Yeah, I just talked about. We just talked about New York Jock Quell Jones one an MVP a couple of years ago, in twenty twenty one, and I'm not sure what her price is right now, but John Quell Jones was their best player I thought, in the second half of the year and in those
WNBA finals. Now, the problem with picking a player from the liberty other than Stuart is well, there's one ball, and how do you put up elite numbers when you're in theory sharing the wealth and the balls going around. It could be someone any given night. But John Quell Jones in year two with New York, I don't know, man, she was their best player down the stretch last year.
She might be interesting.
I think if she puts together a full season.
I like that. One hundred and twenty five to one.
Brendan, thanks so much, man, really appreciate it.
On again soon, thanks for having me looking forward to I'll be at the Mohegan next week for Clark's debuts.
That'll be fun. Aw Ye jealous.
Brendan Glastein right there play by play for the main Celtics. You can catch them on the Action Network as well.
Big shout out to Brandon.
Our second guest today is Kurt Healin, the lead NBA writer for NBC Sports. Kurt also came on my show Ben I'm Jim tonight and as always, he was super insightful.
Let's jump into.
Let's talk some more NBA playoffs right now.
Let's do it with one of the best, Kurt Healin, lead NBA writer over at NBC sports dot com.
Kurt, thanks so much for joining us here on a Friday night.
How you been I've been good.
Thanks for having me in.
You know, I want to start with this series right here. So the Knicks go down. It's a two to one series. They lose og ananob obviously a huge loss. He had twenty eight points the other night. We know what he brings on the defensive end. You know, how concerned are you right now? If you're a Knicks fan, if any or if you're concerned at all.
I'd be very concerned, frankly. I mean, there's a mass unit like in this team right now. Hey, they are so banged up. It is such a problem. I mean, they've already got guys playing a lot of minutes. But og gave them good three point shooting, corner three point shooting an offensive punch on top of the defense that you talked about. He was one of those guys kind of closing out from the corner and grabbing offensive rebounds and keeping balls alive. Twenty eight points in the last
game before he went out. They needed that. They at some point, you're gonna run out of guys who can't step up, right, Like, at some point they're gonna just hit the max on number of guys. So I'd be really concerned because these games were already tight. This one goes to the Pacers and guys, I mean, I know the Knicks covered. I thought this was going to go back to New York too too.
Yeah, yeah, it's a good point. The physicality feels like that's been really a constant theme of this playoffs. The most physical teams are consistently flourishing. In the teams that are more finesse, like the Pacers who do get the win, and the Nuggets more of these like spacing type teams are struggling. What do you think this means for the Nuggets moving forward? Do you have any faith that in a down two zero spot going into Minnesota that they could steal one?
I don't know if they got some like water from lords and rubbed it on Jamal Murray's leg and there was some miraculous healing of some kind. Because I think that's the real issue is, Look, he was slowed against the Lakers. They didn't have a defender who could still stay in front of him in key minutes. But this is a team that's frankly, if you don't have that two man game, if you don't have the Murray Jokic two man game that has won them a title, I
don't know what you're gonna do. Like this team is really gonna struggle. I mean, Aaron Gordon doesn't really create his own shot KCP same thing. They need that two man game. And if Murray isn't right there, now, what.
Are you thinking right now about this Boston series, Because I mean they're the huge favorites, heavy favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals. They lose to Cleveland, and at first I didn't think it was that big of a deal until you look at the way that Cleveland played defensively.
And I think since.
Joe Mizula took over as head coach at Boston, I mean like every three was contested. Cleveland played him really tough defensively, Like, is that a series that concerns you if you're a Boston fan, or do you think Boston probably wins in five to six and moves on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
I'm not concerned yet. It's five six because they have these games, right, They just they you know, it's a family show, so we won't say what they do to the bad but they do it like once a series that just happens. And this was that game. They shot what twenty two percent from three and they just seem if what worries me more about them? Frankly, they've done this for a few years now, going back to when
Audoka was coached. They just they don't play with urgency in games they should be playing really with urgency, right, They just kind of we're good enough, man, We're gonna coast through this kind of moment. It's an issue. And you know what, you can give away a game to the Heat without Jimmy Butler, you can give away a game in this series. I'd be careful giving away a
game to the Knicks. You know, if that's who they face in the next round and whoever comes out of the West, you give them a game in your toast, like there's somebody's coming out of a gauntlet in the West. It's gonna be a culture shock for Boston already are going up against a much more physical defense. They can't give a game away like that. They've this had better be the last one in the playoffs.
What do you think about the criticism about Tatum not being a big game player. I mean, he had some crucial ones a couple of I think that one game seven two years ago or last year, I forget which one, But there's been a lot of important moments where he hasn't really shown up, at least in terms of scoring the basketball.
No, and he hasn't had those games where I mean, Kyrie Irving didn't score a lot of points last night, but if you watch the game, he absolutely impacted the game for Cleveland. He had a good game. Jason doesn't do that sometimes, and I think when we're talking about them kind of having these off nights, I think it starts with him and to a degree, Jalen Brown, there's just too school cool for school attitude. I'm not even
sure how else to describe it. They're just we're so good we can just kind of be ourselves and they don't play with that urgency, and I'm worried about it.
I thought it was super whack last night that after a loss, Jason Tatum said, we're not a super team. We don't have a Coach of the Year, we don't have an MVP, we only have two All Stars. And maybe technically that's right, but really, you've got five and former All Stars on this team. Like, I just don't understand that rhetoric after a loss.
What do you think?
Why does everybody need to be the underdog? Why is it like right, it's like and it's not even like, it's not even this, it's it's politics, it's you know, life, culture, whatever. Everybody's an underdog. Drake thinks he's an underdog, right, like, you know whatever. Like I'm just I'm kind of tired of the whole like everybody's got to be I don't know, everybody's picking on me when like, dude, you're the majority and you're in control whatever. It's top this and this
is just part of it. Every team's looking for that edge. Everybody wants to be us against the world, right, And I guess Boston does too.
Kurt So like the hardest part for me now, like betting the NBA is I grew up like in Chicago in the nineties, so every year I thought it was crazy when people would make the case for anybody, but the bulls and I like usually tend to bet the teams with the best player or the teams that have had like their bumps and bruises in the playoffs.
But the NBA has changed a little bit.
You know, there are a lot of people making the case against Denver land year, and then people making the case against Minnesota this year. They're too young, even though Mike Connelly's like thirty seven Cats been around forever and Go Bear has playoff experience, and.
Then the same thing with ok See. Has the league changed?
You know?
A couple of years ago was the super teams with Miami and then Golden State. Now we're seeing like some of these younger teams and they're for real, Like has the league changed it all?
Where?
You know, it's it's like there's different ways now to build the team. It's not about the super teams. It's kind of like building within the draft it is.
And I don't think you can build ask Phoenix. I don't think you can build just as a raw super team right now in the same way. You can do it sort of like Boston's done it. But when you look at and I wrote about this today, how Minnesota did it and how Miami did I mean Miami, Oklahoma City did it. Smart trades, smart draft picks, pick a coach, pick a style, pick a system, Decide who you're going to be and what your identity is. Build towards it, get players that fit it, then be patient, then wait
a couple of years let it all meld together. If you do, I just don't think you can do the well. I think Phoenix is the perfect example. Hey we got three superstars. That's gonna be enough. It's not going to be enough. You need depth. You now need defense, especially physical wing defense. If the league is going to keep this defensive style allowed, which I think it is it's been popular. If you can be physical on defense, it changes how you want to build your team.
Now, Yeah, it really does, and especially not scapegoating your coach. You know, a couple of years if there's a regression, and we saw that with you know, ok see, they hung around with Mark Dagnoll even though he regressed, And that's what they did with Chris Finch, even after last year.
If you had to choose a team in the NBA right now that's up and coming that you think is doing what you're saying, like picking an identity, sticking with an identity and drafting, Well, who is that team that no one's talking about right this second?
I'n say Oklahoma City is kind of the model, but we're kind of talking about them. I'm trying to think, let me run suddenly, like who took a step forward this year that I'm suddenly like not thinking of because I'm not looking at a list.
Is that Orlando?
For you?
Do you think that they're.
I was trying to run through. Orlando's a good example of hey, we're going to be long, physical, defensive. Now they need a point guard, They need somebody to organize that offense a little bit. I love Palo, but he shouldn't be your primary shot creator and down right like, but if you look at them and watch them and think, man, if you gave them Mike Conley or you know, Tyas Jones, de Jante Murray, somebody like that would be like somebody
like that to just organize them. Who can create a shot, Who can run a pick and roll and guys, Orlando, if you're listening, Clay's awesome.
Don't do it though, Yeah, I agree, no't Clay's unless you've got a DeLorean with a flux capacitor in the back and you can go get the Klay Thompson from about twenty sixteen.
No, don't like it's it's it's not gonna fit where you want to be. But that's a perfect thank you for helping me in the fare. I was just going blank, But that's a perfect example of, Hey, we know what we want to be. We got a coach we believe in who Jamal Mosley was stirred on my Coach of the Year ballot. Let's let this marinate naturally and grow into something and I think it. Look, they've got to make a couple moves. Still, there's still work to do, but you can see the trajectory there.
On how about less than a minute.
But for you, I just wanted to get your thoughts on these coaching carousels. Like to fire Frank Vogel only to hire somebody who's almost exactly like Frank Vogel but better in the locker room doesn't make much sense to me.
And now you got guys.
With the getting paid by multiple teams because they've been fired so often, Bud Bud being one of them.
Yeah, Frank Vogel, by the way, won a championship and got fired twice within four years. Welcome to the NBA. Man, like crazy, it's I love Mike Budenholzer as a person and as a coach, and I think there are great situations for him. I don't think it's Phoenix, by the way. I just I don't see his acumen changing them that much. So I look, man again, if you keep changing coaches, then you keep changing styles, and you keep changing everything, you don't have the consistency to win like the teams.
We can talk.
Kurt, thanks so much, Thank you join the rest of the game that I will talk again soon. Thank care, Kurt healing right there, nbcsports dot Com.
Good shit, Kirk, that's all the time.
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