On this episode of the Heat Check Game five is over. What a heartbreaker, just disgusting stuff.
I am joined by my.
Guy, another fellow ruder of the Indiana Pacers, who has to be despondent tonight because the opportunities were just there. And there's so many things that you can point to that went wrong, mostly coaching and also some repping, and also Halliburton's injury. But let's bring on Damien Barling from Sacramento, Di Lo and Casey. That's family right now, break it down so much to talk to. Wyatt dropped that motherfucking beat that should be Brianna.
You're listening to the Hottest, the Hottest, it be a podcast out here. I said what I said, it's the heat Check Check. It's just.
My god, it's just disgusting.
Was it not right there? It was right there?
It wus you know, like we overreact because they were making that run and you were like, oh, this is what the Pacers do.
It was going to be right there for him.
They still had like five or six points to make up, right, Like, they still had more stops to get, They still had more baskets to make, They still had more plays that they had to make work there, and it's just the killer was they were like five minutes left in the game, Like there was plenty of time to make mistakes, there were plenty of time to miss baskets, there was plenty of time to not have stops. They just did it all in a row where they turned the ball over.
I think they turned the ball over on four straight possessions. Okay se scored on all of those, and it was like it was over, like as the run was happening, okay see, cut the legs off of it. Within like I don't even think it was more than two minutes. It was like ninety seconds.
To me.
The key thing in this game, and there was a lot of them, right, obviously we can kind of encapsulate the whole thing first and foremost.
Okay see gets out to a quickly like they do Indiana a bajillion turnovers.
Haliburton clearly not right, except for the fact that no one will tell us that he's not right until Sean stops the bomb on us, Like, like, what's that funk band?
The gap band?
The gap band, exactly there it is, that's why you're my guy drops the bomb on us, like it's the gap band. It's like, oh, okay, so there's something wrong with Tyres. But the key, the key to me was when TJ McConnell came in the game and let the like lit the world on fire. Yeah, and gave us eight consecutive points. I think he had scored or assisted
on eighteen third quarter points in a row. He was hitting you, he was getting downhill, he was jump stopping, making people foul him, giving you the floater over larger defenders.
It was just electricity. And then for some reason.
He just took him put them on like, Okay, TJ just must need a blow, and we'll just see what we have from Tyres. And then we did not see TJ McConnell again until it was too late.
Yeah, they put him. He put him back in when the game was over.
I don't think Rick Carlisle, I don't think makes a lot of coaching mistakes. That was I don't want to even call that a mistake. I just don't really know what he was doing, Like I'm not quite sure, like TJ was the spark, Like the fourth quarter run that happened in Game one, happened in the third quarter, and I think that's what got everybody so excited. I know we were preparing to do a TV and we're thinking, Man, we're gonna be gifted with another incredible finish. Tyres is good.
They're gonna trash Tyrese because.
Of this performance.
No made field goals, but if this game is in the goes the direction we think it's going, he's going to have the ball in his hands with three seconds left and he's gonna have an opportunity to win his second NBA Finals game, And all of us would have thought if the shot had gone up, it would have gone in. That's just the type of postseason that he's had. But TJ was the spark behind all of that, So missing so much time in the fourth quarter was a bit a bit confusing.
He came back with three minutes left.
I'm screaming at my teeth, screaming at my TV. Also, I felt like Nemhard just didn't have it, and I love Nemhard, just there. The thing that was killing I think the Pacers is when they were getting it quote unquote getting into their offense, it was just like they were running through molasses.
Right.
They would get into the paint and they would see a bunch bodies and they would just panic see someone in the yellow jersey and just toss it there away. And against the thunder and especially Alex Crusoe, very opportunistic defender, you just can't give openings to them and allow them to get easy transition buckets. That's just demoralizing as you're making a run.
Yeah, so many like their defenders. Like when you look at their made threes, their made threes came from that bench that you just named right there with Wiggins and Caruso and these guys.
You got Dort hitting multiple threes.
It's like you have three or four guys making three or more threes coming off your bench. Man, Like, I don't know how any team competes with that. Like I think the Indiana Pacers are one of the best. I think they got one of the deepest teams in the league. But like, I don't know what you do about that. Like, there's there's not another bench in the league that can do that. In the closest one might be the Pacers.
When you have your point guard, you know, you know, being hobbled or just struggling or whatever the case may be, Like that's you're just not gonna have those same opportunities.
You think that they was as soon as Tyres went to the locker room, do you think we should have.
No more?
Tye Na Like I hated that dialogue on the halftime show. I thought it was ridiculous. I thought Kendrick Perkins sounded ridiculous. He was like, Oh, I have no excuses. If you're out there, you need to produce. Like Tyrese isn't making an excuse, like Sean Shrine is telling you what's wrong. He's telling you what's happened. Tyrese is literally on the floor playing basketball like he's not making an excuse. Steven A talking about, Oh, he's got to be better, he's
got to be a superstar. You're either healthier you're not. Oh sid him, don't play him, and it's like, Okay, we've got to decide what direction we're gonna go.
Here.
You're saying, oh, sit him, await for the next game. Tyrese sits and doesn't play that game and you find out, oh, it's a his cav was sore or it was tight or whatever. They're gonna rip him for four days for not playing through a soreness in an NBA finals, Like you just want to be the contrarian here and take whatever the opposite thing is. I don't think they should have sat him. He felt like he could play. He wanted to get get through it, he wanted to gut through it.
I'm all for that.
He would have gotten ripped if he didn't play and wasn't likely like like actually injured with an injury. So no, I'm I'm I like ty I'm a Tyree's fan. I'm glad he tried to cut it out a little bit.
I'm a Tyres fan too. I feel like who that's on is Rick Carlisle.
You don't have it, my guy. You're going only east and west. You couldn't get downhill to save his life.
Yeah.
The only player that was getting downhill pretty much at all outside of Pascal Siaka.
Was Yeah, so you gotta be the TJ run happened with Tye on the bench.
Correct.
Yeah, that's that's the one where if you're Rick Carlisle, you just got just keep the hot hand. Yeah, I'm not sitting you, but I'm I'm letting. I'm letting my guys play, Yes.
Until until TJ can't go anymore. Yeah, you keep TJ out on the floor, and I think that was the part that was really interesting. How about on the positive side for OKC, Jalen Williams.
Was a big dog out.
There, and to me he almost looked maybe maybe I'm tripping, But to me, he looked a little Kawhi like in his forty plus point performance.
Not a lot of razzle, dazzle, not a lot of wiggle.
Well, I was gonna say, you said he's kawhi because he's boring.
Yes, yeah, like that's the comp like he is just
like he's boring in interviews. He's he doesn't like show very much emotion on the floor, but he is, Like tonight was a true you know if the if they and I don't know that this particular NBA Finals is grabbing a lot of casual fans or casual sports fans, casual basketball fans or whatever, but I think tonight was like a legit introduction to Jay Dubb for a lot of people, like for him to have you know, forty, I think Shay got past thirty, like you had those
guys put up that superstar duo type stat line. Yeah, that was that was that was impressive. And then as as the Pacers were kind of squandering their opportunity to still this game. It was jew who was like, yeah, now let's just go ahead and make sure we're going back to Oklahoma City up three two.
And he was super physical, absolutely unstoppable. He got every single call from the refs. He's blocking shots out there, he's fighting around screens fourteen for twenty five. Some of the shots he hit Damien were impossible.
Yeah, that exact. Yeah, what I mean.
You just put your He was doing things that I usually do when Shae is scoring, which you're like, what you gonna do about that?
Really?
Yeah?
Yeah, he like the one in the fourth was crazy. The the fact that he has so many different ways that he can score like he is, you know, you talk about three level scores, multipurpose goes like he can.
He can score from anywhere, and when he's locked in, and we've seen it a few times, maybe not necessarily in this series, but we've seen it a few times this postseason where he's really locked in and he doesn't just go for forty, but he goes for forty on like seventeen shots or eighteen shots or something just.
Absurd where you're left scratching your head.
Like, man, this dude is really an elite scorer, and tonight was one of those nights for him.
What is he like you said, boring is any but he.
Yet he he almost like doesn't have a bag and yet does have a bag at the same time. It's just not flashy because I was like, Oh, he didn't really do anything that like dazzled me, and then I watched the highlight of him do the like stop to pivot spin dirk fade with.
One leg and I was like, Oh, that was kind of tough. Yeah, but when you're relating in real time, it's.
Kind of like, eh, but it's not your bag until you've dug into it a couple of times, right, Like if he pulls off that move again in game six or we start to see it regularly game seven, then it's like, oh, there's that move that you fear, right scores like Shay has one that people hate and it's kind of that like little push offf move, but you can score off of it. There are guys that just have those moves that they can go to where they're
gonna get buckets out of it. And if that becomes his yeah, that's problematic for yo.
You call that move or rent the runway. That's what that was.
It's it's not when it's your bag, it's when you rent it and you gotta give it back game. Yeah, you have the option to buy it, Yeah, and then it.
Will be yours.
It looks like it's yours in the moment when it's when you're out there flossom, but you got to give it back.
And so yeah, I think that's that's a really great point.
And we've seen Jalen Williams disappear at times, but this Finals, I feel like he's taking it to a whole new level, especially considering that they are keying in on Shae. Shaye has just like a casual thirty one. Yeah, but really tenn assists was also huge for him too, as they were trying to frustrate him.
Yeah, I mean he found is It's funny like he found his guys, but he didn't feel like he had the impact on the game the way he normally does, and that's probably because of what.
Ja Double was doing. But that bench was so good.
You just kept getting stopped by Wiggins Caruso like all of these different guys who are scoring their hitting threes and then every once in Shae would sprinkle in a little.
Shae just scored five quick points.
No one cares, though, because Wiggins just hit his third three at the game. You know, Jay's up to twenty nine at this point, and he just sprinkled in six more points. No one's paying attention because we're watching everything else he's doing. Shay had a quiet game in which he was so so.
Good, just so good.
Who else who else impressed you or like who else stuck stuck out in general? For you?
Well, Wiggins one, like Aaron Wiggins, like you, You had a couple of opportunities in this series to hit big shots. You've had a couple of opportunities in this postseason, like he's not given I think he had one thirty minute run in.
Is that was? That was that game too.
I couldn't even remember if it was this series or the or the Western Conference finals. But I feel like he's made the most of his minutes and he as much of a player with that like level of playing time, like he's as he's impressed me as much as anyone
else has. He takes advantage of the opportunities he has, and anytime you have a role player who can do that, anytime you have a role player who might play thirty minutes one night, or might play like ten to twelve, but they're going to take advantage of those ten to twelve or those thirty, Like you have a winning culture, like you have.
An egoist team.
It's easy, Like I hate, everyone's got to stay ready. It's such like a tired like coach cliche, because I don't think most guys can do it, Like even the best basketball players in the world, I don't think most guys can do it. So when you find one who can, it always really really stands out to me, and Waiting stand out for it stood out with me with Wiggins and.
The Thunders case that shit is real. You really do have to stay ready because you can be Isaiah Joe and all of a sudden mess around to get eighteen minutes or right Aaron Wiggins and you're like, oh, my goodness, I haven't seen him in two games. And I was talking about this with the Metal Art guys right before I came on with you, and we were talking about just really all the unsung heroes for both teams are on impossibly team favorable contracts like Aaron Ne Smith, like
Andrew Nemhard like Aaron Wiggins. Both these teams have these guys under team control until like twenty twenty seven, twenty twenty eight, So you have to wonder, is this is this something that we're gonna see repeating We know that probably is the case and what people think is gonna happen with okay see, but do you think this is sustainable for the Pacers, this level of performance and success?
Yeah, I mean this is that I do.
The answer to your question is I do you talk about guys being impressed with Maybe not this particular game because this was not a good game for him, but I've liked Legit, become like a Nemhart fan, like an Internet like I'm a Legit fan. And it was today before this game that you know, Casey and I I both like kind of acknowledged for the first time because he was like, hey, are you rooting for the Pacers? And I was like, I think I am, like, and I didn't go, I'm not going to lose sleep tonight
because the Pacers lost. If OKC wins, you know, the NBA Finals, like salute to Shay in that group, Like what they've done is phenomenal. And he admitted he was rooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but there was this thing where it's just like, yeah, I normally don't have rooting interest in this stuff, but I really bought into this Pacers team, and part of it was I thought they really overachieved last year. I didn't buy the Eastern Conference Finals run. I bought the premise of it, but
I didn't really buy the run. Like they landed there. They got that like great, like cool, it happens all of the time, salute. But when we got to the offseason, I kept saying, like, I think Indiana is going to be a top four team next year. Like I don't know how real the Eastern Conference Finals run was, but I think the the crux of what they're doing is real. And they made a couple of acquisitions. I love the
Nie Smith acquisition. Like, I think they did a couple of things this offseason where it was like, yeah, maybe they could be better. And then the season started the way that it did, and you know, Ty was I think dealing with the hamstring and it was like I don't okay, I guess I just missed on this one.
And then the calendar switched to twenty twenty five and they went and that's where it was like, Okay, if you're not paying attention, and I know everyone's watching the Knigs and Dame and Giannis and you're watching all of these stars in Boston, Indiana's playing really well. So the way that they played the second part of the season, I absolutely think can be carried over. And they showed, you know when they made the move for Pascal Siakam.
We were so invested in this because we we know that the Sacramento Kings were at a point in on a conversation for Pascal Siakam. We know why that deal didn't go through. We know why that trade didn't happen. We know why he wound up becoming a Pacer and not a Sacramento King. And I commended Indiana for It's like, okay,
this is your move, Like you made your move. You got Tyres that was the start, but you made your move to say this is what we're doing with the trade of the draft picks, the big contract extension Siakam and Ty was gonna be what you're building around. Although to talk about trading Miles Turner and those two not playing together, they're like no, no, no, No, you guys have misunderstood. We're all in on Miles Turner, and Miles Turner is all in on us.
And I think the guy who deserves the most credit is Rick Carlile.
Rick Carlisle, let these guys run up and down the floor that last year, Hey, go go go ahead, set records, be the fastest team in the league. That's great, go go do your thing. Great we got we got to the Eastern Conference finals, cool suffered some injuries along the way, beat some teams.
It's all good.
Then the offseason got here and said, I want you all to keep doing this. If we play a slightly higher line level of defense. I'm not asking you to be the Pistons. I'm not asking you to hold teams to seventy. I'm asking you to be a slightly better
defensive team. And that's exactly what they were. They went from a team that was in the you know, the late twenties in terms of defensive rating all the way up to like fifteen and sixteen, and so I am completely in on Indiana and what they're building moving forward.
Yeah, I'm looking to see what they are.
In the playoffs, they had the number two defensive rating in the postseason.
Behind the OKC Thunders.
They really stepped it up and it's gotten better and better and better. And when you're playing against the OKC Thunder and you're making Shay uncomfortable, that really speaks to
what they did. I do want to ask you, though, because I was talking to somebody about this today and I haven't thought about it until now, But you talk about that Eastern Conference Finals run where they got swept by the Celtics, but this was the first team in NBA history we had a ninety percent win percentage or higher in the like last two minutes of the fourth quarter in all four games that they lost.
Oh, that's crazy.
So they were the meltdown kids.
They were literally the heart attack pacers on the other side of the coin, and they took that and then almost like, I don't know, do you feel like that correlates with what we've seen historically on the other side of things so far in the postseason this year?
I guess.
I mean, I mean, they people have referred to them like I think they after tie shot went in in Game one, like, oh, they're a team of destiny.
Oh they're really good. And I think they had some things to.
Figure out that that ninety thing is crazy though, that's a wild stat Yeah, when you.
Melt down, I think to that level tis yeah, you have to figure something out in the off season that says, not only can we not do that ever again? Like they just now play It was almost like they didn't play through the tape and now they now they completely play through the tape where they're down twenty and they play through the tape and they do it when they're up,
they do it when they're down. And I feel like those four games against the Boston Celtics, and I'll ask I'll ask the GM this summer league because I always get dinner with Chad every year, and I'm gonna ask him if he feels like those four games were like the like the fire that melded them into this version of who they are today.
It's fascinating.
I've never seen a more resilient team in my life. I felt in my heart they were.
Going to win tonight.
But the idea, man, so did I in the idea that you talk about, like we can't let this happen again, This cannot happen. We have to make a change, and they do it and execute the change.
Says a lot.
It says a lot about the players, It says a lot about the coach, and I think it says a lot about the organization.
It says a lot about you know, your friends.
The general manager going, yeah, maybe we need to get a couple of tougher guys here. Maybe you know, you talk about Miles Turner. They was talking about Benedict Mathren, and well, maybe Benedict Mathren doesn't fit with this team anymore. In Indiana looks at it like, no, no, no, no, that's one of our tough guys. And I mean he has been a catalyst and then winning. He was not great last night. He was not great tonight in this this
this game five, you need him. You don't need him to be twenty seven points great, but you can't have him be two of eleven bad either. But point being was, they stuck with him, and they stuck with him because he offers something different than what these other guys do, particularly on the defensive end, and it falls into that we can't let this happen again type thing, and they've been able to execute that and not let it happen again.
Yeah, and I don't think they really I mean because they had me Smith a couple of.
Years ago in that Malcolm Brogden trade. So the the I don't recall them really picking anyone else up Las last offseason. I think what it really was was they let the team marinate. They extended Obi, and a lot of people thought that was an overpay for Obie. But Obi's been awesome in this postseasons, one of the most important players in this final series for Indian I think you let go of Buddy Healed because why pay him,
you lean in? Why have him you don't you don't need them, especially when Benedict's there, plant.
Play Ben Shephard more lean into.
Him, and then Isaiah Jackson goes down and you have to, you know, get some scrubs to come into the team.
But that that shows I think when.
You have a team you believe in and you lose in a sad fashion, you don't need to make changes right away. And I think for like the Knicks, maybe you should say, like, we shouldn't switch anything up just yet.
Yeah. Well that's how I felt about Cleveland too.
I mean there were a couple of teams where I felt like, yeah, just like, let this go a little bit longer.
Cleveland's one of them.
I know that, But I guess the difference now is and maybe this isn't the case with New York, but I do think it is the case with the Cavs.
Are apron concerns like you.
I've always felt like a team will go, you know, deal with the penalties of a second apron or a first apron or whatever if they think they can win a championship. No one's gonna do it like trying.
Oh we might be able to do it. No, no, no, no, are we really confident that we can?
We look ourselves in the mirror and say we put together a championship team. I think the people who feel like that will deal with the second apron. So I don't know how Cleveland feels that was a sixty four.
Win basketball team. I think I'm not of the belief you have to break that up like let that let that ride.
I thought the case. I thought that was exactly the same case for the New York Knicks as well. Let that ride figure it out, figure out how to play mckel bridges and do all of that stuff. Their offseason couldn't be off to a worse start because everyone's just laughing at them, and now I don't even know what to think about the basketball team anymore.
I honestly feel you got to just call Tips back and just say, my bad.
Just kidding dog, just like, are you up?
I'm still up?
What I was looking at our pictures? We look so happy back then?
Hey, you know, like it's that future meme. You know, he's like on his phone and he's like, oh yeah.
I was just driving the garden watching some film.
Man.
I remember that that game that you played all those young guys and got us will win against the Pacers. I'll never have a moment like that with anybody else.
An hit me.
You don't have to respond.
So it's a hundred percent Billy Donovan getting contracts extensions because of the New York Knigs.
Oh, I love it. I love the downfall of the Chicago Bulls. They're gonna pay Josh Giddy so much money. And to your point about Cleveland, really circling back to that, the one thing that I'll push back on you is I don't think you can win with two undersized guards that don't play defense.
I just don't think you can do it. I've seen it up close.
You can get to an Eastern Conference Western Conference Finals like the Blazers did with CJ. McCollum and Damian Lillard. But that is where you stopped. I don't think you can win. I don't think the title has ever been won with that type.
Of a roster.
So so I'm assuming you swap out Darius Garland, who I really would you pair next to Donovan Mitchell then big guard?
Right, So like ideally, maybe you would have just traded Darius Garland for Desmond Bane straight up someone like that, because he's a bigger, stronger guard who can play defense on the perimeter. Yeah, you need somebody that's like in the mold of what Orlando is doing with their six five six seven guards. Just somebody who can do a little bit of everything and it doesn't have to be just them getting hidden on defense. And I like Donovan.
Donovan's a decent defender when he wants to be. But it's just kind of a clunky fit with Mobley and Jared Allen.
When it's clicking, it's clicking. But I feel like you can punk.
Them in terms of like building around players are Donovan and Dame the Spider Man meme Yes, yes, Okay, where.
It's like, and then CJ and Darius to.
An agree or kind of like, you have to have very specific play like those guys are elite scores Dame one of the greatest shooters we've ever seen, but you have to have a very specific player next to him, like Steph had Clay, Like you need a guy who can do that next to you in.
Correct, Yeah, exactly.
And I think those two guards are like Gold, Yeah, They're almost impossible to find, which is why.
And I want to get your thoughts.
On this four first round pick goals first round.
Yeah, for first round pick Gold, a six' five guard regardless of, wingspan who can shoot forty, three who can lock down and protect your point, guard play a little point guard if they have, to if your, guard if your lead guard gets hurt for some, reason they can do that as. Well what did you what did you make of The Orlando Magic trading Casep, yeah four first round picks in a first round pick.
SWAK i read the tweet over and over and over again BECAUSE i THOUGHT i was reading it wrong or missing, something and THEN i, LIKE i didn't understand the four first round. PICKS i was just, like this doesn't make. SENSE i love Like Desmond baines a ball, player but like four first round, picks AND i kept, searching and THEN i waited for you know how the tweet comes, out and then the follow up tweet comes, out and
Then sham's posts the. ARTICLE i waited for the article to come, out AND i was, Like i'm just going to read the article because Clearly i'm missing something AND i can't SAY i still fully understand, it BUT i. Did as we talked through it, today kind of came to the realization That i'm good with, it And i'm good with it in the sense, that like we use The Rudy gobert trade as an, example we can laugh at, it and we can point at, it and we can haha and do all of this.
Well the point Was.
Rudy gobert's value to the league was not what was essentially five first round, picks but his value To, minnesota who in that, moment, thought this is what we're missing to like compete at the highest level in The Western. Conference what will it take for us to get. Him let's not leave this open for. Anything this is what it. Takes, great that's what we're gonna. Do, again that doesn't mean That's Rudy gobert's value to the. League it means that's
his value to The Minnesota. TIMBERWOLVES i think that's the same thing With Desmond, Bane Desmond bank or The Orlando magic had been looking for two years for Uh.
Or this would have been the second year to find that shooting.
Guard does all of this talk About Malik, monk who you realize now doesn't even fit What orlando is looking to. Do and they Saw Desmond. Bane they Thought Desmond bane was the. Guy they made an inquiry about a guy we didn't even think was going to be, traded and they, said what will it, take AND i maybe they, said, well it's going to take four first round. Picks, great here's for first round. Picks please send This Desmond bane because we believe that that's the piece that we're. Missing
i'm all for. That, like if your organization is strong enough and you've put together something and you believe there is a very specific player who has a very specific type of fit to your team that you need to go get throw whatever you can at them to make it, happen AND i.
Agree with that because what's the.
Alternative the alternative is what we've seen, before which is it can destroy your roster because think about what it took to Get Aaron, gordon, right took three first round picks For denver to Get Aaron, gordon.
And they get a ring from.
That But portland also Wanted Aaron gordon and they felt that three first round picks was too. Expensive portland wanted to go Get ognanobi thought that those picks were too.
Expensive and guess.
What AND i think it's fine that That portland finally traded, game but you never really gave it a shot to see what you have with the proper specific pieces that you must have in order for this roster to, work because every roster is uniquely different and has unique holes that you must fill in order for.
It to be a complete.
Picture otherwise you end, up you, know really being a mediocre.
Team, yeah and that's most teams in the.
League like most teams get stuck in like mediocrity because you know they're they're they're afraid to take.
That and This orlando deserves. Credit Like orlando under.
It they had a bizarre season last year where guys were getting, Injured palo was, out they were for some, somehow they continue to play at a really high. Level palo came back all of a, sudden they, stunk more guys got, Injured they fell way below. Expectations they they analyzed their, roster determined what they're, missing didn't wait for the finals to, end didn't wait for the draft to get, here didn't wait for the, like no we want this is what we. Need we're gonna go get. Them and
they went and did. It most most teams don't do. That LIKE i cover The Sacramento kings every. Day The kings had an opportunity to Land o G, ananobi they were either scared by what the trade package was or scared by what the contract extension would have looked.
Like same With Pascal.
Siakam they appeared to not be scared about what the trade package, was but they weren't interested in offering the money That Pascal siakam was asking, for which he ultimately got from The Indiana. Pacers and so there's this this this constant you, know fear of oh well we don't want to take a. Swing oh we don't want to do, this we want to be financially, responsible we want to keep our future.
Intact and then what do you want?
It like Like moni McNair's old thing, was, uh we're going to maintain our. Flexibility we're going to maintain and improve and all of, that and all you did was, Lose, like, ultimately that's all that. Happened you stood still after making the. Playoffs you couldn't evaluate your roster and go figure, out what do we need need to beat The, warriors to beat The, lakers to beat the teams that continue to advance in this.
Conference where do we need to go do?
That, no you just, went we're gonna have a conversation with Og. Innobi it's not gonna go. Anywhere we're just gonna Sign Harrison. Barnes and it's, like all, right. Man so that's WHY i don't laugh At minnesota for making that deal For Rudy. Gobert it's WHY i don't laugh At orlando for giving up four. Picks you saw this as your. Move, great now you got to make it work.
Well and those two are interesting cases because you're, right like you just, said they fit unique. Needs, yeah it did not fit a unique? Need Was phoenix trading FOR? Kd it was just star hunting at any wing LIKE kd fits into any, system but he's not the unique piece that you need in order to make The Phoenix sun's, work especially considering you already knew this team was getting.
Older we don't really know what it. Is you're not a piece.
Away you're hanging on for dear. Life and now what do you think happens WITH? Kd BECAUSE i was talking to Aminel, hassen he, says do you Think, well he says there's a dark horse that he won't tell me who it is in The Western.
Conference It's minnesota that has not been.
Named uh, well just to be, CLEAR i think your boy is full of, shit But minnesota like Like minnesota has a full on trade. PABOLS i don't, KNOW i don't know where that conversation is, at but we have it on pretty good. Authority he thought he was getting traded To. Minnesota, yeah so Like i'm. NOT i don't know who his little dark horse candidate, is but, cool Like i'm here for.
It like let's let's let's.
Roll.
UH i read the.
Thing, UH i MEAN i kind of kept an eye on THE i didn't get to read the BUT i guess he's he, said like San antonio is the one out of the.
Three it's, like.
Okay i'd be interested to see what that looks like for San. ANTONIO i think you could probably you could obviously get a ton of assets from, Them you could build out your. Roster they probably wouldn't have to give up The Aaron. Fox they certainly don't have to give up the number two pick to acquire. Him so, yeah kind of fascinating to see what that looks. Like all of the teams left in this conversation That katie likes are really interesting Except.
MIAMI i. DON'T i don't find anything compelling About miami at. All houston's.
Fascinating but if there's another team in The Western conference it's Not, Minnesota i'm.
CURIOUS i heard at the trade deadline That dallas was poking. Around maybe that sweet could Be, okay that would be a fascinating.
One they, sneaky have the assets to do, It like we don't really think of them like.
That but you could trade Like, gafford why would?
You why would you do? That with with with With kyrie out for the, year.
Maybe you think you're going to maximize the next two to three, years, right this is a kind of a gap. Year you're Acclimating Cooper flag into the. Mix you get another guard like A i don't know who that would. BE i, mean you can't Get Drew holliday if you Have Kevin. Durant but then next year you've Got Katie kyrie an a d all the d's and all the ease.
Paws that's a major pat that's a technical. Fel BUT.
I don't love, it, LIKE i just don't Because, kevin Like Kevin, durant is a year older after.
That, YEAH i don't think anything Like.
Kyrie like coming. OFF i, DON'T i, DON'T i don't LOVE i. DON'T i don't love this.
Idea don't Like, houston don't Like San. Antonio both teams too young to give up these. Assets keep keep the lasagna in the. Oven, OKAY i Think minnesota is the team that makes the most sense for me in terms, of like They're Kevin.
DURANT i don't.
Think HOUSTON'S i was gonna, SAY i don't Think houston's too, young but LIKE i guess they.
Are, yeah, YEAH i.
Guess So minnesota does make sense in terms of like going to win right. Now it absolutely makes.
Sense fascinating. Stuff so let's back back to the. Finals real quick. Prediction what do you think happens for game.
SIX i haven't made a single prediction this entire series except. One the one thing THAT i think is happening is no one will admit, it especially if the series Ends. Thursday no one will admit. It but the series hasn't been what people. Thought they've been waiting and waiting For Oklahoma city to run away with, it and they just. Haven't and so going back To indiana sat out to The jackson fire for that, ONE i don't, Know Like i'm.
Here for, it LIKE i DON'T i don't have a. Prediction i'm here for.
It i'd love to have a Game, sunday, Though LIKE i really want a Game, sunday and long as tyres, isn't like really, like If tyrese is, hurt THEN i don't know that you can survive one, more especially with that kind of blood and the water type. Thing but if he, can if he can go and be somewhere close to who he, IS i, mean we got a couple of, days THEN i think that bodes well For.
Indiana the fact that they didn't run away with, it the fact That Oklahoma city didn't run away with it until the final minutes Where indiana just they really threw it in the. Garbage there is some very light positive news to take from.
That, Again Johnny furfey in the last two minutes with the cardiac, kids let's just not do.
That, yeah let's not to your.
POINT i don't know if this ends in six people won't talk about ten years from now that The pacers had the thunder on the ropes and that they melt down right in game.
Four but that's absolutely what.
Happened and this has been one of the best Finals i've seen in a Long it's.
Been so, good so.
Good although the talk about markets and ratings and all of that dumb, stuff this founder has been.
Fantastic cannot.
Wait Damian, barling you can catch him on thirteen to TWENTY, espn, which by the, WAY i had to tell somebody is not actually AN espn, Station it's An odyssey. Station Do Do Do Do despite the fact THAT espn is in the, name that is my, Brother so check him Out monday Through, friday twelve to.
Four i'm like.
Sometimes, pacific Sometimes, eastern SO i had to get the time. Right they're a bundle of. Laughs they talk not Only sacramento news and the sort Of California Bay Area. News but they also talk ALL, NBA, wwe pop, Culture Drake. Kendrake it's all there for, you so definitely check them out on. YouTube i'm on Every, tuesday just The tuesdays for almost an, hour So i've been there four years, now running. Strong these guys are the, shit so check them.
Out that is all the time that We after this episode of The Heat, check come Back Friday friday for an all the episode and check out the feed for past episodes and the occasional mini episodes which come at you unexpectedly like A tj McConnell fifteen point. Day you have to not forget to follow The Heat check all playoffs.
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On, brother, always, always, always always
All, Right, wyatt drop that beat and this should Be rihanna