Welcome into NBA Polster production of iHeartRadio in the NBA. I'm Sarah Kustak, NBA analyst for the Yes Network, and today is Monday, May sixth, and we have got a very special guest, Roy Hibbert. Roy, I'm going to begin with someone that I can call a colleague, a wonderful human being, but also an incredible basketball career that you have had. A nine year NBA veteran. You spent seven of those seasons with the Indiana Pacers, A two time All Star, you were the seventeenth overall pickback in two
thousand and eight. And in the broadcasting world, that's why I get to say is say colleague because incredible analyst to this point, But where I want you to get into is is get those shoes back on back when you were a player. We are set and ready to go for what has already been a really fun postseason here that we've seen now entering the second round, and one of the great old time rivalries that we've seen throughout the course of the postseason has been New York
Knicks and Indiana Pacers. You go back to ninety four, ninety five, ninety nine, and most recently the last time these two franchises have faced off in the playoffs has been back in twenty thirteen, and that is when you and your Indiana Pacers defeated the Knicks in a four to two series win Game six. Everyone remembers that block that you had on Carmelo Anthony twenty one points, five blocks, twelve rebounds you balled out to help the Pacers win.
But more than anything, it wants you just to get into what that series was like you twice went to the Eastern Conference Finals, but in that year, with that matchup, with that rivalry, take us into just how those emotions, the experience, the atmosphere, everything that goes into those two iconic franchises playing one another in the postseason.
Well, obviously New York is such a big market and always a lot of pressure when you go play in MSG and everything. But I see like the two teams are comparable. They have, you know, a very good superstar obviously in Brunson, who is a left you can score you know, youah with forty one points on you know, thirteen to twenty seven shooting the last close out game versus the seventy six ers. So it's kind of reminiscence kind of to like Mellow his scoring nobility and everything
like that. I do feel that this next team is a little bit more locked in defensively than that team before that I played against. But the atmosphere. Atmosphere is going to be crazy, msg like the fans. I remember Spike Lee was always chirping in my ear court side during the playoffs and stuff. So hopefully he can make it to Indiana and see if he'll still be chirping again.
Will you make it to any of these games?
So I was invited by the Pacers last night to come out. I'm trying to I'm coming out on Friday. I'm going to rev up the crowd, try to do my part to, you know, get the crowd ready to cheer on the Pacers.
I can't wait. I can't wait to see that, to watch that, to witness that you mentioned Jalen Brunson and he and the Knicks had a hard fought series against the Philadelphia seventy six ers. You look at this Indiana Pacers team knocked off a undermanned Bucks team that had
played without Giannisidava Kumpo throughout the course of it. But it's also such an interesting style or interesting matchup of different styles and contrasting styles, and the pace want to the pace, the pace literally the pace the Pacers want to play at offensively, the amount of weapons they have with Tyrese Halliburton. And then you look on the next side of things much more of a grinded out team with Tom Thibodeau and the way they play and the
control and organization that Jalen Brunson has shown. What's impressed to you this season about the Pacers, about Tyrese Halliburton in just how Rick Carlisle has him playing, has been playing in the piece of surrounding the player that Halliburton has been.
Well, well, first I just want to talk about like Rick, you know, sometimes I watch the Pacers, I'll see that they'll give up something offensively at the rim, which to me, like it grinds my gear. But I have to shift to know that the way how their team is constructed, you know, defense isn't you know, let's say, at the top of the top of the list. So you know, the thing for them is like to get the ball out, get it to Halliburton, let him play free. He gets
up and down the court. I feel like The thing that he does well is distributes the ball early and often you know, attack downhill. He brings a lot of attention and you can kick it back up to Miles Turner for the three. I feel like that is going to be key at the beginning of the game at least to like, you know, fast paced. Let Miles be able to say, at the top of the key, get those open threes. Now they're going to be able to like you know, have to worry about Halliburton and that
top of the key three. Now he can attack the basket throughout the game. And one key I really like is and I'm all over the place if you need to ring me and let me know. But Pascal Siakam, what he does well is like throughout the game you play with pace, but then also you can slow it down and throw it to him in the post and like he's on that left block, he catches it off the block. He'll work middle term, baseline, spin, fade away and hit some real tough shots. So they have like
a one to two punch. And I think that with the lack of a big man like Brook Lopez who can spread the floor on offense and then also score in the paint will kind of lighten the load. I think for Turner to be a little bit more free because he doesn't have to worry about, you know, say like a Brook. And I'm not sure I answered your question, but that's just goes through my mind when I think about the Pacers.
Well, and you said something that is really fascinating. I'm curious how you view it. Just what grinds you about maybe some shots at the rim, or you know, lack of a presence in the post, or just the changing Like what has been your view of the evolution of
the game. How's it changed with the Bigs? And I think there's been some variance to it, But how have you watched the game and the game that you played changed throughout the course, just really across the league and in particular now what we're seeing this postseason.
You know, like I said, I used to really want to see defense be key, but like you look at the depor Nuggets last year, Joker is not going to block shots at the rim. More than likely he would rather give up a layup at the rim, imbounded and then chucked that thing down there for Aaron Gordon for a dunk. So it's a tradeoff, you know, and like when my team when we played, we were kind of like a grinded up team, slower Paul PG and Lancy
in the fast break. We let them do their thing and then eventually the slow guys like myself and the David West would get down the court. But like a switch is flipped and it's more faster paced. And it depends on roster construction. Why focus on defense when your roster is focused on it has been made to get up and down the court, create more opportunities, be quicker and faster. So it's something that I had to be
okay with and I'm totally okay with. But at the same time, you know, you get one hundred and twenty four to one thirty games and stuff like that. You know, for me, that was a disappointment to let a team score that much. But at the same time, things change and you have to be okay with it.
Yeah, and reminiscent you bring up names like David West. Of course, Paul George, a lot of questions will surround what decisions he makes this offseason. But when you think about that series, for you, the series that you guys go six games against this next team, is there any memories, any moments, anything from it that stand out most to you.
Well, I remember Frank Vogel told myself and Paul George, whenever Lebron, let's say Lebron, whenever Mello gets subs out the game, you guys come out the game. Whenever Melow you see him getting up off the bench, whether it's a minute after you sit down or you know, a quarter, you get right back up and you get in the game. And I was just like, that's pretty nice. You know, usually have to wait for coach to sub me in.
But we knew how important it was to defend Mellow, you know, I always said Paul to this day, you know, takes on the challenge of playing both ends of the court. Offensively gifted, leading the team, but defensively wants to, you know, go out there and defend at a high level. And I said, I'm jumping all over the place. But Anthony Edwards reminds me of a player like that, a young player who wants to guard the best player on the other team. But then also we'll give it to you
on offense. So I feel like this, this this playoffs has just been a changing of the guard. But so exciting to watch.
It has been. I'm glad you brought up Anthony Edwards because we're going to take a break shortly and get to that series with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, and just how much fun the game one was, as we'll have an opportunity to watch that again tonight. But
last thing on this Knicks Pacer series? Is there one thing that you're looking for as we have game here tonight taking place at seven thirty pm Eastern with the Pacers visiting the Knicks at the Garden, is there there one thing, whether tonight or through the course of the series, that you're really going to be keeping an eye on.
Well, maybe not tonight because the teams have had so much rest. I talked a lot about the Pacers, but I want to give the Knicks opportunity for me to show them some love. They played very hard, led by a good group of young core the Vincenzo Hart Brunson.
But for me, the biggest thing that could be a detriment to them is the fact that you look at this game, the last game against the Knicks versus the seventy six ers, only seven players played, and let's say Robinson played eighteen minutes, he had two points, and then McBride played nine minutes and he only had three points. So to me, the bench and I just I know, I actually I did NBA TV last week in or week or two ago with Carlos Boozer. You're talking about
how you know, what's his name, the Knicks coach. I'm having a brain fart. He just guys up and down. You know. Richard Hamilton said that, you know, she's shaved off a couple of years out of his career just by how tough and how defensive minded. Uh, the Thibodeau is. So for me, I want to watch that the bench scoring and how tired the Knicks could potentially be around
game three, game four. How much do they have in the tank, you know, because the pacers, you know, while they may not go deep into their bench, they have you know, t J McCollough had twenty points, ll be topping that twenty one points off the bench, and then you know a slew of other players had like single digits, but they sprinkled them in a little bit more. So. I was just saying to watch the h the fatigue and how many players are playing throughout the series for the Knicks.
Yeah, it's going to be very interesting to see that and how that factors in. I'm also really interested to see just in terms of rebounding and what the Knicks were able to do as esecially in that first round series against the seventy six ers and the offensive glass in crashing in. For as much as the Pacers want to run, want to leak out, you got to get stops. You gotta get rebounds in order to do that. So it is it is certain to be fun. I cannot wait to watch you hype up the crowd once it
does return back to Indiana. But in the meantime, it begins at the Garden tonight seven thirty pm Eastern on TNT. We're going to take a quick break and get to the late game tonight as a Minnesota Timberwolves will face the Denver Nuggets in Denver, up one OHO in the series. Welcome back to NBA, Paul Sarah Kustak joined by the great Roy Hibbert, a two time All Star, seven years
with the Pacers. As you began your career in the league, nine years in the association, and now you are a part of the broadcasting crew, the fraternity that you have here in calling and seeing and watching and breaking down NBA games, college games, all of that sort. Let's get to the game tonight at ten pm Eastern on TNT. You got the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Denver Nuggets, and game one Saturday was extraordinary. That was one of the
most fun experiences throughout the course of this postseason. We've had a lot of bangers and a lot of big time games, but it was so much fun to watch this Nuggets team, the defending champs and the up and coming I don't know what you want to call in Minnesota Timberwolves led by Anthony Edwards, who is just continuing to thrive and grow and evolve before our eyes in such an extraordinary way. What stood out to you about
the play? I know you mentioned this not just of the Timberwolves and not just of the Nuggets, but of Anthony Edwards and what we're seeing him become at this early stage of his career.
I mean, everybody online talks about the comparisons to Michael and you know, just the manner, hysms and everything, but he has some dog in him and I love it. In a in an age where guys are giving out, you know, swapping jerseys at the end of the games. You know, sometimes I like to see a little bit of bark from those dogs out there. And he's definitely leading the charge, and he knows when to go out there and score and then when to facilitate as well.
You know, so he only had three assists in the last game, but he allows nas Reed to go out there and play well. He had sixteen points, come off the bench, he attacks the boards and it's just like it's just it's just allgoing like he leads the charge. But you got you have guys like you know, McDaniels who can slash, defend and you know, pick up some of the slack for him on the on the defensive end, so he can, you know, go out there and score forty three points.
How impressed have you been to with Rudy Gobert? And I think we're gonna see maybe a different look from a Nuggets team that finish off that Laker series in five games, and obviously he had had some time. It'll be interesting to see just how they respond. But what Rudy Gobert has done in anchoring, we obviously saw that with him throughout the course of his time with the Utah Jazz, but it maybe took a season, took some time, you know, dealing with some injuries with Karl Anthony Towns,
just for everyone to figure out the chemistry. But so many players defensively showing why they're one of the best defenses in the league. But the play of go Beart and the play that he showed there in Game one.
I think he gets a lot of flack, you know, go Beart. I love the fact I love defensively minded centers who could protect the basket. Will Go Beart be able to get you back to the basket jump hook? No, do a lot of guys score like that. No, for the most part. But at the same time, he will defend, you know, for as big as he is, to be able to move his feet on those switches is amazing. So I like the fact that he's up in the drops, he's able to defend, but at the same time he's
blocking shots, you know, twelve rebounds. You don't have to worry about him. I think he's pretty solid. But it's a good one two punch, especially with Cat. You know, I always want Cat to be aggressive tack don't always settle for three point shots. Make it dirty, and when he does make it dirty, you know the team is better for it.
We get a couple more Round two series beginning tomorrow night on TNT as well. After the Cleveland Cavaliers took Game seven at home against the Orlando Magic team, coming back from an eighteen point deficit in the second quarter to outscore the Magic sixty three to forty one in the second half yesterday, behind another sparkling performance from Donovan Mitchell. They will play at Boston at seven o'clock, but then at nine point thirty it's the Dallas Mavericks who took
care of the Los Angeles Clippers. They will face the number one seed in the West in the Oklahoma City Thunder at nine thirty pm Eastern on TNT Roy. I'm gonna put you on the spot with the MAVs and with the Thunder, what do you expect in that series? In who would you take coming out of this.
Mis So I'm gonna say Luca is my favorite player in the NBA right now. It makes those look so smooth. Him and Kyrie just you know, they found a good ability to say, all right, you know what, I'm gonna let you go. I'm gonna go. Let's attack. We'll get lively a lob dunk, you know, from time to time attacking the baskets. So I feel like they're well, well rounded team. But man like, but okay, See is coming, Like Shay is so cool. He eats up that mid range.
He knows how to get to the basket, and it's not flagrantly where he like looks for fouls like the old Harden where he's throwing his arms up and and everything like that. But man, that's a young, up and coming team. I think that next year will be their okay See his year. But but I like Dallas right now. I like Dallas.
I'm not sure what you think I'm with you. I think I'm with you. I love okay See. I think you give them a ton of respect for what they
accomplished this year. The Coach of the Year and Mark Dagnall and just how we've seen Shaye Gildas Alexander continue to raise the level of play of those around him, Jalen Williams what he's done in the second year, but Dallas has been I mean, you got you got Kyrie Irving and Luca Doncic, you said it playing at this level with one another and how they figured out how to play together. Jason Kidduh just recently reported that he
signed a multi year extension, so congratulations to him. But I think we're gonna see kind of some of that balance, some of the questions too that that have always existed with, you know, the postseason, with the playoffs, how much it does youth versus experience matter, And I think a lot of that will be put to test throughout the course of this series. What I do know is that we've
got a fun postseason. It's already been, It's already been a lot of fun to watch, and for those of us who love to see it, I think it's only going to keep getting better and better, as will will you in your career. Roy I. I am so glad that, as I said, you joined you joined all of us here in the broadcasting world after your tremendous basketball career, and as always, we appreciate you, we appreciate your time, and we'll look forward to having you having you on.
I'm gonna I'm gonna try and convince you to come back on again down the road to see what happened well.
Can I say, yeah. I just want to say, when I was at Georgetown, Big John Thompson always said, Roy, if you want to get from point A to point B to point C, talk to people that have gotten to point C. And I appreciate at the tournament, at the final four, you know, you took time out of your schedule to like give me some pointers and everything like that. So I obviously want to pick your brain. So I just want to say, I appreciate that you
know and everything. So definitely, somebody always I want to pick your brain from Roy always.
I hope we both all eventually get to point D point E. I hope there's no Z because we don't want to get to the end. But no, you know that you know that anytime you are the best. We'll see you again soon for sure.
Thank you for having me.
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