Right out of the gates.
We can welcome to our guy, Tony Jones on a beautiful Friday afternoon. Do not let us win game six, Tony. That's all I have to say.
That's all I have to say. Do not let us walk into Indianapolis and walk out. Don't let us win game six. Just don't let us win game six. Finish us off. That's all. That's all I say.
I do kind of I do, kind of like porters angle though on the other side with it's like, please let us win game six.
I mean, you know, no, no, it would be nice to win game six.
No, no, no, don't let us win game six. Okay, no, you let him win game six. Not winning game seven.
I'm with you.
I'll tell you what was weird? Man, Like, if you had not watched any of the series. Let's say you were on vacation, you went over to Europe for a few weeks, and you didn't watch any of the first, you know, four games, and then you just watched last night, you would have been like, how is Indiana up? I mean, last night was a bloodbath? What were your what do
you think was different? Let me ask you that from your basketball eye, what what made last night different for New York or Indiana either way.
Well, remember when we talked last week, and and and and how sad and just miserable I was after Game one. Yep, Well, game one is the difference of the series. Yeah, Game one is the difference of the series. So, you know, But to your point and to your question, in two of the last three games, we have defended Indiana very very very well. Uh uh. Game three we defended them very well. Game four they kind of got away from us. Game five was our best defensive night of the series.
So in two of the three we've kind of figured them out, you know. So what that means for Game six, you know, I don't know, because the one thing from covering the first I've I covered the first rounds of this playoffs, you know, through how many teams, five teams or whatever. And the one thing that that this playoffs has been defined by is that there's no carryover to these games. These games are all individual entities unto themselves. So you know, I don't think there's gonna be any
carryover to Game six. I mean, if New York wins, game six is going to be because you know, they play a great game six, not because of anything that happened in game five or anything before, but there are clearly some things that you know, Tom Thibodeau is adjusted to, and you know, he's kind of thrown some stuff against the wall and they've stuck. You know. Obviously the biggest thing was he just got sick and tired of cameraon paint.
Like if there are there, if everybody on the Knicks gets hurt, and there's like four guys, uh, five guy I was on the bench. You know, Tom Tippodau is going to go hoosiers and just play with four rather than play with campaigns. And you know, it's one of those things where I think that there's been some adjustments made that have worked against this Indiana offense. And now it just comes down to game six whether or not the Knicks can can go and get a big road win in Indianapolis.
So I will say this to me, the main difference last night, And I don't know how much of this is. And by the way, if the Pacers are playing possum here, if they decided to mail it in, then that's a dangerous approach. So I don't know how much of it had to do with Indiana's inability to execute or get up and down with pace like they've been able to
quite frankly since January if you've been watching them. But last night Tony was the first game in the entire series where I thought the Knicks actually gave They didn't have to give forty eight minutes because it was basically over in the fourth, But I'll say the next gave thirty two to thirty four minutes of intense defensive effort,
like they were closing out on the perimeter. They weren't giving as much space to Halliburton, who did not have a good game, Like when you go back and watch what happened in Indiana when the Pacers hung one thirty on the Knicks in Game four. Yes, give Halliburton a ton of credit for a historically special offensive game, give the Pacers credit for getting up and down the floor and knocking down shots. But this is not your grandfather's Knicks.
There is no Charles Oakley or Anthony Mason or Anthony Bonner. If you want to go deep deep cuts there, you know, there's no big physical defensive you know effort. As far as the way the team plays schematically, this is not Pat Riley or Jeff Van Gundy. This is one of the better offenses in pro basketball, and their defensive efficiency in the league was around twelve or thirteen if I remember correctly.
If they're going to win two more.
Games, they've got a guard the way they did last night for the f they have that in them.
Well, I think it's gonna be tough because I mean, these series are every other day. The series is every other day all the way through. I mean, so you know it's gonna be tough on the legs, you know. Last night, I mean I think they had a shot of adrenaline, you know, from from the crowd. You know, but this is gonna be a road game in games six, you know, now, the shot of adrenaline is gonna be come from. Hey, your season ends if you lose this game tonight, and then you have, you know, an off
season of questions that you have to say. But you know you're gonna have to. I mean, it's gonna be, you know, one of those things where you're gonna have to manufacture your own energy and you're not gonna have
you know, the garden crowd behind you. Now, you know, the one thing that we both know is that the Knicks have played extremely well on the road during this playoffs, and you know, down two oh, after losing two in the Garden, they did go and they they did get a game, which is what they needed in Indiana, and had to be game three because you know, you're not coming back from a three to zero deficit. So you know, winning a game four after losing a game three wouldn't
have meant anything. But what they have done after that horrific o to start with both of those losses at home, they have at least given themselves a chance, right, so they knew what the formula was. Okay, you lose both games at home, you know the series is probably over. So what's the formula. The formula is you have to win game three because you're not coming back from three
zero downs. So they won game three. Obviously they lost game four, but they won game five, so you know, it comes down to can they win the game six. The one thing that I do think is in their favor is that, you know, for the first time this series, I think Indiana is going to face some series pressure because they know they have to win this game six because they can't have this go back to a game
seven in New York. You know, so their shots are going to mean something for the first time in this series, and they're just not playing with house money like they've been playing, you know, for for for most of the series. But you know, if if New York doesn't get it done tomorrow night in game six, man oh man, oh man, oh man, are they going to rule game that game one where they allowed uh that historic rally for for oh one definicit?
No man, you called it, and I talked about it on the show as well, and then privately with you know, Nick fan buddies of mine. That's just it's hard to come back from. You know, It's one thing just to lose home court. It's another thing to have your soul snatched from you after losing a game where you clearly
were in the driver's seat. But to me, I'm gonna come back to I'm gonna come back to a couple of things as far as how I believe the Knicks can actually get this done, because I do feel like the way some people have talked about this series isn't necessarily true. I think these two teams are very evenly matched, and I think it's a close situation. I could see Indiana dump trucking New York on Saturday and winning in six. I could see the next winning on Saturday and losing
Game seven of the Garden. And I could see either, you know, I could see any of the three scenarios left on the table actually happening. This is going to come down to effort on defense for New York to close out to get back in transition. Then it's going to come down to possessions, meaning you have to offensive rebound, and then you have to take care of the basketball,
which leads me to a couple of players. Okay, so I love Josh Hart and Josh's you know, his attitude and embracing the role that he's been asked to embrace, coming off the bench and being a bat out of hell has been awesome. But sometimes he makes passes that remind me of like the kid in the neighborhood whose mom forced him to play junior jazz to make friends and he doesn't know how to play. Josh makes some of the dumbest passes that I've ever seen in my life.
And there are moments where Carl Towns just forgets how to play defense, so he grabs onto somebody and just commits fouls. And I hesit to go too hard on Kat because I actually think he's been great and Indiana does not having a matchup for him. He's eating Miles Turner's lunch and your boy Tony Bradley, your boy, Tony Tony Bradley. You know he's not the answer, and neither is Neither is Thomas Bryant. They have nobody to guard Kat. But Caad has to realize, like, let the dude go,
don't grab him, don't commit stupid fouls. You're too important. You need to be on the floor. And there are just some Josh Art passes that leave me scratching my head. This to me, Tony comes down to some simple things for New York, and it's the way Tom coaches, which
is good news. You've got to guard, you have to close out on the PERIMETERI you have to get back in transition, and then it is a possession matchup offensive rebound, which is where Mitchell, Robinson and Cat have the advantage, and then take care of the basketball, do not turn it over. If they can do those things, I still think there's a world where New York wins this.
Series taking care of the basketball. Tomorrow night for me goes to the top of the line by leads and bounds. If Indiana is able to get in transition, force, the pace, force, the tempo, get up and down, the series is over. There's not a road that New York can win that game. So the Knicks are gonna have to take care of the basketball. They're gonna have to get a shot up every possession. They're gonna have to defensive rebounds, and when they defensive rebound, they're gonna have to go and make
those guys guard for twenty four seconds of possession. And they're gonna have to do it without turning the ball over, without giving up turnovers, for touchdowns, without giving up turnovers, and allowing them to play ninety four feet. They want Indiana to have to play forty seven feet, not ninety four feet. They want that game in a half court. Tomorrow. They got the game in a half court for the
first time this series. Even in the Game three that they won, that game was still played in the full court. New York just played, I mean well, kat just played a historic fourth quarter and they they came back and got that one. But other than Game five, Game five was the first game of the series where New York was actually able to slow the pace down and get this game to where get that game to the speed
where they wanted it. And that's going to be really important tomorrow, trying to get that game out of the ninety four feet because you know it's going to be in Bainbridge and it's you know, those guys are gonna get up and try to get up and down the floor, you know, So they have to do that. And the one one subtle thing that they have to do that
not many people are talking about. When New York makes a basket, they have to bust back on defense because any end of the best team in the league at taking that ball out of the net and running off of makee And they've done it over and over and over again this series and figured out ways to get
open shots. And you know when Jalen Bronson or Karl Anthony Towns they go to the basket, you know, when they flail and they get on the floor, whether they make that shot or miss that shot, they got to get up and they got to get back because Indiana's coming back and playing five on four and they've done it over and over and over again in this series. So you know, I agree with every single point that you say. The turnovers to take care of the ball.
If they if they can figure out a way to take care of the ball and get a shot on ninety percent of their possessions, I think they actually have a chance.
Come on that, all right?
Moving over to the West, and I'll just ask the question simply, does it really matter who wins out of the Knicks and the Pacers because it just feels like Oklahoma City. Well, if we're honest and if we're fair, they've had this level all year long. I think people are waiting to see if they had the level in the postseason. So Tony Okase is eighty and eighteen this year, they are twenty nine and one against the East.
The only game they lost was at Cleveland.
Maybe we should just acknowledge that this team is historic. They're great now, They're gonna be great for a long time. Do either of the Knicks or the Pacers have a shot in hell of making the finals?
Interesting, I don't think.
The Knicks too. I think the Knicks lose in five, if not a sweep. I think Indiana can get it to six, maybe seven if they play above their heads because I think in the styles make fights, and I think Indiana plays a style that had the chance to give Oklahoma City some issues. I don't think that Knicks have a chance in hell because you know they play, you know, Jalen Bronson plays a lot of isolation basketball, and you just can't do that against Oklahoma City. You know,
you saw what they did against Anthony Edwards. You saw what they did did against John Morant in the first in the first in the first round. The the difference in the second round, and one of the biggest reasons why Denver was able to take that series to seven is because Denver doesn't Denver doesn't play isolation basketball. You know, they run a lot of gebel handoffs, they run a lot of movement. All five guys handle it, all five
guys shoot it. Obviously, you know there's from Nicola Jokish factor. He's the best player in the world. But you know, they play a brand of basketball to where you know, Alex Carusso and Cason Wallace and Lou Dort just can't key on one ball handler. You know, Minnesota plays a lot of isolation basketball and that just wasn't gonna work. And so you know, The point is Indiana doesn't do that.
Indiana moves the ball. They play you five guys. And the one thing that the Tyreese Halliburton's superpower is that he never ever turns the basketball over and against Oklahoma City. You know, if if that rings true, then you know that's that's a matchup that you know. Okay, So he just hasn't seen so far in this playoffs. Now there's still a better team, and they'll probably still figure it out as the series goes on, and they'll probably still win that series in six. But at least that series
will be to me, will be interesting. Uh, Oklahoma City in New York is going to be a mismatch. I think it ends in five, if not four. So the the answer is if we want to see the finals, that we actually want to watch, rufe for Indiana to win this series.
All right, moving over to Little Jazz before I set you loose, you know, we are a few weeks away. We'll turn our calendars to June coming up on day, and then we've got about three and a half weeks until the draft.
So let's just talk a big picture.
There's not a lot of individual specific things that I can ask you about that we haven't already discussed, so Jazz with two first rounders two second rounders at least that's what they have now, And just wondering what you're hearing about the overall approach. And then I'll actually add a second question just because our listeners will be curious to what your take is. Have you changed your opinion on who best case scenario is at number five as we approach Draft night?
No, I mean best case scenario to me in my opinion is who's ever left out? As you know VJ asked from Trey Johnson or Ace Bailey. You know, I know that you know there's some Conker Nipple talk out there. I know that there's some Jeremiah Fears talk out there. But for me, you know, I think that the Jazz has to take somebody at five that has the outcome of a star or superstar. To me, that's not continental.
I think Continentple is going to score fifteen to eighteen points a game for ten years in the NBA and he's not going to be a superstar or a star. So even if you know with you know the floor that Ash Bailey has, which I think he has, you know, a really low floor, but I also think he has a super high ceiling. You know, I think that the Jazz just have to go ahead and swing if he's the guy that's there at five, and take that chance, because you know, they went and lost sixty five games
this year. You know, you go and you lose sixty five games, and you know you pretty much that's your intentional outcome. You better take somebody that you can develop into a superstar level player or a star level player. And I think that you know, Ah Bailey has you know, a star level outcome at one hundred percent of his ceiling. I think the same of VJ. Askham. I think the same was Trade Johnson. I don't think vjstem will be there at five. I think that he goes either three
or four. And you know, I think that VJ is probably the safest of those three in that tier because of because of his athleticism. I mean, he is a very, very very gifted athlete and he's a very very gifted defender as well. So I think that he's probably my bet to be the first one of those three off the board. And I think that my bet is that Aces is the one that's available to the Jazz at five.
So if I were, if I were the Jazz and I were handicapping this thing, and this is just me talking and not the Utah Jazz, I would be taking Ace Bailly with the fifth pick of the June of the twenty twenty five NBA Draft.
One more thing, I'll set you loose.
Tim McMahon hopped on this week, and I don't know if this was solid intel or Tim just pontificating Kyrie Irving's injury. He floated Colin Sexton out as a potential target for the MAVs to utilize while Kyrie's getting well. The Jazz actually, ironically enough, even though the books are clean, moving forward, they probably will not have a lot of space cap space this summer. I'm going to go out on a limb and say John Collins picks up his thirty.
Million dollar player option.
Now if John doesn't, first of all, wow, Second of all, the Jazz actually have a little flexibility, but I don't think he's going to opt out. So any thoughts on potential moves other than the draft.
They're not in a spot.
To sign a bunch of free agents even if they could, they don't have the cash. So well, they kick the tires on a Colin Sexton, a John Collins, a Jordan Clarkson, the usual suspects. Are there any other avenues to potentially add a little bit of talent outside of the draft capital the Jazz having their back.
Pocket, Well, they'll they'll explore Jon Collin straight for sure. And I would not be surprised John is traded this summer because he'll he'll pick up the player option, but he's going into the last year. It'll be it'll be an expiring and you know, frankly, he had a really good year last year. Uh and yeah, it's just a terrific shooting year.
Act.
So you know, I think that there are teams out there that will give value for a an expiring John Collins. We'll see what happens with Jordans. My guess is that he probably doesn't have uh that kind of value on the market this summer because I don't think he had a great season last year, you know. And we'll see what happens with with Colin section as well. You know, I don't think that the Jazz are averse to trading
any of the three or all of the three. I don't think that they're verse to having those guys on the roster uh going forward. But you know, I do think that John is probably if I had to get that's the most likely to go, just because of the season that he had last year. And then they'll you know, I think the big thing. I think they'll go out and they'll get a veteran point guard this sure, no
matter what happens in the draft. You know, I don't think that they'll go into next year, you know, without giving Isaiah Callier some some some competition at that spot. So uh, I think that they are reasonably sure that Keante George is not a point guard at this point. So you know, I think that that, you know, I think point guard will be uh an area of a focus for them, uh in the offseason.
All right, ton my guy, we'll set you loose. But all I have to say one more time is do not let us win game six.
Win game six. Just don't don't let us do it. Just finishes off. You better finishes off.
That's what I'm saying. All right, brother, good, thanks for the time. I have a great weekend.
All right, Yes, sir, I appreciate.
Tony Jones our guide.
Tony stops about today courtesy of our friends at IFA Country Store, summer vacations and.
Warmer weather, or just beyond the horizon.
As the days grow longer and brightly colored flowers be in making their appearance, it's time to start planning and applying Step two of I Phase four plus annual lawn care program. Designed with a blend of vital macro and micro nutrients. IFA Step two fertilizer promotes strong roots and vibrant colors in your yard.
At IFA and IFA Dot co Op