WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: Who's the best in the East? 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.680 Welcome to this League Uncut rule of twenty four hour 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:05.480 NBA News. 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:09.160 This's you, Chris Haynes. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:18.080 It's time, work's time, it's some time. This League Uncut 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:23.960 is underway and on fire. This should be a good one. 0:00:25.120 --> 0:00:30.280 Welcome in, friends to another edition of this League Uncut. 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:34.400 Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes from Turner Sports. We 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:38.640 promised this in our last episode, which was Dame Heavy. 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:44.040 October is here. We are officially back to two pods 0:00:44.080 --> 0:00:48.919 a week, so you will get your full fix of 0:00:48.960 --> 0:00:52.640 this League Uncut from now through July. You get us 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:56.080 twice a week. I hope. I hope that's news. I 0:00:56.120 --> 0:00:59.560 hope that's welcome news at your house. He is back 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:04.880 from Milwaukee after making his first trip of the season. 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:07.640 Chris Haynes, you went to one of my favorite cities 0:01:07.640 --> 0:01:09.640 in the league. Yes, that is true. That is it. 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:13.200 That is not exaggeration. That is a true statement, even 0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:16.399 in the winter time. I love going to Milwaukee. But 0:01:17.240 --> 0:01:20.120 I saw Dame Lillard say I actually use this quote 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:24.200 in my media day piece today. I saw that, let 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:26.640 me get let me get this quote. Seeing the sun 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:29.440 out and being by the water and stuff like that. 0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:32.399 It made me smile a little bit. This might be 0:01:32.440 --> 0:01:37.480 all right, Dame says about his new hometown. You give 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:40.720 give us the give us the vibe. What what was 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:45.160 it like to uh to be there on the official 0:01:45.280 --> 0:01:47.760 first day of the Jannis and Dame era. 0:01:49.040 --> 0:01:51.680 Well, I guess it's good that he arrived in Milwaukee 0:01:51.880 --> 0:01:54.120 this past weekend because I don't know how long that 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:56.680 sun is going to be out. It might have had 0:01:56.680 --> 0:02:00.960 a different story next week. It was really I'm playing, 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:04.920 but it was really a beautiful weekend, Milwaukee, beautiful day. 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:08.200 I spent the entire day with him, most of the 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:12.160 day with him Saturday. Uh, they arrived as soon as 0:02:12.200 --> 0:02:16.880 they arrived on on Land in Milwaukee, went straight to 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:22.440 the rally I was. I went in so soon as 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:24.840 he touched down, he went, He walked through the rally path, 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:27.680 you know, waved the fans. You know this video footage 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:31.680 of that. And then what there was where there wasn't 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:35.160 much footage is when we went into the arena and 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:40.800 they had the Bucks had NBA employee, I mean, excuse me, 0:02:40.840 --> 0:02:47.760 Bucks personnel just standing throughout the arena holding big Dame face, 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:52.440 uh Dick, you know big Dame faces. And you know 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:56.000 there was posters there was. It reminded me like you 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:58.359 just the a recruiting trip, like if you're you know, 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:01.160 if you're a big time college recruit and they. 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:03.640 Just got him already. 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:06.239 Yeah, they had him already, Yeah, but they still gotta 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:09.160 put on the show. Uh. And so you know, they 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:12.880 walk all through the concourse of the arena, through the 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.520 corridors of the arena, and you know, Dame time, welcome 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:20.200 Dame and his family, you know, all over the video 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:23.320 the video tron in the arena, and then as soon 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:25.560 as you walk into the arena, they did the PA 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:30.600 announcer did his intro and uh, you know it's just 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:33.440 you know, it was a long, winning intro, just where 0:03:33.480 --> 0:03:35.840 he's from and all that, and then announcing him as 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:39.920 the Milwaukee Bucks. Then we took a tour of the 0:03:39.920 --> 0:03:42.560 the locker room, took a tour of the practice facility, 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:45.600 took a tour of the family room, and uh, it 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:49.080 was a cool it was a cool set up. It's 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:51.040 a cool setup. They did a really good job. But 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:54.440 then he met with Gianni's met with Terry Stotts, who 0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:57.680 is his who was the assistant coach of the Bucks, 0:03:57.800 --> 0:04:00.560 but who was his coach for most of his career Portland, 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:05.800 Adrian Griffin the head coach, and he just I remember 0:04:05.840 --> 0:04:09.440 steying like and okay before that, before I say that. 0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:15.360 And then the Bucks gave him at got him a condo, 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:21.680 a condo in downtown Milwaukee, overlooking the river, overlooking the bridge, 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:25.719 beautiful view on a on a high floor. 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:28.680 So he's already sat where he was. He's gonna live 0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:30.600 because that was actually gonna be one of my questions. Yeah, 0:04:30.600 --> 0:04:34.080 we talked so much about the basketball adjustment and you know, 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:36.880 moving to a new team, but but really, when you think, 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:40.360 I mean, he's he's been so ensconced in that Portland 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:44.480 community to move to just moving to Milwaukee, that's that's 0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:48.039 probably gotta be the the biggest difference of anything. 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:51.760 Yeah, that's the That's that's the biggest transition that that's 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:54.920 what he was worried about, you know, thinking about where 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:56.560 he's going to have his kids, where his kids are 0:04:56.600 --> 0:04:59.200 going to go to school at and all that. But yeah, 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:02.600 the Bucks got to have him a condo. This this temporary, 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:06.800 but the condo was nice. They they fully furnished it 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:09.720 with everything they had food, had the fridge filled up 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:12.640 with drinks and everything, like they the Bucks went all out. 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:17.640 But my my guess, you know, I'm giving, I'm giving 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:22.920 a little real estate, uh real estate nugget. My guess 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:28.120 is he'll probably end up taking the home of somebody 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:32.040 who just vacated the Bucks and went elsewhere. That's that's 0:05:32.120 --> 0:05:35.760 my guess. But uh, he was at the end of 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:37.560 that night. That's what I was getting to. At the 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:40.120 end of the night, he text me. It was late 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:41.960 at night, he had to take his physical. He didn't 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:46.240 get in till like midnight. After that whole day. Uh, 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:48.120 he text me, this is where I'm supposed to be. 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:52.560 And so they they showed him a time, they showed him. 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:55.440 He was impressed, and you know, he's all in. 0:05:57.040 --> 0:05:59.840 Because it's interesting. Didn't he say that he plans to 0:05:59.880 --> 0:06:02.240 living He plans to keep living in Portland in the 0:06:02.240 --> 0:06:03.080 off season. 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:07.839 Right, Yeah, because he just had a crazy matching built. 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:11.920 It just completed about two months ago. Crazy. I haven't 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:15.240 even got the He was supposed to have a housewoman 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:18.120 party there, but he never did because this situation was 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:21.279 up in the air. But yeah, that that place he's keeping, 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:23.520 that place, that's that's going to be his off season home. 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:25.960 And you know he's gonna he's gonna stay there after 0:06:26.000 --> 0:06:26.719 his career is over. 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:31.680 That's interesting. Well, look, I mean, let's let let us 0:06:31.720 --> 0:06:34.200 talk about the I have a feeling. You know, I 0:06:34.240 --> 0:06:37.320 know your answer, and I've basically written this already. I 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:41.120 still say Milwaukee is the slight favorite in the East, 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:43.960 even after what Boston did, and what Boston did was 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:47.880 Milwaukee's worst nightmare. Milwaukee has to give up the beloved 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:51.240 Drew Holliday to Portland to get Dame, and what happens 0:06:51.279 --> 0:06:55.400 Portland trades Drew Holliday to Milwaukee's biggest rival. But even 0:06:55.600 --> 0:07:01.279 saying so, I'm still giving Milwaukee the edge, And it 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:04.400 kind of makes me laugh because like when Milwaukee, when 0:07:04.440 --> 0:07:06.880 the Bucks make the trade for Dame, you hear a 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:09.200 lot of oh this is you know, they didn't improve 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:11.720 that much. You know their perimeter defense is going to 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:13.880 be so much weaker with Dame that you know this 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:15.760 doesn't really improve them. And then the same thing with 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:19.200 the Celtics. You know they got true Holiday, but yeah, 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:21.280 you know, now their front line is so weak, they've 0:07:21.280 --> 0:07:24.000 got no depth, and it's like there's no trade that 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:27.320 just makes you an automatic champion and you're you know 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:29.640 that you have no weaknesses. I mean, if that was 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:33.760 the case, we'd really be miserable as a collective, uh, 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:36.240 you know, basketball public, because we don't want this thing 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:38.400 to be decided in October. I mean, these teams are 0:07:38.400 --> 0:07:41.960 supposed to have some flaws and some things wrong with them. 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:47.240 But I just my feeling on it is that what 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:51.040 Dame is going to bring Milwaukee offensively is really what 0:07:51.120 --> 0:07:54.320 they've lacked, and it's gonna give them a dimension they 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:58.240 haven't had in they honest era. I think Milwaukee they 0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:03.400 have enough defensive minded players without Drew Holliday. Okay, none 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:05.800 of them are locked down guards, but they have enough 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:08.520 defensive minded players that they're still going to be a 0:08:08.520 --> 0:08:12.720 good defensive team. And again, Dame addresses their number one 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:16.400 biggest weakness, which is in playoff basketball. They're now going 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:20.520 to have something dynamic in the half court to ease 0:08:20.600 --> 0:08:23.240 Jannis's burden, and for the first time in both of 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:26.480 their lives, Jiannis and Dame are really going to get 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:29.440 to co share the burden of trying to carry a 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:34.960 team to a championship. Boston's top six is incredible. Drew 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:38.280 Holliday and Derek White are going to be sensational in 0:08:38.360 --> 0:08:43.320 the backcourt together. I'm rooting for Chris tops Porzingis. I'm 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:47.679 fond of the guy. I just but they're asking a 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:51.679 lot of him now to not just stay healthy, but 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:55.120 be super mobile on defense, maybe move more than he's 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:57.800 ever had to unless they change their skin, you know, 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:01.360 I guess they could go you with the drop coverage 0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:04.920 with Porzingis as being their their main rim protection. But 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:09.439 they're asking a lot now of Chris stops Porzingis and 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:12.560 Al Horford, who is you know, getting up there? So 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:15.880 both teams have questions. I'm going to give the Bucks 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:18.640 a slight edge. Tell me, tell me how you view 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:20.400 the top two in the East right now? 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:25.320 I agree, I'll give the Bucks the edge. And you know, 0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:27.880 I'll give the Bucks the edge just for not just 0:09:27.920 --> 0:09:31.959 for but their continuity. They know each other, they've been there, 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:36.640 the championship pedigree. Then you add Dame who is going 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:39.040 to be that difference maker of five minutes left in 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:42.800 the game, playoff type basketball when you really need a bucket. 0:09:42.960 --> 0:09:46.320 You know, that's where he's going to change the trajectory 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:49.520 up the Bucks on that side of the ball. Defensively. 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:52.480 You know, he's not a Drew Hollday defensive player. But 0:09:52.559 --> 0:09:55.319 you know, Dane addressed that at media days, like when 0:09:55.360 --> 0:10:01.880 you have a great team defensively, a lot of times 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:04.440 that can rub off into you. And he talked about 0:10:04.520 --> 0:10:07.160 you know, listen, yeah you can say I wasn't a 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:10.480 great defender in Portland. He did say he got better 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:12.800 each year, but he had to show the so much 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:14.880 of the load on the offensive end, so he had 0:10:14.920 --> 0:10:16.840 to give up something on one side of the ball, 0:10:17.400 --> 0:10:20.120 and a lot of times it was on the defensive end. 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:22.160 But you know he's ready for that challenge on that 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:24.280 end the floor. But what I would say to Boston 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:28.520 is they still lack. They still leave a lot to 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:32.200 be desired in the interior. You know, that's where Milwaukee 0:10:32.320 --> 0:10:36.440 can still feast in the interior. And you are asking 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:39.080 Chris stat Pazingers to do a lot something he hasn't 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:42.319 done really in his whole NBA career and been successful 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:45.480 at a high rate and at a consistent rate. So 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:49.079 I still think that's where the Bucks have the upper hand. 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:52.199 And then yes, Derek White, Drew Holliday, they're going to 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:57.000 be a force, you know, arguably the best defensive backcourt 0:10:57.040 --> 0:11:00.959 in the league. You're not stopping Dame. You know, you're 0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:04.720 not stopping Dame, you know, and I think that that's 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:05.440 what the bucks. 0:11:05.480 --> 0:11:07.160 But you know what, you know what people are going 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:11.320 to say. People are going to say. People are gonna say, first, oh, 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:13.640 you guys, just you love Dame. You're this is a 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:15.679 pro Dame podcast. Of course you're going to say that. 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:17.720 And the other thing they're going to say is, remember 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:20.400 what happened in twenty eighteen when New Orleans played Portland 0:11:20.400 --> 0:11:21.839 and Drew locked Dame up. 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:24.320 So I mean, I you know, okay, I mean you 0:11:24.320 --> 0:11:26.400 can look I mean, you can say that, but look 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:29.600 at I mean, that was okay, let's talk about that. 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:31.520 Let's let's talk about this stun. Let's go back to 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:35.600 that playoff series against the Pelicans years ago. Dame didn't 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:39.079 have help, you know, so they it was a boxing 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:42.120 one they played majority of the of the time in 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:44.800 that series. It wasn't no one on one defensive, you know. 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:47.920 The the goal was to get the ball out of 0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:51.080 his hands, which for most for the most part, that work, 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:53.400 and then Dame had to rely on others who didn't 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:56.600 step up. And then when Dame wanted to try to 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:58.520 get going, he had to force it because they were 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:00.960 getting the ball out of his hands. Look just look 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:03.400 at the look at the two games against the Bucks 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:07.600 last year, the year before that. You're not stopping Damn. 0:12:07.600 --> 0:12:10.560 He was second in scoring last year, you know. So 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:12.600 that I'm not saying anything Drew would tell you that. 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:16.120 So we're not saying anything that nobody knows. But yes, 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:18.560 you know you have to give Drew how they are 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:20.840 the credit in the world in a defensive end. But 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:26.160 you're not stopping Dame. And Dame provides the spacing, not 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:29.559 traditional spacing, not traditional spacing that most players do or 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:32.920 just stand one foot behind the line. Nah, Dame is 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:36.040 back three four feet behind the line. That's going to 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.680 give so much space and allowed Gianna's so much room 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:41.439 to Rome and there's so much spacing where you can 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:44.800 start to pick and rolls for so far out. And 0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:47.120 then you got Chris Middleton on the opposite side of wing. 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:50.560 You know, that's that's that's a dynamic they've never had. 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:54.640 That's a dynamic that only about two teams. Half is 0:12:54.800 --> 0:12:56.440 Portland and go. 0:12:57.000 --> 0:13:00.280 Chris Middleton is going to be so much Chris Middleton 0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:02.560 will be so much better served being the third best 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:04.920 player on Milwaukee's team rather than the second no. 0:13:04.960 --> 0:13:09.120 Question, he told me Stein Chris told me yesterday he 0:13:09.320 --> 0:13:12.880 expects all three to have a career year. That's say 0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:13.280 in a lot. 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:20.760 And look, let me just say this about Boston. You know, 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:25.480 I like what they did. I really do, even though 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:28.720 we're gonna raise questions about their depth beyond the top six, 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:32.080 even though we're gonna raise questions about can Porzingis and 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:38.560 Al Horford counter Milwaukee's front line, because Boston has had 0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:42.000 a very good run of success, but many many years 0:13:42.000 --> 0:13:44.600 in a row of not getting it done. They haven't 0:13:44.600 --> 0:13:49.439 won a championship with their start twosoon. But this approach 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:53.200 that they've taken is we're not gonna break up Jason 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:57.280 Tatum and Jalen Brown, no matter what the outside noise is. No, 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:00.000 we are not breaking up those two guys. We're gonna 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:02.400 change everything else around them, but we're not going to 0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:06.000 break that up. And and so you know, I I 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:10.320 do think these are bold swings that Brad Stevens has taken. 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:14.680 And it's fascinating because you know, as a coach, Brad 0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:19.400 Stevens was not associated with bold. You know that just 0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:23.680 that wasn't his rep. He was seen as this conservative coach, 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:27.520 but as a as a front office guy, he is 0:14:27.640 --> 0:14:33.240 just taking these home run swings and there's no getting 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:39.560 around it. I mean, Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, Rob Williams, 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:46.800 I mean they've they've made major changes to their team, 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:51.720 but to bring in Porzingis and Drew Holliday, I mean, 0:14:51.760 --> 0:14:56.080 the you know, they've they've attacked this as aggressively as 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:58.240 they can. I think the Celtics basically are trying to 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:01.240 tell us they know their time is now and they've 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:03.280 got to win. They've got to win here, and so 0:15:03.520 --> 0:15:06.960 they're going for it, and you have to I applauded. 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:10.040 Plauded also started on the flip end. I know it's 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:13.320 not involving these two teams Milwaukee and Boston, but you 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:16.600 got to get credit to what Portland was able to 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:21.440 do and getting getting done the DAMI little trade and 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:25.120 what they got in return. Like they they pulled out 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:30.960 something that many not many foresaw them doing. And uh 0:15:31.040 --> 0:15:33.840 now they're still in position to add more assets with 0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:36.920 with Malcolm Brogden still being over there, so they still 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:39.400 got a chance to add to their their haul that 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:44.480 they've that they've retrieved and so you know, Joe Cronin 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:49.120 did did a did an unbelievable job. Unbelievable job. You 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:50.840 got to give them props for that for sure. 0:15:51.000 --> 0:15:54.040 Yeah, and you know you mentioned Brogden, who I left 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:55.840 out at I mean, so, I mean the four key 0:15:55.880 --> 0:16:02.560 guys from Boston's team. They've surrendered smart Malcolm Broggen, Rob Williams, 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:06.400 Grant Williams to bring in Holiday, to bring in Porzingis. 0:16:07.080 --> 0:16:10.400 And you know, you're right, Portland has done better than 0:16:10.440 --> 0:16:13.600 I think a lot of people were expecting. All summer long. 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:17.800 There was this assumption that it was inevitable that they 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:21.200 were finally in a cave and just send Dame to Miami. 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:23.320 And you know, you had such a great story, which 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:26.560 we talked about at length in the last episode detailing 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:31.320 just how Frosty had got between Portland and Team Lillard. 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:35.640 But look, the Blazers, they got a lot back. Their 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:40.240 position was vindicated. They not only were able to do 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:44.280 this before training camp starts, so they could start over, 0:16:44.640 --> 0:16:48.640 really start over, and Scoot Henderson. The Scoot Henderson era 0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:54.680 begins with clarity and not some trade saga cloud hanging 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:58.320 over the franchise. But you know they waited and Milwaukee 0:16:58.520 --> 0:17:02.840 surfaced as a real trade partner. And maybe in mid August, 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:05.359 you know, Milwaukee was not a real trade partner, but 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:09.800 by mid September, Milwaukee became very real. You know, what 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:13.480 about the heat? Where did the heat go from here? 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:16.199 I know you were in Milwaukee all day Monday, but 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:20.240 I'm guessing you you saw Jimmy Butler at training camp, 0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:22.800 and everybody wants to talk about his Everybody wants to 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:27.000 talk about his Halloween costume. But I'm I'm more fixated, frankly, 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:30.840 on Jimmy. Jimmy is saying, see you guys in the finals. 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:34.560 This is our year. We're winning this one. And you know, 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:40.480 the man is oozing stubborn confidence. It's hard to look 0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:43.640 at Miami's team and say, they didn't get Bradley Beal, 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:46.719 they didn't get Damian Lillard, they lost Max Strus, they 0:17:46.760 --> 0:17:49.479 lost Gabe Vincent. How are they gonna win? How are 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:51.880 they gonna how are they gonna get out of the East? 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:54.399 But good luck trying to tell good luck trying to 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:56.919 convince Jimmy Butler that they had a bad summer. 0:17:57.840 --> 0:18:00.359 Yeah, he's the ultimate competitor. So I give him props 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:02.399 and I give him credit for taking on that stance 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:06.359 and saying that and saying it with conviction. But I 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:09.720 don't see it. I don't see it. It was a tough 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:14.240 summer for the Miami Heat, very tough summer. I don't know. 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:19.760 You know, I don't scroll through Twitter or x whatever 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:21.960 it's called nowadays. I don't scroll through as much as 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:25.120 I used to. And uh, you know, I used to 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:26.000 be on it a lot. 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:29.040 And you're trying to make yourself sound so old. Come on, man, 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:29.600 I am old. 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:32.439 So we're getting up there, Stan, Come on, I'm right 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:33.280 there with you. Stan. 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:37.480 If you're old, I'm finished. If you're old, I'm done. 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:38.320 I'm washed. 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:41.159 Some people get old somebody. Some people get old faster. 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:43.640 I think that's just what's happened to me. I wasn't 0:18:43.680 --> 0:18:46.639 old this time last year, but it's starting to hit. 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:48.320 Me by the way. You just remind me a rival 0:18:48.400 --> 0:18:51.399 reporter who we're both fond of. I'm not going to 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:55.320 say his name. He heard your speech about how you 0:18:55.359 --> 0:18:59.119 know you you're having all these knee issues, but that 0:18:59.119 --> 0:19:01.280 that you still put up twenty three and five at 0:19:01.280 --> 0:19:05.760 your last pickup game, and he and I have to say, 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:10.360 I kind of I'm with him question the five assists, like, oh, 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.400 we buy the twenty three points, we buy, We're not 0:19:13.440 --> 0:19:14.959 sure about the five assists. 0:19:15.359 --> 0:19:18.800 Well, tell Tim McMahon he got he got another thing. 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:24.159 Tell him that, Tell him that he got another thing coming. 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:27.680 Tell you if I'm playing against him, yeah, you might 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:30.080 not see those five assists. The points are just going 0:19:30.119 --> 0:19:32.440 to go up. Yeah, if you're playing against him, don't 0:19:32.440 --> 0:19:35.040 don't tell him coming me like that, don't come. 0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:39.080 You know what, props props because he clearly, he clearly, 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:42.199 he cly, he clearly questioned you directly to you, So 0:19:42.320 --> 0:19:43.359 props to him. 0:19:43.640 --> 0:19:47.920 Yeah. Okay, Well I still get up and if he's 0:19:48.000 --> 0:19:51.280 anywhere near the paint anywhere in the vicinity, I'm taking 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:54.080 him along for the ride up upwards. 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:57.720 So okay, we have to bring back the media game. 0:19:57.880 --> 0:20:00.440 We we have to bring back the game. 0:20:00.640 --> 0:20:01.439 We have to. 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:03.639 I will not be I will not be playing. I 0:20:03.680 --> 0:20:06.320 will not be playing, but I will be I will 0:20:06.359 --> 0:20:09.680 be court side observing. 0:20:10.760 --> 0:20:15.719 Yeah, I will be there. Look at you. See how 0:20:15.760 --> 0:20:20.800 I guess your guess, your little anonymous veteran NBA reporter, 0:20:20.920 --> 0:20:21.840 I guess who was Like. 0:20:21.880 --> 0:20:23.400 That's what I'm saying, That's what I'm saying, he must 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:25.880 have he must have said something directly to you which 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:29.600 I got was always talking ship because I didn't. I 0:20:29.640 --> 0:20:31.760 did not give up. I did not give that up. 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:35.480 Okay, yeah, he always talking ship, But Tim, I got you. 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:38.080 But what was I saying? I'm old? Oh yeah, I 0:20:38.080 --> 0:20:40.840 don't look at Twitter as much, and so I usually, 0:20:40.880 --> 0:20:43.040 like a lot of times, I go scroll and just 0:20:43.480 --> 0:20:47.000 check out what different fans of teams are saying, saying 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:49.800 with the narrative is seeing, you know, And I did 0:20:49.840 --> 0:20:52.760 a little bit of that from the Miami standpoint when 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:55.080 it went down, and there was a lot of you know, 0:20:55.080 --> 0:20:58.119 as soon as the Bucks got dag, there was a 0:20:58.160 --> 0:21:00.680 lot of finger pointing, you know, finger point that pat 0:21:01.560 --> 0:21:04.399 the Miami heat. Did they offer enough? Were they aggressive? 0:21:04.920 --> 0:21:10.240 Did they what was the other where they arrogant? Did 0:21:10.280 --> 0:21:12.560 they just think that there wasn't a market for them 0:21:12.600 --> 0:21:14.879 so they didn't put forth their best offer? You know, 0:21:14.920 --> 0:21:17.600 I saw all the all those things. You know. All 0:21:17.640 --> 0:21:20.080 I can say is that, you know, from what I 0:21:20.119 --> 0:21:22.320 was told, you know, they they did everything they could 0:21:22.359 --> 0:21:24.679 to try to get into the Andy, try to get 0:21:24.720 --> 0:21:27.879 into the Dame Sweet stakes, but uh, it just didn't. 0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:30.840 It just didn't happen. So but yes, Stein, I'm with you. 0:21:31.040 --> 0:21:32.920 It's hard for me to look at that roster right 0:21:32.960 --> 0:21:37.000 now of the Miami Heat and think that they're anywhere 0:21:37.040 --> 0:21:39.359 near a favorite to be in the East Side. There'll 0:21:39.400 --> 0:21:41.520 be a championship content I mean, excuse me, there'll be 0:21:41.600 --> 0:21:45.520 a playoff contended team. They'll definitely be a hard out, 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:48.879 because Eric Sposier coach teams are always a hard out. 0:21:49.240 --> 0:21:52.040 But they're not above the Bucks. They're not above the Celtics. 0:21:52.240 --> 0:21:55.600 I don't think they're even above the Sixers, even if 0:21:55.720 --> 0:21:58.719 James Harden is there or not. And so they got 0:21:58.760 --> 0:22:01.840 a ways to go. But stop. As you know, in 0:22:01.880 --> 0:22:06.200 the playoffs, a lot of times it's largely about where 0:22:06.200 --> 0:22:10.200 you're placed to see the path you have to get 0:22:10.280 --> 0:22:13.120 to the finals. So we'll see. 0:22:14.600 --> 0:22:16.359 Okay, we're gonna move on to the Sixers in a 0:22:16.400 --> 0:22:18.359 minute here, but before we do, I don't know if 0:22:18.400 --> 0:22:20.480 you saw this, since since you're so old now and 0:22:20.520 --> 0:22:22.760 you don't look at you don't look at Twitter anymore. 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:26.920 In Milwaukee, one of our listeners he only goes by 0:22:27.000 --> 0:22:29.680 at Bucks two three, three four, so he didn't leave 0:22:29.720 --> 0:22:33.040