WEBVTT - The BroadCast | Friday Deep Dive - Doris Burke Dishes on Sixers 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.680 search seventy Sixers podcast wherever you get your pods. Joel 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:12.720 Embiid has been fantastic, But just how fantastic when he 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:16.160 is engaged and focused and locked in and in shape 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:18.520 and healthy and all those things. Is there any reason 0:00:18.600 --> 0:00:20.600 this guy can't be the best player in the league. 0:00:20.640 --> 0:00:24.160 There's no reason he couldn't be an MVP. Yep, that's her, 0:00:24.440 --> 0:00:27.920 the one and only Hall of Famer Doris Burke. What 0:00:28.000 --> 0:00:29.840 about her thoughts on the rest of the team. You 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:32.839 love all the pieces they've put together, truly, and I'm 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:35.639 intrigued to see where it goes. I'm bullish on the Sixers. 0:00:35.720 --> 0:00:40.159 Where that goes? Who knows. ESPN's Doris Burke joins us 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:47.839 for this week's Friday Deep Dive. It is the weekly 0:00:47.920 --> 0:00:51.559 Friday Deep Dive here on the broadcast. I'm Brian Seltzer. 0:00:51.680 --> 0:00:55.160 Great to be with you, Lauren Rosen and you Divine Gibbons. 0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:57.440 But with all due respect the two of you and 0:00:57.480 --> 0:01:01.560 you're great people. It is really really, really, really really 0:01:01.560 --> 0:01:05.280 great to welcome in the one and only Doris Burke 0:01:05.520 --> 0:01:08.600 from ESPN. She and Mike Green had to call Wednesday 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:10.319 night at the Center. They're gonna be back at it 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:12.680 again on Friday at seven thirty when the two game 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:15.679 series wraps up. Doris got a lot to get into 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:19.120 big picture stuff surrounding the seventy sixers, But first we 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:22.040 got to react to what we saw on Wednesday. Now 0:01:23.640 --> 0:01:27.760 dominant performance with forty two points, ten redounds day outscore 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:32.200 the Celtics thirty one seventeen in the fourth quarter, and 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:34.680 now they improved to ten and five. Joel and b 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:38.000 Doris off the chart stuff in the Sixers win. What 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:41.600 level do you think he's playing at right now? Yeah, listen, 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:45.400 I said to Mike Breen, I said, listen to peace 0:01:45.800 --> 0:01:48.960 when he is engaged and focused and locked in and 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:51.520 in shape and healthy and all those things. Is there 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:53.680 any reason this guy can't be the best player in 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:56.720 the league. And you know we both at the same response, 0:01:57.160 --> 0:01:59.480 there is, there's no reason he couldn't be an MDP 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:02.200 best player in the league. I mean, look a look 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:06.240 at the way he dominated last night. On every touch 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:09.920 you felt like he was going to score or his 0:02:10.080 --> 0:02:12.919 past was going to lead to a score. So it's 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:16.000 fun to watch him when he's when he's on the 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:18.160 floor and healthy and engaged. I just he's one of 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:24.640 the most entertaining players, physically punishing yet unbelievably light feet, 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:28.520 feathery touch. What a pleasure, What a pleasure to watch 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:30.960 him like that and endorsed. I know a lot of 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:33.440 people when you say all of those things about him, 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:36.440 be that's the sentiment for a lot of sixer fans. 0:02:36.480 --> 0:02:38.600 Of course, So when you look at him and he's 0:02:38.600 --> 0:02:41.280 putting all those things together right now in the games 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:43.720 that he has played, what does it take for a 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:47.520 player who's on the cusp of that MVP consideration to 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:50.560 really take it to that next level? Yeah? You know 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:54.040 what we admire I think about professional athletes who is 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:57.960 they're capable of excellence, But maybe the most elusive of 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:03.080 all things in life is sustained excellence, sustained greatness. You know, 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:07.240 there's a price to be paid, and you guys know this. 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:11.640 There are so many tremendous athletes in the NBA and 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:15.280 tremendously good players. But what separates the good from the great? 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:18.200 Is it more mental or physical? A combination of both? 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:24.320 Is it the interior drive and motivation? You know? And 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:27.160 I'm intrigued by Joel and the fact that he said 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:29.920 he wants to be Defensive Player of the Year, and 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:33.799 the fact that you know he was I don't I 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:35.400 don't want to put words in his mouth. I don't 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:38.160 remember exactly what he said, annoyed, angry, whatever the case 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:41.880 may be. Not being named all NBA caught his attention 0:03:42.440 --> 0:03:46.040 and you know, at least his motivation. But you know, 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:50.680 when I think about Lebron James in particular, knowing that 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:53.640 it feels like it's a twenty four to seven cycle 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:58.440 for Lebron. You know, he plans out his year, he 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:01.360 maps his year, He spend significant amount of money, as 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:04.200 Joel is now committed to to get that nutritionist, and 0:04:04.720 --> 0:04:07.480 you know all the things that go into it. Greatness 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:11.360 comes at a price, and you got to pay that price. 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:16.040 Dori's been looking around the roster. Tobias Harris came out 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:18.280 really strong last night, and I know Joel told you 0:04:18.279 --> 0:04:20.400 guys that he thinks that Tobias should be an All 0:04:20.400 --> 0:04:23.880 Star this year. What have your impressions been of Tobias? 0:04:23.920 --> 0:04:26.200 Does he look different to you this year? Yeah? You 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:29.000 know what, I thought, you saw the best of Tobias 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:31.520 last night. Right if there was a mismatch he could 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:34.159 take that player down to the post and sort of 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:37.400 punish them on the box. You know, I've read sort 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:40.200 of the comments that Doc is the Tobias Whisperer, that is, 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:44.520 shooting percentage under Doc Rivers from from range is better. 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:47.839 You know, I don't know. I feel like the Sixers 0:04:47.920 --> 0:04:52.080 fit better. You know, Joel has alluded to this on 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:57.640 a number of occasions. Right when I think about Joel's comfortability, 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:00.920 I think about the first couple of years JJ Reddick 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.120 and how they would so often go to that two 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:05.720 man game to start the game because it got both 0:05:05.760 --> 0:05:08.800 men in the flow and once you had to contend 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.120 with them. Now you're going to get Ben going downhill 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:15.359 on you, or offensive rebound putback dunk. You know, I 0:05:15.480 --> 0:05:18.960 like Tobias. He's always been the consummate professional, easy for 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:21.320 us to deal with, and there's so much you've got 0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:25.240 to contend with its size at skill. Yeah, I thought 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:28.720 he was tremendous, Absolutely tremendous. Maybe Doc is the Tobias 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:33.520 whisper So how did we arrive at this point where 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:37.120 Doc Rivers is coaching the Philadelphia seventy sixers, And I 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:39.279 think the last time we saw the seventy Sixers go 0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:42.640 up against the Boston Celtics in a meaningful situation to us. 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:44.920 I know you had that series down in the bubble 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:47.200 in the first round, and I think everyone at that 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:49.919 point in time could tell that there was change coming 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:53.440 for the seventy Sixers. If I'm the Sixers, you didn't 0:05:53.520 --> 0:05:57.240 arrive at this place this season. I think you have 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:00.920 to look at your organization from top down. So now 0:06:00.960 --> 0:06:03.360 that we're here and we talk about the coaching change, first, 0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:05.159 can you kind of walk us through your reaction to 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:08.400 first Doc parting ways with the Clippers and then how 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:11.840 swiftly it came together with him in the seventy six Ers. Yeah. 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:15.440 You know, it's interesting. I've often listened and heard with 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:19.240 curiosity this theory that coach and it used to be 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:24.239 I think more adhered to where organizations believe that coaches 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:27.880 had a certain window of time within which the players 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:30.360 were listening to them, and then you know that that 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:33.279 window you paid attention to it. I don't. I don't 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:37.120 know if that's the case. I really thought we might 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:40.760 have acquired a new colleague when Doc left the Clippers. 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:44.839 I really did, and I've worked with Doc. Believe it 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:48.120 or not, way back when when he was between Orlando 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:52.360 and Boston. He worked with us for that year, and 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:56.599 there's a great story I could tell you if you 0:06:56.680 --> 0:07:01.680 want me to after I answer this question. But you know, 0:07:01.720 --> 0:07:03.400 I don't know how we arrived at the spot. I 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:05.520 did think Doc would come and at least take some time. 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:07.880 He's been coaching for a long time. He's been under 0:07:07.920 --> 0:07:11.800 that pressure in the spotlight, although he wears it so easily. 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:15.720 He wears the mantle of head coach so easily, you know. 0:07:15.720 --> 0:07:18.400 And I saw Seth Curry's comments. He's honest with us. 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:20.880 He tells us the truth whether we want to hear 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:23.600 it or not. And there's there's an authenticity and a 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:29.239 humility about Doc that I find a feeling. So I'm 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:32.320 always intrigued by how these people navigate to their spots. 0:07:32.320 --> 0:07:35.080 But I think that the Sexer's got a tremendous coach 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:40.840 in Doc Rivers. We got to hear what that story is. Yeah, So, 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:43.360 so the year Doc works with us, I am very 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:47.320 new to the project. I'm strictly sideline. I'm still doing 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:50.400 women's college, men's college. I'm a reporter on Dick Vitals. 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:53.400 I mean, this is going back a while, but Doc 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:56.840 comes on board, and I'm new. This is like within 0:07:57.640 --> 0:08:00.120 I don't know how many of my first whatever games 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:04.200 on the NBA project for ESPN. And you know how 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:08.160 travel goes, guys. So Mike Breen is with Doc and 0:08:08.240 --> 0:08:10.640 I and I'm the sideline and we've got to get 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:13.000 from our hotel to wherever the Lakers are staying. And 0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:18.760 Phil Jackson is our scheduled interview that morning, and I 0:08:18.800 --> 0:08:21.640 can't I won't remember it verbatim, but Doc has on 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:25.280 occasion brought this up to me over the years. So Doc, 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:28.560 we're in the car on the way, you know, from 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:30.840 one hotel to the other, and Mike Breen is not landed. 0:08:30.880 --> 0:08:33.440 He's called the Knicks game the night before, can't get in. 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:35.560 Doc turns to me and says, all right to ours, 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:39.920 you're going to interview Phil Jackson. And I panic. I'm like, what, 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:43.280 So now you're rattling through your head. I'm new to 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:46.520 the project. I'm going to interview Phil Jackson. Phil comes 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:50.720 in the room. John Black is the PR director and 0:08:50.760 --> 0:08:53.360 where you know, it's always hurry up and wait for 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:56.360 the players or the coaches into this ballroom in a hotel, 0:08:56.480 --> 0:09:00.400 comes you know, comes coach, and he sits down, and 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:03.080 you know how massive a guy Phil Jackson is. His 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:08.760 shoulders are so wide he's, however tall he is. I'm terrified. 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:14.320 My heart is pounding. And he basically kind of unfolds 0:09:14.400 --> 0:09:17.440 himself in the chair and finally looks up and we 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:19.920 meet eye to eye. After John Black and said, hey, 0:09:20.000 --> 0:09:22.160 this is Doris. She's going to ask you a few questions. 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:26.120 But before I could get to that line, Phil Jackson 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:29.680 says something along the lines of, now, Doris, tell me, 0:09:30.120 --> 0:09:33.000 why are you sitting in that chair asking me questions 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:40.600 or something along those lines, and I'm stunned, but I said, well, coach, 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:43.920 or maybe he might as it something like what qualifies 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:47.320 you or how did you get there? I said, well, well, 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:50.560 Coach Jackson, I've played and I've coached the game, I said, 0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:52.199 but I don't think either one of those is a 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:55.080 prerequisite for the job I'm about to do. I said, 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:57.960 we're ready to go, and he was like yep. And 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:01.880 Doc on a Asian because we walked out of there, 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:04.559 my brain still wasn't there. And Doc said, boy, I'm 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:06.720 glad you handled that, because I didn't know which way 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:13.680 to go that I will never forget that. Yeah, So, 0:10:13.920 --> 0:10:16.640 knowing Doc as well as you do, and almost a 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:19.400 little maybe being coached by him or coached into doing 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:22.800 things by him, what do you think Doc brings to 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:25.959 this team that can make him work so well with 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:30.160 this group at this time. Well, I think, first and foremost, 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:32.160 you know who he is as a man. You know, 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:35.640 um there, as I said, there's a level of humility, 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:41.200 and listen, he's coaching young African American men, not all obviously, 0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:46.240 but a good percentage of the league. And I you know, 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:48.680 I think his experiences as a young man. You know, 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:50.560 he talks off and I believe his father was a 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:53.120 police officer growing up in Chicago. Mike Breen and I 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:55.679 were touching based on not a little bit last night 0:10:55.720 --> 0:11:00.480 before the game. He was a player and a long 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:03.640 time player in the league. So I think there are 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:07.800 so many things about Doc Rivers that are relatable to 0:11:07.880 --> 0:11:10.720 the current player. You know, I think there's automatic equity 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:13.160 when you've played and played in the league and then 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:16.600 coached a team to an NBA championship, had the success 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:19.360 Doc has had. I think he's fourth all time and 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:22.800 wins for the Boston Celtics, one of the most historic 0:11:22.960 --> 0:11:28.000 organizations in the entire NBA. And so I think it's 0:11:28.120 --> 0:11:32.680 mostly due to character. You know, Doc is a truth teller. 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:37.520 He'll he'll and I don't you know when he says 0:11:37.600 --> 0:11:41.840 things that maybe critique players. I've never had the sense 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:48.320 that he it's personal. You know, he knows what success requires. 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.640 In the NBA. It's never personal with Doc. It's always like, 0:11:52.240 --> 0:11:54.240 this is what's going to make you successful. This is 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:56.800 a weakness, this is a strength. Let's just get to 0:11:56.880 --> 0:11:59.880 the facts. Let's just look one another eye to eye 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:04.400 and deal with truth. And so I think it's many things, 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:09.400 but I would say characters most of all. More coming 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:12.120 up with Doris in a moment, I want to take 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:14.880 a quick second two remind you of our programming slate 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:17.600 here on the seventy six ers podcast network main Feed. 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:21.240 Every Monday, it's mail Bag Monday with myself and Lauren Rosen. 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:25.000 We take your questions on social or on the pod line, 0:12:25.320 --> 0:12:28.160 which is two on five four h three pods two 0:12:28.200 --> 0:12:32.640 on five seven six three seven. It's simple, we read 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:34.960 your prompts or submissions. You're in the running for some 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:38.080 free swag. Every other Tuesday it's co check with Matt 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:41.400 Murphy the official podcast of the Delaware Bluecoats, the seventy 0:12:41.360 --> 0:12:44.120 six Ers ge League affiliate. Every other Thursday it is 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:46.920 Tom's Talks with the one and only radio voice of 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:49.719 the seventy six Ers, the incomparable Tom McGuinness. And then 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:52.680 on Fridays it's our weekly Deep Dive with the Man 0:12:52.840 --> 0:12:55.680 Devon Givens. We also have a brand new show on 0:12:55.720 --> 0:12:58.400 a brand new feed. It's called The Scoop. It's essentially 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:01.920 a daily five minute seven sixers update that comes to 0:13:01.920 --> 0:13:04.720 you first thing every morning. All you gotta do is 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:07.760 search seventy six or Scoop wherever you get your pods 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:13.960 to subscribe or follow on good little breaking news here 0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:17.880 for you. This Philadelphia seventy Sixers, according to our Adrian Morejanowski, 0:13:17.920 --> 0:13:20.960 are an advanced talks on a deal to hire former 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:25.400 Rockets GM Darryl Moorey to oversee the franchises basketball operations. 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:29.280 A deal dors you have to now focus on the 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:34.040 organization shifting another way and the other shoe drops via Houston. Yeah, 0:13:34.080 --> 0:13:36.720 and so it's first doc and then you have via 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:40.040 Houston Darryl Moorey. How much of a difference is it 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.800 having someone like Darryl Moorey coming into your front office 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:45.560 and how does that help and what does that do 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:48.240 to make your franchise is what it is? Yeah, do 0:13:48.280 --> 0:13:52.199 you know that My first real I don't want to 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:55.880 say exposure, but something that first caught my attention was 0:13:56.000 --> 0:14:01.760 Jeffan Gundy coaching the Houston Rockets and sort of having 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:07.080 Darrell's influence affect his coaching. You know, Doc Darrel was 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.360 presenting certain facts about the evolution of the game and 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:12.880 you know, all the things that we know, you know, 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:17.160 Darrel has emphasized over the year years. UM. And so 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:21.640 obviously I have so much respect for Jeff and you 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:23.640 know who he is and has been both as a 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.480 coach and as a broadcaster and as a friend to 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:30.520 me personally. UM, And so I remember that catching my ear, like, wow, 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:34.760 Jeff really respects this guy. You know, He's allowing Darrell's 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:38.240 thoughts to sort of influence and they were working together. 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:40.800 So that was the first thing that caught my attention. 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:44.680 The second thing that catches your attention is I, you know, UM, 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:48.480 one of you know, some of the first championships I 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:52.720 was involved in, UM was Oklahoma City's run to the 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:56.320 NBA Finals and James was a sixth man there. So 0:14:56.400 --> 0:15:01.240 watching James move to to Houston, watch in his game evolve, 0:15:02.200 --> 0:15:07.120 watching Daryl try to maximize what he had there really 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:11.520 intrigued me. And so knowing Darryl's history and the organizations 0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:13.120 he had been a part of and the things he 0:15:13.160 --> 0:15:16.480 had built, it's important, right. I think one thing that's 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:21.280 that's maybe surprising to me and one thing that I've 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:24.800 appreciated as I've tried to work NBA drafts is how 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:28.840 difficult the job of the general manager or the president 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:32.520 of basketball operations. How difficult that job is trying to 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:37.680 get all the right pieces understanding how team mechanics work. Philosophically, 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:40.680 are you fitting you know, your coaching staff with the 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.680 players that you have. There's so much that goes into 0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:48.000 winning in the NBA, including luck, right, think about the 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:51.760 hamstring injury of Chris Paul when Daryl Moray was the 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:54.440 head of the Houston I mean they've got golden stayed 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:57.760 on the ropes. I mean on the ropes, and that's 0:15:57.800 --> 0:15:59.240 what I'm talking about, a little bit of luck and 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:02.640 all the things that went to winning. But but certainly 0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:05.880 Darrel one of the most respected leaders in the league, 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:09.280 in terms of just building an organization that can win. 0:16:09.440 --> 0:16:12.920 So you love all the pieces they put together, truly, 0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:15.280 and I'm intrigued to see where it goes. I said 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:18.840 it on Sports Center last night. I'm bullish on the Sixers. 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:23.640 Where that goes? Who knows. You can't have a conversation 0:16:23.680 --> 0:16:27.760 Doris about the seventy Sixers without obviously bringing up Ben 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:34.040 Simmons sides. There's Ben Simmons defense leaving the offense just 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:37.600 tremendous length, excellent. You know, we talk about vision and 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:43.800 instincts offensially, his vision and instance, his strength with this size, 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:47.640 everything it contributed simon being so business VESI it seems 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:51.080 like so often people tend to focus on what Ben 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:55.000 Simmons isn't rather than what he is. Yeah, in your mind, 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:58.600 what does Ben Simmons need to be for the Sixers 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:02.600 this season if the wants to achieve its goals? Now, 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:05.000 it's a great question, because I don't know that I've 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:10.359 ever seen a player of his caliber absorb such skepticism. Now, 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:12.040 I'm going to be honest with you and say, last 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:14.680 night he was the topic of conversation for a decent 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:17.320 stretch of time for Mike and I because we don't 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:20.440 believe he's yet at his best level this year, which 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:23.000 made be a good thing and probably is a good thing, right. 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:30.000 And but one thing you cannot overstate is Ben's influence 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:35.080 on the game in incredibly impactful ways. And I would 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:37.840 start on the defensive end of the floor. To me, 0:17:37.960 --> 0:17:40.960 the Sixers, because of what they're up against with Brooklyn 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:44.560 and Milwaukee, they better be defined by what they do 0:17:44.600 --> 0:17:47.080 on the defensive end of the floor. You've got two 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:52.159 individual pieces that are truly, in my opinion, you know, 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:54.479 again going back to focus and locked in and all 0:17:54.520 --> 0:17:57.840 those things to the best of their position. Right, what 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:00.400 are opponents shooting in the pain? I believe the number 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:02.400 of going into the other night's game was forty five 0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:06.919 at the rim, maybe fifty percent. That's Joe LMB and 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:10.680 so he can negate a lot of things. And I 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:14.040 know last year in researching games for the Bubble, the 0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:18.800 number of All Stars that Ben guarded over the course 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:22.480 of the season was truly a remarkable thing. So I 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:27.160 just you cannot overstate Ben's strength and really, in a pinch, 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:29.520 he could guard the five spot. He's got the kind 0:18:29.520 --> 0:18:33.320 of strength and size necessary you can put him interchangeably 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:36.399 one through four. In this day and age, with the 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:39.720 level of ability with the shot making, you've got to 0:18:39.800 --> 0:18:43.960 have pieces like that. So you know what he has 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:45.960 to be. I think he has to be the best 0:18:46.040 --> 0:18:51.640 version of himself, which is dominate with his size, his strength, 0:18:51.760 --> 0:18:55.280 his lateral quickness. He can swallow guys up. He's got 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:59.240 to continue to do that. He's got to be versatile 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:02.240 on the defense end and then absorb big time assignments 0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:05.239 night by night, but most importantly in the playoffs, and 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:07.960 then play to his strengths. Get downhill. Continue. I know 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:12.119 he's taken five threes. Continue. Mike Green and I watched 0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:14.280 this last night. I was so thankful for Mike and 0:19:14.359 --> 0:19:16.920 forgive me for going on and on. I was so 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:19.400 thankful to Mike Green for drawing my attention to this work. 0:19:19.400 --> 0:19:22.560 Coming back out of the second half, and Ben is 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:24.960 in the far corner just shooting three after three and 0:19:24.960 --> 0:19:28.200 he made nine of ten and nine to ten. So 0:19:28.280 --> 0:19:30.800 whenever he's comfortable to get to that aspect of his game, 0:19:30.880 --> 0:19:34.159 do it. But for now, just keep maximizing what he is, 0:19:34.200 --> 0:19:38.480 and that's a guy who's downhill, super problematic and transition. 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:45.000 And the thing is guys, Doc is still learning, right, 0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:49.520 you guys have been The Sixers have been impacted like 0:19:49.640 --> 0:19:52.639 every other team by this pandemic. The name of the 0:19:52.680 --> 0:19:55.560 game is going to be patients and flexibility for these teams. 0:19:55.560 --> 0:20:01.080 And I mean that in roster construction, in in postponements, 0:20:01.720 --> 0:20:04.920 in the mental fatigue that it is inevitably going to come. 0:20:04.920 --> 0:20:07.520 We're all exhausted to this pandemic. We've all had it 0:20:07.560 --> 0:20:10.399 affect our jobs. You know, this is going to be 0:20:10.440 --> 0:20:12.600 an endurance chest for every team. And I just think 0:20:12.600 --> 0:20:15.960 we're at the very formative stages of what the Sixers 0:20:15.960 --> 0:20:18.880 will be. Is Ben where he should? You know? He is? Ben? 0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:21.040 Where he will be in April, May and June? No, 0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:24.159 And I can't you know, I'm intrigued to see what 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:27.120 changes over the course of the year. We'll wrap things 0:20:27.160 --> 0:20:29.160 up with Doris Burke in a moment, but we got 0:20:29.160 --> 0:20:31.359 to remind you that when the seventy Sixers win, you 0:20:31.440 --> 0:20:35.000 have to go to pat Parks Casino dot com and 0:20:35.119 --> 0:20:37.639 enter the promo code that we post on our Sixers 0:20:37.800 --> 0:20:41.280 social media feeds after games that the team wins in 0:20:41.359 --> 0:20:44.840 order to earn free play on the Parks Online Casino 0:20:44.880 --> 0:20:47.440 app of course terms and conditions apply. You got to 0:20:47.440 --> 0:20:49.439 see the website for more details, and you have to 0:20:49.440 --> 0:20:53.480 be twenty one or older. Gambling problem called one hundred gambler. 0:20:54.480 --> 0:20:57.120 I'm told I have the privilege of the last question. 0:20:57.200 --> 0:21:00.800 And We've talked about a lot of the pieces off 0:21:00.800 --> 0:21:02.879 court of this team, and I've been lucky enough to 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:04.760 be at all the home games this year, and I've 0:21:04.800 --> 0:21:08.000 noticed that this team's chemistry feels like it's really coming 0:21:08.040 --> 0:21:11.080 together rather quickly, especially considering it's such a new group 0:21:11.119 --> 0:21:16.000 together Tobias and Joel singing together pregame, just little things 0:21:16.040 --> 0:21:18.719 like that. I'm wondering how much you notice that stuff 0:21:19.040 --> 0:21:22.680 and how important you think those intangible chemistry type things 0:21:22.720 --> 0:21:26.679 can be for a new team. Well, that's interesting that 0:21:26.720 --> 0:21:29.000 you say that, because I was just having this discussion 0:21:29.040 --> 0:21:32.320 on another Zoom call earlier today. This is the thing 0:21:32.359 --> 0:21:34.800 I'm missing the most, to be perfectly honest with you, 0:21:35.920 --> 0:21:40.879 being that far off the floor, being unable to in 0:21:41.040 --> 0:21:46.000 the hour before the game have a quick conversation with 0:21:46.080 --> 0:21:49.160 a player here and there, to be face to face, 0:21:49.280 --> 0:21:51.800 to have an opportunity to bump into an assistant coach. 0:21:53.800 --> 0:21:56.160 That's a huge part of my job. To be perfectly 0:21:56.200 --> 0:21:59.000 honest with you. I one of the things I always 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:02.240 say is there is a difference in preparation for my games. 0:22:02.320 --> 0:22:05.320 I watch a lot of NBA basketball. It is a 0:22:05.400 --> 0:22:08.679 different thing entirely to watch it on television and be 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:11.240 there with my notepad and taking notes and figuring stuff 0:22:11.280 --> 0:22:13.560 out than it is for me to be on the 0:22:13.600 --> 0:22:18.520 floor level and watching teammates, a teammate interaction or teammate 0:22:18.560 --> 0:22:22.080 to coach interaction, being in that locker room and those 0:22:22.440 --> 0:22:25.359 moments I call them stealing moments, those two or three 0:22:25.359 --> 0:22:28.960 minutes with those people is invaluable. So I have to 0:22:29.040 --> 0:22:32.120 be honest with you. I have less of a handle 0:22:32.240 --> 0:22:36.560 on that aspect than I ever have, And it's the 0:22:36.560 --> 0:22:39.119 thing I really missed the most, and I would tell 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:42.760 you my colleagues I know feel the same. We missed 0:22:42.800 --> 0:22:47.359 that interaction. Well, Doris, we can't thank you enough for 0:22:47.560 --> 0:22:50.920 spending some time with us and allowing us to pick 0:22:50.960 --> 0:22:53.520 your point guard mine and especially when it comes to 0:22:53.600 --> 0:22:56.760 Ben Simmons, and we can't wait to hear everything from 0:22:56.800 --> 0:23:00.520 you tonight for the sixer Celtics game. Thank you so much. Oh, 0:23:00.600 --> 0:23:04.840 thanks for having me. What a pleasure, what a privilege 0:23:05.440 --> 0:23:08.400