WEBVTT - NBA Interview medlee: Intel on Heat, Nuggets, Kings, Warriors, and more 0:00:10.039 --> 0:00:13.560 On this episode of the Heat Check, It's an interview extravaganza. 0:00:13.680 --> 0:00:16.400 This episode not one, not two, not three, but four 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:20.079 interviews for your NBA enjoyment. We start with Brendan Tobin 0:00:20.560 --> 0:00:23.799 who covers the Miami Heat He drops some knowledge on 0:00:23.840 --> 0:00:26.840 our dome. Kyle Madsen covers the Sacramento Kings and the 0:00:26.840 --> 0:00:32.000 Golden State Warriors from ESPN thirteen twenty out in Sacramento. 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:35.839 Ryan Edwards gives us a little insight into the Denver Nuggets, 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:40.400 and finally, generalist NBA guru Kurt Healing for NBC Sports 0:00:40.400 --> 0:00:44.080 this year to all make it make sense, get so 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:48.040 much to get into, Anthony drop that motherfucking beat that 0:00:48.120 --> 0:01:02.040 should be readers. Today's we Check In what we call 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:04.240 a check in episode, where were checking in out what's 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:05.960 happening from around the league with some of the local 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:08.680 MBA markets and Hot damn we got some pipeing hot 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:11.679 tea for you all about some of the best teams 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:13.959 in the weegue. All these interviews were conducted on my 0:01:14.000 --> 0:01:17.000 other show BETMGM Tonight, which airs nationally in most major 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:20.000 markets as well as live on Twitch and YouTube Monday 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.640 through Friday from seven to eleven Eastern Standard Time. I 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:26.360 am joined on these interviews by my co host Nick Ashu. 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:28.640 Check it out when you get a chance. By the way, 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:30.240 we talk a lot of hoops on that show. We 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:32.640 started our extravaganz and by checking in on the Miami 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:35.640 Heat with Brendan Tobin, co host of Tobin and Leroy 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:40.280 on five sixty Sports WQAM in Miami, an honesty station 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:44.240 Dodo Do Doo. Tobin and Leroy airs Monday through Friday 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:46.960 ten am to two pm on ESPN. He gives us 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:50.200 some great info on the Heat and their chances going fours. 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:55.240 Brendan Tobin joked on with us five to sixty Sports 0:01:55.240 --> 0:01:57.360 in Miami, also tapped out on Beckul as well. But 0:01:57.880 --> 0:02:00.280 I love this Heat team now, man, like I do, 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:02.400 even as a Knicks fan. The rivalry is not a 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:04.120 rivalry anymore. We go way back for that, so it 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:06.800 doesn't matter. But like watching the way that they now 0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:09.560 play defense, it feels like the Miami Heat team we remember, 0:02:09.680 --> 0:02:12.400 and I know offensively it hasn't been. It's been a 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:15.520 struggle of times, especially recently even through this winning streak. 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:17.440 Just all you know, the games they've had. But like 0:02:18.040 --> 0:02:20.200 I look at it and go well, Tyler heroes healthy 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:21.800 once you get to the playoffs. They didn't have him 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:23.960 for the majority of that run last year. Terry Rozier, 0:02:23.960 --> 0:02:26.280 if he starts to consistently score for them and do 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:28.440 what he's done in his last two stops, this team 0:02:28.480 --> 0:02:30.680 can be better offensively than where they were last year. 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:33.440 Jimmy Butler is Jimmy Butler. I really think that this 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:35.480 team is better than the team that went to the 0:02:35.520 --> 0:02:37.720 finals last year. You're in the middle of it. You 0:02:37.760 --> 0:02:40.280 hear this every day. You watch this team closely. What 0:02:40.360 --> 0:02:41.960 do you think of this Heat team right now? 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:47.359 I think they went through some real struggles at parts 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:49.560 of this year. Part of it was that they couldn't 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:52.080 get everybody together. But even when they had everybody together, 0:02:52.360 --> 0:02:55.240 it was it was weird because they had this weird 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:58.280 hierarchy problem with their scoring because it was very much like, 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:01.520 you know, still try to make it Bam and Tyler 0:03:01.639 --> 0:03:04.040 to like carry in the regular season when everybody knows 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:07.000 Jimmy Butler still the best player on the team, and 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:09.359 they go through this seven game losing streak and it's 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:11.320 finally like just dawns on these guys who have been 0:03:11.360 --> 0:03:14.560 playing together for five seasons. Oh yeah, we realized it's 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:18.080 Jimmy Butler, spam Autebayo, then it's Tyler hero and it 0:03:18.120 --> 0:03:19.920 was just it was weird that they couldn't get to 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:21.880 that pecking order playing with each other for so long 0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:23.920 because all the other pieces, I agree with you, there 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:25.760 are some pieces that make them a little bit deeper 0:03:25.800 --> 0:03:29.200 and make them more intriguing and more versatile in. 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:30.280 Certain playoff matchups. 0:03:30.280 --> 0:03:33.200 But they had to figure out, you know, their top 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:35.760 guys first and then how all those things fall in line. 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:38.160 And you know, simple enough, it is, hey, Jimmy Butler is, 0:03:38.480 --> 0:03:40.920 even though it's a bit of a you know, lazy 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:43.080 river of him to before he just starts to pick 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:45.720 it up in the regular season. That time came and 0:03:45.800 --> 0:03:48.360 they started playing a lot better. But certainly there has 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:51.280 been more emphasis on the defensive side, which Spoe has 0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:52.680 been very happy about. 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:56.360 When everyone's healthy, who's in the starting lineup. 0:03:56.920 --> 0:04:01.320 It's a great question, Trista, because I think their answer 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:05.280 was just going to be, you know, Terry Tyler, Jimmy 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:09.880 Bam and then go with Nikola Jovich. But Duncan Robinson 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:13.480 has been playing so spectacular as of late, and it's 0:04:13.520 --> 0:04:16.040 It's so interesting to see his relationship with their expulsion 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:18.880 because it's a guy who's basically gone from the wonder 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:20.880 child who is a D three guy to a ninety 0:04:20.920 --> 0:04:24.159 million dollars contract to not playing and now spose like, well, 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:27.119 we're just you know, he can't ignore how much better 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:29.480 they are, how much better the numbers are with him 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:32.880 on the court. So that's gonna be the interesting thing. 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:36.520 I cannot see them benching Tyler Hero because that's that 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:39.040 feels like it's gonna crush his ego moor anything. I 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:40.640 don't think they're gonna do that for Terry because they 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:44.200 just trade him. So the only coin flip is do 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:48.400 they bench the rookie Yovic because you know he's gonna 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:51.120 be the good soldier about it, or do they just 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:54.599 keep Duncan Robinson coming off the bench and go in 0:04:54.640 --> 0:04:57.280 that direction. But the only swab I potentially see once 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:01.240 everybody is healthy is Duncan Robinson and I guess essentially 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:04.239 being there four but sticking with a with a Tyler 0:05:04.279 --> 0:05:06.159 Hero terror Rogier backcourt. 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:08.360 So, Brendan, you got kind of this log jam right 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:10.240 now from the fourth spot in the east down to 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:11.920 the eighth spot where the heat are and it's you. 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:14.279 We're looking at literally a game, game and a half 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:17.320 difference between the four and the eighth spot. Where does 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:19.160 Miami stack up in your eyes right now in the 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:19.920 Eastern Conference. 0:05:21.279 --> 0:05:24.160 I mean, I think, like, look, everybody is marveling at 0:05:24.160 --> 0:05:27.440 what Boston's doing. They've had in this good run that 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:30.000 they've had since turning around the win streak. I would 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:35.600 say three matchups against true title contenders Denver, the Clippers, 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:38.360 and Boston, those are their three losses in this whole spend. 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:41.039 They've been competitive games. I mean, they've stuck right in them. 0:05:41.120 --> 0:05:43.599 There's been some you know, injury adversity for both teams 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:46.120 on both sides and that. So I do think that 0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:50.280 there's something to Miami still having that ability to make 0:05:50.320 --> 0:05:53.400 a deep run if they get into it. I'm still 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:56.280 a little queasy about what the Bucks have become and 0:05:56.320 --> 0:05:58.880 if they're gonna have this all with Doc Rivers. Spoe 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:02.960 usually coaches circles around Doc Rivers, no matter the teams 0:06:03.000 --> 0:06:05.400 and who changes there. He just seems to have a 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:08.320 big advantage there and we'll figure things out. Obviously, you know, 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:10.880 the Sixers, it's all dependent upon Joel andbu though they've 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:12.839 had success in series against them before. 0:06:14.240 --> 0:06:15.320 Cleveland's interesting. 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:17.520 I mean, it's just a matter of, you know, everybody 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:20.160 sees the talent and I think, you know, with their size, 0:06:20.600 --> 0:06:23.839 has some like Denver stuff that could give Miami issues. 0:06:24.000 --> 0:06:26.200 You know, Denver definitely has probably the best blueprint to 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:29.280 slow down Miami, but as an Eastern Conference team, they 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:32.000 probably have a lot of those elements that could give 0:06:32.000 --> 0:06:33.680 Miami some troubles. It's just a matter of do you 0:06:33.720 --> 0:06:36.480 believe in what they've done this regular season being able 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:39.960 to translate into the playoffs. So I just think the 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.280 reason everybody is is still giving Miami a punch of 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:44.560 chances because the guys who are kind of on the rise, 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:49.000 the Knicks. Two if the Knicks are you know what 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:52.120 they were before everybody got hurt. When I watched them 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:54.320 in the playoffs last year and watching that series with 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:56.520 Jalen Brunson, I really did think, like, man, if they 0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:59.240 got one more piece, they'd give Miami a lot of trouble. 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:02.640 They're just a matter of, you know, are they going 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:03.839 to be all physically right. 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:07.520 You mentioned the calves. One of the things that is 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:10.000 a big vulnerability for the Calves. Brendan is just their 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:14.360 offense at times, it feels like it's sputters, very similarly 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:17.800 to that match Heat had with the Knicks where it 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:21.520 was just a brickfest. Miami fifth and defensive rating right 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:25.239 now in the last five games, but offensively, like Nick said, 0:07:25.720 --> 0:07:28.080 just kind of middle of the pack. That happened though 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:30.400 last year in the postseason where they were shooting thirty 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:33.320 three percent from three point during the regular season and 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:36.720 then damn near forty in the playoffs. How does this 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:40.800 team turn it up offensively when the lights get bright? 0:07:41.240 --> 0:07:43.160 Not just a scheme wise, but how do they do 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:44.400 it with these guys this year? 0:07:44.800 --> 0:07:47.720 It's a good question because you know, they don't have 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:50.320 a ton of guys who can you know, be ignitable 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:53.840 from three other than Duncan Robinson and Tyler Hero And 0:07:53.960 --> 0:07:56.520 obviously you're you're gonna have some defensive letdown with having 0:07:56.560 --> 0:07:57.680 those guys on the court. 0:07:58.000 --> 0:07:58.760 Terror's year. 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:01.200 We can all kind of see the idea of Terry 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:04.360 Rozier in the good spots, but he is not shot 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:07.440 well since he's traded over here. He said all the 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:09.200 right things. He hasn't been a bad character guy or 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:11.560 any of that stuff. It's just he just hasn't been 0:08:11.600 --> 0:08:15.480 making shots, So on that side, you're gonna have to uh, 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:18.280 you know, lean onto to Jimmy and and Bam has 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:23.080 definitely picked things up from you know, an aggression standpoint 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:24.640 and being able to get to the free throw line 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:28.000 a lot better. But they know what their identity is 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:30.160 going into these playoffs. They're going to make it ugly. 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:33.080 You know, some fan bases on NBA Twitter will say 0:08:33.160 --> 0:08:36.360 they're borderline dirty. We all see the montages that they 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:39.480 put together to you know, to try and to try 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:41.640 and and call the Heat out. But that's how they 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:43.680 like it. They like to in a in a league 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:46.959 that is, you know, going at these crazy offensive numbers. 0:08:47.080 --> 0:08:47.880 They don't have those guys. 0:08:47.960 --> 0:08:50.040 Jimmy Butler's never scored forty points in the regular season 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:51.719 for the Miami Heat and then when it gets to 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:53.240 the regular seat, when it gets to the postseason, I 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:55.400 think he has nine in his career. You know, thirteen 0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:58.880 of his top fifteen playoff scoring performances are with the Heat. 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:02.120 His top in regular season he has two in his 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:04.480 top fifteen of his career. So it just shows you 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:08.000 kind of how he knows to go to a different 0:09:08.040 --> 0:09:11.959 level offensively for them. It has become almost a running 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:14.200 joke this whole when he turns into playoff Jimmy thing, 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:18.360 But there is a veteran savviness to it. He knows 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:20.640 how to build himself up in that regard and when 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:22.800 to kind of get into that mode, and when he 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:25.959 gets to the playoffs, he turns into a different player offensively. 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:28.960 Yeah, and I was just about to ask you about that. 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:33.280 There was but all summer long for the Dame trade 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:39.400 doesn't happen? Is Tyler Hero now safe from trade rumors? 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:43.520 And how does the emergence of Haimi Hawkes coming in 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:47.160 to the mix and really just delivering almost like Jimmy 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:51.920 Butler two point zero vibes alter the Heats plan for 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:53.400 someone like Tyler Hero. 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:56.600 It's very interesting because weirdly enough, I had like the 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:59.320 heats marketing guy on this year this week because they 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:01.480 were talking about out uh you know, they had like 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:04.840 some family fest. And I remember when Tyler Hero was 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:07.680 like the marketing darling for the Heat and that is 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:10.600 now flipped because now they're all about Hi May Hawks, 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:13.360 like he has beloved, He's already done like every autograph 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:14.959 sign and they love Hi May Hawkes. 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:17.360 They're all about him. I would have a hard. 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:20.480 Time believing if this is a Heat team that honestly, 0:10:20.520 --> 0:10:22.520 if it doesn't even end in the championship, I would 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:24.640 have a hard time believing they're going to run it 0:10:24.679 --> 0:10:28.520 back with Bam, Jimmy and Tyler once again. They're gonna 0:10:28.559 --> 0:10:31.360 have to shake something up just because this is year 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:33.200 five of those guys playing together. 0:10:33.920 --> 0:10:35.679 And yes, Tyler has had. 0:10:35.480 --> 0:10:38.960 Inconsistencies of either injuries or just poor performances in the playoffs, 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:41.840 He's the obvious guy that they would go to, so 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:45.480 that's why he's got the most riding. I mean, bam 0:10:45.640 --> 0:10:48.520 Is is like mister Heat. They've loved him since he's 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.000 walked in the building. They've they you know, Alonzo Morning, 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:52.960 I remember him telling me when he was twenty, He's like, 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:54.560 we're gonna raise his jersey the rafters. 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:56.760 They he's he buys into all Heat things. 0:10:57.480 --> 0:11:00.720 And you know, Jimmy Butler, unless like pull a swerve 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:04.240 and change Jimmy Butler. I don't think they're going to 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:06.240 trade him. You know that he says this is where 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:07.520 he wants to end his career. So yeah, that's just 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:09.960 it always just by process of elimination, always gets back 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:12.520 to If they're gonna make a big move, it's gonna 0:11:12.520 --> 0:11:15.120 be Tyler. And that's why you know he probably wants 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:17.320 to be as physically right going into this postseason because 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:18.960 there's a lot riding on it for him. 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:22.280 Area is Brendan Tobin five to sixty Sports in Miami. 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:23.200 Great to stock again. 0:11:23.240 --> 0:11:30.439 Then next you move on to Kyle Madson of The Insiders, 0:11:30.440 --> 0:11:34.880 which airs weekdays on Sacramento's ESPN thirteen twenty, another Ardissey 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:38.120 station from ten am to twelve pm. Kyle covers both 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:41.040 the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors, and he 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:44.000 is here to give us a little knowledge on bolts. 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:45.160 Let's get right into. 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:47.319 Kyle. 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:48.160 I'm watching this. 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:49.600 I'm watching this. 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:54.040 King's vers Timberwolves game, and it feels like shifting over 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:57.440 to the NBA, and it feels like the better the 0:11:57.559 --> 0:12:02.680 team that the Kings play, the better the King's play. Right, 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:05.640 No Deer in Fox Tonight up nine to nine ninety six, 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.440 Malik Monk solidifying his case for six Man of the Year, 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:12.520 which is just wild that he figured out a way 0:12:12.559 --> 0:12:15.240 to snake to the top of that list. But where 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:17.320 are we at with the Kings right now? 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:24.480 We are at a place where the fine like they 0:12:24.480 --> 0:12:27.000 are exactly to me, they're exactly what they were last year. 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:28.800 I've learned everything I need to know about the King. 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:31.960 It's Domos, it's Fox. They need Keithan Murray to become 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:34.000 more of a dude as a as a scorer and 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:36.720 as a creator. But other than that, like everybody on 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:38.839 that team is expendable to me, I think they need 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:42.040 some dogs. I think they need to step up. Yeah, 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:44.440 Malik's a dog for sure, but he's two up and 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:44.880 down the. 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:47.560 Oh. 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:50.440 I'm sorry, no, no, no, no, no, I'm sorry. You're right. No, 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:52.960 Malik Mounk is not. He is their most important player 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:56.559 to me. But but on the other hand, tristed to 0:12:56.840 --> 0:13:01.560 that point. I think it's those four dudes. But also 0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:05.600 I think they need to make another pretty significant move 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:08.360 if they're going to contend with the Nuggets, if they're 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:10.560 going to contend with whatever Okac is going to become 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:12.120 in the next couple of years, if they're going to 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:16.360 contend with a Minnesota, a Minnesota team where Anthony Edwards 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:18.679 kind of fully realizes what he's gonna be, I think 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:20.559 to need to make another major move, and that might 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:23.360 mean moving on from one of those four guys that 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:26.319 I just mentioned, Like, that's that's kind of where I 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:29.480 land with them as for this year. If you told 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:31.400 me they made the playoffs and won a playoffs seras, 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:33.199 they wouldn't be shocked. If you told me they lost 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:34.600 in the plan and I wouldn't be shocked. And they 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:37.160 are so up and down, and I don't you just 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:38.760 the fact that you don't know what team you're getting 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:42.120 on a given night is kind of their their problem right. 0:13:42.000 --> 0:13:44.520 Now, especially too though, I mean just how jammed the 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:47.079 Western Conference is. It just makes everything that much more 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:48.880 difficult for a team that if you go to the East, 0:13:48.880 --> 0:13:50.839 you'd be sitting there like outside of the play in 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:53.679 tournament with not having to worry about that. And that's 0:13:53.720 --> 0:13:56.600 where I mean Golden State right now, we look at 0:13:56.600 --> 0:13:59.800 this Warriors team and say, wait, did they they figured 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:00.640 things out a little bit? 0:14:00.640 --> 0:14:00.960 Are they? 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:04.120 I know they're not the Warriors of the past. You've 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:07.080 got guys coming off the bench that used to start, 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:10.480 like Klay Thompson, but it feels like the roles have 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:13.439 been adjusted. Steve Kerrz figured it out and they've kind 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:17.200 of rounded that corner. Is this a Warriors team that 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:19.360 can maybe make some noise in the playoffs. 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:25.040 After all, man, it feels more like that with each 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:27.360 passing win. I didn't think so at the beginning of 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:30.320 this year, just because, I mean, you saw last year 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:32.160 against the Lakers, they just ran out of gas. Man 0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:35.240 like Klay Thompson was dreadful in that series because he's 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:39.360 just been hurt a couple of times, and he's coming 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:41.880 off He's coming off a couple of injuries, and he's old, 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.760 and that was kind of a problem for them. And 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.840 then you get Steph I think had a little bit 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:50.680 of the same problem because he's carrying such a heavy 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:54.680 workload at thirty four thirty five, I think he turned 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:57.520 thirty six this year. Like he's They've been reliant on 0:14:58.080 --> 0:14:59.680 those guys for so long. But now you get Jonathan 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:03.520 come in who has developed into a legitimate scoring threat, 0:15:03.600 --> 0:15:06.680 Moses Moody and Andrew Willgians that's Moses Moody has been 0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:10.240 outstanding and that's something Warriors fans have kind of been clamoring. 0:15:09.800 --> 0:15:10.560 For for a while. 0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:12.680 So now all of a sudden, you have a couple 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:15.080 of young guys who you can legitimately rely on. And 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:16.880 Brandon Pajemski, of course, has been one of the best 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:21.320 rukies in the NBA this year, who's closing games for them? Now, 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:22.600 all of a sudden, you have some young guys that 0:15:22.640 --> 0:15:24.440 you can really lean on where you're taking some of 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:26.800 the onus office down and you're putting Clay into a 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:28.720 bench role where you're taking some of the load off 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:31.040 of him and he can start being more effective. So 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:34.560 I am not saying I'm going to go run and 0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:37.960 bet on the Warriors to win a title, but I 0:15:38.000 --> 0:15:42.600 am saying that I don't think that is as outrageous 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.760 as I thought it was, maybe even three weeks ago. 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:49.000 Yeah, No, they look really good. And what's fascinating to me, 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:52.800 Kyle's it's like it's the external factors outside of Steve 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:56.880 Kerr's control that lead Steve Kurr to finally making the 0:15:56.960 --> 0:16:01.200 right decision. Moses Moody only coming in because Andrew Wiggins 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:05.200 has to leave due to a personal issue, Kaminga fighting 0:16:05.200 --> 0:16:07.920 with him in the media and leaking things to Schaum's, 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:12.600 Klay Thompson just being asked, and Pajemski emerging really with 0:16:12.640 --> 0:16:15.960 the Draymond suspension, a lot of things shuffling around and 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:18.520 then Steve Kerr gets the extension. Did you feel like 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:22.520 when he got the extension that the timeline for this 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:25.240 team to still contend had been extended? 0:16:26.240 --> 0:16:28.560 Yeah, yeah, a little bit. And I think that's a 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:30.960 great point you make, because everything that has happened this 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:34.360 year has been something go back, don't do this because 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:38.080 it's awful, but just for argument's sake, go back to 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:40.680 Warriors Twitter for the last couple of years, or who 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:43.680 talked to any reader Warrior's blog, listening to the Warriors podcast. 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:46.360 It's all that it's been. Start Moses, movie star JOHNA. 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:50.240 Vigaminga move Clay to the bench, and Steve Kerr, I 0:16:50.720 --> 0:16:52.920 think is a really good coach, and I think you're 0:16:52.960 --> 0:16:56.480 kind of seeing that he was just up against this 0:16:56.480 --> 0:17:00.400 this issue of Okay, well Clay has to start and clothes, 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:03.560 and so does Draymond and so does Steph. And it's 0:17:03.600 --> 0:17:06.919 gonna be relying heavily on veterans because that they just 0:17:06.960 --> 0:17:09.320 won a title in twenty twenty two, and so this 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:11.240 is what they're gonna do, and they're gonna they're gonna 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:13.840 ride it out. And that was the wrong thing to do. 0:17:14.160 --> 0:17:16.080 And now he's kind of been pushed him into the 0:17:16.119 --> 0:17:18.000 right thing to do. I think you're seeing that he's 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:20.560 a he's a really good coach. It just kind of 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:23.639 took a little bit of a forced push to get 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:24.520 him where he needed to go. 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.160 So I assume at this point we can just go 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:29.240 with Clay Thompson is going to be coming off the 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:31.320 bench the rest of the season, then yeah. 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.720 Unless it doesn't sound like the Brandon Pajemski injury that 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:35.879 kept him out tonight is going to be major. I 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:38.200 think Steve Kirk called it day to day, So yeah, 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:40.199 that would be my That would be my guess. And 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:43.680 I hate it for Clay because I know it kills him, 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:46.280 Like you know that he wants to be out there starting. 0:17:46.280 --> 0:17:47.840 He know he wants to be out there clothing games. 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:51.200 But if you're being realistic, like as awesome as he's been, 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:53.800 and I mean he's gonna have a jersey in the Raptors, 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:55.800 he's just I think he should get a statue outside 0:17:55.800 --> 0:17:59.320 of Chase like he's been so so essential and has 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:02.040 had so many moments. But at this point in twenty 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.240 twenty four, if the Warriors are seriously going to try 0:18:04.280 --> 0:18:07.399 and contend, I think he's and I think they've realized 0:18:07.400 --> 0:18:10.560 this now. He is at his best coming off the bench, 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:12.880 and the Warriors are their best when he's coming off 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:15.960 the bench. And frankly, I think that's how it should 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:17.520 be for him the rest of the way in his career. 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:19.879 And I think he could probably extend his career several 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:22.119 years and have a lot of good seasons doing that. 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:25.720 So I think that's where it stays this year, and 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:27.920 for him and for the Warriors, say, I hope it 0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:28.520 stays that way. 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:32.000 The most improved Player market is pretty wide open after 0:18:32.000 --> 0:18:34.480 the unbeat injury. Tyree Maxi is still the favorite at 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:37.000 minus two fifty, but super Bowl week it was minus 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:41.040 eight hundred. But Jonathan kaminga slowly but surely working his 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:43.399 way up. What do you think it will take for 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:44.800 him to win Most Improved? 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:50.920 Ooh, that's a really really good question. I think you're 0:18:51.520 --> 0:18:55.520 I think it needs to average like continue putting up 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:58.560 like twenty plus a nine. I think that's really going 0:18:58.640 --> 0:19:00.600 to kind of have to be and doing so efficiently, 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:03.000 and then maybe having a couple of big games like 0:19:03.040 --> 0:19:06.040 on National TV. I think I think having a huge 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:09.840 game at the Garden last night it really helped, especially defensively. 0:19:09.880 --> 0:19:12.359 I thought he was really good last night, so I 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:14.360