WEBVTT - EPISODE 28: Playoff Intel and a historic interview 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.160 Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule. 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:05.480 Of twenty four hour NBA News. 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:11.400 This is you, Chris Haynes. It's time, work's. 0:00:11.160 --> 0:00:19.079 Time, it's so time. This League Uncut is underway and 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:22.680 on fire. This should be a good one. 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:24.960 It is going to be a good one. 0:00:25.040 --> 0:00:27.640 A different kind of show, a different kind of this 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:31.280 league Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes. Back here 0:00:31.320 --> 0:00:34.800 with you, recording on a Sunday night for a Monday 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:38.559 morning drop. A little bit closer to the usual schedule 0:00:38.600 --> 0:00:42.600 this time of year. Of course, the vagaries of Chris 0:00:42.640 --> 0:00:47.120 Haynes's travel schedule. He's got to do sideline. He's going 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:50.120 from series to series to series. So we're back on 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:53.640 our normal track, able to get together here on this 0:00:53.760 --> 0:00:56.760 Sunday night. We're gonna start off with some playoff talk, 0:00:56.840 --> 0:01:01.720 but also we do have an interview with Dink Pate, 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:06.120 Dallas based six ' eight point guard, seventeen years old, 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:12.200 huge newsmaker because he's foregoing his senior year. 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:12.560 Of high school. 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:14.800 He's a junior in high school right now, but he 0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:19.000 is basically he's committed to a two year deal with 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:23.520 the G League Ignite for next season and the season 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:27.320 after not eligible for the NBA Draft until twenty twenty five, 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:30.800 but he has basically committed his next two years to 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:34.559 playing for the G League Ignite, as Scoot Henderson did, 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:37.440 but even younger than Scoot as he makes this jump, 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:39.920 so he's not going to college, not even going to 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:42.039 finish his senior year of high school, going to go 0:01:42.200 --> 0:01:44.880 right to the pros with the G League Ignite. We 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:48.360 have a fun conversation with Dink to kind of get 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:52.680 his story, get his perspective as he makes this very 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:55.800 early move to the pros at the age of seventeen. 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:58.440 But like I said, we will start with the playoffs. 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:02.400 The first week of the NBA Playoffs hasn't been the funnest. 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:07.440 So many big injuries, so many significant injuries, so much 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:11.800 focus on officiating, and look, that always happens in the playoffs. 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:16.679 Of course it does. We know that injuries impact every postseason. 0:02:17.280 --> 0:02:21.320 Officiating controversies are always in the headlines. It just feels 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:26.640 like this year it's that way from the jump because again, 0:02:26.800 --> 0:02:30.480 just so many you know, Job missing a game, giannisnd 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:37.239 Decumpo and Kawhi Leonard missing two each, Joel Embiid missing 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:40.720 a game, Tyler Hero with the broken hand and then 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:44.960 the awful Victor Oladipo scene Saturday night that really tough 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:49.240 to watch him just drive down, you know, drive into 0:02:49.240 --> 0:02:52.000 the paint and his left knee just buckled. It was awful, 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:55.400 awful to watch. So I mean, you know, we're recording 0:02:55.400 --> 0:03:00.120 this now on Sunday night. The Sunday games have in 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.000 you know, much better. I think, you know, I think 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:08.480 we we can rightly get excited about the scenes that 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:10.840 we saw, you know, Nix and calvs. 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:11.440 Game four. 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:14.280 A lot of stakes there, obviously New York seizing a 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:16.160 three to one lead, and we know what happens when 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:17.200 teams go up three to one. 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:21.000 So big performance for the Knicks to win that game. 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:25.480 For huge decision from Tom Thibodeaux to go away from 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:29.520 Julius Randall in the fourth quarter. Tom Thibodeaux, who's really 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:33.200 seen as one of the more rigid coaches in the NBA, 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:36.840 and he totally goes away from the script with Toppin 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:42.680 and Hartenstein out there with Jalen Brunson and Josh hart 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:45.960 a combination that he hasn't been using in the Knicks 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:47.720 pull away in the fourth quarter and win that game, 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:51.080 and then Warriors Kings. The series that Chris is headed 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:54.560 to for Game five, Warriors down to one, They're getting 0:03:54.600 --> 0:03:55.840 Draymond Green back. 0:03:56.640 --> 0:03:57.760 They pull that thing out. 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:01.160 Chris Haynes, are you ready to step into the cauldron 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:05.760 that is going to be Warriors at Kings Game five 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:09.080 in your home city where you now reside. Chris Haynes 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:10.800 gets a home game this. 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:14.120 Week, first time, Yeah, first time. I'm excited because I 0:04:14.160 --> 0:04:18.360 haven't experienced that atmosphere yet, that playoff atmosphere with the Kings, 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:21.120 and I feel like I'll be missing a little bit 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:26.760 of the real, true, authentic atmosphere because they've banned the 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:29.359 cowbells now, so I won't get I won't get to 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:29.800 hear that now. 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:31.440 I didn't even know that they have. 0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:34.520 They have, So I'm gonna tell you why. I'm glad 0:04:34.560 --> 0:04:38.000 you asked that. Stun So. There was a video of 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:41.520 a fan who was sitting right behind Bob Myers and 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:44.880 while the Kings were beating up on the Warriors, He's 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:48.880 just rigging this bell right behind Bob Myers's head, like 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:52.440 he's right behind him. The bell is like a few 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:56.080 inches from Bob Myers's head and he's just banging that 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:59.719 bell banging that bell, and it was it was you know, 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.760 that wasn't right, that was disrespectful, just doing too much. 0:05:04.200 --> 0:05:08.680 And so after that, the Kings the band, so they 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:12.640 banned the King Kings fans for bringing in the cowbell 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:14.960 So what I will say is this, I was told 0:05:14.960 --> 0:05:19.760 by Raymond Ritter, the Warriors pr ficionado, one of your 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.440 best friends, Din one of my good friends as well, 0:05:23.800 --> 0:05:29.320 that the NBA had outlawed for all NBA teams that 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:33.960 they can't bring any noises, they can't bring any type 0:05:34.000 --> 0:05:38.880 of contra yeah noise, yeah, noise making devices. So that 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:43.240 was already a law within the NBA, but they allowed 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:45.599 for Kings fans to continue that because that was always 0:05:45.640 --> 0:05:49.279 a tradition with the cowbells. So that fan pretty much 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:50.480 messed it up for everybody. 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:53.560 The thing about that video, though, like what little we 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:56.359 saw of it, Bob Myers was so stoic, like he 0:05:56.480 --> 0:05:58.080 wasn't even reacting to the noise. 0:05:58.120 --> 0:05:59.960 So I guess, like I said this, I totally missed. 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:03.000 I didn't see the announcement that the cow bells will 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:06.279 not be allowed for Game five. And like you said, 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:09.359 on one hand, it's always been a feature of Kings games. 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:13.440 But don't anyone get mad at the messenger. We have 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:17.279 to be honest here. It's the first time in seventeen seasons. 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:21.840 Remember it was a sixteen year playoff drought. First time 0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:25.960 in seventeen years that we've seen the Kings in the playoffs. 0:06:26.040 --> 0:06:30.280 So what was maybe the passable norm in two thousand 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:34.599 and six and the years before, not necessarily the norm anymore. 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:38.440 But that's really interesting that this in series change is 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:40.839 gonna happen. It's still gonna be plenty loud. I mean, 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:45.880 we know that Sacramento crowd is absolutely gonna go nuts there. 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:49.960 I mean the question is did they I mean, you know. 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:53.520 Have they Yeah, they missed a golden opportunity in Game 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:56.920 three style, they missed a golden opportunity with Raymond being 0:06:57.000 --> 0:06:59.560 out that hurt. 0:07:00.440 --> 0:07:02.640 Yeah, because look, I think the Warriors really made it 0:07:02.680 --> 0:07:05.760 a priority. In Game four, They've really gone after Sabonis. Now, 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:10.240 I think they've found something there. We saw Draymond's impact defensively. 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:13.720 I mean, the guy is an absolute game changer at 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:18.520 that end. Two late stops that were really momentum shifting 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:21.640 and despite all of the Warriors crazy mistakes in the 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:24.600 last minute. I mean I never would have imagined calling 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:27.000 Steph calling a timeout when they didn't have one and 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:30.200 everything that went down. But yeah, now that that thing 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:32.600 is two too. I mean, you know, this is a 0:07:32.840 --> 0:07:40.840 must win, must capital m must win Game five for Sacramento, 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:43.480 and the fact that it's Wednesday, you know, gives the 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:47.520 older team a little extra time to recharge. I mean, 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:51.520 you know, I still keep believing even though this Warriors 0:07:51.520 --> 0:07:55.840 team has been so bad on the road all season long. Again, 0:07:55.880 --> 0:07:59.280 they've got that NBA record twenty seven playoff series in 0:07:59.320 --> 0:08:02.920 a row with at least one road win. I came 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:07.040 into this series thinking Warriors and six. I mean that 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.920 this is the big you know, this is the biggest 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:17.280 playoff game possible for Sacramento to really validate this season 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:17.640 they've had. 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:20.880 They can't they can't lose this Game five. 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:24.320 And this where pressure comes into play. Are the Sacramento 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:26.920 Kings for real? Yes, we know they're for real, we 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:29.440 know they're They're not the team that they used to be, 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:34.120 but now their backs are against the wall. And one thing, 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:38.480 I think, the one thing that we all have kind 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:42.880 of favored is that the Golden State Wars have history 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:44.720 on their side. They have a DNA on their side, 0:08:44.760 --> 0:08:47.080 so you give them the benefit of the doubt, and 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:49.600 you picked the Wars at six done. It seemed like 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:52.199 like it seems like you still feel pretty good about 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:53.240 about that, you know, I. 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:55.560 Say, I think they already the Kings already showed us 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:57.520 something winning the first two. I mean, look, not that 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:00.320 my predictions are worth anything. I thought gold I didn't 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:03.280 think there was any way the Kings go up to ZIP. 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:06.959 I thought Golden State was for sure going to find 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.040 a way to win one of those first two games 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:14.400 on the road, and that quickly the Warriors would have 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:17.400 snuffed out all the talk about how bad they've been 0:09:17.840 --> 0:09:19.640 on the road this season if they get one of 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:21.920 those first two and they couldn't. I mean, the Kings 0:09:21.920 --> 0:09:26.040 have already, you know, acquitted themselves really really well in 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:30.600 this series, and you're gonna be right in the heart 0:09:30.640 --> 0:09:32.320 of it. It's gonna be I mean, that is going 0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:35.320 to be a game of just massive interest. I think 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:39.520 this series has been the spiciest of the first rounders 0:09:39.559 --> 0:09:42.280 and the one that you know, it had the most 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:45.080 potential going in, and it's living up to it so far. 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:49.360 Yet too well so. The Kings and Warriors series had 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:53.240 some competition initially, the Clipper Sons. They were on part 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:55.400 right there with them. Man, you probably could make an 0:09:55.440 --> 0:10:00.120 argument it's probably even more intrigued until things happen over there. 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:03.520 But this King's Warriors game right here, man, it's going 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:05.520 down to the wire. It's going to be tough. It 0:10:05.520 --> 0:10:08.400 has the potential to go games, to go seven games. 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:12.400 But you just the war is they've been here, they've 0:10:12.440 --> 0:10:16.240 been here, and this is where the inexperience could play 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:19.000 a factor. You know, we'll see the Sacramento Kings are 0:10:19.040 --> 0:10:21.720 proven teams wrong. Mike Brown said on this very pod, 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:25.280 remember when we were talking about when we shared it 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.120 with him that you know there are teams that are 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:31.319 aiming for them, and he said, okay, well that's good, 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:34.520 and he played that. He played that SoundBite to us. 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.160 He played it to his team. He said, because if 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:39.760 we're as good as we think we are, we're going 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:44.559 to show as whenever up to oh you couldn't argue 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:48.000 at all, but it takes two more to advance. So 0:10:48.720 --> 0:10:51.319 I can't wait. I'm looking forward to that atmosphere again 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:53.840 for my first time working a TNT game at home. 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:56.360 So it's going to be cool. I'm actually not going 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:59.599 to a hotel. I'm going to my house. I'm a 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:00.959 stay up. I'm gonna stay at the house. 0:11:01.640 --> 0:11:02.360 Uh. 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:04.840 I don't know if that's a mistake or not, but 0:11:04.880 --> 0:11:06.640 I've got because I don't want to set the president. 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:08.439 I don't want them to be like Chris, you know what, man, 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:11.040 We're gonna send you, send you to covering all the 0:11:11.160 --> 0:11:14.880 Kings games. We're like, okay, but yeah, you gotta stay home. 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:16.959 I don't want to set that precedent, you know what 0:11:17.000 --> 0:11:19.640 I mean, Because I might I might be in trouble 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:21.800 at the house. I may need that hotel from time 0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:23.199 to time, you know what I'm saying. 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:27.760 Well, since we're living vicariously through you, before we even get. 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:29.520 To all of those difficult decisions. 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:33.600 So you got Lakers Grizzlies Game four Monday? 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:37.200 Correct, That is correct, that Monday, So that would be 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:40.560 that'd be tomorrow when it's pod drops. Yeah, so yeah, the. 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:47.200 Same day as this is when this pod drops. But 0:11:47.280 --> 0:11:49.360 I want to go back to the series that you've 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:52.080 been You've done three of the four games in the 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:57.240 Sun's Clippers series. Obviously, Clippers get the game one win 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:01.360 even without Paul George, but now Kawhi Leonard has missed 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:04.760 the last two games, Phoenix has seized a three to 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:08.000 one lead. I do think, you know, look, the Suns 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:11.160 are gonna win this series now. I mean, I can't 0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:14.679 see them letting a three to one lead slip. I mean, well, 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:18.280 let's start here. What what can you tell us about 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:21.760 kawhi situation? Is there any hope for the Clippers to 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:23.600 get him back on the floor in this series. 0:12:24.040 --> 0:12:26.719 I don't see it. I don't see it. Even if 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:30.719 the Suns were to extend I mean, excuse me, even 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:33.680 if the Clippers were to extend this series to Game seven, 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:38.200 I don't see it. You know, I reported yesterday that 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:42.920 during the game broadcast that you know, he experienced swelling 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:47.400 after Game two, was prompted him to get evaluated, and 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:53.480 after that evaluation, he was recommended that he's sit rested, 0:12:54.800 --> 0:12:57.600 wait till the swelling goes down. And as of yesterday, 0:12:57.640 --> 0:13:00.400 I was told that there was still swelling in the knee. 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:05.080 And so it's a tough situation for the Clippers, definitely tough. 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:07.360 This is not something I know for sure. This is 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:10.760 not something that is milking. This is not something that 0:13:11.000 --> 0:13:15.840 uh that Kawhi had a had a call on it 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:19.520 was he was advised to let this rest to prevent 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:25.480 further damaging that knee. And so it's a tough situation. 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:27.520 But no, I don't expect them even if they did 0:13:27.559 --> 0:13:28.640 extend it to Game seven. 0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:31.280 Man, it's awful because this is year four of this 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:35.000 and it's just no matter what happens one way or 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:37.440 the other, the Clippers can't get their full team on 0:13:37.480 --> 0:13:40.120 the court. And you know, the natural question is going 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:45.319 to be where do they go from here? And it's 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:48.240 it's you know, it's not a clear answer because you know, 0:13:48.280 --> 0:13:52.160 they gave up all those picks and shake Gil just 0:13:52.280 --> 0:13:56.680 Alexander to bring Paul George in. Uh, you know, Paul 0:13:56.720 --> 0:14:00.920 George obviously needed the Clippers to get realistic. Paul George 0:14:00.920 --> 0:14:03.480 needed the Clippers to at least reach the second round 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:05.920 to have any shot to play in these playoffs. And 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:07.760 the question is, you know, I don't have the answer 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:10.520 today on you know, we're recording this on Sunday, but 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:14.040 it'll be April twenty fourth when this thing drops. I 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:16.160 can't tell you on April twenty fourth what the Clippers 0:14:16.200 --> 0:14:17.959 are going to do. But a lot of people around 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.400 the league are going to be talking about it, because I. 0:14:20.400 --> 0:14:21.160 Mean, do. 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:25.920 You keep the Kawhi Paul George tandem together and try 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:29.840 again to refresh the cast around them and see if 0:14:29.880 --> 0:14:32.720 you can get them both right for playoff time? Are 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:36.640 they going to look into Paul George's trade market again? 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:40.480 I don't know the answer to that at this early juncture, 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:44.280 but I mean, we know Steve Balmer will spend anything 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:47.840 it takes to win. We know they've got this amazing 0:14:47.880 --> 0:14:50.560 new arena coming and by all accounts, anybody who's seen 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:54.880 any of it says it is truly amazing. But you know, 0:14:55.960 --> 0:15:00.440 what kind of changes can the Clippers make after a 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:01.200 season like this? 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:03.160 Because to go. 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:06.840 Out like this again, not being able to have their 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:13.480 two stars in the court, dispiriting to stay the least. 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:16.320 And one thing that complicates matters I wouldn't say use 0:15:16.440 --> 0:15:18.720 comp maybe that's the wrong word, but you have to 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:22.040 remember the the Clippers are going to open up in 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:24.800 that new arena for the let me see, it would 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:29.640 be the twenty twenty four season. So they want to 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:33.000 open that arena up with some star power. They want 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.760 it to be a main attraction. They're trying to take 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:40.240 over the city of Los Angeles, and the last thing 0:15:40.280 --> 0:15:42.600 they want to do is start start off in that 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:47.760 new arena with a lackluster team. So Kawhi Leonard and 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:52.720 Paul George, you know, might be their best options to stick, 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:55.040 you know, stick, stick, see it through. I should say, 0:15:55.320 --> 0:15:57.120 I remember when the Golden State Warriors went through that, 0:15:57.240 --> 0:16:01.280 you know, that was always that was always a tough 0:16:01.400 --> 0:16:04.120 year for them to go and open up Chase Center 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:08.680 and they weren't hold. Klay Thompson had his injury, Kevin 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:13.680 Durant left and it took them out of championship contention 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:17.720 and it suffered. You know, they suffered for the first 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.480 couple of years. So you know that's that's one thing 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:23.840 that's going to be on Steve Barmber's mind. You know, 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:27.360 he wants to have a title contending team to open 0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:30.880 up that building. So he's going to definitely he's going 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:33.920 to urge the front office to see what they can do. 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:36.920 But I don't know, I don't know if they'll be 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:39.680 able to do better than what they have right now. 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:41.640 As far as the star players that they have. 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:43.720 Yeah, I mean you said that the twenty twenty four 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:46.200 to twenty five season, that is when the Clippers are 0:16:46.240 --> 0:16:50.320 scheduled to move in to their new into It Dome 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:55.720 and I'm not even sure, but it's in Englewood, and 0:16:56.200 --> 0:17:00.280 you know, obviously they've poured bazillions into this thing. One 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:02.560 point two billion, I think is the last figure. 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:04.240 So it's you. 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:06.920 Know, it's gonna be state of the art, and you're right, 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:09.240 Ballmer's gonna want a state of the art team in there. 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:13.600 I mean, having done that series three of the four 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:18.480 games to this point, what's what's the vibe around the Clippers? 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:21.119 I mean, how would you describe it being close to 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:23.440 that team? And I mean again, they started so well 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:25.359 with the game, you know, they steal Game one, and 0:17:25.400 --> 0:17:27.159 then the way it's just gone now, I mean they 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:29.680 must be they must be down. 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:35.920 The way I would describe it is basically like, here 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:39.760 we go again. Yeah, that's that's it. Here we go again. 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:42.399 It's par for the course. You know, it seemed like 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:47.280 there's always something that just falls from up under them, 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:50.200 you know, at the wrong time, and I guess there's 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:53.280 really not a right time. But yeah, I mean they're 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:59.000 they're accustomed to this, unfortunately, And you know, the bright 0:17:59.040 --> 0:18:03.200 thing about this this run or this playoff serious Stein 0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:08.600 is the player Russell Westbrook. Man, Oh, he's been phenomenal. 0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:12.000 He's been phenomenal. I know people wonder if he still 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:15.120 had it, still had it on that level. Man, he's 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:18.080 been keeping this team aflow. Even that game won when 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:21.800 he shot atrociously and we talked about it. He made 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:26.879 key plays, great plays down the stretch, defensively setting his 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:31.480 teammates up offensive rebounder. But he's been torturing the Suns 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:34.320 right now. He's been there long. Him and Noman Pal 0:18:34.400 --> 0:18:38.000 I should say, been really good. But it's just not enough. 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:41.520 It's not enough, and they're deeper. They're still deep. Well, 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:45.080 they're one of the deepest teams, the Clippers in the league. 0:18:45.280 --> 0:18:47.520 I mean, you take KD and Paul George, that kind 0:18:47.520 --> 0:18:51.760 of dampers that a little bit, but it's still they 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:55.560 can't combat the sons of KD and Devin Booker, who 0:18:55.600 --> 0:19:00.000 are playing amazingly. Chris Paul got his rhythm back offensively 0:19:01.040 --> 0:19:04.200 in Game four. The Sons still don't have a bitch. 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:07.720 They're relying a lot on their starters. But we even 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:11.520 with all that said, Bea said, Clippers don't have enough. 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:14.600 I don't expect it to go beyond Game five. 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:17.640 Yeah, look, you said it. That has been the one 0:19:17.720 --> 0:19:18.439 silver lining. 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:23.080 You know, the Clippers were so roundly second guest for 0:19:23.200 --> 0:19:27.440 even wanting to bring Russell Westbrook in. You can't even 0:19:27.480 --> 0:19:30.440 imagine them now if they didn't have him. I mean, 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:34.040 he's been huge in this series, and I think a 0:19:34.080 --> 0:19:38.600 lot of people are happy for us that he's, you know, 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:42.600 finding some measure of redemption in this postseason, even though 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:44.679 again it's you know, it's not gonna be enough to 0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:46.200 get them to the second round. I think the other 0:19:46.200 --> 0:19:48.160 big storyline here is you know, you said it. I mean, 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:52.480 Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are They're playing a lot 0:19:52.520 --> 0:19:56.560 of minutes, like I have to think the Denver Nuggets, 0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:59.080 who as we're taping this, Denver is early in its 0:19:59.119 --> 0:20:02.719 game in Minneso. So it's, you know, as we're taping this, 0:20:02.800 --> 0:20:05.280 we don't know if the Nuggets are finishing this thing 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:07.600 off in four games or if they're gonna have to 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:10.680 close it out in five. But I think Denver has 0:20:10.760 --> 0:20:16.800 to feel really good looking at the demands that many 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:20.480 Williams has to put on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker 0:20:20.600 --> 0:20:22.840 just because they they don't have a bench. 0:20:24.480 --> 0:20:26.840 Yeah, and that's gonna be. You ain't gonna be able 0:20:26.880 --> 0:20:29.000 to change that during the playoffs. There's no there's no 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:32.440 transactions you can make during the postseeds. So they're gonna 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:35.760 have to deal with it. And you know, MANI Williams said, 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:37.600 you know, guys, don't you know? We talked. I talked 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:41.480 to him before the game, before Game four, and he said, 0:20:41.520 --> 0:20:43.560 he knows that's getting a lot of tensions the minutes 0:20:43.600 --> 0:20:45.240 that he puts on the start and five. He said, 0:20:45.240 --> 0:20:49.400 but look if you compare the guys in the eighties 0:20:49.400 --> 0:20:53.520 and nineties where they played the same amount of minutes 0:20:54.000 --> 0:20:57.360 and they practiced two hours a day. Said, we don't 0:20:57.400 --> 0:21:01.320 practice like that at all, he said. So he say, 0:21:01.480 --> 0:21:05.800 feels still feels like he has some cushion, But it's 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:08.080 going to be you know, you just you just hope. 0:21:08.240 --> 0:21:09.920 I don't want to see any more injuries, man, I 0:21:09.920 --> 0:21:12.320 don't want to see any more injuries. It's it's been 0:21:12.359 --> 0:21:18.080 a brutal postseason thus far to seeing guys, seeing guys 0:21:18.119 --> 0:21:18.639 go down. 0:21:18.960 --> 0:21:20.520 Yeah, the only depot thing was awful. 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:23.680 I mean I I rattled my whole house and made 0:21:23.720 --> 0:21:28.520 some kind of noise of just shock and uh, you know, 0:21:28.600 --> 0:21:29.240 it was awful. 0:21:29.280 --> 0:21:30.000 It was just awful. 0:21:30.200 --> 0:21:32.880 Oladipo has been through so much injury wise these last 0:21:32.920 --> 0:21:36.000 couple of years. Just sickening to see that. I mean, 0:21:36.000 --> 0:21:40.000 in Milwaukee, how bad must the back be for Giannis 0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:42.240 to miss too? I mean, Jis does not miss, sure 0:21:42.800 --> 0:21:45.480 for him to miss, I mean for him to miss too. 0:21:45.680 --> 0:21:50.000 And Milwaukee, who really was the closest thing to a 0:21:50.080 --> 0:21:53.240 favorite to win it all, is you know, down to 0:21:53.280 --> 0:21:56.600 one as we speak, with Jannis not being able to 0:21:56.600 --> 0:21:59.560 play two of the three games. So I mean Joel 0:21:59.600 --> 0:22:02.680 Embiid situation, that's yet another one where we've got Doc 0:22:02.800 --> 0:22:07.200 River saying, you know, a Philly Boston matchup is still theoretical. 0:22:07.920 --> 0:22:11.920 Boston still needs one more win to finish off the Hawks, 0:22:11.960 --> 0:22:14.840 but as we were recording this podcast, the Celtics go 0:22:14.960 --> 0:22:16.800 up three to one on the Hawks with a Game 0:22:16.840 --> 0:22:20.920 four win in Atlanta. Boston only needs one more home 0:22:20.960 --> 0:22:24.040 win obviously to finish that thing off, but that series 0:22:24.080 --> 0:22:27.960 wouldn't even start until Saturday. But even that might not 0:22:28.080 --> 0:22:31.439 be enough time for Joel Embiid to be back in 0:22:31.480 --> 0:22:33.920 the lineup, according to Doc Rivers. So it's just been 0:22:34.160 --> 0:22:41.360