WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: On Melo, playoff sweeps and Giannis 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.520 Welcome to this League uncut. 0:00:03.720 --> 0:00:05.480 Rule of twenty four hour NBA News. 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:11.360 This you Chris Haynes. It's go time, Mark Stein. 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:13.480 It's so time. 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:14.920 Cut. 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:21.840 This League Uncut is underway in on fire. This should 0:00:21.840 --> 0:00:26.239 be a good one. Yes, indeed, another good one on 0:00:26.400 --> 0:00:31.200 the way, a fresh episode of this League Uncut. Mark 0:00:31.240 --> 0:00:38.960 Stein here with Chris Haynes. Conference finals historic conference finals historic, 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:42.239 not in a great way though, with the potential of 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:48.920 two sweeps. Has never happened in the sixteen team playoff era. 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:53.600 This is actually season number forty of the sixteen team 0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:57.840 playoff format that the NBA introduced in nineteen eighty three 0:00:58.760 --> 0:01:03.560 eighty four. Never at this stage have we had a 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:07.560 potential for sweeps in both the West and the East finals. 0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:10.360 And we will get to that, all with Chris Haynes, 0:01:10.400 --> 0:01:15.679 who was attending and covering the Western Conference finals. But 0:01:16.000 --> 0:01:19.080 I think we should start. We're recording this not on 0:01:19.160 --> 0:01:21.440 Sunday night like we usually do. We're recording it on 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:25.679 a Monday afternoon because of various reporting duties. And this morning, 0:01:25.840 --> 0:01:30.520 Monday morning, we were greeted by a rather newsy video 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:37.000 from Carmelo Anthony announcing his retirement. Not totally unexpected, because, 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:40.440 of course, Carmelo Anthony did not play this season. He 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:43.319 was not able to find the roster spot somewhere that 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:50.280 he badly wanted. But when a well crafted player announcement 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:54.360 comes out direct from the legend in question, and it's 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:58.000 Carmelo Anthony himself telling us that he is indeed walking 0:01:58.040 --> 0:02:01.800 away from the game, it still strikes a chord. It 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:08.760 still makes people wistful and naturally gets everybody thinking about 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:14.400 their favorite Mellow moments. Mister Haynes, did you cross paths 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:16.720 with Mellow at all this season? Did you run into 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:19.880 him anywhere? I haven't seen him honestly in ages. 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:21.760 No, I haven't. 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:29.240 The last time I spoke to Carmelo he came on 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:33.280 my pod last year, I want to say a little 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:35.959 bit over a year ago, when I was with Yahoo. 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:36.080 At the time. 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:38.720 You had a pod before this, Yeah. 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:42.280 I did. I did. That was the last time I 0:02:42.360 --> 0:02:45.960 spoke to him, I believe. So. I had to look 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:47.680 at my text here this last time we text. 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:51.640 But the last time I saw him in person, I 0:02:51.840 --> 0:02:53.840 want to see what had to been when he was 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:54.800 playing with Portland. 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:57.840 No, no, playing with the Lakers. I'm tripping playing with 0:02:57.840 --> 0:02:58.400 the Lakers. 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:01.720 Yeah, that was the last time we I saw him 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:02.200 in person. 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:06.080 So always always a stand up dude. Man. The dude 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:08.520 still could play, He still could hoop. 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:13.120 You know, it's always unfortunate when guys retired, not because 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:16.720 their skill set isn't good enough to be on a roster, 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:18.040 but just because. 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:20.240 Teams are going in a different direction. 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:24.480 Veterans aren't valued as much on teams like they used 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:27.560 to be. I believe, you know, Carmelo would have played 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:30.960 any role, any role asked. I think we're just in 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:34.400 the era again where veterans aren't valued like they used 0:03:34.440 --> 0:03:37.640 to because they if they were a team like the 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:43.000 Houston Rockets, would have picked up a key veteran that 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.080 could kind of keep things in line, teach the youngsters 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:50.440 how to be NBA professionals, like you know, something like 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:54.160 what you Jonnas Hazen was doing in Miami, what DeAndre 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:57.600 Jordan is doing in Denver. So there's still some teams 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:02.240 who who value that role, but not like we used to. 0:04:03.000 --> 0:04:05.920 Now, that is one of the most important jobs in 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:08.960 the NBA, and it's really hard for teams to find 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:14.000 that guy. You're Eudonis Haslim, You're andre Iguodala, they're critical 0:04:15.080 --> 0:04:19.640 and every team wants one. And look, Carmelo, his Rockets 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:22.320 career lasted all of ten games. I remember there was 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:25.159 a lot of fear at the time that he might 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:27.880 not make his way back into the league when the 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:32.360 Rockets abruptly let him go. He ended up getting two 0:04:32.400 --> 0:04:35.840 seasons with the Blazers and then last season with the Lakers. 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:39.320 And you know, I know he played nineteen seasons in 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:43.039 the NBA. From everything I was told, he really wanted 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:46.520 to land somewhere this season because it meant a lot 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:50.000 to him to have that chance to play a twentieth season. 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:53.440 A nice round number, but let's be honest, this man's resume, 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:58.039 it really doesn't need embellishment. He's a top seventy five 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:03.120 or he's the number nine all time score in league 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:06.800 history with more than twenty eight thousand points. Foba mellow 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:11.000 was its own monster in itself. You know, I will 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:14.120 never forget being at the London Olympics and what was it, 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:17.760 thirty seven points and fourteen minutes for Carmelo. He was 0:05:17.800 --> 0:05:23.280 an absolute monster on the international stage. And you know, honestly, 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:27.159 from that draft class, you know, the famed two thousand 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:30.240 and three draft class, my favorite guy to cover. I 0:05:30.279 --> 0:05:34.440 always just found him to be the most transparent and 0:05:35.000 --> 0:05:40.159 you know, just loved talking to him. Didn't see him tons. Frankly, 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:43.560 for me, I covered him much more in international settings 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:47.279 than I did in NBA settings, because I guess I 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:49.640 just wasn't in this, you know what, you know so 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:52.520 long with the Knicks and you know, Denver we've talked about, 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:55.559 you know I have. I didn't spend tons of time 0:05:56.440 --> 0:05:59.919 in either of those places. I do remember having a 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:02.719 great sit down with Mellow when he first joined the Thunder. 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:04.359 He was in Oklahoma City for a year and that 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:06.279 was a little bit closer to my neighborhood, so I 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:08.960 was able to just see Mellow more that season. But 0:06:10.400 --> 0:06:13.040 on the Team USA stage, I mean, you know, Foeba 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:16.719 Melo is a legend, and do not worry. He will 0:06:16.760 --> 0:06:22.120 be a first ballot automatic Hall of Famer when he's 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:23.880 eligible four years from now. 0:06:25.320 --> 0:06:27.440 Yeah, that's not even up for debate. That's not even 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:28.320 up for debate. Yet. 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:34.000 He didn't he didn't get that elusive championship that superstars crave. 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:38.160 Players in general, but superstars, it means so much more 0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:41.800 to their legacy to obtain that. But Carmelo man like 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:45.919 when you look at his play, he's one of the last, 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:51.760 like great back to the basket posts players that played 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:54.679 the small forward position. You know, he's really a last 0:06:54.720 --> 0:06:59.279 of the throwbacks, the back to the basket, the pivots 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:02.000 like he had the moves he had to moves, the 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:04.839 reverse pivots like. He can get down and busy in 0:07:04.880 --> 0:07:07.920 that paint man and overpower you. And you know, he 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:10.440 was fun to watch. And then he could step out 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:13.920 and face you up, hit you with the jab step 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:17.160 killer jab step, hit you with the spin move off 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:20.280 of the jab step, pump, fake dip under for the 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:24.000 lay in, and people forget Carmelo used to be so 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:27.760 athletic in his earlier years. You know, go back and 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:30.960 watch some of his highlights. He had a total package, definitely, 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:36.040 and so a lack of a championship should not diminish 0:07:37.080 --> 0:07:38.240 what he's accomplished. 0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:42.960 And you know there's warts with you have warts with 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:44.320 in the. 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:47.760 Game of any player, any player of any mattitude, even 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:50.480 star players. And I know, for the latter part of 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:55.120 his career, his warts were talked about more so than 0:07:55.200 --> 0:07:58.360 what he could actually bring to a table overall, bring 0:07:58.400 --> 0:07:59.360 to a team overall. 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:02.560 Stein, he's a good dude. 0:08:02.320 --> 0:08:06.000 Man, Melo is a good dude, Like he's really like 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:12.520 class act, straight up, no nonsense. He's a guy that 0:08:13.920 --> 0:08:17.200 if he didn't like something you wrote or something you said, 0:08:18.280 --> 0:08:20.840 he'll hit you up. He'll hit you up and let 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:23.080 you know how he feels about that. I've had that 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:26.600 experience with him a few times and you respect it, 0:08:27.160 --> 0:08:29.760 and you respect it because he's never came He's never 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:33.360 came out of pocket to me and Stein, that means 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:33.600 you know. 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:36.439 He's never he's never been disrespectful, never came at a. 0:08:36.400 --> 0:08:42.160 Place of disrespect. It was just straight up and he's 0:08:42.200 --> 0:08:43.000 just a cool brother. 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:45.520 Man. I got I got numb of love for Carmelo. Man. 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:49.439 You know you look at the last who Stein? Can 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:53.600 you name the members of the Banana boat crew? Give 0:08:53.640 --> 0:08:54.959 me all the members Stein. 0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:58.960 Isn't it? Lebron d Wade, Chris Paul and Mellow? Am 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:01.560 I leaving somebody out? Do we throw Gabby Union in there? 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:07.920 She's probably she's probably a captain of the of that 0:09:08.000 --> 0:09:14.080 of that ship, that Banata ship. So Carmelo's gone. Now 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:21.440 who's next? Well, Dwayne, Wayne was first Carmelo. Now who's next? 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:25.360 We have Chris Paul and Lebron James left, and I 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:27.679 want to make sure I get my facts straight because 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:29.559 so I would allow you to talk. 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:34.800 But I believe those four members they are considered the 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:37.080 four members of the Banana boat crew, but I think 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:40.120 only three were on that boat. 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:45.040 Yeah, I honestly don't remember exactly who who was who 0:09:45.120 --> 0:09:46.319 was on the Banana boat? 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:48.760 Did you wish she were on that Banana boat? 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:49.000 No? 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:51.080 Okay, just asking, all. 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:55.079 Right, love, I love the water, but I'm I. 0:09:55.080 --> 0:10:01.040 See, I see the picture, the picture, So quiz I 0:10:01.160 --> 0:10:04.800 was accurate. One of those guys, those four you named, 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:07.600 one of them was not on the Banana boat. You 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:11.880 got one, guess that's all I'm giving. Which player was 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:14.080 not officially on that. 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:16.400 Boat, wasn't it Lebron? 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:18.479 No? 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:22.800 No, No, Carmelo was now on that boat. It was Gabrielle 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:26.280 Union in the front, Dwayne Wade behind her. Of course 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:28.719 Dwayne Wade had to be behind Gabrielle. It would it 0:10:28.760 --> 0:10:31.560 would not be appropriate if anybody else was. Do you 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:35.360 have Chris Paul behind Dwayne Wade? Then it was Lebron. 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:37.840 See my memory sucks. 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:41.880 Yeah, there you go, iconic Visil and I gave you one. 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:46.240 Guess it's okay, So it's crazy. Carmelo wasn't in the picture, 0:10:46.480 --> 0:10:49.839 but he's synonymous with that group for sure. 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:53.400 That's his group. He's part of Banana Group, Banana Boat 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:54.079 Crew for sure. 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:57.880 Yeah. Like I said, the romantic being the basketball romantic 0:10:57.920 --> 0:10:59.760 that I am. I was rooting for him. I was 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:03.960 hoping somebody would sign him this season just so he 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:08.160 could say that. You know, he did get that twentieth 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:10.520 season in. But I'm with you, like I you know, 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:14.839 I always found him to be, for me, the easiest 0:11:14.960 --> 0:11:17.840 to connect with and cover out of all those guys, 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:20.640 you know, with mister Wade. You know, I live in Dallas, 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:22.640 so obviously they're you know, I think I I think 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:27.920 I inherited some of that that Dirk Wade Dallas Miami tension. 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:31.120 I didn't see Mellow as often as I would have liked, 0:11:31.160 --> 0:11:34.319 but every time I caught up with him. A great 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:38.520 talker and a willing talker, which is what we want 0:11:38.600 --> 0:11:44.520 most in our jobs. And incredible, incredible career, A beloved, 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:48.439 a beloved nick I would love though, I would really 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:53.160 love to hear his thoughts about this Denver team, because 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:56.400 you know, before you know, the Nuggets did make the 0:11:56.400 --> 0:12:00.000 conference finals once in Mellow's time and had a really 0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:02.920 really good team, but that's as far as they could go. 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:05.920 Would love to hear kind of what he thinks of 0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:10.680 this Denver run, because that series, you're that series you're covering, man, 0:12:10.720 --> 0:12:13.520 I mean, you know, I wrote it. I wrote it 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:16.600 in my Monday musings. I'm not waiting for the fourth win. 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:19.600 And even in either series, the finals matchup is here, 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:24.720 it's heat Nuggets, and I give the Celtics zero zero, 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:28.320 you know, zero chance of being that first team in 0:12:28.480 --> 0:12:31.559 NBA history to come back from O three down. The Lakers, Okay, 0:12:31.640 --> 0:12:34.520 let's give them some sort of mathematical chance, but I 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:37.679 just I don't see it. I think we can pretty 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:40.600 I think we can pretty much skip ahead to the finals. 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:43.880 You're you're given, So why you give the Celtic zero 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:46.000 and you give the Lakers a percentage? 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:49.800 I give the Lakers just the slightest bit of math 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:54.120 because you know, they didn't lose two at home and 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:59.640 then go to Miami in utter desperation and look like 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:04.120 a team that was completely broken and frankly looked like 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:08.480 it quit. I mean Boston's performance in Game three in 0:13:08.520 --> 0:13:11.880 Miami was just utterly unacceptable. I mean, they looked like 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.920 a team ready to be done. I'm not saying, you know, 0:13:15.000 --> 0:13:17.320 like I said, I'm getting I'm I'm not really giving 0:13:17.360 --> 0:13:20.199 the Lakers much of a chance, you know, But if 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:23.280 you can feel better about either team down oh three, 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:26.480 I would feel better about the Lakers situation than Boston's. 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:28.959 Boston the Celtic. I mean we should probably start there 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:32.120 because that was the most recently. The Celtics are a mess. 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:38.679 I just think they are going to hugely regret. They will, 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:43.800 they will maybe never get over what they've squandered this season. 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:46.720 In last season, they had a team and a draw 0:13:46.840 --> 0:13:49.960 and a setup and a pathway to win at least 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:55.360 one of these titles. And going forward, because of the 0:13:55.400 --> 0:13:58.920 new collective bargaining agreement and all the restrictions teams are 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:03.360 gonna face when they get into second apron territory. You 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:07.240 go seventeen point five million past the luxury line, and 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:11.120 you know, you can't put contracts together in trades, you 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:14.440 can't add cash to trades, you can't go into the 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:18.439 buyout market. There are restrictions on trading your first round picks. 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:22.840 And remember this summer Jalen Brown is basically eligible for 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:26.240 a three hundred million max over five years. Then next summer, 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:30.400 Tatum is eligible for his own three hundred million dollar deal. 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:33.200 If you keep those guys, how on earth are you 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:37.080 gonna be able to keep putting a deep team around them? 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:41.720 And that's this Celtics team has depth and versatility and 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:46.120 a bunch of great complimentary pieces with Tatum and Brown, 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:48.200 and they didn't get it done. It's it's going to 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:51.680 be tougher before we even get into the coach discussion. 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:55.760 So I just think, you know, there are going to 0:14:55.800 --> 0:15:02.520 be some huge, huge, huge regrets and many sleepless nights 0:15:02.520 --> 0:15:04.080 for the Celtics when this thing is over. 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:10.040 The coach acknowledged, or the way it came off, with 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:13.920 the way he responded, he acknowledged that he lost the team. 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:19.320 I don't know that he admitted to that exactly. 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:22.160 I agree, you know, yeah, because I see it the 0:15:22.160 --> 0:15:24.840 way things are, you know, how it was being interpreted. 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:27.840 Our pal, you know, our guy Gary Washburn of the 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:30.920 Boston Globe, he asked the question, and he asked about 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.520 losing the team, but then went on with a bunch 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:37.160 of other parts of his question and the way Missoula responded, 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:40.240 I don't think he was directly saying, yes, I've lost 0:15:40.240 --> 0:15:41.800 the team, but of course that was the way it 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:42.320 was taken. 0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:45.240 Yeah, exactly, So I don't think he's admitting to that. 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.640 But I can't point to details as of right now 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:52.520 because I haven't thoroughly investigated. But it sounds like there's 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:54.960 a lot going on. Gary Washburn, who's been with that 0:15:55.840 --> 0:15:59.680 Celtics team for years, he said there is. I believe 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:03.680 betwe there are serious issues internally over there. Once the 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:07.960 season ends, this catastrophic we start to learn a little 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:10.200 bit more. You know, some of those stories start to 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:13.560 leak out, and I wouldn't be surprised they leak out 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:19.200 the night they're eliminated. That's how it seems to happen. 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:21.680 Like soon as the buzzer sounds boom, here you go. 0:16:22.160 --> 0:16:26.680 Yeah. Look, everyone points to Missoula and he's he's thirty four, 0:16:27.280 --> 0:16:30.560 he had never even been a front of the bench assistant. 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:33.720 Of course, he's getting out coached by Eric Spolster. He 0:16:33.880 --> 0:16:37.320 was not going to win a May coaching matchup against 0:16:37.400 --> 0:16:41.400 Eric Spolster. I'm sorry. So we can pin all the 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.760 blame we want on him, and look I after they 0:16:44.800 --> 0:16:49.480 beat Philly, I didn't think there was a scenario where 0:16:49.720 --> 0:16:52.560 Missoula's job could be in jeopardy, because that's that was 0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:55.800 another dire situation. You're down three to two Game six 0:16:55.920 --> 0:16:59.240 in Philly, Boston finds a way to win. Jason Tatum 0:16:59.480 --> 0:17:02.240 rings up fifty one points in the greatest Game seven 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:06.199 ever Celtics survived. I thought, okay, you know that that 0:17:06.359 --> 0:17:09.679 has to take some measure of heat off Missoula. But 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:14.439 this series so bad. The Celtics are just lacking in 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:19.600 so many areas. It's it's it's frankly been embarrassing. There's 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:23.120 no way to dial the volume down on those questions now. 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:26.760 I mean, his job is in the climate that we're in. 0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:31.239 For NBA coaches, you have to think that that's going 0:17:31.320 --> 0:17:33.920 to continue to be a major question mark. And look, 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:37.760 even before this series, I was hearing that Boston had 0:17:37.840 --> 0:17:43.280 interest in hiring both Frank Vogel and Steven Silas as 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:46.679 assistance for Missoula next season. Because that's the thing. The 0:17:46.720 --> 0:17:50.520 Celtics didn't just lose email Udoka, they lost Will Hardy 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:54.280 and then in March Damon Stodhomer goes to Georgia Tech 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:59.280 so all the wisdom and veteran veteran coach, noess on 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:03.360 that bench from last season from a finals team, It's 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:06.919 all gone and Missoula is going through it now. But 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:09.040 I mean, look, you know to me that the two 0:18:09.160 --> 0:18:11.680 main guys, Tatum and Brown have to take a lot 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:16.000 more responsibility. I mean, you know again on my scorecard, 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:19.120 they've been more disappointing in this series than the coach. 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:23.639 Like you said, Gary Washburn is alluding to some tensions 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:26.439 that are maybe more palpable when you're covering the series 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:29.479 every day and you see it. But the Celtics are 0:18:29.520 --> 0:18:33.720 a mess and the players can't duck responsibility here. 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:39.040 They cannot, but oftentimes they get a pass and it's 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:43.160 the head coach. And I had somebody texting me yesterday 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:47.439 they were asking, is is Missoula fired after this? 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:48.880 I'm like, how can he be fired? 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:52.040 They just made them the the permanent head coach, gave 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:54.840 him a multi multi year deal, Like how can that happen? 0:18:54.960 --> 0:18:55.919 Like, no, they can't. 0:18:57.800 --> 0:19:01.920 But I's I agree with you, but let's let's flip 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:05.480 this a little bit to the premise. Like I said, 0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:09.480 Like I started off with the premise of oftentimes the coach, 0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:12.760 your players get the pass. And this team went to 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:20.399 the NBA Finals a year ago under Email Doka. The 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:23.240 Celtics made the decision to let go Email Doka for 0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:29.680 what do you call it for improblem? 0:19:30.880 --> 0:19:35.080 They said, a relationship that violated unspecified team rules. Yeah, 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:38.320 that was there. Okay, that's what they said publicly. 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:42.320 Yeah, so they brought in Joe Missoula again, they brought 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:45.480 in Joe Mosula. Let's let's remember they brought in Missoula 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:49.760 from the back of the bench to become the head coach. 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:52.199 And so for fans that don't understand that, you know, 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:56.280 you have your top assistance, Your top assistants sit in 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:58.320 the front of the bench, sitting next to the head coach, 0:19:58.920 --> 0:20:01.160 and then you have the back the bitch guys. Most 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:03.159 of the times, the back of the bitch coaches are 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:09.320 player development coaches. They don't really contribute to strategy a lot. 0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:13.200 It's mainly player development where they get to learn and 0:20:13.280 --> 0:20:16.920 with the chances of with the hopes of eventually moving 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:21.160 up to the front seats and eventually becoming the head coach. 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:25.800 So this was Brad Stevenson's pick to leap fraud everyone 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:29.440 else to get that head coaching job and Elite Frogs 0:20:29.480 --> 0:20:34.560 somebody in particular Damon Stottamar who eventually left during the 0:20:34.560 --> 0:20:37.880 regular season to take the head coaching job at Georgia Tech. 0:20:38.440 --> 0:20:40.360 There were a lot of people in the organization who 0:20:40.359 --> 0:20:45.480 felt that Stotomy were not just more deserving, but was 0:20:45.560 --> 0:20:50.040 ready and prepared to take on a team of that manitude, 0:20:50.280 --> 0:20:53.560 a team with those personalities in that locker room. So 0:20:54.720 --> 0:20:58.639 with all that being said, Stean Missoula gets blamed as well, 0:21:00.000 --> 0:21:03.880 because at the end of the day, all you can do, yes, Tatum, 0:21:04.320 --> 0:21:05.040 yes Brown. 0:21:05.160 --> 0:21:06.320 They they underperformed. 0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:11.320 They're underperforming, no doubt about that, But they are expectations. 0:21:11.840 --> 0:21:16.399 The coach is in charge of making sure those players 0:21:16.440 --> 0:21:18.840 are being put in the right situation and players that 0:21:18.920 --> 0:21:22.160 have the right environment, that the players have the right 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.600 mindset going into the going into the whatever game that is. 0:21:26.400 --> 0:21:30.640 And he's a rookie coach, but we expect this, this 0:21:30.680 --> 0:21:33.359 is what we expect. Like when do we expect a 0:21:33.440 --> 0:21:35.840 rookie coach that's coming from the back of the bench 0:21:35.880 --> 0:21:38.239 to come in and step in and do this. And 0:21:38.280 --> 0:21:42.919 so we are seeing rookie mistakes. We are seeing that, 0:21:43.680 --> 0:21:46.960 and I think you still have to point some blame 0:21:47.000 --> 0:21:49.960 towards him. Should he be fired? No, because the Boston 0:21:49.960 --> 0:21:53.040 Celtics made the coach just this year, so they got 0:21:53.040 --> 0:21:55.720 to live with that. But I don't think you can 0:21:55.760 --> 0:22:00.119 dismiss some of the lack of adjustments that coach Massoulas 0:22:00.200 --> 0:22:00.959 made in the series. 0:22:01.720 --> 0:22:03.480 Yeah, and look, it's gonna be and it's going to 0:22:03.560 --> 0:22:06.440 be fascinating to see how the Celtics deal with all 0:22:06.520 --> 0:22:12.280 of this after a playoff flame out like this? Would 0:22:12.320 --> 0:22:14.240 it be it? First of all, I don't think they 0:22:14.280 --> 0:22:17.600 can get both Vogel and Silas on the bench to 0:22:17.680 --> 0:22:20.840 this point, based on everything I've heard. You know, Frank 0:22:20.920 --> 0:22:24.480 Vogel has been focused on his next head coaching opportunity, 0:22:25.040 --> 0:22:28.879 and if that doesn't materialize, and if he reaches the 0:22:28.920 --> 0:22:34.280 point of considering assistant jobs, my sense is that Dallas 0:22:34.440 --> 0:22:36.520 is the favorite to get him because Frank Vogel and 0:22:36.600 --> 0:22:39.960 Jason kidd have such a close relationship from the two 0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:44.159 years that Jason Kidds spent as Vogel's assistant on the 0:22:44.200 --> 0:22:46.919 Laker bench, and obviously they want a championship in the bubble. 0:22:47.000 --> 0:22:49.800 So I don't even know that the Celtics can get 0:22:49.960 --> 0:22:54.080 both Frank Vogel and Silas. But again, this is such 0:22:55.160 --> 0:23:01.840 a spectacular unraveling. I don't know that he even bringing 0:23:01.880 --> 0:23:05.800 two recent head coaches onto next season's bench can kind 0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:10.400 of fix things or make things better. We're just gonna 0:23:10.400 --> 0:23:14.600 We're gonna have to see just how how quickly the 0:23:14.640 --> 0:23:19.080 Celtics can get passed whatever's going on in there. And 0:23:19.119 --> 0:23:20.920 like you said, I think we're just gonna hear more 0:23:21.000 --> 0:23:25.159 and more about it. And again, roster wise, Tatum and 0:23:25.160 --> 0:23:27.760 Brown have been together for six years. At various points 0:23:27.760 --> 0:23:30.280 in those six years there have been calls break these 0:23:30.280 --> 0:23:34.040 guys up, trade Jalen Brown, and it's like, no, you 0:23:34.200 --> 0:23:40.359 don't break up two elite two way wings in their 0:23:40.400 --> 0:23:43.040 mid twenties. This is the league where the two way 0:23:43.080 --> 0:23:46.960 wing has never been more important, and Boston has two 0:23:47.080 --> 0:23:52.359 of these guys who are tremendous and should be just 0:23:52.560 --> 0:23:58.040 a great tandem to use as a team building platform. 0:23:58.160 --> 0:24:03.640 But now, after all these near misses, all these playoff 0:24:03.680 --> 0:24:08.560 disappointments as a franchise, it's five conference finals in seven seasons, 0:24:08.600 --> 0:24:11.520 four conference finals and the six seasons that those two 0:24:11.520 --> 0:24:15.120 have been together, but they will have had no championships 0:24:15.119 --> 0:24:18.480