WEBVTT - EPISODE 19: Doomsday for Dallas? 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:04.360 Welcome to this week uncut in the world of twenty 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:12.760 four NBA news, This new Chris Hanes works time, It's time, 0:00:17.079 --> 0:00:21.759 this link uncut is underway in the fire. It should 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:29.040 be a good one. Sunday night, Stein Haynes together again, 0:00:29.200 --> 0:00:33.440 back with you on this League Uncut, and I actually 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:36.680 do know the right day this time. Yes, one of 0:00:36.680 --> 0:00:39.920 our loyal listeners did note that in the intro to 0:00:39.960 --> 0:00:42.880 the last episode, I'm like, hey, we record, we're here, 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:45.800 We're here knocking this out on a Wednesday night to 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:48.440 post Thursday morning. Note it was already Thursday night when 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:50.959 when when we recorded? And it dropped Friday morning. So 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:54.800 yet another glimpse into my old age, Chris Haynes that 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:57.480 I can't even keep the days straight. But that's where 0:00:57.520 --> 0:01:00.760 we are in the season. Basically two weeks of the 0:01:00.840 --> 0:01:05.640 regular season to go. Another very busy weekend in the Association. 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:10.200 Some marquee returned to the court. Lebron James surprised us 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:13.480 came back earlier the week than we expected. Anthony and 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:17.119 Edwards also made his return Sunday night, as a certain 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:22.039 Chrispy Haines on Twitter told us was in the works Saturday. 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:24.120 I think you tweeted it, and it happened Sunday with 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:28.160 the Wolves at Golden State, which is just that game 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:30.160 is just now winding down. We'll save that for the 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:32.880 end of our recording here so we can actually discuss 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.959 the final score and put that one in some context. 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:39.480 But look, I think the really the biggest story in 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:42.399 the league right now is happening in the city where 0:01:42.480 --> 0:01:48.080 I live, the Dallas Mavericks. There in this mix of 0:01:48.240 --> 0:01:55.360 teams desperate for wins, you know, from basically four down 0:01:55.400 --> 0:01:59.400 to still twelve, I'm going to rule. Don't tell Dame 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:01.080 I said this, but I'm going to rule the Damian 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:03.000 Lillard Blazers out of the out of the play in 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:07.240 mix so that they are done. I think, yeah, I 0:02:07.240 --> 0:02:10.200 think even he think even he would, I think even 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:13.040 he would wave that white flag at this point. But 0:02:13.080 --> 0:02:16.959 basically fourth through eleven, you know, still all these teams 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:23.119 clumped together. Dallas Friday Night Charlotte at home Sunday in Charlotte, 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:27.280 two of the most appetizing games left on their schedule, 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:32.760 two must win games, and Dallas loses both gets off 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:36.480 to a terrible start. I mean, Friday Night Charlotte is 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:41.200 in here shorthanded you know they're missing you know, no 0:02:41.320 --> 0:02:45.280 LaMelo Ball, no Terry Rosier. I mean, they've got injuries galore. 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:47.440 They're depleted. There on the second night of a back 0:02:47.440 --> 0:02:50.600 to back, the MAVs have the rest advantage. They've got 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:53.959 both Luca don chich and Kyrie Irving. MAVs lose it 0:02:54.120 --> 0:02:57.720 home to Charlotte, and then today, with an immediate chance 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:01.359 to get some revenge, they fall behind thirty to twelve, 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:05.639 lose again in Charlotte. I'm gonna say it. I'm this 0:03:05.720 --> 0:03:09.880 is typically not me. I'm usually a you know, let's 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:13.640 make sure we use all the runway and let's see 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:15.800 this thing through to the end. No two weeks left 0:03:15.800 --> 0:03:19.240 to go. If the Dallas Mavericks, entering the final eight 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:23.160 games of their season, lose two of the three gimmes, 0:03:24.080 --> 0:03:26.320 there's also a San Antonio game there at the end. 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:28.760 But if you lose two of the three most appetizing 0:03:28.800 --> 0:03:32.760 games on the schedule, the Mavericks are eleventh. They're only 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:35.200 a game behind number ten. Okay, see, but I'm gonna 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:37.520 say it. Two weeks left to go in the season. 0:03:38.040 --> 0:03:41.640 We know our ten teams now, we know we obviously 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:46.240 don't know a final order but eleven, number eleven, Dallas 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:50.200 number twelve, Utah, number thirteen, Portland. I don't think any 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:52.120 of those three teams are jumping into the play in. 0:03:52.840 --> 0:03:57.080 So basically, the teams that wake up on Monday morning 0:03:57.760 --> 0:04:01.080 in the top ten are all going to the plan 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:03.120 at least that is that is the way that I 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:06.400 see it. Dallas is a game out of the tenth 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:10.120 place for that final play in slot, and you have 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:13.160 him ruled out already, How hold on before before you 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:16.520 add more, how many games left Dallas has? They have? 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:23.200 Dallas has seven? Seven, okay, Lakers have seven. Luca, as 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:26.599 you reported, he's going to miss the next game because 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:32.240 he received what his sixteenth technical, right, So Lua, yeah, 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:34.560 that was what made I mean Friday night was the 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:38.520 costliest loss of Dallas' season, losing at home to depleted 0:04:38.640 --> 0:04:41.640 Charlotte with the rest advantage. But then that was quickly 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:46.400 replaced by an even costlier loss in Charlotte Saturday afternoon, 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:50.600 Mattinee because Luka Donte also picked up his sixteenth technical 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:54.680 of the season. It's not going to be rescinded on Monday. 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:58.280 I think deep down the MAVs know that, and unless 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:04.039 it is rescinded, Luca will be forced to stay out 0:05:04.080 --> 0:05:06.480 of the arena Monday night, when the MAVs play the 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:10.359 second half of a back to back at Indianapolis against 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:13.039 their old friend Rick Carlyle. So Luca can't even play 0:05:13.040 --> 0:05:14.680 in the second half of the back to back, and 0:05:15.320 --> 0:05:20.080 the sun the Sunday loss in Charlotte start that was 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:24.880 stop number one on a five game East Coast swing 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.360 for Dallas. I mean, they've got Indiana on a second 0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:30.040 half of a back to back, then they still have Philly, Miami, 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:33.839 and Atlanta after that. It only gets harder after the 0:05:33.880 --> 0:05:36.560 first two games. So that that's why I'm not even 0:05:36.640 --> 0:05:39.960 looking at tiebreakers. I'm just I'm just saying, if the 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:46.720 MAVs can't win even one of two cracks at shorthanded 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:49.960 Charlotte when they're in a must win situation, I don't 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:51.600 think this road trip is going to be. You know, 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:53.760 I don't see them winning in Philly, in Miami and 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:56.560 pulling out surprise wins that we don't see. That's what 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:58.520 they're gonna have to do now to prove me wrong 0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:00.840 and make me look like an idiot. They're gonna have 0:06:00.880 --> 0:06:04.200 to win some games that frankly don't look very winnable 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:10.159 on paper. And then Luca had some very interesting remarks 0:06:10.240 --> 0:06:13.960 after that, the last game that they lost, basically saying 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:18.400 that he's not having fun. There's no joy. You know, 0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:21.760 there's no joy in the game right now that he's playing. 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:26.400 And I see people cracking cracking jokes at Kyrie's expit. 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:28.760 So that's what that's what happens to you when you 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:32.480 team up with Kyrie. But I mean, there's a lot 0:06:32.520 --> 0:06:34.719 going on, he said, and I think he alluded to 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:37.600 this as well about you know there's things going on 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:42.479 off the court. I don't know, you know there's something 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:44.440 going on, but you have to remember there's all these 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:47.880 are human beings, these are individuals. There's always something going 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:50.800 on off the court. But the way Luca makes it 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:54.400 sounds as if it's like if there there's really something 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:57.960 serious that that has his attention, and so you know 0:06:58.000 --> 0:07:01.280 that can't be if you're Maverick Mavericks. Yeah, the Mavericks 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:04.960 fans have have really been They've really had a tough weekend. 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:09.239 They have they had a tough weekend, and I gotta 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:12.520 I gotta feel for how tough the Mavericks have been 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:15.960 taking it, you know on Friday when my story dropped 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:20.000 with the interview I had with Jalen Brunson. So yeah, that, Yeah, 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:22.760 well we're gonna get to that for sure. I'm still mad. 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:25.120 I'm I'm still mad that you can just you know, 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:27.920 you can get Jalen on the phone and I can't. 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:30.480 He's a great he's a he's a good individual style. 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:34.239 That's that's all those two. Now, he's he's I loved 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:36.400 watching the guy play. He gets better every year. And 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:39.000 we will get to that in a second. What brought up, Yeah, 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:42.000 go ahead, you brought up the Luca comments. Look, I was, 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.640 I was in the room when he said it. Luca 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:49.280 is typically very guarded and non revelatory in his comments, 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:53.240 so that was a definite surprise that he said that 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:57.960 much about his unhappiness, which has been very very clear 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:00.440 on the court. And you know he's alluding to some 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:06.160 sort of off court discord that's you know, not helping 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:09.720 the situation. Obviously, he's not going into any specifics. And 0:08:09.760 --> 0:08:12.400 you know you said it. I mean, look, I wrote 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:16.119 a story last Monday, pretty extensive piece kind of looking 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:19.480 at Kyrie Irving's first six weeks as a mav and 0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:24.760 I mean it, Kyrie Irving is not the source of 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:27.640 turbulence in Dallas right now. I mean, if you went 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:33.400 around that locker room, he has been incredibly well received. 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:36.400 The guys on the team really really like him. I 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.040 mean when they won the game in LA, when they 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:43.280 escaped and Moxi Kliba hit the game winning shot at 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:46.439 the buzzer. I mean, you heard, you heard Kliba just 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:52.520 in two interviews lavish praise on Kyrie Irving that we 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:56.080 haven't heard for a long long time, just about what 0:08:56.559 --> 0:09:00.240 a helpful teammate he's been to Moxi. So, I you know, 0:09:00.800 --> 0:09:03.800 it's natural. Look, you can't get around the record. They're 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:07.640 seven and thirteen since the trade. It clearly has not 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:10.080 gone well when the two of them have been in uniform. 0:09:10.200 --> 0:09:13.520 There's also been some injuries. So they're three and one. 0:09:14.000 --> 0:09:16.000 You know they I guess three and one when it's 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:18.280 Kyrie alone, oh and two when Lucas alone. So they've 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:22.400 had to play six games since the trade where they've 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:25.079 only had one of them. They've had three additional games 0:09:25.080 --> 0:09:27.720 where they had neither their one and two in those games. So, 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:30.840 I mean, injuries have certainly been a factor as well. 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:36.000 But I don't think Luca was in any way, shape 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:39.760 or form alluding to anything with Kyrie. And obviously, as 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:41.719 you said, you know, it wasn't just Twitter. I mean 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:47.080 there were reports about it that you know, there were reports. Yeah, 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:49.920 I mean, I don't even want to dignify them by 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:52.680 by giving them any more amplification than that, but there 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:57.559 were certainly there were certainly plenty of dialogue the next 0:09:57.640 --> 0:10:02.040 day that you know, this was Kyrie related somehow, and 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:05.960 and from my seat it was not. Um, but look, 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:12.239 whatever is going on, you know, it definitely raised eyebrows 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:16.240 that Luca was willing to disclose it. Jason Kidd before 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:19.959 today's game, you know, said it's on the organization to 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:23.199 try to help him through whatever is going on. And 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:26.560 after a really bad first quarter in Charlotte, you know, 0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:32.000 Luca did turn it on and suddenly manufactured a forty 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:38.400 point game in this dreadful loss today. So um, you know, certainly, 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:41.600 because this is now a subject that that he has 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:46.640 shared publicly, there's gonna be presumably more questions and and 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:49.520 and more talk about it, for sure. But I mean, 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:52.480 the map, the maps have the maps have so many issues. 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:57.840 I mean, it just it's you know, it's getting getting 0:10:57.920 --> 0:11:01.440 Kyrie and Luca in every game, adding them more reps together, 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:05.800 winning games when they're together. But I mean, even if 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:10.280 it was going absolutely swimmingly with the two stars, I mean, 0:11:10.559 --> 0:11:14.840 they are so poorous defensively, so bad on the boards. 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:18.320 You just it's really hard to overcome that stuff. I mean, 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:21.560 Charlotte just getting to the rim in the fourth quarter 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:24.679 like there was nobody there and and you know, that 0:11:24.800 --> 0:11:28.720 was always the fear of you know, people who did 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:31.880 not think the Mavericks should do this trade. You're you know, 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:34.760 they're giving up the Mavericks in this deal. They're giving 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:38.079 up Dorian Phinney Smith, who, next to Moxi Kleiba, is 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:41.280 their best defenders. So I mean they got even worse defensively, 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:45.440 surrendering Dorian Phinney Smith with Spencer Ginwittie and a future 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:48.760 unprotected first to twenty twenty nine for Kyrie going into 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:54.000 free agency. So there is a lot of frustration in 0:11:54.040 --> 0:11:57.600 the city where I reside, and frankly, frankly, a lot 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:00.640 of questions that don't have clear answer right now. I mean, 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:02.520 you tell me what you you know. I'm sure you 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:05.640 when you I mean you've interviewed Luca to I just 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:08.000 remember at the All Star Game you had a you 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:09.680 had a little visit with him in Salt Lake City. 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:11.520 I mean, what did you think when you saw that 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:15.400 that clip? No, it was definitely alarming. It's alarming. I mean, 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:19.400 you know, he, like you said, he doesn't he doesn't 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:23.439 reveal too much at all of anything, let alone something 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:27.760 of that magnitude. So it definitely, you know, it definitely 0:12:27.840 --> 0:12:30.920 caught your attention. But you know, as it pertains to 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.040 the solution, like what is it? Because I know that's 0:12:34.080 --> 0:12:36.000 what a lot of Maverick fans want to know. And 0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:37.880 I see, you know, I look out Twitter. I kind 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:42.200 of even though Twitter is not everything, you know, it 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:46.000 kind of gives you a pulse on on a temperature, 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:49.560 I should say, on just what it's being said. And 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:54.560 you know, oftentimes, you know, social media pretty much goes 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:59.760 out and blames the coach. Nine times I tend to coach, 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:03.640 but I'm seeing a lot of people not just blame 0:13:03.720 --> 0:13:05.439 the coach, but you know, I see I'm seeing a 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:08.760 lot of people blaming Mark Cuban himself, the owner, and 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:12.360 so you know, it's just it's an an interesting time here. 0:13:12.559 --> 0:13:15.480 With Dallas. They went for a big swing at the 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:19.320 trade deadline, got Kyrie trying to do everything they can 0:13:19.360 --> 0:13:22.000 to give Luca that help to try to take the 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:24.160 team to the next level. You know, with this team, 0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:29.800 you know, not far removed from a Western Conference Finals appearance, 0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:33.240 and it is not working out. This season has been 0:13:34.280 --> 0:13:38.200 it's been tough. You know. JaVale McGee didn't turn out 0:13:38.280 --> 0:13:42.800 to be the player that they envisioned Javelle. I talked 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:44.800 to Javille McGee. He feels like he still has it, 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:50.520 you know. So it's just it's tough, man, It's tough. 0:13:50.559 --> 0:13:52.760 I don't I don't know what what's going to happen, 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:55.720 but obviously it has to be a little bit of 0:13:55.720 --> 0:13:58.880 a roster shake up in the offseason to to repair this. 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:03.719 I'm not so I'm not so sure of against I 0:14:04.000 --> 0:14:06.800 You're you're there, you're right there, closer. I'm not so 0:14:06.840 --> 0:14:10.240 sure that they're completely out of it. They're going my 0:14:10.320 --> 0:14:18.000 dog barket again, Prince quiet, quiet, shooting down your MAV's optimism. 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:23.200 That's what he's doing. Yeah, he's tell me, listen to you, 0:14:23.480 --> 0:14:32.560 that's what you say. Well, I think they definitely still 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:35.080 have a shot man, you got get the look. They're 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:39.920 mathematically still there. The reason I've reached this, you know position, 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:45.080 is because you again, if those two games were must wins, 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:48.960 and okay, it happens once, but the same thing happens 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:53.240 twice against Charlotte that has nothing to play for, and 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:56.600 that is missing key players. This is it's not like 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:01.200 this was LaMelo Ball and Rogier and Gore Hayward just 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:04.800 going to town. Yes they had Hayward, Yes they had PJ. Washington, 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:09.160 but I mean this isn't even a full strength Hornets 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:13.200 team and they just came into Dallas and embarrassed you. 0:15:13.280 --> 0:15:18.200 I mean, Dennis Smith Junior hit the game ceiling three 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:24.160 on Friday night and was giddy beyond words. He did 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:28.480 not want I mean he did. He did a lengthy 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:34.200 round of interviews outside the Charlotte locker room and you know, 0:15:34.320 --> 0:15:37.120 seeing a lot of old faces that covered him when 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:40.120 he was in Dallas as a rookie, and you know, 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:45.360 flat out said how much he enjoyed effing up the 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:49.680 mav season. And then it happened again. He had to, 0:15:49.760 --> 0:15:52.280 you know, he Dallas cuts it to three minute and 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:57.520 change left Dennis Smith all alone. Alleybdunk hornets back up 0:15:57.600 --> 0:16:00.960 five and he's just he's just chirped at the at 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:04.000 the MAVs bench. So I mean, those two I guess 0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:06.400 that's what I'm saying. Those two losses were so bad 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:09.600 that I'm throwing out tie breakers and you know, what 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:13.360 ifs and every you know, like the what ifs to 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:16.400 me don't matter. Like if you can't even win one 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:20.400 of those two games, that's beyond alarming, Like alarming isn't 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:25.200 even enough. Well, I guess it's going to get worse 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:28.760 because as you said, and as you claimed it stated, 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:31.760 it's not getting any better. They're not going to be 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:34.640 in that top tier. So I hope. Well, and that's 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:36.480 I mean, and that's and look and and you know, 0:16:36.520 --> 0:16:38.480 you said it. What's going to happen? You know, And 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:41.040 that's the question everyone has. And look, it's to me 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:43.400 it is still too early to call it. You know. 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:47.040 I wrote in my piece last Monday that look, the 0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:50.960 early whisperers signals, indications, whatever you want to call them. 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:55.680 You know, is is Dallas resigning Kyrie Irving to the 0:16:55.800 --> 0:17:00.600 multi year deal he wants. Is that feasible? Certainly it's feasible. 0:17:00.640 --> 0:17:05.000 But even if the guard play was just working hand 0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:09.320 in hand in perfect concert. I mean, the reality is 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:12.000 the JaVale McGee signing was a huge swing and a 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:15.640 miss for Dallas, and they don't have many trade assets 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:19.119 left and and how are they going to you know, 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:22.000 A are they going to resign Kyrie Irving? And B 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:26.000 how do they proceed rosterwise too? I mean, their their 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:30.560 front line. They have to make some major upgrades on 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:36.040 the front line given the problems they're having defensively rebounding. 0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:39.119 I mean, they've they've been is talk Franco, who's an 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:42.040 outstanding writer for d magazine here in town, who's actually 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:45.040 Slovenia based, A did a piece recently there was really good, 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:48.720 just kind of laying out how the MAVs have been. 0:17:49.960 --> 0:17:52.480 They've been kind of forced to play such small lineups 0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:55.959 because they're just not getting production from their bigs, and 0:17:56.000 --> 0:18:00.400 so they've played really small most of the year. It's 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:03.360 a dire picture. I can't sugarcoat it. And then you 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:06.919 when everybody in Dallas is already in this mode, in 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:11.240 this mode, there it goes Turner Sports Chris Haynes with 0:18:11.400 --> 0:18:18.840 a expansive Jalen Brunson interview where Jalen Brunson said, all 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:23.639 kinds of stuff. What do he say? Stuh, Well, I 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:25.680 think he said somewhere in there that he really wanted 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:28.720 to stay in Dallas, So you know, I mean, didn't 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:31.439 he He did say that, and I was not expecting 0:18:34.200 --> 0:18:38.680 I did not expect that reaction from mass Fast. Oh man, 0:18:38.800 --> 0:18:43.080 come on, I miss him. I mean, look, they miss him. 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:46.399 I mean because because that's the I mean, you can't 0:18:46.480 --> 0:18:51.200 understate how big a loss that was. Because not only 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:53.680 has he gone to another level, not only has he 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:57.560 you know, he's got the Knicks back into the East 0:18:57.680 --> 0:19:02.720 top five with his leadership, the dude was just super solid. 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:08.280 He was you know, he was not a super vocal guy, 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:11.280 but he was you know, I would say the most 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:15.200 overt locker room influence that the MAVs had last season 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:18.160 when they went to the conference finals. And and he 0:19:18.200 --> 0:19:21.760 was great playing with or without Luca. He knew how 0:19:21.800 --> 0:19:24.560 to flourish when he was on the floor with Luca 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:29.240 and when he wasn't, And and just a very underrated skill. 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:33.520 And the Knicks got a bargain four years, one hundred 0:19:33.560 --> 0:19:36.680 four million for Jalen Brunson. Some people thought it was 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:39.040 an overpay. I said, at the time it was not. 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:43.760 But it's a bargain. Who had that? I mean he 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:49.879 had that position. I mean it's he's just the dude 0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:53.639 just oozes solidity. Man. But you're are you gonna like 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:56.960 you get him? Like you guys are just like that. 0:19:57.040 --> 0:19:59.320 How he just gives you a ring? What's up? Man? Hey, No, 0:19:59.400 --> 0:20:01.400 I've been working on for a minute. I've been working 0:20:01.400 --> 0:20:05.880 on it for a minute. I had somebody, somebody said 0:20:05.920 --> 0:20:07.840 it up for me, and I think I said it. 0:20:07.920 --> 0:20:09.720 You know, I said it last our last part. He 0:20:09.800 --> 0:20:13.800 called me at halftime. What texts me at halftime when 0:20:13.840 --> 0:20:17.360 the Knicks were playing the Orlando Magic in Orlando, Um 0:20:17.920 --> 0:20:21.119 believe that would have been Thursday, last Thursday, And he 0:20:21.160 --> 0:20:23.199 said he's gonna call me after the game. And I 0:20:23.240 --> 0:20:25.240 thought he was playing. I thought he was playing in 0:20:25.280 --> 0:20:27.720 that game. And I said, but get back out there 0:20:27.720 --> 0:20:29.680 on the floor. I said, he could worry about me later. 0:20:29.720 --> 0:20:31.920 He said, no, no, I'm actually sitting out this game. 0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:33.800 So I just wanted to make sure I hit you 0:20:33.840 --> 0:20:36.280 back in he caught. Man, he hit me back after 0:20:36.320 --> 0:20:39.280 the game, you know, So that's we're talking. He called 0:20:39.280 --> 0:20:44.440 me probably eleven thirty, probably close to midnight his time 0:20:44.480 --> 0:20:48.000 in in Orlando, and so he gave me all the 0:20:48.000 --> 0:20:50.200 time that I needed, man, and he was he was 0:20:50.320 --> 0:20:55.160 very transparent. I wasn't sure because you know he you're 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:58.280 not most of the time. You don't get much out 0:20:58.280 --> 0:21:02.600 of Jalen Like he's very polished, very polished. You know, 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:07.119 he knows how to answer questions. He knows how to 0:21:07.160 --> 0:21:11.000 answer questions without really giving you anything. And uh, he 0:21:11.040 --> 0:21:14.399 was just very transparent man. He and I appreciate I 0:21:14.440 --> 0:21:16.040 appreciate him. I didn't think he's gonna touch on the 0:21:16.119 --> 0:21:17.520 Dallas team. Ye, I didn't think he was going to 0:21:17.600 --> 0:21:21.919 touch on what Dallas offered. But you know, it's one 0:21:21.920 --> 0:21:25.680 of those conversations we had where he just went into 0:21:25.720 --> 0:21:28.400 it and we kind of and I kind of took 0:21:28.440 --> 0:21:31.679 it from there. And so he he was. He was 0:21:31.720 --> 0:21:33.760 more than willing, and he showed a lot of love 0:21:33.800 --> 0:21:36.800 to Dallas. But he also said, hey, that's on them. 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:39.440 They could they could have had me at a discount. 0:21:39.480 --> 0:21:41.120 I was more than willing to state there the rest 0:21:41.160 --> 0:21:42.840 of my career. He said he wanted to do that. 0:21:43.200 --> 0:21:46.199 He gave a shout out to JJ Barrere, who was 0:21:46.240 --> 0:21:50.399 his VET, and he said he wanted to be be 0:21:50.600 --> 0:21:53.679 in a row like JJ Baret, where you were just 0:21:53.840 --> 0:21:57.960 a Maverick staple, and it didn't get to happen for 0:21:58.920 --> 0:22:01.480 other reasons. So I know a lot of people say, like, 0:22:01.840 --> 0:22:06.080 why didn't they Why didn't they give him that contract? 0:22:06.119 --> 0:22:08.760 It was a four year, believe fifty five million at 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:12.359 the time. Yeah, So basically when the season started, both 0:22:12.440 --> 0:22:16.680 Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney Smith were eligible for four year, 0:22:16.920 --> 0:22:21.800 fifty six million dollar deals. The rumble when the season 0:22:21.880 --> 0:22:26.640 started was Dallas wanted to wait because in case some 0:22:26.720 --> 0:22:31.399 sort of major trade came around that they would be 0:22:31.440 --> 0:22:34.200 able to trade those guys, because if you sign them 0:22:34.240 --> 0:22:36.760 to those deals, then they wouldn't be tradeable in season. 0:22:37.520 --> 0:22:43.080 So nothing happened for a while. Rick Brunson later said, 0:22:43.119 --> 0:22:45.879 and I think Jalen alluded to this in your conversation 0:22:45.920 --> 0:22:49.359 with him. Rick Brunson, his father, now a Knick's assistant coach, 0:22:49.520 --> 0:22:52.840 told Tim mcman of ESPN that he went back to 0:22:52.880 --> 0:22:57.320 the Mavericks in January and said, we'll take that four 0:22:57.480 --> 0:23:02.679 fifty six now, and the MAVs still held off. Now, 0:23:02.920 --> 0:23:07.320 behind the scenes, there are some in Dallas who dispute 0:23:07.320 --> 0:23:12.800 that account. But Rick Brunson said it. You know, he 0:23:12.880 --> 0:23:15.080 said he put his name on it. He put it 0:23:15.119 --> 0:23:19.320 out there, and you know, I think Jalen alluded to 0:23:19.359 --> 0:23:23.120 it as well. So you know, that's the version that 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:26.760 is most known and best known. And if guys say 0:23:26.760 --> 0:23:30.919 it on the record, you know you take it at 0:23:30.920 --> 0:23:36.120 phase value. So the MAVs in January still no deal, 0:23:37.960 --> 0:23:42.160 trade deadline passes, Brunson and Dorian Finney Smith are still Mavericks. 0:23:42.440 --> 0:23:45.160 Dorian Finney Smith signs that four year, fifty six million 0:23:45.200 --> 0:23:49.240 dollar extension minutes after the deadline, almost immediately that deal 0:23:49.400 --> 0:23:52.639 is done. But obviously by that point, Jalen Brunson is 0:23:52.680 --> 0:23:56.200 having a fantastic season. He knows he's able to get 0:23:56.280 --> 0:23:57.840 way more than that if he waits to go to 0:23:57.880 --> 0:23:59.760 the open market, and there was no way he was 0:24:00.160 --> 0:24:02.840 to be able to get that kind of deal. I mean, 0:24:02.880 --> 0:24:04.720 there was no way Dallas was going to convince him 0:24:04.760 --> 0:24:08.080 to take four to fifty six after the deadline passed. 0:24:08.400 --> 0:24:14.680 So the real issue, I mean the MAVs, I mean, 0:24:15.080 --> 0:24:16.840 they should have done it from the start of the season. 0:24:16.880 --> 0:24:21.080 They knew what they had. But I think one other 0:24:21.160 --> 0:24:27.280 question that lingers for me. It became clear on once it. 0:24:27.520 --> 0:24:30.000 You know, in the week before a free agency it 0:24:30.080 --> 0:24:32.480 became clear that Brunson was going to the Knicks, especially 0:24:32.480 --> 0:24:34.720