WEBVTT - Conference Finals Preview, Knicks Future ft. Isaiah Thomas | Episode 28 | BULLY BALL 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:09.440 Welcome to Bullyball, presented by DraftKings. I am Rachel Nichols, 0:00:09.480 --> 0:00:14.000 as always, mister DeMarcus Cousins, still in Taiwan, and greetings 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:17.840 my friend Isaiah Thomas. Always nice to have you back. Gentlemen, 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:20.800 I just want to say, one of us is supporting 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:24.400 over here with the outfit, and one of us isn't. 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:29.920 So you know very much, this is your this is 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:31.360 a team you're currently playing for. 0:00:32.000 --> 0:00:38.400 Oh man, I appreciate that. I need I need some 0:00:38.440 --> 0:00:41.280 gear too, I get a hat or something. 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:48.080 Love, you're rocking the nice fitted today. You got theirs. 0:00:49.479 --> 0:00:51.240 You want a good place, and I now will get it. 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:55.080 I gonna say you're good, You're good. I I just 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:57.200 want you to know, even though you're far away, but 0:00:57.760 --> 0:00:58.280 we're with you. 0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:00.080 I appreciate you. Rachel. 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:04.120 You did miss well, you didn't miss it because I 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:06.320 know you watched them from over there. But man, some 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:10.520 amazing game seven's happened over here in the States yesterday. 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:15.640 Two road teams winning, I mean, just not what we 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:17.840 would expect. And I want to start with what happened 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:21.720 in the West Minnesota, erasing a twenty point deficit, taking 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:24.880 down the champs in a game seven. On the road, 0:01:25.319 --> 0:01:30.320 Minnesota outscored Denver sixty to thirty seven. In the second half. 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:34.360 Six players were in double figures. Carl Anthony towns Man, 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:36.679 I just want to stop for a second and give 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:41.240 him his due, because he could have easily this year 0:01:41.560 --> 0:01:44.880 just checked out with the way Anthony Edwards ascended on 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:48.160 that team. There are so many other players and we've 0:01:48.160 --> 0:01:51.200 seen it over and over again where the guy who 0:01:51.320 --> 0:01:53.920 had been the unquestioned number one would just take his 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:57.200 ball and go home and wouldn't participate in the same 0:01:57.200 --> 0:02:00.400 way anymore. And I think Carl got better. Actually, I 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:03.120 think that he not only bought in that he worked 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:06.640 on his game and he's the best he has ever 0:02:06.680 --> 0:02:09.640 been as a player. And I've just been so impressed 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:14.639 twenty three and twelve last night. And he is the reason, 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:16.799 by the way, to me, that they were even able 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:20.280 to have a comeback, because in the first half almost 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:23.200 no one else was doing anything, and Carl was the 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:25.560 one who was over and over against showing up for 0:02:25.600 --> 0:02:27.600 that team in the first half kept them just close 0:02:27.720 --> 0:02:30.640 enough to get there and then have that great comeback. So, 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:33.760 you know, I just want to make sure people recognize 0:02:33.919 --> 0:02:36.359 his part of this as well, and then the defense 0:02:36.400 --> 0:02:39.920 overall was exceptional. They held Denver to forty one percent 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:43.840 on field goals, twenty four percent on threes, Yoki Chi 0:02:43.919 --> 0:02:47.560 Murray only two in double figures. Everybody else was struggling 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:52.600 to score. So look, I can't say enough about how 0:02:52.639 --> 0:02:57.679 impressive Minnesota has been, but I want to know from 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:00.600 you guys, did you expect this When it was halftime? 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:02.840 Were you like, this game is over? What did what 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:05.160 did you think going into and during this game? 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:10.920 I would definitely say, you know, towards halftime, it looked 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:12.960 as if, you know, Denver kind of had this in 0:03:13.040 --> 0:03:16.680 the bag. You know, obviously Denver is a tough place 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:20.400 to play. You got the altitude against you, and obviously 0:03:20.440 --> 0:03:23.520 they're there defending champs. The experience is there. This is 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:26.360 a team that's been there time and time again. They've 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:29.640 seen the ups and downs of the playoffs. So I 0:03:29.680 --> 0:03:33.560 feel like at halftime everything was pointing towards them coming 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:35.120 out of this series successfully. 0:03:36.160 --> 0:03:39.320 But man, Man's dogs. 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:42.200 There's some dogs on the other end of that floor, man, 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:44.720 And there's some young dogs. 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:46.480 They full of hard, they're full. 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:50.520 Of energy, good energy, and you know, obviously that starts 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:54.240 with you know, the young Cat Anthony Edwards. But you 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:58.960 know you said it first, Rachu call Anthony Towns performed greatly, 0:04:00.280 --> 0:04:03.280 He's been a great sport about you know, becoming a 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:04.280 number two option. 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:07.440 And I mean for me on the. 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:10.040 Outside looking you know, looking in, when you have a 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:13.280 talent like Anthony Edwards, that's not a hard decision to make. 0:04:13.360 --> 0:04:15.200 I mean, I know we want to give him his credit, 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:18.560 but this ain't some bumb we're talking about. That's the 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:22.400 number one option like this, this is this is a 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:24.520 future Hall of Famer. We can all sit here and 0:04:24.560 --> 0:04:27.680 say that he's that good. He's the real deal. He's 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:30.600 a superstar and in my opinion, the new face of 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:34.240 the NBA. So you know, I don't think that was 0:04:34.279 --> 0:04:38.719 a hard decision for for Cat and you know, Hoopers 0:04:38.720 --> 0:04:41.440 respect Hooper's when when you know it's a talent, it's 0:04:41.480 --> 0:04:44.919 easy to you know, fall that line. And you know, 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:47.279 I think Cat made the right choice with you know, 0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:49.440 being cool with this and you know, falling into that 0:04:49.520 --> 0:04:54.159 second option, which which I think will help extend his career. 0:04:54.360 --> 0:04:55.960 And not only that, I. 0:04:55.920 --> 0:04:58.880 Think he'll become a better player from this because you know, 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:01.720 me and I taking both you know speak on this 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:07.360 being that number one option is hard like and and 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:10.359 it's it's a responsibility that comes with that every single 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:13.000 night to where you know, you get to blame for everything, 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:15.520 and that ship can start to you know, it can 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:17.640 get it can get to your mental you know. So 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:21.080 kind of sliding into that second option, you know, it's 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:25.640 it's it's a little less responsibility, but it's it's a 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:27.479 more it's more of a comfort level there and you 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:29.520 can you can be more of yourself, which I feel 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:33.240 like Cat has now become. So I think that was 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:36.800 an easy choice for him. But for me, the biggest, 0:05:37.839 --> 0:05:41.600 the biggest X factor in this entire series that isn't 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:43.760 getting the credit I feel. 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:46.520 He deserves is Jay mcdame's Seattle. 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:51.520 Kid, by the way, my bad, bad, I know it's 0:05:51.560 --> 0:06:00.320 the difference, but I don't think he's getting the the 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:02.479 shine that he deserves. And when we talk about the 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:06.880 defensive anchor, you know, obviously the narrative is Rudy Gobert, 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:09.680 but that kid is the defensive anchor of this team, 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:12.279 and I think he's shown a time and time again, 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:17.000 and for some reason, we highlight every you know, every 0:06:17.120 --> 0:06:22.799 word that Anthony Erwits says obviously, So I mean he's entertaining. 0:06:22.920 --> 0:06:25.040 He says all the right things. You love to hear 0:06:25.120 --> 0:06:28.599 him talk, but he's not just talking to talk. When 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:31.760 he speaks, his facts facts behind it. And he said 0:06:31.800 --> 0:06:35.760 it in Round one interview Kevin Durant, he said, well, 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:38.440 we got j McDaniels and it's the reason. 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:40.600 He said that, and this kid. 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:43.280 In the post postgame interview last night. But yeah, I 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:44.560 don't know if you get I don't know what you 0:06:44.640 --> 0:06:47.080 what you broadcast you get over there. But last night 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:49.599 on the T and T broadcast, they interviewed him and 0:06:49.839 --> 0:06:52.880 Ali asked some version of you know, what's who's the 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:55.160 reason you won this game? And he just answered right away, 0:06:55.200 --> 0:06:57.640 he said, Jim McDaniel's like. 0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:07.280 I'm definitely not getting the T and T product, but 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:10.400 he's one hundred percent correct. He's the defensive anchor at 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:13.040 this Minnesota team, and I just want to make sure 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:17.600 he gets the credit he deserves because not only is 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:21.520 he their best wing defender and defender in general, he's 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:23.480 also playing on the offensive side of the ball. He 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.960 ended the game with twenty three points, So I think 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:30.280 this kid's future is going to be really Bright and 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:33.240 he's definitely on his way to a big payday, So 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:35.240 I just want to make sure he gets the credit 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:35.840 he deserves. 0:07:36.960 --> 0:07:40.000 And your guy nas read Boogie, who has been championing 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:41.160 since October. 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:42.960 I love. 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:46.320 He put it up, man, I mean he was he 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:48.600 was amazing. I just didn't know if you could talk 0:07:48.640 --> 0:07:51.440 a little bit more about the defensive effort from the 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:53.960 Wolves and what that did to the Nuggets, because they 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:56.040 just the Nuggets looked dead by the end of that game. 0:07:56.080 --> 0:07:58.760 I mean, they look so tired. What did you see 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:01.480 and how is that when you're on the court facing. 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:03.880 That they just warmed down? 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:06.800 I mean you see at the Everards was having a 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:09.120 tough game in the first half, even the start of 0:08:09.160 --> 0:08:12.200 the third quarter, but he just stayed picking up Murray 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:14.679 for a court even though Murray had a great first half, 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:18.080 he just stayed at it warmed down. He possession by 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:20.960 possession and you see that in the box score as well. 0:08:21.000 --> 0:08:23.600 With the with the Denver Nuggets, like they usually have 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:26.640 five or six guys in double figures, they had two 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:30.200 Like that That says a lot about them taking away 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:33.720 the role players and also making it tough on Joker 0:08:34.120 --> 0:08:36.520 and Jamal Murray. So they just stayed with what they knew, 0:08:36.559 --> 0:08:39.040 and that was they laid their hat on the defensive end. 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:42.280 They obviously was able to make some big plays offensively, 0:08:42.360 --> 0:08:45.120 like you just mentioned. Nas Reed was huge in the 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:49.280 fourth quarter, like play after play, Golbert was huge on offense, 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.079 like he got a few and ones had the fadeaway 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:54.400 jump shot, like you knew it was something when he 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:54.800 hit the. 0:08:54.720 --> 0:08:57.920 Fadeaway buzzer beater, like and it was all net and 0:08:57.960 --> 0:08:58.559 then at the. 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:01.960 Edwards still exactly and then just ran back like that 0:09:02.120 --> 0:09:04.280 was just in his like that was in his bag. 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:07.440 So you just seen You've seen a lot from a 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:11.959 Minnesota Timberwolves team that you wouldn't expect, Like they looked 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:15.680 like they had championship experience. They were never rattled, even 0:09:15.720 --> 0:09:18.880 though they were down twenty at halftime, like they took 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:22.120 it possession by possession, and you've seen it like and 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:25.000 then when the energy turned and the momentum turn, it 0:09:25.080 --> 0:09:27.360 was like it was all she wrote like that that's 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:29.720 the definition of a team. You could tell those guys. 0:09:30.280 --> 0:09:32.400 Those guys don't just like playing with each other, they 0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:34.920 play for each other. And that's the definition of what 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:37.840 they got going over there, and it's it's energy on 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:39.719 a ten at all times. So like, you got to 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:42.200 tip your out into a team like that that came 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:45.840 in to the defending champs home court in a Game 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:48.840 seven and turned the whole game around in the last 0:09:48.880 --> 0:09:52.120 twenty four minutes of the game. So that team is 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:54.480 special and they got something. They got something good this 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:55.240 year for sure. 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:58.480 Yeah, and said in the press conference after the game, 0:09:58.640 --> 0:10:00.720 someone asked him when did you know you really had this? 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:04.760 He's like, oh, when Rudy hit that turnaround fair, He's 0:10:04.760 --> 0:10:08.439 like from then on, he's like, I'm I'm good. You know, 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:10.679 it was interesting you make the point about who had 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.960 double figures or not. Denver did not invest in its 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:16.520 bench this offseason. You know, they let guys go, they 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:20.160 didn't replace them. They have a very young bench, and 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:24.360 you know, I just remember when Lebron and Dwayne those 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:27.319 heat teams that were winning finals. You know, one of 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:31.560 the backbreakers that cost them an additional third title together 0:10:32.240 --> 0:10:36.200 was Mike Miller was not brought back because ownership decided 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:38.800 it's going to cost us too much and they could 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:40.679 have within the salary cap, but they would have had 0:10:40.679 --> 0:10:43.800 to pay more luxury tax things like that, and I 0:10:44.000 --> 0:10:47.720 just think when you have a team that has won, 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:49.840 that is the time to pour your money in it 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:53.959 to it. It's not the time to pull back. We've 0:10:54.000 --> 0:10:56.520 seen it a couple of times now, and I do 0:10:56.600 --> 0:10:59.000 think that that was a huge part of why Denver 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:01.760 lost this series. It's also the sixth year in a 0:11:01.840 --> 0:11:04.280 row that the defending champ has not advanced past the 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:06.599 second round. I mean, that's crazy. The last team to 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:10.840 do it was Golden State in twenty nineteen. I don't 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:13.480 know if that's exhaustion or what do you think, Bog 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.079 Is that just something about how much more competitive the 0:11:16.160 --> 0:11:16.720 league is now? 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:22.440 Nah, that's that falls on ownership. Cheap ass owners. Let's 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:25.760 just call it a book. There's no reason you shouldn't. 0:11:25.360 --> 0:11:27.200 Have you mean in general, not you mean in general, 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:28.839 not Devers we're talking about. 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:31.280 We're talking about Denver because the last year I was there, 0:11:31.320 --> 0:11:34.920 we were literally practicing around a bucket where it was 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:37.920 a leak in the ceiling. So like, it doesn't even 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:40.520 make sense, So we're gonna call it out. It's a 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:44.240 cheap ass owner. There's no reason you shouldn't have brought 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:49.960 Bruce Brown back after the way he contributed to that 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:54.720 championship team. He I would say outside of Jokis and Jamal, 0:11:54.800 --> 0:11:57.000 he might have been the third most important piece of. 0:11:57.000 --> 0:12:01.440 That championship team. For sure. It is. It's no reason 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:03.040 for him not to have been brought back. 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:07.920 Yeah, the bench was And I'm not going to go 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:09.800 out on a limb and say that bench was trash 0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:13.280 because I don't want to shit on anybody, but it's something. 0:12:13.320 --> 0:12:17.280 It smells something similar. And with that. 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:20.440 Being said, it was just so inexperienced. Outside of Reggie Jackson, 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.680 you don't really have a lot of experience. DeAndre Jordan 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:28.800 didn't really see minutes and obviously so with being behind Jokis, 0:12:28.920 --> 0:12:32.800 but you know, you got young kids like Peyton and 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:37.120 Chris Brown and they just don't have the experience to play, 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:41.400 you know, at a championship level and actually contribute. 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:43.600 So that falls on ownership. 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:46.720 And like you said, after a team wins a championship, 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:48.760 that's the time to go all in. That's when you 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:51.880 want to spend because obviously you're going to get that 0:12:51.960 --> 0:12:57.320 return back. So that falls on ownership being cheap and 0:12:57.640 --> 0:12:59.680 you know, stepping around exit. 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:04.040 So it works. If you want to win, you gotta 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:06.760 spind Yeah, yeah, you definitely. 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:09.600 Like you said, if I'm winning the championship, I'm doing 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:12.719 everything i can to bring back my main guys. They 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:15.920 contribute to the championship, whether it costs money or not. 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:19.360 Like you gotta if you're trying to repeat, that's hard 0:13:19.360 --> 0:13:22.199 to repeat with new guys on that bench. They haven't 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:25.040 really been in those situations. They haven't really had those 0:13:25.080 --> 0:13:27.760 experience with this type of team. So you've seen it. 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:29.760 You've seen it fall down on them in Game seven, 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:33.640 like like we said, they're a team that's usually five 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:36.800 guys in double figures, everybody's sharing the sugar. They really 0:13:36.840 --> 0:13:39.480 went two on five the last twenty four minutes where 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:43.400 like nobody was really getting shots, nobody was capitalized on anything. 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:46.360 It was really the Joker and Jamal Murray show, which 0:13:46.840 --> 0:13:47.720 they just died down. 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:50.000 They're human, Like we've seen it in the other series too, 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:52.800 over on the East Coast, Like, guys just died down. 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:56.360 And that's going to happen when when the guys are 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:59.439 playing heavy minutes and every possession is is for them 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:02.520 to make some happen like that, that has definitely gonna happen. 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:06.959 Yeah, for sure. And look I do think the competitive 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:09.960 balance in the NBA is a thing, and we've talked 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:12.080 about it a lot the last few weeks, that the 0:14:12.120 --> 0:14:17.280 international players really being such forces in the league. It's 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:20.440 it's not something. Look twenty years ago, it certainly wasn't 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:22.200 the case, and I'm not sure it was even the 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:25.920 case seven years ago. You know, you have a team 0:14:26.480 --> 0:14:28.840 where I mean, you have teams, these teams led by 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:33.520 guys like Jokic, like Yannis By, you know, even Shake 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:36.800 Gilgers Alexander is not American. I mean, you've got guys 0:14:36.880 --> 0:14:39.320 around the league who are raising the level of other 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:41.640 teams game. And I just think we do have more 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:43.480 teams that you could say, oh, they could win, they 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:46.040 could win a title, Luka Duncich, they could win a title. 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:48.640 And I do think it makes it harder for everyone 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:50.880 else and more exciting for the fans, because anyone can 0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:54.640 win on a given day. What do you guys think 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:55.040 with that? 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:55.360 Right? 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:57.760 I got one more thing, Right, I got one more thing. 0:14:58.120 --> 0:15:01.680 Shout out to Tim Connolly, right, he yeah, he built 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:04.640 Minnesota to beat Denver. Like he looked, he looking like this, 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:08.240 he and the crowd was like this. He was probably like, yeah, 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:12.240 say something, everybody was, you know, shipping on them about 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:15.520 making the trade for Goldberg at one point and saying 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:18.920 it wouldn't work. Like he really slowly built the team 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:21.280 to beat the defending champs with the team he had 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:24.320 built previously. So we got to give a shout out 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:27.440 to Tim Connelly. He doing something right over there, man. 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:29.280 I mean, look, he built both teams. 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:33.800 Exactly, exactly slowly built. He built that ship in a year. 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:37.000 Oh yeah, yeah, quick, quick, it was right off. 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:41.440 He knew, he knew the plan right away. So definitely 0:15:41.520 --> 0:15:43.920 shut up to Tim Connor, still pissed at you. 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:56.280 Yeah yeah, but it's all good. You know how that goes. 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:02.360 Have you ever wondered if Chet Holmgren might be a 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:05.600 descendant of Abraham Lincoln or if a UFC fighter could 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:08.720 beat an alien in a fight. Well maybe you haven't, 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:11.840 and that's okay. But Shay Serrano and Jason CONCEPSI own 0:16:11.920 --> 0:16:15.320 from six Trophies. Well they certainly have. If you're like 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:17.400 me and you'd like to listen to as many good 0:16:17.440 --> 0:16:21.520 basketball podcasts as you can after you're done listening to Bullyball, 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:24.960 you gotta listen to six Trophies every week. Shay and 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:28.280 Jason serve up the biggest moments from around the NBA 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:32.640 with their patented mix of joy banter pop culture side quests. 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:35.720 They also hand out six pop culture themed trophies for 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:40.400 six basketball related activities, stuff like the Denzel Washington and 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:43.080 Training Day Trophy that's given out to a player or 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:46.280 team having the best week around the NBA, or the 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:49.200 Lauren Hill You might win some, but you just lost 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:52.000 one trophy for the team or player that just can't 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:54.880 get it together, plus a bunch more trophies for all 0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:57.640 the good, bad, or just plain head scratching moments around 0:16:57.680 --> 0:17:01.840 the NBA. So follow Bullyball, but also follow six trophies 0:17:01.880 --> 0:17:04.359 on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts, 0:17:04.480 --> 0:17:06.959 or you can listen to add free by joining Wondery. Plus. 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:11.760 Let's talk about the team that Minnesota's gonna face next, 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:15.920 the Mavericks. Look, that was a hard fought series, came 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:18.960 right down to the very end of the very last game. 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:22.560 They beat the Clippers, they beat the thunder from the 0:17:22.600 --> 0:17:25.760 position of being a five seed, and I just I 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:27.560 don't know what do you guys make of that series 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:28.040 coming up? 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:31.920 Yeah, it's gonna be It's gonna be a good series. 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:35.439 You see, uh, you see Anthony Erras already say, you know, 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:37.639 my matchup is Kyrie, so I'm gonna see what he 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:38.000 can do. 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:41.320 He can do. It is so like that type of energy. 0:17:41.560 --> 0:17:45.720 Look, look, that type of energy rubs off on your teammates. 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:48.199 Like if your head leaders already saying something like that, 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:50.480 you're like, all right, let's get it cracky. So it's 0:17:50.520 --> 0:17:53.800 gonna it's gonna be a good series. Luca and Kyrie's 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:56.840 gonna be something special. In the Western Conference finals, you've 0:17:56.840 --> 0:17:59.359 seen that they pulled that together against a tough and 0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:02.440 well coached okay see team. But it's like it's something 0:18:02.440 --> 0:18:04.920 with them Timberwoods, Like they're. 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:06.240 Not afraid to say anything. 0:18:06.280 --> 0:18:09.800 They're not afraid to rub anybody's feathers wrong, Like they're 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:13.359 not trying to be nobody's friend, Like they really accepting 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:17.359 the challenge of anybody and everybody. And they're standing on 0:18:17.440 --> 0:18:20.720 business like they're they're they're standing on business when it 0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:23.520 comes to the talk and talking to talk, but walking 0:18:23.520 --> 0:18:23.880 the walk. 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:26.320 But you you definitely got to know it's gonna be tough. 0:18:26.359 --> 0:18:28.760 It's not gonna be easy because the Dallas Mavericks are 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:31.600 well coached they got some young guys that are playing 0:18:31.880 --> 0:18:36.879 out of their mind and Lively and PJ. Washington guys 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:40.560 has never seen the playoffs. It's taking advantage of their opportunities. 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:44.399 So I got Minnesota. But I think it's gonna go 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:46.560 six to seven games for sure. It's gonna be back 0:18:46.600 --> 0:18:49.360 and forth and a lot of good action in this series. 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:51.560 Like I can't wait for the I can't wait for 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:52.720 the competition for sure. 0:18:56.040 --> 0:19:00.320 I think I think with one, I'm a firm believe and. 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:04.760 You know, defense wins championships, and obviously I feel like 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:08.480 the best defensive team coming out of the West is 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:12.320 the Minnesota Timberwolves. Once again, I spoke on the kid earlier. 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:17.479 I think Jada McDaniels, this is another opportunity for him 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:21.680 to display his defensive talent. I think I think that 0:19:21.720 --> 0:19:24.480 match up between him and Luca will explain a lot. 0:19:25.320 --> 0:19:27.560 I think he'll make the game very tough for Luca 0:19:28.400 --> 0:19:31.320 a sixty eleventh frame. I don't think Lucas used to 0:19:31.560 --> 0:19:36.600 that type of a defensive matchup. I think that I 0:19:36.640 --> 0:19:39.960 think what helped Dallas, you know, getting through this last series, 0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:43.840 outside of their start playing Kyrie and Luca was the 0:19:43.880 --> 0:19:47.520 big man matchup. I think their bigs just had way 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:51.960 more experience than a young check Holt. That's not necessarily 0:19:52.000 --> 0:19:58.040 the case when it comes to Minnesota's big Like Minnesota bigs, 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:01.920 they're a real deal, so I don't think they're as 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:04.520 dominant when it comes to you know, Rudy Gobert, a 0:20:04.680 --> 0:20:05.480 naj read and the. 0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:06.600 Calling Anthony Towns. 0:20:06.640 --> 0:20:10.000 I think I think their responsibilities will become, you know, 0:20:10.119 --> 0:20:14.280 a lot tougher this this round. So for me, I 0:20:14.320 --> 0:20:18.320 see Minnesota coming out of the West. I think I 0:20:18.359 --> 0:20:20.560 do think it'll be the games will go to a 0:20:20.600 --> 0:20:21.960 six or seven game series. 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:26.240 But for me, I see Minnesota pulling out this series. 0:20:26.560 --> 0:20:29.919 I think that's going to be an amazing playoff series. 0:20:30.119 --> 0:20:32.240 I am going to be glued to my television. You're 0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:36.400 totally right about the defensive efforts. And Anthony Edwards when 0:20:36.400 --> 0:20:39.240 he wasn't shooting last night, played great defense. And the 0:20:39.280 --> 0:20:44.159 ability to do that is such for young player. I 0:20:44.200 --> 0:20:46.160 think we don't see that that often. We don't see 0:20:46.160 --> 0:20:48.439 them buckling down and being like great, what else can 0:20:48.480 --> 0:20:50.480 I do? They get a little obsessed with their shot, 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:53.320 they keep trying to force it, and instead he played 0:20:53.320 --> 0:20:56.240 great defense. So that matchup between him and Kyrie, which 0:20:56.320 --> 0:20:58.480 I mean, it's just unbelievable. 0:20:58.560 --> 0:21:00.520 Look, it's got to be box shopping. It's going to 0:21:00.560 --> 0:21:03.240 be box office. That's how you can tell nobody's calling 0:21:03.320 --> 0:21:08.520 Kyrie Irving out like nobody that nobody's accepting that talleting 0:21:08.680 --> 0:21:11.800 like that defensively. So there's something in the water over 0:21:11.840 --> 0:21:15.000 in Minnesota, like them boys is ready not saying he's 0:21:15.000 --> 0:21:17.160 going to stop Kyrie, but like to have that type 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:19.760 of confidence. It's like, let's get it cracking. So that's 0:21:20.119 --> 0:21:21.920