WEBVTT - OKC LOCKS UP Ant-Man, Knicks' Brunson Problem & Luka's Slim Summer 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.000 Welcome back to another episode of Unplugged, brought to you 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:09.560 by DraftKings Man. I love basketball right now. I mean 0:00:09.640 --> 0:00:12.840 men's game is going crazy obviously with the playoffs, got 0:00:12.840 --> 0:00:15.680 a chance to catch a court side, sparse game this weekend. 0:00:16.320 --> 0:00:18.920 But joining us is none other than one of my 0:00:18.960 --> 0:00:20.360 best friends, Rachel Nichols. 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:22.560 Welcome back, mister, mister Matt Barnes. 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:23.120 How are you? 0:00:23.680 --> 0:00:25.440 How much fun is it watching Kelsey Plumb? 0:00:25.840 --> 0:00:29.000 Kelsey's the shit, right. I remember how dope she was 0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:32.519 in college, but obviously she fell into her role. But 0:00:32.600 --> 0:00:34.720 we'll obviously get to that a little bit later. But yeah, 0:00:34.720 --> 0:00:35.600 as a spark, just. 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:38.159 You said you went to the game. I didn't realize that. Like, 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:39.600 plus she talks her shit. 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:42.320 Oh yeah, absolutely, I love it. I just I'm gonna 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:43.879 break her down later because this is the first time 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:45.280 I got to see her play in person in a 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:47.440 while for the Sparks, and it's just a different But yeah, 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:50.960 we'll get to that. But anyway, let's get to UH 0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:55.240 Eastern Finals. You were in the building, ye baby, game 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:58.760 one Madison Square Garden. I said, I didn't even care 0:00:58.800 --> 0:00:59.960 if I went to the game. I just want to 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:02.080 feel the energy in New York right now, because I 0:01:02.120 --> 0:01:05.720 know it's insane, but you witnessed a choke. 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:08.000 First of all, going into that series, going into the 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:11.720 Eastern Conference Finals first time twenty five years against the Pacers. 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:15.559 Every old Nick is in the building, every pace you know, Reggie, 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:18.600 Reggie's there. All the shit you walk around New York 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:22.039 that day, right, The Knicks were not only going to 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:24.839 win that series in four, they were going to sweep 0:01:24.920 --> 0:01:27.000 in four. They were after beating the Celtics, they were 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:28.960 going to sweep the finals in four, and they were 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:30.280 somehow going to win two titles. 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.679 By some they're gonna win next year, next year's title. 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:36.560 That's what you couldnot tell Knicks fans nothing. 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:39.520 And by the way, I think you still couldn't. Maybe 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:41.039 even after Game three, they're like, we're. 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:44.759 Bad, baby, It's all happening Nicks and Sick, right, they're wild. 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:48.840 I saw. I just love the ambiance again, every single 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:51.200 former Nick players courtse I think that shit is dope. 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:53.840 And there's a mob, Dylan, what's that ship called? The 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:56.000 mob of just the crazy fans that talk shit to everyone? 0:01:56.120 --> 0:01:59.920 Is there like a New Yorkers Yeah, mayn right. They 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:03.320 are nuts with no filter, Like I just love. I 0:02:03.360 --> 0:02:05.360 said early on, I just think it would be great 0:02:05.440 --> 0:02:08.399 for just the ecosystem, would be the NBA if the Knicks 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:10.840 were able to win. But let's get down to why 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:15.000 I don't think they they're going. I just I love 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:16.720 what they're doing. I have the team run a ton 0:02:16.760 --> 0:02:18.280 of numbers, say, because I just kind of want to 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:20.480 figure out like what things look like and what the 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:25.080 vibe is. But let's talk Game three. TIBs Surprise, Surprise, 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:27.680 dipped into the bench a little bit shamming and and 0:02:27.720 --> 0:02:30.640 Wright got a little bit of time. There's been a 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:32.920 switch with Josh Hart going to the bench and Mitchell 0:02:33.000 --> 0:02:36.760 Robinson's starting now talk to us a little bit about 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:38.880 kind of the shake up and TIBs at this point. 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:40.720 And I was saying before we started, like I'm looking 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:42.760 at the guy's minutes now and all the guys are 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:44.799 in like low thirty, So it means he's dipping into 0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:47.119 the bench. But the bench hasn't really got no burn 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:48.960 all year, So how are they supposed to on the 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:52.360 Eastern Conference final stage perform? But go ahead, what are 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:53.919 your thoughts with kind of a little bit of shake 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:55.240 up in him using a little bit more. 0:02:55.200 --> 0:02:56.880 Depth, I think it was Kenny Smith, righty read the 0:02:56.919 --> 0:02:58.840 line so far as the series where he's like, TIBs 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:00.679 won't even use nine guys baseball game? 0:03:00.680 --> 0:03:01.760 What was he shows us tonight? 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:02.119 Right? 0:03:04.200 --> 0:03:06.799 That was kind of insane. Whether you play guys a lot, 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:09.200 whether you don't. I mean, it really depends on the day. 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:12.840 People go back and forth, right because when the Knicks, 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:15.720 you know, when we saw Cleveland, for example, right fall 0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:19.000 apart against the Pacers, people were like, oh see the 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:21.880 Pacers have played their guys. They're used to running up 0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:24.360 and now they're used to heavy minutes in Cleveland. That 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:26.440 made this huge show all year of like we're not. 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:28.200 Going to wear guys out rolling a player starter a 0:03:28.240 --> 0:03:29.040 certain amount of time. 0:03:29.440 --> 0:03:31.839 The criticism was they weren't ready when it was time 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:34.600 to go. The TIBs criticism we always know is he 0:03:34.639 --> 0:03:36.600 plays guys into the ground, and yet if you look 0:03:36.600 --> 0:03:40.120 at some of the numbers, it doesn't always back that up. Look, 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:42.560 I asked you before we started if you had played 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:44.960 for Carlisle or TIBs before, which I can't kind of 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:47.720 believe you haven't, considering how many teams they've both been 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:50.480 in and you've been at. But it's interesting to me 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:53.920 that Rick Carlisle has largely out coached Tom Thibodeaux in 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:56.560 this series. And then I think what you saw on 0:03:56.640 --> 0:03:59.040 what you're asking about is tips sort of feeling around 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:01.840 for what else might work. And when we saw Brunson 0:04:01.880 --> 0:04:03.840 on the bench, I am in no way one of 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:04.800 these people who was like. 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:07.520 Oh my god, June Brunson, they're better without him. I mean, 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:08.760 that's just insanity. 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:13.480 However, the fact that Brunson and Kat weren't playing together 0:04:13.640 --> 0:04:18.080 and the defensive weakness, yes, when they're both on the floor, 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:20.800 that that creates wasn't there. That's what I thought was 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:21.840 most interesting. 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:24.960 About all those Yeah, there's numbers obviously, and analytics, you 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:26.719 guys can get that somewhere else, But when they're able 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:29.600 to stagger their minutes, and let's be real, I mean, 0:04:29.680 --> 0:04:32.279 Mikal Bridges hasn't necessarily been the lockdown guy he's been 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:35.600 known to be og has kind of been inconsistent when 0:04:35.600 --> 0:04:38.400 it comes to defense. You know, Kat with his size twenties, 0:04:38.440 --> 0:04:41.520 he's not really moving them puppies as as they would say. 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:44.120 And then Brunson is doing so much heavy lifting on 0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:46.159 the offensive. Man, it's just like, how much do you 0:04:46.240 --> 0:04:48.719 expect from him, So you know, I wanted to just 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:51.440 My whole thing is obviously being a former player like 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:55.520 you had, you can't, first of all, simulate game reps, 0:04:55.640 --> 0:04:57.800 especially at this point with all the adrenaline, Like you 0:04:57.839 --> 0:04:59.440 can't just all of a sudden get in shape, you 0:04:59.440 --> 0:05:01.080 know what I mean. And that's why I always tip 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:04.360 guys that with you know, we look at Indiana and 0:05:04.400 --> 0:05:07.520 we look at Okay. See their guys have got a 0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:10.240 taste of this shit the whole season. So now when 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:13.359 it's here, whether it's a little bit longer than normal 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:15.720 sport or a quick spurt, they're ready and they're here. 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:18.080 You give guys opportunities that hasn't necessarily played. And I'm 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:20.120 not sure what you're expecting because I'm always thinking Rachel 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:22.400 on the playoffs. Every you know, a couple of games 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:23.919 are serious, someone from the bench is going to go 0:05:23.960 --> 0:05:26.280 off and really help you get through this. But it's 0:05:26.320 --> 0:05:28.680 almost like the Knicks don't even have that opportunity. I mean, 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:30.240 we said early sham at some guy that can get 0:05:30.279 --> 0:05:31.760 four to three's. You know, Delawn Wright is great at 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:34.320 getting downhill and drawing fouls, and he does some stuff 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:36.719 on the defensive end. But it's just like these guys 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:40.000 haven't really got an opportunity the whole time, so and. 0:05:39.960 --> 0:05:41.160 The pressure is then on more too. 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:43.480 Right, Yeah, if you know this is your only shot, 0:05:44.279 --> 0:05:47.039 I don't care how highly conditioned, highly trained, mentally tough 0:05:47.040 --> 0:05:48.040 for pro athlete you are. 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:48.719 It's tough. 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:49.200 It's tough. 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:52.080 People have no idea how especially with the lights being 0:05:52.160 --> 0:05:54.240 so bright. This is the Easterns, not the first round. 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:57.000 Like this is the Eastern Everyone's expecting to win two. 0:05:56.960 --> 0:05:58.679 Championships in the one today exactly. 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:03.040 It's crazy. But you know, Kat showed up game two, 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:06.039 excuse me, game three with twenty points. He had just 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:09.560 as many as the Pacers had in the fourth quarter, 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:12.960 played really well, carried him Brunson, I want to say, 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:15.320 what six for eighteen from the field. Scored well, but 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:19.080 not a typical game for these playoffs. What what is 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:21.280 Cat at twenty one and eleven and bruns is at 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:26.080 what thirty four and thirty four at six? Shoot only 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:29.479 thirty percent from the three point line? I was My 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:35.400 argument earlier was that Cat's numbers are very solid. Brunson's 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:39.279 numbers are above average. Cat's numbers actually above average in 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:43.600 this series you look at Og, you look at You, 0:06:43.640 --> 0:06:48.120 look at Heart, and you look at Bridges. All their 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:51.080 numbers are solid and where they're at. But that's it. 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.560 You know now that Mitchell Robinson is getting a chance 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:56.120 to play, I don't. I don't really know TIV, but 0:06:56.120 --> 0:06:57.839 it's just like when he's with you, he's with you, 0:06:57.839 --> 0:06:59.320 and I think as a player, you love that. But 0:06:59.440 --> 0:07:01.480 like you now he's in serty metro Robinson, but he'll 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:03.679 play him the entire first quarter and then his numbers 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:06.440 drastically drop the rest of the game. I love him 0:07:06.440 --> 0:07:08.599 as an energy spark, someone who can change the momentum. 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:10.800 Someone get you three offensive rebounds and a kickout for 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:12.600 it through like that kind of shit. But then he's 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:16.240 playing these consistent whole entire quarters and then his numbers are, 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:19.960 you know, very average the rest of the game. So 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:22.960 I mean, going into tonight's game, what do you feel 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:26.440 like is the knixt game plan trying to go here 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:28.920 and even up the series on Indiana's court. 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:31.080 I think they kind of have to, right, no question. 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:32.760 You go down three to one. They've shown what they 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:36.040 can do at home. They're nasty at home. It's crazy. 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:37.360 The greatest environment. 0:07:37.000 --> 0:07:38.280 That's been well, First of all, I don't know if 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:40.800 I'm quarter vantage even matter to any of these playoffs anymore. 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:43.280 At this point, we've seen so many crazy things. 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:45.200 Everyone keeps saying, oh, you get them to the garden 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:46.040 in the game seven. 0:07:46.240 --> 0:07:47.240 These pacers don't care. 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:49.880 By the way, Tyres Albert is just as happy to 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:51.160 score his game winning. 0:07:50.880 --> 0:07:56.080 Shots more in the garden. It's more legendary. Great exactly, So, Rachel, 0:07:56.240 --> 0:07:58.200 you were in New York on behalf of Draft Kings 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:00.000 and you've got a chance to win this in amaze 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:03.560 seen Game one Tyrese Halibert and the hero or one 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:05.280 of the heroes. Let's take a look at what he 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:05.760 had to say. 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:08.520 The ball goes up? How long did it take for 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:09.400 that ball to go down? 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:12.280 Man? Felt like forever hoping it was a three. You 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:15.840 know obviously it wasn't. But proud of our groups. You know, fight, resilience, 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:17.880 and you know it's winning overtimes a big deal. So 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:18.920 just really proud of the group. 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:20.600 What was it when you were a kid? 0:08:20.640 --> 0:08:22.560 What did you count down in your head that you're 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:24.000 so good at these last second shots? 0:08:24.080 --> 0:08:25.880 Was a Game seven of the NBA Finals? Like, what 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:26.480 was it in your. 0:08:26.440 --> 0:08:30.160 Driveway High School state championship. I want to go to 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:31.560 the NBA, but more than anything, I want to win, 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:33.800 to stay champions in high school. So that's more more 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:34.959 I would think of, have. 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:36.080 You used the Reggie Miller thing? 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:37.600 You can't use it again, you feel or you feel 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:38.520 like you might bring it out again. 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:39.920 It's all spur of the moment. It was spur of 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:41.200 the move. I wasn't plottin on that. 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:42.080 It just happened. 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:44.040 So I don't think you'll see it again. I don't 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:46.839 think you'll see that. Yeah, we see. We haven't been 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:51.319 on since that. But I mean, how fucking he big? Toady? 0:08:51.400 --> 0:08:54.120 Kdat it he big? But Rachel, can you imagine if 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:55.800 that was the game winner? 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:58.679 Can you imagine if they didn't win the overtime? 0:08:58.720 --> 0:08:59.200 Afterward? 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.959 We think about the swaggy pe meme right where they'll like. 0:09:02.960 --> 0:09:05.720 Throw it turn around, and that is like, that is 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:07.920 literally the symbol in the NBA. 0:09:08.040 --> 0:09:09.800 How long has that been? Has that been ten years? 0:09:10.920 --> 0:09:12.439 It feels like a fucking decade. 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:15.520 And that is still the symbol of all the ship 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:17.200 that is the symbol of right. 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:20.800 And yet if ty had choked, had done the. 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:23.440 Choke sign and then quote choked the game away or 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:26.160 whatever it was. That image of him with the word 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:29.319 choker underneath would have lived for And that is why 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:31.880 give him a lot of credit, by the way, for 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:34.160 doing all the shit that he does, because he puts 0:09:34.160 --> 0:09:36.640 it up. That's all we want, right, put yourself out there. 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:39.000 Yes, and he is doing that, and he does it. 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.719 So anyway, he's happy to win a game seven on 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:43.360 the road if it comes to that. But I don't 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:44.640 know if it's going to come to that. I feel 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:47.840 like with the Knicks Pacers series, it's pretty evenly matched. 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:49.960 I feel like anyone could Neither one of these are 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:52.360 perfect teams, right, Either one could come out with the 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:54.200 big night. The problem is the Knicks are in too 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:56.800 much of a hole now, yes, right, because the Knicks 0:09:56.840 --> 0:09:58.800 have to win four out of five games. After you 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:00.719 lose the first two, you've got to win four out 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:01.080 of five. 0:10:01.400 --> 0:10:02.560 By the way we've seen it. 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:05.040 We've seen an NBA Finals not that long ago, right, 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:06.760 So it's not like it can't happen. 0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:07.840 It is hard. 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:10.240 You have to be the better team, and I'm not 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:13.000 sure the Knicks are that much of the better team that, 0:10:13.120 --> 0:10:15.160 even though they got one, I don't know if in 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:17.080 total they can win four out of five, and whether 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:19.679 they win tonight or not, I'm not sure it matters 0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:21.320 so much in the long term of whether they're gonna 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:23.400 win the series and they gonna make it fun. I 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:25.520 have a question for you about Jaylen Brunson being your 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:26.000 best player. 0:10:26.040 --> 0:10:29.079 Though you're talking about one, A, Y, one B, all 0:10:29.120 --> 0:10:29.600 the stuff. 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:34.439 Well, my question to you, having played, because you played 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:36.839 such you were such a two way player, which is. 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:38.920 A hysterical term to me, by the way basketball, because 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:42.160 we are everyone's supposed to be a two way player. 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:45.480 But anyway, to have a guy who just not because 0:10:45.520 --> 0:10:48.000 of his heart, not because he doesn't try, but because 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:52.040 of the size he is, who can never be anything 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:56.160 but average defensively and often something of a liability. 0:10:57.080 --> 0:10:58.600 Can you have that be your best player? 0:11:00.520 --> 0:11:02.960 That was my thing. I can he'd be your best 0:11:03.000 --> 0:11:04.880 player and win a title. I think he's shown at 0:11:04.880 --> 0:11:07.960 times he's been the most unguardable guy in the playoffs. 0:11:08.040 --> 0:11:11.160 He's been incredible. They can throw different defenses at him, 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:15.080 He's still doing what he does, but with that load. 0:11:15.440 --> 0:11:18.439 And then you look at everything that makes him great offensively, 0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:22.000 his pace, playing off two feet, his IQ, all that 0:11:22.480 --> 0:11:25.040 he doesn't have any of those natural attributes as like 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:27.680 the normal superstars we think that are carrying teams that 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:29.760 can go ahead and flip around and lock in on 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:33.040 the other side. So when you look at him on defense, 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:35.240 you look at kat on defense, someone who else scores 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:38.240 the ball really well, but doesn't necessarily play defense. As 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:41.160 I said earlier, Bridges hasn't necessarily locked down as we're 0:11:41.200 --> 0:11:42.840 accustomed to. Maybe he's a little tired. 0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:45.800 Only one guy, right, you kind of would need a 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:46.960 team of Bridges, mean. 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:49.319 Yeah, you need at least two guys and maybe one 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:50.880 guy off the bench, and then a team that plays 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:53.200 team defense. We're gonna get to Okac. Yeah, I'm so 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:55.079 in love with the way they're just on a string. 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:58.640 Can Brunson be that guy? And I mean we're seeing 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:02.480 it right now, right, like Jokic said, like last series, 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:04.120 if we could have won, if we could, if we 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:06.000 could have won, we would have won, you know what 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:08.240 I mean. So I'm still interested in and I don't 0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:10.080 want this to be a knock on because I think 0:12:10.120 --> 0:12:14.080 he's been absolutely incredible in these playoffs. But that was 0:12:14.120 --> 0:12:17.240 my question a while ago. Can he be the guy 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:20.560 to on your team and help and you guys win 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:23.199 a championship with that. So we're gonna have to see and. 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:26.400 Always it's hard to because the guy implies that like 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:28.240 he's not tough enough, he's not good enough, he doesn't 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:29.800 have enough swag, like he's got all of that. 0:12:30.040 --> 0:12:31.600 He can be the guy in that way. 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:33.520 Yes, but he's only as tall as he is as 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:37.560 tall and so either you need to have such defensive 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:41.160 stalwart presence around him, yes, And I don't know if 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:43.400 the Knicks have that. I don't know if it's possible 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:46.640 to build a team like that in this era. Yeah right, 0:12:46.760 --> 0:12:49.600 where if that is your best player and he's worthy 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:52.040 in every other sense that he's just not four four 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:52.680 inches taller. 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:54.920 Yeah, Like, I just don't know. 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:58.280 I think like if for just hypothetis real, coud you 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:00.600 throw him on the Oklahoma City raw Sure, with the 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:02.800 depth of defense they have and you can hide him, 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:05.400 But then is he from that stamp? I mean, it's 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:08.240 a whole nother conversation. I still think there's nothing you can. 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:11.959 Do if you him on ok Yeah, are you putting 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:13.280 him instead of Shae? 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:13.640 Yeah? 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:15.880 Yeah, yeah, You're going to excuse me if I was 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:17.720 removing Shaye and putting him in there in summer you 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:21.920 can hide because there's so much, great, much talent on 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:24.320 that team. But I mean, I guess it's you know, 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:27.120 this is something we're going to have to see. To 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:30.160 your point, even if they get tonight, do we see 0:13:30.160 --> 0:13:33.040 them still getting another two out of three? And I 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:35.480 just don't. But one thing is is going to be 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:37.800 a big hit for Indiana if it happens tonight. His 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:41.040 Nie Smith is questionable. This guy is nearly at seventeen 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:44.120 points a game, fifty from the field and seventy three 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:47.360 percent from the three point line. He was single handedly 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:50.440 went nuts game one. At the end of Game one. 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:54.200 He's been the primary defender on Brunton although Brunts in 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:58.240 that thirty four game, nothing has been easy, absolutely nothing, 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:01.080 but he makes him work for everything. In good offense 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:03.120 is always a great offense is always going to beat 0:14:03.120 --> 0:14:04.880 good defense, you know what I mean. I ran into 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:07.160 that in my like, I just made them work. But 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.360 they still got numbers. So he's definitely making him do 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:13.240 his things. So if they lost him, that could be 0:14:13.240 --> 0:14:15.360 big depending on how long. But again they do have 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:17.240 that's the one thing you keep And I had to 0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:19.120 say this is all due respect, Like they're bringing guys 0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:20.560 off the bench that I haven't heard of, but they're 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:23.120 out there doing the thing, like they're out there playing well. 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:27.080 Carlile has those guys ready. One thing I'm happy about 0:14:27.200 --> 0:14:30.520 is big John, how long you got ran stated before 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:34.440 I did. Congratulations man. He gets to be in the 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:37.840 building tonight game four, and I really want to sit 0:14:37.880 --> 0:14:39.840 and talk to him because I've talked to people around 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:42.600 him and it's he's just so proud to be a 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:45.880 fucking dad and a black dad with all the narratives 0:14:45.880 --> 0:14:47.840 and stigmas that have been in the past, but he's 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:50.360 just happy to be out there. They showed edit to 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:52.360 him at a bar still tripping when he couldn't go 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:54.320 to the game and he was doing his day. So 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:57.760 I absolutely again as a passionate dad, John, I fuck, 0:14:57.800 --> 0:14:59.920 we need to have a beer together. But happy he 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:02.040 he'll be back in the building. He missed eight games. 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:05.480 It's crazy we're even talking about it, like as a player. 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:07.920 He missed eight gays because of the Yana shit back 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:09.680 on April twenty ninth. But he will be back in 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:12.560 the building. We saw our boy stat at game go ahead. 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:14.120 Well, I just say one more thing about that. 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:16.560 Yeah, go ahead, Like I'm thrilled, I've been saying for 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:18.440 the last week or two, like, Okay, we have gotten 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:21.000 to the point where the punishment has outweighed the crime. Right, 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:23.880 your son is doing things that, literally, by the way, 0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:25.800 no human has ever done in the game of basketball, 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:28.560 and certainly Tyreese has never done. And it's not an 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:30.400 insult to say he might not ever do it again. 0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:32.120 There's a lot of time and place, and I mean 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:34.920 it's literally never happened before. So the idea that he'd 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:38.200 have to miss all of that again punishment outweighed the crime. 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:41.600 To me, that we need to be creative about thinking 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:43.600 about how we make. 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:44.520 These decisions for people. 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:46.720 Yes, because the argument that I've gotten thrown back to 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:48.400 me over this last week, that I've said, you know, 0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:50.360 come on, let him back in the building is okay, 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:53.320 but what he did was so out of pocket. And 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:57.280 the answer is yes, But there are other ways to 0:15:57.440 --> 0:15:59.360 say you can't do this. And I believe they're going 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:01.640 to have him in a swing for the next rest 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:03.560 of the way keep and that is the way. 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:05.280 To say you can't do this. 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:08.000 It's kind of like, you know, to the player participation 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:10.560 issue to tie it into the awards Vuning. 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:11.440 That's bullshit to me. 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:14.000 Yes, there's other ways you can say you can't do this. 0:16:14.080 --> 0:16:15.960 That doesn't have to be the way. Keeping John out 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:17.880 of the building does not have to be the way 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:18.520 you said you. 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:18.920 Can't do that. 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:22.560 Son uncharted territories with the ship John did on the court. 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:24.600 But again, I'm glad he's. 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:27.520 Well, he's lucky he rolled up on honest. 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:28.880 Man, That's what I said. We were having a conversation. 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:30.600 You would pop that shit in front of someone else, 0:16:30.600 --> 0:16:32.280 you might have got smacked. But I'm glad it might 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:34.720