WEBVTT - Gottlieb - All Ball - guests Nick Wright, Eric Gordon and Chris Broussard 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:06.200 Hey, welcome and do all ball. I'm Doug Gottlieb, your 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:09.880 hosts with the most and uh, I'm so happy to 0:00:09.880 --> 0:00:14.079 be with you. Remember to download, to subscribe, and to 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:19.079 rate this podcast as um. What we'll do this time 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:22.840 is talk mostly pro hoops, college hoops. So many guys 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:26.680 either declaring for the draft with an agent, without an agent. 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:30.560 You do have certain players declaring for their schools, as 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:33.519 we saw yesterday with Romeo Lankford is going to Indiana. 0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:35.600 Let me just kind of start there before we get 0:00:35.640 --> 0:00:40.560 to the pro hoops of the day. Obviously, Romeo Lankford 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:45.280 staying home is big for Archie Miller. And the sense 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:47.680 has always been at IU, if you can build a 0:00:47.680 --> 0:00:50.640 fence around the state, you're gonna be able to compete nationally. 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:52.479 And you look at all the players that have even 0:00:52.520 --> 0:00:56.360 now playing collegiately or playing in the pros or played collegiately, 0:00:56.400 --> 0:00:59.160 they're going to the pros that are from the state. 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:01.680 You're like, wow, how did they not go to IU? Now, 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:04.600 Remember it's not like I you under Tom Crane didn't 0:01:04.600 --> 0:01:11.320 have talent. They had a plethora of um of talented players. 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:15.920 I don't think he got fired because he wasn't recruiting well, 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:21.959 although not recruiting as well in state sometimes can unseach 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:25.240 you just as much as not recruiting well overall is 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:28.400 I think really the problem was he went to four 0:01:28.480 --> 0:01:30.720 n c A tournaments when he was there for nine 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:33.040 years or whatever that you know, he only got to 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:35.200 the sweet six team, never got past it. I think 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:37.400 there was a general sense they're bumping up into the ceiling, 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:40.959 even though they had talented players, and they went out 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:45.240 and got Archie, who had as or greater success at 0:01:45.240 --> 0:01:48.960 a place like Dayton, and so the even the layman 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:50.520 can see, well, if you can do that at Dayton, 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:52.840 why can't you do better at IU? And there are 0:01:52.960 --> 0:01:54.880 questions about Archie. I guess at I you, I don't 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:58.480 know why. I think Archie's tremendous. He's an indefatigable recruiter. 0:01:58.880 --> 0:02:01.200 And he goes and gets his first big top hunter 0:02:01.280 --> 0:02:03.560 get in the state of Indiana, and now kind of 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:06.720 they're often running this could be the this could be 0:02:06.760 --> 0:02:10.320 the guy who who changes them. It really could. My 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:14.400 sense is that you look at the Big ten and 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:16.640 you know, this was supposed to be a year that 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:19.400 Michigan State could win the whole thing they did not 0:02:20.080 --> 0:02:23.800 couldn't figure out, couldn't make shots, Agin Syracuses Zone. Michigan 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:28.280 obviously overachieved, or I think overachieved, but now they're losing 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:32.800 Wagner to the NBA Draft. Ohio State overachieved, but you 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:36.080 know they're losing Beta Cats up. I was kind of 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:38.520 a mess, but I think they'll be better next year. 0:02:38.600 --> 0:02:40.919 But do I think I was suddenly going to leap 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:45.160 frog everybody else in the league. Probably not. Um you 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:47.240 look at some of the other powers in the league. 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:52.800 Illinois down, having to completely restructure their roster, Minnesota massive injuries, 0:02:52.800 --> 0:02:56.240 but finally recruiting well in State, but you know, they 0:02:56.280 --> 0:03:01.040 haven't been able to sustain early season success under Richard Pettino. 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:04.120 Like I just kind of Wisconsin was down, and we'll 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:06.320 see what happens. If they get their full roster back, 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:09.480 which they could have back good at back, could Wisconsin 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:11.239 get back to the top of league. It's kind of 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:14.760 fascinating to see what happens to Indiana because in very 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:17.320 short order they became kind of an afterthought in the league. 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:21.000 But I think Archie, you start getting a recruiting he'll 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:23.720 do fine. I like the Archie higher when it was made. 0:03:23.880 --> 0:03:27.120 And this only some of this is confirmation bias, but 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:29.880 getting Robo Langford confirms to me everything I thought about 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:33.720 Archie Miller and Steve will play hard. Um, he's a 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:37.680 little bit more evolved as an offensive coach than his brother. 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:40.840 Teams play hard, you know, and fundamentally sound like his brother. 0:03:40.880 --> 0:03:42.000 And then it's just a matter if can you get 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:44.640 good enough players and can you get the players to stay? 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:47.720 So fascinating, it also interests always interesting to me these 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:51.400 top hundred kids, that top fifty, top kids that side. 0:03:51.440 --> 0:03:53.800 It's like you're you realize you're getting them for one year, 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:57.360 and so sometimes it's better to get the top hunter, 0:03:57.400 --> 0:03:59.760 top hunter fifty kid who's going to stay for the 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:02.200 two to three to four, maybe even five years. Then 0:04:02.240 --> 0:04:05.840 it is that one kid who, but one player, can 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:08.760 completely change your minium momentum and recruiting, especially in a 0:04:08.800 --> 0:04:12.080 state like Indiana, and completely change the momentum for the 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:14.760 fan base. Oh, they're really doing something. And while there's 0:04:14.760 --> 0:04:16.560 a lot of pressure on the kid and the pressure 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:18.760 on the program to elevate the kids so we can 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:21.039 go to the NBA Draft, some of that's a good 0:04:21.040 --> 0:04:23.120 thing because if the kid has the talent and really 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:28.039 buys in will be fine. Fine. I don't think you 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:31.520 can win with all one and dones. But I also 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:33.160 think it's really hard to win when you don't have 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:36.359 good players. So it's got to be a mixture of 0:04:36.360 --> 0:04:38.840 the two. Let's get to the NBA a couple of 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:41.760 spitfire thoughts. Let me start with Lebron James, who statistically 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:47.279 has been unbelievable. I want people to understand two things. One, 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:53.000 some of Lebron's dominance is by design from the other team. Right, 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:56.800 you're going against Lebron, and I don't know what the 0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:00.640 best thing Lebron does. I would say some of it 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:02.960 is the fact that when he's a downhill driver, he's 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:06.239 almost unguardable. But a good portion of what makes Lebron 0:05:06.279 --> 0:05:09.760 special is that he's an incredible pastor. Right, So when 0:05:09.760 --> 0:05:12.000 you have this type of skill as a score and 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:14.880 skill as a passer, and the size and athleticism that 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:19.000 Lebron has and the versatility defensively, pretty great mix. So 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:21.719 what you gotta do is you gotta make, honestly, somebody 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:25.640 play left handed. But you want to make somebody only 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:28.839 do one thing right, You either only make him a pastor, 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:31.800 only make him a score, and I think, what what 0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:34.920 the Pacers found? You go back to the Warriors last year. 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:37.360 Found what other teams have found is, you know, if 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:41.120 we just make Lebron score thirty forty fifty a game, 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:45.160 he can't do it. He won't be able to carry 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:49.800 the team in the fourth quarter. It's something that as 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:51.400 a human being, you run out of You run out 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:53.680 of gas in the tank. And remember, though he's not 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:57.560 nearly the defender he gets credit for, especially anymore, He's 0:05:57.560 --> 0:06:00.000 still will guard multiple positions and is put in position 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:03.520 to have to make big plays defensively blocking shots. He 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:05.720 obviously blocked the couple of big ones in this series. 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:08.920 The point is that, go and look at the fourth 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:12.520 quarter in Game seven, he only made two buckets. He 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:14.720 took a couple of jump shots that he wasn't close on. 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:18.640 He just looked exhausted out there. So I'm not saying 0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:22.000 Lebron stinks. Anybody who takes that is just silly when 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:24.479 they say that. What I'm saying is that some of 0:06:24.520 --> 0:06:28.040 the scoring dominance is by design. You want him to score, 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:30.680 you want to guard him single coverage, and you want 0:06:30.680 --> 0:06:34.159 to make him score thirty points, hoping that he just 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:36.160 doesn't happen in the tank in the fourth quarter and 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:39.520 that you're close and your go to score can make 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:43.599 shots where's Lebron cannot. The other part is there is 0:06:43.640 --> 0:06:46.360 this narrative going that this is the worst roster he's 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:49.760 played with since the O eight Finals team, and that's 0:06:49.800 --> 0:06:54.040 just silly. And Kevin Love and I don't think Kevin 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:56.839 Love is a superstar, but he's definitely a star caliber player. 0:06:57.080 --> 0:07:00.240 Kevin Loves an All Star. Kevin Loves probably a Hall 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:03.120 of Famer. So go back and look at two thousands, 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:07.279 and Kevin Love is in his prime. So you can 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:09.760 go and tell me that Kevin Love isn't good, and 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:11.600 I would tell you that I think Kevin Love is 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:14.000 really good. I think Kevin Love and the rest of 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:17.280 this team is put in a position to which Lebron 0:07:17.320 --> 0:07:19.840 can only really play one way. They can't play ball movement, 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:22.920 ball screen, rotate the basketball, they can't play that way 0:07:23.160 --> 0:07:25.600 at all. They have to play this way. Throw it 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:28.240 to Lebron has them out the ball screening action, to 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:31.400 which he can find shooters when they're open. Otherwise, if 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:33.600 you help, if you double team, he'll pass your guy 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:35.960 otherwise that then you just play him straight up and 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:41.240 hope he misses. The point is that one of the 0:07:41.240 --> 0:07:44.480 reasons he's scoring so much is because of the design 0:07:44.480 --> 0:07:46.840 of the defense. The other reason is the design of 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:49.080 the offense, and one of the reasons the rest of 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:53.360 the team doesn't score very much and doesn't look as 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:56.960 effective as maybe they would in other NBA systems. Some 0:07:57.080 --> 0:07:59.480 of is the design of the defense and some of 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:02.680 it is the sign of the offense. I'm fascinating to 0:08:02.720 --> 0:08:05.680 see what happens with Toronto. Toronto does not have a 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:09.560 quality matchup to throw it Lebron James. The teams that 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:14.800 do are eventually the Celtics to the Celtics have you 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:17.440 know you you go to next year, They'll have Jason Tatum, 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:23.040 Jalen Brown, Gordon Hayward at least those three, maybe a 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:27.720 little Al Horford to throw at him. And um the 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:33.760 Golden State Warriors, who have Kevin Durant, they have Andrea Gadala, 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:39.959 they have Sean Livingston, Um they have Draymond Green. They 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:41.959 have four guys to which they can throw at him 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:44.360 and say, hey, look we're gonna cut everybody else off 0:08:44.480 --> 0:08:46.040 and you're gonna have to make shot and have Clay 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:50.000 Thompson as well, five guys that can legitimately guard Lebron James. 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:52.480 You're not gonna stop him, especially in this day and 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:54.319 age in the NBA, but you're gonna throw them. Look 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:57.240 at Toronto and though they do have arguably the best 0:08:57.840 --> 0:09:00.760 bench in the NBA, the fact is they don't have 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:05.200 a perfect o g and a boy is is just 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:08.280 a rookie. Like, he's not gonna shut down Lebron James. 0:09:08.320 --> 0:09:10.040 He won't get he'll get in the foul trouble before 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:12.400 that happens. He has the body, but he doesn't have 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:15.079 the game yet on offense to to make Lebron garden. 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:19.600 So I still think the Calves can beat Toronto, but 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.520 I think Toronto just and they only have one day 0:09:22.559 --> 0:09:26.439 off in between all these games. Toronto can, just like Indiana, 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:30.080 can wear him out by making him score for to night, 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:32.320 and that's what he's gonna have to do. I'm gonna 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:34.800 have to score for to night. I wouldn't bet against 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:37.360 Lebron because he has a mental game. He has the 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:40.560 mental edge over the over the Raptors. But I do 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:42.800 think there is the possibility that he just runs out 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:45.120 of gas in Toronto because they have a DeMar Derozin 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:48.600 who is a more refined player, more fine player than 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:51.360 a victor Or Oladipo. I do think there's the possibility 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:53.440 that that Toronto. I didn't think they can win this 0:09:53.520 --> 0:09:56.079 series going back two months ago. Now I think they can. 0:09:56.320 --> 0:09:59.440 I wouldn't pick them, but I think they can. And 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:02.280 then you got out West where as of recording of this, 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:06.959 Steph Curry is going to play tonight, and I think 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:10.680 it's it's it's very very interesting. Draymond Green wasn't hitting 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.600 shots in the regular season, struggled summ early on, was 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:18.599 better in Game one versus the Pelicans. Igo Dollas shot 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:21.240 a much higher number of threes in the postseason, played 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:24.480 more mids in the postseason. You still have Livingston there, 0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:28.440 and you have some other young pieces. I'm a little 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:33.000 concerned about the Warriors bench in the playoffs, in the 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:35.520 in the in the Western Conference Finals against the Rockets, 0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:39.880 but I'm I'm less concerned if Steff is truly back, 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:42.880 If Staff is truly back, and you have Staff, if 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:46.800 k d if Clay, they just need Draymond to make 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:49.160 shots to spread that floor out. Igu Dolla has hit 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:51.600 a lot more shots, command a lot more respect. Those 0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:53.600 the two guys, only two guys you can help off. 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:57.360 I'll be fasting to see how staff looks, how he plays, 0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:00.280 if they give him some kind of piecemeal it, or 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:01.840 if they throw them into they throw him in the 0:11:01.840 --> 0:11:03.719 fiery place thirty five tonight. You know that he was 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:05.760 ready to play a long time ago, and they were 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:08.400 just being extra extra extra cautious before they did. So. 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:13.040 That said, it does feel like a collision course with 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:15.520 the Rockets. And I do still like the Warriors over 0:11:15.559 --> 0:11:19.400 the Rockets because the Rockets, though they'll win a game 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:21.520 or two because they can just score all that well, 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:24.280 I still think they're so beholding the three point shot 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:26.839 and they're not. Though the stats would tell you they're 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:29.520 a little bit better defensively than they actually are. There's 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:31.679 some flaws or some holes and what they do defensively, 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:35.880 I would I would still take the Warriors even sight 0:11:36.000 --> 0:11:39.520 unseen with with Steph Curry. And then you have the 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:42.920 Oklahoma City thunder. What do you do? I think you 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:45.560 gotta get rid of Karmento Anthony, which is easier said 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:48.440 than done. Look, you can tell me what whatever you 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:51.720 want about Phil Jackson how he mismanaged the New York 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:56.000 Next you're probably right, But Phil Jackson, do you remember 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:58.760 who he liked most in the NBA draft. He's the 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:01.200 rookie who's tearing it up of the Boston Celtics. Like 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:04.120 that's who he actually valued above anybody else in the 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.319 NBA draft. And Phil Jackson wanted to try to get 0:12:07.400 --> 0:12:09.840 rid of Carmelo Anthony. And you're right if you say, hey, 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:13.080 god live, you're an idiot. First, you're right for that. 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.040 The second he he's the one who gave Melow a 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:18.280 no trade clause. But I think given no Melo no 0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:21.200 trade clause was I mean, give you no trade clause. 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:23.080 But if we ever need a move you, I think 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:25.480 we both agree it's time to move you. But I 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.600 look at Oklahoma City and and the reaction Melow had 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:30.439 at the end of the season, which was basically, hey, 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:32.040 they used me wrong, and I have more to offer 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:35.800 than I was given. No, you don't. Carmelo Anthony is 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:41.920 just patently self unaware. Mellow is a hummer too. Remember 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:44.960 those h two big bulky cool when you kind of 0:12:44.960 --> 0:12:46.480 they were kind of cool looking, look like you were, 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:50.880 you know, some like military dude. Like a tough guy. Yeah, 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:54.120 but the truth is and H two guzzles too much gas, 0:12:54.120 --> 0:12:56.240 and H two it doesn't have a third row seats, 0:12:56.679 --> 0:12:59.400 and H two isn't as off road capable as some 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:02.520 would lead you to believe. And H shoes are really 0:13:02.600 --> 0:13:08.000 early early two thousand's sort of vehicles everyone else has. 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:13.240 You either go fuel efficient or you go the remade Escalade, 0:13:13.240 --> 0:13:17.240 the remade Lincoln Navigator, the remade Yukon, the remade Suburban 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:20.880 Writer Infinity, like H two is kind of somewhere in 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:24.280 the middle, and it uses more gas and has less 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:27.960 room than all of the other SUVs, and it's just 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:29.800 kind of not needed. It's just kind of a show 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:31.560 piece that people have now to look like there's some 0:13:31.640 --> 0:13:33.360 kind of tough guy when really we think they're caught 0:13:33.360 --> 0:13:36.520 in the In two thousand three, that's what Carmelo Anthony 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:39.000 this as a player, a right great midrange shooter, great 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:41.320 post up guy, a great ball stopper. Can't guard any 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:45.199 position that doesn't work. In two thousand eighteen, you'll be 0:13:45.240 --> 0:13:48.000 able to switch out to point cards. You gotta bail guards, centers, 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:50.120 you gotta be able rebound, got bill shoot threes, all 0:13:50.200 --> 0:13:54.360 not strengths of who Carmelo Anthony is. So I would 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:55.880 try and find a way to get rid of Carmelo. 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:57.839 The problem is twenty million dollars. You're probably gonna have 0:13:57.840 --> 0:14:00.960 to buy him out. You just are. And then you 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:05.040 have Paul George, who I think truth be Told enjoyed 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:08.319 his experience playing in Oklahoma City, and I think truth 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.640 be told. He likes Russell Westbrook the player, and sometimes 0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:14.320 it's fun to play with him. But eighty two games 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:17.400 for five more years, you know, it's a hundred games 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:21.960 a year. Probably passed on that one. The Thunder could 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:24.840 go from three games to one with Kevin Durant, hell 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:31.120 NBA Finals with Harden Durant, Russell Westbrook, OBAKA two Russell 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:34.840 Westbrook and yet another new roster, and the question becomes, 0:14:34.880 --> 0:14:37.160 do they have another coach? If it's me, I double 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:39.920 down on Billy Donovan. He now has the NBA and 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:43.920 the playoff experience that he didn't have previously. He has 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.880 sweat equity with Russell Westbrook, and Russell Westbrook is under 0:14:47.880 --> 0:14:51.440 contract for the foreseeable future. Double down on him, give 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:53.960 him a couple more years. Tell Russell Westbrook, you guys 0:14:54.000 --> 0:14:56.320 need to work it out, work together, remake this roster, 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:59.080 and Russell is gonna have to take better shots and 0:14:59.080 --> 0:15:01.200 play off the Balsom. That's the only way you make 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:04.560 it work. I could tell you that Jayson Tatum is awesome, 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:08.120 or that Terry Rogier is a surprise. I would also 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:10.920 point this out with the Boston Celtics. Not enough people 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:13.760 give credit to Al Horford, not just his efficiency, but 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:17.360 his ability to guard multiple positions on defense. Yes, Brad 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:19.560 Stevens is amazing, He's a witch. I don't know how 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:23.040 he consistently wins now without his top two players, but 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:25.840 I will tell you that a good portion of what's 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:29.320 allowed the Celtics to be successful it was their acquisition 0:15:29.960 --> 0:15:33.240 of Al Horford, to which people thought they massively overpaid 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:35.760 for him. And anybody who watches tape on the NBA 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:39.320 is like, you know what, Al Horford's probably worth everybody, everybody. 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:41.760 I don't think the Sixers are dead yet, but I 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:43.640 do think this is big boy basketball and they're gonna 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:47.520 have to learn the importance of defending every possession, not 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:50.320 giving up some of the easy open shots. And I 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:53.120 think the Rockets against the Jazz the perfect sign of 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:57.840 what happens college or pro. When there's an upset before 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:00.280 a big game or a big series, how have been 0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:03.240 the Thunder? The Jazz were better than the Thunder. All 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:06.840 they got some calls, especially in that last game what 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:08.440 looked like a foul on three point shop. But the 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:11.320 Jazz were better in that series than the Thunder. But 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:14.120 the Thunder were a tougher match. Happened more likely to 0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:16.640 take some games from the Houston Rockets. This is what 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:20.040 happens when there's an upset in earlier series suddenly becomes 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:23.680 a complete mismatch in the second round. Factor in Ricky 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:26.920 Rubio not playing, and unless he plays, they can't be competitive. 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:28.640 And even with him, I don't think they'll be competitive 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:35.800 with the Rockets. But let's welcome in a friend of 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:38.480 the program, personal friend, Nick Right. The show which you 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:42.680 should watch every morning East coast six thirty to nine 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:45.640 thirty Eastern time, three thirty to six thirty West Coast time. 0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:48.040 Of course you can DVR. It also replays later on 0:16:48.040 --> 0:16:51.640 the day. The show is called First Things First. Um. 0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:55.040 You can also uh download the pod as well. He's 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:57.520 Nick Right. He joins us on the Doug Gottlieb Show. 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:00.080 I forgive me, I didn't hear your reaction to you 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:03.880 Baker going number one overall? Was that the right call? 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:07.040 I mean, it's it's a gut to your call, and 0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:09.760 I would have been able to make. I I understand 0:17:09.760 --> 0:17:13.560 if you're going for the guy with the highest upside 0:17:14.280 --> 0:17:16.960 of all the quarterbacks, if you're just trying to get 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:19.200 the guy who has the best chance to be the 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:22.840 very best of all the players, I understand it. I 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:27.040 didn't think the Browns had the luxury of making that call. 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:29.160 I thought they had to go with the safest call, 0:17:29.240 --> 0:17:32.320 the guy who had the least chance of flaming out. 0:17:32.440 --> 0:17:35.800 I think that likely was Sam Donald. I think Josh 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:37.640 Rosen is the guy who's going to end up being 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:39.959 the best player out of all of them. So I mean, 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:43.280 I think I would have gone Donald, maybe Rosen. I 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:46.040 thought Baker. The only guy that I know I wouldn't 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:49.960 have taken was Josh Allen. I mean, I understand what 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:52.400 the Browns did, but it also does feel like they 0:17:52.440 --> 0:17:55.920 have the opportunity to get the very best quarterback and 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:58.680 the very best defensive player, and they might have ended 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:01.080 up with the second or third ask quarterback and the 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:04.199 second or third best defensive player. In the draft at 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:06.920 one and four. Ye yep, because they're the Browns. And look, 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:08.960 maybe they're smarter than the rest of us, right, maybe 0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:12.200 they know something we do not. We will see time 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:14.480 will in fact tell all right, Nick right joins just 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.199 on the Doug Gotlik Show. I guess, my, my, my 0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:20.600 question with Lebron is this, I don't know how he 0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:24.280 keeps it up, Like do I think sometimes guys use 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:28.640 press conferences to code messages to the league, to the officials, 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:30.959 to the other teams. Sure, but when he said he 0:18:31.040 --> 0:18:34.880 was exhausted, I believed him. Um. I just I don't 0:18:34.920 --> 0:18:38.280 know how much you can keep up completely carrying one 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:41.160 team through the playoffs. And Nick, as you know, there's 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:43.080 only one day off in between all these games with 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.840 the Raptors. What are your thoughts on whether or not 0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:48.480 he can continue at this pace? Well, I mean, they're 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:51.600 gonna beat the Raptors and he's going to continue to 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:57.359 be absolutely unbelievable, if not unimpressive to I don't know, 0:18:57.440 --> 0:19:00.320 folks such as Doug Gottlieb who just has to mind 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:02.760 the world. But wait, but wait, a lot of these 0:19:02.800 --> 0:19:05.960 records Lebron is said are because he's played a lot 0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:09.000 of basketball. Don't forget that part of it. But I 0:19:09.160 --> 0:19:13.560 digress slightly. I don't think he's going to do what 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:15.760 he did in Round one in Round two, but I 0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:17.520 don't think he's going to need to. I think the 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:21.160 Raptors are actually, while the Raptors are better than the Pacers, 0:19:21.640 --> 0:19:25.359 the Raptors are a much better matchup for the Calves 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:27.320 than the Pacers were. We've seen that over the last 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:30.879 few years, the regular season and the postseason. I also 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:33.639 think Kevin Love doesn't have to be an All Star 0:19:33.960 --> 0:19:36.679 in the second round, but he's not going to play 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:39.840 the worst two weeks of basketball of his career as 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:44.159 he just played. He's not gonna shoot thirty And I 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:46.320 think you have a pretty good idea who on the 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:50.080 team right now you can play and you can't play 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:53.760 like Jordan Clarkson does not need to see the court. 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:57.080 Rodney Hood can be given a few chances, are a 0:19:57.160 --> 0:20:00.560 chance the beginning of the second quarter and every game, 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:02.879 and if he once again looks like the moment is 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:05.480 simply too big for him, then guess what. He can 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:08.920 go to the bench like there's only seven, maybe eight 0:20:08.960 --> 0:20:11.920 guys who really feel like you can trust you'll roll 0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:15.720 roll with those guys. But I just I think I don't. 0:20:15.800 --> 0:20:18.760 I don't see how that. I don't see how that's sustainable. Like, look, 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:21.199 I'm with you, I I there's no reason for me 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:24.560 to buy into Toronto. None. None, And I like the 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:27.440 rosan Um. I just I they have no one who 0:20:27.440 --> 0:20:30.159 can match up with Lebron. They are they're they're the 0:20:30.200 --> 0:20:33.359 way in which they're built is flawed for this one guy. 0:20:33.440 --> 0:20:35.000 And if you don't have anybody and guard the best 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:37.879 player in the Eastern Conference and arguably the best players 0:20:37.880 --> 0:20:40.000 still in the game, then you have no you have 0:20:40.080 --> 0:20:42.960 you don't have. You're you're starting. You're starting at the 0:20:43.000 --> 0:20:46.760 game at a substantial disadvantage. Um, as opposed to the Warriors, 0:20:46.800 --> 0:20:49.280 who they lined up like their whole roster is comprised 0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:51.119 of guys who can at least try and stay in 0:20:51.200 --> 0:20:53.520 front of Lebron. Right, there's a difference in roster construction. 0:20:53.800 --> 0:20:56.359 That said, what you're suggesting by going to like seven 0:20:56.440 --> 0:20:59.439 or eight dudes, I don't, I don't see. They have 0:20:59.520 --> 0:21:02.280