WEBVTT - Steve Clifford is done coaching the Hornets, this time for good 0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:13.840 On this episode of the Eat Check, It's NCAA Championship Day, folks, 0:00:14.200 --> 0:00:16.480 time for you kinda win it all. Hopefully they won, 0:00:16.520 --> 0:00:18.599 because I'm doing this on a Saturday, and we still 0:00:18.640 --> 0:00:21.040 got our eyes on the NBA. In this episode, we 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:23.800 get into the head coaching change in Charlotte, and then 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:26.279 we turned to an amazing interview with the spo track 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:31.479 genius himself, Keith Smith. It's Championship Monday, so Anthony, let's 0:00:31.480 --> 0:00:34.559 get right into it. No time to waste drop that 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:49.520 motherfucking beat that should be reh honored. So I spent 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:52.360 the week of Phoenix, where I was lucky enough to 0:00:52.520 --> 0:00:55.480 attend the final four. I don't even know necessarily if 0:00:55.480 --> 0:00:58.080 I'll call it luck. I paid the money, right, paid 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:01.600 the money, couldn't get a cred head and show. Apparently 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:04.600 I missed the deadline by a solid month, even though like, 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:08.120 who the fuck you're doing that too? Anyway, I guess 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:10.319 I'm not big enough for them to make a make 0:01:10.360 --> 0:01:12.639 a change for me anyway, So I paid the grand 0:01:12.720 --> 0:01:15.040 or whatever it was, and I will break down everything 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:17.840 about the trip once the game ends tomorrow on the show, 0:01:18.040 --> 0:01:20.440 but for today, let's do a quick hitter We have 0:01:20.480 --> 0:01:23.319 not talked about this news yet. My man who came 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:26.800 back from the dead is now back in the grave again. 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:30.720 Steve Clifford, who was fired once before from the Charlotte Hornets, 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:33.560 was re hired. The two time head coach of the 0:01:33.640 --> 0:01:37.760 Charlotte Hornets has officially quote stepped down after the season 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:41.399 and we'll move into a front office position the good 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:47.720 old Brad Stevens. My first thought was another day, another 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:51.840 day of dysfunctioning Charlotte, probably ending the Hornets hiring James 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:57.240 Brego again. But then I read a tweet that argued, 0:01:57.760 --> 0:02:00.520 and I think, actually probably right, that the job is 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:04.960 actually highly attractive because you've got a young player on 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:07.320 the verge of stardom and Brandon Miller. By the way, 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:11.440 Brendon Miller Friday night was ten for ten from the 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:16.480 field and five for five from three at halftime. You've 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:19.440 got a really good big big in Mark Williams and 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:23.680 a star superstar. The only thing holds them back is 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:26.720 the injury bug in LaMelo Ball, who went healthy can 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:32.160 give you twenty five, ten and eight a game, twenty 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:34.880 five and ten a game, but twenty five, eight and ten. 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:36.840 You know what I'm saying, he can get your rebounds two. 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:44.800 Most importantly, though, this team has new owners that means 0:02:44.840 --> 0:02:49.320 no more Michael Jordan, Frank Kaminski Shenanigans, and the past 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:52.480 draft seems to show that there's hope for the future. Fortunately, 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:55.079 they sucked this year as well. They had traded their 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:59.080 twenty twenty four first round pick for Kai Jones, but 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:02.200 since that pick was lottery protected, they will have both 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:04.800 a first and a second rounder this year and better. Yet, 0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:09.480 currently that pick is the third pick overall, just one 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:13.000 pick worse than it was last year. So this team, 0:03:13.120 --> 0:03:15.640 after shedding a ton of weight and salary by trading 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:17.720 Terry Rozier to the Heat for a twenty twenty seven 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:20.560 first that was the twenty twenty seven first they were 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:25.679 slating for the Damian Lillard trade and Kyle Lowry, who 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.800 they then cut Gordon Hayrod to the OKC Thunder for 0:03:28.960 --> 0:03:32.560 Vassili Meichik tray Man, Dobby Spurton's and a pair of 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:35.880 second round picks. And finally they sent PJ. Washington in 0:03:35.880 --> 0:03:38.440 a pair of second round picks to Dallas for Grant 0:03:38.480 --> 0:03:41.040 William Seth Curry and a twenty twenty seven first round pick. 0:03:41.040 --> 0:03:46.600 They're loaded in five years. All in all in impressive 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:49.360 trade deadline performance really, and since it looks like they're 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:53.280 moving on from the problem of Miles Bridges in the offseason, 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:55.400 I think this team is going to be in on 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:57.880 full rebuild mode and it actually looks like they're going 0:03:57.960 --> 0:04:00.960 to do it the right way. They just gotta find 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:04.960 the right coach now. Apparently, wouldn't it be funny, Remember 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:09.480 like Kenny Atkinson turned the deal down, what if he 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:12.480 said yes this time around? Anyway, the Hornets are interviewing 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:17.280 Denver's David Adelman, son of Rick Adelman, Sacramento's Jeordi Fernandez, 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:20.920 who is a very hot commodity hot ticket head coach 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:26.000 for Team Canada, Boston's Charles Lee, and Phoenix is Kevin Young. 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:30.719 I love some Jordy Fernandez. I think he would be 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:35.280 awesome with this young team. As for Clifford, I mean, 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:37.520 just a hilarious story, but I feel like he kind 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:38.960 of got a raw deal. This was just not a 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:40.839 franchise that he was going to be able to fix. 0:04:41.240 --> 0:04:43.440 And now he goes to a front office position which 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:46.560 he probably makes more money in, So that's good. A 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:48.640 lot of people think that the game has passed his 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:52.440 defense versus philosophy by But he was pretty good for 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:54.240 a team that could have easily fallen off of a 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:58.880 cliff after the various scandals involving PJ. Washington. I don't 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:01.560 know if that was really a sca that was just 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:03.479 like a thing, that was just like a funny instance. 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:07.080 Remember Kai Jones went off the reservation. That was crazy. 0:05:07.440 --> 0:05:10.640 And then of course, obviously Milesbridge is just a fucking disaster, 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:13.600 which is why he's getting kicked upstairs. They're like, yo, 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:15.240 we're not kicking you out of the door, we're giving 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:17.960 you a promotion. By all accounts, I think he's very liked. 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:20.479 He's a good guy, he has a sharp basketball mine, 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:23.800 and he's gonna definitely help things from the front office perspective. 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.640 But like, I cannot believe I'm about to say this, 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:29.919 but am I gonna be interested in watching the Charlotte 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:32.799 Hornets play basketball next year? I tell you what, tonight 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:35.400 they were fun. I was like, wow, I think the 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:38.359 Charlotte Hornets are playing better basketball right now, And then 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:40.119 I looked and saw that they were one and nine. 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:42.600 But it looks okay when you watch it on the court. 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:46.160 That remains They beat Orlando. That remains to be seen. 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:48.680 But the truth is, if you're a Hornets fan kind 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:50.559 of like Orlando a couple of years ago, you actually 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:52.960 have something to be excited about for the first time 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:56.200 in ages. All right, moving on the great Keith Smith 0:05:56.240 --> 0:05:58.400 from spow Track joined my other show at MGM in 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:00.160 the Night, where I was joined by my co was 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:03.599 Ryan Horbaugh. Bet MGM to night. Here's Monday through Friday 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:08.599 seven to eleven Eastern Standard time PM. Yeah, that's a 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:12.120 real shift in most major markets and live on Twitch 0:06:12.200 --> 0:06:14.920 and YouTube. Keith gave us his weekly update on what's 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:17.720 popping from around the league. So let's get right into it. 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:24.200 Keith Smith joins us right now here on bet MGM tonight. Keith, 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:26.880 how you bet man? I'm doing good yet, so Keith, 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:28.919 as we talk about pretty much like every week every 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:30.919 other week, I'm pretty high on the Celtics for the 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:34.320 third consecutive season. Bet them to win the NBA Finals 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.720 at least bet them to win the Eastern Conference once again. 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:37.200 This year. 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:39.359 I had some concerns about New York the way that 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:41.919 the Knicks were playing, But now with the Julius Randall news, 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:44.800 you know your thoughts on the Knicks. They're ceiling the 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:46.360 rest of the way this year. You know, we thought 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:48.520 at least they could win a playoff series, maybe even 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:50.719 get into the Eastern Conference Finals. What do you think 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:52.880 this changes with the Julius Randall news that he's going 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:55.200 to miss the rest of the season after right shoulder surgery. 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:58.840 Yeah, Lowers, they're ceiling a good amount. I was with you. 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:01.599 I was watching the team kind of come together, and 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:03.920 it was like, all right, they they defend, They've got 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:06.960 enough offense. They have enough on ball creators. Because the 0:07:06.960 --> 0:07:09.040 big thing is you could be a good regular season 0:07:09.080 --> 0:07:11.440 offensive team, but if you're doing it more through a 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:14.840 systematic approach, it's harder to pull that off in the playoffs. 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:17.640 When the same team is going to see you four 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.360 to seven times over a two week period, they're just 0:07:20.400 --> 0:07:23.040 gonna start to lock in on what your tendencies are. 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:25.080 So you need guys who you can throw them the 0:07:25.120 --> 0:07:26.920 ball and they create something. And the problem for the 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:29.680 Knicks is it's kind of Jalen Brunson, that's it without 0:07:29.720 --> 0:07:32.880 Julius Randalls. So I'm afraid they're going to struggle some 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:35.880 to be able to create enough offense. I think they're 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:38.160 so scrappy and they're they're going to be a tough 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:40.640 out with whoever they play. But I thought they were 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:42.000 a team that, yeah, they might have been able to 0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:44.120 make a run to the East Finals, and now I 0:07:44.120 --> 0:07:45.840 think there's they're going to be in a battle in 0:07:45.880 --> 0:07:47.720 the first round almost no matter who they play. 0:07:47.880 --> 0:07:50.560 In the West, the Warriors all but knocked out the 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:54.480 Houston Rockets from making the play in which Rockets were 0:07:54.480 --> 0:07:59.040 playing really well down the stretch. I am Keith simultaneously 0:07:59.560 --> 0:08:06.440 fast and sometimes appalled by Jalen Green's game. Ima Udoka 0:08:06.480 --> 0:08:09.240 called him out last night after losing to the Warriors, 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:11.360 basically saying that the moment was too big for them, 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:14.520 that they look soft or scared. What do you think 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:18.520 the future is for Jalen Green and maybe even Alprin 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:21.480 Shangun and like, what do you think the next steps 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:23.840 are for the Houston Rockets to continue to get better? 0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:27.360 Yeah, I think kind of going through those. I think 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:29.640 Shangun's the guy I feel most certain about it. I 0:08:29.640 --> 0:08:32.440 think we saw what he can be this year. I 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:36.760 think he's in order of like all around good centers. 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:40.120 I think it's jokich Is, you know, he's way above 0:08:40.160 --> 0:08:43.160 everybody else. Then you have Demonta Sebonus, a tier or 0:08:43.200 --> 0:08:45.320 two below, and then I think a tier or two 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:48.679 behind that is alprim Changoun. Like people said when he 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:51.840 was drafted, you if you squit, you can see Nicola 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:54.400 jokicch and people kind of laugh and said, oh, what 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:58.440 a you know, ridiculous comparison, But you can't. He moves similarly. 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:01.320 He doesn't really have, you know, great athleticism, but he 0:09:01.360 --> 0:09:04.200 gets a shot off, he gets his spot, good rebounder, 0:09:04.280 --> 0:09:06.679 great passer for the position. He can do a lot 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:09.040 of things. I don't think he's ever gonna win MVP, 0:09:09.160 --> 0:09:11.839 He's never mind multiple MVPs, but I think he's a 0:09:11.880 --> 0:09:14.400 good player. And then Jalen Green, it was a rough 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:16.960 season because he was bad for a lot of the year. 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:21.079 It looked like in a more structured team that had actual, 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:23.520 real goals beyond hey, we're just going to roll the 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:26.360 ball out and run up and down, he was really struggling. 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:28.200 He didn't know how to play. I think in a 0:09:28.240 --> 0:09:31.199 lot of team concepts, you saw Fred van Vleet Dylan 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:34.120 Brooks multiple times throughout the course of the year kind 0:09:34.120 --> 0:09:36.199 of getting on his case of hey, you got to 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:37.920 get back, you got to be here, you got to 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:40.079 be there. Then it all kind of quick for him. 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:43.600 So I think Jayalen Green's still an incredible talent, Like 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:46.120 it's all there for him. So we'll see, and then 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:49.200 for the Rockets as a whole, it's gonna be you 0:09:49.240 --> 0:09:53.000 did a bunch of additions last year last summer, I 0:09:53.000 --> 0:09:55.280 should say. Then you added Steven Adams to kind of 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:57.960 give you a little bit more death, maybe another kind 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:00.680 of guy who's a little bit more professional your front core. 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:02.599 They can really kind of help. So it's going to 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:05.760 be adding one or two more pieces, hoping the kids, 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:08.640 whether it be Shingoon or Green or Jabari Smith Junior 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:11.000 or I'm still very high on grow a little bit. 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:13.280 You took your step forward this year. Now the next 0:10:13.360 --> 0:10:16.280 thing is really growing, molding into a better team and 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:19.600 being a contention beyond the first part of April really 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:20.680 all the way through the season. 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:22.560 So the other team I want to ask you about 0:10:22.640 --> 0:10:24.640 was the Indiana Pacers because we've been going back and 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:27.320 forth with the Bucks, especially the way that it's looked 0:10:27.400 --> 0:10:30.439 last week. The Pacers right now sitting in the sixth seed, 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:32.800 you know, forty three and thirty four this season, but 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:35.400 now with the Knicks being out, not really knowing what 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:37.600 it is with the Calves, and then the Magic being 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:39.480 so young. You know, do you think the Pacers are 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:40.880 going to be a scary team in the East? Are 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:42.400 they still a couple of years away? Do you think? 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:44.320 Yeah? I think they're at least a year or two away. 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:47.000 Their biggest problem is they don't play any defense, so 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:51.520 you do see as the season has gone along and 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:54.199 the games aren't as high scoring and it's free wheeling, 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:56.640 they've kind of come back to earth quite a bit. 0:10:56.720 --> 0:11:00.200 That's why they're down in that sixth range instead of competing, 0:11:00.440 --> 0:11:02.880 you know, somewhere with maybe even the Bucks for number two, 0:11:03.280 --> 0:11:05.120 which looked like it might have been a thing earlier 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:07.920 in the year. Because after Tyree Saliburtn got hurt, he 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:11.320 just hasn't been the same guy. Pascal Siakam's been good, 0:11:11.400 --> 0:11:14.640 but not great. I think trading Buddy Healed really hurt 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:17.520 them because I think they did it out of, Hey, 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:19.520 we have a chance to make this other deal where 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:21.880 we're gonna move things in this direction, and we have 0:11:22.040 --> 0:11:24.839 Benedic Matherin, who should be able to be plugged right 0:11:24.840 --> 0:11:27.120 in and do his thing, but then he got hurt. 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:29.920 So it's a team that's still pretty good. They could 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:32.560 win a game or two because Halliburn is that good. 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:34.640 They could have a game where they are able to 0:11:34.640 --> 0:11:37.200 get the offense to go off. But I don't know, 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:39.240 just the way they play defense, I don't think they're 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:41.719 going to be overly competitive against the better teams in 0:11:41.760 --> 0:11:42.280 the league. 0:11:42.360 --> 0:11:45.079 I just saw this today. There's some buzz in NBA 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:48.480 circles that suggest that, barring a run to the NBA Finals, 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:52.880 Donovan Mitchell will decline an extension and look elsewhere, and 0:11:52.920 --> 0:11:56.160 the Cavaliers are more likely than not to move him 0:11:56.320 --> 0:11:58.640 well before he can be a free agent. What are 0:11:58.679 --> 0:12:00.960 your thoughts and like, what are you hearing kind of 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:04.520 about this situation? And maybe some places that would be 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:05.840 interested in trading for him. 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:09.320 Yeah, I think we all knew when it kind of 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:12.320 came to an end in Utah he was angling towards 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:15.839 getting to New York or Brooklyn though those were where 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.319 he really kind of wanted to be, and then the 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:22.080 Knicks weren't. The Nets weren't in a position to trade 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:25.160 from its time, and the Knicks weren't willing to give 0:12:25.280 --> 0:12:28.080 up everything, and then the Cavs kind of said, hey, 0:12:28.200 --> 0:12:31.920 why not, Like we've got this young core of Garyuscarland, 0:12:31.920 --> 0:12:34.600 Evan Mobley, Jared Allen that we feel pretty good about. 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:37.400 And I think they felt Donovan Mitchell can really lift 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:40.440 us and he has to an extent, and they're they're 0:12:40.559 --> 0:12:43.200 better team than they were a couple of years ago. 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:47.440 But I think now it's come down to they just 0:12:47.480 --> 0:12:49.880 didn't become that team. I think we all thought two 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:52.440 years ago they're kind of a nice team. Last year 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:54.559 they made it to the playoffs. You get that first 0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:58.240 experience through the postseason and you got beef. But now 0:12:58.280 --> 0:13:01.080 you're coming back stronger team. He added Max Strus, he 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:03.840 added some bench guys. You feel pretty good about everything, 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:06.040 and then just injuries there. Every time you turn around, 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:09.079 a different starter was out for this team and very 0:13:09.160 --> 0:13:11.480 rarely have been whole throughout the year. And I do 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:14.240 think that's probably got Mitchell looking around wondering a little 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:16.400 bit of all right, am I gonna lock in fully 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:19.040 with this team? And I think you have some guys, 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:22.559 especially when they hit that third contract, that they look 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:25.120 at it and say, all right, first rookie scale contract 0:13:25.160 --> 0:13:26.360 is what it is? You just sign it with the 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:29.280 team that drafts you. Second deal, you're gonna be restricted 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:31.520 free agents, so they've got all the power still the 0:13:31.559 --> 0:13:34.040 team does. If you're that good, they're gonna keep you 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:36.120 no matter what. He might as well just take the 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:40.040 money and go. Then that third contract that you start thinking, hey, 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:42.560 I have some agency here. I can really push things 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:45.280 in a direction. And if he turns it down the 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:48.839 max extension this summer, the Cavs really have to look 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:50.960 at it and say, you know what, We're never gonna 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:53.320 be able to offer the supermax because they're not eligible 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:55.120 to do that because they trade it for him. So 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:57.480 then what becomes is all right, if he turned down 0:13:57.559 --> 0:13:59.920 just a regular max, which is the absolute best week 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:03.319 do for him as an extension, he probably doesn't want 0:14:03.320 --> 0:14:04.800 to be here, and at that point it serves them 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:07.320 best to look. I would expect again go hear the 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:09.760 New York teams, but you're gonna see some other teams. 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:12.160 You know, you could see Miami get involved because they're 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:15.200 always involved. The Lakers are always involved like that with 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:17.800 guys like that. But you could even see does a 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:20.720 team like Orlando that really needs that one guard to 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:22.800 kind of push them over the top, so they say, hey, 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:24.480 let's go get to onom In Mitchel and see if 0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:26.640 we could keep them here and keep them happy. So 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:29.200 he's gonna have a pretty robust market, which should allow 0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:30.960 to keep cleaven to recoup some of what they gave 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:32.160 up to get him in the first place. 0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:35.560 Maybe even San Antonio because I know that Victor Winmenyama 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:38.520 wants to start winning sooner than later. I did want 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:41.120 to follow up another team in the East. It's like, 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:43.320 we have high hopes for and they show us some 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:46.240 good flashes and then they go on a losing streak. 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:50.600 The Milwaukee Bucks fifteen and fifteen under Doc Rivers. Doc 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.160 Rivers made one of the most absurd comments the other 0:14:53.240 --> 0:14:55.000 night in terms of why they're not playing well on 0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:58.000 the road. He essentially, well, no, not essentially. He actually 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:00.520 pointed out that his travel team he was take notes 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:03.760 on them and that they're very disappointing. Like, what are 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:07.760 you hearing? Because if I'm the players on the Bucks organization, 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:11.320 I'm a little bit tired of my coach getting thrown 0:15:11.440 --> 0:15:12.640 throwing people under the bus. 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.720 Yeah, and it's it's one thing when it's the players, 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:19.680 Like the players I think are used to that to 0:15:19.720 --> 0:15:23.479 some extent, What do you start talking about equipment managers 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:26.800 and bus drivers and airplane pilots. I mean, all that's 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:28.960 just ridiculous, and you know, look at it, and I 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:32.560 will always with Doc. I think of the great job 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:33.720 he did with Boston. 0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:34.320 Uh. 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:37.600 People forget when they made the Kevin Garnett trade, they 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:40.880 didn't have They had basically Garnett, Pearson Allen and the 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:44.080 two young guys left in Perkins and Rondo. That was it. 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.680 And then Daddy Age had to go get the rest 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:50.320 of that bench in late July and August to fill 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:51.800 out the rest of that team. And there wasn't a 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:54.720 lot there. And Doc did such a good job kind 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:57.720 of building that team and getting them to be a winner. 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:02.200 And what was disappointing is with the Clippers he always 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:04.680 had an excuse. With the Sixers, he always had an excuse. 0:16:04.880 --> 0:16:06.760 Now he's coming up with all these excuses with the 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:09.360 box And then I really do wonder, you know, how 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:11.600 long is it going to be where the players are 0:16:11.600 --> 0:16:13.000 going to put up with it and the player is 0:16:13.040 --> 0:16:15.280 going to say, pay enough of this, like it's one 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:18.320 thing for winning games? Then everything you put up with 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:20.760 all sorts of stuff. But if you're not winning, you know, 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:22.760 where are we going with this? And and then I 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:24.640 do think some of it goes on the players too. 0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:27.720 You can't be when you're trying to walk up the 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:30.360 second seat in the conference. You cannot have back to 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:32.640 back losses to the Wizards and the Grizzlies at this 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:35.640 point the season. I don't care who's playing and not playing. 0:16:36.080 --> 0:16:37.760 It was funny. I saw a lot of Bucks fans, 0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:41.960 well Lillard, miss the Middleton lists this this game, well Grizzley. 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.480 The Wizards fans don't want to hear anything about players 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:48.360 being out, like they've had barely your whole rosters all seasons, 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:50.000 so they certainly don't want to hear it. And they 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:52.320 were going to beaches. So it's it's just one of 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:54.000 those things where they just can't seem to get out 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:57.000 of their own way. They still aren't. They defended better 0:16:57.120 --> 0:16:59.560 now than they were earlier, but still not defending at 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:01.200 a high leve. Well, it's just a very hard team 0:17:01.200 --> 0:17:03.000 to trust as we go into the playoffs. 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:05.040 Keith, We've still got about three minutes here. I guess 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:07.360 like if you look at the award markets as far 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:09.840 as betting, Jokic is most likely going to be your MVP. 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:12.480 Everything's pretty much solved except for the sixth Man of 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:15.040 the Year. Malik Monk's still the favorite. Minus won thirty five. 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:17.760 Nos Reed's been playing really good. Milik Monk's been struggling 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:20.000 a little bit. If you know, like where would you go? 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:20.280 There? 0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:22.840 You got Norm Powell, Bobby Portis. Who do you think 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:23.720 should win that award? 0:17:23.960 --> 0:17:26.680 Yeah? I think it should be Malik Monk. Keven, though 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:28.720 he's out for the rest of the season, I think 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:33.560 he established that he has been absolutely unbelievable off the 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:36.119 bench this year for the Kings that I think people 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:39.120 still think of him as just a shooter and he's not. 0:17:39.280 --> 0:17:41.639 He's a great off the dribble score. He's also a 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:45.760 very strong playmaker. They really gave me. Mitchell had kind 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.080 of fallen by the wayside this year because they'd gone 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:51.280 to three guard groups with Monk, Herder and Fox and 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:53.840 Keon llsp and mixed in there a little bit. So 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:55.920 he I think it should be him. I have no 0:17:55.960 --> 0:17:58.800 problem with people showing some love to nos Reed. He's 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:01.320 been very very good as well. And then Norm Polish, 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:03.960 as you mentioned, has been excellent off the bench for 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:06.879 the Clippers. I think Bobby Fornas is gonna suffer a 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:10.080 little bit, you know, maybe unfairly because the team hasn't 0:18:10.119 --> 0:18:12.600 been as good as people thought. And I think there's 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:15.760 a lot of teams tend to our voters tend to 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:18.720 punish players when the teams aren't as good. But yeah, 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:21.200 I still think it should be Malie Monk got. 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:23.560 About forty five seconds. Keith just wanted to get your 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:27.479 thoughts on Kawhi and Jamal Murray's injuries. How can concern 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:28.040 should we be? 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:31.359 Yeah, I'm getting a little bit nervous, especially with those 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:33.240 two guys. Like a lot of guys, We're starting to 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:36.320 see some guys come back. Those two, there's a history 0:18:36.359 --> 0:18:39.399 of them missing time, and I know they keep saying 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:41.000 it's not a big deal, they're going to be back. 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:44.040 Michael Malone has said Jamal Murray is really close, So 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:48.080 we'll see. I hope that Jamal Murray will be back 0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:50.720 to be okay. Kawhi I'm probably more concerned with because 0:18:50.720 --> 0:18:53.200 we've seen it. We've also seen the Clippers say it's questionably, 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:55.680 he's questionably, he's questionable. Then they get knocked out and 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:57.679 then it's like ash, he was never coming back and 0:18:57.760 --> 0:19:00.360 he needs surgery. So hopefully that's not the case. Yeah, 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:02.840 both those guys are back, because that changes I thinks 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:04.800 quite a bit for both of those teams that all 0:19:04.840 --> 0:19:06.879 of a sudden, if those guys aren't there, that opens 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:10.000 the door for timberwill Sunder, Maverick, Suns, a whole bunch 0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:10.919 of teams in the West. 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:12.840 Keith, thanks so much, man, you're the man enjoyed the 0:19:12.840 --> 0:19:15.680