WEBVTT - Finals preview interview extravaganza 0:00:10.080 --> 0:00:15.080 On this episode of the Heat Check, the finals are here, 0:00:15.720 --> 0:00:18.400 well nearly here, and we have now a bunch of 0:00:18.440 --> 0:00:21.720 interviews for you from people who actually cover these goddamn teams. 0:00:21.920 --> 0:00:26.119 We start with an interview with Boston Globes Adam Himmelsbach 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:29.720 himmelsbaka got a weird case? Why is he around? 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:33.559 We move on to Dallas ten p. Fifty three the 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:34.560 Fan with Eric. 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.720 Chiafalo, who was absolutely excellent, and then we end it 0:00:37.840 --> 0:00:42.760 with an interview with NBA podcaster and betting extraordinary read 0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:47.760 Walck Anthony. No time to waste, brother, Let's jump right 0:00:47.800 --> 0:00:51.360 into it and drop that motherfucker beat that should be Rihanna. 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:06.759 All right, guys, finals are here to get us ready. 0:01:06.760 --> 0:01:10.560 I bring you not one, not two, not three, no 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:13.560 actually just three three interviews. They were all recorded on 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:15.720 my other show bt MGM to Night, which year seven 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:18.520 to eleven Eastern on the radio in most major markets 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:22.200 and also live on Twitch as well as YouTube live. 0:01:22.720 --> 0:01:25.160 And we will start with Adam Himmelsbach, who covers the 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:28.360 Celtics for the Boston Globe. He broke down the series 0:01:28.400 --> 0:01:32.000 from the Boston Celtics perspective, and I think it was 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:35.000 super insightful, So let's get right into it. 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:38.840 Adam Himmelsbock covers the Celtics for the Boston Globe, but 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:40.680 he jumps on with us and Adam, we were talking 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:42.319 about this before, and obviously you're going to be as 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.560 rooted in as much as anybody. The Celtics team won 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:47.760 sixty four games, but we know the history in the 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:50.160 past of the expectations, fair or not, and where they've 0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:53.520 been and then falling short of winning a championship. Does 0:01:53.560 --> 0:01:57.560 it feel different around this team right now in terms 0:01:57.640 --> 0:02:00.480 of not only the expectations, but the confidence level and 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:01.960 what they can do in the finals this time? 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:05.480 Yeah, I would say so. It's they've had really all year, 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:09.320 just a really business like approach to everything they've done. 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:13.120 And you know, really that starts with Brad Stevens, goes 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:14.959 down to Joe Mazool and then also to the players 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:19.120 they've had and like Drew Hollidays and Derek White, Christosporzingis 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:23.359 in addition to this core that's been around. They've obviously been, 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:25.400 you know, to this level before, and they've been the 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:29.760 conference finals year after year, and this entire season was 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:32.799 really geared toward getting to this point. And they were 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:35.880 so consistent with it and so matter of fact with it. 0:02:35.960 --> 0:02:38.440 I mean, to not have a single three game losing 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:41.400 streak all year, it's pretty incredible. You know, every even 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:44.160 the great team generally have rout and then to get 0:02:44.200 --> 0:02:47.160 in these playoffs and sure they're playing undermanned, you know, 0:02:47.400 --> 0:02:50.160 overmatched teams, but they're taking care of them. They've lost 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:53.240 twice the entire playoffs. So now they're really to this 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:55.800 point where they've been waiting for all year, and it 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:57.640 seems like they're just really eager to get it started. 0:02:57.919 --> 0:03:03.400 So the folks talk about this preview. Some say that 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:06.240 Derek White's going to be tasked with guarding Kyrie a lot, 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:08.240 and some others say that. 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:10.040 Drew Holliday will be on Kyrie. 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:14.720 How do you see that matchup looking and then how 0:03:14.720 --> 0:03:17.960 do you see if it is White versus Kyrie working 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:19.119 out over the series. 0:03:21.160 --> 0:03:23.080 Yeah, it's not a bad problem to have, right if 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:26.440 you're the Celtics. You have two guys who have been 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:29.440 first team All Defense for a second team All Defense. 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:31.920 I should say in this case this season, Drew his 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:34.840 first team last year, Derek was the second team last year. 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:38.600 And you can kind of pick your poison. But the 0:03:38.600 --> 0:03:41.400 Celtics have such like a switch heavy scheme. Sometimes there's 0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:44.520 a lot of attention paid to who's on who They 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:48.440 switch constantly. You know, Drew will start on Kyrie on 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:52.400 one possession and six seconds later he's Derek's guy, you know, 0:03:52.520 --> 0:03:54.920 handed right off and they kind of are really on 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:56.880 a string at that end of the court. Tatum will 0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:00.080 have time on Kyrie, Jalen Brown will have time on Kyrie. 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:02.000 So they feel pretty good about just being on the 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:05.280 throat so many different bodies that both Kyrie and Luca. 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:07.720 What type of role can we expect from Kris STAPs 0:04:07.720 --> 0:04:09.200 for zingis when he's back, is it going to be 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:11.160 maybe more limited minutes? Is he going to be kind 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:13.280 of the going out there in sort of the same 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:16.240 rotation and expectations that are there. 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:19.200 Yeah, it's hard to tell right now, just because we 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:22.599 haven't really seen him and he hasn't completed a full 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:26.840 practice that we've seen yet. But my gauge is that 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:30.640 he's going to practice tomorrow and I'm assuming we'll talk 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:33.080 to him then and kind of see where he's at. 0:04:33.080 --> 0:04:36.280 But the big thing that Celtic got stressed all along, 0:04:36.600 --> 0:04:39.320 this took maybe a little bit longer than they're initially hoping. 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:42.160 Maybe they aired on the side of cof when they 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:43.640 it's pretty clear they're going to take care of the 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:46.680 patiers regardless. But there have been no setbacks. There's been 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:50.279 nothing that's really been a concern, So certainly all signs 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:52.479 are pointing to him being back. Then it will just 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:54.400 come to Look, it's not like, you know, if you 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:57.760 sprain your pinky finger or something can't play for a while, 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:01.000 you can still run and keep your card. He obviously 0:05:01.000 --> 0:05:04.039 hasn't been able to do that as much with the 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:06.120 nature of his injury, so it might take a little 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.000 time for him to get back to playing, you know, 0:05:08.080 --> 0:05:09.159 thirty five minutes a game. 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:15.320 How do you expect Derek Lively Junior to factor in. 0:05:14.480 --> 0:05:15.680 To this playoff series? 0:05:15.720 --> 0:05:18.440 Obviously we're not sure if he's fully recovered from his 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:19.839 injury from the Wolve series. 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:21.120 But what do you. 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:24.359 Expect from him in terms of him being an X 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:26.400 factor against the Celtics. 0:05:26.680 --> 0:05:29.640 Yeah, he's been really good, really impressive rookie. Another a 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:34.719 duke guy like Jason Tatum, obviously Derek and really Daniel 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:38.080 Gafford and several guys on the stats team that are 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:42.200 really love threats. I mean, the Mavericks had like twice 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:45.280 as many al yups in these playoffs, is like every 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:49.920 other team. And that's something where getting Christa's back will 0:05:49.920 --> 0:05:52.440 be a big help to have a seven foot two 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:55.640 long guy down there who's able to try to, you know, 0:05:55.720 --> 0:05:58.240 congest things in the paint a little bit and be 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:01.640 more of a vertical threat like Albert d a great defender, 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:05.080 but he plays a little more below the rim. Generally, Yeah, 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:07.200 should there should be some good matchups really all over 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:07.560 the court. 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:09.839 Adam, who would you give the coaching matchup to in 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:10.520 this series? 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.920 That's always tough to say, you know, I think, really 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:16.760 I'm probably Joe Mazill will be the first to tell 0:06:16.760 --> 0:06:19.400 you it comes down to the players more than anything 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:23.120 he's doing. And I'm obviously not around Jason Kidd very 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:26.520 often in my job, but I can say that Joe 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:32.880 has absolutely been much more kind of enough focus is 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:35.039 the right word, but he's much more aware of what 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:37.400 he's trying to do, much more aware he is trying 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:40.000 to implement this season. He was thrown in this really 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:43.760 almost impossible spot last year, like basically finding out a 0:06:43.800 --> 0:06:46.279 week before the season starts a before training camps starts 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:48.680 that he's the new head coach of the Celtics after 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:53.320 not even having been a bench coach. He was a 0:06:53.360 --> 0:06:58.359 behind the bench assistance the previous season, but he's his 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:01.640 comfort level is a lot better, and more than anything, 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:03.360 the players are so much more comfortable to him and 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:06.279 they have like full trust to him. They're obviously going 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:09.440 to be some few rocky moments last year, but that's 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:12.600 completely gone now. These guys are all in with kind 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:15.720 of what he's been preaching, you know. The biggest thing. 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:19.360 He's pushed his sacrifice all year, making sure guys realize 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:23.560 that they're really talented. So some nights, twenty shot guys 0:07:23.600 --> 0:07:25.080 only going to get ten shots and they gotta be 0:07:25.080 --> 0:07:28.160 okay with that. And the guys have bought in, and it's really, 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:31.360 like I said earlier, it's just been kind of unbelievably 0:07:31.680 --> 0:07:35.440 low stress year for a team that over the past 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:37.680 few years has had some high stress moments. 0:07:37.880 --> 0:07:40.520 Obviously, having a team is stacked as the Celtics is 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:43.520 is a great problem to have an embarrassment of riches, 0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:47.120 but it feels like in terms of like the national discourse, 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:52.120 a player that essentially has been negatively impact in the 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:55.800 narrative department based on that is Tatum because he doesn't 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.080 have to do all the things that Luca needs to 0:07:58.120 --> 0:07:59.640 do in order to carry his team. 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:03.160 Do you think that we'll expect some of. 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:05.520 The same thing in terms of the Celtics being next 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:08.520 man up, any any guy can go off any night. 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:12.320 Or should we expect Tatum to sort of try to 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:14.440 duplicate what we see from Luca. 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:17.800 Yeah, that's a good question, Like there's no doubt Tatum. 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.840 You know, his numbers mostly dipped from last season. You know, 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:22.800 you averaged more than thirty points a game last year 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:24.800 and found about twenty six this year, and his shots 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:26.800 were down, And that was just like you said, It 0:08:26.800 --> 0:08:29.520 wasn't because he was doing anything wrong or was playing worse. 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:31.640 It's because they have a lot of weapons and that's 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:34.400 just how it's going to be sometimes. And to Tatum's credit, 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:35.880 he did a really good job at year. He was 0:08:35.920 --> 0:08:38.440 still even with these weapons, he was still the number 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:41.840 one focus of opposing defenses night after night, facing a 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:44.000 lot of double teams, and there were times in the 0:08:44.000 --> 0:08:45.880 past or sometimes he kind of try to force his 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:47.600 way out of them and try to make a play, 0:08:47.640 --> 0:08:50.079 whereas now he just kind of patiently reads what's going on, 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:52.959 makes the right pass. A lot of times that doesn't 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:55.640 even isn't even the one that gets the assists because 0:08:55.880 --> 0:08:57.880 it's the past beyond that, the pass from the past 0:08:57.880 --> 0:09:01.719 that gets the assists. But he's been a willing distributor 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:04.280 and just kind of playing within the flow of the offense. 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:06.760 Is there a part of him I'm sure you know 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:10.319 obviously Jalen MVF of a conference finals, like, I'm sure 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.240 there's a part of Jason that sponsor in mind everyone 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:15.679 that he believed one of the best. He's one of 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:17.400 the best players in the world. He believes like top 0:09:17.400 --> 0:09:19.560 of the top players in the world, and he wants 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:21.560 to show people that on the biggest stage and getting 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:25.400 a second chance after the matchup against the Warriors didn't 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:26.520 go as well two years ago. 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:30.840 Talking to Adam Himmelsbock bet MGM tonight, we know this team. Obviously, 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:33.160 the Celtics team looks different than where they were last year. 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.199 Chris STAPs Porzingis has won, but Drew Holliday has just 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:39.400 been such a massive addition to them as a leader, 0:09:39.600 --> 0:09:42.240 as a defenders, as everything. I mean, he's a guy 0:09:42.240 --> 0:09:45.520 that's obviously been in this position before. There may not 0:09:45.559 --> 0:09:47.120 even be a true answer for this, but I really 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:48.800 just kind of want to gauge in where you are 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:51.959 and Drew Holliday and his value to this team. It 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:55.280 does his veteran leadership and experience in the finals even 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:57.720 outweigh what he's been doing on the court in the 0:09:57.720 --> 0:09:58.760 playoffs for them. 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:02.679 I'm not sure if I but it's definitely important. Joue 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:06.280 Mozil has said multiple times this year, even back to 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:10.400 like whatever January March, a number of times he would 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:13.160 like pull Drew aside. Drew obviously the only player in 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:15.559 this team has won championship and say, hey, you know 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:18.040 when you're with the buck and things on sideways during 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:19.520 the situation, how did you guys get. 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:19.720 Out of it? 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:21.360 How did you How did you make your way up 0:10:21.679 --> 0:10:24.400 when when things are going great? How did you not 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:27.559 get too high? He's been seeking basically any any kind 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:30.960 of morsel of information he can get from Drew, just 0:10:31.000 --> 0:10:34.440 about that championship experience. And Drew wasn't just like like 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:35.960 the one thing, if Drew was just a guy on 0:10:36.000 --> 0:10:38.920 that team who took some threes and whatever, like he 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:42.880 has real leadership qualities. He's so steady at both ends 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:46.160 of the floor, and like we're saying earlier, like he's 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:50.360 a guy who sacrificed his shots. His score numbers were down, 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:54.040 but we've seen during these playoffs a little bit he's 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:57.000 not afraid to remind everyone, Hey, if they're Knights too, 0:10:57.160 --> 0:10:59.320 where the matchups right and things are going. I'm not 0:10:59.360 --> 0:11:02.520 afraid to back my guy down, put that little lefty 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:04.880 hook in over and score my twenty two points either. 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.640 Somebody you guys have to account for too. So you 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:11.920 know he's been beneficial. Obviously we talked about his defense, 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:14.160 his offense has come about, and like you said, his 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:16.280 leadership is really strong as well. 0:11:16.520 --> 0:11:19.760 Is there a deeper bench player? I know that you 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:23.520 know in the playoffs rotations are shortened, but is there 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:26.199 someone that is like eighth or lower in the rotation 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:28.559 that you think could actually have an impact in this series, 0:11:28.600 --> 0:11:32.120 someone like a Sam Hauser or Luke Cornett or Peyton 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:33.520 Pritchard for the Celtics. 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:36.280 Yeah, all three of those guys have got chances. Obviously, 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:39.360 Luke's roll will be reduced assuming christophs is back playing 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:44.240 closer to regular minutes. But Howser's the one I think 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:47.120 to keep an eye on. He was excellent basically all 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:49.800 year long. He's one of the best three point shooters 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:51.760 in the NBA. He came off the bench, he made 0:11:51.840 --> 0:11:54.240 two and a half threes per game, and it just 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:57.199 hasn't been there during these playoffs. I think part of 0:11:57.240 --> 0:11:59.120 it is, yes, he has had a reduced role, and 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:01.320 if you're a shooter, sometime it's a little harder to 0:12:01.360 --> 0:12:03.120 get that rhythm going, knowing, all right, I'm not going 0:12:03.160 --> 0:12:05.200 to get six threes tonight, I'm only going to get three. 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:07.040 He missed that first one and then all of a 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:09.360 sudden things become a little rocky. But he hasn't been 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:11.600 able to establish his rhythm. And there were games where 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.240 he really, I don't want to say carries the Celtics, 0:12:14.240 --> 0:12:15.680 but there were games where you know, they were in 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:17.600 a little run. Other team goes down to ten oh 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:20.880 round and then two hous or threes and thirty seconds 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:24.000 and everything's right again. So they would for sure like 0:12:24.080 --> 0:12:25.319 to see him get going again. 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:27.880 All right, Adam Himmel's back of the Boston Globe. Thanks 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:30.320 grimonamos Man, no problem, dry the games set. 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:36.559 Thank you so much to Adam. 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:40.480 Next we move on to Eric Chiafalo of the Dallas 0:12:40.960 --> 0:12:43.360 ten point fifty three the Fan. Eric was here to 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:46.720 help us prepare from the Mavericks standpoint, and it was 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:51.600 also very entertaining, extremely insightful, and he had lots to 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:55.840 stay about a key Mavericks player who might actually be 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:57.920 the X factor in this series. 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:03.120 Listening, Eric Chiefalo jumps back on those one O five 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:05.800 three of the Fan and I guess the first question 0:13:05.880 --> 0:13:09.240 from a Dallas side of things, then, how are people 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:11.640 in Dallas? How are you looking at this potential Kris 0:13:11.640 --> 0:13:14.360 STAPs Porzingi's return in game one? 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:16.240 You know, it's interesting. Great to be honest with you 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:19.000 guys once again, a very exciting time here. This is 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:21.640 going to be an awesome finals. And the storyline between 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:25.760 Kyrie going back to Boston and kp going back to 0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:29.160 Dallas wants the series swings back over here, absolutely a 0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:31.560 talking point. I don't think it's anywhere as close to 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:36.200 the same level of sort of hate and hostility that 0:13:36.360 --> 0:13:40.360 Boston still feels towards Kyrie. I don't think it's quite 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:43.400 the same. I do expect some boo birds at the 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:47.960 Double AC when Porzingis gets announced. I know Chandler Parsons 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:51.360 was alleging that the crowd was going to be doing 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:54.720 all sorts of you know that the that the crowd 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:57.400 was going to be booing porzingis every time he touches 0:13:57.440 --> 0:13:59.200 the ball. I don't know that it'll go that far, 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:04.079 but he will definitely hear some animosity a good chunk 0:14:04.240 --> 0:14:06.640 of his time once they come bring this thing back 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:07.280 to Dallas. 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:10.679 Yeah, and Luca came out eric and said, yeah, it's 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:15.080 not really true. I didn't dislike Havingham in Dallas. Like 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:21.960 when you remember the time where KP and was in Dallas, like, 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:24.960 what was the vibe around him and what was sort 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:26.360 of any friction centered on. 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:28.640 Well, a lot of it, I think from the fan 0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:32.960 base perspective was just the the inability to consistently be 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:36.560 in the lineup and be healthy he was. I mean, 0:14:36.600 --> 0:14:39.160 he just wasn't somebody that you could depend on, and 0:14:39.440 --> 0:14:42.840 that's been that's been the case by and large throughout 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:45.880 his career a little bit, but he's also KP has 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:48.640 lent voice to the fact that he just wasn't fully 0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:51.920 understanding his role on the way that the Mavericks were 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:54.880 using him, and hey, no post ups, we want to 0:14:54.920 --> 0:14:57.160 get you, you know, just just out on the three 0:14:57.160 --> 0:14:59.160 point line and you'll be kind of a catch and 0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:02.520 shoot dude. And it just never really meshed with the 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:07.320 way that Luca. Whatever Luca needs as a sort of 0:15:07.360 --> 0:15:11.720 a robin or a co star, Porzingis just wasn't really 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.760 fitting that on or off the court. It never felt 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:18.040 like they had a great relationship. At times, it felt 0:15:18.080 --> 0:15:21.360 like there was plenty of friction. So I don't I 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:25.280 don't know, I don't know just how much they actually 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:28.920 like hated each other, like some people will sort of 0:15:29.320 --> 0:15:31.360 put their neck out there and report on. But I 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:34.200 do know that it just it never really worked on 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:37.160 the court, and I think off the court was a 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:38.160 similar situation. 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:40.600 It's worked well though with Luca and Kyrie. Now at 0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:43.560 this point, are you, given where we are now from 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:46.360 where this duo looked at the end of last season, 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.160 how surprised are you that not only Luca and Kyrie 0:15:50.240 --> 0:15:53.560 have seemingly found chemistry and understand their roles and have 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:56.920 a bromance going on, which is awesome, but also this 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.160 MAVs team is in the NBA Finals and they tanked 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:00.480 last year at the end of the season. 0:16:01.280 --> 0:16:04.920 I know, I know, it's crazy. It's crazy just going 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:08.040 back less than a year ago, and as you mentioned, 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:10.840 you're tanking at the end. You've just traded for Kyrie, 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:15.080 and all you have to show for it is that 0:16:15.200 --> 0:16:18.440 you are that you're throwing the end of the season 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:21.480 because you're trying to go get a draft pick, and 0:16:21.520 --> 0:16:24.200 that has worked out beautifully. I mean that decision to tank. 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:28.320 It obviously garnered a fine from the NBA, and a 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:31.360 lot of fans at the time were not happy about it. 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:34.520 When we were discussing it plenty, it was, you know, 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:37.160 I was on board with it because I understood that 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:39.600 the Mavericks even making the playoffs last year, which even 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:42.000 if without the tank, hindsight tells you they wouldn't have 0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:43.960 made the playoffs anyways. But that was a team going 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:47.440 nowhere fast, completely flawed in a bunch of different ways, 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:49.920 and Luke and Kyrie were not on the same page 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:53.680 when it comes to how exactly to conduct, especially late 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.960 in the game scenarios, these clutch situations that have been 0:16:57.000 --> 0:17:00.360 so dominant in and they've had such great chemistry throughout 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:03.120 the season in this postseason, they didn't have that last year. 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:05.560 There was plenty of times where you're letting the buzzer 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:07.080 go out while the ball still on one of your 0:17:07.119 --> 0:17:09.200 hands because you're kind of playing hot potato and nobody 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:12.600 knows what they really want to do. So this offseason, 0:17:12.880 --> 0:17:15.439 and especially once they got into training camp and they 0:17:15.480 --> 0:17:18.080 go to Abu Dhabia's team, I think that's when the 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:23.520 Luca and Kyrie bond really began and they were committed 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:26.760 to be in the best versions of themselves. And a 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:29.600 lot of that is credit to Kyrie acknowledging, Hey, Luca, 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:31.800 this is your team. You are the men here. I'm 0:17:31.800 --> 0:17:34.320 the veteran. I will be your Robin at any moment 0:17:34.359 --> 0:17:36.560 that you need me to be a batman in a 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:39.760 clutch situation. He can do that. But yeah, it's been surprising. 0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:44.040 This is better than the most optimistic opinion that you 0:17:44.200 --> 0:17:47.760 had on the Kyrie trade when it initially happened. This 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:50.600 is way better than you could have even really imagined. 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:53.920 It's been perfect. And Nico Harrison, the general manager who 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.520 just got the extension today, As a matter of fact, 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:59.040 I mean, he's a guy that has made great decisions. 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:01.800 If it was his decision the tank and then draft Lively, 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:04.600 what a home run of a decision. That was you 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:06.840 botched the Grant Williams thing, but then you make up 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:09.199 for it at the trade deadline and you're able to 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:11.639 get a PJ. Washington and then of course you get 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:14.520 Daniel Gafford as well, and that's the trade that really 0:18:14.560 --> 0:18:18.240 cemented this team as being a title contender. So this 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:19.480 whole year has just been crazy. 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:19.640 Man. 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:22.320 This time last year we were wondering is Luca a 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:24.960 ticking time bomb with when is he gonna go be 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:27.760 the superstar demanding the trade? And now here we are 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:31.160 four victories away from him being a twenty five year 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:31.800 old champion. 0:18:32.560 --> 0:18:35.120 Yeah. No, it's absolutely bonkers, just crazy. 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:37.920 Back to Kyrie. I was talking to a couple of 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:42.480 friends about this today. How do you think the matchup 0:18:42.560 --> 0:18:45.240 is gonna go in terms of who's gonna check Kyrie 0:18:45.280 --> 0:18:48.760 the most? Because you've got Derek White and you got 0:18:48.840 --> 0:18:53.320 Drew Holliday both too, all NBA guards, And then how 0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:57.560 do you think Kyrie does against guys of that ilk. 0:18:57.920 --> 0:18:59.920 Well, it is going to be a It's gonna be 0:18:59.920 --> 0:19:02.760 a tough challenge for sure. Holiday and White are as 0:19:02.760 --> 0:19:06.000 you mentioned, two of the best guards in the sport 0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:08.520 when it comes to playing defense. So I think either 0:19:08.560 --> 0:19:11.680 one of those guys will see plenty of time on Kyrie. 0:19:11.760 --> 0:19:15.879 We know how much Boston likes to switch anyways, and 0:19:15.960 --> 0:19:19.280 so as long as that remains their defensive identity, I'm 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:20.760 sure a lot of these guys are going to get 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:23.960 their chance on Kyrie. But I would think you would 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:27.520 start things off with Drew Holiday sort of drawing that assignment. 0:19:27.760 --> 0:19:31.080 I think Jalen Brown probably draws the initial Luca assignment, 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:35.640 but then everything with adjustments and hunting different matchups and 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:38.920 however it is that Boston decides to play some of 0:19:38.960 --> 0:19:41.000 these pick and roll situations, it's all going to be 0:19:41.119 --> 0:19:44.800 super super interesting. But when it comes specifically to Kyrie, 0:19:45.280 --> 0:19:47.679 I do think that if you're Boston, you feel pretty 0:19:47.680 --> 0:19:50.760 good about the idea that you have two guards that 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:54.800 you can really take turns on Kyrie giving him some fits. Now, 0:19:54.880 --> 0:19:58.200 Kyrie's always going to find ways to get his seems 0:19:58.280 --> 0:20:01.159 like a dude right now who's in a great mental place, 0:20:01.440 --> 0:20:04.280 And when it comes to sort of the the the 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:06.960 hostility he's going to receive at the Garden, you know 0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:09.240