WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: Mavericks Near Comeback, Bucks Injuries & Suns ELIMINATED 0:00:01.040 --> 0:00:04.240 A court side view of what's happening in the roller 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:09.800 coaster Clippers Mavericks series. We've got to talk injuries as well, 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:12.879 because there are so many around the league. We talk 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:18.280 about some coaching situations as well, Doc Rivers, Darvin Ham, 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:22.920 Frank Vogel, and we even mix in some pseudo live 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:26.960 reaction to the Phoenix Suns being swept out of the playoffs. 0:00:27.000 --> 0:00:31.440 All that's next on the latest edition of This League Uncut. 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:34.400 Welcome to This League Uncut. 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:35.600 In the rule of. 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:36.800 Twenty four hour NBA. 0:00:36.680 --> 0:00:42.880 News, this's you love, Chris Hans, It's time, work's time. 0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:51.320 It's so time. This League Uncut is underway and on fire. 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:53.920 This should be a good one. 0:00:56.880 --> 0:01:02.080 Hey, everyone, welcome in to the latest edition This League Uncut. 0:01:03.040 --> 0:01:08.040 It's a playoff Sunday night. It feels like hours upon 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:15.720 hours of drama, hardwood drama stacked on top of each other. Today, 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:21.920 let's be honest. This first round league wide has been 0:01:22.880 --> 0:01:29.080 short on drama and racked by way too many injuries. 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:36.600 But the first two games, especially today, the Knicks victory 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:42.559 in Philadelphia, the Clippers winning in Dallas without Kawhi Leonard, 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:45.600 that was a roller coaster. I was there. But let 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:48.160 me bring in my co host who's in Miami. He's 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:52.080 getting ready to work the sidelines for TNT Monday Night, 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:58.560 Game four of the Heat Celtic Series, Chris Haynes, Happy 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:03.720 Sunday to you. Unfortunately got even more injury news today, 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:08.200 more injury developments that have just dominated proceedings here in 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:11.840 Round one. But we also did get some pretty great basketball, 0:02:11.960 --> 0:02:15.720 and as we're recording this, Phoenix is trying to keep 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:20.440 its season going. Minnesota and Phoenix locked in a close 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:24.359 game halfway through the third quarter, with the Wolves already 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:27.440 up three to zero in that series, so we'll probably 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:29.639 have a result there by the time we wrap this 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:33.280 thing up. But man, wild Sunday in your league, what's 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:33.639 going on? 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:40.160 Yeh's crazy? I mean injuries galore, which is, you know, 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:43.280 it's tainting this first round a tad bit, I mean 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:45.360 the series with that. You know that you've been at 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:50.800 thus far to Clippers and MAVs, Kawhi Leonard Tough, tough, 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:57.359 blow Bunks, Pacers, Jannis Dame tough right there, Joel and 0:02:57.440 --> 0:03:01.440 b with the Sixers just not being his full self 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:04.079 and you know it's been it's been tough. Jimmy Butler, 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:07.959 the series I'm doing, Jimmy Butler being out. You know 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:10.440 this is you don't want to see this at this point, 0:03:10.600 --> 0:03:12.919 but uh, but let's let's talk about the Clippers in 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:15.480 math since you're since you're out there, like with the 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:20.160 news of Kawhi Leonard taking some time off to try 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:24.520 he the word is he will not be back until 0:03:24.560 --> 0:03:28.400 he's feeling right. What are you hearing out there? And 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:30.320 what is that? What is that series been like? Just 0:03:30.400 --> 0:03:33.560 to see the just to see the roller coaster. 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:36.200 That has been Yeah, honestly, today was wild. A couple 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:40.880 hours before tip off, we had Clippers President of Basketball 0:03:40.920 --> 0:03:44.520 Operations Lawrence Frank, came out and said that Kawhi was 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:49.160 being ruled out of Game four and more ominously, there's 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:53.680 no timetable for when he's going to come back. And 0:03:53.760 --> 0:03:56.640 then what happens. The Clippers jump out to a thirty 0:03:56.760 --> 0:04:01.080 nine to sixteen opening quarter, just a re ridiculously good. 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.600 The Clippers were great in Game one at home without 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:07.360 Kawhi Leonard, but they were next level in the first 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:10.240 quarter to start here in Dallas, just had the three 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:14.240 ball working. They were playing at a faster pace without Kawhi. 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:17.800 The Clips ultimately stretched that lead all the way to 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:23.040 thirty one points on Dallas's floor, and look, the Mavericks 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:26.240 were able to come all the way back. They took 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:29.920 a one oh five one oh four lead late on 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:34.080 a Kyrie Irving layup that if you haven't seen it yet, 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:37.640 I mean, honestly, if you're listening to this podcast, I'm 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:40.240 guessing there's no way you haven't seen it, because it 0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:45.039 was absolutely ridiculous how long Kyrie hung in the air 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:49.680 and found a way to scoop one in underneath three 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:53.440 very tall defenders who were trying to keep him away 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:56.160 from the rim. It looked like the MAVs were going 0:04:56.200 --> 0:05:00.440 to pull off a comeback for the Ages, looked like 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:05.240 the Clippers were going to suffer a meltdown for the Ages, 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:10.680 and then in crunch time the Clippers took over. So 0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:13.800 it was really like Dallas lost this game twice. It 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:17.120 really ended up being just a dagger defeat for the 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:20.680 Mavericks because it looked like they were going to take 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:22.400 a three to one series lead, looked like they were 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:31.279 going to complete this unbelievable escape after looking so bad 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:33.520 in the first half, and for the second time in 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:37.480 this series, not responding to the fact that Kawhi Leonard 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:44.040 wasn't out there, and James Harden found another gear in 0:05:44.160 --> 0:05:46.960 the fourth quarter in crunch time, much like we saw 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:50.640 in the first half of Game one, Paul George hit 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:54.839 a ridiculous fallaway three in the corner. To that point, 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:58.400 Paul George only had two points in the second half, 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:02.720 and the Mavericks and their coach Jason Kidd in the 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:08.120 immediate aftermath of the loss, facing a lot of questions, 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:13.280 a lot of criticism for not switching to a bigger 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:17.320 lineup late. As James Harden started finding the range with 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:20.680 his floater. This was crazy. I didn't realize this. Harden 0:06:20.760 --> 0:06:24.960 shot sub thirty percent during the season on his floaters, 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:29.400 which hard to believe today because he made five in 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:33.560 the fourth quarter and really looked like he could get 0:06:33.720 --> 0:06:37.280 just about anywhere he wanted to. It was a turn 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:41.600 back the clock performance from Harden, and that's now twice 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:45.240 in this series that the Southern California native. He's in 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:47.920 his first playoff run with the Clippers and has just 0:06:48.040 --> 0:06:53.560 been sensational. Both Clipper wins in this series without Kawhi Leonard. 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:58.440 Both Clipper wins feature huge games from Harden, who has 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:03.440 absorbed plenty of critics himself when you dig into his 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:07.760 playoff resume. So look, I think Dallas has to be 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:13.679 incredibly disappointed that they've lost twice in this series without 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:18.080 Kawhi Leonard. On the other side, there's no indication if 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:21.120 Kawhi Leonard can even get back on the floor in 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:23.720 this series. As well as the Clippers have played without him, 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:27.280 I would imagine, I don't think they want to rush 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:31.160 him back right now. They're playing frankly better without him 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:35.080 because of the state of Kawhi Leonard's health, and if 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:39.840 you saw him in Games two and three, he didn't 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:47.000 look remotely like the Kawhi Leonard that everyone has come 0:07:47.080 --> 0:07:50.600 to expect in the postseason. But you know, we talk 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:53.200 about injuries, and there are so many to get to with. 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:56.280 You know, the Bucks now losing Damian Lillard on top 0:07:56.320 --> 0:08:01.520 of Gianna Santitokumpo, Jimmy Butler in your series, Joel Embiid 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:04.080 playing hurt in that series, and we can go on 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:06.520 and on and on. No Zion Williamson of course in 0:08:06.640 --> 0:08:11.720 the OKC New Orleans series, But in Dallas, Luka Doncic 0:08:11.800 --> 0:08:16.080 is playing hurt right now. That is painfully obvious when 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:19.679 you watch the Mavericks play and Luka Doncic is shooting 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:23.920 sub forty percent in this series. And after all the 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:28.440 praise that Luca got for his defense in Game two, 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:32.640 which was probably the best most impactful single game defensive 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:36.600 effort of his career, today his movement was so labored. 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:43.840 The Clippers were targeting him and rightfully so. And I mean, 0:08:44.000 --> 0:08:47.120 he is ailing. He is nowhere close to where he 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:50.800 should be. It's the playoffs, So just like Embiid and Philly, 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:54.120 Luca's going to try to gut it out. But I 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:58.160 mean it's yet another injury headline in this postseason that 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:00.680 has more than we can count. 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:06.520 I think as far as the Clippers, with Kawhi Leonard 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:10.000 and his injury, I think it bodes well for the 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:13.560 Clippers in the short term, the fact that now they 0:09:13.679 --> 0:09:16.520 know the guys that's going to be there at least 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:19.000 for this series, and so they can focus in on that, 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:22.439 they can try to build off of that. And as 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.560 you you know, as you as you already stated, they 0:09:25.640 --> 0:09:29.599 won both games already without Kawhi, so you know, I 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:32.199 think this is something I think this is more of 0:09:32.240 --> 0:09:35.800 a relief for the Clippers not having to worry if 0:09:35.920 --> 0:09:38.160 Kawhi is going to be in the in the lineup 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:42.400 this game, out the line next game. Like that, uncertainty 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:44.560 is out the picture now now they can just focus 0:09:44.679 --> 0:09:48.199 on playing and being a team. And so that this 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:52.400 series is very much alive, which you know, I want 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:55.480 to see a nice compelling series. And you know, the 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:58.199 drama is still there, the intrigue is still there. Hopefully 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:00.719 Luca continue to play at a higher left. I know 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:05.079 he's laboring, you know, obviously everyone could see it, you know, 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:09.280 but this is still very much a compelling series. You 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:12.080 don't know, you don't know who has the momentum right 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:15.800 now or who's going to keep the momentum, I should say. 0:10:16.400 --> 0:10:18.920 So you know this, this thing, this thing is far 0:10:19.040 --> 0:10:23.040 from over, which is good, which is which is more 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:25.880 than I can say from say, for a couple of 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:27.079 these other series out there. 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:29.640 Yeah, look, every other series in the West got to 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:32.640 three to zero, so we need at least one series 0:10:32.720 --> 0:10:35.760 in the West to deliver. And yeah, I mean it 0:10:35.960 --> 0:10:42.160 is remarkably this series has been pitched back to toss 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:49.680 up status. And again I think the Mavericks, though, they're 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:52.360 going to have to really pull together and steal themselves 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:58.040 because to get two shots at the Clippers with no 0:10:58.240 --> 0:11:02.480 Kawhi Leonard and both times just getting routed in the 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:07.320 first half, you know, just blitzed badly in the first 0:11:07.400 --> 0:11:11.040 half of Game one and Game four on their home floor, 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:13.240 especially when you factor in the history that these two 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:16.800 teams have. Remember it's the third time in the last 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:20.439 five years that these teams have met in the playoffs. 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:25.480 The Clippers, they've only won three playoff series since Kawhi 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:29.199 and Paul George came together, two of them are against 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:33.400 the Mavericks. This is the best team that Luka Doncic 0:11:33.480 --> 0:11:37.360 has ever had around him in his series against the Clippers. 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:40.720 And you know, Luca today postgame, you know, he said 0:11:40.840 --> 0:11:44.960 he feels like he's letting Kyrie Irving down, with Kyrie 0:11:45.040 --> 0:11:51.120 Irving just playing incredible offensive basketball. And today Kyrie Irving 0:11:51.280 --> 0:11:55.760 willed the Mavericks back into this game with just ridiculous 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:58.800 shot making, not just the layup, but again that layup 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:02.200 was an all timer. And look, I think it's health. 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:06.360 There's just no you know, Luca struggling at the defensive end. Okay, 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:13.040 that's not exactly a new thing, but Luca shooting sub 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:16.160 forty percent from the field. I mean, that just tells 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:21.839 you that something is wrong. And it wasn't even just 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:25.760 the shooting today. Multiple times in this game he drove 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:29.240 to the bucket and got the ball knocked out of 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:32.800 his hands, basically stripped on a drive that never happens. 0:12:33.320 --> 0:12:36.959 Once Luca gets inside, He's just so strong when he 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:39.559 goes to the rim. So it just you can just 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:43.240 see he's not His game is not all there. And 0:12:44.960 --> 0:12:48.600 two days off now before Wednesday's Game five back in LA. 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:53.679 But Game six is Friday, a potential Game seven is Sunday. 0:12:53.880 --> 0:12:57.120 It's basically every other day to finish the series. Once 0:12:57.200 --> 0:13:03.080 we get to the game five stage, and this really 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:06.400 is the series in the West now that is providing 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:11.000 all of the drama and what happens from here. Can 0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:15.079 the Clippers keep winning without their best players? How will 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:25.200 the Mavericks rebound from an absolutely deflating defeat. And yeah, 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:28.440 I you know, it's going to be fascinating to see 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:32.640 how Doncic looks Wednesday nights. Again, not just shooting sub 0:13:32.720 --> 0:13:36.240 forty percent from the floor, he's shooting not even twenty 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:38.679 seven percent from three point range, and those are just 0:13:39.600 --> 0:13:43.000 I mean, that's just way below his typical standard. And 0:13:43.120 --> 0:13:47.720 I've watched him enough to know that I really attribute 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:50.280 a lot of it to the state of his right knee, 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:52.280 because he's just not moving well at all. 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:58.400 Stime, before we shift to another series, let's go off 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:03.319 the court real quick as attains to the Clippers. Do 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:07.800 you think the situations the Clippers are in with Kawhi 0:14:09.360 --> 0:14:15.120 having to sideline himself again, they've been down this road before. 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:21.200 There's no extension yet for Paul George. Do you think 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:25.960 that Paul has gained a little bit more leverage now 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:30.960 his extension talks, or do you feel like this this 0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:32.880 probably won't play a factor at all. 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:37.040 I think it's too soon to know the answer to 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:39.600 that question because it too too so much can still 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:42.920 happen in this series. But look, there's no question that 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:47.280 the Clippers future is one of the major subplots here. 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:52.400 Steve Balmer here on the road in Dallas, very visible 0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:57.680 watching pregame intently both of these games. You know, at 0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:02.840 Clipper home games, there's places that he can go to 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:05.720 kind of stay out of the public eye. But in Dallas, 0:15:06.760 --> 0:15:12.320 Balmer was a very visible presence at these games. Intently 0:15:12.480 --> 0:15:17.240 studying warm ups, and you know, I'm sure he's trying 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:21.600 to analyze this himself, because, yeah, around the league, there 0:15:21.720 --> 0:15:25.680 is tons of curiosity. What will the Clippers do? You know, 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:30.200 Kawhi Leonard played in sixty eight games this season. It's 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:33.120 the most we've seen him in the regular season since 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:36.600 twenty sixteen seventeen, when he was still in San Antonio 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:41.560 seven years ago. But now a are the Clippers second 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:46.600 guessing how much Kawhi played during the regular season. Maybe 0:15:46.680 --> 0:15:49.880 sixty eight games was too much. And they've already extended 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:52.960 Kawhi Leonard. Remember that day in January, We're out of 0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:57.640 the blue, with no warning, Kawhi gets his extension. Paul George, 0:15:57.720 --> 0:16:01.320 as you mentioned, does not have his extension. He's eligible 0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:05.280 to be extended through June thirtieth. The Clippers need to 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:08.640 come to terms with George before then to keep him 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:12.800 off the free agent market. Where we know the Philadelphia 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:16.400 seventy six Ers, who by the way, are now facing elimination. 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:20.240 The Sixers losing Game four at home, and the Sixers 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:23.880 are one loss away from their offseason starting. We know 0:16:24.080 --> 0:16:26.080 the Sixers will be at the front of the line 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:29.480 to go after Paul George in free agency if the 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:34.040 Clippers don't extend him by June thirtieth, and then James Harden. 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:39.960 James Harden has really been the driving force in the 0:16:40.000 --> 0:16:45.280 Clippers two wins in this series. James Harden not even 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:49.800 eligible for his extension until the summertime. But once June 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:53.800 thirtieth slash July one hits, now Harden's gonna want an 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:57.960 extension too. So do the Clippers want to run it 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:00.920 back with this team at two time two in this series? 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:04.960 I think they still need more data to be honest, 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:10.440 because look, there are high stakes and there is considerable 0:17:10.520 --> 0:17:14.240 pressure on both of these franchises. The Mavericks traded away 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:20.639 a ton to get Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington at 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:24.480 the trade deadline. Dallas will not have its first round 0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:28.320 pick in this draft because it is the last element 0:17:28.800 --> 0:17:32.119 that they must convey to the Knicks to complete the 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:36.440 Christops Porzingis deal from five years ago. At the deadline 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:39.520 in twenty nineteen and then, the Mavericks have also surrendered 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:43.360 control of their first round pick between twenty twenty seven 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:49.080 and twenty thirty, so they need this team to deliver 0:17:49.640 --> 0:17:54.439 and advance and live up to the promise they showed 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:58.040 when they went sixteen and two in the second half 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:00.720 of the season to get to fifty wins and move 0:18:00.800 --> 0:18:04.200 up to the number five seeds. So whoever loses this series, 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:08.240 like so many teams in the West, is going to 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:13.040 be facing some really tough questions in the offseason. The 0:18:13.160 --> 0:18:16.639 MAVs have used most of their trade chips, how can 0:18:16.720 --> 0:18:20.200 they improve this team if it goes out in Round one? 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:23.720 And the Clippers, if they go out and round one, 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:28.040 are gonna have to ask themselves do we re sign 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:31.320 Paul George and James Harden knowing these guys will just 0:18:31.359 --> 0:18:34.920 get a year older and this is basically the team 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:40.080 they're gonna roll with. And look Phoenix, Golden State, Sacramento, 0:18:40.680 --> 0:18:44.600 the Lakers. All of these teams are facing really hard 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:48.240 offseason questions too. In the West. That's kind of the 0:18:48.280 --> 0:18:51.879 status quo for everyone. Any team that loses in the 0:18:51.960 --> 0:18:55.640 play in or Round one has some really tough choices 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:58.200 to make. But yeah, I mean, I guess that's my 0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:01.440 long winded way of saying I can't really answer that one. 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:06.960 But I don't think well, I can't answer it to 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:10.240 this degree. I don't think as impressive as this victory 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:16.600 was to save themselves after blowing a thirty one point lead. 0:19:17.400 --> 0:19:20.520 I don't think this one victory is going to prompt 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:23.359 the Clippers to make any declarations. They're going to need 0:19:23.400 --> 0:19:27.040 to see how this series turns out. Let me ask 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:29.720 you something. Do you think we see Kawhi Leonard again 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:30.680 in this series. 0:19:30.920 --> 0:19:33.920 Or do you think I don't not in this series? 0:19:33.960 --> 0:19:34.280 I don't. 0:19:34.440 --> 0:19:37.560 I agree, I don't either. I think it's now kind 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:41.000 of The rumbles around the arena this afternoon were that 0:19:41.359 --> 0:19:43.480 he's still going to try and he doesn't want to 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:46.560 rule himself out, and whether that's game five or Game 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:50.159 six or a potential Game seven. The rumbles were that 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:53.320 Kawhi is going to keep trying. But yeah, I mean, 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:55.399 I mean you saw game two. In game three, he 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:59.240 is just not moving well at all. Yeah. 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:04.399 Well, I guess that's a good segue over to the 0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:07.880 East for a little bit, talking about guys not moving well, 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:11.800 which ultimately led to them not moving at all. Bucks 0:20:12.040 --> 0:20:18.880 Pacers that series it's got ugly. It's gotten ugly over there. Yeah. 0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:21.240 I don't. I don't foresee. I'll just say this, I 0:20:21.280 --> 0:20:26.080 don't foresee. Damer Gianni's returning for this series. 0:20:26.560 --> 0:20:30.240 I don't this is at three to one down. It's 0:20:30.280 --> 0:20:33.800 just there's it's not worth the risk. Yeah, I mean 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:37.480 talk about team that has a lot of off season questions. 0:20:37.600 --> 0:20:41.040 I mean, the last thing they need is for Giannis 0:20:41.160 --> 0:20:44.119 or Dame to sustain a long term injury. I mean 0:20:44.160 --> 0:20:46.720 it sounds like they're playing right on the edge as 0:20:46.760 --> 0:20:47.040 it is. 0:20:48.480 --> 0:20:53.440 Yeah, yeah, it's unfortunate. You know, Dame came into the 0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:57.680 playoffs really feeling good. He had about a week off. 0:20:58.920 --> 0:21:03.240 He was dealing with achilles soreness towards the end of 0:21:03.280 --> 0:21:06.200 the regular season. Then he had like a week off 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:09.320 and he got he got right, He got himself right, 0:21:09.760 --> 0:21:12.000 and you've seen in those first couple of games in 0:21:12.040 --> 0:21:15.600 the playoffs he was he was playing probably the best 0:21:15.680 --> 0:21:18.360 ball in that little two three game stretch. You can 0:21:18.720 --> 0:21:21.719 make a case that was probably the best you've seen him. 0:21:21.800 --> 0:21:25.359 Mat just like scoring in bunches and in droves, and 0:21:26.080 --> 0:21:28.120 you know, that was the Dame, that was the Dame 0:21:28.200 --> 0:21:30.880 of old. You know, he was telling me, man, I'm 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:35.560 feeling good, like he was ready, and you know we 0:21:35.720 --> 0:21:41.879 all knew Giannis was his His intention was to be 0:21:41.960 --> 0:21:44.400 able to come back at some point in this first round. 0:21:45.280 --> 0:21:48.960 But it's just it's never got to that point. And 0:21:49.119 --> 0:21:54.320 now the state that the Bucks are in, down down 0:21:54.400 --> 0:22:00.200 three games, the one it's it's just not why is 0:22:00.280 --> 0:22:02.600 to try to throw them out there right now? You know, 0:22:02.880 --> 0:22:06.200 if if the Bucks would have put up a better fight, 0:22:06.760 --> 0:22:10.360 which they were under man so it's it's tough to ask. 0:22:11.160 --> 0:22:14.240 It's tough to ask them to to fulfill that. But 0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:16.600 if they were able to put up a fight, win 0:22:16.680 --> 0:22:21.160 a few more games here, you know, you probably could 0:22:21.200 --> 0:22:26.520 have have seen a scenario where Giannis er Dame might 0:22:26.640 --> 0:22:30.440 be able to come back, not full strength, but just 0:22:30.720 --> 0:22:33.440 be able to come back and at least be a decoy. 0:22:33.520 --> 0:22:37.720 I don't know how effective, but it's just not it's 0:22:37.800 --> 0:22:40.000 not there. It's tough, you know, it's tough. It's probably 0:22:40.080 --> 0:22:42.880 the best thing for them to do at this point. 0:22:42.920 --> 0:22:47.200 It's probably just it's focus on the off season. Regroup, 0:22:47.680 --> 0:22:49.960 damon Giannis. You know they didn't get the train during 0:22:50.000 --> 0:22:53.120 the off season last year that the trade happened so late. 0:22:54.000 --> 0:22:58.000 So get it off season to train, build, you know, 0:22:58.160 --> 0:23:02.040 build some more continuity together and go into next season 0:23:02.320 --> 0:23:07.480 and try to and and try to dominate but yeah, 0:23:07.480 --> 0:23:11.639 it's tough. You never want to see a series go 0:23:12.160 --> 0:23:15.040 out like that, where or it can be the two 0:23:15.119 --> 0:23:19.480 best players are in the series, you know they're they're done. 0:23:19.600 --> 0:23:26.720 Then Bobby Porters in Game four gets get sejected and 0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:29.760 you know it's just you know, they're shooting itself on 0:23:29.800 --> 0:23:30.120 the foot. 0:23:30.280 --> 0:23:32.200 What happened? Though? I thought our pod was supposed to 0:23:32.240 --> 0:23:35.440 make guys, it was supposed to help guys soar to 0:23:35.520 --> 0:23:38.240 new heights. I don't think we I don't think we 0:23:38.320 --> 0:23:39.560 did that for Bobby Porters. 0:23:40.480 --> 0:23:43.119 Yeah we did it. I mean, how long did Poppy? 0:23:43.600 --> 0:23:46.040 Maybe it's a time limit. Maybe you gotta be on 0:23:46.520 --> 0:23:51.000 the show for about thirty minutes minimum, you know, maybe 0:23:51.040 --> 0:23:52.840 it was a time limit thing. I don't know. I 0:23:53.119 --> 0:23:55.800 got to look into the analytics of how long he 0:23:56.040 --> 0:23:59.600 was on, what he said, how fully engaged he was. 0:24:00.080 --> 0:24:02.639 So why doesn't producer Ryan keep those analytics? We should 0:24:02.640 --> 0:24:06.560 have a spreadsheet with Yeah, we need that. I guess 0:24:06.680 --> 0:24:09.640 we need that minutes they how long the interview lasted? 0:24:10.640 --> 0:24:13.840 Yeah, because our coaches are you know, most of our 0:24:13.880 --> 0:24:16.960 coaches are doing well. Who came on, you know, came 0:24:17.000 --> 0:24:23.400 on the show. I will still say Mike Brown did well, look, 0:24:23.800 --> 0:24:26.680 they didn't make it to the playoffs, but they took 0:24:26.760 --> 0:24:30.160 down a team that they really wanted to beat desperately. 0:24:30.480 --> 0:24:33.600 It took down and took out the Golden State Wards. 0:24:33.680 --> 0:24:35.400 I don't think we can take credit for that. When 0:24:35.440 --> 0:24:37.400 Mike Brown was on last season. 0:24:38.080 --> 0:24:39.240 I think that was last season. 0:24:39.480 --> 0:24:44.480 I don't think I don't think that. I think it's 0:24:44.480 --> 0:24:48.680 a two year, two year dame winning the three point 0:24:48.800 --> 0:24:51.960 contest hours after talking to us that I think we 0:24:52.080 --> 0:24:55.119 can say that a little bit of this league uncut 0:24:55.280 --> 0:24:59.200 magic dust was. We can say that we can we 0:24:59.280 --> 0:25:03.159 can we can draw a connection there, but claim I 0:25:03.200 --> 0:25:05.680 cannot say that we had anything to do with Mike 0:25:05.760 --> 0:25:10.359 Brown winning a playing game against the Warriors after we talked. 0:25:12.520 --> 0:25:14.240 I thought we had a two year there was a 0:25:14.400 --> 0:25:16.840 two year expiration. Finch. 0:25:16.960 --> 0:25:20.000 Maybe like if Minnesota keeps rolling, maybe you know Finch 0:25:20.080 --> 0:25:21.959 in the All Star Game appearance, maybe we can take 0:25:22.000 --> 0:25:24.960 a little credit for that all my bet, Well, let 0:25:25.040 --> 0:25:28.119 me ask you this because obviously, you know, Doc Rivers 0:25:28.160 --> 0:25:30.600 has been under so much pressure coming in there at 0:25:30.640 --> 0:25:35.640 mid season. The results haven't been what the Bucks were 0:25:35.680 --> 0:25:38.600 hoping for after making that coaching change. But and this 0:25:38.800 --> 0:25:43.360 has to take any notion of heat on Doc Rivers off. 0:25:44.280 --> 0:25:46.280 You know, I don't know how he could win a 0:25:46.320 --> 0:25:48.719 playoff series without John and Dan. 0:25:49.600 --> 0:25:55.000 He's fine. I think there's enough. There's there's enough of 0:25:55.119 --> 0:25:58.919 a track record with this group where you can evaluate 0:25:59.040 --> 0:26:02.600 it and see, Okay, now they know how Dame plays. 0:26:03.200 --> 0:26:06.479 Now they know you know what Dame and Giannis. Now 0:26:06.520 --> 0:26:08.800 they know how they can improve playing with each other 0:26:08.920 --> 0:26:13.199