The Disastrous State of the Mets

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And the Joe Boningo Oda Pain Podcast is brought to you by our good friends at Manscaped and uh our good friends of , course, at Anita Discount Tire. You know, I've been watching Nick's play since I was nine years old, nineteen sixty-two. My father, who was a big basketball fan, he used to take me to the garden all the time, the old garden on fiftieth and eighth. You know, the big marquee out in the front, Needics to the right of it. You'd see the doubleheaders, you go see doubleheaders, it was ridiculous. You'd see the Lakers play the Celtics in game one, and then the Knicks play whoever in game two. The Syracuse Nationals, the St. Louis Hawks, the Chicago Zephyrs, yes indeed, the Philadelphia Warriors, unbelievable. Indeed, indeed, indeed. That's how far back we go. Those teams uh don't they don't really exist anymore, even though there's, you know, they've changed to different teams. The Cincinnati Royals, we could go on and on to the different teams that there were in the NBA back in the early 60s. Unbelievable. And I've seen it all, from Richie Garon to Willis Reed, to Bernard King, to Patrick Ewing, to Carmelo Anthony, to Jalen Brunson, and all points in between. I've seen absolutely all of it as a lifetime fan of this basketball team. I have never , and I and again, I was fortunate enough to see the two world championships in 70 and 73 , but I have never seen what I saw last night from the Knickerbockers. As they just annihilated the Atlanta Hawks to wrap up uh the first round series in six games, beat them by a stunning fifty-one points, one forty to eighty-nine, a game where at one point in this game, the Knicks led by sixty one points. Sixty one . They had a sixty three to eleven run at one point in this basketball game. You gotta be kidding me. I have never seen anything like it. They just it was on real Yeah you know, you talk about NBA games and look, we all know a twenty point lead in the first half, you know, what does that really mean ? But in this game, the Knicks led forty to fifteen after the first quarter. The game was over. I mean, let's be honest about it. It was done. History. See ya . Unbelievable. I I I just don't know what else to say. Tremendous night for OG N and Obi. He had twenty nine points. What was he? Eight for eleven from the field. He was unbelievable. How about Mikhail Bridges, who really has had a terrible series ? He goes off for 24 points last night. I think he was eight for eleven from the field. He was unbelievable. He had that one sequence when he scored three straight baskets, two dunks, and a three-pointer . The Knicks, I mean, there were points in this game in the first half where Atlanta would just turn the ball over. It it seemed like six or seven consecutive possessions when the Hawks would come down and just turn the ball over and the Knicks would turn it into a uh into a basket. Unbelievable. Carl Anthony Towns another triple double. This guy had never had a triple double in the playoffs . He gets two in the last three games and becomes only the second Nick. Clyde Frazier is the other one to have multiple playoff triple doubles. Clyde had four Carl Anthony Towns in the span of three games has two . And how about this too? Carl Anthony Towns didn't get a field goal until the third quarter. He took four shots. He was ten for ten from the foul line. He had 12 points , 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Just unbeliev uh incredible. And ever since they started running the off offense through him, I mean, you've you've just seen the Knicks destroy Atlanta . I mean, it's hard to believe that at some point in the series, the Knicks were actually down two games to one, but when you really break it down, you know, Atlanta won two games by one point . And starting in game four, it's just been one big blowout after another by the Knicks. What they win by sixteen, I think they won by thirty in the game in game five, and then you know, last night's just epic fifty one point victory. Just amazing . No other way to say it. Just amazing. When you're watching the fourth quarter, where all you know, Landry Shaman and Dukhtari and and uh uh uh Diyawara and these guys are on the floor. You know, guys that you didn't even know run a team, Tyler Koelick. These guys are playing the whole fourth quarter. That's all you need to know. Been wishing we could go on, but too often life or usually price gets in the way. That's why Pricel ine is here to help you turn your dream trip into reality. 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And I've never seen anything like it uh in a regular season game, certainly not in a playoff game, and certainly not in a closeout playoff game like we saw last night for the Knickerbackers. And you just see how good this team, I mean, this team clearly, clearly can win the Eastern Conference. I mean, is there really any doubt about it ? And I think whoever wins the next series, and how about this, how about the fact that the Philadelphia seventy sixers, who were down three games to one to the Celtics, come back, they win game five in Boston behind thirty-three points from Joe L and B And they win game six last night in Philadelphia, thirty for Tyrese Maxie. Game seven tomorrow night in Boston. Obviously, if you're a Nick fan, you know you're gonna be locked in to watching Game Seven tonight. The next round will start Monday. If it's Philadelphia, it'll be in the garden. If it's Boston, it'll be in Boston. So we'll see how it all plays out when all is said and done. But unbelievable. I I I just don't know what else to say. And I'll tell you, I look at the state of this Eastern Conference and I really think whoever wins that next round is gonna win the is gonna win the East. Now I still think Boston's gonna wind up beating Philadelphia. But I tell you right now, Philadelphia, you know, you look at it in a lot of ways, that might be the tougher matchup. You know, they were interviewing Clyde , I don't know, some point in the second half last night, Lisa Salters for uh ABC ESPN was uh interviewing Clyde Frazier. And he said that he feels Boston's the better matchup for the Knicks. I mean, you look at Philadelphia, you look at guys like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxie, these guys have given the Knicks problems in the past. Remember that series a couple years ago, the Knicks won in six, but Maxie was tremendous in that series for Philly. And you never know what Embiid because he, you know, he could uh you know get a hangnail tomorrow and he's out for three games. So you never know what's gonna happen with him. But right now the pressure's on the Celtics tomorrow night. I mean, you know, they're in the midst of blowing a three-one series lead here. And remember, they lost two games at home . They've already lost two games at home. They lost game two at home and they lost game five in what was an elimination game at home as well. So uh very interesting how this is going to play out. I don't buy the Cleveland Cavaliers. I don't buy the Detroit Pistons. I certainly don't buy the Orlando Magic. I don't buy the Toronto Raptors. I think if the Knicks win this next series, they're going to the finals. I just don't see any of those four teams I just mentioned, because the Knicks would be playing one of them if they win the next round in the conference finals. I don't see any of them having a shot against the Knicks. Even the Pistons, who killed the Knicks four games this year, and look what they are. You know, they survived uh winning game five the other night uh in Detroit. They go back to Orlando for game six tonight. I mean, you know, they could be done . So , unbelievable. But if you're a Knicks fan right now, you are sitting with your feet up, you got a big smile on your face, and you're saying, wow , I can't believe what I just saw. You know, I'll never forget the great the great call when uh Kirk Gibson hit that home run off Dennis Eckersley in the nineteen eighty eight World Series and uh Jack Buck with that great call. I don't believe what I just saw, right? Well that's exactly how you feel if you're a Nick fan last night. You don't believe what you just saw. One of the great poundings in the history of the NBA. In fact, the biggest lead, Nick's Walk 47 at halftime. The biggest lead ever for an NBA team in a playoff game. Can you believe that? And this is a this team is terrific, man. This is a good team, boy. They really are. You know, this starting lineup. I gotta say this. Now they haven't gone to the finals yet. And obviously, uh Ewing's team in the Ewing era they went to the finals twice. Of course, Patrick didn't win in 99 against San Antonio because he got hurt. But in the ewing era, the Knicks went to the finals twice. So this team still hasn't gotten to the NBA Finals. But I gotta tell you right now, the Knicks starting lineup that they put out there right now is better than any starting lineup the Knicks put out there during the early era. I mean, I don't I I is there really any doubt about it ? I mean, you know, in all due respect to Charles Oakley and John Starks and Anthony Mason and Latrell Sprewell and Alan Houston and you know Larry Johnson, I mean we could go on. In all due respect to those guys, this starting lineup that they throw out there right now is better than any we've seen in this in the Patrick Ewing era. I mean, let's be honest about it . Just amazing. I I I I can't I can't say enough about what I'm watching . Uh give credit to Mike Brown because this team, how about the defense this team is playing? They held the Hawks under 100 points the last three games in this series. You know, 89 points last night. I mean, that's unheard of in this era of NBA basketball. The Knicks have picked up their defense. Their defense last night was um , like I said, it was like there were sequences when it seemed like five, six, seven straight possessions when the Hawks were just turning the ball over . It was nuts. It was nuts. Yeah, I mean, really is I don't know how else to say if you're a fan of the Knickerbockers. You just, like I said, you got your feet up and, it was good. How great too. You see Jim Dolan and Stefan Marbury sitting courtside last night. You see all the Knicks who were there. Clyde, of course, dressed like only Clyde could dress, right? Alan Houston, John Starks, Patrick Ewing. I I mean I didn't see who else was there, but that group was there. Marbury, like I said, sitting next to Dolan . And I love it when I see all the old Knicks at the Garden. How great is that? Right? You You love love it it. when you see Bernard there and and Sprewell there and Larry Johnson there and Marcus Camby and you know all the guys I mentioned that were in Atlanta last night. Just tremendous. I I uh what else can you say? What else can you say? And I and you know, give Mike Brown credit. I gotta give him some credit here, you know, for making the adjustment in this series, starting to run the offense through towns, the way that they're playing defense right now . How about Leon Rose? You know, Leon Rose is like the invisible man . You know, the president, GM, whatever he is in his team that put this team together. You know, you never see the guy. What a job he's done . I mean you look at the general managers in this town. Who's better than him? This team was in the abyss for twenty years. The Knicks for twenty years were basically the laughing stock of professional sports. Not just the NBA. Professional sports. They were a disaster. You know, it was unbelievable. Teams couldn't wait to go to the garden to stick it to the Knicks. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Stefan Curry. They love going there to light the garden up and light the Knicks up . You had games where you had how many fans vote rooting for the other freaking team? You don't see that now, that's for sure. Leon Rose has done a spectacular job with this franchise. I mean y uh just think about it . Just think about the moves he's made. Sign in jail in Brunson as a free agent and Brunson turns into like, you know, on his way to the rafters, number eleven with one of the all time great Knicks. Incredible. And Brunson had a quiet game last night. He only scored 17 points. I think he had eight assists. 17 points. You didn't even know he was on a floor. They didn't need him. He could have taken the night off. Unbelievable. He signs Jalen Bronson as a free agent. He makes the trade with Portland to get Josh Hart. He makes the trade and really this this trade might be the well, I don't know. I it's probably one and one A, the two trades he makes. He makes that trade with Toronto, giving up RJ Barrett and and Emmanuel quickly, a trade I wasn't in love with for OG Ananobi, who turns out to be just an I mean one of the most un underrated players in the MB A, two-way players there is. And we mentioned the monster night he had last night, 29 points. He had 26 in the first half. You know, he could have had 50 if he kept playing. There was no need for it . RJ Barrett, Emmanuel Quickly for OG Ananobi. How good is that trade? Well, how about this trade? And I love Dominic DiVincenzo. Excuse me, Dante DiVincenzo. I loved him. I did. Julius Rand le. He trades those two guys to Minnesota for Carl Anthony Towns. How about that trade? And everybody gets on towns. How good is this guy? Two triple doubles in the last three games. He took four shots last night. He had a triple double. Are you serious? How good has this guy been? He led the NBA in double doubles this year. Led second in the in the league to Jokic in rebounding. He's phenomenal . I mean Leon Rose, you know, and even the Mikhail Bridges trade, you know, everybody kills it now, you know, they give up all these draft choices to the Nets for Mikhail Bridges . But, you know, still, uh, you know, has he been great? No. But really, when you look at it, you look at the Knicks starting lineup, Mikael Bridges is the fifth option on this team. He's a role player. That's what he is . Umble and he and he was tremendous last night he had more points in uh in last night than he had in the whole series combined before that. Twenty-four points. He was huge last night. He was unconscious. He was throwing up shots. He wasn't even looking and they were going in . No, it's unbelievable. I uh there's no other way to say it. Um you give a Leon Rose tremendous credit. Like I said, he has done a ma you could look at all the general managers in this town, right? You know, even Brian Cashman, who, you know, really like he gets criticized plenty, but he's got the Yankees in the playoffs every freaking year. You know, you can say whatever you want . But that's the bottom line. Leon Rose. He's the best GM in, you know. Who else is there ? Chris Drury ? David Stearns ? Right? I mean we don't know about you know Joel Shane. We don't know about Darren Muji yet. Right now he's he's uh trending upward, that's for sure with the Jets. But is there anybody that touches Leon Rose right now? Nobody. He has done an unbelievable job. And I don't know how far this team's gonna go. Got we we, you know, look, like I said, this next round is good to me, this next round against either Boston or Philly is gonna determine whether the Knicks go to the NBA Finals or not. This is going to be the series, their most difficult series is going to be this next one. I don't think there's any doubt about it . Either team. The most difficult series is going to be the next one. So we'll see what happens. We'll be locked into game seven tomorrow night. Uh in Boston. I don't know how I'm rooting in this game. I really don't I don't know. I don't know. In a lot of ways I fear Philadelphia even more. You know, especially because Philadelphia would have no pressure on them in this series because they were the seventh seed. They had to win the in the play-in tournament just to get to the playoffs . And, you know, they're playing in a lot of ways with house money. And when you got Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxie and Paul George on your team, you're a dangerous team. So I don't know how I don't know which way to look at it this way. But whatever happens, the Knicks will be ready. Like I said, if it's Boston, they'll be open enough Monday night in Boston. If it's Philly, they'll be open enough Monday night at the Garden. So I'm pumped up. I'm juiced up. If you're a Nick fan, you're unconscious right now, enjoy it, enjoy the weekend, and uh enjoy watching tomorrow night in game seven. I think that game is seven thirty on NBC. So it's not on Prime Video. It's not on Peacock or whatever, you know, whatever cock it is. It's not on that. So uh we'll you know you'll be able to see it on regular MBC TV . So uh we'll see how it all plays out. But what a night. What a night. A historic night for the New York Knickerbockers as they just destroy the Atlanta Hawks in game six to close out their first round series. One forty to eighty nine. Think about that. Absolutely crazy. All right, let's get our uh sponsors in here. I've been telling you about Manscaped for a long time. Look, you know how I feel about Manscaped. And now they have the lawnmower five point oh Ultra. I mean, you gotta be kidding me. It's unbelievable. 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Only three teams in the history of the New York Mets have had worse Aprils than this one . And none of those teams were any good. Back in the early 60s when they were absolutely a disaster. And the strike year in 1981, when they sucked in that year, too. Unbelievable . Um I I don't know what else to say. This team is in big trouble. They had the lead yesterday, four to three. Uh they got a three-run home run from MJ , whatever it is, Melendez, whatever his name is, amazingly enough. They got an RBI double from Vientos to give him a 4-3 lead. They have that lead going to the top of the eighth inning. In comes Luke Weaver, who's actually done a good job for the most part, out of the bullpen for the Mets. He gives up a base hit . And then he gives up a two-run home run to CJ Abrams, which turns out to be the winning hit in the game. And that was it. And the Mets lose again. What a disas ter. What a disaster. You know, we talk about the unbelievable job that Leon Rhodes has done with the Knicks. I mean, just go in the opposite spectrum for the job that David Stearns has done. Absolutely destroying this baseball team. Absolutely ripping the heart out of this baseball team. Dumping Peter Lonzo, by the way, Alonzo will be in Yankee Stadium this weekend with Baltimore. Dumping Peter Alonzo, dumping uh uh Brandon Nimmo, dumping Jeff McNeil. I know he's hurt, but dumping Edwin Diaz, what a freaking disgrace. You said this place was steps from the water. We just haven't found the steps yet. How much did we save ? Enough. Enough to get lost. Or you could book a stay with Hilton. Welcome to your ocean front room, just steps from the water. The Hilton sale is on now. Book on Hilton. com or the Hilton app and save up to 20% to get the stay you expected. When you want savings, not surprises, it matters where you stay. Hilton for the stay. 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Woods Woods went like five feet over the fence to make the catch. Remember there was a time when uh one soda was traded for James Wood when Soto was in Washington . I mean, you gotta be kidding me . He's the only guy hitting. Everybody else stinks. I I mean you know when AJ Melendez is getting your three-run home runs. What's going on here ? I don't know what else to say if you're a Met fan. There's nothing left to say. And I think Mendo za, I think one of the reasons Mendoza is still hasn't been fired is because Cora got fired in Boston and Rob Thompson got fired in Philadelphia. And you know, what's the point of firing m Mendoza now? I mean, real what is it? What? You're gonna bring somebody else in here that's gonna be better than him? He's gonna make this team turn around? He's gonna make Bachet hit? He's gonna make you know Alvarez and Vientos and Beatty hit with on a consistent basis? Right? I mean is he? I mean of course not . I you know he's gonna make David Peterson pitch better or, Kodai Sanger pitch better, or the guys in the bullpen pitch better? Sean Sean Maniah, what happened to him ? What happened to him? They gave him all that money. He stinks. He can't get anybody out anymore. He's got no velocity . Is this the same general manager, the president of baseball operations, okay, that gave thirty-four million dollars to that absolute stiff and we all knew he was Frankie Montas . This guy brought in Devin Williams to be the closer. Whenever he met and Yankee fan knew he wasn't any good . I there's nothing else to say. It's May first. You know, the gut the good weather is coming. Uh the summer is on its way. There's a lot of things to do in the summer that do not involve baseball. You can go to the beach, you can go to the pool, you can play golf , you can hang out outside and work on your tan . There's a lot of things you can do, and you don't have to, you know, burden yourself worrying about oh, I gotta watch the Mets tonight. Nah, I don't think you have to worry. The only thing worth seeing right now with the Mets is watching Soto here. That's it. Oh, by the way, Lindor's hurt too, if you didn't know. No Lindor, no Polanco, no robber, no chance. I really had no other way to say it. What a disgrace. Come on. Really. What a freaking disgrace. Unbelievable. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Steve Cohen. I'm sure Steve Cohen will be at the Gdenar for the nextick K.n game I'm sure he'll be there. What is maybe he won't have his med hat on because you don't want anybody to know who he is. You know ? But I'm sure he'll be there, whether it's for game three against Boston or game one against Philly. I'm sure we will see Stevie