Coaching Vacancies and Team Culture

This episode is brought to you by Accenture. When your advertising operations fall out of sync, campaigns slow down, insightes get buried, and opportunities get missed. That's why Spotify and Accenture are working together to reinvent the rhythm of ad sales, using automation, analytics, and smarter workflows to simplify campaign delivery and access better data across the business. The result, less time spent on operations, more time connecting brands with the moments and fandoms that matter most. To learn more, check out acccenture. com slash Spotify Welcome to this Match. I'm Chris Faran, and join us every week the wringer. com is Dave Jacoobbe, Joob For no, I don't know how to feel right now. I don't know how to feel. You should feel great. It's just weird. It's weird. Like game one withs a huge comeback. you can walk away from it being like That kind of sucks. We should have been in that position. I can't believe they put James Harden in front of front of Jalen Brunson over and over again And this time I kind of feel similarly Like I don't like to criticize coaches because they spend a lot more time and energy on craft than I do, but You can't just leave Josh Hart alone We's hitting And they did it over and over and over again This episode of the Mismatch is presented to you by Weather Tech. Everyone knows winter is the MVP in making a mess. You don't need weather tech floor liners in the summer Unless you hit the beach or go camping then you'd want a cargo liner Or a road trip goes sideways, Ketchup goes rogue. Ice cream drips. Yeah You'd be ' pretty happy about those Weather teech seat protectors So just to be clear, as the mud you're inevitably going to step in this summer You don't need Weather teech unless you plan on doing summer So visit. Weather tech. dot com Tod This is One of the things that we've talked about a lot when it was It's Ruy Hotamura when it comes playoff time for the Lakers more recently has been Alex Caruso, right? There's going to be those guys that get abandoned. They're going to be the open ones because of the extra attention that is paid to the stars and the defensive scheme that is put together. And those guys have to step up and knock down shots. And it was the huge difference in this game because I thought especially throughout the first half of that game into the third quarter I thought the Cavaliers got all kinds of great wide open three point looks and maybe in Cleveland Those shots will go down When when Max Struce is one for four And Sam Merrill is over for seven I mean, these are the guys like you right the extra attention going to get paid. You're swinging out to them. Th those guys have to knock down those shots and we talk about this every playoff game. difference between winning is losing is the Josh Hart characters or the Sam Merrill characters or the Max Truce characters like which of those guys is going to step up and knock downown shots they have to because they've been abandoned by the defense in order to make life hard on the Brunsons and the towns and the Anonobes of the world Absolute nightmare game for Sam Merrill Like he he had but naked threes and he missed the first three. And then it's just in his head. I honestly felt bad for him and I'm a nick fan. just like you could tell. He just his confidence was just shot He didn't every time he rose up, it was like, that's not going in And we all knew it wasn't going. It was an absolute nightmare for Sam Mero. I mean, you're two for fourteen. We talked about this. Assembly line of white Thes that Cleveland has and it's like, all right, which one's got it tonight Well when the barrel and they're two for fourteen from three Yeah between the three of them So we've we've talked about this and I remember you and KOC talking about this. like Who's the fifth beatle And we looked like strews. had a good time. He had he had a good He had a good series at the end of that series against the pistons. Also Merril the one game use h shots. Yeah. I mean that cameame seven. He just I mean knocked down everything and so it's like, but they need one of them to pop off And he's got three choices. So it's like who can do this tonight And none of them could do it tonight. and I don't know about you. Des recognized this at the very beginning of the broadcast Mitchell does M is not right right. No's not right. He's not telling you what's wrong But something is wrong Well, did you hear the I think it was post When the sideline reporter was like, I spoke to Kenny Akinson about Donovan Mitchell. and he said, he hasn't said anything to me, but I'm seeing what you're seeing. Like Mitchell is injured. Like I'm just going to say it out loud. That I'm not reporting it. I don't know for a fact, but He is not himself. Like I've seen that man Bounce up off a two feet, cock the ball back and dunk on bigigs over and over and over. and he gets two feet in the paint. It seems like he has no interest in scorn Yeah, we trying to find the shooter because even then right? like it was because there's a bunch of times even in that first quarter when they got that early lead like right off the bat They' up like whatever, seventeen to eleven, whatever. But I'm thinking to myself, boy he is getting downhill, but he is not likeike you were saying. He's not finishing at the rim. He's finding the Dunker spot guy and this was and this kicking it out to a shooter Merl, a white shooter who misses. But he's getting downhill and it's like the first steps fine, but then he just Now he's pass them It's it's like he's the point of the drive is to get the paint touch because he's not finishing like you normally would and there's some level of explosion that's obviously not there that we had before. But you don't see like a blatant limp or like an obvious him holding something or getting something ice like Anthy Edwards was compromised right in the playoffs. He was compromised. He had two knees and they had ice all over him. He was going to the back getting treatment. Mitchell just seems not himself. If I would have told you Let's just take this stample. If I would have told you that Josh Hart by a pretty wide margin would lead the Nicks in field goal attempts. if that's the only thing I would have told you going into tonight's game. How would you would have Pretty good Really? Be he doesn't because he doesn't shoot him when he's missing him. You would have said, o I've watched a lot of now games Yeah because he doesn't shoot him when he's missing. because those three turn into like Well up fake, dribble into the middle, probe and then try to kick to somebody like When he's missing them, he doesn't take In fairness, he did miss the first three, but then he did keep shooting and then they started dropping. Oh I mean, they all dropped. But I mean, he was Army It was like he had SARS. They was like there was nobody There's nobody here heart. heart.ot the virus. He just got off the cruise ship. Yeah. Honestly, like it wasn't just rees like he was he was getting in the lane. He was causing problems feel like There's been a lack of in game adjustments from the cals in this series. It's only been two games, but like We're going to double Brunson But like they double him so far from the basket and the micks are ready for it And then somebody cuts to the nail And then they just got a four on three And there's eating them up Like every time they double brunts in it was just like is You know what? you know what reminds me of It was like Double Brunson high It's reminiscent of old curry double and now Annaobi is playing the Draymond role just like navigating it from the top of the key and it's like, all right Anenobia as hard as bridges. it's and they seem ready for it. There They are they are They said they're like, guess what? in game four Fruning cooked harded over and over and over. We're not going to let that happen again We're going to double and the nexts we're ready for. It's kind of what I said about the Thunderlast episode. Like it didn't seem like in game one. We'll talk about game two later In game one, it seemed like they weren't prepared for SGA to be doubled the way he was. It felt like the Kicks were prepared for this and had a counter for it It was was a it was a really well executed Brntson game. for instance like, are you guys don't want me to score because I cooked you last game. I'll just get everybody else involved and everybody's knocking down shots. Well, and they also they just They they they extended that lead in the third quarter and it never really there was that one mini run that Cleveland went on, but there was like the huge response from New York Yeah. And they got down to like seven in the OG hit a three next, you know, you're back to double digits and the crds into it's just over. Oh and the crowd I mean and my God, the crowd. Tonight. I mean, how about the The Legends Rogue when they showed it had Shumt it had Larry Johnson. it had John Start it Bernard King. Bernard King it had Stry Ewing and it had John Calliperry. I was watching the pregame. he was there at like five hundred thirty It was there so early. I was watching ESPN pre game just getting ready for the game. I was like, you even got there at like four o'clock and had lunch And just like warmed up with the team. What is it like to be in New York right now? Is it all anybody is talking about everywhere? Is it Everywhere you go, people are wearing Nick's gear like has it? Do you feel like it's at a fever pitch because they're in the conference finals It is absolutely blowing up. Like it's like my son will come home from school and be like What happened in the next game last night? It's all anybodybody talks about And there you can always tell because like just follow the money. There's now like a cottage industry of like, dudes with like folding tables just selling like knock off Nick te shirts in the middle of the street. Yeah. It's like a lemonade stand, but it's like Nick gar. You know what I mean? There's they're getting all the Tamu like unofficial next year sust like, it's just like get me a hundred of those and I'll sell them for ten dollars a pop and I'll come home with a one thousand dollars. Like it's really turned into a thing. And you can also tell like a lot of brand new Nicks hats. No yeah. lot of like like that like you know, like the brim isn't really curved. There's no sweat stains on it You know, it's like a brand new cream hat Like clearly it's just like you just ripped the tags off it and you're now a nick fan. It's a's a lot of that. It's a wave and that's what happens right that means that you have you have brought in all the all the people that have not paid attention throughout the year. They're caught up in it now, right? When a city when you when when you're one of the last four teams remaining, the city just gets on fire for a team. right when you're up too well. remember they went downero two and they hosted the first two games last year. That's a different five. Remember game one with the weird bounce and like Like it's a different vibe when you're up too well you I'm starting to look at the Thunder Spurr series like How are these hamstrings doing do you know how many times I refreshed Dylan Harper news on Google today. L There's no information about this stuff. What they said that h that when they listed him as questionable for the next game? Aductor. Yeah, they said it was an abductor. I thought he hurt his leg That's what I thought too Okay Well that's way better. It's way better if it's an abductor than if it's a hamstring because we know this soft tissue stuff is just the work Yeah, it's all. I mean, like let's let's talk to Caz for a second. L I Yeah I thought I thought they game plan I thought they executed poorly. I can't name a calav that had a good game, can you I mean, it started off where Jared Allen was getting a ton of rebounds and I was like, I, look at least lights ares are lights are too bright for him, right? I mean, he played twenty eight minutes. now, but then he cooled out. He Yeah. I mean, it it just seems like the double bigs not working. It seems like Dean Wade'es not working. there was not working. They're going to not working. They're going to They gu got did a bunch of threes They are getting a lot of open threes You know, right It's going to be one of those. I promise you that shot quality going to look like they're going to be able to do the process. They like our process is good. We're just not making the shots that we would normally make. and it's like Yeah, well, this is a problem. This is a problem. And this is also where the game is not played on paper. You know, even going into this They into this series. They're saying Nicks opponents have shot I think it was like thirty one percent on what would be considered wide open threes. And that's of the first two rounds playoffs. Okay. So there's something to that, right? and that shots are harder to make when you're playing in conference fininals and you're playing in Madison Square Garden and Bernard shallomays there Bernard Kings there F Joe's yelling at I mean and the other thing is these so the shots aren't the same even though you could just, you know, if you played it out on a computer They're going to say that the Cavaliers got a lot of good looks and then I think the silver lining would be will'll go back home and these guys will be comfortable in that gym. And if we get all those same wide open threes They're going to drop for us at home like they have not dropped on the ro because I look, that's just, I mean, there's they have zero chance if they're going nine for thirty five from three Well, I also think that I think I don't, I'm not going to sit here and act like I know anything about Donathan Mitchell's health But he just doesn't seem like himself, and I think that that could trickle down course Well he's the guy You know, and the the Brunson's The next guy doubling him and he' creating and getting other people involved and making the right reads constantly. And I feel like when your main offensive engine is somewhat compromised, and again, I have no idea what's going on with him But they you wish seeing it. You what We've seen D of a Mitchell. We just saw him take over the game thirirty nine. I mean We just saw it. So that guy is and it's not the defense like there's something up with him where he is not at his Dad That night that thirty nine and a half. I mean, that was like this guy is a superstar and also There is a long track record of him being an outstanding even if his team has not had the success. He's been an outstanding individual performer. No one to He's one of the leading scorers in NBA here.. He's got like forty four and a loss. You just don't remember it because it was a loss. but it's like everybody else is hurt. guess what? I'm going go out there, do everything I can you know, I think it's the Celtic series two years ago, I want to say. He's like, you know, he's just doing everything he can has him to lead in the first half.'s is only so much one man can do. And I think that You know, you start to miss some shots. Merrill's missing shots a little contagious. It just kind of gets contagious throughroughout the team. when Dond Mitch doesn't feel like he has it The guys normally knock down the threes aren't knocking down threes And the gowd gets excited and just like that, you know, that's an L I thought the crowd is really good tonight. likeike they were they were into it tonight in a way that they were much more subdued and that's just what happens when three and a half quarters, everybody's going, what the hell is going on? You know I mean? rightight? So they never really got but I mean, this was like as soon as the Kicks went on that first run of the game was like I mean, they were so loud. They were so loud and every time they'd go to break they're showing, you know, Ben Stiller these guys high five it and everything and everybody's going it look like a party in there. But how do you even get in there? Like I don't know I'm rich, Verno. I'm rich And I can't go to the game Can't go to the game. H dude I'm ready Rich I can't go to the game. get him . Itent eight hundred dollars to sit with my back against the wall. I just can't justify that in my head. You better hope Mondami don't listen to this podcast, brother I'm getting taxed. You are getting taxed. I'm getting taxed. You I'm get hit You're going hit the paper extra trash cans Oh Godh. Yeah I I'm literally here. this is This happened after they beat the Celtics last year. where the N group chat started being like, Who's better to play the Wolves or the Thunder? I'm starting to get there right now. I'm starting to be like Well we mashed up well against the sppurs in the regular season, but you know, if the Thunder are dealing with some injuries, maybe that's going to be better. like I don't know Let's be honest though. like look, happy for Josh Hart. you know, mildly competitive for whatever you're about to say decent. What are you about to say I mean, this game versus what we've been watching the Western Conerence finals. this was This was by far the worst of the four finals games that we have gotten thus far. B far by far far. Let's not forget. I mean we guys f is and Caz Raptors wasn't exactly like No Picasso either. No I'm saying ser say we watch these We have watched I'm saying four conference finals games Oh yeah This was by far The least entertaining There is a There's a varsity conference and a JV conference However There are some soft tissue issues in the Westterc Soft tissues issues. That's what I'm rooting for now. L I watch a game, I'm like, someone lay on someone's ankle. I text go down. I texted you the other day. I said, man, you better tell them guys outside the garden to chill with that we want Wimby chance Oh I'm sure they're doing a right Oh I told you what happened out there last year It's not a good scene. It's just like everyone's filming for something to they can pose and go viral. That's it Yeah, like it's it's it becomes a huge like it's not like a pure celebration of Nick's fandom. It's a like What can I do or what can I shoot to then post on social media to go viral Also the last two times I've walked out of the garden U to Unbelievable frek of Marijuana and that's the whole city. SBig I mean it's city. Walk out and you're like out here spoken weed The answer is yes. It's unpoliced. It is unpoliced. This is w. Timesquare Time Square is like God. It's just all marijuana. And then the cops are right there And they're on the street too It's illegal. It's literally illegal to smoke marijuana on the streets of New York. Sure It's just like,'s just standing's J walking like, we don' care, whatever. goo ahead But it's one thing for it to not be legal. And they're like to be like a guy that's like smoking a blunt or something. It's every Everybody Y. So they saw the police. I saw a lady in her late seventies smoking a blunt at nine thirty this morning. What is going on J's trying to get by. like's just having a conversation with someone else. Of course she l It's nine thirty Of course she was All right so anyways, look, good effort by the Kicks and I go I sppect the casts to bounce back. D't you spepect the casts three Oh just give us the gentleman' sweep Yeah, I think this ends It does it does feel like it feels like I just can't imagine I can't imagine it stce and wade. I don't know how many wade to. I any wait take I mean, there weretally took three between three from Wade Between the look, the assembly line Oh white guys that are getting open shots for the Cleava Cavaliers were two for fourteen I'm not again, I've said it before, I'm not fully comfortable calling Stuce white.'s got Hartenstein thing going on. There's something going on there The other thing is like This is Evan Mowbley has to be a guy for them to. Did he play? He look good in the first quarter And then what Nothing I'm sure Alen. sameame thing. I mean, it's I mean, eight shot attempts In the game I swear to God. I mean he has got six in the first quarter. I don't have it tracked in front of me, but he God. He's got to be a guy for them I look at my notes. I've got my look Ean M. Evan Mowy played thirty six minutes took eight shots Th of which with rem two threes in the first quarter.. He drove past Mitch dunked in the first quarter And I literally don't even mention him again in my notes the entire game Okay just Merri misses Merril, misses Merril. mes. Yeah. And I mean, and also you only went to the free throw line four times too. So I mean, this guy just wasn't even it's not even usage And it's like Race guy this guy like he's got to be a guy for them. This is This is what we talk about a lot where it's like to to wh much is given, much is expected You're getting paid like a guy that's got to be able to take more than eight shots at a playoff game, bro Well also, if you were the defensive player of the year maybe make a make a mark on defense because I'm watching the other series. There's some defense going on in the other series. The mismatch is brought to you. by Fandl. The NBA playoffs are here and everything is on the line. Every possession matters Every bucket swings the game and tonight is your shot Boost your bet. That's right, all customers who tonight. So when the moment hits When will be Bigger And Fandel is giving you better payouts on same game parlays all NBA playoffs long We have a huge game three in the Western Conerence finals Between The sppurs and the Thunder this time to head to San Antonio. It is currently as I look at my fan dual app The sppurs minus one and a half. I love the Thunder money line. I absolutely love it. But another thing I like to do to get that same game par lay up. boost my boosts. I like to go to player to score X plus points I know Shay's going to have over twenty five. I know Weby's going to have over twenty. I know Steph Castle is going to have over fifteen and I know Chet's going to have over ten. And then you put all that together with the Thunder money line and then you boost it and then you're rich. justust locking your bets Boost your odds and make the playoffs payoff with Vandor speicial sports betting partner Remember, head to fandle d. com slash mismatch To get started. Fandel Pl your Remember you have to be between twenty one or over in select states or eighteen or over in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming, often is required, bonus issued as a non withdrawable profit boost tokens. Gambling problem C call hand gambler or callall one, eighty eight, seventy nine, seven seven seven seven or visit CcpG. org sllash There is everything going on in that other series and we're going to get to it one twenty two one thirteen, Oklahoma City one game to U There was no fox going into the game. then Dylan Harper went out with about four and a half minutes left in the third quarter And you saw how hard life was for San Antonio that is not the team that you need to be playing against down to ball handlers because Castle now has twenty turnovers. in the first two games that it's like he should never he's being forced to a role that he's just not cast for. You know what I mean? It's like And and look, that team team is impossible to dribble again U hardard to make crossct passes against like like all the things that you are capable of doing against other teams are not on the table against Oklahoma City You know, those passes that you make There's somebody in the passing lane Th those They see before you do and they're anticipating it. It's and they're just hacking and hacking and hacking and hacking and hacking and I mean, It's it's a physical brand of basketball. Um, and they are unbelievable defensively and as we've talked about throughout the season, You're Your chance And this is what the S sppurs were able to pull off in game one. They were able to overcome their turnover problems in game one Because So Molished them on the board When Binyama was otherworldly And they got them they were able to score enough to turn it into halfcore basketball and you're getting to play halfcore basketball with outstanding perimeter defenders and a seven foot five guy standing at the free throw line. Okay. So it like They're harded shit to score against in the half court in this game turned it over again twenty plus times And twenty one turnovers leading to twenty seven points and the rebounding was either even or Oklahoma City want it. I mean, it was right there. I think they both that forty something rebounds. But I mean, you know you can offset you if you're going to turn the ball over like that against Oklahoma City you have to offset it by killing them on the on rebounds. and because you're going to lose the and you can't w forty five to forty one the reg Well and look at the possession game You're not going to beat that team when you know, mean like losing the possession game like that. So what I'm saying is in game one, they turned the ball over a lot they were able to make up for it other areas. in game two. they turned the ball over a lot They didn't have anything to offset that And so those twenty One turnovers turned into twenty seven Thunder Points Um And they can't have over twenty turnovers and expect to win a game. I mean, they they again they got away with it in game one They got away with in game one twenty three in game one, but Weemby was like Oh, they offset it It' sixty frigggin rebounds Yeah. It's also crazy like Jame one. I was shocked when they put Cruso in for Hardenstein It was so early. you just don't see subs come in that early ike just don't see it. It's like so outside of the normal rotation So then you're like oh, I guess like I guess Stagonal just doesn't believe in Hardenstein. guuess what? MVP of game two Hardenstein Well, there's zero point zero percent chance that he's going to be able to defend one Benyama like he did That was a one time deal I promise you, with the attention that that. You don't think they're going to call it the same in game three in San Antonio with everyone's got their fiestic t shirtser He's going to have three fouls the first like in the jump ball. He's going to have three fouls. I mean, it is just gained so much attention The clutching and the grabbing I mean NBC ran a highlight package of him grabbing the guy It was really the the most egregious stuff to me was when SGA was driving and then he's just two hands on his chests just pushing him away from the play. It's like, okay, like it's one thing if you're jostling for rebounding position that can get kind of gnarly sometimes But like off ball. That's a tackling The help defender is abnormal to see on a basketball court. There is normal. There was like eight still photos of him either have a hand on a jersey or holding an arm or whatever the case may be. and And then he he just pulled Steph Castle's hair, which l that was weird. It led to a three That was weird. We are I I'm just saying like it's not going to be officiated like that. We expected a response from Oklahoma City U DO Playoff series are about problem solving And SGA was twelve for twenty four, thirty points nine assist. most importantly U one turnover in the entire game. And Al I mean that that's really the key And you knew they were going to have to pop that ball around get that thing side to side. thirty four assist on forty five made field goals is. Meg impress. Yes. againgst ten players had an assist againgainst that defense I mean Get thirty four assist I mean, that is I was I was looking at Caruso. I was like, Ohh, he's three from four from three. I said to myself like I'll remember the one he missed And then I looked at it It was like end of the shot clock like grenade think that's why I didn't remember it. It was like. ike it wasn't like a real run of play cruis or three. It was a sort of like you just had to throw it up there. This guy, how awesome has he been hereere He has been essential. I mean, just abbsolutely essential and he's just in the mix all the time U they did a look, we talked about the Physicality of game two U Wenby only having twenty twenty lookook, if you could sign as insane as this sounds If you could sign up for twenty one and seventeen every night, you'd sign up for that. Oh hell ye. I thought that you think I don't think it was a great wimbie game, but I of course I feel like It's the Hardenstein thing. likeike if you allow this two hundred and sixty seven pound man to just grab you, push you, pull you, it's going to fatigue you. Like I just felt like it was a fatigue game for Wimby. He played whatever fifty one minutes two days ago. and now he's got this he's being covered by Carusso. And like while, J Dob in game one And now he's got someone who weighs forty pounds more than him leaning on him grabbing him bothering him bling him And I just felt like there was kind of like body blows in a prize fight where after a while, it just adds up. And he just got tired. But this is exactly The moment that Master Yan was training him for. Oh right, right. He had a dribble of baskb. I first of all, you don't have problems with this whole family M thing Oh no, I read the article Bro bro. You cannot dribble a basketball up a mountain to uneven surfaces. The rocks, the trail. You can't dribble. I don't think I just I'm saying he did not dribble a basketballount. did not happen. That lying to the people. That article is azing. It takes normal people seven to eight hours to go but he dribbled a basketball up there for four and a half. You got bullshit. No. This is such bullshit. You have to read. It's not real. It's not real. It reminds me of uh Ticks kiddo going Hi May. w and kill Bill. And that's how it reads this master Yon character who is by the way, according to Ramona Soberd's article a forty third generation monk warrior. Who's keeping track of that? Like who's keeping track of that? L, Do you even know what your great great grandfather did or was or what his name was? No, I have no idea. Maser yall No. Your great great grandfather's mastery? No, no, he was not master. I think my great great grandfather was like a Navajo Indian. I think one of my guys That's why is one of my great great grandfathers was working on the train tracks that he had earbuffs on and didn't hear the train coming and got hit by the train and died. Oh no Y, shout to the dowlings. No that our side of the family. And forgive me. a it's a cher If you have earbuffs on, would you feel the train coming? I think so. Wouldn't you like the earbuffs like what kind of intense earmuffs does this guy have on I mean, he should have heard it. He should have heard it or felt it or something. He had seen it. He had the first it out the way. He had the first noise canceling noise canceling ear muffs ninet thirty or whatever. Yeah. Yeah ye. And forgive me for in case my parents. It was Cherokee India. That's what I am. That's why That's why they tell me I don't have like hair on my arms and stuff. becausecause we've got Indian blood I'm serious. You ever see an Indian? you never seen like a hairy chested Indian N name' American Verno. It's twenty twenty six, please. Respect your heritage. Rpect your heritage. Respect your heritage pect your heritage. I'm allowed to Anyway how do you feel about the Washing the Redskin's name But nothing Wemby had twenty six points in the paint in game one. He had ten in game two. It's Tink and he had why sixteen shot attempts seven of which were threes. in game two Also in game one, he went to the free throw line thirteen times In game two, he had two freedom to because they made it work In game one, it wasn't hard for him to get paint touches. He just needed a good entry pass put it up high, put it around Caruso, and he's just catching it dropping it in the basket. But it was work to get the ball into the paint game two. It was hard and he was tired and it's just it's easier to shoot a jump shot than it is to put your head down your shoulder down and go through contact, especially when it's Hartenstein and Chet instead of Caruso and Jada. Also to your point They lost the two players that could credibly make an entry pass is the box is out And then when they lost Harper, now you're I mean Castle might throw it into the tenth row. I just feel bad for Castle. It's it's honestly, it's like It's like you're like a backup singer and someone taps on their shoulder. like Bob Seger's out tonight so you're going to have to be Bob Seger. You're like like I'm a backup singer. I don't know if I use Bob Seger as a reference. I'm gonna tell you so the funny. So last night, we had to go down to my dad's house because it was a seventy ninth birthday And of which B by the way He didn't know My mom, my mom told him Phill She said, happappy birthday. And he was like, what And she's like, it's your birthday And he's like, it is. She's like yeah, it's may twentieth It's your birthday. And he's like, Oh, okay Ands it so it's like Chris and the Chris and the family is going to come down. We're going to eat cake, right Um And so anyways, we go down there to eat cake which by the way grew up Uh West Chester County in New York. and when I was a little kid favorite thing to do was go to this ice cream shop called Carveel You got carfels You got cookie ps. Yeahah man, cookie p. Okay, Carvevel. So anyway my mom found a Carvevel ice cream cake at Walmart in Memphis. And I was like How? So I was like, I thought she got it off Goldbelly or something. She's like, no, I bought it at Walmart. And I was like, really So it' a blast from the past Anyways, we go down there. Point of this is we're all sitting around watching cake. I said, momom, I got to turn the game on. So we're all standing around in my parents' kitchen. The game is on Bro when that Steph Castle don't happen I when bonkers rewound it and watched my mom, my dad, my kids, my wife. Everybody had to watch it back five times I'm like, he you my God. Oh my God. And we're all and they're like Wow That dong was on Believable All there s be Biked it You know what I thought he should have done afterwards?id you you probably got close to the same Goofy ass algorithm, I do. You got the sassy volleyball player off course you okay. I showed my whole family this assle volleyball player. I love that guy. I've watched an interview with him. I've seen like a thirty minute interview where he was being asked about I think it was Katie Nolan might have done it. Yeah, I love that guy. He's like my favorite person in the world. They're like, who do you love the most? My kids? Chris Bernon. and the sassy volleyball player. Yeah that's all I got. Dude, he spiked it so hard it reminded me of the sexy bos. You've done the twirl? No Come down and put his hand up in the air.' been like that' have been awesome Not tal about really I's talking my kids I was like, you guys see the zesty voeyall play? They're like no, Iven't seen it. And I'm like, arere you serious? And I showed it to them. They're like, I love this guy. like, I love this guy too Oh, that dude is awesome Yeah. I mean, really, honestly, like let's we've never had a guess on the mismatch Let's get him. get him But I'll DM right now. You said Isa Hardenstein was the MVP at ten point thirteen rebounds. eight. None of that matters. eightight of rebounds and I mean it's crazy And wrestle a showal and monk That's seven foot five to dribble a basetball a mount. how do you dribble a baskball up a mount? I'm ti of this ficture wom with you I'm lying shit. This is just bullshit. You can't dribble a basketball a mountain Have you ever been on like a trail before? You can't dribble a basb You got up a mountain? You haven't They said that you can't they said that when you climb the mountain at night, you have to do it just by like feel because the steps are uneven too. So you' supposed to be to dribble a basketball doing that He might have carried the basketball, but he wasn't dribbling it don't know. I haven't seen the steps. I don't know what the I don't know what the I don't know what the one for six looks like Castle one for six three Not going to cut it, right Well here's a thing They get Fox and Harbor back. they're going to be just f When they got, I mean, they lost both of them. That was a bridge too far It seems like AJ Mitchell's fine from what I've read. read. It's watching social media react to Who the hell is that on the Jordan McLaoughghlin minutes. Hilarious Who wass like, whoo is that Who is that? Serious? Whor shoot. It's shin know like's super two for three.. I mean, but anybody Anybody that tuned to that game was like, who So they had Earon Fox So they had Dylan Harper. And Dylan Harper, I do think it is a I mean inver know with the way reporting of this stuff goes. What they didctor But they did say an abductor. They did not say a hamstring What is an abductor their side, right Bro Did you just say, don't you dare just say into a microphone. It's your side, right? Yeah. I think it's on your side of your side. I think it's on your side. I think it's typically, I think an abductor is typically a baseball injury. A I wrong about oblique. Oh Oh, yeah, I'm thinking about obliques What is an ab What is What is I don I don't know,ud do I look like?'t I probably don't even. We probably don't even I don't have abductors. We don't have abductors. That's a you knowe. It you know muscle that draws a limb or body part away from the body's midline. What the Also means a person who commits a kidnapping abd douctor Oh it's in Oh, it's inner thigh. Googled abduct abduct. Somebody that abduct people Oh, it's your inner thigh. Oh, I know what it is No, I think I think an abductors is there's many of them, but they have thighs in your buttocks. Yeah no, no, no, no, no, no. I know the abductor now All right. So you know like at the they drive a white van and they said they have candy. You know no. it's that it's that one it's the It's the machine at the gym where your legs go like this. This' a podcast. Yeah, I know that one And I always feel awkward when I see a girl doing that one. Like I'm not looking over there. Yeah, it's like thegs the leg spreader Lg spreader one. Yeah. So we must have he doctors. sureure. Whatever. he's hurt. man. He seemed hurt. He'll be fine. And then as long right? And Darren Fox, I mean, look, he said you do wonder Two foold You wonder Yeah If they handled the injuries the way they did because they were able to get game one differentiffere world if it does's aeration. Does Fx play in game too? If it if it's one oo, okay see this box play in game two and but you can get it next to rest. I got it. Finished game seven, right And then Does Harper come back If you don't get game one, right? It's just like you're just gonna you're going to be on the side of caution either way. So we just six Iry We will see when they if they're able to return, but I would expect a, you know, this is this is a heavyweight matchup, man. I expect a big response from the spurs in game three, wouldn't you I love the series so much. It's great. unbelievable Everything about it. E I love every player Every possession feels so important U, every match upp They try to exploit like it just This there's a there's a pretty big gap in terms of like mental and physical quality of play between the Eastern confonference finals and the Western confonference finals. But man, like I fully expected Hardenstein to not be a factor in game two And he was the most important player in the floor. Well and watching especially after what happened in game two. 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And the new ultra tough NoQate utility shirt is equipped with cooling and wicking tech to keep you comfortable Give no quits. shhop at a Dulh store near you or at dulhtrading. com Wing the online absolute hatred of Oklahoma City. feeles like everyone outside of the state of Oklahoma is rooting for the spurs in this. And not only that, they're going out of their ways to put together video compilations of why you should also hate Oklahoma City. And the algorithm pumps it to you again and again and again I mean, him flying or him him falling down after shooting as many times he did is just like, it's indefensible. comeome on guys. L No noobody's watching that and thinking that is a legitimate basketball That is just an attempt to get Um And he doesn't have to do it. Kildzg ers is an awesome player. But I mean, he did One time he did it, it directly led to a break the other way because he was on the ground It's kind of like Luca when he argues with the ref. like You going to the ground and he only went to the line Six times Like thats that's three foul. So it's not you worked. No, no.ike you watch the clip. We've all seen the same clip Chigz Alexander falls down what like seven times in the game yesterday? At least Yeah Th you think like, oh, people are complaining because these led to fouls. They weren't really caught No Now three of them were called, whichich makes it all the more embarrassing, honestly. Yeah. twice I saw twice, they led the baskets the other way because he's on the ground. So I mean, there's just video compilations of Like nobody likes them outside of Thunderfame Honestly ob It is strange. Bill asked me on his pod last week. He was like, Do you know any SGA fans? I was like He's probably the only two time MVP that like I've never seen someone wear a jersey y It's it's a lot of letters too. Yeah, it's fair.. EBit N Tell me you sawerious is hard to say. Tell me you saw the Dylan Brooks video today. Of course, I did. You sent it to me. The unethical hoops videobard games that I't think it was funny to be honest with K I was like whatever It is funny because they when you think about it that they have known each other since their kids and that they are on team Canada together. ome on. It's not just something It consider thats not I don't consider that part. Yeah. They've known each other since childhood and they are on team Canada together. All time trolls stuff. Dylan bros Weere you too long and not that funny. Really Yeah, I didn't think it was funny for a lot You send it to me, I was, Oh, this is gonna to be great. Verno never sends a back that clip. And I was like, hu, yep, it's first time for everything. Oh, how dare you How How do you think was mny I never laughed. I was like, I get it. here he is operation, but It's SGA Wow was It wasn't fun Wow You can't tell me I'm wrong about my opinion I just did. I didn't find it funny. I literally just did. I can't do that. No, you can't. I just I think I just the rules. can't do that. Inot do that. I You're wrong. You're wrong about being wrong. I think you have a poor sense of humor at this moment And a current NBA player Putting out a video Moc sponsored by a gambling company called pid unethical hoops. He's crazy. It's ridiculous to do that. It is a ridiculous thing to do. for a current NBA player who is a tacit friend of this guy and they are on team Canada together to put out a video of him playing a game called unethical hooops and going Oops can't touch him there. B canan't touch them there. Seeit you're laughing at it now. I'm laugh at you because you're funny I'm laugh at you becausecause you're funny. How dare you All right. So look You, I will say we break ways on this As long as Fox and Har for come back that the sppurs are going to be able to take care of this Th and six. Okay there's a better team. There's a better team. I've got sppurs and six. you've got Thunder and six Jordan McLaughlan was playing and we both have we both have Nixon Fx right? U If I had to pick, I would say Nixon five. couple I think I just I just really like Yeah, someone I'm a I'm a diet easy Nick fan. I'm not like a lifelong Nick fan. Like I didn't like, you know, I wasn't like born here or whatever. but like I really enjoy this team and it's sort of like a surreal experience watching this I think they're going to be in the NBA finals. I haven't seen that since I was like a junior in college They're going to be in the NBA finals. Its like youre right Now losing to Cleveland there and they're up to o now Didn' Cleveland go down too over the pistons though? Cleveland's chance was Once they lost they game they go of the pistons are crazy. This ain't This ain't the pistons They did But this is not the pistol All rookie teams were announced T four picks in the draft Cooper Flag, Dylan Harper, VJ. Edgecomb, Coniple and then Cedric Coward I have a follow question for you. And I've been thinking about this because watching Dylan Harper, especially in these like highigh pressure. high intensity like High level basketball shit is happening andntylan Harper is thriving Yes If you had to rank those four players in terms of like betting on their the success of their career over the next twenty years, I kind of think I would have the exact order flag Harper, Edgecomb C on Well, and I would put Coward ahead Well card number one, obviously. No Probably Probably third But I but I could see a world. let's not sleep on the fact like that was a game want against to sel this with Edgecom I like thirty three like he's he's Sown some signes. You know what I mean? abbsolutely didn' leave a great taste in my mouth last couple of games he played. Well, and one of the things is you look at this all rookie team and you see how they performed and then you even look at the second team, Derek Queen Reynod who popped off for the kings Fars who had some hugevers call Reynod is amazing. It's just great, great U A spe how do you say Isaiah Hart? Party's last name Partstein to say it. Hartstinstein. Hartensteinein. German, right? Partenstein. And then Murray Boyles was the other guy I love marry boils. I love murry Bils And so I mean and there are good players that did not make these all rookie teies. This was an amazing rookie class. Like we're going to look back. And I mean, they're all timers. Everybody is pumping up this Coming draft. It's going be hard to be better than that drap. like It's Just they like Treay Johnon, who's like not even mentioned Not even in the Right a gu And Cooper fiveag one rookie the year We're seeing what Harper is doing on the highest level. I mean the guy just head in his first covererence finals game He had a double double with seven steel. You Edge comomb as you mentioned had a thirty plus playoff game. Coninual just broke the record four. The most three pointers made by a rookie And he led the league in three pointers madej the league in which Steph Curry played most of the season And then and then obviously said your coward who had a really good season who I got to watch up close and personal and has crazy potential to be outstanding. Derek Queen Fars Bailey. I mean, it's going to be I look. I know that this draft coming up is great This one These guys are going to have great careers if they're not in so. Here's what I think about this draft class. and I'm glad you brought this up for a great hosting preion It really makes me think about the franchise that drafts you and how that impacts your career It's everything. It's because like the, you know, queen It nipple It's like and Bailey like they're just not on winning franchises at the moment And Harper is drafted into a situation in which He's in the Western Cference finals, tied one one You know, And I think that if you look at Bailey, it's like, well Well, Bailey showed some signs here and there It' like, well if you put Bailey on the spurs How does that look different? Are we talkking about him differently? He's not playing. Is not exactose. What I'm saying is is Bailey could be Harper and Harper could be Bailey, but they're just it's just Harper got drafted by a quality ascending franchise with a strong culture and great coaches and player development and great teamates. That's it. And it just makes all the world a difference. I mean, it alters your career forever Honestly. and it doesn't make it doesn't make one better than the other. It's just sort of like the lookuck of the draw. I used to always use the analogy that It's like good schools and bad schools And there's kids and if you were to take the same kid that is in a bad school and you put them in a good school, you would get these results. Now there are some kids and I remember I used to always use Devin Booker as the example and there have been others. It doesn't matter where you put them. likeike they're so exceptional. They're going to excel even if they have to go to the the worst school, they're going to excel and they're going to be fine. And' they're going to be great no matter what because there're be anywhere. There' anywhere. It doesn't matter put them anywhere. He could run anywhere. He could be a wizard on the cab. Yes. He could be a wizard and he'd be fine. I actually feel that's the same way with Harper was true with flags that situation suck? I And he showed us what I mean, that he was thrown into a mix playing for Jason Kid was recently fired And like he's playing point guard at the beginning. He didn't have anybody going with him. like you also don't forget Liley's out. You know what I mean? It's like no L's supposed to be like his guy like I'm looking at the maps like All right, you've got flat They had nothing else. What's the plan Oside of that. Tyree' not the answer Would you get back in the AD trade? Masi was Masijii says he wants to see them together. He wants to see Kyi Irbig with Cooper Fag He wants to drive up Kyaire Irving's trade value because I don't see a world in which you have Kyrie Irving and Cooper flag, like what are we doing? Do you see this u opposed the honest trade from the heat that was going around. Now evidently the details are a little off. of it was. It's a hero where Hot first and second. Yeah don't have in front of me. And obviously they would have to throw in like Yovit or something like that to make the money work. Did you see the Lakers one dude? Okay, no, no, no, no, but listen If you had Ho where Hawz thirteen to future first. They've got the So you would have Ho where Hakz thirteen. Tenth pick I'm sorry, the tenth pick, thirteenth pick T future first and maybe like Yovage or some other kind ofs like salary or whatever or another guy to make the money work And you know, you kind of got Ryan Rollins and some other guys that are there that kind of going on that ride You could be good quick if this M No, this deal is That is a lot of return, bro It is a lot of return If you've already got the tenth pick in the draft and you're getting ten and thirteen along with those three players I don't know, man. I don't think in two future first I think it's going to be a hard deal to beat if that's really what they're putting on the tpe Is it the heat future first Yes Hy That's a lot, man. That is a lot Okay but doesn't wear feel a lot like Hsmith. where it's like, Ped well for the heat. But specifically for the heat. Oh no. And then you put them somewhere else it just falls apart. likeike no no where there's something going on with where when I watch and play. I'm like This guy's amazing. Like his seven foot could shoot could defend. It's always it's always been amazing. It's always been can't find his way to the floor He's getting benched from time to time It's a consistent effort thing You know what I mean? I'd be a little concerned. I think they that Miami' getting the best out of them, which is not even that good And I think it feels a lot like Highsmith. remember where Highsmiths go like Portland or something? it disappea You talking about white side. White side, That's exactly's on white side. Yeah I say Imith.. I was like, who is his dude? seven white side. Han White side. Han White side. Yeah. No, they did get the most out of Hassan White side. And he was also Goopy That's a Google H. He's also. You're talking Haywood, Highsmith. Yes. Yeah God Gundi is a finalist for the trarailblazers's job It's just a matter of time man. I went to that Clippers game with Van Lathan, and we sat there tellelling you, I was like, it was a Clippers Timberwolves game. and I was like, if I didn't know better, I would think that Jeff Bang Gundi is the coach of the Clippers and Micha Nora is the coach of the Wolves This guy ain't going to pay money I can't imagine that Jeffan Gund's going to do that job for the amount of mudoney that I mean they Right? Like that was all like They're saying Tiagos Foter is like still Tiagos Foter did a good job. Great job. like And imagine your Chicago splitter. you're like I took over on like day two And it went to the playoffs so took a game from the spurs. Its also feels like the kind of guy that Jeff A Gundi would hate. El Chipo. I, He was a guest on game overver last week. I don't care what episode And he's not cheap, he's efficient Okay. Wellly Clyde Drexler is what, if not the greatest He's the great trabacer of all time U it maybe it's danging. or maybe clear But cladx. Hydraxler just did an interview and a quote, the headline was Can't act like you don't have money That's what I'm saying. Like you better pull up to the facility in a camerry You know what I mean? like if you're gonna do this you do this across the board. He I want to see you in some sketchers driving a camry and like with no jewelry and no assistance and eating McDonald's cheeseburgers because if you pull up in a Mayback, and wearing designer clothes, then this is inconsistent. I'll be I'll be stunned if he hires Jeff Van Gundi because I don't think Van Gundy's going to do it for the peanuts that the guy probably going to pay. And I think that some's going to pull his coat and be like, look, man, like This is a seven million dollars a year job. It just is like it just is like it's more likely it's it's more likely that he's going to hire one of these assistants, you know, because they why not Seago Slinter though. Like if I'mago Slinter like what what do you want me to do? I saw what's his name? The guy that's always alongside Finch who everybody thinks is is beenor Yeah No, Mikea Nori Yeah, Nor Really good for a long time And like, you know, I mean, it feels like it feels like this guy is just going to go hire an assistant from somewhere because you give an assistant meager raised by being the head coach. But if you're already the head coach, it's like and again undernder the circumstances in which when your best friend Got in trouble with the law your best friend who you wanted to leave your kids with Tauny Bills when he and then that job is histed upon Diago splitter and he did what he did with that team this year and got and like best version of Denny Adia and like I mean, there's a lot of you get that job If I'm Tiago Splitter's wife, I'm so pissed. I'm like what else do you want him to do? Bizarre. Like what what else do you want him to do? Like this is a quantitative success rate. There are wins and losses. This is not like U being a professor. You know what I mean? Whereas it's like you can't it's like it's a qualitative or an artists It's like, no, this is quantative. you win or you lose every single night for eighty two nights. and he won a ton of games and went to the playoffs with a team. had much lower expectations that he was able to perform at Why would he not get that job and be rewarded Wh It's going be very interesting to see what they do. and I will be absolutely stunned. I know I saw that headline everywhere, but I'd be stunned if Jeffan Gundy's the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers. After all these years shouldould be a head coach Of course But don't be stunned. He's got an agent. the agent negotiates him a fair contract. Like just because he says he doesn't want to pay, doesn't mean he's not going to pay. Someone he has an advisor that says, you can't pay a million dollars to an NBA head coach annually because you will get it's like it's like there's this one bar in Los Angeles that sold twenty five cent tacos. I was like, I don't want a twenty fivecentent taco I don't want that I want to spend at least two dollars per tacker. because I don't like if you're if you're him, you're like I want a twenty five cent taco. likeike no, you do not want a twenty five cent taco to head coach theortland Trail B is not going to work. I don't know, man He just fired seventy people this week, bro. That is I saw that I mean, he's not Yeah this ain't a kids game bro. He ain't paying no Um, How's the prospector doing? He' been doing some work Yeah every draft work. We got got a we got a month to the draft Well, that sounds like he gotta get to work. Prospector's been in his caves, Prospect caves. He sounds like he's got to get to work. You gotta worry about three pick. You gott to worry about him You got the number three pick. That's the easiest pick of the world. easiest pick. Yes, it is. No four is the easiest pick. No it's not pick. four is not the easiest pick. It's whoever' left I'll take threeree is the easiest tick of the world because Be there's no bad option. You can try Peterson sitting there whether it's Peterson or Boozer Boser Peterson and Wilson Probotate Wilson. So I guess they ain't going to try to mess around with that They're not going to try to mess around with that. What They don't want they don't want. they don't want any kind of worries courourt worries. No mean Yeah don't don't you can't, I mean, It look, there's no bad options There's no sent out better He might end up he might end up being the best of all of them. There anywere there's honestly arguents for all of them being Yeah like that we're going to look up. You could make an argument a real art. Any of them could end up being the best player out of the dri. Absolutely And maybe even A cuff, you could look up at A c rest while. you don't know. This is a great draft too. I mean, these young players are just so good now different They're so Good and so ready. for NBA basketball in a way that they were not ten years ago Yeah, if you were to tell me that Harper is out for the season. I'd like, well, there goes their title chances. We nineteen year old kid Yeah nineteen year old kid like, Well, there no way they can do it without that twenty year old child who was born in two thousand six. you know what I mean? Well. We're going to get to see how the Kicks play in Cleveland. We're going to get to see how Thunder play in San Antonio and we will reconvene on Monday night. Thanks to Jeff and Steph as always, and Jobbe. I h you next week Remember, you must be twenty one are over in president in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino, or eighteen and over in president in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem, call one hundred gambler, or one hundred My reset orr you can call one, eight eight. sevenenty nine seven seven seven, or visit CcPG dot org slash chat in Connecticut. orr you can visit mdgamblinghelp dot org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelp line ma dot org or call eight hundred three two seven fif thousand fifty for twenty four seven support in Massachusetts O call eight, seven seven, eight hope and why or text Hope N Y in New York for Louisiana Call, eight, seven, seven seven seven zero. seven eight six, seven This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a fifty page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online makes sense? There's no place like Chrome. 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