Boozer: Clippers Are A Dangerous Team

It's the JR Sport Reef Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. The NBA season is over. It's now time for the playoffs. We're getting ready for the draft. We're going to get ready for the finals.

There's so much to look into. And right now we're being joined by someone who was a two-time NBA All-Star, someone who has himself an Olympic gold medal. It's Carlos Buza. Carlos, how are you, man? I'm great, man. Thanks for having me on. Absolutely. Of course, we're going to talk a little bit about Duke, your wonderful sons who are on their way there as well. And then, you know, there's a lot to get into.

You work with DraftKings. But how are you ultimately, Carlos? Things good? Things are great, man. Just been enjoying the boys the last few games of high school before they get to college.

Absolutely. It's a crazy time in the NBA. The regular season just ended. We already have a head coach who got the boot, and booting holds are no longer the coach of the Suns.

At this point in time, are NBA coaches just figures to stand there on the bench? Ultimately, they didn't have the year they wanted to have. So they probably wanted to move on to the new voice in that locker room. There's going to be a lot of changes in Phoenix. So seeing where they're going in that direction and what they do with that team. But there's a couple guys that got let go. You saw what happened in Denver as well. The GM and the head coach Malone got let go. It's that time of the year where ownership and management are evaluating their team and seeing who they want to lead the group on in the future. Absolutely. We see that the Suns and unfortunately, whether it's injury or it's depth, how do you think they can get back on the right track?

It just depends. I mean, you put that those three together, you know, you think KD, Book and Bill were going to have something special in Phoenix. It just didn't quite happen. And I think they all know that they've had a run at it. They've had their injuries. They've been healthy as well. And they've had a little bit of success while they were healthy, but not enough to sustain. So they're going to make some moves and depending on what they get back and how they reshape their team will determine their future.

Carlos Boozer is here with us on the JR sport re-show. We have some teams that are trying to make their way into the official playoffs and we're taking a look at the plan. There's some teams in the east that you kind of got to shrug your shoulders about a little bit. Teams like the Hawks and maybe the Magic.

But when you look at the west, it's rather packed. We have the Golden State Warriors are there in the plan. What are your thoughts on these games that we'll see both tomorrow and Wednesday?

Anything peak in your interest? I mean, I'm honest. I'm surprised at Orlando. I'm not too surprised if they're two main guys, Paolo and France don't get hurt. They're probably a top four seed in the Eastern Conference. That's how good they were playing before those two guys went down. But I kind of expect the Magic to win that game against the Hawks. I just think they have more from top to bottom with the Warriors.

It was one game came down to that game on Sunday. They just let it get away from a little bit at the end of there. So they got to plan the plan. They've been in the plan a couple times, but honestly, the way that the way the NBA is now giving teams a second chance to make the playoffs is kind of exciting to see Jimmy Butler and Draymond and obviously Steph in that situation. Hoping that they prevail because the Warriors in the playoffs is just good basketball because they played a certain style of play.

But it'd be interesting to see how it all plays out. When you think about some of the teams that have actually made it into the formal postseason already in that top one through six, who are your favorites coming out of both the West and in the East? I mean, I think Oklahoma City checks off all the boxes like at this point in time. We're like nitpicking to figure out how they can lose, but they've dropped the test of the season. They have a group of guys that can defend. They can guard their yard. They can help side defend. They can knock down shots. They can score. They have a closer and Shea. He's proven that time and time again this season. They check off all the boxes that come out the Western Conference, but it's not going to be.

It's not going to be easy. There's some good teams. I mean, nobody's talking about Houston and what email you dope is done with that team.

He should be considered for coach of the year with what he's done with that program over there. The Lakers are always going to be with any time LeBron's on the team. They're going to be a time a team that can probably be a contender. I think it's going to be a little tough for them to get back there, but the Clippers are looking good. There's there's teams in the Western Conference that makes it difficult to just pick one team to come out of there because all those guys, if they're hot and they're rolling and they're healthy, they could roll in the East.

I still think it's Boston show. I mean, obviously, Cleveland has had an incredible season, one of the best seasons they've had in recent years, and they have probably the best chance of beating Boston. But if Boston's healthy, especially with the big fella Porzingis, they just seem like a cheat code.

He's a seven-foot-three cheat code as you don't want to see him out on that court. Carlos Booz is here with us on the JR sport re-show. We have some young teams that have made some noise. Nobody's going to go ahead and pick them to win a championship, but this could be the early stages for a team like the Detroit Pistons. What are your thoughts on what we've seen from Cunningham as he gets ready to take on the Knicks? He's a star, man. He's progressively gotten better since his rookie year and really taken over that franchise in a great way. Guy puts up a triple-double almost every night, barely gets talked about.

It's kind of like what happened with Paolo and Orlando a year ago in the second year, got that team to the playoffs and nobody usually talking about his all-star year. That's what K's done in Detroit. No man really believes in Detroit and the Pistons to be able to make some noise, but healthy and with him leading the helm, they're dangerous. They're a team that can shake some stuff up. The Knicks are obviously a phenomenal defensive lead. Katz playing maybe his best season of his NBA career.

Brunson obviously is a guy that had an incredible run in the playoffs in recent years. So you got to take your hat off for the Knicks and what Tib's done over there, but Detroit can make some noise. I want to ask you about the Clippers, Carlos. I mean, they've been on a run here. It doesn't seem like they get a lot of attention. James Harden, Kawhi's actually playing ball. I can't believe they going on a run and it's been kind of quiet.

Yeah, shout out to Tyloo. With all the ups and downs with guys in and out the line, it's been a hell of a job of keeping that ship steady over there. James Harden is a guy who's been a star in this league, one of the best players and he's still an incredible threat this year. Kawhi is their x-factor. If Kawhi's playing Kawhi basketball, who couldn't they beat, right? Defensively, offensively. The kid, Paolo, almost made the all-star team. I think Zubac is having one of his best years of his career as well.

So they have the pieces if they're healthy and they're playing well that they could disrupt the Western Conference. Carlos Boozer is here with us on the JR Sport Brief Show. Talk to us about your work with DraftKings. Yeah, man, excited. Listen, this is the most exciting time of the year. NBA playoffs. I want you guys to come over to the DraftKings app and do your thing.

Get in there. Obviously, bet responsibly. Always do that. We don't want you guys to lose the house on it, but bet responsibly.

Go to DraftKings. There's a ton of stuff in there where you guys can make some bread. Absolutely.

That's a good look, man. We just had a lot of people making a lot of bread coming out of the NCAA tournament. I know it didn't go the Duke Blue Devils way. We saw what happened. What are your thoughts on the season that we saw and of course what we saw from Cooper Flag?

Yeah, it was a great year. I mean, I think Duke was outstanding. They had a couple of stumbles early, but they ran up, ran the table with it down the stretch and then run into a Houston team with it. Wouldn't quit that last 30 seconds. You could be up six with 30 seconds to go. You miss a block out. You can make them miss a shot, but you missed the offensive rebound. You have a timely turnover.

You miss a free throw. Like get over the back call and now you're, instead of you playing on a Monday night for a championship, you're going home and you're watching it. But to Houston's credit, they didn't give up, man. That Sampson team didn't give up.

And then that Monday night, it happened to them. They were winning the game the whole game down at the whole game. And Florida wouldn't quit and they kept coming and kept coming and their best player Clayton woke up late in that game instead of making some plays down the stretch and they got the championship. So honestly, it was an incredible season for everybody. I thought it was a great Final Four. Definitely one of my Blue Devils to win it. But, you know, take your hat off to the other team. Like, you know, at the end of the day, those teams didn't quit. And that's why Florida Gators won the championship.

Carlos, you may have more intel than anybody, but Cooper Flagg hasn't officially said, hey, I'm jumping into the draft. But what do you think his player comp is? He does a little bit of everything out on the court. Yeah, I mean, on the high side, it was amazing. He does a lot of stuff. You saw him this year, just got better and better and better as the year went along. I mean, I think his jump shot got better.

His decision making got better as playmaking. Obviously, you saw his athleticism dunking on people, getting the highlight almost every week. Such a versatile player, probably the most versatile player we've seen as a freshman, maybe for a long time. Maybe Anthony Davis comes to mind as far as his contributions offensively and defensively. But in the NBA, on the high side, I mean, you look at that like a Scottie Pippen type of guy, right?

That can score, can defend, can playmate, can guard one through four, maybe even one through five, depending on who the five is, can initiate the offense, can be in the pick and roll. There's so much that Cooper can do. Remember, he just turned 18 a couple months ago.

The kids, he's still a teenager. Like, let's see what he looks like in three years after being in the NBA. So I think he's a consensus number one overall pick.

I'd be very surprised if he turned that down. And we're all rooting for him to have great success in the NBA. There's no doubt about that.

Well, listen, man, the Boozer name is still rolling on the basketball court. We got Cameron, we got Caden. Your twin sons have committed to Duke as well. How has that journey been? Because obviously, as a dad, you want your sons to, you know, kind of forge their path and get into what they want to do. And they're following you and what you've done and doing it in their own way. What are your thoughts on how they've been able to grow? I'm just proud of them. And they put so much work in. They love the game of basketball. They are two kids who are just obsessed with the grind and the journey. And they're reaping the benefits of their hard work, making the McDonald's game and then going to the Nike Hoop Summit and winning that game the other night. Just really, really proud of the boys. They're so excited to get on campus, man. They got some bright futures ahead of them. Caden's a point guard who just loves the pass, but can also score.

Cammy's a power forward who can do a little bit of everything. So they're looking forward to putting that boot up for uniform on. Man, you've gone through now generations of Duke. It's a part of you.

What doesn't the outside world? People love to hate on Duke. People who are in Duke love Duke. What's the deal, man?

What's Duke about? I mean, we're just different. I mean, we do things a certain way. We have a brotherhood. We have a standard, obviously, and we do a good job of staying close to one another. We have a huge, huge fraternity of guys who come to the program who are doing great things in the NBA right now. But the great thing is they come back to campus and pay it forward to the new guys that are on campus.

So it's just it's a different thing. Some people love us. Some people hate us. It's like the Yankees or the Lakers or the Celtics or whatever other team that's had great success. You're going to have fans.

They're going to have people who don't really rock with you. And that's OK. But we're going to do our thing and keep plugging away. Hey, I appreciate the time. Carlos, you got to fill us in one more time about your work with DraftKings, where we can keep up with you.

Yeah. Go to DraftKings, guys. It's one of the most exciting times of the year and the NBA playoffs are starting off tomorrow with the playing games.

Go to DraftKings. Bet responsibly. Go get some money. Absolutely. Appreciate the time, Carlos. We look forward to seeing you.

We see. Are you done on the court? No more, Carlos? I've been retired. I'm so happy just being a fan of basketball, brother. OK. All right. Well, that's Carlos Boozer joining us here on the J.R. Sportbreeze show.