5.6.24 - JR SportBrief Hour 2

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Price and coverage match limited by state law. It is the JR Sportbree show here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. I'm coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. Much love to everybody tuned in and locked in all over North America, coast to coast. Be here in Georgia, would be in California, Hawaii, Alaska, Vancouver, Portland, Maine or Portland, Oregon.

Any of them places. You could be in New York with super producer and host Ryan Hickey. Thank you for listening in. You can always listen on the free Odyssey app. If you don't have the Odyssey app on your phone, what the hell you waiting for?

Where the hell you been? You can always listen on your local affiliate, wherever you live. I don't know where that is. Sirius XM. You got Sirius in your car? Got it in your house? Got it on your phone? Got a radio? 158 is the channel. You can listen right here to the Infinity Sports Network.

And if you got a smart speaker, ask it to play the Infinity Sports Network. Boom. We've been hanging out for an hour already. Got a fun show.

I get started at 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 Pacific. We spoke to Austin Carr. Cavalier's legend. We talked about Pat Riley.

Absolutely love it. Told Jimmy Butler, listen, man, if you're not playing, don't talk trash. You should, you should shut up. Jimmy Butler has to feel good about that, right? What is he going to do? He's going to go back on social media and trash Pat Riley?

Can't do that, right? Nope. We're going to get into Tom Brady. Yesterday, Netflix special. Tom Brady, The Roast. Man, there's some dirty jokes in there. Man, there's some offensive jokes in there. They were Aaron Hernandez jokes.

Whoa. Hey, Hickey, I felt dirty. Did you, did you watch it in full a little bit? Did you, I know you saw a lot of the jokes, but did you need a shower after you heard some of them? I was definitely surprised at the number of Aaron Hernandez jokes. That's for sure.

Everything else, I appreciate it. I think if you're going to do a roast, you really got to get in there. You can't tippy toe around. And I respect a lot of both former players. I mean, Bill Belichick had, you know, showed some good personality, but that was one avenue that I did not think anyone was going to go down. And it sounded like everyone conspired to, okay, let's get your best joke and everyone's going to do one. You know, you know what, let's do it. You know what?

Let's, let's get one. We're going to talk more about this later on in the show. It's just, it's just weird talking about a guy who killed somebody.

Oh, just it's odd. This is, this is Tom Brady from Netflix last night. And just, just hear for yourself what Brady said about Hernandez.

The bar for Patriot tight ends was pretty low back then. Block, catch, don't murder. Okay. I mean, the guy, he still got a family. Okay. This is, he might be gone.

The man has kids that show. Anyway, we'll talk about that later on in the show. We've already had a fun one. I told you Austin Carr, he came through and joined us, Minnesota. They're looking to pick up their second victory in this Eastern, or excuse me, Western conference, semi-finals matchup against the Nuggets. And so Chris Hine is going to join us from the Minneapolis Star Tribune because this man, Anthony Edwards continues to play out of his mind, dropping 43 points Saturday night in game one against the Nuggets. We are not sure about Rudy Gobert and whether or not he's going to play.

And so we'll ask Chris Hine for an update when he joins us in about, you know, 15, 16 minutes. Also the New York Knicks and the Pacers, they will be in action in about 30 minutes or so. And we all know the history between the New York Knicks and the Pacers. Typically in the nineties, these are two teams that would get together and they would punch each other in the mouth.

Okay. Now having said that, let's put one team to bed. Let's get one team the hell up on out of here.

I don't want to eulogize them. It's only going to take me a few seconds because I think over the next few years, we're going to have plenty of opportunity to talk about them. It's the Orlando Magic. We talked about the Cavs.

We big them up. We know that they move on next to take on the Boston Celtics and we'll see what they do. It took them seven games to dispatch the Magic, the second youngest team in the NBA this past season. The team that has Paulo Boncaro out there, he didn't slow down in the postseason. He's still dropping about 25 and 10 throughout the course of the series. They had an 18-point lead yesterday against these Cavaliers and they blew it.

Mainly I would say because of youth and inexperience. And so the Cavs end up winning 106 to 94. Paulo Boncaro had 38 points and 16 rebounds in this closeout game where they could not get over the hump. And so the only thing they're missing is a quote unquote a few good men. The Magic needs some vets. The Magic needs some guys with experience.

And how about this? There's been reports. A matter of fact, just listen to Shams himself. He was on FanDuel and he said that the Magic might be reaching for someone who likes to tell you he has four rings. It's Klay Thompson.

Listen to this. The Magic can open up in excess of 60 million dollars in Cavs space this offseason. So they're going to be players when you think about free agency and other moves that can be made. You look at scoring in game seven, obviously struggled a little bit to score the ball, especially in the second half of the game when the Cavs and Daimler Mitchell kept coming for them.

So you look at the point guard position, but also shooting and scoring on the wing. And one name to keep an eye on, Klay Thompson. I'm told there is mutual interest between the Magic and Klay Thompson. Thompson, along with several other vets around the league, are looking at the Magic as a situation where if you plug in a guy like Klay Thompson, you plug in another veteran player, whether it be at the point guard position, shooting our position, this team can make a real jump around Paulo Bancaro and Franz Wagner, both guys. Paulo Bancaro already a star, already a guy that's been a part of Team USA. Franz Wagner has the ability to potentially be an all star as well.

But if you plug in some more shooting and scoring, I think that's what can take this Orlando team to another level. Well, damn. Wow. You bring that man on.

Wow. OK, Klay Thompson. Hickey bad move. He needs to stay, right? Why are you going to win another championship out there?

He's going he's this is like and I get it. It's not Patrick Ewing. This is not Michael Jordan.

It's Klay Thompson. But looking at this dude in another uniform is like, just dude, you've had an amazing career. Just stay.

The only reason why I would say yes, I think it's great and admirable if you can finish your career in one spot, I guess the reason or I guess the way I look at it is do the Warriors truly want him? Like, do they like is it one of those where, look, we don't want to be the bad guy here and basically say, get out of here. So if you could do us a favor and you leave and save a little face of, hey, they're not kicking me out, I'm leaving on my own. Maybe that works better for for both sides versus the Klay wants to stay with the Warriors want an upgrade and they don't really want Klay around and not for the money that he's going to want. So it's going to be kind of awkward. This has never been fun.

Just just take a little less money and just stay. It's that you get to ride out on your horse. I don't know. Maybe he ends up on the magic and he comes off the bench and he's like, hey, here's some threes. I did my job.

And maybe we get closer to a championship over the next three or four years. I don't know. I just it sounds weird. And I don't know if they want to play the well, they didn't want me.

So I left type game. That's just I don't know. Klay time I get. Well, you know what? Like I said last week, who are we talking about?

About taking less money? Was it LeBron? Yeah, LeBron James. Yes, sir.

Yeah. If you're Klay Thompson, I get it, man. Just you won your championships. What does it matter? People always remember you as a warrior. Just take the money. I'm not mad at him.

I really am not. And I mean, the expectations would not be on him in the same way. I will tell you, the last time we saw Klay Thompson, it was in a playing game against the Sacramento Kings. And Klay Thompson had a whopping zero points in 32 minutes as he went zero of 10 from the field and zero of six from deep. And so maybe a change of scenery would benefit the man. But Klay Thompson in a magic uniform?

Oh, that's let's just say that's ugly. Klay Thompson, 34 years old, blew out his damn Achilles, blew out his knee. This this might be the best for him moving forward.

Hey, look, all good things got to come to an end. And so maybe this is the best for Klay Thompson. We know the Warriors didn't even make it into the postseason.

Maybe if Klay Thompson was able to put down a few more shots, the game would have been more competitive anyway. And about 30 minutes from now, we're going to see a competitive game between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. The last time that these teams met was in 2013. I have the image etched into my brain.

Seven foot, 20 inch, million feet high. Roy Hibbert lifted up his big old arm and blocked a Carmelo Anthony dunk attempt. And at that point I said, Knicks, Knicks don't have this.

They don't. I can go back to being a kid watching the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers duke it out in Madison Square Garden year after year after year. Game seven here and wins losses and four point plays and NBA finals. And it just it was.

It was it was contentious. NBA was much more physical. We had Masons and Oakleys and Davis brothers, we had Smits and Jacksons and Ewings and Millers and Mullins.

We had it all. These teams are different now, right? Jalen Brunson is leading the NBA in the postseason and scoring. How many more 30, 40 point games can he have in the playoffs?

We're going to find out in about 30 minutes from now. And Tyrese Halliburton, last year, he emerged as, quote unquote, the guy, the young up and coming point guard. I mean, they just had the all star game in in Indianapolis. And he was the the the host du jour. He was the main guy. He's made team USA. Jalen Brunson did not. You don't think Jalen Brunson wants to go out there and prove things?

You know what I appreciate? That as much as the fan bases probably hate each other, as much as Josh Hart of the New York Knicks says he hates going out to Indiana to play the Pacers, play the Pacers. Jalen Brunson, he has respect for Tyrese Halliburton.

Listen to what Jalen had to say. Great player. And I didn't really know him until I got a new album. We met a couple of times, but we didn't really become friends until last summer. And great guy, great family. He became one of my friends, obviously, through the experience last summer. And I have all the all the respect and the world from him for him and the way he plays the game.

And he just goes out there, plays the right way and does what he has to do. Oh, I like how they they they throw compliments. These are this is the new age, right? Hickey, I don't ever remember Charles Oakley throwing compliments at, I don't know, Dale Davis. But hey, a new time, a new era.

Yeah, that's definitely not the 90s. Same teams, a totally different way the players interact now. Well, the coaches a little bit easier, right?

The coaches want to psych people out. Rick Carlisle, keep in mind, Rick Carlisle used to coach the Dallas Mavericks before Jason Kidd got there, who, by the way, has got himself a new extension from the Dallas Mavericks today and over the weekend. Rick Carlisle pretty much said that that Jalen Brunson was the man and he's like, I knew this dude was going to be a superstar.

Listen to the new head coach of the Pacers, Rick Carlisle. Jalen Brunson is a guy you would never bet against if you know him. You just don't, you just don't bet against that guy. I don't know if anybody saw this coming, you know, what he's achieved in two years there. But if you know him and you know his character, you're not surprised.

You're not shocked. It's just, it's a love affair. I didn't know that the Pacers and the Knicks could have a love affair and maybe it will only last before game one. Because even Tibbs, coach Thibodeau of the New York Knickerbockers, he's like, oh man, the Pacers offense is awesome. They've got good shooting, they've got point guards, they've got Siakam, they've got Turner, so they've got a lot of weapons, and a lot of pick and rolls. You've got multiple point guards on the floor at the same time, so a lot of slips, a lot of flares. But the main thing is the strengths of the players doesn't change.

You got to know what they do and you got to know them inside and out. Hickey, he sounds more happy right there. I mean, typically sounds like a miserable fill in the blank, but Tom Thibodeau actually sounds happy there. Is that happy? For Tibbs's standards, yes. That is almost as happy as you can get. He smiled a few times this year. Wow.

So that's like the peak. So that's probably one or two steps below, but hey, it's better than like you said, most of his demeanor, 85, 90 percent of the time. Oh wow. I know he also had a funny response about Jimmy Butler saying that, yeah, if I were playing, I'd beat the Knicks, I'd beat this. Tom Thibodeau said, well, I'll put him in a grinder.

All right, well, whatever. I guess Thibodeau is, he's in a good mood and good for him. Let's see how long it lasts because in about 25 minutes from now, maybe 20, yeah, about 25, the New York Knicks are going to host the Pacers. Last week, as the New York Knicks try to advance to this space, the New York Knicks try to move forward against the Sixers. We saw Nick Legends in the building. Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Marcus Canby, John Starks, Carmelo Anthony, Latrell Sprewell.

I think, well, all right, well, I'll stop there. Wal-Cline Frazier was there. He wasn't sitting with those guys, but he was there too. Hickey, they need to have a New York Knicks Legends presence on the baseline. They need that for every home game. They need it.

I'm with you. And like I said, I think you need one more guy there as well to really get the crowd going. We need Charles Oakley to show up. That we do. And punch Reggie Miller in the face. That's what we need.

I'm just saying, calling the spade a spade. I got the New York Knicks winning this one in six games. I think it's going to be a great series. Hickey got the New York Knicks winning in five games.

I don't think so. I think they're going to be much more competitive than that. I hope the Knicks and Pacers, they play each other hard. So let's see what takes place. It's the JR Sport Reshow here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. We are going to take a break when we come back on the other side.

How about this? We got two teams that have already played game one of their semi-finals matchup in the West. Minnesota already beat Denver. Anthony Edwards already put up 43 points. What are the Wolves going to do tonight against the Nuggets? That game gets started in about three hours from now. Are the Wolves going to go up two games to nothing? And what's the status of Rudy Gobert? We're going to find out on the other side. Maybe we'll get an update. It's time to have a conversation with Chris Hine from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

You are locked in. It's the JR Sport Reshow, the Infinity Sports Network. Hey everyone, Boomer Esiason here. The NFL Draft is behind us and your favorite team is now gearing up for week number one. The free Odyssey app puts you right in the middle of the pro football conversation with the biggest sports radio stations from across the country. The local voices who know your team the best giving you their unfiltered takes on the current state of your squad.

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Get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. It's time to talk about another professional. This man is a professional. He just swept the Phoenix Suns.

He's only 22 years old, can barely buy himself a drink. He just helped the Timberwolves win game one of their semi-finals matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. His name is Anthony Edwards and to talk about these Timberwolves we're going to play in action tonight with a chance to go up 2-0 against the Nuggets. To talk about the team and what's going on and everything is Chris Hine from the Minnesota the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Hey Chris how are you man? I'm good how you doing?

I'm amazing thank you for taking the time to hop on. I guess the first question congratulations first of all to Rudy Gobert the birth of his child. Is he playing basketball tonight or is that still up in the air?

That's still up in the air right now hopefully we'll get some news here within the hour and get a definitive answer on that but right now the Bulls are hoping they were going to have him tonight but we'll see. Okay when you think about what Anthony Edwards has been able to do a little bit of a surprise no surprise at this point dropping 43 points like on Saturday he's been on a roll man. Yeah I think I think it's a little bit of a surprise just how kind of quickly he's grown this season I mean we've seen Anthony Edwards get better every year of his career. I think what's remarkable about this season and this run is that even up to maybe one or two months ago he wasn't really playing like he's playing right now with this kind of really solid decision making this late game execution things like that the ability to read defenses he's doing it at such a high level right now really even better than he was say in January or February so I think that's what's most remarkable about this is that you're seeing a player just grow up before your eyes right now in the playoffs.

Chris Hahn is here with us from the Star Tribune in Minnesota. I am tired Chris about the Michael Jordan jokes to me they're played out I know even Anthony has said like okay can we relax can we get over this is this done like is can we get this shut down or is this going to be on the internet forever? I think it's going to be on the internet forever the internet doesn't like to let Michael Jordan die in that way you know he's always going to be a topic of conversation when it comes to NBA players he hovers over everything right I mean just think about you know LeBron versus MJ debates are going to go on in perpetuity as much as they may annoy people right you know there's always going to be these things where people are comparing whoever or to Michael Jordan for whatever reason it's what the internet is what people love to talk about I don't know why exactly but it just seems to always be a topic of conversation. Well this man certainly isn't a part of that conversation he did pick up his own award coming off the bench it's Nas Reed like there were no expectations that he would necessarily be doing this at this point of the year and I think a lot of casual NBA fans are fonding out about him tell us about Nas. Nas I don't know that sixth day of the year was in their their hopes at the beginning of the season but this is another example of kind of this a young player Timmerwolz had developed in the same way like Anthony Edwards and Jayden McDaniel who gets better with each with each year and you know I think his confidence has grown his emotional maturity has grown and he doesn't get as down on himself as he used to I think a good example that was game one he had a terrible first half didn't score two turnovers but comes back in the fourth quarter and you know before and kind of takes over late Nas Reed got them got them through the early and middle part of the fourth quarter with 14 points so and that that he can score in bunches he's highly skilled he's got a great handle for a big man and his defense has really improved as well I thought he gave Nikola Jokic all he had and Jokic you know certainly wins his battles against anybody but I thought Nas makes him made him work just as much as anybody might make Nikola Jokic work on that end of the floor. Well Chris you've covered this Wolves team all year long and we could talk about Karl Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards not a lot of people talk about the dude who's going to be 37 later this year and Mike Conley he ended up playing 76 games this year he's been hurt a lot more recently do you think if he wasn't as available and present would the Wolves be right here what impact has he had or not had on this team's development? Huge I don't and you know I can't really be understated just the the impact the impact that he has from a leadership standpoint from a you know he really is a point guard like you know the definition of a point guard runs the offense gets everybody organized is a leader on the floor helps Anthony Edwards you know kind of dissect defenses is always in his ear telling him what he sees on the floor always you know he says sitting next to him in film sessions you know help him guide him through that so you know Mike Conley is invaluable to this team and you know when they need him to he can score he can hit threes he can still hit that floater he and Rudy Gobert have excellent chemistry on the pick and roll which can look unstoppable at times and yeah Mike Conley they're not here in this position without him that's for sure. Now Chris you talk about Rudy Gobert again and everybody will will publicly support the man on the birth of his child if that if he's not there to help I don't want to say bully around Jokic there's nobody bullying him around but if he's not there that lessens their odds and chances of winning I mean are the fans have you heard fans upset or worried or bothered what have you heard if anything? I mean the the general consensus on social media is people understand you know it's it's the birth of a child I mean I personally don't have any kids I don't know what it's like but you know I I think people understand that this is a moment that's bigger than basketball even a playoff game um so that's that's honestly the general reaction that I've seen um and you know I think the team is the same way Anthony Edwards earlier this season he missed the second half of a close game against the kings um you know to to witness the birth of his of his daughter so it's you know it's it's one of those life moments that you have to do everything you can to try and be present for you know no matter where you're at professionally in your life. Yeah Chris Son is here with us from the the Star Tribune when you look forward with what we've seen in game one we don't know the status of Gobert as an overall knowing that yeah okay he will eventually be back even tonight you got the Wolves taking a series?

Uh I'd say out of the prediction game um but I think Denver's been for a run for their money like they've haven't seen in the last two years I think this Wolves team is as equipped or better equipped to take them down than any team they faced uh in these last two playoffs here and I think the Wolves are a smarter and more mature team than they were a year ago when the when the Nuggets faced them in the first round of the playoff so I expect a deep I expect a deep series a fun series I don't see anybody really blowing anybody out as long as the teams are at full strength I'll condition that with um so I really do think this is going to be an epic second round series and you know one that's really more worthy of a conference finals building than anything else. I'd agree with that not knowing the status of Rudy Gobert was nice on Saturday to know that Chris Finch was able to show up despite having his knee blown out how is he feeling after sitting down and the travel and what have you he's good right? He seems good I mean we talked to him yesterday at practice and he said he thought game one went well from a communication standpoint with his staff with the players the players said they thought it went well so you know it's a little it's a little different a little different arrangement having him sit back there but all in all it seems to have gone about as smoothly as possible from from everybody's account so you know I think the fact that he's able to just be there and be around the bench and communicate is helpful I don't think he wanted to be in the locker room or be in a suite I think just being near the action you know even if it is not in quite in his typical role but being right there kind of in the thick of it is what he prefers and it's what the team wants and and everybody was was okay with how it went in game one. And Chris last question for you we talked about Anthony Edwards and how he has grown what's the next step like what possibly could he do next outside of what he's already doing at this point he's playing like the best two guard in the entire league what's left for him to grow into?

Well I mean it's consistency that's what marks great players in the NBA it's you know how often can you do this it's not necessarily can you do this can you play like this on a given night it's how many times can you string it together what makes Nicole Jokic so good is you know for instance Nicole Jokic doesn't go out and occasionally do you know 30 points 13 assists and 12 rebuts Nicole Jokic does that every night he takes the floor right that's the mark of a great player MVP caliber type of player so that's the next step for Anthony Edwards is finding a way to reach that level where he's doing this kind of stuff every night and not once every you know let's say three games or once every four games and you know maybe in that span he has maybe a clunker or a clunker or an off night so that's the next step it's finding a way to do this all the time that to me is the next the next step in his growth. Well Chris thank you so much for taking the time where can people follow you and your work with the Star Tribune? Twitter at Christopher Hein h-i-n-e and startribune.com head to our website and subscribe for the symbols playoff run as long as we'll be doing it. Hey I think we're going to have a great run hey Chris thank you enjoy the game okay? Thank you appreciate it. No doubt about it that Chris Hein from the Minneapolis Star Tribune it's the JR sport pre-show here with you on the infinity sports network 8-5-5-2-1-2 42-27 that's 8-5-5-2-1-2 42-27 meanwhile outside of the Timberwolves and the Nuggets playing game two tonight tomorrow we got a game one between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

How the hell is that going to run? Luka Doncic, Kyrie versus Shay Gilgus-Alexander, Chet Holmgren we're going to talk about that game on the other side of the break Jason Kidd he got a nice present after Jason Kidd was rumored to be in the running to be a coach for the Los Angeles Lakers we're going to get into the roasting of Mr. Tom Brady it looks like we got a new rookie of the year in the NBA no shocks there. You're listening to the JR sport brief it's the JR sport pre-show here with you on the infinity sports network 8-5-5-2-1-2 42-27 that's 8-5-5-2-1-2 42-27. Knicks and the Pacers are underway in Madison Square Garden. Hickey did Reggie Miller get slapped behind the head yet? Not that I've seen and I think I may have given you some bad information oh he's not I don't think he's there tonight oh good good well that would save uh that would save violence we're non-violent people right we were definitely non-violent people we definitely do not advocate for it but unless it's Reggie Miller right of course there's always exceptions but I guess because well it makes sense uh with Wolves and Nuggets game two being tonight he can't be in two places at one time okay all right maybe that's for the best of him you know maybe well maybe we'll catch him on down the line or too early in the game only about three minutes have gone by Indiana leads eight to four we'll definitely keep you up to date with that one as it concludes and rolls on throughout the course of the night thank you so much to Chris Hine joining us from the Star Tribune out in Minnesota to talk about Anthony Edwards and what Hickey just mentioned Anthony Anthony Edwards is just lighting it up for the Minnesota Timberwolves we'll see the Timberwolves take on the Denver Nuggets that game gets started a little more than than two hours from now I'm real interested to see whether or not Rudy Gobert shows up and I get it his kid his kid just showed up into the world I heard it was this morning you know and Hickey I don't want to be the jerk right and tell me if I'm being the jerk and I got a kid but the baby was born this morning like the baby was born this morning Hickey the game is tonight like I mean uh anyway hop on a plint uh Hickey help me help me no I know I think you're right I think you can accomplish both where you can be there for the birth this morning and get back I mean I'm assuming he's flying from Minnesota right it would be my guess yeah I don't think he's coming from Paris right I don't think so so that I mean that can't be that long of a flight from Minnesota to Denver I can't imagine and I'm sure whether it's the you know Wolves plane private plane etc I'm sure he got you know a quick way to get there he'll be playing tonight I I don't think there are any concerns when it comes to to his travel I guess he wants to make it dramatic we're gonna find out soon enough I just think that you can you can have a monumental moment in the morning and have another one at night if anything I think there'd be some motivation to go out there and be like man he has to feel like he's on cloud nine at the same time his partner I don't know if it's his wife his girlfriend whatever the case Hickey she might be looking at him like where you going you know she might be like you got to stay here with me well that's the whole thing right I mean the kid doesn't know if you're there or not so it's more about the partner right baby doesn't know a damn thing right now that's right that's right baby doesn't know anything giving birth is not easy so I'm sure it's a lot easier with someone else next to you yeah yeah well anyway before I get yelled at I'm gonna get emails and angry emails hey well anyway that's perfectly fine uh I'll close and say this it it's it's just go play the game man you know I get it so I'll put it to you this way Hickey I've also heard people on the other side who say hey I I I've heard NBA guys say my wife my girlfriend would have told me hey I gave birth we're here we're okay go play we're okay go play like go play the game like everybody's relationship is different I bet I guess is the best way right that is true right one size is not fit all but also too maybe it's look you have you know the birth happens in the morning do you have to be there for shoot around probably not so maybe take a little extra time be with your newborn and let's say maybe two o'clock local you fly out you land yeah and you're like he'll be there for the game no doubt about it if he's not there for the game and they lose I mean this is this is a big game I mean they're all big games but as Chris Hahn just said this is gonna be a series that's play tough I think this series is harder to call than anything we got going on right now between the New York Knicks and the Pacers like this is a tough one I mean these are the defending champs the Minnesota Timberwolves are a gigantic team if there is any team in the playoffs right now who could move them the hell up on out the way I would look at the Timberwolves and a part of that is because Rudy Gobert is what like seven one seven foot two they it's not like he's some bum off the bench and by the way Rudy Gobert they they they gave up a lot to bring him in they traded the world for him when you think about how much money Rudy Gobert is making this man is making like 40 plus million dollars a year like they brought him in for games like today Hickey I've also heard something oh what's that I've heard from players that when you when you do the thing to make the babies you try to plan it you know what I'm you try to do it in the offseason so not like now can you follow Rudy Gobert I mean his whole career he's been one and done oh damn you know he's had may open on the calendar for his whole career so Rudy Gobert he planned it and he just he's like hey by this week I expect it to be home and now he's he's playing meaningful basketball so go figure this is the year we're right the team's actually you know has a chance to go all the way to the finals yeah congratulations to uh Rudy Gobert and uh his partner in in the birth of of his child congratulations let's see if he shows up uh for work tonight somebody who is gonna show up for work I told you we got about two hours or so before this game gets underway we got the Dallas Mavericks oh that's not what am I doing that's tomorrow Hickey I'm over here conflating the Timberwolves and the Nuggets I've had to wait so damn long for the Thunder to play another basketball game Hickey they last played last Monday it's gonna be eight days since they eliminated and swept the Pelicans out of the playoffs they're gonna be rusty or what tomorrow you would think I mean it's a lot of rest but that especially for a young team almost you want to keep on playing when you play as well as they did against the Pelicans it's a long time be sitting and waiting look the Dallas Mavericks it took them until Friday night to get those elderly Clippers the hell up on out of here 114 to one on one was the final score on Friday night and Dallas won that series four to two Kyrie Irving woke up had 30 points Luka Doncic woke up had 28 points that game was so uninteresting it was in the bag I quit watching that game on Friday and I turned it the hell off and so now we gotta wait until tomorrow not tonight tomorrow the Mavericks go at it against the young Oklahoma City Thunder why the Thunder here being young as they are I have no idea but they are I think I do know the answer it's a Canadian man named Shay Gilgas Alexander goes to the free throw line whenever the hell he wants drops 30 points a game he does what he wants they got Chet Holmgrum they got Jalen Williams they got a young squad a little small little short but they got a squad and against the Dallas Mavericks the Dallas Mavericks tried to pretty much trade for depth throughout the course of the season and size they added PJ Washington Daniel Gafford they got him over from Washington but still it's a it's a two-man team it's Kawhi or excuse me it's Kyrie Kawhi's on the beach pick you think he's in Cancun or where's he at Bahamas I think he's at his house he does not seem like a vacation guy at all he's just sitting in his house by himself no tv no music just sitting in silence I saw Kawhi in Vegas for a fight one time yeah he was in a yeah he showed up for a fight so he does live up to his nickname a fun guy huh he walked into the MGM Grand what I assume his wife or girlfriend and nobody gave a damn he could I mean he's quiet enough where he could blend in if he wants to it's six foot seven well that that could give it away a little bit he walked through the MGM Grand and people saw that it was him and typically people get mobbed like he had uh what is it you know the bag a garment bag he had a garment bag I guess to change it so whatever he was going to wear for the fight he had some luggage with his girlfriend wife and he walked clear into the MGM and there were people who looked over at him and it's just nobody cared you know typically if Steph Curry and I get it Steph Curry if he walked through the lobby of the MGM Grand he he couldn't do it he'd get I don't want to say get kidnapped because he's a grown man but he'd get body snatched he'd get mobbed Kawhi Leonard just walked through the MGM Grand lobby on a Saturday afternoon before a fight and everybody's just like oh that's Kawhi meh nobody cared he went right to the check-in desk the fancy one for the rich people and he just went to the fight after nobody gave a damn so he might be somewhere spectacular but yeah he's probably at home hickey good good point anyway the man who I was actually referring to Kyrie Irving Luka Doncic if they don't show up and destroy the world by putting up I don't know 70 points a game 35 each I don't know man I think the math the Mavs might run out of gas I think the only thing that might save them against the Oklahoma City Thunder is experience and youth and maybe size that's it do I think that uh Oklahoma City's gonna run him out the building not necessarily but I'm gonna take OKC to go to the western conference finals unless Luka has a god series is it possible of course it is I think that's their only hope anyway somebody who's currently a member of the Mavericks and now we know he's not going anywhere doesn't play for the team anymore he's actually their head coach his name is Jason Kidd over the weekend Jason Kidd his name was attached just like everybody else's name to the Los Angeles Lakers an airhead coaching job well Jason Kidd spoke to the media and he said damn it I'm just glad that they like me and they want to pay me and keep me here listen to Kidd yeah it means a lot the the work that you know the coaching staff and the players are putting in you know means a lot and and hopefully they saw that and you know through the through the good and through the stuff that we had to get better at you know where this is work in progress this is a very talented team and so to be a part of it I'm very blessed okay you got to figure out a way to stop Shay Gilgus Alexander he can be blessed with his new contract Shay Gilgus is like he's 30 points he's 35 points he just does what he wants and from one point guard to another Kidd is like we got to stop that guy he's one of the best young players in this league and so he puts a lot of pressure on your defense and everyone's going to get a chance to guard him just understand we're coming out of a series with Paul George and Harden who can you know flat out score the ball so hopefully we can have some carry over from the defensive side to just try to make it tough on on uh on Shay and those guys that they're gonna make tough shots uh our our theory is try to make them take tough shots and hopefully that we can get them to miss them man we gotta wait one more day before we see Oklahoma City and the Dallas Mavericks one more day and speaking of young players yeah Shay Gilgus Alexander he might be in that category we had a young player a 20 year old not even American just when rookie of the year I'm going to tell you who he is you should probably know who it is we'll talk about him I'll fill you in on the other side of the break more international players are taking over the NBA we'll talk about him on the other side the JR sport we show the infinity sports network baseball is in full swing NBA playoffs are heating up and your NFL team is gearing up for training camp listen to the latest on the teams you love here on the Odyssey app the biggest sports radio stations in the country providing unrivaled local coverage of their teams all in one place 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