Realistic Justin Fields Expectations? (Hour 2)

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$10 minimum per order. Additional terms apply. We continue this exact Yelp show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. I do have the book in my hand right now.

It was released today. Talk of champions. Stories of the people who made me. A memoir by Kenny the Jet Smith.

And he's kind enough to join us right now. Kenny, first off, congratulations on the book. Appreciate the time. How you been? Man, appreciate you having me. Been doing well.

You know, we're deep in the playoffs, so we're up late and up early. And now you have a book out, so it's unbelievable stuff. I was reading a few chapters and really something that stood out to me was the chapter on Michael Jordan. We all know your relationship with Michael Jordan back to your days at UNC, but I thought it was fascinating when you look back at your draft. You went one pick after Scottie Pippen, who obviously went to the Bulls, and you said I was jealous of Scottie Pippen all throughout our playing days. And even today, I'm still jealous of Scottie. I know you're very close to Michael, but why is that jealousy still there after the special career and broadcasting career that you've had? Oh, man, I tell you, you know, and it's a jealousy in a fun way in the sense that, you know, I know what Michael could do for you as an individual. Because, you know, sometimes knowing what you don't have as a person or as a player is better than knowing what you can do. And I understand that having someone who is that driven, that motivationally driven next to you is what I always needed.

I love guys like that. And I know I would have been a better player if I'm next to that. So I was always jealous. I'm like, Scottie's going to get something. When he was like his rookie and sophomore year and freshman year, I mean, second year in the league, I was like, he doesn't know what he's getting at playing with Michael.

He's just going to get better and better and better and better. And I was always jealous of that because at those times I was playing in Sacramento, where, you know, we weren't sniffing the playoffs. So, you know, I didn't sniff the playoffs until like my fourth year, fifth year in the league. So I was always jealous that Scottie was getting all that mentorship and that missing ingredient that I knew was out of my cake. You've accomplished so much. Six overall pick at a UNC, two championships in the NBA.

You've been an integral part of the greatest studio show that I've ever seen in sports. When you look back at it, with all that you've lived so far, what are you most proud about? I think, you know, what I'm most proud about, you know, my whole career is my parents and what they instilled in me, the ability to listen. You know, that's what the book is about is like, it's kind of initiates is where when you're able to listen, you're able to have empathy, even though sometimes you're not having sympathy. You're able to understand why people might think that way, even though it's far from your belief. And that kind of dictated as a player, why does this guy play that way?

Why did they negotiate that deal? And culturally, why do they feel that, you know, I don't have the same affinity, maybe for, you know, law enforcement that someone else might have. Why? And I think that when you listen, you have the ability and that's what I think I'm most proud of and I try to pass on to everyone else.

The name of the memoir, Talk of Champions, Stories of the People Who Made Me, Kenny the Jetsmith is my guest. I was watching you guys late last night as you do each and every night of the NBA postseason, Golden State now down 3-1 to the Lakers. I couldn't believe how sloppy, especially a team of that championship caliber, Golden State is how they were down the stretch last night in Los Angeles. Yeah, I think, you know, when you look at Golden State from that perspective, you know, at times they're too little because we forget that LeBron James is 6'10, Anthony Davis is 7'3. But they play a fast game at times, so you're like, the Lakers are playing small ball.

No, they're not. They're not playing small ball. They still have Anthony Davis and LeBron James on the floor. They're not playing small. And with the Lakers, their ability to have that flexibility to play against them, I think, is huge in this series. Because now, you know, without Looney playing the major minutes, without Kamenga being able to be put in and inserted, there's no Weissman that they traded. They at times only play small.

They don't mix it up. Like in the years past when they had their champions in years, at times they had big lineups and then they would go small. But now they just play small.

And it's also kind of crazy how much a difference a year makes. Last year, Jordan Poole was considered a third splash brother. We know the contract that he got.

And last night only played 10 minutes and couldn't even find the way to get on the stat sheet in the score column. How did they get Jordan Poole right? I know it's too little too late for this postseason, but moving on into the future with that contract he signed. Well, maybe not too little too late because one of the things that they have is two out of the next three games are in San Francisco.

So to close out, they have to win in San Francisco. But I just think that Jordan Poole has to find Jordan Poole. The ability to be a shot maker and shot taker is something that he had become. Last year at this time, if I was on your show, you would probably have been asking me, should the Golden State Warriors trade Klay Thompson? It was getting to that point where people were thinking that he could replace Klay.

And so here we are now, a year later, it's really an internal thought that he has to bring out himself. Where's your trust level in this Lakers team winning a championship this year? I mean, we have two series left and this one's not over. I think because it's LeBron James, if the name wasn't James on the Lakers, would we say if we were just looking at a great player named Jones playing the way he's playing? I don't know if we'd say that this team is a championship team yet. I would still say Denver, Phoenix.

But because of the name James on it, so I don't look at the names, I look at the performance. I don't think that they've proven that they're the best team in the league yet. But they are playing better than Golden State, which doesn't acumen the best team in the playoffs or championship run yet. Denver took the first two, Suns bounce back, they got the next two.

How do you think the rest of the series plays out? Because I do agree with you, I do believe the winner of Suns and Nuggets will end up going to the finals this year. Well, the most complete team in basketball to me is Denver though. They have great point guards and Jamal Murray, obviously an MVP candidate. They have potential all-stars in Gordon and Porter. They have a bench with Green and all of these guys that come in. They're the most complete team. The most explosive team, obviously, is the Phoenix Suns. They have two guys that can get you 101 points between the two of them. They can get you 100 points between two guys.

That is an astronomical number. So that in itself makes them dangerous, but it doesn't make them... Because if one of those guys are slightly off, they don't have the margin of error that other teams have, I don't think, at all. Well, we've seen how open it's been so far in the postseason.

Kenny the Jet Smith here with us for a few more moments. I've been disappointed with Boston. I still think they'll get to the finals, but I'm waiting to see that killer instinct in them and I just haven't seen it yet in the postseason. Well, you know, I think killer instinct comes from experience. It's a buildup. When you're in round one sometimes, you're like, Are we that good? No matter who you are. Round two, it's just a buildup after each round. And then all of a sudden you become who you are. The longer things go, I think the more united you become. Even if you take series longer, I think you become united. And then all of a sudden, if you win or lose in a game seven, you're excited.

Wrap it up with Kenny the Jet Smith. You know how it is in New York. It's so up and down, just depending on what the team does. A lot of people now critical of Julius Randle, especially after last night when asked about the Heat out hustling the Knicks.

He said maybe they just want it more. Do you think Julius Randle is salvageable for the long term in New York, or maybe they have to look to move on from him this offseason? Oh, no. I mean, I think Julius, you know, is a really good player. You know, the Knicks, I think, are the expectation of New Yorkers is sometime unrealistic, kind of like like Lakers fans, like if they don't win the championship. I remember when they had, you know, there was there was no Shaq. There was no Kobe. And they were like, and Magic, you know, wasn't there.

And they're like, Why aren't we winning? Elder Campbell and Nick Van Exel were your best two players. You're not going to be John Stockton and Karl Malone.

Sorry. Sometimes the expectations aren't realistic, but they're adding the right pieces because no one thought that Jaylen Brunson would, you know, would be this good. They thought he could be good, but this good, you know, so they're maturing into what I think they need to be. And but, you know, New York just doesn't have patience, you know, to build it. They want it. They want to extend. They want a microwave.

They never want to bake the cake. But I also heard Mike Greenberg and Jaylen Rose in the last few days. They're using weather as an excuse as to why the Knicks haven't shown up in Miami. Do you just laugh at that when you hear that?

Or is there something to that? I have no idea what they're talking about. Weather, because we're all in the same weather.

I think the Miami Heat in the same weather. And you play indoors, too. I have no idea what that means. Actually, I like playing better in warmer weather. You come to the gym, you just feel better. You know what I mean? It's kind of like if you go for a workout, you like you just feel better. You get loose.

I have no idea. I'm not even going to elaborate on something I don't even know about. Do you feel like the winner of Sixers and Celtics will go on to the finals or you're not dismissing Miami, assuming Miami takes care of business to get one more done up against the Knicks?

Oh, no, you're not. You're not dismissing the Miami Heat now because they have a rhythm of play that forces you to play a certain way against them. So you don't have the luxury of always saying, we're going to play fast today or we're going to play slow today. But you do have to know you're going to play the way Miami plays.

You're going to have to grind it out. You're going to have to be physical and you're going to have to be physical on both ends of the court, which a lot of teams aren't able to impose their style of play on another team. Which Jimmy Butler and Eric Sposter have done a great job of like, you could beat us, but you're going to have to beat us this way. Last thing I'll ask you, Kenny, the Jetsmith once again, the name of the memoir, talk of champion stories of the people who made me.

We're on right now in four stations in the state of Wisconsin. A lot of people reacting to the Bucks firing Mike Bootenholz or people trying to figure out who's going to be next. The other day, I threw out the name Ty Lue. I know he's under contract with the Clippers, but could you maybe see Ty Lue trying to get out of that unfortunate situation in Los Angeles with all the injuries and make it his way to Milwaukee?

Okay. I love the way you painted the picture. The way you painted that picture, you'd be like, yeah, Ty Lue's coming. You said the unfortunate situation, but you have to think the guy lives in Los Angeles.

He probably lives on a beach. He still has arguably the two best players in the world. But they're never healthy.

But that just aren't healthy. However, the way you painted the picture, I'd be like, if I was Ty Lue, I'd be like, I'm coming to Milwaukee. But realistically, how are you going to get out to contract? Why would you get out to contract? And is it a guarantee that they want him? There's no guarantee. I'm at a place that wants me.

I just got to make sure that my training staff has the newest equipment to make sure my guys are healthy and I might still be playing today. So you don't think it's at all realistic? Because I look at Ty Lue, I just feel like he's frustrated because that's got to be the most maddening thing when you have two stars and you still coach your ass off, but unfortunately, it just can't be healthy when it's go time. So you're the guy who has, you have the girlfriend that just doesn't like a couple of things. You see it, you go, I bet that girl over there is happy. Even though she's with that guy, let me go check and see. That's what it sounds like.

That's what it sounds like. Like, yeah, you could take the chance of going over there and see if the girl's unhappy, but she's got a ring on her finger, bro. Let her take the ring off. He's got a ring on his finger and it looks like it's working other than the fact that the guys aren't healthy. Like, that is it. If that's your only reason for not winning, what if Giannis gets hurt next year? It's a fair point, but I would roll the dice and take my chance with Milwaukee over Los Angeles right now. Like I said, judging by the way you put it, I would too.

I was like, man, he should leave. You convinced me. Well, congratulations on the book.

Once again, talk to champion stories of the people who made me. Kenny the Jet Smith, always good to catch up with you. Thank you. In stores now.

Go to Amazon books, whatever it is, it's on all platforms. Thanks so much. I hope you feel better. You got it. We'll do it again soon. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Sixers and Celtics coming your way in a few moments.

It is Zach Gelb Show right here on CBS Sports Radio. And in four games so far in this series, the Celtics have won two, the Sixers have won two. And you've seen in both the Sixers victories, James Harden just be the James Harden that we always have thought that he could be if you look at what he's done in the regular season. But James Harden has developed this thought about him, right, where we've all had this thought about him is that he just doesn't come up big in the postseason.

And it's not far off. It's not off base because there's been a lot of moments in the playoffs where you see more of the James Harden in games two and three, where he was a combined, made five field goals in two games than the James Harden that just has this outburst in games one and four. And Hickey, I've been very critical of postseason Harden, and I do think that this series is going to go seven games.

I don't know when the game's going to be that he doesn't show up. But I feel like pretty confident that that Harden is going to give you at least two good efforts, assuming this thing does go seven. We know Embiid's at 100 percent, but still when Embiid's at 100 percent, he could drop 34 points on you like he did the other night and still be dominant. And in the fourth quarter, he just didn't play all that great. But that's kind of what we've all been asking the Sixers to do is have someone take that pressure off of Embiid in the fourth quarter and step up and make those big shots. And James Harden, to his credit, so far is the reason why the Sixers are in this series and why it is at 2-2.

So I do it like a weird way. I usually would be the one saying, oh, Harden's going to come up small in the postseason. If you tell me there's going to be three more games left in this series, I think he's going to play really well in two of them and then we'll be OK in one of them.

The question just becomes when the OK game is going to happen. If it's in a game seven, then the conversation is going to be that when the moment mattered the most, that James Harden ended up letting his team down. At this point, with two of the last four games being great by James Harden and maybe, maybe in his career, two of the best postseason games he's ever had, he's been tremendous in games one and four. For me now, these last three games, possibly in this series, the question is not about can James Harden get to the level and play at a high level again.

We've obviously seen that. It's when he's not great, when he is just OK. Can he be, though, just OK and not terrible? Because that's the only thing in this series. Games one and four, he was great. Games two and three, he was a detriment.

He wasn't just OK or was invisible. He easily contributed and willingly contributed to them losing and not playing well in both of those games. And so if you're the Sixers, sure, you would love another 40 point game winning shot from James Harden. At this point, I think you'd just be happy with getting three, I'll say, solid games moving forward and just not having one of those absolute stinkers that you just can't come back from. I actually think my biggest question for the Sixers is who's going to be the third piece? The last two nights, we've seen just some bizarre third pieces. When you look at Landry Shammet the other night with what he was able to do just in the fourth quarter for the Suns. And you look last night, Lonnie Walker scores 15 points in the fourth quarter for the Lakers. Like, I'm not even saying you've got to be a great third piece for all four quarters, but you look at Harden, you're right. If there is a game where he's just like, OK, and Embiid has a great performance, you're going to need someone else to put up other points.

And I'm just wondering who that third piece is going to be. Tobias Harris has done nothing for me in this series. I don't want to hear about what he did in the last round up against Brooklyn. That was never going to be a series.

You knew that going in. So he has to start to show a pulse. You would think it's going to be Maxey, but I just want to see in the postseason Embiid, Maxey, and Harden all be on. And I don't think you see all three of them collectively all be on because it does feel like if Harden's going off, then Maxey's going to take a little bit.

And sometimes maybe even a lot of a step back. So, like, I think Maxey is going to be a really good player, but he may actually end up being the biggest key for them in these next three games. If they're going to actually want to finally be able to beat the Boston Celtics in a playoff series, because I know that even when Embiid's not great. And Embiid in Game 4, he had 34 points. He was awesome in the first three quarters.

He was actually pretty damn good in overtime. But in the fourth quarter, that was a stretch where he didn't play all that great. And even on one leg, Embiid can give you 30 something points. I'm not concerned about Embiid putting up big numbers. Like Harden, this is one of those series, maybe it's just feeling it and caught up in the moment of Game 4. I actually feel like Harden's going to be fine. It's that other piece for the Sixers, are they going to be...

I can't believe I'm saying this, but are they going to be able to get a hot stretch in the fourth like how the Suns got it and how the Lakers got it the last two nights? And that, to me, right now is my biggest question with the Sixers. And if you have to pick a guy for the Sixers to step up and maybe a more obscure guy, I would say P.J.

Tucker. Someone who not only brings it defensively, but he has one area where he is deadly. The corner three. That's the guy where he's made basically his entire career on the offensive end of shooting that corner three. The Celtics will give it to him. The Nets gave it to him all the first series. And his credit, he made like three in a row at one point. They just kept feeding him and kept making it.

You want to talk about an unlikely hero from an unlikely source? I would say P.J. Tucker. Maybe like three, four years ago, but the dude in 75 games this year averaged 3.5 points per game.

I think P.J. Tucker at this stage of his career is more of a defensive help and kind of that veteran voice in that Sixers locker room that goes up to him beat and is that energizer bunny and goes, Dude, you need to pick up your crap and you need to start playing well. Really, it comes down to Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey, one of those guys who got to take the torch and run with it. And Tobias Harris has just kind of been like a waste of space on the court in this series. I hate to say it that way, but with how much that dude is making, when you look at their last two games, he's had seven points and nine points. The first two games he was fine, but in Game 1, you had to get close to scoring 20 points.

I think he had 18, Joel Embiid didn't play. So I got to see Tobias Harris, Maxey, it should be Maxey, but when you look at the contract, you gave all that money to Tobias Harris. I know people think that's why Jimmy Butler is no longer there. It's more so Ben Simmons and Brett Brown, but the optics are that Harris is there and Butler isn't.

That dude's got to be a little bit more, he got to be a lot more assertive. And I got to see that motor get picked up in intensity from Tobias Harris. And if you're the Sixers, like right now, you should feel good.

I don't think you should be feeling a lot of pressure. I think the pressure tonight and the rest of the series is on Boston. Because I didn't think, and I know you didn't think this either, the Sixers get to the finals this year. Even with being the third best team in the Eastern Conference, now the Bucks are gone. And the Celtics so far, lazy effort in the first round up against the Hawks. And so far through the first four games, they had a chance to go up 3-1. And they kind of slept walked through the first three quarters of that Game 4 and still almost won the game in Game 4. But when do you keep on putting your hands on the stove and the...