00:00:00
Speaker 1: Nicks down a point.
00:00:01
Speaker 2: We mentioned earlier. Largest comeback in NBA Finals history was a twenty four point comeback by the Celtics in eight mix, We're down as many as twenty nine. Anonobi gets it into Brunson. Brunton pulls a quick thrace off the front.
00:00:15
Speaker 3: Rim.
00:00:15
Speaker 4: No, they've been good, hot Lean with one point two seconds to go.
00:00:20
Speaker 2: Oh d Nnobi flying out of nowhere and this place.
00:00:25
Speaker 5: Is rocking at the garden thirty work on a Monday afternoon.
00:00:30
Speaker 4: One of our favorite guys.
00:00:30
Speaker 5: We talk to him every week, Sam Amic covers the NBA four The Athletic and he joins us on the UMA guest line following the crowning of a new NBA champion in the New York Knicks. Sam, what's going on, man, how's it going?
00:00:42
Speaker 6: Puts up?
00:00:42
Speaker 3: Guys, Good afternoon and going well. Happy to be with you from the comfy tom fines of my actual office.
00:00:48
Speaker 5: I bet right, just say I just said it, so we'll talk to Sam Amon, probably from the comfort of his home.
00:00:52
Speaker 4: Finally, Dude, uh.
00:00:54
Speaker 5: Fantastic stuff, dude, I mean I said to Derek earlier in the show Game five. For me, what that was was like, yeah, V Nick's had the incredible comeback in Game four, but they prove again in Game five like it's not just a fluke. And really, for me, it wasn't just that they won, it's that they refuse to lose this series, and as dominant as they were throughout the postseason coming into this series, to trail for seventy two percent of the time played and to win it in five is one of the all time great Finals performances.
00:01:20
Speaker 6: In my mind, I'm with you, I'm with you.
00:01:24
Speaker 3: I mean, no other ones come to mind in terms of the nature of the way they did it. It was very unique. Jalen Brunson after Game five, and I'm paraphrasing, but it said something about how it was an honor to compete with these guys, and he said, you know, we played tonight like like we just.
00:01:41
Speaker 6: We wanted to end it. We wanted to go home.
00:01:44
Speaker 3: And then he kind of laughed and he was like, wow, you know, in the last couple quarters anyway, you know, like that's how they always were, like they weren't playing well, but then it developed this quality where the Spurs it's like you could tell that by the end of the series they were on edge at times when they should have been full of confidence, you know, because you're you're kind of waiting for that that that right hook from this guy that keeps knocking you out to come and uh and they kind of had mental ownage of the Spurs that the next did, if that makes sense. So incredible stuff and I'm always a sucker for you know, with Jalen Brunson getting Finals MVP, I like it. And this is again Barry it kind of related. I like it when there's just a clear cut guy and we don't have to have a debate. Yeah, and he comes out and drops forty five, you know because like before that game, you know, our our buddy mar Marcus Toms and I like we had been making this comparison to the twenty sixteen finals VP, right.
00:02:45
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, Well it was a cat.
00:02:47
Speaker 3: The first two games and then it was og and Jalen was like very important.
00:02:52
Speaker 6: But you know, not very efficient and.
00:02:55
Speaker 3: So yeah, he comes out and delivers the knockout blow by himself and it's they deserved that award.
00:03:01
Speaker 7: And on the flip side, just sim where do you think the Spurs go from here? And I'm one of your opinions on deeron Fox, and I know you covered him when he was with the Kings, and you know I asked you about to play on the Game four where he decided to go up and make a layup instead of drimming the ball out. And just his performance the last two games have not been great. And then you think about the future. Dylan Harper, you know, pretty good player for this team, young, and I think it came out that he was not happy with his playing time this season. Just what do you think about the long term future for the Spurs and specifically deeron Fox. He's got a long term contract there, but could they go younger there in the in the more recent years.
00:03:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's tricky, and you know again it's it's another one where I can't think of a great comp in terms.
00:03:45
Speaker 6: Of the young guy emerging.
00:03:48
Speaker 3: But the problem is deer is not an old guy and and so it's it's not a passing of the torch like Deeron you know, not to speak for him, but I don't think he's ready to pass the torch. He just got there, you know what I mean, And so he struggles in the way that he did in the finals. I feel for him because first of all, you know, everybody has seem to forgotten that he had high ankles frame.
00:04:10
Speaker 6: In the West Finals, and that's going to sound like an excuse.
00:04:12
Speaker 3: But my only point is I don't know to what degree that impacted him. But you know the play that you mentioned, Derek, like when he gets caught by o Gananobi, Like, yeah, Fox doesn't get caught by anybody ever, Like that's his entire identity is being the fastest guy on the court. And so now you have young Dylan Harper, who in Game five was looking like the only fearless dude out there for long stretches. And then you have Fox with a contract with multiple years left, capping out around sixty million dollars. So even if you want to talk about, hey, they should probably flip him and let Dylan have the job and then get even deeper with that Fox trade. Well, I don't think Fox has much of a market at that number.
00:04:55
Speaker 6: It's just a massive number.
00:04:56
Speaker 3: So you know, I know Brian Windhors from ESPN today that the Spurs are still standing by their guy and see Fox is part of the long term.
00:05:05
Speaker 6: And that's the messaging I got when I was out there too. So if that's the case, it still doesn't answer the question of like what.
00:05:12
Speaker 3: Do you do with Harper? Is he going to start? Are you going to have a sixty million dollars six man? Like what are you going to do?
00:05:19
Speaker 5: Talking to Sam anic off the athletic on the Uma gas line. Does san Antonio leave this feeling energized about where they are or do they leave it feeling completely devastated because they've got a bright future with three young guys who I think really could be back here sooner rather than later. It just seemed like there were great stretches for Wemby, but he did not have the support consistently.
00:05:39
Speaker 6: No, I mean they should, I think eventually.
00:05:41
Speaker 3: I would imagine they're going to feel you know, pride and you know, optimism coming out of this.
00:05:48
Speaker 6: I do think right now, it's pretty painful. You know, Wemby, as great as that young guy is.
00:05:53
Speaker 3: You know, we saw a handful of column immature moments or just kind of you know, revealing moments. But at the end, you know, the press conference, like the handshaking thing, I'm not losing sleepover he didn't shake their hands.
00:06:06
Speaker 6: It is what it is.
00:06:06
Speaker 3: But then you know that you finished the press conference, and it's kind of this sarcastic like, oh see, y'all never drops the mic. It's just kind of edgy, and it's just like he was clearly upset. I get it, because they they were capable of winning these finals.
00:06:22
Speaker 6: They were capable.
00:06:23
Speaker 3: Of becoming one of the most remarkable champions that we'd ever seen if they had pulled it off. You know, when you have you know, Harrison Barnes is the only guy who's ever been a part of a long playoff run, and Daron Fox with one playoff series under his belt, and the rest of those guys are are neophytes in the postseason, it would have been incredible. So that being said, you know, like you said, cops like they have a ton to be fired up about. And even you know, the questions that we hit on a moment ago, like they're challenging, but they're they're not debilitating them and they're still in a wonderful spot.
00:06:57
Speaker 7: Talking to Sam Amic on the UMA guest line. So as soon as the finals are over, we moved to the offseason and how the Celtics can compete with the Knicks. And it's a big news today. There's rumors about Giannis. Last time we spoke, Sam, it seemed like Miami was the heavy favorite. You wrote about it, Bill Simmons believes he's going to Boston. Now Mark Stein's reporting on it, would you say today it's more likely that Giannis is going to Boston over Miami.
00:07:22
Speaker 3: I don't have a great sense over that either one, if I'm honest with you, you know, admittedly not to do the whole, you know, stake my flag thing, but like we were very much out ahead of the Boston story, and so it's been interesting to see that developed because at the trade deadline, you know, I think the way I'd phrased it in April when I wrote it was that the Celtics showed, you know, cursory interest, which is like toad for showing interest without Jalen Brown.
00:07:50
Speaker 6: Hearing about it, you know what I mean.
00:07:51
Speaker 3: Like that's the real Like they didn't they wanted to explore the possibility that they couldn't afford to have you know, their current team chemistry wise, get impacted. So now they're realizing that they not only might have a real chance to get him, but that more importantly, you know, we've for sure been told that the Giannis is very intrigued by the Celtic situation, and our understanding is that he would be willing to.
00:08:16
Speaker 6: Sign an extension in Boston. So that's a game changer.
00:08:19
Speaker 3: And you had Brad Stevens in his end of season press confense highlighting the need to have more pressure on the rim, you know, describing the.
00:08:28
Speaker 6: Type of player that Giannis is.
00:08:30
Speaker 3: You had Giannis during last season publicly raving about Joe Mizzoula's coaching style. So it feels a bit like all the all the stars are lining up for a Boston situation. The only thing that you know that I can't reconcile is that Giannis has always seemed to be a little reluctant, and this tangentially relates to the Warriors, like reluctant to join a group that was.
00:08:55
Speaker 6: Already very celebrated.
00:08:57
Speaker 3: Like he kind of like, you know, he likes the idea, like in Milwaukee, of ending a fifty year title drought, and so Boston's got seventeen of those things, so you know, you're you're you're not gonna be, you know, treading new new territory, if that makes sense. So I don't know how he sees that part, you know, Miami has got a couple of ships, but it's not the same level of history.
00:09:19
Speaker 6: So we'll see what happens here.
00:09:20
Speaker 5: I'm not gonna say amament if the Athleta covers the NBA on the Uma Das line. Do you think Lebron already knows where he's playing next year or he wants to play next year?
00:09:30
Speaker 3: No, because unless I mean, there's always tampering that happens, but that would be an epic level of stampering to have all of the like, I doubt that he has all of the numbers on what is possible for him salary wise, because all of these different teams.
00:09:48
Speaker 6: You know that certain dominoes have to fall. He's not he's I.
00:09:51
Speaker 3: Don't think he's anybody's top priority because he's Yes, he's Lebron, but he's you know, he's old man Lebron. So without that information, I do not think that he could know what he's gonna do just yet. I think he would have like an educated sense on each situation and go from there. But you know, he's gonna have to wait to see some things unfold here.
00:10:13
Speaker 5: Okay, let me repersent in another or look at it from another angle. Do you think he's open to not playing in Los Angeles? Like, do you think he's genuinely okay with the idea of maybe going somewhere else, whether that's I know, we're kind of talking words, like where they offer that mid level exception, it would mean he took something for a totally different reason. But like, do you think he's open to playing elsewhere or is his mind or like he would he rather play in LA and then maybe see if something else happens, I guess, is what I'm asking.
00:10:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think he certainly would rather play in LA. But I think and like I always want to be careful. I'm not trying to speak for him before I told me his thoughts lately, but I think my sense would be that it's like the Lakers have got to hit a bigger number than other.
00:10:57
Speaker 6: Places to avoid.
00:10:58
Speaker 3: Disrespecting him, in my opinion, And I think that's where the door opens to other teams, you know, because if he just has to come to Grips with the idea that it seemed like the Warriors can only get to the mid level, then there's there's no hard feelings because there's no history, you know what I mean, Like he already has at times felt disrespected by the Lakers, just based on their personal dynamics and relationships within that group. So I think, first thing, first, does that door open from the Lakers side because of the way they handle it. Secondly, I mean, yes, I you know, I know, I'm tap dancing around your question, but like, yes, I think he's willing to play somewhere else. And I actually think the Bay, you know, could be a palatable option from a life standpoint, because you know, you can get up and down the coast easy enough. Chris Paul when he was at the Warriors, spent all kinds of time going to see his family in LA. You know, these guys make a ton of money. They can have private jets. It's not quite the same as getting up in your house in the morning and having your coffee and your bed and all your comforts, but it's you know, it's it's not playing in Cleveland either.
00:12:02
Speaker 7: It also sounds like I guess I saw a report that the Warriors are willing to let him commute from LA to San Francisco every day, which would be very interesting.
00:12:09
Speaker 1: I'm talking to Sam Amic on the UMA guest line.
00:12:11
Speaker 7: Just going back to the Jannis trade talks. If this does fall through and they end up going with the Miami Heat the Milwaukee Bucks, would things be too far gone with Jalen Brown coming back to Boston, whether it be able to mind fences or now this is out there is that kind of done deal where he may not be going back.
00:12:28
Speaker 3: Now top to tell, I don't know how Jalen feels about it, but he's He's always had, you know, maybe a little hyperbolic to say, a strained relationship with Boston.
00:12:44
Speaker 6: But at least a tricky one.
00:12:47
Speaker 3: You know, He's been vocal at times about kind of the racial history of the city and his comfort level with that backdrop. He's been open recently about how much funn he had this year with Jason Tatum not on the court, which obviously made headlines. So the irony is that it seemed like last season and getting to be the guy for as long as he was before Tatum came back, that that really cemented his love for his place in the organization.
00:13:17
Speaker 6: And then lo and.
00:13:18
Speaker 3: Behold, maybe the rug is getting pulled out from underneath him a little bit. So you know, I wouldn't be shocked to see him be upset by this, I don't know where that leaves the dynamics and then you know, welcome to twenty twenty six. We just all have to log onto his Twitch stream to figure out what he's feeling, and I'm sure we'll find out through that avenue.
00:13:38
Speaker 1: Last one for you, Sam.
00:13:39
Speaker 7: Obviously, Jalen Brunson gets you know, a lot of the attention because he's final his MVP. But how do you view Crian Anthony Towns and his success leading to this championship for the New York Knicks. We're in the past when he was with Minnesota. I mean, like, let's be honest here, like a lot of people thought that, you know, he was soft as a player, and two people that were really calling him out a lot, where Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green else took him out of the last two games. But what has his addition to you know, the Knicks meant to their success?
00:14:07
Speaker 6: It was huge.
00:14:08
Speaker 3: I mean, he really validated his you know, who he is as a as a player, as a person. He was very relatable, you know, talking openly about the death of his mother and how it inspired him and how you know, her presence carried him.
00:14:24
Speaker 6: It is I'm.
00:14:25
Speaker 3: Sure I doubt he'll say it publicly, but you know, to get a championship before Jimmy is something that I'm sure he enjoys because of their Minnesota history. And he was he was almost the perfect type of big to throw at Victor Weben Yama. You know, his shooting pulls Vick out of a paint. His physicality, that toughness that people questioned whether or not he had actually gave Vic problems at times. You know, nobody guarded Victor better than Anonobi, but Kat was pretty good.
00:14:55
Speaker 6: And the foul trouble even though he did fill out laden.
00:14:58
Speaker 3: Games like you know there, it wasn't one of those where you're losing them in the third quarter. So you know, he started hot in those first two games and tailed off from there. But his legacy or kind of his the memory for me of of Karl Anthony Towns in this next journey, if you go back to previous rounds, he became a playmaker, he became a defender. His numbers don't jump off the page, but he did what they needed him to do and they helped them not be the stagnant Jalen Brunson only team offensively.
00:15:28
Speaker 6: And UH and Mike Brown gets a lot of credit for that.
00:15:31
Speaker 3: He eventually got to a place where he and Towns could have you know, synergy and communication and find the solutions, and they did.
00:15:38
Speaker 6: That and ended up raising the trophy.
00:15:40
Speaker 5: Sam Manic, the voice you hear on the Yuma guest line, covers the NBA four The Athletic.
00:15:44
Speaker 4: Dude.
00:15:44
Speaker 5: I totally forgot to ask if if the the Knicks won this series of the Spurs lost it.
00:15:48
Speaker 4: But yeah, well, dude, nice of you to join us.
00:15:54
Speaker 6: All I'm glad the Nicks didn't win it in New York.
00:15:56
Speaker 4: Yes, I'm glad the.
00:15:57
Speaker 1: Nicks didn't win it.
00:16:02
Speaker 5: Yeah, glad you're back home and I hope you're getting some rest and we've got draft coming up and the Honest Trade stuff.
00:16:08
Speaker 4: So great to talk to you, Sam. Will do it again next week, thanks.
00:16:10
Speaker 3: Sim I guess, thanks good there.
00:16:14
Speaker 5: Sam Amic of The Athletic does a great job covering the NBA. We'll talk to him all off season long.
00:16:19
Speaker 7: I guess no, we will, and uh, yeah, the Honest Trade is probably gonna happen sometime this week because that has to go down before the uh the draft. And yeah, it seems to me like we talked about it for so long with the Warriors, seems like that's dead, seems like and obviously that was a pipe dream.
00:16:33
Speaker 4: But like if if.
00:16:34
Speaker 5: They're gonna trade him, there's no reason they were, like the Warrior, if I were them, I'm like, if I were gonna trade Giannis right now, obviously, who's giving us the best offer? Can we get a young player and picks in return? Like the Warriors can't offer you that, they can offer you positive and like what else, Like I don't know, like everybody else is hurt?
00:16:53
Speaker 7: Well, I mean, like John the Kaminga was a big piece they could use back in the day, but of course they moved him at the deadline. So yeah, no, it sounds like Austin's getting a.
00:17:00
Speaker 1: Lot of steam here. So will not be the least bit surprised.
00:17:03
Speaker 7: I always thought that Miami, you know, angle was kind of weird because who's he gonna win with bam Adebaio and Andrew Wiggins.
00:17:09
Speaker 1: That's not compelling enough.
00:17:10
Speaker 7: And some teams could be some players could be out in the off season and you know there's their space for free agency sign But no, it makes a ton of sense for you, honest to go to Boston.
00:17:18
Speaker 5: Jerdy work on a Monday afternoon with you until six o'clock tonight. Giants baseball off as they hit the road for another six game road trip to Atlanta and then to Miami. Uh and those are supposed to be four or fifteen first pitchers. We'll be tracking the weather tomorrow and throughout the rest of the week. I know Miami they can play with a dome, so yeah, no concern there.
00:17:37
Speaker 1: They're playing these games.
00:17:38
Speaker 5: Your early Friday plans? Is this our last full week together? Do you what do you leave for Italy?
00:17:43
Speaker 1: I leave a week from Wednesday.
00:17:46
Speaker 4: Did you leave for Italy next week?
00:17:47
Speaker 6: Yep?
00:17:48
Speaker 5: You know about this Jacon the most bizarre Italy trip of all time. He's going like four days to Italy.
00:17:53
Speaker 4: So I got man, Dude, I got it, Mike Hohler, I got the invite. No, you did it. I did from who?
00:17:59
Speaker 1: From me?
00:18:00
Speaker 4: He invited him?
00:18:01
Speaker 1: I said, if he can find his way there, you're more than welking to join me.
00:18:03
Speaker 4: I didn't get an invited.
00:18:04
Speaker 7: No, because my man is able to find cheap ass tickets to Italy.
00:18:07
Speaker 1: When when what did this happen? Like last year? Jacob?
00:18:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, like last year dude, the tickets were like six hundred dollars to go to Rome.
00:18:13
Speaker 6: It's insane.
00:18:14
Speaker 4: Is that where you're going?
00:18:15
Speaker 6: Rome? Yes?
00:18:16
Speaker 1: So, dude, you and I did not pay six hundred bucks. I'll tell you that.
00:18:18
Speaker 4: Yeah, he's not that way anymore, dude, he was. He was telling me.
00:18:21
Speaker 5: I asked him about him last week when we were at the leaving the patio. I was like, how is the how's the price the tickets?
00:18:25
Speaker 1: Like, oh, dude, you know, I'm never gonna disclose that to anybody.
00:18:28
Speaker 4: Paid four four days in Italy? Is it even a full four?
00:18:32
Speaker 1: No?
00:18:33
Speaker 4: How about this found out?
00:18:34
Speaker 5: Also, dude, he's flying back the day after the wedding. Yeah, he's going to his sister's wedding back the day after. I was like, you're not eving, gonna not even two days later?
00:18:42
Speaker 1: I wish I could cumulus what you mean? I don't want to go into it.
00:18:47
Speaker 5: So I'm going to Texas every two weeks, man, I got it, visit my mom.
00:18:52
Speaker 1: Every two weeks. Come down.
00:18:53
Speaker 5: He spends more time in Texas they here spent in Italy. Well yeah, no, I mean like you couldn't. It's incredible, it's incredible.
00:19:00
Speaker 1: Well, you know we have like one meal, I'll have a couple.
00:19:03
Speaker 5: Okay, you do what you can ought as so Borrows Huh Derek, Yeah, that's what I'll do.
00:19:09
Speaker 1: My best pizza on the plane.
00:19:10
Speaker 4: Michael Scott does that.
00:19:11
Speaker 5: He goes to New York at one point for us, some great New York pizza.
00:19:15
Speaker 4: One of my favorites to get it. Every time I'm hearing the.
00:19:17
Speaker 7: Borrows to Borrow's is not bad, I will say so Borrows is pretty good.
00:19:21
Speaker 4: Derek and Italy in Rome eating Italy, Come on Orange, Julius.
00:19:25
Speaker 1: Dude, in my late grandmother would slap me in the face.
00:19:28
Speaker 6: If I did that.
00:19:30
Speaker 4: Well, what you get it?
00:19:31
Speaker 5: But would you get on basse against Eric Miller? Italy Camoth and I'm gonna call in text. We'll talk more about the Knicks ending a fifty three yard drought.
00:19:39
Speaker 4: Dude, Giants fans, we know how this feels.
00:19:40
Speaker 6: Man.
00:19:40
Speaker 5: Fifty two years the Giants went between world series. A little bit different with New York, but a defining moment for an entire fan base. We'll get into that next.
00:19:48
Speaker 6: Uh.
00:19:48
Speaker 5: And then Matt Mayoko joins us at four fifty, Marcus Thompson at five thirty. Dirty Work greatest show in America, and it's only here on the four day Italy Leader
Speaker 1: Nicks down a point.
00:00:01
Speaker 2: We mentioned earlier. Largest comeback in NBA Finals history was a twenty four point comeback by the Celtics in eight mix, We're down as many as twenty nine. Anonobi gets it into Brunson. Brunton pulls a quick thrace off the front.
00:00:15
Speaker 3: Rim.
00:00:15
Speaker 4: No, they've been good, hot Lean with one point two seconds to go.
00:00:20
Speaker 2: Oh d Nnobi flying out of nowhere and this place.
00:00:25
Speaker 5: Is rocking at the garden thirty work on a Monday afternoon.
00:00:30
Speaker 4: One of our favorite guys.
00:00:30
Speaker 5: We talk to him every week, Sam Amic covers the NBA four The Athletic and he joins us on the UMA guest line following the crowning of a new NBA champion in the New York Knicks. Sam, what's going on, man, how's it going?
00:00:42
Speaker 6: Puts up?
00:00:42
Speaker 3: Guys, Good afternoon and going well. Happy to be with you from the comfy tom fines of my actual office.
00:00:48
Speaker 5: I bet right, just say I just said it, so we'll talk to Sam Amon, probably from the comfort of his home.
00:00:52
Speaker 4: Finally, Dude, uh.
00:00:54
Speaker 5: Fantastic stuff, dude, I mean I said to Derek earlier in the show Game five. For me, what that was was like, yeah, V Nick's had the incredible comeback in Game four, but they prove again in Game five like it's not just a fluke. And really, for me, it wasn't just that they won, it's that they refuse to lose this series, and as dominant as they were throughout the postseason coming into this series, to trail for seventy two percent of the time played and to win it in five is one of the all time great Finals performances.
00:01:20
Speaker 6: In my mind, I'm with you, I'm with you.
00:01:24
Speaker 3: I mean, no other ones come to mind in terms of the nature of the way they did it. It was very unique. Jalen Brunson after Game five, and I'm paraphrasing, but it said something about how it was an honor to compete with these guys, and he said, you know, we played tonight like like we just.
00:01:41
Speaker 6: We wanted to end it. We wanted to go home.
00:01:44
Speaker 3: And then he kind of laughed and he was like, wow, you know, in the last couple quarters anyway, you know, like that's how they always were, like they weren't playing well, but then it developed this quality where the Spurs it's like you could tell that by the end of the series they were on edge at times when they should have been full of confidence, you know, because you're you're kind of waiting for that that that right hook from this guy that keeps knocking you out to come and uh and they kind of had mental ownage of the Spurs that the next did, if that makes sense. So incredible stuff and I'm always a sucker for you know, with Jalen Brunson getting Finals MVP, I like it. And this is again Barry it kind of related. I like it when there's just a clear cut guy and we don't have to have a debate. Yeah, and he comes out and drops forty five, you know because like before that game, you know, our our buddy mar Marcus Toms and I like we had been making this comparison to the twenty sixteen finals VP, right.
00:02:45
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, Well it was a cat.
00:02:47
Speaker 3: The first two games and then it was og and Jalen was like very important.
00:02:52
Speaker 6: But you know, not very efficient and.
00:02:55
Speaker 3: So yeah, he comes out and delivers the knockout blow by himself and it's they deserved that award.
00:03:01
Speaker 7: And on the flip side, just sim where do you think the Spurs go from here? And I'm one of your opinions on deeron Fox, and I know you covered him when he was with the Kings, and you know I asked you about to play on the Game four where he decided to go up and make a layup instead of drimming the ball out. And just his performance the last two games have not been great. And then you think about the future. Dylan Harper, you know, pretty good player for this team, young, and I think it came out that he was not happy with his playing time this season. Just what do you think about the long term future for the Spurs and specifically deeron Fox. He's got a long term contract there, but could they go younger there in the in the more recent years.
00:03:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's tricky, and you know again it's it's another one where I can't think of a great comp in terms.
00:03:45
Speaker 6: Of the young guy emerging.
00:03:48
Speaker 3: But the problem is deer is not an old guy and and so it's it's not a passing of the torch like Deeron you know, not to speak for him, but I don't think he's ready to pass the torch. He just got there, you know what I mean, And so he struggles in the way that he did in the finals. I feel for him because first of all, you know, everybody has seem to forgotten that he had high ankles frame.
00:04:10
Speaker 6: In the West Finals, and that's going to sound like an excuse.
00:04:12
Speaker 3: But my only point is I don't know to what degree that impacted him. But you know the play that you mentioned, Derek, like when he gets caught by o Gananobi, Like, yeah, Fox doesn't get caught by anybody ever, Like that's his entire identity is being the fastest guy on the court. And so now you have young Dylan Harper, who in Game five was looking like the only fearless dude out there for long stretches. And then you have Fox with a contract with multiple years left, capping out around sixty million dollars. So even if you want to talk about, hey, they should probably flip him and let Dylan have the job and then get even deeper with that Fox trade. Well, I don't think Fox has much of a market at that number.
00:04:55
Speaker 6: It's just a massive number.
00:04:56
Speaker 3: So you know, I know Brian Windhors from ESPN today that the Spurs are still standing by their guy and see Fox is part of the long term.
00:05:05
Speaker 6: And that's the messaging I got when I was out there too. So if that's the case, it still doesn't answer the question of like what.
00:05:12
Speaker 3: Do you do with Harper? Is he going to start? Are you going to have a sixty million dollars six man? Like what are you going to do?
00:05:19
Speaker 5: Talking to Sam anic off the athletic on the Uma gas line. Does san Antonio leave this feeling energized about where they are or do they leave it feeling completely devastated because they've got a bright future with three young guys who I think really could be back here sooner rather than later. It just seemed like there were great stretches for Wemby, but he did not have the support consistently.
00:05:39
Speaker 6: No, I mean they should, I think eventually.
00:05:41
Speaker 3: I would imagine they're going to feel you know, pride and you know, optimism coming out of this.
00:05:48
Speaker 6: I do think right now, it's pretty painful. You know, Wemby, as great as that young guy is.
00:05:53
Speaker 3: You know, we saw a handful of column immature moments or just kind of you know, revealing moments. But at the end, you know, the press conference, like the handshaking thing, I'm not losing sleepover he didn't shake their hands.
00:06:06
Speaker 6: It is what it is.
00:06:06
Speaker 3: But then you know that you finished the press conference, and it's kind of this sarcastic like, oh see, y'all never drops the mic. It's just kind of edgy, and it's just like he was clearly upset. I get it, because they they were capable of winning these finals.
00:06:22
Speaker 6: They were capable.
00:06:23
Speaker 3: Of becoming one of the most remarkable champions that we'd ever seen if they had pulled it off. You know, when you have you know, Harrison Barnes is the only guy who's ever been a part of a long playoff run, and Daron Fox with one playoff series under his belt, and the rest of those guys are are neophytes in the postseason, it would have been incredible. So that being said, you know, like you said, cops like they have a ton to be fired up about. And even you know, the questions that we hit on a moment ago, like they're challenging, but they're they're not debilitating them and they're still in a wonderful spot.
00:06:57
Speaker 7: Talking to Sam Amic on the UMA guest line. So as soon as the finals are over, we moved to the offseason and how the Celtics can compete with the Knicks. And it's a big news today. There's rumors about Giannis. Last time we spoke, Sam, it seemed like Miami was the heavy favorite. You wrote about it, Bill Simmons believes he's going to Boston. Now Mark Stein's reporting on it, would you say today it's more likely that Giannis is going to Boston over Miami.
00:07:22
Speaker 3: I don't have a great sense over that either one, if I'm honest with you, you know, admittedly not to do the whole, you know, stake my flag thing, but like we were very much out ahead of the Boston story, and so it's been interesting to see that developed because at the trade deadline, you know, I think the way I'd phrased it in April when I wrote it was that the Celtics showed, you know, cursory interest, which is like toad for showing interest without Jalen Brown.
00:07:50
Speaker 6: Hearing about it, you know what I mean.
00:07:51
Speaker 3: Like that's the real Like they didn't they wanted to explore the possibility that they couldn't afford to have you know, their current team chemistry wise, get impacted. So now they're realizing that they not only might have a real chance to get him, but that more importantly, you know, we've for sure been told that the Giannis is very intrigued by the Celtic situation, and our understanding is that he would be willing to.
00:08:16
Speaker 6: Sign an extension in Boston. So that's a game changer.
00:08:19
Speaker 3: And you had Brad Stevens in his end of season press confense highlighting the need to have more pressure on the rim, you know, describing the.
00:08:28
Speaker 6: Type of player that Giannis is.
00:08:30
Speaker 3: You had Giannis during last season publicly raving about Joe Mizzoula's coaching style. So it feels a bit like all the all the stars are lining up for a Boston situation. The only thing that you know that I can't reconcile is that Giannis has always seemed to be a little reluctant, and this tangentially relates to the Warriors, like reluctant to join a group that was.
00:08:55
Speaker 6: Already very celebrated.
00:08:57
Speaker 3: Like he kind of like, you know, he likes the idea, like in Milwaukee, of ending a fifty year title drought, and so Boston's got seventeen of those things, so you know, you're you're you're not gonna be, you know, treading new new territory, if that makes sense. So I don't know how he sees that part, you know, Miami has got a couple of ships, but it's not the same level of history.
00:09:19
Speaker 6: So we'll see what happens here.
00:09:20
Speaker 5: I'm not gonna say amament if the Athleta covers the NBA on the Uma Das line. Do you think Lebron already knows where he's playing next year or he wants to play next year?
00:09:30
Speaker 3: No, because unless I mean, there's always tampering that happens, but that would be an epic level of stampering to have all of the like, I doubt that he has all of the numbers on what is possible for him salary wise, because all of these different teams.
00:09:48
Speaker 6: You know that certain dominoes have to fall. He's not he's I.
00:09:51
Speaker 3: Don't think he's anybody's top priority because he's Yes, he's Lebron, but he's you know, he's old man Lebron. So without that information, I do not think that he could know what he's gonna do just yet. I think he would have like an educated sense on each situation and go from there. But you know, he's gonna have to wait to see some things unfold here.
00:10:13
Speaker 5: Okay, let me repersent in another or look at it from another angle. Do you think he's open to not playing in Los Angeles? Like, do you think he's genuinely okay with the idea of maybe going somewhere else, whether that's I know, we're kind of talking words, like where they offer that mid level exception, it would mean he took something for a totally different reason. But like, do you think he's open to playing elsewhere or is his mind or like he would he rather play in LA and then maybe see if something else happens, I guess, is what I'm asking.
00:10:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think he certainly would rather play in LA. But I think and like I always want to be careful. I'm not trying to speak for him before I told me his thoughts lately, but I think my sense would be that it's like the Lakers have got to hit a bigger number than other.
00:10:57
Speaker 6: Places to avoid.
00:10:58
Speaker 3: Disrespecting him, in my opinion, And I think that's where the door opens to other teams, you know, because if he just has to come to Grips with the idea that it seemed like the Warriors can only get to the mid level, then there's there's no hard feelings because there's no history, you know what I mean, Like he already has at times felt disrespected by the Lakers, just based on their personal dynamics and relationships within that group. So I think, first thing, first, does that door open from the Lakers side because of the way they handle it. Secondly, I mean, yes, I you know, I know, I'm tap dancing around your question, but like, yes, I think he's willing to play somewhere else. And I actually think the Bay, you know, could be a palatable option from a life standpoint, because you know, you can get up and down the coast easy enough. Chris Paul when he was at the Warriors, spent all kinds of time going to see his family in LA. You know, these guys make a ton of money. They can have private jets. It's not quite the same as getting up in your house in the morning and having your coffee and your bed and all your comforts, but it's you know, it's it's not playing in Cleveland either.
00:12:02
Speaker 7: It also sounds like I guess I saw a report that the Warriors are willing to let him commute from LA to San Francisco every day, which would be very interesting.
00:12:09
Speaker 1: I'm talking to Sam Amic on the UMA guest line.
00:12:11
Speaker 7: Just going back to the Jannis trade talks. If this does fall through and they end up going with the Miami Heat the Milwaukee Bucks, would things be too far gone with Jalen Brown coming back to Boston, whether it be able to mind fences or now this is out there is that kind of done deal where he may not be going back.
00:12:28
Speaker 3: Now top to tell, I don't know how Jalen feels about it, but he's He's always had, you know, maybe a little hyperbolic to say, a strained relationship with Boston.
00:12:44
Speaker 6: But at least a tricky one.
00:12:47
Speaker 3: You know, He's been vocal at times about kind of the racial history of the city and his comfort level with that backdrop. He's been open recently about how much funn he had this year with Jason Tatum not on the court, which obviously made headlines. So the irony is that it seemed like last season and getting to be the guy for as long as he was before Tatum came back, that that really cemented his love for his place in the organization.
00:13:17
Speaker 6: And then lo and.
00:13:18
Speaker 3: Behold, maybe the rug is getting pulled out from underneath him a little bit. So you know, I wouldn't be shocked to see him be upset by this, I don't know where that leaves the dynamics and then you know, welcome to twenty twenty six. We just all have to log onto his Twitch stream to figure out what he's feeling, and I'm sure we'll find out through that avenue.
00:13:38
Speaker 1: Last one for you, Sam.
00:13:39
Speaker 7: Obviously, Jalen Brunson gets you know, a lot of the attention because he's final his MVP. But how do you view Crian Anthony Towns and his success leading to this championship for the New York Knicks. We're in the past when he was with Minnesota. I mean, like, let's be honest here, like a lot of people thought that, you know, he was soft as a player, and two people that were really calling him out a lot, where Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green else took him out of the last two games. But what has his addition to you know, the Knicks meant to their success?
00:14:07
Speaker 6: It was huge.
00:14:08
Speaker 3: I mean, he really validated his you know, who he is as a as a player, as a person. He was very relatable, you know, talking openly about the death of his mother and how it inspired him and how you know, her presence carried him.
00:14:24
Speaker 6: It is I'm.
00:14:25
Speaker 3: Sure I doubt he'll say it publicly, but you know, to get a championship before Jimmy is something that I'm sure he enjoys because of their Minnesota history. And he was he was almost the perfect type of big to throw at Victor Weben Yama. You know, his shooting pulls Vick out of a paint. His physicality, that toughness that people questioned whether or not he had actually gave Vic problems at times. You know, nobody guarded Victor better than Anonobi, but Kat was pretty good.
00:14:55
Speaker 6: And the foul trouble even though he did fill out laden.
00:14:58
Speaker 3: Games like you know there, it wasn't one of those where you're losing them in the third quarter. So you know, he started hot in those first two games and tailed off from there. But his legacy or kind of his the memory for me of of Karl Anthony Towns in this next journey, if you go back to previous rounds, he became a playmaker, he became a defender. His numbers don't jump off the page, but he did what they needed him to do and they helped them not be the stagnant Jalen Brunson only team offensively.
00:15:28
Speaker 6: And UH and Mike Brown gets a lot of credit for that.
00:15:31
Speaker 3: He eventually got to a place where he and Towns could have you know, synergy and communication and find the solutions, and they did.
00:15:38
Speaker 6: That and ended up raising the trophy.
00:15:40
Speaker 5: Sam Manic, the voice you hear on the Yuma guest line, covers the NBA four The Athletic.
00:15:44
Speaker 4: Dude.
00:15:44
Speaker 5: I totally forgot to ask if if the the Knicks won this series of the Spurs lost it.
00:15:48
Speaker 4: But yeah, well, dude, nice of you to join us.
00:15:54
Speaker 6: All I'm glad the Nicks didn't win it in New York.
00:15:56
Speaker 4: Yes, I'm glad the.
00:15:57
Speaker 1: Nicks didn't win it.
00:16:02
Speaker 5: Yeah, glad you're back home and I hope you're getting some rest and we've got draft coming up and the Honest Trade stuff.
00:16:08
Speaker 4: So great to talk to you, Sam. Will do it again next week, thanks.
00:16:10
Speaker 3: Sim I guess, thanks good there.
00:16:14
Speaker 5: Sam Amic of The Athletic does a great job covering the NBA. We'll talk to him all off season long.
00:16:19
Speaker 7: I guess no, we will, and uh, yeah, the Honest Trade is probably gonna happen sometime this week because that has to go down before the uh the draft. And yeah, it seems to me like we talked about it for so long with the Warriors, seems like that's dead, seems like and obviously that was a pipe dream.
00:16:33
Speaker 4: But like if if.
00:16:34
Speaker 5: They're gonna trade him, there's no reason they were, like the Warrior, if I were them, I'm like, if I were gonna trade Giannis right now, obviously, who's giving us the best offer? Can we get a young player and picks in return? Like the Warriors can't offer you that, they can offer you positive and like what else, Like I don't know, like everybody else is hurt?
00:16:53
Speaker 7: Well, I mean, like John the Kaminga was a big piece they could use back in the day, but of course they moved him at the deadline. So yeah, no, it sounds like Austin's getting a.
00:17:00
Speaker 1: Lot of steam here. So will not be the least bit surprised.
00:17:03
Speaker 7: I always thought that Miami, you know, angle was kind of weird because who's he gonna win with bam Adebaio and Andrew Wiggins.
00:17:09
Speaker 1: That's not compelling enough.
00:17:10
Speaker 7: And some teams could be some players could be out in the off season and you know there's their space for free agency sign But no, it makes a ton of sense for you, honest to go to Boston.
00:17:18
Speaker 5: Jerdy work on a Monday afternoon with you until six o'clock tonight. Giants baseball off as they hit the road for another six game road trip to Atlanta and then to Miami. Uh and those are supposed to be four or fifteen first pitchers. We'll be tracking the weather tomorrow and throughout the rest of the week. I know Miami they can play with a dome, so yeah, no concern there.
00:17:37
Speaker 1: They're playing these games.
00:17:38
Speaker 5: Your early Friday plans? Is this our last full week together? Do you what do you leave for Italy?
00:17:43
Speaker 1: I leave a week from Wednesday.
00:17:46
Speaker 4: Did you leave for Italy next week?
00:17:47
Speaker 6: Yep?
00:17:48
Speaker 5: You know about this Jacon the most bizarre Italy trip of all time. He's going like four days to Italy.
00:17:53
Speaker 4: So I got man, Dude, I got it, Mike Hohler, I got the invite. No, you did it. I did from who?
00:17:59
Speaker 1: From me?
00:18:00
Speaker 4: He invited him?
00:18:01
Speaker 1: I said, if he can find his way there, you're more than welking to join me.
00:18:03
Speaker 4: I didn't get an invited.
00:18:04
Speaker 7: No, because my man is able to find cheap ass tickets to Italy.
00:18:07
Speaker 1: When when what did this happen? Like last year? Jacob?
00:18:10
Speaker 4: Yeah, like last year dude, the tickets were like six hundred dollars to go to Rome.
00:18:13
Speaker 6: It's insane.
00:18:14
Speaker 4: Is that where you're going?
00:18:15
Speaker 6: Rome? Yes?
00:18:16
Speaker 1: So, dude, you and I did not pay six hundred bucks. I'll tell you that.
00:18:18
Speaker 4: Yeah, he's not that way anymore, dude, he was. He was telling me.
00:18:21
Speaker 5: I asked him about him last week when we were at the leaving the patio. I was like, how is the how's the price the tickets?
00:18:25
Speaker 1: Like, oh, dude, you know, I'm never gonna disclose that to anybody.
00:18:28
Speaker 4: Paid four four days in Italy? Is it even a full four?
00:18:32
Speaker 1: No?
00:18:33
Speaker 4: How about this found out?
00:18:34
Speaker 5: Also, dude, he's flying back the day after the wedding. Yeah, he's going to his sister's wedding back the day after. I was like, you're not eving, gonna not even two days later?
00:18:42
Speaker 1: I wish I could cumulus what you mean? I don't want to go into it.
00:18:47
Speaker 5: So I'm going to Texas every two weeks, man, I got it, visit my mom.
00:18:52
Speaker 1: Every two weeks. Come down.
00:18:53
Speaker 5: He spends more time in Texas they here spent in Italy. Well yeah, no, I mean like you couldn't. It's incredible, it's incredible.
00:19:00
Speaker 1: Well, you know we have like one meal, I'll have a couple.
00:19:03
Speaker 5: Okay, you do what you can ought as so Borrows Huh Derek, Yeah, that's what I'll do.
00:19:09
Speaker 1: My best pizza on the plane.
00:19:10
Speaker 4: Michael Scott does that.
00:19:11
Speaker 5: He goes to New York at one point for us, some great New York pizza.
00:19:15
Speaker 4: One of my favorites to get it. Every time I'm hearing the.
00:19:17
Speaker 7: Borrows to Borrow's is not bad, I will say so Borrows is pretty good.
00:19:21
Speaker 4: Derek and Italy in Rome eating Italy, Come on Orange, Julius.
00:19:25
Speaker 1: Dude, in my late grandmother would slap me in the face.
00:19:28
Speaker 6: If I did that.
00:19:30
Speaker 4: Well, what you get it?
00:19:31
Speaker 5: But would you get on basse against Eric Miller? Italy Camoth and I'm gonna call in text. We'll talk more about the Knicks ending a fifty three yard drought.
00:19:39
Speaker 4: Dude, Giants fans, we know how this feels.
00:19:40
Speaker 6: Man.
00:19:40
Speaker 5: Fifty two years the Giants went between world series. A little bit different with New York, but a defining moment for an entire fan base. We'll get into that next.
00:19:48
Speaker 6: Uh.
00:19:48
Speaker 5: And then Matt Mayoko joins us at four fifty, Marcus Thompson at five thirty. Dirty Work greatest show in America, and it's only here on the four day Italy Leader
