Doc Rivers’ challenge with Milwaukee + drama in Dallas 🏀 | The Hoop Collective

Doc Rivers’ challenge with Milwaukee + drama in Dallas 🏀 | The Hoop Collective

Hello welcome H Collective podcast we talk about the NBA which we’re doing on Thursday afternoon joining me from New York City is Tim bontemps hello everybody bontemps I hear you going out to Denver this weekend to see uh Joel embi Nicola yic too there is a a a Clash

Of the Titans again second time in 12 days i’ been told by Big Man himself he’s going to be playing in the game if he’s healthy so I believe I got to check Billy played Philly plays tonight Thursday night against the Pacers so knock on wood Joelle has no issues in the game

Today and then he’ll be playing Saturday weren’t you in Denver last year and then they didn’t play weren’t you there didn’t you travel there for that I did I did travel there I traveled there ironically I traveled there to see the Bucks and the cell and the Sixers in back-to-back games and

Uh Denver which is what is happening again this year I’ll be in the opposite order uh noteworthy stuff going on on Monday too but hopefully we see Joel and yic first time Joel be playing there in four years so it’ be good to see him play there okay that looks we can all

Look forward to that joining us from Dallas Texas where he was involved in another Banning temporarily at least is B McMahon howdy Partners fellas done a lot of soul searching a lot of social media scrolling ouch ah I’ve reconsidered my career path after the events of the last 24

Hours I no longer intend to run for mayor of Dallas my political Ambitions have been crushed me here on the hoop Collective baby here to stay need the Wolf of Wall Street thing in the background right now uh I’m not [Laughter] believeing uh yeah so in case you missed

It another classic McMahon moment at a press conference what I mean what did I do reported the obvious and my ground it’s not a mcah moment it sure was it was a McMahon moment come on I got something no no no I got something to say about

This on my guy’s behalf I’m tired of people acting like the job of the media is to walk into the press conference and say oh how great is it to be in the presence of you great player it’s not what the job is like give me a break

Like this nonsense with Luca yesterday was ridiculous it was absolutely ridiculous you guys people probably see McMahon sitting in the seats on TV it’s right next to the bench it’s right next to the seats you can hear everything that’s going on the guy was literally two rows behind me yeah it’s not like

This is something that was made up you literally reported what the guy said and this turns into Luka oh you’re being mean to me you’re being it wasn’t exactly an exclusive like everybody on breast row reported it for some reason he saw mine first so I was but honestly

That part’s not important Luca being upset with me is Irrelevant in the big picture um you know as Bon temp said there are a long list of people who have in their job description the requirement that they have to kiss Luca Don’s ass or Superstar X’s ass that is not my job I

Think much more relevant and interesting and overshadowed in this whole mix is this week it’s been pretty clear that Jason kid does not consider that to be part of his job he I would say delicately you could say passively called The Mavericks out for constant complaining to officiate and losing

Their focus and getting frustrated by the refs after Monday’s loss to the Celtics he did it again after Wednesday’s lost to the Suns but he he was specific with Luca donic now also Grant Williams which is a whole another story and we’re not going to spend any

Time with that because let’s be honest who cares about the seventh or eth man we do care about a perennial First Team all NBA player about an MVP candidate and the simple fact of the matter is this is what happened in that game the Mavericks are up 16 Midway through the

Second quarter Luc is lightened up just as he often does against the Phoenix Suns it’s like Christmas all over again and then the Suns go on a run they cut the lead to one at halftime which Luca limps off the court he twisted that right ankle that’s been

Bothering him that caus him Miss some time and he’s fussing and I can’t say he’s cussing but he’s complaining to the officials all the way as he limps towards the tunnel he got teed up the second half started with Deon Booker making a technical free throw to tie the

Score he scored 21 more points in that quarter so he had 22 points in the quarter more than the entire Mavericks team the lead went from Mavs up one to start the quarter to Mavs down 28 when Luca decided to grow rabit ears and get upset because a fan an an obnoxious guy

Who was swigging some Melos wearing L Valley Devon Booker Jersey said Luca you’re tired get your ass on a treadmill and hey not a pleasant thing to say but it’s not like out of bounds and heckling and was it the first thing the guy said the

Whole game no but it nothing Rose above like obnoxious fan heckling it nothing was you know and so it gets out of this 48 hours after his head coach calls Luca out for letting his frustration affect his Focus he melted down for an entire quarter when the Mavericks got outscored

By 23 points and run off run out of their own gym sorry that’s a story well and every year you’re chronicling whether he’s going to get suspended because he’s bumping up against technical foul limit right this is an annual and as you wrote in your story and I

Would say I mean I have some history with Jason kid too I would say he pretty flatly said that Luca needs to be better with the refs oh last night he sure did that yeah like the direct quote was uh in your story you wrote How Could kid

In the Mavs Heth donic manage that issue that’s a great question don’t have an answer we’ll talk to him about it he’s a competitor he likes to have discussions with the referees but he has to be better and as a group we have to be better like you said the whole group

Thing doesn’t matter like the guy in charge of the team is constantly yelling at the refs he’s constantly distracted by the refs it’s been a yearslong problem now and like it’s just he just has to be better at managing his emotions in the game like this has to be

And then you know our job again is not to kiss their butts but it’s to Chronicle the careers and specifically of the faces of the leag in a lot of cases which Luca unquestionably is I mean there’s a handful of players who have proven they’re good enough to be

The best player in a championship team and a handful of players who pretty clearly have that ability and he’s in that second handful without question and you know look the vast majority of time that I write about him or talk about him it’s extoling his greatness because he is a historically great

Talent who has significant flaws one is just the constant complaining and and loss of composure two which he has taken significant steps to address this season but it’s still a sensitive issue is his conditioning and again that has improved clearly he didn’t like hearing about it

The other night which I I get it he didn’t like hearing about it because Booker was busting his backside and he hates Booker he hates losing to Booker and and Booker was pretty entertained by the whole thing I will say certainly he certainly was I love how Booker this

Rivalry I love how he leans into the Rivalry it’s it’s a great rivalry on both sides they both hate each other they both hate losing to each other it’s awesome this is the kind of stuff that we like to see in the league it’s great yeah just so

The listeners know McMahon tell them how Booker leaned into it well let me let me I have it right here I have it I have it right here if you don’t have it there I appreciate the support Booker told man I don’t know what he said I

Hope he didn’t cross too many lines and I’ll be getting his information if you can find it let me know he then went on to say I hope what he did wasn’t too disrespectful but I know in these crowded environments we played a playoff series here I’ve heard countless numbers

Of things usually you don’t hear it at home I’m sure that was a different thing for Luca but it’s part of the game I usually don’t let What I Hear bother me nice little jab at the end nice little jab at the end and look Booker’s obviously had his his things with fans

And and he he also was like Hey I enjoy the friendly banter and I also I didn’t didn’t make the story just because there was a lot to get in there last night but I asked KD about it and listen on on uh online and in person

KD’s had a few interactions with fans we all understand that and so KD’s got digital ears he’s got rabbit digital ears and so I asked KD about it and KD said well I mean I don’t know if you want to talk to me about handling heckers

Hecklers he laughed he says it might be a little a little different because I’ll Heckle him back and that’s really what the exchange is it’s it’s a quick exchange of fans he said I don’t think too deeply about it somebody talks sh to me I’ll talk it back and we’ll move on

That’s usually how it goes I mean look the the simple fact of the matter is Luca got frustrated completely lost his Focus the Mavericks as a team followed his lead and melted down the entire third quarter and then he had a thin-skinned interaction or overreaction rather where he requested for a

Loudmouth Heckler wearing a Devon Booker Jersey in Lucas’s house disrespectful in its own regard requested for the guy to be ejected I mean it was a mid game request and then he followed up because it was the last minut of third quarter then he followed up during the break

Between quarters now I did get a call from a a high ranking Maverick Source today they wanted to clarify the fan was not actually ejected after Luca pointed him out to security and Arena Stafford came over and had a conversation with him I am told that the fan exited

Voluntarily but again story is not that the guy got ejected it’s that luuka Luca asked for him to be ejected by the way Luca thought the guy got ejected right I’m sure the guy voluntarily left a really good seat for a game where his guy’s team was uh blowing out the the

Guy uh against him steam I’m sure sure he just got up and said ah you know it’s okay I’ll I’ll I’ll exit stage right he bring a medel tall boy with him and it wasn’t his first my my opinion on it is uh fans can say what they want but I don’t think

It’s good form to uh cross the line and get personal like that um obviously that’s not going to change that’s the nature of fandom um I also think that it’s so frustrating watch watching Luca play he’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen he is absolutely

Magic and with the ball and I can’t take it no it’s it’s unbearable to watch and I’m gonna tell you like you guys heard me tell this story from you’re talking about the complaining the constant complaining to referees I can’t take it it’s it’s unbearable I just you know in

That face that he makes I mean I can close eyes I can just see the face I’m just like I don’t like look and I I admit the guy gets hit and doesn’t get called all the time he frequently has a case but the way he goes about it I mean

I’m just talking about the Aesthetics of the game I’m not even talking about effect on his team like it’s unwatchable what Jak kid is trying to get through to him and honestly at times the last couple years Jak kid has done this before he’s picked his spot

And called Luca out and Luca has been receptive to it and been publicly accountable these last two games he bases like you know that’s what he said that’s that’s an exact quote after the Celtics game that’s what he said then well do you think it was Factor no and what you

Know uh the last night against the um Suns he also basically said he didn’t think that losing focus with the refs was was a factor but it’s like it’s counterproductive it’s counterproductive because he does lose focus he worries more about the three refs than the Five Guys on the floor wearing the other

Team’s Jersey it’s also counterproductive because and this is what Jak kid mentioned last night when you are going ballistic and complaining about a call 30 seconds into the game it’s like dude they’re going to tune you out and then it’s the ref’s job not to take it personally just like frankly

It’s our job for sure not to take it when to start like look he’s frustrated I get it I’m not like I piss people off I understand that it’s life I told you guys you know about the what happened in the World Cup where you know he got ejected as they got

Eliminated and in that case he was this was an al- for me you know he was heckling the executive I don’t remember the name is the lead the lead executive of feba he was the president of FEA right he was he was he was huckling a

Fan in the second row the president was sitting in the second row he came over to Center Court and heckled them about the officials and then got soon ejected so he overheats and when you overheat on a consistant basis with referees at best they’ll they’ll tune

You out at worst they will succumb to the human nature of saying you know what man screw that guy he ain’t getting the benefit of the doubt from me well it’s also just it’s also just if you’re going to be that upset obsessed with the referees or anything other than the game

Itself you can’t be fully focused on what’s in front of you right like forget the aesthetic part I agree it’s annoying to watch sometimes but it’s it’s much more relevant to me that for his great as he is if you’re that focused on the refs you can’t be that Focus as focused

As you need to be on the games and like you said last night’s a great example or Wednesday night playing that game it’s a competitive game yeah Kyrie’s not playing but they’re winning the game and then all of a sudden their whole team goes to hell it’s not surprising

That the the head of the snake being completely distracted plays a part in that like if you’re the leader of the team you just cannot lose your tool like that on a regular basis and he does all the time and you know Jak kid is attempting to manage it uh you know you

Can say whether you think his techniques are uh wise or not whatever it also is difficult when the face of the owner ERS ship group no longer the majority owner but Mark cubin the guy who’s calling all the shots is a lot of times during these timeouts during the breaks and play

Between quarters right next to Luca yelling at the refs and that’s G on for 20 years yes I’m just saying it sets it sets a tone and as he’s watching the game like this whirly bird re replay thing Cuban’s been doing that for years but he’s not he’s been doing it before

There was such a thing as a replay challenge because what he’s doing is he’s telling the people who run the Jumbotron play that again play that again and by the way funny little aside here so you saw the crazy uh Jaylen Brown crossover that sent Luca to the

Floor and then look Luca was like Hey you know great move like you know you got me whatever can’t play the officials for that one no and and and and Luca kind of had fun with that post game um but people were like why in the world did the American Airlines Center

That’s what Tim Hardway didn’t Tim Hardway freak oh yeah so they show it on the big screen right on the Jumbotron or whatever you want to call it and Hardway is screaming I mean I know profanity is very offensive but Luca didn’t seem too bother with arway saying multiple

Explodes towards those folks you know uh what the f you doing or are we home or are we away stop that stuff whatever well the reason that they played it was because Cuban did the old worldly bird thing because he thought that brown pushed off there was no push

Off there was just a hell of a move beautiful storytelling I love that that’s great stuff baby oh my God jayen Brown was asked about after the game Brown was like they replayed that here he said somebody should be fired well you can’t fire that guy you can’t find the guy who was

Responsible for it oh my God I love that so is it story time can I tell a story about a player screaming at the at the scores table or do we not do we not want to break was Story Time with Wendy remember he’s now he’s now a uh a

Head coach in Europe sharun yaves played for the Indiana Pacers um so he was playing for the Pacers and I was covering a game in Cleveland and was right at the end of the third quarter and the gavs public address announcer uh gorgeous deep voice

I think he’s uh um with the does the games in Brooklyn now uh he had a uh bathroom emergency couldn’t make it till the end of the third quarter so he sprinted out and called over the in Arena host like sort of the backup guy well it was was a blowout game it

Was 25 points end of the third but the worst possible thing happened which was chironis yaves one of the hardest names you can pronounce in the NBA scored oh so the correct thing to do in this point is just to say nothing it’s just to you know don’t announce the

Opposing player scoring it’s it’s happened before it’s no big deal but the guy tried to do it and you know it’s not his job to learn the pronunciation of visiting players his job is to you know say who wants a free t-shirt you know he’s a hype man he’s

He’s not a PA guy so and the other thing about Yak caves sarus as they call him in Europe is he’s known for a temper and he boted the he botched the name very badly um it was and it was like a different name it was kind of sort of a

Hokey voice and so it sounded to him like they were mocking him don’t mock lithuanians oh no so the quarter ends like a second later and shaunas came over looking for his pound of Flesh shaking his fist was screaming so he did not ask for the PA guy to get

Ejected uh but that I mean I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe because I know that I knew the guy he he did he meant no harm I saw what had happened yeah uh anyway Devin Booker by the way last night had 30 uh 46

The sons have won the Suns have won seven in a row they’ve had a player score over 40 in four straight games Durant the previous two Booker had 52 against the Pelicans last week um in the game where they started the win streak Kevin Durant which was in LA

Against the Lakers I was at the game um Booker had 31 in that game Durant went to Booker before the game and said hey they they had scuffled a little bit they had a couple losses in row and Durant said hey don’t worry about taking care of me I’ll take care of me

You worry about taking care of you because you know Booker playing point guard or whatever I know everybody says that it’s no problem but I don’t think it’s something you just pick up you know in your seventh sixth and seventh NBA season and ever since Durant did that

Booker has been awesome he’s averaged 32 over the last seven games he’s looking for a shot again he’s playing great a basketball and the suns are winning now they’ve had a couple of big comebacks in there it hasn’t been the cleanest winning streak but they’ve won seven in

A row and um they got a bunch of scuffers coming up too I mean they’ they’ so they got a chance to rip off several more too got a lot Road all winable games yeah but last night was game one of a seven game Road Trip so

Yeah and they won it and uh by the way the the Suns won in Dallas I know Kyrie didn’t play where Durant scored 12 points which is kind of the point of this team is that they have so much Firepower that they can survive a night like that look they’re they’ve

Been phenomenal in January once Beal’s been able to get his legs under them you know they they’re starting to get a little bit of Rhythm and you know you mentioned kind of the point book thing I do think that has been a successful transition I do argue that you can’t

Just give a guy the point guard responsibility at that point of his career I would introduce you to a gentleman named James Harden is proof that you can um but the plan was never just hey Devin Booker you’re the point guard you handle all the point guard responsibilities the plan was always to

Have Beal kind of share take a little little bit less but share some of those so Beal coming back uh really helps that I mean be as your third option is a ridiculous amount of Firepower and they move the ball you know they feel like they’re they starting to create an

Identity you know and I ask KD you know okay what what is that identity he said a team is never going to be out of a game which they’ve got two 20 plus Point comebacks during his winning streak that would that would prove that team that’s

Going to make the right pass play off each other you know on defense swarm create pressure you know being selfish second or third efforts and look seven wins does not a season make you know they’re not they don’t feel like we’ve arrived we’re here mission accomplished they certainly like the

Direction things are going right now with the Suns and they should uh yeah so we’ll keep an eye on them as they go through this road trip um so the Bucks uh got a win over the Cavs broke the the Suns I think have the longest win streak now because the Cavs

AK win streak was broken by the Bucks in their first game after letting Adrien Griffin go Doc Rivers did not coach the game Joe pruny uh FR I should say sorry Joe pry um uh coached jannis had a triple double um and uh I have to say and we talked

With Jamal Coler our colleague about the uh the the move a couple days ago when when Griffin was fired it’s been covered at nauseum what I am going to be fascinated is that it’s the still the same personnel and you’re bringing in you know this happened a couple years

Ago when the Timberwolves hired Chris Finch off of the Raptor staff and said here take this team and it ended up working out I didn’t think it possibly would but ended up he ended up really turning them around one of the things that the Bucks have talked about

Bontemps is the lack of organization the lack of the strategy issue so you know their personnel is a is a it’s still gonna they’re still going to be defensively challenged with what they’ve done with the roster we’ll see whether doc coming in Midstream is able to truly make a

Difference on the defense because that is where his job is going to lie is trying to get them out of being the 22nd eighth worst I would say better describe the defensive team yeah I just don’t I mean look Doc is a a proven successful head coach obviously I’m sure

He will be on a variety of levels a better fit than Adrien Griffin I think probably most importantly he will have the respect I would assume of the star players on the team which I mean Jamal and Ramona wrote a story about Adrian Griffin getting fired ad griffi got

Fired the moment Giannis checked himself back in the game the night before Thanksgiving in Boston game I was at like there I was at that game I watched that happen and I said to myself I don’t know when this is going to happen but this is this is going to end one way

Because when that happens in a national televised game huge game between the two Marquee teams in the East and this happens in front of everybody it’s a sign that the best player on the team just does not respect the coach yep and at the end of the day though all while

All that is true the Bucks are a horrific defensive team from a Personnel standpoint now and I just don’t see what Doc Rivers is going to be able to do to change that I have a whole bunch of numbers from stats Williams and you can say that the Bucks

Have been a top 10ish defensive team when they’ve been in drop coverage of Brook Lopez but the key number to me of all the various stats they have is the Bucks were third defensively guarding on ball screens last year According to second Spectrum which basically means their guards did a good

Job getting over screens led by Drew holiday this year they’re down to 25th and at the end of the day their perimeter defense can’t stay in front of anybody and you can do whatever you want with the drop you can have Brook Lopez back at The Rim it makes him a decent

Matchup for Philly ironically doc former team if they play in the second round by the way last I checked I’m going to I’ve me to look it up earlier I will check it when I’m done talking the bucks were projected as of a day or two ago to be

Fourth and the Sixers and Cavs were projected to be second and third in that order so I’m curious if after a couple days the Cavs the Cavs have a more favorable record they actually had the they had the chance they if they won these two games against the Bucks this

Week they had a chance to catch them well well the interesting thing is Milwaukee as we’ve talked about according to our internal basketball power index had the easiest schedule in the league through the first half of the season and they had the hardest schedule in the league over the second half of

The season so like we will see how this goes but you know people have talked a lot about the about the transition defense transition defense hasn’t been great but it’s more mediocre than the worst in the league as some have said like it’s not going to be just a simple

As play harder to fix it like they have real structural flaws that they’ve had from the moment they made the trade and the BET was Damon Yannis on offense will be enough to fix it and you know what so hasn’t been well again you say that where are they in the

Standings like I I get things we’re gonna stop obiously a mess the man got fired with a 30 and 13 record though they’re still we’re gonna stop talking about the record because they just fired the coach okay so the idea that it’s all the idea

That it’s all good no but I mean I’m not saying for you but I mean like the idea that because the Bucks were saying it too oh everything’s fine we’re going to be fine it’s all going to be good we’re winning games things are great well things aren’t great because you just

Fired why is it had to be you to say something yeah you the first one to point this out right that’s right listen Giannis also said he had no idea this was coming so they’re they’re not under oath like we don’t have to believe everything that they say I mean come on

Dude like they’re not sometimes guys are full of crap it’s okay we all understand that we’re grow totally okay yes I know it’s totally fine they don’t have to be anite defensive team to have a chance to be a contender they just can’t be a really bad defensive team I do think

Buying can make a difference look if doc can get them from bottom 10 to middle of the pack they are still a historically Elite offensive team and I think there’s meat on the bone for them uh on that end of the floor like Dame and Giannis like

There’s a lot of meat on the bone as far as those two working as a tanm and inste of just kind of two separate brilliant offensive talents but it’s not can Doc Rivers get them back to being an elite defensive team because like you know he

Doesn’t have a magic wand he can’t get Drew holiday back on the roster um it’s can they be average defensively with that group and that’s his that’s his Challenge and that’s why he’s getting the big bucks yeah um the thing about it is is that no nobody in the league bu get it

Good job nobody in the league including the players on the Bucks looked at this team and said oh yeah like when you know I was wait I was watching very closely to see yesterday if a Litany of coaches came out and like ripped the bucks for this

Move um I saw magic did like I don’t know if it was on social media or whatever but like remember when David black got fired and Greg papovich like made this impassion speech yeah carile did the same that the the carile who’s the president of the coach association this is like press

Play for him whenever like a successful coach gets fired yeah maybe I missed something I saw nothing I saw no coach come out and be like this is a miscarriage of Justice yeah I didn’t hear got fired it was a whole lot of ha

If it can happen to him it can happen to anybody we understand how tough this business is that you know that kind of stuff but you’re right there was no like wow this guy got screwed right so that’s kind of says all you need that’s that’s

Sort of all you need to say and I mean I don’t think anybody thinks it’s personal that’s all you need to say but but I mean listen why was Adrien Griffin hired let’s just be honest because he wased the best player signed off on it that’s right right why was he fired because

Jannis checked on them and so listen the Milwaukee Bucks as I mentioned to somebody at the American Airlines Center last night are not the first NBA franchise to bend over in a pretzel to figure out a way to kiss the butt of their generational talent that is part of the

Business of running an NBA franchise you do whatever it takes to try to make and or keep those kind of talents happy but it’s got them into a situation now where they’re making making a mid-season coaching change and paying three head coaches and I’m not crying for the

Billionaires I don’t look Jimmy has them still going to be able to pay his I’m not crying for Doc Rivers either no although I was looking forward to seeing doc you’re supposed to call that game last night would have loved to hear his take on Luca’s uh discussions with the

Referees but he he hopped the flight out of Dallas yesterday yeah uh Mike Breen had a uh a classic comment in the standup before the game was he did what’ he say yeah knew you at the McMahon he goes like to thank DOC for his many weeks of

Service by the way J kid had a pretty good one too he he always starts the uh pregame press conference reading the injury report uh Kyrie Irving you know Kyrie’s gonna be a game time decision go through his room to make a decision Luca is available uh Dante exom is available

Seth Curry available uh Doc Rivers is outy good I love it I love it um all right so we’ll see how the Bucks go um it’s a it’s a tough it’s a tough thing that Doc is picking up and uh you know I get why he took because

Because it’s a team win the championship this year and he just got the job in January like I get why he took it but yeah I mean he he got a ton of money it’s a team with a with Big Time Talent like it makes all the sense in the world

From that standpoint I mean it’s you know we’ll just see what he can do and like I mean like said I think the buy will help but at the end of the day the two teams they probably have to go through in the East Philly and Boston

Are top five in offense and defense so you know it’s going to be a hard Road even if the Bucks get back to average to be good enough to beat both of those teams in the blow listen history tells you the Milwaukee Bucks they’re going to be celebrating a championship in that

Deer District in the uh in the plaza that jannis built because there’s only been two times in NBA history when a team has been on off to this type of successful start in terms of the standings and five their coach midseason the what was it 1980 Lakers I

Believe with Jack McKenna 10 and four gentleman named Pat Riley took over and off here here here’s show time baby well that was a didn’t that was on the bicycle accident yes yeah so he I mean he that’s circumstantial but yeah ccal that that’s one and then the other one

Is the aforementioned David blat and that’s when tyo took over and next thing you know here come LeBron and the Cavs and they are H coming back from 31 in the finals to claim Cleveland’s first championship since Wendy was a a we lad

Uh we lad I was it was 64 I was I wasn’t a glint in my parents eye before Oh you look much older than you are thank you uh the graves are coming uh more story time I got a few more last night more story time when when tyo took over um

His first first game the Cavs got boat raced by the uh by the by the Bulls like they scored like 86 points or something like that and Tai came into the postam press conference and said every one of our players is out of shape we’re not

Ready to play this thought he like you know he basically like dressed them all down like you know the new Sheriff’s in town he basically said we want to play fast tempo and These Guys these guys aren’t in good enough shape to play Up Tempo so the next morning LeBron at like

7 in the morning or 7:30 in the morning hosts a photo of himself working out uh but does it uh wearing next to no clothes showing off his uh physique and I think there was a double thing going on there one was I’m listening to my coach and I’m

Getting in shape but by the way he wasn’t talking about this guy by the way I’m pretty damn chiseled as it is by the way Jackson our high quality producer snarkily corrected me Paul westad took over that’s correct K Jason Jason seagull took over and then Adrien Brody followed is that a winning

Time reference it is yes I got a trivia question from the machine oh my God he’s back out of retirement I’m telling you what oh my god well be a good time to jump in with it you’ve been like the Ben Simmons of the whiz of the

Quiz lately we haven’t seen Brian Brian likes to complain every time about having to do it so I haven’t done it in a minute don’t if you don’t have 38 answers it wouldn’t take you so long to come up with that’s true well that’s true uh did you got the Patrick moles W

Another uh Road game last weekend beat the bills that inspired this trivia question from KP Patrick Mahomes yes do you Tim bontemps family certainly family certainly is I was as a we lad also not much anymore but my sisters were very sad on Sunday Patrick Mahomes did the

Jordan and the Cavs move again to the bills um who is the alltime who has the best all-time winning percentage as a road player in history of the NBA so I’m guessing it’s not as easy as LeBron it’s not LeBron Bill Russell it’s not Bill

Russell is it an obvious one it’s got to be a Celtic who just like Dom it’s not it’s not it’s not a Celtic I have the entire top 10 I know you didn’t want the top 10 that’s why I asked for the for the number right now we have to ask for a

Hint because we’re talking about uh no current player oh it’s a best all time and it’s a current player Steph Curry nope that’s a Hall of Famer well he’s not yet right is this guy gonna be a Hall of Famer yes okay a war play Thompson not a warrior Kevin Durant nope

Wait holy stumping Kyrie no he had some bad G Luka donic no all right be a Hall of Fame player has never been on a bad team George Nang George Nang George Nang he’s like third George Nang is ninth all time bang bang baby there are two active

Players wait thiser and George Nang Jason Tatum no oh you said there’s a there’s a might be a minimum game requirement on white Tatum isn’t on it I would think he’d be close but he is not in the top 10 from what KP sent me all right go ahead Jimmy Butler not Jimmy

Butler damn it I am guy has two championships two Champion oh Kawai kawh Leonard wow there is one other player who is active who has not played this season who was in the top 10 active who hasn’t played this season it helped me out I can’t think it’s been

A Danny Green is the other one Danny GRE he’s active is he active well he hasn’t retired just like he hasn’t he’s he not he’s not on a roster he’s not acting a well I meant he has he’s I mean he he’s not like you know what’s gonna happen

Wendy’s gonna tell him hey you’re gonna retire soon and break the news to um the top five are Kawai Magic Johnson Tim Duncan Danny Green and Michael Cooper Michael Cooper I love those socks Michael Cooper used to wear then six to 10 is Manu Larry Bird Tony Parker George

Nang and Scotty Pippen George Nang I love the minivan baby hey the minivan travels you you should get a special mention there McMahon for getting George Nang that was a that was more impressive than the I’ll tell you this George Nang didn’t win any road football games at high school

During promise you that yeah was very happy we could we could get a pod guest into the uh into the trivia question so way minan Min van’s in it my my alma moer where I I had my Al Bundy football moments no longer has a freaking football program they ditched it so

They’re undefeated this year absolutely like benture undefeated since 1954 I believe speaking of Alma moders I have to issue a special apology wolves guard Jordan mcglaflin I had a faux paw last night I was at the Wizards Wolves game in DC yesterday and J Jackson our producer is

Going to be annoyed with this I was I was like I had a brain fart and I was I was walking in the locker room which by the way compliments to the Wolves who were playing Daft Punk in the locker room 21 years covering the NBA never have I heard Daft Punk being

Played blasting it blasting it I don’t know funnier you not knowing who D Punk is or Brian applauding the wolves on their music choices well would more impressive to me is J James Brown needs to be played at more NBA arenas but um I mean Edwards was s Conley probably

Has James Brown on an eight track as old as he is anyway I come up to Jordan McGloin who I know a little but and I said hello and I made the mistake in my head thinking that he had gone to Syracuse and I was in the process of uh

He by the way he went to SC like it a horrible it’s not even it’s not even it’s not even close no and which is what he kind of looked at me funny like what the hell he saying Jackson says he’s not mad he’s just disappointed I mean that

Is a very weird that is a very weird thing to mess up it is very weird because like you know obviously I don’t know every player in the league where they went up top of my head especially if they’re third Stringer and like like I would it was embarrassing so I apologize

Jordan there’s a if you guys can hear that but there’s a chopper circling overhead I’m concerned I’m they’re coming for me boys well McMahon was nice knowing you um so anyway I spent some time with the Wolves I had this uh terrific idea you know you I feel like we needed some

More wolves coverage since they’re you know number one team in the west and I was going to try to go catch them in Minnesota but then like the worst weather for 10 days hit the Midwest where like it was 10 Ines of snow andus 15 de and I am not exaggerated on either

Of those it was minus 15 pre uh windchill okay so I went out to DC and it was going to be great I was going to catch the Wolves you know they had a little game with Charlotte the night before no problem um easy against sarry Hornets Carl towns who I was going

To sit down with on Tuesday um goes for 34 in the first half 44 but who’s counting oh he was so it was his teammates 44 I know I know the whole world was watching MB put up 70 but like cat was on Pace for you know almost the

Same we were watching there were a lot of there were a lot of people watching the fourth quarter of that game in the Sixers locker room including me and including the guy who scored 70 points4 would be on Pace for 88 sir 34 no he didn’t he had 44

Half God I thought nice job nice job Brian nice job well Jackson said Hope on the Hornets feed watching Eric Collins uh the sound was off but uh the game the game was on so yeah much commentary in the locker room about the game from everyone watching well long story short the

Hornets won Carl towns got benched in the fourth quarter because he was throwing up shots that Chris Finch didn’t like throwing up shots not contesting any on the other end blowing wide open layups In fairness nobody was contesting any on the other end he had plenty of company in that misery that’s

Chris Finch then Chris Finch came in and as the kids would say ethered his team and specifically Carl in the locker in the post press conference he basically said like five seconds into the pressers said it was immature performance uh disgusting and immature I believe how he started it disgusting defensive and

Immature performance that was literally the first out of his mouth in the post game that was for the whole game and he basically said that it was just a stat chasing display of puke that’s not a direct quote that’s a summary yeah um it was displeased yeah uh how that go over and

Then and then the next and then a few questions later you know one of the reporters John krinski of office Fame just kidding different spelling uh asks him you were talking about cat right he’s like yeah absolutely he said yes absolutely just to be clear by the way that’s one of

Those where it’s like Jay kid rips him for rips the Mavericks for uh losing focus because of the referees you’re talking about Luca right like obviously it reminded me of uh when Magic Johnson came on to um first take uh after he quit his job as the Lakers president and

Uh Stephen A was like did anybody else when you say people are backstabbing we you know were you talking about anybody else besides Rob pinka no just Rob just to C just to clarify yeah uh just the way he said it was funny anyway

Um 12 hours later I was in a hotel in DC and um I was watching the Timberwolves arrive and on a gigantic screen in this gorgeous hotel lobby um was NBA today I guess it was more than 12 hours 15 hours and uh as Chris Finch is walking through the lobby

His his running on NBA today like he walked right in front of it I was like oh boy all right let’s have our interview um awward Wendy Jinx continues I hadn’t even done anything yet well you were preparing to talk to him that the Jinx was full in full

Effect way it was a pretty you remember Wendy last week telling us Mike connley might be the most important uh Timberwolf not the most talented not the most productive yeah yes the most important well Mike Conley was wearing a very fancy little puffer vest while sitting on the bench resting

That night also he also didn’t play uh Wednesday night against the Wizards either um he’s got a hamstring I think a tight hamstring by the way I think the just in general regardless of that I think if there if the wolves are going to do anything at the deadline I think

It’s to get another um another gu another guard because you know um they you know they started nikil Alexander Walker you know he’s a backup and um my man Jordan mcgoffin Syracuse great um was playing too but like they may I wouldn’t be surprised if these games

With uh with Conley well they have I mean they have the inverse problem of Milwaukee ironic which is ironic given we’re talking about a team where you know we just got done talking about Carl Anthony Town scoring 62 points but they’ve been the best offensive team

Like we’ve talked about before on the P they’ve been the best offensive team in the league by a lot this year they’re 19th and offense and their offense is just not good enough probably as it stands right now to get all the way through the West if they can find a way

To improve between now and the deadline that’s where you would like to see it ideally is to get somebody else that could give him some more juice at that end of the court because if they get into a big playoff series against Denver or one of these leag teams they’re going

To have to be able to keep up and it’s going to be hard to make it a 195 game which is probably the kind of game that they’re going to have to try to win the fact that that cat is you know spig bote self-proclaimed greatest shooting big man of all time and

Certainly on the shortlist and that Anthony Edwards is an immense offensive talent but ant is still early in his development as a crunch time go-to guy you know the coones are there the decision making is ant turns the ball over under pressure at times and the whole league is aware

Of it and in this scouting report is because you really have a hard he gets going to the basket he had he had a great game against the Wizards he had 38 and he had a great line after the game um where he’s like going to the rim

Doesn’t require any you don’t have to have rhythm to go to the rim what he said not not when you’re that R doesn’t need Rim doesn’t need Rhythm um which an has a has a way of being profound he’s one of the best interview in the league

Um and uh anyway uh but if you’re playing with Jade McDaniels and Rudy goar it the the court gets Tighter and smaller and it it you’re just you don’t have a lot of offense out there even with those two guys play well ironically as Finch was you know unhappy that that

Towns and by the way let me just say this in early parts of that game they were getting all their offense through Straight pick and rolls the um the horns just weren’t guarding towns on on pick and pops and he was just killing them and then Carl did start hunting the

Thing about it is they actually want Carl to take more threes because they want the floor space they want to punish teams a little bit more he’s got to I mean he is a terrific shooter he’s got to take more threes that’s a that’s that’s one way they can really juice

Their offense is if he is shooting more threes and that was a big thing about that game he was 14 for 16 in the first half and eight for nine from three like right he hit his first eight and that’s what when he hit his eigh to go eight

For eight that’s when Eric Collins from the uh Hornet broadcast like he just screamed basically when the eth straight three went in which was a deep one um what what was your feel for how cat responded to Finch basically blasting him after he broke the franchise record for

Scoring right so here’s the thing um the answer to your question is I spent quite a bit of time with Cat on Tuesday and Wednesday and cat was totally and I mean like I’m not saying he’s telling me how it’s 100% he feels but I’m just telling

You on off the Record C was totally fine he he understood what finch was saying I don’t think that it was the greatest moment of his career it was a real bummer that he scores 60 points in a game 62 62 and that it like has like

No value to him now like um well it it was an embarrassing 62 Point performance became it became a meme unfortunately Ely and the first half was unbelievable like he you know you know his agent was saying that they you know there was a there was a a request for memorabilia

From the game afterwards and they were like uh sure I mean you sure you you sure you want it like and you know it’s real and you know um a couple years ago he scored 60 points in a game that was his previous career high and uh the

Timberwolves made up little like uh bucket hats that um uh had cat with the number 60 on them and um they were leaving on a four-game road trip the next day CAD had already packed and so he showed me he had he had just packed to wear like the that hat he had

It on the road with him um he’s like look at this like you know he’s like oh and it just felt weird to wear that so the 62 buckets will be something for you to puke into too yeah uh I did appreciate that he wore it to the game

Last night he had it I he had it on in the postgame uh interview I don’t know if there was any cameras but he was wearing it in the locker room so you know I don’t know if he was making a joke there or whatever but um so anyway

Uh more to the the smaller moment uh Chris Finch who’s always sort of honest which I respect like I as a media member I love that when a guy’s doing that I will say though like if you want to call some of the shots you first off it was

An all-time performance and whether you like or not not the greatest idea to rip a guy who scores 62 you know you may want to also say hey that was pretty good performance which Chris Finch did you know two days later he kind of I

Would say walked it back a half step and made sure to acknowledge it with uh with everybody um the thing about it is like immaturity which is what Chris Finch was saying is an issue for the Wolves they had two guys that he’s harped on remember when

They came to Dallas who’s talking about how much this team had matured yeah right well just as a reminder last game of the regular season they had two guys get knocked out for throwing punches one of them at a wall Jade McDaniels and one of them at a

Teammate rud yes so you know and I wouldn’t say anybody would say Rudy’s immature so you know and then ant has moments so look it is one of the challenges Finch is it you know I don’t know if it was handled as as maybe politically correct as it could have

Been but that was Chris Finch’s attempt to hold his team accountable and I will say this they didn’t play that great against the Wizards yeah but they really did move the ball there was a lot more democratic process and I will say also that from 30,000 feet looking at this

Team they are a very good team they are definitely susceptible offensively they definitely have to worry about this immaturity thing they are very very good team I think seeing you know Rudy play live for the first time this year Rudy looks spectacular y maybe you can bring me

Tape from when he was first starting to win defensive player of the year when he was with the Jazz where he was quicker but he has never looked more spry on his feet than he has this season he is been easily the best defensive team in the

League because of him my God is he covering ground I mean obviously he’s three- time Defensive Player of the Year obviously but like even by his own standards he is all over the place and and look like when they’re when when cat and and ant get going in their two-man

Game which they’re constantly working one of the things that I’ve noticed watching The Wolves this year when I’m allowed to watch them is that um you know a lot of all the way to DC to see the I know can you believe that one of the things I’ve noticed is that cat and

Aunt pretty much talk going in and out of almost every huddle maybe not every single one but like frequently they’re communicating mid game about stuff and I asked both of them about what they’re talking about and it’s almost always offensive two-man game stuff like they’re like whether or not it’s super

Successful every night they are making an Earnest effort to play together and you know one and again you can bring me tape that disputes this you can bring me numbers that dispute it when I’ve watched the rules and I’ve talked to all of them and when my view I’ve talked to

Finch about it hounds is actively trying to engage ant as the leading scorer he is trying to you know when when they first came into the league it was ant who was sort of setting up towns towns is now doing more setting up and he’s trying and again you

May be able to bring me advanced stats that disputes this he’s trying to take care of the big man you know he’s trying to take care of goar yeah he and and honestly that’s cat obviously missed a lot of last year but even last year when it was really clunky

And it wasn’t things weren’t fitting like when I talked to Rudy Rudy said man and obviously this is when danzel Russell is their point guard when I talked to Rudy’s like you know cat’s the guy who passes the ball to me the most like I Rudy’s always felt like he’s had

Some good chemistry uh with cat and look that the one reason I was surprised that Finch was that blunt and that harsh despite the fact that I think he had a lot of accurate points based on that specific Knight is because I do think you have to give cat credit for

Willingly accepting that it’s ant’s team that he’s the number two guy you know he’s the number two option figuring out how to kind of fit into that role and thrive in that role and he’s obviously the weak link defensively but you’re not the number one defense if the weak link

Is just completely mailing in he is you know much more often than not playing hard within a scheme that protects him defensively and and handling his responsibilities there so I think when we’ve talked about this before I do think that cat deserves credit for the way that he is adapted

And fit to a team that’s now tied for first place in the Western Conference and for all those reasons I was surprised that Finch came out just with the flamethrower the other night like he did the only reason I’ll the only reason I’ll I’ll take the other side of that is

For what you said before they’re tied for first in the west they’re in tied in the Lost col with Oklahoma City they’re one loss ahead of Denver and the Clippers they can’t afford to be losing games in Charlotte like that that I think is what caused him to come out

Like that and I get it like they for them it’s going to be hugely important as a young team to have homec court advantage in these series I know they’ve got some vets but with Anthony and Carl guys who haven’t been in the playoffs much they Jade McDaniels has been in the

Playoff obviously didn’t really play last year in the playoffs he definitely didn’t play didn’t play in the playoffs because that was the last game of the season that’s right like it will be very important for them to have home court advantage and to be and to have an

Easier Road potentially in the first round playing a maybe a playin team right so like they can’t afford to be losing these kind of games and that I think again he probably went a little too hard just in general but I can understand the frustration because you’re trying to move this thing along

And that loss might be the thing that has them fourth set of first in two months and look it’s been a heck of a half season in Minnesota but it has been a half seon and it’s going to be a fight for the top seed in the west which is

Kind of what which is kind of what Rudy was saying last night which is that you know being in first three 40 games doesn’t mean anything and that’s a guy who’s who’s who’s been in first 3 40 games I think several times right young Thunder just keep racking up wins

I mean obviously they do Champion nuggets the Clippers who you know if they didn’t stumble for a couple weeks after the Harden trade they’d be probably at the top now and then here come the Suns do here come the and as of right now as of Thursday afternoon it’s

Projected by our internal system to be Thunder Clippers Nuggets wolves in that order Suns at five or no Suns at six really Pelicans at five five pelic I I’ll bet against that one so the Clippers are about to go out on their Grammy trip the final Grammy trip for

The Clippers in the Clippers history because um it won’t need to clear out of crypto for the Grammys for uh whatever seven to 10 days sorry next year so Lakers and Clippers about to head out east but so we’ll see the Clippers can keep that winning um by the way just to

Set the world on fire for a second uh Mavericks projected to finish seventh Warriors eighth Kings nth Jazz 10th Lakers 11th interesting on the Warriors I’ll tell you that and Rockets and Rockets 12 Rockets had a bad loss last night phase phase two taken a little dip since

They had to deal with bonds that’s for sure um the other team that played last night we’re not gonna have a lot of wizards talk on the Pod this year but they let their coach go what unell I didn’t know I was see moted him he’s in

The front office I I I didn’t know I was I just said hello to him very briefly I didn’t know was the last time he’s going to be coaching the wizard last night I didn’t know I was seeing that um uh the Wizards have seven wins I

Don’t know how many losses they’ve got but they’ve got seven wins a lot more than seven I think you can I can sum this game up in the Wizards experience with um you know like I said the the Wolves didn’t play particularly well but you know Conley was out they won the

Wolves had a bigger lead but it was was a five-point game with about three and a half minutes or so to go the Wizards get a stop and they’re in transition and Jordan P pulls up from 27 feet in a five-point game with the ball and there was an audible groan inside

Capital One Arena when that sucker clanged off the rim and uh I don’t know if I I think the Wolves scored immediately in my head it was an end one but I just I was just like oh my God I’m not going to sit here and I’m not going

To sit here and try to say Wes unell this red hour back but this this is a terrible basketball team that was built to be a terrible basketball team and is a terrible basketball team and it’s not it’s not a serious team and like I don’t know man I’ll be honest

With you I haven’t seen the wizards live once this season we don’t we don’t have to break down the Wizards what I would say is that um they believed that uh I don’t think they I don’t think they saw themselves as a playoff team clearly but I think they didn’t see themselves

Having seven wins I think what they wanted was for their players to have something to fight for still in January February March even if that was just fighting for the 10th seed but that was also never real that was not it’s not realistic either you can say that I’m

Not I’m not defending tell you the way they looked at it well I I’m not defending I’m not saying that Wes unel didn’t deserve to get let go their team has been terrible but this is this was going to be one of the worst teams in

The League this year yes and it’s one of the worst teams in the League this year and we’re probably going to see three teams win less than 20 games in part because the league is deeper in good teams and teams trying to win than it

Has been in a long time so it’s not particularly surprising to me based off how the season is going that they’re this bad either now they’ve had a lot of fourth quarters where they’ve Fallen apart late defense has been awful like I said plenty of that’s the reason that

West kind of got let go is because they’ve had some second halves even this game they were heading the first half some they’ve had some games where they were either ahead or right in the first half and they’ve just withered down the stretch again we don’t have to look

Blowby blow here’s what’s important here’s what I want to say the challenge with the Wizards rebuild right now is that um they don’t really have extra picks yeah they got three second rounders for Bradley Beal and getting off of that contract was important for them to do

And you could almost argue if that was the only thing that they got accomplished this year that they would have stepped forward but they ended up flopping that to get Jordan P who is not working out and that is now a contract that is now a toxic contract at this

Point so the the challenge that they have is they obviously are going to need draft picks to restock that team more than just the picks that they have um and they owe a pick going forward I think it’s a it’s it’s a it’s an ex extraordinarily unlikely to convey pip to the

N bounced all over the the point is they’re actually negative pick they’re actually minus one picks first round pick so the question is is you know in this next two weeks the deadlines two weeks from today can they acquire any picks and I think just about the whole

Roster is available and tus Jones being at the front of that um and they are going to be hunting for draft picks they they that’s what is what they need the most especially if they can squeeze a first even if they looking at guys where they’re not even

Getting a quote unquote good first they have to to do this and that’s a mandate and so whether or not they’re going to be able to complete any trades I mean you know I I think if you look at their roster the guys who you’re looking at

Possible you know the one thing I we talk around the league is that balal kobali their uh yeah their rookie from France um uh by the way uh McMahon uh Tuesday night uh Rudy goar a documentary about Rudy goar’s life uh was shown it’s coming out soon at the

French Embassy there was an event at the French Embassy we uh and uh uh with um and you know with Bal in attendance but anyway uh other than kabali I think they’ll talk about anybody on their roster um I think tus is the most likely

To be Trad but they have to trade tus Jones because there will be interest in him and he’s in a contract year he’s gonna get he I’ll be stunned if tus Jones isn’t traded in the next two weeks I tell you what though you know dejon

Murray’s on the market we just saw Terry Rosier get moved they Charlotte did get a first- round pick there Malcolm Brogden malcol yeah Malcolm Brogden I mean there’s there’s a few point guards out there that I think yeah I I don’t think they’re getting a first for tus

Jones but they’ll probably get multiple seconds for him and I’ll be stunned if he’s on the team just makes too much sense Denny Denny Adia uh is a guy who you know he’s developed into a nice defensive player he signed a contract that is not viewed as bad

Basically a mid-level contract is what he agreed to you know I I don’t think they’re looking anxious to get rid of him but I do think there’s some desire for him on the market um the two most obvious guys on the team are who you’re were just gonna say Daniel Gafford and

Ty Jones those are the two guys that make sense to move I personally would be trying to move Kyle kosma if I were them I think it’s I don’t think he’s going to get traded personally we will see I think their price for kozma is pretty

High and they do that’s why I don’t think he’ll get traded I mean the word on the street is that when if you call the Wizards right now and ask for kozma they want two firsts for him so I don’t know if they’re getting that um but you

Know but whether it’s second round picks or first round picks or whatever I mean they you know Michael Winger the first thing he did was bring in Will Dawkins who’s came from Oklahoma City is a he is a draft and developed guy and they’re going to be Drafting and developing

Players and whether they’re getting seconds or firsts or whatever like you said the next two weeks is going to be about getting as much as they can to move forward with the guys that they’ve got also have Travis schlank in their front office who was the general manager

In Atlanta one of the best drafters draft record Another scout scout who is going to be out there looking for players too he was a part of the the guys who built the Dynasty in in gold state with through the draft if you look at Atlanta even though they have not

Achieved their draft picks have generally been really good Jaylen Johnson maturing this year into a real real good-look player another good-look uh pick from Travis schlank so they want to let Travis go out there and find them players but they need picks to do it so

Yeah I would I would think that the Wizards would be adding picks in the next two weeks if you’re looking for players to go so um but yeah it was interesting night in Washington uh to say the least but not as interesting as your night in Dallas McMahon

So PR usual yeah I I had I had no such uh excitement in the post game interviews uh just putting my foot in my mouth uh all right thank you for listening to Collective podcast thank you to Jackson and Parker our producers for this show thank you to McMahon and

Bontemps thank you for listening um we got a little something coming up that next week where they got a little Wrinkle in the uh hoop Collective it’s going to change our uh it’s going to change things a little bit we’ll talk about it next week but uh um there is a

Little something coming uh that is I don’t know should I just say what it is or no Jackson should I say what it um so the the so um Tes the show that we typically publishes on Monday is uh um the podcast is now going to air on

ESPN 2 on Tuesdays in the afternoon I don’t even know what time it’s going to air on Tuesdays but um if if you believe it or not they you know we’re on The Cutting Edge what time two o’clock okay we’re on The Cutting Edge guys we’re

Going to L we’re taking this show to linear TV that’s right nobody nobody is more forward looking than us here at the hoop Collective so uh that starts uh next week but you can still hear the podcast on Monday as usual and watch it on YouTube but you

Know if you’re not doing anything on Tuesday at two o’clock you can Eastern you can uh you can check us out uh anyway thanks for listening we’ll talk to you next week adios amigos

Doc Rivers’ challenge with Milwaukee + drama in Dallas 🏀 | The Hoop Collective

Brian Windhorst is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to talk another heated installment of the Suns-Mavericks rivalry, Phoenix’s impressive play of late, the Bucks hiring Doc Rivers to replace Adrian Griffin, Milwaukee’s defensive issues, an odd 62-point game from Karl-Anthony Towns for Minnesota and how the Wizards should handle the trade deadline.

0:00 Introduction
2:14 Heated Battle Between Suns & Mavericks
23:30 Is Doc Rivers The Answer For The Bucks?
36:30 Trivia
52:10 Minnesota’s Strange Scoring Explosion
1:00:13 Wizards’ Rebuild Challenges
1:08:10 We’re Going To Be On ESPN2!

#ESPN #NBA

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