Thanks in advance to Kurt healing from
pro basketball, talk
for joining us now.
I guess, how would you? Well, where do you stand? I mean, you
know, Michael. And I would think it's awfully premature
to Crown step finals MVP in a 2-2 series
with anything, that certainly happened. Where the what's
the point differential between these two teams, one point in
favor of Golden State? I mean, a lot can happen in these next
three games. It feels premature but having said that
steps already once.
Something through four games, particularly game for. And
that's any amount of respect that he was still missing from
God knows who fair
fair for Stuff who is not respecting and at this point
like Ida, he has proven to be
a legendary player. I know you were talking about the all-time
greatest shooter. I don't, I don't think that's in question
for him anymore.
What
is been fascinating about this series though? Is that how much
they've relied on him and I look, we love the horse race.
These things right like Steph Curry was also the leader in
the MVP race at Christmas.
That didn't really work out, right? Like we love to do like,
well, where would it stand now. Yeah, today in a 2-2 series.
You probably be the front-runner. But
Michael, you said it.
And I think this is really one of the keys going into tonight.
If the Celtics are going to win this thing,
Jason Tatum's got to stand toe-to-toe with him, Jason
Tatum's, gotta stop. Avoid it like trying to draw fouls and
doing a little left arm hooks. As he goes into the pound off
two feet, go to the rim and dunk the thing. Draw some fouls
kick-out,
he has the potential and he does for stretches. Look like a guy
who can be that good a player and that he's
he's not in cleat
in key points and they need him to be. If he
Wants to be listed as it looks
is a first-team all-nba. He is 6 in MVP voting, but if you
want to really reach the upper echelon,
these are the games, right? This is the game where you've
got to come out and show it.
You know what card? I'm not sure he's got a match. Steph
Curry toe-to-toe.
What he's got to do is shoot better than thirty four and
a half percent. Yeah. You kind of feel. That's the funny thing
is, it's,
it's third. It's a hello. Hello re,
yeah, it's 45 from three. Where he gets in trouble is inside
the ark when he has to drive. He's, he's shooting, just over
50%. Inside the restricted area,
he's not finishing well and the Warriors. I mean, loonies a
nice shot. Blocker.
Draymond when he's not
out chasing
Jalen Brown can give you a little bit
Tim's. Got to finish through that, he's got a knockdown
mid-range shots, you want to Kobe, dude, hit your mid-range
shots. This is if that's your idol.
Kobe made a living in this Lake career there, right? Like you,
I think that that's what's got to happen, Boston knows
to a man. They know what they want to do. And and I had Oka
came out yesterday and said look if we played offense
the way we supposed to play offense and stuck to our guns, we'd be
up 31 and I don't think he's wrong. They just
They have to stay with what works, and then teams just got
a knock down some shots,
you know? I tell me, tell me what you guys think of this.
Look, there's a lot of debate. There's a lot of room for
debate. Email is biased.
They be up 3-1. If they played offense the way they should
have, and then go and say can say, hey if we had done what we
supposed to do in game one,
we never would have lost a home court advantage to regain it in
Boston, so back and forth. But I look at these two teams and
say, I think Boston,
if they play natural, they got a natural there know.
Game Boston, plays its normal game against Golden State
playing, its normal game. I think Boston is better. The
problem is
golden state has played his normal game and ascended
with Steph Curry doing above
what he normally does. And nobody on, Boston has done that
and not just not just Jason Tatum
Jalen Brown hasn't done that
Marcus Smart defensively hasn't done that yet
and so I think that's where it's problematic for Boston.
You can say all these things. Hey, we got, we know what it
takes, but
somebody somebody's got to be able to play a little above
their normal game for Boston to win this thing.
I thought I was talking with Grant Williams yesterday and
I thought he had really insightful thoughts about what
they're doing. It's like look, we're not the more disciplined
team. We're not the more poised team in the series and that's
part of what's costing them,
they get away
if what works for them, becomes harder, sometimes they get away
from it and he he owns up to it. He's like look the Warriors
come down and they turn the ball over and they missed
a couple shots and things don't work, and they don't
go away from what they want to do. They don't go away from
the gameplay and they keep Pounding at it because they know who
they are, they know what they want to do. They are very
confident in it and
years of playoff,
you know, being in the postseason
has taught them. This, they learned these lessons but it
feels like the Celtics guys, is it just me? Like, it feels like
they're still learning because they just hey,
eight minutes to go in the first, you know, in game. Four.
We're gonna go stagnant with our offense and jack up. Five
threes in a row and talk about like to get away from what
works way too easily.
Yeah, no I know that's that
everybody rifle is. So made a big deal out of coming into
the series 123 career finals games was it for the Warriors to
none? For the Celtics has manifested itself
in various structures are various times in the series.
The idea of Boston being better. And I know it felt that way.
After game 3 in particular Michael, I remember I was
premature
in feeling like the warriors were better after game two.
I don't know that
we can say that Boston's better. I think all we know is
that Boston's bigger?
I don't know. That boss is necessarily better.
You know, golden state is, has been right right there
defensively all season and Golden State hasn't played its
best various members
in. You told me Andrew Wiggins, would have been the second best
warrior out of me. Like, I ain't no way. It's a 22 series
and yet here we are. So let me, I'll tell Michael, I'll do what
you just did. I'll pose this question to both of you now.
So now it's a best of three.
Who or what?
Kurt and Michael's are you betting on?
And these next three games
in such an evenly Matched series. I look like spin it
Forward. Actually how do you like the time to feel?
I'm betting on me. Racking up a lot more American flight miles.
I think this thing's going seven, man,
I don't
I I'm
I'm hesitant with you to say Boston's a better team but they
are the bigger more athletic team and when they
You go to the playground, you go to the Y and you play
the bigger more athletic team wins. If you're, you know unless
the other team is just a little more skill than a little more
disciplined and that's what's happened so far, but I
don't see. Maybe, Boston could rise up tonight, and then close
things out in game 6. But
I think,
I think what I'm looking for mostly is we talked about Tatum
the other thing I'm just looking at is, can Boston
because they're disciplined on offense?
Two Warriors to play in the half court, when it's in
the half court, they're still going to get some points, Curry,
still going to do some ridiculous things but their
half-court offense is really struggling this series.
It's
it's the turnovers. It's the hey we're going to shoot up
threes that lead to Long rebounds and let them get run
outs
and nobody. I mean, there isn't a team out there that closes
the Gap like the Warriors, is there any like you think you've
got a 10 point lead and it's gone in a Flash
right? What are you know what? Mike, I know you're betting,
man. What are you betting on these next three games? If it
goes seven,
You talking to me or Kurt?
Yeah. You know, you I said no, you're a betting man. Okay,
what are you betting on? Okay, spring game.
Listen bank. I told you the beginning, I told you at
the beginning of the series,
I'm keeping series Dynamics in mind.
I'm not, I'm not playing that game. This team has momentum
this team has momentum. I think that's a figment of our
imaginations and
sports media. I don't think it reflects the reality of
the series, there's no momentum. It's like Jason. Statham said
the other day. It's a new series.
The new series. So whatever happens in game five. I don't
know what's going to happen in game five. If I need to bet on
one thing or one player
and you this is going to surprise you Mike.
Our conversation started today?
No, I'm betting on Steph Curry but it has numbers
and being being a guy, being a guy who they still haven't
solved
the
substance having sought him yet. They haven't slowed him
down yet. They haven't made on made him uncomfortable yet. So
I think he's
Gonna continue to do his thing
but he has done his thing and wins
and he's done his singing losses.
So, I don't know what that means. For the bottom line.
I just know that Steph Curry is gonna show up and he's going to
probably get 30 did something tonight.
Well, I think the soap, the Celtics would live with him
getting 30 or even 40 if they don't like them, let
the blender start. If everybody's not, if the ball starts flying
around in the back door, Cuts in, the split actions happened,
and
all these. And suddenly claims getting open looks and pools,
get an open look. That's where Doomed, in the Celtics will
give up.
Even without Horford out there, they'll give up some Curry shots
to keep them one-on-one rather than, you know,
rather than letting them look. This
their passes our way down there, assists our way down,
that's what the Celtics want. They just don't want to get in
a match where that ball flying around. Because once you get
scrambling against the Warriors in the chaos, starts your doom.
I have Warriors and seven going in. I still got worries and
seven and a big steps, the difference, but
I think we all we all
would agree. If if the if the Celtics won the next two, we
know they're undefeated after a loss which bodes. Well for
tonight. Of course not that that's going to
get them a win but they wanted next to all the warriors were
next to, nobody would be shocked. It's just it's
unpredictable to series
as we could. We could hope for Kurt. We predict we will see
you again
several times before this series is over there. Upset.
Appreciate you.