So the next piston series and Warriors Rockets series are both in similar situation where young inexperienced team are going up against an older, more serious season squad. For now, the veterans are proving that playoff experience would take you further than youthful talent. What are some key takeaways from game one of the Pistons versus Nick series and a quick interesting step for you guys. The Celtics 14 nuggets 14 and nicks 10 have the most home playoff wins over the last two post season.
I will start with you, Spike, if you have anything. It's Michael. All right. I'm like, I know he's going on.
And then you put bossy's chest meeting. All right. So, okay, let me take this real quick. I feel like the thing that I saw in game one is that New York is in trouble because it took a 21-0 run to win that game.
And we saw what happened in game two and realistically the trade, if they had more experience, they'd be up to 0 right now. That first game, we saw their inexperience. But in that second game, we saw them tighten up and K. Cunningham came through like a superstar should.
All that being said, Ken, I still got the 26. I feel that what I've been talking about in terms of cat, we saw in game two where he didn't score in the second half, bro. He did not. We're talking about arguably the best player on that squad.
It depending on the game is either him or Brunswick, right? Those are the two best players on the New York team. And when your second best or best player does it's called scoring a whole half. That's a major issue.
And we know that it's not a skill thing. It's up here. So to me, New York is in trouble. They still need another guy.
And Fibs is he's maxed out what he can do with this roster in New York is in trouble. I'm gonna go now, Ken. Go ahead, bro. I was gonna say to what people says, I don't think it's a mental thing.
We can't I think it's being overblown in the media. I think it's more on T.U.U.U.U.s than anybody else. The best player in this series is Bronson. And I think that he will be able to pull them through.
Kate is a piece. He just ain't he doesn't have the playoff experience that they need to get them to win in six games. What's seven games? So I think it's Bronson will be able to pull them through.
But all this stuff about can't be and not mentally there. I think that's that that's a facade. Like we see the one to the goal. We seen him last season without the bill.
And that's the reason that's the reason why they couldn't be dollars, bro. When they fire to the goal and they get mike and low old Denver coach, they're going to be unstoppable in the East. I really want to build on that point from Spike because that's been my thing with the Knicks all season. This Knicks have they have a deeper collection of talent.
They have to be better defensive players in theory and just historically from what we've seen those players produce in terms of I think I think Bronson is tough as a guard. He's not all world defender, but he makes it hard on guards. You got McHale Bridges in theory and historically who's been a good defender in this league. I think that Minister Robinson is a formidable big rent protector, a lot of threat and Josh Hart, all these different pieces that are right there to be used.
It's just it's like at a certain point, man, it's like I don't know if y'all watching that show on Netflix, you know, season five is coming up. But it's this story of this murderer who just everywhere he goes, people start dying. And wherever I see Tom Thibodeau, I'm just reminded of that show because offenses die everywhere he goes like collections of talent where man, you got D-Rows and Lua Dang and Jimmy Butler and you can't get over the hump. Okay, cool.
You got Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins and the car and Anthony Towns who other people have seen have gotten more out of from Steve Kerr to Chris Finch to, you know, Pat Riley and Eric Spostra. And when they're around you, they can't be around each other. So now you're in New York, they trade the farm from the Kale Bridges because you know, they're trying to bring the noble boys back. And I'm looking at this offense.
There's no motion. I'm looking at the offense. There's no improvisation. I'm looking at the offense.
There's no second third options. When you're on a basketball team, some coaches are creative enough that when they send you out for a certain plate or if you have certain sets that you run, a system that you run, they say, all right, we're going to do this off the pin down. We got an off ball screen and we're going to get the shooter open on the right corner. But if that's not open, I want you to roll to the middle every time.
They drill these things, you know what I'm saying? And then we're going to create a live or I want you to drive to the level about, you know what I mean? They have options. I don't see those options with tips.
I never have. It's very stationary point A to point B. If that's not there, bring the ball out and look at me. I'm going to give you the next play.
That's bullshit, bro. And I'm not going to put this on car in any towns because why does car in any towns only have four three point shot attempts in the entire series? Like you're supposed to be the greatest three point shooter of all time and for big men, but your coach doesn't even recognize enough to get you the ball. I'm not saying that the players don't have to play.
Of course they have to play. But brought every time this man is around, people start dying. So I'm going to look at the person is making a murderer and his tips, bro. I don't want to completely absolve the Knicks because their offense should be able to be overcome with those issues just because they have this collection.
But dog, it's like it's 60 40 to me and coaching versus players on the floor. I would say 64 the other way because everything you say about cat, he did all the sleep so many different places. When did we see him come out and just be a world where we say we can believe in cat? I never believe in cat and he continuously does the same thing.
He disappears in big moments in the left front by himself. You right though, they'll sort of figure it out and figure out how to give the ball more. But at the same time, as a leader of a team and as that dominant dude, I'm going to get it. I'm going to get my shots and I'm going to figure it out.
He's the leader of the team. He's one of them. Yes. He's one of them.
I don't think anybody is but he's the new guy number one. And I think that Brunson is the leader of the team person. That's just that's just what I see because Brunson's been there. He's one of the card for you.
You play basketball when you're one of the two or three most talented players on the court or on that roster, you you are by default a leader. You may not be the leader. I agree. Jelen Brunson is the leader of that squad.
But cat is a voice. Cat is a voice because he's too talented. I just want up at all though. But you don't score in the second half.
What do you mean? That's not him. That's not him. No, no, no.
No, no, no. No, no. No, no, no. This is the playoffs and Shaq says it all the time and I 100% agree.
When you're one of those, Hey, man, give me the damn ball. Yeah. Yeah. I don't came down here three four times.
They didn't give me the ball. Give me the fuck about move the hell out the way. I'm going to get us a bucket of two. What ability does Brunson playing this as a point guard?
Right? Okay. I was just gonna say he does hold responsibility as well. Like we said, he is the leader that team and the team captain as the captain you're the leader on the floor, you're the coach on the floor.
You know, we got to figure out how to wait and get this guy bomb. You know, he's been this. You know that like you see that. We all see it.
I'm sure he knows it. He got to get himself going, but he got to figure out how to get Kat going as well. We know like, we know what Kat is. So they like, I'm not sorry.
I was gonna say like for me, game one from a Brunson cat standpoint is the version that is going to win this series. Brunson dropped like 34 game one cat had 23. That was probably one of the best cats playoff performances period in his career that game one. He was he was he was on he was scored offensively and he had like what four steals and two blocks offensive.
Like he was he was doing a lot of good stuff, which is why it was so weird. It was like a Dr. Jekyll Mr. High went for game two, especially in that second half when I was disappointed because he had three shots, zero points in 19 minutes.
It was kind of like, what was going on? And that's why I'm looking. I know a lot of criticism is going to be on Brunson as far as like he dribbles the air out the ball and he likes to play hero ball. But I mean, at the same time, what I'm looking at it is he the only motherfucker that's like, all right, I'm I'm if no one else is trying to take over, I got to take over.
You know what I'm saying? I got to do what's going to keep us in the game. And I know and again, you live and die by that as a Knicks fan, but that's not how you win playoff basketball games. And that's what that's the reason why I told y'all when we were picking a series, I was like, Nixon seven, because they got to figure out this late game execution shit in this series.
Because the Detroit Pistons are not going to go down easy. Now based off their inexperience, that's the reason why the game like the next the next one, the one that game I said would have filled uncomfortable going to Detroit just because it's like we could we could be down to as much as we could be up to. You know what I'm saying? So the fact that we split is about as even as you can get in the series, I'll point it and send it.
So I think that game three is going to be key because we need to see Cat really demand a ball or at least to create some type. You don't even create offense. Just give them all the best player on the court. Period.
He's the most talented man in the ball. He didn't do it last year. But he has to force he has to be like Brunson get that negative at least. You know what Nick, Nick, that's my problem is that to me, the Knicks have such a collection of talent already on defense and offense that you shouldn't be relying on calling anything sounds every single game to have monster games.
I know that sounds counterintuitive, but I think if you follow me here for a second, the way that there is just so much stagnancy and you need you and Brunson as a small guard to take over, that is indicative of almost every team tips have been a part of where he's needed smaller guards or a guard to go absolutely crazy and everyone gas out on defense. We're going to switch. We're going to get over screens and we're going to force turnovers and we're going to play rough until. But you realize that that kills your momentum and your energy on offense.
And now you just got D-rolls blowing his legs out trying to fucking go crazy and win everywhere. Or you got Jimmy Butler trying to force you into playing with this ball for playing. Force you into an AC. And now you have D-Lan Brunson who's, I know this sounds like I'm glazing, but he has no choice but to manufacture points by flopping sometimes because the offense is terrible.
Like we have no looks, everyone is covered up, there's no movement. Okay, throw my hands up. And I know that's not good for the game quote-unquote, but if you don't even have the ability for calling any talents as gravity as a shooter to manufacture points for others, that's the coach, bro. And I'm looking at tips squarely and I don't want to put this on the next.
I think they're going to be able to figure this out in six. It should have been a sweep, but just because of their talent. But it's tips and we need a different coach because the two players that I look at so much and again, I watch the next heavily is Michael Bridges and Cat. Bridges, I don't know what the fuck happened between Brooklyn to here, but the next game up a lot to get him.
Even defense, so white Dante. So it's like Dante would have made some of them shots, especially at the end of the game too. I see it last year, you know what I'm saying? So for us, I thought we were going to upgrade because Michael can play defense better than Dante and he's supposed to still bring that scoring.
But he's just been a spot up shooter if that doing the run around running to a shot. I'm like, but that's not your fucking game. At least that's not effective. There's no motion.
There's no back door screens. There's no easy buckets. There's no easy. Everything comes off of pick and roll.
That's true. And we just and right now it just seems like what we have during our worst version of the Knicks, the best version of the Knicks is that they're jelling and they look like game one. The worst version is game two where it just looks like you mentioned Q or FIFA. It looks like a collection of just talented players.
You know what I'm saying? It's not a team. Like everybody is doing like Brunson is just doing the best he can to keep us in the game. And he's I mean shit, he's clutch is fucking a fool.
That's why I was arguing with you. You talk about he choked. I'm like, how much more did you want from him? He had like 30 plus 35 plus points.
And yeah, I think he had like eight assists. So like I say I just say we can't call that one without coffee. Well, I'm just saying like the looks that McChill bridges had in that game could at least tie it or to delete. You know what I'm saying?
Maybe going to OT. But I don't want this to be all on one thing. But I did say come into the season to it. They don't get to the east and college finals.
You need to get the fuck up out of here. But right now for this series, he needs to be able to learn how to work with Kat and Mikael and Michael. I'm like, I need to step the fuck up because they both combined for which 20 points. And as a duo, that's insane.
Yeah, this is a it's going to be potentially dangerous. This team is young, but they they're confident. I would be concerned with them going back home, but I've seen them collapse in the fourth quarter twice. So they still have to learn how to finish these games.
I think they got lucky after the game time and shrewd to hit a three. Yeah, we give him that shot every time. Yeah, but they won. And they won the game, whereas, you know, they gave up a 21 or run.
So I think that showed a little bit of composure that they were. But well, I wouldn't even say that. I think shrewd show composure because when it was in this one, they run, I saw them still doing dumb goofy stuff. We also can't we also can't neglect the fact that Detroit give them some props here.
I don't want to just make it all like the mix or just, you know, but Detroit, they're playing good, great basketball in terms of just grittiness. I think that K Cunningham is brilliant as a basketball player. Creation handle pace and flow of his game is so it's so sweet. It's like Grand Hill, like it's really nice.
I think that they have a collection of role players that ride really hard and want to play together as a team. And you can see in how they how they move the ball, they're trying to be connected. JD Big Big Big Big Big Big Big Big is going to be dropped there. But they're still one or two guys always shit that be a team try young music, go to an bullshit.
But this would this would be a really good series win for the Pistons. I just don't know what they have enough experience. I know people are tired of that cliche, but these blown leads, they exemplify why experience matters. Yeah, Kate Kate was impressive.
If you can match Brunson's production, then you're looking for everybody else. Then it gets scary hours just like it was for the Rockets. We talked about another team that showed some inexperience in their game one versus the Warriors. What are some concerns that you guys noticed from that game and a quick interest in stat outside of the Warriors being the only play in teams win last weekend, the play in teams on average lost by 19 points.
It's glued in the Grisleys blowout, which we brought the average to 32 plus points. The Warriors meanwhile won by 10 on the road and the Grisleys, of course, tonight got destroyed again. But it wasn't that bad. It wasn't as bad.
How bad was it? It was really bad. It was really bad. That was bad.
No, I know 50 was bad. I'm going to play on it. No, losing 20 is bad. 50 is absolute atrocious.
I'll say it wasn't as bad. I say it wasn't as bad. Yeah, it couldn't be as bad. That's all I'm saying.
But now it turns out these Rockets can, the first thing that I witnessed when I put the basketball analyst cap on is if the Rockets aren't generating turnovers, they're not scoring because they don't have a half court score go to God. Jaylin Green, but he's a full court guy. He needs to play in transition. He needs to get back door cuts and get easy buckets that way.
Their offense doesn't really necessarily generate that. I'm in Thompson. As good as he is, he's not a fully developed product yet. And we're seeing that on the offensive side.
He's even got lost a couple of times in defensive rotations. He's a great one on one defender, but you're seeing some of that in experience. As much as I love Van Vleet is a lot like, we just, the point for the Troy, the point for the Troy. Okay.
That's the type of role that Van Vleet should be playing as a backup guy, been there, done that, you know, I could stabilize, but being asked to be the starting point guard in a offensive generator, primary playmaker, that just doesn't suit his game like that. Houston is just a work in progress. And they are maturing quicker than what they then where they really are because of email, you know what I'm saying? And that's the reason why I we talked about what is the expectations for Houston.
I said, depending on the match, they're going to lose that first round. And I got gold in state. And that's what I see. I just don't see how they overcome it.
I think this is probably going to be a gentleman's sweep. For me, I look at it like, it's easy to say, gentlemen, sweet, easy to say, where is it going to win? Not necessarily. I did pick Houston just because I know how I feel about going to state.
But I will say this though. How many points Jimmy had, Jimmy had like 35 plus points? Like between Jimmy had like, Jimmy and Steph had great games, game one, like Jimmy called out, I don't necessarily see Jimmy Butler scoring 30 plus for the rest of this series. It's super hard to start.
Okay. I'm going to have something in the play again. Okay. That's the game.
You know, it's a good start down. Nick, I get you. I get you. But Jimmy's not, you know what I'm saying?
Jimmy does what he does to win the game. He doesn't necessarily score a lot to win the game. That makes sense. He's not going to win.
And if you do whatever he do whatever he does, I bring that up because you again, we're seeing this is a lot in the West where it's just two guys that have to show up every night. You know what I'm saying? For a lot of these teams to win. I love it.
And as much as I think Houston is very inexperienced, one of these days, one of these games in this series, they are going to show up and they are going to score buckets. And I want to see how going to state reacts to that because outside of Steph and Jimmy, you don't really have anybody else that's going to give you a 20, at least for me, for what I'm seeing, like an effective 20 consistent. So you think Dylan Brooks is going to give you an effective 20? No, no, I'm saying I'm saying in one of these games, you're going to get a random Dylan or say, so I'm saying like, how do you go off like, well, how do you know, how do those games look like, you know, in that in that situation is what I'm curious about with Houston.
I mean, with Golden State, as far as like, they consistency from the top two players, but Houston is definitely in trouble and this is why they need to go get KD next season. They can say they can say they can say, they can say, they can say, they can say, they can say, wall this. Another murder. Another murder.
We're just like, every another murder. We're just like, make it they can start all this over and be the number one seed. Rock him up. You know what he's making a murder.
I'm just saying, I'm just saying. But you know what, you know what, make even if they got KD is still not enough because for this only reason, you double team KD, you get the ball out of his hand. Where's it going? I'm going to go.
I'm going to go. Saint Goon is nice, but he's not he's not a bucket getter like that. He's a number two. No, he's really a number three.
No, he's really a number three. Like that. No, he is. He's like, if he's your second best player, you're not a championship contender.
I think he's the second best player. Just like that. Off the top. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, and that's not going to be like, she's going is like the.
The most about version of subonus exactly. It's like, it's like, he's a really good offensive player, but if you need him to be your second best guy, I don't think that that's not a championship team. What about your shelter? I thought some of the game one.
Sound out to the Rockets, man, because they did step up in the end and least battle back. Because I thought this stuff had took their heart. I thought it was over with early when, you know, when step got going. But they came back.
They battled back. They didn't win the game, of course, but they at least showed some fight down stretch, which I didn't think that they would be able to do. And that was big for this team. But I think the championship pedigree that you have instead, you got playoff Jimmy, you got to give him that name now because Jimmy shows up in big moments.
And it seems like them doing, playing together for help, man. They look like seamless. You're right. Nick, they don't have that extra score like that.
You got part. Caminga's not getting any minutes. Did not play close to the game. That's the politics thing.
That's the underrated thing about Steve Kerr's whole tenure with Golden State is that he don't develop players. You know what I'm saying? This doesn't have anything to do with development. This has everything to do with the business side of basketball.
If you really. Why you saying that? He's saying that. He's got the Interruptions.
This is all about contract negotiations. Caminga didn't like the contract that they offered them initially. He's a restrictive free agent. He's going to sign with another team.
And the Golden State Warriors are going to match it. They're lowering his value right now. Go watch the Good But Arena's podcast. They break it down.
They break it down 100%. I'm 100% a good one. This is an nasty part of the basketball. It's the business part of it.
Caminga has to make some. Because they paid Jimmy. What was that? Cute?
I said because they paid Jimmy. Yeah. Yeah. My thing is this can't, that's Caminga been in contract with you for the last three folks.
Caminga has been a bit solid. Caminga has been solid. They have to say he's supposed to be next up for the most. Man.
No, no. That's the different conversation. That's the different conversation. Because it's like if you're, if you want, if you want to judge Caminga based on the projections that he could have been a KD replacement, like some people foolishly said, and then the conversation became, oh, I think he still has star potential.
That I think those two ships have sailed, bro. But he's definitely. Oh, watch. I mean, first, or if you believe that, cool.
I'm arguing that. I'm saying that we're now moving off of those things that have sailed away. So let's deal with what is. You still have a solid player in the league who can contribute, play defense.
And he kind of has spats with Steve Kerr because of, I guess the IQ side of all or best and air that they want to run. But whenever I see him, there's no way that you can't put him in the series and let him run 12 14 minutes again. There's just no way that you can convince me that he can't keep up with guys like Jalen Green, who to me still don't have the IQ to play NBA basketball. Then tell Steve Kerr that they didn't need any game one.
But like Steve Kerr has always been mercurial. Steve Steve Kerr's always been kind of bitchy when it comes to his attitude with certain players. And I think that people kind of respect that. And they hated about him as well because he'll tell a guy straight up, I'm not playing you.
It's very pop of it's s. But the series, as it's going right now, we're just seeing experience taking over. And a top five player ever in my personal opinion, just showing why he's top five. There's just no more flowers that we can give this stuff to her.
Besides Greatest Shooter, Greatest point guard. He's got the greatest point guard ever. He's got the greatest point guard ever. He's got the greatest point guard ever.
And it's not a bad. He doesn't even play the point guard position. Yes, he does. He plays the point guard.
What am I looking at? What I want to say is that I think that Camino got some folks on that podcast people will listen to and planted that story. Because I think he getting paid with his worth, which is going to be low. Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Cue just said it. Jimmy got there, got the big back, not a little back. He got a big back and he's older. I heard everything y'all said.
I think he's going to get paid the value. He's worth the other point I want to say, and then we'll move on, is that I made a comment that the Rockets are not a true number two C. And somebody made a comment that how can they not be a true number two C when they've been in the top four all season long? And now you're about to find out what I mean by that.
So, Tatu Sunken is saying that's all this episode. He's talking about don't over-rate game one. Yeah, I don't. It's not that.
What Kyle always said is early. This has nothing to do with game one. This is all about championship pedigree from three guys and a coach. Two, like pretty bad off with Ken and Nick are talking about with the Rockets.
One thing that's very interesting to me is how, for me, when I want to players like Jalen Green, I think he's a great athlete. I don't think he's a great basketball player. I think that he's very athletic, but I don't see the mind of the game. I think that he played solid defense on Steph Curry on a couple shots.
But it's just certain decisions that I see him make. And I don't think it's all the way there yet. But the Rockets, they're far too young. They don't have guys that can go get a bucket and may factor it when they need to.
And that's the issue. I don't think KD solves that issue. I don't think that an old guy solves that issue. If you're going to try to upgrade this roster at some point, I think Jalen Green is the name that's going to be in any trade.
Personally, because I don't think that his game warrants hands off him by any means. If you make a really good, I'll say right now, if they offer me Zion Williamson, I'm taking Zion for Jalen Green, because I would rather deal with what Zion has still left in the tank. You want Zion to go to Houston, Brad? We already know how that's going to go.
I agree with your take when you were talking about Trey Young to Houston, mainly because Jalen Green, I said it last week. I can't remember the phrase I coined. But I said this about Desmond Bay. He's a recipient score.
Like Jalen Green, you can't just give him the ball and be like, hey, go give me a bucket. He's a recipient score. If you get him on the lob, you get him on the back door, you get him cut through the lane or something like that. Easy buckets.
Trey Young gives you that. He opens that up for those easy buckets to be gotten. You know what I'm saying? He also spaces the floor.
So I think that if you do get, let's just say, this is very utopian world. But if you get KB and Trey Young and put that around Jalen Green and Ammon Thompson, now we're talking a whole different ball. All right. Well, I think Jalen may have too many outside distractions.
You know, we'll leave it at.