May 1, 2024 • 38 mins
Doug and the crew talk about the next era of the NBA and the names that will likely take the torch from Lebron. Doug welcomes The Athletic's Joe Vardon onto the show to talk about the Lakers, Suns and all of the other NBA headlines this week. Plus, Dan Beyer takes Doug through a Tuesday edition of "The Press".
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gotlieb Show podcast. Be
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(00:25):
live here in the Doug gotlib Show on Fox Sports.
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That's the way tire buying should be. You know, I
(00:48):
think when the NBA is just different than any other sport.
You know, it's like I heard Colin talking earlier today
about the NFL and the post Brade era and Pat
Mahomes was kind of already there. It's like, because you know,
(01:10):
the Aaron Rodgers still playing, he's still kind of a thing.
Obviously he's heard he's banged up. One of the things
that has happened in the NFL with quarterbacks and I
think we've seen it a little bit here in the NBA.
Is guys are playing longer, and so it does feel
like they'll never age out. But it's also because they're
playing longer, it's harder to kind of build up stars
(01:30):
at just the right moment, just the right moment. But
there's a lot of talk about what happens now in
the NBA. For the first time in twenty years, lebron
kd and Steph are all out of the playoffs at
or before the first round is over, right before the
(01:51):
second round is It starts twenty years, so we're in
a new era, and you know, so many people want,
you know, I think it's a little bit prisoner of
the moment. But also he was great in the movie Hustle,
and he's an explosive athlete. He makes you think anything
is possible athletically for a human being because of what
(02:13):
Anna Edwards can do. There are a lot of people think
Ann Edwards. I don't. I think it's Luca. Luca has
obviously won in Europe. He competes for his home country,
did a great job. I think they won the European
Championships one year. They're not gonna win a gold medal,
but they'll be competitive, be interesting to see how he
(02:35):
plays this summer. And he's got to get to an
NBA finals pretty soon in order to solidify himself as
a league player. But he's got the shoe, he has
a gigantic following, He's kind of got Michael Jordan and
others believing he's the next one. That would be the
guy I think is most likely those two Tatum unbelo score,
(03:00):
unbelievable player, but not as creative and ability to set
people up as Luca, and not as explosive, not as
explosive as the Anthony Edwards. He probably has a lot
of offensive Kobe to his game. Defensively not so much.
Dan Byer reviews you and I said, who's the next
(03:21):
face of the NBA. Who would you say it is?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, it's Luca one hundred percent. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Why do you think people want to skip over Luca
and go to Anthony Edwards just the fact that he's
not American?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I never got that sense, to be honest with you,
I feel like maybe right now because we're in the
peak Anthony Edwards, sure, love fest, But honestly, I don't
think that Anthony Edwards has gotten as much love as
he's deserved up until this point. So maybe it's making
up for all of the lost the lost time. But
you know, Luca's he's just he's got it all. He's
(03:59):
got the personality. I think Anthony Edwards says the personality
as well. Yeah, I think that they're in really good
hands and I'll take the out Like I thought that
I thought that Jason Tatum was superstar material, and to
be a superstar there's a lot that has to come
with it. And I've even said on this year on
these airwaves that I thought Jason Tatum was a superstar.
(04:20):
But I think to your assessment of his play and
just on how far reaching of his reach is going
to be, it's not going to get to superstar length.
It's not going to get to those, you know, spots
that I had thought possibly.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Okay, now you and I are gigantic sports fans, sports dorks.
We host radio shows, right, Jason, you're more of the
snapshot of the kind of every man. You really got
to do something for me to pay attention to, and
I got to, you know, like you're the you're the
(05:00):
the swing vote if you will, you could go either way.
Where are you on? If you take Lebron out, you
take kd out, you take Steph out. Who do you
want to watch in the NBA? Who would you watch?
Pay to watch?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Play? Well?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
I mean I'm a I'm a joker guy, but I
know that that's not popular. I like watching him play,
but I don't think a lot of people have my
uh have my specific I don't know what do you
call that?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Sensibilities?
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Now, we did this game a few weeks back, Okay,
I think it was uh. I think it was I
feel a draft and if you can get that phone,
I think it's someone begging to come on and answer
this question. It was I feel a draft. And I
think with like the fourth pick, I was able to
get Victor Webbin Yama and Doug's like, oh man, that's right,
(05:50):
like you'd almost forgotten about him. And I felt good
with that pick that he's dynamic, he's like something we've
never seen, and he's got some like charisma to him
already at nineteen or twenty, you know, he's got kind
of that it it. He's been like world famous. So
that's what I would put my money on.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
I honestly didn't even think about Wemby, and Wenby is
a complete freaking nature. I think the one thing that
makes Luca and Wemby has some of it Luca because
he dominates the ball so much like he's going to
have Russell westbrookleg stats. He's got a bit of a
(06:32):
flair for the dramatic. And though I don't know if
the NBA fan or the common fan views him as
a winner, I think basketball fans view him as a
winner for his time, Like they won the European Championship
with this tiny country and then he won a FOBA
Championship with Real I believe so he is viewed as
a winner there, and I don't. It's not that Wenby's
(06:54):
viewed as a losing player, but because his body hasn't developed,
I don't think he's actually won anything.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I will say this that the NBA has actually had
two other players stars that could have could be at
the level of Luca and Anthony Edwards if things would
have gone their way. Health with Zion, there's no doubt
about it. If he is healthy, he is he may
(07:21):
be the face of the NBA, but again he hasn't
been and John Morantz has also had that ability, but
John Morantz had his own troubles to deal with, and
I think that is that has made it seem like
it's thin on top because they missed in those two spots.
And it reminds me of in the NFL yet around
(07:42):
you know, twenty ten, twenty eleven, twenty twelve to twenty thirteen,
you mentioned the Tom Brady and the Patrick Mahomes. There
was this group of quarterbacks at that's that were drafted
in that time that just Andrew Luck retired, you know,
Russell Wilson's fallen off kind of the you know the
map with his play. Cam Newton's out of the league now,
(08:05):
like there was for some reason like in that era
of NFL quarterbacks, nobody ended up handing out to continue
to carry the torch. And I feel like that's kind
of been that way with the NBA. And now you've
got some of these young young talents where you've got
a ten to fifteen year age gap that now will
end up taking it over. But it's just you have
a hard time envisioning it because we're just so you know,
(08:28):
used to Steph Durant and obviously Lebron dominating all of
the headlines that these guys are still pretty new to
us as we watch basketball.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
They are. I think, you know, we're just in an
interesting state, right because you had Kobe from Jordan, right,
and remember there was when Jordan retired. You know, there
was people wanted Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill was you know,
end up getting hurt multiple times, Tracey McGrady just couldn't
(09:01):
win anything, you know, and all of those guys, I mean,
it wasn't I think Grant stood out the most because
Grant was everything about him felt like a star other
than he wasn't a great shooter, but the presentation, the defense,
He had enough flash in his game, but was was
(09:25):
not a look at me sort of guy. But his
body just let him down. Right. Tim Duncan was too
boring to be a face of a league. They won
and were respected, but it wasn't like anybody.
Speaker 5 (09:38):
Man.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I cannot wait to see the Spurs play Jason Kidd.
There was some off the court stuff obviously, and maybe
he didn't play in the right markets. He didn't average
enough points, but he was a dominant, dominant player. And
then Alan Iverson, who was just a mess off the court,
and the great Iverson the talent of Iverson was awesome,
(10:00):
but there were just too many nights where you know,
that was that was back before efficiency seemed to matter
and you would see Alan Iverson with twenty nine points
on thirty two shots.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
I think I think Iverson though, like in that comparison,
because if we're talking like top of the top here,
we're really talking about one or like two players really
like you said that, you know, Kobe took the torch
from Jordan, then you know, maybe Lebron takes it from Kobe.
But when we think back of that, like thirty years ago,
even you know, Charles Barkley was a big time star
(10:33):
in the NBA without any title, and him like being
even you know, on the Phoenix Suns at that time
made the Suns a popular team kind of like Iverson did.
Or Isaiah Thomas was a star for the Pistons and
we felt like it was full even though Jordan was
maybe on top or you know, or magic hands it
(10:53):
over to Jordan in that in that realm. I just
right now in terms of I don't think we have
a top topic aside from Luca and maybe it's Anthony
Edwards and maybe we're just blessed with Curry, Lebron and
Durant all playing at the same time. But sure, I
think there are enough. There was enough star power to
go around. But we're talking about that, you know, that
(11:16):
super duper star that the NBA is losing.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yes, and I don't those are Wemby and Luca are
the only two guys, right, And I think Wemby it's
because of the hype before he got here, some of
the play and then just the I mean he's just
so big and so fluid and whatever, right, And then Luca,
(11:40):
I mean, he's kind of the whole package. But a
lot of that stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Lucas so good in this generation too, because of social media,
Like you see clips on TikTok or Instagram reels, and
the one comes to mind is the guy yelling from
the crowd that he has the same haircut as Luca
while Luca's at the free throw line and Luca kind
of gives him the eh maybe like like that. It's
like that stuff like goes a million miles and he's
(12:07):
so perfect for it, and so yeah, I just think
that I think that he's it. I think Webin Yama's
personality is the biggest question that we have, how it's
going to to everything that you said, Doug, of who
he is and how he plays, and the expectations even
in just his first year that he's lived up to.
I don't think that there's now any question. It's just
a matter of how does his personality translate.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
If it does, yeah, it's fair.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Uh Sam, what about you? Where are you on who
the next? There's not going to be another Lebron right now?
And that's where that's where Luca and Wemby have a
chance because they were known when they're nineteen years old.
That's one of the things about Lebron. But if you
were to guess who the face of the league is,
who would you guess?
Speaker 6 (12:52):
Wemby and Luca are are two great names that through
out there. I'll just say this, like, I don't think
anybody Luca or Wenby are going to elevate their teams
the way Lebron did taking so many teams to the finals.
Like they just haven't even I mean, obviously Wemby's just
getting started in Luca just hasn't even gotten close to
that yet. So the Lebron's going to be irreplaceable. But
(13:14):
I would definitely say Wembin Yama and Donciccher are going
to be the ones that, yes, I would be like,
I want to go see them if they're sitting out
and disappointed, I'm not going to buy a ticket unless
they're playing.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
It's a great opportunity for Kawhi if he could get
healthy and could you know, could win this thing just
with the other big names, you know, he just I
don't know. I mean, obviously Jalen Brunson's become a gigantic
name for it is interesting that he won the MVP,
But we just can't seem to buy into to Joel
Embiid no matter how talented, and he's crazy talented. Joel
(13:48):
Embiid might be the most talented guy to ever play basketball.
Like he's over seven feet tall. He can do legitimate everything,
and I know he's been off injured, but he just
falls down all the time.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Time when you look at the player, like we look
at Jordan's climb and I don't even know if Kobe
had had a climb.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Maybe maybe he did.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, sh airballs or the first first year in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
You know Lebron did.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
But that that's the that's the point of where I
think like Luca is, and I think that's what's going
to start with Anthony Edwards. I actually think that Kawai's
time has passed. I mean, for for his injury history
and for actually how long he's been in the in
the league.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Now it spent a decade. I just I think that
that ship has sailed for the I.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Would I would agree, but it is an old America
loves a comeback. And again, like let me, let me
just paint a scenario for you here, Okay, in pen
a scenario, let's say they survive that the Let's say
they survived the Dallas Mavericks. Okay, let's say they survived
the Dallas Mavericks. Siri has got a guy's voice in
my computer. And if they survive, if they survived the
(15:01):
Dallas Mavericks, and he's healthy, and they go on a
run and they win an NBA championship with the Clippers,
the Clippers are anything people say about the Chargers multiplied
by ten. And that's the Clippers, right, historically the laughing
stock of the sport. I agree with you, Dan, I
think the injuries and all this kind of build up,
he's kind of where Durant is, maybe even worse along
(15:24):
than durant Is because he can't seem to get and
stay healthy. But if he could, because there were times
this year where they were the best team in the
sport and there were times this year when he was
the best player in the sport. I still think it's
out there for him in America. Does love a comeback.
The problem with Kauhia is he has no personality.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
I would even argue this Doug that Kauhia has been there,
done that with that story. I mean, he won a
country an NBA title, He run an NBA title to Canada,
And maybe it's different of talking with the US and
where the Clippers are compared to the Lakers, But I.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Think there's a lot of done that. You know, been there,
done that.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
I mean because he has accomplished a ton in his
career and we actually kind of feel like we've we
haven't gotten all of Kawhi considering what he's actually done.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
I think that's a great point. It's a great point
like we haven't we haven't ever gotten the full Kawhi
And what is the reason behind that. It's probably the injuries,
but also again here's the other flaw to how he
plays He's made himself into a score, but he's not
in this era of basketball. He's incredibly effective, but he's
never gonna have all the assists. He's never gonna have
(16:31):
all the ball dominance. That's just not how he plays.
And maybe that's a great sign for why Anthony Edwards
won't be that guy, because no matter how dynamic a
score and explosive he is, he's not a guy who
creates necessarily for other people. And I think that Luca's
ability to pass, as well as the kind of the
step back jump shot, as well as the fact that
he has like the body of a gigantic if a
(16:53):
if a bowler took growth hormone and was gigantic, that's
what his body would look like, right, And I think
that's what people were. And then the Wemby he's like
a circus freak. But also he's very good at basketball.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
Where do you throw a guy like shay Gilges Alexander
and all this the NBA's third leading scorer.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
It's a great player.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Also top twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
And they're fun.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
Yes, Oklahmoma City is a team that it's like they're
just I don't know, they seem like a they were
visiting LA, I'd be like, oh, I want to go
see them.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Right.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
They seem to like each other, seem to like playing basketball,
seem to respect their coach, and like their call. Like
it's a really non NBA NBA team. But I you know, again,
we're talking about face of the NBA. That's a hard one.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Yeah, I don't see it there, I don't.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
I don't see it either.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
It's funny because ched Holgrin has more of a no
matter how awful their commercial is with each other, that
the uh you know, and that personality wise, as good
as SGA's been, I mean, it's gonna be top three
MVP voter.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Well.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I also think that if we're honest with it, like Durant,
the college thing really helped. It helped Chet some. It
didn't really help Anthony Edwards a ton because they didn't
do anything at Georgia, and it didn't help Shay that
much even though he went to Kentucky. But part of
the Durant thing, part of the Rant thing was leading
the NBA scoring, which we know Shay will and I'm
(18:17):
sure him being American, but I honestly think all the
points when he scored a Texas made us, and you
know then they had the Big Three early on and
they got to the NBA Finals.
Speaker 7 (18:28):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Speaker 1 (18:42):
Stuck gott Leeb Show Fox Sports Radio. Joe Varden joins
us The thunder Street, the Pelicans. The Nuggets end up
beating the Lakers in a gentleman's sweep. So much going
on out there. Joel Embiid misses shoot around. We got
(19:05):
six ers nixt Game five coming up. Joe Varden joins us.
He covers the NBA for the Athletic He joins us
in the Doug Otlib Show here on Fox Sports Radio.
Let's do some post mortem on some teams. Phoenix loses
two nights ago. The Big Three never really got to
play together a ton of the regular season, didn't play
great together in the postseason. Didn't have a point guard,
(19:28):
didn't have a quality starting center. Bench was a mess.
Coach didn't seem like on the same plan vibe as
some of the players. And then you had the assistant
coach who people thought you'd get the job now as
the coach a BYU what happens in Phoenix to clean
up this mess?
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Yeah, I mean I know we're waiting on Isfaia and
James Jones to speak maybe tomorrow, but yeah, I mean
you look at just I think because of Ishbia's repete
I w don't want to say track record necessarily, but
reputation as for you know, whether you want to call
(20:06):
him aggressive or impatient. But you know, I think I
think there's talk about what to do with Frank, which
it's still mind blowing to me. And I have a
point I want to make, but we'll see what we
say when you get to the Lakers. But but Frank's
a championship coach, and you know you mentioned that there
(20:26):
was an apparent disconnect between him and some of the players.
I mean, you know Durant, who I love, and we
get Aloft really well. But I mean he's had some
issues with these coaches, you know. I mean, like you
think about the end there with Steve and then when
Steve Nash came to Brooklyn and what he and Kyrie
(20:48):
did with that one, you know, and then now out
in Phoenix here with Vogel. I mean, you know, Vogel
won a championship with Lebron. I just think when you
look at the Sun, the big problem was the point guard.
They didn't have one, and they were ridiculous with turnovers.
They killed their offense. And so I do think that
(21:12):
the roster construction was highly questionable. Yes, they had a
big three and there were injuries, but this is a
big three that still needed someone to play traffic cops
and I didn't like any of I don't want Devin
Booker to do that, and I don't want Kevin to
do that or even Bratt. So you know, that's where
I would start. That's where I think the mistake was made.
(21:35):
I don't think i'd be moving on from from Vogel
unless you know, it is irreparable with with with him
and Durant at al. So we'll see.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Stut Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports Radio. Yeah, I
just I Vogel's like a real prep guy, video guy, analytics,
and Durant is much more of a feel let's just
go play. So there's a little bit of disconnect there.
And then I felt like, and again I don't know,
(22:08):
I wasn't in the locker room, but you know, the
reports last year where Devin Booker was close with Kevin Young,
that's why he wanted Kevin Young to get the job.
They decided to keep Kevin Young on staff, and Devin
Booker's not clearly didn't seem like he was all in
on team Frank, you know, and now that you know,
like literally the game, the second the game is over,
there's talk of him going to New York. I don't know,
(22:30):
they're gonna have to figure something out because that thing
ain't working that.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
Yeah, I mean, I figure you're right. I mean, when
you start seeing what we've seen the last couple of days,
heard what we've heard, and then what's announced for tomorrow. Yeah,
I mean, I think that there's a reason to suspect
that there could be a change. You know, I'll just
caution you know, Doug, Look what happened in Milwaukee. I mean,
(22:55):
they fired a championship coach and Mike Budenholzer. I am aware.
I know there were plenty of problems, you know, plenty
of ways you could question Mike, but they fire him.
They hire Adrian Griffin. That doesn't work out, they hire
they hire Doc and they're still on the brink of
being eliminated in the first round. So I just you know,
(23:18):
I wrote this last spring. Firing the coach is the
thing you do in the NBA, but it is not
necessarily the answer.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
It is not necessarily the answer. You got GMS, you
got maybe get rearranged the staff. I'm obviously Kevin Young's
gone anyway, so it doesn't doesn't matter, all right, what
about Lebron. There's a lot a lot to chew there. Uh,
it doesn't feel like Darvin Ham will be back, does it? No?
Speaker 5 (23:44):
And you said it, so now I get to make
my point. The the uh, you know, the athletic we
had a story. I wasn't involved in it, but there
was a deep dive into you know, sort of the
Laker autopsy and what's next, and you know, really good
reporting that says the Lakers are they they want Lebron back,
(24:05):
and they're going to pay him whatever he wants, and
they'll draft Bronnie if that's what he wants, Like whatever
you want. And then I think about Darvin, and I
think about Frank, and I think about how the Lakers
are probably going to fire another coach, and I go
back to I guess it was twenty nineteen maybe when
(24:26):
they were Hylou wanted the job and Lebron wanted him
to have the job, and it made way too much sense,
and Insteady the Lakers got into this silly, you know,
pissing match if you're allowed to stay out on the
radio with Lebron, and they ended up not hiring Tie
(24:47):
because of it, and now like in the last five
they're going to fire another coach.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
It's just it's both.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Mind blowing to me, and then it's also like it
speaks to I guess how the Lakers and Lebron have
grown to really kind of get each other. So I
know what your next question is is, what what's Lebron
going to do? I mean, I've been so far out
there in saying that he loves LA he loves living there,
his family loves it there, He's got two children still
(25:19):
in school there, and I just I don't think he's
in a place in his life where he wants to
be apart from any of that, So I I expect
him to be in Los Angeles and will be very surprised.
Speaker 7 (25:31):
If he is not.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
I completely agree with you, but I definitely think he'll
use the leverage to get what he wants. In the
off season because that's what that's what people do, right, So.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
That's what does he want? Like what?
Speaker 7 (25:46):
And let me ask you this.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
I mean, I know it's your job ask the question.
What what could Lebron want that they haven't given him
or tried over the last couple of years to give him.
The Lakers have been a great business partner for Lebron,
and I mean they did the trade for Russell Westbrook,
which was absurd, but he wanted it, so they did it.
(26:09):
And then when Lebron got so sick of him that
he wanted Russell out out, get him out, they traded
him and they they redid the whole team, you know,
repurpose the whole team and ended up making making it
to the Western Conference Finals. I don't know, I don't
know what else, like like yes, like the Lakers will
try to do something again to be good again, but
like I don't know that he needs to like wield
(26:33):
that leverage because I think they will work for him,
They will work with him.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Yeah, I mean, I think the only thing that that
that they complained about, like Caruso not resigning Caruso, they
didn't like, right, But I mean that's I mean you're
talking to move here and move there. Yeah, okay, Uh.
It feels like these playoffs have been bad for him,
(27:00):
Embiid bad from Beid. How much stink is there on
his hands if if they don't win this thing.
Speaker 5 (27:09):
I don't know how you I mean, I just I
don't think he's well and so, like I understand the point,
and I don't want to argue with it. I think
the stink is is like he's never okay in the playoffs,
Like there's always something whether it's the thumb or the knee.
(27:29):
I forget what it was some other year, but there's
always this thing that we hear that Joel is battling
or dealing with when it comes to playoff times. And
I like it's it's unfortunate, you know, but at the
same time, like the playoffs are for the people who
can survive them. And so yeah, I think from that perspective, like,
(27:52):
you know, it's not like I wouldn't say, well, you know,
Embiid has to play better, like I'm not there, but
I am certainly like looking at the bigger track records, like,
you know, he has to find a way to be
better or healthier or you know, just the better version
of himself, like beyond the statistics at this time of year.
(28:17):
And then I also have to say, I think we
talked about this last week or we were thinking about it.
You look at this, this team USA roster that's just
loaded with the with these stars. But if Embiid is
going to look like this, and Kawhi he can't play
because of his knee right now, so would I would
(28:38):
question those two come July? Like what condition are they
going to be in July? And while their teams can't
tell them not to play, they can't do that, Like
that's going all the way back to the Dream Team
ninety two, Like that's just not something that NBA ownership
does when it comes to the Olympics. So it's not
up to the Clippers, it's not up to the Sixers,
(28:59):
But I guess we do have to we have to
talk about this if they are so banged up in
late April that they can't be available to their to
their NBA team at the most important time of the year,
Like is it right for them to then go play
in the Olympics. I mean maybe it is. Maybe it's
like country, you know, do this for your country. This
(29:20):
is a really Big Olympics. Possibly, But that's a question. Man,
I don't know about those two.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
I don't. I don't. I don't either. What's status the Kawhi.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
Leonard He's out in definitely right now. And it is
like what I have been told from people who know
is that it's not something new. It's not like further
structural damage. There wasn't a care that that it is
(29:52):
inflammation related to some to a situation where you have
multiple surgeries, which he has, and like where the wear
and tear on that knee after multiple multiple surgeries, you
can get into these situations where you have this kind
of of inflammation and when it when it gets to
(30:17):
a point where it is so inflamed, like you just
you can't move well and and and you need to
get off it. And so he came back, he tried
to play. He obviously wasn't moving well. And so here
we are like they're like, he is going to sit
down until the inflammation subsides and he can he can move.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
We're trying to find, you know, who's the next face
of the NBA thing. But you know, you're trying to
figure out what happens with Steph and with the Warriors.
Did they bring back Clay? Did they move on from Clay?
What do you think the plan there is.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
To have death Draymond and Steve, whom they just gave
this this lucrative long term contract to all saying they
need clayback, Like I guess, I would be shocked if
Duns didn't bring them, Like I just I don't see
the gold like the Golden State situation, where the general
(31:18):
manager is on a different wavelength from the coach and
the star player and on and on. It doesn't necessarily
make a lot of sense at this point if they're
trying to run it back when a title, well, like
I guess running back in when the title. Maybe those
those statements shouldn't be married to each other, but like
if they like, if they're doing both, trying to do both,
(31:42):
then they're probably not going to get to that latter.
If they can bring Clay back on a very team
friendly contract and make some other moves, like to upgrade
the roster. I suppose that is different. But I think
we can say that that if the Warriors are going
to get it back to what they think they are
(32:02):
and what they think they can be, it's hard to
envision that with Clay Thompson as a starter. So you know,
if all sides can work it out, great, If he
can have a new role, great. You know, we've seen
some We've seen that work for players like you know,
I talk about it all the time. Kevin Love's still
in the NBA and he actually occasionally starts for the
(32:26):
Heat but but you know, he's been basically a backup
for the last couple of years. He's reinvented himself. So
if Clay can do that, great, But there has to
be a team friendlier deal, and you know Clay's willingness
to accept a different role.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Yeah, I think Siper. I don't think he's bench yet,
but he definitely can't be the second best scorer. He's
got to be the fourth or fifth best scorer on
a team, on a on a team. Joe Barten, he
covers the NBA for the Athletic He does a great job.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Joe.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Enjoy the game tonight.
Speaker 7 (32:56):
We'll catch up soon, Okay, Doug looking forward to Fox
Sports Radio as the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio dot com
and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Thoroughbred racing has a new independent regulator HAISA. It's been
implementing comprehensive reforms. A sport is combining hands on care
with cutting edge technology to learn more of us at
Safe Runs First dot Com at Safe Runs First dot Com.
Let's get to the press, the press. What do you
(33:38):
got there? Dan Byer?
Speaker 3 (33:39):
All right, guys, we're gonna dive in with a little
prices right, higher or lower ratings on TV only for
the NFL Draft compared to twenty twenty three. So the
twenty twenty four draft TV ratings, do you think that
they were higher than last year or lower than last year?
Doug Gottlieb, We start with you higher, lower.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Higher, Stuart, I'm going to go higher as.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Well, and Iowa Sam, I'm also going to say higher.
They were lower than they were last year. Yes, down
three percent on ABC, ESPN, ESPN two and the NFL network.
Seven million viewers according to the Sports Business Journal tuned
in to the NFL Draft throughout the weekend. Again, that's
(34:22):
down three percent from twenty twenty three when it was
five point nine million.
Speaker 4 (34:27):
So the Thursday night ratings are separate from what you
just said.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Correct, Okay, So the Thursday night ratings, twelve point one
million viewers watched the first round. That was the best
day one since twenty twenty one. The big dip is
what you saw on Friday. Second and third rounds saw
the lowest amount of people watching five point one million
in over a decade. Wow, so the second and third
(34:54):
rounds really took a hit.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Nobody knows who those guys are. I mean, it's just
really and there's so much hype, but I think nobody
knows who they ares is the big thing.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
We had a conversation during one of our commercial breaks
yesterday and I felt like we were all kind of
on the same page, but we didn't know why. I
hit a wall with the NFL draft for the first
time ever, Like on Saturday. I just did not care,
and apparently others felt that way as well.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
I felt that way. I felt that way.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
The interesting thing is, I do remember a conversation we
also had on this program, Doug. You mentioned how awesome
the COVID draft was in twenty twenty, and just looking
back at the numbers reminds me of how awesome it
was because we had nothing sports wise that was going on,
and NASCAR was trying to do their thing. It may
(35:47):
even have been later when they were doing their races
from home and whatnot, but the NFL Draft felt normal.
And in that year, eight point two million people tuned
into the NFL Draft. So this year again across those
TV networks, it's NFL network and then ESPN, ESPN two
and ABC was five point seven. But that COVID year
(36:08):
was eight point two million.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
And it probably costs a fraction with this cost, right.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Yes, yes?
Speaker 4 (36:16):
And are we are we taking I'm gonna ask a question.
I don't know if you know the answer to this,
so I apologize if you don't. But are we taking
the digital aspect under this? In other words, all those
people that the NFL conned end up getting YouTube TV
last fall, who cut the cord, who watched the draft
on YouTube TV Thursday night? Are they counted in these ratings?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
What I can tell you is this is with the
digital platforms and ESPN deportess the total number went from
five point seven to five point nine. So about two
hundred thousand extra is what they got from those cool
according to my math. Anyway, the NFL Draft is here.
(36:57):
Timberwolves head coach or is coming gone Timberlo said coach
Chris Finch will have surgery tomorrow to repairs write buttell
or tendon. Not known if he'll be available to coach
in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Nuggets that
begins on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Hmmm, well, I mean that was tough when your own
point guard runs into you. Obviously he didn't mean to you.
Mike Conley, he saw his knee and well, that's a
tough one. So is he gonna have that little scooter thing,
that little one leg scooter thing.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
I don't know how you could, like with a knee
right like ke would. I mean, if you got a
knee injury like that's they have to give him a couch,
take away some of those expensive seats.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
In the I guess you stand up the whole time
you're on crutches.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
I'll say, I'll say this, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more,
no doubt, because of how tight it is, how you're
jamming people close to the court. It's bad enough having
the photographers as close as they are, and people you know,
diving into those pits, like the fans, it's just as bad.
Celtics president Brad Stevens named the NBA's executive the Executive
(38:04):
of the Year today.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
How good is that guy?
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Right?
Speaker 1 (38:09):
I mean think about it. You go from being an
all time great college coach to a really well respected
one of the best NBA coaches now to as good
an NBA front office. Guys, you're gonna find bag get
out there in press. That was the press, That is
the press. Doug Gotlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio.
Remember to download the podcast. It's available top of the
(38:30):
hours called in the Bonus. Think you like it, Plus
you'll find out what is annoying Jason Stewart and I
got an all new All Ball out. Just type in
Doug golibin All Ball. This is Doug Gotlieb Show.
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gotlieb Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday three to five
Easter twelve, two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your
local station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Foxsports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
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Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio, Kicking it Live. We
(00:25):
live here in the Doug gotlib Show on Fox Sports.
Trader broadcast from the tyreright dot Com studios tyraight dot Com.
When we get there, unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free
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That's the way tire buying should be. You know, I
(00:48):
think when the NBA is just different than any other sport.
You know, it's like I heard Colin talking earlier today
about the NFL and the post Brade era and Pat
Mahomes was kind of already there. It's like, because you know,
(01:10):
the Aaron Rodgers still playing, he's still kind of a thing.
Obviously he's heard he's banged up. One of the things
that has happened in the NFL with quarterbacks and I
think we've seen it a little bit here in the NBA.
Is guys are playing longer, and so it does feel
like they'll never age out. But it's also because they're
playing longer, it's harder to kind of build up stars
(01:30):
at just the right moment, just the right moment. But
there's a lot of talk about what happens now in
the NBA. For the first time in twenty years, lebron
kd and Steph are all out of the playoffs at
or before the first round is over, right before the
(01:51):
second round is It starts twenty years, so we're in
a new era, and you know, so many people want,
you know, I think it's a little bit prisoner of
the moment. But also he was great in the movie Hustle,
and he's an explosive athlete. He makes you think anything
is possible athletically for a human being because of what
(02:13):
Anna Edwards can do. There are a lot of people think
Ann Edwards. I don't. I think it's Luca. Luca has
obviously won in Europe. He competes for his home country,
did a great job. I think they won the European
Championships one year. They're not gonna win a gold medal,
but they'll be competitive, be interesting to see how he
(02:35):
plays this summer. And he's got to get to an
NBA finals pretty soon in order to solidify himself as
a league player. But he's got the shoe, he has
a gigantic following, He's kind of got Michael Jordan and
others believing he's the next one. That would be the
guy I think is most likely those two Tatum unbelo score,
(03:00):
unbelievable player, but not as creative and ability to set
people up as Luca, and not as explosive, not as
explosive as the Anthony Edwards. He probably has a lot
of offensive Kobe to his game. Defensively not so much.
Dan Byer reviews you and I said, who's the next
(03:21):
face of the NBA. Who would you say it is?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, it's Luca one hundred percent. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Why do you think people want to skip over Luca
and go to Anthony Edwards just the fact that he's
not American?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I never got that sense, to be honest with you,
I feel like maybe right now because we're in the
peak Anthony Edwards, sure, love fest, But honestly, I don't
think that Anthony Edwards has gotten as much love as
he's deserved up until this point. So maybe it's making
up for all of the lost the lost time. But
you know, Luca's he's just he's got it all. He's
(03:59):
got the personality. I think Anthony Edwards says the personality
as well. Yeah, I think that they're in really good
hands and I'll take the out Like I thought that
I thought that Jason Tatum was superstar material, and to
be a superstar there's a lot that has to come
with it. And I've even said on this year on
these airwaves that I thought Jason Tatum was a superstar.
(04:20):
But I think to your assessment of his play and
just on how far reaching of his reach is going
to be, it's not going to get to superstar length.
It's not going to get to those, you know, spots
that I had thought possibly.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Okay, now you and I are gigantic sports fans, sports dorks.
We host radio shows, right, Jason, you're more of the
snapshot of the kind of every man. You really got
to do something for me to pay attention to, and
I got to, you know, like you're the you're the
(05:00):
the swing vote if you will, you could go either way.
Where are you on? If you take Lebron out, you
take kd out, you take Steph out. Who do you
want to watch in the NBA? Who would you watch?
Pay to watch?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Play? Well?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
I mean I'm a I'm a joker guy, but I
know that that's not popular. I like watching him play,
but I don't think a lot of people have my
uh have my specific I don't know what do you
call that?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Sensibilities?
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Now, we did this game a few weeks back, Okay,
I think it was uh. I think it was I
feel a draft and if you can get that phone,
I think it's someone begging to come on and answer
this question. It was I feel a draft. And I
think with like the fourth pick, I was able to
get Victor Webbin Yama and Doug's like, oh man, that's right,
(05:50):
like you'd almost forgotten about him. And I felt good
with that pick that he's dynamic, he's like something we've
never seen, and he's got some like charisma to him
already at nineteen or twenty, you know, he's got kind
of that it it. He's been like world famous. So
that's what I would put my money on.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
I honestly didn't even think about Wemby, and Wenby is
a complete freaking nature. I think the one thing that
makes Luca and Wemby has some of it Luca because
he dominates the ball so much like he's going to
have Russell westbrookleg stats. He's got a bit of a
(06:32):
flair for the dramatic. And though I don't know if
the NBA fan or the common fan views him as
a winner, I think basketball fans view him as a
winner for his time, Like they won the European Championship
with this tiny country and then he won a FOBA
Championship with Real I believe so he is viewed as
a winner there, and I don't. It's not that Wenby's
(06:54):
viewed as a losing player, but because his body hasn't developed,
I don't think he's actually won anything.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I will say this that the NBA has actually had
two other players stars that could have could be at
the level of Luca and Anthony Edwards if things would
have gone their way. Health with Zion, there's no doubt
about it. If he is healthy, he is he may
(07:21):
be the face of the NBA, but again he hasn't
been and John Morantz has also had that ability, but
John Morantz had his own troubles to deal with, and
I think that is that has made it seem like
it's thin on top because they missed in those two spots.
And it reminds me of in the NFL yet around
(07:42):
you know, twenty ten, twenty eleven, twenty twelve to twenty thirteen,
you mentioned the Tom Brady and the Patrick Mahomes. There
was this group of quarterbacks at that's that were drafted
in that time that just Andrew Luck retired, you know,
Russell Wilson's fallen off kind of the you know the
map with his play. Cam Newton's out of the league now,
(08:05):
like there was for some reason like in that era
of NFL quarterbacks, nobody ended up handing out to continue
to carry the torch. And I feel like that's kind
of been that way with the NBA. And now you've
got some of these young young talents where you've got
a ten to fifteen year age gap that now will
end up taking it over. But it's just you have
a hard time envisioning it because we're just so you know,
(08:28):
used to Steph Durant and obviously Lebron dominating all of
the headlines that these guys are still pretty new to
us as we watch basketball.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
They are. I think, you know, we're just in an
interesting state, right because you had Kobe from Jordan, right,
and remember there was when Jordan retired. You know, there
was people wanted Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill was you know,
end up getting hurt multiple times, Tracey McGrady just couldn't
(09:01):
win anything, you know, and all of those guys, I mean,
it wasn't I think Grant stood out the most because
Grant was everything about him felt like a star other
than he wasn't a great shooter, but the presentation, the defense,
He had enough flash in his game, but was was
(09:25):
not a look at me sort of guy. But his
body just let him down. Right. Tim Duncan was too
boring to be a face of a league. They won
and were respected, but it wasn't like anybody.
Speaker 5 (09:38):
Man.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I cannot wait to see the Spurs play Jason Kidd.
There was some off the court stuff obviously, and maybe
he didn't play in the right markets. He didn't average
enough points, but he was a dominant, dominant player. And
then Alan Iverson, who was just a mess off the court,
and the great Iverson the talent of Iverson was awesome,
(10:00):
but there were just too many nights where you know,
that was that was back before efficiency seemed to matter
and you would see Alan Iverson with twenty nine points
on thirty two shots.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
I think I think Iverson though, like in that comparison,
because if we're talking like top of the top here,
we're really talking about one or like two players really
like you said that, you know, Kobe took the torch
from Jordan, then you know, maybe Lebron takes it from Kobe.
But when we think back of that, like thirty years ago,
even you know, Charles Barkley was a big time star
(10:33):
in the NBA without any title, and him like being
even you know, on the Phoenix Suns at that time
made the Suns a popular team kind of like Iverson did.
Or Isaiah Thomas was a star for the Pistons and
we felt like it was full even though Jordan was
maybe on top or you know, or magic hands it
(10:53):
over to Jordan in that in that realm. I just
right now in terms of I don't think we have
a top topic aside from Luca and maybe it's Anthony
Edwards and maybe we're just blessed with Curry, Lebron and
Durant all playing at the same time. But sure, I
think there are enough. There was enough star power to
go around. But we're talking about that, you know, that
(11:16):
super duper star that the NBA is losing.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yes, and I don't those are Wemby and Luca are
the only two guys, right, And I think Wemby it's
because of the hype before he got here, some of
the play and then just the I mean he's just
so big and so fluid and whatever, right, And then Luca,
(11:40):
I mean, he's kind of the whole package. But a
lot of that stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Lucas so good in this generation too, because of social media,
Like you see clips on TikTok or Instagram reels, and
the one comes to mind is the guy yelling from
the crowd that he has the same haircut as Luca
while Luca's at the free throw line and Luca kind
of gives him the eh maybe like like that. It's
like that stuff like goes a million miles and he's
(12:07):
so perfect for it, and so yeah, I just think
that I think that he's it. I think Webin Yama's
personality is the biggest question that we have, how it's
going to to everything that you said, Doug, of who
he is and how he plays, and the expectations even
in just his first year that he's lived up to.
I don't think that there's now any question. It's just
a matter of how does his personality translate.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
If it does, yeah, it's fair.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Uh Sam, what about you? Where are you on who
the next? There's not going to be another Lebron right now?
And that's where that's where Luca and Wemby have a
chance because they were known when they're nineteen years old.
That's one of the things about Lebron. But if you
were to guess who the face of the league is,
who would you guess?
Speaker 6 (12:52):
Wemby and Luca are are two great names that through
out there. I'll just say this, like, I don't think
anybody Luca or Wenby are going to elevate their teams
the way Lebron did taking so many teams to the finals.
Like they just haven't even I mean, obviously Wemby's just
getting started in Luca just hasn't even gotten close to
that yet. So the Lebron's going to be irreplaceable. But
(13:14):
I would definitely say Wembin Yama and Donciccher are going
to be the ones that, yes, I would be like,
I want to go see them if they're sitting out
and disappointed, I'm not going to buy a ticket unless
they're playing.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
It's a great opportunity for Kawhi if he could get
healthy and could you know, could win this thing just
with the other big names, you know, he just I
don't know. I mean, obviously Jalen Brunson's become a gigantic
name for it is interesting that he won the MVP,
But we just can't seem to buy into to Joel
Embiid no matter how talented, and he's crazy talented. Joel
(13:48):
Embiid might be the most talented guy to ever play basketball.
Like he's over seven feet tall. He can do legitimate everything,
and I know he's been off injured, but he just
falls down all the time.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Time when you look at the player, like we look
at Jordan's climb and I don't even know if Kobe
had had a climb.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Maybe maybe he did.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, sh airballs or the first first year in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
You know Lebron did.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
But that that's the that's the point of where I
think like Luca is, and I think that's what's going
to start with Anthony Edwards. I actually think that Kawai's
time has passed. I mean, for for his injury history
and for actually how long he's been in the in
the league.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Now it spent a decade. I just I think that
that ship has sailed for the I.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Would I would agree, but it is an old America
loves a comeback. And again, like let me, let me
just paint a scenario for you here, Okay, in pen
a scenario, let's say they survive that the Let's say
they survived the Dallas Mavericks. Okay, let's say they survived
the Dallas Mavericks. Siri has got a guy's voice in
my computer. And if they survive, if they survived the
(15:01):
Dallas Mavericks, and he's healthy, and they go on a
run and they win an NBA championship with the Clippers,
the Clippers are anything people say about the Chargers multiplied
by ten. And that's the Clippers, right, historically the laughing
stock of the sport. I agree with you, Dan, I
think the injuries and all this kind of build up,
he's kind of where Durant is, maybe even worse along
(15:24):
than durant Is because he can't seem to get and
stay healthy. But if he could, because there were times
this year where they were the best team in the
sport and there were times this year when he was
the best player in the sport. I still think it's
out there for him in America. Does love a comeback.
The problem with Kauhia is he has no personality.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
I would even argue this Doug that Kauhia has been there,
done that with that story. I mean, he won a
country an NBA title, He run an NBA title to Canada,
And maybe it's different of talking with the US and
where the Clippers are compared to the Lakers, But I.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Think there's a lot of done that. You know, been there,
done that.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
I mean because he has accomplished a ton in his
career and we actually kind of feel like we've we
haven't gotten all of Kawhi considering what he's actually done.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
I think that's a great point. It's a great point
like we haven't we haven't ever gotten the full Kawhi
And what is the reason behind that. It's probably the injuries,
but also again here's the other flaw to how he
plays He's made himself into a score, but he's not
in this era of basketball. He's incredibly effective, but he's
never gonna have all the assists. He's never gonna have
(16:31):
all the ball dominance. That's just not how he plays.
And maybe that's a great sign for why Anthony Edwards
won't be that guy, because no matter how dynamic a
score and explosive he is, he's not a guy who
creates necessarily for other people. And I think that Luca's
ability to pass, as well as the kind of the
step back jump shot, as well as the fact that
he has like the body of a gigantic if a
(16:53):
if a bowler took growth hormone and was gigantic, that's
what his body would look like, right, And I think
that's what people were. And then the Wemby he's like
a circus freak. But also he's very good at basketball.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
Where do you throw a guy like shay Gilges Alexander
and all this the NBA's third leading scorer.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
It's a great player.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Also top twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
And they're fun.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
Yes, Oklahmoma City is a team that it's like they're
just I don't know, they seem like a they were
visiting LA, I'd be like, oh, I want to go
see them.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Right.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
They seem to like each other, seem to like playing basketball,
seem to respect their coach, and like their call. Like
it's a really non NBA NBA team. But I you know, again,
we're talking about face of the NBA. That's a hard one.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Yeah, I don't see it there, I don't.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
I don't see it either.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
It's funny because ched Holgrin has more of a no
matter how awful their commercial is with each other, that
the uh you know, and that personality wise, as good
as SGA's been, I mean, it's gonna be top three
MVP voter.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Well.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I also think that if we're honest with it, like Durant,
the college thing really helped. It helped Chet some. It
didn't really help Anthony Edwards a ton because they didn't
do anything at Georgia, and it didn't help Shay that
much even though he went to Kentucky. But part of
the Durant thing, part of the Rant thing was leading
the NBA scoring, which we know Shay will and I'm
(18:17):
sure him being American, but I honestly think all the
points when he scored a Texas made us, and you
know then they had the Big Three early on and
they got to the NBA Finals.
Speaker 7 (18:28):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Stuck gott Leeb Show Fox Sports Radio. Joe Varden joins
us The thunder Street, the Pelicans. The Nuggets end up
beating the Lakers in a gentleman's sweep. So much going
on out there. Joel Embiid misses shoot around. We got
(19:05):
six ers nixt Game five coming up. Joe Varden joins us.
He covers the NBA for the Athletic He joins us
in the Doug Otlib Show here on Fox Sports Radio.
Let's do some post mortem on some teams. Phoenix loses
two nights ago. The Big Three never really got to
play together a ton of the regular season, didn't play
great together in the postseason. Didn't have a point guard,
(19:28):
didn't have a quality starting center. Bench was a mess.
Coach didn't seem like on the same plan vibe as
some of the players. And then you had the assistant
coach who people thought you'd get the job now as
the coach a BYU what happens in Phoenix to clean
up this mess?
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Yeah, I mean I know we're waiting on Isfaia and
James Jones to speak maybe tomorrow, but yeah, I mean
you look at just I think because of Ishbia's repete
I w don't want to say track record necessarily, but
reputation as for you know, whether you want to call
(20:06):
him aggressive or impatient. But you know, I think I
think there's talk about what to do with Frank, which
it's still mind blowing to me. And I have a
point I want to make, but we'll see what we
say when you get to the Lakers. But but Frank's
a championship coach, and you know you mentioned that there
(20:26):
was an apparent disconnect between him and some of the players.
I mean, you know Durant, who I love, and we
get Aloft really well. But I mean he's had some
issues with these coaches, you know. I mean, like you
think about the end there with Steve and then when
Steve Nash came to Brooklyn and what he and Kyrie
(20:48):
did with that one, you know, and then now out
in Phoenix here with Vogel. I mean, you know, Vogel
won a championship with Lebron. I just think when you
look at the Sun, the big problem was the point guard.
They didn't have one, and they were ridiculous with turnovers.
They killed their offense. And so I do think that
(21:12):
the roster construction was highly questionable. Yes, they had a
big three and there were injuries, but this is a
big three that still needed someone to play traffic cops
and I didn't like any of I don't want Devin
Booker to do that, and I don't want Kevin to
do that or even Bratt. So you know, that's where
I would start. That's where I think the mistake was made.
(21:35):
I don't think i'd be moving on from from Vogel
unless you know, it is irreparable with with with him
and Durant at al. So we'll see.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Stut Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports Radio. Yeah, I
just I Vogel's like a real prep guy, video guy, analytics,
and Durant is much more of a feel let's just
go play. So there's a little bit of disconnect there.
And then I felt like, and again I don't know,
(22:08):
I wasn't in the locker room, but you know, the
reports last year where Devin Booker was close with Kevin Young,
that's why he wanted Kevin Young to get the job.
They decided to keep Kevin Young on staff, and Devin
Booker's not clearly didn't seem like he was all in
on team Frank, you know, and now that you know,
like literally the game, the second the game is over,
there's talk of him going to New York. I don't know,
(22:30):
they're gonna have to figure something out because that thing
ain't working that.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
Yeah, I mean, I figure you're right. I mean, when
you start seeing what we've seen the last couple of days,
heard what we've heard, and then what's announced for tomorrow. Yeah,
I mean, I think that there's a reason to suspect
that there could be a change. You know, I'll just
caution you know, Doug, Look what happened in Milwaukee. I mean,
(22:55):
they fired a championship coach and Mike Budenholzer. I am aware.
I know there were plenty of problems, you know, plenty
of ways you could question Mike, but they fire him.
They hire Adrian Griffin. That doesn't work out, they hire
they hire Doc and they're still on the brink of
being eliminated in the first round. So I just you know,
(23:18):
I wrote this last spring. Firing the coach is the
thing you do in the NBA, but it is not
necessarily the answer.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
It is not necessarily the answer. You got GMS, you
got maybe get rearranged the staff. I'm obviously Kevin Young's
gone anyway, so it doesn't doesn't matter, all right, what
about Lebron. There's a lot a lot to chew there. Uh,
it doesn't feel like Darvin Ham will be back, does it? No?
Speaker 5 (23:44):
And you said it, so now I get to make
my point. The the uh, you know, the athletic we
had a story. I wasn't involved in it, but there
was a deep dive into you know, sort of the
Laker autopsy and what's next, and you know, really good
reporting that says the Lakers are they they want Lebron back,
(24:05):
and they're going to pay him whatever he wants, and
they'll draft Bronnie if that's what he wants, Like whatever
you want. And then I think about Darvin, and I
think about Frank, and I think about how the Lakers
are probably going to fire another coach, and I go
back to I guess it was twenty nineteen maybe when
(24:26):
they were Hylou wanted the job and Lebron wanted him
to have the job, and it made way too much sense,
and Insteady the Lakers got into this silly, you know,
pissing match if you're allowed to stay out on the
radio with Lebron, and they ended up not hiring Tie
(24:47):
because of it, and now like in the last five
they're going to fire another coach.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
It's just it's both.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Mind blowing to me, and then it's also like it
speaks to I guess how the Lakers and Lebron have
grown to really kind of get each other. So I
know what your next question is is, what what's Lebron
going to do? I mean, I've been so far out
there in saying that he loves LA he loves living there,
his family loves it there, He's got two children still
(25:19):
in school there, and I just I don't think he's
in a place in his life where he wants to
be apart from any of that, So I I expect
him to be in Los Angeles and will be very surprised.
Speaker 7 (25:31):
If he is not.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
I completely agree with you, but I definitely think he'll
use the leverage to get what he wants. In the
off season because that's what that's what people do, right, So.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
That's what does he want? Like what?
Speaker 7 (25:46):
And let me ask you this.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
I mean, I know it's your job ask the question.
What what could Lebron want that they haven't given him
or tried over the last couple of years to give him.
The Lakers have been a great business partner for Lebron,
and I mean they did the trade for Russell Westbrook,
which was absurd, but he wanted it, so they did it.
(26:09):
And then when Lebron got so sick of him that
he wanted Russell out out, get him out, they traded
him and they they redid the whole team, you know,
repurpose the whole team and ended up making making it
to the Western Conference Finals. I don't know, I don't
know what else, like like yes, like the Lakers will
try to do something again to be good again, but
like I don't know that he needs to like wield
(26:33):
that leverage because I think they will work for him,
They will work with him.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Yeah, I mean, I think the only thing that that
that they complained about, like Caruso not resigning Caruso, they
didn't like, right, But I mean that's I mean you're
talking to move here and move there. Yeah, okay, Uh.
It feels like these playoffs have been bad for him,
(27:00):
Embiid bad from Beid. How much stink is there on
his hands if if they don't win this thing.
Speaker 5 (27:09):
I don't know how you I mean, I just I
don't think he's well and so, like I understand the point,
and I don't want to argue with it. I think
the stink is is like he's never okay in the playoffs,
Like there's always something whether it's the thumb or the knee.
(27:29):
I forget what it was some other year, but there's
always this thing that we hear that Joel is battling
or dealing with when it comes to playoff times. And
I like it's it's unfortunate, you know, but at the
same time, like the playoffs are for the people who
can survive them. And so yeah, I think from that perspective, like,
(27:52):
you know, it's not like I wouldn't say, well, you know,
Embiid has to play better, like I'm not there, but
I am certainly like looking at the bigger track records, like,
you know, he has to find a way to be
better or healthier or you know, just the better version
of himself, like beyond the statistics at this time of year.
(28:17):
And then I also have to say, I think we
talked about this last week or we were thinking about it.
You look at this, this team USA roster that's just
loaded with the with these stars. But if Embiid is
going to look like this, and Kawhi he can't play
because of his knee right now, so would I would
(28:38):
question those two come July? Like what condition are they
going to be in July? And while their teams can't
tell them not to play, they can't do that, Like
that's going all the way back to the Dream Team
ninety two, Like that's just not something that NBA ownership
does when it comes to the Olympics. So it's not
up to the Clippers, it's not up to the Sixers,
(28:59):
But I guess we do have to we have to
talk about this if they are so banged up in
late April that they can't be available to their to
their NBA team at the most important time of the year,
Like is it right for them to then go play
in the Olympics. I mean maybe it is. Maybe it's
like country, you know, do this for your country. This
(29:20):
is a really Big Olympics. Possibly, But that's a question. Man,
I don't know about those two.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
I don't. I don't. I don't either. What's status the Kawhi.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
Leonard He's out in definitely right now. And it is
like what I have been told from people who know
is that it's not something new. It's not like further
structural damage. There wasn't a care that that it is
(29:52):
inflammation related to some to a situation where you have
multiple surgeries, which he has, and like where the wear
and tear on that knee after multiple multiple surgeries, you
can get into these situations where you have this kind
of of inflammation and when it when it gets to
(30:17):
a point where it is so inflamed, like you just
you can't move well and and and you need to
get off it. And so he came back, he tried
to play. He obviously wasn't moving well. And so here
we are like they're like, he is going to sit
down until the inflammation subsides and he can he can move.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
We're trying to find, you know, who's the next face
of the NBA thing. But you know, you're trying to
figure out what happens with Steph and with the Warriors.
Did they bring back Clay? Did they move on from Clay?
What do you think the plan there is.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
To have death Draymond and Steve, whom they just gave
this this lucrative long term contract to all saying they
need clayback, Like I guess, I would be shocked if
Duns didn't bring them, Like I just I don't see
the gold like the Golden State situation, where the general
(31:18):
manager is on a different wavelength from the coach and
the star player and on and on. It doesn't necessarily
make a lot of sense at this point if they're
trying to run it back when a title, well, like
I guess running back in when the title. Maybe those
those statements shouldn't be married to each other, but like
if they like, if they're doing both, trying to do both,
(31:42):
then they're probably not going to get to that latter.
If they can bring Clay back on a very team
friendly contract and make some other moves, like to upgrade
the roster. I suppose that is different. But I think
we can say that that if the Warriors are going
to get it back to what they think they are
(32:02):
and what they think they can be, it's hard to
envision that with Clay Thompson as a starter. So you know,
if all sides can work it out, great, If he
can have a new role, great. You know, we've seen
some We've seen that work for players like you know,
I talk about it all the time. Kevin Love's still
in the NBA and he actually occasionally starts for the
(32:26):
Heat but but you know, he's been basically a backup
for the last couple of years. He's reinvented himself. So
if Clay can do that, great, But there has to
be a team friendlier deal, and you know Clay's willingness
to accept a different role.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Yeah, I think Siper. I don't think he's bench yet,
but he definitely can't be the second best scorer. He's
got to be the fourth or fifth best scorer on
a team, on a on a team. Joe Barten, he
covers the NBA for the Athletic He does a great job.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Joe.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Enjoy the game tonight.
Speaker 7 (32:56):
We'll catch up soon, Okay, Doug looking forward to Fox
Sports Radio as the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio dot com
and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Thoroughbred racing has a new independent regulator HAISA. It's been
implementing comprehensive reforms. A sport is combining hands on care
with cutting edge technology to learn more of us at
Safe Runs First dot Com at Safe Runs First dot Com.
Let's get to the press, the press. What do you
(33:38):
got there? Dan Byer?
Speaker 3 (33:39):
All right, guys, we're gonna dive in with a little
prices right, higher or lower ratings on TV only for
the NFL Draft compared to twenty twenty three. So the
twenty twenty four draft TV ratings, do you think that
they were higher than last year or lower than last year?
Doug Gottlieb, We start with you higher, lower.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Higher, Stuart, I'm going to go higher as.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Well, and Iowa Sam, I'm also going to say higher.
They were lower than they were last year. Yes, down
three percent on ABC, ESPN, ESPN two and the NFL network.
Seven million viewers according to the Sports Business Journal tuned
in to the NFL Draft throughout the weekend. Again, that's
(34:22):
down three percent from twenty twenty three when it was
five point nine million.
Speaker 4 (34:27):
So the Thursday night ratings are separate from what you
just said.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Correct, Okay, So the Thursday night ratings, twelve point one
million viewers watched the first round. That was the best
day one since twenty twenty one. The big dip is
what you saw on Friday. Second and third rounds saw
the lowest amount of people watching five point one million
in over a decade. Wow, so the second and third
(34:54):
rounds really took a hit.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Nobody knows who those guys are. I mean, it's just
really and there's so much hype, but I think nobody
knows who they ares is the big thing.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
We had a conversation during one of our commercial breaks
yesterday and I felt like we were all kind of
on the same page, but we didn't know why. I
hit a wall with the NFL draft for the first
time ever, Like on Saturday. I just did not care,
and apparently others felt that way as well.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
I felt that way. I felt that way.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
The interesting thing is, I do remember a conversation we
also had on this program, Doug. You mentioned how awesome
the COVID draft was in twenty twenty, and just looking
back at the numbers reminds me of how awesome it
was because we had nothing sports wise that was going on,
and NASCAR was trying to do their thing. It may
(35:47):
even have been later when they were doing their races
from home and whatnot, but the NFL Draft felt normal.
And in that year, eight point two million people tuned
into the NFL Draft. So this year again across those
TV networks, it's NFL network and then ESPN, ESPN two
and ABC was five point seven. But that COVID year
(36:08):
was eight point two million.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
And it probably costs a fraction with this cost, right.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Yes, yes?
Speaker 4 (36:16):
And are we are we taking I'm gonna ask a question.
I don't know if you know the answer to this,
so I apologize if you don't. But are we taking
the digital aspect under this? In other words, all those
people that the NFL conned end up getting YouTube TV
last fall, who cut the cord, who watched the draft
on YouTube TV Thursday night? Are they counted in these ratings?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
What I can tell you is this is with the
digital platforms and ESPN deportess the total number went from
five point seven to five point nine. So about two
hundred thousand extra is what they got from those cool
according to my math. Anyway, the NFL Draft is here.
(36:57):
Timberwolves head coach or is coming gone Timberlo said coach
Chris Finch will have surgery tomorrow to repairs write buttell
or tendon. Not known if he'll be available to coach
in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Nuggets that
begins on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Hmmm, well, I mean that was tough when your own
point guard runs into you. Obviously he didn't mean to you.
Mike Conley, he saw his knee and well, that's a
tough one. So is he gonna have that little scooter thing,
that little one leg scooter thing.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
I don't know how you could, like with a knee
right like ke would. I mean, if you got a
knee injury like that's they have to give him a couch,
take away some of those expensive seats.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
In the I guess you stand up the whole time
you're on crutches.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
I'll say, I'll say this, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more,
no doubt, because of how tight it is, how you're
jamming people close to the court. It's bad enough having
the photographers as close as they are, and people you know,
diving into those pits, like the fans, it's just as bad.
Celtics president Brad Stevens named the NBA's executive the Executive
(38:04):
of the Year today.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
How good is that guy?
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Right?
Speaker 1 (38:09):
I mean think about it. You go from being an
all time great college coach to a really well respected
one of the best NBA coaches now to as good
an NBA front office. Guys, you're gonna find bag get
out there in press. That was the press, That is
the press. Doug Gotlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio.
Remember to download the podcast. It's available top of the
(38:30):
hours called in the Bonus. Think you like it, Plus
you'll find out what is annoying Jason Stewart and I
got an all new All Ball out. Just type in
Doug golibin All Ball. This is Doug Gotlieb Show.
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