April 18, 2025 • 38 mins
Doug explains why he has an issue with a take by Jay Bilas about player empowerment in college athletics. Doug sums up the rivalry between Stephen A Smith and the owner of the Suns this week. Doug reacts to comments by Deion Sanders about his son getting his number retired. Doug welcomes FSR NBA Insider Marc Stein onto the show to talk about the Play-In games, the Mavs and all of the other major headlines around the NBA. Plus, Dan Beyer takes Doug through The Press.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thanks for listening to the Doug Gotlieb Show podcast. Be
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Dog Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio coming to you from
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(00:23):
get there? Unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road as protection,
over ten thousand recommended dollars. Direct dot COM's way tire
buying should be Hey, welcome in. You know what We're
gonna do something a second about Matt Ishpia and Steven A. Smith.
But I have to use my platform for good and
(00:44):
also for making sure that the truth is told. And
this is just really important to me. So I've heard
Jmillis say time and again he's so about player empowerment,
and again I like and respect Jay. We're actually friends.
(01:06):
His wife Wendy is awesome, and Jay's a good dude.
Just on this particular brand of topics, he is so
free market wrong. It's stupid, it really is, and for
a smart guy. He's the type of guy who's created
this system of anarchy, and he's got to be kind
(01:30):
of like the Joker in Batman, loving watching everything burn
to the ground. But at what cost? And the biggest
newest one is not just overpaying players. It's over his
insistence that the coaches what does he always say? The
coaches portal was always open. I knew this beforehand. I
(01:56):
knew this beforehand, but I know it even more now.
Jay Billis has no idea what he's talking about. It's
one of those things where it's so offensively wrong that
even as somebody who respects his other opinions, I struggle
to listen to his other opinions because this one is
(02:19):
so wrong. And I can only relate it to teachers
versus students. If you're a teacher, or you've been married
to a teacher, your parent was a teacher, and people
compare as students and teachers in terms of their rights.
And anyone who thinks they're anywhere close is an idiot,
hasn't walked in their shoes, doesn't understand a teacher has
(02:42):
very much earned their way to their spot. You may
not think the best things of these teachers. Okay, but
they've gone to school, they've gotten their teaching credential, they
paid the sacrifice, they've climbed the ladder, and maybe they
have tenure. But they have tenure because they have been
teaching long enough. It doesn't make them perfect, but it
has earned them a special level of respect. And their
jobs and their decisions are not anywhere close to that
(03:05):
in terms of the students are so insignificant in proportion.
And look, I'm just gonna tell you what Jay Billis
continues to tell people is one hundred percent wrong. It
is one hundred percent offensive to anybody who is a coach,
let alone a head college basketball coach. Yeah, I have
(03:28):
a radio job. That's three hours of my day, probably
put in four and a half when you when you
get to prep, which consists of getting up in the morning,
reading and watching and talking and whatever. Okay, but if
you think that there's any sort of equation to the
what is it? Probably ten coaches that have switched jobs
(03:49):
to take other jobs. Maybe I'll give you twenty. Maybe
I don't think it's twenty. I haven't done the math,
because most of them are moving because they're replacing somebody
who's fired. Okay, Well, let's say it's twenty who leave
it job, not a Power five job, but oftentimes they
leave them in major job to a Power five job
or to another major job. Whatever. Let's say there's twenty
out of three hundred and sixty four, as opposed to
(04:10):
in college basketball in the portal, more than half the
kids are in the portal. But for a college player,
what they're responsible for is themselves. And when I have
players coming to my office before and after the show
or we're talking about things, I tell them all the time,
I do not want this job, right because I have
(04:32):
to do pretty much all the things that they have
to do. You know, Yes, they had to prepare for practice.
I had to prepare for practice. They had to prepare
for games. I have to prepare for games. Right, they
have to prepare their bodies more. I had to prepare
them so they can see all that. And then that's
just a fraction of the You know, what did you
do yesterday, Doug? Well, I got up in the morning
(04:54):
and I had coffee with some gentlemen from the Big
I guess Native American tribe that's close to Green Bay
or close to Wisconsin. Green Bay. Our school because we're
trying to do a night where we honor Native Americans
and play the top Native American university playing college basketball
(05:17):
in either a real or exhibition game, because our school
was actually built on First Nation's property. Right, So we're
doing that, and by the way, want raise money, raise money,
raise awareness, do all those things. Then you go and
you talk all day in recruits, you go see your
own team, you run your workouts, then you get in
the car, then you go do your radio show, then
(05:37):
you go do an in hell meeting with like it
never stops, nor should it. And I'm not complaining about
the job. What I'm complaining about is somebody who has
never actually coached. Right, Jay was a grad student when
he was at Duke, Okay, so you're a grad student,
obviously you can't fully coach. But in any way equating
the importance and by the way, the lack of movement
(05:57):
with college basketball coaches, with the massive movement in college
basketball players or even any of this mess that's college football,
it's offensive, it's wrong, and it really waters down the
rest of his opinions, which are really really good. And
he's calling his first NBA playoff games this year as well,
like I got to hire people. I gotta fire people.
I got to find scholarships for guys. Some players. I
(06:19):
gotta say, hey, if you want to play, this is
probably not the place. I got to manage my own staff.
I gotta manage our guys academically off the court. Got
to pay it like it's a lot, and to equate
them in any way to players is offensive. It's wrong.
I'd encourage Jay to stop, because most people in the
industry are just they're past rolling their eyes. But if not,
(06:43):
it starts to it starts to nullify some of his
other opinions, which are probably closer or are accurate. But
this one's so far afield. It's just it feels like
it's a hill he wants to die on. He wants
complete capitalism. And again, we don't live in a in
a co coplete capitalistic society. We don't. We do not.
(07:10):
We actually subsidize different parts of our economy and limit
parts of our economy in terms of our growth smartly.
So because I've been in a purely capitalistic society it
was Russia play basketball. There there's the haves and have nots,
which is what by the way, we're creating college sports
(07:30):
because we're on a path to seventy five Division I programs.
The rest not off friends scholarships. That's the path we're onto.
I don't know how quickly we'll get there, but we
will get there because the other schools can't afford to
make these guys, whether they're real employees or employees without
the name employees or not, can't afford it. Too many
(07:51):
of the things cost too much money and this doesn't
make you enough money. Hey guys, Doug Gottlieb, here we
ready for Are you ready for hilarious PayPal campaign with
Will Ferrell singing his recognition of fleet Fleetwood Macs go yep,
one way, wait for it in the bathtub. Check out
the teaser this Thursday and the commercial on Saturday during
(08:12):
the basketball games this weekend. H Matt Ishbia is the now.
I think he's coming into out of his second year
as owner. Maybe it's two and a half years this
owner of the Phoenix Suns. He was a former walk
on at Michigan State who then you know, got into
the loans game and became obviously a billionaire, bought the
(08:35):
Phoenix Suns. Has now changed coaches twice in the last
two years, and Stephen A. Smith said he's working his
way towards being the worst owner. He's on the path
towards being the worst owner in the history of the NBA.
Here's Matt Ishbia in response.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Steve A.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Smith, You know, I don't take much he says. Seriously.
You know, I don't think many people do. To be
honest with you, the things he said about Kevin Durant
just wrong and disrespectful. Of the things he said about
Lebron James were just disrespectful and inappropriate. With that being said,
I don't really think Stephen A believes that what he said.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
I think, you know, he's doing his thing.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
He's on the mic and he's doing what he and
I think he'll apologize to me because I think it's
disrespectful to put my name and aligned with anybody that
was kicked out of the league or no longer part like, yeah,
if he wants to say, for the first two and
a half years, Manage Tory bought the team, we didn't
win a championship. I think you probably said about almost
every owner ever, but yeah, we had high expectations and
we didn't win. We spent a lot of money and
(09:30):
we didn't win. Yep, yep. Be critical of me on that,
But to even say that kind of stuff, like I said,
that's just I think, like I said, he'll apologize. I
think he was out of line, and I think he
knows that. I don't think he really believes that.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, calling out Steven A for saying things he doesn't believe. Again,
I don't know. I thought Steven A. Smith actually, look,
he's wrong with what he says, but he didn't say
he's the worst owner in the league. He said he's
working his way towards This is actually Stephen A. Smith
and what he said.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Matt Ishbia needs to understand that right now you are
on the verge of being recognized as the worst owner
in the history of basketball. That's saying a lot. That's
saying a lot. Donald Sterling, once owned an NBA franchise,
James Dolan until he recently hired Leon Rose, was on
(10:26):
that trajectory. That's the trajectory if you're Matt Eshbia, that
you are on right now being recognized as arguably the
worst owner in the history of basketball.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, you can't mention Donald Sterling and then act like
it's actually possible that it could be somebody that you
could be in that thing. And by the way, a
bad owner is not something a maybe a bad owner,
but a terrible owner to that level is not somebody
who pours a bunch of money in tries to hire
a coach. I don't think anyone considers that a bad owner,
(11:02):
especially the guy that you're replacing. The guy that you're replacing, Jason,
you want to add something to this.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Uh, steven A. On today's show, Matt Ishpia is absolutely right.
Steven A says, I do owe him an apology because
I mentioned Donald Stirwin. I thought I was making it
clear I was talking about basketball. I certainly did not
mean to compare him to a person that has been
widely recognized as a racist.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Okay, I don't even think he's the worst owner in
regards to basketball. Why, Like, I would love to see
go back and track how many people thought when they
brought in Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal thought it was
a good deal. They brought in Brady bial like yeah,
this will work. Most of us like yeah, that doesn't
feel like it's gonna work. But okay, But the point
is that's not a bad owner. When you try something,
(11:55):
you try to throw a bunch of money and get
a bunch of stars at it and try to make
something work. That's not even in the commerce of worst
owners ever, is it. I mean, I know it's not basketball,
but Ardi Moreno's way worse owner. Literally had Mike Trout
and show Hey Otani the two best baseball players of
(12:18):
my lifetime and one nothing zero and show hey wasn't
even making any money, like what the Angels have pulled
off is amazing to have Mike Trout. Mike Trout is
in any conversation of the best position players in our lifetime,
(12:40):
he may not be for you. Like again, we can
have this back and forth. This is in talking to
baseball guys. The baseball guys I know, like dude, like
five tool outfielder, right hits for power, used to hit
for average, steals bases. What doesn't he do? And then
(13:02):
he had show Hey o Tani, who was an elite
pitcher and an elite hitter, in any conversation that the
greatest players to ever play the sport, they were nowhere
near ever making the playoffs during the what was it
four years that they were together, Like we're really gonna
even have any conversation about matt Ishbia two years in.
(13:23):
It's just a ludicrous conversation. Ludicrous. And this is actually
my biggest problem with Steven A when he's on halftime
of the NBA stuff is he does because because he
can't actually evaluate the game, because that's not what he
does or who he is. He can't say, like, man,
what are they doing in pick and roll cover? George Man?
I hate this rotation. All he says is they're sorry,
(13:45):
they're not ready to play? Like what I get that
he just he first takes it. He first takes it
instead of again. What I think is a good show
is the Okay, the spirit is there. I want to win.
I want to win right away. I always thought Kevin
(14:07):
Rant was awesome. Great. I always thought Bradley Beal was awesome.
If you just put them a good team. Great. It
didn't work, Okay, why did those those two coaches they
hired were pull the opposites of each other. Why didn't
it work? And go study it? He should have done this.
This one move would have changed something that's actual analysis
instead just running your mouth. I don't understand how anybody
watches that or enjoys that just don't.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. This is the Doug
Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio. Mark Stein will join
us in a second. I thought this was hysterical, right
when you say something and you think you made a point,
but it actually made the counterpoint for everybody else. All Right,
(14:57):
You ever done that where you think like, I mean,
I just met I, this is my this is my
jerk store line, this is my this is my point
and it will win the argument. Like, yeah, that actually
lost the argument for you. Here's Dion Sanders, head coach
of Colorado, and of course there's been I don't know
if it's a controversy. It's just more like, what are
(15:19):
we doing. We're retiring Shador Sanders number already, even retiring
Travis Hunter is the Heisman Trophy winner's number already seems
a little bit too soon, but definitely him and Shador
Sanders this spring. Here's Dion addressing that criticism.
Speaker 7 (15:35):
Let's get the elephant rue. I don't want to talk
about this too long. I'm gonna just talk briefly and
let it go. We talking about Shador. We ain't talking
about nobody else. But his last name was was Sanders.
We wouldn't have discovered this discussion. The only reason we
were having this discussion is his last name is Sanders.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Correct. The only reason that he's his number would be
retired is his last name is Sanders. Like he actually
made the counterpoint for his point, right, I don't have
it in front of me. I do not. I just don't.
(16:17):
Does anybody know who what other numbers are up there
are retired? Granted, look, in two years he threw for
seventy three hundred yards, which is insane. It's great, Okay,
Cordel Stewart was a better football player. Does anyone a
better college fotball player? Not close? Not close? Is Cordell
(16:42):
Stewart's number retired at Colorado? It's a question. I don't
know the answer to it.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
So I've got Byron White's number twenty four, Joe Romig's
number sixty seven, Bobby Anderson's number eleven, and Rashaan Salom's
number nineteen.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Yeah, Rashan Salom won the Heisman Trophy. Right, that's probably
why his numbers retired? Yeah, what are we even talking
about If his name wasn't Sanders even, you're right, if
his name wasn't Sanders, he would not even be in
the discussion of having his number retired for two years
where and again I'm not going to put all the
(17:19):
losses on him, but they lost a lot of games, right,
I mean even this last year nine and four really
good year, four and eight not a really good year. Right,
So he's one game over five hundred in two years,
(17:40):
and you want to retire his number before Cordell Stewart's
numbers retired. Get the actual f out of here. And
then he said the quiet part outline, we won't even
talk about it. But with the name of the Sanders,
You're right, we wouldn't be talking about it. It wouldn't
be under consideration, let alone getting his number retired. So anyway,
(18:07):
let's uh, let's get to Mark stein who joins us
a longtime NBA insider. Of course, he writes a sub sect,
the Steinlin, which you should read because you'll know more
about the NBA. That's how I know more about the NBA.
He joins now in the Doug Outleab Show on Fox
Sports Radio. Uh does does does Nico Harrison get a
(18:30):
portion of Rob Polinka's new contract now that Rob has
been promoted to president and gentle manager of the Lakers
after pulling off the Luca deal.
Speaker 8 (18:41):
I wouldn't imagine so, but I think we can say that,
you know, this is a reflection of the Lakers giddiness
since this trade happened. They know what they've pulled off.
Here trade happened on February second, and you know, until
(19:06):
you know through January of twenty twenty five and where
we are now basically mid April twenty twenty five, just
in the space of a few months, when the Lakers
beyond whatever happens in this postseason, they've got a future
they didn't have when the calendar flipped to twenty twenty five.
I mean, they just flat out do with Luka Doncic.
(19:26):
They have a whole new runway, They have a post
Lebron platform and so and look, Rob Polinka had made
some good moves before the trade for Luka Doncicts, but
obviously the trades for Luka Doncic is likely going to
be viewed in a category by itself for a long
long time. So not a terribly surprising development today that
(19:50):
Rob Polinka got a contract extension.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Stug Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Okay, let's
get to the play ins right, feel like the playans
now are to the point we always saw a Sacramento
fire their GM right after they lost the game. I'm
not sure what you win for winning the playoffs, but
your loss is usually they're going to blow up your team,
isn't it. You know what?
Speaker 8 (20:14):
I think it's more there are so many teams that
went all in this season, and just ye know that
this has really been a really volatile time. I think
last week when I was on you said there's going
to be ten cojing coaching changes and I scoffed at you,
and there's not going to be ten. But there's you
know it is it's a lot. I mean, there's a
(20:36):
lot of front office activity. I mean, it has been
the teams that have fallen short of expectations this year.
It has been gruesome for a lot of these teams. Philadelphia, Phoenix, Miami. Frankly,
this game from Miami tonight is huge because if the
Heat don't find a way in the playoffs, they they
(21:00):
will keep their pick in this year's draft, the Cooper
Flag Draft. But if the Heat missed the playoffs, they
convey a twenty twenty six unprotected first to Oklahoma City
and then twenty twenty eight unprotected first to Charlotte. So
the Heat have a ton riding just on this game tonight.
But I just what you know, what you're seeing with
(21:22):
Memphis making a late coaching change, Denver firing its coach
and GM on the same day with only three games
left in the regular season, Phoenix firing its coach immediately,
Sacramento firing Mony McNair, basically parting ways with Monny McNair
less than an hour after their season ended. It's just
been you know, there's a there's a there's just lots
(21:44):
of pressure on a lot of franchises right now.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
It's a Doug Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports Radio.
All right, let's let's uh, let's focus on a couple
of them. What's the state of the Denver Nuggets now
that we're, you know, a week or so removed from
the mostly surprising firings that they had before the playoffs.
Speaker 8 (22:05):
Well, Josh Kronkey, who essentially is the operating owner for
the Nuggets, he's been very clear that the Nuggets had
made the decision that they were going to fire both
Michael Malone and Calvin Booth at season's end. So with
the season already trending in the wrong direction, they said,
you know what, we're going to do it now. We're
going to do it with three games left. Let's see
(22:26):
if the shock sparks a save the season reaction from
our guys. And they won their last three games in
the regular season under David Adlman. Really, they're in a
difficult first round series against the Clippers, who have been
as good as anyone since the All Star break. Really,
when you look at the West, obviously we don't know
(22:47):
the one to eight matchup yet, but the other three
first round matchups are all really really good. You could
say all three are a pickum series if you really
just look at the teams that we're talking about here.
Houston is the number two seed, but a lot of
people will pick Golden State to win that series because
of experience. Denver playing the Clippers that is a really
(23:08):
tough series, and Lakers Wolves is going to be an
absolute battle. But I think Denver in general, the vibes
have improved they're enjoying that new coach bounce, but really
with them, it's going to be Jamal Murray. If Jamal
Murray looks good in the playoffs, and if the fact
(23:32):
that there are no back to backs in the playoffs
gets Jamal Murray looking like the playoffs Jamal Murray we've
seen in the past, then Denver is going to be
a tough out if Jokic has to do it all himself,
even Jokic playing the best individual basketball of his life
is probably not enough.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Stell Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Okay, So
I guess here's the question. I guess here's the question.
The question is, is Jokic, well, can Yo kid get
to the point where he's so unhappy this offseason he
wants to be moved?
Speaker 8 (24:08):
I struggle to envision it, and I think that is
the consensus view around the league. I mean, I remember
writing this early in the season when things were really
bad with the Nuggets early on. That's just one of
the they are so fortunate. Now, look, they found him,
they drafted him, they drafted him in the second round,
so you know, they deserve immense credit for finding him
(24:33):
and drafting a player who became the best player in
the world is a second round pick, which you know,
that's that's a movie in itself. But Jokic applies less
pressure than any superstar in the league, and he might
apply less pressure than any superstar in the NBA that
we've ever seen. And so you know, it would just
(24:54):
be a dramatic change of approach from him if he
suddenly what was looking to move And like I said,
I you know, I think things would have to go really,
really badly. But again, I remember early in the season
when things were going badly in Denver and Jokic gave
(25:15):
an interview to Ramona Shelburne, my former colleague at ESPN,
and basically said, I mean, he basically said, you know
that he's happy with a one championship and doesn't want
to get greedy and doesn't want to just like start
putting all this pressure and demanding to be moved. And
like I said, the Nuggets had to just be I'm
(25:37):
you know, I'm paraphrasing the quote, but the Nuggets had
to just be gleeful to see their superstars say that
out loud, because he really has given the impression that
he's going to give them time to figure it out
when you could certainly make the argument that they have
(25:57):
not done a good job two years putting the right
pieces around him to follow up the championship.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
I don't think there's any question about that. No question
about that. Stug Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports Tradio
Mark Stein. He authors the Steinline, which is a substack
you need to you need to make sure that that
is a part of your your daily or weekly reading
anytime you want to know about the NBA. This dude
knows it all. I know a lot of people speaking
of the Nuggets that are like, you know, the Clippers
(26:27):
are playing really well. Kawhi Leonard looks like you know,
Toronto Kawhi if you will, and they're quietly saying it's
not really an upset. I kind of think the Clippers
got a chance in the entire West. Where are you
and the Clippers?
Speaker 8 (26:42):
Pretty high on them? I mean I did a batch
of power rankings right after the season because I wanted
to write about all thirty teams one more time. This season.
I had the Clippers all the way up to fifth
in the league, and honestly, I almost put them forth
ahead of Houston because they've been that good in the
second half of the season. Again, like they've you know,
(27:02):
they let Paul George go without compensation and everyone thought
they were crazy to do it that way. They use
the resulting flexibility to sign defense first players on favorable contracts.
They brought in Jeff Van Gundy to be the defensive
coordinator first time. Jeff was with the Celtics last season
(27:24):
as a consultant, but it's the first time Jeff Van
Gundy's been on an NBA bench in nearly twenty years.
And they played. They're just they're a great defensive team.
Zuboch has gone to another level. I think Zubach has
a very strong claim for most Improved Player, which is
a pretty crowded category. But Zubach has become just fantastic.
(27:48):
And again, like we talked about with the Nuggets and
Jamal Murray, when Kawhi Leonard is on the floor and
looking good and not missing games, they're a different mind.
And you know this the last month to six weeks,
really since the All Star Break, it's the best Kawhi
we've seen in a long time. Now, you also have
(28:10):
to point out Kawhi has not been able to finish
a postseason since I believe twenty twenty one, So you know,
as great as he looked, he's got to do it now.
I covered Mavericks Clippers in the first round very closely
last season, and you know, Kawhi Leonard could only play
(28:30):
very sparingly in that series, and you know that that
basically crushed the Clippers hope. So if Kawhi can stay
on the court with the defense they have around him,
they have their own arena now. Like they got a
lot of good things going. And that's why you know, Nuggets, Clippers,
great series, Rockets, Warriors, great series. I mean the Rockets
(28:52):
are about to go to playoffs University to play Golden
State with all their experience, and then Lakers Wolves. I mean, no,
nobody talks about Minnesota. I can't remember the last time
you asked me about Minnesota. There are only four teams
in the league that were top ten in offense and defense.
The three sixty win teams Oka See, Cleveland and Boston
(29:13):
and Force were the Wolves. So for all that talk
about what a huge step back Minnesota took after trading
Karl Anthony Towns, they've had a pretty strong regular season
and just to tell you what a circus the West is.
The Wolves had to go seventeen and four just to
get out of the plane and just to get the
number six seeds. So, like I said, it's been a
(29:36):
wild year, and that again ties into the teams that
are making coaching changes in front office changes, because this
was a crazy competitive year and you had to be
really good just to get top six in the West.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Kind of quickly, here were you in on that closed
door meeting or closed door Q and A with Nico Harrison.
Speaker 8 (29:59):
I was not in a tendance. There was only one
spot for the podcast network I worked for here in Dallas,
the LS, and my spot. I seeded my spot to
my colleague Tim Cato, So Tim Cato was There was
about fifteen reporters in the room, and Tim was there.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I was not did it do more good than harm
or more harm than good?
Speaker 8 (30:22):
I mean much much, much more harm than good. There
was absolutely no reason to do it. I mean the
format was wrong, ill conceived, just not good. And the
timing might have been even worse because it was the
day before the maz went to Sacramento for a playing game,
and basically the mav created their own New Luca News
(30:45):
cycle when there was no need to do so, had
they done it before Luca played in his return game
in Dallas on April, okay, you then could have made
a case maybe Nico Harrison needed to do it before
Luca's returned. When that date passed and there was no
such press events, they should have just let the season
play out, because by all accounts, he's still going to
(31:07):
meet the media for an end of season press conference.
So why they did this this week there was Yeah,
I would say more harm than good is the polite
way to.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Put it, okay, But whose ideal was it?
Speaker 8 (31:20):
By all accounts, we believe that this is something ownership
wanted Nico to do because Nico Harrison's only interaction with
the press after the trade was the morning after the
trade in Cleveland, and the trade happened late on a
Saturday night on a Sunday morning in Cleveland. You know, yes,
(31:42):
some people from Dallas were able to make it there.
But when you make a trade of that magnitude, when
you trade Luka Doncic, when you trade a general generational player,
you have to do a press conference in your own
city at the first availability for the local press. And
that didn't happen right away when Anthony Davis, Max Christy,
(32:05):
and Caleb Martin were introduced in Dallas as Mavericks. Nico
Harrison didn't participate in that press conference and didn't have
a separate press conference that day, and so all this
time has passed and there has been no formal comment
from him beyond the niche Cofferenson in Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
So they're.
Speaker 8 (32:23):
For him when it's only a hand select, you know,
when it's only fifteen hand picked reporters, no cameras, Like
that's just not the right conditions. It's got to be
open to the whole Dallas media. And like I said,
that's probably gonna happen when the Mavericks season ends, which
realistically isn't too far away. So why this happened this week?
(32:45):
Great questions, Doug, I'm still to get the answers.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Steiny, you're the best man. I really appreciate your feedback.
Let's talk some more as the playoffs roll on. They
get started in full tomorrow. Thanks for our guest on
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 8 (32:58):
We will do it again soon.
Speaker 7 (32:59):
Be good.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
That's longtime NBA reporter and an insider publishes a substack
called the Steinline. Mark Stein. Let's do we get to
dan Byer yet. Let's get to Danbyer with a quick update,
Danny would have got.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Ian Happ has hit a grand slam for the Chicago Cubs.
They were happy. He is, He's very happy. Knocked in
four with that swing of the bat and extended the
Cubs lead. They're now up seven to one on the Diamondbacks.
Playing in the eighth inning Arizona. Though threatening in the
top half on the north side of Chicago, they've got
the bases loaded with no one out. In golf OARBC Heritage,
it's a signature events on the PGA Tour. Justin Thomas Leeds.
(33:34):
He's currently at eleven under par, one shot better than Seawoo,
Kim and Russell Henley, all three late in their rounds
of second round play on Hilton Head. Scottie Scheffler right
now three shots back at eight under par through fifteen holes,
currently in a tie for sixth place. Playing tournaments tonight,
Heaton Hawks seven o'clock Eastern time winner gets the eighth
(33:55):
seed in the East and a date with the Calves
in the first round. Well the Mavericks and Grizzlies nine
thirty Eastern winner gets the thunder in first round play.
In the West, Grizzlies guard John Morant a game time
decision because of his ankle injury. ESPN reports that Morant
received injections yesterday and has told people he will play
tonight against the MAVs. Doug back to you.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Stug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 6 (34:18):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Stut Gottleep Show Here Fox Sports Radio. We are sitting
on Doctor Bay, and you'd be happy there. Iowa Sam,
very very still day on Lake Michigan or Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I mean geese got out there.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Not a ton of geese today. It's just in the morning.
Usually the morning there the geese and ducks are everywhere
because the fisher are swimming. Right. Let's get to Dan
Byern and get the press.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Dan the press, Doug. The last time we spoke, the
Cubs were up seven to one, but I told you
the Diamondbacks were threatening j Hennio Suarez with a grand
slam of his own, matching Ian Apps grand slam that
he hit the half ending prior. It's a seven to
five game at Wrigley Diamondbacks also have runners on second
(35:12):
and third, but two outs.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
I got to get to a game at Wrigley comes trying.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
To get out of it so long. The Mavericks could
not get out of their trade, and Nico Harrison probably
didn't want to the deal that sent Luka Doncic to
the Los Angeles Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks. ESPN did
a sit down with Luca. Malika Andrews. The questioning and
a variety of topics, including this.
Speaker 9 (35:38):
You hang up the phone the night you're traded and
you threw it.
Speaker 10 (35:42):
Yes, do you have that phone?
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (35:46):
You still use that phone?
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Yeah, it works.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Through his phone when he found out he was traded.
Then Malika Andrews asked him about MAVs GM Nico Harrison.
Speaker 9 (35:56):
General manager Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks. He had
this closed door or no cameras meeting with reporters. The
reporter said, you didn't believe that the team that went
to the finals last year with Luca as a centerpiece
could contend and continue to contend for championships, And Nico
Harrison said, I'll say this again, defense wins championships.
Speaker 6 (36:14):
What do you say to that it.
Speaker 10 (36:15):
Is said, and the way he's talking right now, I
never say anything bad about him, and I just want
to move on. The fans my ex teammates always keep
it hard. It's time for me to move on from that.
Speaker 9 (36:27):
Have you spoken to Nico Harrison since you left Dallas?
Speaker 5 (36:29):
No?
Speaker 9 (36:30):
Have you spoken to him on the night that you
were traded?
Speaker 5 (36:32):
No?
Speaker 9 (36:33):
Was your intention to finish your career in Dallas?
Speaker 10 (36:36):
Of course, that's easy question.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
String section, by the way, was not live, that was
dubbed in by ESPN, but very dramatic from Lucas.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Was very dramatic, very dramatic.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
I mean they paired some dramatic music with some good
answers there, so it was fitting.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
I don't want to I just want to move on.
I don't want to talk about this. I just want
to move on. But I specifically booked this interview so
that you could ask me that question three days after
it happened, and I could be dismissive of.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
I'm just here so I don't get fined. So he's
doing I.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Don't think he was dismissive. I think that he said
everything that didn't.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Well, nothing's bad about him except for he doesn't play
a defense. So he's just like, you know.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
He called those comments sad. He says, I think it's
sad that he's saying those things. I actually thought Luca
revealed a lot to that. Chuck the phone, shattered phone,
the visual does not work on the the audio medium.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
Oh so he did really check the phone?
Speaker 2 (37:33):
Oh yeah, yeah, they even said. She even said does
it still work? He goes, yeah, it still works.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Why would he get a new phone?
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Diamondbacks have rallied all the way to take the lead
over the Cubs eight seven. Right now, top of the
eighth inning. Rob Olinka's got a contract extension the Lakers
GM also got promoted. He's now the president of basketball
operations for the franchise.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Thank you, Luca, Thank you, Luca, Thank you, Luca. Take
you Luke, Hey, Dan, is anybody out to some crazy
baseball start where we're like, hey, this happens over one
sixty two.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Carson Kelly of the Cubs, who had a two run
home run today, has got amazing numbers in just like
limited plate appearances. But you would be crazy. Jeff Passon
actually sent out a tweet about it. Earlier. John Morant's
game time decision but says he'll play tonight against the
Mavericks for Memphis.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
You gonna take a shot.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
That's the press bay, Get out there and pressed.
Speaker 6 (38:30):
That was the press.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Nothing, not even a chuckle from you guys. Playoffs to
be set tomorrow. It's Doug Otlaphow Fox Sports Radio.
Thanks for listening to the Doug Gotlieb Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday three to five,
twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local
station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching app as car, What about you,
Dog Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio coming to you from
the tyrac dot com studios. Diirect dot com. Would we
(00:23):
get there? Unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road as protection,
over ten thousand recommended dollars. Direct dot COM's way tire
buying should be Hey, welcome in. You know what We're
gonna do something a second about Matt Ishpia and Steven A. Smith.
But I have to use my platform for good and
(00:44):
also for making sure that the truth is told. And
this is just really important to me. So I've heard
Jmillis say time and again he's so about player empowerment,
and again I like and respect Jay. We're actually friends.
(01:06):
His wife Wendy is awesome, and Jay's a good dude.
Just on this particular brand of topics, he is so
free market wrong. It's stupid, it really is, and for
a smart guy. He's the type of guy who's created
this system of anarchy, and he's got to be kind
(01:30):
of like the Joker in Batman, loving watching everything burn
to the ground. But at what cost? And the biggest
newest one is not just overpaying players. It's over his
insistence that the coaches what does he always say? The
coaches portal was always open. I knew this beforehand. I
(01:56):
knew this beforehand, but I know it even more now.
Jay Billis has no idea what he's talking about. It's
one of those things where it's so offensively wrong that
even as somebody who respects his other opinions, I struggle
to listen to his other opinions because this one is
(02:19):
so wrong. And I can only relate it to teachers
versus students. If you're a teacher, or you've been married
to a teacher, your parent was a teacher, and people
compare as students and teachers in terms of their rights.
And anyone who thinks they're anywhere close is an idiot,
hasn't walked in their shoes, doesn't understand a teacher has
(02:42):
very much earned their way to their spot. You may
not think the best things of these teachers. Okay, but
they've gone to school, they've gotten their teaching credential, they
paid the sacrifice, they've climbed the ladder, and maybe they
have tenure. But they have tenure because they have been
teaching long enough. It doesn't make them perfect, but it
has earned them a special level of respect. And their
jobs and their decisions are not anywhere close to that
(03:05):
in terms of the students are so insignificant in proportion.
And look, I'm just gonna tell you what Jay Billis
continues to tell people is one hundred percent wrong. It
is one hundred percent offensive to anybody who is a coach,
let alone a head college basketball coach. Yeah, I have
(03:28):
a radio job. That's three hours of my day, probably
put in four and a half when you when you
get to prep, which consists of getting up in the morning,
reading and watching and talking and whatever. Okay, but if
you think that there's any sort of equation to the
what is it? Probably ten coaches that have switched jobs
(03:49):
to take other jobs. Maybe I'll give you twenty. Maybe
I don't think it's twenty. I haven't done the math,
because most of them are moving because they're replacing somebody
who's fired. Okay, Well, let's say it's twenty who leave
it job, not a Power five job, but oftentimes they
leave them in major job to a Power five job
or to another major job. Whatever. Let's say there's twenty
out of three hundred and sixty four, as opposed to
(04:10):
in college basketball in the portal, more than half the
kids are in the portal. But for a college player,
what they're responsible for is themselves. And when I have
players coming to my office before and after the show
or we're talking about things, I tell them all the time,
I do not want this job, right because I have
(04:32):
to do pretty much all the things that they have
to do. You know, Yes, they had to prepare for practice.
I had to prepare for practice. They had to prepare
for games. I have to prepare for games. Right, they
have to prepare their bodies more. I had to prepare
them so they can see all that. And then that's
just a fraction of the You know, what did you
do yesterday, Doug? Well, I got up in the morning
(04:54):
and I had coffee with some gentlemen from the Big
I guess Native American tribe that's close to Green Bay
or close to Wisconsin. Green Bay. Our school because we're
trying to do a night where we honor Native Americans
and play the top Native American university playing college basketball
(05:17):
in either a real or exhibition game, because our school
was actually built on First Nation's property. Right, So we're
doing that, and by the way, want raise money, raise money,
raise awareness, do all those things. Then you go and
you talk all day in recruits, you go see your
own team, you run your workouts, then you get in
the car, then you go do your radio show, then
(05:37):
you go do an in hell meeting with like it
never stops, nor should it. And I'm not complaining about
the job. What I'm complaining about is somebody who has
never actually coached. Right, Jay was a grad student when
he was at Duke, Okay, so you're a grad student,
obviously you can't fully coach. But in any way equating
the importance and by the way, the lack of movement
(05:57):
with college basketball coaches, with the massive movement in college
basketball players or even any of this mess that's college football,
it's offensive, it's wrong, and it really waters down the
rest of his opinions, which are really really good. And
he's calling his first NBA playoff games this year as well,
like I got to hire people. I gotta fire people.
I got to find scholarships for guys. Some players. I
(06:19):
gotta say, hey, if you want to play, this is
probably not the place. I got to manage my own staff.
I gotta manage our guys academically off the court. Got
to pay it like it's a lot, and to equate
them in any way to players is offensive. It's wrong.
I'd encourage Jay to stop, because most people in the
industry are just they're past rolling their eyes. But if not,
(06:43):
it starts to it starts to nullify some of his
other opinions, which are probably closer or are accurate. But
this one's so far afield. It's just it feels like
it's a hill he wants to die on. He wants
complete capitalism. And again, we don't live in a in
a co coplete capitalistic society. We don't. We do not.
(07:10):
We actually subsidize different parts of our economy and limit
parts of our economy in terms of our growth smartly.
So because I've been in a purely capitalistic society it
was Russia play basketball. There there's the haves and have nots,
which is what by the way, we're creating college sports
(07:30):
because we're on a path to seventy five Division I programs.
The rest not off friends scholarships. That's the path we're onto.
I don't know how quickly we'll get there, but we
will get there because the other schools can't afford to
make these guys, whether they're real employees or employees without
the name employees or not, can't afford it. Too many
(07:51):
of the things cost too much money and this doesn't
make you enough money. Hey guys, Doug Gottlieb, here we
ready for Are you ready for hilarious PayPal campaign with
Will Ferrell singing his recognition of fleet Fleetwood Macs go yep,
one way, wait for it in the bathtub. Check out
the teaser this Thursday and the commercial on Saturday during
(08:12):
the basketball games this weekend. H Matt Ishbia is the now.
I think he's coming into out of his second year
as owner. Maybe it's two and a half years this
owner of the Phoenix Suns. He was a former walk
on at Michigan State who then you know, got into
the loans game and became obviously a billionaire, bought the
(08:35):
Phoenix Suns. Has now changed coaches twice in the last
two years, and Stephen A. Smith said he's working his
way towards being the worst owner. He's on the path
towards being the worst owner in the history of the NBA.
Here's Matt Ishbia in response.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Steve A.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Smith, You know, I don't take much he says. Seriously.
You know, I don't think many people do. To be
honest with you, the things he said about Kevin Durant
just wrong and disrespectful. Of the things he said about
Lebron James were just disrespectful and inappropriate. With that being said,
I don't really think Stephen A believes that what he said.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
I think, you know, he's doing his thing.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
He's on the mic and he's doing what he and
I think he'll apologize to me because I think it's
disrespectful to put my name and aligned with anybody that
was kicked out of the league or no longer part like, yeah,
if he wants to say, for the first two and
a half years, Manage Tory bought the team, we didn't
win a championship. I think you probably said about almost
every owner ever, but yeah, we had high expectations and
we didn't win. We spent a lot of money and
(09:30):
we didn't win. Yep, yep. Be critical of me on that,
But to even say that kind of stuff, like I said,
that's just I think, like I said, he'll apologize. I
think he was out of line, and I think he
knows that. I don't think he really believes that.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, calling out Steven A for saying things he doesn't believe. Again,
I don't know. I thought Steven A. Smith actually, look,
he's wrong with what he says, but he didn't say
he's the worst owner in the league. He said he's
working his way towards This is actually Stephen A. Smith
and what he said.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Matt Ishbia needs to understand that right now you are
on the verge of being recognized as the worst owner
in the history of basketball. That's saying a lot. That's
saying a lot. Donald Sterling, once owned an NBA franchise,
James Dolan until he recently hired Leon Rose, was on
(10:26):
that trajectory. That's the trajectory if you're Matt Eshbia, that
you are on right now being recognized as arguably the
worst owner in the history of basketball.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, you can't mention Donald Sterling and then act like
it's actually possible that it could be somebody that you
could be in that thing. And by the way, a
bad owner is not something a maybe a bad owner,
but a terrible owner to that level is not somebody
who pours a bunch of money in tries to hire
a coach. I don't think anyone considers that a bad owner,
(11:02):
especially the guy that you're replacing. The guy that you're replacing, Jason,
you want to add something to this.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Uh, steven A. On today's show, Matt Ishpia is absolutely right.
Steven A says, I do owe him an apology because
I mentioned Donald Stirwin. I thought I was making it
clear I was talking about basketball. I certainly did not
mean to compare him to a person that has been
widely recognized as a racist.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Okay, I don't even think he's the worst owner in
regards to basketball. Why, Like, I would love to see
go back and track how many people thought when they
brought in Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal thought it was
a good deal. They brought in Brady bial like yeah,
this will work. Most of us like yeah, that doesn't
feel like it's gonna work. But okay, But the point
is that's not a bad owner. When you try something,
(11:55):
you try to throw a bunch of money and get
a bunch of stars at it and try to make
something work. That's not even in the commerce of worst
owners ever, is it. I mean, I know it's not basketball,
but Ardi Moreno's way worse owner. Literally had Mike Trout
and show Hey Otani the two best baseball players of
(12:18):
my lifetime and one nothing zero and show hey wasn't
even making any money, like what the Angels have pulled
off is amazing to have Mike Trout. Mike Trout is
in any conversation of the best position players in our lifetime,
(12:40):
he may not be for you. Like again, we can
have this back and forth. This is in talking to
baseball guys. The baseball guys I know, like dude, like
five tool outfielder, right hits for power, used to hit
for average, steals bases. What doesn't he do? And then
(13:02):
he had show Hey o Tani, who was an elite
pitcher and an elite hitter, in any conversation that the
greatest players to ever play the sport, they were nowhere
near ever making the playoffs during the what was it
four years that they were together, Like we're really gonna
even have any conversation about matt Ishbia two years in.
(13:23):
It's just a ludicrous conversation. Ludicrous. And this is actually
my biggest problem with Steven A when he's on halftime
of the NBA stuff is he does because because he
can't actually evaluate the game, because that's not what he
does or who he is. He can't say, like, man,
what are they doing in pick and roll cover? George Man?
I hate this rotation. All he says is they're sorry,
(13:45):
they're not ready to play? Like what I get that
he just he first takes it. He first takes it
instead of again. What I think is a good show
is the Okay, the spirit is there. I want to win.
I want to win right away. I always thought Kevin
(14:07):
Rant was awesome. Great. I always thought Bradley Beal was awesome.
If you just put them a good team. Great. It
didn't work, Okay, why did those those two coaches they
hired were pull the opposites of each other. Why didn't
it work? And go study it? He should have done this.
This one move would have changed something that's actual analysis
instead just running your mouth. I don't understand how anybody
watches that or enjoys that just don't.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio. This is the Doug
Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio. Mark Stein will join
us in a second. I thought this was hysterical, right
when you say something and you think you made a point,
but it actually made the counterpoint for everybody else. All Right,
(14:57):
You ever done that where you think like, I mean,
I just met I, this is my this is my
jerk store line, this is my this is my point
and it will win the argument. Like, yeah, that actually
lost the argument for you. Here's Dion Sanders, head coach
of Colorado, and of course there's been I don't know
if it's a controversy. It's just more like, what are
(15:19):
we doing. We're retiring Shador Sanders number already, even retiring
Travis Hunter is the Heisman Trophy winner's number already seems
a little bit too soon, but definitely him and Shador
Sanders this spring. Here's Dion addressing that criticism.
Speaker 7 (15:35):
Let's get the elephant rue. I don't want to talk
about this too long. I'm gonna just talk briefly and
let it go. We talking about Shador. We ain't talking
about nobody else. But his last name was was Sanders.
We wouldn't have discovered this discussion. The only reason we
were having this discussion is his last name is Sanders.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Correct. The only reason that he's his number would be
retired is his last name is Sanders. Like he actually
made the counterpoint for his point, right, I don't have
it in front of me. I do not. I just don't.
(16:17):
Does anybody know who what other numbers are up there
are retired? Granted, look, in two years he threw for
seventy three hundred yards, which is insane. It's great, Okay,
Cordel Stewart was a better football player. Does anyone a
better college fotball player? Not close? Not close? Is Cordell
(16:42):
Stewart's number retired at Colorado? It's a question. I don't
know the answer to it.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
So I've got Byron White's number twenty four, Joe Romig's
number sixty seven, Bobby Anderson's number eleven, and Rashaan Salom's
number nineteen.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Yeah, Rashan Salom won the Heisman Trophy. Right, that's probably
why his numbers retired? Yeah, what are we even talking
about If his name wasn't Sanders even, you're right, if
his name wasn't Sanders, he would not even be in
the discussion of having his number retired for two years
where and again I'm not going to put all the
(17:19):
losses on him, but they lost a lot of games, right,
I mean even this last year nine and four really
good year, four and eight not a really good year. Right,
So he's one game over five hundred in two years,
(17:40):
and you want to retire his number before Cordell Stewart's
numbers retired. Get the actual f out of here. And
then he said the quiet part outline, we won't even
talk about it. But with the name of the Sanders,
You're right, we wouldn't be talking about it. It wouldn't
be under consideration, let alone getting his number retired. So anyway,
(18:07):
let's uh, let's get to Mark stein who joins us
a longtime NBA insider. Of course, he writes a sub sect,
the Steinlin, which you should read because you'll know more
about the NBA. That's how I know more about the NBA.
He joins now in the Doug Outleab Show on Fox
Sports Radio. Uh does does does Nico Harrison get a
(18:30):
portion of Rob Polinka's new contract now that Rob has
been promoted to president and gentle manager of the Lakers
after pulling off the Luca deal.
Speaker 8 (18:41):
I wouldn't imagine so, but I think we can say that,
you know, this is a reflection of the Lakers giddiness
since this trade happened. They know what they've pulled off.
Here trade happened on February second, and you know, until
(19:06):
you know through January of twenty twenty five and where
we are now basically mid April twenty twenty five, just
in the space of a few months, when the Lakers
beyond whatever happens in this postseason, they've got a future
they didn't have when the calendar flipped to twenty twenty five.
I mean, they just flat out do with Luka Doncic.
(19:26):
They have a whole new runway, They have a post
Lebron platform and so and look, Rob Polinka had made
some good moves before the trade for Luka Doncicts, but
obviously the trades for Luka Doncic is likely going to
be viewed in a category by itself for a long
long time. So not a terribly surprising development today that
(19:50):
Rob Polinka got a contract extension.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Stug Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Okay, let's
get to the play ins right, feel like the playans
now are to the point we always saw a Sacramento
fire their GM right after they lost the game. I'm
not sure what you win for winning the playoffs, but
your loss is usually they're going to blow up your team,
isn't it. You know what?
Speaker 8 (20:14):
I think it's more there are so many teams that
went all in this season, and just ye know that
this has really been a really volatile time. I think
last week when I was on you said there's going
to be ten cojing coaching changes and I scoffed at you,
and there's not going to be ten. But there's you
know it is it's a lot. I mean, there's a
(20:36):
lot of front office activity. I mean, it has been
the teams that have fallen short of expectations this year.
It has been gruesome for a lot of these teams. Philadelphia, Phoenix, Miami. Frankly,
this game from Miami tonight is huge because if the
Heat don't find a way in the playoffs, they they
(21:00):
will keep their pick in this year's draft, the Cooper
Flag Draft. But if the Heat missed the playoffs, they
convey a twenty twenty six unprotected first to Oklahoma City
and then twenty twenty eight unprotected first to Charlotte. So
the Heat have a ton riding just on this game tonight.
But I just what you know, what you're seeing with
(21:22):
Memphis making a late coaching change, Denver firing its coach
and GM on the same day with only three games
left in the regular season, Phoenix firing its coach immediately,
Sacramento firing Mony McNair, basically parting ways with Monny McNair
less than an hour after their season ended. It's just
been you know, there's a there's a there's just lots
(21:44):
of pressure on a lot of franchises right now.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
It's a Doug Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports Radio.
All right, let's let's uh, let's focus on a couple
of them. What's the state of the Denver Nuggets now
that we're, you know, a week or so removed from
the mostly surprising firings that they had before the playoffs.
Speaker 8 (22:05):
Well, Josh Kronkey, who essentially is the operating owner for
the Nuggets, he's been very clear that the Nuggets had
made the decision that they were going to fire both
Michael Malone and Calvin Booth at season's end. So with
the season already trending in the wrong direction, they said,
you know what, we're going to do it now. We're
going to do it with three games left. Let's see
(22:26):
if the shock sparks a save the season reaction from
our guys. And they won their last three games in
the regular season under David Adlman. Really, they're in a
difficult first round series against the Clippers, who have been
as good as anyone since the All Star break. Really,
when you look at the West, obviously we don't know
(22:47):
the one to eight matchup yet, but the other three
first round matchups are all really really good. You could
say all three are a pickum series if you really
just look at the teams that we're talking about here.
Houston is the number two seed, but a lot of
people will pick Golden State to win that series because
of experience. Denver playing the Clippers that is a really
(23:08):
tough series, and Lakers Wolves is going to be an
absolute battle. But I think Denver in general, the vibes
have improved they're enjoying that new coach bounce, but really
with them, it's going to be Jamal Murray. If Jamal
Murray looks good in the playoffs, and if the fact
(23:32):
that there are no back to backs in the playoffs
gets Jamal Murray looking like the playoffs Jamal Murray we've
seen in the past, then Denver is going to be
a tough out if Jokic has to do it all himself,
even Jokic playing the best individual basketball of his life
is probably not enough.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Stell Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Okay, So
I guess here's the question. I guess here's the question.
The question is, is Jokic, well, can Yo kid get
to the point where he's so unhappy this offseason he
wants to be moved?
Speaker 8 (24:08):
I struggle to envision it, and I think that is
the consensus view around the league. I mean, I remember
writing this early in the season when things were really
bad with the Nuggets early on. That's just one of
the they are so fortunate. Now, look, they found him,
they drafted him, they drafted him in the second round,
so you know, they deserve immense credit for finding him
(24:33):
and drafting a player who became the best player in
the world is a second round pick, which you know,
that's that's a movie in itself. But Jokic applies less
pressure than any superstar in the league, and he might
apply less pressure than any superstar in the NBA that
we've ever seen. And so you know, it would just
(24:54):
be a dramatic change of approach from him if he
suddenly what was looking to move And like I said,
I you know, I think things would have to go really,
really badly. But again, I remember early in the season
when things were going badly in Denver and Jokic gave
(25:15):
an interview to Ramona Shelburne, my former colleague at ESPN,
and basically said, I mean, he basically said, you know
that he's happy with a one championship and doesn't want
to get greedy and doesn't want to just like start
putting all this pressure and demanding to be moved. And
like I said, the Nuggets had to just be I'm
(25:37):
you know, I'm paraphrasing the quote, but the Nuggets had
to just be gleeful to see their superstars say that
out loud, because he really has given the impression that
he's going to give them time to figure it out
when you could certainly make the argument that they have
(25:57):
not done a good job two years putting the right
pieces around him to follow up the championship.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
I don't think there's any question about that. No question
about that. Stug Gottlieb show here on Fox Sports Tradio
Mark Stein. He authors the Steinline, which is a substack
you need to you need to make sure that that
is a part of your your daily or weekly reading
anytime you want to know about the NBA. This dude
knows it all. I know a lot of people speaking
of the Nuggets that are like, you know, the Clippers
(26:27):
are playing really well. Kawhi Leonard looks like you know,
Toronto Kawhi if you will, and they're quietly saying it's
not really an upset. I kind of think the Clippers
got a chance in the entire West. Where are you
and the Clippers?
Speaker 8 (26:42):
Pretty high on them? I mean I did a batch
of power rankings right after the season because I wanted
to write about all thirty teams one more time. This season.
I had the Clippers all the way up to fifth
in the league, and honestly, I almost put them forth
ahead of Houston because they've been that good in the
second half of the season. Again, like they've you know,
(27:02):
they let Paul George go without compensation and everyone thought
they were crazy to do it that way. They use
the resulting flexibility to sign defense first players on favorable contracts.
They brought in Jeff Van Gundy to be the defensive
coordinator first time. Jeff was with the Celtics last season
(27:24):
as a consultant, but it's the first time Jeff Van
Gundy's been on an NBA bench in nearly twenty years.
And they played. They're just they're a great defensive team.
Zuboch has gone to another level. I think Zubach has
a very strong claim for most Improved Player, which is
a pretty crowded category. But Zubach has become just fantastic.
(27:48):
And again, like we talked about with the Nuggets and
Jamal Murray, when Kawhi Leonard is on the floor and
looking good and not missing games, they're a different mind.
And you know this the last month to six weeks,
really since the All Star Break, it's the best Kawhi
we've seen in a long time. Now, you also have
(28:10):
to point out Kawhi has not been able to finish
a postseason since I believe twenty twenty one, So you know,
as great as he looked, he's got to do it now.
I covered Mavericks Clippers in the first round very closely
last season, and you know, Kawhi Leonard could only play
(28:30):
very sparingly in that series, and you know that that
basically crushed the Clippers hope. So if Kawhi can stay
on the court with the defense they have around him,
they have their own arena now. Like they got a
lot of good things going. And that's why you know, Nuggets, Clippers,
great series, Rockets, Warriors, great series. I mean the Rockets
(28:52):
are about to go to playoffs University to play Golden
State with all their experience, and then Lakers Wolves. I mean, no,
nobody talks about Minnesota. I can't remember the last time
you asked me about Minnesota. There are only four teams
in the league that were top ten in offense and defense.
The three sixty win teams Oka See, Cleveland and Boston
(29:13):
and Force were the Wolves. So for all that talk
about what a huge step back Minnesota took after trading
Karl Anthony Towns, they've had a pretty strong regular season
and just to tell you what a circus the West is.
The Wolves had to go seventeen and four just to
get out of the plane and just to get the
number six seeds. So, like I said, it's been a
(29:36):
wild year, and that again ties into the teams that
are making coaching changes in front office changes, because this
was a crazy competitive year and you had to be
really good just to get top six in the West.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Kind of quickly, here were you in on that closed
door meeting or closed door Q and A with Nico Harrison.
Speaker 8 (29:59):
I was not in a tendance. There was only one
spot for the podcast network I worked for here in Dallas,
the LS, and my spot. I seeded my spot to
my colleague Tim Cato, So Tim Cato was There was
about fifteen reporters in the room, and Tim was there.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
I was not did it do more good than harm
or more harm than good?
Speaker 8 (30:22):
I mean much much, much more harm than good. There
was absolutely no reason to do it. I mean the
format was wrong, ill conceived, just not good. And the
timing might have been even worse because it was the
day before the maz went to Sacramento for a playing game,
and basically the mav created their own New Luca News
(30:45):
cycle when there was no need to do so, had
they done it before Luca played in his return game
in Dallas on April, okay, you then could have made
a case maybe Nico Harrison needed to do it before
Luca's returned. When that date passed and there was no
such press events, they should have just let the season
play out, because by all accounts, he's still going to
(31:07):
meet the media for an end of season press conference.
So why they did this this week there was Yeah,
I would say more harm than good is the polite
way to.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Put it, okay, But whose ideal was it?
Speaker 8 (31:20):
By all accounts, we believe that this is something ownership
wanted Nico to do because Nico Harrison's only interaction with
the press after the trade was the morning after the
trade in Cleveland, and the trade happened late on a
Saturday night on a Sunday morning in Cleveland. You know, yes,
(31:42):
some people from Dallas were able to make it there.
But when you make a trade of that magnitude, when
you trade Luka Doncic, when you trade a general generational player,
you have to do a press conference in your own
city at the first availability for the local press. And
that didn't happen right away when Anthony Davis, Max Christy,
(32:05):
and Caleb Martin were introduced in Dallas as Mavericks. Nico
Harrison didn't participate in that press conference and didn't have
a separate press conference that day, and so all this
time has passed and there has been no formal comment
from him beyond the niche Cofferenson in Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
So they're.
Speaker 8 (32:23):
For him when it's only a hand select, you know,
when it's only fifteen hand picked reporters, no cameras, Like
that's just not the right conditions. It's got to be
open to the whole Dallas media. And like I said,
that's probably gonna happen when the Mavericks season ends, which
realistically isn't too far away. So why this happened this week?
(32:45):
Great questions, Doug, I'm still to get the answers.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Steiny, you're the best man. I really appreciate your feedback.
Let's talk some more as the playoffs roll on. They
get started in full tomorrow. Thanks for our guest on
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 8 (32:58):
We will do it again soon.
Speaker 7 (32:59):
Be good.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
That's longtime NBA reporter and an insider publishes a substack
called the Steinline. Mark Stein. Let's do we get to
dan Byer yet. Let's get to Danbyer with a quick update,
Danny would have got.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Ian Happ has hit a grand slam for the Chicago Cubs.
They were happy. He is, He's very happy. Knocked in
four with that swing of the bat and extended the
Cubs lead. They're now up seven to one on the Diamondbacks.
Playing in the eighth inning Arizona. Though threatening in the
top half on the north side of Chicago, they've got
the bases loaded with no one out. In golf OARBC Heritage,
it's a signature events on the PGA Tour. Justin Thomas Leeds.
(33:34):
He's currently at eleven under par, one shot better than Seawoo,
Kim and Russell Henley, all three late in their rounds
of second round play on Hilton Head. Scottie Scheffler right
now three shots back at eight under par through fifteen holes,
currently in a tie for sixth place. Playing tournaments tonight,
Heaton Hawks seven o'clock Eastern time winner gets the eighth
(33:55):
seed in the East and a date with the Calves
in the first round. Well the Mavericks and Grizzlies nine
thirty Eastern winner gets the thunder in first round play.
In the West, Grizzlies guard John Morant a game time
decision because of his ankle injury. ESPN reports that Morant
received injections yesterday and has told people he will play
tonight against the MAVs. Doug back to you.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Stug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 6 (34:18):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Doug
Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern noon Pacific.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Stut Gottleep Show Here Fox Sports Radio. We are sitting
on Doctor Bay, and you'd be happy there. Iowa Sam,
very very still day on Lake Michigan or Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I mean geese got out there.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Not a ton of geese today. It's just in the morning.
Usually the morning there the geese and ducks are everywhere
because the fisher are swimming. Right. Let's get to Dan
Byern and get the press.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Dan the press, Doug. The last time we spoke, the
Cubs were up seven to one, but I told you
the Diamondbacks were threatening j Hennio Suarez with a grand
slam of his own, matching Ian Apps grand slam that
he hit the half ending prior. It's a seven to
five game at Wrigley Diamondbacks also have runners on second
(35:12):
and third, but two outs.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
I got to get to a game at Wrigley comes trying.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
To get out of it so long. The Mavericks could
not get out of their trade, and Nico Harrison probably
didn't want to the deal that sent Luka Doncic to
the Los Angeles Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks. ESPN did
a sit down with Luca. Malika Andrews. The questioning and
a variety of topics, including this.
Speaker 9 (35:38):
You hang up the phone the night you're traded and
you threw it.
Speaker 10 (35:42):
Yes, do you have that phone?
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (35:46):
You still use that phone?
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Yeah, it works.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Through his phone when he found out he was traded.
Then Malika Andrews asked him about MAVs GM Nico Harrison.
Speaker 9 (35:56):
General manager Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks. He had
this closed door or no cameras meeting with reporters. The
reporter said, you didn't believe that the team that went
to the finals last year with Luca as a centerpiece
could contend and continue to contend for championships, And Nico
Harrison said, I'll say this again, defense wins championships.
Speaker 6 (36:14):
What do you say to that it.
Speaker 10 (36:15):
Is said, and the way he's talking right now, I
never say anything bad about him, and I just want
to move on. The fans my ex teammates always keep
it hard. It's time for me to move on from that.
Speaker 9 (36:27):
Have you spoken to Nico Harrison since you left Dallas?
Speaker 5 (36:29):
No?
Speaker 9 (36:30):
Have you spoken to him on the night that you
were traded?
Speaker 5 (36:32):
No?
Speaker 9 (36:33):
Was your intention to finish your career in Dallas?
Speaker 10 (36:36):
Of course, that's easy question.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
String section, by the way, was not live, that was
dubbed in by ESPN, but very dramatic from Lucas.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Was very dramatic, very dramatic.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
I mean they paired some dramatic music with some good
answers there, so it was fitting.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
I don't want to I just want to move on.
I don't want to talk about this. I just want
to move on. But I specifically booked this interview so
that you could ask me that question three days after
it happened, and I could be dismissive of.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
I'm just here so I don't get fined. So he's
doing I.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Don't think he was dismissive. I think that he said
everything that didn't.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Well, nothing's bad about him except for he doesn't play
a defense. So he's just like, you know.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
He called those comments sad. He says, I think it's
sad that he's saying those things. I actually thought Luca
revealed a lot to that. Chuck the phone, shattered phone,
the visual does not work on the the audio medium.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
Oh so he did really check the phone?
Speaker 2 (37:33):
Oh yeah, yeah, they even said. She even said does
it still work? He goes, yeah, it still works.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Why would he get a new phone?
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Diamondbacks have rallied all the way to take the lead
over the Cubs eight seven. Right now, top of the
eighth inning. Rob Olinka's got a contract extension the Lakers
GM also got promoted. He's now the president of basketball
operations for the franchise.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Thank you, Luca, Thank you, Luca, Thank you, Luca. Take
you Luke, Hey, Dan, is anybody out to some crazy
baseball start where we're like, hey, this happens over one
sixty two.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
Carson Kelly of the Cubs, who had a two run
home run today, has got amazing numbers in just like
limited plate appearances. But you would be crazy. Jeff Passon
actually sent out a tweet about it. Earlier. John Morant's
game time decision but says he'll play tonight against the
Mavericks for Memphis.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
You gonna take a shot.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
That's the press bay, Get out there and pressed.
Speaker 6 (38:30):
That was the press.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Nothing, not even a chuckle from you guys. Playoffs to
be set tomorrow. It's Doug Otlaphow Fox Sports Radio.
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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