05-14-24 KOA Sports Hour 1

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Dave, my friend, I wereyou. I'm good, Ryan, ready
to go, ready to go,doing good? Yeah, yeah, I
was disappointed last night. I meanthe ads just didn't I mean the I
mean Valunachuskin is the story, yes, right, I mean that's that's the
story. And in the first periodthey they to me, you don't want

(00:22):
to make excuses. I saw JaredBednar's postgame press conference and he was quick
to say, I'm not I'm notusing that as an excuse. But I
can tell you, as a formerathlete, professional athlete, if you find
out, you know, the dayof an important playoff game, that one
of your dudes is not going tobe there. Oh by the way,
he's not going to be there forthe rest of the playoffs, and oh

(00:44):
by the way, he'll not bethere for at least six months. I
mean, it's it. It likesucks the air out of your navel.
It certainly looked that way. Ithought, I said, these guys are
They're just like the walking Dead.And to the people that went to the
game, which we have somewe aroundthe building, they felt the same way.
Here was Jared Bednar talking about Vallast night. I think, like

(01:07):
listen, Val obviously struggling with something, right. I have two thoughts.
Yeah, it sucks for our team. We got to turn the page.
We got to go play way betterthan we did today. There's still twenty
plus guys in that room that careand that want to win and that are
here, and that's what we haveto focus on. It hurts our team.
There's no question he's a great player. And the second one is like,

(01:33):
I've gotten to know Val as aperson, and they've gotten to know
him as one of our teammates anda player. And I want what's best
for him, and I want himto be happy, and I want to
be in content his life, whetherthat's with our team or not with their
team. I want up the bestfor him and his family. I think
all of our guys are the same, and we hope that he can find
some peace and get help. Andso that's the other side of it,

(01:56):
Like it's not Hockey's not life anddeath. All we treat it like it
is. And so vowls a bigpriority and our teams like another one.
Now it's separated, they're not togetherlike he's done for six months plus whatever
that whatever that looks like. Andso again we treated like an injured player

(02:20):
that's not able to play for us, like O c or Landy. I
mean, we got to worry aboutthe guys that are on the ice and
are able to play for us,as really well said by coach Badnar.
Yep, I like that a lot. So in case you actually missed it,
So Valanchuskin Flerinshuskin, who is actuallyleading the NHL right now in goals
in the postseason with nine. Hehad seven over seven I think it was

(02:43):
seven over seven game stretch. Yeah, to open against Winnipeg, just just
on a heater like we've almost neverever seen. He's now in Stage three
of the Player Assistance Program, suspendedwithout pay for a minimum of six months
and then he can reapply for reinstatement. And this happened probably a couple hours
a puck drop, and as wewere just talking about Alfred, it just
felt like it sucked the life outof the team. Yeah, it's something

(03:06):
that it's something that you can't youcan't measure. I mean, it's the
unknown right, the ability to playno matter what, is overstated in a
situation like this, because when aperson is struggling with addiction, you just

(03:30):
don't know the next time that somethingwild trigger a reaction, and so as
a teammate, it's hard to trustthat guy. And you know that he's
a very talented guy. But atthe same time, you as a teammate,
you always know there's a huge chancethat that guy may not be part

(03:52):
of the of the game. Imean, there was a great running back
for the Cincinnati Bengals named Stanley Wilsonwho night before, the night before the
Super Bowl, was held up inhis room, you know, having uh
substance abuse problems. And the onlyreason I know this story well is because

(04:15):
the running back coach, Jimmy Andersonwas UH was around then and I heard
about what happened, and I couldn'tbelieve, like, no, it didn't
happen like that, Like it didn'thappen like that, And it was yeah,
it happened just like that. Andyou just go well, the night
before your biggest game that you woulddo something like that, And then you

(04:36):
you realize, if you've ever beenaround an attic, you just you don't
know when they're going to relapse.They don't they're I think the thing and
I completely agree with al. Imean, one of the things that are
so important in a team sport isbeing accountable to the guys that dressed next
to you, all all your dudes. I mean, you're accountable, man.

(04:59):
You're accountable for doing the right thingand being prepared to show up,
and then you're accountable for how youplay. But there's a high level of
accountability. And I think you know, from a human standpoint, we all
wish Valdichuskin the best, But froma teammates standpoint, this is not once.
This is twice and twice in theStanley Cup playoffs that he and you

(05:26):
can say whatever, but he's been. He's been, am I right?
And so I'm telling you I knowhe's not a big deal in terms of
years. I don't know how theads will figure it out, but I
don't know how they You try tobe supportive, but I don't know how
you're bringing back I mean, Ireally, I really don't know from putting

(05:48):
him back into that locker room withthose dudes, I don't I do not
know how you do that. It'sa Josh Gordon kind of relationship that he
had with the Cleveland Browns and therest of the NFL, and he was
a center from the Raiders Barrett.I want to say Jackson, but I

(06:10):
don't know. Brett. Remember thatthe night before the Super Bowl he had
Yeah, he had, like RickRobbins, he had a mental breakdown.
Uh, he had a mental breakdown. And I don't know if it was
a long time substance abuse issue,but it was a mental breakdown where he
said he just just blacked out anddidn't didn't remember much of anything. But

(06:34):
they found him. I think theyfound him somewhere in Tijuana. Yeah.
Yeah, And and so you know, the night before his biggest games,
you know, and then you know, like the big game is is a
fallacy, right, It really isa bit. It is really a fallacy.
For sports fans and for teammates,it's a big deal. But to

(06:56):
a lot of people, they couldcare less about what's happening in the sports
world. I know there's a communityout there of people who've gone through addiction
that are really pulling for Laetushkin unlikeanybody else, because that is a life
battle. It's not something that yougot to deal with for another month and

(07:16):
a half or two months of hockey. This is a life battle. And
those out there in that community knowsthe kind of battle that he's in for
so six months to a sports fanis forever. But man, if he
could make it six months, justbeing good on his feet is what,

(07:39):
you know, I think most peopleyou know in general would pull for.
We love the athlete, but welove the person even more. I think
that's perfectly sad. And it's kindof beckoing what Jared Bednar said there as
well. Just there's two there's akind of two sides to this, right.
There's the person, the empathy thatyou certainly feel for the human,
for the addict, and then there'sthe other side of it as a team

(08:00):
sport. And you talked about twoyears in a row, now two years.
Last year was really weird when ithappened because we were trying to figure
out their entire time what happened.We you know, it was with this
Russian lady that we were trying tofigure out how this song worked and what
exactly happened, and we never reallygot an answer except we got a suspension,
Like we never really got a fullanswer about what happened last year.

(08:24):
Yes, and then he was outfor a while during the season, right,
right, And we've never really talkedabout it, right, But I
mean inside that organization, they knowwhat happened. And you know, though,
I guarantee his teammates know it.Yeah, and they're a great teammates
for us not knowing what happened.They're great teammates for us not knowing what

(08:46):
exactly happened. So I imagine there'sa lot of ADS fans that are feeling
conflicted about this. I do thinkthere's two things to play here. First
of all, you mentioned his contract. I mean it's through twenty twenty nine.
He's over six million per year allthe way up until then. It's
all I mean mostly, I thinkall guaranteed. So we're talking about when
you're suspended thirty six million. AndI don't think this at least I haven't

(09:07):
read anywhere this qualifies as conduct detrimentalas then they can just get out of
this. I don't know. Idon't think that this falls into that category.
It does, it does, Yeah, when you're sure, when you're
suspended, you don't get paid.He doesn't get paid for the six months.
But I don't know if they canwell when out from the contract,
well if he if he does notmake it back into the good graces of

(09:28):
the NHL, the contract is voided. You don't owe a guy money that
doesn't perform for you. You certainly, so you're saying if the NHL doesn't
allow him back in when he appliesfor reinstatements, right right, I mean
they would have a very hard timefrom a legal standpoint doing that. Even
though this is I believe number threefor val yes SS number two right,

(09:52):
this is the second suspension, butthis is step three, yes, which
is thus step three. If youget busted, you're out for six months
at least six months. So Idon't I don't know about the about the
contract, but I would just youknow, I think I think it's okay
and fair to look at it fromtwo different perspectives. One, you look

(10:15):
at it from the human perspective,and I think I can speak for everybody
in this room and probably the majorityof our listeners. We we want him
to get well. The addiction problemin our country has never been more significant.
We all probably know people have peoplethat are close to us that have
battled that or are battling that rightnow, and it's it's real. So

(10:39):
we we want him as a humanto be able to coalesce and to get
get better from the teammate perspective,and in the hockey perspective, everybody,
I think comes down somewhere between disappointed, really disappointed, and pissed off because
you let down. I mean,there's no other way to put it.
You'll let down the whole locker roomof dudes that count on you to be

(11:07):
a guy. I mean you're not. I mean, you know, you're
not taping ankles. All due respectto those who do. You're vound that
you skin You're one of the besthockey players in the world forward. Yes,
So I can look at it fromboth perspectives. I just, you
know, without no separating the two, and I think I can. I

(11:28):
think as a as a player onthe ABS, you have to move on.
You gotta give him a fresh startsomeplace else. Hold on. You
said that because he's one of yourbest players. That's why it's not that
simple if he was. I mean, yes's the way it works, man,
That's that's how he's right. Andthat's the way where he's right in

(11:48):
this regard the management. I mean, Joe Sakic and and everybody over there
has to look at that, andI think everybody would acknowledge his greatness.
But this is not the first.The first time, you're you're more empathetic,
understanding we got to get this guyright. The second time, it's
like, hey, wait a minute, I have an obligation to the other
dudes in this locker room, andI you know, as hard as it

(12:11):
would be, I think every singleone of those guys would understand if Valonuchuskin
does not play another game for theKolot Avalanche. If I had to bet
one way or the other today,I would bet that he is not going
to play another game for the Avalanche. You know, I don't and I

(12:31):
don't even hope I'm right wrong,But I'm just saying, my gut tells
me you can't. You just can'tafford to bring bring you back again,
because you know he could be greatduring the regular season and when you get
in the postseason whatever. Everybody saying, yes, it's great, But in
the corner, they're either thinking,dude, you're good. I mean,
are we good? We're going intoa playoffs? Are we good? Here?

(12:52):
You just always wonder, and that'sunfair to the rest of the team.
The stage four they do have Stagefour on this thing, and it's
a year suspension, but you're noteven guaranteed option too, So there's one
more level. Yeah. So thatmeans that if he can make it back
through this six month suspension, youknow, step away from the stage four.
Well, I mean, let's justlet's just hope that he does not

(13:13):
get to another suspension. It's probably, it's probably where Honestly, we're Jared
Bednar, Joe Sakic sit down afterthe season, and they sit down with
cal mccarr, they sit down withLandeskog, they sit down with McKinnon and
they say, wellas this is goingto be an off the record conversation,
what we say stays in here.We we gotta tell tell us what you

(13:37):
think. Where where are we asa team with what's going on? I
mean, that was that was athat was a flat let down last night.
Oh that was a flat letdown.And for good reason, man.
I mean, not only are youplaying against a great defensive club and then
and the Stars, but you also, man, it's a gut punch man,

(14:00):
like your lineup changed too. Imean that ben I would be being
out with a sickness that that was. That was tough too. I want
to tell you a story, man, without naming a guy. We were
playing, uh, we were playingin the Orange Bowl for a national championship,
and I think two days before thegame, we had a player suspended

(14:24):
that was a huge part of theoffensive game plan, just a unique offensive
game plan, and it was devastatingfor the offense because he was a unique
player and we couldn't do the thingsthat we planned on doing. And right
before the game he was suspended,and we going to the game and we

(14:48):
just we don't look, we looklike we don't know what we're doing against
the team that is as stacked aswe were, and it was just it
was just it was like I thinkit was just an emotional letdown for the
entire team. And you know,a suspension the week of the game,
man, it's just hard. I'mthinking about Malcolm Butler, right, I

(15:11):
mean, playing against the Philadelphia Eaglesin a Super Bowl and Bill Belichick suspends
him and the rest of the teamis looking around, like, why what
did he do? We need him? He didn't. He didn't technically suspend
him, but he benched him.Makes him right? Anybody like nobody knew
what was going on, right,I mean, just imagine if you're on

(15:33):
the team and this guy and yousee the starting lineup and you see that
Malcolm Butler's not starting. This isa guy who's a super Bowl hero,
and you say, man, whatyou're talking about a whack to the face.
Everybody on the team like the youknow, like because what happens is
the defense builds it because the defenseex actually on the field trying to trying

(15:58):
to get stops, and then theoff fence feels it because they're looking at
one of their best players on thesideline standing next to them. So you
know, it's it's it's it's ait's a gut punch when you lose a
player that is that effective the weekof the game, the day of the
game, the day before the game, and you know, it's it's it's

(16:18):
hard to replace because you're used tothat energy, that that special energy that
they bring to the contest, andthat energy is what makes them special.
And so val was messed like noneother than you got taves and that that
that that that that had a sickness. They all meant yesterday and I'm like,

(16:40):
man's it just felt like okay,man, this is uh just ain't
it? Then? And we'll havea chance to come back to the apps
here in a little bit. Iwant to get your thoughts before we get
to Tom Crean ESPN hoops analysts hereat the bottom of the hour. I
want to get your thoughts on thetwo games over the weekend for the Nuggets
as they uh point, they gotthemselves right back in this thing game five

(17:00):
tonight. Yeah, man, Ithought that. I thought the Nuggets said
the one thing that I was suggestingon Friday, play a sharper, cleaner
game, not a more physical game. And even with that being said,
I thought the Joker did a goodjob of setting really good, solid picks
that looked like he gave a fewguys some injuries or at least some body
shots and that was impressive. Andthe Joker is He's amazing. But nobody

(17:29):
could have seen what Aaron Gordon hasdone the last two games. Yeah,
nobody. Nobody expected him to beten for ten. He actually wound up
ten for eleven. I agree withal about they played a cleaner game,
but I also think they played amuch more physical game, which is what
I thought they had to do.And what he says they set picks,
they weren't, you know what,they weren't getting ready to set a pick

(17:52):
and then trying to die the baskingright, they didn't want to slip that.
I mean, there were picks thatfreed up Jamal Murray and I thought
they were more physical on Cat ingames three and four. I think the
key tonight may very well be how'sthe game officiated? I mean, does
the NBA want this thing to goseven? I mean, I watched the

(18:14):
game last night with OKC and Dallasand I'm thinking, damn. I mean
a few times inside it looks likeWWE. I mean, you got guys
wrestling as Like, yes, Isort of like it, but it's like,
wow, I don't want to seehim allow so much contact that it
negates the skill of the best playersin the world. Right, and the

(18:36):
Nuggets I think have an advantage overalmost anybody they play with that starting five
in the skill department. You know, I really think that Gobert is a
negative player for the Minnesota Timberwolves.A he is a He's Frenchman. He's

(19:00):
not a guy. He's not aguy that deserves to be on the floor
right now. He is a uhnegative player for them in this series.
And I don't know what they haveto do. It's funny besides just bitching
him. You and I both knowhe was brought specifically to Dallas, yea,

(19:22):
Minnesota. I meant to stop thejoke to play the Nuggets. I
mean, so on Sunday night.No no, no, no, no
no no no no no, no, no, no no. You gotta
look at you gotta look at theway the joker moves and how freely he
is playing with no with no resistance. I thought he played with so much

(19:48):
force he was not going to bedenied Game three as well. I mean,
he just controlled the game. Andthen and then you got, you
know, I'm sitting there, whatand go bear it? Catch a ball
down low in the paint. Hegoes to try to, you know,
do a move on it, andhe travels and I just think to myself,

(20:11):
why are you in the I mean, watch this guy. If he
extends his hand, I mean,I mean this, if he extends his
hands, he is less than aroundtwelve inches from the rim, Like,
what are you doing? Why aren'tyou just jumping over top of everybody and
dunking everything? But he's never he'snever been a He's not he's not even

(20:32):
been an average offensive guy. He'sin the league to play defense. And
rebound. I just think Joker,and I don't think this is overstayed in
it. I think Joker in Gamesthree and four took his game to a
level that we haven't seen. Eventalking about a guy who's the three time
MVP and World Champions of last year. Joker in Games three and four,

(20:55):
to me, dominated the game almostfrom the jump about every way possible.
Like we talked about yesterday, he'dlook to see, okay, so it's
you all right, I'll back youdown, back you down. He was
a physical, really good inside hita couple one to three for sure,

(21:15):
made two great passes to Ag whenhe felt the double team. I just
thought he elevated his game to apoint that, even as great as he's
been, I just hadn't seen before. I mean, on one of one
of the low post moves, hedreamed, you know, I called it
a dream shake, but he uh, he gave a head a head move

(21:36):
and the defender, I swear,was all the way on the baseline and
he was all the way on theyou know, mid post, And I
just thought to myself, what inthe world must they be thinking with that
kind of skill. No doubt,Hey, when we come back we'll get
tod of this conversation with Tom Crean. Plus, we have an unconfirm report
on who the Broncos are playing Weekone. We'll get to that next mile.

(21:59):
Hi play on Croucher's perfectly hurry pass. Let's go nugget Minnesota, Ko.
We're getting an early report here thatand it's unconfirmed report that the Broncos
will open the season on the roadagainst the Seattle Seahawks. That is uh,

(22:22):
this is out there, familiar placeto play. Yeah, to open
a season even yeah, yeah,So unconfirmed reports that the Broncos Seahawks will
be the Week one matchup. Butwe have more pressing needs and news right
now. We got to get outto the KOA Commas Spirit Health Hotline and
bring on Tom Crane ESPN Hoops analystwho's gonna jo us talk about the Nuggets
as they take on the Timberwolves inGame five tonight. Tom, Thanks so

(22:45):
much for joining us. You're onwith Dave Logan, Alfred Williams, and
Ryan Edwards. How are you.I'm doing great. It's great to be
with you guys. I appreciate MikeCooper asking me and it's looking forward to
it. So thank you. Youknow, coach, this is uh,
this has been an it's series toeverybody out then I'm quite sure interesting to
you as well, because it feltlike in Game three ant Man was resigned

(23:11):
to just let everybody else play andthen not not really ratcheted up until later
on in the game. And thenhe came out this past game and he
played with force, but it seemsthat he may have a piece of two
missing now that the Denver Nuggets areplaying with great force themselves. Well,

(23:32):
he did not have his foot onthe gas to begin the game in Game
three, There's no doubt about it. I think he let I think he
let some of the set defense botherhim, and he wasn't on the attack
the way that he was, andthen he tried to turn it up.
The intentions weren't bad. That heis. He is at his best when
he's in an aggressive state, whenthose feed are flying, when he's on

(23:53):
the attack, when he's not justbouncing the ball, but he's pounding and
he's looking to attack. His eyesare up and I think that'sact. That's
exactly how he played in Game four, and really that's how he played in
games one. In games two andwhere he has grown so much. He
doesn't predeterminate shots nearly like he usedto when he was younger. Still happens

(24:18):
some, but where he would getin trouble was when he would drive into
a set defense too many times intothe paint and be laid on his kickouts
or not make the kickout and thenget it back. And he had a
little bit of that the other night, but he's really gotten away from so
much of that. His game hasmatured so much in that area and the
other area where he can sometimes getcaught too much on the side. And

(24:41):
Yoki is one of the more underratedbig men defenders in the in the league
in my mind, because I thinkobviously he's not underrated as much when you're
an MVP, but he is sogood at getting back to his man.
He's so good at showing and gettingback and he can cover growth, and
I think at times that bothered Anthony. And so the game has got to

(25:04):
be played a little bit more,obviously quicker like it was in Game four.
More on the attack, give itup, get it back, look
for those long closeouts on the side, but don't just come down and pro
beyond the attack with it. AndI think that's what you'll see tonight.
I mean you obviously you know AnthonyEdwards. You coached him in college,

(25:26):
and I want to get back tohim, but I want to ask you
a question. Generally, you hadhad a great run as a head coach
in college and had out standing success. And to me, I've always been
a college basketball fan. I thinkthat game in terms of how it is
officiated, and I will say inparticular in the tournament has changed over the
last whatever three four, maybe evenfive years, and there's a lot a

(25:49):
lot more contact that is allowed inthe college game. I want to ask
you, as a former college coachnow a guy that is analyzing NBA first,
do you agree with that? Insecond? If so, do is
that is that? Is it goodfor the game? Is it good for
the college game? Is that whatpeople want to see? Well? I

(26:11):
think the NBA game is is farmore physical and especially off the ball contact,
and I think you're exactly right.And I think if you add there's
too many travels they don't get called. It's almost like the referee and is
really really good. I don't havea I don't have a I'm playing against
that, but it's almost like wespend too much time on what the points

(26:32):
of emphasis are and eventually we losea little bit of of of luster.
And like how physical people are onthe ball, and postplay is always gonna
be up for graphs. You're gonnahave people who are gonna call it tight,
You're gonna have people who are gonnacall it loose. The best post
defenders can get up into your body, they can take away your leg,
and they can step up into youand make you wonder where your landing it's

(26:55):
gonna be. And a lot oftimes it depends on how the referee wants
to officiate that. But there's noquestion the contact on the ball. In
college it's been called a little bittighter, but in the NBA, I
don't think it's called tight enough.And then there's so many fifty to fifty
plays right now in the NBA thatyou don't know where it's going to go.

(27:18):
And watching Dallas, Oklahoma City lastnight, it's amazing how many calls
could have gone either way. AndI think the biggest thing for all of
these guys, and especially for somebodylike Anthony, because it's really easy to
forget that everybody else that's his age, right, now is graduating college right
now. I mean he came tous a year early. He came to

(27:40):
us as a high school senior.And obviously he's a four years in the
NBA, and every once in awhile he'll let down and let the officials
bother him. And he's really grownout of that in so many ways.
And I think that's such a hugepart of this game right now, is
can you make something out of nothing, especially when you don't know how the
game is going to be official andyou don't know what truly a foul is

(28:02):
and what a file isn't. Butyou can't hunt files. You can hunt
body contact on the drives, andthere might not be anybody in the NBA
that's better at doing that than theLA Clippers. But that didn't even work
for them, right I mean,they spent probably too much time trying to
get body files and trying to gointo the contact, and they didn't win
the series. So you got tohave Anthony was always taught. He's gotten

(28:25):
so much better at creating that bodycontact, but he was always taught to
go buy the person, right,don't just go through the chest, go
buy them. And he's so strongand physical and he's got incredible hands,
risks forearms. You're not taking theball from him. He can initiate contact.
He's got tremendous contact balance, solike when he gets hit, he

(28:47):
can still play through it. ButI still never think he's as good as
he is when he's not looking forcontact, and there's times he looks for
it too much, and I thinkthat sometimes when he gets in trouble.
Tom Green, last couple questions foryou. Appreciate the time. I wanted
to ask you about what you thoughtafter Game two. Did you at that
moment feel like a lot of peoplethat maybe the Nuggets that this is it.

(29:11):
They met the team that was goingto shut them down. And now
that we're on the other side ofthe four games, do you legitimately feel
that kind of the winner of tonight'sgame is really in the driver's position,
not only for this series, butmaybe even for the next one. Well,
I thought I didn't see that inGame two because I thought they really
played the right way. I thinkChris Finch said something after Game three where

(29:34):
they came back and they had threedays in between, and that's a lot.
I mean, that's a lot.Everybody's tugging at Anthony, and I
think he's done a really good job. I think he's been excellent in his
press conferences. I think the wayhe's been answering things is really good.
I know he stays focused. Iknow nothing is going to get in the
way of him working and preparing.He's also got a brand new baby,

(29:59):
you know that that is at homenow, and so there's those type of
things that play into it. ButI just didn't think their team, led
by him in Game three were nearlyon the And he knows that. I've
said it to him. He knowsit, right, I mean, he
absolutely knows it. The one thingthat he's learned so much about as a
player is he can fix his owngame. He can fix it in the

(30:21):
course of the game, and hecan definitely fix it from one game to
the next. And unfortunately, inthat case, he just didn't have that
aggressiveness that he's got to have.But I do think you're right, tonight
is going to be an incredible game. I wouldn't I think when both teams
have gone on the road and wonthe way that they have it, it
would certainly not say that tonight isdefinitive. But there's no question that what's

(30:45):
just added pressure on the other team. Because both these teams mirror each other
when they're playing well, they havedifferent ways on how they score. But
when they're playing well, the ballis moving, they're making the next time,
they're driving the close outs, they'rerunning the break. They're not stagnant.
And I think of anything, Minnesotagot a little stagnant when they were

(31:08):
home where they were really flying upthe court more or less in Denver,
and Denver got a little stagnant athome. So so much of it in
a game like this tonight and therest of this series, really all of
them. It was like this lastnight with Oklahoma City and Dallas. Dallas
did not get easy baskets after thefirst quarter, no matter how tight,
no matter how stagnant, no matterhow much of a tough game it becomes,

(31:30):
you still got to string easy basketstogether with that break and with offensive
rebounds. Coach, last thing Ihave for you, and it's the question
that I asked these guys to startto show with, is how do you
treat Rudy Gobert in his lack ofoffensive production when you've had so much success
in the one game when nas Reedstarted and the team was really actively defensively,

(31:52):
and like you said, they gotup and down the court. How
would you handle the Rudy Gobart minutes? Well, I think I think that's
one of the reasons they're successful isthey figured that out really near the end
of last year and they've carried itbecause there's no question that was an issue,
especially for Space, you know,early on, especially for Anthony Space

(32:14):
to be able to drive an attack. And it's just gotten better and better.
And I think he's so good.I think Karl, Anthony Towns and
Rudy Gobert, I mean as goodas Jokic is. You guys see him
every night, as active as heis when he starts to put that head
down and he's in that pain area, he's looking to score, and you
got to be there's so many spinmoves the other night by Gordon, by

(32:36):
Murray, by Jokic, like yougot to get in there and you've got
to come back that a little bit. I think the game tonight, for
in Minnesota's case, is not asmuch about the offense of a Rudy Gobert,
even Towns and Reid, it's howwell do they not only guard Jokic
but I thought Gordon was the differencemaker the other night, the way he
drove, the way he attacked.They let him basically play the point forward

(32:58):
where he's starting the offense. Hewas so active, and obviously Jokic can
find anybody, but they've Jokic andGordon have such a synergy. So I
don't think tonight that Minnesota can getbeat off the dribble like they did from
Gordon. There's got to be morehelp on Jokic, especially, like I
said, when he gets to thepaint. They've got to be more active
defensively, and that would be thebigger focus to me, other than just

(33:22):
the space that they have on offense, because if they can get some stops
now, they can get the runninggame going. And I think that's one
of the one of the true waysyou have to beat Denver. You've got
to get more easy baskets on thebreak than they do. Tom really appreciate
the insight and time. Thank youvery much anytime. Thanks for having me.
Thank you, jach Tom Crean willreact to that. Coming up next.

(33:43):
This hour shifts to one thousand dollarscoming up in the next five minutes
from the Kwai Traffic center. Here'sDeeric Copland. I just I'm so used
to at least a somewhat down themiddle. It was really good analysis.
Seriously, did you you thought thatyou thought it was like really slanted towards
Minnesota? My goodness, I meanagain, I felt like we were getting,
like the broadcast team on from Minnesota, tell us why the timber Wolves

(34:05):
are going to win it. Ididn't get that feeling at all. I
did. Oh, thank you,of course you did. If I said
I didn't, I mean I expectyou to say, I know, over
a year, dude says it's read. I mean whatever, I'm used to
that. I made some really goodpoints. You should join our bandwagon here.
No, I mean I can belistening. He was giving Minnesota's game

(34:29):
plan. I went off, wellthat's what. Well, yeah, if
you sort of asked him the questionabout what does Minnesota need to do?
I did not. Yes, youdid. No, I didn't, well
one of us did. Yeah,I mean I could be righteous, lying
Digton. I thought Reggie Miller wasa homer uh on the TV broadcast.
I was like, man, ohman, oh man, are you ever

(34:50):
going to talk about joker? Youknow, Aaron Gordon Man I mean,
if the Nuggets pull it off,it's one hundred percent because of what Aaron
Gordon has been. Like. Now, I was talking about Reggie Miller talking
about the game, Yeah, talktoo much about Minnesota. Yeah, I
mean saying Jamal. And every timehe was say Jamal, I'm like,
is he talking about Jamal Murray orJamal Crawford his broadcast partner. I'm like,

(35:14):
I'm like, I'm watching it intentlywith with looking for insights that maybe,
uh maybe I can't deduce myself bywatching, but yeah, that this
this broadcast team has been, it'sbeen who do we get tonight? By
the way, it's it's it's probablythe same crew. Yeah, well he
I thought it was ald On.I'll look it up, look at the

(35:36):
breaking Yeah, because I mean that, I mean it's been, it's been.
It's been Kevin Harle, Kevin Harleyand about them getting that award for
he was of the Minnesota Timberwolves,right, the voice of the Kansas City
Chiefs. That's when I met him. Yeah, I'm really a fantastic broadcast
man. Really good dude, samebroadcast crew tonight. Okay, so Miller,

(35:59):
Yeah, because I'm quite sure theytry to keep it that way because
they know those teams intimately, andso you don't want a brand new crew
when you have an opportunity to keepthe same guys. Yeah, I absolutely
love being waterboarded, just like thenext person broadcasting. Just man, all
the Nuggets have to do it comeout and play great basketball the way that
they have. After those first twogames, you know, now I have

(36:21):
to sit back and realize and realizemaybe I stuck my foot in my mouth
when I said I like you AnthonyEdwards and call Anthony Towns over Jamal Murray
and the joker got both of themin your mouth. Well let's just say
that, Uh, you know you'reusing one foot because the other one is

(36:43):
kicking the other one. No,no, no, I'm just saying that
there's a there's something missing with callAnthony Towns. There's something that's messing with
him. Like he disappeared last year, didn't have a lick of toughness in
his body. He is really skilled, I'm telling you. For a footer,

(37:04):
this dude is skilled and shooting theball first overall. Pick yeah,
man, But in terms of likebeing that guy, like, hey,
you know what I'm here for it? I haven't seen it. He just
disappeared, man. I mean thatthat has just been. It's not been.
It's not been because of great defense. He just hasn't found his way.
He can't force the Denver Nuggets todo anything that they don't want to

(37:29):
do. We let a cat inhere.