Celtics’ Historically Great Opportunity & Sabonis’ Amazing Streak | The Hoop Collective

Celtics’ Historically Great Opportunity & Sabonis’ Amazing Streak | The Hoop Collective

Hello welcome to the hoop Collective podcast we talk about the NBA which we’re doing on Sunday evening a little bit later for this gentleman who is making his first appearance on the hoop Collective we’re happy to have him now Ryan ruko this you have to be on camera for

This whole thing I know that you’re used to you know doing it for like right at the beginning and then hiding behind you don’t get to see your beautiful suits but for like a minute and a half a game yeah but uh Play byplay TV man extraordinaire does

NBA does does NBA for ESPN and for the Nets for yes does college basketball uh for our for ESPN our lead College women’s college basketball um uh play-by-play guy I’m sure you’re looking forward ruko to that big final four coming up in Cleveland I know you’ve you

Can’t wait for four or five days in Cleveland in April boy it’s going to be great WBA our man on the WNBA and New York Yankees Ryan ruko welcome who Collective what am I forgetting what am I forgetting on your play the only thing you’re forgetting and thank you Bry is

What a massive fan of the hoop Collective I am and I and I told Tim bontemps um a a a couple months ago we we had gone to dinner uh after a broadcast I don’t even know where din mcmah oh I had introduced him yet never

Mind and uh and and I said you know that’s a that’s a bucket list item for me and he was like what I was like yeah I listen to The Hoop Collective all the time so I think you guys really endeared yourselves to me when you properly

Detailed how awful the Denver Airport is and ever since then I’ve just been a Die Hard fan so thank you guys for having me and hey and what he’s done McMahon is he’s replaced bontemps so that’s be talk that’s a bucket list for us joining us from Dallas Texas where ruko made the

Call on the Kyrie Irving 20 foot left-handed hook shot wearing a beautiful green St Patrick’s Day Suit is B mcmah howy Partners hey anybody who replaces bomb temps has already endeared themselves to me Wendy get this you know I’m kind of like Pace pante sauce I have

A very text in flavor but I was actually made in New York so um true story he ruko went to high school in Terrytown New York the birthplace of me so there’s already already a connection here that true we both hate the Denver Airport and think Cleveland’s a terrible place to go

On vacation well no hey I got nothing bad to say about Cleveland and I Bri I’m going to be hitting you up for restaurant recommendations but the rest is true well that’s not what he was saying off he was tell Cleveland is well that your cherry town route is the only

Thing that you and ruko are alike in basically I’m just going to leave it at that have similar Barber that’s true so what is an average week for you like right now with the NCAA tournament going on and obviously fullbore NBA going on um like what are you doing for the next

Couple weeks a and also uh my 2 and a half-year-old daughter having a sleep regression right in the middle of this as well Ryan yeah so so yeah it’s been excellent time get out on that road Ryan get out on that road that’s right you know that’s why it likes Cleveland oh my

Gosh I like anywhere right now no I I feel but I get overwhelmed with guilt so then when I’m home I turn on the afterburners for for for all tasks um but I right now March is crazy and and I’ve been in the thick where I just had

A 20-day stretch where every single day I was either doing an event or traveling for the event um and uh and I and my only rest bit was because I decided to travel day of for a couple cities but I love it I I I really do it this time of

Year is always my busiest time of year because it merges my NBA slate on ESPN my net slate on yes which actually ramps up because of Ian Eagle doing the men’s tournament and he does the early rounds as well whereas I jump in the women’s tournament at the sweet 16 and

Then it also just Yankee spring training where I just did five games over the last week and a half and then the women’s tournament eventually and the women’s tournament for me is the most labor intensive Focus oriented thing that I do to the point that even though

I love my job I’ve wanted to be a play-by-play guy since I was nine years old but when I get done with the women’s tournament I feel totally drained there’s just there’s just an added level of of concentration and focus and attention around everything so it’s um

It’s kind of this like very very very busy run up until this incredibly uh awesome Crescendo that kind of takes everything out of me and then I try and recharge for a week before we have NBA playoffs I want I want to talk about two Trends in college basketball that are

That are interesting oh he’s got the balloons up the little Zoom balloons just popped up I like they was that was that I don’t I didn’t touch anything trust me I don’t know I don’t have that was that was amazing Brian zoom zoom balloons popping up on it’s party baby you know

How my that’s my Sunny disposition um two things one this trend and I don’t know I I don’t know where it started I know that uh I know last year Kevin Harland our our our friend of the Pod who uh made that one call that upset in the first round

Where they now put the camera on the play-by-play uh yeah booth in the tournament because they want instantaneous like they want video of you reacting so now you don’t just have to deliver the sound but you know that if it’s like really good they’re going to show that immediately on camera this

Seems to me to be a new element into the like I don’t think I don’t think Stan Van Gundy is is down for this but this is a new element to the play byplay Booth I I I don’t know is this something that you welcome I seem to remember Adam

Amin when he was still with us call in the women’s tournament a few years ago there was a big shot and I’m sorry I don’t remember the chapter and verse of the big shot like it was AI Goomba and her game winners for Notre Dame in the

Semis and the finals yeah with Carol loss and Rebecca Lobo yeah it what this seems like it’s high pressure Ryan my God you know what what’s funny is I I we have a snoop cam we call it the Snoop cam sure is and it really is and

We do have one we have not used it yet on air and I haven’t even seen it back from any of my calls in the women’s tournament but I would be fascinated to see it the first year I did the tournament we had some wild finishes with uh Arizona and Stamford and South

Carolina um and last year you know we had Caitlyn’s run up until the championship game and LSU winning I it the the funny thing is like I do ridiculous stuff because you get you get your whole body into the call like we saw you when when Kyrie I me that was

Became famous you and Patrick Mahomes side by side yeah like you really do so I I don’t think anything would ever make me consciously think like oh they could show this but I I would almost just for my own entertainment be fascinated to see like what was I doing at this moment

There a couple years ago do you guys remember the game that the Nets came back against the Kings they were down 25 to start chance I remember this game this was DLo scored uh I think he scored 20 27 or 28 in the fourth quarter I’m

Like I’m like Wendy when he when he was eating his omelet with Jamal mosy I’m gonna nod my head yeah there you go there you go anyway I just I’m I us never miss a king’s Nets game so I can’t don’t remember I I I know especially if

You’re on the you know if you’re on East Coast time staying up for the those babies so I I’m like I’m standing up getting into it it’s the biggest comeback in franchise and Aaron Harris Nets PR director who you guys both know he he’s turning at me just like laughing

At me as he’s like sit down I’m like this is out R geez yeah no this is how I had to get my body into it so man nobody wants to hear if if the play-by-play man’s not excited by the game who the hell wants to listen watch listen I know

He’s got to deliver vocally I just didn’t know he had to perform like he was on stage um I will say I I did dip my toe into college basketball over the weekend yes McMahon oh the hoop Collective Jinx is what happened go on oh wow really yeah I I went to

See my buddies on with the Duke Dukes um on a Saturday night and unfortunately I will tell you this I don’t know anything about college basketball I will tell you that right now I know nothing I don’t pretend to know anything don’t pay any attention what I’m about to say

Okay I’ve seen Illinois play twice in the last week they’re good Illinois is freaking good and they unfortunately for the Dukes they were never in the game on Saturday night but and I also uh watched um Iowa State um play against Washington State and I have no notes on that game

There’s literally nothing I can tell you about that but here’s what I’m going to tell you about the NCW tournament and I’ve been to many NCA tournament games over the years and maybe I just my memory is flawed and maybe my uh you know I’m just not remembering maybe I’m just getting old

Bro 26 minute halftimes that’s a lot you gotta be kidding me that that that’s high schol 26 minute halftime you know that that that’s a homecoming thing in high school football where you got freaking stuff my God yeah that’s a that’s extreme I mean like you know

First off in the NBA what is it like 17 18 minutes I think it’s 12 no yeah it’s less yeah uh uh or 15 and they and the left are starting it before they’re walking off the court yeah like I’m like okay let’s go guys I look up and there’s

18 on the clock I’m like you got to be kidding me yeah you don’t want that that’s too much that’s too much Jackson 15 well it’s like it feel it’s like probably like 18 or so in real time and here’s the thing guys like there’s a

Bunch of other NCAA games going on so like they can put those on the scoreboard but no we have to watch and I well I’m not going to say that we have to watch NCAA propaganda ads on the scoreboard for seven to 12 minutes before we can watch and see whether

Oakland is pulling off another upset okay oh man oh man you you know I’m gonna have to I feel like our halftimes are shorter on the women’s side of things like I’m going be I’m going to be paying attention to this now listen I

Know they got to pay for it I know that run ads I I I get it I I’m just saying though from a Fan Experience it’s brutal no that’s a long time all right second Trend in college basketball I know we talk about the NBA but bear with me we

Got Ryan we’ll get there yeah Caitlyn Clark yeah now I live in Caitlyn Clark land out in the middle of the country uh I thought one really cool thing I saw this weekend I watched um their uh game her first game for a while against Holy

Cross um they they put a sticker or a decal down on the Court the Carver Hawkeye Arena where she was when she hit the three-pointer that broke the scoring record which was way out like 20 30 feet way out there and so there’s this little sticker that says 22

Clark one of the coolest things I heard all weekend was that so many teams that have come through the arena like visiting teams and like teams that were there for the NCA tournament quadrant that was there this week have shot from that spot yeah for like gone to the spot

For photos that they that the sticker wore off it’s only been a couple weeks and they had to put down a new sticker now what I think this says Ryan is that in real time she is a icon within her sport we just don’t see that and anything like

You know there was a girl from old thecross who literally punched her in the face yesterday oh my gosh I know yes got a flavor for and then I don’t remember the girls but then she laughed after a flagrant like I’m sure like not everybody loves her like I remember my

Experience on something like this was uh during Lin sanity um I was covering the heat back then and I think one of the games where he hit the gamewinner at the buzzer which I think was in Toronto if I’m not M it was yes um yeah you were in New

York you remember every single back page cover oh my goodness I remember the conversations walking into restaurants everybody’s talking about L sanity it was unbelievable yeah so L sanity was obviously shorter than Clark sanity but I remember the heat after a game watching the end of that game in Toronto

In their locker room and when Lynn hit that three to win the game The Heat players were like falling out they were like enjoying it like they’re like can you believe this yeah this is amazing look at this guy you know like they were like genuinely like celebrating in the

Moment of a pier mhm like 10 15 days later when Jeremy Lynn came into Miami to play they wanted to kill him yeah I’ve never almost ever seen I I would argue that Lin sanity died that night now he ended up hurting his knee but the heat defended Jeremy Lynn in the

First quarter of that game like it was overtime in game seven of the finals they it they were attacking him so much that were hyperventilating and spoler had to call time out to let them rest in the halfway through the first quarter all right we’re off on a sidelight here

But I wonder if having witness Caitlyn Clark sanity uh up front if you could say what that’s been like these last few months it’s incredible and Bri I heard uh my colleague and good friend Holly row telling that story too about the logo and it’s it does speak to the how

She’s in real time Caitlyn Holly a legend as well but how Caitlyn in in real time has become this icon and I can even notice it just in the covering her games because last year covering her games there was a feeling of this player is amazing it’s a

Phenomenon and it’s it’s starting to you know it’s it’s starting to really burst and bubble this year it feels like you were around a big time celebrity just in the sense of and you know this from having been around LeBron as long as you have Bri

How you can tell at every moment every single eye is on her if you’re if you’re in the arena at a shoot around if you’re in a room with you know 10 people doing an interview if you’re at the game every eye is on her and you can feel that and

So I I think that she could feel it as well I think she hand it wonderfully I do think there’s a curiosity and a Fascination about her from other players in the game as well which is kind of what happens when you hit that next

Level right um and I I can remember the the first time I heard about Caitlyn Clark it was her freshman year we were doing games from Studio in Bristol because it was you know Co times and uh Su bird is my good friend and she was

Doing some studio work with us and we were car pooling yeah name drop there you go you hang out with CC Sabathia and sub bird we know that that’s right so we we had these are CC’s cleats behind me um we we had uh think of the value of

Those McMahon yeah there you go we McMahon on the other side there’s Emy like you know like he just sat down here you know it’s no it’s no big deal just C’s cleats and Emmys hey the coolest thing I have is an autograph windy uh trading

C no but anyway Sue we get to the studio and there’s games on in the back you guys know how the studio setups are and Sue is like have you heard of this freshman from Iowa she shoots with range like Steph Curry Caitlyn Clark’s her

Name I hadn’t heard of her we sit down we’re waiting I watch her and I’m watching her shoot I’m like oh my gosh and there’s so much amazing about her game and her being magnetic and even the way she loves to defer to her teammates but at the coure of everything is her

Range we have not seen someone shoot off the dribble with her range in the women’s game ever we just haven’t and that is what’s so captivating the same way that Curry captivated all of us on the men’s side when he did it for the first time that’s what Caitlyn has done

And then along those lines she also has lifted this team to Heights they’ve never been to before at a time where there’s more attention than there’s ever been on women’s sports and then on her team’s run itself as well so she’s she’s amazing she’s handled the pressure so

Wonderfully and I do feel like when the light shine brightest so does she so I’m curious how you know this this entire run goes well you’ll be calling it and uh we will get back to talking about the NBA in just a second so thank you I’m

I’m interested in that I don’t care if anybody else was interested I’m interested in it all right Welcome Back To The Hoop Collective Okay so we’ve got uh you’re a baseball guy part-time uh ruko so we’ve got an interesting baseball series coming up uh in the next couple days that uh is going

To go a long way to determining how the Western Conference playoff picture is going to shake out um Monday night the the the Mavericks uh have to play the jazz is that home or away McMahon that is in Salt Lake City but uh let’s be honest if you’re playing the Jazz you’re

Feeling at home no matter where it is well Chris dun’s not going to be playing in that game because he threw a a fist at Jabari Smith over the weekend and he supended and I like Chris Dunn but it’s the same guy who the game where Luca had

The 25o triple double uh they were called for double te’s because Chris Dunn took offense to something and Luca asked the ref like what I get a t for I’m just busting his ass and then the league the league office says you know what Luke had a good point there they

Res sended the technical foul point being I don’t think whether Chris Dunn’s playing or not it’s gonna a well he didn’t land the punch you can’t throw a punch I understand that he didn’t land the punch and he got two games I’m just just for the record right that’s all

Just just land four I guess guess I guess I don’t know uh anyway uh he won’t be playing in that game uh but then the Mavericks go to Sacramento for a um a baseball series two games over three days um or is it four days I think it’s

Four we talked about that Tuesday Friday baseball so it’s going to be it’s a baseball Series but you never would have yeah that baseball games it was a last of days of rain but yeah right by the way ruko I know you’ve had the Kings recently um yeah I feel

Like one of the most and I know that we’re in a stat Rich time but you know all the smart guys are telling me that there’s a conspiracy to keep scoring down um I feel like dadus sabonis is uh double double streak is getting short stri short shrift I mean it’s getting

Mentioned you know it’s like sort of like a note in every game and by the way the number is 53 um which he got after the um the Kings beat the magic over the weekend ended the Magic’s five-game win streak also a huge bounceback win for the Kings

After they lost to the capital W Wizards which is yeah they lost more than the game they lost Kevin hder to a dislocated shoulder in that game too so I think it was in that game um well the within the last week and uh that he’s

Going to be out for a while so um so 53 straight double doubles for sabonis he’s got a you know he leads the league in triple doubles uh as well but the 53 straight double doubles I mean you can have a bad game you can get in foul

Trouble you can have a a a scorekeeper that’s not in the mood you know I’m making a slight joke on that but still like it’s it’s the most double doubles since uh Kevin Love I think 14 years ago and the last player to have a longer

Streak was Elvin Hayes in 7374 which was 55 which he could pass this you know could could SL will pass this week I before we even talk about the Kings I just want to have a moment here ruko and acknowledge that dad sabonis is having one of the great statistical runs for a

Single season in NBA history yeah it Bri you are you’re 100% correct and it has been overlooked I don’t know guys if it’s because the triple double has become so much more common over the last you know since Russ that we Overlook double doubles but the thing that amazed

Me and and you guys reference him all the time and I love him dearly stats Williams Matt Williams who’s as valuable as anybody who works at our company and should get paid tenfold whatever he already is which I hope is wonderful cuz he’s amazing he when he sent the Nugget

About about this streak and then that this is you know tied for the longest since the merger and you’re like wait really no one’s had it longer it makes you appreciate what demontis is doing and Doris and I did a game a couple weeks ago there and got a chance to sit

Down with domas for a while and the thing that impressed me guys it one thing in the meeting and then one thing watching him court side which obviously I’ve done other Kings games as well but it really struck me that night in a win against the Lakers where they swept the

Season series them was everything in him when he’s talking about things it always veers back to winning and being competitive and not not in a lip service way in a that’s the way he was raised to play basketball way you know and the way he could talk about the nuances of how

His dribble handoff is different with Malik monk versus the way it is with dearon fox versus the way it is with Keegan Murray and how he was able to break down those nuances just shows you his study habits his passion for those nuances and getting every single ounce

Out of his game that he can and then watching him that night and seeing his physicality I mean and I know I I know there are times where he’s still maybe a little too small depending on the matchup on the interior but he is physical man and you you you you feel

Him sitting Courtside there and I do Wonder because of that skill set and the way he facilitates and I think since Jan first he’s leading the league and total rebounds and total assists which is very yic like you know I I do wonder if we aren’t having enough

Curiosity because of the way he struggled in the playoffs last year in that matchup in the first round if we’re not having enough curiosity about what he can be for the Kings this year in the playoffs well I think he’s underestimated and I say that as somebody who’s been guilty of that uh

Yeah and the lesson I learned there is if you’re agreeing with bonds really reconsider it because you know listen we were as critical as anybody uh of the Kings making that deal you yeah no I mean for once in your life you were actually right my life I didn’t Jinx

Somebody yeah there you go but obviously the Pacers are ecstatic about that trade they got Halbert in the face of their franchise but the Kings becoming a relevant NBA franchise again is in large part because of the impact that Damonte sabonis is and and uh he is one of the

Most versatile so Joker is the only other only other guy in the conversation in terms of the ability to score rebound assist during this streak this 50 plus game uh double double streak he had an eight rebound game he just had 13 assists that night and obviously he’s

Had he’s had a ton of uh triple doubles during that span and you know you you mentioned the the physicality and obviously you’re not going to lead the league in rebounds if you’re soft You Know You Gotta Be You got to be tough but dude watch how he

Scores don’t don’t be full like just because he’s not just dunking on guys he creates Space by being a fullback I mean he is getting his shoulder in there and that’s how he’s getting off those little hooks he I mean he puts his shoulder and guys sternums and creates space and

Bumps big guys back like a couple of feet on a regular basis yeah so it’s obviously a Hu what that’s probably one of the reasons why just in general the Kings even though that was a skintight series to the Warriors last year the Kings have fought for I think some credibility ever since

They got the three seed and then w in the first round yeah definitely um but I will so this is a this is a big week so the two times they’ve actually they are two and0 against the Mavericks this year um I didn’t go back and look I have to

Assume at least one of those was when Kyrie was out McMahon I didn’t go back I probably I I can tell you the first game uh live has obviously been great and should be an all rookie uh selection he’s been great for the Mavericks but the first game uh that they played the

Kings sabon is really really you know took Lively to the Woodshed and and sabonis is tough because we just talked about how physical he is but he’s also a guy who he grabs rebounds and and you know brings it up the floor pushes it in transition you know has has uh perimeter

Skills especially as a ball hand they not something you’re not seeing that as a seven foot guy who’s a teenager you’re not seeing that on the AA circuit or in the ACC so it it was a little bit different experience um and then I actually looked obviously Gafford

Starting the Mavericks now him and him and live the tag team and I was like H I wonder how Gafford fared against uh against sabonis you know wondered had they seen each other this season and they did uh and sabonis had a 28. 13 rebound 12 assist performance in a in a

Kings win so you know we’ll see how that goes but obviously if you’re the Mavericks and you’re going to win Sacramento containing some bonuses pretty high on the priori yeah so I have the box score here from the first meeting and In fairness this is in November so Derek Lively is still

Figuring out which direction the court is when he comes out of the visiting locker rooms although this game was at home sabonis had 32 13 and six and he was 13 of 15 from the field he took two threes and missed so that means he was

13 of 133 on twos yeah um Lively had six points nine rebounds Kyrie did play in that game but didn’t play in the uh second meeting both games were in Dallas so as we speak here which is Sunday night the Kings actually are in seventh

The the uh Suns had a big win on Saturday and uh with all their guys uh playing well so they’ve edged a half game ahead um but this this you know the kings are uh the Suns as we’ve talked about have a brutal schedule coming down the stretch yeah it’s awful the league

In terms of opponent’s winning percentage by the way though the Kings have the third toughest by opponent’s winning percentage that’s a good point and so um although they have played much better against better teams like the as long as they don’t yeah as long as the Wizards again yeah right well I it’s

It’s hard you’re right ruko it’s hard to project the Kings they’ve been all over the place yeah they have they they’re one of four teams to lose to the Wizards pistons and hornets this season and yet they are also seven and three that’s hard to do when you only play

Them twice in the western conf you don’t get four bites at the Apple yeah yeah and and yet they are seven and3 against the Nuggets te- wolves and thunder the top three teams West yeah now that’s a good stat sir hats off would never come something like that that’s Matt Williams

That’s Matt Williams hooking me up that stats hooking me up but but you know what’s interesting guys is just to button up that point talking to them I do think that has been sort of at the foundation of their confidence of why they can have success in these playoffs

You know feeling like some of their struggles against lesser opponents during the regular season has been them learning how to handle posterity right after last season and then being encouraged by how they’ve been able to measure up to the best teams in the league yeah and and you know going into

This little uh two game set with the Mavericks uh the Mavericks have been playing it’s weird they had that stretch of five losses in six games outside of that they’ve they’ve been tearing it up yeah um and I think because of the strength of schedule they are they do

Have the tiebreaker against uh the Suns they’ll have to sweep the series and then have it come down to conference record if they were going to get the tiebreaker against the king sweep the the two game set um but I think if the matter yeah more than the ti I think just the

Opportunity to pick up two games in in a real tight race I mean I’m saying just pure tiebreakers but I think if they split if the Mavericks split in Sacramento I think they’d leave there feeling pretty good about their chances to climb out and claim uh the the six

Seed especially since this first game is on the second night of a back-to-back where the kings are going to have two days off yeah yeah for sure for sure and you know um I tell you we you talk about the Kings you start with sabonis and obviously dearon Fox they’re they’re two

Guys they weren’t Allstars this year but they’re absolutely Allstar caliber players and then you know we’ll get you can talk about Keegan Murray Malik monk Sixth Man of the Year you know who has become an absolute huge key for the Sacramento Kings Keon Ellis yes yes and a lot of

People are listening right now going who a guy who was on a two-way deal played himself into a a stand contract Kevin herder’s out now as when he mentioned with his shoulder uh he’s he’s in the starting line and you know what if people know who Keon Ellis is outside

Of Sacramento they probably are oh that’s the guy who got fooled by Brunson pointed at a screen that wasn’t coming and got made look Sil that’s unfortunately but his biggest play highlight this year but dude this guy he has been playing and he doesn’t put up

Huge numbers he had a great game against uh Orlando I think he had 19 a career high 19 but he’s been in the starting they’re eight and one this year with him in the starting lineup that’s kind of a wonky stat because it’s over a couple different little

Spans but uh I think that he’s going to have to continue to play really really well not necessarily score a lot but like I assume he’s probably gonna I assume Keegan Murray is probably gonna be the primary defender on Luca and Kean Ellis will get KY so I you know that’s a

Guy who if the kings are going to uh come out of this mix at top the six to eight pile I think he’s going to be a big big part of it despite being a relative no name speaking of awards um I was noticing in some stats uh because

The de dearen Fox who by the way had the two games that they they played against the Mavs this year he had big games both nights I think he’s sced over 30 both nights um obviously he was the inaugural um clutch player Jerry West award last

Year and there’s kind of been a thought well he’s can’t repeat um but he had 12 points in the fourth quarter of that win over the magic which was a two-point win and he has the most 10 plus point over 10 or more Point fourth quarters in the NBA this season with

22 um you’re the coone factor analyst there McMahon uh I don’t know where you handicap you know he may not be having as good of a year as he was last year but this is still a guy who in the end of a close game can get it done for you

Yeah I think that if it’s going to be a Californian we’re going to go and San Francisco’s west of Sacramento right I suck at J South and West yeah there you go I think I think it did that really quickly yeah I think it be Steph Curry

Yeah he he knows he’s made that trip um if you ask me who you gotta go south on I5 I mean that that’s you know that’s key there you go if you ask me who the front runner is right now it’s going to be DeMar rosen it is interesting though because

Isn’t I think I think Fox is still leading the league in points per game in the fourth quarter right points per fourth quarter yeah fourth quarter clut yeah clutch points I have to look it up real quick to be 100% sure but Curry had the leag lead last time I looked just

Clutch points not four qu and they’ve been in so many clutch games the the and then and same with same with the bulls they get blown out or it’s down to the wire yeah and then uh Demar D rozan was right there and then D like the the

Tighter you get like one possession game within three minutes within one minute last 30 seconds Ro the rozan blows it away in all separates yeah yeah well I think look Daren Fox is obviously one of the best closers in the league um I tell you what though ruko could tell you

Kyrie Kyrie and Luke aren’t bad in those situations either so oh no they are not that’s the thing with last year right last year when they first got there they kept screwing up they couldn’t win a close game right and now 100% it’s the opposite yeah and it was never it was

Never like a uh it it wasn’t like they were having a wrestling match for the ball yeah they were they were guilty of not want to step on each other’s toes and deferring too much like the most memorable Kyrie Luca moment from last season’s you know failure that landed

Them in the lottery was when they’re passing the ball back and forth back and forth back and forth game on the line against the Wolves until they cough it up and it’s and it’s a turnover where this year they they both had a they both had great clutch numbers they’re playing

Off of each other the the chemistry and the chemistry from a personal standpoint had was never an issue just kind of learning how to play off each other you know that’s taken off this year and they’ve been surrounded by better fits um you know they they don’t have chis

Wood closing games with them I so it’s always a special moment when Chris Wood gets mentioned by McMahon on this podcast I’m glad I was here to witness it I you know it’s they’re they’re good you know we talk a lot about scary teams and and and the west and and of course

So much of that Focus has been on the Lakers and Warriors and if they emerge of all those teams Dallas is the one that if I was one of those top teams in the West I would be very concerned with and you know the main reason obviously

Is because Luca is a bad man and and and then Kyrie as we all know when he’s able to slot in really being your shooting guard that is when he is at his best and we saw it in the 2021 season with Harden Kyrie had an unbelievable year 50490 if Giannis

Doesn’t slide under his ankle in the conference finals he and KD are probably getting the Nets to I mean in the Eastern Conference semis they’re probably getting the Nets to the Conference Finals even with Harden hurt uh that’s how good he had been throughout That season but when you slot

Him off off the ball like that he’s just he’s just so so good and dynamic and efficient and we’ve seen that throughout plus we know he has no fear taking any kind of big shot and then you know you look at a couple things with Dallas one

The way they’ve been getting easy Bass first of all one thing that I Marvel at any time I I watch luuka is just how easily he scores because everybody’s always kind of in between is he going to pass he’s not going to P oh wait he’s

Just going to lay it in and he just gets easy buckets the numbers though since Feb 10th since they made those trades it’s crazy they went from I think 26th or 28th and layups and dunks per game to seventh and they’re they’re shooting those shots at more efficient than

Anybody and then you look at some of their lineup combos they’re starting lineup you know they’re starting five since Jones moved in uh with with Washington Gafford Kyrie and Luca they’re absolutely bludgeoning teams over 80 minutes I think they’re like a net 28 I was scoring opponents by 28 points per

100 possessions in those 80 minutes add in the lineups with exom which you know Jason kid absolutely loves and he’s been really good with Luca and and Kyrie they’re they’re interesting because they have some different levers they can pull in a series and in and in a matchup and

I’m curious to see how that plays out against Sacramento in two games that’ll feel a little bit like a series do you go with Gafford do you go with Lively what kind of minutes does exom get uh how much do you have to play Tim

Hardaway Jr if at all you know all these things are are going to be interesting to to watch yeah and go on Wendy sorry high stakes yeah it is high stakes and at this point they have settled into a starting lineup um where you know and they they went to it

Right after that stretch where they lost five out of six where you got Jones starting at at whatever you call it small forward he he’s starting as the one through four he’s guarding the best player and then Gafford starting at the five a tag team with Gafford and Lively

And then the the the question with centers really do they give Maxi kba minutes at at the five he’ll play some at the four regardless does he get minutes at the five do they kind of play that small ball five out Style with him or do they just go with the rim Runners

Uh the whole 48 minutes um and sabonis is it’ll be interesting to see how that goes against sabonis because he’s again if if Lively and GAP the the weakness with livey and Gafford is if you can pull them out and make them guard on the perimeter you can

Create some problems and then the big question with the Mavericks as far as ceiling goes is still is this yeah is is this team good enough uh defensively you know they’re they’re going to scare people but are they good enough defensively so the Boston Celtics won their ninth

Consecutive game over the Chicago Bulls over the weekend um they’re in you know great position to clinch the number one seed in the East here within the next week or so um and I know that living on the East Coast you get quite a few of

Their games we’ve got a few of them on the network Ryan just a few and uh one things that you were talking about is just how you see differences in this year’s team to last year’s team more than just the fact they’ve got Chris EPs porzingis and uh We’ve looked a lot

About them and and their stars but really materially they are different and I think that’s something you’ve noticed working them up close quite a few times this season yeah Brian I I have like I I feel like they are hampered with a little bit of the

Okay let’s see what they do in the playoffs narrative right and it’s not I don’t even think it’s with the spirit of because regular season success doesn’t matter for them at this point like it’s a championship or bust which would be fair right it would be fair to say the

Only success for the Boston Celtics this season is a championship anything else is going to feel like a failure for them I think that’s fair to say but when people say it I think they say it almost through the vein of because you know they haven’t been able to win the big

One you know because they haven’t and I act I don’t buy into that I think I think a couple years ago right when they when they you know probably were the better team in those finals and and and should have could have won that championship against the Warriors which

That championship for the Warriors will forever be just an epic epic title for them you know that that wasn’t necessarily the expectation for every body that season right and then because of what happened last year they’ve gotten saddled with this narrative but they’re not far removed from a team that

Felt like it was crescendoing and they have massive differences this season that really apply to the playoffs and of course porzingis is a huge part of it because they didn’t have what what did we see guys we saw the crunch time offense constantly let them down well

Now they have the most efficient play in basketball this season is a christop porzingis postup by points per possession that wasn’t in the bag obviously before this year they also added Drew holiday who we know has been a key key key contributor with massive winning plays on a championship team but

I I also think something that doesn’t get talked about enough is Marcus Smart not being there and that’s this isn’t this isn’t to knock Marcus but Marcus Smart not being there has also allowed Derek white to flourish I think it’s allowed Tatum and brown also in their games and personality wise

To continue to evolve and grow and you’re seeing them I think as the best versions of themselves when it comes to being cogs in a team and and and playmaking and picking their spots and doing what the game asks of them and to me the only thing that’s keeping us from

Talking about the Celtics as this unbelievably dominant historically good team which right now you know their net rating they’re plus 12 which is the best in the play-by-play era which only goes back to 96 997 but you know that’s still a decent chunk of time is the fact that

They you know last year they they got beat by the heat right like other than that it’s hard for me and I’ve watch watch them up close I’ve had many Celtics games this year it’s not it’s not even close how much better they have been in this regular season than every

Other team in the NBA now you’re going to give respect to Denver because we know they’ve done it and we know the Murray yic Twan game is the most Unstoppable Force at the end of a game in the NBA but I still think people are under selling how good this Celtics team

Is and if they run through the playoffs and never see a seventh game and win a title I think we’re going to look back on it and say huh you know we were kind of assigning a previous roster shortcoming to this as a veteran of about six seven game Celtics Series in

The last three years there’s no way of them exasperated as I book game seven instead of going home sorry I want to make it about myself but I will believe that when I see I’m not I don’t take any offense to what you hold on but said you’re going to be on

The west you’re going to be on the west finals this year right so maybe if they can just get rid of you they can close out a series a little bit quicker seem to end up booking a last minute flight to Boston oh man Brian you you think you

Think that they’re fully healthy you think they’re going to see a seventh game in an Eastern Conference series they shouldn’t but I’ve seen it series after series after series I isn’t that kind of but isn’t that kind of my point my point is you’ve seen it but you haven’t seen

It well here’s team here’s one thing that we haven’t talked about obviously the Frontline guys get talked about a lot two things I’ll talk about one Derek white when you talk to folks around the Celtics Derek White’s got the second best plus minus on the on the roster

Behind Jason Tatum Derek White’s having a spectacular season and he is um since the All-Star break I don’t have his numbers right in front of me his shooting splits are like spectacular yeah he already is one of the best offensive uh perimeter players in the

League one of the best in the league at shot blocking his at a guard but he’s shooting the ball great that’s one thing second thing is they got some you know people say that their bench is short yeah I guess because they’re not proven Sam Hower is having a spectacular year

That’s a guy who if you’re not a Celtics fan you may not be that familiar with him but I suspect if you watch the playoffs this year he’s going to announce himself he’s shooting 44% on threes with like averaging five or six attempts game he’s had a couple of huge

Games in the last couple in the last couple of weeks despite having a bad ankle injury which he got overcome and pton Pritchard a guy who was I don’t know if he was unplayable he just wasn’t a guy that Joe Mulo ever went to so was

A guy who was a key member of their rotation a couple years ago it was kind of a surprise last fall when they gave him a contract extension it was like really and he has been a a real contributor like he distributes the ball he doesn’t just shoot he’s shooting it

Okay shooting 39% which is obviously above average he shot a little better earlier in his career he was a killer shooter at Oregon uh in his college career but um he he sets guys up like he’s making defensive plays like offensive rebounding despite his size too yeah he gets rebounds I don’t want

To say like he’s a great rebounder because he’s not but like he comes out of there with with balls so I do think that’s a that’s interesting Factor on on the Dereck white thing it’s interesting you know mcmah at the end of this season Derek white um is eligible because it’s

Based on his current contract he’s got one year left he’s eligible to go for four years and 122 million I think um and I’ve been debating with people about whether or not that would be like I think they should absolutely get him signed um but like his quote unquote

Max yeah that’s a funky word right I think four and 122 uh so about 26 no that’s not right 28 or something like that you are so bad at math it’s it’s a little over 30 it’s over 30 it’s 30 30 30.5 no but I Kent State folks no I it’s

I don’t know St Mary yeah well I was definitely not a good math student oh hold on I’m gonna I’m gonna does your iPhone not have a calculator on it I you know it’s 30 if it’s 122 over four it’s 30.5 iPhone without a calculator what’s going on hold

On uh anyway okay four for 122 30.5 mil that’s the average okay thank you just verifying that all right do we think he’s a $3 million player and you know yeah don’t talk to me about numbers talk to me about impact on winning and he is a

Critical critical part of a team that’s going to win 6 what five 66 games yeah that’s what as the cap continues to rise and you know I don’t know what the what the starting number will be but it’s not going to be 30 next season the cap will

Continue to rise now he’s under contract for next season right so it won’t be 30 in a couple years you know and look the it to me the question is not is he a $30 million a year player it’s when you start looking at because obviously Jaylen Brown just got what will

Temporary what is for now but will not be the summer the the biggest contract in NBA history and by the way he’s had a great year yep um Jason tatums about to get an even bigger biggest contct yes so the numbers according to Bobby I know it

Was reported is be over 300 million for jayen brown but ended up being 288 once all the everything was calculated and Tatum is eligible for 304 so Tatum assuming he gets the super max which he’s already qualified for it yeah will be the first $300 million player

And yic is third like or second now but yic had some 280 something like that 275 so right uh you know they’ve got the Drew holiday contract thing as a as an as side you brought that up so Drew Holiday by the way he is eligible on April

1st to he’s already eligible now but he gets this sounds funky he gets more eligible April 1 there’s there’s there’s fewer limits on what he can sign on April 1 and I do think that there’s interest on both sides to get something done um sooner rather than later whether

They do or not I don’t know yeah obviously they extended porzingis quickly after the trade so I guess the what I’m saying is the question is not is drick white a 30 million player it’s given the luxury tax that the Celtics are looking at pay because he

Wouldn’t be a $30 million player as far as you know their actual payroll is concerned he’d be a 30 million times you know x squ gy z whatever he totally lost me you know my point is it would cost a Celtics a hell of a lot more than $30

Million a year to have him so that’s a that’s a Celtics ownership how much are you willing to pay to keep what is right now the best team in the NBA together and that that’s the question not is not is he impactful enough to pay 30 mil you

You know what’s interesting about it though guys too like we talk about his defense and and like you were talking about Brian and it’s incredible this is a little bit um as you guys know and can tell like I do love the analytics and how they can support you know especially

Some of the things that that go maybe undervalued Derek Derek White is top five in pick and roll efficiency as a ball handler and last Celtics game I did talking to Joe moula about white who I mean as you know and and anyone could imagine Joe just absolutely loves Derek

White and any coach would he said he said watch us if we need a bucket we go to a we go to a Derek white pick and roll on the right side that’s what we go to so this is a guy who’s not only just

You know perfect in his role but he’s a guy who’s expanded his game in a way in which he continues to provide an impact even as he’s being asked to do more and more it’s hard I know that you’re right Tim like that I mean it’s going to if

They keep this roster together it’s going to end up costing them a ton of money it is hard for me to imagine them drawing up a scenario where Derek white is not a a part of their future yeah and and listen nobody’s crying for the old

This ain’t some small Market oh how are they going to they sell they tiets big TV deal all those kind of things that’s true but by comparison their ownership group isn’t as deep pocketed as some of the others but I will say they do have so so Tatum’s extension would kick in

After next season Derek White’s extension will kick in after next season um Drew holiday actually has a player option next year for 39 million which depending on how they negotiate he could decline and I don’t want to assume what they’re going to do my guess maybe lower that

Number down a little bit and then push He’s 33 give him give they could give them up to four years their Celtics aren’t facing severe tax and apron challenges until the year after next so this group I think is going to you know again assuming they get holiday locked up

Porzingis already signed his extension earlier this uh season this group I think will largely be brought back they already extended pton Pritchard would not surprise me if they try to get something done with Sam Hower as well um they have a window here of this season

And next before they have to make what I think will be hard decisions and then they might I mean ultimately there’s nothing says that they can’t keep all these guys just right tax penalties and and uh and apron issues but the really good thing about the Celtics is even

Though they’ve made some big trades to get Derek white to get Drew holiday to get kpap porzingis they haven’t really super mortgaged their future they owe they owe a couple firsts but they’re in decent shape with first round picks like they can still draft a little bit

And they can still even make another trade giving first round picks they aren’t like heavily mortgaged this is such a windy conversation though and and I love it because you are the king of looking at the NBA and you understand the business of the game so well you understand the business of player

Personnel running a front office and sometimes you forget the games are fun let these let these dudes go on let’s see if they can go on a damn Championship run before you have people in Boston we in about 2025 26 well I I’m not I’m just saying like you know they

Have to make decisions on Dereck white and Drew holiday in the next few months and no what they have to do what they have to do the next couple months is win a damn NBA championship all right well you can watch you can watch the Boston

Celtics a lot on ESPN in the next few weeks and Ryan will be on the call we’re getting we’re getting late here we’re getting late but no you you talked about you started this talking about the the pressure on them because they haven’t done it they haven’t done it they

Haven’t done it but you get enough at bats you’re going to hit a home run you know if you’re a you know if you’ve got a a big swing and you look at like Tatum and you know LeBron the Yankees there go LeBron LeBron and JJ reic on their

Podcast brought this up Tatum’s 26 years old has played in four Conference Finals and one of those times got to the finals when a guy is going that far consistently and it’s not just look obviously he got to a team that was ready to contend right away but he’s

Been a featured attraction from his rookie year on a huge a huge part of those teams when a guy’s going that deep in the playoffs year after year after year after year and they’ve got The Supporting Cast R them they’ve upgraded they’re going to break through

Eventually and there’s going to be a ton of pressure until they do and then you know nowhere is it written that they must break through but in general I know what you’re saying and I agree but no and then and then and and then once they

Do like if if it happens this year it’s going to be recognized as you know what this actually was one of the best teams of that’s what Ryan is saying what Ryan is saying is he’s traveled he’s traveled from Knoxville to Lawrence to Sacramento and back I don’t know if you’ve been to

Lawrence I know you’ve been to Knoxville because I text you one day yes um not Lawrence but Knoxville yes and and and Brian this is the best team I have seen since the KD Warriors now the I Denver’s incredible and would I be surprised if the Nuggets repeat

But as of this moment what I’ve seen this regular season and watching these team Boston without question is the best team I’ve seen since the KD Warriors and that’s why uh Brad Stevens will probably win executive of the year as he should hey Ryan ruko thanks for uh coming on uh

For your first time we’ll definitely have you back when your schedule permits which is rare hey I I appreciate you guys having me this has been a blast I I’m not just saying it I listen to every episode you guys record a lot now there’s no mystery you’re gonna know

What we said yeah no that’s it I I I but I’ll you know I I’ll I will still listen back but I appreciate you guys record so often that whenever I’m you know I I three times a week I get my I get my updated episodes so I I love it and

Thank you guys for being so kind and welcoming well we wish you by by far my favorite New Yorker that we’ve ever had on this podcast all right I don’t find any anything wrong with that and uh good luck with those nuts games down the stretch Ryan it’s it’s a heavy lift uh

All I can say is thank God for my partner sarak kusto who I absolutely love working with because um we are having to flex uh broadcast muscles that no broadcaster wants to have to flex well thanks for flexing your podcast muscles and joining us thank you got it

Thank you to Jackson our producer thank you for watching listening to the ho Collective podcast we’ll talk to you soon I didn’t get a thank you but that’s okay thank you I’m sorry thank you McMahon I didn’t mean it McMahon I was just getting out of the way so you could

Deliver your sign off adios amigos

Brian Windhorst is joined by Tim MacMahon and Ryan Ruocco to talk Ryan’s experiences as a broadcaster, covering Caitlin Clark, a key upcoming series between the Kings & Mavs, Sabonis’ impressive double-double streak not getting enough love and how historically great the Celtics have been.
0:00 Intro  
3:10 Ryan’s Travel Schedule
5:42 Broadcasting the NCAA Tournament & Caitlin Clark
18:26 Kings Battle Mavs For Seeding
40:34 Celtics Winning Now & Future Planning 
58:10 Thanks For Watching! 

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