Hour 3: Steve Cleveland talks Utah Jazz & CBB | Minnesota a better Utah Jazz? | The Jazz Needs
DJ PK it’s 975 The Zone who do you want in the NBA Finals it’s that time we’re down to four who gets in Rick says Celtics and whoever Celtics will take it all I very well could they could absolutely but I wouldn’t write off Minnesota or Dallas that quickly I agree Russell Rudy and those pesky tea wolves as hot rod used to say Welly they got to have a ton of Mojo now man that was an unbelievable series that was such a crazy Series yeah the large amount of blowouts and Denver going one and three at home uh Minnesota looking like they’re dead in the water after losing three straight then they beat him by 40 freaking five that’s unheard of it was stunning to me to watch all the twists and turns and Sunday night being down by 20 being down by 15 at halftime and come roaring back they just man they just on the road no less they took the Mojo right out of Denver and transferred it to them and they just seem like a team I don’t know the destiny thing I’m not sure about that because if it’s Destiny then you don’t really have to worry about it it’s going to happen I guess whatever that is uh but they just seem to really be able to play well and get critical contributions from guys like Reed Off the Bench and and to do their thing so they cannot be discounted I don’t think they’re the overwhelming favored by any stretches in the Warriors of a few years ago or Lebron teams when he was on top of the world but they do have it going on only the Pacers would surprise us at this point yeah right I’m sure Dallas and Minnesota are passionately rooting for the Pacers give me an easier path yeah of course who wouldn’t want that at this point because once you get it if you get it it doesn’t matter no one remembers you have the parade you celebrate wildly they put the stage out there and Away you go either get the trophy or you don’t all the other stuff I mean there’s breaks along the way sometimes but you wouldn’t be the first one nor will you be the last if somebody uh tweaks an ankle and has to sit down I mean I don’t know that they can come back I mean Caitlyn Clark tweaked her ankle but she came back she was doing some exercis on the sidelines but she came back to play Celtics and t-wolves says Tony Alex same thing t-wolves and Celtics the former jazz guys have everybody’s attention is Luca donic an awfully good story if it ends up being Dallas yeah but there’s no connection and I think people maybe sort of jealous of Cuban you know he got his title why did he get his we don’t have one now they might get two well he would get two no one else is around well the Dallas fan base if the jazz fan base is I don’t think it’s the fan base though it’s it’s Mark he’s the face of it right even though he sold he’s still the face of it yeah yeah he’s front center the cameras on him yeah because of the deal he cut he’s still I don’t even know what the other owners look like I don’t even know their names it’s Adon it’s the Adon but but I don’t know which one cuz the guy who was the the patriarch of the family died so I guess it’s the Widow and kids I don’t know who they are though but good for them they probably got a ton of inheritance you would think so they bought an NBA team they must have some cash that’s the best way to get money I got zero dollars when my parents died zero not a penny which just makes me meaner and leaner so at that’s that’s it on on that uh Dallas we don’t Dallas isn’t considered a small Market is it no whereas Minnesota is yeah Minnesota’s smaller but they’re not that small it’s still a pretty big Market but it’s cold and it’s not the priority just but it seems like there’s like three or four markets and everybody else is smaller and they consider Phoenix small I don’t consider Phoenix a small Market maret but they’re thought of as it the mediumsized markets do get lumped in with the small markets yeah it’s it’s like it’s like uh Chicago La Boston New York and then away you go don’t look up Market don’t look no don’t look up Market size dude don’t you’re going to get bogged down because you could be talking and you could be imparting great stuff but now you’re pecking away at the keyboard to give us stats I’d be interrupting you and you’re giving us great stuff right because I have to talk over you cuz you’re freaking doing nothing but pecking at the keyboard looking up crap so you forc my hand and now he’s going to read Mar size Dallas is now Market five BFD they’re massive BFD there’s no way they’re a small Market that’s what I said good so we just wasted that time a valuable time I’m getting older time is running out there’s people like to hear you uh make fun of me mock me and tell me what to do so those people are very excited me I don’t care care you can love me just about any anywhere but you’re all I got this morning you’re all I’ve got this morning just dub that I’m to myself to be annoyed by other people grab the uh grab the cars and Just Dub that in Yak I just got a text from somebody who listen to the show religiously crying laughing emoji DJ the pecker is his new nickname that that’s a nickname that can’t be repeated on the air so stop why not you know why that in that trial wasn’t that one of the attorneys or something that was his name mhm unfortunate I have to admit normally I don’t really care but I really don’t want to see the Pacers nothing against them I want to see whoever gets out of the West play the Celtics the Celtics had the best record in the NBA they ran away with the East I want to see how good they are and they’ve been at the doorstep for so many years you want to see if they can get there and hold up the trophy can these guys do it because I don’t know what my level of belief in them is which indicates that I don’t have a lot of belief in them the way it should be for a team that has been there at this level and haven’t been to the winning at all but I should have more belief in them but for some reason it’s telling me I don’t you have some belief in three teams and you have no belief in the fourth but I don’t really want to see the Pacers in there no offense to them you have no belief in them that would be I think they’re a championship team I haven’t really followed them that much I mean I watched the series with the New York obviously uh and you know they I like this TJ McConnell kid uh you nobody thought he would be anything and he’s carved out a nice roll for himself that that’s sort of fun to see and you followed him since College didn’t you uh he was at Arizona but he he went someplace else you can Peck that and see where I think he was a transfer there uh but yeah to see him uh find out a nice spot for himself see see now he’s doing it again you could well you just told me to oh I tell you to shut up you don’t yeah that’s not as much fun I tell you to do a lot of things he started at duk and he went to Arizona me a donut during the break he finished at Arizona can I rip it off from that meeting there do you think they have Donuts I not know they meet every day so no no there we go nice right that’s been that’s been this is my theme song don’t can I tell you I played security for them at the cars concert you came to na all 145 lbs of you no I was in college by then okay all 155 lbs of you it’s like I from the time I graduated high school in June till Christmas I gained like 30 plus pounds oh wow I hit my girl spurt I mean I was so young I finished a whole semester of college and wasn’t even 18 December birthdays I was way too young yeah yeah I was literally out DJ PK it’s time to bring in Steve Cleveland former BYU basketball coach former Fresno State coach Steve good morning good morning guys Steve the Celtics have been at the doorstep for years now they’re in the conference title game for the sixth time in six time in uh eight years and Minnesota’s got three former jazz guys and Dallas they’ve got an Elite Talent we’re waiting for him we think he’s going to get his time on the stage is he going to and then there’s the Pacers are you like the rest of us three of the four teams you’d like to see in the finals but please not the Pacers we don’t we don’t see the storyline with them probably not as significant a storyline and I I just can’t I don’t know I can’t see them beating Boston I mean I mean you never know I not watched Indiana enough last time I was watching the Pacers when Paul George played for him so uh it’s been a while but I have watched him play in the playoffs and uh you know they’ve got talent and I I just don’t think they have the real differen makers that Boston and Dallas and Minnesota have and and just kind of the the physicality I I just don’t see that they have that like the other three teams do so uh I’m I’m excited about I mean watching this whole Minnesota thing I was back in indanapolis for about five days at an a tournament for a grandson and uh I had a chance to watch these games and and it was so much fun to just being in a h out my grandson and my son and see what happened and how it all played out so um you know my gut with the with the Jazz guys there and Edwards I think the story is Mota um I I I just that’s that’s the team I want to have wi it and I have nothing against any of other teams but we’ve got connections there and they’ve kind of been the underdog and not I say Underdog though they they finished very high understandings but it’s just it’s just fun to I mean I listen Denver is incredible and well coached and and they’ll be back there next year but that’s as exciting as that has been for me watching NBA basketball is watching Minnesota beat Denver um and with with Edwards and all the things that he’s done naasri um made big baskets big part of what they did in their success and and and goar you know I mean everybody’s on goar you know give the dude some love he played really really well and had a huge impact in that win so just fun to see them there and being there and uh that’s who I’m hoping wins and hope gets to the finals uh whether how they would Fair up with the winner of B Boston probably Boston I I don’t know I mean if porzingis comes back it’s probably a different deal but I I wouldn’t bet against Minnesota in the finals if they were there I just think they have so much momentum going right now and energy and they’re really good defensively yeah I mean I agree with everything you said there and it is fun to see you know and then plus they’re the out of the way market and we don’t expect the Timberwolves to do anything I think it’s actually and getting your thought on this I think in if Minnesota were to pull this off then you’d have consecutive years of Denver and Minnesota you know fine places in under their own and many people live there and are living great lives and all but it’s they neither are viewed as a glamour spot relative to the other spots in the NBA so I believe uh as as far as a pure basketball fan who isn’t interested in hype and all this other stuff and and uh you know warm weather whatever it might be uh to see these two franchises have an opportunity I think that that would be a great sell for the NBA even if so-called uh TV ratings don’t matter I still think it be great for the league well I I agree with you listen there’s nobody that’s watching even as a casual fan and know what’s going on to watch that Minnesota Denver series and you had to walk away from man I really like this NBA you know and there’s so much hype when it’s you know one team’s expected to win and they lose two at home and then they go on the road and uh you know Denver beats them at their plays and you know everything pointed I I did not see this happening to be honest with you at the end I I just couldn’t imagine Denver losing at home and that’s what made it such a captivating experience is that it is I I don’t know I mean it’s Minnesota’s in the Midwest and uh and and those you know they good people that work hard and haven’t maybe had the success that they had like I I just got to believe that a lot of non NBA kind of followers and people that really don’t know a whole lot about it are going to really be rooting for Minnesota if they had a chance to watch that Denver series they’d become fans of the timber wolves we are going to have regardless of which of these four teams win it we are going to have a six different champion in the last six years and the last time that happened it was the like 1975 to 1980 over that so it’s been more than 40 years going back almost 50 years do you have an explanation for why the championship is getting p pass around I’ve heard people throw out it’s the salary cap teams can’t stay together they can’t add the piece they need when one guy leaves or when uh you know somebody has injury problems whatever and I’ve also heard it’s the three-point shot win he’s just going to be a little more fickle maybe you have a third Theory what do you think uh you know I I think the three-point I I like the three-point shot it has changed the game um and I think the parity that you talked about with the draft and all those things I think are applicable um what what I think too though is the the the young players that’re having an impact in these playoffs and and and you know you look at Minnesota they’ve got a veteran group of guys and and nzed was a six-man but but but you but you look at guys like McDaniels and you lot of just no real high-profile names but th those guys are having impact with what’s happening obviously you know goar towns Conor those are veteran guys and but but I think throughout the league the thing I’ve enjoyed is watching and I I don’t think you can sleep on Dallas uh and I I mean you need to be really careful about that because everyone’s going to expect him but at the end of the day Kyrie Irving is a completely different person he’s he’s more mature he’s got gratitude in his life he’s all in no off court issues and donit is a is a tough guard and then I think Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington and Lively those guys have made a diff I mean Dallas never guarded anybody I mean they were always good offensively but I I wouldn’t sleep on this team and it will not surprise me if they beat Minnesota I just I don’t think it’s going to happen but I I just feel like you can’t Overlook these guys donic has got if he can stay healthy in this thing uh with with the lineup that they have have and a commitment to guard uh you know it could be a six or a seven game series and uh we’ll see how it plays out and injuries play a big part of this and uh you never how it’s going to go down but I’ve watched Dallas enough now to know that they’re guarding people that got good size and with donin and Kyrie they’re guys that can go for 40 on any given night and you can probably say that about a lot of the teams but not that high profile guys that have been there you know Kyrie’s wanted NBA champ NBA championship and I’m sure he’d love to do it there in Dallas so it’s it’s been fun for me to watch Dallas and especially to watch Kyrie because I always loved Kyrie and then he just kind of made some decisions and just was in a different place emotionally and mentally and it was hard to get behind him despite his ability to handle the ball and you know pull Triggers on 30 foot threes and he was a guy that all the kids they wanted their shoes they wanted everything and then he kind of just disappeared he’s had a new life here in Dallas and it’s really been fun to see to see him change his life and to see Dallas bringing right back in the particular so uh as much as I think most of America would like to see the Minnesota win especially with Edwards who probably will be the face of this league in a few years uh it’s not going to surprise me if Dallas wins this Ser I I just don’t think you can Overlook these guys they get they have something they haven’t had in a long time and it’s desire and a willingness to guard people and with that and you you look at Dereck lvy he’s a rookie and the impact that he’s had on that team so GNA be a fun series I’d Lov watching it the the last week or so when I was out of town and it’s just fun to I haven’t been that involved emotionally in games as I have in this year I want to throw a college question at you when you look at Utah State Utah BYU interesting you got two new coaches and head coaches and then then over there at Utah you’ve had some assistants leave and so we’re starting to get some hires here when you’re a head coach what are you looking for specifically in filling out your staff of assistance I I think first and foremost um my associate head coach obviously needs to have some experience and it needs to be somebody that I can completely trust and that that has a great relationship the guys and I and I always felt that I had a good relationship with the players but you know you’re gone so much and you’re doing things and that associate head coach he he’s got to be like a head coach it’s got to be the guy that if the coach has a heart attack this guy steps in and we don’t miss a beat and and so looking for someone that has some experience someone that has coached you know where he’s been a defensive coordinator or maybe he’s been he may have started as a workout guy and worked his way up I I love it when younger guys go through the process of maybe being uh you know a fourth assistant and have a specific responsibility and over time they develop and pretty soon you know the next thing you know they’re a head coach somewhere because there’s been good you know they’ve been tutored they’ve been watched over but hiring somebody that be the associate head coach number one is just someone that I trust someone that I I am connected to personally emotionally and uh so that’s that’s the first thing I’m I’m looking for and you know I obviously had Dave Rose do that and Dave just has such a great body of work uh and what he’s done but I always trusted Dave and I think he trusted me and and we you know we pred for each other sometimes you get in staffs and they’re really I havn’t really had too much of that but there’s disgruntled Assistance or you make changes and things happen that can just Destroyer program and uh and and he Styer who had been with me for quite a while uh was my associate head coach at Fresno State and uh but I I think it’s important that everybody you can’t have you can’t be hiring guys that have their own personal agendas there’s nothing wrong with having a desire to become a head coach someday but everything you do up until that point has to be to support the man that’s sitting in that seat as a head coach and when you have that chemistry you’re able to grow and become a better you know better program and and even as difficult as it was for us in rebuilds for myself most my life uh it’s the coaches that you know I have really really strong connections to and feelings to because it’s not easy it’s not easy especially when you’re kind of rebuilding so I’m going to hire somebody that’s that’s there and and I I haven’t seen a pecking order of you know how coach is going to do it a viu I’m not sure what’s happening there uh if Chris is going to be Associated coach it it doesn’t matter they all have a role in doing their things some have had more experience than others uh and you know hiring Five Guys to be out of the junior college ranks to take over a program uh you know one things are down and people say well let’s give it a try but th those guys that we had on that staff and and continue have that staff maybe didn’t have a lot great deal of experience you on the bench um I love those guys that that’s what makes this game really special is the relationships you have and then that carries over because there your assistance for people you can trust you dog on know well that those players can see that and the support they see and and the connections even in hard difficult times when you’re losing and things are challenging uh you have a staff that’s put together that is connected and it rubs off on the players and then you find leadership you find that differen maker or two on as players that you trust them as guys that are connected to the head coach so got to have that for any kind of sustainability if you don’t have it it’s it’s always going to be up and down and and not it’s going to be full of surprises and and challenging times so uh I don’t know again a lot about the new coaches at at I mean I’ve read some articles and stuff at Utah State and uh and what’s happening at Utah I don’t know if they who they’ve hired but uh that would be the most important hire for me is as an associate head coach and and bringing that continuity back is when you lose guys and I lost some good coaches at times to take head coaching jobs it was always difficult to fill that seat do you believe in hiring uh a a mix of personalities good cop bad cop kind of thing if everyone’s uh really good maybe the team doesn’t have the voice it needs in tough times and if everyone’s uh on fire all the time then guys get exhausted can’t handle it team collapses and guys transfer you worry about that kind of stuff and and balancing the personalities yeah you you do have to balance of personalities and you have to have conversations I think coaches young young or old uh that don’t take the time to really be able to talk to guys and be honest with them and and and share tough things with with coaches but if they know that you love them and trust them and appreciate them and they see that kind of relationship I mean it’s no different whether it’s a a business or a family or an organization or a basketball team uh we we’ve all lived to experiences as fathers and and husbands and you know that’s never easy either well basketball teams aren’t easy either so it’s all about the relationships it’s about being transparent now I’m not suggesting for a moment that the players need to be knowledgeable about all things going on in the staff but players pick up really quickly I saw that from you know High School to Junior College to the division one level that I knew when there wasn’t chemistry and there were a few times where I had to make some changes because of that and and it it’s not something that’s a pleasant thing to do but you have to protect the Integrity of the the team and the unit and the players and you know we it’s different now I mean you a young man can you know he can leave a school and uh he can go attend four schools in four years and be paid for it those things all change I I got to believe too that you just really wonder I mean in the in kind of the days before nil uh you know the relationships were important they knew their scholarship was going to be there you stayed upfront with them now you don’t have that so that’s something that head coaches now have to manage I I never had I mean we always wanted to do everything we could to make sure the guys we want in the program stayed uh but it wasn’t in the form of you know Financial things I mean it was hey we’re going to continue to help you develop so you can play in the league uh and and and and recognizing your players in the public you know when when you’re have an opportunity to talk about these young men and talk about their Rel your relationship with them and and you’re doing those things but it is it’s very different now and you can have a great relationship with a kid and might being being influenced by an a coach or a parent or a grandparent or an associate or a friend of the family there’s so many voices you know that are talking you trying to give kids advice and counsel outside of that realm of a coach and in the locker room so now you’re dealing with things that are different than I ever had to deal with and it was hard to deal with what we had to deal with because players sometimes do leave but it didn’t usually happen very often it’s usually playing time and a player just you know come in and sit down with me and say coach where do you see me here what’s going to be my role and you sh you’re honest with them the last thing you want to do all you know we want you to stay here then you lose credibility with you know future recruits with uh fan base with parents you know the whole thing so um yeah it’s just very different now but it’s one of those things that I still believe the importance of relationships even though it’s only for a year that we’re together you can’t you just can’t compete and at a high level and play for championships unless everybody’s on the same page how important do you think it is to have somebody on the staff who’s been in the program maybe as a player you know I I I don’t think that’s the problem at all you know if if that individual uh is is what you’re looking for I think there there’s a a point there that they have an experience there they you know not not just having been there and practiced and played games but they they’ve been through difficult times they know what it looks like and they can tell and usually those who were probably be younger staff members but their opinion is going to really be respected because they’ve been there and and and they maybe they’ve had success that is so helpful with with coaches and uh it just it makes it takes all that load off the head coach and even to a certain degree uh you know assistant coaches but having someone that understands the history and the organization and what’s going on I think it’ be a real positive thing if you know if it’s handled right well Steve we appreciate a few minutes as always thanks for joining us and watch the playoffs and we’ll see how this works itself out excited to get get ready and watch those games thanks guys have a great day Steve Cleveland former BYU basketball coach joining us right here on the Zone in one hour our Spring football tour takes us to Tucson Jason Shear senior edor and publisher of Wildcat Authority covering the Arizona Wildcats how’s it working out with the coaching change at the University of Arizona that’s coming up in one hour right here on the Zone don’t miss your chance to win big every week in the zone this week on win ticket Wednesday you can win a pair of tickets see the Utah Royals take on the Kansas City current at America firsts fields Saturday night listen to The Zone all day Wednesday for your chance to win do you ever have trouble with the high school head what the song if you’re having trouble with the high school head he’s giving you the blues the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap you mean what call me anytime you want to graduate but not in his bed here’s what you got to do pick up the phone I’m always home call me anytime I’ll go whack [Laughter] them DJ and PK question of the morning how happy are you for Rudy and Mike you pumped up for them looks like most I would say two-thirds of our audiences and onethird of our audience is like move on who cares well there jerks they want the Jazz rebuilt let’s go muga MOA make Utah good again hats t-shirts coming [Music] soon and if you get the Hat how do you wear it oh you got to wear backwards I mean there’ll be some people out there want to do it different they want to wear it sideways but no it’s got to be backwards who wears it backwards the billionaire the hatb billionaire I Don’t Want To Tread on your territory our territory okay well then I’ll tread hatb back billionaire it’s got a certain poetic hatb back especially the last rolls off the tongue billionaire yeah that’s the best part that is the best part doesn’t roll off the tongue this tongue the same way hat back does I’m looking Danny Ray although he’s a little conf confused cuz there’s that old movie [Music] normar I think that’s R AE and this would be r y yeah traditional are you talking about ah it’s an old movie it was actually a good movie I saw it long after it came out sure but what’s the confusion Ray which also is uh wasn’t that a commercial at one point what you can call me uh you can call me Ray you can call me I can’t remember exactly how it goes You Can Call Me Al no no no no they and then it was it went through all the names You Can Call Me Al as a song right I don’t I don’t this is a commercial I don’t know it I think it was in that whole Miller beer they had all the goofy campaigns you know John Madden running through the Outfield wall and everything I think it’s part of that but I’m fuzzy on the details I don’t remember John give me something to look up in the next break I don’t remember John Madden run you don’t I don’t honestly I don’t oh yeah I’m a obivious to a lot of things that don’t matter okay to me well that was in the era when I still watch commercials for I was just channel surfing relentlessly between multiple games what was he running through a wall for what okay well now we’re derailed so anyway they had the it looked like they had the logo on the screen it was when they had all the X athletes and coaches of the of the light beer Miller beer oh this is a beer commercial talking about and so they it looked like they were putting the logo on the screen at the end of the ad and then they’d all been talking over each other and yelling I drink’s light and then it’s it’s not the point and then he runs through he bursts through the logo cuz it’s paper and he’s still talking and arguing about whatever like John manwood and so then they did one I think in the baseball stadium he came running it looked like an ad on the wall but again theyd taken out the wall you sure wasn’t Frank Kendo I am sure I am sure Frank kello isn’t old enough to have done that that it’s an old ad it’s out there on YouTube I’m sure everything’s on YouTube I have to look it up yeah there doesn’t ring a bell so uh so Utah’s team is now Minnesota when they do that goofy thing on social media about which state uh uh which team every state is rooting for Utah’s team is now officially Minnesota I mean there’ll be a handful of Celtic fans because Celtic Nation is everywhere and there’ll be somebody rooting for Dallas just because they’re from Texas because they’re Texans everywhere because there’s so many of them it’s like Californians they’re everywhere yeah but really people hear all about the Wolves right now get Rudy and Mike across the Finish Line get them the trophy yeah I think they were two of the better dudes in the in the in the community on the roster uh were content would have loved to have won a title here I’m sure Mike would have loved to one one in Memphis also as a couple of uh functions away from the game with Conley I think he’s the real deal you can always be fooled I mean I’m not in his house and all that but if you’re not winning 247 yeah I I think I think he’s the real deal as far as what he’s built up to be and uh that would be fun for him at this Advanced age 36 years of age I mean he’s not the player that he was but he doesn’t need to be that’s the great thing about it is that’s what so fun to see this puzzle come together because that’s what rosters are they’re big puzzles and they have to have all the pieces have to be there and Minnesota seems to have that and they were fortunate enough when they had high draft picks that they cashed in on towns and Edwards they look legit they are legit they don’t look at they are and then get get get fortunate I don’t know if you get lucky McDaniel’s sitting there drafted after as a bouquet so he’s like what 28 29 played that one year at the University of Washington saw him in the Pack 12 uh and you know he’s not a great player unto himself but he doesn’t have to be again it’s the same thing with Conley you need to you have to fulfill the role and they carve out the role and who’s Chris Finch he’s not a celebrity coach he’s a he’s a ball coach that’s one more weird thing in a super weird playoff series which by the way I totally embrace the weirdness I mean this other stuff and you oh great you guys predicted it yeah we predicted it because it’s boring because we’ve seen it happen before that series I don’t know I’ve seen anything like that a coach blowing out his knee Patell tendon technically I guess uh in a collision on the sideline and and the in Minnesota dominating for two games getting dominated for three games and then dominating for two more it’s like it was a weird series okay nobody would think Denver lose three times at home there it was so it was great but I like that Finch isn’t this celebrity dude who’s caught up yeah uh like a patino might be and and we know something was his dad a coach we don’t know of because if he was I didn’t you know some of the names are just obvious yeah Sid Finch not sidf not sidf nope you you thought I was being serious for the first time I just thought you miss spoked I was just going to let it go but it’s you’re clearly making a point of it the second time we had a tweet sent into us earlier today that Chris Max I if you saw this tweet about Mike Conley it says this is about Mike connley and the win for the Wolves said the wolves look finish after game five comes back to win two straight Memphis Utah now Minnesota wherever this guy’s wherever this guy goes his teams win when he’s on the court all right winning at a higher level now with more Talent around him I mean yeah yeah he’s part of those grit and grind Memphis teams and that’s what’s interesting does Minnesota have more Talent than the Jazz had when they had the number one record in the league yes you don’t think so I don’t know I don’t think it’s an easy I can just go to it automatically because goar is goar and Conley’s Conley so 40% of the starting lineup is a wash these players aren’t any different and I can argue connley being a few years older that was as good yeah he’s probably a little better in Utah than in Minnesota but go Bear’s goar right now they didn’t have a towns that’s a that’s a big thing big deal right especially this year the guy’s been hurt a lot uh and at his best Edwards is better than Mitchell but Mitchell was pretty good in that in that Clipper series yeah and we look at Edwards as a six of 24 on Sunday uh but still hit a big three and that that’s what I love I love when guys can’t find the basket that day but yet still B possession they get a big shot and still have the confidence to make the shot the didn’t he have the strip at midcourt I think that was connley was that Conley who took it away from yeah from Murray yeah that was a huge play right no no question about it uh but the bench is the bench better they they the Jazz didn’t have a noas reed but you know you look at guys like Clarkson and connley or uh Engles I should say right by the time you get that point in their careers they were really good by the time you get the guys seven and8 I would take the Jazz guys seven and eight over Minnesota guys seven and8 but Minnesota however you rank them you know Minnesota’s top four or five versus the jazz top four or five I think you got to go Minnesota H but see we’re not talking about winning the title and maybe you do have to go Minnesota but I don’t think it’s a slam dunk you got to go Minnesota we’re talking about where they are now and clearly this because that that’s just winning the second round that’s what Minnesota did clearly what I look back and the Jazz willfully underachieved That season yes they had the talent to get where Minnesota is right now not to get to the final we’ll see if Minnesota gets there the second round loss to the Clippers horrendous is easily the most disappointing loss since the finals I don’t think the fan base has left a playoff feeling that bad since the finals and that wasn’t so much about the Jazz underperforming in 97 and 98 right that’s more about being so close to the title and not disappointment really underachievement they battled the Bulls right to the end six games right right literally last shot but are there anything else in those 25 years I mean I don’t think anything compares to that that’s series you know where I think there’s a significant advantage and I know this is going to rub people wrong where Sid’s son I still have visions of the great author Terrence man over and over and over that was INF freaking excusable that that happened and they oh the corner threes yeah the corner 3es over not adjusting at all what do you mean oh oh it should have come to your mind immediately yeah immediately well apparently I blocked it out let me sayess time immediately it’s no longer an i it’s now a uh uh immediately yeah I mean that that’s why I say that I don’t see a significant difference I’ll give Minnesota The Edge to get to the third round Western Conference Finals the Jazz should have gotten where Minnesota is right now back then oh yeah yeah they should have won that series for the Clippers 100% I mean with Kawai going out and you’re up 20 I mean there was so many so many points in that Series where you think okay you should clearly have the advantage now and yet they lost four and row and lost the Series awful and give it to the uh the Wolves cuz they were they were on the verge of doing the same well they were on the verge of doing the same thing they were up 20 and they lost three in a row but in game six well they grabbed the bll by the horns I don’t have to give it to them they took it they took it and they turn that series around G was beautiful yeah all right DJ PK it’s 975 The Zone stay with us ladies and gentlemen may I present this is JJ and Alex would you rather have a top three pick or three first rounders like you did last top five in this draft no one knows who the number one consensus guy really is even though it looks like Alex SAR is the guy that’s going to be targeted I don’t want three guys from this draft because I’ve already got three rookies from last year’s good draft so I’m going to add three more this year from a mediocre draft class I want to be able to choose the exact guy I want I’m going to evaluate this draft as thoroughly as I can I want to be in a position where I can go get the best player I think is in this draft everyone’s going to miss on the best this is going to be like 2013 where the best player are taken could be taken in the middle of the round go move up in the top five and go get the guy you really really want and then trade your other picks catch JJ and Alex afternoons from 3: to 6 presented by G2G bars on 975 the KSL Sports Zone nominate the Youth Sports volunteer that you know for the Hercules here of the week submit your nomination KSL sports.com forward contest and then listen every Thursday afternoon to JJ and Alex for the winner help us celebrate the efforts of those volunteers making an impact with the Hercules here of the week sponsored by Hercules Credit Union and beehive meals you know when I listen to this I don’t want anybody to ever complain about my singing women do the right come on you know what I mean I don’t want to hear it I don’t I can do this it’ll be a close call but you might be able to pull it off oh come on you want to watch me explode no I don’t even know what that means there’s several possibilities and they’re all something I don’t want to see you seen people explode before right Little Mikey Malone he EXP that one red face game where he came out on the court game game two he lost it yeah and then he exploded in the game seven press conference yeah that’s explosion you know what exploding looks like I’ve seen you do it this wolves team versus That Jazz team with two of the five guys being the same I have a question for you do you think the Jazz could trade Royce O’Neal boam bonovich and Donovan Mitchell to Minnesota for Anthony Edwards Carl Anthony towns and Jaden McDaniels no right Minnesota wouldn’t make that trade no that’s why I think Minnesota’s a better team I have no problem with that but I don’t think it’s a slam dunk and my question was more of not are they the better team M but couldn’t the Jazz have achieved what Minnesota has achieved the J definitely could have would have should have w won the second round series and gotten to the Conference Finals that’s the question that 100% should have happened yeah should have happened they were up 20 they should have won it and when Kawhi Leonard went out injured we all thought what a break for the Jazz now they’re going to win the series we all thought that I don’t even care about that and they didn’t do it that adds the more evidence sure but I don’t care he could have played they haven’t won anything when he’s been healthy but he was out yeah he’s always out snooze the other way around snooze yeah but yeah that’s the one that’s the a thing that you don’t want it’s one of the worst things that you can have in life and certainly in sports is underachieving to find that level of underachievement in the postseason maybe you go back to when the Jazz losing the first round of the Rockets and the rockets go on and win the title and the Jazz were leading the decisive fifth game by 10 points at home with 5 minutes left that was a bitter pill to swallow yeah I think that one year they had in three game five game series weren’t they up two on on uh on Dallas yes but I didn’t think they were going any further than that but I get your point that series was there that series was there to be one if you’re up 2 and a best of five you expect to win the series right and they didn’t yeah those but then when I rank levels of bitterness I think think because they were the one SE there were high hopes yes they can win this but they could win the next one too I don’t think stock on that point I really thought they were going anywhere I’d seen them knocked out in the second round a couple years in a row and I thought yeah they’ll win a series and then they’ll be done it was a bitter loss though you’re right I put it on the list of bitter losses bitter playoff defeats right but I think the that Clipper loss and then back in the day to the rockets in the first round really were gut punches even though Danny Ray and hatack billionaire weren’t there at the time I think that contributed to the decision that they’ve made the loss to the Clippers yes it was a cumulative thing I don’t think they came in and looked at one series that’s not good enough we’re out of here no a yeah study a is working in the NBA he’s watching the NBA he’s got opinions on every team in the playoffs and why they’re advancing and why they’re going out so he already came in with an opinion then he sat here and obviously when you’re with the club you’re you’re in all the practices that you want to be in I mean you’re traveling so you’re not in them all but you’re in the practic you want to be in the games you’re talking to people you’re seeing things up close I think that just reinforced the opinion he came in with he sat there and said what I saw from a distance now I really see it up close and he was specific he said the team doesn’t believe in each other the good thing about these two guys is they’re basketball junkies yeah yep and they know the game yeah and so bre yeah I I think that helps in terms of the rebuild you’d like to think it does there were still big divisions that go either way I think it does and I think that Ang’s expertise I think we definitely see teams that are down for a long time in multiple Sports and we think what are you doing your decisions don’t make any sense why is Jacksonville down why did you hire Urban Meyer he’s a authoritarian disciplinarian and he can intimidate 19-year-olds but now with Pros th this has a high chance of going wrong and it went very wrong immediately yeah so I think they avoid those they avoid those kind of decisions but there’s plenty of of stuff here uh you ask a question ask a question about the wolves and you get responses about Danny a we can get into that next DJ PK it’s 975 the zone
Hour three of DJ & PK for May 21, 2024:
• Steve Cleveland, Former BYU Coach
• Are the Minnesota Timberwolves a better Utah Jazz?
• Danny Ray and Hatback Billionaire
