On this episode of the Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman NBA Podcast, Bob, Jeff, and Gary Tanguay tackle all the biggest stories around the game of basketball. Bob and Jeff are uncomfortable with the Celtics on auto-pilot, Ja is back, and Bob is Jokic's number 1 fan. All that, and much more!
0:00 - Memphis game analysis
2:54 - Memphis playoff potential
5:25 - Marcus Smart's influence
9:01 - New Yorker cover jinx
11:23 - Knicks shooting stats
15:35 - Joker's impressive stats
19:10 - Luka's playing style
21:04 - Dream team concept
24:00 - Three-point shot dominance
26:30 - Kevin Durant's impact
28:25 - Game Time app
30:54 - Chris Paul's career
33:02 - Point guard debate
34:35 - Chris Paul's legacy
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0:00 - Memphis game analysis
2:54 - Memphis playoff potential
5:25 - Marcus Smart's influence
9:01 - New Yorker cover jinx
11:23 - Knicks shooting stats
15:35 - Joker's impressive stats
19:10 - Luka's playing style
21:04 - Dream team concept
24:00 - Three-point shot dominance
26:30 - Kevin Durant's impact
28:25 - Game Time app
30:54 - Chris Paul's career
33:02 - Point guard debate
34:35 - Chris Paul's legacy
CLNS Media is Powered by:
💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
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SportsTranscript
00:00The Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman Podcast is brought to you by Price Picks and the Game Time App.
00:07Time for Bob Ryan, Jeff Goodman, Tangway along for the ride, brought to you by Price Picks,
00:23the exclusive daily fantasy partner of CLS Media Network.
00:25Pick more, pick less with Price Picks.
00:28Okay, gents, let's talk about the Memphis-Boston game.
00:32But from the Memphis point of view, Jeff, I'll start with you.
00:36We talk about the Celtics a lot.
00:38You know, it is what it is.
00:40They were probably tired.
00:41They've been very busy lately.
00:43But what are you seeing from Memphis?
00:46You know, obviously, John Morant's back, right?
00:49Like, that's the number one thing with the Grizzlies is, you know,
00:53without John Morant, they're a completely different team.
00:56Jaron Jackson's healthy.
00:57If you have those two guys, you know, Jaron Jackson's one of the best all-around bigs
01:03in the game right now.
01:04I mean, he's scoring at a high clip.
01:07He's a terrific defender.
01:10And then you add, like, Desmond Bayham when he's healthy and one of the best shooters
01:13in the NBA.
01:16And you kind of figure out some pieces around him that have done well, right?
01:19Marcus Smart, obviously, when he's healthy, he gives you that toughness.
01:23Zach Eaddy, one of the better rookies, and gives you a different dimension.
01:28And then, you know, the Jalen Wellses of the world, the Scottie Pippen juniors like Jake
01:34LaRavia, Brandon Clark's back.
01:36He was hurt last year.
01:37They were decimated last year.
01:39And they've done a really good job of getting in tough, hard-nosed, high-character guys
01:46for the most part.
01:47I mean, again, you can question John Morant, certainly for his decision-making over the
01:51last couple years.
01:53That's justifiable.
01:54But, you know, even like a kid like Cam Spencer, right?
01:58He's making contributions off the bench right now for them.
02:01And he's a culture, toughness, chip-on-their-shoulder guy.
02:06John Morant is a chip-on-the-shoulder guy.
02:08He went to Murray State, like everybody told me, wasn't good enough until he was at Murray
02:13State.
02:14Yeah.
02:15They will be a tough out when the playoffs come, if they stay healthy.
02:21They will be.
02:22Remember, two years ago, they made some waves.
02:25And as Jeff just pointed out, they were just completely done in by injury last year.
02:29Their year was a wipeout year through no fault of anybody's.
02:32I mean, they, you know.
02:34And the other thing is the coach, I guess, is establishing he's pretty good, Mr. Jenkins.
02:40And Morant is explosive.
02:43Morant, he's one of the brightest stars in the NBA.
02:47He's one of the most exciting players that you'd pay to see.
02:52He gave people the dunk of the year the other night.
02:56I'm in it.
02:59A spinning reverse dunk.
03:01Oh my God.
03:02Six feet.
03:03What is he?
03:04Six feet.
03:05How tall is he, Jeff?
03:06Really?
03:07Six-two?
03:08Yeah, maybe.
03:09Yeah.
03:10And Bain.
03:11No, you identified it right.
03:12Jackson, by the way, when we were thinking about an Olympic team, and I was thinking
03:17about Americans, because he's one of the two best American-born bigs in the league
03:21right now.
03:22American-born, I stress, okay?
03:24The other being BAM.
03:26We are so bereft of legitimate bigs in America right now, compared to what we used to have.
03:33The dominant players are born outside these shores.
03:36We're going to talk about one of them.
03:38It's coming up.
03:39And he is, he's an underrated, unappreciated player on the national scene, but he's a very
03:46nice player.
03:49And by the way, they've won nine of the last 10.
03:52And so I think that they're going to make themselves known.
03:56There'll be a very tough out this week.
03:58So I hope for their sake, they stay healthy.
04:00Do you have any thoughts on Marcus Smart?
04:03No, Bob, I know that you were always a fan.
04:04I've always been a Marcus Smart guy.
04:06I put, you know, and I had to identify, you have to take the whole package, you know.
04:12I still say he makes the, well, he made, you know, his calling card was, name a guy
04:19who intercepted a seven foot, an alley-oop intended for a seven foot Greek.
04:25And then the answer is Marcus Smart, and I'll never forget that play.
04:28Now he is what he is, and we know that the somewhat indiscriminate threes, you know,
04:34and yet he's-
04:35Bob, remember, remember all the conversations you and I had about Marcus Smart.
04:42You knew they needed to deal him, but you were so, you were so in love with Marcus Smart
04:47that it pained you to think about them actually trading.
04:51That's true.
04:52And now I'm over it.
04:53Thanks.
04:54Because Prazingis is Prazingis.
04:55If he weren't, I would be still bitching and moaning, I think, but, but no, but not, not
05:00because we got up.
05:01No, it's all worked out now, except for him.
05:03He isn't healthy.
05:04He's got to stay healthy.
05:05But I was a fan of his, I was a fan of his from day one, and I wish him well.
05:11I think his heart's in the right place.
05:12I think that's been always the case.
05:14His basketball heart's been in the right place, and probably his heart's in the right place.
05:18So, you know, I wish him well, and, but overall, you guys agreed that Memphis is the team to
05:25respect.
05:26And they're fun.
05:27They're fun because, again, because they've got some, some tough MFers, and getting back
05:33to what you said about Marcus Smart, you know, Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum should be appreciative
05:39of what, they might not have been at the time, you know, they might not have been in
05:44some ways because Marcus Smart, you know, did call them out, whether it's inside or
05:49even outside the locker room at times.
05:52But it helped them.
05:53It helped them get mentally tougher.
05:54Yeah.
05:55No question.
05:56Yeah.
05:57Well, Memphis has always been fun.
05:58It's just when John Moran had the issue, the nightclub issue, that's when everything went
06:02south.
06:03I mean, it's no surprise that if Moran's healthy, oh my God, I mean, they're certainly worth
06:08the price of admission.
06:09Jeff, before we move on, Bob and I have talked about it in our last episode here.
06:13Do you have any Celtic thoughts?
06:15I mean, it's pretty much, unless there's something unique to say.
06:19Yeah.
06:20I mean, again, they just, you know, like we've talked about, I think, I hate to say it, but
06:27it's, it's a little bit on autopilot now.
06:29Right.
06:30It is.
06:31And it, it sucks that we're at that point, but that's what happens.
06:34Like, I don't know how it was, Bob, back, I think it was different when, when the Celtics
06:41were rolling back in the, in the eighties, especially, you had the Lakers and the Sixers.
06:47Like there was always a team that you, you felt like was on pretty much an even playing
06:53field.
06:54Right now you don't feel that way with the Celtics.
06:56No, no, you know, obviously Cleveland is making the case for itself, but it's not the same
07:01as it was.
07:02Oh, you're, as you're so right.
07:04You, it's hard.
07:05It would be very, it's just impossible to convey to anyone who didn't live through it.
07:10You know how it was, you know, when Larry will tell you that he would literally circle
07:14the schedule when they, when they came out for LA, you know, and, and magic would tell
07:18you the same thing.
07:19Absolutely.
07:20They weren't, you weren't BSing.
07:21And who are you circling now, Bob?
07:23Who are you circling?
07:24No, no, no.
07:25I mean, in my mind, I'd say who I'm circling, the Knicks.
07:29I want to revive that rivalry that not I'd rivalry.
07:32You want it.
07:33It's not there yet, but you want it.
07:34It ended in 1974.
07:36How's that?
07:39When the Celtics knocked off the Knicks in 74 after the losing to them in 73.
07:44But at that point, the Buescher and Reed were injured, you know, and they're on their last
07:50legs.
07:51And so that was that.
07:52But anyway, I'd like to revive that.
07:54But by the way, did you know the cover of the New Yorker this week, are you guys aware
08:00of this?
08:01No.
08:03It's a cartoon.
08:04It's a wonderful cartoon, not cartoon, caricatures of the Knicks.
08:08And yeah, and I'm going to produce it for you.
08:13And then the first game out of the shoot, they lose, therefore beginning the dreaded
08:19New Yorker cover jinx.
08:20Oh, yeah, there we go.
08:22By the way, we have to give credit to stage manager, Elaine Ryan.
08:27Yes.
08:28Yes.
08:29Without Elaine, Bob does not get on TV.
08:32My staff.
08:33His staff.
08:34Staff of one.
08:35Yeah, I mean, I hope, listen, there you go.
08:44This is the New Yorker, the newest New Yorker.
08:46That's cool.
08:47Oh, man.
08:48Lift it up so we can see Tibbs a little bit.
08:49Yeah.
08:50Oh, great.
08:51Oh, there he is.
08:52There he is.
08:53That's Tibbs.
08:54I had a wonderful.
08:55Let's get your address on it.
08:56Don't show that.
08:57He's got Tibbs.
08:58Yeah, don't show your address.
08:59We don't need that.
09:01But anyway, it's good stuff, Bob.
09:02That's funny.
09:03People are going to be showing up at Bob's doorstep looking for autographs tomorrow.
09:06Yeah.
09:07Yeah.
09:08And then they go out and lose.
09:09I'm telling you, therefore, it would be possible the New Yorker cover jinx.
09:13But there's no accompanying story, by the way.
09:15It's just the New Yorker way they do business anyway.
09:20So there's that.
09:21Plus, there was no such thing.
09:22You know, there was no load management.
09:24Oh, you kidding?
09:26That's another thing.
09:27You know, there are nights where.
09:28OK, there you go.
09:29You know, the Celtics.
09:30Yeah.
09:31Oh, thank you.
09:32Again, stage manager Lane.
09:33Excellent.
09:34I mean, you know, you know, there are nights that the Celtics look at whatever team and
09:37they go.
09:38Well, they've done it.
09:39I mean, they're just like Jalen's not playing or Jason's not taking him.
09:42And we're going with these guys.
09:43And that's it.
09:44I got a nitpick, though.
09:45I do have a nitpick.
09:46And, you know, I'm usually that kind of guy.
09:49I'm a little alarmed, not alarmed, but concerned about the defensive application lately.
09:55I hope that they're going to win every game just by outscoring somebody.
10:00You know, and when those threes aren't falling and they did not fall against the Grizzlies
10:04with a great frequency, you know, I still want to see plan B executed better.
10:10And I still want to see.
10:11And I don't like the defense lately.
10:14So so, you know, that's all I'm not I don't feel real good right now.
10:19I want to get through this stage.
10:20I think Jeff's identified.
10:22They seem to be on autopilot.
10:24I'm not feeling real good at the moment.
10:26I'm not as good about him.
10:28I want to make you feel better.
10:31Bob, can I read you, Gary, some numbers on the Knicks?
10:35These numbers are eye-popping.
10:36Go ahead.
10:37These are three-point percentages.
10:38And we'll even go as far as free throw percentage for each of these guys.
10:42Jalen Brunson, 43 and 84.
10:45Carl Anthony Towns, 45 and 86.
10:48O.G.
10:49Ananobi, who couldn't make a shot when he was back in college, 38 and 84.
10:54Josh Hart, 39 and 86.
10:56Miles McBride, 42 and 88.
10:59Campaign, 44 and 82.
11:01Tyler Kolick, 46 and 100 in limited time.
11:05The only one who's not shooting like people thought is Bridges, Mikael Bridges.
11:11He's shooting 33 and 62.
11:14If Bridges, Mikael Bridges, can get those, which he will, he will eventually.
11:20That team, man, the way they're shooting the ball right now is insane.
11:23I'm ready to see a game, and if there's any team that could do it.
11:30I have witnessed, I'm not saying how many there have been because I don't know, but
11:33I have witnessed two games in all my years where the five starters had 20 points.
11:40The Celtics did it against the Bullets in the early 70s, and the Suns did it knocking
11:45off the Lakers in the 84 Western Conference Finals.
11:51This Knicks team, they came close already, I know, to doing it.
11:56It could happen.
11:57All right, Bob, who were the five Phoenix Suns who did it?
12:02Okay, it was Walter Davis, Kyle Macy, Larry Nance Sr., we didn't know he wasn't a senior
12:10then.
12:11Right.
12:12Alvin Adams, and the fifth one, I know I'm drawing a blank, I should know, it can't be
12:18a guard, it had to be a forward.
12:19Was it James Edwards?
12:20No.
12:21Oh, oh, oh, no, oh, oh, Jesus, sorry, we've got to figure it out, but that's the four,
12:29and there were five.
12:30Maurice Lucas.
12:31Yes, thank you, obviously.
12:33I'm looking at it.
12:34I didn't get it, I didn't get it.
12:35Oh, no, that's the obvious one, the one that people might not realize would be Kyle Macy,
12:42probably.
12:43Right, right.
12:44It was your honor.
12:46So, by the way, on that play, Larry Nance Sr. made one of the most incredible plays
12:55I've ever seen in my life, which was, he went up for a shot, and Kareem blocked it, and
13:06the momentum knocked him down.
13:08But on his way, he re-cocked and shot it back up over Kareem and banked it in as he was
13:14falling down.
13:15I've never seen a play like that.
13:16Wow.
13:17Daddy, you know, Nance Sr., he won a dunk contest, you know, once.
13:23He was a hell of an athlete.
13:24I remember that.
13:25Freak athlete.
13:26He was absolutely a hell of an athlete.
13:27Anyway, that was-
13:28Yeah, Nance was really the first, Nance was like, I think, well maybe I got my, I think
13:35he was like one of the first guys to win.
13:36Was he before Jordan?
13:37No, he was before Jordan.
13:38Yeah.
13:39Yeah, he was before Jordan.
13:40I objected to him winning because-
13:42He won the first one, didn't he?
13:43Yeah.
13:44He won the first dunk contest?
13:45Right.
13:46And I objected to that because my theory is that you shouldn't enter the dunk, you can't,
13:50it has to be a 6'6 height limit on the dunk contest.
13:54But anyway, well, we digress.
13:57All right, listen, Bob's going to talk about, he's got some numbers for the Joker coming
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15:33Okay.
15:34So Bob wants to talk about the Joker, some numbers have been blowing people away.
15:40Well, just in case anyone has been and understandably preoccupied with football this weekend, with
15:47the college situation and a standard NFL Sunday, in case you weren't paying any attention,
15:53on Saturday night, the Joker went for 56, 16 in rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes.
16:01Oh, by the way, they didn't win the game, but he did.
16:04He was 22 for 38 from the floor in 39 minutes.
16:09That's Wilt-like, by the way.
16:10That is Wilt numbers.
16:11Okay.
16:12On Sunday, last night, he went, he had a mere 48.
16:17He fell off.
16:18He went from 48 on 17 for 29 shooting in 35 minutes.
16:25So this is like, and I mean, on the two nights combined, he shot 39 for 67, 58%.
16:32What I'm getting at is it's getting to the point in my judgment where you can't say enough
16:38about how phenomenal this guy is.
16:40And when it's all said and done, whenever the career ends, he's going to enter firmly
16:46into the all-time discussion as great GOAT, along with the three great centers that have
16:52dominated that discussion for the last 50 years, Russell, Chamberlain, and Kareem.
16:59But how are we going to deny this guy?
17:00He's on his way to another MVP, and he makes it, and the thing I love, and don't you love
17:06it, Jeff, particularly, that he makes it all look so easy.
17:09He goes wherever he wants to go, nobody can stop him.
17:14Nobody can speed him up.
17:15At his pace.
17:16Right.
17:17Right.
17:18Exactly.
17:19You can't get him, you can't disrupt this guy.
17:21Nope.
17:22He's indisruptible.
17:23No, it's amazing.
17:24I've never seen anything like this.
17:25Yeah.
17:26There hasn't really been anything like this.
17:28No.
17:29No.
17:30There's been nothing like the Joker over certainly my lifetime and not your lifetime, Bob.
17:36I mean, a guy that can do everything he can do, right?
17:39I mean, he can, you know, you've had bigs to bonus, right?
17:44So bonus was big and elite passer, but he couldn't step out and shoot it like Joker,
17:50and he couldn't handle it like Joker.
17:53Certainly not when he got here.
17:56He was completely different.
17:57I mean, you look at the best, I'm just trying to get the best passing bigs we've ever seen,
18:03you know?
18:04And to me, Walton's the standard of excellence.
18:07Of course.
18:08And this guy is challenging that, totally challenging that.
18:12I mean, he's there, he's in the discussion.
18:16It's an either or now.
18:17I think I have to concede that.
18:18I never thought I'd see, I doubted I would ever see anybody that would challenge Walton
18:25in that category.
18:26But we have a guy who does it, on top of which he's clearly a more well-rounded offensive
18:31player than Bill was.
18:33Yeah, I mean, I don't even think of him as just a big.
18:36No, no, you don't.
18:37I think of him, you know, you mentioned the great centers, you think, okay, the centers,
18:42the way that he and Luka play, I mean, these guys are seven feet, but they play like they're
18:46six fives.
18:47Well, Luka, you know, so get that to Luka and his triple doubles, Garrett.
18:51You know, I mean, they said Luka, you know, passed Harden, when he said passed Wilt, that
18:57passed Harden.
18:58Wilt, I was like, okay, whatever.
18:59But then Harden.
19:00I mean, look, he's done this in seven seasons.
19:04That's crazy.
19:05Bob, that's nuts.
19:07No, it's, it's, you can't take him for granted either.
19:11And you know, now the one thing about him that it doesn't seem as easy to play with.
19:17Guys have to adjust to his, his ball dominance, you know, and it hasn't been easy.
19:24Irving had a hard time dealing with it last year.
19:27And he's not the only one that's had a problem with that.
19:30Unlike Djokic, it's a different matter.
19:32Djokic doesn't seem to be an issue with him, but it is with Dovcic.
19:36And so, you know, that does this translate into the winnings, the wins that should when
19:42I don't think it has yet ever enough the way it should.
19:46So yeah, he needs to learn to me how to move the ball quicker.
19:51You know, Luka, that's the one thing that's probably holding him back is, you know, if
19:55he could find guys quicker, move the ball, he'll get it back.
19:59But it's, it's a lot of dribble, dribble, dribble.
20:01Now he can be an elite passer.
20:03He can, he can do everything other than guard consistently, you know, like he, he guards
20:10sometimes when he wants to, but he, most of the time he's a liability on that end of the
20:14court.
20:15Yeah.
20:16My bigger problem, like you said, Bob, is just like the ball sticks, the ball sticks
20:21and dribble, dribble, dribble, you know, like I thought Rondo was like that in a lot
20:26of ways too.
20:27Right.
20:28It would dribble, dribble, dribble.
20:29And then Rondo would make the no look crazy pass at the end of the shot clock.
20:32But a lot of guys standing around and Luke, I think there's a lot of that as well.
20:38Yeah.
20:39Yeah.
20:40But still phenomenon.
20:41And once I went, I know I'm repetitive on this and maybe redundant, but the phenomenon
20:49of international greatness that these guys, you know, and the fact that they, these players
20:56are playing this game at this high level in a way that never would have envisioned 30
21:01years ago.
21:02But once again, it all, it all stems, you know, from the dream team, that kick parted
21:07a basketball interest in the worldwide.
21:10And these guys are the manifestation of that.
21:12And, you know, somewhere up there, Boris Stankovich is smiling broadly because this is all his
21:18idea and people have to understand that in America.
21:22This is all because of Boris Stankovich dragging us, kicking and screaming into the international
21:28world 30 years ago.
21:29Bob, why don't you ask Jeff the question you asked me about how many players are averaging
21:3320 points a game in the NBA?
21:36Mr. Goodman, take a guess.
21:38How many players are currently averaging 20 points a game in the National Basketball Association?
21:45Probably 50.
21:46Oh, no.
21:48No, not 50, but I'll say, I don't know, 25, 25 players.
21:52Okay.
21:53Well, you're only off by 15.
21:54Your first instinct was correct.
21:5640.
21:57Wow.
21:5840 guys.
21:59Now, this is as of last Friday, the last day, 40 guys, three guys over 30 at that point.
22:07And 40 people averaging 20 points a game.
22:12And that's where we are right now.
22:14Now, I did a little research.
22:16In year one, back in 46, 47, there was a lone ranger, Joe Foulkes, who, by the way-
22:25Who?
22:26You ever heard of Joe Foulkes?
22:27Joe Foulkes.
22:28F-U-L-K-E-S?
22:29Joe Foulkes was a 6'5".
22:33He was one of the early pioneers of the jump shot, and some people think he invented it.
22:37He didn't, but he was one of the very early practitioners.
22:41By leaving his feet to shoot with one hand, it was heretical, but he did it.
22:47And he averaged 23.2 points a game in the 46th, and he was the first and only 20-point
22:54guy that year.
22:55He also averaged, the next year, there were two guys, he and Max Zaslavsky, who was famously
23:01in the hat with Kuzi, by the way.
23:05That's a guy Red wanted.
23:06He wanted Max Zaslavsky when they had the hat pull.
23:09Okay.
23:10Then, in the next year, George Mikan showed up, and he averaged 20-point, but it took
23:1710 years before we had as many as five guys averaging 20.
23:22Now, of course, in the meantime, they went to the 24-second clock, and that obviously
23:29changed things dramatically for the teams and individuals.
23:33But anyway, 40, now, going back to the mid-'70s, we were hovering every year 19 or 20 guys
23:44were averaging 20.
23:46Well, 40 guys are currently averaging 20.
23:50So whatever that means.
23:51Wow.
23:52Well, let me-
23:53I got some stuff for you guys.
23:54What about the three-point?
23:55You got some three-point numbers, Bob.
23:57Okay.
23:58I just thought, let's just, we talk about the dominance of the three, blah, blah, blah.
24:01So I said, let's just take a night in the NBA and see what we find, okay?
24:07Last night, there were nine games in the International Basketball Association, okay?
24:11In those nine games, there was a total of 1,550 shots attempted total.
24:21And of that percentage, 58% were twos and 42% were threes.
24:28Does this surprise you or confirm any judgment you have?
24:31A little higher.
24:32Yeah.
24:33A little bit higher than maybe, I would have thought, a third of the shots.
24:37I would have probably gone closer to 35% than 42%, but man, it's-
24:43The most-
24:44I just think it goes back to this.
24:45We talked about it with Jokic and Luka.
24:48You don't really have position players anymore, right?
24:53I mean, you may have like eight-point guard.
24:57If there's a big who just wants a job in the league, but for the most part, guys are just
25:04basketball players.
25:05You are so right.
25:06And you know who called that 40 years ago?
25:10Riley.
25:11Riley used to talk about that, and of course, once he got Magic, but I mean, about the dream.
25:17He liked that idea of the positionless player.
25:20He liked the idea of, okay, so Riley, so that's a very good point.
25:24Well, you know something, Bob?
25:25I just want to interject there.
25:26I think the way I see it, I think it's happening because it's just more fun.
25:31I mean, think about it.
25:32If you're a 15-year-old kid, and Jeff has probably seen this more than any of us, if
25:36you're a 14 and 15-year-old kid and you're seven feet or you're tall, whatever, you still
25:39want the ball.
25:40You want to dribble.
25:42You want to play.
25:43I mean, you don't want to just post up, right, Jeff?
25:45I mean, these kids, these AAU kids, regardless of their size or height, they want the ball
25:49and they want to play.
25:50Yeah, I remember having a conversation with Kevin Durant about this years ago in the-
25:55And he's seven feet.
25:57I said, I'm like, you know, do you ever think about how you changed the game and now every
26:03big guy wants to be a jump shooter?
26:05And he kind of scoffed at it a little bit.
26:08He was like, no, I don't think I'm that guy.
26:10I'm like, yeah, you are.
26:11Like whether you think so or not, like Dirk wasn't that guy.
26:15Not every big guy wanted to be Dirk Nowitzki, but every big guy wanted to be Kevin Durant.
26:20Why?
26:21He's raining threes.
26:22He's fun to watch.
26:23He's dunking on dudes.
26:24He's doing everything.
26:25Right.
26:26And yeah, I think he did change the game.
26:28I really do.
26:29I'm sorry, Bob.
26:30Continue.
26:31That's OK.
26:32Now, so the most attempts last night were 54 by the Bulls in a losing effort.
26:43OK.
26:44And then after that, Memphis took 43 in a win.
26:52The Timberwolves took 42 in a loss and Golden State took 41 in a win.
26:58So that we have.
27:00And by the way, there was one and the fewest was Phoenix.
27:03Phoenix only took 28.
27:06Maybe they should have taken more because they were 13 for 28, which is pretty damn
27:09good.
27:10They probably had they taken more.
27:12Maybe they would have found the extra missing five points in that 115 to 110 loss to Orlando.
27:17I hate to sound like Daryl Morey, but the fact of the matter is, you know, that's the
27:22truth.
27:23OK.
27:24So there you go.
27:25So the spread is low 28, high 54 on this particular evening in the NBA.
27:31Now there's another one oddity that has nothing to do with three point shots.
27:34But I find this fascinating and I'd love that in the Miami 122 to 113 victory over Cleveland
27:40last night.
27:42Each team attempted 86 shots and each team made 41 total.
27:46How's that?
27:47You don't see that too often.
27:49So that's all.
27:51So that's just a but I'm a statute, you know, that.
27:53But so anyway, just so you know, folks, I'll repeat in the nine NBA games last night, I'm
27:58going to do this at random every now and then, guys.
28:00I'll check in with this on random.
28:01Well, we have to call it Professor Ryan 58 of the shots were two and and 42 percent of
28:10the shots were three.
28:12That's a lot, though.
28:13That's a lot.
28:14That's where we are.
28:15And I want to see how consistent that is.
28:17So maybe I'll do this once a week.
28:19I don't know.
28:20Bob, you can do it whenever you want.
28:22You're the commissioner.
28:23College football is going crazy.
28:24But how about the NFL bills and the Rams?
28:27Wow.
28:28That would have been a cool game to be at.
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29:51Let's get back to the show.
29:52As we wrap it up, my final question for both of you, because I'm curious.
29:57Chris Paul passes Jason Kidd for career assist.
29:59And I look at Chris Paul, while he's a hell of a player and he certainly has captivated
30:07the world with his insurance commercials.
30:10Jeff, I'll start with you.
30:13Has he underachieved?
30:14I don't know how to explain or try to sum up Chris Paul's career because obviously he's
30:22missing that NBA title.
30:24Right.
30:25Competitive, has set cultures in numerous places where he's been.
30:34I don't get along with Chris Paul, to be honest.
30:38We had a little issue years ago when the whole Donald Sterling thing went down.
30:42Right.
30:44I interviewed him out in Vegas.
30:46He was coaching like an AU team, didn't interview with him, literally held the recorder in front
30:52of me.
30:54We talked about, at that point, I think it was, I remember if it was Doc.
31:00I think Doc had just come out and said he might not coach if Donald Sterling was still
31:05the owner.
31:06Right.
31:07And I asked Chris Paul about that and his thoughts.
31:09And then at the end, I asked him about coaching AU and stuff like that.
31:14Obviously, the lead of the story for ESPN at the time that I wrote was his comments
31:18about Donald Sterling.
31:19Well, he was upset.
31:21And I'm like, Chris, what did you expect, man?
31:23Especially if you get the recorder in front of him.
31:25I mean.
31:26What was I going to do, lead with you coaching AU basketball?
31:28I mean, yeah.
31:29And you have the recorder.
31:30Yeah.
31:31I always, I just feel, you know, but Jeff sums up how I feel about him, Bob, because
31:37a bit of an enigma.
31:38Because I remember when he came in as a rookie, I believe out of Wake Forest, it wasn't at
31:43the New Orleans Hornets move to OKC for that season.
31:47And he came out, I remember because I was doing the Celtics, it was like, this guy came
31:51out and this guy like, he brought, to me, he brought pro hoop to Oklahoma City.
32:00I mean, the reason there's still a team in Oklahoma City is because of Chris Paul.
32:04Guys, I saw him when he was actually in AU ball.
32:09He was the number one point guard in the country back in like the early 2000s.
32:14And he was terrific.
32:15I mean, again, he just knew how to play.
32:17He was the same player then that he is now.
32:19Like he had that type of high IQ and maturity, you know, terrific, obviously, in ball screen
32:27and decision making and all that.
32:29He's just the thing missing.
32:31I mean, it's like the Charles Barkley deal.
32:34But Barkley was, I think, a better player.
32:37Is that title?
32:39Is that title?
32:40And everybody's going to talk about it.
32:41And he's been, you know, a bunch of different teams.
32:43Didn't get along with Blake Griffin when he was with the Clippers.
32:45That thing didn't work.
32:46Then he said Houston for a couple of years.
32:49That doesn't work.
32:50Then, like you said, he went to OKC.
32:52Phoenix didn't really work.
32:54Golden State didn't work.
32:55Now he's with San Antonio trying to, you know, tutor Victor.
33:00Like I just don't think he's been, I don't know.
33:04I mean, I don't know where you put him on the pantheon of point guards.
33:06But to me, yeah, he's a Hall of Famer.
33:09But I'm not putting him in the top, like I'm not putting him ahead of Isaiah Thomas or
33:13anything like that.
33:14Oh, no, no.
33:15Yeah, yeah, no.
33:16Point guard.
33:17Bob?
33:18It's funny.
33:19When I saw him in the tournament, I saw their regional and I saw him play two or three times.
33:25I wasn't impressed at the time.
33:27You know, he fooled me about how good he is.
33:29That's A. But that's not relevant to this conversation.
33:33I do not, for one, hold the lack of a ring against him.
33:38And the reason is, in my opinion, there's only been one time that you the one team ever
33:46that won where the best player was a point guard, a guard, a small point guard.
33:54Right.
33:55And you mentioned the name, Jeff, that if you want to argue that Isaiah Thomas was the
34:00best player on the eighty nine and ninety winning championship, winning Pistons, that's
34:05fine with me.
34:06I think he was.
34:07I think he was, too.
34:08You go back as far as Bob Cousy in the early 50s when he was the best player in the league
34:13and Celtics couldn't win until they got a big man.
34:16OK.
34:17Cousy was there about six years before they won.
34:20OK.
34:21And it's and you cannot find me a team that won whose best player was a 6-1-2 point guard
34:27other than Isaiah Thomas.
34:29I am not holding that against him.
34:31That is not the way the game ordinarily works.
34:33So I think he is a girl time.
34:36Great point guard.
34:37I think he's a, you know, a clinic for point guards, young point guards.
34:41You want to study one study, Chris Paul.
34:43So that now I off the court and all that and whatever, you know, OK, I don't know, I could
34:50see.
34:51But on the court, I think he's really great.
34:55That's all.
34:56Yeah.
34:57Well said.
34:58Yeah.
34:59That stuff kind of hurt him.
35:00All right, guys.
35:01Always a pleasure.
35:02Jeff Goodman.
35:03Bob Ryan.
35:04Gary Tangway.
35:05Along for the ride.
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