KGMZ-FM / 95.7 THE GAME
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00:00I am really in on the dust settling in the Western Conference, and the Warriors are absolutely
00:08one of the flagship franchises of this conversation.
00:11So are the Lakers.
00:12Those are the two teams that I think people think have improved the most.
00:16The other teams that I have my eye on, though, are certainly, for instance, the Dallas Mavericks.
00:21What happens with them now with no Anthony Davis for a period of time?
00:25The first team the Warriors will see Friday night, the Sacramento Kings are another one
00:29as they try to figure out their wobbly season and do it without De'Aaron Fox.
00:33And then I also have eyes on the Phoenix Suns.
00:35Are they ever going to win a basketball game ever again?
00:38Like emotionally crumbling, emotionally crumbling.
00:43So I know someone who works for the Suns who just made plans in May.
00:49Oh, really?
00:50Not April?
00:51Maybe.
00:52I mean, that'd be aggressive.
00:55Plans have been made in May.
00:57Yeah.
00:58This person was not willing to make those plans a month ago, and now this person is
01:02like, sure, in May?
01:04Yeah, probably going to be in May.
01:06Right.
01:07Well, they've lost seven of 10.
01:08Yeah, they're done.
01:09They're the 11th seed, and they're not really threatening, even though Sacramento is coming
01:14back.
01:15And so the 10th seed is not out of the question.
01:17Oh, for Phoenix?
01:18Right.
01:19It's not out of the question except for the fact that they're falling apart and nothing.
01:24This is what's crazy.
01:25Nothing changed.
01:27You have the same roster that you had.
01:29Right.
01:30You were one of the preseason Western Conference favorites.
01:33And then you were not great, but you were, you know, three, four, five games over 500.
01:39And then what happened to the deadline?
01:41Nothing.
01:42Nothing.
01:43You still have...
01:44Well, a lot happened.
01:45Right.
01:46But roster-wise, nothing.
01:49You still have your three incredibly high-priced stars.
01:53But you watch them, and you're like, oh, my God.
01:55They're just...
01:56They're a shadow.
01:57So, anyway, I'm really, really dialed in here the next few weeks to see how the Western
02:03Conference looks, and it feels like Warrior fans think that they're going to start going
02:08firing up the board.
02:09And to a degree, I think they will.
02:12I don't know about firing too far up the board, but do you feel like it's too early to start
02:18putting the word championship into the mouths of the Warrior players and their fans, which
02:23we're hearing all over the place?
02:24And I guess the other side of that is, if you were against the Jimmy trade, have you
02:29already changed your mind?
02:30Well, yes, and I also do think that it's too early to talk about championships, but they're
02:36putting it in their mouths.
02:38And that's where I'm thinking about taking my cues from them, because Draymond declared
02:43that we're going to win it, and then Jimmy Butler, live from Dubai, or recorded from
02:48Dubai, whenever that was, he's talking about the same idea.
02:52So me as a fan, I'm just taking my cue from them.
02:55If they think that Draymond thinks that, yes, we are going to win it, and he had to say
03:00it with his chest because he got called on the carpet, and Jimmy from Dubai saying, yeah,
03:05championship, it's on our mind.
03:07If that's what they're thinking, then me as a fan, Mark, I feel like I can take that cue
03:13and not be totally wild over my skis over the idea, because they think it's a reality,
03:19so why can't I?
03:21You can do whatever you want.
03:23Chris in Fairfield here on Willard and Dibs.
03:24Hey, Chris, what's happening?
03:25Hey, what's going on, you guys?
03:28I was calling you on my way home from work, but unfortunately, I am now home with all
03:32my four kids.
03:33So I'm going to make this really quick.
03:34Wait a minute.
03:35Wait a minute, Chris.
03:36Wait a minute.
03:37How old are the four kids?
03:38No, he had it right.
03:39No, no.
03:40How old are the four kids?
03:41So my oldest is sitting right here.
03:44She's Jordan.
03:45She's 15.
03:46My nine-year-old, my youngest, and he's upset that I brought home mascarpone cheese, biscotti,
03:53actually like some chicken fingers, so he's really bummed out laying on the couch.
03:58I actually haven't seen them, too.
04:00They were running around here somewhere, literally just walked in the door.
04:02That's all.
04:03Well, we're honored that you took your phone inside and didn't hang up, and hello to all
04:08four of the kids.
04:09Please be nice to Dad.
04:11He's working his butt off for crying out loud.
04:13Chris, go ahead.
04:16I was raised in the era of Michael Jordan, and if you were to tell me that on the Wizards
04:21that they're definitely a playoff team, my fandom would have gotten to the fact that,
04:29you know what?
04:30There's a chance, and that Jordan wasn't nowhere near what Seth Curry is right now.
04:36Seth Curry's still putting up the same numbers, if not better, when he was winning championships.
04:42So if you're going to tell me, guarantee that you believe that they're a playoff team, well
04:47then I don't know anybody else in the NBA besides Michael Jordan that I feel more comfortable
04:52with in the last 10 to 15 years than Seth Curry in a playoff, winning a championship.
04:58And that's what I'm saying.
04:59If you were to tell me that, here, if Phil Jackson decided to coach the Wizards team
05:05and they were going into the playoffs, you wouldn't like their chances?
05:08Yeah.
05:10Yeah, go ahead.
05:12And that's all I'm saying.
05:13Okay.
05:14And I just wanted to put that out.
05:15That's why the fan base is actually believing there's a chance.
05:19We get ourselves in there, who's going to beat us?
05:22I know the Lakers, you know, who's going to beat us?
05:25So we'll address your point, but before you hang up, I want you to hold your phone up
05:30so that as many of your kids as possible can hear what we're saying.
05:33Can you hold it up?
05:34Maybe put it on speaker or something?
05:37Yeah, no, you've been on speaker this whole time.
05:39My daughter...
05:41All right, perfect.
05:42So, yeah, here's all I want to say to your four kids.
05:45Hey, Chris's kids, how you doing?
05:46My name's Mark.
05:47This is my friend Dan over here.
05:48Hi, kids.
05:49Yeah, we do a show together.
05:50We have a rule in this world.
05:52No matter what you think about sports, no matter what you think about anything,
05:56when dad brings food home, you say thank you.
06:01Yeah.
06:03That's awesome.
06:04Hey, thank you.
06:05Hey, thank you.
06:06All right, Chris.
06:08One of them said thank you.
06:09Bye, Chris.
06:10Yeah, there you go.
06:12Dad, mascarpone?
06:13What even is that?
06:14That's what we're talking about.
06:15Right.
06:16Dad's working all day, brings home food, and the first thing he gets is,
06:19I don't want that.
06:21Sorry if that triggered me a little bit.
06:23Dad, I told you to bring cheese.
06:24What's mascarpone?
06:26I don't even know what that is.
06:28It's not cheese.
06:30Where's the cheddar?
06:32Where's the jack?
06:33A little too close to home, all right?
06:35I get that.
06:36All right?
06:38Yeah.
06:41I mean, I'm getting pushed back from a two-and-a-half-year-old.
06:44Well, that's different.
06:45No, it's actually very similar.
06:47When they're two.
06:48Right.
06:49So you ask her in the morning, what do you want for breakfast?
06:54And she says, have a bagel.
06:55Have a bagel.
06:56All right.
06:57And you make a bagel.
06:58It's, I want eggs.
06:59It's like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
07:00Let's go back three minutes ago.
07:02Short-term memory.
07:03Yeah.
07:04I don't want a bagel.
07:05I don't want it.
07:07But you said you wanted a bagel.
07:09You want French toast?
07:10Have it French toast.
07:12Whatever happened to have it bagel?
07:14Yeah.
07:15So it's all the same.
07:17And that's how you end up fat when you have a little kid.
07:20Fat?
07:21Because you make a bagel, and then they don't want the bagel.
07:23What are you going to do with that bagel?
07:24Oh, I'm not throwing it out, dog.
07:25I'm going to eat it.
07:26I'm going to eat it.
07:27I'm going to eat it.
07:28No doubt.
07:29I'm going to eat it.
07:30All right.
07:31I'm going to eat it.
07:32I'm going to eat it.
07:33I'm going to eat it.
07:34I'm going to eat it.
07:35I'm going to eat it.
07:36I'm going to eat it.
07:37I'm going to eat it.
07:38I'm going to eat it.
07:39I'm going to eat it.
07:40I'm going to eat it.
07:41I'm going to eat it.
07:42I'm going to eat it.
07:43I'm going to eat it.
07:44I'm going to eat it.
07:45I'm going to eat it.
07:46I'm going to eat it.
07:47I'm going to eat it.
07:48I'm going to eat it.
07:49I'm going to eat it.
07:50I'm going to eat it.
07:51I'm going to eat it.
07:52I'm going to eat it.
07:53I'm going to eat it.
07:54I'm going to eat it.
07:55I'm going to eat it.
07:56I'm going to eat it.
07:57I'm going to eat it.
07:58I'm going to eat it.
07:59I'm going to eat it.
08:00I'm going to eat it.
08:01I'm going to eat it.
08:02I'm going to eat it.
08:03I'm going to eat it.
08:04I'm going to eat it.
08:05I'm going to eat it.
08:06I'm going to eat it.
08:07I'm going to eat it.
08:08I'm going to eat it.
08:09I'm going to eat it.
08:10I'm going to eat it.
08:11I'm going to eat it.
08:12I'm going to eat it.
08:13I'm going to eat it.
08:14I'm going to eat it.
08:15I'm going to eat it.
08:16I'm going to eat it.
08:17I'm going to eat it.
08:18I'm going to eat it.
08:20I'm going to eat it.
08:21I'm going to eat it.
08:22I'm going to eat it.
08:23I'm going to eat it.
08:24I'm going to eat it.
08:25I'm going to eat it.
08:26I'm going to eat it.
08:27I'm going to eat it.
08:28I'm going to eat it.
08:29I'm going to eat it.
08:30I'm going to eat it.
08:31I'm going to eat it.
08:32I'm going to eat it.
08:33I'm going to eat it.
08:34I'm going to eat it.
08:35I'm going to eat it.
08:36I'm going to eat it.
08:37I'm going to eat it.
08:38I'm going to eat it.
08:39I'm going to eat it.
08:40I'm going to eat it.
08:41I'm going to eat it.
08:42I'm going to eat it.
08:43I'm going to eat it.
08:45I love how we go,
08:47Oh, Oklahoma City?
08:48Well, they've never done it before,
08:50so the Warriors will beat them.
08:52Dude, they're awesome.
08:54They're good, yep.
08:55They are fantastic.
08:57They are impossible to beat in their building,
09:00and they have already essentially clinched
09:03home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
09:05Yes, but they've had trouble with the
09:07Jimmy-less Golden State Warriors this year.
09:09That's true.
09:10And even going back to last year,
09:11where I believe the Warriors split four games with OKC,
09:14and it's a matchup that it favors OKC on paper,
09:19but when you get into these games,
09:22and we talk about all the clutch games
09:24and all the rest of it,
09:25I think that Golden State has a puncher's chance
09:28against any of these teams,
09:30and it's a little bit different this year
09:32than it was last year,
09:33especially now with Jimmy Butler,
09:34because you have another one of these guys
09:36who, when you get late into a game,
09:39you feel like you've got a dude
09:41who can make the plays necessary to win these games.
09:43And no disrespect to Andrew Wiggins,
09:45and you have to say this when you praise Jimmy Butler,
09:48when you relate it to what has come before,
09:51because without Andrew Wiggins,
09:52they don't win in 22,
09:54and I want to make sure that I say that
09:56until I'm blue in the face.
09:57Yeah, but you don't have to.
09:58Jimmy Butler's better than Andrew Wiggins.
10:00No, but I have to say that when I talk about
10:02what Jimmy means for this team
10:04in clutch moments and in late game.
10:07Can't we just move forward in this life
10:09with two things in ink?
10:11Put them in ink, okay?
10:13Andrew, you are a forever warrior.
10:18You helped win a championship.
10:20That's it, dude.
10:22You are minted in this town
10:24and with this organization.
10:27Okay, that's end of one point.
10:29Here's the next point.
10:30You're about to S all over Andrew.
10:33Jimmy Butler's a better player than you.
10:35Oh, yeah.
10:36Okay, onward.
10:38Right.
10:39I don't find that hard.
10:41That's not hard.
10:42I don't either,
10:43and I also think that when you talk about
10:44this year and playoff series
10:46and you think about what might be
10:49if it's the Warriors against fill in the blank,
10:51and I know they have to get there first, Stiney.
10:53I can hear you in the back of my head
10:55saying they're not even a playoff team yet,
10:57and you're right,
10:58but we're playing the hypothetical game,
11:00and if they go up against
11:01any of the other teams in the West
11:03in a series, a best of seven,
11:05I would rather have Jimmy Butler
11:07than I would Andrew Wiggins,
11:09even though I know that Andrew
11:10could do what he did three years ago.
11:12I know what Jimmy has done
11:13with an eight seed in Miami,
11:15and I know the kind of player that he is,
11:18and I do believe he's highly motivated,
11:20and I do think that he is a better fit.
11:22He's also a better player,
11:24as you were saying,
11:25so if you get into a series
11:27with Jimmy and Draymond and Steph
11:29and the rest of this cast of characters,
11:31I do like their chances against anybody.
11:33This is what we're reacting to,
11:35and it pairs with what Draymond did
11:40at All-Star Weekend.
11:41Jimmy Butler, Virgin Radio in Dubai.
11:44My pocket's gonna fill up from the taxes,
11:46but the taxes were great in Miami,
11:50but I'm so happy over there.
11:51Organization's top notch.
11:53Obviously, I get to play with Steph,
11:55so I'm a fan of him,
11:56just like 99.9% of the world.
12:01A chance of winning a championship,
12:03what more can you ask for?
12:04And Draymond's on the team.
12:05I know, Draymond.
12:06Me and Draymond get along quite well.
12:08Play a lot of dominoes.
12:09Yeah, fun.
12:10I feel like he's fun as well.
12:11He's the best,
12:13and you don't realize how great he is
12:15until you actually get on his team
12:17and how smart and how he'll do anything to win,
12:20and I respect that the most out of anything.
12:22It's all about winning all the time
12:24with that dude.
12:25I'm learning.
12:26So these are the warriors.
12:27Jimmy Butler is using the word championship.
12:30Draymond Green is guaranteeing a championship.
12:33Sure, they're wearing the jersey.
12:35They're inside the building.
12:36There's two questions.
12:38One is it's sort of just like,
12:39A, do you agree?
12:41And then the other side is sort of like,
12:43do you think it's a good thing
12:44that the warriors are talking about this?
12:46Let's refer back to Stan Van Gundy
12:48who joined us yesterday
12:49because he kind of answered both of those.
12:51First one, do you agree?
12:55Like, does this now make the warriors a contender?
12:58Take a look.
12:59I mean, it's a great move up,
13:01and I think Mike Bundley did an outstanding job
13:04making that move without giving up
13:06any of their young players.
13:09So I think everybody in San Francisco
13:12has got the right to be excited.
13:15Do I think it makes them a contender
13:17with Oklahoma City, Memphis, the Lakers, Houston?
13:23No, I don't.
13:25But it's a step up,
13:26and they certainly, I think,
13:27would have a chance to get into playoffs
13:29and win a series.
13:30I think what Stan's saying is pretty fair.
13:33I really do.
13:34Yeah.
13:35I think that that's pretty fair.
13:36It's a step up.
13:37Are they better?
13:38Yes.
13:39Are they a playoff team?
13:40Yes.
13:41Could they win a series?
13:42Sure.
13:43Championship?
13:45No.
13:47Yeah.
13:48No.
13:49That's very fair.
13:50Yeah.
13:51Like, step up, you're 10,
13:52and a step up would be 9, 8, 7, maybe 6.
13:54I don't think you climb higher than that,
13:55so step up.
13:56Green checkmark.
13:58Are you better?
13:59Agreed.
14:00Green checkmark.
14:01Could you win a series?
14:02Absolutely.
14:03I do think it depends on who you play.
14:05Can you win a championship?
14:06Well, now you're talking about winning 4 series
14:08and 16 games,
14:09and that's why I said earlier in the crossover,
14:12if I put the over-under on 4.5 playoff wins,
14:15which would mean you'd win at least 1 series
14:18and not be swept,
14:20like, where would you put it?
14:22And I should have had them answer,
14:24Steini and Gut, maybe tomorrow I can have them answer,
14:26but, like, do they win a series
14:28is basically what that comes down to.
14:30If you had to guess right now,
14:31going into the final 25 games of the regular year
14:35and the playoffs, if they get there,
14:37can they win a series?
14:39Can they, yes.
14:40Would they?
14:41Will they?
14:42If you had to predict,
14:43and I'm not going to make you bet your $20,000.
14:45No.
14:46So you would bet no.
14:47Well, I can only answer you
14:49by trying to remove my emotions.
14:52Right.
14:53I want them to so bad.
14:55Of course, the emotional mark would say,
14:57you know, parade route, let's do it again.
14:59Right.
15:00And so one of our first shows we did.
15:02Can they?
15:03Yes.
15:04Do I want them to?
15:05Yes.
15:06All of those things.
15:07But I'll answer it in a very mathematical way.
15:10If you were to place odds on what you're saying,
15:13which one would be the favorite?
15:15The Warriors at over-under 4.5 playoff wins.
15:19If Vegas was given that number
15:21and had to install one of those as the favorite
15:24or put odds to it, what do you think they would do?
15:27What's the favorite?
15:30It would be probably two to one odds
15:34against them winning a series.
15:35I think it's clearly the under.
15:36Yeah.
15:37It's clearly the under.
15:38Yeah, but it's closer than you would think.
15:41I don't know.
15:43I don't know.
15:44I don't know.
15:45You know what I mean?
15:47That's where you do hearken back to we're projecting
15:50because in this moment they're still the ten seed.
15:53They're the ten seed.
15:54You don't bet on the ten seed to win a playoff series.
15:58And so you can project that they're going to be better
16:01and come out of this and you can sit here and act like
16:04they're all going to be healthy the rest of the way
16:06and that's done even though it's not.
16:08So you factor all those things in,
16:10I think the under would definitely be the favorite there.
16:13It's close because I just am looking at Draft Kings
16:16and the odds to make the playoffs right now as we sit.
16:21The Warriors are minus 140.
16:23Yes, to make the playoffs.
16:25To make the playoffs.
16:26But you're talking about to get to the second round.
16:28Agreed.
16:29But if you want to talk about to make it to the second round,
16:32right now they are favored to make the playoffs,
16:36which means you're favored to have at least a series.
16:40And if you went up against OKC,
16:43you probably would be two and a half to one underdog.
16:47If you were against Memphis, you might be closer to even money,
16:51but it would be a lot closer.
16:52Is there any matchup right now that you see in the Western Conference
16:56where the Warriors would actually be favored in the series?
17:00No.
17:01In the first round, no.
17:02But I do think against Houston and Memphis it would be close.
17:05That would be, and I'll just say this,
17:08no matter who the Warriors play in the first round,
17:10that would be the closest odds-wise between the favorite and the underdog,
17:17I would predict.
17:18I agree with you.
17:19Here's the other thing that Stan Van Gundy said, though.
17:22So, A, there's do you agree with Draymond and Jimmy Butler about championship
17:27contention?
17:28He says no.
17:29But here's the second side of it.
17:31Is it a good thing or a bad thing that these guys are talking that way?
17:36I mean, a guy going out and expressing confidence in his own team,
17:40that's a good thing, especially with a young team like the Warriors.
17:44Now you have those young guys looking and saying,
17:47wow, a guy who's won multiple championships
17:50believes we've got what it takes to do things.
17:54So, I think all of that stuff is a positive.
17:57Okay.
17:58So, to me, those are the two sides.
18:00You don't have to agree with him,
18:01but you can still see it as a good thing that the Warriors are talking this way.
18:05And for me,
18:06it's less about talking because I just think Draymond Green has become a
18:09wonderful broadcaster and I think he knows exactly what he's doing all the
18:13time.
18:14I more look at it through the eyes of Jimmy.
18:17Like when we listen to that quote that we've played a few times,
18:20what I think you can tell is they feel great.
18:23They feel great.
18:25And that's not going to beat OKC.
18:28But it sure doesn't hurt.
18:30Like this is the most relatable thing that's happening with Warrior basketball,
18:36to me,
18:37for those of us out in the world who can't even jump more than three inches
18:41off of the ground,
18:42you want to relate to the Warriors.
18:44Just think in your life,
18:46whether it's your job,
18:47your relationships,
18:49anything.
18:50How much more can you achieve when you are feeling so good about yourself?
18:56I think it doubles.
18:59It triples.
19:00It quadruples.
19:02It's all of those things.
19:03And one thing I very much notice,
19:05and I acknowledge honeymoon period,
19:07but the Golden State Warriors feel great about themselves right now.
19:10Yeah.
19:11And they should.
19:12I mean,
19:13they've won three or four and you go into the break and you're in a certain
19:16spot and you look around you in the conference and you can think that Dallas
19:20got,
19:21maybe they didn't get better,
19:22but they didn't get a lot worse.
19:23And then now Anthony Davis is out for a month.
19:26There's a shocker a month or longer.
19:29And Sacramento's best player is gone.
19:31And so I do think you could look at some of your competition and think,
19:35okay,
19:36we got a leg up and you mentioned Phoenix and you've got some good sauces
19:40inside the building.
19:42And so Phoenix,
19:43a competitor is now a mess.
19:45Sacramento traded their best player and they got back a bucket getter.
19:50Who's never really helped anyone win.
19:52And so you can look around the conference and think,
19:54all right,
19:55not only did we get better,
19:56but two or three of our rivals got worse.