Hour 2: Knicks OT Win

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg: Hour 2 - Knicks OT Win

Release Date: January 16, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Platform: 880 ESPN

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1. Opening Discussion: Mets and Pete Alonso

Timestamp: 00:30 - 02:25

The episode kicks off with Alan Rosenberg discussing the Mets' internal dynamics, particularly focusing on Pete Alonso's potential departure. Alan emphasizes the emotional toll of losing a long-standing player, highlighting the difference between baseball's lengthy 162-game season and the more transient nature of other sports.

Notable Quote:
Alan Rosenberg [00:30]:
“Sterns is a Mets fan. He grew up a Mets fan. He knows all about it. The pain that Don is feeling right now, the emotion he's feeling.”

Don Hahn shares his disappointment over Alonso potentially leaving but expresses trust in the Mets' management decisions, understanding that business isn't solely about throwing money around.

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2. Knicks' Overtime Victory Against the Sixers

Timestamp: 02:25 - 08:18

The hosts delve into the New York Knicks' recent overtime win against the Philadelphia 76ers. They discuss Carl Anthony Towns' injury—a sprained thumb sustained during the game—and its implications for his performance and the team's success.

Notable Quotes:
Alan Rosenberg [03:08]:
“When he went up for a layup, he hit his finger. So he had that. They found a chip in the bone. He's going to try to play through it.”

Don Hahn [04:19]:
“[The Knicks] never could pull away in this game, but they were up by as many as 13 at one point.”

Despite Joel Embiid's absence, the Knicks managed to secure a win by dominating overtime, showcasing their resilience and strategic gameplay. The discussion highlights the importance of key players like Paul George and Tyrese Maxey in maintaining the team's performance.

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3. Bench Depth and Player Management

Timestamp: 08:18 - 13:32

Alan and Don engage in a debate about the Knicks' approach to managing their bench players. Alan criticizes the lack of depth, arguing that without a strong bench, the team's chances in the playoffs are jeopardized. He references historical missteps, such as the 2013 trade disaster involving Andrea Bargnani, to underscore the risks of poor team-building strategies.

Notable Quotes:
Alan Rosenberg [09:04]:
“This team is in a championship window. It is not in a championship season. They are not right now built.”

Don Hahn [10:55]:
“You could talk all you want as a Knick fan and Mike Breen can come on and talk about, 'well, the players want to play.' Yes, I am sorry. It is still an issue.”

They debate the balance between striving for wins and developing younger talent, with Alan advocating for strategic bench rotations to build a more robust team for future success.

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4. Trading Strategies and Historical Context

Timestamp: 13:32 - 18:08

The conversation shifts to trading strategies, with Alan cautioning against desperate moves to acquire star players. He reflects on past Knicks seasons, emphasizing the importance of patience and thoughtful team development over impulsive trades.

Notable Quotes:
Alan Rosenberg [14:00]:
“They had nothing wrong with that team. They just made a bad trade that didn't work. And then they had a bad year. They overreacted. Don't do it again.”

Don Hahn [16:05]:
“But you said it best last week before you were off. Address the bench. You don't have to make anything.”

The hosts agree that sustainable success requires a balanced approach, focusing on strengthening the bench and avoiding trades that could destabilize team chemistry.

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5. Nets' Historic Blowout Game

Timestamp: 18:08 - 24:37

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing the New York Nets' recent historic blowout loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, with a final score of 126-67. Don and Alan dissect the game, critiquing the Nets' coaching decisions, particularly the extensive bench rotation that led to a massive deficit.

Notable Quotes:
Don Hahn [22:27]:
“The Clippers did not have a player.”

Alan Rosenberg [23:15]:
“This was the fourth worst loss, I think he said, in league history. And for the Nets, the last time they lost by a worst deficit, it was John Williamson and Bernard King were starters and Phil Jackson was a reserve.”

They lament the lack of competitive spirit and strategic depth, drawing parallels to past failures and emphasizing the need for better player utilization and coaching strategies to prevent such lopsided losses.

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6. Listener Call-In: Spike's Insights

Timestamp: 25:03 - 30:45

Listener Spike joins the conversation, providing personal insights and reflections on the Knicks' performance and team management. He discusses player-specific issues, such as Patrick’s hypothetical performance in modern basketball and criticizes certain coaching decisions that leave players struggling defensively.

Notable Quotes:
Spike [27:38]:
“All I could say to you is what I read about your sister Debbie was so... life’s book, and Don knows it better than anybody...”

Alan Rosenberg [29:51]:
“I think it's fair. I also think if Patrick played in today's game, he'd shoot threes like this.”

Spike underscores the importance of player development and strategic coaching to enhance team performance.

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7. Closing Remarks

Timestamp: 26:15 - 30:45

As the episode winds down, the hosts reflect on the discussions, reiterating the challenges faced by the Knicks and the broader implications for team management in professional sports. They highlight the need for strategic planning, player development, and balanced decision-making to foster sustained success.

Notable Quotes:
Alan Rosenberg [30:00]:
“He'd be nuts. And he was a better shot blocker than Cat. The last thing.”

Don Hahn [30:05]:
“Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.”

The episode concludes with a nod to upcoming topics, including the Jets' head coach search and more, promising engaging discussions in future episodes.

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Key Takeaways:

• Team Management: Emphasis on the importance of a strong bench and strategic player development over impulsive trades.
• Historical Lessons: Reflecting on past Knicks seasons to inform current strategies and avoid repeating mistakes.
• Game Analysis: Detailed critique of recent games, particularly focusing on coaching decisions and player performances.
• Listener Engagement: Incorporating listener insights to provide diverse perspectives on team dynamics and performance.

Notable Quotes Summary:

• “Sterns is a Mets fan... the pain that Don is feeling...” — Alan Rosenberg [00:30]
• “[The Knicks] never could pull away in this game...” — Don Hahn [04:19]
• “This team is in a championship window. It is not in a championship season...” — Alan Rosenberg [09:04]
• “The Clippers did not have a player.” — Don Hahn [22:27]
• “He'd be nuts. And he was a better shot blocker than Cat.” — Alan Rosenberg [29:51]

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This episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the Knicks' current season, blending historical insights with contemporary game analysis and listener perspectives. Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg offer a nuanced discussion on the complexities of team management, player development, and strategic decision-making in professional basketball.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

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[Alan Rosenberg]

This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg. Sterns is a Mets fan. He grew up a Mets fan. He knows all about it. The pain that Don is feeling right now, the emotion he's feeling. Sterns lived through this. So he gets that this is not just a guy who came in and is cold blooded. I don't know you, you're not my player. He absolutely knows everything about it. But he understands that while I do have an owner with a ton of money and I could just throw money around, we know that's not how you do business. It's not the right way to do business. And he clearly has a better plan in place for what they want to do at first base to get the same of production but maybe better defense. Whatever it is, let's see where it all. Well, the dust settles Don Han and Rosenberg on 880 ESPN. So this is definitely a story that we are going to follow because there is. This is not like it's not an abrupt ending yet with Pete Alonso but it definitely has that feel as again Andy Martino doing the reporting there that the Mets are going to move on from Alonzo. He is not willing to accept what they are willing to pay him. And so they're basically saying okay, get.

[Don Hahn]

More somewhere else and maybe we'll see if he comes back to them at some point. And make no mistake, I'm disappointed to see him go if he does go. But I get it. All right? So I'm not criticizing the mats. I'm not going to be ripping in to David Stern's like how you doing this? Oh my. I'm just disappointed. But I get it and I trust him and I trust that they'll be a better team because of this. But it doesn't make it any easier because baseball is different than a lot of other sports you do because it's 162 games. So you do sometimes fall for players.

[Alan Rosenberg]

It's a long run, you know, so.

[Don Hahn]

Like football, you care about the players, right? But you understand how transient it is. Guys don't spend a long time, usually because injuries and all that. But you watch 162 games, and this guy's been here for a long time. Like, you start to get used to it. You get comfortable. So you hate to see these guys go sometimes, even if it ends up being the right thing.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And Alonzo was an easy guy to like. Easy guy to root for. Sure. He had a great story, the whole thing.

[Don Hahn]

So.

[Alan Rosenberg]

All right, we have your calls that at 800. Now we're 93776. You have a list that you made yesterday that I did catch wind of, that I have to discuss.

[Don Hahn]

Good. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah. I don't know if you will.

[Don Hahn]

Okay, I'm ready. I'm ready.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But before we get to that, though, the Knicks win last night in Philadelphia. No, Carl Anthony Towns, he was out of the lineup. Something to be a little concerned with is sprained the thumb in the game, I want to say, Monday night. Right. Was that Monday night the game where, again, I had a lot going on. The Piston.

[Don Hahn]

That was Monday.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah. When he went up for a layup, he hit his. Hit his finger. So he's grabbing the thumb. So he had that. They. The reports are that they found, like, a chip in the bone. He's going to try to play through it. That's a shooting hand.

[Don Hahn]

That's hard to do.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Now, concern. Yes, definitely feel a little concerned, but he wants to play through it. He's a gamer. We'll see if he can play, which, of course, you know, that's the most important thing. He is so important to their success this season so far. But they win this game because Sixers play without Joel Embiid, which really, now we count the games he does play because it seems to be less than the games he doesn't play. The bigger story is when he's in the lineup. Joel Embiid, but they still had Paul George. They still had Terrace Maxey. The Knicks had been not. They never could pull away in this game, but they were up by as many. I think 13 at one point. They look like at moments they were about to take over the game. Third quarter, Maxi really got hot and it became. Became a grinder. They had a chance a couple of times late in regulation where they could have put it away and didn't. And then once again, they have to go to overtime. Now in overtime, they dominated and they won the game.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. Score the first eight points. Right. So.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah. So during. During the Game, especially in the, in the second half when the, the, the comfortability of their lead slipped. And there was a couple of times, you know, it was a wire to wire win. Even though it went to overtime, they never trailed. It was tied several. So. But during this, John Winthrop decides to tell us, with his infinite wisdom of all things NBA, that this really would feel like a loss even if they win the game. And I completely disagreed. Okay, and then they win. I said, if they win by 10 in overtime, does it still feel like a loss? And so he changed his mind and said, well, no. Now if you win comfortably that way, they didn't win by 10, but they were up by 10 in overtime. So, Don, I'm going to ask you. When you get to the middle of any season, you just talk about the length of a baseball season. When you get to the middle point of any professional season, we all know Pat Riley always called them the dog days of the season, especially for the teams that get off to a good start. You hit sort of a low. It sort of becomes this monotony of game after game and who are we playing again? Like, who are we playing now? And you sort of get fogged and you have. The holiday season comes through, so you're dealing with family and all that stuff. And I do think every team goes through and the rare ones, like the, you know, the 73 win warriors, the 72 win Bulls, the 66 win Cavaliers, like there are teams that just blow through the whole season and kill everyone because they're just so good. But teams mostly are gonna hit a wall and have to fight through it and show you a little bit of mental fortitude and not let it tank into a tailspin. And they're the ones you go, okay, they got through that and they're a good team. So you're gonna have to sometimes fight your way through games like this. I saw that last night. I saw the Knicks, Brunson especially Hart, Bridges, the three Villanova guys were in Philadelphia and basically reminding everybody in Philly we own this place.

[Don Hahn]

Because they do.

[Alan Rosenberg]

All they do is win down there now. The crowd's all Nick fans. That wasn't the alarming out of the last. I think it's been eight games now. I think they've won. I think they're three and five or something like that. That wasn't a game that concerned me. The Pistons game didn't concern me. Detroit's beating everybody right now. They're a good team.

[Don Hahn]

They're very good. Good bench too, right?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yes. They have turned things around quickly there because the young star they have in Katie Cunningham. I was more concerned about some other performances that they had. The magic game, that was not a good game at all. That was a bad loss. They looked flat. You know, they kind of were giving into the schedule, and they were giving in to the fatigue that was setting in with the way the schedule was going. That's the stuff that bothered me. You want to. You want to point out things that we're going to criticize, I'll look at that. But not last night. That was a good win last night. And then, of course, now we'll see what it turns into as they go home and they're going to play tomorrow night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

[Don Hahn]

Well, this could seem like a lame answer, but I could see both sides because when. When John Winthrop, our pinhead suit, text that out, I was in agreement with him because I was on the air yesterday talking about the Sixers. And listen, Kat not playing changes it a little bit. But you looked at it and you go, I think this is a game that should be able to handle their business.

[Alan Rosenberg]

It's Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. These are two All Stars that were in their line.

[Don Hahn]

I get it.

[Alan Rosenberg]

They didn't play for a lot of the last few.

[Don Hahn]

It's still an opportunity to, you know, blow a team out. There's value to that. Like, I hear what you're saying. A win's a win. You know, it was one of those times in the middle of January where a game that didn't look very important all of a sudden becomes important. Right. There's always games that start where you feel, like, I can live with the loss. No, I can't. All of a sudden, as it develops and no, I got to win this game. I got to win this game.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

But, you know, it does come at a price when, because of overtime, Josh hart plays over 49 minutes, OG over 44, Bridges over 43, Jalen over 45.

[Alan Rosenberg]

You know, so when are we getting over that?

[Don Hahn]

You know what? I'm not going to get over it. You can't, because I still think it's a bit of an issue.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Like I'm.

[Don Hahn]

You could talk all you want as a Knick fan and Mike Breen can come on and talk about, well, the players want to play. Yes, I am sorry. It is still an issue when you're going up against other teams, when you got bigger fish to fry than just making the playoffs, that you're going up against teams that don't have. That have deeper Benches that aren't wearing out their players. I'm sorry, it can become a problem unless you start to find some times to rest these guys. It just is.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But you can't because of what you just said. That's why. And I said this a couple of weeks ago. It was not a popular take. And I'm not here to give you popular takes. I'm here to give you the truth.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Alan Rosenberg]

This team is in a championship window. It is not in a championship season. They are not right now built. Yes, they are as close as they've been in 20 plus years.

[Don Hahn]

Of course this is as close.

[Alan Rosenberg]

This is closer than 2013. They are that close. But they're not there because of what you just said. They don't have enough off the bench. Their starting five, look at the numbers, is as good, if not the, if not better than any starting five in the NBA.

[Don Hahn]

Especially offensively.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yes. And so what you now have to do is look at what you got on the bench and figure out a way to fill out the bench so you get tougher. So like Boston right now, the Celtics, they don't win that championship last year if their bench isn't better. You know, Derrick White and what he's become. But Peyton Pritchard, what he's become right last year, this year, they're struggling right now. Middle of the season, they're healthy. Health isn't the issue. They're hitting a wall. Derek White's playing like crap. They had to bring in Peyton Pritchard early in that game last night just to try to salvage it. They still lost to the Raptors. The Raptors, they lost to their and 7 in the last 14 games. Like so. Teams go through this. But I keep trying to remind people this team has come so far in four years and I understand there's this want to have that immediate jump, you want to take that quantum leap, but you can't. And you're trying to win games. And when you put some of your guys in off the bench and you see quickly that, okay, this is a lead that's now dwindling or it's a deficit that's getting wider. You cannot leave guys in if you're starting this. If the game's slipping away, I'm trying to win as many as I can, as much as I can this season.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Does that make sense?

[Don Hahn]

It does make perfect sense. But let me just follow it up.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And everybody's nobody. They're all playing every game.

[Don Hahn]

But, you know, the Celtics can lose to the Raptors. Nobody's Going to care. Because it doesn't matter where the Celtics finish. They're the defending champions and no one's winning. Worried about them because they've won something around.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Okay, fair.

[Don Hahn]

You're the Knicks. You're a three seat. I don't think they're a championship caliber team for all the reasons you said. But when I say they got bigger fish to fry, I'm not talking about a championship. I'm just talking about Final Four. Yeah, well, how about getting out of the first round? I mean, right now, can you say, can you guarantee me they're beating the Pacers in a first round matchup? Because that. That would be the match.

[Alan Rosenberg]

You can't guarantee it.

[Don Hahn]

Well, you can't guarantee anything. I'm just saying be careful because you know what? That will be a failure. Yeah, I don't think they're winning a championship, but you don't want to get bounced in the first round. You don't want to lose in the second round. This is a team that, if they lose to Boston in six or seven games, you're going to be prideful to be a Knick fan and say, we took a gargantuan step forward. Watch out for us next year. I'll tell you, this many people talking about championship, it's way too soon. But can we at least feel good about the fact that they're going to get out of the first round?

[Alan Rosenberg]

I can tell you this, I'd rather play the Pacers than the Pistons in the first round. That team scares the hell out of me.

[Don Hahn]

All right. But that's a possibility, too, right?

[Alan Rosenberg]

That team scares the hell out of me because they aren't. They're not old enough to know. They're not old enough to know they shouldn't be doing what they're doing.

[Don Hahn]

And there'll be no pressure on them?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Oh, hell, no. No, none. Now, do I think they could? Yes. Because youth usually in the playoffs, exposed. Bickerstaff is a good coach in a regular season. He proved it in Cleveland. But Tom Thibodeau has coached circles around him. So if you want to get that deep into it.

[Don Hahn]

I could, yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

But I. Look, here's the thing. I watch them and I see a team that is so much better than they were. And then I watch them and I also see a team that has so much more to go. Like they're ceiling. They're not even close to it. And the ceiling to me is I see what they can do in games when they turn it up. When we saw it last night, in overtime. Like in overtime, they were like, okay, enough's enough, right? But I also know that this is a team that if you make, if you get too caught up right now in the 21 and 10, I think, what was it? What was the best part? 24 and 10, whatever. It was their start, right?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Before then, things started to slip a little when, when you look at that and you start to say, wow, they can win a championship. You now need to start bulking up that bench. Make trades right now, Crazy trades, the stuff that's coming across, you know, my timeline on trade ideas scares the hell out of me.

[Don Hahn]

Do you have any examples?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, we talked about it last, last week, Jimmy Butler.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And the whole, would ya. Right. OGN and Obi, would you do it? And I told you, no, it's not worth it. But you know what? It'll get you headlined. People get excited, but you don't know what impact that could have in that locker room. And I want to give you a name, Don. And when people start to get caught up in how close you are and the little bit of that, that desperate swing that you make. Andrea Barnyani. So the Knicks, the season before, 54 wins. They had an older group, but they, you know, they fell short because they thought they would be able to get to Miami in the, in the conference finals that year, the, the big three. And that year in 2013, they, they messed around with the Celtics in the first round. They had them 3, 0. They should have swept them, but they goofed off and it ended up being closer than it should have been. Wore them out. Somebody, I think, got banged up in that series. They lost the first game in the second round to the Pacers, who were rested, and then they couldn't catch up. They lost that series and they all regretted it. They felt like we, we weren't, we should have won. We should have met the Heat. We'd played them well in the regular season, could have beat them. They felt like they could have beat them. And instead it was, well, they need an offensive center because Tyson Chandler, as great as he was as a rebounder, defender, he, you know, they didn't have to guard him and all that stuff. So they thought we got to get like a guy like Barnyani. He's a big man who can shoot and all that stuff. So they trade for him, gave up a first round pick. It was a disaster of trade disaster. And the whole thing fell apart. He gets hurt, Melo gets hurt. That year's bad. Mike Woodson gets fired. Next thing you know, Stephen a screaming for changes and in comes Phil Jackson. We all know what happened then. Yeah, you see how fast it can all unravel.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, you're right.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Like, they had a coach who knew what he was doing. They had a star in Melo who was a star player. They had good players around him who all orbited Melo. There was nothing wrong with that team. They just made a bad trade that didn't work. And then they had a bad year. They overreacted. Don't do it again. This episode is brought to you by Amazon. Sometimes the most painful part of getting sick is the getting better part. Waiting on hold for an appointment, sitting in crowded waiting rooms, standing in line at the pharmacy. That's painful. Amazon one medical and Amazon Pharmacy remove those painful parts of getting better with things like 247 virtual visits and prescriptions delivered to your door. Thanks to Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon one Medical Healthcare just got less painful.

[Don Hahn]

But you said it best last week before you were off. Address the bench. You don't have to make anything any.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Big deal, but you can't do that in season, Don.

[Don Hahn]

It's hard to do that in season.

[Alan Rosenberg]

I tried it last year and it didn't work.

[Don Hahn]

Is there some way. And this is why I think there's value into blowing out teams and can there be a hidden gem? I'm not gonna go as far as to say, is there. Is there a Jeremy Lin sitting there?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Oh, you mean on the bench.

[Don Hahn]

On the bench. But is that if I start developing guys and start develop them, but they are.

[Alan Rosenberg]

They're playing in the G league and.

[Don Hahn]

Get them up here and get them playing when you can.

[Alan Rosenberg]

It's not like the Rangers where you bring them in from Hartford and you give him some ice time and then maybe a guy just starts to figure it out and next thing you know, you've got like, you know, a Matt Gar, right? Like. Like. It's not really like that. The G league will show you a guy who's okay. He can dominate in the G League now. He's got to do it in the NBA. That was Deuce McBride. And Deuce McBride has now become sort of what they're hoping. He becomes what Peyton Pritchard has become for the Celtics. He's getting there. He's not there yet, but he's getting there. He's the reliable guy off the bench. There's one. Tyler Kolek is your next really good rookie. The problem is they don't need a guard. They have Jalen BRUNSON they have McBride. They don't really need him. The next guy that you're looking at is Ariel Hokporty who's a seven footer. They need a seven footer. He's athletic, he's tough, all the things you like. He's got to learn. And you see him in the G League and I've looked at his numbers, they're not great. The guys that are ready for the NBA are the ones that go to the G League and dominate. He hasn't done it yet. So they're going to keep playing him there until he does. And once he does and figures it out, then he's ready. Those who say play him now in the NBA don't understand that he will get exposed. His confidence will go to the foot. Like you get embarrassed in this league when you're a big man, guards embarrass you, big men overwhelm you. You'll get into foul trouble. You start getting confused. You start Sam Donald seeing ghosts. You can't just throw these guys out there unless you just want to lose.

[Don Hahn]

But nobody.

[Alan Rosenberg]

That's what Washington does. That's what, you know, the Raptors are doing. These teams that don't care about winning will throw young guys out there and they'll little by little develop. You've got to let these guys develop in the G League and hope by April one of them hits it.

[Don Hahn]

But nobody is asking you to sit, Brunson. But would it be okay that if I'm up 15 in the fourth quarter I let somebody play for a few minutes? Would they get exposed in three, four minutes, Alan? Would they get exposed? And maybe, and I brought this up yesterday, maybe, just maybe you blow the 15, 20 point lead and lose.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Oh God.

[Don Hahn]

No, it's not.

[Alan Rosenberg]

The head coach is too obsessed with winning.

[Don Hahn]

I But, but that's a problem. I love that about him. I love that about the Knicks. I want my coach to be that way. But you got to realize Boston lost a game to Toronto that may be under certain circumstances. They really needed to have the game. They would have had it. Like you want to get to that point where yet it sucks that that game slipped through your fingers. But you know what if it means winning the next five in a row because you got a little bit of a rest and you didn't get somebody hurt. Like I love the fact that he wants to win, but sometimes you got to lose the battle to win the war. Not intentionally, but he's so deathly afraid that if I go to the bench and we blow this lead and we lose the game, I won't be able to get out of that mode, man. Yeah, it'll stink. The fans will be upset. The callers the next day will rip them. But you know what? If you believe in your team and you believe in what you're doing, and maybe in that game you did develop a player, give him a few more minutes that he wouldn't have otherwise had that could show value later on in the season, Wouldn't it have been worth it? At the end of the day, no.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Fan is ever going to. On the night that you do that, just say it was the right thing to do. He is damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Don Hahn]

Was he not in position to lose his job? No, he's not on him.

[Alan Rosenberg]

No, he's not. No. But the point is, it's the outside criticism, the only thing that matters, because internally he's scared anyway.

[Don Hahn]

Those people that'll be ripping him for losing the game, they should have won, which still happened against the Pistons. That still happened against the Orlando Magic the other night, which almost happened yesterday against Philadelphia, are the same guys that are ripping him for playing guys. Too many minutes.

[Alan Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Don Hahn]

Fans are always going to complain, Alan.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Okay, yeah. So who cares? So do what you want to do, which is, I'm winning tonight.

[Don Hahn]

And I think. But can you at least admit that as much as we love that attitude, that maybe it's not what's best for the team right now?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Where I'll agree with you is what you said before. Up 15, you know, three minutes to go, that kind of thing. That's when a lot of us do all look at each other going, okay, this is probably a good time to, you know, get guys out of the game. And he'll wait till two minutes.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, I.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And that's the stuff that. That's the other. The one thing that everybody talks about is that is, you know, when it's up 20. But I'll tell you this. It was the. Was a recent home game anyways. They were up 20 in the fourth quarter. He empties the bench. I think it was four minutes to go. Sends in the reserves. They won by 12. That's the stuff that drives you crazy. That's what proves when he goes, like, you know, you got to go in as a bench guy and say, I want to get some minutes here. I'm going to show him, like, there was a time that on good teams, the bench would come in. In blowouts and blow you out even more. Because they wanted. They couldn't wait to play. And this group comes in and it's almost like they give it away because they're not ready.

[Don Hahn]

You know what you need? You know when you can empty the bench and not worry about blowing a lead when you play the nets.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Oh my God.

[Don Hahn]

Last he emptied the bench and they still won by what, 60 it was. That Clipper net game was an embarrassment.

[Alan Rosenberg]

That was so bad on so many levels. And Jordy Fernandez, by the way, coaches so hard he, he like this has got to be killing him. They don't want to win as a franchise right now because they have a ton of picks and they want to try to win the lottery or at least top three and get one of these kids flag is got bona fide star on them. But I'm telling you, this kid Ace Bailey is another one. He's got bona fide star on him as well. And that's what you're hoping for, is to strike it rich, have some cap space and make something happen.

[Don Hahn]

I get you, but it sucks to live. 126 to 67 in today's NBA.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Didn't get to 70, didn't get to 68. There are teams scoring 68 and a half in this league. They couldn't do it in a game.

[Don Hahn]

The Clippers did not have a player.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Don Hahn]

I'm sorry. One coffee. Played 31 minutes.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Nobody played over 30. Right.

[Don Hahn]

Otherwise Harden 23, Powell 22 and Leonard played right? Yeah. Like 24 minutes. Yeah, they emptied the bet.

[Alan Rosenberg]

It was there.

[Don Hahn]

Everybody but one guy played who didn't get to play.

[Alan Rosenberg]

How bad do you have to be that you can't get in?

[Don Hahn]

Porter Jr. Didn't play and Terrence Mann played 8 minutes and 22 seconds. But. But Jones, Hyland and Miller all played over 14 minutes and they still won 126 to 67. So I understand the tank thing, but you know what? Can you at least cosmetically look like that? You're not a G league team.

[Alan Rosenberg]

This was the fourth worst loss, I think he said, in league history. And for the Nets, the last time they lost by a worst deficit, it was John Williamson and Bernard King were starters and Phil Jackson was a reserve.

[Don Hahn]

I remember those Phil Jackson, those red, white and blue shorty shorts that he was wearing.

[Alan Rosenberg]

How like when you're talking history, Phil Jackson was still playing.

[Don Hahn]

Phil Jackson was still playing.

[Alan Rosenberg]

What is that, like 80, 78, maybe 70. Late 70s.

[Don Hahn]

God. It was the worst loss in that history. The biggest blowout in Clippers history.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Crazy.

[Don Hahn]

I don't know how that happens. You know what.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Is that why the Indian capture?

[Don Hahn]

These are.

[Alan Rosenberg]

They're so. Sarah, think about it. You've got. Think about it. Yeah, right. Capstra. Classy guy. Carino is one of the best.

[Don Hahn]

You know, was I in on the game?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Think about it. Like, you have royalty calling this game. You have Ian Eagle and Sara Costa calling this game. And it's a four.

[Don Hahn]

They deserve better.

[Alan Rosenberg]

60 point.

[Don Hahn]

He should have walked out, honestly. And, you know, Michael always had a great line that I think is apt to the broadcasting crew of the Nets right now. It's like hanging a Mona Lisa in a garage. It is. It's true. Really?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah. They don't deserve this.

[Don Hahn]

They don't. It's.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, it was the same when Mike. When Mike Breen was calling some of those games. Like Mike and Clyde are calling games in the, like, the Fizdale era, when they were losing on purpose as well. Like, they were trying to lose. They were trying to get Zion. And it was just some of these games, you're like, you know, it's the lineup of Alexei Shved and Lou. Like, these are names you're never gonna. Nobody's ever gonna remember. We talked about the Forever Met and names you'll remember and all that stuff. Nobody. Nobody remembers any of these people.

[Don Hahn]

I remember that one. I was doing a Ranger game. I was doing the pre and post. I was in the studio, and Frank Moretti was the producer at the time. And so he had the Nick game on television, and he had the volume up for some reason. And I heard Clyde say, can we just have a running clock on the broadcast?

[Alan Rosenberg]

And you know what? I guarantee you he did. Guarantee you he did. Oh, my goodness. 800. Now we're 93776. Well, we got a lot of calls to get to Don. We have Ennis coming up as well, right?

[Don Hahn]

That's right. He's now become the staple.

[Alan Rosenberg]

This is. This is the Anthony Pusick vehicle.

[Don Hahn]

Now, you know, I said it about Andrew. I think. I think Anthony does a better job. Wow.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Well, that's. That's breaking news.

[Don Hahn]

How about that?

[Alan Rosenberg]

That's highest praise. I. Anthony, how do you feel about this? Do you. Because you're terrible at taking any praise whatsoever. Yeah, no, Don's very kind.

[Don Hahn]

I don't think anybody's ever done it better. How about that?

[Alan Rosenberg]

That's very kind of you. I just try to fill in as admirably as I can. See, he's just so right. The humility.

[Don Hahn]

He's so humble. It makes you nauseous, doesn't it?

[Alan Rosenberg]

Actually, it does. It really. It's so. It's so sappy. Blow your nose with a pancake. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don Hahn]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Don Hahn]

And Ray Manzarek, too, with the keyboard. So underrated.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Yeah, the organ. I mean, the organ had a short life in rock and roll, you know, like this kind of. Or.

[Don Hahn]

Well, you had to know how to do it. Like, an organ's not a hip instrument.

[Alan Rosenberg]

And this is a very specific sound. Though there weren't many bands that really got away with this. It was a couple in that era, but not many. But this. It was a big part of the Doors and their sound, and yet just found a way to make it. To make it work. 819 3776. We'll get a lot more to get into, of course, the Aaron Rodgers of it all with the jets and their head coach search and more. But I do want to talk to our good friend spike down in St. Pete, who haven't talked to in a while, and he's been waiting a while to talk with us. Hey, Spike, how you doing?

[Spike]

I'm doing good because I'm hearing your voice, by the way. The rock and roll vanilla fudge brought in the organ prominence and folklore.

[Don Hahn]

The COVID of Keep Me Hanging on is unbelievable.

[Spike]

They were called the. I saw them in Unganos in the city when they were called the pigeons. And it's a long story. Anyway.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Spike's like, yeah, yeah.

[Spike]

All right. I got four. I got four kids, too, so. Okay, Alan, all I could say to you is what I read about your sister Debbie was so. The reaching out and what Madison Square Garden did and everybody did. I understand your answer. Some of his answers. I just can't imagine how wonderful and kind she was that she could light up a room like that. And the story about asking everyone their birthday, it's just tragic. And on the other hand, Peter as a father now, and this is just life's book, and Don knows it better than anybody because he was in nicu. I remember it was in December. And just. Just embrace every moment, good and bad, because a lot of people love you guys. And I'm telling you, Don says it all the. Like an extended family. And as you get to my stage where I'm really old, that, you know, your friends are just memories. But guys like you, man, I'm hearing it. I'm listening to it. I'm watching it on social media and you're beloved, and it's. It's a wonderful thing to put in your back pocket. So welcome back.

[Alan Rosenberg]

Thank you.

[Spike]

Okay. On the next. You're welcome. Just be strong for everybody. You have four kids. On the next. Pibio made a horrible error last night. And I go through this ritual for 60 years with my best friend, and we go over every day game for an hour, and he says, what the hell was he doing at the end of the game? Not calling a timeout. And he had one in his pocket with Tyrese Max. It could have been an end one. You lose the game that way, and that would have been a problem. He's not a great in game coach, but he's a great coach of defense. And the kids that are saying putting an Ariel Huck 40, he'll have 3040 seconds, right? So that's not going to work. The only thing, the Knicks. The problem with the Knicks, real quickly. And maybe I can get you to talk a little hoops, technically for me, for two minutes. Cat has a problem sliding his feet. He's very slow on the weak side, and they're going right at him and he doesn't. He gets stuck. That's what we called it in Brooklyn. He gets stuck defensively, and he's the best. Well, I know you love Patrick and he's a close friend, but offensively, he's every bit as good, if not better. Patrick couldn't rebound like this guy. He had small hands.

[Alan Rosenberg]

No, I think. I think it's fair. I think that's fair. I also think if Patrick played in today's game, he'd shoot threes like this. Patrick was a great jump shooter.

[Spike]

He'd be nuts. And he was a better shot blocker than Cat. The last thing. And just embrace and widen your arms for your whole family. They need you now, man. I can't understand why on the weak side with Cap, he's helping the helper. It's not working with him. He gets stuck in that position. Could you explain it on the air in the next 30 seconds?

[Alan Rosenberg]

I will. I can't do it in 30 because we got to go here on the break. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good here. More of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.