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- [00:00]
Don Hahn
I can say to my new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, hey, find a keto friendly restaurant nearby and text it to Beth and Steve. And it does without me lifting a finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can. 1, 2, 3.
- [00:15]
Alan Hahn
Will that be cash or credit?
- [00:17]
Peter Rosenberg
Credit.
- [00:17]
Alan Hahn
4 Galaxy S25 Ultra, the AI companion that does the heavy lifting. So you can do you get yours@samsung.com compatible with select apps. Requires Google Gemini account results may vary based on input. Check responses for accuracy. This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [00:35]
Peter Rosenberg
That sounds like heaven to me.
- [00:36]
Alan Hahn
Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers. All right into the 5:00 hour we go with Don Legreck. I'm Alan Hahn. Peter Rosenberg off today, 800-919-3776. The number to get into the calls with you and the conversation we've got, it's packed as always and we love it. So we'll get to those in a moment. But Don, as we open the show, let's back into this discussion last night here in la. I'm in la. The Knicks play the Clippers tonight. I'll be on the call in msg. They lost to the Lakers in overtime, their first overtime loss of the season, by the way. They were five and oh it they felt like they were on their way to pulling out. It would have been a pretty, pretty impressive win against a very good Laker team. This Laker team has been on a run. They had now won eight in a row. But in one play, as Jalen Brunson steps on the foot of Austin Reaves and his, his right ankle takes a turn that all of us just went, oh my go, it just feels like one of the best Knicks seasons we've seen in a quarter century or more. Could be on the brink now. The official injury report for tonight's game is now out. Jalen Brunson is, as expected, listed as out with what they're calling a right ankle sprain. So we know it's not broken. I told you that earlier in the show and that that's the start of the good news. But we don't know the extent of the sprain. We probably will find out tonight right before the game. So of course keep it right here. After Ty Butler we the pregame coverage beginning here on 880. It is a 10:30 vehicle tonight. So a 10:00 pregame for you. So you'll want to keep it here for that. But not only will the Knicks be without Jalen Brunson tonight and I, I will suspect this and this is not based on anything that anybody's told me. It's just assessing the injury, the schedule and everything else. I do not expect Jalen Brunson to play the rest of this road trip which just started after tonight they have two days off, then they go to Sacramento, then a day off, they go to Portland, then two days off and they finish the trip in Golden State against the warriors on a Saturday night. I just don't see that happening. So the Knicks have to figure out Don, a way that they're going to continue to win games and they're in the three seed right now. They got a three and a half game lead over the Bucks who are in the fourth seed in the East. There's 20 games to go and as Josh Hart said last night after the game, now we have to step up. Other guys roles are going to get bigger and they got to keep it afloat until he comes back. And that is, that's a statement by my heart that essentially is. Now all eyes are on not just OG Anunoby who's playing better car Anthony Towns and of course Mikhail Bridges who's getting a lot of the heat lately for last night only took six shots. So the guys that they acquired this off season to put around Brunson, so he's not a one man show, they've got to now pick up the slack and make sure this team doesn't fall down the standings and lose a bunch of games and suddenly find themselves where they have been. Look like they have been so comfortable going towards a playoff spot. They still have 40 wins but it's. You're still going to need at least another like not just to make the playoffs but to hold the top four or at least top three, they're gonna need 10 more wins in these last 20 games. At least 500. At least 500.
- [04:05]
Peter Rosenberg
All right. So you look at the rest of the road trip tonight against the Clippers. Second of a back to back. That's a tough spot.
- [04:10]
Alan Hahn
Tough. No Mitchell Robinson either by the way. Keep that in mind because he's still, they're managing his return from the ankle surgery so he can't play him back to back. He played last night. He's not going to play tonight. He's out too.
- [04:21]
Peter Rosenberg
All right, so that's a tough one. But then the last three games of the trip, Sacramento, Portland, I think you can win those two games and then you see what you can do against Golden State. And if you end up losing Golden State, but you play, but you play well. Again, it's in one of Those, you know, ABC 8:30, Saturday night, nationally televised games that have not gone well for them this year. But leave that aside for a second. If, if you're able to do that, play well against Sacramento and Portland, win, don't embarrass yourself against the Clippers. The warriors come back two and three. I think you can live with that. I think you could. Maybe you couldn't, but I think without.
- [04:56]
Alan Hahn
Brunson, well, right now you'd have to.
- [04:57]
Peter Rosenberg
I think you would have to take that now. You get back home and I still think there's enough there for them to be able to hold on to the three seed. But I asked you this earlier in the show. Do you want to. Yeah, you want to play well. But if you were to fall to the four only because of the fact that you're playing without Brunson and that's your excuse, then you might be able to avoid Boston in the second round. Would it be the end of the world if Milwaukee, who's won four in a row, got hot? You struggled without Brunson, you dropped the four, Get Brunson back for the postseason. Is it the worst thing in the world?
- [05:35]
Alan Hahn
I hate playing that game. Because you'll still have to play a Cavs team that is just. They're smoking everyone all season. Right. Like, you'd still. It's not like, hey, the matchup against the Cavs is a lot easier. You know, it's still a very difficult second round team, which, by the way, a Cavs team that still has a core of players that remembered what you did to them two years ago in the playoffs. And so if you happen to get out of the first round, which I guess if you finish fourth, the 4, 5 matchup right now is the Pacers. I think I'd take that because Indiana is not as good as they were last year. They don't play any. They don't play a lick of defense. You can beat them. But you then bring yourself into a second round series against the Cavs team that not only, you know, is trying to continue to prove they can win in the playoffs, but they'd be seeing red because, oh, there's the ghost of the past that we need to slay versus a Celtics team that might, might take you a little light because they've had. You've been. They made quick work of you all season, you know, so I don't know how to. I don't know which Is better. But I get what you're saying. I totally get what you're saying for me, top four, you got to do whatever it takes to stay in the top four.
- [06:40]
Peter Rosenberg
I'm just asking it from a fan perspective. Obviously, the players are going to want to finish as high as they can, play as well as they can. There's value in that. And never hand pick your teams, because be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. But are you telling me, Alan, that if given a choice to take on Cleveland in the second round or Boston, that you would pick Boston?
- [07:05]
Alan Hahn
That's a pick your poison. Don. I gotta be honest. So I think. I gotta be honest with you. I. I think at full health. And now, again, we don't know. I don't know what Brunson's gonna be. I don't know how long he's gonna be out. So this is all hypothetical right now, but if you asked me this before the injury, I think I want to see Boston. I think I'd want to see Boston in the second round rather than the conference final. I would rather a Cavs team that doesn't have the experience, right. The. The experience of winning that kind of a series. I'd rather have that series as the one that gets you to the finals than a second round. See Boston can be got. We've seen it in the past. This group, as good as they are, they do show you those moments that for whatever reason, they play with their food and suddenly they're in a series they didn't know they'd be in. Cleveland in a second round. Be seeing red because they got you. Cleveland in a conference final, they might start feeling it a little bit. Right? Because the air is a little thinner the further you get into the playoffs. This is true at any sport. The deeper you go, the air gets thinner. You're taking deeper breaths now. So I maybe. Am I crazy to say that I'd rather try to catch Boston and then play a Cleveland team that might like the stage, the lights, everything? Maybe. Maybe I'd feel like it's a little more of an even. An even level. But all this is all hypothetical because right now, nothing matters if Jalen Brunson's compromised.
- [08:40]
Peter Rosenberg
Of course. No, of course. I was just. That's why I gave you the caveat. Brunson back in the postseason.
- [08:45]
Alan Hahn
Yeah. Yeah, right. Right.
- [08:46]
Peter Rosenberg
You can't. It's all over if you lose Brunson. Now just make the playoffs and just see if you can get to the second round. I think that would be all that's on the table. But the way you painted the word picture is that you know what, just play it out. If that's the case, pick your poison, then just play out. Play as well as you can. See value in going out there and winning games without Brunson gaining confidence and then get Brunson back. That's the way you play it out. Win every game you can. Don't start messing around. We want this team. Let's drop the four. If it's really legitimately pick your poison, then you know what, just go out there, ball out, finish as high as you can. Get into the playoffs with cement momentum. Hopefully you get Brunson back at some point before the playoffs so they at least know what you got. And let's just cross our fingers that this is something that'll just be a handful of games and just be a footnote and not something that's really going to be the narrative of the rest of the season if he's out.
- [09:38]
Alan Hahn
Now the other side of the when we got it flipped the calendar to 2025, we knew the Knicks had the hardest strength of schedule remaining in the NBA despite their lofty. They had a really good start to the season. They had a great record. But everybody said, oh, but the hard part's coming. Well after last night and the Lakers don't look now. I mean they have the second best record in the West. They have that. They were top four team now. The Knicks are now fifth overall in the entire NBA. So the Lakers are legit. Like with Luca, they have become a different story. But the Knicks, now with 20 games to go, have the 16th hardest remaining schedule. So they really have played the hardest part of their schedule and they do have a lot of very winnable games still left on the schedule. So you could, like I said, I, I. You got to get to 50. Just so you know, you'll probably get a top four out of 50 wins. Who knows how long you're going to be without Brunson. But there's also don a ton of pressure on two people now. Until Brunson comes back and even into the playoffs, I think that pressure will stay. The first one's the obvious one. Tom Thibodeau is always on the grill, right? He's always, he's on the front burner always for whatever it is. The fan base will never embrace him. The amount of winning, standard structure, all the things that he brought the minute Leon Rose brought him into the organization. It's never something that people will embrace because he's a hard driver. He believes in his starters. He has a hard time putting, giving reserves a lot of time. We know the minutes thing everybody gets it gets involved in. And with these injuries with not just Brunson, but we know Anunoby had one. He has come back, he's played great. Hart's dealing with a knee. Towns I told everybody is playing through a knee that, you know, if he could take other organizations might give him some load management games. But he wants to play. And so if the player wants to play here, they let you play. And so he's playing. But if this starts to unravel and they break down physically and without Brunson, they don't have the guy that can put the cape on and win them some late games, which we've seen him do lately. And the losses pile to a point where getting to 50 wins might be difficult to do all of a sudden, you know, again he's on the skewer now, not just the grill. And it's tough for a guy, you know, for Tom Thibodeau, but the other one, Don. Mikhail Bridges. Yeah, because you brought him in because you were. You thought this was a major upgrade to your starting lineup. And a guy that's a great two way player and a wing scorer who can get. We saw him score 20 a game. He's been a 40 point scorer in his career. Like this is a guy that should have been a huge upgrade. And in the second half of this season he has been incredibly inconsistent. Last night he took six shots that he's grumbling about. Not grumbling because he doesn't say it publicly, but his role in the offense. If you look at him, your eyes tell you that he does not look thrilled that there's some disconnect happening with him offensively. Well, I'll tell you what, with Brunson out, he's got to kick it in the ass, Don, because there's a four year, $150 million extension on the table this summer for him. And if the Knicks feel like he's not happy here and the fit's not right, you got to consider moving on from him and then that extension moves on to some other team. And if you're Bridges, you know, that's. That's something he's got to be thinking about. So this is a big stretch right now for him and I think for Tom Thibodeau. Is that fair?
- [13:14]
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, it's very.
- [13:15]
Alan Hahn
Guy like Bridges who doesn't feel like he's any. You brought him in here for it don't. Doesn't matter about the 5 pick. I don't care about the picks. It's why you were brought here is to help this team win. So if the team starts to lose because Brunson's not here, that means they still rely too much on Brunson. They have to. They have to win games without their captain. And Bridges is here for exactly that purpose, just like car Anthony Towns is.
- [13:36]
Peter Rosenberg
And you're talking about five first round picks. Now granted, I understand, like the caller said earlier, they're only eighth grade right now. Doesn't matter. It's about winning now. But still, it does show you the capital you gave up to bring him in. So if you don't extend him and you have to trade him in the off season, that capital is going to be considered in the grand scheme of things of what you end up getting back for him in return, which might be very difficult. You're not getting five first round picks back for him.
- [14:02]
Alan Hahn
No.
- [14:03]
Peter Rosenberg
So we'll see what happens there. So. And we're already starting to see the phone calls. You're already starting to hear the Boobirds. So you've nailed it. Those are the two guys now. You watch him every day. What is it? What's the disconnect? Is it. Is, are the Knicks a bad fit? Is he not handling the pressure of being on the big stage? What is it with him that he has not seemed to be able to make the adjustment from Nets to Knicks?
- [14:27]
Alan Hahn
I don't think it's the stage. I think it's the involvement in the offense, the amount of touches that he might get, what his role is, which. There are times that he's. He's a spacer now. He, he's also somebody they want him to cut and move. And there were times when he's at his best where he's having big games, mainly because they're finding him on cuts. I saw him have a 19 point first quarter. Brunson had like seven assists, all finding Bridges because Bridges activity was terrific. Then there's other games where he. Because he's working so hard defensively, it's almost like the batteries got to reset on offense and he's not as active and so he's not involved in any player. No matter who you are, it doesn't matter. Don, we know this. If you're not getting involved in the offense, you mentally start to like check out a little bit. And I just don't know what's happened with him, but his numbers since the All Star break are not Very good. His, you know, his shots, as far as his shots per game is not very good. His three point percentage has gone. It's plummeted again. And he's been very inconsistent from three. And the problem is in this offense, they need him to be a good three point shooter. And so I'll say it again, he effectively replaced another Villanova player in Dante DiVincenzo. Dante DiVincenzo had one of his. He had, he had set a franchise record for three pointers made in a season last year playing with Brunson because he just knew exactly how to play off of. Brunson had a space and he shot over 40% from 3. Kid was money. So maybe Bridges isn't the best fit because he doesn't shoot the three as well. He doesn't space like that. He plays it a little different. I, I just, sometimes it doesn't. Like the fit looked good on paper and then you watch it and go, oh, no, no, no, this doesn't work. I don't want to, oh, I don't want to completely blame Bridges and, and start, you know, taking shots at him personally, like, as if this guy's just not built for it. I don't think it's that. I just think certain players fit and there's got to be a way that if this isn't going to be what they do going forward, find a way to get Dante DiVincenzo back in a Nick uniform next year.
- [16:38]
Peter Rosenberg
And hopefully you can do that if that's the case. But there is somebody to blame, even though sometimes it doesn't work. I get it. But Leon Rose is supposed to know if it's going to fit or not, right? He's supposed to go beyond paper. Like, I'm going to give up, I'm going to give up this for him because I believe he's going to fit. And if he doesn't fit, isn't that on him for getting that wrong or is it on the player for, for not making the proper adjustment?
- [17:07]
Alan Hahn
I think if, I think, I think it's fair. But as I said, I'm. I was wrong last year. The same thing. Like I always say, what if I were the gm? What would I do? I always do that. And last season, watching Mikhail Bridges, all I kept saying was, my God, he'd fit so well in this NICK team. That's all I kept thinking. Like he would fit so well because he does defend well. He's taller, you know, he was sh. He can score. You could play him with the bench. And so when, when Brunson's out, he could be like the main guy with the bench. They tried all that stuff and for whatever reason, his consistency just wasn't there. And so I would have made the same mistake, Don, I'm telling you, I thought, oh my God, this guy would be a great fit. I would have made the same mistake. So I can't, like, I can't argue with that one. I can't.
- [17:53]
Peter Rosenberg
But I know, but you're not the team. I mean, you.
- [17:56]
Alan Hahn
But I will argue if they give him an extension, I will. Well, the extension feels like it doesn't make sense.
- [18:01]
Peter Rosenberg
See, good. A real good executive admits when they get it wrong and immediately try to correct it. The worst thing he can do is just be stubborn and say, listen, I think this is going to fit. I'm not going to correct it. And then it gets worse. A good executive looks at it and goes, all right, we gave it a try, didn't work. Let's spin this into something else. Should have kept even Chenzo. Let's bring him back and then just move forward. That's what the real good executives do, you know, because you just similar things happen with the Yankees. Like, because it's not working with the Yankees in their outfield situation, right? Dominguez is not playing well in left field because they went out and got a center fielder which was Dominguez's natural position and they thought that he can make the adjustment to left field. If he doesn't, is it Dominguez's fault or is it Catchment for thinking he could make the adjustment? They could have went out and got a left fielder and left Dominguez in center. They didn't. They got Bellinger because they fell in love with the left handed bat, short porch, all that. So this is where executives have to. All right, project. All right, how is it going to work? Is he going to fit in New York? Is he going to handle the media? Is he going to be able to fit in as a puzzle piece to what we're trying to do here? And I'm all for blaming players, I get it, but at the end of the day, you thought it would work, it didn't. And now you got to do something about it.
- [19:19]
Alan Hahn
That, that's actually a very good, that's a good analogy to a good comparison. We'll see where it goes. But he's got an opportunity now, so we'll see Ken Bridges kind of wake up here, prove his worth and even get some Knick fans to realize, oh, no, no, this all right. Like now we see maybe he was just getting lost in the offense and that's they're going to need him. They're going to need him. Obviously Karl Anthony Towns, I mean, I'm not overlooking him. That guy's an all star. So you're all star. You have two of them. So when one goes down, the other all Star has to carry the team. So he's a big part of it certainly as well. And the game is tonight. They have a back to back. They're playing the Clippers. They will not have Brunson. They will not have Mitchell Robinson. But they will also have no excuses. You got to play. The ball goes up and you got to play. And that'll be tonight at 10:30 tip off. So 10:00 here on 880 ESPN for your pregame and also on MSG Networks, Kenny Albert and I on the call, 800 now. 193776, Tim and Far Rockaway. Tim.
- [20:17]
Caller
Yeah.
- [20:18]
Peter Rosenberg
What's up, baby?
- [20:19]
Alan Hahn
What's up?
- [20:20]
Peter Rosenberg
Hello.
- [20:21]
Alan Hahn
All right.
- [20:22]
Peter Rosenberg
That's fun. That's great. The technology.
- [20:26]
Alan Hahn
Don't you love when that happens? Oh, man. All right, tell you what, here's what we'll do. Take a break here. We got lots of calls lined up, ready to go. We'll grab your calls and we'll continue to have the conversation with you. Don Han Rosenberg, 880 ESPN all right, guys.
- [20:45]
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- [23:28]
Alan Hahn
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- [23:50]
Don Hahn
Of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per intro rate. First three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full terms@mint mobile.com thanks for listening.
- [24:00]
Alan Hahn
To the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [24:02]
Advertiser
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [24:04]
Alan Hahn
Catch the show on demand whenever you want, just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. 800-919-3776. All over the map with all the different topics we've been talking today. So a little potpourri. And we begin with. With Raf in Long Island. Go ahead, Raphael.
- [24:25]
Peter Rosenberg
Hello?
- [24:26]
Alan Hahn
We're gonna do this again.
- [24:27]
Peter Rosenberg
Oh, no. Is there something wrong with the phone?
- [24:29]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, like, it's just. No, I just. Like somebody's. It's always mute. It's always mute. Sam in Brooklyn. Sam.
- [24:37]
Caller
You guys hear me? Hear me now.
- [24:39]
Alan Hahn
We got you, sir. There we go.
- [24:41]
Caller
I got two points. I got a Rangers point and I got a, a, a, a, a Burn for the morning show. Which one you want first?
- [24:48]
Peter Rosenberg
Burn for the morning show. What do you think, Alan?
- [24:50]
Caller
All right.
- [24:51]
Alan Hahn
Why not?
- [24:52]
Caller
All right, it's, it's baseball season and what, three weeks? Rangers are in the playoffs next to the playoff hunt. Why do these guys spend three out of the four hours talking about football? Worse off, they're talking about the jets and Giants who aren't worth a five minute conversation. You guys have. You guys.
- [25:13]
Alan Hahn
Sam, Sam, Football.
- [25:14]
Caller
I get that. I get that.
- [25:16]
Alan Hahn
The Giants have the number three. The Giants have the number three pick in the draft and they're desperate for a quarterback. And there's a lot of stories. I think today's the first day we're not talking football. Right, Don? We've talked football almost every day this week.
- [25:29]
Caller
No, no, no, I'm not saying, you.
- [25:31]
Alan Hahn
Know, Dave is a huge sport, but yeah, yeah, go ahead.
- [25:38]
Caller
It's too, it's six, it's five months away. And I mean, I know the draft is. What?
- [25:44]
Alan Hahn
Draft is a month away? No, the draft is in April. It's a couple of weeks away.
- [25:47]
Caller
Okay.
- [25:48]
Peter Rosenberg
All right. Yeah, I'll let you make arranger.
- [25:50]
Alan Hahn
And by the way, and by the way, Sam, the free agency for the, for football is like, we're, we're, we're in it now. Like, teams are going to start signing players. They're going to like, this is the off season where moves, trade signings. All this is going to go on right now. This is, this is the July of the NBA season. Like that right now for the NFL. This is, this is a business time that you can change your team. So, you know, again, I have no problem with what they play.
- [26:15]
Caller
This is a, this is the playoff push for the Knicks and the Rangers. And they. Yeah, and they got a guy who's the number one pick of the NHL draft. They rarely talk.
- [26:25]
Peter Rosenberg
Okay, now you got your time to talk. Rangers. What's Up.
- [26:27]
Caller
All right, here we go.
- [26:28]
Alan Hahn
Let's go.
- [26:29]
Caller
I think. I think Drury is. Is. Is actually doing a master class in. And with his, you know, with his deals here, I think. I think the biggest moves are going to be in the summer. Obviously now, right, because the trade deadline's over. But I think everyone talking about Mika and Kreider and whatever, I think. I think Panarin is the one that's going to get moved because he's the most valuable and you'll be at the end of his contract. What do you guys. What do you guys think?
- [26:55]
Peter Rosenberg
I don't think you're that far off for a couple of reasons. Number one, this was not an acquisition that Drury made. That was a JD and Gordon deal that they made to bring in Panarin. He kind of accelerated the rebuild when they signed him as a free agent. All right. They've become a North south team. He is still the east west guy. Now you need those guys. He's a skilled guy, highly skilled. There's nothing wrong with him. But when you take a look at how he kind of disappears in the postseason, kind of becomes a one trick pony on the power play, scoring goals. Not the greatest five on five. I could see if the offer's. Right now. I don't know whether he's gonna. I don't know what his no movement clause situation is. Is a partial. Is it full? I'm not sure, but I would kick the tires on that. I would. Alan, just because. Does he fit what we're trying to do? And also I can get. I'm probably gonna get a haul for him. So I, I'm not saying I completely agree with the caller, but I would not rule out the possibility that I might be open to take some phone calls on Panera. Let's see how the final 20 go. For all we know, he'll be lights out. He still leads the team in goals. Right. So it's not like he isn't contributing. But you just wonder, does he ultimately fit that line that was so great last year? Tro check, lafren year, Panarin, not quite the same this year. So not a crazy thought that that's.
- [28:20]
Alan Hahn
One of those moves, though, that it's like a damned if you do, damned if you don't. Right? Because you. It's like you just said, it's so hard to replace that kind of production. And if your power plays going over four in big spots, the last thing you want to do is get rid of a guy that can put the puck in the net. Those Guys like you said, have great value, but you know, also you can get something for them. But you still have to have some way to say, okay, we're losing this, but we can replace it in another way. That is a. Is a delicate place to be for the Rangers because he has been. He's been very productive. He's been very good, but not the same as last year as we see. Let's go. Oh, Raph is back. Rap from Long Island. Let's see if he got us off. Mute. Go ahead, Rap.
- [29:03]
Caller
Hey guys, thanks for taking the call. Yeah, I lost connection there for a second. Oh, good. So I'm kind of on the opposite end of this. I. I don't think the last move that Jury made was bad per se because I don't think we were ever playing Branstrom to begin with. So I think Obey Cabell was a fine pickup in exchange. But overall, I want to know both of your opinions on whether you think Chris Jury could be fighting for his job here with some of the moves that they've made. I know that they said they wanted to bring in a grit guy, right? That's why they brought in J.T. miller. And they gave up what they gave up. But then you go and trade away two of our heart and soul grit guys in BC who will play top to bottom, one to fourth line kill penalties, do whatever you need them to do. And Lindgren, who's going to give you 120% every game.
- [29:48]
Peter Rosenberg
Raf, there were unrestricted free agents. Are you going to tell me Jimmy Vesey, God love him, but he's. They weren't bringing him back. You brought J.T. miller's got six years left on his contract. He's 100 point scorer. Miller, Jimmy Vesey, Ryan. I love Ryan. Lingering. He was the oldest 27 year old on the planet. Alright, God love him. He blocked shots. But he did not have a future here. VC didn't have a future here. You don't build around guys like that. You bring in a J.T. miller that could become his team. He's the next captain of the team. He has scored 99 points and like 103 points just recently in his career in Vancouver. He's your best player right now. 14 points in the 12 games that he's been here. He has woken up Mika Zabanejad. What else do you want Chris Drury to do? He awoken the guy that won't move. He won't. He won't dump his MO Trade clause. He's floating around not knowing where he is half the time most people think he woke him up. A J.T. miller, a great guy. He's a hundred point scorer. Jimmy Vesey's bounced all over the league. God love him. The tears, they weren't bringing him back. Raph, man, come back to me.
- [30:59]
Caller
But I'm saying if they're still not punting on the season, wouldn't you want those two heart and soul grit guys the same way you brought in J.T. miller?
- [31:07]
Peter Rosenberg
Jimmy Vesey was complaining he couldn't get into the lineup. The only reason Jimmy Vesey was playing is because they had injuries. He's a fourth line winger. I gotta make the playoffs with Jimmy Vesey. Jimmy Vesey's not getting me to the playoffs again. Love him. Goodbye. I, I, I don't Raph. I, I'm insane right now.
- [31:29]
Alan Hahn
You see Anthony, I need angry. Anthony. Come on.
- [31:33]
Peter Rosenberg
I'm gonna go at 6:00. I got to get on a plane. I got to go to Ottawa. So I'm not, I don't want to go in distressed. So. But wow, I was in such a good mood today. I'm going to Ottawa later. We're not punting on the season but we got rid of Jimmy Vesey. I don't want to sit here and talk bad about Jimmy Vesey. If Jimmy Vesey is costing you a playoff spot, man, it was imaginary. It was made of fairy dust. Your playoff chances, I just don't under.
- [32:05]
Caller
I love, I love this fan base and I am part of it. I don't understand some of the connection to some of the players that you are just going to move on from Jimmy Vesey. Like you said, Dom wasn't going to get signed next year and if he was, it was going to be at an under a million dollar contract on a two way deal so that he.
- [32:24]
Alan Hahn
Could bounce between him.
- [32:25]
Peter Rosenberg
Right? I, yes. I'm telling you, Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey were great guys. Great Rangers, especially Lindgren, okay? And Vici was a great guy too. But they weren't going to bring him back. All right? And if they were going to bring him back, it was probably going to be for a contract that the guys would want to seek something better elsewhere. Ryan Lindgren's now got a better chance of winning a cup than he did five minutes ago when he was a Ranger. Because I think Colorado's got a pretty decent shot. Don't feel, don't cry for him, Argentina. Okay.
- [32:54]
Alan Hahn
J.T.
- [32:55]
Peter Rosenberg
Miller'S a grit, a grit guy. 103 point grit guy.
- [33:00]
Caller
By the way, it is kind of funny. And not that he is wrong. Raf is wrong, but it's also interesting that that is like a hundred point scorer actually is one of your strongest and toughest guys. It's possible you could have hundred point scorers that play hard. The Chubs are going to be that very shortly.
- [33:15]
Peter Rosenberg
A hundred point scorer can be gritty, but you do not describe them. You know what you Describe them as? 100 point scorer Power forwards which are.
- [33:26]
Caller
Hard to come by.
- [33:27]
Peter Rosenberg
The best player on your team.
- [33:30]
Caller
Sorry. Don Dre did speak, by the way.
- [33:32]
Peter Rosenberg
Okay.
- [33:32]
Caller
And he said, I was just trying to thread the needle, trying to make sure we got some assets back for UFAS for the future while trying to show the group I still believe in the team, which I do.
- [33:41]
Peter Rosenberg
He paddled the chest of Mika. J.T. miller's a wizard.
- [33:47]
Alan Hahn
Clear. He clearly like, I love the paddled the chest. Like that's the best way to describe taking. You know what? I, I want to use that because it's almost like they paddled the chest of Mikhail Bridges. Like that's what you need to see happen now in the last 20 games. That somebody just, you know, like got to him and said, hey, we need you. Right? Melon, get your suit on. We need you.
- [34:18]
Caller
Credit Twitter because they're, they're hilarious. Honestly, Twitter's hilarious. Somebody said who knew that the right wing one that Mika's advantage had and Chris Carter needed all these years was Mika Savannah.
- [34:28]
Peter Rosenberg
That right did it. But it's true.
- [34:32]
Alan Hahn
And Crowder didn't go anywhere. Right. Wasn't there some, some, some thought that that might happen?
- [34:40]
Peter Rosenberg
I think, I think that there was genuine interest, but I guess there was nothing that Drury felt like he couldn't do in the off season. And listen, Crider might come back from this back injury and it's possible he'll be revitalized as well. So listen, you don't have to agree with me that Drury, I thought, has done a terrific job here. You don't have to agree. I guess there's some conversation, but don't have that caller represent your half of the story. Don't. And as far as Don't. Well, I gave him the shade on the morning. Should call the morning show. They do a great. I'm sorry, you throw. I don't take football the rest of the way. The phones would blow up. So you got to stop.
- [35:20]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, but I listen to that show regularly and I don't get this sense that it's too much. They talk baseball, a lot of baseball, but they don't it's not exclusive football. And I get why football right now. I mean, like I said on this show, I feel like we've done a lot more football than you guys used to do when it was a previous show. And I feel like, you know, this time of year it's warranted because this is when the new league year begins and business starts booming and players start moving and you start cutting players and moving on from players and. And an optimism abounds about what you can become. So, yeah, this is time to talk football.
- [35:56]
Peter Rosenberg
And if you don't think that the possibility of Aaron Rodgers coming to the Giants, whether you like it or not, isn't interesting, well, then I guess you're not. You're not a football fan. But just at least acknowledge you don't have to be a football fan. Not everybody is. But at least acknowledge that you're in the very tiny minority of people that don't like football and just accept the fact that it's king. Now, today there wasn't a breaking story, so we didn't do a lot on it. But that's like the first time in like a week there hasn't been like a major football story.
- [36:25]
Alan Hahn
And the drafts have been significant when it's not right.
- [36:30]
Peter Rosenberg
Three and seven.
- [36:31]
Alan Hahn
Now we're just getting the draft. Yeah. And we're getting conflicting now mocks at this point where now it's mocked out right enough now because none of them agree and all of them have different reasonings and you never know what to believe at this point. So we're there. But if you want to talk some baseball, Steven, Middle Village is all about it. Steve, wow.
- [36:53]
Caller
Want to lead into that. Thank you for taking the call. I appreciate it.
- [36:56]
Peter Rosenberg
Okay.
- [36:58]
Caller
I read a story. Yes. It was put on the Athletic yesterday by Jerry DePito, the GM or president or whatever. He is over with the Mariners and he was explaining in 2003 about that if a team wins 54% of its games over a decade, they'll be successful. And the Mariners fans, according to this story, sound like they're as Don. You would say the Yankee fans, although the Mariners fans have a lot more to complain about because this guy really hasn't done anything. And he. And he speaks in the way the author of this story says Depot like Sengolese, I want your advice on this because I responded, I got attacked and I was just being neutral.
- [37:53]
Advertiser
I was.
- [37:53]
Caller
I was trying to back up the Mariners fans saying that I like baseball better when it was more stengalese, not that I was saying that we should go back to, you know What? It was 60 years ago when Casey Stengel was around. What I was saying is that baseball today is more corporate. It's either home runs, strikeouts, or walks. And that from an entertainment value, at least for me, I'm not gonna speak for anybody else, at least for me is boring. And I got responses saying baseball is wildly popular and it's the now that.
- [38:39]
Alan Hahn
It'S ever been before. Yeah, I'm with you, Steve. I'm with you. Yeah, Steve, I'm with you. For Jerry Depot, who's been running that franchise for a while, it's. It's another example of. With the problem I have with the Yankees, it's that it is. There is this disconnect from the entertainment portion, which is why the sport had to start doing things to entertain people, to speed up the game, to make it a little more streamlined, to like the whole idea of the celebrations, everything else, because it had gotten kind of stale. That's a real thing. Nothing wrong with it.
- [39:16]
Peter Rosenberg
Analytics.
- [39:16]
Alan Hahn
It's true.
- [39:17]
Peter Rosenberg
Analytics are boring.
- [39:18]
Alan Hahn
Very analytics. Basing everything off of the Not a no name. Well, we got to bring in this lefty reliever. Like, enough already. Like, it just. I'm with you.
- [39:28]
Peter Rosenberg
I think it made it boring. But I will. I will say this, and this is coming from a baseball fan. You know how big a Met fan I am. And we're going to do a ton of baseball once it starts, for sure.
- [39:37]
Alan Hahn
Sure.
- [39:37]
Peter Rosenberg
But a lot of my interest in baseball just comes from the fact it's always been there. And I've been a Met fan my whole life, so I'm driven by. I can't say that it entertains me as much as the other sports do like me. I can be at a game and I'm entertained by hockey. I'm entertained by football. Even if I don't have a dog in the fight. They. That's the. And even basketball to a certain extent, even though it's my fourth sport, because I don't have a team the way I have with the Mets and now the Rangers and of course, growing up a Giant fan. But a lot of it's just out of the obligation. If I spent 57 years of my life watching this sport, I'm going to continue to do it. It's become more of a habit than something I say I actually enjoy as much as other sports. And I. And that's why I think they're losing a generation of fans. And that's why they're making the changes that they're making because it's gotten a little stale. For sure, we love it, but it gets stale.
- [40:28]
Alan Hahn
I agree. I, I have I the first sport I watched as a kid was baseball. I became a Yankees fan in the 70s. I've been a Yankees fan through the dark, dark years in the 80s and early 90s, the late night. I, I, that's, I love the Yankees. And over the last 25 years, I have lost my interest in the game. I still follow the Yankees, I still watch the Yankees. But it, it definitely has waned. And it's not because I don't like the sport. It's just because, like you said, other things entertain me more than that sport does now. And it never, that wasn't the case years ago. That's a real, it's a reality. I know young people don't like to hear this and they turn this all into a boomer and old man and all that crap. And I get it. I'm sure that's what he was saying, the responses he was getting because he said, Casey Stangle, God forbid you make a reference to somebody from the past that either was a personality or was great and say, boy, things were great when he was. The funny lines that he would throw out there and the things that he would say, like Yogi would say things. You love Yogi. But it's like, oh, yeah, sure, things were better back then. Blah, blah. Nobody ever wants to say that, you know, there was a time where things were better. I'm sorry. When it comes to sports, it's okay to say that, you know, it's not as good as it used to be. Nobody wants to ever accept that, though. Go. We're just old men who are yelling at a cloud. And I hate that sometimes. Accept it.
- [41:49]
Peter Rosenberg
Hey, listen, I was down on this year's super bowl because of my emotions, but, you know, I'm not missing a Super Bowl, I'm not missing a Stanley Cup Final. I, I will watch the NBA Finals especially, you know, the Lakers are involved. I'm going to follow that.
- [42:02]
Alan Hahn
Oh, yeah.
- [42:02]
Peter Rosenberg
If the, if the Giants, if the Mets and the Yankees are not in the World Series, it's got to really be like, I didn't watch a second of that, that Ranger diamond back World Series. When I was a kid, I didn't miss a pitch of a World Series. Didn't matter who was in it. But other sports have become more interesting to me and less. Unless I got a dog in a fight. When it's a baseball game, I'm good.
- [42:22]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, unfortunately, that's where we are. So we side with you.
- [42:25]
Don Hahn
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- [42:56]
Alan Hahn
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- [43:26]
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- [43:55]
Alan Hahn
The Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [43:57]
Advertiser
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [43:59]
Alan Hahn
Catch this show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Not Game Time Brought to you by Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey because when it's game time, it's Tully time. Sorry Don, I know it's Tully Time. There it is. Nick's back in action out here in LA against the Clippers. We have coverage at 880 on right here on 880 ESPN at 10pm that follows Ty Butler Devils and the jets are at seven for the hockey side of things. Game Time Brought to you by Telemardu the original triple distilled triple blended triple cast matured Irish whiskey. Be sure to grab a Telemardu or try the new Telemardu Honey during tonight's action. Glasses up to enjoying tell them or do responsibly.
- [44:46]
Peter Rosenberg
They had Brian Dublowin on the blue line so and and they and sprung they made a couple of moves they didn't sell like many people thought they should after the Jack Hughes injury. But some nice maintenance deals for New Jersey.
- [44:58]
Alan Hahn
Los Diablos. Okay. Yeah, well, I mean, you know, again, like they have a good team if they keep it healthy. Yeah, they lost the goaltender for a while and that, that cost them as well, but just healthy. They're a really good team. We saw that for the majority of the season. All right, let's, let's get some more calls going here. Enn coming up at 6, 800 now at 93 7. Harry's in Smithtown out on the island. What's up Harry?
- [45:24]
Caller
Harry Allen. Hey, Don. How's things?
- [45:27]
Alan Hahn
Good, good, good.
- [45:28]
Caller
I'm just big fan of game misconduct and I feel after listening today and you know, hearing you on game is kind like Lou Amarillo is always getting a pass when he probably could have for the past couple seasons been unloading, you know, players. The Islanders are like basically a team of depth players, players that they could have sent to, you know, playoff bound teams for picks and you know, and here we are trying to resign.
- [45:55]
Peter Rosenberg
Palmeri, well, you do have a new building. You have ownership that I think wants to keep the team, be relevant. And Lou might have lost a little on his fastball, but I thought what he got for Nelson was, it was a coup. So I give him a lot of credit for that. But if tomorrow we found out the Islanders decided to move on from Lou Lamarello, I wouldn't, I wouldn't kill him for it. How it. But he does have a great resume. But I can understand the frustration of what's happened since those two runs to the third round and, and it was time to let go and I think they're starting to do that.
- [46:30]
Caller
Yeah, I think more should have been. I mean teams like, you know, Edmonton, Toronto, Dallas, Colorado, you know, they needed goalies for the past three years and we've had Volama could have got picks for him. You know, guys like Tazika's, guys like Pelek, Poolock, all these guys, you know, would make great depth players for a team going and I think we could.
- [46:49]
Alan Hahn
Have stopped and then what though? But, but Harry. Yeah, but Harry, I mean, honestly. But then what? I mean, you move. First of all, I think I believe that Pelic or one of them has a no move. So that's not easy. Suzikis. I mean you want to rip more of the heart out of your team, you still gotta have somebody that's a leader around that team. You know, you're dumping off everybody. Varlamov got hurt I get it. But you can't just like, what do you have to replace them? Are you just going to put out the team from 99, 2000 that I covered that. Nobody knew what their names were.
- [47:18]
Peter Rosenberg
I know.
- [47:19]
Alan Hahn
Can't do that.
- [47:20]
Caller
You got to suck it up for a season. Look, the Rangers got right away, he's.
- [47:24]
A heart and soul guy.
- [47:25]
Peter Rosenberg
But, but, but the Rangers are in a different situation.
- [47:27]
Alan Hahn
Okay.
- [47:27]
Peter Rosenberg
I mean, again, I don't want to get into that whole like who's bigger. The Rangers have a fan base and there's a relevancy where they can, they can afford to do that on the reverse. The Devils are able to do it because they, you know, they were pretty far removed from having their brand new building and they made a conscious decision that we're going to be bad for a little while and we're going to compile picks. They just opened ubs. I'm sure Malin and Ledecki want to fill the building after it's brand new, you know.
- [47:53]
Alan Hahn
And they do want to redo that team though.
- [47:55]
Peter Rosenberg
And it wasn't that far away from going to the third round. Back to back years they wanted to redo it, but you know, I, I, I, it's, it's a lot harder to do it than I think fans think. And did you really want to do it the second they got bounced by Tampa in the third round and say, all right, let's blow it up or let's try to keep it together and see if we can do it again.
- [48:12]
Alan Hahn
It's so easy for fans to say this after the fact. You should have blown it up. You should have like to say, you got to suck it up. You, you know how long it can take you to get back. Like, you can't just this whole notion of just trade all these guys away for picks and start over, start over doesn't mean the league says to you, all right, take a couple of years. We won't make you play games. You still got to play games and get your head kicked in it. It's, you got to do it in a process. I'm not saying Lou was great. I'm not saying Lou couldn't have done more, but I'm not going to kill him right now for this.
- [48:43]
Peter Rosenberg
And also they made the playoffs last year, right? I mean, were they losing the Carolina. I forget what, there's five, six games, but they made the playoffs and I thought they had a chance to win the series going in. I mean there's value to, to the Islanders saying being in the playoffs and, and going, going up against the Carolina Hurricanes, getting a couple of home gates, maybe a third home gate. What is it, like $2 million a game? Like, I don't want to make it about nickel and diamond, but, but that's with a brand new building and you want to fill it and you never know. And we've got maybe Sorokin stands on his head and we get to the second round. That's awful tempting, man.
- [49:12]
Alan Hahn
Don, you got a flight to catch to Ottawa? We'll be listening this weekend, my friend. And I'll see you on Monday at our new digs.
- [49:18]
Peter Rosenberg
I love you.
- [49:20]
Alan Hahn
All right, brother, my man, back at you. Meanwhile, I want to tell you about Dierks Bentley, the Broken Branches Tour coming to Madison Square Garden on Aug. 28. ESPN New York has your chance to score tickets on the ESPN New York app. Just scroll down to contest. Submit your entry Brought to you by Live Nation. Tickets are on sale now@ticketmaster.com 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. Hear more of Don, Alan and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers. Are you ready to build your company's dream team? Just like in sports, finding skilled players is essential for success. With Robert Half's winning combination of specialized recruiting professionals and award winning AI, we'll help you find the MVPs and key, key role players who will have you hanging banners in the rafters. Because in business, it's all about having the experienced team on your side. At Robert Half, we know talent. Visit roberthal.com today.