Hour 3: Knicks Need A Bench

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 3: Knicks Need A Bench

In the January 7, 2025 episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg, hosts Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg dive deep into the New York Knicks' recent performances, emphasizing the critical need for a stronger bench. Beyond basketball, the trio also touches on recent WWE events, engages with listeners, and indulges in some light-hearted movie discussions. Here's a detailed breakdown of the episode's key topics, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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1. WWE’s Monday Night Raw Review

The episode kicks off with a discussion about the recent Monday Night Raw event, spotlighting the high-profile match between CM Punk and Seth Rollins.

• Don La Greca expresses his disappointment with the match's outcome:
  "[03:23] Don LeGreca: Well, first of all, the ending disappointed me because I hate when the bad guy wins."

• Peter Rosenberg counters by reframing Seth Rollins' character:
  "[03:23] Peter Rosenberg: Yeah, well, he's not the bad guy. But to us, he was the bad guy."

• The hosts commend the crowd's energy, comparing the crowd chants to a hockey game:
  "[03:23] Don LeGreca: The chants back and forth was like a hockey game. Yeah, it was. It was great."

The conversation highlights the emotional investment fans have in wrestling storylines and the lasting impact such events can have.

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2. Analyzing the New York Knicks’ Performance

A substantial portion of the episode is dedicated to scrutinizing the Knicks' recent games, focusing on their declining three-point shooting and the resultant strain on their bench players.

• Don points out the sharp decline in the Knicks' three-point accuracy:
  "[07:20] Don LeGreca: They are not making threes. Last night only made four. They missed 15 in a row."

• Peter emphasizes the broader implications of this shooting slump:
  "[07:23] Don LeGreca: We're not winning games now. We got to find way to impact the game in other areas when we're not making shots like that."

• Alan Hahn adds context by comparing the current team to previous Knicks rosters:
  "[08:01] Alan Hahn: I thought last night's loss was disturbing. They are being judged much differently than the old Knicks where you're just happy that they're in contention."

The hosts collectively agree that while the Knicks have shown promise earlier in the season, recent performances indicate underlying issues, particularly concerning bench depth and stamina.

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3. Listener Calls: The Jimmy Butler Trade Debate

Engaging with their audience, Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg field calls that propose significant roster changes to bolster the Knicks' competitiveness.

• Caller Andres suggests trading OG Anunoby for Jimmy Butler:
  "[15:03] Caller: ...OG's been averaging 16 points a game... He's making $40 million a year. ...thoughts on going out, getting a Jimmy Butler for OG..."

• Don responds skeptically about the trade's feasibility and impact:
  "[15:40] Don LeGreca: I'm not, I'm not throwing anything in. ...if I'm, I'm taking on your problem and I'm giving you another. No."

• Peter further critiques the trade, highlighting Butler's playoff prowess versus his regular-season performance:
  "[17:32] Don LeGreca: He's a pain in the ass, but he's really good."
  "[17:35] Peter Rosenberg: ...Jimmy has come off looking brilliant, but it's mostly based on his playoff performance."

The discussion underscores the complexities of making high-stakes trades, weighing immediate benefits against long-term team dynamics and existing bench issues.

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4. Deep Dive: Bench Depth and Team Strategy

Continuing the Knicks' analysis, the hosts explore the implications of a shallow bench on the team's championship aspirations.

• Don questions whether the Knicks are ready for championship contention without a robust bench:
  "[10:38] Peter Rosenberg: ...that is because they're a little bit shallow... it's very rare to be a championship caliber team and not have a deep bench."

• Alan reflects on coach Tom Thibodeau’s approach to player minutes:
  "[13:07] Don LeGreca: Tom Thibodeau is obsessed with winning, obsessed with it."
  "[13:17] Don LeGreca: ...how much Allen is. Well, no, the minutes are not a problem."

• Peter raises concerns about the sustainability of the current strategy:
  "[12:50] Peter Rosenberg: Make your next move with American Express Business Platinum...]"
  [Note: This seems like an advertisement and should be skipped per instructions.]

The conversation reveals a consensus: without improving bench performance, the Knicks may struggle to maintain their competitive edge, especially in high-pressure playoff scenarios.

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5. Casual Banter: Movie Discussions

Injecting some levity into the episode, the hosts and callers reminisce about classic movies, sharing personal anecdotes and opinions.

• Alan admits his unfamiliarity with Top Gun:
  "[21:40] Don LeGreca: ...I should watch that movie."

• Peter and Don humorously debate the appeal and longevity of comedies like Spaceballs and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle:
  "[26:32] Don LeGreca: Let's take Nick in Woodbridge. Hey, Nick."
  "[26:35] Jalen Brunson: ...the one movie for me that I still crack up at every time is Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle."

These segments provide a glimpse into the hosts' personalities, showcasing their ability to balance serious sports analysis with light-hearted conversation.

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6. Hockey Segment: Rangers vs. Devils and Hockey Fights Cancer

Shifting gears, the podcast dedicates time to discuss current NHL matchups and charitable initiatives within the sport.

• Don highlights the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative:
  "[35:34] Don LeGreca: ...the V Foundation has awarded over 43 million... to cancer research."

• The hosts analyze the Rangers’ performance against the Devils, focusing on power play struggles and overall team strategy:
  "[37:11] Don LeGreca: They hit the road, go out west for Vegas, Colorado and Utah. So let's see what happens tonight."
  "[38:37] Don LeGreca: ...they've had 30 power plays in eight games. So they've had 30 power plays in eight games."

• A listener, Jalen Brunson, calls in to commend the hosts and briefly mention the World Juniors tournament:
  "[39:35] Don LeGreca: ...single day, they're fine and they can start over again the next week..."
  "[40:03] Alan Hahn: ...Imagine that for USA Hockey to win back to back World juniors. Gabe Perot was one of the best players for Team USA."

This segment underscores the hosts' versatility in covering a range of sports topics, from NBA struggles to NHL strategies and international competitions.

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7. Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, the hosts engage in playful banter about personal preferences and maintain their signature humor.

• Don shares a personal story about his son:
  "[43:36] Don LeGreca: His roommate was a teammate and he did too."

• The trio jokes about everyday topics, reinforcing their camaraderie:
  "[44:12] Alan Hahn: You must not be able to fall forward."
  "[44:57] Don LeGreca: Maybe. I don't know...I just. That's just..."

These closing moments reinforce the hosts' chemistry, leaving listeners with a sense of community and anticipation for future episodes.

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Conclusion

In Hour 3: Knicks Need A Bench, Don, Hahn & Rosenberg provide a comprehensive analysis of the New York Knicks' current challenges, particularly emphasizing the necessity for a more robust bench to sustain their competitive edge. Through engaging discussions, listener interactions, and a blend of sports coverage, the hosts offer valuable insights while maintaining an entertaining and relatable atmosphere. Whether you're a dedicated Knicks fan or a casual sports enthusiast, this episode delivers both depth and entertainment, encapsulating the essence of what makes the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg podcast a must-listen.

Transcript

[Don LeGreca]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.

[Don LeGreca]

That's crystal.

[Peter Rosenberg]

See? You hear what I'm saying now?

[Don LeGreca]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks, Brownshirt. I knew you had to count on you.

[Don LeGreca]

Such a good beat. How are we feeling about this? I'm curious what the people think. Right? Because you. We love it, the three of us. Right? I think we all kind of bob our heads to this thing. Like, we love this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The herbal.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah, this. This whole thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And speaking of, we're loving the beat, we're loving the intro, and by the way, we're loving the support of the podcast. And if you haven't subscribed yet, whether you're an Apple podcast user, whether you're a Spotify podcast user, search for Don Hahn and Rosenberg. Some places it's hit subscribe, some places it's simply follow whatever their option is. Do that. And if you love the show and you want to support us, it would mean a lot if you'd click on it, you'd give it the five star rating and even better, write a little review. All those things go a lot to helping the show grow. So we had a great sort of debut on the charts yesterday. But we want to make an impression. So make sure you go support the podcast.

[Don LeGreca]

No question about it, as we know everybody, you get in your car at different times, listening to the show. You might have missed the first two hours. We try not to do too much repetitive things. We do certain topics, topic of the day that we will keep coming back to, especially with your calls. And you know, that's 800-919-3776. But there's going to be stuff you missed 800, and you don't miss it if you just have the podcast up and ready and subscribe to it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, Alan, you touched my heart yesterday. I haven't told you this yet. You touched my heart. You Know when. Right.

[Don LeGreca]

No, Yesterday was a whirlwind. I'm sorry.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Last night, Alan, in our very, very busy group text, decided to text us and say, look what you have me doing. And he sends a photo of him on the lirr.

[Don LeGreca]

Correct.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Watching the main event of Monday night Raw last night, it touched my soul.

[Jalen Brunson]

Holy crap.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You watched CM Punk versus Seth Rollins. Now, when was the last time prior to that that you'd watched any live professional wrestling?

[Don LeGreca]

Covid during. Remember, you jumped in a little bit. They did in Tampa. What was that live that they did in Tampa that there was no sports going on. So it's like, oh, something live.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's watch it. Yes.

[Don LeGreca]

That was the last time we have the Thunderdome.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But you got in. What did you think of Seth Rollins, CM Punk?

[Don LeGreca]

Well, first of all, the ending disappointed me because I hate when the bad guy wins.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, well, he's not the bad guy.

[Don LeGreca]

You know what I mean?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But to us, he was the bad guy.

[Don LeGreca]

To us, he was. Because after what he said to us and how passionate he sounded, Seth Rollins, that is Seth Rollins. I was on his side. Like, I was rooting for him, which is weird, but I was. I was caught up in it. And I was thinking, I want the story to be him winning. And there were those moments, which again, takes me back to when I was a kid watching wrestling. It's always like, damn it. Every time. And the crowd even got frustrated by it after a while. The crowd was phenomenal.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They were.

[Don LeGreca]

The chants back and forth was like a hockey game. Yeah, it was. It was great. So I was caught up. I did need it after that Nick game, because that Nick game, like, that's one of those where you're like, I need to just get something off my. Like, I need something to take my mind off of the awful basketball I just watched. And that was the opportunity to do that. So it was. It was entertaining. And now I know there must be now a sequel to this, because this is. This is drawing me in now to see the next time they fight. And it's got to be sometime.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I hope that they fight again. There's some speculation that, like, it was a one and done because they wrapped up a couple stories last night. Rhea Ripley won the title from Liv Morgan. That wraps up that story. They had Roman Reigns finally beat Solo Sikoa. That wraps up that story. I hope Seth and Punk was the beginning, not the end.

[Don LeGreca]

Feels like it didn't it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

To me it did. So I hope they keep going, but we'll see. It was a great Night for everyone who's a wrestling fan who's not named Hulk Hogan. It was a fantastic night.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah, I missed that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Those boos were.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah, I missed that. I didn't get in. I wasn't on the train early enough to see that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But, yeah, go back and enjoy.

[Don LeGreca]

I think one of those. You remember when he told us, like, slaps, I get to slap him in the face.

[Peter Rosenberg]

From the second it started.

[Don LeGreca]

Did any of them feel real?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, so did you watch the beginning of the match or how late did you get in?

[Don LeGreca]

I got just. Just, like, probably when it just started, I missed the. The intros and stuff. I didn't see that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Don LeGreca]

But I did see enough of. There was a few.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So there was a moment. There was a moment right at the beginning when he. When Rollins had Punk up against the ropes, and in order to get him over the top rope, he hit him with, like, three, like, lariats, three clotheslines back to back, which are basically, you know, what a clothesline is. But it was basically kind of like a chest punch with his arm. I thought he was definitively laying them in. I really did. Now, I don't think either of them did anything too intense. And at the end of the match, I will tell you, I noticed once Punk won, he hit his gts and he pinned him. I saw Punk lay across Seth's chest and clearly talk to him, which means probably when those moments happen and they do it kind of quietly like that, that it probably was a moment of respect, of being like, give, thank you for the match. I appreciated something to that extent, but I thought it was a great time. And by the way, man, Seth, sometimes you get told like, oh, so and so's coming on. They know their sports. Seth dialed in to his Chicago Bears.

[Don LeGreca]

He definitely was all in. When it comes to the NFL, he. He was naming names in all kinds of situations. So he. He was definitely good. Meanwhile, like I said, though, I was on the train and I had to work that Knicks game last night. And the Knicks had been playing great, great basketball for up until Friday, pretty much a month.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LeGreca]

And even Friday's game was a fantastic game. They just lost, but it was a fantastic game. Since then, they have looked like a tired team. That is something that is very clear. It happens. It's a long season, but in the locker room, when I was interviewing the players for msg, it is amazing. First and foremost, I want everybody to know. Two players sitting at their lockers. The minute the media was allowed in the locker room, front and center accountability, the Captain Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, both ready. Looked at me, you need me. You ready? You ready? Like, no hesitation, no nothing. You could get to a point in the season where you're like, you know, I'm tired. I don't want to talk to these guys. You know, you want to avoid it. They don't want to hear it. When it comes to the excuses about being, being tired, here's Josh Hart on the loss.

[Jalen Brunson]

We didn't get stops how we're supposed to. We didn't run how we're supposed to. We didn't feed up our defense and our job offensively easier. You know, we just didn't execute. So, you know, we're out there for 48 minutes. We gotta find a way for a tire.

[Don LeGreca]

We're days off after.

[Jalen Brunson]

We gotta, you know, find a way to.

[Don LeGreca]

He doesn't want to hear the excuse of being tired. Jalen Brunson, the team, by the way, they were one of the best three point shooting teams in the NBA for the better part of the start of the season. Over the last eight games, they're the worst. They are not making threes. Last night only made four. They missed 15 in a row. That was a bigger part of the story than anything else. If they had knocked down threes, they could have won the game. They couldn't make a three. And that tends to be, you don't have legs. And when you don't have legs, it means of course you're tired. I asked Brunson about that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Balls is not going in for us, but that shouldn't be the reason why.

[Don LeGreca]

We'Re not winning games now. We got to find way to impact the game in other areas when we're not making shots like that. And it starts with me. So a lot of times when a losing streak happens, and this is the longest one of the season, three games, guys, right away is when the fans who are waiting for the other shoe to drop, when the team's having success, that's when they go, I knew it. I knew it. And so the reaction that we have gotten since that game last night has been this team's now tired, the head coach has run them into the ground, he plays his starters too much, he doesn't rest them enough. And that now the wheels are going to fall off. Is this now time to panic when it comes to the Knicks?

[Alan Hahn]

No, but something to keep an eye on. I thought last night's loss was disturbing. They are being judged much differently than the old Knicks where you're just happy that they're in contention. If this team's going to win a championship, Allen, they're going to have to play better than they've played. They're going to have to find a bench. They're going to have to rest in some way, shape or form, especially going up against teams that probably are going to load, manage or just not take games as seriously during the regular season as the Knicks do. So it's a little. Yesterday really bothered me. Oklahoma City, listen, that was a team, the riding what a 13 game winning streak, One of the best teams of the NBA. They played hard, they lost. Okay, Chicago, it was, it was the second of back to back. You know, it's on the road, that's a tough spot. But for the top scorers, for the magic word in, you were a 12 point favorite at home and you lose and you score only 94 points, I mean you should routinely score over 100. This is an elite offensive team, Allen, and they just did not have it. So let's see how they bounce back tomorrow. I fully expect them to, but it's kind of just a humbling experience to realize that they're close but they're not there yet. And let's see if they can make the necessary changes because I do think that narrative is going to play out for the rest of the regular season. He doesn't have a deep enough rotation, doesn't have a deep enough bench. He's going to wear these guys out. And that's whether it's true or not, Alan. And you would know better than us because you're there every single day. That narrative is not going to go away. When you have games like you did last night.

[Don LeGreca]

Physique is the biggest threat. It makes cowards of us all. I mean, and that's something that you saw in that game. But it has been something that of all the things you can say about Tom Thibodeau, Peter, this is a guy who has turned the franchise around. He, Leon Rose, all that. When those guys showed up, everything changed. The culture changed. They built the team that now has a chance to win and win every night. There is, as Don said, a different standard. But the thing that chases Tom Thibodeau throughout his career is this notion that he plays his players too much.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He burns them out.

[Don LeGreca]

And like I said earlier in the show, I have done the numbers. It's actually not true when you think about it, because his teams are always playing their best at the end of the season. The last 20 games of every season he has coached with the Knicks, including The one year they didn't make the playoffs, they have a winning record. In fact they have a great record. 60. It's a 600, 650 winning percentage in the last 20 games that's leading you into the playoffs playing your best basketball. But you do go through a season where you hit a wall like this and you got to get through it. Your bench has to get you through these nights. That didn't happen last night and it really hasn't happened this season. Does the lack of a bench that you can rely on mean that this team is still not yet ready to be considered a championship contender?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, you were, you were the one who said this earlier on the show. And I think people appreciate it probably most coming for you or don't appreciate it most coming from you. That this is probably not quite a championship level team yet. And I think in all likelihood that is because they're a little bit shallow. That that that is to it is very rare. It happens. But it is very rare to be a championship caliber team and not have a deep bench. And this is a place where their bench is taking hits. Who is the most dangerous bench player? Like you mentioned pressure for the Celtics earlier.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Who is the dangerous bench player at this moment for the Knicks It'd be Deuce McBride. And is that if that is hurt.

[Don LeGreca]

Right now he's missed four, four games with a hamstring injury. And you know, so you're not getting a lot of production. You know, campaign was brought in the veteran to see if he could bring some pop but it's inconsistent along with his playing time. And Landry Shamma just come back from injury. You're not getting a lot out of no Hartenstein.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you don't have Hartenstein, if you don't have Dante DiVincenzo if the depending what pieces you no longer have on this team or in the case of Mitchell Robinson no longer available, it just creates a bit of a depth problem. Can they handle a series with a team that has more championship metal? If you're not able to go deep, it's very, very hard.

[Don LeGreca]

You're a Celtics fan. What did you see two, three years ago before they won their championship? What was the knock on the Celtics?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, everyone knew you had a lot at the top, but they got thin as it went on. They basically played six players and now they're a team that can play really play strong. Eight, nine.

[Alan Hahn]

You just wonder when's he going to catch up with you. Right now the top two minutes per game players in the NBA are Bridges and Hart. Bridges 39.2, Hart 37.7. And oh, by the way, OG is seventh. So they've got three of the top seven minute producers or all Knicks. Does that hurt you? And as far as going deep, like you said, they always close out the season well because they were a team that always valued finishing as high as they could. You get some like Peter, are the Boston Celtics going to ball out to be the one seed? They don't need to do that. The defending champions, they just went to the final before that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Chilling.

[Alan Hahn]

But if the Knicks need to win four in a row to get to a three seed or a two seed, like, they'll play for it because they see the value in that they did last year.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah, they went all the way to the end.

[Alan Hahn]

So how much Allen is. Well, no, the minutes are not a problem. Look how well they play at the end of the season. Or is it just, hey, that's a. That's a Thibodeau team that they play hard till the end because they value where they finish in the standings where other teams don't.

[Don LeGreca]

Tom Thibodeau is obsessed with winning, obsessed with it.

[Alan Hahn]

And I love that.

[Don LeGreca]

That's why he doesn't. Guys don't rest. And he's got players who don't want to. I've asked them. I asked Carl Anthony Towns about it, that he missed a game earlier in the season. And I just asked him about it. I was like, well, it's, you know, good game to get a rest. He goes, no, I don't. I want to play Guy. And he said. He goes, that's a misconception. Fans think that we have, like, we're guys who are like, oh, I don't want to play tonight, I want to sit out tonight. He goes, we love basketball, we love to play. But the team say to you, you know, we're going to sit you tonight because whatever it is with the schedule, they don't want to sit. And tips doesn't believe in it. So they don't sit right.

[Alan Hahn]

But I don't think it has to be to that extreme. I don't think anybody is saying that the Knicks should buy into the load management. But are there certain nights, Allen, where you're down 10 in the fourth quarter and you call off the dogs?

[Don LeGreca]

That's the question is. And you know what? In Chicago, they were down big early in the fourth and Mike and I are doing the game and I said to myself, I'm not going to say it on the air, but I was Thinking about watching and see if he knows. Back to back. We go to home. They emptied the tank, let's just sit the guys and let's call it a night. Wave the white flag and. And then Carl Anthony Town scored 25 points in the quarter, dragged them all the way back to within six. And I'm like, well, no, he's not doing that now. And then in go the rest of the starters and they finish the game and they lose and they all played over 40 minutes. So, you know, again, those are the things that just show you. But when you ask guys like Hart and Brunson and Bridges and all them, they're in lockstep with Tibbs. Yeah, I'm obsessed with winning. I want to win every game. I'm never going to just, I'm never going to just say, all right, it's not our night, let's just back it off. They're never going to do that. Let's continue with some calls here. We got Andres and Lyndon and Lindhurst. Andres.

[Caller]

Hey, how you doing guys? Welcome to the show, Alan. We miss Michael, but you guys are a better duo here. But wanted to bring this up here because OG is making $40 million a year and I wanted to get Alan's take on this. I know you work with the knicks closely, so OG's been averaging 16 points a game prior games. January 6th. He scored nine points last night, 12 points on the 4th, and then he had a game that he scored nine points, eight points on the 25th and the 27th. He's making $40 million a year. Jimmy Butler's on the market. I want to know what are your thoughts on going out, getting a Jimmy Butler for OG and throwing in like a Deuce McBride or somebody? You know, it's like a throw.

[Don LeGreca]

I'm not, I'm not throwing anything in. If, if you're trying to tell me that I'm sending OG Anunoby at, what is he, 27, right in his prime. And I'm sending in for a 35 year old guy who's been a bit of a problem, who doesn't always play every night. Now we know what he brings. I get it. But if I'm, I'm taking on your problem and I'm giving you another. No, I'm not giving you another piece. No. Now you're asking me, would I do it if I felt like I was on the verge of winning a championship, if I felt like my team was right there and boy Butler, and we know what he does in the playoffs. He can win. I might think about it, but we've talked about it. The depth issues are the things you have to fix here. So bringing in Jimmy Butler, while I know he's got a relationship with Tibbs, he's got a relationship with all those guys, I don't think they're close enough to make that kind of a roll the dice and try to go for it in one year thing, because he still doesn't solve Andre's. Your bench issues. And there's a guy who also doesn't play. He doesn't play, but you understand he doesn't play enough. And now what am I going to do? I still have the issue. The same issue is still there. And I'm just getting an older guy for a younger guy. And I'm trying to. Do I need a window of three, four years here to try to win something? I don't know. You guys, tell me if I'm crazy. It is Jimmy Butler. We've seen him in the playoffs, carry the Heat all the way to the NBA Finals literally by himself. Is that. Am I crazy to say that I would definitely hit the pause button on that one, or would you do it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's a very tough one because, like, there's two things. Number one, as we can see right now, Jimmy can be an issue. Right there is his happiness.

[Don LeGreca]

He's a pain in the ass, but he's really good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The other issue I sometimes have with Jimmy, and you would know this better because you're a true expert of the game, There are seasons to me, where Jimmy has come off looking brilliant, but it's mostly based on his playoff performance. There are times when, during the regular season, I'm not going to say he's slum in it, but where it feels like he's kind of cruise control. A little bit of cruise control. Now you get in, you think back to the conference finals against the Celtics a few years ago, when the Heat ended up making the finals, and Jimmy all of a sudden gets to the playoffs, they sneak in as whatever it was, a seven seed, eight seed. And all of a sudden, he's electric.

[Don LeGreca]

Remember, they were a playing team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

A playing team, exactly.

[Don LeGreca]

And then they knocked down the number one seed. They took out the Bucks, Giannis and the Bucks. They took him out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. And then they went up three zero on the Celtics, lost two straight, and then finished them off barely right game seven. The Celtics got all the way to three.

[Don LeGreca]

Three.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I remember. I was at a. I was at the second win for the Celtics that series. But Jimmy in the regular season, he was cool. But you get to the playoffs, he's incredibly dangerous.

[Don LeGreca]

And that's the bump you can get short term. If you bring in a guy, especially number one, he's going to want to prove Pat Riley wrong. He's also going to want to get an extension out of you. So he's going to give you the best right out of the gate.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Is he getting. Here's my question, but I think then.

[Don LeGreca]

Your window suddenly becomes really small and then you're screwed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And is he allowing Jalen Brunson and Cat to be the guys on this team?

[Don LeGreca]

Very good question.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, is he going to allow that or does he naturally sort of usurp a little bit of the.

[Don LeGreca]

And remember him and Kat in Minnesota, that was oil and water. I don't know if that's been resolved since. But just saying a lot of stuff there. I don't know if it's as easy as you think. And I think fans want the quick fix. I don't think. I'm telling you, the bench is something I would focus on more than a blockbuster.

[Alan Hahn]

And it's easier and cheaper.

[Don LeGreca]

Of course.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I mean, listen, I always go back to Hartenstein. No one thought when the Knicks went and got Hartenstein, no one was going, oh my God, this is going to be a game changer. And I've said this before and I'll say it again. I understand that Josh Hartenstein's don't grow on trees. I do get that.

[Don LeGreca]

Isaiah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm sorry, Josh.

[Don LeGreca]

You made two guys into one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's a Jewish first name. It's Josh Hart. Hart Stein. Where you work at?

[Alan Hahn]

Pix that's right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Anyway, you take an Isaiah Rothenberg, but no, I understand it. Hardensteins and players of that ilk, they don't grow on trees, but they are definitely with the right work and the right organization, you can find them. You can find those little diamonds in the rough way easier than you can try to go out and get a major player who's going to require cap issues and moving pieces and contract. You can find these pieces. I'm with you. I think that what you focus on is filling in this bench with the right players.

[Don LeGreca]

This is the Highest scoring starting five in the NBA. We know what they are not. The starting five is not the issue.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's.

[Don LeGreca]

I need three guys off the bench that I can play 15 minutes and know that I'm not going to be in the negatives that I'm going to. If I have a lead, it's going to get bigger. If I have a deficit, I'm going to get closer. That's what I need to know. I need production out of that bench. They are averaging 12 points a game as a bench.

[Peter Rosenberg]

12.

[Don LeGreca]

You can't survive like that through a whole season. You might get through a playoff series maybe, but you got to get there first.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, there's just. There's just not enough buckets on their bench right now.

[Alan Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

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

[Don LeGreca]

It's a no for me, dog.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Didn't one of you guys mention this earlier, though?

[Don LeGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, this was the other song from Top Gun.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don LeGreca]

It's not.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not one.

[Don LeGreca]

The volleyball scene, right? Is this. Is this volleyball?

[Alan Hahn]

This is the volleyball scene. I should not admit this. Oh, but I will. Cuz I'm a flawed person just like everybody. I. I've never seen Top Gun. Not. It's not a thing. It's not. It's not intentional. It just, it's never.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don't be embarrassed. I like what you're doing.

[Alan Hahn]

It just never happened.

[Don LeGreca]

Hang on a second.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I like what he's saying. He's being honest.

[Don LeGreca]

Being honest is one thing, but like, you're a guy that holds people accountable. There's certain things that by now in your life you should have experienced just because it is something that's part of Americana.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don LeGreca]

It is something that, you know, everybody has talked about. This is something that is very much in the demographic of you and you have never just said to yourself in a quiet moment, you know, I want to watch a movie. You know, I haven't seen Top Gun. I probably should watch that movie.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. I hear where you're saying motivated you.

[Don LeGreca]

To just say to yourself at this moment, I need to do this. So I've done it.

[Alan Hahn]

I honestly have never felt like I've. I've been left out of conversations because I've not seen now like, like not seeing Office Space considering the people that I'm friendly with would be a problem. I'd be like. So it's constantly being quoted, you killed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You killed Anthony for not seeing Office Space.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, because I just think I wasn't allowed back to work. You constantly quote that movie like he's a big hockey guy. Had not seen Slap Shot. That's an issue.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that one makes more sense.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not an Air Force guy. I'm not a Tom Cruise guy, and I'm more of a comedy guy. And I know it's a part of the lexicon of the 80s, and I get that, but I understand the references. When they say Iceman, I know where it's from. But I don't find the movie to be negative. I don't. I don't. I don't find, like I'm being left out of things because I didn't see it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, do you know I'm not. Listen. I don't. I like Top Gun. I don't love Top Gun. I watched the new one. I thought that was pretty good too.

[Don LeGreca]

It's for the record, but not Air Force, just Navy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's Navy.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, but see, I didn't know. I don't. I don't feel bad about it. They're in a plane. How would I. How would I not know? Like, how would I know based on it, they're in planes. No, my father was in the Navy. He said he's never in a plane. He was a destroyer.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Guys, I've created some problems in my life with this. With this Spaceballs take of mine. It's not. People are not thrilled with me.

[Don LeGreca]

What did you do with Spaceballs?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why? I admitted that seeing Spaceballs for the first time As a sober 45 year old, it was not hitting. Like, that wasn't for me.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah, I remember.

[Alan Hahn]

And I still thought it was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You thought it was. But, like, do you understand where I was coming from, though?

[Alan Hahn]

No, I. I like it, but it's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's.

[Alan Hahn]

But. But I also thought it in the same regard as Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein. Are the producers so.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or even beyond Mel Brooks, like silly movies. It's not Airplane either. It's. It's.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah. Like for me, it was Beavis and Butthead do America.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Don LeGreca]

First time I saw it, I was completely out of my mind.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Of course you were.

[Don LeGreca]

And it was. And I cried. Laughing. Missed half the movie. Just laughing for no reason.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Then I thought, high out of your gourd.

[Don LeGreca]

Then I thought, let me watch it and just see what was so funny. Bored out of my Mind not that funny.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Some movies that does happen. Listen, I may be wrong. I'd be curious if you're out there and you think Spaceballs is incredible but you really haven't watched it much in a long time. Watch it and tell me if it's. If it held up to you like that.

[Alan Hahn]

You know what happened to you with Beavis and Butthead? Take America.

[Don LeGreca]

Do America.

[Alan Hahn]

I never saw it. Never. I never got the whole Beavis and Butt head. No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I wasn't a Bing Beavis and Butthead thing.

[Alan Hahn]

But you got Robin Williams.

[Don LeGreca]

Oh my God.

[Alan Hahn]

Because Robin Williams again, he was amazingly genius. But most of the time you were laughing as soon as he was introduced. Right. You didn't even really pay attention to. You just. You knew you were supposed to laugh. It was Pavlovi in that way.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

And like if you were big, but if you really like dissected, maybe it's not as funny, but it's Robin Williams. So you just automatically laugh. You're Beavis and Butthead. That movie's so you probably just were into just getting excited and laugh about it. And you were high and.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah, that part. That was definitely the biggest reason.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The ultimate comedy sort of tribute to me is if it's an old school comedy movie. And it just still completely hits at any age. Sober. Non. Sober. And you know, for me that category is things like your Tommy Boys, your Dumb and Dumbers. You're something about Mary's Wedding Crashers.

[Don LeGreca]

There's just lines that will always be funny.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Correct.

[Don LeGreca]

And you can't wait for that moment in the movie even though you've seen it 30 times.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Old school.

[Don LeGreca]

Oh my God, Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, old school now don't. My boy blue. I think it's 22 years old already. Old school.

[Don LeGreca]

Oh God.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you would think it came out really old school. Yeah, you would think it came out yesterday. That to me is the real test of the all time great comedies.

[Don LeGreca]

Let's take Nick in Woodbridge. Hey, Nick.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey, Nick.

[Jalen Brunson]

Hey guys. Thanks for taking my call. I love the new show. Alan, excited to get to talk Nicks with you. I know. We were always on that 12 o'clock.

[Don LeGreca]

Let's go baby.

[Jalen Brunson]

During lunch. So I'm happy about it, man. You guys are awesome. Real quick before I get to my Knicks point. The one movie for me that I still crack up at every time is Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

[Don LeGreca]

So well done.

[Alan Hahn]

But you know what? You know what helped me with that movie? I'm a Jersey guy and I love White Castle. Like I wonder so because it had so many, like, great Jersey references and, you know, understanding, like I, I lived for. For nine months next to a White Castle. And I made a commitment never to go in because I knew if I went in once, forget it. I'd be 400.

[Don LeGreca]

You smelled it every day?

[Alan Hahn]

Every day. Did you get sick of it? No, I got nose blind. I. No, I just, I. I was completely addicted. But I knew if I walked in there, forget. So I, I purposely didn't go. And I, and listen, now it's my. I. I'm just too old. I couldn't take it. You can't. But I wonder if I love that movie for those two reasons. But it is very good.

[Don LeGreca]

Love it.

[Jalen Brunson]

It probably plays into it, right? I mean, the food is so good, every time you watch it, you're getting on doordash and you're about to place a delivery order. So.

[Don LeGreca]

Go ahead. Okay, good. Onto the.

[Jalen Brunson]

All right, so yeah, onto the Knicks. It's funny because in December, you know, I know they were, I know they were beating up on some bad teams and some injured teams and stuff, but 12 and 2 in the month of December and we're on cloud. I read an article saying that the Knicks brass was impressed and a bit surprised at how quick the offense had gelled. Right. And obviously you know that when you're not playing great opponents, that happens. But I think like in this three game stretch where they've struggled, the one guy I can't wait to get healthy is Miles McBride.

[Don LeGreca]

Yes.

[Jalen Brunson]

Because without Deuce, you're really seeing just how thin this bench is. And you know, the Tibs thing, for me, listen, I don't care that they play a lot of minutes because these guys want to be out there and they want to do it. I just don't like the end of games, you're down 20 and you're rolling out your starters and yeah, that's up 20. You feel that part.

[Don LeGreca]

It's the up 20 that I think gets everybody frustrated. It's the up because they're more often. Yeah, Remember, they've been more often up 20 than down. So I don't, I can't remember the rare times they were down 20, but up 20 and there's five minutes to go and you just, Everybody just gets uneasy and it's like, come on, man. Like, come on.

[Alan Hahn]

I love the old college try. I do. And I love the fact that they have the intensity and they don't load manage, but it's not about load management. It's just times just Saying, all right, listen, let's just take the L. And that's not going to. Like you said that game against who was it the Bulls? Like yeah, it would have been nice if they came back and won that game. But what is it? The end all be all? I guess now it feels that way because they end up losing to Orlando. But in the moment, Alan, you're there.

[Don LeGreca]

Everybody'S thinking it, you're all thinking it, but we also all know that's just not what.

[Alan Hahn]

And if Cat had finished the comeback and they won the game, it would be like one of those, you know, DVD moments for the championship.

[Don LeGreca]

Right?

[Alan Hahn]

Like the turning point. But those are all nice. But theoretically, in an 82 game season with a bench that doesn't produce much, is it really worth it?

[Don LeGreca]

Right. That's if you win that game somehow. Like to me I was thinking this, calling the game in the fourth quarter in Oklahoma City, seeing how hard they were playing, I was looking at all their eyes like they were as dialed in. That felt like a playoff intensity. And I was thinking to myself, if they win this game, these guys should all get the night off tomorrow. And you just white flag the Chicago game. You play your bench young guys and you just go, forget it. They earned the night off and nobody could say the winning streak could end in Chicago and no one would care because this was a statement win. They didn't. And so now you gotta try to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Get the next one.

[Don LeGreca]

Thank you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You fail doing that too.

[Don LeGreca]

That's exactly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now you're mentally and emotionally spent.

[Don LeGreca]

Right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's one of the things makes me crazy. And it's one of the things that makes everyday sport so hard versus a football. You can, you can lose a football game on a Sunday and your team looks completely emotionally dead. And no matter how beat up and hurt they are guys by walkthrough on Thursday, they're fine and they can start over again the next week, which is.

[Don LeGreca]

That's the beauty of football.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's the beauty of football. Get them again next week. It's a new season. Basketball, it's such a quick turnaround.

[Alan Hahn]

Listen, I don't like it. I wish it was the way I grew up. But when you've got, especially in the NBA with the play ins and all, I'm sorry. Not every game is equally important. There are some games that it's just not going to happen for you and that's okay. And again, that's not load management. I still expect your guys to go out there and play. So that's like when you Were talking about the teams that load, manage, don't win championships. I'm not. But I think the teams that are smart and know when to dial it down. All right.

[Don LeGreca]

It's not when to fold them.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not going to go out and kill myself to try to win this game. Because now. Because. All right. Because it ended up being the worst case scenario. If they'd come back and beat the Bulls, it would have came at the expense of beating Orlando. But now it didn't come back and beat the Bulls, and it still came at the expense of the game in Orlando. So that, that's. Do you think if they dialed it down in the fourth against Chicago, would the result have been different yesterday?

[Don LeGreca]

No, I think that. I think it was. And I'm not. I know people don't want to hear excuses. What I'm saying is simply this. I think the fact that they had played five road games in six, were home for two days, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. That's it. And played New Year's Night, New Year's Day, night. Then they left the next day to go back to the road. I think all that does factor into not just physical fatigue, but mental fatigue. It is something. And it's a holiday season. Relatives are around like there's a lot going on. They need just like a day take a nap and a mental reset and get back at it. And that's what makes tomorrow an important game. Joe is in Brooklyn. This is interesting. Joe.

[Caller]

Hey, guys, how you doing?

[Alan Hahn]

How are you?

[Caller]

All right. I got a quick statement for all three of you, if that's okay. First, Don, I'm watching movies. As long as you are. You're a little older than me. I got forced recently to watch Top Gun. The first one. It was awful. A waste of three hours.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay, that's first.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's first off a bit strong, but go ahead.

[Caller]

I have a lot in common with you, Don. I started doing the kickboxing thing, too. I'm 53 years old. You know, I started getting in shape. One thing you said a long time ago, Giants, who were going to regret drafting Barkley when they did Han, The Knicks are going to be hurting because they trade. They made for Cat hurt their bench. I don't want to say that, but it did. And Peter, how awesome was that last night?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, the show. I thought. I thought the show was, man, they really. They put together. It really looked just. The visuals were incredible. Last night on Raw, you guys are the best.

[Caller]

I've been listening to you guys a very long time. Michael, all these for years and years. You guys make my day every day.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're aware Michael's no longer at this time slot, correct? Just making sure I know. All right. Just making sure I know.

[Caller]

I listen to him, but I'm not gonna give up on you guys.

[Alan Hahn]

Everybody to be on.

[Don LeGreca]

Thanks. I appreciate it. Appreciate the points.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I gotta ask you guys a question.

[Alan Hahn]

Sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Alan, I don't know if you mind me asking this, but do you say publicly your age?

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You do, right? How old are you?

[Don LeGreca]

I'm his age. 53.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don, how are Alan and that guy the same age?

[Alan Hahn]

I know. Well, just a voice. I guess he's a smoker or something.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, that wasn't smoker voice, though. It was just. There's something about curmudgeonly New Yorker voice that gives you 25 years. He sounded older than my dad, who's.

[Alan Hahn]

77, but that's kind of, I guess, what 53 people sound like. I think that we're just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We got it. There are a few people. No, you mean, oh, we're extra young.

[Alan Hahn]

Maybe. Maybe just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I talk to 53 year olds all the time.

[Don LeGreca]

I think the lack of inflection in his voice, like, makes it sound old. It was very matter of fact. But everything he was saying, it was very just. This is what I pushed.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, maybe.

[Don LeGreca]

Don, I'm a little bit younger than you, and I was like, I was.

[Alan Hahn]

A little surprised when he said that. Like, how old do you think I am?

[Don LeGreca]

Like, he. Joe is salt of the earth, Right? Like, can we say this is. That's salt of the earth, New York. That's what he is. But it does strike you a little bit when you hear the voice.

[Peter Rosenberg]

There's. Listen, Richard. Richard is not as old as he sounds on the air. Richard's 33 years old.

[Don LeGreca]

Not sure if that's. No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What isn't Richard 68. I think he's 68.

[Alan Hahn]

I think Richard sounded that way at 12.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You think he was born sounding like an old man?

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don LeGreca]

Well, let's continue talking to the people and more coming up. 800 now, 193776. But, Donny, you got something for me?

[Alan Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

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

[Don LeGreca]

Well, tonight is Hockey Fights Cancer Night at msg. The NHL and the V Foundation, they're teaming up to fight cancer across all NHL arenas. And tonight it's the Garden's turn to step up. You can donate to the fight against cancer hockeyfightscancer.com and 100% of your donation goes directly to cancer research through the V Foundation. Now, to date, the V Foundation has awarded over 43 million, totaling $43 million, of course, totaling 118 research grants for researchers within the state of New York, creating a profound impact on the research community both within New York and far beyond. So join the NHL, the Players association and the V Foundation in the fight against cancer. Visit hockeyfightscancer.com so you can donate today. Don Legreca will be on the call tonight at the Garden right here on 880 ESPN.

[Alan Hahn]

Prepping ready to go. Hockey fights Cancer. It's a great initiative the National Hockey League has. Every building does it and it's a really cool thing. Really cool to be a part of. Should be a good night tonight. Rangers trying to win back to back games for the first time since mid November. Hey now, let's see.

[Don LeGreca]

Stars in town. It's a good start.

[Alan Hahn]

Team they beat a couple of weeks ago, 3 to 1. Jonathan Quick has a chance to win number 400 of his NHL career. No American goaltender's ever done that.

[Don LeGreca]

Wow.

[Alan Hahn]

He's already got the most of any American goaltender, so. And he's going to carry the load here until Igor comes back. No Kreider, he was put placed on IR today, so they're fighting it. But we'll see Devils coming in Thursday. Yep, looks like Rempe is going to be ready for that one. Coming off the suspension and he's been called up from Hartford in preparation for that one. And they hit the road, go out west for Vegas, Colorado and Utah. So let's see what happens tonight.

[Don LeGreca]

And they owe a little get back to the Devils from that last game at the Garden.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, I think that's why Rempe is going to be there. You know, he got outscored 10 to 1 in the last two times these two teams have played and listen, they got. It's more just about being physical. They got to score on the power play. The power play, 1 for 30. I don't know what's more disturbing, Alan. They're 1 for 30 in their last 13 games. Like, what's more disturbing, just one goal on the power play or. They only have had 30 power plays in the last 13 games. Like Dallas is going through it. They're two for their last 30 in eight games. So they've had 30 power plays in eight games. The Rangers have had 30 power plays in 13. So it's almost like basketball, right? Like, if you're not getting to the net, you're not drawing fouls, you're not.

[Don LeGreca]

Getting a free throw line, right?

[Alan Hahn]

If you're not spending time in the zone, if you're not being active five on five, you're not drawing any penalties. And that saved their bacon last year. Remember, they weren't a good 5 on 5 team last year. It's their power play that saved them. Now their power plays, 26th in the league, they're still struggling five on five. And now they went from winning the President's Trophy to battling the Islanders for last place in the Metro.

[Don LeGreca]

How do you draw penalties? It's all work. It's just keeping your legs moving. It's all the cliches that they say. And it feels like this Ranger team this year has kind of lost the compete level that we've gotten used to them playing with.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it gets, sometimes it gets a little too fancy and you start turning the puck over, you know, drive towards the net, spend time in the zone. You, you, you watch hockey long enough to know that if a team spending, you know, 20, 30 seconds in the offensive zone, one of two things are going to happen. You're going to score a goal, you're going to draw a penalty, Right? But when you're in the zone and quickly out, you know, relying too much on like odd man rushes, and you're stuck in your own zone, you know, you're probably going to commit more penalties than you're going to be able to draw.

[Don LeGreca]

You win the possession battle, have the puck on your stick longer than the other team does. It's all the things that do lead to goals or power.

[Alan Hahn]

You know, possession's a problem, and yet they're one of the best face off teams in the league. So what does that tell you? They win the face off and then they don't control the puck once they win it.

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah, that is certainly one of the issues Drake is in Poughkeepsie. He has been waiting to talk some hockey with you, Don.

[Alan Hahn]

Really? Hi, Drake.

[Jalen Brunson]

It's music to my ears. But first I'd love to say I love both radio shows. They're are great radio hosts on both sides.

[Alan Hahn]

That's fun.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Jalen Brunson]

I've been dying for the next episode again this conduct to come out. So I'm loving the Rangers talk. I wanted to also maybe hear you break down quickly what you saw out of the World Juniors. A great win for Team usa.

[Alan Hahn]

We were hoping to get to it in the end yesterday, but we ran out of time. This is so imagine that for USA Hockey to win back to back World juniors. Gabe Perot was one of the best players for Team usa. He is a, he is a Ranger. You're probably going to see him sometime next year, if not maybe later on this year, you know, the way things are going for them. But yeah, listen, we're not talking a lot of World Juniors. We're trying to get whatever hockey we can get in there. But Allen, that was, you know, pretty cool to see them win back to back tournaments like that. And to win in overtime against Finland, a team they had lost in overtime to back on December 29th. That was his first goal. Tournament was the kid's first go.

[Don LeGreca]

It was a breakaway in overtime. It was his first goal of the tournament. That was great.

[Alan Hahn]

I got to show some love to the great E.J. radek. He had to call on the. He did a very good job.

[Don LeGreca]

He was, yeah, I loved hearing his call. And I'll say this too, it bodes well for the future of obviously American hockey players when you see like, hey, they have success like this, but you're just seeing it now elevate into the NHL. And you know, we had a local kid too, James Hagans.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, he's a star pick in the draft.

[Don LeGreca]

Long island kid and so. Right. And that's the expectation. He's 20, 18 years old, but he's, he's a talent.

[Alan Hahn]

And listen, it is what it is here in the States, but it's religion in Canada. And for them to fail on home ice up in Ottawa the way that they did, believe me, they're going nuts up there.

[Don LeGreca]

Did you see some of the coverage of that? The wake of that loss, the pressure.

[Alan Hahn]

That those kids are under to excel at World Junior, especially when it's being played on Canadian ice, is a lot for these young kids to have to deal with.

[Don LeGreca]

No question. All right, you have the game tonight. You're gonna Be making. You're gonna be calling the game.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Don LeGreca]

That's what I'm looking forward to.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, thank you.

[Don LeGreca]

Is just hearing you on the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I might listen. In the nude?

[Alan Hahn]

Listen, I don't think you have to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, it's an option.

[Don LeGreca]

Did you hear that Michael Cage did his show today in the nude?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Don LeGreca]

He reported that he opened the show by informing everyone that he was nude. He generally likes to say that he's attached.

[Alan Hahn]

Like being excited about things to nudity.

[Don LeGreca]

Really?

[Alan Hahn]

Like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Cause whenever there's like a great sporting event, like a great moment, the game goes to overtime that he strips down naked. He feels like he. He's more involved in the game if he's naked. I've never related the two.

[Don LeGreca]

He's intimately connected. Is that what you're saying?

[Alan Hahn]

I guess. But Peter and I don't understand the nudity thing. I think Peter understands it a little more than I do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just like having fun with it now. Truthfully, I think it's insane. But I. You know, why would he want. Cause to do the show in the nude would mean that you have your hind, if you will hind parts bare on a chair in your house couch.

[Alan Hahn]

He makes it seem like being unencumbered would be comfortable. I would find it very uncomfortable.

[Don LeGreca]

Yes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I'm anti even sleeping in the nude. I don't like.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't like the idea of my. Of my, you know. You know, what's all over the sheets. It's not. That's not for me.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm good.

[Don LeGreca]

I gotta admit, every once in a while, you know, in the summer.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In the summer.

[Don LeGreca]

Not terrible really.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just. Let me ask you a question.

[Don LeGreca]

Younger. I don't mean with kids. Forget it. My kids are all over the place.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I could never barge you at any time. Right?

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Don LeGreca]

I'm talking about younger. Yeah, absolutely. But didn't my son does Zach last year as a freshman his dorm.

[Alan Hahn]

He did it.

[Don LeGreca]

And now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or deeply unpopular.

[Alan Hahn]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Don LeGreca]

His. His roommate was a teammate and he did too. That's what they do. Very comfortable.

[Alan Hahn]

This is as disturbing as the funneling. Spooning.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know.

[Don LeGreca]

There's no spooning. There were separate beds. It's just they're athletes. They're very comfortable with their bodies. And this is his best way to sleep. He brags about it all the time. He loves it. Comfortable. Yeah. Brags about it. If you were built like him, you'd brag about it.

[Alan Hahn]

No, I get it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I would Just brag about the body.

[Don LeGreca]

If I was built like him, I wouldn't wear clothes at ever like he's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because he's incredible.

[Alan Hahn]

Shape your teammates. And I get like in the shack, but I just. Do I need my roommate to just get up and just be naked in front of me.

[Don LeGreca]

Oh, he put shorts on if he's walking across the room?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, no, I don't think so. In the sheets. If he's got to go to the bathroom, he gets up and just goes right to the bed. Stop it. He's not putting shorts on if he's sleeping naked. I wouldn't do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And real quick, Al, let's just go through all this. We understand this is a sensitive subject. This is your beloved. This is your boy.

[Don LeGreca]

This is my only son.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Your only son.

[Don LeGreca]

He's 22. Who you love. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now, if these guys shower nude together and they.

[Don LeGreca]

Well, they don't. Again, you make it sound like that they're soaping up like separate stalls, but.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They'Ve seen each other naked at practice. Talk to D. Pietro.

[Don LeGreca]

Very comfortable naked, by the way. Very comfortable.

[Peter Rosenberg]

See, but by the way, this may help my argument. So my question exactly. So my question is, if they already have to be in those situations in the locker room and you're telling me they share a room and sleep nude, you're then also going to believe that they're not just walking up and just letting it all hang out?

[Don LeGreca]

Maybe. I don't know. I mean, I. Like in college, I kind of. You know, the. It was in the dorm. The shower was. The bathroom was down the hall. You know, don't need a towel.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just wait.

[Don LeGreca]

Air dry.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, hold on. Did you go to an all boys college?

[Don LeGreca]

No. No. I meant to post liu.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you would run down your hallway naked?

[Don LeGreca]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Walk naked.

[Don LeGreca]

From the. From the. From the. The showers to my room? Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Nude?

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

With women in your hallway?

[Don LeGreca]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

You must not be able to fall forward.

[Don LeGreca]

I don't. I'm just saying that. That. That's just.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, it wouldn't even occur to me to do that. Wouldn't it occur to you?

[Don LeGreca]

I never.

[Alan Hahn]

Body shaming.

[Don LeGreca]

I never thought I felt like an.

[Alan Hahn]

Adonis, but I just walked down the dormitory hall. I didn't think about it and I don't.

[Don LeGreca]

There was one size.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't use towels. I just don't.

[Alan Hahn]

What's up?

[Don LeGreca]

How do you do that? I mean, you use a towel for a second, but I don't want to. You know, he's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's lying.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm not saying that you've got to like jump behind a couch and be ashamed of yourself, but just to be that comfortable, it's odd.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I, I'm, I'm flabbergasted.

[Don LeGreca]

I was 19, 20 years old. It was the early 90s. You know what else was going on? Like, just gonna go to my room and get dressed.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I, I, you know, I'm not buying it.

[Don LeGreca]

He had to, you could not, he.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Had to walk with a towel.

[Alan Hahn]

Click.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, we'll take him.

[Alan Hahn]

Why won't you? Click.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right, we'll be back though.

[Alan Hahn]

That's fine.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[Don LeGreca]

I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know it's good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.