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Dan Patrick
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Dan Patrick
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Dan Patrick
You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. Hope you had a great weekend. Everybody gangs all here, ready to go. It's hour two on this Monday, as we always do every Monday. Best and worst of the weekend. What you saw that you liked. You didn't like my starting lineup. Todd Fritz, the minister of humor. Seton O'Connor Marvin, the prince Polyester. Yours truly, the back room guys as well. Stat of the day is always brought to you by Panini America. The official trading cards of the DP show tailgate moonshine ready to go. Go to danpatrick.com click on the Spirits tab. And a special offer. Is there something that. Well, it's been 10 years since this was last available. You'll find out about it@danpatrick.com Play of the day. We already had that many plays of the day over the weekend. No plays of the day for James Harden in game seven. Once again a no show. And then literally a no show after the game. Didn't show up to talk to the media. All for their losses. Now I get it. You don't want to go in there. It's the end of the season and have everybody bring up all the ugly numbers from all of your elimination games. You're getting paid $46 million. It's part of the job. May not like it. Do 10 minutes and you're done. And maybe you give us insights into something else. Maybe somebody can ask you a question where we find out more about who you are. What you thinking? Why it's happened. What are you thinking in the moment? I this. You know, this is why you get paid. What you get paid because the TV networks are the ones spending all this money. They would like to have some Answers what happened? Why do you only get eight shots? Why is it that you somehow don't take as many shots as you should? Maybe you could ask and maybe you would talk about Kawhi Leonard, who had a wonderful postseason and maybe the future here, but he disappeared in the game and after the game as well. I had the NBA title odds and it's a whole lot of Thunder. And then the Celtics third on the list. A distant third is Cleveland. Then a really distant fourth is Minnesota. The Nuggets and Golden State warriors aren't in there. And you get the Thunder against Denver. And yes, do you want to see SGA against Joker? You do. But I'm just curious like this. A quick turnaround for Denver and I'm guessing Oklahoma City. There's a reason why they're favored by nine and a half. Because it's a quick turnaround here. Surprise, surprise. The Cavaliers ended up losing to the Pacers yesterday. The knicks are getting nine tonight in Boston. The Nuggets getting nine and a half. 8773 DP show operator Tyler sitting by. He'll get to your phone calls coming up. But Golden State dominated Houston and the warriors of the third seventh seed in the last 20 years to advance beyond the first round, joining the Lakers of 2023 and the spurs of 2010. But this is a different Golden State team, not a true seven seed. And usually, you know, these teams aren't true seven seeds. You know, this is a three seed, a two seed and maybe you overachieved a little bit. You know, Houston was a wonderful story. But were they the second best team in the West? Okay, during the regular season, yes. But postseason, that's when things change. You're graded on a curve and we saw with Golden State, when they need to, they do it. Steph was great in the second half, certainly in the fourth quarter. Buddy healed was awesome. Here is Steve Kerr talking about Steph Curry's performance.
Tim McMahon
I thought Steph was brilliant tonight. I know he got us got off to a slow start shooting the ball, but whole key to the game was taking care of the ball. And he managed the game beautifully. And you know it's just a matter of time before his shot goes in. But the reason we had the 11 point lead at half or whatever it was 12 was because of the way Steph took care of the ball, got us into our offense and settled the game down.
Dan Patrick
Just having experience and you could see where Houston didn't have that. And they've got some really wonderful young players there and I hope they Stay with the nucleus. I hope they continue to build just like OKC has done, just like Cleveland did. Now, Cleveland did bring in Donovan Mitchell, but they do have a really good nucleus there. Then they've drafted really well and that's what I like seeing. You know, the Celtics, they've drafted well. Now you bring in some of these pieces like Porzingis, but that's a deep team. Houston's got a young team and a deep team. And that's the future in the NBA. You hopefully get two potential all Stars and then if you, you can have a bench that will take you eight deep or nine deep, that's when you make a long, you know, you have a long season and you make a deep run in the postseason. These teams have depth. Got to have that. That was my big knock on Denver. I didn't think that they fortified their bench and maybe Joker would only win one title and he might only win one title in Denver. And I thought this past off season, you gotta load up. I mean, you got this guy that this all time great. You've gotta make sure that you have some depth because their depth helped them win an NBA championship a couple of years ago. Gotta have that. All right, we'll give you our best and worst of the weekend. Drama with Winnipeg over the Blues in two overtimes. Game seven. A whole lot of fun watching that. But Knicks, Celtics tonight. Nuggets at the Thunder, Game one. I never know what the Knicks are going to do. I mean, I know how they're going to play, but this always feels like, what do I expect out of Boston? Is Boston just going to say, we're so much better than you, so much deeper than you, so much bigger than you, so much healthier than you? We're going to dominate. And there's always that little bit of doubt with Boston, always with me. And maybe it's not fair to them because I think in modern NBA they've kind of created a dynasty. I mean, gotta win another title maybe to, you know, kind of fit into that category, dynasty. But they're there. It's going to be Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals. They're going to be there. And there's no reason to think that they won't continue to do that. You know, Cleveland is a good, you know, really good team, but I don't think they're better than Boston come postseason time. And I said Cleveland is going to have their hands full with Indiana. And you saw that. The Knicks will give you a spirited series. It'll be. And they just kind of grind it out and Brunson will hit a big shot or Josh Hart will go, you know, something will happen where, you know, you, you'll have hope with the Knicks, but I think Boston is just so much better. And just like OKC with Denver, I, I just think OKC is a extremely deep team. This is where people are going to see OKC maybe for the first time because most people probably played the hits and just, you know, it'll be the Lakers, maybe. You would see the Celtics, you'd see the Knicks. You probably don't see some of these teams like Houston. This probably the first time you saw Houston this year with Golden State. But you're going to see OKC and you're going to see just how deep that team is. And it's not just SGA. Kind of a coming out party of sorts there. 8 7, 7, 3, DP show email address DP danpatrick.com Twitter handle @DP Show Good morning. If you're watching on Peacock, thank you for downloading the app. We say good morning to our radio affiliates around the country as well. A couple other things here. Let's see. I played. I played Russell. I'm going to play this again just because it's, it's so refreshing. And you want something that sums up Russell Westbrook. Who better than Russell Westbrook? To sum up, Russell Westbrook, you know, my ability to be able to, to be a force of nature on the floor is what I pride myself on. So whatever that looks like, it may be a turnover, it may be a missed shot, but it may be a steal, maybe a dunk, maybe a missed three, maybe a made three. It's gonna be all of that.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
It's gonna be everything.
Dan Patrick
So you just take it, Take it.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
For how it comes.
Dan Patrick
And whatever happens, you go with it. It's awesome. Whose career would you rather have, Russell Westbrook or James Harden?
Marvin
Russ.
Dan Patrick
Oh, okay.
Marvin
Russ doesn't have glaring game seven failures.
Dan Patrick
Okay. Yeah. But he's been kind of kicked to the curb and James Harden has two. Well, Harden is still like the focal point. You know, Russ got benched or he got sent to the bench. He doesn't even start anymore.
Marvin
The thing about Russ to me is you'll never have to question whether he cares or not.
Dan Patrick
Okay.
Marvin
His effort will always be there.
Dan Patrick
Okay. All right.
Marvin
He's coming out.
Dan Patrick
That's fair. Okay. That's fair. Paulie.
Paulie
Yeah, I'm with Marvin. Westbrook seems like an effort guy who's got flaws, but they're not intentional. And Harden at times in his career felt like he wasn't all in, whether it be conditioning or whatever. Maybe it's close though, Todd.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
I'm going to give the edge to Harden just because he's got that cool nickname, the beard. Russ doesn't really have a nickname anyways. He got all the triple doubles, everything. But if nothing else, if it's fairly even, I'm gonna go, oh, that's the beard in the history of the NBA.
Dan Patrick
Oh, okay. Se. What about you? Russell Westbrook Jr. III or James Harden.
Seton O'Connor
Probably give a slight edge to Harden. I think ultimately he maybe has had a better career.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, Russ wins the mvp, but there was a time when Harden, he was unstoppable. That what, three years in a row he led the league in scoring that damn postseason. You know, if it was just based on if we only had regular seasons, everything would be great. You know, you'd look at Harden, you go, man, he's great. It's that postseason and those, you know, damn game seven. Yes.
Seton O'Connor
They each have an mvp, right? I think they each have one.
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Seton O'Connor
So they're kind of tied there scoring wise. I mean, averaging a triple double. How many times in his career, Russell Westbrook, that's pretty cool. Yeah, four times.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, but you forget Harden is a great passer. How many times has Harden had double digit assist seasons now? Great scorer, but also. And granted he has the ball all the time, but you know, Westbrook had the ball all the time too in his triple double seasons. Yes.
Paulie
Paulie Harden had 10 or more assists eight different times.
Dan Patrick
It's pretty impressive. Like how many guys have had that in their career?
Seton O'Connor
Yes, it feels like Harden, at least his style of play has aged a little better maybe. He seems to still be pretty effective.
Dan Patrick
Well, what is Russ's style of play?
Marvin
All out?
Dan Patrick
It's just like frenetic up and down. Yes, Todd, it didn't work out bouncing.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
From one place to another. But also, if perception is reality, when you think of like putting a big three together, you know, Harden's name comes up with like big two or threes. Russell Westbrook would never be named as part of the big two or three of a team that could possibly.
Dan Patrick
Well, he was. He was not as much.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
There was Harden. It's like every team. Hardens.
Dan Patrick
No, because Westbrook and Durant were the big two. Harden was off the bench in okc. So Russ has been, you know, the first or second best player on his team. And Harden was a sixth man back then for okc. And then all of a sudden he's going I. I want to have my own team. Get me out of here. I'm going to Houston. Yeah, Paulie.
Paulie
If I was describing Russ's Westbrook's style play, it's like he has a 12 second shot clock instead of 24. It's like he's in a hurry at all times, and for a long time it worked.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, he just. And I agree with you that it's. It's energy that leads to something. The problem is it can also lead to bad things. Boy, he's hustling out there, you know, you can't take him out and you can't criticize. Man, he plays hard, but he helps both teams. It feels like, yes, Marvin.
Marvin
And he's one of those guys where they're lunch pail guys, but also won the MVP award. Like, Moses Malone would be a lunch pail guy, but he's just averaging 30 and 20.
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Marvin
Like Larry Bird, like a lunch pail guy, where it's like, you know what? He'll die for every ball. He'll go for every loose rebound. That's what Russell Westbrook is. And he's more aesthetically pleasing, maybe to me, because James Harden with the foul baiting would. It would just throw me off.
Dan Patrick
Okay. But he created a move. Right? Like, although, do we give Manu Ginobly credit for the Euro step or Sharunas Marcelos, Whoever it was, it can't be an American who gave us the Euro step, because it's called the Euro Step. But I don't know. Do we go with Genobi? Man, he's a Hall of Famer. But do you go? Yeah, and he gave us a move. More people do the Euro step than do James Harden's move. Right. So Manu has had a bigger impact on his one move than James Harden. Yeah.
Paulie
Paulie Harden didn't at all invent the step back, but it felt like he mastered it and took it to an extra step back.
Dan Patrick
Okay, but who had the step back before that? Because it was a. A step back and over.
Paulie
Reggie Miller said that he did it a little bit, and Kobe actually sampled it from him a long, long time ago. Kobe used to do a light step back in the second half of his career.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, but nothing is egregious. It felt like when you watched Harden, you go, that's a travel.
Talkspace Advertiser
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Dan Patrick
And then we had the commissioner on. He goes, no, it's not a travel. Like, where I'm from, that's a travel. Yeah, Paul.
Paulie
That area of the NBA was like, if you live in a town where it's 55, and everyone's going 65. They go. You know, instead of busting people just.
Dan Patrick
Up at the 65, everybody gets to go 65. Yeah. We're not arresting anybody for going 65, but we would prefer you went 50. It's like carrying. I'm watching old highlights and. And it's not old highlights, but it's where guys just, you know, you're watching Luca, his. It would be like a waiter bringing your tray out. Like, his. His hand is under the ball and then just carrying it like that. And I kept thinking, these guys are so good. Like, they don't need that advantage of. I got a great handle. And they let me do things where you can carry the ball with your handle. It's like the Professor. The professor was out there playing.
Paulie
Ran one.
Dan Patrick
Yes. I've been watching some professor videos.
Paulie
Oh, no.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. Yeah. I stumbled upon Facebook, and all of a sudden, I'm watching Tyson fights Zach Galifianakis between two Ferns and just a couple other things where. And all of a sudden, once they know what you like, and then it. That's my feed. It's the same thing, you know, America's Got Talent with the Golden Buzzer. Been watching that. My wife's like, it's nice. Are you gonna go out? I go, yeah, I don't know. I'm just watching videos here.
Marvin
Yes, Marvin, what's your name on Facebook so we can look you up?
Dan Patrick
Oh, come on.
Marvin
But you still didn't answer the question.
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Marvin
So what's your name on Facebook?
Seton O'Connor
Yeah, I just found Facebook.
Paulie
It's gonna catch you.
Dan Patrick
What?
Seton O'Connor
Dude, this is a hell of an era to find Facebook, I'll tell you.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, I know.
Seton O'Connor
There's a hell of a time. Place in the timeline to have discovered social media.
Dan Patrick
I see your profile on there, but I'm not bringing you in. I. I don't have anybody. I don't follow anybody.
Seton O'Connor
You're watching between two Ferns videos on Facebook.
Dan Patrick
Yes.
Seton O'Connor
For some reason.
Dan Patrick
Yes. Yes. I'm not on any other social media. In fact, this really isn't social media because I'm not reaching out to anybody. Like, anybody I care about. I already. You know, I can call you. I don't have to share poems to my wife or anything. Yes, Todd.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
But nobody even calls anybody anymore. Everybody's texting each other and abbreviations, and when people call you, you're pretty much not gonna even pick it up. You're gonna let it go to voicemail anyway.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. Yes, Marvin.
Marvin
Well, you're on Facebook just In time for Mother's Day. So you can write a post to your wife. To my rock.
Paulie
This is partner in crime.
Dan Patrick
Satan always goes off on this when somebody is telling you what they're writing to their wife.
Seton O'Connor
I never knew 17 years ago, not only would I be meeting my best friend, but the love of mine.
Dan Patrick
Oh, I know. Yes.
Paulie
It's to the point now where if my phone rings and it's a person like I went to high school or college with, I'm like, oh, no. I think, oh no. When it's a direct phone call.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. But yeah, I'm on Facebook. Ish book. Ish. Yes. Time.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
I don't like when someone puts a 10 paragraph thing and it sounds like they lost like a spouse or a father or a cousin or something. And it turns out it was like their pet turtle or something like that. And they went on and on about, you know, what it's done, how it's devastated the family.
Dan Patrick
Are you sure that they've done a pet turtle?
Wells Fargo Advertiser
I've seen guinea pigs and the various, like gold.
Dan Patrick
Give me an example.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
I don't have a specific example. I've read where I was like, oh my God, what happened? And as it turns out, like, you.
Dan Patrick
Know, you do lead the league in hyperbole around here.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
I do. I. I do tend to exaggerate at times, but I have seen, you know.
Dan Patrick
Have you ever had a pet?
Paulie
I have not wired a wire.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
Never had a pet.
Seton O'Connor
You've never had a single pet? You've never had a goldfish? Nothing.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
Didn't even have a goldfish. Didn't have a guinea pig? Oh, my friend had one of those birds, like a little parrot parakeet thing where you like.
Dan Patrick
No, I'm asking you. I don't care about your friend.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
No. In my apartment building in Brooklyn, you know, I don't even know if they allowed pets. I guess they did, but.
Dan Patrick
Well, what about now? I mean, you're got a house.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
My daughter wants to get a dog, but she's in college so she can go do that.
Dan Patrick
Feels like. Feels like you're afraid you better buy a dog.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
Well, I got bit by a dog, by my uncle's dog a couple of times and then I was kind of done with.
Dan Patrick
Well, how about a cat?
Wells Fargo Advertiser
I don't trust cats. There's something evil to me about that.
Paulie
They're not gonna steal your car.
Seton O'Connor
Your instincts are right on that. Your instincts are correct. Cats are evil.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
I think, you know, they have that attitude like, you know, you get to.
Dan Patrick
Come home to a friend every time. They're they can't wait to say hello to you.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
Be more likely to get a dog than a cat.
Seton O'Connor
Great.
Dan Patrick
All right, let me take a break. We'll talk some more hoops coming up. Yeah, I want to find out this scenario where Luca would not stay with the Lakers. We'll talk to the guy who wrote the book on Luca. Tim McMahon of the Mothership will join us coming up. We'll take a break. Back after this. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@foxsportsradio.com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.
Ryan Seacrest
Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture, stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Kovino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.
Dan Patrick
You don't need a game to have a party. You don't need a game to have a tailgate. What you do need for both of them IS MILLER Light 50 years, 50 year anniversary. And I said, you know, it's Miller time. And that means it's time to go to Lambeau. We're going to drafts at the drafts. It's a taste you can depend on. You have a great beer, trusted by beer lovers for five decades. You have the malted barley for rich balanced toffee note flavors, iconic golden color. You pour that and you go, hmm, man, that looks good, tastes good. 96 calories, just 3.2 grams of carbs per 12 ounces miller Time always good time. It's a great time for me. The original light beer since 1975. Still iconic after 50 years. So Miller Lite great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com Patrick. You'll find the delivery options near you. Or you can pick up Miller Lite just about anywhere that sells beer. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Here's to Miller Lite.
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Dan Patrick
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Talkspace Advertiser
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone let's face it in therapy by talking or texting with a supportive licensed therapist at Talkspace, you can face whatever is holding you back. Whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits or another challenge that you need support to work through, it's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. Make your mental health a priority and start today. If you're not covered by insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S P A CE80 to match with a licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com and Enter promo code SPACE80.
Dan Patrick
Tim McMahon, ESPN NBA reporter Band McMahon podcast on the Hoop Collective and also the author of the new book the Wonder Boy Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness. As Tim joins us from okc. Before we get to that series, few other topics, whose career would you rather have? James Harden or Russell Westbrook?
Tim McMahon
Howdy Dan. Can I look at the career earnings? They're both way up there. I feel like Harden probably when you when you rank them in terms of the echelons of NBA greatness, I mean they're both first ballot hall of Famers and all that. I feel like Harden lands higher on that list but has more scrutiny and you know, for the reasons you guys said, his playoff failure failures have been spectacular where it feels like most of Russ's playoff failures you you kind of left well you know, they just didn't have the better team and and it he didn't get the the same sort of burden on his shoulders. It's crazy how they've both become journeyman type of guys late in their career. Now Harden still doing it at a high price point, and Harden still the one deciding when he wants to leave, where he wants to go. Whereas that's not the case with Russ. Russ has been traded twice to the Utah Jazz over the last few years and not played a second. Not played a second for that franchise. That' to, you know, and, and seriously, like with Russ, you keep on feeling, is this his last chance? Is this his last chance? And then, you know, then he'll get another one. Harden's had a much better year this year, but Russ is still playing, and Russ had a much better game seven. And right now, that's all that really matters.
Dan Patrick
Whose future, immediate future do you like better, the Clippers or the Lakers?
Tim McMahon
Oh, I mean, the Lakers, just because they have a generational talent to build around and they've got us, they've got to build, you know, they've got to figure that out. Obviously, depth was a major problem for the Lakers. I mean, they played five guys for an entire half of a playoff game. You know, something that we've never seen before. But one, the Lakers traditionally have not had a whole lot of problems convincing guys, hey, you know, do you like the sunshine? Do you like the glitz and glamour? Do you like the spotlight? You might want to come here and you know, Luka is not somebody who everybody maybe will want to play with, but they've got the other guys who are going to have the ball in their hands. They need to fill out with the role players like the Mavericks did, you know, the year before they went to the finals. And you know, the primary thing they need is that lob catching, rim protecting big man. And those type of guys will absolutely be lining up to try to play with Luke in la.
Dan Patrick
I did wonder when JJ Redick said we got to get in championship shape. And I did think of you because you wrote the book on Luca. How do you think this was received by him? Where it's not being called out by name, but everybody knows he's saying you need to get in championship shape.
Tim McMahon
Probably about the same as when Jason Kidd would do it at the end of seasons and even Rick Carlisle at the end of seasons. I mean, this has been something that is been an issue for Luca throughout his entire career. Even going back to the pre draft process. It was one of the knocks.
Dan Patrick
But does this back up what the Mavericks did? Nico Harrison, his, his knock on him partly was, well, he wasn't in shape and he knew he couldn't Play defense.
Tim McMahon
Well, what I have consistently said is the condition concerns are absolutely legitimate and still an insane reason to trade a generational talent months removed from him leading the franchise to the NBA finals when he fully intended to stay in Dallas for his entire career. So the Lakers first round exit does not justify the trade that was made. Are the condition concerns legitimate? Of course they are. And like, you don't need, you didn't need this to know that. Did people like, has there been some kind of like optometrist revolution suddenly? Like, did you not have eyeballs? Were they not working? Of course, conditioning has been a concern with him throughout his career. He's still been a five time first team all NBA player. The defense, and here's the thing where I, where I. Those two things are directly related, right. Luke is obviously at his worst defensively when he's gassed and well, you know, when, when you play him the entire second half, that doesn't help matters. But you can build a good defense that protects Luca. That includes Luca. And I'm not, I'm not saying like hypothetically, I'm saying it's happened on multiple occasions. The Mavericks did it the year they went to the conference finals. They ranked seventh in the league in defense. They did it last year when they went to the finals. They were the number one defense for the final quarter of the season. And then that continued into the playoffs, even the, the Celtics series. Luke had some terrible defensive moments. They lost that series because they couldn't score, because the guys around him couldn't hit shots. And you know, and his defensive issues didn't help. But I'm saying. So, yeah, the flaws are the flaws, but no, it doesn't justify the trade. And I absolutely, you know, like, the Lakers are ecstatic to be able to have the opportunity to try to build around this dude for the next decade, but they've got a lot of work to do in that regard.
Dan Patrick
Can you see a scenario where Luka doesn't stay in la?
Tim McMahon
You know, I mean, sure, I could come up with scenarios. I, I would be shocked if there's not some sort of extension this summer.
Dan Patrick
Okay.
Tim McMahon
You know, and what that looks like, there, there's a lot of factors. I don't want to bog you down with CPA minutia and all that kind of stuff, but I, I, with what I know of Luca, and I haven't talked to him directly about this, but you know, talking to people who know Luca well, I think he absolutely wants to give the Laker, like he's fully committed to la. Now, his heart was broken, but he's fully committed to the Lakers and, you know, his goal now is to win championships with that franchise.
Dan Patrick
Tim McMahon, ESPN NBA reporter Band McMahon, podcast on the Hoop Collective and of course, the new book, the Wonder Boy, Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness. Who has a better chance of going further, the warriors or the Nuggets?
Tim McMahon
Well, I would say the warriors because they don't have to play Oklahoma City this round. You know, listen, man, okc. The one doubt about OKC is, well, they haven't done it before. That's really the one flaw. This is a team that set the NBA record for point differential in a season. I mean, they've been absolutely dominant. So now if the Nuggets were playing the Wolves. Well, actually, I'm sorry, if Snuggles are playing the Warriors, I probably, I probably would pick the Nuggets in that series, but that's not the way the brackets broke.
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Tim McMahon
You know, so I think the warriors have a better chance to beat the Wolves than the Nuggets do. Beating the Thunder. I'm not sure the warriors have a great chance of beating the Wolves.
Dan Patrick
I'm wondering if. And I'm just looking at the playoff roster. So it's recency bias that, you know, it used to be you were trying to get three big names, three stars. Now it feels like two is great, but you really need to have depth. Cleveland, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Indiana, okc, Boston, like they, they have, you know, two really good players or one great player, and then you have depth there. Is that kind of the model now moving forward that OKC has put in front of us?
Tim McMahon
Well, and I, I just think that to have a big three, especially if they're three max guys, it's gonna be tough to build your roster out from there with all the handcuffs that are in the new cba. And you know, the Suns are kind of an extreme example of, well, they had their big three and, and, you know, just there wasn't a whole lot around that. Plus those three guys didn't necessarily fit very well together. And really it was a big two and then a huge third salary. But yeah, depth matters and role players matter. There's only one basketball, right? So you're not going to have three guys scoring 30 a game, you know, but you do. It's still a superstars league. Just be clear. Like, the Houston Rockets are deep. They're athletic, they're tough, they're relentless. They don't have a superstar. If they get a superstar, which, you know, will Be an interesting summer. The Houston Rockets have a chance to be right in the thick of things as soon as next season. But if you don't have and like the Thunder, the Thunder have one superstar, two all star caliber guys, I would say. And by the way, we could argue if that Shade, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, three, Chad Holmgren thing will be a big three soon. But then they play 10 guys by the first second of the second quarter every game and it's like a tough decision. Well, which good player is not going to get in there? You know, we got like 12 or 13 guys with rotation caliber dudes. That matters.
Dan Patrick
Can the Knicks beat the Celtics?
Tim McMahon
I mean, can I guess? I. It's hard for me to kind of figure out the pathway. The Celtics have a clean injury report now, which is huge. Obviously with Drew Holiday missing time last series and Jalen Brown's been banged up. Porzingis, you know, the Knicks need Jalen Brunson to be an absolute superhero. And he's dealing with Drew Holiday and Derrick White and a little bit of Jalen Brown and then, you know, Porzingis and Horford in the paint. I don't know, maybe, maybe Carl Anthony Towns has a series of his life, but this would be a massive upset.
Dan Patrick
Carl Anthony Towns? You mean the greatest shooting big man of all time?
Tim McMahon
Spiggs the Moat, self proclaimed greatest shooting big man of all time?
Dan Patrick
Who is the greatest shooting big man of all time?
Tim McMahon
I mean, you know, I'm based in Dallas. There's a German seven foot fellow by the name of Dirt Navitzky who probably would take claim of that title. I mean, I guess you could tell me. Well, he was a power forward, not a big man, but that's the guy who revolutionized the league as a seven footer who was bombing away. And that's the dude who's six all time on the scoring list. I'm going to give him the nod.
Dan Patrick
Best shooting center of all time.
Tim McMahon
Now Cat has a claim there. He has a real claim there. Now, you know the knock there would be yeah, but he's had his most playoff success when they had to pair him with another big man because he's not a defensive anchor. Then again, nobody ever accused Dirk of being a defensive anchor either.
Dan Patrick
No, he was an anchor. He was being weighed down. He had an anchor on his back there. But you know, we were talking about this. When you talk about players who had a signature move that changed the game or a style like Dirk changed the game for all big men. Steph, with his ability to Shoot threes hardened to a certain degree with his.
Tim McMahon
No, to a hundred percent degree.
Dan Patrick
Okay, well no, that step back, that.
Tim McMahon
Step back changed the game for sure. And what, what Luca has done with that, that started with Harden 100 like Harden was launching more step back threes than like the rest of the league combined early on during that, that Houston run. And the step back three became a common weapon because of Harden. Just like that one legged fadeaway became a common weapon because of Dirk. So Harden absolutely gets credit for the step back revolution.
Dan Patrick
Now does Sharonis Marshall onus or who gets credit for the Euro step?
Tim McMahon
I would say it is most commonly associated with Ginobili and Ginobli is the guy who took it to the next level, which is always fun to me. I know he played in Europe, but he's not European, so. But no, Ginobly is the one who. That became a move that's in everybody's bag because nobody had so much success with it.
Dan Patrick
But is okay. Out of all those moves, what move is used more by more players more often? Is it the Euro step?
Tim McMahon
Yeah, it's probably got to be the Euro step. I, I think every, every ball handler has the Euro step and, and you know, it's become a thing where there's so many different variations of it now. And now there's the deceleration where these guys, I mean it's really, some of the balance is amazing where these guys are like balancing on one foot and just letting traffic pass by or you know, I mean, so it just, it gets added on more and more and more and more every year. But yeah, the Euro step, I would go Euro step. Probably the one lager after that because it's not just the big men. Like, I mean Durant has it, LeBron has it. You know, a bunch of these, you know, bigger wings and guards have that as well as the big man. And then, you know, the step back three and I would say you could argue the step back threes may be the most abused move of those because there are definitely people who are taking step back threes. You're like, yeah, maybe we should just move the ball there.
Dan Patrick
Have fun. We appreciate you joining us, Tim. Thank you.
Tim McMahon
I appreciate you having me.
Dan Patrick
Tim McMahon, he is a reporter for the Mothership Band McMahon podcast on the Hoop Collective and his book on Luca the Wonder Boy. It's available wherever you get your books. When we come back, we will give you our best and worst of the weekend. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern. 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio Apple T Mobile stats are.
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Dan Patrick
Time for our best and worst of the weekend. We'll get to more phone calls coming up. Former NBA player Jim Jackson will join us. Final hour of the program tonight. Nick Celtics and Nuggets in the Thunder around the same point spread, around nine, nine and a half for both of those visiting teams. Todd, I'll start with you by the way. We were revisiting some food stories that we have here and one Seton got pizza, a small pizza after the show and Todd thinks everything is, you know, community and just walked by and goes now that's what I'm talking about and put his hand in there and grabbed a slice of pizza from Seaton.
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Whatever reason I thought there was a pizza party going on and I should have at least asked or saw if there was.
Dan Patrick
It was a small, small pizza why.
Wells Fargo Advertiser
Would Dan order like several small pizzas? It doesn't make sense. Anyway, I guess. I guess that's what he did.
Seton O'Connor
It's turned into several small pizzas.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, there was one small pizza, Todd. It was Seton's and you walked by.
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I assume that maybe there's some others that are in the back that haven't been brought out to the front yet. One small pizza for. There's a pizza party going on. I guess I'll grab a slice.
Seton O'Connor
That's what I'm talking about.
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Seton O'Connor
I actually birthed one of my most favorite T shirts we ever made here. It was like a picture of Todd looking like. You ever see like almost like Chef Boyardee or something where he's like spinning the pizza on top of his thing and it was for like Fritzi's pizza or something like that. And the big catchphrase was, that's what I'm talking about. Didn't sell much, but man, was that a great shirt.
Dan Patrick
Boy, you were so excited.
Seton O'Connor
That was a great shirt.
Dan Patrick
You locked in on that pizza.
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Tim McMahon
Oh my God, what did I do?
Dan Patrick
All right. Best and worst of the weekend, Todd.
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Dan Patrick
Okay. C. O'Connor. Best and worst.
Seton O'Connor
My best of the weekend. Miko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars. Phenomenal. Look at you, my guy. Not only a hat trick to knock out your former team, but to do that in the in the playoffs is phenomenal. My worst of the weekend is being the Avalanche. Realizing the guy that just knocked you out left the team because of $500,000. That was the contract dispute was over $500,000 and that you let him go over that. That's tough.
Dan Patrick
Marvin Best and Worst of the Weekend.
Marvin
My Best of the weekend the Denver Nuggets as a whole, balanced scoring attack. Six players scoring at least at least 15 points. So good for the Nuggets. Worst of the weekend the Rockets in the paint. They missed 32 shots in the paint. No bueno.
Dan Patrick
Paul Best in Worst of the Week.
Paulie
Best of the Weekend Buddy Healed of the Warriors 33 points yesterday to carry them for the first three quarters. I did see headlines. Steph Curry's late Magic wins it for the Warriors. Buddy Hale did not make the headlines. Another Best of the Weekend I don't know what the names of the guys are, the people are who help get the horses into the starting gate, but man, those guys have a tough job. You're trying to get these horses in. You're at a time crunch and you are physically pushing a horse and the horses are kicking and you're not wearing like a suit of armor. That's a tough gig.
Dan Patrick
Tyrese Halliburton had 22 and 13 as the Pacers beat the Cavs, and Donovan Mitchell had 33 in the loss, so he scored 30 or more points in game one. Of eight consecutive playoff series. That breaks the record of seven straight set by Michael Jordan, who did it twice. Brought to you by Panini America I was telling Seton I was locked in on Facebook over the weekend watching videos, and I stumbled across some Led Zeppelin concert videos. And it was just footage from Led Zeppelin in concert. And I remember going to a concert, led Zeppelin in 1975. And I didn't remember how there's nothing going on now. When you go to a show now, it's not like, you know, a fish concert or. But there's things going on. The stage is lit up. There's background stuff. I mean, it's, it's wild. And there was nothing going on with Led Zeppelin. It was Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. And then you'd have John Bonham, maybe John Paul Jones, you know, they'd have him on just a little bit, but you'd have spotlights on them. That was it. The audience isn't, you know, lights aren't on in the audience behind the band. There's. There's nothing up there. There's no images or graph. Nothing, nothing. And I was wondering, Seaton and I were talking about who started stage presence, and my first thought was Pink Floyd. When they did Animals, I saw them in concert and they had, you know, floating balloons that were animals and. And it felt like it was more of a stage feeling or present. And then scene goes, well, what about Kiss? I go, yep, that was it. I think I'm trying to think if anybody else was. Had a big stage performance in. In arenas, stadiums. Yeah, Seaton, maybe.
Tim McMahon
I get.
Seton O'Connor
You have to correct my timeline on all this, but I think the who would be in there too.
Dan Patrick
They. Well, there's.
Seton O'Connor
With Tommy. I mean, I feel like, okay, Tommy was a big.
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Seton O'Connor
Big production, wasn't it?
Dan Patrick
Yes, yes. But their performance was usually Townsend smashing his guitar and Keith Moon falling into his drum kit.
Seton O'Connor
Yeah. But that whole, like, sort of like it's just a stage with musicians.
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Seton O'Connor
I feel like maybe they helped.
Dan Patrick
You know, somebody will correct me on this, but like quad down on that Quadrophenia. Yes. Stay in your lane. Well, at least I saw these bands, so I could say I did see them. Stay in your lane. All right. Two hours in the books on this Monday. More of your phone calls. Best and worst of the weekend. Final hour, right ahead. A great lawn is like a great sports team. It takes expertise and a little extra care to stand out. And that's where Trugreen comes in. Here's the best part. It's more affordable than you think. They'll even match any competitor's price. Plus, Trugreen backs it all up with a satisfaction guarantee. Not happy. They will come back between visits to make it right. So don't wait. Head to trugreen.com today and let the pros do the work while you sit back and enjoy the results. Exclusions apply. See trugreen.com for details.
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Dan Patrick
You feeling this too is a horror anthology podcast. It brings different creators to tell 10.
Tim McMahon
Vile no, no no no no no.
Dan Patrick
Grotesque. Oh my God. Horrific stories on what scares them the most. You feeling this too? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The culture's favorite reggaeton historian, public scholar and recording artist. Yes, that means I've done the work on my show that I get the Colagata podcast. I'm not only talking to Floriano, who has the number one reggaeton track in the world right now. I'm also going beyond Perro to speak with music innovators like Rain now, who is known for her media Rogera tracks and collaborating with artists like Bob Bonnie. We're also giving you the cultural breakdown.
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Straight from the source.
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Listen to Regeto colagata on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast and the dream season is now complete. The Golden State warriors are the 2015.
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The Dan Patrick Show
Episode: Hour 2 – Tim MacMahon, Best & Worst
Release Date: May 5, 2025
In this episode of The Dan Patrick Show, host Dan Patrick delves deep into the latest happenings in the NBA, featuring an insightful interview with ESPN NBA reporter Tim MacMahon. The show also includes the beloved segment "Best & Worst of the Weekend," where regular contributors share their highlights and disappointments from recent sports events. Throughout the episode, Dan and his co-hosts provide expert analysis, engaging banter, and thought-provoking discussions that cater to both avid sports fans and casual listeners.
Dan Patrick opens the discussion by analyzing the current NBA playoff odds, highlighting the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets as notable contenders. He emphasizes the Thunder's depth and the Nuggets' resilience, noting:
“Their depth helped them win an NBA championship a couple of years ago. Gotta have that.”
— Dan Patrick [05:45]
Dan scrutinizes team performances, particularly focusing on Golden State Warriors' unexpected advancement beyond the first round, joining historical teams like the Lakers (2023) and Spurs (2010). He praises the Warriors' ability to perform under pressure:
“Steph was great in the second half, certainly in the fourth quarter. Buddy Hale was awesome.”
— Dan Patrick [06:30]
Dan welcomes Tim MacMahon, an ESPN NBA reporter and author of The Wonder Boy Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness, to discuss various NBA topics.
The conversation kicks off with a discussion comparing the careers of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Both hosts and Tim express their preferences, weighing factors like playoff performances and individual accolades. Notable points include:
“Russ doesn't have glaring game seven failures. The thing about Russ to me is you'll never have to question whether he cares or not.”
— Marvin [11:51]
“Harden was mastering the step back and took it to an extra step back.”
— Paulie [16:26]
Tim observes that while Harden may have better regular-season stats and a slightly more decorated career, Westbrook's undeniable hustle and commitment make him a worthy contender.
The discussion shifts to Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Tim defends Luka's conditioning concerns, arguing that these issues have been a consistent theme throughout his career and do not justify the Mavericks' trade of Doncic to the Lakers.
“Conditioning has been a concern with him throughout his career. He's still been a five-time first team All-NBA player.”
— Tim McMahon [31:27]
Tim expresses optimism about Luka's future, believing that he is fully committed to winning championships with the Lakers.
When asked who has a better chance of advancing further, Warriors or Nuggets, Tim favors the Warriors due to their strategic advantages and historical performance in high-stakes games.
“I think the Warriors have a better chance to beat the Wolves than the Nuggets do.”
— Tim McMahon [34:42]
The conversation delves into signature moves that have revolutionized basketball. Tim credits James Harden with popularizing the step-back three-pointer, comparing its impact to Manu Ginobili's Euro step.
“The step back three became a common weapon because of Harden.”
— Tim McMahon [40:16]
He also highlights the Euro step’s widespread adoption, making it one of the most utilized moves in today's game.
“I would say it's the Euro step. Probably got to be the Euro step.”
— Tim McMahon [40:54]
Each contributor shares their personal "Best & Worst" moments from the past weekend in sports.
Todd Fritz (The Minister of Humor):
“Roger Clemens hit a home run at Fenway. That was kind of cool.”
— Todd Fritz [46:57]
Seton O'Connor:
“Miko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars. Phenomenal.”
— Seton O'Connor [48:42]
Marvin:
“Denver Nuggets as a whole, balanced scoring attack.”
— Marvin [49:12]
Paulie:
“Buddy Hale did not make the headlines.”
— Paulie [49:27]
The show briefly touches on the influence of social media, with Dan sharing his limited use of platforms like Facebook. The conversation includes light-hearted jokes about Facebook profiles, pet ownership, and the evolving nature of social interactions in the digital age.
“My sleep number setting is 75 and sleep plays such an important role in recovery.”
— Dan Patrick [25:06]
Dan Patrick wraps up the episode by teasing upcoming segments, including a further analysis of Luka Doncic's future with the Lakers and the anticipation of former NBA player Jim Jackson joining the conversation in the final hour.
“We'll talk some more hoops coming up. Yeah, I want to find out this scenario where Luka would not stay with the Lakers.”
— Dan Patrick [27:59]
He also highlights various sponsored segments and encourages listeners to tune in to future episodes for more in-depth sports discussions.
Dan Patrick [06:53]:
“Tim McMahon: I thought Steph was brilliant tonight. I know he got us off to a slow start shooting the ball, but the whole key to the game was taking care of the ball. And he managed the game beautifully.”
Marvin [11:51]:
“Russ doesn't have glaring game seven failures. The thing about Russ to me is you'll never have to question whether he cares or not.”
Seton O'Connor [13:04]:
“Probably give a slight edge to Harden. I think ultimately he maybe has had a better career.”
Paulie [16:26]:
“Paulie Harden didn't at all invent the step back, but it felt like he mastered it and took it to an extra step back.”
Tim MacMahon [31:27]:
“Conditioning has been a concern with him throughout his career. He's still been a five-time first team All-NBA player.”
Player Comparisons: The debate between James Harden and Russell Westbrook highlights the complexity of evaluating player careers, balancing individual statistics with team success and playoff performances.
Team Strategies: The emphasis on team depth and balanced scoring underscores modern NBA strategies focused on sustainability throughout the grueling playoff season.
Signature Moves: The discussion on signature basketball moves like the step-back three-pointer and the Euro step illustrates how individual player innovations can influence the broader game.
Impact of Conditioning: Tim MacMahon's insights into Luka Doncic's conditioning issues with the Lakers shed light on the importance of player fitness and its direct correlation with defensive performance.
Best & Worst Segment: The "Best & Worst of the Weekend" provides a multifaceted view of sports events, celebrating standout performances while critically examining disappointing outcomes.
This episode of The Dan Patrick Show offers a comprehensive exploration of current NBA dynamics, enriched by expert analysis from Tim MacMahon and vibrant discussions among the show's regular contributors. From player comparisons and team strategies to the evolution of basketball techniques, listeners are treated to an engaging and informative broadcast that captures the essence of contemporary sports discourse.
Tune In: For more in-depth discussions and the latest sports insights, catch The Dan Patrick Show on Fox Sports Radio or via the iHeartRadio app. Stay updated with upcoming episodes featuring special guests and exclusive interviews.