The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Released on May 5, 2025, "The Best of The Dan Patrick Show" is a comprehensive episode that delves deep into the current landscape of the NBA, focusing on key players, team dynamics, and the evolving strategies that shape the league. Hosted by Dan Patrick from the iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network, the episode features insightful discussions with NBA analyst Jim Jackson.

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1. James Harden’s Playoff Struggles

Timestamp: 02:58 – 15:03

Dan Patrick opens the episode with a critical analysis of James Harden's performance in elimination games. Highlighting a concerning trend, Patrick states:

"In his last 13 elimination games, James Harden's teams are 2 and 11. And the numbers are even worse after that." [02:58]

He compares Harden's postseason effectiveness to other NBA legends:

"Steph Curry has scored under 20 points only once in 16 career elimination games. Kevin Durant has never scored under 20, and LeBron James has never been held under 20 in 29 career elimination games." [04:26]

Patrick underscores the impact of Harden's inconsistent performances, particularly in high-stakes game sevens, where Harden has notably struggled:

"James Harden's last three game sevens... he scored seven, nine, and 22 points respectively." [10:20]

2. The Importance of Team Depth

Timestamp: 15:03 – 28:52

Transitioning from individual performances, Patrick emphasizes the significance of depth in playoff success. He observes:

"Denver showed depth. OKC has depth. Cleveland has depth. Indiana has depth. That's sort of the new thing." [09:57]

Patrick advises teams to prioritize building a strong bench rather than relying solely on star power:

"I need two stars and depth. Celtics, they got a lot of depth. They got two big stars, a lot of depth. That's what I would be concentrating on if I'm trying to build my team or continue to build my team." [12:22]

3. Interview with Jim Jackson: Analyzing the Clippers and Harden’s Legacy

Timestamp: 20:52 – 54:55

NBA analyst Jim Jackson joins the show to provide expert insights. The conversation covers various topics, including James Harden’s legacy and the future of the Los Angeles Clippers.

a. Harden vs. Westbrook: Career Comparisons

Jackson explores whether Harden's career is more commendable than Russell Westbrook’s:

"Both are going to be hall of Famers, first ballots. Both are going to have asterisks by it." [44:26]

He leans slightly in Harden’s favor due to his scoring prowess despite acknowledging Westbrook's unique triple-double achievements.

b. Clippers’ Future and Luka Doncic’s Potential Move

The discussion shifts to the Clippers' trajectory and the role of Luka Doncic:

"The Clippers are kind of a no man's land. Good team, potentially a really good team. The problem is age, injuries, and you always have James Harden not showing up in big games." [04:26]

Jackson speculates on Luka’s commitment to the Lakers, suggesting:

"I think he absolutely wants to give the Lakers he's fully committed to LA now. His goal now is to win championships with that franchise." [26:32]

c. Top NBA Players and Future Stars

Jackson lists the current top five NBA players, emphasizing Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Anthony Edwards, while noting Jason Tatum's versatility:

"Steph, Jokic, Giannis, SGA, and Anthony Edwards." [47:28]

He praises Jason Tatum for his all-around game despite him not making the top five list.

d. The Evolution of Player Conditioning and League Dynamics

Addressing the modern NBA's emphasis on player rest and conditioning, Jackson remarks:

"The product is dependent upon the superstars playing... how do you enforce that?" [52:11]

He contrasts the league’s current environment with past eras, highlighting the challenges of balancing player health with fan expectations.

4. The Step Back and Euro Step: Signature Moves in the NBA

Timestamp: 32:07 – 34:49

Dan and Jackson discuss signature basketball moves that have transformed the game. They attribute the step-back three-pointer to James Harden:

"Harden absolutely gets credit for the step back revolution." [33:09]

Meanwhile, the Euro step is credited largely to Manu Ginobili for its widespread adoption:

"It's probably got to be the Euro step. I think every ball handler has the Euro step." [33:47]

5. Fan Engagement and Final Thoughts

Timestamp: 54:55 – 58:11

As the episode wraps up, Patrick and Jackson reflect on the importance of fan interaction and the future of basketball strategies. They touch upon the necessity for continual adaptation in team building and player management to stay competitive in the evolving NBA landscape.

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Key Takeaways

• James Harden's Declining Playoff Performance: Despite regular-season success, Harden's effectiveness drops significantly in elimination games, raising questions about his legacy and future impact.

• Team Depth Over Star Power: Modern NBA success increasingly relies on having a deep roster rather than solely stacking teams with star players.

• Luka Doncic's Commitment: Speculation surrounds Luka’s dedication to staying with the Lakers, pivotal for their championship aspirations.

• Signature Moves Shaping the Game: Moves like the step-back three and Euro step have become integral to the NBA, influencing how players approach scoring and defense.

• Evolving League Dynamics: Balancing player health, conditioning, and fan expectations remains a critical challenge for the NBA in maintaining its product quality and competitiveness.

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Notable Quotes:

• "James Harden's last three game sevens... he scored seven, nine, and 22 points respectively." – Dan Patrick [10:20]

• "Depth matters and role players matter. There's only one basketball." – Dan Patrick [12:22]

• "Harden absolutely gets credit for the step back revolution." – Jim Jackson [33:09]

• "The product is dependent upon the superstars playing. But how do you enforce that?" – Jim Jackson [52:11]

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This episode serves as a rich resource for NBA enthusiasts, offering deep dives into player performances, strategic team building, and the nuances that define modern basketball. Whether you're a casual fan or a seasoned follower, Dan Patrick and Jim Jackson provide valuable perspectives that illuminate the complexities of the game.

Transcript

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Dan Patrick]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. A gift that keeps on giving is James Harden. And you know, when you look at the regular season, regular season, James Harden, I think 22 points, eight assists. We like the Clippers. People thought, oh, you got a healthy Kawhi Leonard, okay, they can do some damage. They could knock off Denver. They could give Oklahoma City a real tussle. But last night they were blown. It was a no show. They were blown out or over the weekend, I should say. And then you have, you know, what happened. So the Nuggets end up winning, Golden State ends up winning. Now you got some pretty interesting matchups, but we tend to focus on the team that just lost. So with what happened with the Clippers and once again, James Harden in a game seven is a no show. Here is his head coach, Ty Lu, on the Clippers losing, you know, a.

[Jim Jackson]

Tough loss and like I said, not playing our best game in a situation like this and, you know, a lot of emotions and so just told the guys, bring it in, you know, one last hug and you know, we'll talk tomorrow. But, you know, they came out, I thought we came out with a, with a decent mindset. They went to that zone and, and kind of made a stagnant offensively because the way we were attacking them. And then I thought, you know, when they went to that zone, it just kind of slowed us down offensively. And then defensively we didn't, we didn't really, you know, get into them, get closer to the guys and have that pressure. And so they was able to pick us apart.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. And this isn't all on James Harden, but there is a pattern here. In his last 13 elimination games, James Harden's teams are 2 and 11. And the numbers are even worse after that, by the way, he was a no show after their losses. He didn't meet with the media. But James Harden, now, he did have 26, 28 points, I think game six. So I thought, okay, maybe this is going to be different for him. 13 elimination games. He shot 39% from the floor. Team is 2 and 11. He's averaged 14 points on 38% shooting. And then you look at some of the other numbers here. Steph Curry, 14 career elimination games. He has scored, I think one time under 20 points once in 16 career elimination games. Kevin Durant, under 20 points. LeBron James, 29 career elimination games has never been held under 20 points. Meanwhile, Harden has scored less than 20 points in 12 of 26 career elimination games, including seven of his last 13 brought to you by Panini America. Even more emphatic and embarrassing, James Harden's last three game sevens. He scored seven points, he scored nine points. He scored 22 points. He went 2 for 8. He went 3 for 11. That was in a loss to Boston and 5 of 17 in a loss to Milwaukee back in 20, 21. I can't have one of my best scores, one of the great scores in the history of the league, get eight shots. Now, he did have double digit assist, okay, but I want him to score. I need him to score, I need him to shoot. I mean, I'd rather that he was 2 for 18 than 2 for 8. I gotta have him getting shots up. But once again, he no showed. The Clippers bow out, dramatic fashion. And you know, we're left to wonder how many more years, how many more postseasons will you get with Kawhi Leonard, where he's healthy and playing well. And then you got Harden, who had a good regular season, but trying to match them up in the postseason and get maybe some magic here. And you start to look and you go, okay, where do you kind of fit in here? It looks like the Rockets are going to be here to stay. Now they might add. I know we've talked about Kevin Durant, but you know, if I'm them, I do what Oklahoma City did. Stay the course. Keep your nucleus. I don't want to bring in 35, 36 year old Kevin Durant. I'm not trying to catch Magic in one year. I'm going to try to do this, you know, make this sustainable, make this just like okc. And OKC is going to be here for a while now. You have to look and go, if you're the Clippers, where are we? We're kind of in the middle you know, Denver's gotten depth. They got benches, really contributed. You still got Joker playing at a high level for a few more years. Can Jamal Murray stay healthy? You know, so that could be sustainable for a few more years to be a contender there. Golden State, I mean, you're kind of looking at the last go round, it feels like, or at least maybe one more go round. What about the Lakers with LeBron? You know, you start to look at where you are in your division, in your conference, and that's what I start to wonder about. The Clippers, they're kind of a no man's land. Good team, potentially a really good team. The problem is, is age, injuries, and you always going to have James Harden not showing up in big games. But, you know, we sometimes look at these teams as they exit and go, okay, what is the future here? As I said with Detroit, I think they got a bright future. Don't go crazy. And I do think depth is really the important thing to keep an eye on in the playoffs. Denver showed depth. You got to have more than six, seven guys. OKC has depth. Cleveland has depth. Indiana has depth. That's sort of the new thing. I don't need three stars. I need two stars and depth. Celtics, they got a lot of depth. They got two big stars, a lot of depth. That's what I would be concentrating on if I'm trying to build my team or continue to build my team. Depth. Don't go out there and get a big ticket item. If you have a young nucleus and you're sold on them, let them grow together. Hopefully you get a star or two. I mean, OKC has one star. He's going to be the mvp, but you have a couple other guys who are at least in the conversation of being a star, and that's really important. But Boston, Boston is so deep. Cleveland deep, Indiana deep. Just feels like that's the new wave with, you know, luxury taxes, the apron, as they like to call that. So just some things to keep an eye on in the off season with these teams. Speaking of Denver, Russell Westbrook Jr III, this might be as honest of an answer as you're going to get from an athlete who is assessing his talents.

[Jim Jackson]

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 miss shot, but it may be a steal, maybe a dunk, maybe a mystery, maybe a May3. It's gonna be all of that. It's gonna be Everything. So you just take it. Take it for how it comes. And whatever happens, you go with it.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay? He's gonna help somebody win. I don't know if it's his team or your team, but he's gonna help. But he's. And you know, he gives you that jolt of energy coming off the bench. And this used to be so important. You know, we came up with sixth man of the year, that award. John Havalchek, I think they invented the award for him. With the Celtics, you come off the bench and you give that blast of energy. Kevin McHale was a sixth man. Yet, guys, Manu Ginobili, they came in and they gave you that boost. That's why I'd love to see Austin Reeves be that sixth man for the Lakers. You come in and all of a sudden you're better than everybody else in that second unit for the other team and you're able to put up some offense. Russell Westbrook brings you energy, and he had to accept coming off the bench as well. But he's fun. He's fun to watch. Buddy Healed went off last night. He was 9 of 11 from 3 point range. And that's one of those where if you're Houston and you go, we're still trailing and Steph Curry hasn't done much, you know you're in trouble because Buddy Heald went off and then Steph had like 14 points in the fourth quarter. But that was Golden State showing Houston, hey, nice try. Get experience and then try it again next year. That was the feeling I got with Houston. Thought they were going to be a team to contend with this year. Maybe not a contender, but to contend with. And that proved to be true. And I thought that this was a fact finding mission. Just like with Detroit. You go into the postseason, kind of figure out what do you need? And you saw a team, you saw a coach, they knew what they were doing in that game. It was just experience. Now you do have Steph. You didn't think Buddy Healed was going to go off, but with Golden State, it's fun. Fun to see them out there, you know, in the latter stages of careers. Seaton, what's poll question today? For the first hour, it feels like.

[Seaton O'Connor]

We'Re kind of kicking one around about James Harden's legacy. Maybe, maybe we're going to stumble onto one of those.

[Dan Patrick]

But can you think of a first ballot hall of Famer who is this flawed? Yes. Right.

[Seaton O'Connor]

While also he's an absolute hall of.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Famer, he's one of the greatest scoring players of all Time probably right. He's revolutionized the game in how you draw fouls, how you do certain things. He's had a massive impact on the game, while maybe not always getting the credit for that. And then unfortunately doesn't have the success to show for it other than for the most part, extremely great play.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I don't know if there's another NBA comp for this where that guy was so great, then he didn't show up in the postseason. And he's done this with all the teams he's been with. It's not just the Clippers, but to have the highest of highs where you're averaging 35 a game, you change the game at least with one, one move that you make. But you kind of look at him, you go, yeah, but. Yeah, Paulie.

[Ryan Seacrest]

James Harden led the league in scoring three years in a row.

[Seaton O'Connor]

He's led the league in assists two times. The really the only modern day comp might be Russell Westbrook. Russell led the league in scoring twice. He's led the league in assists three times.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And Russell had the bonus of he.

[Seaton O'Connor]

Had four different seasons where he averaged 10 or more rebounds, which is nuts.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but I, it's weird. I never look at Russell Westbrook as. That's the guy I gotta stop. Like, I, I was always curious about him. You know, he wasn't a good shooter. He scored. But Harden, I think you look at and you go, nobody can stop him. Like when he gets on a run, nobody's going to stop him. Russ didn't shoot well enough. Where you go, man, you got to stop that now his jumper looks pretty good. He hit a couple of big shots, couple of threes. And I go, the form looks really good now. I know he's hit the side of the backboard and done. You know, he'll miss him when he misses, like, he'll miss really bad. But I don't, I think I, I expect Harden to win more, to be, to be the guy in these big moments. I think with Russ, I just thought that, okay, he's still that curiosity. He's going to give you a triple double, but he's also going to help the other team. I never felt that way with Harden until you look at these game sevens, you look at his postseasons. I mean, I don't know if there's another comp here. Marvin, you got one? Anybody who comes to mind, it's crazy because I don't.

[Jim Jackson]

In the game, sevens is really what separates him from other guys where that's a glaring omission. Because he's had so many no shows in big time.

[Seaton O'Connor]

Game seven.

[Jim Jackson]

He was a part of that game seven where the Rockets missed 27 straight three pointers.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Jim Jackson]

They almost took out the 73 wins. Warriors.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@fox sportsradio.com and.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

[Dan Patrick]

Hey, Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.

[Dan Patrick]

You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific.

[Ryan Seacrest]

On Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app.

[Dan Patrick]

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.

[Seaton O'Connor]

For the last 20 years and still.

[Dan Patrick]

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.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive.

[Dan Patrick]

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.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the.

[Dan Patrick]

Live show, just search Covino and Rich.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

[Dan Patrick]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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 CE 80 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 Luca 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?

[Seaton O'Connor]

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. 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 kind of left them well, you know, they just didn't have the better team and he didn't get 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's 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's kind of, you know. 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?

[Seaton O'Connor]

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, Luke 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.

[Seaton O'Connor]

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 has 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.

[Seaton O'Connor]

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 your 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, 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 them couldn't hit shots. And you know, and, and his defensive issues didn't help. But I'm saying, so, yeah, the, the flaws are the flaws, but no, it doesn't justify the trade. And I absolutely, I, 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, and they've got a lot of work to do in that regard.

[Dan Patrick]

Can you see a scenario where Luca doesn't stay in la?

[Seaton O'Connor]

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.

[Seaton O'Connor]

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?

[Seaton O'Connor]

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. Yeah, 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 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?

[Seaton O'Connor]

Well, and 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 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 Shay, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren 3, 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?

[Seaton O'Connor]

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?

[Seaton O'Connor]

Spiggs the Moat, self proclaimed greatest shooting big man of all time?

[Dan Patrick]

Who is the greatest shooting big man of all time?

[Seaton O'Connor]

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.

[Seaton O'Connor]

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. 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.

[Seaton O'Connor]

No, to a hundred percent degree.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, well, no, that step back, that.

[Seaton O'Connor]

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 Sharounas, Marshall, Onus or who gets credit for the Euro step?

[Seaton O'Connor]

I would say it is most commonly associated with Ginobi and Ginobi 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, Genoblue 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 it's okay. Out of all those moves, what move is used more by more players more often? Is it the Euro step?

[Seaton O'Connor]

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, 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.

[Seaton O'Connor]

I appreciate you having me.

[Dan Patrick]

Tim McMahon.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Be sure to catch the live edition.

[Dan Patrick]

Of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Dan Patrick]

NBA college basketball analyst. Played 14 seasons in the NBA. He was there for the call the Clippers and the Nuggets. And Jim joins us on the program. First big concert you ever went to?

[Jim Jackson]

Oh, man, back in the day, I think I was so from Toledo. So I think it was this place we used to go to called the Sports arena and it was LL Cool J Run dmc. Okay, yeah, yeah, that was it.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you ever meet those guys once you became famous?

[Jim Jackson]

Yes.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Jim Jackson]

LL Run dmc. Jam Master J. When I was older, yeah, when I got to the league, I, I got a chance to run across. It's back. You know, the funny part is, Dan, back in the 90s, I came in the league in 92. That's when hip hop was just turning the corners from the late 80s to 90s. So. And I used to be in New York and LA a lot. So we would run into. We would all be kind of at the same kind of places, whether that's restaurants or nightclubs or events or whatever. So it was, it was funny because back then it was just. They were big. They were big, don't get me wrong. But you know, you didn't have the social media and everything like that and hip hop was just starting to take Off. So I got a chance to meet some. A lot of the early hip hop artists, actresses, actors, things like that back in the day that we see now that are older, of course, but during that time, and it was. It was a different time period.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you ever flirt during a game?

[Jim Jackson]

Of course.

[Dan Patrick]

To who?

[Jim Jackson]

I'm not telling you that.

[Dan Patrick]

Why not? Because limitations is up.

[Jim Jackson]

I'm old. I forgot.

[Dan Patrick]

Like Halle Berry. Did you.

[Jim Jackson]

I've never seen how they had a game. I went to a Janet Jackson.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you flirt with Janet Jackson?

[Jim Jackson]

Shooting? Never. Was that. What? No, she was at a game. Hey, actually, I'll tell you the truth. One year, her concert, concert tour. It was. Was it velvet rope? I think it was.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Jim Jackson]

I saw it three times. Dallas, Detroit, and I was at the closeout show in New York.

[Dan Patrick]

If Janet Jackson said, would you get 50 for me, Jimmy?

[Jim Jackson]

What points? What. I would. I wouldn't try to get. No, no, no.

[Dan Patrick]

Wait for Janet Jackson. You wouldn't?

[Jim Jackson]

Nah. No, no, no, no, no. I would have tried to get 50 for myself.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh.

[Jim Jackson]

And then she could witness it. But no, not for her. That's where you. That'll throw your game off. Then you trying too hard. Then you out there trying to. You get your teammates looking at you like you crazy, man.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. You saw up close and personal, Clippers Val out. And the James Harden question, what happens to him in these big games?

[Jim Jackson]

Man, it's. It's a tough one because I'm. I'm really close to the situation because I covered the Clippers all year and this. This year, Jan, I just thought this was. With everything coming together, Kawhi coming back, James basically manning the ship the entire year until, oh, you know, to the games where Kawhi came back along with Evita Zuba to improve immensely, was up for, you know, most improved player of the year. Then Norm Norman Powell, who was up for six, man of the year. And going into the series, I knew Denver was going to be tough just because. And despite, you know, firing Michael Malone, they were just connected a little bit different. They've been playing not as well down the stretch of the season, but they. It was just something about him. And James was up and down in this series. When he was good, he was good. When he wasn't, he wasn't. When he was engaged early, like in game six, he was a difference maker. In game seven, that same engagement just wasn't there. And a lot of what happens with the Clippers is based around the temperament of James and what. I mean, his body language when he's really aggressive offensively. The team tends to follow that. I thought the first quarter was great. I thought, okay. I said, okay, we got something here. Game seven in Denver. But too many mental errors and mistakes limited that, and James never found his rhythm. And I thought this year, Dan, if any, this is when he could have quieted a lot of that noise about lack of playoff success, especially in game seven, because with Dan, James didn't have to go score 25, 30 points. But if he gives you 18 with 10 assist, 12 assists, and he's controlling Temple and he's getting guys the ball and he's actively being defensive minded, then a lot of that narrative and out of that noise, a lot of that chirping, a lot of people now say, well, James has done a great job leading the Clippers, and. But that didn't happen. And as a result, a team that I thought could get to the Western Conference finals, you know, lost to a great team with the Nuggets.

[Dan Patrick]

Would you rather have James Harden's career? Russell Westbrooks? Oh, oh.

[Jim Jackson]

I think both are going to be hall of Famers, first ballots. Both are going to have asterisks by it. Russ still has a chance right now because whatever Denver does is going to be on his record. You know, so if they do something special. That's a. That's a great question, Dan, because both have accomplished so much, whether it's MVPs, whether it's scoring titles with James, you know, triple Double Crowns for Russell, Man, I don't know. That's. That's a good one right there, Dan. I. I don't know. I would really have to dig into it. But off, offhand, I would say. I would say James.

[Dan Patrick]

Watching the Nuggets, and I was curious how they respond, you know, firing Michael Malone. Yeah, but you're saying you see a different team now then maybe we saw at the end of the year or, you know, when he got fired. What kind of chance do you give them against okc?

[Jim Jackson]

So I'll give him a great chance now, but here's the difference is. Is okc. I mean, they're coming off a tough turnaround. You just played Saturday, and now you got to go into an OKC who's been sitting for. It feels like two weeks now, like this has been sitting out, but that's a tough turnaround. Okay. The thing about it is leadership, a voice. When things go left, Yoki just stepped up in that manner, and I saw a lot of that in our series. Despite Adelman not having the experience on the bench. You got it on the court with Aaron Gordon. Christian Brown has been there. Jamal Murray and Jokic, of course they've been there. They've been in those dog fights. So you lean into that a little bit more, they're gonna have to lean in that, into that. And tough OKC team defensively who are going to take a lot of way. Because the thing about beating Denver is this Jokic beats you and he gets 40 points. Okay. But he beats you when he's spraying the ball around and you're helping. And Christian Brown is going back door and he's throwing a lob to Aaron Gordon. I think OKC is disciplined enough that they can play one on one with Jokic, stay at home with the other players and just force Jokic to have to beat them one on one. And I think that's the key advantage that Denver has. I mean, that the Nuggets have because they could throw so many bodies at those other guys.

[Dan Patrick]

Talking to Jim Jackson, Fox Turner, NBA college basketball analyst he was on the call for the Clippers and the Nuggets. If you look at top five players in the NBA right now, who would.

[Jim Jackson]

You say they are now?

[Dan Patrick]

I'm just going to ask you. I'm the host.

[Jim Jackson]

I try to put it back on you, Dad. I wanted to see what. What you were going to say.

[Dan Patrick]

I'm the captain now.

[Jim Jackson]

Okay. All right.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. So who's your top five?

[Jim Jackson]

Top five? Steph Jok. Steph Jokic, Giannis sga. Sga. Because those sort of mvp. I think SGA ends up winning it this year.

[Dan Patrick]

So you think Steph's a top five player?

[Jim Jackson]

Yeah, I still think he is.

[Dan Patrick]

You would take him over Anthony Edwards.

[Jim Jackson]

Not put Anthony Edwards right? I mean, right now?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Jim Jackson]

If I'm picking my five, I'm picking those five right there.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, so Joker, sga, Steph Giannis and Anthony Edwards. Anthony Edwards, Yeah. Jason Tatum doesn't make it in, huh?

[Jim Jackson]

He's right. He's right there. I mean, and again, it's not a slight on anybody, but why is he right there?

[Dan Patrick]

But he's like. He's accomplished more.

[Jim Jackson]

Jason. I think Jason is like Seth. Like all of those guys, I think have something that they do great. Jason doesn't have anything. He does great, but he's a great player. He does so many things well. He can shoot it, he can post up, he can defend, he can rebound. Steph has something, you know what I mean? That's different. Jokic has something that's different. SGA has something that's different. And so does Anthony Edwards. But you look at Jason, the totality in which he plays, I love to have him on my team. That would be because he can do a little bit of everything. It's not that he has one quality that stands out amongst above everything else, but he's so good at what he does. I think a lot of people take it for granted. I really do, because you look at face of the league and things of that nature, Jason Tatum's name never comes up. But if you're talking about actually winning and playing the game, he does it as well as anybody. So that's not a slight to me on Jayson Tatum of not being in the top five.

[Dan Patrick]

But Luke. Luke is not in your top five.

[Jim Jackson]

No.

[Dan Patrick]

What happened?

[Jim Jackson]

He never was.

[Dan Patrick]

Luca was never a top five player.

[Jim Jackson]

No, no. I think Luca and I. And I give Steph this, and I. And I teed with that fifth one because you got Steph, you got Luca, you got Jason Tatum, you can flip flop those three all day long, and I wouldn't be mad. And I love Luca, but I went back and looked at some film of Luca when he first got in the league and how slim Luca was and how quick his first step was and how dedicated he was to getting well. He's dead. He's a dedicated player, but his defensive level has dropped off. And that hurts because he compromises. And I'm not saying, listen, Steve Nash wasn't a great defensive player. Steph is not a great defensive player. But they did give the effort. They did give the effort. Now there you can have. You can go through examples of every player and pull out film of them getting beat defensively. Okay. Especially when you're Steph or Luca, Steve Nash, guys like that, you can always do that. But the latter two gave the effort a lot more. And a lot of times that's the deterrent with Luca is that if you saw that series in Minnesota they went after, they made sure they put him in actions. They did that with Steph, they did it with Steve. But at least they gave that consistent effort to try to play, to try to get over pick and roll, to try to get back in front of the guy a lot of time. Luca, I don't know, maybe he's preserving a lot of that energy for the offensive end and not being in tip top shape. Because if he does that, Dan, it's. It's unbelievable. If he gets back to. If he drops 10, 15 pounds and gives. Gets back to that and dedicates himself a little Bit more. Add a little bit more on the defensive end. I mean, it's unbelievable what he can do on the court.

[Dan Patrick]

How long before we have a guy making 100 million in a season?

[Jim Jackson]

Well, part of that, I mean, part of decision with I think the Mavericks dad, was that 350 million by five years they weren't willing to pay, you know, to Luca. We're getting close. Wimby may be that guy because Wimby goes through his rookie deal, signs a extension and then plays a couple years of that and then boom. If he's Wimby like we think, I think he'll be that guy that gets 100 million because of where he's tracking right now, if he gets to that point.

[Dan Patrick]

How do you think crowds are going to react when somebody's making 100 million and they're in street clothes?

[Jim Jackson]

It will be flat out anarchy. Now, how. How is he in street clothes? Is he always in street clothes?

[Dan Patrick]

Well, load management. Let's just say it's load management, you know, because used to be you guys took great pride in trying to play every game.

[Jim Jackson]

We did. You did. And. And guys wanted to play. And I might say, guys, listen, I'll tell you what. We talking about James Harden, right? Just do want to. Who? No matter what you want to say about James Harden, he wants to play. A lot of guys in the league want to play. Now you again, you're talking about the top 1% of the league that we're talking about here that are in street clothes that people are going to be upset about. They're not going to be upset if Rudy Gobert is in street clothes or, you know, if it's Christian Brown. I mean, seriously. But we're talking about the elite of the elite now. NBA just signed this big TV deal. You got now Amazon coming on board. You got NBC, maybe Netflix, you got still the espn. So the product is dependent upon the superstars playing. But how do you enforce that? Because to the detriment of the league in some aspects, with the analytics and the teams, they dictate more than anything who plays how and when and how many games and minutes and sits out. So a coach a lot of times and or a player doesn't have full control of that situation. And that's the troubling part of it, because the product is dependent upon the superstars playing. At the end of the day, as you know, I don't care what sport it is. And the beauty about football is you got 16, 18 games. Each one matters, right? Those superstars are out there playing. So you got a finite time period to watch them play, and they got to play in order to get to a Super bowl, they got to be out there, and if they're injured, they can play. If they're hurt, they're not. That's the difference. And it's hurt the product, I think, in a lot of aspects. So I know where you're going with that question. And it would be somebody out there now, a guy like Wimby, I think, like Giannis, who loves to play, I don't think fits in that category, because they just want to get out there and play.

[Dan Patrick]

I can't imagine Pat Riley saying the Magic, I'm gonna have you sit. Or Phil Jackson saying to Michael, hey, I'm gonna have you sit. Or, you know, Tommy Hindson telling Larry Bird, you're gonna have to sit. I just.

[Jim Jackson]

I can't envision Phil Jackson telling that to Kobe.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Jim Jackson]

Are you kidding me? But just what I try to understand.

[Dan Patrick]

But it's part of Pop's legacy, that Popovich had no problem telling his stars, I'm going to arrest you.

[Jim Jackson]

But it wasn't. But it was. See, at the time, it felt bad because it was new, but it wasn't as much as it was strategic when he did it, especially when it got later in the year getting ready for the playoffs. He knew his position and he knew that, okay, maybe we're not the number one seed, but we're good enough that in that first round series, we get the game on the road, we got home court advantage. That's what he used it for, in my viewpoint, my opinion. But at the time that he did it, it was so new and he was so honest with why he was doing it just shocked everybody. But you think about this, Dan. It's. And. And my son is 32, and I grew up, you know, AAU side and social media with him. You gotta meet these young men and women, where they're at. What they know is what they know that's in front of them. How I played 82 games in the 90s. And rough and physics, they don't. They understand it. They. They saw it, but they don't have a reality of it because their reality is what they see now. So I gotta meet them where they're at and talk to them in that basic. My expectations are not limited, but I can't expect them what they're seeing when a see. The problem is, it's okay for a lot of guys that when they say, you don't have to play, they're fine with it. They're fine with it. And, and that is a problem. And how do you change that with a generation that has grown up seeing that and knowing that it's okay to miss games? When I was coming in, it wasn't okay. One, because you were worried about one, losing that position in that spot, you know, and the perception wise that you. I think we took at that time, it was a pride thing to see how many, how close you could get to playing 82 games. That was a badge of honor. But a lot of the participants today don't look at it like that is how good I can be in what number of games. And that's it not. And that. But that's not all Anthony Edwards wants to play. I mean, you can't. You got to rip him off the court. So, you know, it goes both ways. And it'll be interesting to see with this new crop of young players that are going to lead the league. Shea Alexander, he loves to play. Okay. That they want to be out there on the court and if it adjusts a little bit more. And I, and I hate the conversation too about why should we have to peel back and shorten the season. I mean, you can't do it Anyway because the TV is too much money. Those 82 games matter. You take off 10. That's. That's money lost. Millions and millions of dollars lost. That's not going to happen. Why you don't think they get rid of the All Star Game and all of that is money. It's tied into your TV contract. Why do you think they're adding into, you know, to play in and you know, the postseason? Because it's part of tv. So you can't. You're not going to shorten the season.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Always great to connect with you. Have fun in the off season. Thanks for joining us.

[Jim Jackson]

You got it, captain.

[Dan Patrick]

That is Jim Jackson. 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.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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 zero dollar 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 Spa CE80 to match with a licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com and Enter promo code SPACE80.

[Dan Patrick]

You feeling this too is a horror anthology podcast. It brings different creators to tell 10.

[Seaton O'Connor]

Vile no no no no no no.

[Jim Jackson]

Grotesque. Oh my God.

[Dan Patrick]

Horrific stories on what scares them the most. Mine.

[Seaton O'Connor]

You feeling this too?

[Dan Patrick]

Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. That's the fun part about being an.

[Jim Jackson]

Artist that you need to have the patience for finding your head. I'm Lagata, the culture's favorite reggaeton historian and mosicologa. On an episode of my show the Reggaeton Colagata Podcast. I sit down with Bodhi, a body Reggaetonera who's demanding her place in the male dominated music industry.

[Dan Patrick]

That's the game.

[Jim Jackson]

Like who stays and who leaves, you know. Listen to Reggaeton Cuela Gata on America's number one podcast network iHeart. Follow reggaeton colagata and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today and the.

[Dan Patrick]

Dream season is now complete. The Golden State warriors are the 2015.

[Ryan Seacrest]

NBA champions on the new limited podcast series Dub dynasty. It's been 10 years since their shocking.

[Seaton O'Connor]

Run to a championship.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We examine the controversial move that made it possible.

[Jim Jackson]

It's never a great conversation as a player. When you hear that you're being benched for the entire behind the scenes story.

[Dan Patrick]

Of Golden State's incredible 10 year run.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Listen to Dub Dynasty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.