Best Of - Knicks TARGETING Kevin Durant or Giannis after Thibs firing? SGA's 2025 better than Steph's 2016?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode Title: What's Wright - Best Of - Knicks TARGETING Kevin Durant or Giannis after Thibs Firing? SGA's 2025 Better than Steph's 2016? Release Date: June 7, 2025

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Overview

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, hosted by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume, Nick Wright delves deep into recent developments surrounding the New York Knicks, particularly focusing on the unexpected firing of coach Tom Thibodeau during a promising playoff run. The discussion navigates through potential reasons behind the decision, speculations about the Knicks’ pursuit of superstar players like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the implications for the team's future. Additionally, listener questions touch on various sports topics, showcasing Nick's analytical prowess and engaging conversation style.

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Main Discussion Points

1. Firing of Tom Thibodeau

Timestamp: [02:15] – [18:25]

Nick Wright opens the discussion by addressing the surprising termination of Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks' head coach, just two games away from the NBA Finals. Damien expresses mutual surprise, stating, “You seem to think that his job was pretty secure. Myself as well. I couldn't see them firing Tibbs, but here we are.”

2. Possible Reasons for the Firing

Nick outlines three primary rationales:

• Option A: The front office had decided to part ways with Thibodeau at the end of the regular season, regardless of playoff performance.

• Option B: The playoff performance, including key victories perceived as flukes, diminished confidence in Thibodeau’s coaching.

• Option C: The firing is a strategic move to facilitate the acquisition of high-profile players like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Nick Wright [02:31]: “Logically speaking, that would mean one of two things is true...”

He elaborates on these options, suggesting that the sudden firing might be more aligned with Option C, positioning the Knicks to make significant trades or acquisitions.

3. Speculations on Acquiring Kevin Durant or Giannis

Nick introduces the theory that the Knicks might be targeting Durant or Giannis, potentially influencing their decision to fire Thibodeau. He connects this to rumors about possible coaching candidates, including Jason Kidd.

Nick Wright [05:00]: “...maybe someone from Giannis's camp said, hey, if person X was your coach, maybe Giannis would ask for a trade to the Knicks…”

He further discusses the viability of such moves, considering the existing team dynamics and contractual obligations.

4. Potential Coaching Candidates

The conversation shifts to potential new head coaches, with names like Jason Kidd and Rick Brunson mentioned. Nick scrutinizes the feasibility of these appointments, especially considering their current positions and relationships within the league.

Nick Wright [07:30]: “Jason Kidd coached Giannis in Milwaukee...”

He expresses skepticism about certain candidates, citing recent reports and professional relationships as limiting factors.

5. Jim Dolan's Role and the Las Vegas Sphere

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around Knicks owner Jim Dolan and his focus on the Las Vegas Sphere project. Nick references a remark by his idol, Colin Cowherd, attributing the Knicks' functional performance to Dolan's distracted attention towards the Sphere.

Nick Wright [12:10]: “Colin had the best Jim Dolan take ever...”

He posits that Dolan's divided attention might have inadvertently benefited the Knicks by allowing the front office and coaching staff more autonomy.

6. Defensive Concerns and Team Performance

Nick raises concerns about the Knicks' defensive performance under Thibodeau, questioning whether the team’s defensive metrics were a reflection of its roster limitations rather than coaching deficiencies.

Nick Wright [14:18]: “Is it possible that the defense the Knicks had this year... was actually the best defense you can realistically have?”

He debates whether the defensive struggles were inherent to the players' capabilities rather than strategy, highlighting the complexities of coaching in a star-driven team.

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Listener Questions and Responses

1. Knicks’ Future Moves Timestamp: [26:35] – [32:27]

Listener Damien asks, “So the Knicks couldn't even up the series, so now they're headed to Cancun. What do you think New York should do? What should they make? Any moves people want to come at Katie.”

Nick responds by evaluating the possibility of retaining the current coaching staff versus making drastic moves, including trading key players for superstars like Kevin Durant.

Nick Wright [31:03]: “I do not think you have to fire Tibbs in order to give yourself a better chance to get Kevin Durant.”

2. Celtics vs. Thunder Series Prediction Timestamp: [33:05] – [34:29]

Listener Bobby poses a hypothetical matchup between the 2024 Celtics and the 2025 Thunder in a seven-game series. Nick analyzes the strengths and potential weaknesses, leaning towards the Celtics if key players like Porzingis perform well.

Nick Wright [33:16]: “If you're getting seven healthy games out of Porzingis, I would go Celtics.”

3. SGA vs. Steph's Best Season Timestamp: [35:12] – [43:15]

Owen inquires whether SGA (presumably Julius Randle or another prominent player) surpasses Steve Nash as the greatest Canadian player with a title win. Nick confidently asserts that SGA's 2025 performance eclipses Nash's.

Nick Wright [35:20]: “Yes, I think he does. I think one MVP and one title and I think this year from SGA was better than any individual Steve Nash year.”

He continues to compare SGA's season metrics to legendary performances, arguing for his superiority based on statistical achievements and team contributions.

4. Coverage of Summer Sports Timestamp: [35:33] – [36:33]

Listener Louise asks about coverage plans for summer sports like the WNBA, cycling, F1, and tennis. Nick assures that upcoming sports will be covered, mentioning personal interests like IndyCar and potential exploration of F1.

Nick Wright [35:46]: “We'll definitely cover some WNBA. We'll definitely cover tennis...”

5. World Series of Poker and Mission Impossible Timestamp: [36:35] – [51:45]

Further listener interactions include questions about the World Series of Poker and opinions on the new Mission Impossible movie. Nick admits he hasn't seen the latest installment, expressing reluctance to end a beloved franchise.

Nick Wright [36:35]: “I have a shameful confession. I haven't seen it yet...”

He humorously chastises his co-host upon learning that Damien hasn't watched any Mission Impossible films either.

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Concluding Remarks

Nick Wright wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of fan engagement and encouraging listeners to subscribe and stay tuned for future discussions. He emphasizes the dynamic nature of the NBA landscape, particularly regarding the Knicks' strategic decisions post-Thibodeau era.

Nick Wright [32:27]: “I feel like it's got to at least be kicked around. That's the way. That's the way I look at it.”

His final thoughts center around the potential reshaping of the Knicks’ roster and coaching staff to position themselves as Eastern Conference favorites, contingent upon successful acquisitions and internal team development.

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Notable Quotes

• Damien [02:15]: “You seem to think that his job was pretty secure. Myself as well. I couldn't see them firing Tibbs, but here we are.”

• Nick Wright [05:00]: “...maybe someone from Giannis's camp said, hey, if person X was your coach, maybe Giannis would ask for a trade to the Knicks…”

• Nick Wright [12:10]: “Colin had the best Jim Dolan take ever...”

• Nick Wright [14:18]: “Is it possible that the defense the Knicks had this year... was actually the best defense you can realistically have?”

• Nick Wright [35:20]: “Yes, I think he does. I think one MVP and one title and I think this year from SGA was better than any individual Steve Nash year.”

• Nick Wright [36:35]: “I have a shameful confession. I haven't seen it yet...”

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Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the New York Knicks' recent coaching changes, exploring the multifaceted reasons behind the firing of Tom Thibodeau and the potential strategic moves the franchise might undertake to secure its position in the NBA's competitive landscape. Nick Wright's insightful commentary, combined with engaging listener interactions, offers listeners a nuanced perspective on current sports narratives.

Transcript

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[Nick Wright]

Welcome to the Best of the Week for what's Right with Nick Wright. The best takes and moments from this week on the show. Enjoy.

[Damien]

Yeah, so after two games away from the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks have fired Tibbs. We talked on Tuesday. You seem to think that his job was pretty secure. Myself as well. I couldn't see them firing Tibs, but here we are. They fired him. Where do they go from here? What's. What's the assessment?

[Nick Wright]

Okay, so I react, this happened 10 minutes before the TV show started, right? And I actually said on the air, sometimes the reacting to breaking news are my favorite shows when I look back on them. And sometimes they're the most annoying shows because I'm like, gosh darn it, I just didn't have that piece of information. You know what I mean? And so everything that we said ends up becoming irrelevant a few hours later. I think the Tibbs show might end up falling into the former category. My favorite shows, and here's why. So my snap reaction to the Tibbs firing was there's really only three ways to view it. Like, there's only three, I guess, rationales to the firing. Rationale. One was they be. So let me back up. The reason I'm framing it like this is because everyone is framing it the way you did Damante, which is it was the best season in 25 years. You made your first conference finals in 25 years. You were two games away from the NBA finals. You were favored to go to the finals, and you fired your coach. So logically speaking, that would mean one of two things is true. Either A, at the end of the regular season, they had determined, we're moving on from Tom Thibodeau. Anything short of a championship or making the Finals, we're firing that. That's where they were kind of like the Nuggets were with Michael Malone, but the Nuggets just did it beforehand, and they weren't going to let this playoff run dissuade them. That's kind of option A. Option B, if. If that's not the case, if at the end of the regular season his job was safe, then that would mean option B, which is somehow this playoff run hurt Tibbs in the front office ownership's eyes, right? If he would save at the end of the regular season, that they looked at it and they were like, you know what? Damanze was right. That victory over the Celtics was a fluke. Shouldn't have happened. Down 15 in every game. We're actually not that good. You know what I mean? Like, we were trailing Detroit a bunch. We got lucky against Boston. And so, like, those are, in theory, the only two viable paths. And this is why I'm kind. I feel like Tuesday's TV show is gonna age. Well. I said that, and then I said, there is, however, a third path, a third rationale, I should say, which is they are firing Tom Thibodeau because there is a player they are trying to acquire that they think they will be more likely to Acquire if they fire Tom Thibodeau. And the. What I was implying without really saying is, was it possible that someone from Giannis's camp said, hey, you know, if person X was your coach, maybe not only, you know, would it push Giannis closer to asking for a trade, but maybe he would ask for a trade to the Knicks specifically? So I just kind of threw that out there as a possibility. I don't think you would have to fire Tibbs in order to give yourself a better chance to get Kevin Durant. Giannis is the other big name out there. So I just threw that out there on Tuesday and then Demon Day. Did you see the kind of weird report about one of the coaches the Knicks might want to go after? Cause I did. It was a coach who currently has a job, and it was Jason Kidd. And if people remember, Jason Kidd coached Giannis in Milwaukee. And when Jason Kidd was fired, Giannis, the reporting was he called Jason Kidd and said, is, can I fix it? Should I call ownership and say unfire you? I'm paraphrasing. So again, I'm not. I am. I'm literally. I could not be further away from reporting anything here. I have been gambling nonstop for the last 36 hours. I've not been working the phones. I've been playing poker. I'm simply saying the firing tibs. It was odd enough that a little alarm bells went off. And then when I. Because the reporting demons, A was there were two coaches who currently have jobs the Knicks were interested in. It was Jason Kidd and IME Udoka. And I'm like, okay, well, IME Udoka is not going to be available. Like. And so it felt to me. And again, maybe. Maybe I'm wrong. Like, Udoka was included in that. Like, hey, yeah, there's a lot of, you know, established coaches that, you know.

[Damien]

We might like, but it's really that one name.

[Nick Wright]

It's just that it was really about. Exactly. And then this morning on the walk over from Aria, where I'm staying to Horseshoe, where the World Series of Poker is, I was listening to Brian Windhorse show the Hoop Collective and anybody, by the way, who tweeting me or asking me or whatever about LeBron, once again going at Wendy, I would please. What I would like to say about that is it makes me very sad and I wish he wouldn't do it. And I, you know, I appreciate you respecting my privacy at this time. I do not like it, but. Right. I was listening to Brian Windhorst on his great podcast with Tim Bond, Timps and Tim McMahon. Tim McMahon, who covers all the Texas teams for ESPN. And the Jason kid thing came up, and Tim McMahon did not, who just wrote a book on Luca, who's very close to the Mavs. When the Jason Kidd thing came up, Tim McMahon did not say, oh, no chance. There's no way the Mavs are letting him leave. There's no. That didn't happen.

[Damien]

So Jason Kidd might want to leave Dallas. I don't think that's a situation. Yeah, he'd be there.

[Nick Wright]

I mean, listen, I know they have. They have Cooper flag coming, but it's still kind of a toxic situation. And here's the other thing. Even if, like, it wasn't a toxic situation, so much easier to win in the east right now. Right now, I'm going to add one other piece of this, because obviously, Jim Dolan was involved to some level. I don't know how much of a level, but to some level. Okay, so I'm going to the. I'm going to build a long bridge to get to this point. Somebody. I did an interview a couple weeks ago, and that's silly. Like, Face of the Network thing came up again when the guy asked me about FS1 and me, and I answered what I've always answered, which is for the last almost decade, Colin Cowherd has been and had for every single day, the face of FS1, and he will be until he stops broadcasting for us. And people think, like, that's just, you know, me, you know, kind of paying tribute to a guy who's my professional idol and friend and all that. And some of that's true, whatever, but it's also. It's not like an emeritus title. He's also, as, like the kids on Twitter would say, still throwing 98 on the black whenever he wants. Because Coward had the best Jim Dolan take ever. And he just said it as an aside a few years ago. And it's so perfect that I'm here in Vegas when we're talking about this, which is Coward said, do you know why the Knicks all of a sudden got good, Good management, good coaching. They were a functional adult franchise. And he said it was because Jim Dolan was building the Sphere in Las Vegas and was not and was distracted. And I'm like, oh, that's exactly right. Like, Jim Dolan's favorite toy for forever, ever since he inherited cable vision and MSG from his dad, has been the Knicks. But then his company was building the Sphere in Vegas, and that was his new toy. And so he had to leave the Knicks alone and like, all right, Leon Rose and World Wide West. You guys handle it like, you know what I mean?

[Damien]

That's an awful take. That's really funny.

[Nick Wright]

It's the greatest take. And it's why Colin's the greatest to ever do it. Because nobody, nobody else's brain works that way. But the moment he said it, I'm like, God Damn it, you're 100% right. It makes perfect sense. It's exactly what happened. It's exactly what happened. But here's, here's my contribution to that take. Guess what, Damaze. The sphere is built and it's up and running and it's self sustaining and the Knicks just had this magical playoff run. And so guess what? This is like a Toy Story, Buzz Aldrin, Woody situation. That toy that you threw in the back of the closet because the other one was taking up your attention.

[Damien]

Like, oh, wait, by the way. But what did I say? So you're what, what did I say? Aldridge or something like that.

[Nick Wright]

Oh, Buzz Aldrin. That's an actual. He's an act. He's the third man to walk on the moon or second man to walk on the moon. I'm sorry, Buzz. Buzz Lightyear and Woody. No. But then all of a sudden the Nick, the Knicks, the sphere's up and running. The Knicks are fun now. Chalamet's there, they're making runs. Jim Dolan's like, I'm back, baby.

[Damien]

So they're gonna.

[Nick Wright]

Let's make some. Let's make. No, I'm not saying they're gonna suck. What I'm saying is all of a sudden they're making drastic moves again.

[Damien]

Right?

[Nick Wright]

He's like, what if we fire the coach? What if we try to poach Jason Kidd? What if we do this? So it's just I. And with all that said, I don't necessarily think this is the wrong move. Here is though I do have the. I want to bounce this off you, pal.

[Damien]

Okay?

[Nick Wright]

Because people were disappointed with the Knicks. Like I'll give the fair criticisms of Tibbs in a second. But here's one of the things, like the Knicks were bad defensively in these playoffs for large portions of it. Here is what I would be worried about and the risk they would run. They are running. Is it because Tibbs calling card, his whole career has been great defense, Right?

[Damien]

Right.

[Nick Wright]

Is it possible that the defense the Knicks had this year, while maybe disappointing to some, was actually the best defense you can realistically have? If Jalen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns are your two best players, you know what I mean? Like, were they actually because of Tibbs, better defensively than they should have been, but because of those two guys defensively limitations, was it still not good enough? Pardon me? Like, that's. That would be the, that would be the concern that I think is potentially a real concern. Right, right.

[Damien]

That makes sense. He was just working with what he had. I mean, you obviously have no choice but to play Cat and Brunson. What are you going to do?

[Nick Wright]

Right? So here's. Now here's what I think is a fair criticism of Tibbs and also a reminder for, for everybody. And this applies mostly to basketball coaches, but you can find a way to make it apply to any walk of life. It's always risky to make it clear to your boss that you don't think your boss has done a great job. And here's what I mean. Tibbs's stance of. And he bent on it a bit at the very end in the playoffs, but it was probably too late. Stance of I have to play these five guys 40 plus minutes because I don't have enough other good players is always risky when the person who picked the players can fire you. Like, but it wasn't intentional. But whenever a coach, this, this happened, this is why Calvin Booth was mad at Michael Malone. And then the owner there was like, you're both fired. But it was. Michael Malone was like, no, Russ has to play 40 plus minutes because the young players stink. And the Calvin Booth was like, I picked those young players. I think they're quite good. And so if you're like, if you're Leon Rose and Tibbs is like, sorry, Mikhail Bridges has to play 45 minutes a game because I can't play Landry Shammit or Delon Wright. Leon Rose is like, I don't know. I thought those guys were good enough to bring in here. That's always a bit of. A. Bit of a risk. Now I also think they did not get enough out of Mikhail Bridges this year. And you can put some of that on Tibs. And I also do think this. There is and we talked about this. We don't have to spend too much more time on it. There is a real benefit or a real risk to not experimenting with lineups in the regular season is you don't get the real time reps to be like, oh shit, Delon Wright plus Deuce McBride, Cat OG and Mikhail Bridges. That lineup can cook like the different lineup combinations or whatever you. Oklahoma City now they won 68 games, but they are the standard Oklahoma City played every lineup combination imaginable through the regular season and now they go into the playoffs with real data on all of it. So I know we have Tibbs follow ups, but. So let's get to them. But there's my big picture. Tibbs take. And I apologize to Adam Silver who just did a great interview on Breakfast Ball and Thunder and Pacers fans because they're like day one of the Finals and you're talking about a fired coach. In my defense, we did a lot of finals preview stuff on Tuesday because the final, like that is a weird thing about the NBA playoffs. It's just every night, eyes bleeding from watching so much basketball. And then there's like a week where we're just chilling and, and so, but, but. All right, what are the tips? Follow ups. Go ahead.

[Damien]

Slow key. Always shaking up the NBA, man.

[Nick Wright]

Well, again, this is just a. Is just a theory by me. I'm not reporting it. I don't. It's. It's not even close to 100%. It's just an idea. It's just an idea, but go ahead.

[Damien]

So we'll do a game of likely maybe what if to see who will be the next head coach at New York. So it's like it's likely that Blank will get the job, but maybe Blank gets the job. And what if this person gets the job? So likely.

[Nick Wright]

Okay, so that, I mean, Brew kept. Brew kept saying, I want to make sure I get this right.

[Damien]

What?

[Nick Wright]

Who? Gosh darn it. It wasn't. I'm going to Johnny Bryant. Brew kept saying, Johnny Bryant. And Brew Bruce is one of Now Bruce said he didn't make any calls. He didn't know anything on it. He. It was just his speculation. But then right after the show, Johnny Bryant was the Vegas favorite for it. Now it's also true this is one of the rare times where like first Things first might have kind of helped set the line in Vegas because this thing broke at 2:50. Brew is on the air at 302 talking Johnny Bryant. And then the sports books, like, what are they? You know, I think they're probably, you know, what are people saying? What. Whatever it was. And so I don't know if that was kind of the tail wagging the dog. The odd thing to me about Johnny Bryant and I said this to Brew was right now he's the Cavs associate head coach. He was an assistant under Tibs. So do they fire tips? Bring in Johnny? I don't know. But Brew. So I think likely it's Johnny Bryant. And the other piece of this is the Knicks fired Tibbs. The day Johnny Bryant was named a finalist for the Sun's job, he then didn't get the Sun's job. Um, maybe it's Jason Kidd and then the what if is this demons A. Because this is the other piece of it. I haven't talked about what if it's Rick Brunson? Because if it's not, that's an awkward piece of this, which is when they're interviewing head coaches, do they say, by the way, one other thing, you can pick your whole staff except for one spot Rick Brunson's got. Like, are they firing Rick Brunson? That would seem tricky. Like, you know what? Like, honestly, like what? No, not. I don't think. I don't think so at all. My point is. No, no, no. I don't think he is at all. My point is that usually a new coach brings in their own staff, right? But when one of the coaches on your staff is the dad of the best player on your team, like, that's, you know, that's just kind of a tricky, tricky thing. I think the Jason Kidd thing, though, has. I think there's a little fire to that smoke. DraftKings wants to remind you the NBA Finals are here and this is your last chance to bet on the NBA until next season. DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA, pulling out all the stops to make this a Finals to remember one team will be crowned champ and the other will be lost to history again. I think that's a little harsh of a line, but listen, it is what it is. Who do you have winning at all? Put your hoops expertise to the test. All season long, DraftKings has been the go to spot for NBA player props. And that doesn't stop now. Who's going to carry their team to the chip? Try placing a bet on your personal MVP to drop 30, 40, maybe over 50. We talked about it. Nobody's dropped 50 in a finals game since the game six clincher by Giannis. Giannis all over today's show. Ready to place your first bet? Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now. Lock in your bets. Finish the season as a winner. Something special for first timers. New DraftKings customers bet $5 to get $300 in bonus bets. If your bet wins, don't miss your last chance to bet on the NBA this season. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app. Use code WRIGHT CODE WRIGHT W R I G H T. That's Code Rite for new customers to get $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins. When you bet five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours.

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[Damien]

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[Nick Wright]

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[Damien]

So the Knicks couldn't even up the series, so now they're headed to Cancun. What do you think New York should do? What? What should they make? Any moves people want to come at Katie.

[Nick Wright]

If they just run it back, I think that's totally reasonable. Run it back and be like, hey Brunson, Amen. While everyone's been focused on Luca's diet, it it might be that of the all the players on the 2022 Dallas Mavericks, you were the biggest defensive liability, like moving forward. Like, hey, the I, I, I know that. And Brunson's awesome. He's awesome. He's a great player, legitimate superstar. But game four for him was really rough on that side of the ball and it was the biggest game of their season. So like, can you get a little bit better there, Cat? Can you watch the film from your game three fourth quarter again and again and again and try to activate that more if you know McHale's just got to be a little better throughout the year. Josh Hart just, just be passable from Three. Mitchell Robinson, nothing but free throws all summer. Like those. You do those things with the Celtics. Sorry. Kind of off the chessboard. The east is wide open. That would be reasonable. I. Now, as far as transactions, obviously, if you can get Giannis, you get Giannis. I do not think they have the best package to offer, so I think that would be tough. Now, maybe if he demands only New York, maybe Milwaukee will accommodate. I don't know. Um, let's talk about the Durant thing. Demons. A. Because I do think if you traded Cat for Durant, this, if you offered that the Sons would say yes. Now, Duran is six years older, and that shortens your window considerably. However, the argument for it would be twofold. One is it is a backdoor out of what is going to be a really tricky Cat contract situation because cats got three years left at 53, 57, 61. I don't know if you love that. Is he extension eligible? Let me look at. No, hold on. Sorry. I want to check that. Because that's the other thing. If it's like, hey, and I also, yeah, he is extension eligible. So it's like you owe him 61 in three years. And he might be like, and I'd like two more years on the back end at 63 and 65. Like, that's. That might be untenable. But the other reason you would do it is, is if you think Mitchell Robinson can play 30 minutes a game and you think Durant would just add another layer to your offense and, and here's the critical piece. You think next year has massive additional value compared to other future years because of the Celtics situation. I might do it. You would still. You would get better defensively. Better. I don't even know if you can say he'd be better shooting because Cat's such a great three point shooter, but better for mid range. Yeah, I mean, like the. I. I don't actually think Durant's a better three point shooter than Cat. Like, by the numbers and by the volume, but better three level. I. I normally would. Let me check Cat's exact birthday.

[Damien]

And I was about to say, like, where do we rank Katie's defense with. With Cats? I mean, I know Katie isn't known for his defense, but the way I see Cat moving around sometimes Katie can get up and down the court faster than that.

[Nick Wright]

Katie's a much better.

[Damien]

Yeah, I was about to say, like, it's a no brainer.

[Nick Wright]

I said six years older.

[Unknown]

I.

[Nick Wright]

It's actually seven years older. That's the Carl Anthony Towns turns 30 at the beginning of next season. Katie turns 37 at the beginning of next season. So that typically is not a move you want to make. But I guess here it's how I would look at it if they made that trade demon zebra. I think for next year, I'd say the Knicks are the favorites in the east. And now I think KD might end up in Minnesota. I think there's real smoke there. But the east is so open and I do think for a playoff run, even though we haven't seen Durant on a long playoff run in a very long time, I think Durant makes you a little bit better. Like, do you think that's crazy?

[Damien]

No, I think that that makes a lot of sense. I think Durant should probably go to the, go to New York as opposed to the east too, just to get the best possible chance. Go the East? Yeah. East opposed to the west just to get another chip. But I mean, still end up having to face those guys either way. But yeah, I like the move. I think they should do it. It's a no brainer to me.

[Nick Wright]

I feel like it's got to at least be kicked around. That's the way. That's the way I look at it. All right, reminder everyone. Like, rate, subscribe, review, do all that. Let's, let's jump down to some listener questions and then I can talk a little World Series of Poker if we have time. But let's do again. If you're watching on YouTube, we greatly appreciate it. If you're listening on the podcast. Oh, we greatly appreciate it. But either way, please subscribe to the channel. Please subscribe to the pod. All of that. It really does help us out quite a bit. All right, go ahead, demons.

[Damien]

Bobby says the 24 Celtics against the 2025 Thunder in a seven game series. Who would win?

[Nick Wright]

I think, ah, it's tough. I think that's very close. If you are getting seven healthy games out of Porzingis, I would go boss.

[Damien]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

If Porzingis is the way he was. Forget this postseason, even last postseason where, you know, he was injured, then I, that to me would tilt it to the Thunder.

[Damien]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

Does that seem fair?

[Damien]

Yeah, man, that's so unfortunate.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, I, to me, that, that, that's what I, that's where I land on it.

[Damien]

All right, next, Ryan, are the Pacers title hopes riding on game On a game one win? Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

Yes. Yeah, yeah.

[Damien]

100.

[Nick Wright]

I mean, you could. Well, I, let me put it like this again. You guys know how thin I think the pacers are drawing in this. They have to win one of the first two. You can't go down 2 0. Even though, oh, the series wouldn't have started, a home team hadn't lost that. You got to win one of the first two next.

[Damien]

Oh, and Michael says going into the 2024 NFL season, I think there was, I think there was a consistent consensus understanding that the AFC was better than the nfc. You think that that still holds?

[Nick Wright]

No, what I think is the quarterbacks in the AFC are way better than the quarterbacks in the nfc. But because of that, the n, because the NFC quarterbacks are not as highly paid you are, you've been able to develop more well rounded teams. And you know, the team right now last year that was, you know, gets to call themselves the best teams in the nfc. And the Lions were excellent too. Now the Lions I'm a little worried about. And the Frank Ragnow retirement's not nothing. But no, I think it's far closer than it was. Let's keep going.

[Damien]

Owen says love from Canada. Do you think SGA passes Steve Nash is the greatest Canadian player ever with a title win?

[Nick Wright]

Yes, I think he does. I think one MVP and one title and I think this year from SGA was better than any individual Steve Nash year. Yeah, I think he does pass him as the best Canadian player ever.

[Damien]

Next, Louise says, hey, Nick, since the NBA season is ending, is there any plan to cover summer sports? WNBA, cycling, Tour de France, F1 tennis until September and the NFL comes back.

[Nick Wright]

So we'll definitely cover some wnba. We'll definitely cover tennis. You know that. And I, I have a confession. You know what I did this Sunday? I watched IndyCar in the Detroit Grand Prix because ever since I went to the Indy 500, I kind of gotten into open wheel racing a bit. And so I am now considering going back and watching that F1 series on Netflix that I was so skeptical of and back the F1 minute and doing all that. So I, maybe I'll get into F1 because I thought the OP. I thought the IndyCar stuff was really, really cool. But we'll also have NBA free agency, the NBA draft. Well, a bunch of cool stuff.

[Damien]

Yeah.

[Nick Wright]

All right, last one, producers.

[Damien]

But really, Gabe, thoughts on the new Mission Impossible?

[Nick Wright]

I have a shameful confession. I haven't seen it yet. Now, part of that is I've been incredibly busy. And part of that is I haven't been ready to say goodbye to the greatest movie franchise ever. And so no spoilers, please.

[Damien]

I've not seen any of the Mission Impossibles.

[Nick Wright]

I It's such a bad job by you.

[Damien]

Okay. I thought you were such a bad job by you. Okay.

[Nick Wright]

No. It's the greatest movie series ever. It's just so good.

[Unknown]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Unknown]

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[Damien]

For Oklahoma City who do you think has the most to gain? The most to lose in this series?

[Nick Wright]

Most gains unequivocally without a doubt Shay. I mean Shay Shay can argue. I won't necessarily agree with it but Shay and his fans certainly could argue he holds the belt if they win that it not only because he's would be the league MVP the finals MVP. They there were 68 win team scoring champ but also I played the guy who has the belt in Joker and my team won and I played they they could argue played better than him. I don't actually think I agree that in that series Shea was better than Joker. I know Joker had a couple kind of uncharacteristic games. I still think Joker was the most impactful guy in that series but it certainly would be a fair take to say if they win to say Shay's the best player. It's again it's not the take I would have but you'd have to at least respect also would be Brew and I were talking about this off the air and I know Simmons has talked a lot about this it also would be an all time guard season. So like if you remove Michael and Magic what guard would have had a better season than the one Shea is having right now? I think if they win the title I think folks reflexively I know I reflexively was like well all right Michael had a bunch. Magic had at least a couple and then of course statistics he here's the problem. Steph's best season by far they lost the champ. They lost the finals. So the the the Steph's. Steph's years get kind of fuzzy in our memory, but Steph's best year and one of the greatest years any player has ever had, when he scored 30 a game on, I mean, 50, 45, 90 splits. They lost to LeBron. His other MVP year. Demons. A. I'm going to put you on the spot here. Give me a guess how many points and assists Steph averaged his first MVP season. 31 and 9, 24 and 8.

[Damien]

Oh, Jesus.

[Nick Wright]

No, that. But that's not. Because he did. He averaged 32 later and he averaged 30 the next year. That. So that's the point that I, that I was making that year. The team was unbelievable and obviously he was great. But that's not like an all time individual season. The next year was the all time individual season. And then the year he had a year when he won the scoring title, when they weren't that good in 2021 and they missed the playoffs like that, you know, so there's the. His best year, they didn't win the title. And then people are going to say, well, Kobe did. Did Kobe have a better year than this Shay year? Because here's the thing. Kobe and this, this is another one. People are going to say this isn't true, but it is. Kobe averaged 30 a game three times in his career, and amazingly, none of the three did they win the championship. And in fact, two of the three, they didn't win a round of the playoffs. So he averaged 30 a game the year they were going for the three peat and that year they lost in. Did they lose in round two? Yeah, they lost in round two to San Antonio. I'm sorry, not the year they're going for the three. Pete, they already had the three peat. Obviously the year they were going for the four peat. And then his two insane scoring years, 35 a game and 32 a game, they lost in round one. Both years. Both years that Laker team lost in round one. One year blowing a 31 lead in round one. So those years are off the board. The next year, the year they got Powell, he won MVP. He averaged 28, 6 and 5. And the Lakers that year won 57 games. It's hard to argue that year was better than this year by Shea D. Wade. Obviously never want an mvp. I, Isaiah Thomas, as great as he was, never won an mvp. Steve Nash won a couple, never made a finals. So there is. And I don't want to do west and Koozie right now, but even west, let me check, because Jerry, poor Jerry, West. I mean, Jerry west was 1 and 9 in the finals, and the one year he won the championship, he was not even close to his best individual season. Still pretty great, by the way. Again, I don't. Do people want me to do a Jerry west thing? Okay, I'll do it real quick. Jerry west again, 1 and 9 in the finals. And if that's not enough, here's Jerry West's MVP finishes fifth, fifth, fifth, third, second. Didn't. Didn't quality. Didn't get one for three years in a row. Second, second, second. He finished second MVP voting three straight years while losing the finals, like every year. Just pretty crazy.

[Damien]

Voter. Voter fatigue must not existed at that time.

[Nick Wright]

No. Wilton Russell won all of them.

[Damien]

Kept trading off. I mean, because I feel like once those guys are in second for a long time or get those second and third spots, it comes a year and they're like, all right, we're just gonna give it to him.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah. I mean, and listen, now, Jerry west did win finals MVP the first year they ever gave it out when they didn't win, when his team lost the Finals. But no, during West Damanze. During west prime. Here's the. Here's the MVPs. Will Russell. Russell. Russell. Oscar. Russell. Will. Will. Will. And then unselled Reed. Kareem. Kareem. It was a big man's award. Oscar won it, but it was a big man's award again. So Jerry west, like, maybe I point is this. If they win the championship, you can make the argument that only Magic and Michael as guards ever had a better single season than Shea had this year. It's pretty remarkable. And for okc, I don't really. I don't really think there's too many guys that have a ton to lose. Except, let me. I'll add this. This. What'd you say?

[Damien]

Jalen Williams. Don't you think it's probably. It's really important for him to perform in these finals? Right? I think out of all the guys outside of Shay.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah. But do you think. Do. Do you think any show, like anybody's gonna kill Jalen Williams if he doesn't? Like, I just don't. He's in that Goldilocks zone that we've talked about of good enough to where he's going to make a ton of money, but not so good to where he gets super scrutinized. Maybe, though, I think he's like the X factor, super important. I just don't think he's, you know, people are going to kill him. I'll Add one other person as far as who this person has the most anxiety right now. That's my, that, that's the way to put it for. Okay. Say and that's Sam Presti. So Sam Presti took over the Thunder when they were still in Seattle. Okay. And he dropped like he took over right after the draft. Right before he took over. Right. Or like the week they drafted Durant. I. I don't know. The. I don't know. Yeah, no, he, he drafted Durant. Now that was a no brainer once Odin went one. Like whoever, whoever didn't go one was going to go two in the Odin Durant trap. But set that aside. Westbrook was not a no brainer pick. Harden was not a no brainer pick. A Baca was not a no brainer pick. He just crushed, absolutely crushed after coming from the spurs and they are just set up that it's going to be the, you know, the Thunder out west for a generation and they made the finals in 2012 and have not been back since. And Harden, they. He then trades Harden. Probably not. Probably. Definitely his worst transaction as an executive. My guy Darrell got over on him and just been building, building, building, getting, trying to get back to this moment. He knows as well as anyone that there these moments can be fleeting and you've got to take advantage. By the way, if you want to know more about Sam Presti, I don't even know if you know this demon say, but you know who wrote a book that Sam Presty is a central character of Who? Danny Parkins.

[Damien]

Oh, that's. What's it?

[Nick Wright]

Pipeline to the Pros.

[Damien]

Pipeline to the Pros.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, Pipeline to the Pros about, you know, Division 3 pipeline to NBA GM. That's a great book. People can get it on Amazon or wherever you get your books. Free plug for Danny's book. Okay.

[Unknown]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Unknown]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

This is an iHeart podcast.