Lakers infatuated, Celtics vs Pacers ECF & Cavs, Bulls reluctant to trade | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

live from New York it's the show that

I'll be honest with you is feeling

better about the Nuggets loss oh well

that talk about 36 hours I'm starting to

come around and be myself again it's

first things first today you guys on

some group chat or something we start

with JJ reck Pat Riley 2.0 not

necessarily better just the Next

Generation according to the athletic the

Lakers are quote infatuated of course

they are with the sharp shooting analyst

podcaster and Mero Enthusiast according

to League sources the Lakers are quote

viewing him as a Pat Riley like coaching

Prospect who could help the franchise in

the short term and Lead it for years in

case you're wondering Pat Riley has nine

championship rings Brew your

reaction well look there is absolutely

no way to

know whether or not JJ Reed is going to

be a good coach or anybody for that

matter you could watch the seventh grade

team coaches they they can move the I

mean you could do that there's no way to

know we have seen assistants who have

been I mean heck Darvin ham who I

actually think still did a good job but

he was touted as this assistant who's

been under B buen hoer and he's ready

now and he got fired I remember I don't

know if you guys do Mark ivarone was the

new hotness he was in assistent in

Phoenix when I believe I believe when

Nash and those guys were there but

everybody thought he was going to be the

next great coach fizzled out and then

players in JJ's you know players that

went straight to coaching remember Derek

fiser yeah everybody thought was gonna

be great now granted he didn't have a

great situation in New York but still he

failed Miser how about Steve Nash who

would not have looked at Steve Nash's

career the way he played and thought he

he'll be a good coach especially when

the two stars won

so you never thought he'd be no I

thought I thought giving someone a head

coaching job with no coaching experience

happed though I know I I thought it was

I guess what I'm saying is with Nash I

was very skeptical from the beginning

but I understand what you're saying but

go ahead bird it worked with Larry Bird

it worked with Mark Jackson to a degree

it worked with Steve KK so it it has

worked but my point is you just you have

no you don't know all right we don't

know if they hire I think they should

hire Sam Cassel of their guys that

they're looking at M I can't guarantee

he'd be great but I just think from his

experience and he was a leader as a

player but JJ the difference is JJ's

been able to be on TV and he look I will

admit he looks and sounds the part he

sounds very intelligent talking to

basketball and I'm sure he knows the

game I think also he seems to have a

strong personality which you need as a

head coach and I think the Lakers are

looking at it when they bring up the

whole Pat Riley thing my guess

is that they feel like well and he's got

CR cuz he's on the podcast with LeBron

so the players will respect him and so I

I no I I don't know what what in the

world could make you think he can be a

Pat Riley well I mean of well certainly

nothing can make you think he can be a

Pat Riley except it's a good headline in

the Lakers operate business to generate

headlines oh uh first first of all again

I know you hate when I do I apologize a

very brief history lesson which is Pat

Riley was an assistant for a full year

then was an assistant coach magic P

pushes West fall out and at the press

conference Jerry bus tried to make Jerry

West the coach at the press conference

said Jerry West is our new coach and at

the press conference Jerry West said no

I'm not and he was like ah yikes I maybe

should have run it by him he's like all

right you'll be the offensive assistant

Andy

right before he became the head coach

well he wasn't but he was assistant

coach I mean he was an announcer with

the team and and then he was an

assistant coach for a full year and then

they only he only became the head coach

because of the press conference to

announce Jerry West Jerry West said no

and then he had Jerry West alongside him

you know for that first year on the

bench okay and then he became Pat R to

your point right you nobody would ever

predict that he would have become and it

was not their plan and he had experience

so you're right Brew Kerr had no

experience but Kerr did run a team he he

you and I probably have slightly

different opinions on how good of a job

Mark Jackson did but I think everyone

knows he did at least a good job and he

didn't have experience that to me was an

outlier a bit and surprising bird is the

best but bird also did it for a very

limited amount of time and then you know

seemingly you know went away forever

into the Shadows point is this the

Lakers want buzz and they want to be

able to have someone to blame if it

doesn't work Rob binka so you think

that'll be JJ R like he's gonna get

blamed if it doesn't work no I think

LeBron will get blamed if JJ doesn't

work because they will see guys what did

you want from us he's a free agent we

we've got to make him happy even though

I am here to tell you and I do not do

reporting Brew used to be a reporter I

don't want to say that sounded wrong

Brew used to be a full-time reporter now

occasionally actually reports I almost

never do but I can report this LeBron

has not said a word about this to the

team LeBron stopped being involved in

any coaching stuff with the Lakers after

they in my opinion screwed him on tyoo

they could have had tyo tyo wanted the

job they gave him an insultingly low

offer and since then LeBron has stayed

out of it so how did how does that work

how does what work the Lakers don't

shoot LeBron a text they're in Comm rich

is communicating when he's going to a

Cavs game you're interviewing coaches

and LeBron tells them LeBron's out

LeBron and you guys do what you want to

do and then they they kind of try to

guess but that's not idea impress LeBron

I mean really I think that's how it's

working but this is the the Lakers

listen Rob binka has been very very very

good at one thing keeping his job he he

he he's good enough at it that Magic

Johnson the greatest Laker of all time

with respect to Kobe at least it's my

opinion certainly is on the short list

there's a statue of magic in front of

the arena and before the Lakers had won

a title with LeBron before pinka tenure

at any type of success magic went on TV

and said yeah I mean this guy backstabs

me all the time and all Pink's done is

succeed since then he hired and fired

Frank Bogle he hired and fired Darin ham

and now he's going to get to pick a

third coach in a seven-year run and I it

is to me they the and I I agree with you

brew I don't know if JJ would be good or

bad there's no way to no because there's

no resume of it there are parts of his

basketball IQ I really like there are

parts of his personality that I think

could be problematic for an NBA head

coach in dealing with the media and

dealing with his players but we'll I I

will be open-minded about it I just

don't think they are making the decision

based on what is the smartest decision I

what is the SM is there what's the

smartest decision though I don't see

something out there like that's even a

few guys that's the one they should look

I think the smartest would be Sam Cassel

like I said there's no guarantee there

it's just like this is a job that is for

a firsttime head coach to have this

job jameso who I thought did a decent

job in Charlotte with no talent and his

firing was weird they fired him after

his most successful season they could go

with the more standard route which is

produce some good coaches and some guys

that don't work out which is pluck off

the Nugget staff and Dave Adelman they

could do that a young guy if he could

coach like his dad he could be good M

Nori M Nory would be those that's kind

of the standard you know what I mean but

that doesn't generate Buzz so that's

what I was Wonder and that doesn't

generate an easy scapegoat in Lebron is

Sam Cassell who I like Sam casselle I'd

like him for a few jobs but is he not

like quotequote a sex enough name for

the Lakers

Buzz I I think he's sexy enough you're

right they like buzz I mean he was much

better than JJ reick as a player I know

he's not on television doing and and I

don't know if they want to blame LeBron

I mean they gonna better about to give

him a three-year Max contract extension

I mean but don't you think don't you

think an added benefit because I think

we all agree there isn't a no-brainer

the problem with hiring head coaches is

great established ones are almost never

available unless they have just failed

at the most recent moment which is why

they're available and everyone else is a

firsttime guy that you are taking a

Chance on So this has the added benefit

of it is not going you're going to be

able to put someone else's fingerprints

on it if it doesn't work out I mean I I

truly believe that's part of the math

here that can't I mean so you're going

into a hire planning for it not to work

out at least that's a large part of your

thinking that's ridiculous I do think

the Lakers aren't well run nowadays

they're a mom and pop shop and they

aren't well run and if that's part of

their thinking ridic L Kurt rambus but

if they the question is this Wilds do

people operate as if the number one job

they have is to succeed at the job or

the number one job they have is to keep

the job and if people are operating and

a lot of people do across Industries my

number one job is to keep the job then

you don't always make optimal decisions

okay well think you really put that on

me I don't no that's not you buddy

you're no I think you trying to do a

great job every single tiger out man I'm

I got to go for it I got to go all right

ask for the Lakers roster well there's

two reports that teams are in no rush to

help the lake show another report from

buha in the Athletics said the Cavs Dan

Gilbert quote would never trade Donovan

Mitchell to the Lakers come on

all right how about bringing Caruso back

from the Bulls well Bleacher Reports

Eric pinkis says not only are the Bulls

just reluctant to trade in general but

Chicago's ownership doesn't want

LeBron and I had to listen to this twice

it it was a podcast so it wasn't like a

report report but doesn't want LeBron

quote infringing on Michael's Legacy

yeah was that like a a speculation kind

of just it was a little bit of a chat

but if you get Caruso all the difference

between Michael

about to get him two championship for

whatever it's worth Eric pinkis is not

like a flamethrower if people aren't

familiar with him he's not a

flamethrower or a take guy he kind of

but it was just it wasn't like here's my

report it was a podcast he was he was

musing publicly if you will um here's

the thing it a huge portion of the NBA

media business is about protecting

Michael Jordan so it wouldn't shock me

if some of the NBA's actual business

that's not about

Brew

face I disagree true I disagree I think

that people would say that's half the

the New Media protects

the

just and you want to know something

thinkers out there calling like I think

there are some you're right and I agree

with you that there is some factions of

the media that are invested in

protecting LeBron and I would imagine

you would agree with me there are some

factions of the media that are invested

in protecting Michael Jordan it's just

my opinion maybe he hangs out with them

in Sky boxes or not and maybe he's he's

all of a sudden a huge part of the

Nostalgia of how they came up in the

media resports reporting World maybe

they're all Chicago based I don't know

it's just how I've consumed basketball

my whole life I what you're talking

about now just okay that's the

audience to the point that I was trying

to

make would be an absurd way for a team

to operate it wouldn't surprise me

because I think Dan Gilbert's a bit of a

spiteful guy for the Bulls you I would

think the Lakers would be the team one

of the teams I would most want to do

business with because I don't think they

win most trades I don't think they're

you know it's people used say like ah

you don't want to do business with prey

because he always wins the trade also

they're an aging team that has an

uncertain future so they you know future

Laker picks are more valuable to me than

future Spurs picks for instance

certainly you know what I mean because

LeBron's going to be 40 so it would just

be a poor way to run your team if it's

true no it's ridiculous I mean it it

it's just bad business I mean a and

they're in another conference all right

I get it if they're in your Division and

you might not want to strengthen them

but a team in another conference if they

offer you the best deal if you feel like

you got better by trading with the

Lakers do it I'm not saying you have to

want to trade with them but your

standard mode of operation can't be I

will not trade with that team on the

whole other side of the country because

of LeBron or whatever so I think that

would be bad business and to Dan Gilbert

Dan Gilbert should be thanking God that

LeBron found forgiveness in his heart

yeah right that that he that ridiculous

letter that Dan Gilbert wrote call him a

coward among other things he should be

thankful LeBron forgave him and went

back to Cleveland I know he didn't do it

just for Dan Gilbert necessarily but he

still went there in spite of Dan Gilbert

and won them their only Championship

that that probably Dan Gilbert will ever

see all right so he shouldn't he should

not have any spite about LeBron James at

all and then Ry dorf that I mean look

protecting I I don't that doesn't I

don't know why he do that okay well I

mean I have some ideas but go ahead he

don't need protect is okay here's the

tale of the tape this postseason Indiana

is better on offense defensively however

uh Celtics have got it Josh are these

numbers a little bit cooked because they

shot 68% in game seven thumbs up or

thumbs down it's a well I mean well I

mean they're not cooked because of that

well I'm just saying with this said well

you know I mean I mean that's 12th of

their postseason thus far and wouldn't

you admit I mean with all due respect

it's a strange graphic why because it's

post they're playing different opponents

well like it should be regular season

well the

regular face it you know what I like you

could face a team that get

plays you you you face a team that plays

fast and scores a lot your defensive

rating probably won't be as well the

pace is that's why you use rating

instead of points per game because it's

adjusted for Pace but I do think quality

of the opponent for sure but I I

wouldn't argue the Celtics have been out

you're playing World beaters this

postseason Brew I think the Pacers path

has been harder than the Celtics path

and so the Celtics leading in because

they're not that right the now with that

said you you can go I mean I don't I

there to me I've seen brew a lot of

people that I and I'm not trying to take

shots at other media today but I guess I

will a lot of people that I respect and

like trying to convince me the Pacers

have a chance in this series I'm

unconvinced I don't think the Pacers

have a chance in this series and so I'll

let you no I I don't think anybody

thinks they can win outside of

Indianapolis I I'm saying because I'm I

know I'm not that trustworthy on the

Celtics I'm saying Celtics in six now

what would impr surp what would impress

me you said it yesterday Jason Tatum

plays lights out he shot 41% from the

field in the playoffs so let's see him

shoot 49% 48% 50 plus that will impress

me he's only averag 21 points a game

he's their best player he's got to be

playing great going into the finals I

would think second thing that would

impress me obviously you want to see

Chris STS porzingis be able to hopefully

after game two right the reports are

he'll be out the first two games at

least so you want him to be healthy

going into the finals I'm talking about

for the sake of NBA fans like you want

Chris stat porzingis and the Celtics at

full strength the third thing Nick I

want to see from the Celtics no home

losses can we do that that's weird you

played

with some injury depleted teams that

aren't that good in the first place and

you've lost to each of them on your home

floor dates back to last year they were

losing they're 15 and 14 at home in the

playoffs the last don't ask Joe moula

about it he gets very mad he was like oh

I bet you didn't know we have third best

home record this playoffs I surprised

you doesn't it buddy he got very upset

it's crazy yeah so so protect the home

court um look I you'd love if you're a

Pacer or Celtics fan to see them just

blast the Pacers sweep them blow them

out and then you might think okay this

is going to be a great finals let me say

this I will say this it really doesn't

matter how you look until you get to the

finals okay because the last time Boston

won a championship in 2008 the Atlanta

Hawks took him seven then they went

seven in the second round then they went

six in the Conference Finals and six in

the finals that was Garnett Ray Allen

and Paul Pierce and they won it so you

can look bad throughout the players it's

about Advan in so even if they advance

in seven you can't completely write them

off I've got a graphic for you that

you're going to like oh Tatum the

regular season against the P I'm I'm

sorry I know I hurt your feelings on

that graphic it's Josh man I'm trying

I'm trying to be Josh Josh is scow is

fired up he got hooked a few times this

uh tat ver so he shoots 58% against the

Pacers let's say not tenacious defense

and 33 points a game I'm going to round

up so I'd like to see a monstrous

performance from Jason this is his

playoffs it's not Anthony Edward's

playoffs it's not Lucas's playoffs it's

not Halle Burton's playoffs this should

be Tatum's playoffs he is in the

driver's seat here the idea that Anthony

Edwards and Luca and Cat to some extent

and Rudy goar's getting some flowers now

Tatum should be like this is my playoffs

I'm the only guys to the finals this is

my time that sounds like a team that you

should believe even to win the

championship so now Kevin wild I ask

this a little bonus because you're CH

you are right now you know a champion

Widow you're you're your your Champion's

gone and forgotten team I'm I'm almost

ready almost ready what is what do you

have what is he oh no I'm not holding

that up you're not gonna oh wow at some

point this week

I will

reveal the playoff start tonight yeah or

not the Conference Finals start you

picked the Nuggets to win the

championship and then the playoffs

started and you picked the Wolves right

but but it was before each series yes

before a series you can't M series I

mean Nick did M series maybe I'm May

it's not coming out I'm sorry is the

Western Conference Series start

tonight okay all right I'm also willing

to be woo

fans is there can I see is there

something in there yes may I see it all

four teams to be honest with you well I

never know you know if the mood stries

wait is there really all four all four

oh I saw a Celtics logo but there is all

four all four look at that Jim Chris wow

what are you doing there is all okay so

at some point this week you're going to

unveil your pick at some point I want to

be woed by this week or within the next

week for the can tweet you you want you

want tweet I'd like to be wooed and I

both made our official one post round

one Brew had the Timberwolves I had the

the maps you know what what I'm going to

give a little teas we're gonna have

Patrick Mahomes on the show tomorrow at

4:00 yeah I might ask Patrick what he

because last time I went with Patrick

going to pick the maps don't you don't

know what he's going to do I I do well

you ruined the S thanks for watching

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