PTI - Should Knicks Make A BIG Move?

Episode Date: June 2, 2025

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the Pacers, the Knicks, and Scottie Scheffler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's I Love My Dentist's Day, Tony. How you celebrate?

I'm Tony Corneiser. Dentists are overrated. I learned to pull teeth from you two. You want a tooth pulled a hundred bucks, Wilbon. 100 bucks, I'll do it. Well, you know, I can't say dentists are overrated. I love my dentist, Dr. Benjamin Watkins, best brought to Dantist in DMV.

I love my dentist. Yeah, he's your brother-in-law. Yeah, well, you should. He's your brother-in-law. That's right. Welcome to PTI, Boars and Girls. In today's episode, the Knicks consider running it back. The Dodgers take two or three from the Yankees,

and Scotty Sheffler wins again. But we begin today with the Indiana Pacers, reaching the NBA finals by overwhelming the New York Knicks in game six on Saturday night. The Pacers are in the finals for the first time in 25 years. They will play Oklahoma City, which led the league in victories this year with 68. Wilbon, what do you make of Indiana's win

and what lies ahead? Tony, Indiana's win, wow, the second time in two years, they eliminated the Knicks. They just seemed like, and I think you and I agree on this, we've talked about it on and off camera. They seemed like a better team by a little, by a little. By a little. But all you need is a little in the playoffs, especially if your little is timed out well. And the Pacers was. But Tony, they seem to be a thoroughly modern team to me, led there by their coach, Rick Carlin.

out in the way they play. You know, people can say, well, there's no structure, yes. And even if there's not as much apparent structure, there's intent. They understand what it is they can do with their personnel. And they've got a star, however you want to define them, star, superstar, less than that, whatever. And Mr. Tyrese Halliburton, they know how to play off him. They have the requisite players who occupy roles. I don't want to diminish them by saying, oh, they're role players.

No, they're fully full. developed professionals. And I'm not going to take away from the Nix. I'm not going to sit here and denigrate or criticize Jalen Brunson or Kat. I'm not. I just think the Pacers like you were just enough better. Kudos to them. Yeah, I'm going to say that the Pacers deserve to be where they are.

They beat the Nix in Madison Square Garden two to one, and they won at home two to one. They have, I think, the biggest way. in terms of a series in the playoffs by beating Cleveland, four to one. I mean, I did not see that coming at all. And here's a good number here. Since January 1st, the Pacers of 46 and 18 regular season and playoff games. The only team that's better than that is Oklahoma City. Two things stand out to me. One is that Oklahoma City is deservedly a large favorite in this because they won the most games in the regular season, 68 games. They deserve to be a favorite. And both of these teams are basically on. So my feeling is, if this series only goes four or five, it will probably have the lowest

ratings of any NBA final in the last 20 years. The second thing that stands out to me is this is a triumph with both teams of general manager and coach. The way these teams are built, with the exception of Chad Holmgren, who was the number two overall pick a few years ago, there's no high lottery picks, Mike. I'm going to read just some of these numbers. Gilgis Alexander was number 11. Jalen Williams was number 12. Lou Dort was undrafted. Tyrese Halliburton number 12. Nemhart 31.

Neesmith 14, Miles Turner, number 11. The Pacers GM traded for Halliburton, for Siakum, for Niece. These are smart GMs and these are smart coaches. And these teams are built and they're not bought. They're not bought. I like that about it, Tony. I find it appealing. Yeah.

We don't have enough time for me to go into my Paul George number, but tomorrow or off the air, I'll tell you about it. Let's talk one last time about the Knicks. Wilbon, you were in Madison Square Garden for a bunch of Knicks games in the playoffs, so let's pretend you're their general manager. Should the Knicks run it back with the same cast or should they make a big move?

Tony, I don't know about big move. And I know there's so much discussion about what failed the Knicks, game one of the Pacer series failed the Knicks. because if you redo that, the Knicks are very much probably in the finals or at least game 7 in Madison Square Garden. And if you told me before the season started that the Knicks would get rid of the defending champion Boston Celtics, people would not say they were underachievers at all.

Tony, I think I would try to make moderate changes first. And I know people are going to go crazy. They're already going crazy in New York. I was just there talking about getting Janus. Janus famously sort of had a vacation recently in which he was saying. spotted in Manhattan just walking around, and he loves it. And good for him. I love it too. And that doesn't mean I'm going to live there or, you know, or work for the New York Times. But if you trade for Janus, if you're the Knicks, I think you have to give up so much to acquire him

that you don't have anything left on the other side with him and Jalen Brunson. I just don't think you have that. So I know whose name is going to come up because it's already coming up. And it's Carl Anthony Towns, and where might he go to fetch you another piece? Might he go to, say, even Phoenix to play with his dear friend, Devin Booker? Maybe there's a thousand places and a thousand suggestions you can make. I don't know that I would make the huge deal and try to go for Yannis, because I don't think the Knicks will then be the contender that they were this minute. I'll get to Carl Anthony Towns in a second and his defensive liabilities

and why you need somebody else in that position. But that's in a minute. The Knicks had a wonderful year. They finished third in the conference, and they went to the conference finals. I mean, they hadn't done that in 25 years. They have a full-fledged star in Jalen Brunson. Yes, they lost to elite teams on a regular basis,

but they were competitive all year. If you asked me if I would take the same people back next year, without any changes I would, because I'd like to see how Towns fits in on a second year, not just the first year. But, Mike, this is New York. New York and Los Angeles are different. It's bright lights in big city. You cannot stand pat. You cannot sit still in cities like that. You are always chasing someone or something. It's in their DNA, which is why I think they will try and do this. Let me get to towns now. He's a seven foot tall guy. He's a fine player. He had one block in the conference finals. One block in six games. That is the worst record, defensive record in the history of the conference finals. You need a Interior defense to help him.

Jalen Brunson's great player. He's not a great defender. That's why they're going to talk about Anta Buccoe, because he makes all the sense in the world. But you are right in this regard. They don't have any draft picks. So, you know, how do they make the deal? How do they make the deal?

But, yeah, they're going to try. It's going to be difficult. They're going to try. Yeah. We're going to get some newsy days coming up right around the NBA draft at the end of the finals in a couple of weeks, three weeks. The weekend series, the Yankees and Dodgers, which Tony was slurping going in, delivered immediately.

Aaron, Judge Homer, in the top of the first of game one, and Shoah followed with one of his own in the bottom of the frame. Show Hey, Homer to get in the sixth, Judge Homer twice the next day. The only two runs the Yankees scored in 18-2 beatdown. Overall, the Dodgers won twice. The Yankees beat Yamamoto Sunday. Tony, what stood out to you about this series? Two things stood out.

One is the greatest pitchers that each team had got rocked. knocked. Okay. Max Fried comes into this game for the Yankees, 7 and 0 with a 129 ERA, the best in baseball. He gives up eight hits to the Dodgers, six earned in five innings. His ERA goes up to 192. It's still great, but it's higher. Yamamoto pitches yesterday.

Last night, Yamamoto goes out with a 197 ERA. He gives up seven hits to the Yankees, four earned in less than four innings. His ERA goes up to 239. Again, a great ERA, but higher. The second thing that stood out to me is people got their money's worth. Shohei and Judge homered. Homered more than once. All right?

And they homered early in the game. So if you're on the East Coast and you want to go to sleep, you've already seen them hit home runs. Judge hit, as you say, those two solos for the only two runs in an 18 to 2 loss. When they get up, Mike, it's mesmerizing. You cannot really take your eyes off them. In that same 18 to 2 game, Max Muncie had two home runs and seven. RBI. There was a lot of runs being scored. People say, oh, we have a strikeouts. No, the Dodgers got 29 runs. The Yankees got 14 runs. I just thought it was wonderful to watch. And I'm going to go

back to what you said on Friday when we played big deal, little deal, no deal. And you said, no deal. How can you say no deal? I'm going to say no deal. I'm going to say what I'm going to say again. No deal. Because if you're in L.A. and I spend a lot of time in L.A. Unlike you, and you used to. You know what happens in L.A. in the first inning. People, aren't even in their seats in LA in the first inning to see those home runs. They're having their limousine drivers drop them off and they get there in the second inning.

And you know that, you know, I love L.A. I don't take cheap shots at Los Angeles. But that's the truth of the matter when it comes to going to Dodger Stadium. What stood out to me was the home runs. It was electrifying and then there was nothing. It was, let me say it again. It was electrifying.

And then 18 to 2, please, If that was the Pacers in OKC, you'd be ripping it to shreds for a week on your podcast and this show. It was nothing. 29 runs, 29 runs by the Dodgers, 14 runs by the Yankees. It's a big down. It's wonderful to watch. And now they get the Mets. The Dodgers get the Mets that even have a better record than the Dodgers do.

How about seven games in a row? Three with the Yankees, four with the Mets. That's on those tough seven games. Let's take a break. up. Scotty Sheffler wins the memorial again. We'll tell you what that says to us. And how surprising is it that Carlos Alcarat surrendered a point that he felt he didn't earn? Hey, I'm going to take 10 seconds quickly. Paul George traded by both Indiana and Oklahoma City. Both teams now in the finals. Paul George out in the street. And I know is your boy. They're better without them. Both teams.

Pardon the interruption is brought to you by DQ. Happy Tastes good. Time to get a sniff of the riff-raff. Let me see what's first. Mail time. Here we go. What did Scotty Sheffler's second straight win at the memorial say to you? Tony, not as much as I know it's said to you. So you take it away on the topic of Scotty Sheffler.

Okay, so he's been number one in the world for about 105 or 106 straight weeks. And in and around that period of time, he's won Memorial twice, he's won the players twice. He won the Arnold Palmer. He won the PGA Tour Championship. He won the Masters. He won the PGA, and the second Masters goes with the first Masters prior to that. He became, and we talked about this a couple of weeks ago, since World War II, he became the third person to have at least three majors and at least 15 PGA Tour wins at the age of 29. And the other two were Tiger and Jack Nicholas.

So that's a pretty great club. He buries people, Mike. He wins by five, six, eight strokes. If he gets the 54-hole lead, he never loses. He's like Michael Jordan in the NBA finals. He just doesn't lose. Five more years of that, and I know it's a long time, five years. But if he's this way for five more years, he's right there with Nicholas and with Tiger.

And Jack Nicholas loves him, and you can see it on TV. And that's Scotty Sheffler to me. Well, listen, that was significant because it was Jack, period. Jack, and I don't disagree with the word you said, but it wasn't the U.S. Open, which is what the women played this one. weekend. That's right. Maya Stark, the Swede from via, you know, Oklahoma State. How about that for a cultural change? We're from Sweden to Oklahoma State. And now, you know, at least temporarily, at least for now, atop the world of women's golf. And look, I, you know, I root for Nellie

Corder, and I was rooting for Nellie Corder to sort of walk her down yesterday. And I thought that was going to happen when she got to seven under and Stark was at eight under, but it didn't happened. She missed about a five foot button. I know you were tuning back and forth. I know you were clicking a little bit. So I wasn't clicking. I was locked in on the women. I loved it. You know we love in Wisconsin the place where that's played that entire area of Aaron Hills and Whistling Straits and Kohler and all of that is a beautiful Midwestern place to play. So the attraction of all that got to me. And Scottie Schaeffler, he'll be around in two weeks when the men play the U.S. Open. I'll see him again.

Yeah. By the way, the 18th green at Aaron Hills was so severe. Oh, things were rolling off all day long. Too severe, Tony. Thank God we weren't playing. We never would have putted out. Here we go. Are you surprised that a top player like Carlos Alcaraz voluntarily surrendered a point? No, no, I'm not. And Alcaras, you know, the question was whether he threw the record or whether it slipped.

I mean, regardless of that, the bigger thing here is, Alcoraz knew in his heart he didn't deserve that point to be awarded the point. And so he just gave up the next one. Tony, this used to happen all the time. And you know this. Back before they had electronic line stuff and there was an egregious call, players would then just the next point they would just give it up. They hit the ball out of bounds purposely because they knew they didn't deserve the point.

This went on all the time. I guess it's so rare now. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I guess others do. I am old. You are old. We both remember the same stuff. I'm not at all surprised he gave up the point. There's a gentleman's code of honor in tennis as there is in golf. You call stuff on yourself. If you want to be the face of the game, that's the kind of person that you have to be. Alcaraz said, I know they would have given me the point, but I would have felt guilty and I didn't want to do it that way.

Good. I mean, that's, you know, look, tennis is different. It doesn't embrace cheating the way baseball does. Baseball does. Baseball you're supposed to cheat. Right. So that's why they have umpires. It's a different function. It's a different function. And so when Alcaraz does that, I think to myself, good for him. He wants to be the face of the game. He knows there's a way that you behave as the face of the game. So that was good. We both had the exact same reaction. Same reaction. That's surprised at all. Real quickly. Before we get out of this tennis segment, Madison Keys beat Haley Baptiste in a battle of Americans, which is a big deal there. Haley Baptiste in our backyard in suburban D.C. in College Park, Maryland. She'd gotten to the fourth round.

She's like 22 years old. So there's some up-and-coming interesting players and some Americans at that. Enough email. Let's take one last break. coming up, college baseball produces two big upsets and team for the ages. And PSG rolls over Inter Milan to win Champions League. Roll over. Mike, to make it even tighter.

Francis Tiafo's brother, I think coach is Baptiste. Really? I think that there's a connection. There's a story in the post about that the other day. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And Tiafo's still in it.

Pardon the interruption is brought to you by UFC 316. Saturday. Buy now at ESPNplus.com slash PPV. Happy time, people. Happy 73rd birthday, Gary Bettman. Betman took over as NHL commissioner in 1993 and immediately focused on the expansion of the league. There were 24 teams when Bettman took office.

There are 32 now. Under Bettman, the NHL added Nashville, Minnesota, Atlanta, and Columbus, after adding Florida and Anaheim. Betman presided over relocations to Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, North Carolina, Winnipeg, and Utah. Recently, the NHL added teams in Las Vegas and Seattle. It hasn't all been rosy. Detman was a key figure in three lockouts, and he has routinely booed at drafts in Stanley Cup trophy presentations.

But his four nations face off was a huge success, and he's got a great matchup now for the Cup, Edmonton and Florida. In these times we live in which most people are ignorant of history, folks don't even remember that Gary Bettman was the deputy commissioner in the NBA for 12 years. And a lot of people thought at some point he might ascend to that job didn't happen. Other than the expansion, there's too much of it, too much of it, like every sport, too much in the NHL.

This booing of Gary Bettman is just dumb. Gary Bettman has been a great commissioner. Come on. And a Cornell grad. A not-so-happy anniversary, Spike Lee. Around this day, 31 years ago, after continuous taunting by the boisterous filmmaker from his courts' side seat, Reggie Miller heated up for one of the great shooting exhibitions ever. Miller lit up the Knicks in the fourth quarter of the Eastern Conference Finals,

scoring 25 of his 39 points with five three-pointers. Miller single-handedly outscored the Knicks in that quarter. After each deep shot dropped, Miller ran by Spike Lee, yelling expletives at him. At one point giving him the choke sign. Within minutes, New York's double-digit lead vanished, buried by a 23-3-3 Indiana run. Afterwards, Knicks fans blamed Lee for riling up Reggie. The next day, the New York Daily News, ran a headline, quote, Thanks a lot, Spike.

I'm not going to phony this up. I spent a lot of time in the last couple of weeks with both these gentlemen. And I am friends with them. I love them. They are friends. All right, whatever happened back then, they are friends. It's so cool to talk about and to see them in the same building. Spike has got to get rid of that orange and blue zoot suit.

He looks like the Virginia Cavalier, you know, a mascot in that thing. But it's just cool. They are good for basketball. We'll be hearing Reggie somewhere else. Different Network next year. We will still hear him. He's great at what he does. I love them both.

Let me remind people what it looked like. Happy trails to the two top seeds of the NCAA baseball tournament. Number one, Vanderbilt, got knocked out at home by Wright State on Sunday afternoon. Number two-seeded Texas got bumped by UTSA later in the day. Not a great look for Longhorns manager Jim Schlossnagle, who recently said that winning the SEC championship is harder than winning the national championship. Whoops! But the best college baseball story is LSU Shreveport,

winning the NAA title by going 59 and 0. The first college baseball team to go unbeaten. The pilots led the nation with a 238 ERA. They had a team batting average of 361. They had three, 400 hitters. Yeah, I don't care what league you're playing in. You go undefeated, amazing, and congratulations. 361.

Are you kidding me? Big finish. The Brewers swept the fillings. They've won seven straight. Are you nervous? Yeah, even though they're five and a half behind the cubbies. There's brewers and cardinals. They're not giving up.

That could be a hell of a three-horse race this summer. Francis Diopo, Tommy Paul, are the first American men in the French Open Quarter since Agassi in 2003. Your thoughts? It's the first time two Americans have reached a quarter since, hello, 1996. Lion's Center Frank Ragnan retiring at the age of 29. Your thoughts. Wow. Four-time Pro Bowl.

are losing a lot of human resources, starting with coordinators, a lot of human resources. Diamondbacks ace, Corbyn Burns, left Sunday start against your gnats. I was watching this with elbow discomfort. Uh-oh. Uh-oh, it's right. First year of a six-year, $210 million deal. Last one, PSP, beat into Milan 5-0 for the Champions League, Tyler. Your reaction.

They couldn't run with all those stars like in Bafé, and now they win. Amazing. Congratulations to PSQ. Good general managing, good coaching. We're out of time. Try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser. I'm Mike Wilbon.

Same time tomorrow, knucklehead.