The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: There's a Typhoon In Miami

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

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Billy, traffic was super bad today, so you were able to miss everything that broke out before you got here on just hockey enthusiasms and... Oh man, I missed out. Heat calamity and there were a lot of people bouncing into each other, yelling at each other, and we're four games into the playoffs. Well, playoffs are over for one of the teams. That is correct, that's part of what's happening.

And the other thing that's happening, though, is that after a really magical, truly magical, seems like the loudest sound I've ever heard in South Florida, 11 seconds of Panthers hockey, there was a brawl in here in which a bunch of people were arguing about whether Marshand had a good game last night or not. And it was just a strange argument to break out, and I think it's because everybody's crazy.

It's weird, I mean everybody needs to kinda keep their heads on straight and realize this is going exactly as the script foretold. Panthers covered last night as we said they would. Panthers are up 3-1 in this series as we expected them to be. Heat were out in the most lopsided playoff series in the history of the NBA as we were told yesterday

would be the case by Greg Cody. Things are happening exactly as we said they would. So I don't know why people are getting crazy. Like this is level headed. We're just, this is the script and we're following it. Even crazier, Greg Cody was in the building last night for the game and stayed the entire time. Wow. Yeah.

Greg Cody said as the resident South Florida historian, that that's the worst playoff game of any kind played in South Florida since Dan Marino retired his final game because he was losing 62 to seven in Jacksonville in a playoff game. That that's the most apocalyptic thing and beyond that, I guess probably a lot of people will be here for tears today, that feels like the end of all things. It doesn't mean that they won't

go get a whale or or Antetokounmpo or Embiid or somebody, but it felt like the whole thing collapsed as you watch the Celtics, you know, they were even with the Celtics, the Celtics have expanded beyond them, and the Heat are now a 10 seed. And that's what happens when you allow 10 seeds to play a team that won 60 games during the season. A 10 seed shouldn't be in the playoffs. Why?

Because it's a 10 seed. Dan, they tipped the ball off and they were down 20. Like I saw the ref go like this, throw the ball up in the air, and I looked at the scoreboard and it was 20 to five. I'll tell you how much of the game I watched last night. I tuned in, it was 30 to eight, and I turned it off. No, your parents were there.

They were. My father was caught on the Jumbotron eating. During the bongo segment, you know, like they put the fake bongos on the screen, and everyone's supposed to play the bongos, your father was eating during that. My father often gets caught eating by the Jumbotron because he's often eating.

Mike, are you okay okay because you came off, but you flew through the room, all right? You yelled bleep pearl jam and Talladega's the best. And so you're a bit of a power cable today. I'm only gonna speak when spoken to today. I feel like everyone's trying to trigger me and get a rise out of me. And I am I have thoughts I have opinions, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna ration my my reps today. So okay, thank you

for including me on the show. Look, we're four games in and I heard for the first time in our history as a show, somebody was accused of chirping. And so now I knew the hockey playoffs had really begun because, well, I'm gonna reveal my source. You were accusing someone else of. Don't say that part. Don't, the dirty dong part, don't do that one. No, I didn't.

I was, of chirping, I was gonna. The blanket of dirty dong is not something I would say. I don't use that kind of jocular language anywhere. I knew it as soon as I said, as, well, allegedly didn't say anything else. Like, Ben's gonna reveal this, and this is gonna be a bad look for me. This is the Dan Leventor Show with the StuGuts Podcast.

Zaslow will fit right in around here. He's already arriving late to work on important days. But I did hear him as he was late for work. He was very busy talking to the starting lineup on NBA radio with Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrini. So he was busy doing another job that made him late for this one. So he'll fit right in here. He's very excited about everything that happened that was Panther related last night, as he should be.

But I begin with what Greg Cody foretold. The most lopsided basketball series of all time. Ernie Johnson said, this might be the worst game I've watched. Do you know how much basketball that man has watched? You have Cody saying it's the worst loss since Moreno goes out 62 to 7. You've got Donovan Mitchell saying we had to finish our breakfast, which is just a great quote.

They came in here up 3-0 and at the half, they're up by a million points and he's telling the team we've got to finish our breakfast. We've got lunch and dinner later in these playoffs. Let's get rid of breakfast, these sausages. But the thing that happened that was my single lowest moment in the last 15 years of Heat basketball is hearing on the radio laughing broadcasters of the Cleveland Cavaliers saying, Ty Jerome hits a jump shot at the buzzer from half court and they're laughing. And to make it 111.63, and then this was the lowest moment. Ty Jerome, a typhoon in Miami.

And I'm like, that's it. The heater done, 15 years of wonderful heat, done, over. Dies in a typhoon as a 10 seed. Shout out to Tim Alcorn, play-by-play man for Cleveland Cavaliers Radio. No, Dan, it was incredible because you mentioned that play and somehow the Cavs extended the lead after that. Every single quarter, it got worse.

We kept waiting for like, okay, you're up a zillion. And then at some point, like the bench guys get in and then the bench guys are like, oh, I got approved to Coach Spoh. I deserve to play. And it got worse. I, we were joking last night, said it took the heat getting down 50 for Duncan Robinson and

Hami Akas to get in, and then they managed to play worse than the guys that they replaced. So this is the historic stuff that happened. The 122 points, the largest difference ever in a four game series. The 122 point differential between the Cavs and the Heat. The 55 point loss, it's fifth worst in the history of the sport, and it's the first time that a team has lost back to back games by more than 30, playoff games by more than 30 points,

and they did it at home. Like it's not just that it happened, it's the first time it's ever happened, but it happened to them at home. So that is the worst punctuation on a Heat season there has ever been. Dan, they were down 60 at one point. It took Nikolayovic having like a hot streak at the end. He had a couple threes, had a put back layup.

That's what got it to 55. At one point they were down 60 which would have been the largest playoff loss in NBA history and also and also it was approaching the worst loss in NBA history, which I'll give you three guesses. Who has that one? Who has that record? It's a local team. They lost by 68 because I heard Eric Reid talk about it on the air. He was talking about, I remember that game. 1991.

He went into great detail. How they lost by 68. Do you know the indignity and insult it is that Ernie Johnson has called as much basketball as he has, and he says that that's the worst thing That he's ever seen can we remember this feeling though? Like can we bottle up this feeling that we're feeling today and remember this in the offseason when there will be trade Speculation and everyone under the Sun will be fighting to get to the heat and every superstar

Yanis will want to come here and Kevin Durant will wanna come here and everyone will want to come here in our heads. And we will decide, you know what? We don't wanna part ways with Alec Burks to get, you know, Kevin Durant. We don't wanna part ways with Davian Mitchell because we don't wanna get rid of Duncan Robinson and Tyler here.

Like, can we remember today and remember this team just wasn't good enough and you need to get rid of some Pieces to bring people in okay, so last night feels bad for the typhoon And then you watch Jimmy Butler limp through it playoff Jimmy game And he scores 27 points after you've just watched BAM and Tyler here I'll do what they did 17 points on whatever 23 Shots, but can you put up on the screen please or just put up behind me where it's bolster is right now can you guys

just put up on the screen my father being caught in mid-bite on the jumbotron last night this has happened to him a handful of times and what is the level of shame here because Jeremy you are a resident aficionado of putting your fingers in your mouth when you have cheese crumbs on them. Yeah, but his fingers aren't in his mouth in the same way. He's clearly eating some sort of food that's in his hand, and so that's just a clean exchange as opposed to what I did, which was just like,

really disgustingly scrape salt and vinegar seasoning off of my fingers. I'm pretty good at this. That's a cookie he's eating. Yeah, I can tell. Yeah, that must be a cookie. The grip, right? A a cookie he's eating. Yeah, I can tell pretty clearly. The grip, right? A solid cookie grip.

Zaslow, you can come in now that you've had makeup done, and Billy, just out of curiosity, as everything was going on last night, were you dying with the Dodgers beating your Marlins in extra innings? Were you able to last until the very last embers of the evening? No, no, no, West Coast, I'm not about.

I'm not about the West Coast baseball games when I'm on the East Coast. Even if it's the Dodgers, even if your Marlins are scoring, scrappy. No, no, no, I have no intention of watching the Dodgers pummel the Marlins. I saw the Dane train hit a grand slam last night, which is great, yeah, but extra innings

on the West Coast game, no, no, no. These West Coast trips, they do a number on me, Dan. First Seattle, now Los Angeles. Let's get back to the Eastern. All right, let's put it on the poll at LeBotard Show. Do you wanna watch extra innings West Coast baseball? Just yes or no is the question. Hey guys.

Welcome to Zaslow, he is late. How did it go on the starting lineup with Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrini? Where, I heard Scalabrini say, Giannis for 60 tonight. Yannis, he expects Yannis to have a 60 point game. It's one of the most asinine things I've ever heard, to ever expect someone to have a 60 point game.

Okay, that doesn't make me late. I didn't go to the starting lineup in studio. You weren't on your car phone. Yes I was. I heard you stationary. No, I was absolutely on my car phone. I wasn't in the studio with starting lineup. You got, Zazz has got some,

some affluence now in the ESPN deal. He's got a car, Dan, where it's very soundproof. So it- My driver had me on speaker in the car. Yeah, it was, it really was professional sounding studio for someone who was in his car, but okay regardless you were late He's excited because there aren't a lot of things I don't think that you can do in 11 seconds

And I saw them happen a couple of times last night's Panthers game nights I who was it that was quoted after the game was it Seth Jones who was saying I could feel the hatred on the ice I could feel the hatred in the locker room. It's the best sport like that. Like, what other sports do they still talk like that? It's why I've loved these NBA playoffs, because the teams seem to be hating each other this year, but it's always like that with the hockey. They hate each other. I was going to say, did you see Dylan Brooks and Drayvon Green last night? No, it's been good. It's been good. The guys don't like each other, man. It's been good.

Well, the Warriors' Rockets thing is interesting for a lot of reasons, but one of them is, hey, the Rockets were better than Golden State the entire season. When you had Jimmy Butler, no longer better. That's the difference. And that's what Golden State did for Curry that made all of us believe that Jalen Green and the Rockets weren't ready for what it takes at this time of year. To be fair, Dan, to be fair, Warriors with Jimmy Butler alone, I don't think they're better than Rockets. Warriors with Jimmy Butler alone, I don't think they're better than Rockets.

Warriors with Jimmy Butler who's found the joy, hmmm hold on now, he found the joy ladies and gentlemen and that's a difference maker right there because he was phenomenal last time. That rebound he got at the end. Four guys, that's four guys he's getting a rebound from. As Draymond Green is telling Jay at as dream on is telling jaylen go paint your nails because it's a there's a generational difference there between what's happening with dream on what's happening with jaylon green and

jaylen green is saying what was dream on doing out there he was just talking that's all he can do he doesn't do much of anything else dream on his emboldened invoice right now because he's got jimmy at his back it was i mean it was it's the exact level of intensity that you would expect from a combination of guys like that the I mean there were so many moments last night I was thinking about the Jimmy Butler rebound and I said how many rebounds in NBA history can you remember like a rebound that stood out it's a Bosh, but but rebound Bosch back out to Alan his three-pointer bang bang Oh a different time so hold on that sounds so pathetic today after what just happened you two sound pathetic like you go

Hey, go where we do the you believe in miracles. Yes, we do calls all the time. Come on We're allowed to reminisce on the glory days No, not today Not everyone is here to eat your tears because this is as embarrassing as the heat have been in 15 years like flat the hard stop Does the boss rebound stand out if the shot doesn't follow it? No, that's my point that rebound stands alone It's not because and then someone else hit a great shot. It's no cuz he grabbed the rebound and that's it That's what I'm talking about when I say, how many rebounds can you remember that stand alone for the simple act of the rebound itself?

Why does Jimmy Butler after the game say, I found my joy, I got my joy back as they say? No, not as they say, you said that Jimmy, you said that. The thing that's interesting about this and it's why it's such a cool thing to watch the gas pedal pressed on it, Jimmy, Draymond, Steph, can you do it 12 more times? Can you do, it's just 12 games.

The hot streak you had at the end of the regular season, can you put it together right now, I guess it's not, it's 13 more times, right? Can you do it 13 more times? Will Jimmy's body hold up if that's what it looks like and win number three and that's what it takes. It's gonna take the road of the Rockets are gonna be the easiest thing you see and the road they have,

because they got in on the play-in game and they didn't get the rest and everything else, the road they have makes it physically harder for that team to make it through, like the Clippers and some of these old teams specifically because of what's being asked of Jimmy at this pace like the bet for the rest of this season is the heat saying he can't do it for 13

more victories and Golden State saying we'll give you an extension to do it for 13 more victories. Well I think the heat we're saying you that they don't believe that he could do it for you know throughout this year's playoffs they were saying he can could do it for you know throughout this year's playoffs They were saying he can't do it through the year 2028 right isn't that what the heat we're saying and getting rid of him They were saying that and also they don't believe that he wants to do it here anymore

That's right like the part about 2028 is last summer when they're like I don't know if I want to sign that extension right the part where they traded him is where it's like Oh, he's not gonna do that here anymore. Do you guys understand though, why that night as punctuation for the last 15 years, and I understand you can hope that they'll get someone else, but this feels like the tires blowing off of the vehicle, everything quits at the end,

whatever it is that you thought of an annoying Billy for how many years with culture, culture, culture, ground to a big puff of dust as everyone now believes the punctuation. Oh, it wasn't Riley, culture for 15 years. Jimmy took that with him and look at how it plays now late night television in Golden State because it is something that the crazy can take with them.

And it wasn't about your team or your organization or your principals. It was about the guy who now plays for a different champion. I do think even if there's a downturn here for, even if it was a few years, that all comes back if and when they're competitive again, because I think everyone's forgetting 10 and 31, and some of those teams that were really kind of dreadful

to watch with a bunch of veterans that, you know, were just kind of floating around the league, and Kelly Olynyk and Dion Waiters and Rodney McGruder, like there were a bunch of veterans that, you know, were just kind of floating around the league, and Kelly Olynyk and Dion Waiters and Rodney McGruder. Like, there were a bunch of years there where they were competing to get to the playoffs, same sort of thing, and then Jimmy Butler showed up, and you paired him with Bam and Tyler, and everything went from there.

So, I think that it would be fair to look at the end of this run. And know that that's a punctuation on six years. Six years, not 15. Do me the favor of just curling up in a fetal position somewhere out in the studio, somewhere else, on the floor, and when I want your heat analysis, I'll go to it curled up in the fetal position.

So at the very least, I can hear your positivity and absorb your positivity as somebody who's broken today. Billy, why are you making faces at Jeremy and in general? You guys don't know yourselves whatsoever. Like you're saying this today because it's the day after the season ended on April 29th and sure enough opening night next year you will have convinced yourself that the Heat are serious contenders and they're going to make a run and this is their year and culture and the Godfather fixed it and Pat Riley this

and Pat Riley that. And it'll probably be largely the same roster. Maybe you'll bring in one or two different pieces. But this is how it goes. Bam is saying major changes in the losing locker room. Bam's saying we know major changes are coming. You're the major change that needs to go, Bam. Like, by the way. so we're on here.

Major changes, pack your shit up and go. If you're really about this culture, do the best thing for the culture and leave. Whoa. Because you're not good enough. Well shouldn't he at least wait for them to trade him? No, just leave. Or nothing?

Whoa. No, void is better than bam at this point in time, honestly. But I'm telling you, remember April 29th. I want that to be, just guys, let this be our calling sign. Remember April 29th. Because next year, come October 24th, I want that to be, just guys, let this be our calling sign, remember April 29th. Because next year, come October 24th, we're gonna be talking about this Heat team and how, I like what they're doing here,

I like what they did here in the off-season. It's what happens every single year. Every single year. It's not done, Dan, it's gonna continue. I want to explore something with you guys though here because wherever the mental frailties in this sport reside such that they are okay Jimmy has burnt through in Minnesota and Philadelphia and here an assortment of Ben Simmons's and Andrew

Wiggins and Carl Anthony towns where he's more what he's a better player but more of a bleep hole as well, wherever the alpha shit is. He gets to Miami, and now we see what's played out over the last, I don't know, six months. And it is revealed to all of us that if you give the ball to Tyler Hero, he'll be an All-Star and he'll get better, and that's what your team will look like.

And revealed to all, like, oh, that's where BAM's limits are. None of those guys will carry you to anything. We didn't think Jimmy would. But burned through a mean and I want you to explain sort of what's happening there with competition with toughness and crazy people about competition where Jimmy's burning through a line of teammates to get to something higher and revealing in his wake oh I don't think Carl Anthony Towns is as tough as he needs to be, or Wiggins is as tough as he needs to be, or Simmons is as tough as he needs to be, or Bam is as tough as he needs to be.

But he was right. That's the thing, in the moment everyone's like, oh what a jerk, get him out of here, but at the end of it we look back and maybe Bam's got an opportunity to change that perception, but all those other names, he looked back and said, oh shit, he was 100% on point. These guys weren't tough enough. Well, Bam doesn't have the ability to change that perception.

Bam is now a formed player. This is the best Bam will be. It's not about being a better player. It's about a level of toughness and leadership that is expected and needed from him. That was the thing that was surprising to me last night as I sat there and I watched every second of that offer. Or Spoh saying afterward,

we showed resilience in character. No, no they didn't. But I'm saying, Spoh saying afterward that they showed resilience in character this season. Yeah, like I think he meant specifically they lost 10 in a row and they still managed to make the plans. Sure, sure.

But last night there was no resilience. None whatsoever. Not from the opening tip. I mean, there were moments early in the first half, it's a big deficit, I get it, but this NBA, you get a couple threes, all of a sudden it's not a big deficit. And the way they were playing was one, two, three, Cancun.

I've never seen a Heat team playing as if it didn't want to get on a flight. I've never I've never seen a heat team playing as if it didn't want to get on a flight I've never seen that before Dan It will go it will be erased in history. No one will remember this But there was a play where Max Deuce sideline out of bounds in bounds the ball steps right in they pass it right back to him There's not a single heat player within 30 miles of him. He's wide open for three He misses the three so it won't be remembered, but it's just like what are we doing here? Well at what point does execution on the defensive end effort?

Making the extra rotation making the extra effort all those things went out the window and they went out the window Very early in that case 30 to 8. I mean look we I think we kind of knew that or at least I felt going into the game Yesterday we were gonna learn a little bit about this heat team. I mean look, we, I think we kind of knew that, or at least I felt going into the game yesterday we were going to learn a little bit about this Heat team. What I mean by that is not that they're, not that we're going to learn, oh can they win the game, okay send the series back to Cleveland, but we're going to learn a little bit about this version of the Heat because if you get down early, they all know they're not winning the series. Maybe they win the game, they're not winning the series.

They know that, okay. So we're going to learn a little bit about this team where if they get down early, which do they start thinking to themselves, all right, is it even worth trying to put a thousand percent effort to get back in this game, then to just get on a plane for one more game and get killed in Cleveland? Like, we're going to learn a little bit about this team. And we did learn, which was, yeah, we don't really think it's worth the trouble.

Then that's the part that's different, right? Yeah. Well, that's also what's going to spark the change. The change that the fan base has wanted. Like, I don't know that I want to sit here and do silver lining today, OK? But losing that game by one point yesterday is not the way to go into the offseason.

Like, the Heat fan has wanted this change. And now you got Bam Edibio sitting there post game saying the guy with the silver hair, he's going to make major change. Like, yeah. Who was he talking about? Who was he talking about? That's Bo.

That guy used a lot of product. Zaslow, Billy, I don't know how I am to feel about this. That was an excellent rant by Zaslow about learning about the Heat team. I heard it first on the starting lineup Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrini on the way in it's a good take, but it's the second time I'm hearing it today You got to bring fresh stuff says like I was walking in a Big Mac the parking attendant downstairs You know what he told me what did he give me a to do here in my appearance as well

No, he didn't be told me Spoh out of touch. Yep. We got to get that guy Mike He wants Greer out too. Oh, yeah every day tells me Ten-second show every day Love big back. We all do he was so excited about the draft in yes He was but he wants Greer out and he didn't like a fullback Hey Listeners, it's Mike Ryan, and if you've listened to this show for 20 years, you know one action movie franchise that I believe stands head and shoulders above the rest. That's right, the Mission Impossible series is one of the few franchises that gets better and better, consistently raising the bar with set pieces, story, location, and character.

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Telling you I'm better for it, have it in my office. Sometimes I can put on the baseball game. Sometimes I can put on a soccer match. Some other times I'm totally locked in on an emo playlist. Find your push. Find your power with Peloton at OnePeloton.com Disappointed is it to be a Miami fan right now? Stugats! Brother, actually you make a really great point This is the Don LeBattar Show with the Stugats Mike you've been very patient. I want all of your panther thoughts in a moment

But first let's just go up to Jeremy in a curled up fetal position Because as Zaz goes silver lining, this is what you want in Heat Fence. No, no Heat Fence points at this. Oh my God. There is Jeremy, broken today because the Miami Heat, I don't know why we didn't start with a sad song or a eulogy, because I can't remember the last time it felt this bad around here. I feel broken and

have never wanted To To retreat into myself more to look inward inward thought he's gonna say a star careful Jeremy to To examine why Why I Why... Why I...

Am the way that I am. Can you hurry up a little bit? Jesus Christ, man. Do you think that what you're doing is so dramatically good that people are just waiting with anticipation for what you're going to say next? I blame the bed. Aren't you supposed to be impartial and a member of the media? Why would you be sad today? Because Dan Libertard has ruined all of my credibility and my ability to get another job anywhere else for the rest of my life.

So I really hope that one day I get to sign a contract that says I work here. Ha ha ha ha. Can you turn his microphone down please? Because the people want to hear from him today broken and tears. And the Heat fans around here hide sometimes so Mike Ryan you were right about all heat things two or three years ago

I don't know what we can castigate you on you sort of predicted that all of this was coming you wanted Bam out of here a long time ago the Damien Lillard thing has been a disaster in Milwaukee And I don't even know if he's gonna play next year so Is he is he gonna play next year ruptured his Ach even know if he's gonna play next year, so is he? Is he gonna play next year? He ruptured his Achilles, he's not gonna play next year. Okay, so whatever it is that the Miami Heat are doing

probably centers around Giannis now, but you take no comfort from being right on this one? No, because I feel like I wasted two years of my prime. These are good title celebration years. I mean, I can't even imagine how an 80-year-old Pat Riley feels. I mean, it was wasted time. From their approach two off seasons ago,

we knew this day would come. We knew that they weren't good enough, and we wasted two years watching them go through this exercise, and it was an embarrassment. And by the way, they lost to Cleveland, who took their lunch money several years ago in acquiring Donovan Mitchell. They also found a way to get Donovan Mitchell to extend,

while to Billy's point, Heat fans were saying, no, no, no, it's all right, he's gonna sign over here, he's gonna sign over here, look at the hat that he was wearing, he was with BAM. And we were doing the same pathetic exercise. By the way, Donovan Mitchell develops under Kenny Atkinson in a way that if he did under Spoh, we would not shut up about it.

And Cleveland- That team under Atkinson, what they did. And Cleveland somehow even avoids what was another calling card of Heat Culture, which is, oh, that guy can do it here, but he can't do it anywhere. The Strews deal has been fine for them. It hasn't been a deal that they regret.

It's been a nice piece for the team that they've been building. So when I'm sitting on my couch, finally able to watch a Heat game because it's on TNT, and I'm jealous of the way that the Cleveland Cavaliers have built their franchise and have bullied my president around, I mean, what else do you need? It smacked your heart in the face,

smacked your heart in the face, and it smacked any team in the playoff history. Zaslow, when you look at the architecture of the Miami Heat and missing the last few years on the people they've missed on and quantifiably, right? Like this part I'm saying all the time because we saw it. At the bubble at the rim, it was Bam and Tatum. And since then, the franchises have gone

in totally opposite directions, where now the Celtics are the ones who have, oh, Peyton Pritchard, what is that? How does that happen that way? And as Mike said, it's not just Max Struce. Gabe Vincent ends up in LA. That doesn't end up working. Caleb Martin never ends up being what it is that he was here. But the people who took the things they learned here, LeBron took them to Cleveland,

and Cleveland since then has rebuilt into something that I don't recognize since sort of before LeBron when it was Brad Doherty. Like, before LeBron, a different time in Cavs, there were only a couple times that the Cavs had been really good. Like, good where you, ooh, they can win a championship, good. And now it's one of them. Like, the four guys they got, they didn't need Garland

to do that to the heat the last two games. That's like, they are so much better than a ten seed and probably the only real challenger in the East to to Boston. I know Orlando like gives them more of a fit than any team in the league because they haven't been tested the last two championship runs. Orlando somehow prevents Boston from making its threes, but at the end of the game the other night, I mean, and where it's Ben Caro and Wagner trying to beat Tatum and Brown, Orlando falls at the finish line. Well, so a couple of things there, right?

There's a lot there. Let's start with Pat Riley, quote unquote, hasn't done a good job or whatever. To me, I hear you guys say that a lot because you have an expectation that Pat Riley can go, Abracadabra, got you a superstar. But I would defy any of you guys to tell me what's the deal that he turned down or he mismanaged?

What's the bad decision? To me, it's not unlike when the Mavericks kind of broke up their championship team and they had set up all of their ducks in a row to be players in free agency. And then year after year, they kept missing in free agency. And everyone was upset. I'm just like, what do you want, man?

Like at the end of the day, it's free agency. The guy has the agency to go wherever he wants. Same thing here, what do you want, man? Like at the end of the day, it's free agency. The guy has the agency to go wherever he wants. Same thing here. What do you want? I don't understand because they're trying. It's just they don't have the assets and they don't have kind of the package that some of these other teams can offer.

We talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dan. You're right. This is the best non-LeBron Cavs team the Cavs ever had. That's not hard when you consider their history. They really didn't have a lot of success. But they're great. It's not just a great regular season team.

It's a great team. They're obviously a great basketball team that can run with OKC. They can rebound with anybody. They're tough. They have all the things you need to win a championship. They do. I talked to Kenny Atkinson during the All-Star break

and I said, how striking is it to you that there are a lot of similarities. I'm not saying how striking is it to you that there are a lot of similarities, I'm not saying they are the same thing, but there are a lot of similarities between Kenny Atkinson coming to the Cavs, and 10 years ago, Steve Kerr coming to the Warriors, where Steve Kerr came to a Warriors team, they'd won 50 games, had been to the playoffs,

and got knocked down in the second round, and everyone was like, okay, it's a nice little team, but I mean, you're never gonna win a championship that way, right? And we kinda said the same things about the Cavs, and then a coach comes in and says, wait, I know I'm replacing someone who was successful here, whether it was Mark Jackson or JB Bickerstad,

but what if we do it this way? And all of a sudden it unlocks something that takes them from we're a nice little team to, oh no, we're ass kickers. I mean, didn't that also happen with Golden State when Steve Kerr took over from Mark Jackson? Steve Martin, yeah, Steve Martin was a prop company. Were you not listening? You were staring right at him and I heard didn't that also happen with Golden State when that's something took over Steve and Steve Martin Yeah, Steve Martin was a prop company. You're not listening. You were you were staring right at him And I heard him say that and you were

I've got to get rid of jazz is really playing the student. I hit with the ice man. Let's see. Hold on a second Let me get rid of him. Well, how do I do this? All right, let's go On apparently two minutes delay a show He's still a scowl. You're a true dude. Minor penalty, two minutes delay of show. No, and also this one. Hold on a second, because it's going to be four minutes, because he was staring right at you.

And you said, Steve Kerr. It was very focused. No, you weren't very focused. You got here late today, and you gave all your good stuff to the starting lineup. Minor penalty, two minutes for not listening. So that's four minutes total. He was staring right at you. I don't know what it is.

It was literally the point I was making. Yes, I don't, it's literally. Yes, I literally just said Mark Jackson and J.B. Bricker staff. It's just, it's flabbergasting and disrespectful what you did there. You shouldn't be paid for it. I kind of wish he was on his phone or something. Then I could lie, like, I, you know. He was staring right at you. That seat is so good at nodding while not listening. Mike, Brian, you were saying. Well, I guess to close my point,

Amin asked the question, what's the deal that they passed up on? I think you could look at some of the linked targets and say, Liller, that ended up working out for you. Bradley Beal, that ended up working out for you. Bradley Beal, that ended up working out for you. Joel Embiid, although that's kind of like a tangential thing, that ends up working out for you. But I think that there's plenty,

like in Donovan Mitchell a couple of times, Kevin Durant a few times, James Harden a few times, Drew Holliday, which was essentially a byproduct of your ego and your whole approach to Damian Lillard. And by the way, we don't really know how the Damian Lillard thing goes down here. So I think that there's been plenty of missed opportunities and to your original question,

who's to blame for these expectations, Pat Riley. Pat Riley is to blame for these expectations. He literally goes in front of the media and talks about whale hunting. He has built his whole franchise around, yes, there's been the recent thing of player development, but the business plan down here has always been getting big time stars.

That's how he wins. I didn't ask about whose fault is it, the expectations. I asked, where did they misstep? They misstep in that the other teams inside, my whole issue with how the Miami Heat have been approaching the last two seasons is, they were very much a middle of the pack Eastern Conference team. And seemingly everybody that they were competing against

was out there making more aggressive moves. Some of them cashed in like Boston, some of them flamed out like Darrell Moore in Philadelphia. But everywhere around you, you saw teams make the move. You saw teams make the move to get better. See, even see Ockham. Like there are so many of these players that could have helped Miami,

and all the other teams in that pack made moves to get better. Miami stood pat. You think they were like, hey, you guys want Siakam? Well, uh. Oh, heat culture! How did the heat culture look last night?

Oh my God, what a delicious game. This morning, Dan, I'm drinking heat tears for breakfast. They're brown! I was going to print out a picture of Ryan Cortez and put it on a Flanagan's cup, but then you said you needed me 20 minutes earlier, so I didn't have time to do that. But that's what I'm drinking this morning, is heat tears. They're brown? why are they brown? That looks like a dark drink.

Why, why, why? They're very Latino down here, dehydrated. Yeah. How are you feeling in general about watching them lose that way? Were you delighted, or were you and Leemon, because he, as a Knicks fan, he's obligated to be at least a little bit of a Heat hater, correct?

Oh, he despises the Heat, Dan, but when the Heat game ended, I said, oh, the Warriors play next. What if Jimmy Butler has a big night? That would be even more interesting. Add some insult to injury, perhaps. And then Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, and did I sleep through most of it?

Yes! There's some great, green shenanigans in there, too, but it was amazing. I saw a stat of it, yes! We have Draymond Green shenanigans in there too, but it was amazing. I saw a stat this morning, Dan. The Warriors are 25 and eight when Jimmy Butler plays. What an amazing pickup for the Warriors. And ooh, halftime, 72 to 33 for the Heat. Not great.

I wanna talk about the Heat with her, but also there's so much encompassed under the umbrella of Draymond Green shenanigans. Like, Draymond Green playoff shenanigans? I mean, we're in round one, and honest to God, it's like rolling a grenade on the court with this person. I'ma be honest, that felt more like Dylan Brooks playoff shenanigans.

Draymond Green actually was kind of mostly tame last night. It was Dylan Brooks just being an absolute agitator. And to Draymond Green's credit, he didn't take the bait, right? Like they wanted him. Oh wow, we've got a portrait of sad Ryan Cortez in the background. Shout out to Lehman.

Good work by Lehman there. All his producing. Jessica, just how much did you enjoy it? What did you enjoy the most? Because I'm saying that Ty Jerome hitting a three from half court and the Cleveland announcer yelling, it's a typhoon in Miami while they laugh de-bror-iously. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I I think, Dan, the funniest part was I was eating dinner at a restaurant and I was like, I'll check the score on my ESPN app and see what it is.

And it was 43 to 17 at halftime. That was the funniest part. 43 to 17. And I sat there and I ordered another drink. I said, margarita's on the house tonight. I'm drinking. This is the funniest thing that I have ever seen. And honestly, Dan, Dan,

the fact that your father was there and your mother, that is elder abuse. You should not have let them go. I love how everyone has like their moment of the score they checked in on. Cause I had one, I checked in, it was like 66 to 22 or something like that. I'm just like, this is an insane game.

Let me tell you how to entertain yourself at a game like that, is just wondering, I wonder if they can do this. So for me it always starts with, I wonder if they can double them up. Then once that happens, I wonder if they can get it to 30 before half. And then you get a point to like,

last night they were down 70 to 25 and I said, I wonder if they can triple them. At halftime I asked myself, can they win by 100? Do you guys realize in the history of both playoff basketball and numbers, there were numbers on that scoreboard that have never, there were numbers on that scoreboard that have never been on that scoreboard before.

Dan, you're gonna love this. There is a national writer who, national writers, I should say, who were at the game last night, I'm not gonna name who they were, but they lamented at one point in the second half I missed the diff if you don't know in Cleveland on their scoreboard at all times they have the difference they call it the diff it's on their television broadcast now they're putting the broadcast to right and it's there at all times it's not like something they bring up oh look at this the spread they

always tell you what it is and I just looked at it times. It's not like something they bring up, oh, look at the spread. They always tell you what it is. And I just looked at it and I said, this is the failure of the American public school education system because you guys can't even do the simple math to which the rebuttal was, the score's never been this big though. They've never had to deal with numbers like this, Dan. I mean, I asked Lehman at one point,

I'm like, what's 17 plus 38? I need to do some quick math here. I'll give you one more number, Dan. I'll give you one more number, Dan. I'll give you one more number, four. That's how many points Tyler Hero had. Oh my God, he was awful. He was awful. Wittingham, Mike Ryan is presently sending video

a betting slip from Wittingham last night. On a bet he cashed, I wanna see what this number is, heap plus what. At some point live in game, because I will say it again, in the history of basketball and numbers, on that scoreboard, there were absolutely numbers, a variety of different scores that have never been there before.

There's no way that he'd have played a game where that was the halftime score before. That's not a thing that's happened before. I saw at one point at halftime, the live odds were 40 and a half. I mean, obviously they ended up covering it Cleveland, but can you imagine? You're looking like, yeah, I'm going to take minus 40 and a half. And you know what? You were a winner.

No, you could have done, you could have done minus. You could have done minus more than that. I think. What's crazy about Jess is that she didn't even tell you guys about me preemptively texting her during the third quarter of last game looking for any sort of ammo that she had against you guys hating sports because I knew the tongue lashing that I was going to take today. And I did not cooperate. Jeremy, shame on you. I did not participate in that because I said you should feel bad and you should feel ashamed, Jeremy, because you said that this team would be successful

because of, and I quote, the power of friendship. Well, that was before the season What I did I did say that wait, that's a quote I said the power of friendship you guys don't listen to him when he talks but some Well, he also told us if I remember correctly before the season that Jimmy Butler was gonna play like 90% of the games And I was really gonna go into it because he had a contract coming up and he was really gonna show a different Jimmy this year. I was on that boat too. He did kind of show how good he is. Jaime Hacquez was gonna be Jimmy Butler. Well that was the name of a group chat that's different. I'm sorry. I don't care what you call me, you live in life that I live for mine That only one enjoys the moment That time ends and goes back, don't live it

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