Latest / The Sean O'Connell Show / Craig Bolerjack on the Utah Jazz and the NBA Draft tomorrow night, Darryn Peterson their pick (?), Walker Kessler's restricted free agenc...

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Craig Bolerjack on the Utah Jazz and the NBA Draft tomorrow night, Darryn Peterson their pick (?), Walker Kessler's restricted free agenc... · The Sean O'Connell Show

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: It's not Sean O'Connell show. You were home of the
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: best inside of your utes. Let's get back to OC
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: from the Murdoch Chevrolet Studio of DESPN seven hundred and
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: ninety two to one a f M.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: Welcome now number two on the Shan O'Connell Show. Welcome
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: in Craig Bowler Jack, iconic voice of the Utah Jazz
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: NBA insider for these purposes today.
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: Bowler, Welcome back to the show. How are you, sir?
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: Oh see, I'm good. How you been?
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: I'm doing all right. What's the level of anticipation like
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: in the Bowlerjack household for tomorrow night's draft?
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: I say, let's roll, man, I can't wait. You know,
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: we'll be at Southtown tomorrow night, big party, five o'clock,
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: dippin' dots. OC. I know that's one of your favorites,
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: so do love me some different dots. So I can't wait.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: You know, it was like the draft, you know two
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: years ago when Ace was taken and the anticipation during
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: that seventeen win season was, you know, number one, number
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: one didn't happen. That belonged to Dallas and we got Ace,
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: And now you know, you got the two pick, and
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: you know there's still there's really no clear path of
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: what you know, the Wizards the Jazz will do. And
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: you know it's that first domino that drops that opens
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: things up. So really Washington holds the cards. I did
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: hear per reports that Peterson had talked to the Jazz
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: and that was, you know for draft. You know Tomorrow's
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: drafts from ow Knight's drafts. So that's good. I mean,
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: you want to make sure that door's open if that's
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: what happens, if you know, aj goes Wan Peterson, boozer.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: I mean, there's some talented young players. Oh see that
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: these top or you know, maybe you can jump into
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: the top five, but the top four with Caleb Wilson,
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: the North Carolina kid, there's a lot of talent out there.
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: The Jazz are going to land a very very good
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: player no matter what.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: Well, you already hit on something I think is important
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: for me in this draft that you do have to
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: kind of just wait and see what Washington does. There
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: was early conversation when right after the lottery, like I
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: was speculating, a lot of people were, all right, is
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: there anything worth it?
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: Is there?
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: Could you jump to number one? Is that something this
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: team will try to do. And it seems like that,
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: you know, that was just speculation, that was nothing that
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: the team, whether they actually ever even entertained that possibility
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: in the front office, it doesn't seem like they did right.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: So they'll they'll draft at number two, and to me,
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: that puts all the pressure on Washington because now Washington's
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: got to make the right decision for themselves. But they're
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: going to kind of set the rest of this draft
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: order by picking either aj or Darren. We think, I
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: guess they could surprise us. And then if you're the
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: Utah Jazz, it feels like you're just kind of like, okay, cool,
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: Well they decided that they're taking this guy. That means
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: we are left with, uh, you know, the one B option,
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: and I think you're happy with both. Is there one
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: that'll be significantly happier with though in your mind?
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: You know, that's only what Danny and Austin know. I
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: tell you if you break down the roster, they put
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: a lot of you know, effort into the development of many,
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: many players, and one being keyante George. You know, every
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: GM I think we've talked before. Oh see that, I'm
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: sure you've talked to general managers in any sport. I mean,
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: you know, they never show their cards, and that's part
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: of the game they have to play. But you know,
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: I've always been told that, look, we'll take the best
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: available player, and I think that's kind of what holds
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: true in any in any league. Then you have to
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: deal with that player and how he is going to fit.
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: Does that mean you have a draft asset or a
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: trade asset if you want to move a player, because
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: you have to, you know, push your number two pick
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: into the into the lineup in some in some way.
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  Speaker 3: Uh So, it's I tell you it is. It's just
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  Speaker 3: a game of a chance at times. But I know
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: everyone's done their homework and up on a board somewhere
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  Speaker 3: they have plan A Plan B, Plan C, and maybe
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: a Plan T. But you know, it depends on that
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  Speaker 3: first pick. What Washington truly is going to do, I'm
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: not sure. Yesterday's report indicated that, you know, Trey Young
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: had declined his forty eight million dollar player option, but
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: yet the Wizards, quote are still his number one pick,
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: So you know they've already got a young backcourt. And
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: what I mean by young is Trey Johnson, who was
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: their number six pick last year, So I don't know
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: how that pans out with another you know, another guard
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: unless they have ideas of moving someone. But you know,
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: it's all speculation. I mean, the next twenty four hours
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: will be It's been that way since draft night or
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: lottery night, but now Draft night is coming up, what
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: twenty eight hours out or so, and so I think
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: you'll hear more and more speculations of what if, what
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: could happen. But until that that, you know, Adam Silver
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: walks down with a card in his hand, We're not
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: going to know.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: What is your take on the the Walker Kessler situation
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: that we started to get reports on again last week.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: Walker then took to social media to seem like maybe
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: clear the air a little bit, which I really loved.
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: But you know, there's there's been a lot of narrative
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: and a lot of conversation that this draft pick is
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: just going to kind of be like added on to
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: what is already a pretty cohesive, talented, maybe even deep,
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: if you want to say that, Jazz roster. Because a
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: lot of us assumed that, you know, the Walker deal
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: was going to get done with very little problem that
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: when the time came Keyante would get extended. That isn't
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: doesn't appear to be this time yet. But you know
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: your thoughts on on the Walker Kessler saga as it unfolds.
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: Well, like you said, I love Walker and I love
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: the fact he tried to take control of the narrative.
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: You know, that's one thing players have to do. Look,
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: they're represented by agents OC and those agents speak for
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: them in many ways, but there's nothing better them to
• 6:33
  Speaker 3: clarify with your own words, your own post. And you
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: know what, you don't lose just because of an agent.
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: You don't lose that ability or that responsibility to represent yourself.
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: And I thought it was a mature approach to the situation.
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  Speaker 3: I've talked to him multiple times. He's all in with
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: the Jazz and always has been. You know, he sees this,
• 7:00
  Speaker 3: you know, as an incredible experience. You know, his rookie year, sensational,
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: sophomore slump came back and then obviously the shoulder flares
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: up and he has to have you know, surgery and
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: you know men's and been working hard on trying to
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: get back into you know, NBA shape. But you know,
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: if if the Jazz do sign him, you look at
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: the front line available for Will Hardy. It's it's ridiculous.
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: I mean, there's so many problems that that front three
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: with Triple J, Market and and Walker give the you know,
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: opponent's defenses every night, and then you have to make
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: tough choices and you've got a guard line, you know,
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: with Key and most likely Ace and backups and LUs.
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: You know, of course, the Jazz this this roster still
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: is in flux and motion. I'm sure it all depends
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: on what happens tomorrow night and what other what other
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: plans that the Jazz front office has, but you know,
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  Speaker 3: they put a lot of time and effort in development.
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: It was so you know that, and believe me, I
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: know it the last two years with seventeen and twenty
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: two wins. But you know the bottom line is that
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: you've seen improvement. And that's why I think Delta Center,
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: you know, most Knights were filled with fans because they
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: went along with the ride to watch the progression, to
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: watch the maturation of all these young guys since the
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: ball included Philipowski's part of that, you know, Isaiah Collier,
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: and the list goes on and on. So you just
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  Speaker 3: don't know what the total plan will be. But I
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: tell you that first, that first pick starts the whole process,
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  Speaker 3: and whoever the Jazz do get at number two could
• 8:46
  Speaker 3: play a big factor on what they do from that
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: point on. And you know, I just say, man, I'm anxious,
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: and I really want to see this team grow and
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: be a productive, you know team in the West and
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: be a playoff team, and you know, challenge. There's a
• 9:00
  Speaker 3: lot of talent there, as you know, man, okay, seeing
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: and San Antonio is not going anywhere anytime soon, and
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: the Jazz want to be a part of that.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: When's the last time you had a like a candidate
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: of real conversation with Will Hardy because we haven't had
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: that opportunity anytime recently. And I would just love to
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: pick his brain and know how he's feeling about this
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: sort of I mean, it's such a crucial juncture of
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: his own head coaching career where now he's been the
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: perfect company man, as you know Bowler, but now they're
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: going to take the reins off, right and it's like, okay,
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: now go win and you got some horses to do it.
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: So when's the last time you talked to him, talked
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: to him on a flight back from Los Angeles final
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: game of the season, and you know he was candid.
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: I think he echoes those same sentiments that he will
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: be able to coach. He is unleashed. He will have
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: multiple As he told me, just say, you know, at
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: look at what I what we have a chance to do,
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: and that is multiple different lineups and scenarios. Play big,
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: place small, play fast, place slow, And you know that's
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: a dream of any coach in the NBA. You know,
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: he started, it's hard to believe he's in his fifth
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: season and you know, oh, time does pass fast, and
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: you know he wants to win. He wants to be
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: a part of what he experienced in San Antonio. He
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: has a little bit of pop in him, but he
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: also is in himself. And you know, people have to
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: realize Will Hardy, I think is a talented young coach
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: and we're going to see an opportunity for him to
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: go out and coach. You know, he's developed and that's
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: what they asked him to do. But now that process
• 10:46
  Speaker 3: it's never totally complete, right but yet for the Jazz,
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: the next step is right in front of him. And
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: how could he not be excited to be able to
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: coach this group of young players and the starting five,
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: potentially the starting five could be one of the most
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: dynamic in the NBA.
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: Greg Bowler Jack our guest here on the Sean O'Connell Show,
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: talking to the Utah Jazz their draft pick number two.
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: Tomorrow night, we will have our own draft watch party
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: at the Engine Room, thirteen eighty eight South, three hundred
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: West with Gordy Chiasa and Smitty and company. You already
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: alluded to this, and I think it's one of the
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: most important things to talk about when it comes to
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: this Utah Jazz team. As we move forward, you could
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: be drastically improved in this Western Conference over what we've
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: seen in these tanking years. And you could still come
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: up short because of the aforementioned teams, because of OKC,
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: because of obviously the San Antonio Spurs, who were the
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: runners up in this year's NBA Championship, because the teams
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: like Denver still hanging on, because of you know, the Lakers.
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: They still got Luca. We'll see what happens with Lebron.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: So with all of that in mind, you know, what
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: is a realistic, reasonable, hopeful expectation for this kind of year.
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: One of trying to win. I've said playoffs are at
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: least play in tournament. Can we ask much more?
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: No?
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: I think that's that's the process. I think we just saw,
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: you know, San Antonio prove that they're very talented and
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: Dylan Harper and Stefan Castle and wimb and Yama. Wow.
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: But you know what, it's a process. So see any
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: team and you've been a part of many that where
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: you developed and you have to say, oh, that's how
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: you do it. Or man, that one hurt because we
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: didn't do A B and C. We have the talent,
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: but we haven't been there. I think, you know Oklahoma
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: City kind of you know, it's hard to repeat, man.
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: I mean that's what makes the Jordan era just so
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: impossible to not talk about, right because to get there's
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: one thing to win it is an another. The Lakers,
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: you know, with the three peat. I mean, those are
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: great teams, and you know what the separator is. It
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: is all great talent, but it's the mental game. And
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: I think it's where San Antonio is going to have
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: to be and understand and learn that they have to
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: be mentally tougher to close games out. I mean they
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: came out of the gate and you know, they did
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: their thing. They they took massive leads but couldn't hold
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: it against the Knicks. And that's a veterans team who
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: didn't panic. And so a lot to be said oc
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: about talent. There's a lot of it in this league,
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: by the way, but the great, the great teams find
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: a way and that is through the mental part of it.
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: And a guy named Brunson who's had a hell of
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: a journey throughout the NBA and he, you know, he
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: found his niche and he led that Knicks team to
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: the world title, so or NBA title, however you want
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: to put it. But I think the Jazz will have
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: to take those steps. You know. That's that's the fun
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: part about it too. You want to win now, everybody does,
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: but it's rare that you can just put a bunch
• 14:03
  Speaker 3: of young players with a scattered veteran leadership that can say, okay, man,
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: we're going to win this thing. Look that's that would
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: be incredible an oddity. Could it be done? You know, yeah,
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: in any sport. But I think still a process and
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: there's gonna be ups and downs and sideways, but I
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: think the Jazz are on firm ground. To make some
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: big moves and I can't. I cannot disagree with a
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: play in opportunity for the Jazz, or maybe even better
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: if their health stays on their side. That's that's the
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: key for any team. But I like what the Jazz
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: are doing and where they're going.
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: Speaking of the NBA championship in the Knicks, Jalen Brunson
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: is getting his flowers as well deserved flowers. First championship
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: for the Knicks in fifty three years. He was obviously
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: the Finals MVP. He was the biggest driving factor in
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: them achieving that success, and it was much publicized a
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: couple of years ago when he made the decision. It's
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: being talked about again, I think for very good reason.
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: And he left money on the table. He did not
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: take the max money, which is something that I think
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: that agents don't like to see. I think that there's
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: a lot of probably even other players in the NBA
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: who are just like whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't let these
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: owners off the hook. You take your max money when
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: you can get your max money, but over the life
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: is contract. He left over one hundred million dollars for
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: the Knicks to spend on supporting cast, and I don't
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: think it's going to become a norm in the NBA.
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: But is there something that the Utah Jazz or other
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: teams can glean from the success that the New York
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: Knicks were able to parlay that into.
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah, now, oh see, look that's special one hundred million
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: think about it. But then he knows that the window
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: there may not be as wide as maybe what the
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: Jazz hope their window will be after this number two pick,
• 16:02
  Speaker 3: where it's been well stated that seven to ten years
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: is a you know, I'll tell you what. Oklahoma City
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: may have that window, San Antonio, Golden State had it,
• 16:14
  Speaker 3: but maybe New York know because it's been a lot
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: of veterans have come and gone during those fifty plus
• 16:20
  Speaker 3: years that just couldn't get it done. Young and old,
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: massive trades move this, move that because they want they
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: want to win now. Mentality in New York, especially a
• 16:31
  Speaker 3: lot of pressure on New York always has been, always
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: will be. And you know what to say, Look, bring
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: me the guys that can help me. Says a lot
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: about the personality. Some would say foolish, but no, but
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: look now he is an NBA champion, and so what
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: is the rest of the New York and look what
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: he brought helped bring to the city of New York
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: and beyond. I don't know if you can put a
• 16:56
  Speaker 3: money a price tag on it. Oc. I mean, that's
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: a dream of every player, whether you're a football guy,
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: baseball guy, NBA guy, hockey guy, and beyond. I mean,
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: it's the title because it basically cements your legacy of
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: who you are. And you can stand up and wear
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: the ring and say that's what I'd played my whole
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: career for. And you know what, if he sacrificed one
• 17:20
  Speaker 3: hundred million, I guarantee you on endorsements and just just
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: winning the title. Oh see how much you can't put
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: a price tag on that? By the way, And I
• 17:31
  Speaker 3: kind of feel like I like the old school approach.
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: You know what, I'll take less, make sure we spend
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: the money wisely and bring the guys to surround, you know,
• 17:40
  Speaker 3: to surround me. And look what happened. It worked. Doesn't
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: work every time, no, but it sure did this time.
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: And you know, New York's going to be partying all
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: summer and all fall and beyond, by the way, So
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: you know, I respect the guy a lot, you know,
• 17:55
  Speaker 3: a lot of times, players will say, let's reconstruct my
• 17:59
  Speaker 3: contract to take you know, I'll get paid later, but
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: let's win now. And that's happening a little bit more.
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: I know that Mahomes and Kansas City's kind of reworked it.
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: Brady tried to rework it a couple of times to
• 18:12
  Speaker 3: get Gronkowski back another year or two. But it does happen,
• 18:17
  Speaker 3: but it doesn't get a lot of play. This one
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: did because they won a title absolutely.
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: And you know, maybe the most remarkable thing about this
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: whole storyline is that the New York Knicks, of all teams,
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: especially here in Salt Lake City, were usually kind of
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: anti big market team right right. They were likable, they
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: were fun to watch. They were a team that it
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: was like easy to root for, the New York Stinking Knicks,
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: who should be the evil empire, especially owned by Jimmy Dolan.
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: It was like, man, it was hard to root against
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: that group, even though you know, Victor Winbin Yamen company
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: are equally easy to root for. It was like, man,
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: this Knicks team, they were a team of destiny, was special.
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: That was one of the craziest things for me is
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: how the whole NBA embraced that it was kind of
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: time for the mix to win it again.
• 19:01
  Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, you know last year was the smaller town market.
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: You know, love Affair with OKC and SGA MVP won
• 19:12
  Speaker 3: it again this year. But san Antonio steps in their
• 19:15
  Speaker 3: way and says, hey, hey guys, we're here now. And
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: you know what, the NBA has to love the storylines,
• 19:22
  Speaker 3: right O, see of what happened, because if I'm not mistaken,
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: I never thought this would happen, but it did. In
• 19:29
  Speaker 3: the sense of viewership, first time since the Jazz Bulls
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: ninety eight series that this type of eyeballs on a
• 19:38
  Speaker 3: on a on a championship series. It was mesmerizing. You
• 19:42
  Speaker 3: couldn't turn off the TV. You could walk out of
• 19:45
  Speaker 3: the room thinking the Knicks weren't going to pull it off,
• 19:47
  Speaker 3: or that san Antonio was actually going to run away
• 19:50
  Speaker 3: with the title. But you walk back in the room
• 19:52
  Speaker 3: and all of a sudden, a couple of three point shots,
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: a turnover, miscute, boom, and what's twenty nine points has
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: been trimmed twelve? And as you know, the NBA is
• 20:02
  Speaker 3: all about runs, it's all about fandom, it's all about
• 20:06
  Speaker 3: the home court and man the way some of these
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: games turned out were just epic in my opinion, and
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: you know, the Knicks just had a way And you're
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: right sometimes you just thought that this was supposed to
• 20:20
  Speaker 3: be and that New York was going to finally taste
• 20:23
  Speaker 3: a championship. And what two generations basically, I mean, you know,
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: you put it together. Think about it. The Jazz weren't
• 20:30
  Speaker 3: even a team when they first played for a title. Well,
• 20:33
  Speaker 3: this is year fifty going on year fifty two for
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: the Jazz, and just think about the years that you know,
• 20:41
  Speaker 3: New York had not had a title, you know, and
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: the Jazz are kind of like in a position like
• 20:45
  Speaker 3: they'd like to be in a situation where they could
• 20:48
  Speaker 3: get back into a championship run as they did in
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: ninety seven ninety eight. That's a long time ago. It
• 20:53
  Speaker 3: doesn't seem it oc but think about Carl and John
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: and Hatts and Jerry Sloan and Phil on a second Man,
• 21:03
  Speaker 3: Big Dog, Antoine Carr. Those are names that still resonate.
• 21:07
  Speaker 3: But you know what this group of young players would
• 21:11
  Speaker 3: like to be the next group that Jazz fans remember
• 21:15
  Speaker 3: as well. Who got them into an NBA tie not
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: only got there, but can they win it well, because
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: that would be that'd be a hell of a parade
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: down Main Street. I'll tell you that.
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: All respect to Jalen Brunson, I think one thing for me,
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: if I'm looking at these recent finals through a Jazz lens,
• 21:31
  Speaker 2: is I'm encouraged by the fact that Brunson elevated himself
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: with this win to be a league superstar. But he's
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: the most unlikely of all league superstars to win a
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: championship recently. In the NBA, in the last decade two decades,
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: you've needed like a top five player to win a championship,
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: and the Jazz, we like their roster, they don't have that.
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: I think maybe this New York team, similar to what
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: we saw from the Detroit Pistons a couple of decades,
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: agoes like, Okay, you can actually win a championship with depth,
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: with just kind of a quality, rounded out roster, and
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: I think that's what we need for this Utah Jazz,
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: unless whoever this number two pick is ends up being
• 22:15
  Speaker 2: a perennial All Star, Like good point. This is not
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: a superstar driven team, I guess, but you can win
• 22:22
  Speaker 2: even without that.
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it goes back to old school kind
• 22:26
  Speaker 3: of way of doing things. You know, it's called team
• 22:29
  Speaker 3: and if you buy into it, and I think the
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: Knicks did, I mean kat he was bought in, Brunson
• 22:36
  Speaker 3: bought in. You got Jordan Clarkson, who played you know
• 22:41
  Speaker 3: not you know, in his mind he'd like to play more, right,
• 22:44
  Speaker 3: But I feel good for jac because of the career
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: he's had. But he's a champion now. And he did
• 22:50
  Speaker 3: play minutes, you know, during the regular season, and he
• 22:53
  Speaker 3: jumped in, hit a few buckets, hit a three year,
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: had a steal, and you know, he liked to play
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: more minutes. But pretty much Mike Brown knew what his
• 23:00
  Speaker 3: rotation had to be and would be. You know, you
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: make a great point. We were so enamored OC a
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: few years ago where every team had to put on
• 23:11
  Speaker 3: display the big three, right had to be the Big three,
• 23:16
  Speaker 3: And I mean general managers pulled their hair out trying
• 23:20
  Speaker 3: to figure out who they could, you know, put in
• 23:23
  Speaker 3: a position next to their one superstar, who then would
• 23:28
  Speaker 3: bring in a second, maybe recruit him himself, and then
• 23:31
  Speaker 3: you have to add a third, a complimentary player, and
• 23:34
  Speaker 3: then you had no money left by that time. You're
• 23:37
  Speaker 3: just trying to beast the rest of the roster together
• 23:40
  Speaker 3: by journeymen, young players on rookie contract deals, hoping that
• 23:44
  Speaker 3: they had enough that could support these guys. And now
• 23:48
  Speaker 3: I think the league is in a turn where they're
• 23:50
  Speaker 3: just trying to find depth, depth, and two way players
• 23:55
  Speaker 3: who can play defense. And look at the last three
• 23:59
  Speaker 3: championship champions are Boston, Oklahoma City, and I think a
• 24:05
  Speaker 3: very tenacious New York Knicks team that was able to
• 24:08
  Speaker 3: get it done. If you showed me Brunson at six
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: as a six footer been able to be an elite
• 24:16
  Speaker 3: player in this league. Big T always tells, Look, if
• 24:20
  Speaker 3: you're a six footer, you have to have something incredibly
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: special to take your team to a title. And I
• 24:28
  Speaker 3: watched Brunson. It was non stop fury. His ability to
• 24:33
  Speaker 3: feel pressure left or right and spin and get into
• 24:36
  Speaker 3: the paint, and his tear drop, his push shot to finish,
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: and then his uncanny ability to take on Biggs and finish,
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: I mean, and then to get back and play defense
• 24:48
  Speaker 3: the best he could. I mean, those are This is
• 24:51
  Speaker 3: a great story, New York story will be written and remembered.
• 24:55
  Speaker 3: But because it was a bunch of guys who got
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: together and decided with a coach Thibodeaux out last year
• 25:01
  Speaker 3: and Mike Brown comes in and oh see, it's just
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: like wow, is this written? Was this supposed to be?
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: And I guess it was because it happened, and it
• 25:10
  Speaker 3: only is going to motivate I think San Antonio even
• 25:13
  Speaker 3: more so in this offseason. They'll take a breath. They
• 25:16
  Speaker 3: probably are already trying to figure to get back into
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: the gym and but I think they had to take
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: a breath just because of the shock value. But this
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: Spurs team learned a lot by the way young They
• 25:27
  Speaker 3: know it hurts. They don't want to feel it again.
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: All right, last thing before I let you go, Bowler,
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: I always appreciate your time the Jazz here. You know,
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: up next the Utah Jazz will be picking, and I
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: think they're just going to take whoever. The Washington Wizards don't,
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: so I guess it's more of a question about who
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: do you think Washington's going to take at one when
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: we get to that draft tomorrow.
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: Well tell you, oh see, I wish I knew man.
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: You know, it's hard. It's hard to say you got
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: aj you know, lead the name in scoring. You know
• 26:03
  Speaker 3: you have. We haven't talked boozer, right. I think he's
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: shown much better in camp in his workouts, faster than
• 26:14
  Speaker 3: I think I knew he was because Duke played a
• 26:17
  Speaker 3: little bit more slower pace of play. Peterson still is
• 26:23
  Speaker 3: the one that just kind of makes me just don't know.
• 26:26
  Speaker 3: I'm in a wonderment of him. And I'm sure with
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: the Jazz, the interview process for all three of these
• 26:33
  Speaker 3: players had to loom large on this decision, wouldn't you agree?
• 26:37
  Speaker 3: I think that when you invest this type of money,
• 26:41
  Speaker 3: which I believe is ten plus million on the number
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: one pick, that you've got to get it right. And
• 26:49
  Speaker 3: the Jazz know they have to get it right at
• 26:53
  Speaker 3: number two because it's a franchise changing decision, right, and
• 27:00
  Speaker 3: all three of these players bring something special, and you know,
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: I cannot figure out and I've looked through and look,
• 27:08
  Speaker 3: I know that we talked about Trey Young, right, and
• 27:13
  Speaker 3: you know what they're going to do in their back
• 27:16
  Speaker 3: court and Trey Johnson. I just I would probably think
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: the number one pick could be a j But I'm
• 27:26
  Speaker 3: also concerned, not concerned, but I'm intrigued by would they
• 27:30
  Speaker 3: try to trade that pick to actually enhance their potential
• 27:37
  Speaker 3: of even a quicker rebuild. I don't know. So for me,
• 27:41
  Speaker 3: I'm just I'm going to sit back and just watch
• 27:43
  Speaker 3: this whole thing unfold. I will tell you this, Caleb
• 27:47
  Speaker 3: Wilson's Dan Good and Boozer's got a lot of play. Peterson,
• 27:53
  Speaker 3: I don't know much about his personality, even though we
• 27:56
  Speaker 3: got a taste of it. But the games that the
• 27:59
  Speaker 3: three games that I saw him play in the videos
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: that I've been watching, Man, there's some talent there and
• 28:06
  Speaker 3: aj Debonts that we saw plenty of what he can
• 28:09
  Speaker 3: do playing in Provo, and plus he's got a couple
• 28:13
  Speaker 3: of years in the valley playing that Utah prepping and
• 28:17
  Speaker 3: on down to BYU. So whoever the jazz, whoever the
• 28:21
  Speaker 3: jazz is, you know, you know what see I know
• 28:24
  Speaker 3: I'm rambling, but the jazz may not have the ability
• 28:28
  Speaker 3: to They're not going to be able to dictate who
• 28:30
  Speaker 3: they want. It's just going to fall to them, right,
• 28:34
  Speaker 3: And so that's that's why you have Plan A, Plan B,
• 28:37
  Speaker 3: Plan C or Plan D, and then you have to
• 28:41
  Speaker 3: make decisions based on that pick. And I can't wait
• 28:44
  Speaker 3: for it to happen. Man, the clock is ticking, and
• 28:47
  Speaker 3: Jazz Nation, we're going to find out, and we're going
• 28:50
  Speaker 3: to find out soon, and then we'll have to talk about, Wow,
• 28:53
  Speaker 3: what's he bring, how the rotations will be, you know,
• 28:58
  Speaker 3: and the speculation of the Jazz make, you know, moves
• 29:01
  Speaker 3: and decisions. All that's going to start to play out.
• 29:05
  Speaker 3: Free agency coming around the corner. And man, I'd tell
• 29:08
  Speaker 3: you it's a great time of year. And then we
• 29:09
  Speaker 3: got Summer League. And what's the beauty too, is to
• 29:12
  Speaker 3: have the Jazz have their number two pick in the
• 29:15
  Speaker 3: house and Memphis rolls into town right with their number
• 29:19
  Speaker 3: three pick. And so it's gonna be fun basketball up
• 29:23
  Speaker 3: at the Huntsman Center. And about let me do my math.
• 29:27
  Speaker 3: Fourth of July, what two weeks a little less? I mean,
• 29:32
  Speaker 3: let's wait, it's crazy.
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: It never stops, Bowler. You'll you'll be on top of it.
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: We'll do our best to stay on top of it. Also,
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: always appreciate your time, my friend.
• 29:42
  Speaker 3: Thank you all right, Oh see take care, Good talk
• 29:45
  Speaker 3: to you.
• 29:45
  Speaker 2: Great Bowler, Jack Television Voice of the Utah Jazz. Great
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: stuff from Bowler as always,