KGMZ-FM / 95.7 THE GAME
  • last year
Transcript
00:00We've got another one dibs. Yeah, another one and another one
00:05DJ Khaled from you right there, you know
00:08Steve Kerr talking to us about yes, it's realistic to think that Steph Curry is still at the top of his game
00:14It still makes sense to build a team around him still can win a championship and then keeps pumping the idea
00:20That's our job our jobs to help Steph. That's it. That's it. Our job is not to develop
00:27Draft picks from four years ago. Our job is not to worry about 2028 our jobs to help Steph right now
00:34And it seemed like a lot of the conversations we were having with him kept ending there now earlier yesterday in a press conference
00:42Involving the introduction of Dennis Schroeder Steve Kerr had said to the assembled media that it was quote
00:50Unfair to pods that they had put him in the position
00:53They had put him in basically being a starting ball handler in the NBA. He's like, that's not really he's better off ball
01:01That's not really what but he was forced into that because of the Melton injury and now we've got Schroeder
01:06So we followed up with a mayor and said could you expand for our audience?
01:11What you meant by what was unfair to pods and take a listen to where that conversation goes?
01:16He came to us last year as a combo guard and you know
01:21He played next to two Hall of Fame point guards in Chris and Steph and then to make him the lead ball handler behind
01:28Steph this year on a team that isn't like really a modern NBA
01:33Spacing team where you got four or five out we put him in some positions where you know, he's trying to make plays
01:40There's not a ton of spacing it wasn't easy on him and that was a role that was new for him
01:45Anyway, so I think this will make the game a little easier for him
01:49I think you know any time you get a new player you kind of have to gauge what it does with everybody else's role and
01:56So this will create some opportunity
01:58Obviously Dennis will also take up some minutes and there could be some opportunities taken away as well
02:04But we're just going to do whatever it takes to win
02:07Then that's that's the plan and you know, we'll see how it shakes out. We're gonna do whatever it takes
02:12We're gonna do this year. Yeah, we're gonna do whatever it takes and that may mean it hurts that may mean
02:19It's not the smartest thing. He just I mean he kept pounding that home. And so one lost on us and
02:26I
02:28Wonder how that makes warrior fans feel it makes him feel good
02:30I'm sure if it works
02:32But if you try to do everything it takes to win and you trade
02:36Young assets and draft picks and you still don't win
02:40Well, then now you're feeling as a warrior fan like what the hell are you doing? You trade cominga pods?
02:46TJD
02:47GP2 come on
02:49Whatever the names are coming I do think is gonna be a centerpiece to any of this if I'm a trading team
02:54I don't want to just take your your bad deals and well
02:57It is one thing where Brooklyn is in a complete rebuild and so they get rid of Schroeder and they take Melton
03:04They don't even care. They want to lose losing is winning for them. If you're a team like New Orleans, for example
03:11No, not really, I mean you get rid of Zion
03:14Yes, but you would want to get assets back in a young player
03:18Maybe it's not coming because you don't want to pay him. Maybe it's pods team control and maybe it's multiple picks
03:24So the Warriors trade for Zion
03:26Let's say hypothetically and he comes in and he does what Zion does a couple weeks of oh my god
03:32amazing couple months of he's injured and
03:36It doesn't work out and you're a playing team and you don't go anywhere and yet you gave up draft picks and young assets then
03:42Fans are gonna say well, you didn't do what you said. You're gonna do you didn't help Steph
03:46I I think the Golden State Warriors are of the mind of we are absolutely willing to take the criticism if it comes
03:54Of course, this is what we're doing. It does bold things. Yes. We are married to this
03:59We are our feet are dug in and if it doesn't work
04:03And and if we end up making a bad decision in an effort to make a good one
04:10That's life in the big city it is but you know, you're gonna open yourself up to criticism and
04:15Well, and they're also okay with it
04:17If you don't do anything and think about last year the last couple years where warrior fans you need a big man
04:22You need to trade for a big at the deadline and you don't and warrior fans are critical of that
04:27so no matter what you do if you don't win and I'm hearing the
04:31The Giannis quote that you sent out early early early this morning about the idea of failure and
04:38Maybe we'll play that later in the show because I thought it was one of the best sound bites
04:41I've ever heard about the notion of failure from an organization if you boys don't win the title
04:48Is it a failure? Um, well
04:52Funny that you would say that because maybe in this case
04:54It would be more than when Giannis was talking about a lot of people and we can play it in a little bit a lot
04:58people remember what you're referring to which was after they were upset in the playoffs two seasons ago and
05:06a reporter for the second year in a row
05:09Asked Giannis if this represented a failure and he really
05:13Fired back at the reporter and was like, I remember you asked me that last year Eric it right Eric Eric
05:19Eric, I remember you asked me that last year and and then goes into all of the reasons why you don't win every year and
05:27When you don't win
05:29maybe you're building toward the following year speaking of Giannis by the way who three weeks ago all warrior fans had decided was ours and
05:37Because the Bucs were bad and and and so I'm sure Giannis is gonna beg out of there
05:42I don't think they've lost a basketball game since they've now won the NBA Cup
05:47Whatever the hell that's worth and you look at where they sit in the standings
05:52Exact same record as the Warriors by the way and have moved up to fifth in the East at 14 and 11 and
05:58Have won eight of their last ten. They're exactly a mirror image of the Warriors, by the way, pretty much
06:04They're all so they look great. They started terribly and now they're suddenly hot. Yeah
06:08So let's hear from some of you. Do you agree that that is the correct philosophy for the Warriors this year?
06:17Help Steph this year period nothing else matters Brett on the Bay Bridge. Hi Brett. Thank you for calling
06:26Happy afternoon, gentlemen. What's up? Yeah, I
06:29Honestly, I mean the thing about step is that he's such a good person. He's so likable
06:36Everybody loves him on and off the court if he was like, you know a bad superstar
06:41Like somebody that we didn't get behind I think that transition would be easier to like go in a different direction
06:49But because we love Steph and we don't want him to go anywhere and we want him to be part of the Warriors
06:5420 years from now in the organization somewhere
06:57I think we have to go behind him because I mean if you look up what the guys that we put
07:03To help him. There's no one there. I mean coming with the closest thing we have to it and he's been consistent
07:09So, I mean I think I think and then in hindsight all things being 2020 seems right anyway, that's my take guys
07:16Have a great day. Yeah, Brad. Thanks, Brad
07:18I I tend to agree and maybe this is an opportunity for me to explain a little further
07:24This week's tweet that got sent out that made some people mad because if you just read it on the internet
07:30it makes it sound like I just think that
07:33Jonathan Kaminga and Brandon Pudzemski and other young players in the organization are trash and you can just move on from them
07:40I don't did say that they they would have nothing if they like when Steph and Draymond are gone
07:44You said that the organization will have nothing right and and what the context of that is is I'm not talking about that individually
07:51I'm talking about that
07:52Collectively the view from 10,000 feet in other words
07:55I don't think that simply the presence of those players
07:59Makes you an important team in the NBA does not make you a playoff team. My point is when Steph leaves this organization
08:06It's a reboot
08:07It's a start over and if you've got Kaminga and pods or whatever you have like great
08:13That's a start, but it's not a start that like matters. It doesn't get you anywhere on its own
08:18You're going to have to start over and you're gonna have to make a bunch of great moves
08:22and so that will be true whether they have him or not and
08:26And and that's all I'm getting at is I just I don't think that it's such a sure thing or that he's so uber
08:34Talented that I would be scared in in this moment
08:38I I would not let that and I don't know that that's gonna be the linchpin
08:42But I would not let that stop me from pushing all the chips into the middle of the table this year
08:47Well, I think that if you have those players and those picks it gives you a better chance to
08:52Shorten the reboot and if you look at every single team that had a player that was iconic and
09:00Transcend it and when that player leaves almost every single time that franchise has had to reboot the one example
09:06We all use is San Antonio and what happened was they were a playoff team every year David Robinson got hurt
09:13They tanked they won the lottery and they got Tim Duncan. So that is something that doesn't happen every day
09:19Tim Duncan immediately as a rookie leads him to a title with
09:22David Robinson and they bridge it with Manu and Tony Parker and the rest of the fellows and then they get
09:28Yeah, and then they get quite they get one with Kawhi
09:30But since then since Tim retired and I left they had to go through a long reboot
09:36And now they have maybe the next franchise guy the big fellow Victor when bin Yama
09:41But still every other organization that's had that player. They've had to go through a certain amount of time
09:46So you're not wrong in that sense
09:48My counterpoint is if you have coming and pods and Moody and TJD and first-round picks
09:55You have a better chance of starting a reboot faster than if you have none of that. I don't argue that
10:00Oh, it's just a risk. I'm willing to take like I when you say let me ask again
10:05Do you agree that this is the right?
10:09Philosophy for the Warriors right now depends on what that move is if you bring in Jimmy Butler
10:15No, if you bring in Brandon Ingram, no if you bring in Zion Williamson, no, but you're talking about the execution
10:22I'm talking about the philosophy the philosophy to me only works if the execution is there
10:27But the philosophy is the philosophy like to me, right? I don't like the philosophy
10:32I don't believe it. I and I've said this for weeks now
10:34I don't believe that you are one player one move away from being a team that can win a champion
10:41They said that it wasn't one move. It's two or three. What if they countered and said we've already made one
10:46You've made one and we're gonna make that move and and maybe we'll make another one or two more
10:51I don't know what they're gonna do. Of course. Their point is is that at all stops every single legs it on the freeway
10:57It's the same sign help Steph, right?
11:00And I don't think that you can get enough help for Steph to have it actually matter
11:06Okay, I don't think there's a move and it's about philosophy moves. Yeah, it's a bad floss. Yes
11:10Yeah, there isn't a move or two moves or three moves or whatever you want to do
11:14Those moves don't exist to help Steph to the point where you can actually be a team that goes out and wins a champ
11:22I don't believe yeah, like I and I get why you don't believe it
11:25But at the same time, I guess I'm like I'm questioning how you can sort of like take punches at air
11:32Like you're you're you're punching a deal and you don't even know what the deal is
11:36So hot like that that would be my only sort of response to what you're saying
11:40I get where you're coming from where you're saying I don't see the deal
11:43But maybe the deal is one that we don't see coming. But what's that? I mean, I don't know. What's your deal?
11:48I don't know Harbaugh on you. I don't know. Well, they don't know and I don't deal was actually Pete Carroll
11:53But it was Tim Harbaugh that that made him say it, right?
11:59Anyway, go ahead. Yes, he was what's your deal?
12:01And if you want to talk about making a big swing for a big fish, then yeah
12:06you're gonna have to take three or four players off your roster a roster that will be thin and you've already got your
12:12Superstar with knee tendonitis. You've got your power forward who needs ice every time he walks near the sideline
12:19I don't see it. I don't see any move. You can pick your move pick your deal
12:23I'm not buying it. This team is who they are. They're 14 and 11. They were great. They've been terrible
12:30They're gonna be great and terrible again. This is heading toward a
12:3445 and 37 eight seed so and a dice roll in the play in and I don't see any move or move
12:40Yeah that make this team suddenly better than OKC better than Dallas. You don't have that chance
12:46I can't I can't argue your opinion, but here's what I think I can say
12:52If you feel that way
12:55Then I would argue you should feel like they should be shopping Steph
13:01No, God, no, but why and I know how you're gonna answer at least I think you're gonna answer about the business
13:06the business model of the Warriors and and and the standing that he has within this community and
13:12Entertainment vehicle. Yeah, absolutely. But like at the same time, I don't think Joe Lacob would actually agree with you
13:19It is you're like it is those things in a private moment
13:23He would say absolutely how he runs it. He's never run it. He'd never run it that way
13:29He'd he'd like he is
13:32Like do you not believe him when he's just like this is about winning it is is about winning
13:36How does trading Steph help you win because you would if you firmly believe what you just said
13:43Which is that there is no path to the end for the Warriors right now under Steph Curry
13:48Then
13:50And you also said it makes you reboot quicker if you hold on to your assets, right?
13:56Go get more that would make you reboot even quicker. In fact, it's not tanking and you're going
14:01No, you're arguing that the reboot is already underway if you're saying there are no chance
14:07There's no way for more anything. There's no way for more
14:12Championship runs or even deep runs. There's not that that's not on the table. Then I would argue the reboot is already happening
14:18I would say why would you not accelerate it even further because your chance of a run to me is
14:24As good with the current roster as it would be if you traded three or four pieces and a couple of picks to bring in
14:31A player but you get there quicker. That was your point
14:34You get there quicker
14:35If you start the reboot and and hold you quicker in
14:39Three to four years is what I'm saying, and you're not gonna take two years
14:44So you're gonna trade Steph first of all, you trade him and it's 50 whatever million this year 57 highest paid player in the league
14:51So now you're gonna take back a couple of bad
14:55Contracts and you're gonna tank and you're gonna go in the lottery
14:57They're not gonna ever do that and you're gonna have to trade dream on to a game. I was not gonna stick around for that
15:03I'm not advocating this
15:05I'm simply saying that if if my opinion were your opinion and I saw absolutely
15:11No path for the Steph Warriors to be a real winner
15:16Then I I don't know why you wouldn't think the next thing because it's more okay
15:22Like it feels like you have one leg on each side of the fence. Not at all. That's what I that's what I'm hearing
15:26I'm not saying they have a 0% chance of
15:30Going to the championship, I would put it at about 15% chance with this roster. That's a big chance
15:36It's a small chance huge in the NBA
15:39There's only a handful of teams that have any percentage chance 15%
15:43Okay, I won't put a number on I say right now if you look at their team
15:47I would say they have the ninth or tenth best chance to win a champ
15:51Okay, so they have a chance if you keep the roster as is I think that gives you an equal chance as if you made
15:59some big move and
16:01Gutted your depth and tried to bring in a star
16:04All that does to me is make you more vulnerable to where one injury to one of your older players
16:10Yeah, can really can really dismantle what you're trying to do
16:13I guess I just don't I don't know how you can say that without knowing what the return is
16:18I get where you're coming from pick your guy. I'd pick a guy. I'm not going to I don't know who it is
16:23I mean, who would you if you could pick any player right now?
16:28Pick a player
16:30So you go out and get young. Okay, you're being honest and that's gonna cost you Wiggins and
16:36GP2 and
16:38Probably a couple other guys just to make the salaries work and a couple of pics. I think they'd be the title favorite
16:44Literally, I think they'd be the title three mon and Janice completely and buddy and Schroeder good lord. Yes. Yeah
16:49I don't I don't see Wow. Yes. Wow. Yes scream from the mountain
16:53Better than okc and you're better than Dallas. I believe you would be. Yeah, I don't I don't I don't know
16:59How the hell you would defend that?
17:01Stephanie honest, I don't know what the hell you would do on any possession like again and just where I stand
17:07Yeah, you're gonna get Spencer's whatever if you're gonna give me any player and again, that's not it's not realistic
17:14But my point is my point though is like what you'll pick a player. Yeah, I don't know what the deal is
17:19I don't know
17:20So I'm gonna my mind's gonna stay open until I see who that player is
17:24I can buy what you're saying based on a few of the rumors that Shams likes to yell about every day
17:30I'm not big on the idea of Jimmy Butler, but I don't know
17:34I don't know hurt and I don't know needs to mix in a salad. What what I don't lunch today
17:39What if it is Zion and and he does stay healthy?
17:42That's intriguing to me. Excuse me. Well, I know that's pretty funny
17:4850% of the games in which he's been available to play the dibs every Joe Ellen bead and suddenly he decides he likes basketball again
17:55Maybe like every championship run or even those that fall just short. They're all laughable miracles
18:02Like well that the KD Warriors were not laughable miracles those things
18:06Okay, maybe not all of them, but three years ago was a laughable miracle
18:09It was a laughable mirror things broke their way anybody said in January. This is how it's gonna play
18:14You'd have the same reaction
18:16Well, you got to April and they were a three seed
18:18So it felt like you know
18:19There was a chance and right now you're you're stuck in the middle again
18:22And you're a team that you know has lost eight of ten and I you bring in Giannis and yet you trade four players
18:28And now you've got a real eight man nine man rotation and you know, you don't have Reese Peekman anymore
18:33It's like now we need DeSantos to play minutes. I don't know what's available. I don't know what's available
18:38That's why I wanted to ask you like what would be your dream?
18:41Target and yeah, yeah this the one that's interesting to me would be Kevin Durant if you're talking about sure, but the Suns
18:49Yeah, I don't I mean where the Suns sitting right now
18:51Suns Suns have the same record as warriors and you were talking in the office isn't about the Suns
18:56They had to dismantle that thing and I turns out they didn't well
19:00my point was if they were smart exactly if my mind's thinking was
19:07They absolutely had to do that if they wanted to do right by their organization, they didn't do it, right?
19:13They didn't do it and I would predict the same sort of first round ish exit for them again this year
19:20So we'll see Ben in Oakland. Hi, you're on Willard and Debs. What's up, Ben?
19:25Yeah
19:26To me you have to go with stuff because you got a generational one
19:30So it's easier to get a one
19:32I mean a two three to couple with stuff and you know fringe trades or you look in three or four years down the road
19:39And at best you're gonna have in cominga a two at best
19:43I think he's a three at best to be honest with you and search for another one to go with him
19:48Cuz you know, I four years ago
19:50I went down to some league and I watched cominga play and in all honesty
19:54I think it's our fault that
19:57Cominga is the way he is because I think in his mind you really think he's better than he is
20:02You know when I first saw him play I didn't see that hunger that you know
20:07Really good players always want to improve and they don't need anybody to tell him that they want to be the best versions of themselves
20:13With cominga I hear all these colors say he's athletic
20:17He's this he's that and he is he is all that but his head I think he thinks he's so good
20:22That he don't need to improve whatever he brings to the table is enough
20:26so I definitely go with stuff even if we got you know, even we're a playing team because
20:31Three-four years from now. What do you got?
20:33You got cominga who's a two three at best a best at two if you flourish it was I doubt and you got a couple
20:40Of role plays off the bench in TJ and pods
20:42I mean, we're not even a playoff team yet and they're you know, they have they have trouble making the lineup
20:48So you're a playoff team, you know, it's nice that role players, but that's the epitome of mediocrity there
20:54I'd rather I mean Steph sells things right cominga out losing team. I'm not gonna go see cominga. That's it man
21:01Thanks. Appreciate it. I I think Ben makes a lot of very fair points
21:06I don't want to squash where cominga is going but where my mind keeps going when he says he's a two or three at best
21:11I'm like, okay, let's go there. Let's say Jonathan cominga is a just a bona fide
21:16NBA to
21:18My response to that is the way the Warriors look at this and I agree with them just for this moment
21:24Even if you knew Jonathan cominga was a two I have another question
21:28Is he the right to for Steph?
21:31That's what they're asking. I don't think they're asking. Is he a future too?
21:34I think they're asking themselves. Is he the right to for Steph and
21:39most of the data we have received through four years and
21:43And if we want to be more fair just last year and this year where they've really let cominga
21:47Right a little bit this year would be even a better way to look at it because last year clay was still
21:53Holding on to be in the two. The answer is more often. No, then. Yes
21:56I think that they're still figuring it out. I look at you got something
22:00I asked Steve Curry yesterday was and the game
22:03What are we doing other than the Steph screen and roll and I do think that they're gonna start
22:07Going to cominga more now that Schroeder's here. We'll say get more Schroeder late in games
22:11They've got to find some way to score other than Steph go save us