00:00that the inside presence that the Knicks do have in towns
00:03and guys like Robinson and such kind of really, really dictate it.
00:09You know, Josh Hart started game two with a ton of physicality and energy
00:16and really the energy that he brought on both sides of the floor,
00:20it faded now because it really is hard to sustain that for 35 minutes in an NBA game.
00:26You know, that's a lot, but to me, they need to match that
00:32and it needs to start with Jalen Johnson on the offensive side of the ball
00:36being physical in the paint early in a game.
00:39Yeah, I agree with the Jalen take.
00:42I think that, look, I might be wrong here, but I do have a small level of confidence
00:48and maybe it's just wishful thinking and it's got my Hawks glasses on and that's fine.
00:52I'll ride with that because if you look at what we've seen
00:56the first couple of games and I think the C.J. McCollum story is awesome.
01:01I think that it's, you know, the villain thing is really cool, the villain arc,
01:04him making some nice plays, putting Jalen Brunson in a blender,
01:08all this other stuff that's been going along with that, I love it.
01:10I think it's well-deserved and he's a good player.
01:13But if you'd ask me going into this series who the best two players on the Hawks were,
01:17I'm saying Jalen Johnson and Nikhil Alexander-Walker.
01:19And yet both of those guys have flopped in the first two games for different reasons.
01:25I think Jalen Johnson has not been locked in defensively early enough
01:29in the games and in the series.
01:31I think that he has lacked, you know, points in transition that really has kind of thrown off,
01:36you know, what his game actually is.
01:37I think Nikhil Alexander-Walker has had trouble finding space and getting off quality shots.
01:41And I think that if both those things come around at all,
01:45that we do fare a decent choice coming back home
01:48and being able to get a couple of the next, you know, next few games.
01:52And I feel comfortable in saying that they can't continue to play at that level.
01:55They're both too good to continue at the route that they've been,
01:58or the clip they've been going out the first couple games.
02:00I would tell you that the Nikhil Alexander-Walker finding trouble getting open shots
02:05and kind of getting space, that's probably the byproduct of not having a real true point guard
02:11for this team that can help create those opportunities for you.
02:16I think Jalen tries to take on too much at times to do that
02:19instead of being a little bit selfish with just taking the ball inside
02:24and creating, because he is a guy, to me, that can create his own shot in doing that.
02:32But I want to touch real quick on the comments.
02:35I know Dylan's got something really good to add on to this,
02:37but like the confidence thing, I've always felt confident going into this series.
02:42I never thought the Knicks were head and shoulders better than you.
02:45And the reality is, is people got a little too down after that first game.
02:49The goal in New York in the first two games was always to just take one of those games
02:55and reset home court advantage.
02:58Yeah, absolutely.
02:59And they mission accomplished, for sure.
03:02I want to talk about both something you touched on,
03:05about not having a true point guard,
03:07and that being a part of Nikhil Alexander-Walker's struggles,
03:09because I agree with you, and I think Dyson has the ability
03:14and has shown the ability in the past and throughout this season
03:17before we got into the postseason to be at least that facilitator
03:21where it's good enough to where he's getting guys open looks
03:23and being able to do that because they've had to respect his drive
03:27and him being able to get in the lane and get off those little floaters and push shots.
03:30But with him not being at all a threat offensively so far through these first two games,
03:36and hopefully that changes, I think they have been able, again, to, like you said,
03:40give a little bit more extra attention to Nikhil and Jalen and other guys on that team.
03:45So hopefully that turns around.
03:47And as far as what I want to see in Game 3 tomorrow,
03:51I want to see the Hawks get out to a fast start.
03:52We've seen in these first two games they've had to fight
03:56and claw their way back into it after the Knicks get off to a hot start.
03:59You're back at home.
04:00I'm going to start preaching a little bit like Bo was yesterday.
04:02You're back at home.
04:03We need this home crowd in State Farm Arena.
04:06Get your fill of chicken fried ribs and come ready to cheer loud
04:10and give this team a real home court advantage.
04:13I definitely think they will feed off of that.
04:14And you get off to a hot start and really give the fans something to cheer about.
04:18Then get the Knicks feeling a little uncomfortable,
04:21I think that is something I really, really want to see tomorrow.
04:24And hopefully that gets guys like Dyson sparked up
04:28and maybe helps him find his way offensively.
04:31And hopefully you get a little bit more of a guy off the bench like a Gabe Vincent
04:35or maybe a Tony Bradley playing a little bit above themselves,
04:37not only defensively but offensively as well too.
04:39So hopefully we get a little bit of good home cooking and that helps us.
04:43What are the odds tomorrow afternoon we get a text from Dylan
04:47saying he needs to move the meeting because he has found a way into this game?
04:50I hope.
04:50I hope.
04:51I hope that's true.
04:52He low-key gets into all the big games at the last minute.
04:55He has someone that gets him in.
04:59And Simone has a way.
05:02No, no, no.
05:03That's not a knock on Dylan.
05:03No, no.
05:04I'm not knocking Dylan.
05:06He's absolutely right, though.
05:07I'm saying it's a cheat code he's got.
05:10And I appreciate it.
05:12That's not a knock on Dylan.
05:14That's actually smart.
05:15But I want Dylan to get in because I know that at least then
05:19there will be a loud Hawks fan in there.
05:21Dylan will go to that game and cheer like there's a Drake ice sculpture in front of him.
05:27And I'm okay with that.
05:28Like, that's fine.
05:29Do your thing.
05:30I want people to go in.
05:32All I ask Dylan does is he takes a big sheet of aluminum foil
05:37and he folds it up in his pocket and he goes to the counter
05:42and buys some chicken fried ribs for me.
05:45And he puts them in there and he brings them to the –
05:48because I still never got his mom's corn casserole or whatever it was.
05:52I never got – his mom made it for us.
05:55And three weeks later, never got a bite of that.
05:58Listen, that was not on Dylan.
06:00We all forgot.
06:01And I forgot.
06:02And I told you all too early, too, so I'll take a little bit of the blame of that.
06:05But one day.
06:06Dylan, you take no blame in this.
06:07You take no blame.
06:08But look, Dylan, he's right on something.
06:11Listen, all we hear is Atlanta fans upset they don't have playoff games
06:19and they don't – why aren't we this?
06:22Or why do we get a bad rap, national media, that we're not good enough fans?
06:27And I'll tell you one thing.
06:29Now, I've been to some really, really good environments at State Farm Arena
06:34in the playoffs.
06:35I've gotten an opportunity to go to the Eastern Conference Finals games.
06:39I was at the 2008 Game 6 against the Celtics where they pushed to Game 7.
06:44Now, we got blown out in Game 7, and that team went on to win the Finals.
06:48But that was one of the best playoff environments I have ever been in in this city
06:52in any stage where it was NFL, whatever.
06:57It better not be a BS 60-40 split with Hawks-Knicks fans.
07:03It better be 90-10 at best for the Knicks where they have 10%.
07:10Go buy those tickets up.
07:12They're reasonably priced.
07:13I saw them.
07:14Get there.
07:15Get there early.
07:18Get lubed up.
07:19I mean, I want you to be all ready to go.
07:23Throw in the drink.
07:24Oh, you know, let's go Hawks.
07:27The Hawks are going to win.
07:28I don't care.
07:29Treat them like they treat us when we're on the road.
07:33So, to an extent, all right, no spitting on players and stuff like the Knicks fans do.
07:39You know, those loudmouth Knicks fans, as Steve Holman says.
07:43And go make it a hostile environment for them for once, for the other team.
07:48Let's have fun with this.
07:50We haven't gotten this in a few years.
07:52I will say this.
07:53If there's any chance, I probably won't be the game tomorrow, but if I do go to a game,
07:57it'll be Saturday.
07:58Yeah.
07:58It'll be Saturday.
07:59And if I'm in there on Saturday, you won't be able to tell me nothing.
08:02Can I ask you one question?
08:04If you do go to the Hawks game tomorrow, do you think you'll stay in your seat for halftime?
08:10Oh, absolutely.
08:11You're going to stay for Soulja Boy?
08:12Absolutely.
08:12Oh, yeah.
08:13I'll be up there.
08:14You.
08:15I'll be cranking that.
08:16Would you not, Mike?
08:19I mean, I like Soulja Boy.
08:21I don't know that it's keeping me in my seat at halftime, but I like Soulja Boy.
08:23Definitely standing in my seat.
08:24What?
08:25Yeah.
08:25What are you going to go do that's better than seeing Soulja Boy?
08:28I don't know.
08:30It's, I don't know.
08:31Well, first of all, I'm going to go get some chicken fried ribs that I've never had in my
08:35life so I can get that off the old bucket list.
08:38He's going to go get the chicken fried rib and then whatever his dessert of choice is
08:42and going to mix them together and eat them at the same time.
08:43I guess I'm just a little bit, like the Hawks, I think, have spoiled us.
08:46State Farm Arena has spoiled us over some of the things they've been able to do at halftime,
08:50pregame, all the above.
08:51So the T.I. thing from like, you know, a month ago on Magic City Night, that's what I'm talking
08:58about for playoff basketball.
08:59You know what I mean?
08:59That feels a little Atlanta.
09:00So I'm just feeling a little bit type of way about that, but it's all good.
09:04What do you mean?
09:05I don't know.
09:06Like, I would love it if T.I. was in there.
09:07Soulja Boy is nostalgic.
09:08He's classic, man.
09:09Yeah.
09:10I hear you.
09:11I like Soulja.
09:11I just said I like Soulja Boy.
09:13I used to look.
09:13The dances and everything.
09:16It's all good.
09:16You know how to crank that, Mike?
09:17How many concerts at a game in any way can T.I. do, though?
09:21I mean, look.
09:23I'm not looking for T.I.
09:24Just T.I. level.
09:25I also don't need a rap concert or a rock concert or a country music concert to pop out at
09:31halftime
09:31to be excited about going to a freaking playoff game.
09:35You want outcast.
09:36And I know, look.
09:37It's not just Mike.
09:38I saw this.
09:39I'm not.
09:39I didn't say I needed the concert to be excited.
09:41Oh, I did.
09:42I saw it all over.
09:43I just asked him if he was going to say seated.
09:44I saw social media where people were complaining that it was just Soulja Boy.
09:47And they're like, why don't we have this?
09:49And it's like, you have a playoff game in your city.
09:52Why do you need any concert at halftime?
09:54You should be in.
09:55You should be.
09:56Halftime is the one moment where I don't need you to be in your seat.
09:59I need you to be in your seat at tip-off.
10:01Just like I need you to be in your seat at kick-off or first pitch.
10:04That's the problem in this city.
10:05Not the halftime concert, but people just showing up on time for big events and being
10:12loud for the four quarters.
10:14I would be okay with just the lady in the unicycle who juggles the-
10:17Bro, Red Panda?
10:18Red Panda.
10:19Red Panda, yeah.
10:19I'd be cool.
10:20Red Panda, Baby Race, any of that.
10:23You know, any of the above.
10:23The Baby Race would be amazing.
10:25Baby Race is goaded.
10:27No.
10:27I'm a Cor U fan person.
10:30Oh, I love Cor U.
10:30When they let those race.
10:31Or the Wiener Dog races.
10:33Yeah.
10:34I think the Gwinnett Gladiators do it.
10:36I saw one one time.
10:37They did a Power Wheels Grand Prix with a bunch of Tylers driving Power Wheels.
10:40It was so good.
10:41Oh, that would actually be awesome.
Comments