00:00Okay, Kyle. So it's what everyone that follows sports is talking about today. The Knicks not
00:04only beat the Cavs, but really handed it to them. The only game that was in question, of course,
00:09was that first one where New York came back. But this is what they've been doing throughout the
00:12playoffs. When you win by 40 in the playoffs, it has to make you feel optimistic. It's been a really
00:17long time since the Knicks have been there. But I suspect regardless of who gets to the finals out
00:24West, that team probably going to be the favorite, I would guess, against the Knicks. It doesn't take
00:28anything away from what they've accomplished here against Cleveland. It's just whoever they run
00:33into is going to be probably considered to be the better team. Is that fair? Yeah, I think that's
00:37very fair. They're pricing these look-ahead markets right now. You're looking about minus 275 for
00:43whoever comes out of the West. They've got the Thunder priced a little bit ahead of the Spurs,
00:47but it's generally the same thing. And I think they're right. I think it would have been minus
00:51300 about a week ago, but the Knicks have looked this good. So you're getting a little bit of a
00:54discount there. But to be honest with you, looking at the markets and the way the Knicks have played,
01:00I was hoping beyond hope that we'd get a number under minus 200 for the West team. Doesn't look
01:05like that's going to happen. But with all those injuries, if you're a New York backer, I get it.
01:09I'm not going to join you, though. I think these two West Coast teams are the best in the league,
01:13and that's where my money is going to be, regardless of who gets there in June.
01:17Okay, fair enough. Now, meanwhile, when we take a look at the Cavs season, let's put a bow on them
01:22real quick before we move out West. I know that they're going to say all the right things today,
01:26and in their exit interviews, they're going to say that this was a successful season.
01:30You know, I agree, but I kind of disagree, too. You can't feel good after getting destroyed by a
01:35team and getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. So the Cavs will take it. If you told them,
01:40Kyle, I'm guessing before the year you guys got to the Eastern Conference Finals, they'll give you
01:44the thumbs up. But then if you said you got swept by the Knicks, you probably give the thumbs down.
01:48Kind of a double edge there. Yeah, I would agree with that. They've got some decisions coming with
01:53James Harden, how they want to build this team from the inside out. I think the pieces are there
01:57with the frontcourt and Donovan Mitchell, obviously pieces that you can build around. But if they
02:02overpay James Harden, you're looking at a situation where this team's a little stuck in the mud.
02:07Boston was great this year. They'll be great again next year. Indiana is going to come back with
02:10Halliburton. New York's not going anywhere. I'm not sure there's really a pathway with this core four
02:16to the top of the conference if they move on from Harden, adjust things that way. Maybe we get there.
02:21But the Harden for Garland trade never made sense. They got older to win now, and it wasn't really a
02:26win now kind of move because Harden doesn't do well this time of year. It never made sense. It doesn't
02:31make sense. It still doesn't make sense. The way they bow out here to New York is just an embarrassing
02:36look. They were tuned out. The halftime show yesterday was dancing because they knew the game was
02:41over. That is ridiculous to me. That can't happen at this level. They've got a rebound,
02:46but I do like the nucleus. Those two bigs and Donovan Mitchell, I think, could win the East.
02:50You just need to surround them with a little bit more.
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