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NBA Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley joins the show to preview the NBA Finals and discuss what the Wizards lineup could look like next season with Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and the No. 1 pick coming to town.
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00:00Now, without further delay, we're excited to jump on the Rude Guest Hotline
00:03and welcome in NBA Hall of Famer, Mr. Adrian Dantley.
00:07AD, how are you, sir?
00:09I'm doing fine. How are you guys doing?
00:11We're great, man.
00:12We're doing great, man.
00:13We wanted to pick your brain about these NBA playoffs we've been watching.
00:19Let's start with the Knicks.
00:20How impressive their run has been.
00:22They're just waiting around to see who they're going to play in the finals.
00:26Yeah, well, first of all, before we get started,
00:30I'd just like to say that Brian Mitchell should be in the Hall of Fame.
00:35He's number one in everything.
00:37He's number two in everything.
00:39I don't know what they're waiting on.
00:41And Joe Jacoby and Larry Brown, those guys should be in the Hall of Fame.
00:45So just wanted to say that before we got started.
00:48Well said.
00:49And B-Bitch, I haven't seen you in 20 years since we got to the awards downtown.
00:53Has that been about 20 years ago?
00:55It was close to it.
00:57Yeah, yeah, we both received an award downtown.
00:59Oh, yeah.
01:00But that's all I have to say.
01:01Now we can talk about basketball.
01:03Yeah, but like the Knicks, what you been thinking about them,
01:06how they've been playing?
01:07I think the Knicks, the best thing they could have done was get the ball out
01:13of Brunson's hands and start with their new offense,
01:16with the cat at the high post being the playmaker.
01:20I think that really helped them.
01:22And it takes a lot of pressure off of Brunson.
01:25And they've been playing well.
01:27The question is who they've been playing against.
01:30You know, you wonder, you know, they beat Cleveland like that.
01:33So, they've been playing great.
01:36The bench has been playing great.
01:38And so, many people believe that the winner of the NBA Finals is going to come
01:43from the West.
01:44Do you see the same thing?
01:46Well, I'll tell you what.
01:47It's like a heavyweight fight with the Spurs and OKC.
01:52If I was the Knicks, I would prefer to play the Spurs probably than OKC.
01:57OKC is just, they're tough.
01:59They've got a good bench.
02:00I mean, they're missing whims, and they're still winning games.
02:03So, it's going to be very interesting.
02:08We've had this debate a little bit, Adrian, and I'm curious where you land on it.
02:12For a guy that was in this discussion for a part of your career, right?
02:16I mean, you're in the Hall of Fame, six-time All-Star, two-time scoring champ.
02:20Who would you say is kind of the face of the NBA right now?
02:24Because LeBron's kind of on the downside of his career.
02:27Maybe Steph is.
02:28Maybe KD is.
02:28You've got all these new young guys coming up.
02:31Well, I definitely think it's Wendy.
02:33Big fella.
02:34He's going to be the face of the NBA.
02:36You know, he's just unbelievable talent.
02:40And you've got the guy from Minnesota.
02:42But I would say big fella from the Spurs.
02:47Imagine this.
02:48So, Wimby, you watch him in the game when he's in the post.
02:51I think he's dominant.
02:53He changes everything.
02:54When he plays close to the basket, he's unstoppable.
02:57Why is it that he goes away from the basket, like game five and game three,
03:02where he was away and then they got destroyed?
03:06Well, that's just his style of play.
03:08He's not going to be a guy that you throw the ball to in the post and score.
03:12He can score, but that's not his game.
03:14He's more of a perimeter player.
03:16He's like a seven-foot-four Kevin Durant.
03:19But, you know, the guys, you know, they want to dribble
03:21and go between the legs and so forth.
03:23But, yes, I do agree.
03:25When he does go inside, he could score.
03:28But you've got to remember, this is his first year.
03:31He's taking a beating down there.
03:32Harnstein, those guys, they're putting bodies on a regular basis.
03:36So, if he gets in trouble, he's going to go out to the perimeter.
03:41That's what I see.
03:42I always say guys have to learn how to play at the NBA level.
03:46And, yes, he's in his second, third year.
03:48But that getting beat up is not what he was getting when he was playing over in Europe.
03:53So, I think that kind of makes him go away.
03:56And do you think it's like he goes, like, one game I'm going there,
03:59that hurts too much?
04:00Let me get back out to what I'm used to.
04:02Well, they throwing a lot of bodies at him.
04:03I mean, this is something new for him.
04:05So, as he plays more and more games, he'll know what to do.
04:09But that's just not his game where he's going to be like Jabbar or somebody just going down
04:15and the low post on a regular basis.
04:18You know, he's more of a perimeter player.
04:22So, talking about guards and talking about maybe the face of the league right now,
04:26I think Wemby's going to be that, whether that is in two weeks if he's holding up Larry O'Brien
04:31or if it's in two seasons.
04:33But the back-to-back MVP right now is SGA.
04:37What do you think of Shea Gilgis-Alexander's game?
04:40Oh, Alexander, he's probably the best player in the league.
04:44He's a great player.
04:46I mean, any time you can go through a streak of averaging like 20 points a game,
04:52you break Will Chamberlain's record, he's a great player, no doubt about it.
04:56They're making him work on the offensive end.
04:59San Antonio's been playing pretty good defense.
05:01He had a pretty good game last game.
05:03But his shooting percentage has been down playing against the Spurs.
05:08The Spurs, they're playing a tough defense.
05:11But, yes, Alexander is probably one of the top players in the league.
05:15No question about that.
05:17Adrian, you average 30 points a season for four straight years.
05:21Like, how incredibly difficult is it to fill it up at that kind of a level?
05:27When they were beating you in pro basketball.
05:29And they weren't calling fouls there like they do now.
05:32Yeah, like I tell people all the time, they don't realize when you average 30,
05:36that's hard to do.
05:38But, you know, it's just a mindset.
05:40You've got to be in great shape.
05:42Alexander's in great shape.
05:44And you've got to be lucky to don't have injuries.
05:46But, you know, it's just a mindset.
05:51You've got to be in great shape.
05:53I mean, certainly.
05:55So, obviously, we've got another Spurs-Thunder game tonight.
05:58This one's going to be in San Antonio.
06:02What do you think happens?
06:03Do you think OKC's able to close this out?
06:05Do you think it goes to seven?
06:07I think the Spurs will come out and try to play hard and try to win the game.
06:11And I think it might go game seven.
06:13That's why you play for the – you play the regular season for the home court advantage
06:19for that last game.
06:20And I think the Spurs are going to come out and play hard today.
06:24I think so.
06:25I'm looking forward to tonight because I thought game five was kind of a dud.
06:28I was so excited for it.
06:30It's a dud because you were cheering for the Spurs.
06:31Yeah, but both teams – that is true.
06:35The key is you always – you're in the playoff.
06:37You always want to win game five when you're in the seven-game series.
06:40You always want to win game five.
06:41With the exception of Detroit, they lost on their home court to Cleveland.
06:45But you always want to – you always fight for their home court advantage.
06:48For a player like yourself that played on a number of different teams over a 15-,
06:5416-year career, is there one team you root for?
06:57Like, do you root for the Wiz?
06:58Is there one team that you think of as your team?
07:03Or do you just kind of love just watching good basketball?
07:07Well, I like watching good basketball, but I always watch the Wizards
07:10and see what they do every year.
07:11So that's interesting.
07:13Even though I never played for the Wizards, it just amazes me how, you know,
07:18they haven't – they've taken so long to play –
07:23taken so long to have some good teams on a regular basis.
07:26Looking at what they're doing right now, all the young players having a first pick
07:30in this draft, what do you think their possibilities will be coming
07:33as the years come along?
07:36Well, first of all, they should draft a boy from BYU.
07:40There shouldn't be no doubt about that.
07:42I think the Wizards – I think they'd be all right.
07:47The question is, the two guys that you got this past season, are they going to play games?
07:53If Anthony Davis is going to play 50 games, I mean, he won't have a problem.
07:58The question is, are they going to be healthy, him or Trey Young, be healthy with the young guys,
08:02and they should have a very good basketball team this year.
08:06They should be in the playoffs if those two guys are healthy
08:10and they're playing the whole season, I think.
08:13Talking with NBA Hall of Famer and DMV native Adrian Dantley here on the Rude Guest Hotline.
08:20So you think with the number one pick, it should be DeBansa from BYU, no questions asked,
08:24not interested in the Kansas kid, Peterson?
08:28Well, what were we just talking about?
08:30I mean, you got a guy, he might be a great talent,
08:34but do you want to take a chance on drafting a guy and he comes to the game,
08:41he's like, oh, my hamstring hurt and I can't play tonight, coach.
08:43I mean, well, I'm sick.
08:46So I don't know.
08:48I hear he's a great talent, but for me, I just thought he just missed too many games.
08:53And he only played 32 games in the college season.
08:56And you're talking about 82 games?
08:58You know, that's a tough choice to make.
09:01Is there any way you would trade out of the pick?
09:06I would trade, I don't know.
09:08I like the guy from BYU.
09:10I like the kid from Arkansas.
09:12Yeah, A-Cuff.
09:14I know that those are my two favorite guys.
09:16I like Wilson from North Carolina.
09:18I like Boozer.
09:20I like Boozer, but I don't think Boozer,
09:23I just think Boozer is just going to be a solid player in the NBA.
09:26I might be wrong, but I just think he's going to be a solid player.
09:29Yeah, those other guys, you can get a ball to any one of those three guys,
09:35and they can put it on the floor and make a shot for you.
09:37Yeah, for me with Boozer, I feel like he has the highest floor,
09:41but not necessarily the highest ceiling.
09:43Like, I think he's going to be solid and good,
09:46but one of these other guys is going to be great.
09:48Yeah.
09:49Boozer just, you know, I just think he's going to be a good solid player.
09:54It also depends on what team he goes to, in my opinion.
09:58I think if he goes to Indiana, he'll be a good player,
10:02but a couple of those teams, man, I don't want to talk about the team,
10:07but I hope he don't go to Memphis or some team like that.
10:11You know what I mean?
10:12I just hope he goes to a good team, good foundation where, you know,
10:16they've got a good coach and they play pretty good basketball.
10:19When you're watching basketball, does anybody in this day and age
10:24remind you of yourself?
10:28I can't really think of any guys.
10:31You know, my game was like 18 feet on end.
10:35You know, Butler, remind me a little bit of Butler.
10:38But, you know, I can't think of that many players that, you know,
10:42play my style of game.
10:43Well, maybe I'm crazy,
10:46and I recognize you kind of had a back-to-the-basket game.
10:49For a guard, a small forward,
10:52that the NBA's kind of evolved away from that stuff.
10:55But, dude, like just, please.
10:57People always say that,
10:59but I really didn't play with my back-to-the-basket.
11:02The only reason I played with my back-to-the-basket
11:04is because, unfortunately,
11:06every team that I've been on since high school, college,
11:08I was the best inside player.
11:10And I used to always tell the coach,
11:12why don't you put a 6'11 guy back there?
11:15I mean, that's the only reason that I was playing inside.
11:21But people always joke, ask me, could I play today?
11:24I say, yeah, I could play today.
11:25If I could play with Kareem, Bob Lanier, Clifford Ray,
11:28I wouldn't have a problem today.
11:30And also today, they play small basketball today.
11:33You know, you play small ball.
11:35A lot of times you see guys out there, 6'7", no taller than that.
11:39So I think I would adjust pretty good.
11:41I think you would, too.
11:42I think the entire notion that, like,
11:45previous generation great players couldn't play today
11:48is one of the dumbest things going.
11:52They say that every generation.
11:53I remember when I was in college.
11:56I mean, when I was in the pro,
11:58they used to say things about players before us,
12:00but I used to joke.
12:01But that's just the way barbershop talk.
12:05You know, they guys, they be talking, you know.
12:08So, you can laugh me out of the building, Adrian,
12:11for this if you want.
12:13But just looking at the size and the scoring,
12:16I mean, SGA is 6'6", 200 pounds,
12:19four straight years, four straight years,
12:2230 points or more.
12:23He's 6'7".
12:24He's 6'7", yeah.
12:26I'm just saying, like, your size comps
12:28and your scoring comps are kind of right there.
12:31Well, I tell people all the time,
12:33if I play today,
12:34you hear the guys talking about going to the free-throw line?
12:37Oh, my goodness.
12:38Wow, yeah.
12:40I went to the free-throw line 10 times a game.
12:43Up to the day, if you touch somebody,
12:45except for in the playoffs,
12:46you notice in the playoffs,
12:47the officials don't call it like they do
12:49during the regular season.
12:50Yeah, yeah.
12:50They beat the hell out of each other.
12:53They're not calling anything.
12:54You know, that's why you see guys now,
12:56you know, you see guys now flopping
12:58and sometimes they don't even get fouled.
12:59Come on, man.
13:00Come on.
13:01What do you,
13:02like, I look at basketball
13:04and the flopping pisses me off.
13:06When you look at it,
13:07how do they make you feel?
13:08Guys don't even get hit
13:09and they be going off, you know.
13:11You know, it's crazy, you know.
13:13They should come up with something for flopping,
13:16but it's unbelievable.
13:17It's unbelievable.
13:18Yeah, yeah.
13:19What do you think,
13:20and maybe you don't think this is a problem,
13:22but I think flopping's a problem in the NBA.
13:24I think it's kind of the European infiltration of the sport
13:27where flopping's so constant in soccer,
13:29it's kind of become constant in hoops.
13:32But tanking,
13:33not just the whiz,
13:34like half the,
13:35of the bottom third of the league
13:36openly tanked this offseason.
13:39What do you think is a bigger problem
13:40for the NBA to address,
13:41the tanking or the flopping?
13:45I don't know,
13:45but I don't know.
13:46I don't know.
13:47I know one thing.
13:48When I play ball,
13:49Michigan can go with what I'm saying.
13:52When we play basketball,
13:54you better not,
13:55these guys take a game off
13:56with their fingernails hurting.
13:59You know,
14:00I mean,
14:00it's unbelievable
14:01that the games these guys take off
14:03for the injuries that they have.
14:05When I play,
14:06when we play,
14:07if you get hurt,
14:08you better not take off
14:09because somebody might take your spot
14:10and you might not play it again.
14:12You know,
14:13you just didn't do that.
14:15All the great players back then,
14:16if they were injured,
14:18they would play.
14:18They wouldn't take off.
14:19They just wouldn't take off.
14:21Yeah.
14:22I mean,
14:23you know,
14:23Isaiah,
14:24he's not one of my best friends,
14:25but I've seen a guy play a playoff game
14:28with his ankle the size of a grapefruit.
14:31I mean,
14:31it's unbelievable.
14:33Guys back then would play hurt.
14:35They don't play hurt now.
14:36Yeah.
14:36You know,
14:36they don't play hurt now.
14:37No,
14:37they can't play.
14:38Or they don't want to try to play hurt now.
14:40That's what I said about the Wizards.
14:42If Davis and Trae Young,
14:44if they play 70 games or more,
14:46I think the Wizards
14:47have a good season next season.
14:49So,
14:49Trae Young has already played here.
14:51Trae Young,
14:52you know,
14:52I was at the press conference
14:53when he got introduced as a Wizard.
14:55He seemed legit excited
14:56about a restart in Washington.
14:59Well,
15:00he better
15:00because this is last year
15:01on his contract.
15:05Anytime you see a guy
15:06on the last year of the contract,
15:07they always going to come back.
15:09I don't think
15:10he's going to be taken off
15:11just to be taken off.
15:12Trust me.
15:13Do you think
15:15Anthony Davis
15:16is in the same mindset
15:18where he's excited to be here?
15:22Hey,
15:23I'm telling you,
15:24man,
15:25this guy,
15:26I like him.
15:27He's a great player,
15:28but the injuries,
15:29that's the key to the Wizards.
15:31I mean,
15:32this guy,
15:33he got bad luck
15:34or he can't play.
15:35If you bump up against him,
15:36he might,
15:37you know,
15:38he might
15:39pull a shot.
15:40He might have an injury.
15:41That's the key.
15:42The injuries.
15:43The guy,
15:44you know,
15:44is injury prone.
15:45That's all.
15:47AD,
15:47we got one of our producers,
15:49I think Ryan,
15:50who I reached out to you.
15:50He's a big Notre Dame guy.
15:53What could you tell him
15:54about the season this year
15:55that makes him feel good?
15:56Notre Dame coming up
15:57this basketball season.
15:59You better pray.
16:02Hey,
16:03we got to talk about
16:04C.J. Carr,
16:05though,
16:05because our quarterback
16:06at Notre Dame,
16:07pretty legit.
16:08We're talking about
16:09the football,
16:10basketball.
16:10We're not talking about football.
16:11We can talk about basketball
16:13and they're always talking football.
16:14I'll let the Hall of Famer
16:15talk about that.
16:16Look here,
16:17I'm a Notre Dame grad
16:19and I call her like I see it.
16:20Notre Dame,
16:23I tell my friends
16:24all the time
16:24to be tough.
16:25Notre Dame played
16:26a softest schedule
16:29year in and year out,
16:30man.
16:30They don't play
16:31the tough teams every year.
16:32That's why they didn't
16:33get in there.
16:34You know,
16:34they didn't get in there.
16:35They got to play
16:36some tougher teams.
16:37You're playing
16:37at Boston College,
16:39Navy,
16:41Army.
16:41Come on,
16:42man.
16:42Come on.
16:43You know,
16:44it's good that they
16:44start off the season
16:45playing Texas A&M.
16:47You got to play
16:48a couple more
16:48tough games.
16:49Yeah.
16:49You know,
16:50you want to be the best,
16:51you got to beat the best.
16:53Yep.
16:54Adrian,
16:55how excited are you
16:56for the Commanders
16:56this fall?
16:58Oh,
16:58I'm always,
16:59I'm always a big
17:01Redskins
17:01Commanders fan.
17:02Always,
17:03I always watch you guys.
17:05Got two tough games
17:06at the beginning
17:06of the season.
17:07Man,
17:07they look like
17:08they were trying to,
17:09I don't know,
17:10we'll find out
17:10early in the season.
17:13Those are two tough
17:13games.
17:14Three or four
17:16games are pretty
17:17tough this year.
17:18You ain't lying
17:19about that,
17:19man.
17:19It starts off
17:20on fire.
17:21That's what I was
17:22saying.
17:23In OTAs,
17:24they better start
17:24with the intensity
17:25early because you
17:27can't wait till the
17:27season starts.
17:28You got to get
17:28used to that.
17:30Hey,
17:30when I watch a game
17:32and I hear what you
17:33adopt me saying,
17:34like,
17:34these guys,
17:35oh,
17:36we don't want to
17:36work too hard.
17:37We want to get,
17:38they better be in
17:39shape from day one.
17:40You ain't lying
17:41about that.
17:41Day one,
17:42stop taking,
17:44stop taking times
17:45in the exhibition
17:46season.
17:47When I played,
17:49when I played,
17:50I would just tell
17:50the coach,
17:50no matter what you
17:51do,
17:52you play me the
17:52first quarter and a
17:53half because I got
17:54to get in shape.
17:55I don't want to get
17:55in shape during the
17:56season.
17:57I want to get in
17:57shape in day one.
18:00That's what the
18:00commanders have to do.
18:01There you go.
18:02Got to hit the
18:03ground running at
18:03Philly,
18:04at Dallas,
18:04and then the home
18:05openers against the
18:06defending Super Bowl
18:07champs.
18:07Yeah.
18:08You got to be ready
18:08to play,
18:09man.
18:10Adrian,
18:12who's your pick
18:12then to win the
18:13finals?
18:17I'm going with the
18:17home court team.
18:18You know,
18:19I wouldn't bet,
18:20but the Knicks are
18:21tough.
18:22You know,
18:23that's why you play
18:23for the home court
18:24advantage.
18:24So,
18:25the Knicks got to
18:26split one if they go
18:27there in the first
18:27two games.
18:28Especially,
18:29the thing about the
18:30Knicks,
18:31they're well rested,
18:32but B.
18:33Mitch,
18:33he can tell you
18:34this,
18:34when I played in the
18:36basketball playoffs,
18:37it was a couple
18:38series where we was
18:38off like eight,
18:39nine days.
18:40I don't like being
18:41off eight,
18:41nine days.
18:42So,
18:42if you can get a
18:43win on that first
18:44game,
18:44being off eight,
18:45nine days,
18:46that's a winner.
18:48Yeah.
18:48Hey,
18:49man,
18:49we really appreciate
18:50you making some
18:50time for us.
18:51Thank you very much.
18:53Okay,
18:53take care.
18:54All right,
18:54take care.
18:54All right,
18:55Adrian Dantley,
18:56that was a lot of
18:56fun to talk to him.
18:57indeed,
18:57You talk about
18:59the thought process
19:00that guys that could
19:01average 30 a year
19:03couldn't play as the
19:04game evolves.
19:05You know what those
19:05guys would do?
19:06Evolve.
19:07First of all,
19:07let's be real.
19:08They were getting
19:09fouled,
19:10real fouls,
19:11and scoring 30
19:12without three
19:12pointers.
19:13They were wearing
19:13chunks.
19:13Can you imagine
19:14what they're doing
19:15in this touchy,
19:15touchy league?
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