00:00NBA playoffs, we've got a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals.
00:04But, man, this has been an underwhelming series for sure.
00:07Outside of Game 1, which was a thriller.
00:09In the East, the Knicks are just annihilating everyone.
00:12Now they sit back and wait.
00:14Here to talk about that and other hoop things.
00:17Guy that's played in the NBA playoffs.
00:19He's with the Maryland Radio Network.
00:20He's a Maryland legend.
00:22His number 42 hangs from the Raptors at the Xfinity Center.
00:25And rightfully so.
00:26So, let's break back to the program on the Window Nation guest hotline.
00:30Our buddy, the Wizard, Walt Williams.
00:32Walt, what's happening?
00:34How you doing, brother?
00:35I'm doing all right, man.
00:36Before we get to the NBA playoffs, Joe Smith finally got into the Maryland Hall of Fame.
00:42And you were in the NBA during his time in College Park.
00:46But his freshman year, he was the ACC Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Conference.
00:50I believe he was Freshman of the Year in a lot of publications.
00:53His sophomore year, he was ACC Player of the Year.
00:56First Team All-American.
00:58The Naismith Award winner.
01:00The Rupp Award winner.
01:01The AP Player of the Year.
01:03And went to the NBA.
01:04You know, played for pretty much every team.
01:06But it is what it is.
01:07Made the All-Rookie team his rookie season.
01:10But he finally gets in to the Maryland Hall of Fame.
01:13Why so long for Joe Smith?
01:15And how great was he, Walt?
01:16When we look, and you were one of these players, of course.
01:19But we look at the great players in the history of the program.
01:22Where's Joe Smith right now?
01:25Yeah, you know, when I heard about that, the first thing I did was give him a call
01:29and let him know, hey, we've been waiting on you, you know.
01:33Yeah, man.
01:34So, yeah, it's been a long time coming.
01:36That dude was a phenomenal, phenomenal player.
01:40In terms of centers or powerful, however you want to categorize him,
01:45he's one of the top in the history of the University of Maryland.
01:50So, like you said, it's been a long overdue.
01:54But it's a great feeling to have someone like him going into the Hall of Fame.
02:00He's such a good person.
02:02He got a big part.
02:04You know, he does so much for the community.
02:07And, you know, he was one of those guys who got caught up in the contract negotiations
02:15when we were having our problems with the league as players.
02:20And so he had an opportunity to have a big contract.
02:23And then we were going through that type of those controversies with the players and the teams.
02:32And things just got mixed up with his contract.
02:36And so he missed out tremendously.
02:38But he don't, you know, he's, like I said, he has such a big heart.
02:42He doesn't hold any animosity, man.
02:44He just goes about his business and trying to do what he can to be a productive person in society
02:50every day, man.
02:51So I respect him so much.
02:53And I guess that was, you know, the 99 year where they had the long lockout.
02:58And, you know, it was a – I remember you guys were playing in exhibition games because the season didn't
03:04start for many, many weeks.
03:06And, you know, the Knicks made the NBA Finals that year, as a matter of fact, and lost to the
03:10Spurs.
03:10And we'll get to the Spurs in a second.
03:12But, Walt, you watch New York through this playoff rounds.
03:17They were down 2-1 to Atlanta.
03:20Destroy them the last three games of that series.
03:24Yeah, three games.
03:25They win the finale in Atlanta by 51.
03:27They close out Philly by 30.
03:29Cleveland by 37.
03:30On the road.
03:32I mean, they're doing all this damage away from Madison Square Garden.
03:35Why have they been so dominating here as of late?
03:40And has their dominance, and there's going to be a little layoff here, June 3rd, final start.
03:45Does this affect you?
03:46You've been so hot, so good, so just crushing people.
03:51How does it affect you negatively if it does at all?
03:55Yeah, when I look at, you know, the Knicks' path to the championship, I think it has been absolutely the
04:02easiest path that you can think of, man.
04:05They shouldn't have even lost two games against Atlanta.
04:07They should have swept Atlanta as well.
04:10I think when you look at the Knicks' lineup and then with Mike Brown, the addition of Mike Brown as
04:15a coach, bringing that offensive acumen to that team and how they're playing a little bit more team-oriented on
04:22the offensive end, you know, you maintain that defensive prowess.
04:26They should have ran through the East.
04:28I think the only team that could have caused any problems for them was Detroit.
04:33I thought Detroit was a match-up kind of problem when it came to Detroit and Cavs because the Cavs
04:39just had more firepower, and Detroit kind of, you know, they kind of put everything into the Caden-Cunningham basket,
04:48and so it's a little bit more tougher on the offensive end.
04:50But how the Knicks have been performing, to me, it's expected.
04:55I don't look at them running through the East like they have and think, oh, man, this is a great
05:01Knick run.
05:02I think that the Knicks were a better team than they were last year, and it sort of fell under
05:09the radar, you know, how they've been performing because they were in third place, I believe, rather than first.
05:16But, you know, this Knick team has a lot of talent, and you talk about Ananobi coming back, and the
05:22way he's performing in the playoffs, I just think it takes him to another level.
05:26He's been pretty consistent, and so now you've got Brunson Townsend, Ananobi, who's been consistent, and then you have the
05:34others like Josh Hart performing when you don't pay attention to him, and Mikael Bridges has found his rhythm offensively.
05:42You know, he's been solid defensively all year.
05:44Then you've got Shamit that's coming off the bench that's just found his rhythm, and he's shooting the lights out
05:49out there.
05:50So, you know, the Knicks are on all cylinders right now, and it's going to be interesting to see who
05:56they are going to face in the finals between OKC and Spurs.
06:00I think that those two teams propose different type of situations for the Knicks to overcome.
06:08The Wizard, Walt Williams, joining us here on The Fan.
06:10Bob Henney with you, Featured Artist Friday, talking about the NBA playoffs, and Walt, you mentioned the West, OKC San
06:16Antonio.
06:16It's going to be a Game 7 tomorrow night in Oklahoma City.
06:20And look, my humble opinion, first game brilliant of the series.
06:25Then the rest has been, I mean, where's the drama?
06:27There's been a lot of blowouts, and, you know, Shea Jones-Alexander was off his game.
06:32Then a couple of games ago, Victor Wemenyana wasn't playing well.
06:35Chad Holmgren, I think, has had one good game in the entirety of the series.
06:40Williams is banged up still for the Thunder.
06:43How would you judge the series through the first six, and who do you give the advantage to in Game
06:487?
06:49I think that first quarter kind of, you know, tells the story of the outcomes of the games so far.
07:02When Spurs come out offensively hitting, they seem to ride that momentum all the way through.
07:11And I think that not only do they catch a rhythm offensively, but defensively as well.
07:17I think when Wemby is aggressive offensively to start games, that gets him into a rhythm.
07:22And his confidence grows throughout the game.
07:27I think his defensive presence has been unbelievable when guys are going to the basket.
07:32I mean, he is literally there every time.
07:35So he's been a fantastic anchor in the defense as well.
07:40When I look at OKC, though, you know, they just have so much depth.
07:43They have so many two-way players, you know, guys who can lock up defensively, individually, and team help-wise.
07:52But then also able to give you 20 on the other end.
07:56They've got so many guys that's like that.
07:58I think that it falls into how Hogan and Hartenstein, how they defend Wemby, how tough they make it for
08:07him.
08:08So I think that, you know, I think Hogan got to take the challenge a little bit more.
08:12You know, I think that he has offensive ability.
08:14I think that he has to challenge Wemby a little bit more, make him play defense against him when he
08:20has his opportunities.
08:22I think that when SGA, when he has the ball in his hands, you know, it's about the quick ball
08:30movement, the quick rotation.
08:31Because they're trying to get the ball out of his hands, and when they do, they have to move the
08:35ball quickly so that they can get good shots.
08:38And that's been the difference in when they win or lose.
08:41The ball has a little hesitation in the rotation.
08:44And so when SGA is getting double-teamed, as a result, they are not getting as clean a look as
08:51they are when they're moving the ball faster.
08:53So, you know, that's just about making your mind up and getting that done, man.
08:57And so that's something that they can bring to the table.
09:00And then defensively, you know, the way they play on the defensive end, like I said, have so many guys.
09:04They create transition in an up-tempo type of environment.
09:11And that's going to be really critical, especially at home.
09:15Who gets New York in the championship round there, Walt Williams?
09:19I'm going with, I think OKC pulls it out, you know, their home.
09:22I don't think it'll be a blowout.
09:24I think it'll be a nip and tuck all the way down to the end.
09:28But I think OKC pulls it out.
09:30I just think that the depth that they have, the two-way players, I think that they'll be able to
09:36get it done with that.
09:38But, you know, hey, I can't count the Spurs out.
09:41I think that OKC would have an easier time against the Knicks if they face the Knicks.
09:48I think the Spurs will have a tougher time versus the Knicks because I don't think Wimby can be as
09:54much of a factor defensively if he has to guard Towns.
09:58I think he would have to stay closer to him because of the way he can shoot the ball from
10:03the three-point line.
10:05That it will hurt his ability to protect the paint as much as he's been able to do in this
10:12OKC series.
10:13He's Maryland Hall of Famer, Maryland legend, and our friend here on 105.7 The Fan of the Wizard, Walt
10:18Williams.
10:18Walt, always appreciate the time and the insight.
10:21Have a great weekend, and we'll talk to you next week as the final start on, what's the third?
10:26Wednesday, I think.
10:26I don't even know what today is, Walt, but it's next week sometime.
10:29You know what I'm saying?
10:30Every day is Friday, man.
10:31Every day is Friday.
10:32It's 5 o'clock somewhere, too.
10:34All right, Walt.
10:35All right, buddy.
10:36There he is.
10:37The Wizard, Walt Williams.
10:38We'll come back, close down the show.
10:40The Wizard, Walt Williams.
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