- 10 hours ago
Ken REALLY wants the Celtics to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brian Scalabrine joins the show to share his thoughts.
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00:00On the hotline with us right now, the one and only White Mamba, Mr. Brian Scalabrini.
00:04Good morning, or good afternoon, rather.
00:06I'm used to saying morning.
00:07Good afternoon, Mr. Brian Scalabrini.
00:08How are you doing?
00:09I don't know how people take it, but two-thirds, I would take that any day of the week.
00:14Are you kidding me?
00:16That's a good day.
00:17Two-thirds, I'll take that.
00:19Hell yeah, hell yeah.
00:21Well, Brian, this is a – last time we had you on,
00:25old flamethrower take Ken over here said,
00:27hey, what about this whole Giannis to the Celtics thing?
00:30And I believe your answer was, talk to me in a couple of months.
00:33Well, Ken, since then, has been covering himself in peanut butter,
00:36excited to finally have a Giannis update with you.
00:40How are you feeling about the whole Giannis to the Celtics talk that's going on?
00:46It hasn't changed for me at this point.
00:48He still has gotten a lot of injuries.
00:50I do like what he can do.
00:52He is a former MVP, but, you know, Jalen Brown plays all the time.
00:56Giannis has missed a lot of games.
00:57Does Ken know his playoff record in his last 10 games?
01:01Does Ken know the last time he was out of the first round?
01:04You know, Giannis can games play.
01:05Everyone says when Giannis – when they lose, well, Giannis needs to be healthy.
01:10They're 1-9 in their last 10 playoff games.
01:13So, listen, I'm – Jalen Brown had a great year this year.
01:17I'm not sure that's the direction the Celtics will go,
01:20but I don't know.
01:21I will say this.
01:23If Brad and Joe decide to go that direction, if that's the decision,
01:27then they have a – they're making – like I said before,
01:30they know a lot more than I do.
01:31But for me, I don't know if I would do that because of just the age,
01:35the injury history.
01:36And then, you guys have got to remember, the NBA has changed a lot, right?
01:40It's been – it's a more shooting league.
01:42They take guys out.
01:44You know, they know how to guard guys that can't shoot.
01:48It's a very different league than it was, I want to say, like four or five years ago.
01:52How do you magically solve what's going on then now without having some sort of
01:56drastic change?
01:57You know what I mean?
01:57It's like – I hear this talk about the Celtics wanting to find, you know,
02:02like a younger, less expensive rim protector that they can get in there.
02:05But, I mean, do you have any idea where they would get that from?
02:11I mean, don't they have their biannual?
02:13Also, they can get, like, a Mitchell Robinson if the Knicks decide to not bring him back.
02:17Like, that's a guy.
02:18That's a free agent.
02:19That's a rim protector that could play, you know, 19 minutes a night.
02:23So, if that's your only question about our roster, then that's an easy solve.
02:27What about Time Lord?
02:28I know that there was some talk about potentially bringing him back.
02:30Yeah, great.
02:31100%.
02:32I think the Celtics do believe in their medical, too.
02:34So, you know, obviously he has an injury history and stuff like that.
02:39But – and my understanding is – and I've seen the guys work and what they put into –
02:45like, remember, Luke Cornett had a bunch of injuries before he got there.
02:49Namiya Skata, I'm not sure his bill of health was perfect, but, you know,
02:53he really developed.
02:54So, I think if they believe in their medical, which I think they do –
02:57I mean, there's about 10 Australian dudes on the plane.
03:00I know they're all doing the same thing.
03:02So, there has to be a reason that they're doing that.
03:05Yeah, so I would think that they would believe in their medical.
03:08And across the NBA, if you look, 30 teams would tell you if Rob can stay healthy,
03:14he's the best value in the NBA.
03:16Every team would tell you that.
03:18Like, the Lakers would.
03:19Everyone's just hesitant about health.
03:21But as far as production and what he would make,
03:24that is something that's definitely out there.
03:26What do you make of the Knicks being so good right now?
03:29Because I'm – you know, I've got this theory – I've had it for a while –
03:32is that I almost want the Knicks to win because there's no way,
03:36if you're the Celtics organization, you can ignore that.
03:38And I love arms races.
03:39You know what I mean?
03:41So, is –
03:41Yeah.
03:42Like, what do you think about them being on this tear
03:44and potentially about to win a championship?
03:47Can I follow up with a question?
03:49Because you've got really intrigued me.
03:50It's – do you think that the Celtics will look at it like that?
03:55One, and then when you see the Knicks on a tear, I've been asking people,
04:00what do you potentially see?
04:02Like, what is the thing that separates for you?
04:05Well, okay.
04:05So, the first part of that, do I think that they would be inspired
04:09to make some sort of move because someone in their division wins a championship?
04:15What's going on in the background, Scal?
04:17What's happening there?
04:18Are you getting hijacked?
04:18I'm in New York.
04:20I'm heading over to the game.
04:22Oh!
04:22Are you really?
04:23Are you there right now?
04:25I am, but I'm, you know, I'm navigating the whole Trump thing and all that.
04:30So, yeah, I'm doing work.
04:31Okay.
04:31Let me answer that other question later.
04:33I want to know what it's like.
04:34What's it like on the streets right now?
04:36Like, are you around Madison Square Garden?
04:38Oh, it's insanity.
04:39Like, I'm not a political guy, but it's kind of amazing that this dude just –
04:45like, when you understand the scrutiny that it's –
04:47like, fans got to be in their seats like two hours before the game,
04:51ticket prices are, like, $50,000 for, like, eighth row.
04:55This is insanity.
04:57But it's, like, the heightened sense and all that and working and what we can bring
05:02and the credential, TSA pre-check.
05:05I thought it was nuts down here.
05:06How did you get a ticket?
05:09It's not that.
05:10I have a media credential.
05:11So, if I do watch the game, I'll be in – I'll be up in the –
05:14I work for SiriusXM.
05:16Oh, that's right.
05:17That's right.
05:17Yeah, my morning radio show.
05:19Oh, that's great.
05:20So, we do – we're – yeah, we're up.
05:22I don't want to take your guys' listeners, but we're on from 6 to 7.30
05:27and then from 8 to 8.30.
05:30Okay.
05:30All right.
05:30That's right.
05:31But I – what's so wild is, like, when I look up on the TV here,
05:35I've got, like, ESPN and a couple other ones.
05:37Because they're not reporting right now on the game and, like, you know,
05:41whether – what this means.
05:42They're reporting on the chaos outside.
05:44Like, I'm looking up and there's this fence that is around Madison Square Garden.
05:49Are you seeing this?
05:51Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:52I – like, the NBA finals in general are insane.
05:57People getting to their seats.
05:58Like, celebrities, they want to get to their seats right at the end.
06:01They want to go to their special clubs.
06:03Like, everyone is on lockdown and everyone has to do not what they want to do.
06:08It's what the Secret Service has decided for them to do.
06:11So – and you know how people are.
06:13When you drop $100,000 on some tickets, you know, you have some flexibility here.
06:18So, I actually think – like, I definitely think that he's going to get booed
06:22and only because of the inconvenience of him having to put all these people out.
06:27But I will say this.
06:28I will say this.
06:29If – here's some games, like, I've been a part of, right?
06:33Like, NBA finals, like, people do get to their seats pretty early in general.
06:36And I do think, like, the environment and the people being out at their seats for warm-ups,
06:41it's going to throw San Antonio off a little bit.
06:44There's going to be – like, I know it's the finals,
06:45but I think there's going to be a different buzz in the arena because you got, like,
06:50let's say 10,000 to 15,000 people show up early,
06:52and they're going to be out there watching warm-ups.
06:55Oh, God.
06:56So, hold on, let me get this photo.
06:57I didn't even – oh, somebody's asking you for a photo?
07:00Yeah.
07:02So, anyway, I do think – like, I think there's going to be, like –
07:05it's going to be an environment like I've never seen before.
07:08And the thing is, too, is San Antonio is so young,
07:10so it's going to make it even extra tough for them
07:13because they haven't tasted anything like this before.
07:17No, no.
07:18And they're in a desperate situation being down 0-2.
07:21Like, there's a lot of – there's a lot of things.
07:23Like, this will be a really interesting Wemby game.
07:25You know, like, I think he's an all-time great player,
07:27but he has to address some things like that bad turnover.
07:30And usually star players come back, but he's young,
07:33doesn't have a lot of experience.
07:34So, this is like – so, I love drama in the NBA,
07:38like how people respond to adversity.
07:40We can – we create these large narratives based off of it,
07:44but I'm super excited about just, like, how the game unfolds.
07:47And then you talk about the Knicks, right, like, they are on a tear.
07:51Like, this winning streak is ridiculous.
07:53This is, like, unprecedented what they're doing.
07:56And it'll be interesting to see if they can maintain that
07:58because all year long they were super inconsistent,
08:01but they've been great.
08:02And the answer to the question I had for you is their defense has been 10X better
08:08than it was in a regular season.
08:10And it's transition defense, Carlton Towns out playing Wemby.
08:14Like, there's a lot of things that are happening,
08:15and I think a lot of it has to do with the defense.
08:17I also see something that I used to see in Paul Pierce and Jalen Brunson,
08:21and that is the give-me-the-damn-ball syndrome.
08:24Like, the guy just – you can tell if it's the end of the game,
08:28he wants the ball, he wants to make the big play, he lives for that.
08:32You know, I kind of think of – not kind of, I absolutely think of guys like Kobe.
08:36Jalen just seems to have that in him.
08:39Yeah, I agree with that.
08:40You know, when I was in Chicago with – I played for Tom Thibodeau,
08:44where Rick Brunson was the assistant coach on the team,
08:48and Jalen would come in.
08:49He was still a high school player.
08:51And he'd come in, and I – you know, like you guys know me,
08:53I love to play one-on-one, you know, with the scallenge
08:56and play pickup and all that.
08:57Well, I played pickup with Jalen, and he was ridiculously good.
09:02Footwork, you know, processing and all that stuff.
09:04I didn't know he'd be this great, but I knew he'd be a lot better than what people thought
09:09and being a second-round pick and Dallas not wanting him.
09:12But even this, what we're seeing right now, he's been like this forever.
09:17But his – it's just – it's weird to see a kid that can transition from high school
09:22to college to the NBA when no one thought he was good,
09:25and he just keeps exceeding those expectations.
09:27It's hard to do.
09:28Scott, you asked what we liked about – you know, what we thought about the Knicks
09:30and the roster.
09:31Look, it's – obviously it's different than the Celtics in the sense that –
09:34I mean, you've got a true point guard with Jalen.
09:36You've got a stretch five with Big Cat.
09:38And then, I mean, you have a – you know, you have a finisher with Brunson.
09:44They're the best fourth-quarter team in the NBA,
09:46and the Celtics were the worst fourth-quarter.
09:48So, I mean, you look at it, and it's like more of a conventional offense
09:51like the old days.
09:51Center, you know, with the point guard, which the Celtics, I feel like, don't have.
09:56And that's what I wish the Celtics had, and I think they're missing.
10:01Yeah, but then you have to – then you would have to give up one of your wings.
10:04Because Cat is a $50 billion big.
10:07He's an all-NBA big.
10:08He's up for a $261 million extension.
10:10By saying you want a guy like that, you're basically saying our team that we build
10:14are going to be built with one of the wings and a big like that, which is hard to do.
10:18I'm not sure the Celtics will build their team like that.
10:20I think they would look for more, like, more versatility throughout the wings.
10:25If they keep Jalen and Jason, you have the versatility there.
10:27And then you can have, like – you can have three or four bigs, right,
10:30that all can contribute time or the Mias K, the Luka Garza.
10:35You can roll guys in like that.
10:36Is that good enough?
10:36I don't know if it is or isn't.
10:38Oh, my God.
10:39This is madness.
10:40This is madness.
10:41Well, Scout, we'll let you go because I know that you've got to be sitting down in, like,
10:44five minutes or you're not going to be able to get in in time.
10:47I'm good.
10:47I'm doing – I'm doing, like, a show.
10:49Like, you know how you guys sometimes come on site and do a show at a bar?
10:54I'm doing that before I go into the game.
10:55Oh, hell yeah.
10:56I'll be all set.
10:57Awesome, awesome.
10:57Well, listen, enjoy it tonight.
10:58It is going to be utter chaos.
11:00I can't – I just – the Knicks fans – you know, part of me feels great as a Celtics
11:05fan
11:05that they're suffering so much.
11:06But the fact that they were told that they couldn't have watch parties around Madison Square Garden tonight
11:10is just unreal.
11:13It is unreal.
11:14I do agree with you.
11:16All right, Scout, go take your pictures with your fans, your adoring fans around you.
11:19You got it.
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