What do you think of Michael's comments?

Knowing the Knicks the way you do.

Can we just enjoy some success, like, do we have to like, say, they're not championship caliber?

I think I mean, Michael is absolutely right.

They're not championship caliber, but they've been bad for a long period of time.

So there is no skipping of steps.

You don't go from bad to championship caliber.

So I think what they've done really well is they have no great player.

But Randall's playing at a really high level, and then they have tremendous depth.

And whoever was in charge of the quickly picked hit it out of the home run.

Because when you get a young player at 25 that immediately contributes from day one, uh, you've done a great job in the draft, and so they've got depth they've got, uh, they've done a good job with the draft with quickly, and Randall's playing as a really, really good player.

And then Thibodeau's influence on their defensive approach and intensity has been phenomenal.

They are really hard to score on.

I'm with you on that one, JV g.

Let's talk about the Celtics for a second.

Do you put more of the onus on Brad Stevens?

Uh, from a coaching perspective or more so the fact that, hey, Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, two All stars, they have to do more.

I know they're missing Marcus Smart, but which one do you do?

You?

Do you think deserves more?

Well, I think it's a bunch of different things.

I think it's injury.

Ah, they're the opposite of the Knicks.

They've had depletion of death.

Jeff Teague hasn't played as they had hoped.

Um, Marcus.

Smart Covid protocols have hurt dramatically, and then they've lost some heartbreaking games.

Uh, the game they lost in New Orleans was an absolute heartbreaker to Dallas in the next game.

Don t hit in two, Big three.

So, you know, I don't think there's really blame to go around.

I think this is what happens when you have a lot of things happen to you, and it shows you just how close the league is between being considered a championship caliber team and a 500 team coach.

How about Kimba Walker?

Has he looked the same to you?

Do you feel like he's missing something you know when I watch him up until when he raises up to shoot.

I don't notice a loss of quickness, handle like I was able to be a part of the World Cup staff and he was on the team.

You're not going to get a more committed caring a competitor like he's awesome.

But when he raises up to shoot now, to me, the difference is the ball doesn't go in as much.

And to me, he looks like he's getting good looks.

He's still able with his handles, to create space and separation.

I don't know, notice anything.

He's actually lost physically.

Other than you know, he did have to sit out a lot of the year, Uh, or in the preparation for the year.

He missed early games in the season, and this season is unforgiving.

So maybe just still hasn't caught his rhythm.

But I expect him to because, like I said, he's got as high a level of basketball character as you could hope for.

But he does have to play better when you don't have the depth that they've once had.

You need your three best players Tatum, Brown and Walker to be consistently good.

Jeff Van Gundy, ESPN NBA analyst, former NBA head coach.

Calling the Mavs versus the Nets on Saturday, 8:30 p.m. On ABC.

Coach, um, tell me how concerned I should be about my Lakers.

Without Anthony Davis in the lineup, you should be as concerned as you think that injury is for what it maybe be long term or if it's going to hobble them throughout the rest of the year.

Other than that, have no concern at all.

Like people I love, when people say, um, man, they don't look good.

What's wrong?

You know, I know they're missing Anthony Davis, but yeah, they're missing Anthony Davis like that's the thing.

This is a game of players.

It's not a game of like, you know what?

What system do you run or what system do you run?

Like any system Anthony Davis is in?

It's a good system, and you put him and James and they've also met Extruder lately like they're missing two of their best three players there, and they're not a team of great depth, so, like they're going to struggle.

Um, I would not be worried unless you think this is something that long term could impair them.

The one thing is, though, Tyshawn is as Utah widens the lead, the path to winning the championship is going to be more challenging because they're going to be a probably a 23 seed.

That means they're going to have to go through the Clippers and Utah to win it all.

And that's going to be, you know, that just makes it more precarious.

Something you said their coach, you said that they don't have a lot of depth is now.

All of a sudden, is that lack of depth exposed now?

Because prior to that right, everybody's saying, Oh, the Lakers got the depth.

They got the depth.

Now that a D is out in, Schroeder has missed time.

Are we now exposed from a depth standpoint?

Well, I think any team would be right.

If you lose your two of your you know, your 2nd and 3rd best player.

You're going to absolutely have some exposure, particularly over a long period of time, Right?

Durant, miss for Brooklyn, right?

But they still have Kyrie and hardened.

But if you took one of those two guys out as well and you only had one then they would be, um, you know, struggling to And I think, you know, I know this is a football term initially was coined it, But it's one of the things that makes my stomach turn is when people say next man up, like if the next man up was as good as the first man up, then he wouldn't be have to be the next man up.

He's not as good.

He's not paid as much.

He's not supposed to be as good, and yet we expect them to perform at the same level.

No, it doesn't work that way.

Here's one for you know he's a backup for a reason.

Yeah, that's right, right.

Who was your like, whoever your best backup was right like that.

You play that play behind you.

He, in the short term, could probably produce at a great rate, but you ask him over a long period of time, a long stretch of games to bring that same consistency of production.

There's no chance.

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