KGMZ-FM / 95.7 THE GAME
  • 6 hours ago
Transcript
00:00Now, back to Willard and Dibbs.
00:03I mean, Mark, it's so good to hear y'all's voices.
00:06And Mr. Dibbs, I mean, it's just been way too damn long.
00:09So, it puts a smile on my face.
00:12On 95-7, the game.
00:15I give up.
00:16I don't want the role anymore.
00:18Of what?
00:19It's too much pressure.
00:22I've had it.
00:24I can't do it anymore, Dibbs.
00:27Oh, I know where you're going.
00:28I'm turning in my wings.
00:30No more carrying the burden of being the deep voice guy.
00:33I cannot be the deepest voice on this station anymore.
00:37It's too much pressure.
00:39Yeah, I get that a lot.
00:40So, we go to the River Islands guest line,
00:43which is not a guest line because he's sitting here next to us.
00:46It is Odyssey Sports NBA insider,
00:52cousin Nick Friedle,
00:55who is in the damn room.
00:59Hi, Nick.
01:00It is so good to see you guys.
01:02Cousin Nick.
01:03My guy, Nick Friedle.
01:05Mr. Dibbs, Mark.
01:06Hilariously, the whole reason I'm sitting here right now,
01:09well, one, I'm headed to a birthday party in L.A. this week.
01:12Oh, okay.
01:13But I'm sitting here right now because I get my rental car,
01:17which I haven't had since I last was out here a few years ago,
01:21and I turn on the station.
01:22And you guys are talking to Kerr, yes?
01:24Steve Kerr, sure.
01:25And I call the listener line.
01:27I am calling into the studio because I wanted to come on and say,
01:32hey, you guys did a great job with that interview.
01:34Well, thank you.
01:35And we'll get into all the Kerr said and the layers there.
01:38But I'm sitting here thinking, oh, man, I'm going to talk to my guys.
01:42And I call it.
01:43And so many people must have been trying to get in that nobody even picked me up.
01:48And I went, uh-oh.
01:49Yeah.
01:50It's either that the lines were full.
01:54The lines had to be full on that one.
01:57I mean, I'd love to, but I know how good that was
02:02because I was sitting there listening to it.
02:04And I know what you guys asked him and what he said
02:06and what he meant in what he was saying.
02:09But that cracked me up because then instantly I'm texting Lucas,
02:12like, tell the guys they did great.
02:14And he's like, where are you?
02:15Exactly.
02:16I'm in a rental car in Alameda right now.
02:20Hope you learned your lesson.
02:21If you call us, you're going to end up being here the next day.
02:24I love it.
02:25But it is great to see you all.
02:26It's great to see you.
02:27And thank you for being here.
02:29And insider calls are brought to you by Hyundai.
02:31Now you can buy a new Hyundai at Amazon.
02:33Visit HyundaiUSA.com for more details.
02:36We get to hang out with Cousin Nick for a while.
02:39What did you think?
02:40So you listened to Steve Kerr.
02:41What stood out?
02:42Mark, he told you exactly what's going on.
02:44And anybody who has listened to Steve through the years,
02:47and there are so many diehard Warriors fans out there that listen to the station,
02:53Steve Kerr could not have been any clearer in the messaging he was trying to get across.
02:58Hey, everybody, we are going to try as hard as we possibly can to win games
03:04and not waste the end of Steph's prime and everything you guys discuss all the time.
03:09But my biggest takeaway, Mark, is Steve was honest about exactly where they're at.
03:15And when he said we're a fading team, that is 100% the truth.
03:21As far as I'm concerned, it was an adjustment in the expectations
03:26not only moving forward into this year, but moving ahead.
03:30And what I am curious about, and I know there are so many clips because I heard
03:35Gu and Stiney replaying it, and I'm sure Bonte and Chaskey did too,
03:40but the clip where he's saying, you know, I'd love to ask Danny Ainge,
03:43would he really move Larry Bird and all those guys at the end of that Celtics dynasty?
03:49What I'm curious about moving forward now, not only this year but the next couple of years,
03:53is what happens when Steph and Draymond stay right around 500?
03:57Because I know Mike Dunleavy, he played for the Bulls when I was covering him.
04:02I saw him obviously here when he took that job.
04:05I know how badly he wants to win and keep this whole thing moving.
04:10But if this team is 500 a year from right now, at what point,
04:15as badly as he wants to stay here and be in one jersey his whole career,
04:19because he's told me, he's told you guys the same thing over and over,
04:22does Steph go, ah, this is just killing me?
04:25Because those are some of the most competitive guys I've ever met doing this job.
04:29There are a lot of different things to pull out of what you guys had the conversation about.
04:35But it's why I, in the role of journalist writer, have always appreciated just how honest Kerr is.
04:42Because he was telling everybody, hey, here's the situation that we're in.
04:47It's not going to change anytime soon, at least dramatically.
04:51I know you guys mentioned Vucevic, there's been the talk about Jimmy Alt.
04:55None of those guys is going to fix the problem here.
04:59And the problem for the Warriors, aside from Steph and Draymond and some nights Wiggins,
05:04there's just not enough talent on this team to think that they can get back to championship level.
05:10Yeah, no doubt. Nick Friedle here in studio, 95-7 the game.
05:13And that's kind of what I was saying all along.
05:16But to hear not only Steve Kerr, but to also hear Steph and Draymond with a certain amount of a tone shift,
05:24where they're all now kind of echoing the same party line,
05:28which is we don't want to mortgage the future and we don't want to sacrifice assets and all these other things.
05:36I get the last 72 hours where it feels like the tone has shifted among not only Steve Kerr.
05:43You're right, Nick. He's always been so frank and honest with his assessments.
05:47But now we get into a spot where it's Steph and Draymond in their own ways saying similar things.
05:53So I just wonder what happens over the next three weeks, the deadline three weeks from tomorrow.
05:59And yesterday was a little bit of a shock to hear him say it the way he did.
06:03And Dibbs, as you guys know, it's been repeated.
06:06I mean, Kerr has talked to you guys. I saw he talked to Slater.
06:10Draymond was talking the other night. Steph has said as much a couple different times.
06:15Those guys see the reality. And the reality is this is not a title contender.
06:22As badly as they want it to be, as well as Steph is still playing night to night,
06:27they are just not good enough to where they were.
06:30And I think that is the biggest change from the conversations the last few years.
06:36I mean, Warriors fans are so unbelievably loyal, but they've been so spoiled, guys.
06:43And this is just the reality of the basketball business.
06:47I was listening to B.J. Armstrong earlier with Steini and Goo.
06:50Great guest.
06:51He said as much. He said, look, ask Bulls fans.
06:55Ask anybody who has been through that run. Ask the Lakers fans.
06:58With Shaq and Kobe, you know when it's just about over, and when it hits, it's always ugly.
07:06And to me, the takeaway is, alright, Steph and Draymond and Steve Kerr,
07:11they're still going to fight until the very end.
07:14The takeaway is, what happens a couple years from now?
07:17Because Steph so badly wanted to stay in one place and be with one team,
07:22and now he's to a point where you go, as much as he wants that,
07:27is there going to come a point as the losing piles up,
07:31or I should say the not winning at the clip where he used to,
07:34does that point come where he goes, ah, I'd like to try one more time to win something?
07:40So you mentioned that there's no like quote-unquote deal that's going to immediately fix this.
07:47But before we go into any specific names and players,
07:51I wonder how you'd answer this.
07:53Is there any value to the Warriors still making some sort of a deal here over the next two, three weeks?
08:01I don't think so in this sense, Mark, only because
08:05I don't think there's a guy that makes that much of a difference.
08:08Vucevic is a perfect name. The Bulls would love to move off him,
08:13give him a couple second round picks and something, sure.
08:17Does he make you better? Yeah.
08:19But Vucevic is who he is at this point in his career.
08:22He's going to get you a 20, he might have 10 rebounds,
08:25and he's going to give up a whole ton on the defensive end.
08:28So is there a move that could make them a little bit better? Sure.
08:32Is there any move, if you have to risk, we all know what the assets are at this point,
08:38picks, Dominga, something else that gets them to a different level?
08:43I don't see that out there.
08:45That to me becomes a more logical approach where you do make a move,
08:50whether it's Vucevic or Cam Johnson, you get a little bit better now,
08:53and then you hope in the offseason you can get significantly better.
08:57And I wonder what you think about the asset that is Jonathan Dominga,
09:01because I'm fascinated by this one part of it,
09:05because in the offseason he reportedly wanted a max,
09:08which is 50 or so million, and it was a non-starter.
09:12And the team probably wanted him to go out and prove it.
09:15He started to prove it, then he got hurt.
09:18So what do you think of the asset that is Jonathan Dominga?
09:22Because he's an emerging player, but if you do have him go to restricted free agency,
09:28and another team offers him $40 million a year,
09:31do the Warriors want to give him $40 million a year,
09:34or do you end up getting nothing for Jonathan Dominga after four years of some nurturing?
09:39Dibs, the short answer for me is I would move him.
09:43I would move him.
09:45But if you're the Warriors and you've invested this time into developing Jonathan Dominga,
09:51and you're seeing the flashes, and we've seen it so often,
09:54hey, he can be a really solid player, but this is what always happens in the NBA.
09:59That next contract hits, and with it the expectations change.
10:03And the second that those change, you go,
10:06do I really want to pay this dude $40 million, $50 million for the production that is there now?
10:11I'll give you a perfect example. We're mentioning the Bulls and Boosivis.
10:14Zach Levine, he's a really nice offensive player,
10:17but when you give Zach Levine max money, there's a reason the Bulls can't move him,
10:21because everybody looks at that contract and they go, I don't want any part of that.
10:24People say, would Levine fit on the Warriors?
10:27Of course he would fit, and he'd actually fit really well,
10:30because what is the problem right now?
10:32They can't really score.
10:33Aside from Steph, they cannot find any consistent rhythm there.
10:37But do I want Zach Levine on that contract on my team?
10:41Hell no!
10:42So with Kaminga, the question to me, guys,
10:45and you're watching it a lot closer than I am now day to day,
10:48but do you see him being able to develop to a point where he's getting you 20, 25 every single night,
10:56and he is that dominant force that max players have to be?
11:01I personally don't see that.
11:03I would move him before I have to make that decision, to your point, Mr. Dibbs.
11:07But if you're the Warriors and you've invested all the time and development
11:12into seeing what he's becoming and will continue to become wherever he goes,
11:17or if he stays here, that would be a really tough pill to swallow
11:21to not then match the restricted offer sheet that we figure will come his way.
11:26Well, that's the pickle.
11:27I mean, the idea of moving him now, I've thought for a while,
11:31is like a non-starter because of how much he makes.
11:34Like, he's only making $7 million.
11:36Why am I going to send him out now to get $7 million in return?
11:41It's almost like Jonathan, from a financial standpoint,
11:44if there's a deal for the Warriors right now, he's a throw-in.
11:47Yeah.
11:48And he's actually the linchpin of the deal.
11:50Absolutely. Of any deal.
11:52It's scary.
11:53If you're Mike Dunleavy, Mark, what I would say is he came into the job
11:59with his eyes wide open.
12:01So none of this in, oh, no, this whole dynasty, it's coming to a close.
12:06Mike's a really smart guy.
12:08He knew what he was walking into, but these are the decisions.
12:11What do you do with Kuminga?
12:13How much do you worry about the deal that's coming?
12:16It's not a question that anybody really wants to face
12:19because there are so many corresponding moves that come after it.
12:23You're listening to 95.7 The Game, KGMZ FM and HD1 San Francisco
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12:38And we are hanging out with our good friend, Nick Fridell,
12:41NBA insider for Odyssey.
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12:53I want to go back to something that you were talking about
12:55just a few minutes ago.
12:56Play for everybody what Steve Kerr said yesterday
13:00with the idea of not trading Steph Curry,
13:05but the idea of Curry getting to a point where he may ask to get off the Warriors.
13:12This is what Steve Kerr said in that conversation.
13:14I don't think so.
13:15I just think Steph loves the Warriors.
13:17He loves the idea of being a Warrior for life.
13:22I think that's so meaningful for him.
13:24He has no intention of doing that.
13:26That's what makes him unique and different.
13:28It's why he's not asking the organization to trade everything to go get him help.
13:33Steph is so special in so many different ways,
13:37and his self-awareness is just incredible.
13:42It's so meaningful for him to be a Warrior.
13:45I don't think our fans have to ever worry about that.
13:49Okay, so that's what Steve's saying now,
13:52and obviously there is the idea of calm everybody's fears.
13:56But you've been around the team.
13:58I want to know your answer to that.
14:00Do you actually see that potentially getting there someday?
14:04Mark, all Steph Curry has ever told me
14:06and everybody else who's ever asked that question repeatedly
14:10is this is where I want to be.
14:12I want to play in one jersey, statue outside, the whole nine yards.
14:16You can only take him at face value, and I would say in my experience,
14:2015 years covering the league,
14:22there are not a lot of guys who are more honest than Steph.
14:26He chooses his words exceptionally carefully.
14:30There are messages that he wants to get out.
14:32There are messages that he probably wants to get out but doesn't say.
14:36He has only ever said the exact same thing
14:39in that I only want to play in one place.
14:42The flip side to the context of this whole conversation is
14:46Steph is one of the most competitive guys that there is.
14:49There's no way you could be as successful as he's become over time
14:53unless you work.
14:54What happens when we all come to the understanding,
14:58and it's already starting right now.
15:00It's happening in real time.
15:01It happened in that interview.
15:02It's going to continue to happen over the next few weeks here.
15:05The Warriors walked into this season with championship-level expectations.
15:09Whether that was based in reality or not,
15:12I think we all see the answer in front of us as the season has played out.
15:16Steph wants to win.
15:19He also wants to stay in one place.
15:21What happens in between is what we're going to find out.
15:26But if we're betting right now, if we're walking in the window,
15:29is Steph Curry a Warrior the rest of his career?
15:32I say yes.
15:33But I think it is going to absolutely kill him and Draymond
15:37and frustrate them so badly that they see what is happening in front of them.
15:43There's not much they can do to change it
15:46because the other thing that's going to happen is Steph's incredible right now.
15:50He's still at the peak of his powers.
15:52It's not going to be the case in a year or two.
15:54It's just not the way it works.
15:56There are a lot of different reasons why Steph would potentially ask for a deal
16:02down the line if this kept up.
16:04I just don't see it happening.
16:06I'm with Kirk.
16:07And I just don't see how it happens even if he wanted it.
16:09If he's making $59 million next year and he wants to still compete for a title,
16:14and that would be his motivation, I don't think it would be,
16:17I want to go home to Toronto or I want to go home to Charlotte.
16:20He would go somewhere to chase a ring,
16:23and usually those teams that would need to match $59 million of salary,
16:28they usually don't have $59 million lying around of guys who they don't want anymore.
16:33So for me, Nick, it's even the mechanics of the deal,
16:37and I've tried to entertain it like, okay, what team out there is good?
16:41And I thought about Houston.
16:43You can start with Fred Van Vliet, who Houston would be happy to get rid of that contract,
16:47but you're only about halfway there to Steph,
16:50so you'd need to find another $20 or $25 million worth of largesse
16:55that Houston would want to part with.
16:57To me, even the mechanics of it make it almost an impossibility.
17:01On top of that, Dibs, when you're talking about Steph Curry,
17:04I don't care if he's 80 years old.
17:07People are going to show up to watch him shoot the basketball.
17:09Right.
17:10It is the performance art.
17:11They show up to watch him warm up.
17:13All over the place.
17:15Like literally all over the world.
17:16I remember being in China with the Warriors an hour before the game,
17:21and there are thousands of Chinese fans that are out there
17:25not only waiting to watch him walk into the bus, but then get into the gym.
17:29He is just completely different.
17:31So why, if you're Joe Lacob, would you even ever think about any of it
17:37because he's still going to fill up Chase Center
17:39and fill up every other place that they go everywhere.
17:42The only way it would happen, and this is what Curry was getting at,
17:46Mark, this is what you asked me about,
17:48is if Steph went to Lacob and said, hey, I just cannot handle the losing,
17:53the mediocrity, I don't see that being the case.
17:57And I add this anecdotally, guys.
17:59A few years ago when I was still here I was working on a story
18:02and Ray Ritter, the Warriors PR czar, the man of NBA PR,
18:10Ray gets me in touch with Dirk, Jerry West, and Reggie Miller.
18:17And the story was based on the conversations I had had
18:20and so many others with Steph saying, I only ever want to be in one place.
18:25And I can still remember talking to those three guys specifically
18:28and how much it meant to them that they played in one place the whole way.
18:34Reggie Miller said, if Michael Jordan had called me and said,
18:37come to Chicago, I would have told him to go F himself,
18:41I think was the actual quote.
18:43And I thought, that is what makes Steph who he is.
18:48You say that because all they've been doing is winning for so long
18:52and they've been in the conversation.
18:53But the reality is they're not in the conversation anymore.
18:57It is a different era now.
19:00But I can tell you from those conversations and being around Steph
19:04for as long as I was and talking to him about just that,
19:07it would really shock me if that part changed
19:11because that meant something to him.
19:15Steve mentioned Dirk sitting there in Dallas.
19:18I courtside every game.
19:20I think that is something that really makes a difference for Steph Curry
19:24and will help him through whatever losses may pile up.
19:28Visiting with us is our friend Nick Fridell,
19:30Odyssey NBA insider here on Willard & Debs.
19:33One more from Steve,
19:34and I think it's along the lines of the conversation that we're having.
19:38Some viewed this idea as a little bit of a white flag.
19:42Others, and I would put myself in this group,
19:45thought of it almost like,
19:48dude, Steph and Draymond and Steve,
19:50you guys are heroes for being self-aware in a moment like this.
19:54But what's your take on what Steve said with regard to the conversations
19:58he's had directly with Steph and Draymond?
20:02We've talked about this.
20:04The three of us have been together for so long.
20:07We have these kind of conversations.
20:11I'm so impressed with these guys
20:13and how much they care about the Warriors and the future of the Warriors.
20:17I think you're right.
20:18A lot of players in their situations would be saying,
20:22screw that, let's trade everything.
20:25That's not who they are.
20:26They're Warriors for life.
20:29That's part of the meaning of having a player
20:32who's only on one team for his entire existence.
20:35You see Dirk Nowitzki now watching Dallas games.
20:39He's on the sidelines like a fan.
20:41That's really cool.
20:42I love that.
20:43I think that's how Steph and Draymond are going to be once they're retired.
20:47There's the comment you were referring to.
20:49Mark, it's so funny to me even hearing that now
20:51because I'm sitting here smiling thinking back to five or six years ago
20:55when I first got to the Bay.
20:57The feeling, and this was the conversation that beat writers
21:00and broadcasters would have, who will leave first?
21:03Steph, Draymond, Clay.
21:05And it was always, Draymond's gone.
21:08Draymond is out of here.
21:09He's going to Detroit or he's going to go follow LeBron somewhere.
21:13He's going to go chase that next ring.
21:15And the idea that Clay has left, and he's gone,
21:18and by all accounts was so unhappy the last couple of years
21:21for a variety of different reasons,
21:23but he just wasn't the same player, sadly, after the injuries.
21:26The idea that it's now Steph and Draymond,
21:29and Draymond is to a point where he may be able to sit here
21:34for the next few years and handle the losses that are coming,
21:39it just shows you how quickly it can shift.
21:42But my takeaway was exactly what yours was about Kerr yesterday going,
21:47ah, okay, they're changing the narrative as we speak
21:51as to what to expect in the moment, not only from this group,
21:55but maybe for the next year or two ahead.