00:00Early thoughts, wonders, interests as it pertains to Knicks-Pacers, a series that is set in the Eastern Conference where we have the Knicks at a minus 148 price, Pacers plus 126, game number one line is out, it's New York minus four.
00:16J.Y., as we sit here on a Saturday, we're a ways, this series doesn't start until Wednesday, we're a ways away from the series beginning.
00:22What is one thing on your mind right now with the Eastern Conference Finals?
00:25To me, it's going to be about the ancillary pieces. I want to take out the point and the big from both teams.
00:31I'm taking out Turner and Halliburton, I'm taking out obviously Jalen Brunson and Cat.
00:37I want to see which of that next group steps up and plays well, because I think that is when the series is going to be won.
00:45I think you have two teams that, I think they have, forget the Halliburton, new version of Reggie Miller, it's going to be exciting to see him there,
00:54because he embraces that role, but when it comes down to it, I think that's when the series is going to be won.
01:00Now, Knicks fans are going to sit there and talk about, oh, well, last year, Randall was out, Robinson was out, Jalen Brunson broke his hand, this one.
01:08I don't want to hear any of that, because if that's the case, then we can sit there and talk about that they'd just beat Boston without Jason Tatum.
01:13So I just, let's just put all that in bed last year.
01:17This is about right here, right now.
01:19I, there's OG and Mikkel Bridges, who at times, let's be honest, have disappeared offensively for the Knicks.
01:27What do they do?
01:29Drew McBride, terrible in the first series, great in the second series.
01:33Now you're going to go get someone like TJ McConnell, who is a dog, like who's just going to literally just wear on you and wear on you.
01:39I'll be top, and someone that comes off the bench and gives minutes, you know, so I think, Tom, I'm looking at it as take out the two, I don't want to call them superstars, but for the team, right?
01:50The two superstars, the point and the big, take them out of the equation, which are the ancillary group, which one I think plays better and will win the series.
01:58Right, and that's what we're talking about in the beginning portion of the show, pre-show, of what we get from the supporting cast will determine it,
02:04because everyone's going to bill this as Halliburton, Brunson, like all these two star point guards going against each other, but it's not, it's not that.
02:12I think one of the most important things in this will be Carlisle versus Thibodeau.
02:18I really think so.
02:20I think that's because, you know, you said Carlisle's underrated, and that's true.
02:24So the lapses that the Knicks had in some of those games, specifically, what was it, three minutes left on the clock,
02:30not calling the timeout to get Brunson and Hart back into the game until there was 30, 20 seconds left for us, those are massive mistakes.
02:37Like, those type of mistakes will cost you a game, therefore it'll cost you the series.
02:42So minor differences, I agree with you 100% on the depth and those secondary pieces,
02:46but outside of that, the in-game decisions by Thibodeau and Carlisle will determine the series,
02:53because if you leave Brunson and Hart off the court for two and a half minutes in closing time,
02:58and you can't have the Manhattan Mariano out there, which is what Brunson is, that is a massive, massive mistake.
