PMT DB
PMT DB
Joe Mazzulla on NBA Title, Tearing His MCL, and Jake Marsh's Big Announcement
The drought is finally over for Hank. After a grueling five and a half years without a duck boat parade, the city of Boston is back on top. Big Cat and PFT opened the show by properly glazing Hank, though it didn't take long for the conversation to turn toward the Celtics' future and the absolute heater Brad Stevens has been on since moving to the front office.
HankBrad Stevens is the greatest GM of all time
Brad Stevens is, you know, the greatest GM of all time. I think he's gotta be. He's in all-time in this conversation.
Hank is already looking toward Banner 19, convinced that this isn't just a one-off run but the start of something much larger. He's firmly back on his high horse, and with Jalen Brown taking home Finals MVP honors, the debates about who truly runs that team are only just beginning.
HankJalen Brown is a top 5 player in the NBA
[Jalen Brown] is in that top five now. He's the best player on the team.
While the Celtics' coronation felt inevitable, the guys took a second to look at the wreckage in Dallas. Big Cat isn't ready to sell his stock in Luka Doncic just yet, despite the Mavs' lackluster showing in the Finals. He’s convinced the Slovenian superstar is just getting started.
Big CatLuka Doncic will definitely win an NBA title
I think Luka just needs to get in better shape. I think Luka's gonna be, the path that Luka's on. He's going to win a title. I would put I'd, I'd bet it right now. Luka will win a title.
Of course, it wouldn't be PMT without a little nitpicking. Big Cat noticed that while Jalen Brown has undeniable aura, Jayson Tatum’s post-game celebration felt a little... rehearsed. Between the KG "We did it!" shout and the Kanye West references at the after-party, the guys had a field day with whether Tatum is trying a bit too hard to create iconic moments.
Big CatJayson Tatum has negative aura
Hank, would you like to speak at all about the fact that Jayson Tatum has negative aura? It just didn't feel authentic, which again, this is very nitpicky because they just won the title.
Joe Mazzulla: The Joker of the NBA
Fresh off the title, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla joined the show from Miami to break down the win. In typical Mazzulla fashion, he revealed he coached the entire postseason on a torn meniscus, an injury he sustained by "punishing himself" after a regular-season loss to Atlanta. He even suggested that being in constant pain actually helped his coaching mindset.
Joe MazzullaTearing my meniscus was one of the best things that happened to me this season
I'll tell you what, it almost, it was one of the best things that happened to me for the rest of the season. 'Cause it put me in like this fight or flight mentality to where like I could just not relax... I've been thinking about maybe getting hurt every All-Star break.
Mazzulla’s intensity is legendary, and he gave the guys a glimpse into his tactical mind by comparing the team dynamic to the relationship between Batman and the Joker. He’s not interested in being the hero who saves the day; he wants the killer instinct that defined the Dark Knight's greatest rival.
Joe MazzullaThe Joker is more dangerous than Batman because he is willing to do whatever it takes
The issue with Batman is like he's not willing to do whatever it takes. Like he has a chance to throw [Joker] off the cliff at the end of the second one and he doesn't do it. He saves his life. And so like the scary thing about Batman is like is he willing to go the extra mile to do what's necessary for the greater good? And that's the danger part of Joker is like he's willing to go the extra mile to get his point across.
The highlight of the interview, however, was Mazzulla putting the hammer down on Hank’s hair. Hank tried to weasel his way into waiting until opening night to shave his head for the Celtics' title bet, but the Coach wasn't having it.
Joe MazzullaHank has until the end of the Celtics parade on Friday to shave his head
24 hours... [actually] I think let's give him a little leeway here. Let's say until the parade is over. Friday afternoon... Because then now you're people like you, Hank, will be the reason why we struggle next year because we're trying to get ready for the next season. Shaving your head is the beginning of us turning the page.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne & A Final Send-off
In Hot Seat/Cool Throne, the guys covered everything from Rory McIlroy’s non-apology Notes App to the Oilers dragging the Panthers back to Alberta for a Game 6. Big Cat also took some time to air his grievances with the current state of baseball's postseason, specifically how many mediocre teams are kept on life support by the wild card expansion.
Big CatMLB fucked up the playoffs with the wild card expansion because bad teams stay alive too long
The Major League Baseball completely fucked up the playoffs with this wild card. It's so stupid because now everyone's alive... I don't like that they did this in the NBA either. It's my biggest gripe about the play-in that you let owners get off on basically saying, 'well, we're putting together a playoff team' when no, if you're a play-in team, you're not... it's just bullshit.
To wrap up the show, the guys sat down for a massive show announcement. After five incredible years, Jake Marsh announced he is graduating from the show to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time play-by-play broadcaster. It’s a bittersweet moment for the AWLs, as Jake has been a staple of the program since his intern days mocking Darren Rovell. He's betting on himself this summer, hoping to land a major gig before the leaves turn.
Jake MarshI will be calling college football this fall
If I make myself publicly fully available right now, best case scenario, I'm in the booth calling college football this fall. Is that gonna happen? Is that reality? I don't know. But the odds are going to increase by making this jump right now.
Good luck, Jake. We’ll be listening for that first Scorigami call on national TV.
