Marc Bertrand: Eliot Wolf bragging about trying in free agency is “weird”

On Wednesday's edition of Zolak & Bertrand, Marc "Beetle" Bertrand dove into why it's weird for Eliot Wolf to be bragging about trying in free agency.

Marc Bertrand: 

It's really weird for an executive to be telling you that we did spend money while he still has $50 million in cap space and he lost at receiver. And after telling everyone we're going to weaponize the offense, failed to do so with any proven talent. Yes, they spent draft capital on receivers. Yes, we saw that. Yes, we know you drafted Drake Maye third overall. That's wonderful. Great news. You didn't go out in free agency and acquire meaningful, proven talent when you had a boatload of money to spend, and you still do. Meanwhile, yesterday Nico Collins signed a new contract. After one breakout season, he was terrific last year. I don't want to take anything away from his year last year, he was one of the best receivers in the NFL in 2023. So, Nico Collins signs a deal that gives him three years 72.75 million. They gave him 52,000,000 in guaranteed money, 52,000,000 bucks. That is more fully guaranteed money than the money Calvin Ridley got. 

Scott Zolak: 

You're already passing Ridley’s contract already. And that's not going out and getting a guy that's just extending your guy. I imagine what it's going to be when the free agents start, like when the big free agents hit free agency. But that's just taking care of your guy. That's making sure he stays. Wait until Ja’Marr Chase comes in, you know? It's going to blow doors on the Ridley deal. It won't be close. I just wonder who else did they miss on? They weren’t really reported to be in on others, right? 

Marc Bertrand: 

They're the Red Sox. Interest Kings. They were in on a lot of guys. 

Scott Zolak: 

They were one of the ones down to the wire with Ridley. You didn't hear about any of the tackles, Tyron Smith, none of them. You know, the kid from Cincinnati that signed a 2 -year deal that was doable. Like that's the guy you could have went and got. You didn't hear that they were in on any of those. No, but your circled Christian Barmore. You got that one done. Bring Jennings, Uche, bring all those guys back. Duggar, we know the deal. 

Marc Bertrand: 

If you say you were in a lot of guys, it means you failed on a lot of guys. It means you didn't get the job done. 

If and when the Celtics face the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, don't take it personally if Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are being called closers.

There's good reason.

Even before they were p[aired together in Dallas, Doncic and Irving were regarded as two of the NBA's most elite scorers, which isn't a surprise. But if you needed any evidence that the pair could both co-exist and produce in the clutch as teammates on the Mavericks, the pair put on a clinic during Dallas' 116-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday to take a 3-0 series lead in the NBA Western Conference finals.

With Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Dallas, the Mavericks can wrap up the series and confirm a date with the Celtics in the NBA Finals, set to begin in Boston on June 6.

In Game 3, the game was tied at 87 entering the fourth quarter, when the tandem of Irving and Doncic were too much for Timberwolves standout Anthony Edwards to overcome. In a combined 20:37 - Irving played all 12 minutes while Doncic played 8:37 - the Mavericks put on an offensive clinic against the vaunted Minnesota defense, shooting a collective 11-of-15 (including 3-of-3 from 3-point distance) to pull away and move the Wolves within a game of elimination.

Of course, the Mavericks offense was centered around Irving and Doncic, who combined for 21 of the Mavs' 29 points and and shot a combined 8-of-10 from the floor (including 2-of-2 from distance) while also going 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Doncic also had a beautiful, back-breaking assist that effectively broke Minnesota's spirit.

One thing to note? Doncic and Irving effectively did all of this playing isolation ball, which raises obvious concerns for a Celtics team that has struggled to effectively execute the same in close games. The teammates rank fourth and seventh in the entire during this postseason in average minutes played during the fourth quarter. (The Celtics rank lower in this are because they have played far fewer competitive games.)

A look at the fourth quarters of both Doncic and Irving in Game 3: