The Pure Hoops Quick Hitters

Kyle Lowry is a multi-time All-Star and an NBA Champion, and Yahoo! Sports Senior NBA Writer Vincent Goodwill explains that once you've tasted the champagne, it's hard to settle for just a can of beer. That's why Lowry was more than happy to agree to the sign-and-trade that sent him for the Raptors to Miami, Goodwill telling all this to our Aaron Berlin and Otto Strong using an analogy to properties on a Monopoly board. Goodwill also discusses how Riley's "Heat Culture" continues to reel in some of the NBA big fishes and why some of this might have to do with the one that got away (LeBron James).

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In this quick hitter from part one of the Mike Wise Show's four part series on the North Carolina Basketball Family, Tar Heel legends George Karl, George Lynch, and Matt Doherty explain how coach Dean Smith was caring and compassionate but also demanding. Coach Smith stressed the importance of education and held his players to a very high standard both on and off the court.

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Cade Cunningham is considered by many to be the top prospect in the 2021 NBA Draft, and Adam Stanco, our old co-host and now VP and Executive Producer at 247 Sports, thinks he will be special. How special? Well ...Stanco believes his rare combined scoring and distribution ability could eventually lead him to an enshrinement ceremony in Springfield. Stanco gives our Aaron Berlin and Otto Strong a full breakdown of what makes Cunningham stand out.

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Cade Cunningham has been projected as the #1 overall pick in the July 29th NBA Draft for months. Why is this 6'8" wing from Oklahoma State so clearly the top talent in a draft class that many feel is historically good? ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks, who is an authority on player evaluation and front office strategy explains how Cunningham's combination of measurable and non-measurable skills make him the type of player that has the proverbial "IT Factor."

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The Buckets, Boards, & Blocks Quick Hitter features Monica McNutt and Vinnie Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports discussing how the seeds for this year's NBA Championship team from Milwaukee were planted last summer in the Orlando Bubble when the team staged a walkout over the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo was known as the Greek Freak from the first time we saw him 8 years ago. He added the label of "Medical Freak" earlier this month when he came back from a hyperextended knee injury that was feared to be season ending and played some of the most remarkable ball of his career in the NBA Finals, capped by 50 points in the deciding game. In this Quick Hitter from the Mike Wise Show, Mike and Bruce Bernstein show their appreciation of Giannis as they reflect on the Bucks historic title run and his singular contributions.

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ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks is an authority on many topics such as the salary cap, player evaluation, the mind games played between team executives, and front office strategy. In this Mike Wise Show Quick Hitter, Bobby tells Bruce Bernstein (filling in for Mike) that Lottery teams like Detroit, Houston, & Cleveland approach the draft differently than a "Lottery Team" like the Golden State Warriors who have the 7th and 14th picks.

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Mike Budenholzer is one win away from leading the Bucks to an NBA Title, yet there are still plenty of critics of his coaching style and ability. ESPN Radio's Marc Kestecher discusses with our Aaron Berlin and Otto Strong the love/hate relationship the Milwaukee fans and media have with Coach Bud.

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Earlier in the playoffs, Charles Barkley of TNT said he believed the Milwaukee Bucks would win the NBA Championship but they were not a smart team. His words sound prophetic right now. In this Quick Hitter from Buckets, Boards, & Blocks, Monica McNutt and King McClure welcome Freddie Coleman from ESPN Radio. They discuss how the Bucks seem to make things difficult for themselves at times, but always seem to find a way to overcome adversity and win big games.

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Deandre Ayton is having a breakout campaign in his first ever NBA Playoffs, helping the Phoenix Suns reach the Finals. Still, Meadowlark Media and SiriusXM NBA Radio's Amin Elhassan, who once was a front office man for the Suns from 2006-2012, says the right choice for Phoenix when they had the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft was to select Luka Doncic.

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