'The Full 48' Podcast: Kevin McHale Talks Superteams, LeBron's Legacy
Kevin McHale joins Bleacher Report's Howard Beck and Jordan Brenner to discuss the concept of superteams, what the Cleveland Cavaliers need to better challenge the Golden State Warriors and why a team like the LA Clippers needs to be all-in when it comes to contending right now. He also discusses what it would take to get him back on an NBA bench as a coach.
Afterward, Beck and Brenner look back at the Finals and ahead to the offseason.
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Highlights
On what made Golden State so special this season
There’s a lot of different things you can do that can make up for some of that talent gap. And I didn’t see a team in the league that was as tied together as Golden State, that was willing to make the extra pass as much as Golden State was willing to make the extra pass, willing to cover up for each other defensively.
On the formula to taking down a superteam
They're gonna hit you with these 15-4, 18-5 runs. You've gotta be able to fight through those runs; you've gotta bounce back after that. It's just gonna take a team with an unbelievable amount of mental toughness—and talent, you have to have talent. But the willingness to keep moving the ball, defend every single possession.
Again, not to pick on Cleveland, but they were the team that was supposedly gonna give Golden State a run for their money. How many layups did you see Steph drive from the three-point line and get a layup? You can't have that. ... man, it takes a ton of discipline and a ton of mental toughness.
On Kyrie Irving growing as a defender
Kyrie’s still a young guy. You’ve gotta get to that point where you think, 'man I’ve gotta get better defensively.' I’m not sure Kyrie’s ever gonna be the best defender in the league, but he can get better. You’d like to see him take one big jump defensively, that’s staying in front of people, that’s awareness, that’s rotating.
On the Clippers needing to contend now
If your best player is 30, 31, 32, you'd better be thinking—if you're the Clippers—you'd better be thinking about now. ... There's always something missing there, for me; I never could really actually just put my finger on it because they check all the boxes ... but if you're talking about that team, they've gotta add some dynamic pieces. And it's hard, but they've got to make a run—their window's short.
On Superteams
I look at them and I don't think there's anything wrong with having a great team. Like right now, everybody out there is setting their bar at the Golden State Warriors' level. ... I think that's a hell of a lot better, if you ask me, than having eight really ratty teams that you look at and one of those eight teams wins a championship where everyone goes, 'huh, well, somebody had to win it.'
On LeBron James' 3-5 Finals record impacting his legacy
I'm not buying that crap.
