The Wolves Take Down the Nuggets, Await the Spurs Challenge with Dan Radke

In this episode of the Splash City Basketball Podcast, host Steve Hartman sits down with Dan Radke, founder of the Radke Basketball Academy, to break down a wild week in Timberwolves basketball. The guys dive deep into the Wolves’ gritty Game 6 victory over the Denver Nuggets, highlighting the defensive masterclass from Jaden McDaniels and the "legacy" impact of Rudy Gobert. 

The conversation then shifts to the next challenge: a high-stakes series against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Steve and Dan debate how the Wolves’ rotation might shift to account for Wemby’s size, the importance of getting the "shorthanded" bench to step up, and the status of Anthony Edwards’ health. 

Finally, Dan opens up about his "passion project," the Radke Basketball Academy. He shares the personal journey of turning 40 and deciding to turn his love for hoops into a career focused on teaching young players the essential fundamentals of the game—from footwork to shooting form. 

Highlights include:

• Game 6 Takeaways: How the Wolves overcame the odds to shut down Jokic and Murray. 
• The "Wemby" Factor: Strategic adjustments needed for the Spurs series and the battle in the paint. 
• Roster Depth: The emergence of Terrence Shannon Jr. and the "gritty" contributions of Mike Conley and Jaylen Clark. 
• Radke Basketball Academy: Why Dan believes the "basics" are the secret to elite-level play. https://www.radkebasketballacademy.com/

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. 

Follow Splash City Basketball Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Bag in them, back in them, back again. Whoa, whoa, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:08

Hey everyone, and welcome to the Splash City Basketball Podcast. I'm your host, Steve Hartman, and today's show, I'm bringing on Dan Radke of Radke Basketball Academy, a friend of mine, coached together at the youth level. Um started his own training program out here in the West Metro. So excited to talk to him about that. But we also got to talk about the Timberwolves and their game six closeout against the Denver Nuggets. Epic performance, just one of the most exhilarating, enjoyable games I can remember. Maybe maybe not quite game seven at Denver a couple years ago, but definitely up there, just in terms of so many guys being out, battling through adversity, everybody writing them off and saying the Nuggets, we're gonna close this thing out now because of uh the injuries to Ant and Dante and Io. Um, no Kyle Anderson. Um, just a great all-around performance for the Timberwolves Target Center was electric. Uh, it was just a great Thursday night. So we'll talk about that game a little bit as well before we talk about Radkey Basketball Academy. Um, please, if you can, follow the podcast on Instagram, Facebook, Blue Sky, subscribe on YouTube, and of course, if you can, follow on Amazon, Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to podcasts, give us a follow, give us a subs subscribe, and leave a review if you're so inclined. I appreciate you all for listening, and with that, let's get into it. All right, just like many of my friends that I've developed over the years, this one also comes from basketball. With me today to talk about the Timberwolves, but also about training and coaching is Dan Radke from Radke Basketball Academy. Dan, what's going on, man?

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Hey, not much, Steve. Thanks for having me on.

SPEAKER_02 2:04

Yeah, absolutely. So uh we got, I mean, we kind of knew each other through uh your wife is from my hometown, but really we kind of got connected through basketball, coaching together last year, last season. Um, and and I quickly realized that you were one of the I I don't want to say few, but that there aren't too many people that have as much passion about basketball as I do. Uh, but you are definitely in that group. So uh, you know, it's really been fun uh, you know, talking basketball with you, talking hoops. Uh we'll get to the Radkey Basketball Academy later. Um, but first, first things first, let's we gotta talk about the Wolves, man.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_02 2:43

They close it out in six games.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Crazy, right? What was your like game six takeaway? Because there was lots of storylines, there was lots to talk about.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Shock. I I I can't, I still am like, just since it's been such a break from then with all these game sevens, it doesn't feel like it's real yet because I mean after Io went down, I I was just I wrote it off. I was like, uh, you know, I just expected uh you know uh a blowout loss. Um but you know defense is always the reason why teams win. And it it shouldn't, you know, surprise anybody that Jaden showed up defensively and uh Clark showed up. I mean he was huge, you know, even though he tried to, you know, pick a fight with Joker and maybe lost that one a little bit. But uh I mean just the I don't know, it's it's something weird about this team that whoever steps in that isn't normally a defender, you know, you think about Julius Randle in his career. No one would have ever put defense as a reason that he'd be good. And there's something about Rudy and what he's given this team is a identity that anyone's anyone that's playing steps up and you know plays amazing defense. And to hold that team under a hundred points again with you know, I mean, I know that they had injuries as well, but you know, they were they were the best offensive team in the league all season. So it felt good. I mean, it just felt like it felt like a championship in a weird way. And I I know that that's odd to say in a first round, but to overcome those odds and to have every single writer write us off just felt so good to pull that out. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

Yeah, I agree. The the fact that so many people, including the Vegas odds makers, were basically saying the Nuggets were like eight to one favorites then to win the series after we were up 3-1 or 3-2. I it was one of the most satisfying wins, you know, as much as game seven from two years ago over the Nuggets to me, just because of the way it happened and who who stepped up, and you know, there was so much going into it. And you know, I was talking like Rudy Gobert Legacy Series, like he knocks off Joker again, and you know, I mean Joker had triple doubles and he had 25 to 30 points every game, but it was a struggle. You could tell he was not comfortable, and then Jaden was awesome. Yeah, yeah, I got tired. Like they just wore him out. I think Jaden played 45 minutes and Rudy played 42. Like, that's really I didn't see that. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Yeah, and and you have to I mean you have to win at home, you have to win that game six. Uh, you know, you go back to Denver shorthanded, and it doesn't feel you know as likely. So I think that they basically treated it like a game seven, and McDaniels just said, like, you know, I'm not coming off the court unless I'm on one leg. So felt good. Yeah, really good.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

That was what you know, as a Minnesota sports fan, I know you're originally from Montana, so you haven't grown up here your whole life, but like a game where everyone was like saying that, what you just said, like you have to win that game, and for them to show up and actually just earn it was such a I don't know, this team continues to like surprise me or make me just confident in them and believe in them. Like all season I was kind of like, hey man, we've seen this before. Like, they'll get in the playoffs and they'll get it going. And it's kind of what happened. It wasn't always perfect or beautiful, but man, it was like you said, the guys stepped up. Uh Terrence Shannon Jr., man, he was he was what we've all been waiting for, basically, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Exactly. You know, and and it sucks for Finch to take how many injuries until Shannon finally gets good minutes and then shows why he was wasn't he a first round pick? Didn't we move up to get him with Dillingham? Yeah. So I mean it's just one of those things that you know, anyone that played, I think they played eight guys, um, and they all played big minutes. I mean, Mike Conley was huge, you know, and like he even that block, I don't know, technically could have been a foul, but to me it looked pretty clean. Um for even him to go rise to that occasion is is big time. Um yeah, it just like you talk about legacy series, and um, you know, like I was actually on the other side of it back in 04 the last time that they were good in the playoffs. Um I was a big Kobe guy, so um I had just moved here a couple years before, so I was wasn't kind of a you know, wasn't quite on the Minnesota bandwagon yet, and I actually became a fan when they were at their worst, you know, shortly after that, like 09, 2010 started being a fan when they were you know constantly in the lottery, um, which feels good now to go through all of that and and have this come out. So yeah, it's it's fun. It's fun to watch them. And like like you said, this it's you know, you talk about Finch, everyone gives Finch crap for saying that they were bored in the regular season, and like, why would you say that? Why would you come out and say that? It's like, well, it's true, and that you know, quote unquote switch was absolutely flipped, and they showed that they can do it, you know, and maybe they were bored, maybe it was the truth. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

Yeah, I'm glad you brought up Conley because I wrote him down in my notes too. Of like, he did some of the more gritty things that usually you see Dante do, which I that was honestly. When those two when Ant and Dante went out, I thought they can get through Denver without Ant. If the somebody else can do these like little hustle plays and like rotations and like you know, do those things, and it was a combination, but it was you mentioned Jalen Clark, Mike Conley. Um, they both hit threes in game six and played great defense. And then also I thought um Nas, you know, I he's battling that shoulder injury, battling an ankle out, but he did some gritty stuff too, like just getting on the glass, kind of like even tipping balls around, like just effort plays that I just thought it was a collective, like awesome game from professional athletes who don't always do those little things.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Yeah. Well, and it's it was the difference in the game because you know, we were down five fairly early, but we just kept fighting back because of those gritty things. And someone like Nas, who you know, ever since his shoulder got hurt, he has not been the same Nas Reed that we remember. You know, two re two years ago, he was a huge reason why we won that series. You know, he was hitting big time threes, and his I I can't remember his exact percentage, but it is not great right now. But he kind of took the MO of like, all right, I my shot's not there, but I'm gonna do anything else I can to help us win. And normally he's not that guy. So it it feels pretty good to see all of them kind of buy in, you know, and Rudy obviously just played out of his mind, and it's kind of weird to say that they shut Joker down when he still I think he almost averaged a triple double, and just but it's someone so iconic that when you cut their stats down like that, you're still shutting them down, but he still had like an insane, you know, historic stat line for the for the series. But um, yeah, Rudy's definitely obvious obviously Jaden that last game was the MVP, but he didn't play that great in game five, and Rudy was consistent the whole time, so he just doesn't have as big of an impact offensively, so it's hard to like say, hey, you're the MVP, but without him, we get swept.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

So yeah. I think we talked about this at practice last week. On the Wolves had 25 turnovers in game five, and even if they took 10 of those away, which 15 isn't like you know, um unbelievable, but you're probably winning or close to that, you know, you're in the mix, and they had seven in game six, and Jaden had zero, and they so 45 minutes, held Murray held Murray to four for 17, had 32 points and 10 rebounds, and zero turnovers. Like that is zero. That's uh that's that's almost the KG level game.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Yeah, yep, and and it's it just goes back to like who he is as a player since college of like when it's time to step up, he's there. You know, he shows up, and I don't really care about all the trash talk and backing it up. Like, it's cool, it gives him a cool alter ego, but like he would have showed up regardless, you know. Like all the he was just saying what was on his mind, and then he went out and backed it up, and it was fun. But just yeah, he was unbelievable. Those the those little jump shots from like 12-13 feet that just are money after his spin move, it was just automatic for him. And and Murray was so small that he could just shoot over him. So I think I think this gives him a big boost the rest of his NBA career, to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

Yeah, he's he's been ascending, you know. His defense has been pretty much there the last three years or so, four years, but his offense is starting to take. I mean, there was a point this year where I think he was like second in the NBA. This was like not like November, this was like January in like three percentage. He did drop off a lot in March. I think he ended the season at 41, though. I mean, and now in this series, he did he was awful from three-point. And you know, so like I don't know if that's confidence or if he's lost something here with his three-point shooting, but he's definitely not been where he was early in the year, and he still was able to put up 32, just get into that mid-range, like you said.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Yep, mid-range, and and that's kind of the ant where ant lives as well. You know, yeah, he's a great three-point shooter, but that mid-range is uh is a lost art. There's a lot of players that are really good at it, and there's a time for it. I mean, a lot of people think that it's not the greatest shot because statistically, you know, layups or threes are really where the NBA is going, but we just won a series on them, so because I don't think that Wolf shot good from three the whole team, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:54

No, it wasn't a great uh series for them shooting, but you know, part of that is you lost Dante and Ant, too, which those two are your best three-point shooters all season. And um that that you know that maybe weaves into this next series. Let's talk about the Spurs a little bit because I do think with Wemby in the game, it's hard to get shots at the rim. This is basically a complete opposite game game plan for the Spurs, is what you would do against the Nuggets, right? We wanted to pound it in the paint, and you still got to do those things. It's just gonna be way harder. These guys are way more athletic. Denver's not athletic, but they execute the crap out of their uh half-court offense, and so it's just a completely different game. Um, going into it. Do you like how how do you see the series? Or like, what do you when you think of the Spurs and what we have right now? Let's assume Io plays and Ant maybe plays game two or game three. Um what do you think the keys are for the Wolves?

SPEAKER_00 13:52

I mean, I think that it's gonna come down to defense number one, right? Taking care of the ball number two, but I think that you still have to like go with what's been successful and maybe try to attack the rim to test it out and maybe try to get him in foul trouble. You know, like Wemby's a freak, but like the second he's off the floor, well, you gotta attack. You just gotta go at the rim because it just proved that it was a winning success, right? And if Ant and obviously uh DiVincenzo are playing, like our three ball just isn't gonna be there. So we can't all of a sudden switch our mo and just go, all right, we're staying out of the paint, we're gonna jack threes. Like it's that's you know, it unless you're the Warriors, like that's just not how teams win championships anymore, right? You get to the free throw line, you play good defense. Um, you know, I I think that if Nas was healthy, you know, you'd have that corner spot where you'd drive and dish. Um, the problem is they don't have to help because Wemby's in there, right? Like a lot of these other teams, the guards help down, then you can kick out. They don't have to do that because he's you know 12 feet tall.

SPEAKER_02 15:02

Right. So I mean, I still think To me, this is gonna be a really interesting Go ahead. Sorry. I was just gonna say, I think we're gonna see a lot more Randall Nas lineups and less Rudy. Um I just think Rudy is not gonna be comfortable guarding Wemby on the perimeter. And when you have Nas and Julius together, Wemby has to guard one of them, and one of them will be on the perimeter. And when you have Rudy in the game, you don't have that threat. So I think um the other thing is Wemby only played, I think he's averaging like 30 mo 30 minutes a game, or right around 30 minutes a game. So it's not like he's gonna play 38 to 45 minutes a night, you know. So like there are moments where he won't be on the floor and you have to dominate.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

Yeah, you just I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 15:54

Um Luke Cornet's been playing well.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what they do.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

Yeah, I mean, they're just they're so much more athletic with Harper and Castle and Vassal and De'Aaron Fox and stuff. It's just such a different game that I'm just really, really curious. On can the Wolves and and I've been saying this for weeks, the one of the Wolves' superpowers this year was especially when they got Io, was they they developed this ability to play in like three or four different ways, offensively and defensively. And now that's really tested because what they did against the Nuggets attack the rim, everybody going to the basket, you know, hone in on that two-man game and hook keep everyone else um you know in check. Now it's like they got four guys that are quick and athletic between like 6'4 and 6'7 that can get to the basket, and then they have Wemby who can shoot threes and blocks everything. It's just I it's so fascinating to me. I think Chris Finch will get his money uh in the series.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Yeah, I just saw a stat line of their like starting five and how much they score, and I think uh four of the five are in double digit averages, and one of them's at like 9.7. So it's every one of them's a threat, right? Like this last game, you can live with uh I can't remember his name, the three-point shooter for Denver. Cam Johnson. But anyway, yeah, Cam Johnson. You can live with him getting 24, 25, shooting threes. You can't live with Joker putting up 50 and Murray putting up 30. Like that's gonna kill you, and they shut it down. Where you know, San Antonio, it's anyone's night, you know, because Fox can get hot, you know, and he's so quick that if he can get to the rim, that's where you know, I I I understand offensively it's good not to have Rudy in there, but if once he's off the floor, if if those quicker guards can get to the rack, you don't have the rim protection. And our defense drops off so much when Rudy's not on the floor. So yeah. But like you said, Finch though, I mean he made Finch won game six with the lineups. You know, like he he absolutely going big with Nas, Rudy, and Julius was the reason we won that game. Like, absolutely, we just got every rebound, you know, like we didn't give them any second chances, which is what killed us in game five, obviously with turnovers. So this next one, you know, he's gonna have to figure out and make those adjustments of how to counter the Spurs, you know. Like, is going big the answer again just to kind of help the the rim protection and then also battle with Wemby. And you know, you can throw three different guys that can guard him. Um, but like you said, offensively, then if Wemby guards Rudy, you gotta get Rudy, you know, the pick and roll is nice to keep him up, right? And keep him out of there so that if people do drive, Wemby's not in there. But man, it is 100% a different series. It's gonna be fun to watch.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Yeah, I guess the thing that I worry about if you go with that bigger lineup, because it was so effective, but that was because Nas, who is a huge three, but the Nuggets were trotting out, like you said, Cam Johnson and Tim Hardaway Jr. Those guys are not athletic and quick, and they they couldn't beat Nas off the dribble. The Spurs guys can, and that's where I kind of worry, and I loved it because we pounded the glass, we created a ton of offensive mismatches. I just I think it's gonna be trickier to do that in this series. I I don't know. I think Rudy starts on Wemby just because, and you see how it goes. Um, I mean, if he does if he can if he can hold his own against Wemby, it's gonna be an all-time playoff performance from a defensive player because Jokic is one thing and Wemby's another, and that would be incredible. So I I don't know. Personally, I like I that's why I think Io being in the game is gonna be really important because I think Io on Fox, I think we can I think Fox is super fast, but Io I think can handle that. Then you could put Jaden on Castle, which he's the one I'm most afraid of on the Spurs, and I would love to see McDaniels on him. Um, but then I don't know if Io's not in the game, you got Shannon and McDaniels as your two guards, and you're just massive again.

SPEAKER_00 20:15

So yeah, and Shannon is wild fast, but he's fast with the ball going downhill. Defensively, he you know, there's a couple times in game six that he lost his defender, like flat out lost him. Yeah, it was like junior high stuff. So um, yeah, he's of he's a spark plug, and hopefully he can just bear down and and play because I think he's gonna be the key again, you know, is getting him some minutes. It's just gonna be, you know, if he puts up two, is he giving up two? You know, you can't have that.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

Yeah. Right. And I think to the Spurs defenders are a little better, they won't let him get to his left hand the way the Nuggets just I it was almost laughable how it felt like us coaching sixth graders, where you're like, make them go the other way, and they just like literally couldn't do it because they're just nope, not as Jaden said, not great defenders.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

No, and it it wasn't even in their mindset, it wasn't even like they were trying to make him go right, they were just letting him go left. Like it wasn't even like they had their left foot up or their right foot up to try to like you know counter it, they just flat out let him go left, and he they paid for it, and they're now in Cancun.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

So it reminded me a little bit of the Lakers series last year where we were just so much more athletic than them. Um and they just really couldn't do anything against us. Uh just felt overmatched. Um, the Nuggets, I think, have some serious off season question saying and I know they're already talking about it like is Murray gone? Um, do you break that whole thing up and just keep Jokic and build around him? Because I think the problem for them though is like your best players in their lineup were like their two two of their worst defenders. And Jokic is just not I mean he's oh he's crafty, he uses his hands and stuff, but like man, if th if that's your your two best players are that incapable of slowing the other team down, it it's gonna be really hard. So I almost feel like they gotta part with one of them, and it's probably gonna be Murray because Jokic is all-time offensive player, you know.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Yeah, and I don't it would be probably sacrilegious to trade Joker, but I I can see them somehow getting him to the Lakers. It just it's the NBA, and I would never put it past like him and Luca teaming up in LA. So I I can't I could see a scenario where the entire team is just blown up and they start over, coach is gone, everyone's gone. Because wasn't he an assistant coach that got put in when they fired Mike Malone and he just kind of took over?

SPEAKER_02 22:50

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

So, like, yeah, it's not like he's built this, so they don't have any ties to it. Right. They just kind of went, Alright, let's see what you can do. You've got the best player in the league, uh, uh another outstanding guard. Let's see what you can do with it. And you know, he got out coached like crazy to lose that game is a career killer, to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

Yeah. It was, I mean, there was a lot of heat for sure. Uh I just for fun would sneak into the Denver media Instagram accounts once in a while just to see how things were going. And yeah, I mean, I think they they felt the way I think a lot of experts were predicting. And like when Ant and Dante went down, it was just like, oh, that you know, they're they they're gonna come back and win. And that's again like the Spurs is is feeling that way where a lot of people are just like, Well, the Spurs, because they're the two C. And I'm like, Yeah, they're the two C, but none of these guys have been in the playoffs. Like, even Deanner Fox with all the years that he played in Sacramento, it's not like they were like ever in contention or going to a Western Conference final. So um it it is a little different, and their coach is young, you know, he hasn't coached a ton. So, like, I'm not saying they can't do it, and that Wemby isn't generational or could just lead him to the finals because he's that good, but like for people to just uh brush this off again, as if the wolves haven't gone to two western conference finals, as if Jaden and Rudy didn't just dominate defend. Yes, they the wolves love it. You can tell that they are eating this up, they're like, fine, pick against us because Finch mentioned it in the postgamer.

SPEAKER_00 24:27

Yeah, yep. I don't want to be the favorite, I don't want to, and we won't be with the sixth seed. Um I I just think that it's a whole different ball game. Well, you just saw two the the two seed go down in the east, you know, and the one seed barely hung on in one game seven. Like, seeds don't matter, right? It's matchups. The biggest thing in the NBA when you get in the playoffs is matchups. Now, obviously, you know, Oklahoma City's a different Oklahoma City and the refs are a different animal, but like it's matchups, and honestly, like we beat the Spurs two out of three times this year, and I didn't look to see if Wemby played in those games because he was hurt a lot this year. So maybe he didn't play in any of them and he only played in the one that they won. I don't know. But I just love being the underdog. I have I root for the underdog in almost every scenario if I don't have a horse in the race, so we might as well just own this.

SPEAKER_02 25:20

Yeah, uh one of those games the Wolves won, Wemby played because I remember vividly Julius getting physical and just bodying him up, and he had no chance. Wemby was out of his spot, he couldn't buy get by him because Julius is quick enough, and I think that's why like the Julius Nas lineup is really interesting. Um, because Julius is kind of the opposite of uh, you know, Wemby, where he's physical and he'll get in your space. And um yeah, I just I there's this is gonna be I I was even if Ant wasn't coming back till game four, I still think the wolves were gonna get one of those first three. Like I just they they've shown it, they're gritty. They Jaden can carry you, Rudy and Julius can do things. Like, Julius still hasn't had an unbelievable like shooting game. He's had some 20 pointers, but nothing like you know, he's like 14 for 18 from the field, and that could happen. I mean, Wemby's been injury prone, he could go down. Like, I don't know why there's just this well, Spurs in four, Spurs, Spurs and five. It's like, what have they, you know? I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

Yeah, and it wasn't this is a Homer podcast. 100%, 100%, and that's fine. That's it should be. It should be. The Spurs. Uh I I just don't. I mean, uh obviously we know our bench, but our bench isn't as deep with you know, two people out. But I just I just feel that when the second group comes in, we're deeper and better than almost any team in the league. Uh you know, like we are so deep, and you can just pick, you know, there's yeah, we played eight guys, but you know, realistically, when we're healthy, we got 10, 11 guys that can get on there and contribute, you know. I mean, Slomo was also out, like no one he obviously isn't gonna win you a game offensively, but he's so smart and he plays such smart defense, and he can, you know, he's not played enough, so like his fouls don't matter. Like, he'll he is smart with his fouls and he affects games, and he didn't even see the court in game six. So, you know, I I I think that we can steal game one to be honest. I think we can show up and punch him in the face and get it done.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Well, I mean, it sounds like Ant is questionable, so who knows? There might be a lift just emotionally from having him, but uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

Well, yeah, like I said, I wouldn't I wouldn't even think about playing him until game five. I just wouldn't. He he is our future, right? He is everything to the franchise. You know, he's been hurt to the second half of the season, but you know, he's also an amazing defender. He's obviously a top five offensive player in the league. He is a stud. You cannot sacrifice the next five to ten years of the Timberwolves life to possibly win this series. If we're if we're down, you know, three games to one after four, I wouldn't bring him back. So obviously he's a competitor, he's gonna want to come back, but as the Timberwolves organization, you gotta be smart about this. Like, he is you know, we haven't had a player like him for 20 years. We need to we need to hold on to this and not be stupid about it. But if you're up 3-1 and you need to finish it off, and then you're going to the Western Conference Finals again, sacrifice all you want, I guess. I don't know. I don't know what the difference is, but you know, if when you have a real chance to to move on, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

Yeah, I mean, I just don't think as Timberwolves fans, you don't take it for granted. Like you're in you're in the mix. Anything like SGA goes down in the next series, things change dramatically, right? So like I don't think you can just say, well, like, you know, well, throw this one away. Because like, again, you you don't know. And um, it feels like the wolves are there. Um, they're probably a a step behind OKC, but you know, they've they're they're knocking on the door, man. They are they are right there, and uh, I was nervous about Boston and the East, and here they they blow a 3-1 lead. So Tatum doesn't even play in game seven.

SPEAKER_00 29:23

I wonder what was going on. I didn't see his injury, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

I mean, he got hurt obviously game six, and it kind of it sounded like right away they kind of thought he might be out. But um, yeah, I mean, too bad for them, but also I don't think they were banking on getting to the finals this year. You know, they kind of I think was this was kind of a gap year for them where they thought, well, we'll be somewhat competitive, but you know, we'll just bank on Tatum coming back, and here they get the two seed because it's the East. But um, you know, the Pistons don't scare, don't scare you, you know, and the Knicks, and the Knicks are solid, but again, I it's like something happens with OKC or whatever, and you know, you don't want that to happen, but um, yeah, it's uh I don't know, man. This this team is just every year, I kind of get this like it's just the anti-Minnesota. Yeah I don't get the woe is me. I get the like, hey, we could do this. Like these guys are tough, they're they're gritty, they do all these like little things, and they got a full deep roster, like you said, when they're healthy, man. That's what sucks is um I just loved watching Dante play so much, and I feel like he is built for the Spurs and the OKC series. Like, that's those are the teams that he can really help you with. Um, so it's I mean, obviously unfortunate for him and his career, but like just from a Wolves fan perspective, it's it's a bummer. But you know, they still got enough. I think that's what Finch was saying, right? They still got enough.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

Yeah, it's pretty incredible. It it's like it sucks too that there's a chance he doesn't play for us ever again. Like he's got one year left. It depends on how he comes back. And he he became, I mean, all the I have a lot of favorite players right now because all of them are just you know, there's something to like about all of them. Um and he really just his defense and his intensity and how he can get the crowd going, and he hits big time shots. It really, it really sucks that he had uh it ended like that. But you know, hopefully we're smart, or hopefully for him, he's healthy, right? And comes back strong, and then maybe we can cut a deal and you know, maybe it's a blessing in disguise in two years, who knows? When we move over to the east.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

Rumors abound. Um do you want to lay any uh prediction out there? Do you have a feeling? Do you got a sense? I know you think the wolves might steal game one.

SPEAKER_00 31:50

It sounded like Yeah, I I can see my heart says we we lose in six or seven, just because I'm I'm I'm cautious. I'm very cautious with predictions. I don't want to come out and just be the homer and be like wolves in six, you know. We we did it last time. Yeah, the the Spurs are a lot different. Um, you know, they were battled, they battled all year, they were the better seed all year. Um But you know, there's always a scenario that you know, I there's no way I would have ever picked us to win game six, ever. Especially like that. Like, you know, like we struggled for a little bit, but then we pretty much dominated the second half. So I don't know. It's a hard series to predict, but I I would have to predict uh a Wolves loss, and I'll call it seven. Um, I think maybe we take him seven and lose lose on the road, but um obviously I'm hoping for uh to be wrong in that.

SPEAKER_02 32:48

Yeah. Yeah. Uh yeah, man. I don't know. I'm kind of I'd probably arrate with you. Like if I had to predict one, that's probably what I'd say. But God, the news uh uh of ant maybe being ready for game one has got me feeling like geez, I mean that's you get some though.

SPEAKER_00 33:07

I mean, I'm I'm nervous if he's gonna be able to do it. You mean just as health like oh no, not not really that, but like if he's not a hundred percent, he's been you know, he he's one of our better defenders. You know, he reminds me a lot of like the Kobe's and the MJs, the people that like they can lock you down defensively on top of being a great offensive player, and he hasn't been that way this year because of his knee. Now he's got another bad knee. So like yeah, like he might physically be able to get out there, but is it gonna help the team if he's not absolutely 100% ready to go full bore? Because you know, he you could tell he wasn't fully there defensively, he wasn't guarding Murray, you know, like I think he normally would have guarded him because he can shut him down. But so it almost makes me nervous that he's wanting to that he's willing to come back early. So I mean I hope he does, and I hope he's healthy, and he puts up 40 and gets us that game one win, or maybe game two. But um, I just I I'm very nervous about the this the scenario with him, but it would be fun, it would be and it would be such a boost.

SPEAKER_02 34:14

Yeah, yeah, I I I agree. Like, I I feel like there's a little bit of posturing right now, and there's like, oh, he's questionable as if he might play, and maybe that's just to kind of get the Spurs thinking about it a little bit. But um, I think realistically, like I think even I think even if you drop two and you come home and he plays in game three, like you know, two losing two on the road in a seven-game series isn't the end of the world. Um, so I think yeah, I'm sure they're gonna be careful. Like, that's the thing is he's gotta that I think he got medically cleared, and that's why he was upgraded to questionable. Now that doesn't mean you know he's gonna play, but I think you know, he's a competitor, so you're right. Like you gotta protect him from himself probably a little bit here. But yeah um yeah, I don't know. He he's always kind of I felt like kind of like an Adrian Peterson where he comes back a little earlier than you think just because he's a 25, 24-year-old. Yeah, right. Like it's not like you and I getting hurt at pickup ball where we're out for two years because of weed, yep, got pulled a hamstring.

SPEAKER_00 35:21

Yep, literally I'm living that right now. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 35:27

Hitting close to home. Um all right. Well, that's enough wolves talk. Let's talk about uh your passion project right now because um after, like I said at the top of the the show here, Time Mot, your passion for basketball was very obvious from the start. And um, you started Radkey Basketball Academy. Um, what was kind of the moment where you're like, you know what, I'm I'm ready for this, I want to do this, and I'm all in on basketball.

SPEAKER_00 35:56

Um, you know, it uh this is gonna be a little deeper than a sports podcast wants to uh go, but I'm gonna go there. You know, uh I turned 40 last year. Yep, I turned 40 last year, and uh it, you know, it kind of hit me that like the whole like what are you doing with your life? You know, like there's a reason we're here, we get one life. Um you know, I'm passionate about basketball. Uh, you know, I'm passionate about the outdoors, I love camping and that stuff. And I was just trying to figure out a way to like turn a passion into a career, and it just kind of clicked with basketball, especially after coaching with you last year. Um, the the love of the game paint came back pretty strong. Um and I just kind of wanted a reason to look look to forward to something, you know, instead of the mundane Monday through Friday nine to five job. And um it it kind of just clicked a little bit uh that that's you know the direction that I wanted to go. Um and then it's also like I love this community, I love where we live. Um been here eight years now. I've coached my kid through countless different sports, try to help out at the school as much as I can. And I just think that there's a need in the community um with something like this and with you know, like a mentor type situation, but also where I can, you know, get paid to do what I love.

SPEAKER_02 37:20

I'm seeing the kids that you're working with, and I've been around you enough, and I I I know like we share a lot of the same um basketball, I don't know if it's philosophy, but just like how how you get better, right? Like simple things, fundamentals, things like that. Um, you know, there's a lot of trainers out there, and I see all the videos, and sometimes I'm like, oh, that's cool. And sometimes I'm like, what are we doing? Like 99% of kids won't be able to do that or it won't need to do that ever. What is kind of your uh focus or unique uh component that you think you're bringing to your training?

SPEAKER_00 37:57

Um, I I don't know if it's even that unique because it's the basics, right? It's the fundamentals. My whole kind of MO is just basics, basics, basics, and kind of pounding it into the fundamentals of the game so that when you're playing, you don't even have to think about it, right? Um getting your footwork correct, you know, shooting form correct, you know, getting your ball handling down. Uh I just think it's really important to be able to do all those things. And, you know, it's on any level, you know, like the greatest players of the game still start their workouts with fundamental things. You know, Steph Curry still goes to the hoop every single time and does one-handed shots, you know, and then slowly backs up. And he he doesn't have to, he wouldn't have to at this point. He's almost ready to retire at some point. He still does it every single time. And so whether you're, you know, I'm I'm training anywhere from seven years old, and that's not the limit, but that's the youngest I have trained, um, you know, up through junior, seniors in high school, and every single one one of them can get better at the fundamentals um and make them more sound in the game. So that's really where I'm focusing.

SPEAKER_02 39:02

Yeah, I think you know, fundamentals, footwork, stuff like that is quote unquote boring to some kids. But I think there's a reason that Jokic and Doncic and Giannis to some degree, you know, a few years ago, and even Wemby, they have great feet, great footwork, you know, like they the the pivots and the shot fakes and things that like I think you and I grew up kind of doing, um, you know, but we watched Hakim Olajuan do it, we watched Jordan do it, we watched, you know, players like that. And I think there's um there is a a lot of kids want to just come in the gym now because they've watched Steph Curry and shoot, you know, shoot and shoot. But it's like, have you watched all the things that he does to get ready for that? Yeah. Have you watched all the things he does before he gets the ball in his hands? And those are the things I think that the game needs more of um to continue to improve.

SPEAKER_00 39:56

Yeah, and I and I agree. I mean, I look at somebody like Ant, who is so athletic and can dunk on anybody in the NBA, but what I think is more impressive is when he splits a double team, right? Like has the footwork to you know pivot back and then pivot through it and be strong with the ball, and it's those types of things that I'm more impressed with. Um, because there's a lot of you know amazing athletes out there, but if you can, you know, be fundamentally sound, you can go a long way. And it's funny that you mentioned all the European guys, right, that are good at footwork and good at you know, ball handling. Look at Wemby. You know, if Wemby grow if Wemby grows up in America, is he as good? Because he spent the first how many years just doing fundamentally sound basketball moves, and now he happens to be 7'10 or whatever the heck he is, you know, so he can dribble like he can dribble almost as good as any point guard in the league, but you don't get that stuff if you're not working on it.

SPEAKER_02 40:49

Yeah. Um, I want to ask you because uh I don't I don't even know if I know the answer to this, to be honest. Um you had a a really good season this year coaching uh in in sixth grade. You guys improved tremendously, and I feel like at some point it almost I don't know if that's where the idea for your academy came from, but I definitely noticed like um getting through to the kids and just the the big time jumps they were making throughout the year. Was there was there anything where you were like I I'm actually I don't know good at this? I know you're a very humble person, but like I'm I'm good at this, I can do this, or like just to see that that jump from kids who maybe you know there's there's a couple on your team who had never played, and like to see their jumps that they made is like phenomenal from the outside perspective. So was there anything during the season that really like nudged you or motivated you even more to do this?

SPEAKER_00 41:54

Yeah, so I have I know the exact moment that I decided to do it, but I'll I'll kind of go back on on what you said with training kids, and um, it was really fun. I had I had nine kids on the team, four of them have never played organized basketball before. So, and I kind of liked that, right? Because you went from zero to whatever it was at the end of the year, and like this is what their training was was basketball practice, so it was a lot of fun to see them grow. Um, you know, but at the same time, like last year we coached at the B level, you know, together, and then this year was down to the C level. So the uh the level that the kids are at is completely different. So you have to change how you coach, right? You you know, like you have to remind yourself probably for the first month, like it was kind of a reality check of like I would talk about you know, get on the baseline, and half the kids didn't know what that term meant. So it was kind of like a holy cow, there's an opportunity here to teach kids the basics and teach them about basketball. But uh yeah, I was very fortunate um to have a a really fun group of coaches again to coach with. Um John was a lot of fun um to to coach with. He was by my side uh a lot through the season. Um and it just kind of pushed me to you know like continue trying to come up with new ways to get through to the kids and be creative, you know, and and I kind of wing it a lot with practice plans because I want to change up. I don't want it to be, you know, the boring same routine every single time, right? I want you can learn in different ways, and different kids learn in different ways. So, but it kind of hit me we were practicing, we we shared a lot of gym time, and we were practicing with the fifth grade team, and I think it was the fifth grade A team, and so I was coaching with uh Josh, and um I'm blanking on his last name right now, but um, and we were talking, and a couple of the parents on that kid came that team came up. To me afterwards and said, like, hey, you're pretty good at this, like, that was fun to watch. But in the middle of it, Josh and I started talking about like, I just kind of went up to him and be like, Man, wouldn't it be awesome to do this for a living? And we just kind of like spitballed off each other of like, I want to do this for a living, like, I want to coach kids basketball and get paid to do it, and I don't want to do anything else. And obviously, I can't just quit my job and and go full bore into this, but uh um that was kind of the moment. Um, you know, and then you saw me shortly after that at a music thing with uh Palmer and Ellis, and I showed you the mock-up of the you know Radkey Basketball Academy, and at that time I was actually leaning towards the Fundamentals Factory, um, which I still am you know going back and forth with names, but uh I like to put my last name into it and show that I care and have heart. But um, I wanted to go all in though, like I wanted to get the gym built, I wanted to, you know, have have this monstrous big thing. You know, there's these other companies, you know, you know uh enterprise basketball and all these different companies that are doing the bigger things. But so it was kind of daunting right away to think about how this was gonna happen. And um I I got pretty bummed just because I I was like, it's not gonna happen, you're right. Like, it's that's too big of a dream, right? I don't have half a million dollars sitting in a bank account to just go build a gym and you know whatever. So I was uh I went to lunch with uh a really good friend of mine, his name's Reed Nelson, and I told him about this idea, and he looked me in the in the face when I told him I was bummed this isn't gonna happen, or whatever, and he said, Why can't it happen? And I was like, Well, I I just I can't do it. And he goes, he goes, and he I'll I'll quote someone who told him this once is that you have to take off and learn how to fly the plane when you're in the air. And I was like, What do you mean by that? And he goes, get a website going and find a gym and start find a gym and just start training kids. You don't have to have a gym, go rent a gym, go find a space. So I was like, holy cow, like that's actually you know really smart. You know, I'm kind of a big picture guy. I didn't even think about like let's do these small steps to get into the bigger, the bigger thing. I was like, you know, 10,000 feet in the air with that plane when I took off, but his advice, you know, kind of propelled me to just start, right? Just get going. So um that's what I did. And now I think I started the first week of March. So I'm you know two months into this thing and and we're rolling, so it's pretty fun.

SPEAKER_02 46:41

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I see the videos, man. Um, it's awesome stuff. Obviously, uh, we're doing some coaching together, so I'm seeing some of it firsthand, some of the things you guys are doing, and it's awesome. It's great to have friends like that. I mean, that's honestly how this podcast started was a very similar conversation, a very similar, like just start it. Like, it doesn't have to be perfect from the get-go, just get rolling. Um, so it's it's just important to have people around you like that, and uh, I would consider you to be someone like that in my world as well. So it's it's awesome. Um, really excited about your Radkey basketball academy. Um, where can people find it? Um, by the way, I should make note you mentioned our community. Uh, we're in the Mound Orno uh Minatrista area. So um if uh if anybody's got a youth player, uh what do you take? Anyone five to high school, or what's is it what's the age of the city?

SPEAKER_00 47:41

So right now, um you can go to Radkeybasketball Academy.com or check out my Instagram, uh just search Radkey Basketball Academy. Um, but I will train, I'll train a baby, I'll train a 90-year-old, I don't care. Um I I love basketball, and if someone wants to come in, like I have a session I uh with a seven-year-old girl um who's very new to the game, um, and I already had one with her, and I'm having another one on Monday. So um, you know, like what's that first grade? So uh I it's first grade through senior, um, but I I'll train college kids, I'll train whoever wants to come learn how to play basketball. Um I am open. Um I've got three different sessions, kind of a new to the game, which is generally like kindergarten through fourth grade, um, and then kind of a little more advanced one where it's like middle school age and then the higher level, which is high school. And the only reason why I have it separated is more for um just teaching at the same level, right? It'd be really hard to train a seven-year-old and a senior in high school at the same time, um, sure just for for drills and things like that. But you know, and the drills don't have to change. Like a lot of people think like, what's your progression? And it's like, I mean, you can do the same drill over and over and just get better at it, right? Like a junior high person who is, you know, like I got you know, Nico and Bowden that come through, and they're twins and they're at different levels, and I can train them and do the same moves with them, but one can do it a little faster and the other one can slow it down, and they can both progress at their own stage, right? Like this doesn't have to be some elite thing, um, but it's a lot of fun, and I just encourage anyone who is even interested in getting into basketball or has a kid that you know there's something there that maybe they just need a little extra time. Um, and I I I think the one thing that I stand out to is like my prices are very fair, very, very fair. I've looked at a lot of these other academies that charge hundreds of dollars for sessions, and I'm I'm at 20 bucks for the new to the game and 25 for for everything else. So, and it's uh hour session for the new to the game and 90 minutes for the other one. So yeah, I'm just pumped. I'm so glad I'm doing this.

SPEAKER_02 49:59

Yeah, I am too, man. It's your passion just exudes from you. So it's it's awesome. Appreciate that. Um, I'm glad it yeah. Any anytime we can help you out, uh, I'm here for you. And uh we'll see you at practice this week, of course. For sure. Uh Radkeybasketballacademy.com. Dan Radke, appreciate you coming on the podcast today, man. Thank you, Steve.

SPEAKER_00 50:21

Shout out. Thanks.

SPEAKER_02 50:24

Thanks again to my guest Dan Radke from Radke Basketball Academy. Super fun conversation. Uh it's been great getting to know Dan, and I'm so excited that he's bringing his passion to life with his basketball academy. Uh, if you have a youth player interested in improving their game, getting some extra time in the gym, uh working with somebody who's coached at the high school level and the youth level, uh, Dan is, like you said, extremely fair pricing, and he cares a lot, and he's really gonna give everything he can to help your player get better. So reach out to him, Radkeybasketballacademy.com. That's the show for today. Um next episode, we'll be talking Spurs Wolves. They'll have two games under the belt, I think, by the time we come to you again, and hopefully we got a one one split. Um, maybe we'll see Ant in game one. Really fun to be just following basketball still as we flip the calendar to May. And so, thanks again for listening. This has been the Splash City Basketball Podcast.

SPEAKER_01 51:25

Bag and then, back and back again.