1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: Mmmmmm just posted so uh that's radio. Thank you guys 2 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: so much for coming to hang out. Man, this is 3 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: going off the rails and I think that, Man, I 4 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: have so many thoughts. I would probably chill for a 5 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: second and give you a second to give me your 6 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: your quick instant reactions off of what you saw tonight, 7 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: particularly during the last five minutes and where you're at 8 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: right now mentally, so just like full discretion today is 9 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: actually do wally, which is actually like a thing my 10 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: family celebrates. I'm actually at a family's house. Uh, we're 11 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: actually they're actually having a party. So I thought, you know, 12 00:00:57,840 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: I can kind of tune in and out of an 13 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: Okay See game that even without Lebron, we should be 14 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 1: able to handle, you know, pretty easily. I was wrong. 15 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: I was staring at my phone for the last six 16 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: or seven minutes. I don't even know where to start 17 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: with this. The first quarter seemed like it was the 18 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 1: same as it was in Okay See. I See Davis 19 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: looked like he could have went for fifty if he 20 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: wanted to. Um. I got to start see most of 21 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,559 Speaker 1: the first quarter. I missed the second and third quarter, 22 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 1: and got to see the end of the fourth so 23 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have you kind of film me in those 24 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: second and third maybe I don't want to know. I 25 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: don't know us. I know they went up like nineteen. 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: I saw the box score. They went up nineteen, and 27 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: I thought, I can just kind of enjoy, uh, my 28 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: family's kind of presence here at this party. But I 29 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: guess not so if you can kind of fill me 30 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: in this the third quarter, because that fourth quarter was 31 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: absolutely awfully was ugly. I saw Shae hit like a 32 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: forty foot or something. But uh, there's a very basic 33 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: principle that I think that that shuts this Laker offense 34 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: down without lebron against Oklahoma City in particular, and a 35 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: lot of it has to do with lu Dor. He 36 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 1: deserves the lion's share of the credit because what ends 37 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: up happening is he has the ability to switch on 38 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: to both Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook and he turns 39 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 1: both of them into jump shooters, and so they're they're 40 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: down the stretch of the game. It was a lot 41 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: of um there's a lot of Derrick favors in lu 42 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: Door trying to defend these Russ and a D actions 43 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: and they weren't getting anything good out of him, because 44 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis is content every time the team needs a 45 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: big shot out of him to take a step back 46 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: jump shot, which just doesn't go in ever um at 47 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: this point in his career, which is a whole other 48 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: thing that we need to discuss there, because if Anthony 49 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: Davis is not a stretch big and he's just a 50 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: rim running big, that severely changes the dynamic of this team. 51 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: That turns this from It turns this from a team 52 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: that has the capability to unlock a lot of the 53 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: best of what russ of Westbrook is. It turns that 54 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: into all of a sudden something that could be a 55 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: bit of a liability and so and what. We can 56 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: get into that later, but the gist of it is 57 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: the Lakers could not score against Oklahoma City in the 58 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: half court unless Carmelo Anthony was making crazy contested threes. 59 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: And the reason why is they were getting underneath every 60 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: single pick and roll with Russell Westbrook, and he is 61 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: incapable of making teams pay for doing that. And Oklahoma 62 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: City's post offenders were capable of forcing Anthony Davis into 63 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: being a jump shooter, which he also uh it can't 64 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: make teams pay for um but fundamentally, there's there's something 65 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: wrong with this basketball team having to do with how 66 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: much they depend on Lebron. And the reason why is 67 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: last year, when Lebron was out, they had this identity 68 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: that they could fall back on that allowed him to 69 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: remain somewhat competitive, and that was their defense. This team 70 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: obviously doesn't have that yet. Um So now all of 71 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: a sudden, when Lebron is out, they have nothing that 72 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: they can fall back on. And from an XS and 73 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: nose perspective, you know, if you think of it, the 74 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: Lakers have no problem filling the center minutes because those 75 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,839 Speaker 1: are gonna get split between some combination of Anthony Davis 76 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: and the two big guys Dwight and DeAndre Jordan's. But 77 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: at the power forward position, when Lebron is out there 78 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: and he's playing thirty four thirty five minutes, everything makes 79 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: sense because he's probably the best power forward and basketball 80 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: you know, so from that, from that standpoint, everything seems 81 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: to work. He he is that back line defender when 82 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis at the five is defending screen and roll 83 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: actions at the top of the key. For instance, there 84 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: was a late action there uh Mike Muscala and and 85 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: shay Gil just Alexander to pick and roll at the 86 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: top of the key and ad A d trapped on 87 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 1: s G A and there was a very simple pocket pass. 88 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: And because it's not Lebron James on the back line 89 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: to blow up the play, it's Russell Westbrook who it 90 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: was just too small and ended up just fouling Mike 91 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: Muscala as he made an easy left handed layup. That's 92 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: that's a a lynch pin in the entire defense and 93 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: the way that it works that when it's not there, 94 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, nothing makes sense. Why in the 95 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: world would you want Russell Westbrook playing Draymond Green for 96 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: you being the Draymond Green roll? You know what I mean. 97 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: It's just it's just not something he's physically capable of doing. 98 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: And and then on and then on the offensive end, 99 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: Lebron's ability to shoot the basketball off the dribble makes 100 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: defenders chase over the top of those screens, which unlocks 101 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: everything that him and Anthony Davis trying to do at 102 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: the end of these games. So Lebron James not being 103 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: out there fundamentally breaks the Lakers on both sides of 104 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: the ball, which is exactly why this isn't a good 105 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: basketball team because in previous years they were a good 106 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: basketball team because they had an identity outside of Lebron 107 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: James that relied on the defensive end of the ball. 108 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: This team without that relies way too much on him. 109 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: And he's thirty. Said, we're gonna talk about it later today, 110 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 1: later tonight, but at this age, that's a dangerous game, 111 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: leaning on a thirty seven year old guy to beat 112 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: the lynchpin on both sides of the ball. And and 113 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: and that to me is scared because you might look 114 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: at yourself and say, hey, Russe and a d we 115 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 1: got enough talent, we should be able to win this game. 116 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: But those two guys have specific limitations that when you 117 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: get ed him in specific matchups against guys that turned 118 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: them into jump shooters, all of a sudden, nothing works. 119 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: And that's a real problem. Yeah, So we spoke about 120 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: this in the last Okay see a game, right, because 121 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 1: I remember you're saying something like it's hard to judge 122 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: this team without Lebron James, And I think that's totally 123 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: true judging this team. Like someone asked me today in 124 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: my mentions, like are you worried about the Lebron James injury, 125 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: and my response was really going to be, like, to me, 126 00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: worrying about Lebron James being injured is kind of like 127 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 1: that makes no sense because if Lebron is injured, then 128 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,039 Speaker 1: this team is not going anywhere anyway. But there's still 129 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 1: a level of like you have to get to where 130 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: they have to be somewhat competitive without him. Like Lebron, 131 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:12,679 Speaker 1: like I said, is not going to play forty eight minutes. 132 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: Russ and Ittie should be able to win these type 133 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: of games against Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma City tunder that 134 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: beat you already and again blowing another nine team point lead. 135 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: I always talked about how defense isn't just effort. There 136 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: are some issues here. I didn't like Russ on Loue 137 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: Door in terms of like his job was to be 138 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: the help guy, tell me if I'm wrong there. Did 139 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: that continue throughout the game as as Russ being the 140 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: blue door that I saw that in the first quarter 141 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: and the fourth quarter where he was the guy that's 142 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: supposed to kind of help offer. He was supposed to 143 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: be the cheek guy. And several included included yeah, just 144 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: recklessly double tea at the top of the and we 145 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: talked about this over the summer. I want Russ on 146 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: a guy where he has to focus right, he has 147 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: to be mentally engaged defensively. I don't like him on 148 00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: a guy like Blue Door, where it's his kind of job, 149 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: even if his bogol tells him to be the help guy, 150 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: to stay in the paint. I just don't like that 151 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: from a defensive kind of awareness standpoint. There was one 152 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: play in the fourth quarter. I think he was on 153 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: Kirk what I forgot the guy's name move at the 154 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: third quarter? Who at the three pointer in the in 155 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: the third quarter, Kendrick Williams. Kenrick Williams, um he was on. 156 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: He was on him in the corner. He just recklessly 157 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: helped balls swang swan. Russ was in no man's land. 158 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: He wasn't helping at all, He wasn't trapping. It was 159 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: on his man. Kenris Willins had a wide open during 160 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: the quarter and hit it. I don't like that, I guess. 161 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: But again, like there's just got There's just has to 162 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: be enough talent there where you have. You have to 163 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: be able to survive even if Lebron doesn't play against Okay, see, 164 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: like what are you gonna do when you go play 165 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: Dame on you know, on Saturday, or you play at 166 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: Miami in a couple of days. Like these are teams 167 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: you have to rack wins up against. And Okay, see 168 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: it's one and six for a reason, their only wins 169 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: against US. And I don't think that's an accident. This 170 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 1: is not a good basketball team. You should be able 171 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: to defeat them without Lebron James. I just think there's 172 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,719 Speaker 1: a lot of things going wrong year again a d 173 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if his hand was bothering him. I 174 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: know that he had an injury to his hand or 175 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 1: finger or something like that before halftime time. He finishes 176 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: with twenty nine. I think he had like fourteen in 177 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: the first quarter or something like. There's just something kind 178 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,200 Speaker 1: of missing there, Russ. At the end there where he 179 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: was dribbling up the court, I don't know about you. 180 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: When I saw him start running full court, US down three, 181 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: needing at three, I was a little bit worried there 182 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 1: about his decision making. I don't know, maybe Lebron opens 183 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: everything up, but there has to be something where we 184 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: can kind of live even if he doesn't play. And 185 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm just not seeing that from the Russ 186 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: had too late game gaps that made no sense to me, 187 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,599 Speaker 1: including the final three that he took. You know, it 188 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: was almost like he dribbled up the court and he 189 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: couldn't believe that they weren't intentionally bowling in, and so 190 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: then he just decided to shoot instead of at that point, 191 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: you know, I would just go with like that Villanova 192 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: play that they ran when they won the national title 193 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: a few years back, where you just dribbled really really 194 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: hard and have Carmelo Anthony kind of just trail behind 195 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: you and give him even if it's like or that's 196 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: going to give you your best chance. I mean, did 197 00:09:57,760 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: anybody in the world think that rush shot was going in? 198 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: I mean, like, it's just it's just not he's he's 199 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: he's a bad he's a bad jump shore, you know. 200 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 1: And and then the on the on the plane returned 201 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: it over a couple of possessions prior the same exact thing. 202 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: It was like he they got to stop. They were 203 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: in semi transition, and he just can't help himself. He 204 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: looks up, sees all the bodies in the paint and 205 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 1: it's just like I'm just gonna go. I'm just gonna 206 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 1: go and see what happens, you know, like it's just 207 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: like that, you know, it's it's it's it's it's bulling 208 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 1: the China shop behavior, you know what I mean. But 209 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: that that to me is like, you know, so so 210 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,719 Speaker 1: let's let's let's try to get around this for a 211 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: second here, because no one, no one in the world 212 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: thought that the Lakers were gonna win a championship without 213 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: Lebron James. So we have to we have to set 214 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: that aside for a second and look at something fina 215 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: mental problems with the roster, right because even with everything 216 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: that I'm saying about how the team's complete lack of 217 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: anybody that can play power forward other than Lebron, you know, 218 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: and I'm not talking about what Mellow does, because what 219 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: Melow is doing right now is as an offensive player 220 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: is kind of interchangeable with what you have at the 221 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: two and the three. You know, he's he's a spot 222 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: up shooter, but but defensively, he can't play power forward. 223 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: He can't be your back line um, you know, roaming 224 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: person that that that blows up pick and roll actions, 225 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: is that third defender. He can't do that. So what 226 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: you have to look at here, fundamentally, with the way 227 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: the team is put together. And this is something that 228 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: I was talking about with a buddy earlier tonight. Like 229 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,839 Speaker 1: this team, if you look at the way that they 230 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: were constructed in previous seasons, there was an obvious formula 231 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 1: for success. That formula was, We're going to defend the 232 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: hell out of the basketball with these defensive minded players, 233 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 1: and we have a defensive minded head coach who's arguably 234 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 1: the best in the business at figuring out how to 235 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: throw opposing teams out of rhythm. My favorite example of 236 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: that is the playoff run in the way each successive 237 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: round he made these tweaks into into very unique defensive 238 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: approaches that through really good defensive offensive players completely out 239 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: of whack. That's what Frank deserves credit for. And then 240 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: on the offensive end of the floor, it was, you 241 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: know what, we have Lebron who is arguably the highest 242 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: basketball q i Q in the league and in an 243 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 1: offense in and of himself. And the problem is is 244 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: somehow in the Laker hierarchy, they convinced themselves that that 245 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: was broken when it wasn't broken. They just had injuries 246 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: that if you you and I have talked about this 247 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: a lot over the last six months. Though. What happened 248 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: to the Lakers last year wasn't an offensive shortcoming. It 249 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: was a growing shortcoming. Literally okay, like like Anthony Davis 250 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: is growing failed and the team fell apart as a result. 251 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: Like the there was a it was. It was bad 252 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: access from the beginning to look back at what happened 253 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: in those seasons and decide that there was something fundamentally 254 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: wrong with the way the team was put together and 255 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: not just an issue with Anthony Davis having a groin injury, 256 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. And and from that standpoint, 257 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: looking forward, I think you have to you have to 258 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: address this somehow. Right, So when Lebron comes back, if 259 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: everyone says, like, how is th h T none and 260 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: a reason? Are going to come back and completely fix this? 261 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: I don't know, and they may not be capable of that. However, 262 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: when they do come back, if it's not working, then 263 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: the team does have to make changes. And that's something 264 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: you have to keep in mind. Here is like, I 265 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: know it's it seems early, but there appears to be 266 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,560 Speaker 1: something fundamentally broken with the way this is put together. 267 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: And so from that standpoint, if when they start to 268 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,559 Speaker 1: get healthy, when Lebron comes back, when a Reason comes back, 269 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: when th HT comes back, when Kendrick Nunn comes back, 270 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: If this doesn't look demonstrably different, and I mean like 271 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: demonstrably like you need to be blowing out the okay 272 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: Seas of the world, handily beating the Cleveland's of the 273 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: world and and winning more often than not against the 274 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,479 Speaker 1: Miamis and the Charlottes and the Bostons and the Milwaukee's 275 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: like they're going to play in the next couple of weeks. 276 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: If that's not the case, you don't want to go 277 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: down with the ship because Lebron's thirty seven, So you 278 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: might have to consider packaging something like Moleague Monkey Kendrick nine. 279 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: We talked about this a little bit in the Tuesday Pod, 280 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, the early returns 281 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: are in here, guys, and this looks fundamentally broken and 282 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: and it might just be health issue, but we're not sure. 283 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: And so if this doesn't turn around quickly when guys 284 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: start to come back, I think they need to be 285 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: ready to make a big change. Well, you talked about 286 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: how the kind of Team twenty team it's like identity 287 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: even with loud Lebron was its defense right, and how 288 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: they can go to that That's not this team though, 289 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: Like I think that's pretty clear, like that's not going 290 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 1: to be what this team is, and I think they 291 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: have to kind of start leaning into like being an 292 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: offensive team. I understand Vogel is going to continue to 293 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: try to start DeAndre Jordan's I was kind of on 294 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: that train early, but I think it's pretty clear that 295 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: Russ just can't be effective in that way, you know 296 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: what I mean. Like it, when I was watching the 297 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: first quarter, even though we were up, A was hitting 298 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: like step back jumpers and all that mid range pull 299 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: ups and that looks all great and fine and what's 300 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: going in, But Russ still felt like he was playing 301 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: in a phone booth, you know what I mean, Like 302 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: it just felt like when he was attacking the paint, 303 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: he was in a phone booth and putting all our 304 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: hopes and dreams into like twenty year old th HT 305 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: thirty six year old Trevor Reza. I think Kendrick Gunns 306 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: a really good defender. I think he's gonna play. I 307 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: just think like something with his team has to kind 308 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: of switch. I don't think you can continue to start 309 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: this where like Russ can't get comfortable offensively, and I 310 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: thought I saw that at least in the first, first 311 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: quarter and the fourth quarter when I was watching the 312 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: offense just looks too bogged down. He's not in the rhythm. 313 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: I don't know. Like again, Lebron is gonna be out 314 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: a week, Kendrick Gnunn still out, probably another two weeks. 315 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: We'll see what th h T. I do think bringing 316 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: four rotation back for rotation guys helps. I just don't 317 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: think that can be your prayer. Like there has to 318 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: be some internal like, yeah, we can't do this too 319 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: big anymore, like we have to kind of pick one 320 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: maybe to kind of accus to Russ to kind of 321 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: let him play. And he was a plus six tonight 322 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: just looking at the box core. Like I said, I 323 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: missed kind of the second quarter. Uh maybe that was 324 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: a good thing or just for my health, but like 325 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: I mean, if I missed like the second and most 326 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: of the third, but it was a plus six. Um 327 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis being a minus minus fourteen in thirty eight 328 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: minutes while he was eleven for twenty. Maybe you can 329 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: kind of, you know, fill me in on how that's possible. Um. 330 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: He also put in eighteen rebounds, but like, I just 331 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: think like there has to be especially when Lebron's out. 332 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 1: I think I have to kind of go all in 333 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: onto the rust ball, Like I think that's how this 334 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: team was built. When you when you're playing guys like 335 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: Wayne Ellington, Carmelo, Anthony Moleigue Monk a bunch of minutes. 336 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 1: Austin Reeves I think is a good defender. But still, 337 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: I just think the identity of this team is like 338 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: a running, running gun kind team. I don't think you 339 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: can go to this like just pure defensive line up. 340 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: The Rondo minutes, I'm still kind of confused by even tonight. 341 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,120 Speaker 1: I understand what Vote was trying to do there at 342 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: a little bit more playmaking. I just think you're like 343 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: you're fixing one problem while making another. Rondo's effort on 344 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: defense is just not there, And I mean that's kind 345 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: of expected. I guess he's a older player, but still 346 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: I thought right when he came in, I saw a 347 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: couple of those minutes the defenders went right at him. 348 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 1: I don't know, like this is just an inexcusable loss 349 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: to me. You can't lose the okay, see twice, let 350 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: alone once and that's what they did. But yeah, I 351 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: just think there has to be some kind of like 352 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 1: switch here. I don't think this. You can just expect 353 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: th ht arena a reason and none to get back 354 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 1: and everything goes. Everything is fine. There's some fundamental which 355 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:46,439 Speaker 1: was here, and I think I don't think you can 356 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: start the two big I think I was on that train, 357 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: but I think that train has left the station a 358 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: long time ago. I think Russ's Russ's play has made 359 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: that pretty clear. I don't know where else to kind 360 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: of go to this game so ironically and actually, you know, 361 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,199 Speaker 1: this is something that I think then they brought up 362 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: a couple games ago, particularly when the run is out, 363 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:11,239 Speaker 1: they almost have to go to bigs because it's the 364 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,200 Speaker 1: only thing that gives them a legitimate chance to bother 365 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 1: teams defensively. Because Lebron for all purposes, is a big. 366 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: That's why this works, you know, like the only when 367 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:25,439 Speaker 1: you see these small lineups that work elsewhere in the league, 368 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: it's because they have these like all NBA level wings 369 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: you're looking at, you know, uh, this this team has 370 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 1: Paul George and kawhile Ard on it. That's why they 371 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 1: can go small. This team has Jalen Brown, uh, you know, 372 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 1: Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum on the team, so they 373 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: can go smaller. You know, even even Utah plays like 374 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: a plethora of these guys that are in that six 375 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: six to six eight range and it kind of just 376 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: makes everything work. But with the way that this Laker 377 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: team is where outside of Lebron and a D, all 378 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: of your non centers are are either Carmelo who's extremely slow, 379 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: or are very small, and so that sort of limitation 380 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: puts you in a position where that aggregate size and 381 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:10,239 Speaker 1: aggregate defensive length is too low when you don't have 382 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: a second big out there. But regardless, looking forward, you 383 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 1: know something some of this is going to be on 384 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:19,680 Speaker 1: Lebron in a D and the and the reason why 385 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: I say that is like you have to think that 386 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: the Lakers, either through getting healthy or through the trade market, 387 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 1: one of the two, they're going to find an assortment 388 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: of role players that play the one through the three 389 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 1: that can defend and shoot and do the things that 390 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: they need to do within this system. And so, like 391 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 1: one of the I brought this up at the beginning 392 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: of the show, Anthony Davis is no longer a stretch big, 393 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 1: and that fundamentally changes the equation of this team. The 394 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis being a big that stretched the floor and 395 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: that caused problems for teams that played off of him 396 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 1: is part of what made him a top five, six 397 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: seven player in the league right now, being basically a 398 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: you know, a glorified slightly better, you know, offensive version 399 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,920 Speaker 1: of like a Rudy Gobert type, you know, where he 400 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,199 Speaker 1: he can bully some guys inside and finish, but like 401 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: he's he's really struggling with anything outside of ten fift 402 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: feet and Brudy Gobert's bad comp To be clear, I'm 403 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: just saying there's a there's a delineation, a clear delineation 404 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: between this Anthony Davis and what we had in the bubble. 405 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: That's that That's probably the better way for me to 406 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: describe it. Anthony Davis from the bubble was a significantly 407 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: better basketball player than this Anthony Davis. And there there 408 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: everyone in Lakers Twitter is so quick to make excuses 409 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 1: for him, and I'm sure you're gonna see a lot 410 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: of people that bring up the thumb tonight, but the 411 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: reality of the situation is more often than not, when 412 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: Lebron's not out there with him to put him in 413 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 1: spots to succeed. He struggles to to take command of 414 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:00,919 Speaker 1: the game when he's far away the best player on 415 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 1: the floor. There's not a damn person on that floor 416 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: for either team that's in the same stratosphere as him 417 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,640 Speaker 1: as a basketball player, and he could not take over 418 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: that game. And it's because he has completely lost the 419 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: ability to make teams pay from the perimeter, which allows 420 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: teams to basically pack the pain on him and turn 421 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,200 Speaker 1: him into a jump shooter that's probably not going to 422 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,959 Speaker 1: make jump shots. And so there's two things here that 423 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,880 Speaker 1: need to happen for the ship to get right. Thing 424 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,160 Speaker 1: number one is Anthony Davis needs to find a way 425 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: to regain his bubble form. I'm not sure how that is. 426 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 1: This to me, with his jump shot, appears to be 427 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: a mental thing that is way off of the train tracks, 428 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 1: like way off of the train tracks, So I don't 429 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: know how that comes back. It might just be I 430 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: think probably the best bet for him is hopefully this 431 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 1: thumb injury isn't serious and he can get a good 432 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: consistent chunk of this season where he doesn't sit games 433 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: and he plays every night and just through rhythm and 434 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: consistency and conditioning and comfort. He regained some of that 435 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:09,880 Speaker 1: bubble form, but Anthony Davis needs to regain bubble form too. 436 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 1: Lebron James needs to be available to this team. Now. 437 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: This is something that I was critical about of him 438 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 1: from earlier today, and some of this is out of 439 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 1: his control. But like you know, there's two angles to 440 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,360 Speaker 1: look at this here. Either Lebron is being overly cautious 441 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: because he sees the big picture of the long season, 442 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 1: which is probably the truth, or there's some you know, 443 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: age and nutrition starting to show here. But regardless, I'm 444 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: not gonna get too much further into what he needs 445 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: to do. Aside from the fact that him not being available, 446 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: this team can't float without him because Anthony Davis isn't 447 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: the same player he was in the bubble Bubble Anthony 448 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: Davis with this group would win a lot of basketball games, 449 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: but it's not. And so Lebron needs to come back. 450 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: And Lebron needs to come back and be here consistently 451 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: long enough for Anthony Davis to regain his form. But 452 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 1: the bottom line is, like this team was constructed on 453 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:09,920 Speaker 1: two guys that were supposed to be top five or 454 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: six players in the league. After they won the title, 455 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: everyone a lot of folks were saying Lebron's one Anthony 456 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: Davis is too well right now, that number one was 457 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: wearing street clothes tonight, and that number two had lu 458 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 1: doored on him in the post and had no ability 459 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:26,360 Speaker 1: to do anything other than take a step back jump 460 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 1: shot that he can't make. So that's the problem right now. Um, 461 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: you know, that's the harsh reality. I know that I 462 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 1: know a lot of those things that I just said 463 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 1: aren't gonna sit well with a lot of people in 464 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,679 Speaker 1: Lakers Twitter, But that's just the reality of the situation. 465 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:44,880 Speaker 1: And until those two get on the court and get 466 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: back to where they were when they were at the 467 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: top of the league, then they're not going to be 468 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:50,679 Speaker 1: able to cover up for some of the shortcomings of 469 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 1: this roster. And I don't care if the best role 470 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: players of mankind are coming back. If those two guys 471 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: aren't those two guys from the bubble, this team isn't 472 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 1: going win anywhere. I lost ros for second when get 473 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:18,440 Speaker 1: back up here. Yeah, sorry, my connection kind of went out, 474 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: but yeah, yeah, but yeah, you're right. I mean, this 475 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: team is gonna fall back on his three stars, and 476 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 1: I think that's totally true. Lebron being out shouldn't affect 477 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: a game like against Okay. See again, it's still one game, 478 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,399 Speaker 1: I guess, just to put in perspective like Okay, so 479 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 1: he's not gonna like the playoffs. It looks like I 480 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,199 Speaker 1: just think there's issues here that are larger than just 481 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:41,800 Speaker 1: this game. Though, like I'm looking at the defensive issues, 482 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: I still think Carmelo is playing a ton of minutes, 483 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: even though he's been an absolute inferno. We'll see when 484 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 1: a reason gets back. Eight has always been a finisher, 485 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: and that was the point of kind of getting Russell 486 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,119 Speaker 1: Westbrook was to make him kind of be able to 487 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,120 Speaker 1: be more of a finisher in that way. And it's 488 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: just not connecting towards like wins and losses. Like the 489 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: defense just isn't right to me, blowing all these big leads. 490 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: I talked about it when they blew it against Oklahoma City, 491 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: Like you that can kind of extend like that can 492 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: kind of sit with you as well, and they can 493 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: kind of mess you up mentally. And I don't know 494 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: if that's what was the reason tonight, if that's why 495 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: the Blue lead, but I just think they shouldn't be 496 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: this over reliant on Lebron. There's some lineup stuff that 497 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: we can do, and maybe Voglo is just gonna be 498 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 1: spearheaded and continue to do this. I understand what you're saying, 499 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: where you have to kind of play two bigs with 500 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: Lebron out. I just think with this team, it's it's 501 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 1: so offensively minded focus that like, I don't think you 502 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: can go to that. You can't just I don't think 503 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: you can start this too big lineup and it'd be successful. 504 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: I think Russ just can't get it in a rhythm 505 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 1: that way. A d is still kind of taking all 506 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: these tough shots. Okay see, kind of switched a lot 507 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:50,119 Speaker 1: of stuff they had doored on him and the pains packed. 508 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 1: I don't know. There's just a lot of weird things 509 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: going on here. I'm really interested to see how they 510 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 1: respond on Saturday against Portland. I think Dame's gonna be 511 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 1: a really tough matchup coming off a law against okay see, 512 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:02,919 Speaker 1: and Lebron is gonna be out a while, like I 513 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 1: know they said a week we'll see um, but they're 514 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 1: gonna have to start a five lineups that are successful 515 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,360 Speaker 1: without them. And tonight wasn't really a step in that direction. 516 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: I talked about how I like the Second Units with 517 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,680 Speaker 1: Russ and a D kind of playing that one five 518 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,159 Speaker 1: kind of screen and roll game with shooters around, and 519 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: maybe a Resa and THHD coming back help that. Maybe 520 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 1: none helps that, but like I think seeing those guys 521 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 1: as saviors, it just isn't the right way to kind 522 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,159 Speaker 1: of look at this. Lebron is gonna be out a 523 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 1: little bit, why a little while, and just being the 524 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 1: over reliance on him. He's in year nineteen, man, Like 525 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,440 Speaker 1: we have to be able to find lineups that are 526 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: successful without him, and we're just we're not seeing those. 527 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,159 Speaker 1: We still have a negative net rating without him this season. 528 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 1: I think we're like negative point two or something. Where 529 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,199 Speaker 1: Lebron sits for this season, Like that's that's crazy to me. 530 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: With Russ and a D manning a lot of these lineups. 531 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: So I don't know where they kind of go from here. 532 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,360 Speaker 1: I guess we'll see if the starting lineup changes are. 533 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 1: I really liked Russ and a D starting at the five, 534 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,399 Speaker 1: but we'll see if that continues. They just can't do 535 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 1: it without Lebron. They can't run a D at the five. 536 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: Lays about Lebron unfortunately because of the the way I 537 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: am constructed, Like if you had the Lakers, and it's 538 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 1: like I've got I've got Danny Green out there, and 539 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 1: I've got KCP out there, and I've got Kyle Kuzma 540 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: out there, and i get every Bradley out there. Hell yeah, man, 541 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: I'm running a d at the five all night long. 542 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 1: And I like my chances, but it just it just 543 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,360 Speaker 1: doesn't work with this group of guys. And I mean, 544 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:30,879 Speaker 1: and you know, coming coming back to Russell Westbrook for 545 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 1: a second, like this is something that you and I 546 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:39,239 Speaker 1: respectfully have have kind of deviated from each other. You know. 547 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 1: I I don't think Russ is a star. I look 548 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: at him as someone that's kind of just a better 549 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: version of Dennis Shrewder. That's that's the way I look 550 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 1: at him in this regard. And and to be honest 551 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: with you, to til I know, but so let's let's 552 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 1: let's be clear. If I said, hey, here's this basketball player, 553 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 1: here's the basketball player player A. Okay, Now, for player 554 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:07,880 Speaker 1: A to succeed, literally everything has to be catered exactly 555 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: to his strengths and weaknesses. If they're not, he's not 556 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: gonna be able to do anything. Okay, if you play 557 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 1: the wrong lineup, he will be able to score. If 558 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: you play him without somebody who's got to hire i 559 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 1: Q than him or or more cachet than him, then 560 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: he's going to be a bowl in a China shop 561 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: lat in games and make poor decisions. You know. If 562 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:28,160 Speaker 1: he's not you know, if we don't trade quint Capella 563 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: to get him out of the paint so that his 564 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 1: lesser version of himself can get to the paint, then 565 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 1: he's not going to succeed. Like then that that that 566 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 1: that describes what what you're describing is a limited basketball player. 567 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: It's like it's like Carmelo Anthony, Like Carmelo Anthony has 568 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 1: been very good for the Lakers, why because they're asking 569 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: him just to capitalize on defensive attention put on someone else. 570 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: If you ask if you shift off Carmelo Anthony to 571 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City and asked him to run their offense, I 572 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: guarantee you would be ugly as all hell and and 573 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: and that's kind of the thing. Like I I look 574 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: at Russ as a player that with a D at 575 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: the five. Later in the season when this team is 576 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: healthy and has all their wings, and in specific playoff matchups, 577 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: he can be a guy that can raise your ceiling 578 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: as a guy that can attack specific matchups and a 579 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: guy that can that can have big nights that can 580 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: help you win playoff games. And then when he doesn't 581 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 1: have it, he can fall into the background a little 582 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 1: bit and let better players take over. But if you're 583 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 1: sitting on your couch right now and thinking Russ is 584 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 1: the one that has to carry us to the promised Land, 585 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 1: I hate to break it to you, guys. He just 586 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: can't do it. That's not who he is anymore. There 587 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: was a play late in this game. He actually had 588 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: a nice little left handed layup towards the end, surrounded 589 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: by all the crap. But he had another one where 590 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 1: he got into the lane called paulm the ball with 591 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: his right hand took off from the semicircle and there's 592 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: just no lift there and he ended up throwing the 593 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: ball into the bottom of the rim. That's Russ now, 594 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 1: that's Russ in. Russ is the guy that on some 595 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 1: nights he'll look like he's got that burst. In most 596 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:11,719 Speaker 1: nights he won't. And if things aren't perfectly set up 597 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 1: for him to succeed, He's going to struggle. That's that 598 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:17,560 Speaker 1: is the rust of Westbrook experience, in my opinion. And 599 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: I know you're higher on him than I am. And 600 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: and that's fine, And I'm not trying to say you're 601 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: wrong or anything. I'm just giving my two cents. But like, 602 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: I think that pretending as though the magic fix for 603 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 1: all of this is like laying into rust ball. I 604 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: just respectfully disagree with that because I think if you 605 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 1: want to play rust ball, you're gonna lose a hell 606 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:42,040 Speaker 1: of a lot of basketball games. Yeah, I mean when 607 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 1: I say lean into rust ball, it's also kind of 608 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: lean into like Russ and a d ball, right, because 609 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: I feel like doing this like too again, like I 610 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 1: thought DeAndre Jordan will be able to be kind of 611 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: effective only of JaVale McGee in that way, it just 612 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: hasn't kind of worked out. Again, that's kind of more 613 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 1: Accua thing to Russ. But when I say, like, play 614 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: rush ball, I mean play kind of what this team 615 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: was built around, right, Like this team is not THEI team, 616 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 1: Like it just isn't that they don't have the defenders 617 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: to kind of play that way. I know Vogo has 618 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 1: his system and it's gonna be tough to kind of 619 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: convince him to be like, hey, like you know the 620 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: way that you won the championship, Yeah, scrap all that. 621 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 1: We're gonna play, you know what I mean, Like, we're 622 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 1: gonna play differently, Like no Vogo wants to play this 623 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: drop coverage. They call it the no roller behind right 624 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: where the big kind of stays with the center. But 625 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: our base just aren't able to do that. And we 626 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: talked about it over the summer though, like when you 627 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: trade for Russell Westbrook, you know what you're getting, right, Like, 628 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: it's not like they traded for Russ and they don't 629 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: know that this is who he is, and it's about 630 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: adding this production next to the two other stars, and 631 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: maybe without Lebron, this is just how it looks. Maybe 632 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: that's where the team is. We've kind of seen what 633 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: A D and no Lebron lineups look like the last 634 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 1: few years. They've been pretty terrible as well, right, and 635 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,479 Speaker 1: then now the Russ and A D lineups have been Okay. 636 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: I felt like in a few I feel like it 637 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: was trending upwards. But now you pull Lebron out, you 638 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: plug again Rondo, you plug in DeAndre Jordan's it just 639 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: hasn't looked right, and maybe Vogel is still kind of experimenting. 640 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 1: But it's not that I'm like higher on Russ. I 641 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 1: just feel like, like no disfrict to like Dennis Shooter 642 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:14,600 Speaker 1: or nothing like that. But Russ put up twenty seven, 643 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: nine and five and again, like we talked about this 644 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 1: last game, but not nine. Sorry, I'm trying to get 645 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: his numbers here. Russ tonight was twenty seven five and six, 646 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,239 Speaker 1: uh four turnovers again stuff you can kind of live with. 647 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: Plus six. I kind of gotta go back and rewatch 648 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: the game. But that kind of production is something that 649 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 1: you should be able to build along with our two stars, right, 650 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:35,480 Speaker 1: that's when you add it. And again you can kind 651 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: of qualmb about the numbers there are what they are, seven, 652 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 1: six and five is kind of what it is. That's 653 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 1: where I was going with that. But there's just like 654 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: the other lineup just haven't been successful with it. We're 655 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: still playing just a lot again, a lot of Carmelo 656 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 1: Anthony and maybe that gets fixed with the rotation. But 657 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: that's kind of what I mean by going to Russ ball. 658 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: It's not just about Russ, about the team that was built. 659 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: It's this team that's supposed to run and score high 660 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: level and defend at a baseline amount where you can 661 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: kind of win those minutes, and that hasn't happened. Yeah, 662 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: defensive identity is just not there. And maybe that's because 663 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 1: you're playing Rondo Karmelo Anthony. You plug in Wayne Ellington, 664 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: another minus defender into this who was one for five 665 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 1: from three as well, a little bit worried about his shot. 666 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: But again, whether you play with Milly and Allington the 667 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: league monk, you have the same defensive issues. There is 668 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: a team that kind of has to lean into their offense. 669 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 1: That's what I mean by russ ball. I don't mean 670 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 1: that like, yeah, I just accus everything to us. It's 671 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: just that's what this roster is right now, without a reason, 672 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: without none, who is a little bit better of a 673 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 1: defensive guard, Like I think that's what you have to 674 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: lean into or we're gonna lose a lot of these games. 675 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: These leads are getting blown ninety six like that's that 676 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: shouldn't happen. And that's that's kind of you, right. For 677 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,120 Speaker 1: russ a d ball to work, a D needs to 678 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 1: be a stretch pack. That that's that's that's the kind 679 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: that the problem here is, like, like I said, fundamentally, 680 00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City, at the end of these two games, its 681 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: supposed Russ and a D as guys that would turn 682 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: into perimeter jump shooters if you got up under if 683 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 1: you if you took away the pain from them, and 684 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: they were when they would run those Actually, like in 685 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,800 Speaker 1: a weird way, bringing a pick and roll over is 686 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 1: almost bad for both players because it kind of, um 687 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: it kind of just by the way Oklahoma City was 688 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:27,239 Speaker 1: guarding it kind of made their decision for them. I 689 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: almost think you're better off just spacing the floor and 690 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: having a D go into the corner and in having 691 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 1: Russ just try to get ahead of steam and go 692 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 1: to the rim because at this point Dort is just 693 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,320 Speaker 1: going underneath that screen and Derrick Favors is also in 694 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: a drop and it's like there's just nothing open when 695 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:49,439 Speaker 1: they run those actions. So it's just it's just tough. 696 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:52,479 Speaker 1: But regardless, anyway, let's let's try to bring this back 697 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 1: to some positivity here, because like, because I like you know, 698 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 1: I I've you and I've always prided ourselves on shooting 699 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: you guys straight, Like you know, this is not this 700 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 1: is not like the propaganda. If you're looking for that, 701 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:12,400 Speaker 1: you should probably go somewhere else. I'm just gonna be 702 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 1: honest with you. This isn't Lebron propaganda. This isn't Laker propaganda. 703 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:17,759 Speaker 1: This is just we're gonna call it like we see it. 704 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,800 Speaker 1: And um, you know that said, everything about what the 705 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 1: Lakers are right now doesn't change what they can be. 706 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: This Laker team very much still can achieve championship form. 707 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: This team still has a championship ceiling. In a weird way. 708 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 1: Everything we've seen in the last few weeks just shows 709 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:40,759 Speaker 1: that they have a long way to go. So the 710 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,799 Speaker 1: reality of the situation is in the immediate future, you've 711 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: got to try to find a way to be competitive 712 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: without Lebron, and the way to do that, in my opinion, 713 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 1: is too in my opinion, is to play two bigs. 714 00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:57,080 Speaker 1: In your opinion, is to lean heavily into russ ad ball. 715 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 1: Regardless of what it is. They have to find some 716 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: way to be more competitive right now. Then when Lebron 717 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: comes back, rob needs to be very attentive to the 718 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:11,760 Speaker 1: way this team looks as the guards and the wings 719 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 1: get healthy and and be prepared to potentially make a move. 720 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 1: Um you know, at the at the end of the day, 721 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,319 Speaker 1: the Lakers do one of the things that you know, 722 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,160 Speaker 1: the Laker roster was mixed. Characterized in a lot of 723 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: ways this offseason is oh, it's just old guys, or oh, 724 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: it's just veteran minimum guys, and it's like, well, actually, 725 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: it's it's old guys mixed with young guys. There are 726 00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:39,279 Speaker 1: what at least four core rotation players that are twenty 727 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 1: eight or younger. Um. And there are some legit draft 728 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:48,280 Speaker 1: excuse me, some legit contract assets on this team. Um. 729 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 1: You know, Molik Mounk, even as bad as he's looked 730 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:53,000 Speaker 1: this year, there's not a team in the league that 731 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: wouldn't want him for the veteran minimum. Um. There's not 732 00:36:56,600 --> 00:36:58,479 Speaker 1: a team in the league that wouldn't want Kendrick Nunn 733 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 1: that the five and a half million or would ever 734 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:03,080 Speaker 1: he makes. So at the end of the day, you know, 735 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 1: it's very important for Rob to really carefully watch the 736 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 1: way this ship goes when the pieces start coming back, 737 00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 1: because sometimes, you know, kind of like with the two 738 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:20,920 Speaker 1: eighteen calves, sometimes there's just something off with a group 739 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:26,080 Speaker 1: for whatever reason. Sometimes it's chemistry, sometimes it's a basketball fit. 740 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's you know, attitudes. You know, obviously there was 741 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 1: some attitude problems with the two eighteen caves stending from 742 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:36,000 Speaker 1: Isaiah Thomas and from Jay Crowder, you know. And then 743 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, the swap a bunch of mediocre 744 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 1: players for a bunch of other mediocre players like Larrynnson 745 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: Rodney Hood, and all of a sudden, the team just 746 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: takes off, you know. And and that's that's because basketball 747 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: is a living organism. There's Bill Simmons talks about this 748 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,880 Speaker 1: in his book. He calls it the secret. It was 749 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,399 Speaker 1: something that Isaiah Thomas used as the uh you know what, 750 00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 1: what he claimed was the reason why the Pistons in 751 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,839 Speaker 1: the late eighties won their championships. And it's just sometimes 752 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 1: there's just just a concoction that takes place of the 753 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:12,400 Speaker 1: basketball team that's just off. And sometimes that concoction is 754 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 1: just on, and you know, the thing that you do. 755 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 1: At some point, we were through what nine games. Now, 756 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: at some point, if this concoction was right, it'll it'll 757 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,920 Speaker 1: hit a stride. And if we see a stride in 758 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: the next couple of weeks where the guys are all healthy, 759 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:31,360 Speaker 1: they win a bunch of games in a row and 760 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 1: they beat some good teams, then you could say that 761 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:38,240 Speaker 1: this team has the secret. But if for whatever reason, 762 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:41,440 Speaker 1: this doesn't come together over the first thirty forty games 763 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: of the season, it might be one of those things 764 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,000 Speaker 1: where you gotta make a lateral move moving you know, 765 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: two guards for a wing, or a wing for a wing, 766 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:51,360 Speaker 1: or you know, a buyout guy here in a waving 767 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:53,839 Speaker 1: a guy here, or whatever it is. But you know, 768 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,040 Speaker 1: they need to get this concoction right so that the 769 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 1: so that this particular basketball team jels it's supposed to. 770 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:07,440 Speaker 1: If that makes sense. Yeah, Like you talked about kind 771 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:09,600 Speaker 1: of Robney's to look at the team, Like, to me, 772 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:12,879 Speaker 1: it's early to to kind of speak on that, Like 773 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 1: that's probably more at the trade deadline, right when most 774 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 1: people teams kind of would make moves. I still want 775 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:21,959 Speaker 1: to see this team healthy before I kind of, yeah, 776 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,520 Speaker 1: before I started trading pieces off. And you're right, it's 777 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: still a bunch of like I feel like they were 778 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,600 Speaker 1: finding things. You know. The Lebron injury is so unfortunate. 779 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 1: Obviously he is a big part of this team. Usage 780 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,800 Speaker 1: I don't think it's an excuse for losing against Okay see, 781 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,440 Speaker 1: but I thought they were kind of buildings towards something, 782 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:40,120 Speaker 1: you know, like there was like a ladder there. They 783 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:42,200 Speaker 1: were going up, even if there was against bad teams 784 00:39:42,239 --> 00:39:44,279 Speaker 1: like Houston. I just thought they were lineup that they're 785 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 1: starting to find, especially that second unit that I kept 786 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,279 Speaker 1: talking about, Like I thought they found something there, and 787 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:51,799 Speaker 1: now that's all kind of destroyed. We're getting all these 788 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:55,240 Speaker 1: Rondo minutes and again Rondo blessing than he was amazing 789 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:57,800 Speaker 1: in that playoff run. I just think in the regular season, 790 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 1: it's just ugly when you, like I was, can have 791 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,320 Speaker 1: some of the lineups that people were kind of posting 792 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: about Rondo, Dwight Howard, you know, next to Baysmore and 793 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: a couple of like nonshooters, Like those kind of lamps 794 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: are gonna get destroyed on the floor. Like that's just 795 00:40:10,719 --> 00:40:13,080 Speaker 1: what's gonna happen, even against a team like Okay, see 796 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:17,280 Speaker 1: against sha it was awesome tonight, Like sometimes that happens. 797 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 1: It's just that I feel like there is some positive 798 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:21,960 Speaker 1: you can take. It's just they have to start to 799 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: find Like you can't go and just lose a bunch 800 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:25,920 Speaker 1: of games now because Lebron is out, you know, like 801 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,120 Speaker 1: he's out for a week. It's gonna take some time. 802 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:30,799 Speaker 1: We'll see how much longer that is. But you're gonna 803 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:32,399 Speaker 1: play some good teams here, and they have to start 804 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:34,279 Speaker 1: to find lineups. And that's why I would kind of 805 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:37,160 Speaker 1: maybe you don't start too big, but at least like 806 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:41,000 Speaker 1: kind of move into this more offensive mode here, uh, 807 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 1: instead of trying to fit them into this like defensive 808 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,560 Speaker 1: kind of lineups that that we're kind of seeing. And 809 00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 1: and maybe you know, Carmelo has to play a bunch. 810 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:51,800 Speaker 1: I just don't like him playing next to like Dwight Howard, 811 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:53,279 Speaker 1: you know, Like I just feel like those kind of 812 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:56,480 Speaker 1: lineups also are going to blow a bunch of defensive assignments. 813 00:40:56,480 --> 00:40:58,640 Speaker 1: Like there's little things they can do. It's not all 814 00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:01,520 Speaker 1: doom and gloom, but there are some like inward looking 815 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:03,200 Speaker 1: that that has to go on here before we just 816 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:05,319 Speaker 1: start to try to trade a bunch of people, Like 817 00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: I want to see the four rotation guys back and 818 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 1: maybe we judge this team until then, I just I 819 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 1: want to see a little bit more inward we're developed 820 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:15,120 Speaker 1: a little bit more care. I don't like Russ and 821 00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:17,360 Speaker 1: I said lu door types where you can just relax 822 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:20,239 Speaker 1: defensively like I want him on some on ball kind 823 00:41:20,239 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 1: of assignments. There's little things we can move on here, 824 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:24,920 Speaker 1: but there's some bigger kind of issues here that we 825 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:27,160 Speaker 1: have to solve as as we go into these better teams. 826 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:31,880 Speaker 1: You know, That's why I said, like you wanna you 827 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:35,160 Speaker 1: want Rob to just pay attention as the team gets 828 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:37,799 Speaker 1: healthy to whether or not this is gonna work. That's 829 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:40,400 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like I obviously you don't trade everybody 830 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:43,440 Speaker 1: right now. There's no point in making a you know, 831 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:47,440 Speaker 1: a serious evaluation of this team until everyone's healthy. That's 832 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:50,799 Speaker 1: that's step one. Um. You know what you were saying 833 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:54,440 Speaker 1: too is really interesting. Like I would say, start a 834 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:59,239 Speaker 1: D five play defensive players in that line up, So 835 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:03,680 Speaker 1: play a a's more play of Reeves next to Russ 836 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:05,840 Speaker 1: with a D at the five, so that that team 837 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:10,040 Speaker 1: can float defensively. And then when Russ is off the floor, 838 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:12,719 Speaker 1: I'd go a D with a second big, and then 839 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:15,320 Speaker 1: you play like a monk with that group or in 840 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 1: a mellow with that group, so that those guys just 841 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:21,359 Speaker 1: chase guys off the three point line and funnel into 842 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:23,960 Speaker 1: your two bigs. And that just as a way to 843 00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:26,719 Speaker 1: try to like kind of fake it till you make it, 844 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: so to speak, until Lebron comes back. Um, I wanted 845 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,799 Speaker 1: to you know before you know, and we can we 846 00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:37,080 Speaker 1: can call it here in a few minutes when I 847 00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:39,879 Speaker 1: wanted to read this tweet from Darius Oriano because this 848 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:43,040 Speaker 1: is the ultimate silver lining. If you're looking for something 849 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,600 Speaker 1: to make you feel like this might be okay, this 850 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:49,960 Speaker 1: is it right here. If you removed end I'm quoting 851 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:53,560 Speaker 1: Darius Oriano here, if you remove DeAndre and Rondo from 852 00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:57,160 Speaker 1: the lineups. Here are some Laker stats per Cleaning Glass. 853 00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:00,600 Speaker 1: This is from before tonight's game. For the record, Russ 854 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:03,200 Speaker 1: and a D on the floor plus four teen net 855 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:07,719 Speaker 1: rating Russ and Lebron on the floor, plus six point 856 00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:10,800 Speaker 1: two net rating, Braun and a D on the floor 857 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:14,040 Speaker 1: plus seven point three net rating all three on the 858 00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:17,239 Speaker 1: floor plus twelve point seven net rating. Now, why does 859 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:19,640 Speaker 1: that matter? A couple of reasons. First of all, Rondo 860 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:21,680 Speaker 1: and DeAndre Jordan probably aren't going to play much in 861 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 1: the playoffs, if at all. Okay, Um, if you if 862 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,600 Speaker 1: you do see DeAndre Jordan in the playoffs, it will 863 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,000 Speaker 1: be in game one of the playoffs series before they 864 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,760 Speaker 1: get rolled, and then they immediately pulling which is exactly 865 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:36,239 Speaker 1: what happened with Javail in playoffs. Okay, so that's what 866 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:39,520 Speaker 1: you would see from DeAndre Jordan's and sat Rondo just 867 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 1: won't sniff the floor at all. And so the way 868 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,480 Speaker 1: you got to look at it as those numbers look 869 00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:47,160 Speaker 1: pretty damn good when you factor in the fact that 870 00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:51,919 Speaker 1: this team has no defensive identity, is struggling to figure 871 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:56,280 Speaker 1: out how to play together, and has had a really inconsistent, 872 00:43:57,080 --> 00:44:01,520 Speaker 1: uh you know lineups having to do with injuries. So 873 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:06,839 Speaker 1: the silver lining is when they play real you know, 874 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:11,080 Speaker 1: coral lineups that are missing the bad basketball players on 875 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:16,320 Speaker 1: this roster. They've been really successful with with those pairings 876 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:20,480 Speaker 1: despite the fact that quite frankly, they haven't played well. 877 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:24,480 Speaker 1: So that would be your silver lining. Um. But but 878 00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 1: to your point there, you can't ignore you can't ignore 879 00:44:29,239 --> 00:44:32,400 Speaker 1: the fundamental problems that lead to Arruss and a d 880 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:36,800 Speaker 1: team losing to Oklahoma City. You know on your home floor. 881 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:39,400 Speaker 1: You can't ignore those problems. But like I said, if 882 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:42,400 Speaker 1: you're looking for a silver lining, that's your silver lining. 883 00:44:42,560 --> 00:44:49,040 Speaker 1: This team, especially with with playing real NBA players, has 884 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:54,040 Speaker 1: been pretty successful and the vast majority of the struggle 885 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:56,640 Speaker 1: that this team has gone through has been a product 886 00:44:56,640 --> 00:45:01,400 Speaker 1: of injuries and Frank's unwilling to to bench DeAndre Jordan's. 887 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:05,680 Speaker 1: If you look beyond those two things, they've been okay, 888 00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:08,480 Speaker 1: And so that would be, like I said, that's if 889 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:10,560 Speaker 1: you that that that can be you know, kind of 890 00:45:10,560 --> 00:45:13,000 Speaker 1: the thing that we end on tonight is just that 891 00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:15,960 Speaker 1: silver lining. And obviously I want you to give your 892 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 1: opinion on that as well. But that's kind of where 893 00:45:18,239 --> 00:45:20,440 Speaker 1: I'm at as like kind of put a bow on 894 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:24,280 Speaker 1: everything tonight, is that as for as bad as it's been, 895 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:27,880 Speaker 1: there are there are some little, you know, positive nuggets 896 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 1: in there underneath at all. Yeah, and I think we're 897 00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:35,160 Speaker 1: both kind of more optimists in terms of like at 898 00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:38,319 Speaker 1: least we were for this team. Those are you know, 899 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:41,040 Speaker 1: great numbers, and I think that is true. DeAndre Jordan's 900 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 1: probably won't play in the playoffs when it matters Rondo, 901 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:45,759 Speaker 1: I'll wait and see, you know what I mean, they 902 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:48,600 Speaker 1: can say, Um, I think in the playoffs Rondo will 903 00:45:48,600 --> 00:45:50,680 Speaker 1: still get some times. But but you're right, there have 904 00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:52,600 Speaker 1: been lineups and then that's what I was talking about 905 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:55,040 Speaker 1: there was they were kind of building something and again 906 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:57,480 Speaker 1: it wasn't against great teams. But still like it was 907 00:45:57,480 --> 00:46:00,440 Speaker 1: a four game win streak. They were kind of feeling 908 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:02,680 Speaker 1: out the team, and I felt like Russ was finally 909 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,799 Speaker 1: getting his bearings and kind of being combed with the team. 910 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:08,560 Speaker 1: That's why I said this Lebron injury is so unfortunate, 911 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:10,560 Speaker 1: because I thought they were kind of starting to build 912 00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:13,000 Speaker 1: these better habits, even though against Houston they kind of 913 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,040 Speaker 1: gave up seventy points in the first half, and the 914 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,160 Speaker 1: second half they really did turned iron I was looking 915 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,920 Speaker 1: up I think some net ratings earlier. Lebron James was 916 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:23,160 Speaker 1: like a plus. The Lakers were like plus twelve point 917 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,359 Speaker 1: two when Lebron was on the floor. Of the last 918 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:30,319 Speaker 1: five games, just about absolutely killing. There's some teams until here. 919 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:34,839 Speaker 1: We'll see against Portland's I guess on Saturday, but there 920 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:36,920 Speaker 1: are some seperate linings. But I mean, losing against O 921 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:40,040 Speaker 1: Casey second time in a row, this isn't like something 922 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:42,880 Speaker 1: that caught him off guard. There's definitely something when you 923 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:45,120 Speaker 1: know the other team goes on a run, the team 924 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:46,960 Speaker 1: just not able to stop it. And maybe that's just 925 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:49,719 Speaker 1: how the Russ A D lineups have worked. Maybe the 926 00:46:49,719 --> 00:46:52,239 Speaker 1: answer is just stopped playing DeAndre Jordan and Rondo, but 927 00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:55,080 Speaker 1: that's not gonna happen for a week at least. But 928 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:57,840 Speaker 1: you know this team is gonna go through the mental shift. 929 00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:01,520 Speaker 1: Four rotation players you throw in is not nothing. You know, 930 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:03,919 Speaker 1: that's a whole bunch of minutes that you're throwing in line. 931 00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:06,680 Speaker 1: All these other five man lineups are You're going to 932 00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 1: get all these new kind of rotation players playing together. 933 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:12,600 Speaker 1: We'll see when that happens. But yeah, this is a 934 00:47:12,600 --> 00:47:15,440 Speaker 1: tough one. It's good to see those silver linings, I guess, 935 00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:18,040 Speaker 1: but losing against probably the worst team in the league 936 00:47:18,080 --> 00:47:20,799 Speaker 1: isn't isn't great. But those you're right, those are some 937 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:23,239 Speaker 1: good silver linings to kind of fall back on as 938 00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:25,960 Speaker 1: we wait for the next one. Yeah, I think it's 939 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:28,239 Speaker 1: good for us. Sand On a positive note, everyone who 940 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:31,080 Speaker 1: came on and in requested to speak, I appreciate you guys. 941 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:33,759 Speaker 1: We're gonna go ahead and call it tonight. This just 942 00:47:33,800 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 1: turned into an events session, but on Saturday night we 943 00:47:38,280 --> 00:47:41,000 Speaker 1: will take more callers, I promise. So for those of 944 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:43,600 Speaker 1: you who came and wanted to speak, please come back 945 00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:46,359 Speaker 1: on Saturday, UM and we will give you a chance 946 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:50,160 Speaker 1: to UH. As always, we sincerely appreciate your guys to 947 00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:52,520 Speaker 1: support Roger and I continue to be blown away by 948 00:47:52,520 --> 00:47:54,200 Speaker 1: how many of you guys choose to come at hang 949 00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:58,680 Speaker 1: out with us after these games. And uh in the meantime, 950 00:47:58,719 --> 00:48:01,040 Speaker 1: hang type. This is gonna air on dash Radio tomorrow 951 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:04,160 Speaker 1: morning at seven am, and we'll be on our podcast 952 00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:07,720 Speaker 1: speed Understate of the Lakers here in about thirty minutes 953 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:10,640 Speaker 1: or so. Thank you guys so much and enjoy the 954 00:48:10,680 --> 00:48:16,000 Speaker 1: rest of your night. Appreciate everyone. Thank you,