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Speaker 1: The volume.

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Speaker 2: This is straight fire with Jason McIntyre.

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Speaker 1: But it's a straight fire fan. It's me, Jason McIntyre,

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Speaker 1: straight fire for Thursday, February first. Got a great interview

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Speaker 1: today with a Lakers beat writer. You're gonna love it

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Speaker 1: even if you don't like the Lakers, because well, if

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Speaker 1: you don't like the Lakers, it's probably better as things

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Speaker 1: are not going great for the Lake Show. Lebron Lebron

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Speaker 1: beefing with Darvin Ham. You got some social media nonsense happening.

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Speaker 1: It sounds like Austin Reeves is on the market. I

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Speaker 1: don't love that. We'll get into it, but before that,

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Speaker 1: we just got to quickly address what went down in

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Speaker 1: Seattle with a bit of a surprise, at least to me.

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Speaker 1: Yesterday we talked on the pod when Washington got stiff

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Speaker 1: armed by Ben Johnson of the Lineons, it seemed logical. Though, Okay, well,

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Speaker 1: Mike McDonald is a more than capable Consolation Prize defensive mastermind.

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Speaker 1: Really shut down the Niners, the Dolphins, the Texans. Those

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Speaker 1: offenses were all from the Shanahan Tree. They thrived all season.

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Speaker 1: McDonald's defense shut him down and even really bottled up

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Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes in the AFC title game. The offense for

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Speaker 1: the Raves just couldn't do anything. So McDonald, although he's young,

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Speaker 1: thirty six, you know, I think that would have been

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Speaker 1: a great hire. Well, Seattle goes out decides dan Quinn

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Speaker 1: is not our guy, and they go out and get McDonald,

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Speaker 1: And that is just devastating. If I'm a Washington Commanders fan,

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Speaker 1: they are the last team without a head coach. That

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Speaker 1: is not great. You got the new ownership, you got

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Speaker 1: some talent, you got the number two pick, and everybody

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Speaker 1: said no. According to who is this ESPN, there were

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Speaker 1: nine candidates that Seattle interviewed. New York Giants offensive coordinator

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Speaker 1: Mike Kafka, Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Cowboys DC Dan Quinn,

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Speaker 1: who a lot of people thought would get it, the

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Speaker 1: DC of the Carolina Panthers, Ben Johnson, and McDonald. All

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Speaker 1: those had in person interviews got to the second level.

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Speaker 1: I'm a little surprised that this did not go to

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Speaker 1: dan Quinn. So now you have to wonder, does Washington say,

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Speaker 1: you know what dan Quinn's from the division. The Cowboys

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Speaker 1: have been a top I don't know, seven to eight defense.

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Speaker 1: The last two or three years. The familiarity he has

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Speaker 1: with the Cowboys, with the Giants, with the Eagles, that

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Speaker 1: will certainly help. Like he could be a hit. But

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Speaker 1: is he like a like a great coach that you think, Okay,

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Speaker 1: that's our guy. We got him for the next five

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Speaker 1: to ten years. We're gonna build something. I don't know, man,

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Speaker 1: You know, I know he did well in Atlanta when

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Speaker 1: he had Matt Ryan and maybe he does that with

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Speaker 1: Drake by dan Quinn would not excite me, but again,

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Speaker 1: you know, there's something positive about winning ten games again

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Speaker 1: to the playoffs as opposed to Washington which doesn't really

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Speaker 1: get to the playoffs and definitely doesn't win games in

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Speaker 1: the playoffs. So tough spot for DC. Now, I'll say this,

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Speaker 1: the new ownership can certainly look at Drake May and say, well,

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Speaker 1: if he's our guy, then we should target this coach.

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Speaker 1: And if they say, no, I think we like date

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Speaker 1: Jayden Daniels, well, then maybe you target a different kind

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Speaker 1: of coach. But bottom line is you got to get

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Speaker 1: a coach that can grow with whoever you deem the

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Speaker 1: better QB. Now, I think most people I've seen I

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Speaker 1: have Drake May ahead of Daniels Dale Jeremiah does as well.

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Speaker 1: Kuiper had Daniels ahead of May. I haven't seen anyone

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Speaker 1: else with that. Again, Daniels is kind of a Johnny

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Speaker 1: Cum lately. He was good at Arizona State and really

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Speaker 1: popped this year as a dual threat quarterback. I just

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Speaker 1: I wonder if there are limitations to the dual threat quarterbacks.

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Speaker 1: And you want a quarterback capable of running like Patrick

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Speaker 1: Mahomes and Justin Herbert, but you don't want one who

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Speaker 1: really likes to run, like Lamar Jackson, because when you

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Speaker 1: get to the playoffs, they can nullify you.

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Speaker 2: I e.

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Speaker 1: Cam Newton in the Super Bowl. And yes to those

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Speaker 1: coming here looking for Cam Newton crumbs, Yes, thanks for

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Speaker 1: tagging me in his latest post.

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Speaker 2: Guys.

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Speaker 1: Yes, I saw he has Brock Purty ranks as the

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Speaker 1: tenth best player on the Niners. I'm not gonna get it.

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Speaker 1: I don't really care about that today. Maybe tomorrow perhaps,

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Speaker 1: But first let's get to our guest, jovonn Boha of

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Speaker 1: The Athletic.

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Speaker 2: You know a guy, Jason likes to think he knows

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Speaker 2: everything when it comes to sports.

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Speaker 1: I know what sports fans want.

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Speaker 2: But for everything he doesn't. He knows the guy who does.

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Speaker 2: Let's just say I know a guy who knows a

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Speaker 2: guy who knows another guy.

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Speaker 1: All right, let's welcome back to straight fire Lakers beat writer,

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Speaker 1: who's just blowing up. He's everywhere. He's on the Hoops

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Speaker 1: Tonight podcast, here on the volume, he's at the Athletic

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Speaker 1: jovon Booha. How you doing, my man? I know you're

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Speaker 1: recovering from an injury, but how's everything going.

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Speaker 2: Everything's go well. I just got out of the boot

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Speaker 2: last week, so that's been some good news on the

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Speaker 2: Lakers front. Things are interesting. At least we have cryptic

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Speaker 2: tweets before games. We have cryptic tweets after games. They're

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Speaker 2: the soap opera that just never stops giving us content.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's good. I will say this. Lebron's not being cryptic.

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Speaker 1: He's just being straightforward. I don't know. Do you feel

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Speaker 1: like an iciness between him and Darvenham right now?

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Speaker 2: A little bit. I thought it flew under the radar

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Speaker 2: a little bit after the Houston loss, but he had

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Speaker 2: a quote about the defense. One of the key talking

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Speaker 2: points in the locker room the last few games has

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Speaker 2: been defensive communication and guys just not being on the

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Speaker 2: same page and really basic, simple stuff, and Lebron had

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Speaker 2: had a quote about, you know, it's not just about

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Speaker 2: our game plan. It's about being able to read and

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Speaker 2: react and adjust within games, and guys understanding what we

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Speaker 2: should be doing in games, and when we are making changes,

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Speaker 2: making sure everyone's aware and acknowledging those changes. And on

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Speaker 2: some level, that was kind of a shot at his teammates,

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Speaker 2: but I also took it as a bit of a

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Speaker 2: shot at the coaching staff and maybe the way that

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Speaker 2: they're delivering some of these messages. And you know, I

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Speaker 2: reported it with my colleague, you know, Sham's Shania earlier

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Speaker 2: in the month of just there's been this disconnect within

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Speaker 2: the locker room, and I think it's become pretty public.

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Speaker 2: Like I just went back and found so for context,

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Speaker 2: like Christian Wood tweets loll twenty minutes before the game.

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Speaker 2: If you look at his Twitter, like he tweets every

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Speaker 2: two to three months, He's not an active Twitter user.

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Speaker 2: So about thirty minutes before the tip off, there's the

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Speaker 2: starting lot of announcement, Jackson Hayes starts over Christian Wood.

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Speaker 2: Despite Christian being the backup center, Jackson's the third string center.

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Speaker 2: Eighties out and then Christian tweets lol. After the game,

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Speaker 2: we asked him about it, he said he meant to

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Speaker 2: quote tweet something and accidentally just tweeted LOL. But I

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Speaker 2: went back through his Twitter and the day that Jason

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Speaker 2: Kidd came out and said Christian Wood wasn't going to

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Speaker 2: be starting for Dallas and that he was going to

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Speaker 2: be coming off the bench as their backup center, Christian

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Speaker 2: Wood tweeted loll. So this is a pattern here. He

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Speaker 2: was clearly frustrated. Then a couple questions later, he says, well,

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Speaker 2: I'm only playing like fourteen to fifteen minutes a game,

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Speaker 2: but if I was playing more, I could contribute more.

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Speaker 2: You have Jared Vanderbilt talking about the Lakers needing to

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Speaker 2: start games with the more defensive lineup, basically hinting he

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Speaker 2: should be in the starting lineup. Like it's just been

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Speaker 2: a mess, and guys are calling out the coaches with

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Speaker 2: passive aggressive comments. They're calling out the lineups, they're calling

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Speaker 2: out the rotations, and this has been ongoing for several

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Speaker 2: weeks now, and it's really it's gone to the point

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Speaker 2: where guys have gone to social media aside from just

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Speaker 2: telling it to us, in the locker room.

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Speaker 1: It's weird that they could have won the in season tournament.

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Speaker 1: The celebrations were wild, you know, first in season champs,

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Speaker 1: and now here we are, like what six weeks later

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Speaker 1: and it's like the trade. Everyone nobody's untouchable except for

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Speaker 1: I guess Anthony Davis. I saw the ringer had a

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Speaker 1: piece on Lebron getting traded, which is silly. We kind

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Speaker 1: of dismissed it yesterday. I am curious. The one guy

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Speaker 1: I don't want to trade and I know no Lakers

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Speaker 1: fan want to see him gone is Austin Reeves. Where

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Speaker 1: are you on Reeves? I don't feel like his struggles

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Speaker 1: have been as bad as they're being made out, but

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Speaker 1: I don't know you're seeing him on a nightly basis,

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Speaker 1: and what are you hearing on Reeves?

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Speaker 2: I think his struggles have been overblown. I do think

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Speaker 2: there was this expectation that he was going to take

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Speaker 2: a gigantic leap and continue his ascension at a linear rate,

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Speaker 2: and that obviously hasn't happened. I do think there's an

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Speaker 2: element of if you just go through the course of

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Speaker 2: the season, him Indiangelo Rush kind of have yo yod

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Speaker 2: between one of them playing well and one of them

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Speaker 2: not playing as well. That was part of the reason

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Speaker 2: why Austin Reeves got bench at the beginning of the season.

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Speaker 2: But from that point on, you know, Dilo was the

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Speaker 2: one who started off stronger. But then around the nd

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Speaker 2: season tournament, D'Angelo Russell started struggling. He eventually got benched

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Speaker 2: in December and then Austin. Then they were both coming

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Speaker 2: off the bench for a portion. Then Austin gets back

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Speaker 2: in the starting lineup. So from that stretch of like

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Speaker 2: mid December through mid January, Austin was playing pretty well

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Speaker 2: and he was basically putting up the same numbers he

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Speaker 2: was putting up last season once he started, and you

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Speaker 2: know the guy that everyone was talking about as the

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Speaker 2: number three option and you know, the guy who played

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Speaker 2: well for Team USA. But then di'angelo returned to the

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Speaker 2: starting lineup and since then it's been the opposite, where

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Speaker 2: Austin has been a little bit quieter, he struggled a bit,

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Speaker 2: and D'Angelo has been the guy who's been more than

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Speaker 2: number three. So I really think it's more of a

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Speaker 2: matter of both guys are just at the best, you know,

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Speaker 2: at best when they have the ball in their hands

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Speaker 2: and the Lakers have been prioritizing D'Angelo. I think in

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Speaker 2: part that there's some trade value aspect to that, but

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Speaker 2: you know, he has played well and he deserves credit

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Speaker 2: for that. But I continue to hear that the Lakers

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Speaker 2: have no interest in trading Austin Reeves. I've heard it's

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Speaker 2: got to be a clear cut all star or it's

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Speaker 2: got to be like a mega deal where they're overhauling

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Speaker 2: the roster, bringing in several high quality players, and it's

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Speaker 2: just like a no brainer that you know, it's it's

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Speaker 2: worth putting him in that. But aside from one of

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Speaker 2: those two types of deals, like they're not going to

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Speaker 2: put him in a de Jonte Murray deal for example,

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Speaker 2: or Zach Lavine or one of these guys who's like

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Speaker 2: a fringe to you know, sub all star level. If

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Speaker 2: LORII market is available, if if Pascal Siakam had been

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Speaker 2: available for the Lakers, and to be clear, like Louri Marketing,

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Speaker 2: they don't have enough to get a guy like that.

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Speaker 2: But you know, if Donovan Mitchell it becomes available and

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Speaker 2: you know, the Lakers get in that bidding, then yeah,

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Speaker 2: Austin Reeves is someone they'd consider putting on the table.

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Speaker 2: But if it's just we're you know, getting this marginal upgrade,

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Speaker 2: or even if it's a substantial upgrade, but you know

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Speaker 2: the contract and uh, you know, injuries and different things

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Speaker 2: that they're factoring in, Like they value Austin very highly.

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Speaker 2: So I think if if one of the two is

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Speaker 2: traded in the back court, it's still gonna be D'Angelo

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Speaker 2: despite his uptack and play.

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Speaker 1: Recently, this idea that the Lakers have to pay like

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Speaker 1: a tax to make any trade. It kind of feels

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Speaker 1: when I when I see these reports. It again, you

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Speaker 1: don't know when to believe when you read this stuff,

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Speaker 1: but it almost feels like every single team that is

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Speaker 1: talking to the Lakers wants to bend them over a

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Speaker 1: barrel and say, oh, yeah, you guys have Lebron, you

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Speaker 1: you have to do this or he's gonna be pissed

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Speaker 1: and you're going you guys are gonna miss the playoff

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Speaker 1: blah blah blah. So we want both picks, both players,

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Speaker 1: and we'll give you like you know, de Jonta, Marie,

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Speaker 1: Jeremy Graham, whatever. And that leads me to believe that

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Speaker 1: maybe the Lakers don't do anything you're leading up to

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Speaker 1: the deadline and they just stand pat and say, you

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Speaker 1: know what, We'll keep our powder drive till the summer.

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Speaker 1: Nothing irrational, and that's when we'll go game hunting.

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Speaker 2: If that's even possible. I think there's a possibility with that.

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Speaker 2: I At the same time, I just look at this

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Speaker 2: skid that they've been on, and you mentioned d Ncason tournament.

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Speaker 2: They're ten and sixteen since winning the tournament. They're eighteenth

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Speaker 2: in offense, they're twenty first in defense, and they're twenty

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Speaker 2: second in net rating overall. So this current group, like

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Speaker 2: I think if you had seen a little bit more consistency,

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Speaker 2: you could maybe make the case that, like, their their

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Speaker 2: peaks are high enough to you know, if we can

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Speaker 2: just settle on a rotation, settle on a starting lineup,

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Speaker 2: and once we passed the trade deadline, it's like, hey,

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Speaker 2: you guys are all here, Like, let's just lock in

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Speaker 2: and go on a run. I just I think they

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Speaker 2: were kind of they had that opportunity in January. They

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Speaker 2: just had a stretch where they were in LA for

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Speaker 2: eleven of thirteen games, and they basically went five hundred

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Speaker 2: over that stretch, and that was their chance to pad

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Speaker 2: their record, get back higher up in the play and

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Speaker 2: mix and make up some of the ground that they

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Speaker 2: lost in December and they couldn't do it. So to me,

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Speaker 2: I think if they don't make a move and if

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Speaker 2: they punt on the season, that's opening up some larger

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Speaker 2: questions of just like are you giving up on the

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Speaker 2: lebron ad Era and are you potentially going in a

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Speaker 2: different direction this summer, because as currently constructed, I think

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Speaker 2: it's aside from the seven and zero stretch and winning

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Speaker 2: the n season tournament and a couple of random wins

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Speaker 2: here and there, like, it's difficult to make the case

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Speaker 2: that this group has enough to win a championship or

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Speaker 2: even get out of the first round, right Like, I

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Speaker 2: think right now, the most realistic outcome to me would

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Speaker 2: be this team probably is a playing team. They get

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Speaker 2: the seven or eight seed, and they lose in the

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Speaker 2: first round, and maybe they get an advantageous matchup they

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Speaker 2: went around lose in the second round, but like, still,

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Speaker 2: that's not what That's not what your goal is as

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Speaker 2: the Lakers. That's not what your goal is as a team.

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Speaker 2: You're trying to win a championship. You made the conference

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Speaker 2: finals last year. Anything less than that is a failure.

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Speaker 2: So I think as constructed that there are some clear

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Speaker 2: holes on this roster. They don't have enough shooting, they

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Speaker 2: don't have enough perimeter defense, some of the lineup stuff

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Speaker 2: has been questionable. So I think if there's a way

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Speaker 2: to like again, I think Jontay Murray to me check

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Speaker 2: some boxes of just speed athleticism. I think it's a

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Speaker 2: more natural fit with him and Austin in that back

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Speaker 2: court if you could get maybe not him, but if

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Speaker 2: you could get like a Dorian Finney Smith or one

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Speaker 2: of those three and D wings, that that guy can

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Speaker 2: start move Torrian Prince to the bench just makes a

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Speaker 2: lot more sense to me, so that there are bigger

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Speaker 2: moves they can make, Smaller moves they can make. But

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Speaker 2: I think they got to shake something up because this

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Speaker 2: group right now, as we've seen over the last few weeks,

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Speaker 2: it's kind of checked out and they're not all on

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Speaker 2: the same page. They're not playing well, and I think

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Speaker 2: if you just leave it as is, you're going to

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Speaker 2: continue to get the same result, which is basically a

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Speaker 2: five hundred team that is probably going to go nowhere

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Speaker 2: in April.

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Speaker 1: The counter to that would be, well, this is basically

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Speaker 1: not the same but very similar top eight players that

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Speaker 1: they had last year going into the playoffs. When they

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Speaker 1: got lucky to beat Minnesota in the play in it

290
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Speaker 1: was a super close game and then they dispatched the Grizzlies.

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Speaker 1: Things broke their way due to injuries, and then they

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Speaker 1: wipe away the Warriors and boom, you're in the conference

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Speaker 1: finals and I know you lost, but it was the

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Speaker 1: eventual champs who basically steamrolled everyone. So I don't know

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Speaker 1: how much longer could we play that. Well, they've got

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Speaker 1: Lebron and ad just get to the playoffs and they'll

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Speaker 1: figure it out. We can we play that card or

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Speaker 1: is it just no, there's no chance. That's not They're

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Speaker 1: not doing that again.

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Speaker 2: I think the card's still playable, just because you look

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Speaker 2: at the Ncason tournament and how dominant they were, and

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Speaker 2: that was that's really been the only like you know,

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Speaker 2: at stakes or something at clearly at stake with the

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Speaker 2: money and just the pride of winning that tournament, and

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Speaker 2: it was a playoff like atmosphere, Like I was at

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Speaker 2: that that Laker Suns game right before they went to Vegas,

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Speaker 2: and that felt like a first round like game six,

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Speaker 2: game seven, just the the the you know the level

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Speaker 2: of physicality, that the level of intensity. Both teams really

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Speaker 2: wanted that game, and you know, a trip to Vegas

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Speaker 2: was on the line, money was on the line, and

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Speaker 2: you saw with with those types of stakes, the Lakers

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Speaker 2: roasted the occasion. And you kind of saw it last

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Speaker 2: year again after the trade deadline, when it was like

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Speaker 2: they had a number of we want to win, you know,

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Speaker 2: I believe it was like eighteen of their last twenty

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Speaker 2: five games. They wanted to close the season out that

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Speaker 2: way and they got close that they weren't exactly there,

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Speaker 2: but they had this clear goal of if we could

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Speaker 2: win this many games, will be the seventh seed. You know,

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Speaker 2: hopefully the bracket breaks in our favor. It did end

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Speaker 2: up breaking in their favor and they made that run.

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Speaker 2: But I think with this group, you just haven't seen,

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Speaker 2: like I just wrote about it, like they haven't had

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Speaker 2: a streak longer than four games in either direction in

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Speaker 2: terms of a winning streak or a losing streak, Like

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Speaker 2: they've just hovered around five hundred all year. And the

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Speaker 2: crazy thing is this is the healthiest Lebron and Ad

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Speaker 2: have ever been together. And you can make a case

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Speaker 2: they're both still top ten guys. They both should be

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Speaker 2: all NBA like second team guys, and the fact that

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Speaker 2: this team is in the playing tournament with those guys

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Speaker 2: healthy and playing this way, to me, it's an indictment

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Speaker 2: more on the roster and on the coaching and the

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Speaker 2: supporting cast not rising to the level that they should

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Speaker 2: be playing at, but also the coaching staff not putting

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Speaker 2: them in a position to do so. And you mentioned

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Speaker 2: going on a run, Well, part of that was Jared

339
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Speaker 2: Vanderbilt as the starting wing, locking up perimeter guys. He's

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Speaker 2: played a much smaller role this season. And another part

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Speaker 2: of it was Ruy Hachimora as this consistent closer, and

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Speaker 2: he had some big moments in the playoffs for them,

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Speaker 2: and he's also played a smaller role. So I think

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Speaker 2: it's on paper it's the same cast, but I think

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Speaker 2: some of the guys have been used in different ways.

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Speaker 2: And that's also been where some of this frustration has

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Speaker 2: come from, because this team champion has continuity over the summer,

348
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Speaker 2: and yet when you actually look at how they've been

349
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Speaker 2: deployed this season, it hasn't been like a group building

350
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Speaker 2: off of last season. It's almost been an entirely new strategy.

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Speaker 1: Okay, So, looking big picture at the league, I know

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Speaker 1: the trade deadline usually like nothing happens. I had to

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Speaker 1: look this up. Last year ahead of the deadline, Kevin

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Speaker 1: Durant and Kyrie Irving were both traded. I believe that's correct, right, Yeah, Okay,

355
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Speaker 1: are we getting Do you think any remotely anything remotely

356
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Speaker 1: close to big names like that on the move here

357
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Speaker 1: ahead of this deadline? I guess the primary guys would

358
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Speaker 1: probably be, well, I don't know if Gordon Hayward's primary anymore.

359
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Speaker 1: He's nowhere near Kevin kd or Kyrie. But Zach Lavine,

360
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Speaker 1: who I'm higher on than most, I guess Alex, so

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Speaker 1: you could toss him in there, LORI markin and maybe,

362
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Speaker 1: but we're not going to see anything near Duran or Kyrie, right.

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Speaker 2: I don't think so. I think maybe it seems like

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Speaker 2: they're more inclined to trade Wiggins, though I don't know

365
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Speaker 2: what his value exactly would be with the type of

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Speaker 2: season that he's had. I think there had been some

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Speaker 2: Donovan Mitchell buzz earlier in the season, but Cleveland has

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Speaker 2: turned things around and played much better, So it feels

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Speaker 2: like they're going to just try and go on a

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Speaker 2: run and convince him to stay rather and you know,

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Speaker 2: potentially risk losing him this offseason. But that was one.

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Speaker 2: I mean, the Jimmy Butler situation with Miami is kind

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Speaker 2: of interesting. Oh what's that situation? Well, just Miami's struggling

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Speaker 2: and you know, do they decide to pull the plug

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Speaker 2: and go in a different direction like that? That's kind

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Speaker 2: of no, have you heard that? No? No, I want

377
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Speaker 2: to be clear in that. I just looking at that

378
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Speaker 2: situation like it feels like it's going south fast and

379
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Speaker 2: if that continues in the next week, I thought they

380
00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:09,320
Speaker 2: just got ROI they did, so I'm just kind of thinking,

381
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Speaker 2: like what situations could potentially happen. If i'd bet, I

382
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Speaker 2: would say, like Jontay Murray is probably the biggest name.

383
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Speaker 2: Zach Lavine is another one.

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Speaker 1: What about you.

385
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Speaker 2: I think Atlanta is going to try and make it

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Speaker 2: work with him, and that's why I think they want

387
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Speaker 2: for sure. I don't know what sure, but but Tray

388
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Speaker 2: is a really polarizing guy where I think he might

389
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Speaker 2: actually have more value to Atlanta right now than he

390
00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:42,000
Speaker 2: would across the league because his perception as like a

391
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Speaker 2: teammate and a locker room guy, isn't great. So I think, yeah,

392
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Speaker 2: I mean, I think that there's been some of that

393
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Speaker 2: of just guys haven't exactly loved playing with him, and

394
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Speaker 2: just I mean there's also just the element of the

395
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Speaker 2: way he plays. He is so ball dominant, that so

396
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Speaker 2: and it hasn't necessarily had the same winning as you've

397
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Speaker 2: seen in other places, Like it's a little bit easier

398
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Speaker 2: to do that with James Harden when he's making several

399
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Speaker 2: conference finals, his team is constantly winning fifty plus games,

400
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Speaker 2: et cetera. So I would I do think it's gonna

401
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Speaker 2: be a little bit more of a quiet deadline in

402
00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:19,800
Speaker 2: st Like I think there's gonna be a lot of deals,

403
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Speaker 2: as we see every year, there's always like twelve to

404
00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:26,760
Speaker 2: sixteen deals and those like two days leading up to

405
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Speaker 2: the deadline, But in terms of actual big names, it

406
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Speaker 2: feels like this summer is probably more of when you'll

407
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,439
Speaker 2: see that. And that's another calculation for the Lakers is

408
00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,160
Speaker 2: if they don't trade their first round pick, they could

409
00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,600
Speaker 2: trade three picks on draft night, so you could see

410
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Speaker 2: them get involved. If Donovan Mitchell, let's say Cleveland loses

411
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Speaker 2: in the first round, Donovan Mitchell wants out, like Lakers

412
00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:50,119
Speaker 2: could come with the package of here's three first round picks,

413
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Speaker 2: here's Austin Reeve plus matching whatever salary filler. We got

414
00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,440
Speaker 2: to get to Donovan's number, and here's you know, they

415
00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,680
Speaker 2: have upwards of four pick swaps. They have several second

416
00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,600
Speaker 2: round picks that are valuable. Like Lakers could get involved

417
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:08,199
Speaker 2: for a star this summer. Okay, said Donovan on the

418
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:09,960
Speaker 2: rest of the season. Though, you said.

419
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Speaker 1: Mitchell's a start, and I would agree in name sure.

420
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Speaker 1: I think a lot of it has to do with

421
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Speaker 1: what his rookie year or second year he took the

422
00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,919
Speaker 1: Jazz to like the second round of the playoffs. And

423
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Speaker 1: let's be clear, I like Donovan Mitchell. I'm a big

424
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Speaker 1: fan of his work. I do feel like the narrative

425
00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:28,719
Speaker 1: around him and correct me if I if you disagree,

426
00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:32,080
Speaker 1: it is a little bigger than his production on the court.

427
00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,479
Speaker 1: He doesn't play a whole lot of defense. He is

428
00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:36,800
Speaker 1: kind of ball centric. And let's be real, he lost

429
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,440
Speaker 1: essentially head to head against Jillen Brunson the last two

430
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,960
Speaker 1: years with the Knicks and then the MAVs. And remember

431
00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,199
Speaker 1: Luca missed I think two or three games in that series.

432
00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:49,320
Speaker 1: So and didn't the Jazz. I think they had another

433
00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:52,639
Speaker 1: meltdown in the West one year. I like, I like Mitchell.

434
00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:53,680
Speaker 2: Met the Clippers.

435
00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:54,639
Speaker 1: Clippers, that's what.

436
00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,520
Speaker 2: Kawhi Yeah even worse. Yeah, exactly.

437
00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:04,600
Speaker 1: And it's like, I don't know, man, that's a lot

438
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,919
Speaker 1: to give up for Mitchell, Like, well, is he that

439
00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,960
Speaker 1: much better than Austin Reeves?

440
00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,720
Speaker 2: I think so, yeah, yeah, I mean well, And the

441
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,080
Speaker 2: other thing with Austin is his defense has slipped a

442
00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,359
Speaker 2: bit this season and that was one of the things

443
00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:24,560
Speaker 2: that I think differentiated him from some of these scoring

444
00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,359
Speaker 2: guards that you would compare him to was that he

445
00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,840
Speaker 2: was kind of doing the gritty work and he would

446
00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:32,920
Speaker 2: dive on the ground for loose balls and take charges

447
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,000
Speaker 2: and crash, you know, the defensive glass and stuff. And

448
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:38,800
Speaker 2: I think he started to do some of that more.

449
00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:41,720
Speaker 2: I really think Team USA took more of a toll

450
00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,240
Speaker 2: on him than people realized than just the physicality of

451
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:48,560
Speaker 2: it and not really having a proper offseason. I think

452
00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,040
Speaker 2: it set him back a bit in a way. That's

453
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,800
Speaker 2: how to ripple effect throughout the season. But I think

454
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,800
Speaker 2: Donovan Mitchell I almost view it as like an upgrade

455
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,440
Speaker 2: on the version like Bradley be to me, like could

456
00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,600
Speaker 2: be a number two option, but really ideally you want

457
00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,280
Speaker 2: him as like the number three, as Phoenix as him

458
00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:09,720
Speaker 2: And I kind of see Donovan Mitchell in that same way,

459
00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,399
Speaker 2: where like he could be a number two in the

460
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:14,920
Speaker 2: right situation, but you put him as a number three

461
00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:17,840
Speaker 2: next to Lebron and ad. I think that's like a

462
00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,480
Speaker 2: perfect ideal slotting for him. Okay, And you know, I

463
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:23,560
Speaker 2: know we're talking Lakers. I obviously covered Lakers, but like

464
00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:25,880
Speaker 2: even if it's another situation where he goes in as

465
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,600
Speaker 2: the number three, maybe he's the number two offensively, but

466
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,879
Speaker 2: kind of just like the number three or number two

467
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,480
Speaker 2: point five in the pecking order, that to me is

468
00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:37,000
Speaker 2: like he's almost overqualified for that. But you see when

469
00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,320
Speaker 2: a Chris Bosh is a number three or Kevin Love

470
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,080
Speaker 2: or like some of these guys that they've been the

471
00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,520
Speaker 2: guy before, but they haven't necessarily had the results and

472
00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,680
Speaker 2: the success that you would want as the lead guy.

473
00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,159
Speaker 2: If you take that step back to like be a

474
00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,480
Speaker 2: number three, even if you're a bit overqualified for that,

475
00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:57,720
Speaker 2: if you're willing to sacrifice for winning, I think he

476
00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:02,159
Speaker 2: could be great in that role. So alas Lakers, to me,

477
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:05,719
Speaker 2: are an obvious destination just because of it's La. It's

478
00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:08,160
Speaker 2: the Lakers. They have Lebron, they have ad. But even

479
00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,240
Speaker 2: in a different situation, I think, like, if you could

480
00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,679
Speaker 2: find a way to make him your number three, that's like,

481
00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:14,639
Speaker 2: that's amazing. Okay.

482
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:18,840
Speaker 1: So if it's cool making bil a three, right, if

483
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,680
Speaker 1: it's cool making Donavan Mitchell three, why isn't it cool

484
00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:23,080
Speaker 1: with making zach Lavina three.

485
00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:23,239
Speaker 2: Now.

486
00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:26,480
Speaker 1: I know the contract is massive and onerous, but if

487
00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:30,800
Speaker 1: you were somehow to say, hey, ruly, D'Angelo russell the

488
00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,639
Speaker 1: two picks, Maybe that doesn't get it done for the Bulls,

489
00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:35,879
Speaker 1: but if the Bulls have nothing else, I would assume

490
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,840
Speaker 1: they'll do it again. I know Levine's not a one.

491
00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,280
Speaker 1: I don't know that he's a two. He doesn't play

492
00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,440
Speaker 1: a ton of defense, but as a catch and shoot guy,

493
00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,520
Speaker 1: as a three point marksman. You're telling me this Lakers offense,

494
00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:49,560
Speaker 1: which I believe is like twenty eight, twenty ninth in

495
00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:51,560
Speaker 1: the league. You said earlier, you told me they couldn't

496
00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:52,480
Speaker 1: use him big time.

497
00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:59,440
Speaker 2: I've grown more open to the zach Lavine deal over time.

498
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,480
Speaker 2: I think think really the two big things for them

499
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:07,560
Speaker 2: are contract, which again he's making between forty and fifty

500
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,960
Speaker 2: million over the next few years, which is just you're

501
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:15,560
Speaker 2: basically like, it's hard to build depth and quality rotation

502
00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,479
Speaker 2: guys around these three star builds. So you're basically saying like,

503
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,200
Speaker 2: and they were just in that situation with Russell Westbrook

504
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,720
Speaker 2: where because of having Lebron eighty and Russell Westbrook, they

505
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:28,480
Speaker 2: just had a bunch of minimum guys and it was like,

506
00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,960
Speaker 2: maybe you get the one mid level guy and you

507
00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:35,720
Speaker 2: have to hit a home run with that signing otherwise

508
00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:39,000
Speaker 2: It's like that that team the twenty twenty one twenty

509
00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,919
Speaker 2: two season where they didn't even make the play in

510
00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:46,080
Speaker 2: with despite having three guys who on paper were all

511
00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:49,080
Speaker 2: all star level guys, because just the depth was so

512
00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,760
Speaker 2: bad around them. But I think with Zach it's the

513
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,920
Speaker 2: contract and it's the injury history. That's the other thing.

514
00:26:55,960 --> 00:27:00,400
Speaker 2: Like he's been injured this season, He's had several niece inuries,

515
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,119
Speaker 2: and for them, I think to give up potentially in

516
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,560
Speaker 2: Austin Reeves. But let's just say they're able to keep him.

517
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,760
Speaker 2: But even if they're giving up you know, Delo Rui

518
00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,080
Speaker 2: and a pick and maybe a swap or second round

519
00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:17,200
Speaker 2: picks whatever, like I just think it just doesn't reach

520
00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:20,600
Speaker 2: a certain level for them where they're comfortable with giving

521
00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,800
Speaker 2: that up for the potential downside of Let's say Lebron

522
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,520
Speaker 2: leaves this summer. Let's say he retires this summer, and

523
00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,719
Speaker 2: now all of a sudden, we have Ady and zach Lavine,

524
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:34,360
Speaker 2: and like, what is that getting us? And you still

525
00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:36,639
Speaker 2: have Austin Reeves? I guess in this scenario, but I

526
00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:41,720
Speaker 2: think for and I'd initially reported like they have had

527
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,399
Speaker 2: more interest in a potential the Marta Rosen deal, a

528
00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,720
Speaker 2: potential Alex Caruso deal, potentially both of them together. DeRozan

529
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,040
Speaker 2: is an impending free agent. Cruso's got a partial guarantee

530
00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,000
Speaker 2: next year. Of course you're going to guarantee his contract.

531
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,200
Speaker 2: He's making ten million dollars, Like that's a steal. So

532
00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,639
Speaker 2: if there's a way to make one of those to work.

533
00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:03,280
Speaker 2: But again, you mentioned the Lakers tax, and like one

534
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,879
Speaker 2: thing i'd heard a couple months ago in reporting some

535
00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,159
Speaker 2: of this stuff was like Chicago doesn't really want to

536
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,960
Speaker 2: help the Lakers, And there is that sentiment of like,

537
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:17,199
Speaker 2: you know, going back, now we're going back what sixteen years,

538
00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:23,000
Speaker 2: when even longer when the Lakers traded for Pagasol and

539
00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:26,159
Speaker 2: the league wide reaction to that of they're in this

540
00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,240
Speaker 2: weird situation where Kobe wasn't happy, it was kind of

541
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,880
Speaker 2: a middling team, and Greg Popovich really spoke out against

542
00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:38,280
Speaker 2: Memphis giving Pagasol to the Lakers for that package, and

543
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:41,320
Speaker 2: since then there's kind of been this, we don't really

544
00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,720
Speaker 2: want to help the Lakers out, and no one wants

545
00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,160
Speaker 2: to be the team that gift wraps the Lakers a

546
00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:52,120
Speaker 2: championship or saves the season, and it's unfair that they

547
00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:55,360
Speaker 2: kind of have to deal with that. But I think

548
00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:57,959
Speaker 2: you're being naive if if you don't acknowledge that, of, like,

549
00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,360
Speaker 2: there are just a lot of teams that don't like

550
00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:02,920
Speaker 2: the Lakers and don't want to help them out. And

551
00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,280
Speaker 2: you know, part of it's the brand and the perception

552
00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:10,719
Speaker 2: that they, you know, get all the stars and this

553
00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:13,920
Speaker 2: and that and Lebron and like, like, it's just there

554
00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:18,000
Speaker 2: is a level of disdain for the Lakers. I think

555
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:23,480
Speaker 2: that you know, doesn't exist necessarily for like the Clippers

556
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,560
Speaker 2: or the Heat or some of these other teams. So

557
00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:30,560
Speaker 2: I think that that's something that they have to deal with,

558
00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:32,120
Speaker 2: and it's part of the Gift and the Curse.

559
00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,400
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Speaker 1: be like, boy, if I'm the Chicago freaking Bulls, I

583
00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:06,080
Speaker 1: can't remember the last time they want a playoff series. Hey, guys,

584
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:07,239
Speaker 1: I think you don't want to help to like us,

585
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,040
Speaker 1: but you know what, we gotta help ourselves. And if

586
00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:11,880
Speaker 1: this is gonna get us a couple swaps and like,

587
00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:14,040
Speaker 1: maybe the Lakers do some other side deals and I

588
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:15,880
Speaker 1: don't know, Let's just say they get five second round

589
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,240
Speaker 1: picks and then they give the Bulls a bunch of

590
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,480
Speaker 1: second rounds in addition to whatever picks, and players like,

591
00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:23,840
Speaker 1: I gotta help my team. I can't worry about it.

592
00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,360
Speaker 1: I gotta do what's best for me. Now. I don't

593
00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:28,240
Speaker 1: know that the Bulls would do that. But the worst

594
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,680
Speaker 1: part you said is Lebron. And let's go there real quick.

595
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,400
Speaker 1: Let's say Lebron leaves this offseason, my guess, and feel

596
00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:38,120
Speaker 1: free to disagree. He's gonna go to wherever his son

597
00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:40,840
Speaker 1: gets picked up. Now, Bronni has probably played not at

598
00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:42,640
Speaker 1: the level of a first round pick, but maybe somebody

599
00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,720
Speaker 1: rolls the dice because they want Lebron in town. I

600
00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:47,640
Speaker 1: don't know if somebody rolls the dice in the second

601
00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:49,400
Speaker 1: round just because they want Lebron, because there is a

602
00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:51,360
Speaker 1: lot to go with that. Lebron's gonna instantly come in

603
00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:53,240
Speaker 1: and he's not gonna be like a backseat driver, you

604
00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:58,959
Speaker 1: know this, He's gonna want control, Doude. Does that mean

605
00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:06,320
Speaker 1: Bronni probably just ends with the Lakers. Uh.

606
00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:08,840
Speaker 2: I think there's a chance he ends up with the Lakers,

607
00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:13,040
Speaker 2: depending on how the rest of his season plays out

608
00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,560
Speaker 2: and how his draft stock plays out. I've heard in

609
00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,920
Speaker 2: conversations with people that that middle part of the draft,

610
00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,600
Speaker 2: once you get outside like the top twenty, it always is.

611
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,600
Speaker 2: It just varies so much team to team that like

612
00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:30,840
Speaker 2: you can make the case the twenty first guy on

613
00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,640
Speaker 2: you know for Team X, is guy forty five for

614
00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,920
Speaker 2: Team HY. And there's just such a variance in those

615
00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:42,440
Speaker 2: late first into beginning to middle of the second round.

616
00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,800
Speaker 2: So I do think there will be teams that have

617
00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,960
Speaker 2: interest in taking Bronni as a late first round pick

618
00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:51,960
Speaker 2: just because of the name and you're gonna get even

619
00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,760
Speaker 2: if Lebron doesn't come, just the Bronny attention is gonna

620
00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:59,520
Speaker 2: be at a certain level where there's gonna be You.

621
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:02,680
Speaker 1: Think there's this area where Lebron would not go with Bronnie.

622
00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:06,520
Speaker 2: I think so, oh yeah, So I would say if

623
00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:09,160
Speaker 2: you go back to go back to the second round

624
00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:12,680
Speaker 2: that they're playing the Warriors, Bronnie commits to USC and

625
00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:17,280
Speaker 2: Lebron gets asked about it. He's he's thrilled, he's you know,

626
00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:19,560
Speaker 2: he's talking about how proud he is as a father,

627
00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:24,840
Speaker 2: and the sentiment kind of gets brought up again about

628
00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:29,880
Speaker 2: him playing with Bronnie, and he says, essentially, you know,

629
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,920
Speaker 2: for that's my dream, but I don't know if that's

630
00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:36,400
Speaker 2: his dream, and as and you know, he's my son

631
00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:40,160
Speaker 2: and I have to honor it. So I took that

632
00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,440
Speaker 2: as like, we haven't heard the Bronnie side of this situation, right,

633
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,600
Speaker 2: we won't be because he was in high school and

634
00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:49,080
Speaker 2: now at USC he dealt with the the heart situation

635
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:53,880
Speaker 2: and you know, he's hasn't been doing much media. But

636
00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,720
Speaker 2: I took it more as like Lebron has been of

637
00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:59,400
Speaker 2: course as a father, you're gonna want to play with

638
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:02,080
Speaker 2: your son. You're gonna want to be there for his

639
00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:06,440
Speaker 2: opening night and help shepherd him into the NBA world

640
00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,480
Speaker 2: and kind of show them the ropes. But I think

641
00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:13,400
Speaker 2: about like Austin Rivers and how it was for him

642
00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:16,400
Speaker 2: being coached by his dad. It's a different situation coaching,

643
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:18,760
Speaker 2: you know, the coach's son narrative and all that stuff

644
00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:20,120
Speaker 2: that comes with that that starts when you're like a

645
00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,600
Speaker 2: little kid. It's just the favoritism with like the coach's son.

646
00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:29,200
Speaker 2: But I think Lebron joining Bronnie if you know, if

647
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:31,320
Speaker 2: my dad wanted to play on the team with me, Like,

648
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:32,759
Speaker 2: I don't know how i'd feel about that, right, Like,

649
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:36,000
Speaker 2: I think that's just a typical father son dynamic, So

650
00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,320
Speaker 2: I wouldn't. I think Lebron wants to be on the

651
00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:42,400
Speaker 2: same floor as him at a minimum, and just you

652
00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:44,320
Speaker 2: know the history that would come with that, the moment

653
00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,640
Speaker 2: of sharing the floor with his son, how special and

654
00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:50,480
Speaker 2: iconic that would be. I don't know if he's necessarily

655
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:55,399
Speaker 2: married to If Ronnie gets drafted by Oka See, I'm

656
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:59,959
Speaker 2: going to okay See or or Indiana or Cleveland again,

657
00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:05,000
Speaker 2: Orlando or wherever wherever picked your random NBA city in

658
00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,920
Speaker 2: a smaller market, like, I don't. I don't see Lebron

659
00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,040
Speaker 2: necessarily doing that now. I think a lot depends on

660
00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,720
Speaker 2: how this Laker situation plays out. Again, are they aggressive

661
00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,759
Speaker 2: at the deadline? Like how does the season end? How

662
00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:19,480
Speaker 2: is he feeling about the direction of the organization, And

663
00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:24,239
Speaker 2: then you potentially have him either staying in LA, him

664
00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:27,799
Speaker 2: going where BRONI is, or him potentially going somewhere else

665
00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,160
Speaker 2: to try and win a championship like that. There's been

666
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,680
Speaker 2: that Dallas rumor that's been out there forever, But what's

667
00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:36,440
Speaker 2: the Dallas well, Like when Dallas was trying to trade

668
00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:40,280
Speaker 2: for when the Lakers is trying to trade for Kyrie

669
00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:43,320
Speaker 2: and then Dallas was like, oh, well we'll trade for Lebron.

670
00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:47,279
Speaker 2: And you know, Dallas has been a team that's been

671
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:49,600
Speaker 2: thrown out there. But I don't know about that. I

672
00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,400
Speaker 2: just think Lebron's getting to a point and he had

673
00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:56,000
Speaker 2: the tweet with the hour glass like there's only so

674
00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,400
Speaker 2: much time left in his career and he wants to

675
00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:00,959
Speaker 2: win championships. That's really the only thing left for him

676
00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:03,920
Speaker 2: to do is to continue to rack up championships. And

677
00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,360
Speaker 2: if the Lakers aren't going to put him in that position.

678
00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:10,080
Speaker 2: I think that opens up potentially a different conversation. But

679
00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,440
Speaker 2: we are a few days or about a week from

680
00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:16,799
Speaker 2: the trade deadline. We'll see what happens. We'll see how

681
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:20,160
Speaker 2: the rest of the season plays out. But I think

682
00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:23,400
Speaker 2: that this is really interesting because what we're getting to

683
00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:26,680
Speaker 2: a point now where it's going to be the end

684
00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,560
Speaker 2: of Lebron's sixth season in LA and you can make

685
00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:31,359
Speaker 2: a case he really only had a chance to win

686
00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,160
Speaker 2: in two of those six seasons, and he did win

687
00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:39,000
Speaker 2: in one of them. Yeah, but you know, maybe three

688
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:41,279
Speaker 2: I guess that twenty twenty one season eighty goes down

689
00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:44,160
Speaker 2: like they were up in that series. I think they

690
00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:47,560
Speaker 2: would have beat Phoenix the and then that was it.

691
00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:49,480
Speaker 2: Remember if that was the Phoenix team that made the finals.

692
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:52,480
Speaker 2: So theoretically like that, the Lakers would have had a

693
00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:54,439
Speaker 2: shot to at least going a finals run. I don't

694
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:56,640
Speaker 2: know if they beat Milwaukee. Milwaukee, you know, Yatis was

695
00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:00,560
Speaker 2: at a crazy level that season, But you can make

696
00:37:00,719 --> 00:37:02,880
Speaker 2: I mean even three of the six years like that's

697
00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,200
Speaker 2: not great. Well, with Lebron and eighty, you should be

698
00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:10,360
Speaker 2: in contention every single season, and they have that injuries

699
00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:15,240
Speaker 2: but part if it's been the roster, I think that's undeniable. Yeah.

700
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,320
Speaker 1: At the same time, though, he's thirty nine or forty

701
00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:21,880
Speaker 1: thirty nine, Okay, well was it Jordan thirty nine and

702
00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:24,120
Speaker 1: like flailing with the Wizards at like twenty points a game,

703
00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:27,280
Speaker 1: and like Lebron, like the idea that you know, Lebron

704
00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:29,160
Speaker 1: structured his deal so he could be a free agent

705
00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:32,200
Speaker 1: to join his son wherever led me to believe he

706
00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:34,640
Speaker 1: was just going there. Now, the weird part is he's

707
00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:38,240
Speaker 1: still at what like twenty four seven and seven. That's

708
00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,880
Speaker 1: not like some you know, ring chaser, right, that's like

709
00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,239
Speaker 1: a kind of guy who you know, if you get him,

710
00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:48,200
Speaker 1: he's probably starting in the offense is like maybe running

711
00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:50,040
Speaker 1: through him if you're the Washington Wizards.

712
00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:50,680
Speaker 2: I don't know.

713
00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:54,920
Speaker 1: I can definitely see an attention starve team who's just

714
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:58,759
Speaker 1: a laughingstock Detroit Washington saying sure, we'll take Brownie and oh,

715
00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,200
Speaker 1: by the way, TNTESPN, can you throw us a couple

716
00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:04,160
Speaker 1: early games in your rotation because we got Bronni and

717
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:07,480
Speaker 1: maybe Lebron. Oh sure, yeah, don't you think that's like

718
00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:08,760
Speaker 1: remotely possible?

719
00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:12,200
Speaker 2: Yeah? No, no, I agree, I'm not saying I'm not

720
00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:17,600
Speaker 2: entirely dismissing the notion. I just think I guess I

721
00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,239
Speaker 2: would push back and say I don't think it's as

722
00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:22,239
Speaker 2: concrete as some people have made it out to be.

723
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,240
Speaker 2: That that would be my counter.

724
00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:29,279
Speaker 1: I guess last question, we'll wrap up on this. I

725
00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:30,640
Speaker 1: know we said like it's could be tough for the

726
00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,360
Speaker 1: Lakers to make moves in the West, but Minnesota's first,

727
00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:35,040
Speaker 1: and I think they have a lot of questions heading

728
00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:38,640
Speaker 1: into the postseason as they have the last couple of years. Obviously,

729
00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:41,680
Speaker 1: Denver's loaded, but like OKC hasn't proved anything in the

730
00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:46,680
Speaker 1: playoffs yet. Clippers, we know the injury potential, Kings Sons

731
00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:49,319
Speaker 1: are still trying to find their groove. I'm just saying,

732
00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:53,080
Speaker 1: in a hypothetical where Jokic is injured or Jamal Murray

733
00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:55,720
Speaker 1: goes down, is it the West kind of wide open?

734
00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:00,640
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think right now that the two teams I

735
00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:02,880
Speaker 2: have the most confidence in in the West are Denver

736
00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:05,800
Speaker 2: of course reigning champs, Jokic best player in the world,

737
00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:08,399
Speaker 2: and the Clippers. I think the Clippers have really turned

738
00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:13,160
Speaker 2: things around now the injury history and the franchise history,

739
00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:16,840
Speaker 2: like at this point you kind of assume something is

740
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:19,120
Speaker 2: going to go wrong with the Clippers until it doesn't,

741
00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:22,880
Speaker 2: and we'll see if, like, if they stay healthy, I

742
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:25,520
Speaker 2: would not be surprised at all if they won the

743
00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:30,200
Speaker 2: West or even won the title. Outside of that, like,

744
00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:34,319
Speaker 2: I was very high on Phoenix entering the season. They

745
00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:36,480
Speaker 2: obviously dealt with a lot of injuries. It's taken a

746
00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:38,960
Speaker 2: bit for them to round into form. But I just

747
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:43,360
Speaker 2: think that level of offense in a seven game series

748
00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:45,640
Speaker 2: is going to be really difficult to game plan for,

749
00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:50,560
Speaker 2: really difficult to stop. And in a lot of series,

750
00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:52,840
Speaker 2: they're going to have the two best players in Katie

751
00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:57,160
Speaker 2: and Booker, and I just think or at least two

752
00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:59,040
Speaker 2: of the three. And I think anytime you can say

753
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:00,920
Speaker 2: that you have a legit, I mean, that's that's been

754
00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:04,000
Speaker 2: the Lakers case for a lot of these series too.

755
00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:07,680
Speaker 2: So that's why to me, if I'm the Lakers, I go,

756
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:10,160
Speaker 2: I'm aggressive at the deadline. I try and improve the

757
00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:13,080
Speaker 2: roster as much as possible, because if I get Minnesota

758
00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:15,560
Speaker 2: or Oka see in round one, I think I could

759
00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,000
Speaker 2: beat them. I think I could beat like they've already

760
00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:21,960
Speaker 2: They're two and one against Okac this season. They're zero

761
00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:24,759
Speaker 2: to two against Minnesota, but both games are close. One

762
00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,640
Speaker 2: game with no Lebron and they were still close, and

763
00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:31,000
Speaker 2: both were in Minnesota. So I think they look at

764
00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:33,719
Speaker 2: those matchups as like we could beat either one of

765
00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:36,839
Speaker 2: those teams even without home court advantage, similar to how

766
00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:40,600
Speaker 2: we beat Memphis in Round one last season. So it's

767
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:42,839
Speaker 2: kind of a crapshoot though, because if you're looking at

768
00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:44,640
Speaker 2: the top of the West, like the top four is

769
00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:46,480
Speaker 2: kind of locked in, it's just a matter of seating.

770
00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:50,480
Speaker 2: So you could get Minnesota or Oka see in round one,

771
00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:53,080
Speaker 2: you could also get Denver or the Clippers. Yeah, And

772
00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:55,600
Speaker 2: you know, I like if they're the eighth seed and

773
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,279
Speaker 2: all of a sudden, you're playing Denver in round one,

774
00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:00,799
Speaker 2: like that's the conference finals rematch out out the gate,

775
00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:04,200
Speaker 2: and I would pick Denver in that series. So I

776
00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:09,399
Speaker 2: think for them, they should be aggressive. Like, if you're

777
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:11,759
Speaker 2: in the Lebron in eighty business, you're trying to win

778
00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:15,360
Speaker 2: a championship this season, not next season, not three seasons

779
00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:17,759
Speaker 2: from now. It's about this season. So if you got

780
00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:19,919
Speaker 2: a trade a first round pick, you got to add

781
00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:22,400
Speaker 2: in a pick, swap, whatever it is, you got to

782
00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:25,320
Speaker 2: do it. And again unless you're punting on the season

783
00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:27,919
Speaker 2: and just going in a different direction this summer, which

784
00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:29,920
Speaker 2: I would be surprised by, just because I think they

785
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,440
Speaker 2: like having Lebron, they like the attention that comes with it,

786
00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:35,440
Speaker 2: they like competing for championships. So I don't see this

787
00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,719
Speaker 2: team rebuilding. And if you're not going to rebuild, to me,

788
00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:40,480
Speaker 2: you got to go all in. So we'll see. It's

789
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:43,880
Speaker 2: going to be an interesting eight days, and I do

790
00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:45,440
Speaker 2: expect the Lakers to make a move. It's just a

791
00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:47,440
Speaker 2: matter of magnitude. Is it a smaller move. Are they

792
00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:49,160
Speaker 2: just trying to plug a whole or two in the roster,

793
00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:53,280
Speaker 2: or are they remaking the starting lineup and really going.

794
00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:56,239
Speaker 1: For it all right, Yovon Bouja, The Athletic and the

795
00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:58,600
Speaker 1: Hoops to Night Pod here on the volume. Thanks a lot, Man,

796
00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:01,680
Speaker 1: and good luck getting some slop ahead of the trade deadline.

797
00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:02,920
Speaker 2: Appreciate it, Man,