1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: M M all right, welcome to this day of the 2 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: Lakers on Dad right now. I think you guys so 3 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: much more, coming to hang out with Rod and Knight. 4 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: Finally a relatively uneventful UM evening for Ler basketball. Um. 5 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,159 Speaker 1: I know some people are a little frustrated with, you know, 6 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: the closeness of the margin, but I thought tonight was 7 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: a pretty clear positive step. I mean, you never are 8 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: gonna be able to become a good team overnight. Uh. 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: There that was that there's just too many problems to 10 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: fix with this team to you know, have a situation where, 11 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: you know, just some guys have a good raw ros 12 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: speech in the locker room, come out and give good 13 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: effort and fix everything. It was always gonna be a process, 14 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: but there had to be a clear, intentional um first step, 15 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: and I thought that tonight very well could have been that. However, Rodge, 16 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 1: it feels like something I've said a half dozen times 17 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: this year. So where are you at today? Man? At 18 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: first one? Has your weekend been? I hope you've had 19 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: a chance to relax a little bit and to give 20 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: me your thoughts on so far on tonight's game. Yeah, 21 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:19,839 Speaker 1: I had a good weekend. Um, enjoying with some family 22 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: here as well, So I was kind of in and 23 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: out on this one, but I did catch the main 24 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: kind of things. I saw the ugly, obviously starting lineup 25 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: that stayed this team has lost the benefit of the doubt, right, 26 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: Like you would agree, like this team has lost the 27 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: benefit of the doubt with the good game bad games 28 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,199 Speaker 1: that they've been hasn't they've been having, But I thought 29 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: tonight it's one of It's probably the best game we've 30 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: seen from a Big three as a collective. Uh. So 31 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: we had I think I had the stats up here. 32 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: We had Anthony Davis with Lebron with thirty three, Russ 33 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: with twenty five. I thought the rim pressure was was 34 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: great from all three of them really attacking the basket. 35 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: Lebron took I think nine threes, but then that really 36 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: got to the rim. And that's what we need to 37 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: see from them. Uh And I'm hoping this is kind 38 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: of something we can see going forward. But this team 39 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: was lost in benefit of the doubt to me, like, 40 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: I need to see this on a consistent basis. And 41 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: I've seen people like you said, upset with the margin 42 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: the margin that we won won by. But we're not 43 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: a good team right now, at least so far, and 44 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: people are gonna be mad at the DeAndre Jordan minutes. 45 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: Dwight Howard was out tonight, I believe with rest, so 46 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: it really just had him and Lebron and a G 47 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: at the center. But yes, yes, yeah, I think Uh 48 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: Mike Mike Trudell on the on the broadcast said he 49 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: was resting and Vogel was going with more guards tonight 50 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: going against this Detroit team. But yeah, man, I want 51 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: to see this going forward. But we got a lot 52 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: more Lebron, a d of the center at center lineups, 53 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: and hopefully this is something we see going forward. But 54 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: that's where I'm at since this is a good win. Again, 55 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: the scoring margin isn't great. Detroit kind of made a 56 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,839 Speaker 1: run late, but we can't really be picky right now 57 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: with with wins that we're getting. We didn't go to overtime, 58 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: which is a positive, right like we beat them, we 59 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: beat them in regulation. Uh, That's where I'm at this 60 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: with this. It's a good win. Good hopefully we can 61 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: build on it. But they've lost the benefit of the 62 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: doubt to me for for saying that it's something we're 63 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: gonna build one and you know, as I said at 64 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: the very beginning, the Lakers have a laundry list of problems, 65 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: you know, like they're you're never going to be able 66 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: to get th h T at age twenty one now 67 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: to be a really consistent offensive player. So he's, you know, 68 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: gonna be a kind of on again, off again type 69 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: of guy in our offense, you know, And the same 70 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: thing goes with him on the defensive end. He's gonna 71 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: have nights where he makes a ton of big plays, 72 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 1: and then he's gonna have nights where he's getting lost 73 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: off the ball a very Bradley. His offense very clearly 74 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: comes and goes. His defense, you know, is very active. 75 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: It's very active, but it doesn't accomplish a ton that 76 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: There's nothing we can do to change that. The same 77 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: goes for everybody on the roster. Wayne, Malik and Carmelo 78 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: are kind of offensive engines that will get hot and 79 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: then also go cold, and they're not gonna give us 80 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: a ton offensively. That's not going to change. Frank isn't 81 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: going to change unless he gets fired. As we've seen, 82 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: he's very very reliant, he's very very set in his ways. 83 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: You know, that's not something we can change without Frank 84 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: getting fired. You know, uh, Russ is what Russ is. 85 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: But there was one clear thing going on that absolutely 86 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: was very very easy to change, and that was Lebron 87 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: in a D's engagement level. And so tonight a lot 88 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: of those things that I just listed off reared their 89 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: ugly head, Frank's, Frank's insistent on using DJ, the terrible 90 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: spacing offensive guards, mellow Monk and uh Ellington all had 91 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: pretty offensive nights that all led to that close scoring margin. 92 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: But the functionality of the team, meaning like the quality 93 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: of shots they were giving up and the quality of 94 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: shots they were generating for themselves, was all significantly better 95 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: because at the very beginning of the game, while Braun 96 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: and a D made a concerted effort to be engaged 97 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: physically in the game, instead of taking a boatload of 98 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: dumb jump shots, they both put their head down and 99 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: got to the rim a lot. A D, when he 100 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: screamed instead of popping, would roll hard to the rim. 101 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: I talk a lot in the last part with at 102 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: about out of area defensive place. You know, like a 103 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: D and Lebron are so incredibly gifted that they'll make 104 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: a play and you'd be like, oh, man, I can't believe, 105 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: you know, he blew that play up, or he got 106 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: this crazy block, or he did this, But usually it's 107 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: because the offense kind of ran directly into him and 108 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: his freak talent took over. There was very little extra 109 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: effort to get out of their area to cover for 110 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: their teammates. And you saw that tonight. You saw Lebron 111 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: actually stepping in and taking charges instead of standing there 112 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: and watching. There was a play early in the game, 113 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: a d off ball, there's a guy posting up a mismatch. 114 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: He went out of his area to come over and 115 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: he raced the shot. Those are those are additional effort plays. 116 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: That's covering for the fact that your teammates don't have 117 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: the amount of talent that you have. And so, and 118 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: even though all those other flaws that I talked about 119 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: have to get fixed, we still need forwards. We need 120 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: to find a way to be generate easier shots. We 121 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: need uh Frank to give up on DeAndre Jordan's and 122 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: use Avery Bradley a lot less. That's all true, but 123 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: step one was getting Lebron and a D on board 124 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: and for them to try this hard in a game 125 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: against the Pistons, for them to come out into this 126 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 1: game with that level of urgency on both ends, to me, 127 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: it was a big step. And it's not about once. 128 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: Like you said, they don't get the benefit of the doubt. 129 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: We don't get to just assume this means problems are fixed. 130 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 1: They have to show us over an extended stretch that 131 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: they are. But this was a good first step in 132 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: that direction. Yeah, I agree with that, and I've seen 133 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: people you know, start to do that. You know, they 134 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: miss k CP, they miss Kyle Kuzma, they miss Danny Green. 135 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: Those aren't players that aren't on minimum deals though, right 136 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: like those are players making eight to twelve to fifteen 137 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,359 Speaker 1: million dollars a year. When you have a team with 138 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:01,919 Speaker 1: three stars and a bunch of just minimum guys on 139 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: the roster, your three stars pretty much have to show 140 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: up every single night, or at least two of them 141 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: have to be at an engagement level to match, and 142 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: even a team like Detroit that's really bad. We're just 143 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: not playing at the level right now where those two 144 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: or three of them can be disengaged. And it's not 145 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: fair to have Lebron with these kind of Lebron having 146 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: this load a d I think he's the young one, 147 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: he's twenty eight. He's the one that should be he 148 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: should not be load managing through games, uh, in between games. 149 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: But it's something that we've just seen. The effort level 150 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: hasn't been there, and we've seen guys kind of breakdown 151 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: why that's happening. And the spacing issues, to me, are 152 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: still gonna be there. Frank Vogel looks like he's gonna 153 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: go down. He's gonna go down with the ship his way. 154 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: Like people expected DeAndre Tron and Avery Bradley not to 155 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: start tonight and they did again. Uh, and I think 156 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: we were down seven to one or something like that 157 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: when the game started, uh, and it was really bad. 158 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: It looked ugly. But he's gonna go down with the 159 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: ship his way. And maybe that changed when we get healthy. 160 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: But you're right, Lebron and a D. Being engaged is 161 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: the first step. Those other guys an't going to change 162 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: the way that those those guys can Molik Monk to me, 163 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: is not going to get better defensively. Wayne Ellington probably 164 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: isn't gonna be is not gonna be better. Carmelo Anthony 165 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: is what he is. Lemon and eighties engagement level have 166 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: to be have to be to a baseline level. Right. 167 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: It doesn't have to be great. Lebron doesn't have to 168 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: be a percent defensive Player of the Year. But like you, 169 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: like you said, defense defending out of his area, Lebron 170 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: defending a d defending out of this area. It's just 171 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: stuff that we need we net Like in that Indiana game, 172 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: I thought Lebron showed what he can be, and then 173 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: the next in the next few games are just he 174 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: just stopped trying again, like it was just his effort. 175 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: Can't wane that much for this team. Uh, they really 176 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: need him, And I thought tonight it was great. I 177 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,439 Speaker 1: thought the engagement was really there from from the opening tips. 178 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: So hopefully it's something we can build on. But you're right, 179 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: I just thought it was an engagement level that we 180 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: need to see. And they're the leaders of the team. 181 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: Frank Vogel, people are asking for his head on on 182 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: a stick. We'll see if that comes to fruition. Uh, 183 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: this is another game that he survived, he got the win. 184 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: I don't think they want to make that change right now, 185 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: and again I've been very clear on my stance on it, 186 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: but it's starts with them too. At the top. No 187 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: scheme matters until your stars are engaged. And I thought 188 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 1: we saw that tonight. Even if there's a lot of 189 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff, we still have to fix a 190 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: lot of the lineup that still have to be fixed. 191 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: That's the top of the that's the top of the 192 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: key for me, is is Lebron and a D engaged 193 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: at a level that brings everyone else. You can build 194 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: on that, right, like like, like you know, turning activity 195 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: into production on defense is a process, but the first 196 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 1: step is that activity. You've got to get guys actually 197 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: willing to put in put their bodies on the line 198 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: to do the job. From there, you can get to 199 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: the point where guys start to build that on a 200 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: string type of continuity defensively, right, that's them, Like, there 201 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: were a lot of place tonight where guys were trying 202 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: hard but got out of position. But that's to be 203 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: expected because they haven't really really tried to attempt to 204 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: make their defensive scheme work, you know, up to this point. 205 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: But like at a certain point you had to you 206 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: had to at least start the process of everybody giving 207 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: ship so that they can start to build that continuity 208 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: and understanding, Like hey, like Avery tends the funnel guys, 209 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: this way a D s now going out of his 210 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: area to help here. So I it is worth it 211 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: for me to rotate over to that week side corner, 212 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: whereas in the past it was already a layup. So 213 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: I I would just quit on the play myself too, 214 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: because I don't even my faults. Somebody else quit like 215 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: it's all part of building that chain. And then then 216 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: that's when you're you'll start to see the multiple efforts 217 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: start to come into play, and that's when you'll start 218 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 1: to see that invigorate the offense. Because again, like I said, 219 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: our role players weren't good tonight. None of our offensive 220 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: you know, firepower pieces off the bench really got going. 221 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: Everybody made a handful of plays, but nobody really got going, 222 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. And so from that standpoint, 223 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: it goes back to something that you and I have 224 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: said NonStop over the last three years. When the Laker 225 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: role players are bad, but Lebron and a D are engaged, 226 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: we win by a little And Lebron and Nadi are 227 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: engaged and our role players are okay, we win by 228 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: like fifteen And when Lebron and n D are engaged 229 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: and our role players play really well. We blow teams out. 230 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: So tonight kind of fit back into that mold for 231 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 1: me of Lebron and A D leaving a physical imprint 232 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: on the game, no one else really being able to 233 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:22,839 Speaker 1: match them. But it not mattering because Lebron and A 234 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: D are that good, you know. And and I think 235 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: we can move this to us a little bit because um, 236 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 1: he's been the most consistently engaged player that we that 237 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: from the Big three over the course of the last 238 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: you know, almost a month, And I think I think 239 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: he deserves to get a lot of credit because you know, 240 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: that's what kind of made the Lebron and A D 241 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 1: stuff so embarrassing. Is meanwhile, Russ, you know, while he's 242 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: getting all the blame on Twitter from people outside of 243 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: the Laker fan base, you haven't watched him night in 244 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: and night out, and people inside the Laker fan base 245 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: that including myself, who had just been hard on him, 246 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: especially at the beginning of the season. I think people 247 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: like you and I who actually have been watching have 248 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:08,559 Speaker 1: taken it a lot easier on Russ says, he's gotten 249 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: better because we have no we have no we have 250 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: no personal against him, you know, what I mean. But 251 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: like again, Russ. Russ has been good for a couple 252 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: of weeks now, so it's nice to see Lebron in 253 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: a d medium at that level, and we're seeing two 254 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: Russ start to find comfort and where to be aggressive. 255 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,079 Speaker 1: It's hard for me to watch him with DJ still 256 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: because you can tell there's just no there's no real 257 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: opportunity for him to go. But he had a lot 258 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: of opportunity tonight with a d Or. He'd go five 259 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 1: out and and there'll be nobodies in the paint and 260 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: he could put his head down and get to the rim. 261 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: He had some bullyball post up type of touches. It's 262 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: good to see Russ just starting to look comfortable in 263 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: the Laker offense. Yeah, he's definitely starting to pick his spots, 264 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: and anyone who's in the past he's watched US and 265 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,319 Speaker 1: Washington and Houston has said he kind of picks it 266 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,839 Speaker 1: up as a season goes along, and hopefully that's something 267 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: that's happening here. Is engagement level has been there. Offensively, 268 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:06,719 Speaker 1: I think defensively still, he gets lost a lot of 269 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: times on shooters or when he's the help man. He's 270 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: really he really likes to go up go help on 271 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: the boards, and that's something that really hurts the team. 272 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: But you're right, he has pushed the pace. We've talked 273 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: about it all year. Though. This team needs to choose 274 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: an identity, and I think that one has to be 275 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: one that fits Russ. The DJ and Avery Bradley lineups 276 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: are so against what Russ is good at, what what 277 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: gets Russ comfortable, and I think that's been the biggest frustration. 278 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: But I don't know if Vogel is going to go 279 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:36,959 Speaker 1: away from that. But I thought again tonight his room 280 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,239 Speaker 1: pressure was great, and it's what we thought the formula 281 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,079 Speaker 1: would be for this team, right. It's Lebron and Aidy 282 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: going off and then you have Russ as well doing 283 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: his thing, putting up the numbers. And the numbers aren't 284 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: always great like they you can, you know, argue whether 285 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: they impact winning or whatever you want to say, but 286 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: I mean twenty five points, nine rebounds, six assists, three turnovers, 287 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: only three threes tonight, really getting to the basket, like, 288 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 1: that's what that's the formula for this team winning, right, 289 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: Lebron and a D being themselves and then Russ adding 290 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: his production to that. And I think That's how you 291 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: have to win here when you have a team full 292 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: of guys on minimum deals, like the three stars have 293 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: to be themselves, like, especially against good teams Detroit. Maybe 294 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: you can get away with if one of them are 295 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: playing well, but you need all three of them, all 296 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: three of them going. I thought today was a sign 297 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: of that of what it can look like. I guess 298 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: when it's going, it's going well. But yeah, Russ starting 299 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: to get more comfortable, starting to find his spots. Uh, 300 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: the ad at the five lineups are obviously where he's 301 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 1: most comfortable. Eighties still can't He's not shooting great, but 302 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: his gravity is still there. I think I saw you 303 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: treat that as well. Like eighties gravity as a shooter 304 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: at the five still exists even if he's not shooting. 305 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: It's something that just opens driving lanes for him. Uh 306 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 1: and Lebron. It's something I think we need to lean into. 307 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: I think, you know, Vogel will eventually lean into that, 308 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: hopefully when we get the full team healthy here. But 309 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: but yeah, I thought, I think Russ is progressing upwards. Um, 310 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 1: and he's not hurting the team, right. I I think 311 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 1: that hasn't heard the team in a long time exactly. Yeah, 312 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: And I think there's a line there. I think we've 313 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: become uh. I think the conversation has come really close 314 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: to if he's just not hurting the team, then it's great. 315 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: He needs to be a positive though, right for the 316 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: team we get to where it needs to go. He 317 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: needs to be a positive every single nine and and 318 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: it's trying to do it. And and to your to 319 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: your point about like the specific um like offensive approach 320 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: to the team and leaning into identities. This is where 321 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: I really really struggle with the Avery Bradley and DeAndre 322 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: Jordan's minutes because I, you know, will you and I both, 323 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: but primarily me because of that clip that was just 324 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: taken out of our podcast, has gotten a lot of 325 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: crap for the DeAndre Jordan's and you know, my, my 326 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: whole approach to DeAndre Jordan's signing wasn't really all that complicated. 327 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: Like he's a drop coverage big who is playing in 328 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: a switching system in Brooklyn, and it was just very 329 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 1: clear that he was never going to succeed up there. Meanwhile, 330 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: the Lakers were coming off of back to back seasons 331 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: being like the very best, if not second best, behind 332 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: Utah drop coverage team in the league. That was what 333 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: we did extremely well. So I'm sitting here thinking, like, hey, 334 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: we'll get dj in here. He'll slot right into that 335 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: Javil McGee, Dwight Anthony Davis role on our defense and 336 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 1: it'll be nice is he won't play, But if Lebron 337 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: or if Anthony Davis has to take a night off, 338 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: or or Dwight Howard has to take on night off, 339 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: you can slide DeAndre Jordan in there and he'll be 340 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: able to run a rudimentary drop drop coverage with our 341 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: scheme and it'll work. And all of that went to 342 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: hell because not only did our guards not do their 343 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: job in that scheme, Lebron and a D just completely 344 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: mentally checked out on the season defensively compared to the 345 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 1: way they were the previous two years. So all of 346 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: a sudden, we're when we do run drop coverage, it 347 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: looks like trash. Even if it's a D or Dwight. 348 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: We're doing a lot more switching, We're running a jankie zone. 349 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: And then you're like, why isn't DeAndre Jordan looking good? 350 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: And it's like, because it was obvious that when he 351 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: came in here it would be more of the same 352 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: with the way that this team was playing. And then 353 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, tonight DJ looks like a functional 354 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: center again because Lebron and they D are engaged, you 355 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: know what I mean. And look, I still don't like that, 356 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: and I'm about to explain why. But the point is is, 357 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 1: like none of this was It wasn't fair to judge Malik, 358 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 1: to judge Mellow the way we did in the first 359 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,159 Speaker 1: few games of the season, to judge DJ, to judge 360 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: any of these guys with the way that Lebron and 361 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 1: they D were playing, because at that point they might 362 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:34,919 Speaker 1: as well be the Houston Rockets, you know what I mean, 363 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: in terms of just the what what they're going to 364 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: look like on the television screenplaying basketball. So it wasn't 365 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: really fair. But so to your point about the identity, 366 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: this is where I would like to see a lot 367 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: more Malik Monk, a lot more Lebron at the five, 368 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: a D at the five, a lot more favoring than 369 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 1: shooting over guys like Avery Bradley over DeAndre Jordan's you know, 370 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:57,919 Speaker 1: Baysmore's out of the rotation. Now. The reason why it's 371 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: because I think with Lebron and a D try, you'll 372 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 1: actually see functional, workable defense from the league Monk, from 373 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: Wayne Ellington, from Carmelo Anthony, from these guys, because again, 374 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: it's just easier for them to do their jobs when 375 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,120 Speaker 1: Lebron and a D are flying around out of their 376 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,439 Speaker 1: area and making plays. And so from there, that's how 377 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 1: we turned this from a team that only scores a 378 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: hundred nine points or whatever it was against the Pistons 379 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: into a team that could put up thirty while also 380 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: getting a bunch of stops. It's by leaning into that 381 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: offensive identity a little more while while still expecting Lebron 382 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: and a D to engage on the defensive end. I 383 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,359 Speaker 1: think we need to kind of re evaluate some of 384 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: that with Lebron and a D checked in. Does that 385 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: make sense? Yeah, and for sure doesn't. And I think 386 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: I was more on the like, I'm fine, like I 387 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: was wrong about this. I was kind of fine with 388 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 1: DeAndre Jordan's starting in place of like just taking that 389 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: JaVale McGee role, and JaVale McGee's motor is a lot 390 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: higher and all that stuff of it is true. Jandre 391 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 1: Jordan's obviously has highlight clips or low light clips if 392 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: you want to call it where he just absolutely doesn't 393 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: try it, right he I've said it before. He takes 394 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: the path of least resistance on pretty much any play 395 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 1: that he does. And and maybe that's just something that 396 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 1: that passes down when Lebron and a D aren't engaged 397 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:18,160 Speaker 1: and it just goes on to him. But that's something 398 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:19,680 Speaker 1: that he's done a lot of this season. He takes 399 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: the path of leasse resistance, right, if he has to go, 400 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:23,919 Speaker 1: if he has to go out to a shooter and 401 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: there's a big standing in the lane, even though a 402 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: D s in the lane with him, he just he 403 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 1: just ties himself to that big man, even though it's 404 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 1: his help rotation, right, And that's something that he'll do. 405 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:36,679 Speaker 1: But you're right, this team needs Lebron and a D 406 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: engaged on defense to go anywhere. We're just playing too 407 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 1: many offensive minded guys, too many guys where our coverage 408 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 1: doesn't match the personnel. A D at the five again 409 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:48,679 Speaker 1: is I've always talked about it. I think it's the 410 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 1: right play for this team. I also don't think it's 411 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,159 Speaker 1: the magic Alick, sir, that you press one button and 412 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: it solves other issues. You can't play you can't play 413 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: a D at the five, Lebron at the four, and 414 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: then have both of them checked out on defense. Right, 415 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,679 Speaker 1: it doesn't work like that. Like those two have to 416 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: be the help man rotation, have to be engaged on 417 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:09,880 Speaker 1: a lot of the plays. Lebron has to be the 418 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: back line guy calling out things that are happening. He 419 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: has to be that guy, the guy that can help 420 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 1: and recover, and he's more than capable of doing that. 421 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: Maybe again, that's not fair for him to do in 422 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,880 Speaker 1: year nineteen, but that's just where the roster is. That's 423 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 1: how it's constructed. It's it's built around those two guys talents, 424 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,400 Speaker 1: and it looks a lot better. DeAndre Jordan does look 425 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: a lot more serviceable when you're having a D and 426 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: Lebron engaged in this way. But you're right, DeAndre Jordan 427 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: should not play, and maybe hopefully that's just a that's 428 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: just a factor of Dwight not playing tonight and not 429 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: have any any centers. I just feel like Vogel is 430 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: going to continue this, uh, this starting lineup until until 431 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: we get the team kind of fully back healthy here. 432 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: Do you see that going forward? Because I don't think 433 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: vote is changing, Like I just I feel like he's 434 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: going to continue this. Uh, like next time, would you 435 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 1: predict that DeAndre Jordan every Brady don't start because I 436 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: don't like, I think they're is going to continue to 437 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: go to this even though the numbers say that it's awful. 438 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: I think coming in tonight into tonight, we had a 439 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,199 Speaker 1: eighty seven point zero offensive rating with our with our 440 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: starting lineup with those two in with Avery Bradley and 441 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,399 Speaker 1: DeAndre Jordan on the floor, it's seven offensive rating and 442 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 1: that's with Lebron or A D and Russ on the floor. Like, 443 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: do you see that? Because I feel like we're going 444 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: to continue to see these lineups. We're going to continue 445 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: to see the same starting lineup going forward. I think 446 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: we'll continue to see DeAndre in the starting lineup until 447 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: Trevor reas it comes back. I think at that point, 448 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: even even Frank's flawed reasoning for going that route, will 449 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: you know, point him in the in the direction of 450 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: going with the reason. I mean, this is the part 451 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: where it gets tricky because, like I said, uh, Lebron 452 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,159 Speaker 1: and a D. If this is the start of them 453 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: truly investing in the season, which we don't know. Like 454 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: I said, there's been a half dozen moments like this 455 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 1: where we wonder, hey, is this the turning point? Like 456 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: I still remember sitting here talking with you about whether 457 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: or not come back after the Isaiah Stewart fight was 458 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: gonna be the magical comeback. Um, but I guess what 459 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: it wasn't. So so that that's that's that's the point. 460 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: But if Lebron and a D used this as a 461 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 1: turning point and they continue to invest night in the 462 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: Night Out, the DJ minutes are gonna be okay, They're 463 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: gonna win those minutes because, like I said, with those 464 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: two engaged, it's just too much talent on the floor 465 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: for really any line up to to to to struggle 466 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: night in and night out. They're going to have some 467 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 1: success there. So the hope there is that when a 468 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,919 Speaker 1: reason gets in, hopefully by that point he'll just have 469 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 1: no choice but to lean heavier into it. But I 470 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 1: wanted to you know, you had mentioned, you know, like 471 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 1: maybe it's not fair to ask Lebron in year nineteen 472 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: to do this, And this is something I've been to 473 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,160 Speaker 1: a little bit about this with Ben the other night. 474 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,320 Speaker 1: But this is a huge pet peeve of mine in 475 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:51,199 Speaker 1: this season because again, we are not talking about you 476 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,400 Speaker 1: know Lebron when he was with the Calves, and it's like, hey, dude, 477 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: you've made the final seven straight seasons or six straight seasons, 478 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 1: and you know, and you know in the easter A 479 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: Conference that when you hit the gas, no one can 480 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: really mess with you. So you have the ability to 481 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,879 Speaker 1: to to coast through here. This isn't We're the defending 482 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: champs and we just finished seventy one days ago, so 483 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 1: like we we probably need to to favor taking work 484 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 1: off of these guys. Oh and by the way, we're 485 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: twenty one and six, so like we we can afford 486 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: to No. No, you are a bad team who is 487 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,919 Speaker 1: below five hundred, who just lost in the first round, 488 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: who already has eleven losses, which is a lot if 489 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:31,880 Speaker 1: you really think about it, a fourth the way through 490 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: the season, like the playing tournament or getting into a 491 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: position where you're fighting to the last minute of the 492 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,439 Speaker 1: regular season to maybe get home court advantage in the 493 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 1: first round. That's a real possibility now, even if Lebron 494 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: in a d dial in. So there's like real urgency here. 495 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: So what bothers me is that people can't see that, 496 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:54,639 Speaker 1: Like you don't get to say Lebron's in year nineteen, 497 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 1: so we gotta take it easy on him, or we 498 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: can't ask a D to do all this work defending 499 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 1: big guys all season because you know his body might 500 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: wear down. Okay, if you want to take those responsibilities 501 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 1: away from them, we're just going to be a bad team. 502 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 1: That's the reality of it. This is we have real 503 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: urgency here. If we don't ask Lebron and a D 504 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: to do this stuff. If Lebron and a D aren't 505 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: willing to buy in on both ends of the floor, 506 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: this is a five or below basketball team. That's just 507 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: That's a fact. That's a literal fact. So once they 508 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: embrace that and understand that they the team needs them 509 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 1: to be good, that they were literally losing the first round. 510 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: If they don't get back to the level, hopefully that 511 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: urgency kicks in with them and then we'll start to 512 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 1: see a better investment in that. But you know, I 513 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:54,640 Speaker 1: thought I saw you know, I thought Lebron rarely shows 514 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 1: that contrid and I thought we saw that for the 515 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: first time after that loss the other night. Um uh, 516 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: after those bad shots and ot against Sacramento. You could 517 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: tell when he said, like I have to be better 518 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:13,199 Speaker 1: for this team. It seemed like the first time that 519 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: I could tell this season that it dawned on him 520 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 1: that what he was giving wasn't enough, even beyond what 521 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: he did in Indiana. Just I think he was aware 522 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: suddenly that, like I think the urgency finally dawned with him. 523 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 1: And that's just my theory and that's why I think 524 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: maybe this will turn around from here. But like the 525 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,879 Speaker 1: this team does not have the luxury of trying to 526 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: cut Lebron in a D slack. They are not talented enough. 527 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: They are too far they're too far behind the eight 528 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 1: ball with their continuity, and they're too far behind the 529 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,119 Speaker 1: eight ball with their habits to allow Lebron in a 530 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,400 Speaker 1: D to coast. We actually need them to hit playoff 531 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 1: intensity now until this thing gets right. If they go 532 00:25:57,520 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 1: on a massive win streak and they're in a comfortable 533 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: spy in the one, two or three seed and they're 534 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: in an easy part of their schedule, have been fine. 535 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 1: You can do things to eat innings and try to 536 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,480 Speaker 1: take something off their plate. But right now we can't. 537 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: We have to ask Lebron in ad to do more. Yeah, 538 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: And when I say it's unfair to ask Lebron, you know, 539 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:20,959 Speaker 1: in your nineteen Like to me, I mean in like 540 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,440 Speaker 1: in a perfect world, in a perfect like roster construction way, 541 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: you don't want your guy in your nine, your superstar 542 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: in your nineteen have to be the guy defensively every night. Like, 543 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 1: that's not something you just want to have, right, Even 544 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:36,880 Speaker 1: the Clippers with Kawai and Paul George, Kauai doesn't take 545 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 1: the best offensive player every single night. Even Paul George 546 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: sometimes doesn't take the best offensive player every night, even 547 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 1: when both of the guys on the floor, sometimes it's 548 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 1: Marcus you know Morris who takes the best defensive. God, 549 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:49,879 Speaker 1: that's just the way to load manage during a season. 550 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: That's what I mean by it's like like in a 551 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 1: perfect world, you wouldn't want Lebron to be the guy 552 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 1: having to carry your you know, defensive be one of 553 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 1: the defensive back lines in the season that he's in. 554 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 1: And he's one. Look, he's probably the best ever in 555 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: terms of load managing, in terms of knowing how to 556 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 1: get his body ready for a playoff run. Right. You 557 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:11,439 Speaker 1: don't go to whatever it was, ten or nine finals 558 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: in a row, uh by nine finals in row without 559 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: having the experience and knowing what it takes to get there, 560 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: and and to me, this team just doesn't have that 561 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:22,399 Speaker 1: luxury like you said, where he can kind of just 562 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:26,200 Speaker 1: coast through, go up and down with this effort on defense, 563 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: and just try to walk through these games. Because we're 564 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 1: just gonna keep losing, We're gonna be a bad team. 565 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:32,920 Speaker 1: We have to start building habits. We have to start 566 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 1: building good habits, winning habits. I thought it was funny 567 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:38,680 Speaker 1: the quote with Anthony Davis that came out where he said, 568 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: we just need to win ten games in a row. Right, 569 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: He's like, just when just win tens again in games 570 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: in a row and solve any solve everything. The title 571 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: team in one ten one ten games in a row 572 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:52,880 Speaker 1: once they had another nine game winning streak as well. 573 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:57,400 Speaker 1: But my point there, it's very difficult. It's very difficult. 574 00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 1: That's why I think the Sun's winning fourteen in a 575 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: row should be a bigger deal deal to me. And 576 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: people come at me with the teams that they played, 577 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: I don't care you. People teams lead lose the teams 578 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: they're not supposed to lose to all the time. We 579 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 1: can attest to that just with the games that we've 580 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: seen like it's very tough to win that many games 581 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: in a row. They've won four teen best neither here 582 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: and there. But yeah, eight is saying we just need 583 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 1: to win, Like that's difficult. You need to And again 584 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: it's gonna be a step by step process. This team 585 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: has in the quotes have said that it's a long game, 586 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 1: it's a process. But I mean, we're like, what done 587 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 1: with the season now? Like it's it's getting late early 588 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 1: as they'll say, and you know, and we hear this 589 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: quarter a lot, right, it's a it's a first quarter 590 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: league as much as it's a fourth quarter league. Like 591 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: these are all habits that you have to build, uh, 592 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: to get to where we want to and to me, 593 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: Lebron have to be engaged at a baseline level. Doesn't 594 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 1: have to be a percent they don't, you know, they 595 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: can do. I thought the third quarter tonight the ergy 596 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: was the best I've seen. I think they have like 597 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: a sixteen o run or something like that. But but 598 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 1: like it doesn't have to be to that level, but 599 00:28:57,720 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: it has to be at a baseline level. And I 600 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: think the players feed off of that as well. I 601 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: think you go out of how your stars go and 602 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: and they need to set the tone here and all 603 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: the Frank Vogel noise all that's fair. The lineups aren't 604 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 1: conducive to this roster, that's fair, And those are all 605 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 1: criticisms that totally believe in. But for Lebron and eighty 606 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: not to be bought and that that's the number one 607 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:22,479 Speaker 1: thing for this team, because everything else doesn't matter. Like 608 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: we said, you can't even get to scheme without first 609 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 1: passing by effort, and I think that's the first kind 610 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 1: of ship bridge we have to pass. And hopefully tonight's 611 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: a way to get past there. Yeah, and you know, 612 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 1: this is the last thing I'll say about the Lebron 613 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: and a d thing, and then we can move back 614 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: into a couple more you know, details from tonight. But 615 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: like you know, I was really really hard on the 616 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 1: two of them over the course of the last couple 617 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: of days. And you know, I've had a lot of 618 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: people in my mentions, you know, getting on me about 619 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: being too negative and and you know, obviously I have 620 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: I have, for whatever reason, a good amount of clinically 621 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: insane Lebron fans that fall me that make it a 622 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: little bit toxic. And I mentions from time to from 623 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: time to time. But the truth of the matter is 624 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 1: is that like like it. It is because of how 625 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: much I respect those two and what they're capable of, 626 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: that I am this hard on them, Like it's infuriating 627 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:26,640 Speaker 1: for me competitively to watch these guys leave in reserve 628 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: a good chunk of what they're capable of when the 629 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: team is is floundering like this, It like irks me 630 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: to my core as just as as a competitor in 631 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: my own right, as a fan of the team, as 632 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: a fan of them as players. It's it's something that 633 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: it's like, it's like nails on a chalkboard to me 634 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 1: watching them go just kind of go through the motions 635 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 1: like this. And you know, if you want to say 636 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: Lebron's in his nineteenth season, he's thirty seven, it's unfair 637 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: for us to ask him to do this stuff. Then 638 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:03,720 Speaker 1: I don't want to. I don't want to hear his 639 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 1: damn name mentioned by that same group of people in 640 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 1: the top list of players in the league. Ever. Again, 641 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: if that's the kind of standards you're going to hold 642 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: him too, I'm sorry because as the way the way 643 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 1: I look at it, this team is custom built to 644 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 1: take workload off of him, you know, arguably too much. 645 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: This is this team has been custom built for him 646 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: to be able to focus his talents in a way 647 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: that doesn't fatigue him yet also allows him to raise 648 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: the ceiling significantly. And Anthony Davis, we can go into that, 649 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 1: and we were going to talk a little bit more 650 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:43,239 Speaker 1: and a little bit about just the way he's kind 651 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,240 Speaker 1: of rebuilt his body and whether that slowed him down. 652 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 1: But the bottom line is Man is, like we have 653 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: seen too often what he's capable of. Like just in 654 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 1: this crap stretch of games to start this season, how 655 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 1: many times at the end of a close game has 656 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: he hit the Jets on the defensive end, and just 657 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 1: it literally looked like Batman was swooping down from the 658 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:08,479 Speaker 1: ceiling to a race shots like it literally. Out of 659 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: respect for what they're capable of, that I hold them 660 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: to that standard. And I rail on Lebron for two 661 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: days for being a lazy asshole and leaving his team 662 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 1: hung out to dry because I think he can be 663 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: the best player in the world. That's the standard I'm 664 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: holding him too. I was the one advocating that he 665 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 1: was the undisputed best player in the world after the 666 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: after the the bubble. I'm the one who said he 667 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: deserved to win m v P before he got injured 668 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 1: last year. So I'm also the guy singing his praises 669 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 1: when he's doing what he's supposed to be doing. But 670 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: I'm not going to apologize for asking him and holding 671 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: him to that same standard when he's mailing it in. 672 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: And if that means that, I have guys and I 673 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: mentions ripping me a new one every day, and I 674 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: have guys telling me that I'm pandering to the anti 675 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 1: lebron crowd or whatever the hell it is they're saying, 676 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: so be it. But because like as a competitor, I'm 677 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: not capable of sitting there and patting him on the 678 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: back and babying him right now, not when the team's floundering, 679 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,719 Speaker 1: not when they're tending eleven, and not when he's one 680 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: of the main reasons for it because he's coasting every night. 681 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,200 Speaker 1: So I and I don't think you should apologize either 682 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: for being that. That's just you and I being honest fans, 683 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: and I think that's the way it should be, Yeah, 684 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: for sure, And and we want the team to do well, 685 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:34,480 Speaker 1: like there's there's no world where we want this team 686 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: not playing well or we want Lauren to be bad defense, 687 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 1: like we've we set our expectations, I think to the 688 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 1: right point. And this team needs him, needs him to 689 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: be engaged defensively. It's just what it is. It's not 690 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 1: the team that it was before. You're right, he has 691 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 1: more you know, leeway offensively where you know, Russ can 692 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 1: take more control Molik Munk a little more offensive minded players, 693 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 1: more ball handling that he doesn't have to do where 694 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: he can kind of put time an effort on the 695 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: defensive end. But it's clear he hasn't Like we're gonna 696 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: be real, We're gonna be honest. We watched these games 697 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: usually we watched them twice for the most part, like 698 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: they have not brought the defensive effort. And Lebron even 699 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:15,440 Speaker 1: talked about it even after the twenties season. A d 700 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,360 Speaker 1: brought it up how he wanted Lebron you know, to 701 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,319 Speaker 1: make all defense and you know, talked about the identity 702 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: and you know, Avery Bradley was part of it, calling 703 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:25,239 Speaker 1: calling it the Avery Bradley Challenge. All that stuff was 704 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: part of it, right, and we had Lebron engaged from 705 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 1: day one. Lebron was engaged in a way that they 706 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: haven't seen for a while. You talked to Cleveland Cavalier 707 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: people and say, he's never engaged from day one defensively, 708 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:37,920 Speaker 1: and he was that season and we need that again 709 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: this year. And like you talked about this, by the way, 710 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,479 Speaker 1: really quick, their bodies held up. People didn't get hurt 711 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:47,760 Speaker 1: like Lebron, A d gave incredible effort and their bodies 712 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:49,839 Speaker 1: held up and they got the trophy. Like that is 713 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 1: the proven method to winning a championship is dialing it 714 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 1: up from day one. Yeah, and that's how you build 715 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: habits and and how it's led to you know, the 716 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,719 Speaker 1: team having I believe the one seed going into the 717 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 1: bubble and all that, and we know how everything went 718 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: from there. But this team needs both of those two 719 00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:10,800 Speaker 1: to set the tone, you know, and I really believe 720 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:12,840 Speaker 1: in that. I believe your stars set the tone for 721 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:16,960 Speaker 1: your other players, especially defensively. To me, Like again, like 722 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,320 Speaker 1: I know you said you hold Lebron to that standard. 723 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,879 Speaker 1: I think the standard for Lebron is when you need 724 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 1: to win a series, who are you taking? You know, 725 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: you can call him about Steph Curry, Joanna Kade, like 726 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,360 Speaker 1: I probably you know, I feel like the answer is 727 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: still Lebron there, Like, I think that's the standard that 728 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: most people hold him to. I think the night Tonight 729 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 1: stuff is tough for a guy at the age. That's 730 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: just my opinion there. But to me, a D is 731 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: the guy. There's no excuses and we'll talk later. Like 732 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 1: you said about you know, the shift in his body, 733 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,239 Speaker 1: you know, putting on more masks. All that stuff is 734 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 1: fair and you know that exists. But eight is the 735 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,239 Speaker 1: guy that has to be the I'm taking over every 736 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: single night. This is my team. I'm twenty years years old, 737 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: in the prime of my prime, you know, like this 738 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: this is my time to kind of take over. And 739 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:03,080 Speaker 1: you know, the numbers are great, the numbers are still there. 740 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 1: He's dominating in the paint. It's still like to me, 741 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:07,560 Speaker 1: when you watch the game, there's still need, there's still 742 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: an impact that I'm not seeing, like in terms of 743 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:15,959 Speaker 1: night tonight that I felt I saw more. But that's 744 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:17,799 Speaker 1: to me is the guy that that we need to 745 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:20,760 Speaker 1: expect more from. And I think it's fair to expect 746 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: more from. We threw We all threw a D in 747 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 1: the top five, you know, top three, top two, even 748 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,359 Speaker 1: in some circles you know after the playoff runt, if 749 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:31,160 Speaker 1: those are the places you have him, it has to 750 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:32,839 Speaker 1: be a night to night thing with him. It can't 751 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:35,880 Speaker 1: be the taking off load managing just because Lebron and 752 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 1: Russ are so I get to take I get to 753 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 1: take places off. No, like a D has to be 754 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 1: the guy night tonight that takes over. And I think 755 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:44,719 Speaker 1: that's the shift that this team has to go to, 756 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,719 Speaker 1: no matter who the coaches, no matter what the scheme is, 757 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:50,360 Speaker 1: no matter how ugly the offense is, it's it's a 758 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,319 Speaker 1: D who has to take over to me. Yeah, well, 759 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 1: and and quite frankly, like he is the one most capable. 760 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:01,080 Speaker 1: Like you said, it's you know, Russ is gonna run 761 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: hot and cold because he's at a point in his 762 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:05,920 Speaker 1: career where his body isn't consistently there behind him. The 763 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 1: same goes with Lebron. You know, Um, I think Lebron, 764 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,080 Speaker 1: like I said, there's a fine line between what you're 765 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 1: pointing out, like Lebron be the guy who is the 766 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 1: guy in the final that can run you for a 767 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: playoff series, but at the same time, isn't that shouldn't 768 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 1: be expected to do at night in the night out. 769 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:24,960 Speaker 1: But he was so far past that threshold with his 770 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 1: own laziness that I think it's still deserved to be 771 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:30,719 Speaker 1: called out. Like I don't I don't expect him to 772 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:33,799 Speaker 1: go world beater every night. We were just needing more 773 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 1: from him than what we were getting. But like you 774 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:39,279 Speaker 1: when you're the way I'm looking at it here is 775 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: because of the phase of the careers that Russell Lebron 776 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:45,960 Speaker 1: are in, Anthony Davis is, in theory, the guy that 777 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,800 Speaker 1: should be having seasons like we always talk about during 778 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:52,640 Speaker 1: the regular season, separate from the top tier guys. Like 779 00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:55,320 Speaker 1: every season it's like Lebron is doing his thing, Katie 780 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:57,359 Speaker 1: is doing his thing, Steps doing his thing. But it's like, oh, 781 00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:00,919 Speaker 1: look at Yokich. Yokich is unbelievable right now. Oh look 782 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:03,400 Speaker 1: at and beat and Beats unbelievable right now. That's what 783 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:07,279 Speaker 1: we should be saying about Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis, He's no, 784 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 1: he's not in that like that like fraternity of that 785 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:14,359 Speaker 1: top tier, like iron clad resume guys that are gonna 786 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:17,719 Speaker 1: be always like if we're always taking Lebron step k 787 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: D two for a playoff series like and then Joannice 788 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,440 Speaker 1: kind of just shoehorned his way into that conversation with 789 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:26,920 Speaker 1: his last playoff run, and now he's very much on 790 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:29,960 Speaker 1: that level with those guys, but everybody else, you have 791 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 1: a ton to prove. Like a D, you were unbelievable 792 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 1: in the bubble, don't get me wrong, but you still 793 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 1: have more to prove in terms of being in that 794 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 1: fraternity joining those four guys, because what you get from 795 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:45,840 Speaker 1: those four guys was Lebron came out of the bubble 796 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:48,799 Speaker 1: and for twenty seven games to start the season or 797 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: whatever it was, was an MVP candidate. Lebron didn't let 798 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 1: his foot off the gas. Now, obviously injury derailed that, 799 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: but the point is is like a D. You know, 800 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,200 Speaker 1: I saw someone tweet out the other day they said 801 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:04,000 Speaker 1: A D got his championship in the bubble and stopped 802 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:06,480 Speaker 1: caring about basketball. Now that's low brown analysis and I 803 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:10,320 Speaker 1: don't agree with that. But hidden underneath that is a 804 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 1: kernel of truth in the sense that after a D 805 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:18,680 Speaker 1: won his championship, he won thousand percent stepped way back 806 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:22,279 Speaker 1: off of his night to night intensity. That that is 807 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,280 Speaker 1: a that is an absolute fact. And last year, before 808 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:28,520 Speaker 1: his Achilles tentinosis, it was Lebron that was carrying the 809 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: team and part of the reason why he was an 810 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:33,520 Speaker 1: MVP candidate was because A D was mailing it in 811 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: most most nights. We talked about how a D already 812 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: I think he already has more thirty point games and 813 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:41,279 Speaker 1: he had all last season or something like that. I 814 00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:43,120 Speaker 1: can't remember exactly what the status and I'll quote me 815 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 1: on it. But the point is is, like we we 816 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 1: have seen him to disconnect himself from that group of 817 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:53,719 Speaker 1: players that's right below that top tier, the guys that 818 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:56,040 Speaker 1: get all the noise in the regular season. This should 819 00:39:56,040 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 1: be his time to really really shoehorn himself into that conversation. 820 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:02,439 Speaker 1: So I agree with you, and he's the one who's 821 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: most physically capable of it. Now. The interesting thing you 822 00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:08,440 Speaker 1: brought up, so somebody pointed this out on Twitter today 823 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 1: this morning. Um, A kind of transformed his body really 824 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 1: really spent a lot of time in the weight room 825 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:19,480 Speaker 1: and is kind of jacked up top like he's his 826 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 1: upper body frame is is extremely strong. Um. But at 827 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:26,480 Speaker 1: the same time, as we've talked about, he's become almost 828 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:29,200 Speaker 1: more of a finesse player than ever And so it's 829 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,680 Speaker 1: an interesting conundrum. So you know, it's counterintuitive because you 830 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:35,439 Speaker 1: might tell yourself. Oh, he's stronger, he should be able 831 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:38,279 Speaker 1: to play more physically imposing around the rim. But I 832 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:40,160 Speaker 1: think one of the trade offs there is he hasn't 833 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:43,759 Speaker 1: been as quick and his foot speed has always been 834 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 1: an advantage for him against other bigs. And so I 835 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:50,839 Speaker 1: let's kick it to your rage. What's your what's your 836 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 1: take on the whole Anthony Davis being too hot head 837 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:58,040 Speaker 1: due to top heavy thing. Yeah, as I texted you, 838 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:00,000 Speaker 1: like this something I kind of wanted to discuss because 839 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,399 Speaker 1: it is something I've definitely noticed, um And last year 840 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:05,880 Speaker 1: I kind of threw it away as a you know, 841 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:08,719 Speaker 1: as a you know, short season you had the short offseason. 842 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:11,719 Speaker 1: Came in, from his own words, out of shape and 843 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 1: try to play through it. Then he got hurt in 844 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 1: February and he was pretty much out and played a 845 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:17,920 Speaker 1: few games late in the year and in the playoffs. 846 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:20,719 Speaker 1: But again this year, he just doesn't move. He's not 847 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:23,319 Speaker 1: as agile, I guess, and you can correct me if 848 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 1: I'm wrong, You're Jason. Maybe it's just what I'm seeing, 849 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:28,719 Speaker 1: and maybe this is just him being reluctant to roll 850 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: to the rim. But again I see just more he's 851 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:34,320 Speaker 1: become more of just like a big center, right. I 852 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:36,440 Speaker 1: think the whole point of a D is this agile 853 00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 1: kind of guy who can catch and finish and have 854 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:41,440 Speaker 1: a bunch of moves and and to me, like he 855 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:44,000 Speaker 1: just looks bigger and this is something he wanted to 856 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:46,320 Speaker 1: do to play this as a guy who's going to 857 00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:49,440 Speaker 1: play the center position more. But he just seems bigger 858 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:52,360 Speaker 1: and it seems like something he's adjusting to as well 859 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 1: with his body. Like he just seems slow. Like is 860 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:57,560 Speaker 1: it wrong for me to say he's playing slower? Like 861 00:41:57,640 --> 00:42:00,880 Speaker 1: he just doesn't seem he's yeah, yeah, so he just does. 862 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:06,920 Speaker 1: Like it just feels like he's playing a lot more 863 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:10,719 Speaker 1: like a lot more slow, like like more grounded basketball. 864 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,920 Speaker 1: Not and again like he's he's getting lobs and stuff 865 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:15,680 Speaker 1: like that. I'm saying he's not, you know, up in 866 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 1: the air. But it still seems like he's more of 867 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:21,040 Speaker 1: a grounded player than he was at least in that 868 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:23,880 Speaker 1: first year. It just it doesn't seem as fluid, and 869 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:26,440 Speaker 1: fluidity is probably the word that I would like that 870 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 1: that I fit the most with. This just doesn't look fluid, right, 871 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:32,480 Speaker 1: Everything looks rigid, Everything looks tough. And it's another thing 872 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:35,560 Speaker 1: like I hate the eye test versus numbers conversations that 873 00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:37,759 Speaker 1: we have because I think you know both sides, you 874 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:39,520 Speaker 1: use both of them, like the whole point of this, 875 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:42,279 Speaker 1: it's just information. He used both of them, and to me, 876 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:44,800 Speaker 1: like his numbers are still great. When I watched the games, 877 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 1: everything still looks too difficult, and maybe that's him not 878 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:50,120 Speaker 1: playing you know, the center lineups, but I think that's 879 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:53,160 Speaker 1: an excuse. Like I feel like he's just he's not 880 00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:55,840 Speaker 1: as agile, not as fluid. Am I wrong? They're like, 881 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:58,000 Speaker 1: tell me if I'm wrong there, But just when I'm 882 00:42:58,000 --> 00:42:59,799 Speaker 1: watching the game, that's what I'm seeing. It's just not 883 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:01,759 Speaker 1: as fluid. And I think part of that is the 884 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,520 Speaker 1: new boy. I think he's definitely put on mass and 885 00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:06,960 Speaker 1: it's something he's getting used to and we'll see how 886 00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:09,360 Speaker 1: it goes looking forward. But that's kind of where I'm 887 00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:10,920 Speaker 1: where I'm at with is that he just doesn't look 888 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:13,680 Speaker 1: as fluid as as I remember him, at least the 889 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:15,960 Speaker 1: first year. So I want to preface it by saying 890 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:18,279 Speaker 1: that I think he still is capable of playing a 891 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 1: lot better than he has then, even with his current 892 00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:25,200 Speaker 1: body type. That said, there's a reason why Kevin Durant 893 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:28,400 Speaker 1: doesn't spend a ton of time in the weight room, 894 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:32,560 Speaker 1: and it's because he understands his advantage is his quickness 895 00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:37,000 Speaker 1: and mobility at his size right, and whereas like a 896 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:41,640 Speaker 1: guy like Lebron, Lebron, it always was advantageous for him 897 00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 1: to be in the weight room because he never was 898 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:46,640 Speaker 1: a side to side type of perimeter player. Lebron has 899 00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:51,160 Speaker 1: always been a straight line, brute force, low center of gravity. 900 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,000 Speaker 1: You're not bumping me off my line, I'm bumping you 901 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:58,520 Speaker 1: off my line type of offensive player. So for him, ironically, 902 00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 1: at times in his career where he's out of the 903 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:04,840 Speaker 1: weight room, he's had less success. Famously in two thousand fifteen, 904 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,440 Speaker 1: he goes on that big Fish diet or whatever before 905 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:09,759 Speaker 1: his first season in Cleveland, and he sucks for the 906 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:12,759 Speaker 1: first like third of the season, has back issues, seemingly 907 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 1: has lost a step, doesn't have as much success getting 908 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:19,120 Speaker 1: to the basket. Then he comes back the second half 909 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:22,439 Speaker 1: of the season, looks thicker, takes a couple of weeks 910 00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:24,799 Speaker 1: off in Miami, looks like he bulkes up a little bit. 911 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:26,880 Speaker 1: He comes back and he looks like the old Lebron again. 912 00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:29,960 Speaker 1: Point being like, it's all about like your play style 913 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:32,799 Speaker 1: like a D. You know, it's very funny if you 914 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:35,560 Speaker 1: watch any basketball game and you watch there's basically like 915 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:38,279 Speaker 1: two different kind of athletic archetypes. There are guys that 916 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:41,080 Speaker 1: are like always down low in a defensive stands and 917 00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:44,200 Speaker 1: knees are always been They're very like low and athletic 918 00:44:44,239 --> 00:44:46,680 Speaker 1: type of players. And then they're kind of like upright 919 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:48,839 Speaker 1: type of players. And a D is very much an 920 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:51,240 Speaker 1: upright type of player. Even when he's in a defensive stance, 921 00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:55,320 Speaker 1: he's not really sitting down low squatted, you know, coach 922 00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:58,560 Speaker 1: fundamentally sound defensive stance. He's kind of like an upright 923 00:44:58,719 --> 00:45:01,200 Speaker 1: type of dude. So when he puts on that weight, 924 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:04,400 Speaker 1: it just it raises his center of gravity, makes it 925 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:06,840 Speaker 1: easier for him to get pushed off his spot. And 926 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:08,840 Speaker 1: the truth of the matter is is like the only 927 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:11,080 Speaker 1: place he really should be looking to add strength is 928 00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:14,120 Speaker 1: in his lower body and and try to keep his 929 00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:17,200 Speaker 1: weight down so that he can beat guys with his speed. 930 00:45:17,320 --> 00:45:21,000 Speaker 1: So that's kind of my two cents on it. That said, like, 931 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:24,840 Speaker 1: like a D even with his current frame, even with 932 00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:30,920 Speaker 1: his current mobility, is capable of making this work for himself. Um, 933 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:33,680 Speaker 1: But yeah, in in in theory like he was. He 934 00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 1: was never just this brute for straight line, low center 935 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:41,719 Speaker 1: of gravity type of big like Janice is. So the 936 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:46,040 Speaker 1: upper body strength I think is less relevant for him, 937 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:50,480 Speaker 1: if that makes sense. Yeah, it's very similar. Like I 938 00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:52,440 Speaker 1: think we talked about this earlier, like I see with 939 00:45:52,560 --> 00:45:55,280 Speaker 1: Russ as well, and I know, like we kind of disagree. 940 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:57,880 Speaker 1: I felt like Russ was a little bit more finesse 941 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:00,840 Speaker 1: in his earlier years and he gets credit for like 942 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:03,279 Speaker 1: playing him twice in the playoffs. He wasn't just a 943 00:46:03,320 --> 00:46:06,960 Speaker 1: guy that was all brute force, but just in my opinion, 944 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:09,400 Speaker 1: and but now he's like really bulked up, like he's 945 00:46:09,440 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 1: you know, ripped now, and I feel like he's turned 946 00:46:11,719 --> 00:46:15,800 Speaker 1: into a brute force type of player, less less reliant 947 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:18,600 Speaker 1: on skill. Right, He's more just a I'm gonna force 948 00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:20,480 Speaker 1: my way to the rim. And that's why I think 949 00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:23,000 Speaker 1: you see all the when you get the bad Russ, 950 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:25,120 Speaker 1: you see all these misslayups. He gets to the basket 951 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:27,279 Speaker 1: and it's all force, and once he gets the rim, 952 00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:30,480 Speaker 1: the skill level has dropped off. And that's kind I'm 953 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:32,560 Speaker 1: not saying that that's a direct comparison with a D 954 00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:35,160 Speaker 1: but I'm seeing some of that, like adjustment to the 955 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:37,839 Speaker 1: uh to the new body kind of has the weight 956 00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:40,400 Speaker 1: that he's put on. It's that's a different player. Like 957 00:46:40,440 --> 00:46:42,480 Speaker 1: if you go look at his games in New Orleans, 958 00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:46,040 Speaker 1: he's just a like he's a very agile, fluid big 959 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:50,080 Speaker 1: that's that's rolling around, scrolling, screening and rolling to the basket, 960 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:52,400 Speaker 1: a lot of fluidity, being able to go by guys, 961 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:54,319 Speaker 1: you know, off the dribble, and right now it just 962 00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:56,919 Speaker 1: feels very rigid. And I think the lineups are part 963 00:46:56,920 --> 00:46:59,480 Speaker 1: of it. Don't get me wrong. The spacing is awful 964 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:02,200 Speaker 1: obviously DJ and every Bradley, But to me, that that 965 00:47:02,239 --> 00:47:04,040 Speaker 1: does that's not the whole story. So I just wanted 966 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:06,560 Speaker 1: to be discussed that because I feel like I feel 967 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:09,040 Speaker 1: like he's adjusting to it and hopefully we see see 968 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 1: it getting better going forward. But that's what I've seen, 969 00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:13,839 Speaker 1: at least so far. He's not as quick as I 970 00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:16,480 Speaker 1: remember him, I guess being, and I maybe that's just 971 00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:19,600 Speaker 1: something we will have to he'll he'll he'll get adjusted 972 00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:21,600 Speaker 1: to as we go forward here. Yeah, I agree, And 973 00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:26,400 Speaker 1: and you know he's going to continue as he stays 974 00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:29,320 Speaker 1: healthy and stays on the court. He's going to continue 975 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:31,680 Speaker 1: to look better and better. In my opinion, the big 976 00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:34,960 Speaker 1: thing that was derailing him there, I thought was his 977 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:37,239 Speaker 1: shot selection, you know, and this is part of his 978 00:47:37,360 --> 00:47:40,360 Speaker 1: physical engagement into the game. Like I think A D 979 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:44,000 Speaker 1: was hopeful that with all of this talent, he could 980 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:47,200 Speaker 1: bs his way, taking you know, roughly two thirds of 981 00:47:47,239 --> 00:47:50,520 Speaker 1: his shots on uh, you know, off the dribble jump 982 00:47:50,520 --> 00:47:52,880 Speaker 1: shots or jabs at jump shots, and he thought he 983 00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:54,560 Speaker 1: could kind of coast his way through the season. But 984 00:47:54,640 --> 00:47:57,480 Speaker 1: that's clearlyly it's clearly that that's not the case. He's 985 00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:00,719 Speaker 1: not shooting those shots well enough, the team's generating enough 986 00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:04,120 Speaker 1: rim pressure, and so by virtue, like one of the 987 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 1: things I thought you saw tonight is A D didn't 988 00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:09,520 Speaker 1: take any bad jump shots. Like I I'd have to 989 00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:10,879 Speaker 1: go back and look at the tape, but I don't 990 00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:13,920 Speaker 1: think he took a bad shot tonight. And so you 991 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:16,399 Speaker 1: have these two threes that he takes that are both 992 00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:20,839 Speaker 1: wide open in rhythm catch and shoot shots that are 993 00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:25,719 Speaker 1: spit a space out around these rim attacks, and they 994 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:27,640 Speaker 1: go in. And they're not always going to go in, 995 00:48:27,680 --> 00:48:30,719 Speaker 1: but in general, you're gonna shoot a higher percentage when 996 00:48:30,760 --> 00:48:33,400 Speaker 1: you build your offense inside out that way. You know, 997 00:48:33,480 --> 00:48:39,239 Speaker 1: Maple's texted tweeted me after the or yesterday just because 998 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:41,920 Speaker 1: that the stat came out. I can't remember what account 999 00:48:41,920 --> 00:48:44,360 Speaker 1: it was that tweeted out, but basically eighties, you know, 1000 00:48:44,440 --> 00:48:46,520 Speaker 1: just tweeted out basically just how bad Ap has been 1001 00:48:46,520 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 1: on jump shots, and basically for high volume jump shooters, 1002 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:52,600 Speaker 1: he's lowest in the league and points per shots. So 1003 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:55,840 Speaker 1: like that's how bad he's been, and he goes, you know, 1004 00:48:55,880 --> 00:48:57,800 Speaker 1: Maple has asked me, do you still want a d 1005 00:48:57,960 --> 00:49:00,960 Speaker 1: taken five threes per game? And I told him yes. 1006 00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:04,960 Speaker 1: The problem wasn't the threes, it was the crazy off 1007 00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:08,440 Speaker 1: the dribble mid range jump shots. That's where his efficiency 1008 00:49:08,520 --> 00:49:10,480 Speaker 1: is tanking now is he has he not been shooting 1009 00:49:10,520 --> 00:49:13,280 Speaker 1: well on threes yet, but part of that is because 1010 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:16,719 Speaker 1: he's literally shooting himself out of rhythm every night with 1011 00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:21,400 Speaker 1: these terrible shots. And if anything, instead of taking twelve 1012 00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:24,040 Speaker 1: jump shots per game and three or four of them 1013 00:49:24,040 --> 00:49:27,719 Speaker 1: being three threes, I'd rather have him take six or 1014 00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:29,839 Speaker 1: seven jump shots a game and have four or five 1015 00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:32,879 Speaker 1: of them be three's, because at that point, chances are 1016 00:49:33,320 --> 00:49:35,279 Speaker 1: those six or seven jump shots are all going to 1017 00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:37,960 Speaker 1: be pretty high quality. They're all going to be balanced, 1018 00:49:38,120 --> 00:49:40,000 Speaker 1: the vast majority of them where they're gonna be picking 1019 00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:43,200 Speaker 1: pop threes that are in that eighteen to twenty foot 1020 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:46,080 Speaker 1: range or at the three point light or spotting up 1021 00:49:46,800 --> 00:49:50,640 Speaker 1: and there. He's just gonna get the quality of shots 1022 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:53,280 Speaker 1: that he needs to get himself out of a slump. 1023 00:49:53,440 --> 00:49:55,960 Speaker 1: Like I always preached on this show, the best way 1024 00:49:55,960 --> 00:49:58,920 Speaker 1: to get out of a shooting slump is to keep shooting, 1025 00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:02,400 Speaker 1: but to take high quality shots. The worst thing you 1026 00:50:02,400 --> 00:50:04,880 Speaker 1: can do in is shooting slump is keep pounding your 1027 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:07,400 Speaker 1: head into the wall by taking tougher and tougher shots, 1028 00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:09,719 Speaker 1: because guess what, You're gonna keep missing, and then you're 1029 00:50:09,719 --> 00:50:12,080 Speaker 1: gonna trick yourself in your brain into thinking you don't 1030 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:14,920 Speaker 1: have it when the reality is that you have bad process. 1031 00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:17,400 Speaker 1: And so that's that's where I'd like to see him 1032 00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:20,759 Speaker 1: kind of like a tweak his offense in that regard. 1033 00:50:20,840 --> 00:50:23,080 Speaker 1: One of the biggest ways we could tactically do that 1034 00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:27,320 Speaker 1: is in these Russ A D lineups, having him instead 1035 00:50:27,320 --> 00:50:30,440 Speaker 1: of being in a dunker spot or screening and rolling, 1036 00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:35,360 Speaker 1: giving Russ more isolation opportunities where a D is in 1037 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:38,279 Speaker 1: a five out position Um, they did a lot of 1038 00:50:38,280 --> 00:50:41,440 Speaker 1: that in the second quarter tonight, or excuse me, at 1039 00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:43,600 Speaker 1: the end of the first quarter tonight, and then again 1040 00:50:43,719 --> 00:50:45,719 Speaker 1: in the second quarter, and I thought they were getting 1041 00:50:45,760 --> 00:50:47,600 Speaker 1: really good stuff out of it. And A D actually 1042 00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:51,000 Speaker 1: made his first three in the five outset. Yeah, to me, 1043 00:50:51,080 --> 00:50:53,479 Speaker 1: he has to be at least a respectable jump here 1044 00:50:53,560 --> 00:50:56,239 Speaker 1: for this team to get to wherever they want to go. Like, 1045 00:50:57,040 --> 00:50:58,759 Speaker 1: there's no way a D can be just a guy 1046 00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:00,520 Speaker 1: at the rim. He has to shoot the number two, 1047 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:03,359 Speaker 1: make it at least respectable. And I think when when 1048 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 1: we play a D at the four and again it's 1049 00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:07,399 Speaker 1: the lineup that he likes, it induces him to take 1050 00:51:07,600 --> 00:51:10,160 Speaker 1: bad shots. You talk about the you know jab step, 1051 00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:13,160 Speaker 1: you know, settling mid range jumpers that really just kill 1052 00:51:13,480 --> 00:51:16,200 Speaker 1: his rhythm. It shots where he doesn't get to the rim. 1053 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:19,759 Speaker 1: It doesn't it doesn't compromise the defense at all. But 1054 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:21,840 Speaker 1: I think those picking pop you know russ E D 1055 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:24,600 Speaker 1: screen roll where he pops like that's in rhythm jumpers. 1056 00:51:24,640 --> 00:51:27,640 Speaker 1: And he's too good like his form and his jumps. 1057 00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:30,720 Speaker 1: We can discuss if it's a mechanical issue or whatever, 1058 00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:33,520 Speaker 1: but his form to me still looks too good to 1059 00:51:33,719 --> 00:51:36,279 Speaker 1: not having at least to not at least have him 1060 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:39,840 Speaker 1: shooting a somewhat good volume of threes every night. And 1061 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:42,239 Speaker 1: they're gonna need it from this team. Even with the 1062 00:51:42,239 --> 00:51:45,480 Speaker 1: starting lineup you take out hopefully Avery Bradley and DeAndre 1063 00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:49,000 Speaker 1: Jordans eventually get out of the starting lineup, you still 1064 00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:51,520 Speaker 1: when you have Russ and Drawn, like teams are gonna pack, 1065 00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:54,120 Speaker 1: the paint eight is gonna get a whole bunch of 1066 00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:56,120 Speaker 1: wide open jump shots. He has to take them. He 1067 00:51:56,200 --> 00:51:58,400 Speaker 1: has to take them confidently, and we need it to 1068 00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:01,640 Speaker 1: not to win this year, not just to make the playoffs, 1069 00:52:01,640 --> 00:52:04,440 Speaker 1: but to win when the whole goal of this A 1070 00:52:04,600 --> 00:52:07,000 Speaker 1: D has to be a respectable jump shooter, and I 1071 00:52:07,040 --> 00:52:09,680 Speaker 1: think he can't. He's not this bad of a jump 1072 00:52:09,680 --> 00:52:11,920 Speaker 1: shooter like that. I can't believe that. Like, there's just 1073 00:52:11,960 --> 00:52:14,319 Speaker 1: no way a D. I think he was like two 1074 00:52:14,320 --> 00:52:17,160 Speaker 1: for two for twenty or something on his last light 1075 00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:20,040 Speaker 1: on on his last few jumpers before this night. Uh 1076 00:52:20,080 --> 00:52:22,680 Speaker 1: So I don't think he's number out there, and you're 1077 00:52:22,719 --> 00:52:25,960 Speaker 1: probably close to correct, correct. Yeah. I remember seeing a 1078 00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:28,319 Speaker 1: styles like man and he's like last, like you talked 1079 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:30,800 Speaker 1: about it, he's like last inefficiency for guys with some 1080 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:33,520 Speaker 1: minimum amount of attempts. He's not that bad of a 1081 00:52:33,600 --> 00:52:35,960 Speaker 1: jump shooter, just to me, Like, there's just no way 1082 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:40,160 Speaker 1: out to believe that there's some positive regression coming here, hopefully, 1083 00:52:40,680 --> 00:52:42,080 Speaker 1: But yeah, he needs to be a jump shot. Like. 1084 00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:45,640 Speaker 1: The solution isn't a D stop taking jumpers. It's like 1085 00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:48,280 Speaker 1: you said, taking better shots. I think off the catch 1086 00:52:48,440 --> 00:52:51,520 Speaker 1: off of screen roll where screening screen roll where he 1087 00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:54,120 Speaker 1: pops out, like that's that's good jump shots for him. 1088 00:52:54,120 --> 00:52:57,080 Speaker 1: And you're never gonna go away from those midrange jab 1089 00:52:57,120 --> 00:52:58,960 Speaker 1: step jump shots like that stuff he likes to do, 1090 00:52:59,000 --> 00:53:01,279 Speaker 1: and those aren't ever going way. But I think if 1091 00:53:01,320 --> 00:53:04,360 Speaker 1: you can start inside out, it's something that's positive for 1092 00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:06,799 Speaker 1: this team and they're gonna need it going forward. I'm 1093 00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:09,319 Speaker 1: glad you pointed that out because that's the important detail there. 1094 00:53:09,320 --> 00:53:12,759 Speaker 1: You have to try to find a way to continue 1095 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:14,960 Speaker 1: to trend a D in the correct direction as a 1096 00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:19,840 Speaker 1: jump shooter, because without him uh in that it doesn't 1097 00:53:19,880 --> 00:53:21,560 Speaker 1: have to be the bubble. For the record, he doesn't 1098 00:53:21,600 --> 00:53:24,640 Speaker 1: need to be making all those isolation midrange jump shots 1099 00:53:25,040 --> 00:53:26,680 Speaker 1: what he did in the bubble those I think he 1100 00:53:26,719 --> 00:53:29,680 Speaker 1: was right around thirty eight percent on you know, three 1101 00:53:29,719 --> 00:53:32,239 Speaker 1: attempts from three every game, and it's something along those lines. 1102 00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:34,319 Speaker 1: Don't quote me on it, but the point is is 1103 00:53:34,360 --> 00:53:37,440 Speaker 1: that that in order for this team to reach its 1104 00:53:37,480 --> 00:53:40,759 Speaker 1: offensive ceiling in the playoffs, which they absolutely have to 1105 00:53:41,080 --> 00:53:45,040 Speaker 1: reach because of their lack of defensive personnel, you you 1106 00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:48,319 Speaker 1: need a D to be a stretch big. And obviously 1107 00:53:48,400 --> 00:53:51,160 Speaker 1: a D having success as a stretch big with everything 1108 00:53:51,160 --> 00:53:54,439 Speaker 1: else he does offensively and defensively, that is where he's 1109 00:53:54,440 --> 00:53:58,320 Speaker 1: in that tier two star, fringe, tier one star type 1110 00:53:58,320 --> 00:54:00,200 Speaker 1: of of category, which is where this team is going 1111 00:54:00,280 --> 00:54:02,759 Speaker 1: to be if he's not. If he's not, if we go, hey, 1112 00:54:02,840 --> 00:54:05,440 Speaker 1: we can't continue to cultivate a D as a jump shooter. 1113 00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:07,879 Speaker 1: Now we're talking about the fifteenth best player in the league. 1114 00:54:08,200 --> 00:54:11,160 Speaker 1: Now we're talking about a rich Man's Clint Capella, and 1115 00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:15,000 Speaker 1: and now we're completely redefining what this team's you know, 1116 00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:19,879 Speaker 1: championship aspirations are. So that all has to be uh 1117 00:54:19,920 --> 00:54:21,600 Speaker 1: dealt with. But at the end of the day, like 1118 00:54:21,640 --> 00:54:24,160 Speaker 1: you said, like a lot of this is just uh, 1119 00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:28,040 Speaker 1: you know, uh continuing to take positive steps in the 1120 00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:31,640 Speaker 1: right direction. I really really liked the process tonight. I 1121 00:54:31,680 --> 00:54:34,040 Speaker 1: liked the process of a d putting his head down 1122 00:54:34,080 --> 00:54:36,759 Speaker 1: getting to the rim early. I liked him making out 1123 00:54:36,840 --> 00:54:40,080 Speaker 1: of area defensive plays, which was something he wasn't doing 1124 00:54:40,080 --> 00:54:43,560 Speaker 1: in previous weeks. Again, you look at the scoring margin, 1125 00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:47,239 Speaker 1: it looks scary, looks like, oh, they barely beat the 1126 00:54:47,239 --> 00:54:50,200 Speaker 1: Pistons again. But the truth of the matter was, is 1127 00:54:50,239 --> 00:54:52,440 Speaker 1: your big three, we're all good on both ends of 1128 00:54:52,440 --> 00:54:55,439 Speaker 1: the floor, and all of the role players had bad nights. 1129 00:54:55,800 --> 00:54:59,319 Speaker 1: And I don't care you know what time of the 1130 00:54:59,360 --> 00:55:01,920 Speaker 1: season it is is or how you know whether or 1131 00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:03,239 Speaker 1: not there in the middle of a ten game win 1132 00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:06,560 Speaker 1: streak or sitting at ten and eleven. You know, that's 1133 00:55:06,640 --> 00:55:09,560 Speaker 1: part of the NBA experience is your role players run 1134 00:55:09,600 --> 00:55:12,520 Speaker 1: hot and they run cold. And tonight the Lakers got 1135 00:55:12,640 --> 00:55:14,760 Speaker 1: to win when all of their role players ran cold 1136 00:55:15,239 --> 00:55:17,839 Speaker 1: because Lebron and a D and Russell Westbrook all played well. 1137 00:55:18,160 --> 00:55:20,680 Speaker 1: And so under these circumstances, we've got to take these 1138 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:22,359 Speaker 1: wins where we can get him. And I'm not even 1139 00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:24,720 Speaker 1: just talking about wins in the standings. I'm talking about little, 1140 00:55:25,040 --> 00:55:28,279 Speaker 1: you know, many wins, little checkpoints in the process of 1141 00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:31,040 Speaker 1: getting this team back on the right track. And as 1142 00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:33,279 Speaker 1: crazy as it sounds, I thought tonight was a very 1143 00:55:33,280 --> 00:55:37,279 Speaker 1: clear positive step in that direction. Yep. And the final 1144 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:40,160 Speaker 1: things that I had in my notes here monk Ellington 1145 00:55:40,480 --> 00:55:43,680 Speaker 1: and Carmelo, I believe we're three for sixteen from the field, 1146 00:55:43,719 --> 00:55:45,520 Speaker 1: so getting a win with like you said, your role 1147 00:55:45,560 --> 00:55:48,560 Speaker 1: players not playing well, not hitting shots, and with a 1148 00:55:48,640 --> 00:55:50,920 Speaker 1: d it's never like I talked about, it's never about 1149 00:55:51,040 --> 00:55:53,319 Speaker 1: the numbers. He's gonna put those up. He's good enough 1150 00:55:53,360 --> 00:55:55,560 Speaker 1: to where he can put up a big time numbers 1151 00:55:55,600 --> 00:55:57,640 Speaker 1: game and you watch the game and still feel like 1152 00:55:57,880 --> 00:56:00,719 Speaker 1: you want more and and some of that is he's 1153 00:56:00,760 --> 00:56:03,440 Speaker 1: just so tantalized, tantalizing you know as a as a 1154 00:56:03,480 --> 00:56:05,600 Speaker 1: talent that you want that. But the numbers I look 1155 00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:08,840 Speaker 1: for him are stocked. So steals, blocks, two steals, three blocks, 1156 00:56:09,080 --> 00:56:11,279 Speaker 1: and offensive rebounds is something I look like as well. 1157 00:56:11,320 --> 00:56:14,480 Speaker 1: And tonight zero offensive rebounds, but he did have ten boards. 1158 00:56:14,760 --> 00:56:16,880 Speaker 1: Go back and rewatch and see what happened there. But 1159 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:18,839 Speaker 1: you know, three blocks, two steals is what I want 1160 00:56:18,840 --> 00:56:21,440 Speaker 1: to look for from him. I think that's pretty much 1161 00:56:21,440 --> 00:56:23,719 Speaker 1: the biggest show of what he is. He's too good, 1162 00:56:23,760 --> 00:56:26,799 Speaker 1: too talented to not have those kind of numbers and 1163 00:56:26,800 --> 00:56:29,480 Speaker 1: those kind of impacts and steals. Blocks aren't always the 1164 00:56:29,480 --> 00:56:33,719 Speaker 1: greatest uh translation for good defense, but I think for 1165 00:56:33,800 --> 00:56:36,319 Speaker 1: him when he's putting those up, it means he's he's 1166 00:56:36,360 --> 00:56:38,560 Speaker 1: really engaged, So that's what I want to see from him. 1167 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:41,040 Speaker 1: But another you're right, good night from the Big three. 1168 00:56:41,080 --> 00:56:43,439 Speaker 1: I probably probably the best game from the Big Three, 1169 00:56:43,560 --> 00:56:47,560 Speaker 1: just as like as them playing together, like the numbers 1170 00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:49,600 Speaker 1: that they put up, and hopefully it's something we can build. 1171 00:56:49,880 --> 00:56:51,920 Speaker 1: But like we started the show, they've lost the benefit 1172 00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:56,399 Speaker 1: of the doubt for that. They absolutely have, just we'll 1173 00:56:56,440 --> 00:56:58,720 Speaker 1: have to see going forward. They play another bad team, 1174 00:56:59,000 --> 00:57:01,400 Speaker 1: the Kings, who after meeting us in triple over time, 1175 00:57:01,960 --> 00:57:04,759 Speaker 1: I believe did they lose to uh leave they lost 1176 00:57:04,800 --> 00:57:10,279 Speaker 1: to the the Grizzlies without Yeah, I think they were 1177 00:57:10,320 --> 00:57:13,279 Speaker 1: down like twenty a halftime. So that we played them 1178 00:57:13,320 --> 00:57:15,680 Speaker 1: on Tuesday, I think I saw the quotes on the 1179 00:57:15,680 --> 00:57:18,120 Speaker 1: timeline that A D and A D was saying, it's 1180 00:57:18,480 --> 00:57:20,200 Speaker 1: they can get some revenge on Tuesday. But we have 1181 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:22,680 Speaker 1: to see it. This is a step, hopefully in the 1182 00:57:22,800 --> 00:57:25,680 Speaker 1: right direction, even if it's just a small half a step, 1183 00:57:25,720 --> 00:57:27,480 Speaker 1: it's a step, and that's that's what we need to 1184 00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:30,360 Speaker 1: see on the road down Tuesday. Is a really good test. 1185 00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:34,480 Speaker 1: It's a team that specifically attacks the weakness that the 1186 00:57:34,520 --> 00:57:36,520 Speaker 1: Lakers have, which is their point of attack, defense and 1187 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:38,720 Speaker 1: their ability to contest shots on the perimeter. I'm not 1188 00:57:38,760 --> 00:57:40,440 Speaker 1: sure if you saw that stat that was floating around, 1189 00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:42,960 Speaker 1: but I can't remember the exact number, but basically like 1190 00:57:43,040 --> 00:57:45,800 Speaker 1: something like thirty eight of the forty three jump shots 1191 00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:50,720 Speaker 1: that the teams to the other night were uncontested. So 1192 00:57:50,960 --> 00:57:52,480 Speaker 1: like that and that to me is just you know, 1193 00:57:52,840 --> 00:57:56,360 Speaker 1: the effort and focus. But anyway that going up to 1194 00:57:56,400 --> 00:57:59,720 Speaker 1: the Sacramento a team that specifically is kind of uh, 1195 00:57:59,800 --> 00:58:03,760 Speaker 1: you know, geared towards some of our weaknesses. Obviously a 1196 00:58:03,760 --> 00:58:05,640 Speaker 1: little bit of a revenge match for what happened the 1197 00:58:05,640 --> 00:58:08,640 Speaker 1: other night. It's also on the road, and as we 1198 00:58:08,680 --> 00:58:12,120 Speaker 1: saw all season, Lakers just can't put multiple good games together. 1199 00:58:12,840 --> 00:58:15,040 Speaker 1: This is a good chance to go up to Sacramento, 1200 00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:19,400 Speaker 1: whoop their ass, come home and say we have now 1201 00:58:20,400 --> 00:58:22,600 Speaker 1: put a couple of good games together. You know, and 1202 00:58:22,600 --> 00:58:25,720 Speaker 1: if you get and if you get Lebron and Adi engaged, 1203 00:58:26,000 --> 00:58:28,120 Speaker 1: and if you get anything out of melow, Ellington and 1204 00:58:28,200 --> 00:58:29,960 Speaker 1: Monk and get these guys going a little bit, you're 1205 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:33,439 Speaker 1: gonna get a lot more offensive firepower than you shot 1206 00:58:33,480 --> 00:58:37,840 Speaker 1: tonight because they were generating rim pressure. Um so, but anyway, 1207 00:58:37,840 --> 00:58:40,000 Speaker 1: that's all we got for tonight. Guys. Uh, this is 1208 00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:42,160 Speaker 1: gonna air on dash rightI out tomorrow morning at seven am. 1209 00:58:42,400 --> 00:58:44,880 Speaker 1: This will be Pacific Standard time. This will be on 1210 00:58:44,920 --> 00:58:49,040 Speaker 1: our podcast feed, stated Lakers here in about twenty minutes 1211 00:58:49,560 --> 00:58:52,080 Speaker 1: as usual. We sincerely appreciate your support. It's been a 1212 00:58:52,080 --> 00:58:55,320 Speaker 1: crazy week, a lot of a lot of drama, but 1213 00:58:55,440 --> 00:58:57,919 Speaker 1: I'm happy that we were able to have a little 1214 00:58:57,920 --> 00:59:02,600 Speaker 1: bit more relaxed to discussion tonight and looking forward to 1215 00:59:02,640 --> 00:59:05,400 Speaker 1: Tuesday hopefully being another good step in the right direction 1216 00:59:05,480 --> 00:59:08,120 Speaker 1: for this team. I appreciate it. Thanks everyone,