WEBVTT - Top Five Contenders (Part One)

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the State of the Lakers, presented by DASH Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you guys for coming to hang out on a Tuesday.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm actually recording this on a Monday. I'm getting ready

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<v Speaker 1>to go on a ski trip on Tuesday that's going

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<v Speaker 1>to take me up to Colorado for four days, and

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<v Speaker 1>we only have one Laker game this week, so I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to get some content out there today and tomorrow

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to be working on my top five contenders

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<v Speaker 1>in the league. These are to be clear, these are

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be the five teams that I see that I

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<v Speaker 1>think are most likely to win the championship, not the

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<v Speaker 1>teams that have played the best basketball to this point,

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<v Speaker 1>although that will be factored in. It will be a

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<v Speaker 1>combination of a bunch of factors that lead to the

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<v Speaker 1>ultimate question, which five teams are most likely to win

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<v Speaker 1>the championship this year? So we're gonna do that. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>gonna do the numbers five, four, and three in today's pod,

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<v Speaker 1>and then there will be another pod that releases on

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<v Speaker 1>Wednesday morning that will cover the number two and number

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<v Speaker 1>one teams on my list that are most likely to

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<v Speaker 1>win the championship. But I did want to start by

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<v Speaker 1>talking about Russell Westbrook for a second. But I talked

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<v Speaker 1>about this a little bit last night with Raj in

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<v Speaker 1>the postgame show after we got destroyed by Memphis. But

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted to talk a little bit about this Russell

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<v Speaker 1>Westbrook question because it's it's the biggest cloud hanging over

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<v Speaker 1>the season in my opinion. Not to be clear, and

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<v Speaker 1>this is an important context here, Russ is not to

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<v Speaker 1>blame for the Lakers being where they're at in the standings.

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<v Speaker 1>To be clear, As an individual player, I do think

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<v Speaker 1>you could blame the trade to some extent because of

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<v Speaker 1>the types of players that went out in the trade,

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<v Speaker 1>the financial the resulting financial crunch that led to Alex

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<v Speaker 1>Crusoe being left out of the equation, right, because we

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<v Speaker 1>know what k c P and Kyle Kuzma and Alex

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<v Speaker 1>Caruso do as basketball players next to Lebron and Anthony Davis.

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<v Speaker 1>We know how successful that formula is, so the trade.

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<v Speaker 1>Weighing the trade is different than weighing the player on

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<v Speaker 1>this team. Russ is not to blame for the team

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<v Speaker 1>being where they're at. That needs to be clearly stated

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<v Speaker 1>up front. Russ also hasn't been nearly as good as

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<v Speaker 1>he needs to be in order for that trade to

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<v Speaker 1>have made any sense. And the latest evidence has been

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<v Speaker 1>his struggles against good teams in the NBA, and I

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<v Speaker 1>talked about this last night. He was really bad from

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<v Speaker 1>start to finish on both ends. Last night against Memphis

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<v Speaker 1>and then the previous game against Memphis, he had a

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<v Speaker 1>critically badged uh stretch of basketball at the end of

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<v Speaker 1>the third quarter that costs him the game. Then the

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<v Speaker 1>last good team we played before that, Brooklyn, he was

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<v Speaker 1>horrible from start to finish, horrifically bad around the basket,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think it what was he two for fifteen

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<v Speaker 1>in the paint in that game, and he missed a

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<v Speaker 1>crucial defensive responsibility on Patty Mills that cost the team

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<v Speaker 1>the game. And then he missed a dunk on the

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<v Speaker 1>other end of poor a poor decision where he wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>even close to being high enough above the rim and

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<v Speaker 1>it cost the team the game. And then as we

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<v Speaker 1>work further back, he was really bad all game against Phoenix,

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<v Speaker 1>and especially in the non Lebron minutes in a game

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<v Speaker 1>where with Lebron on the court, we were tied with

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<v Speaker 1>Phoenix and we lost by eight team because of how

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<v Speaker 1>bad we played in the non Lebron minutes and then

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<v Speaker 1>going back to another game against Memphis where he was

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<v Speaker 1>really bad, scored in single digits and had six turnovers.

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<v Speaker 1>That is a issue on the team. It's not the

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<v Speaker 1>main issue. Our main issue has been talent. At the

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<v Speaker 1>beginning of the year, when we had guys healthy, we

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<v Speaker 1>weren't playing hard enough, and then now since Anthony Davis

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<v Speaker 1>has gone out, it's a talent issue. So I don't

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<v Speaker 1>want to blame Russ for where they're at in the standings. However,

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<v Speaker 1>in order for that trade to have made any sense,

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<v Speaker 1>Russ needed to be better against the good teams in

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<v Speaker 1>the league. That's what you do when you trade depth

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<v Speaker 1>and role players for a star. Allegedly, you're banking on

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<v Speaker 1>their ultimate talent will be able to carry you against

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<v Speaker 1>the best teams in the league. And the reality of

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<v Speaker 1>the Russell Westbrook situation is he's a limited basketball player.

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<v Speaker 1>Right He's easy to guard for the most part. His

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<v Speaker 1>only positive plays this season have mainly been reckless, the

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<v Speaker 1>idea of forcing action to the paint when there's really

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<v Speaker 1>not anything there and him just squeezing in tiny gaps

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<v Speaker 1>and hurling the ball out to spots on the floor

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<v Speaker 1>and hoping for the best, which has worked for stretches

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<v Speaker 1>against bad teams, but against the good teams in this

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<v Speaker 1>league for the for the most part, it's been ineffective

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<v Speaker 1>or downright hurtful to the team. That's a concern because,

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<v Speaker 1>like I said, when you make the the trade of

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<v Speaker 1>multiple role players and salary filler for a star, you're

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<v Speaker 1>banking on that trade helping you against the good teams

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<v Speaker 1>in the league. And if it doesn't, then you run

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<v Speaker 1>into this situation where all of a sudden, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Anthony Davis goes down, and that third star that's supposed

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<v Speaker 1>to be the guy that can help you in this

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<v Speaker 1>situation actually is largely ineffective. And so again, Russ is

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<v Speaker 1>not the problem. He's not the problem, but he is

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<v Speaker 1>a problem, and he's a problem that could have been avoided.

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<v Speaker 1>And the only reason I say it could have been

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<v Speaker 1>avoided is because anybody who's watched Russell Westbrook over the

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<v Speaker 1>last couple of years has known that this is the

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<v Speaker 1>phase of the career that he's of his career that

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<v Speaker 1>he's in. When he was younger and freakishly athletic, the

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<v Speaker 1>chaos and the reckless decision making was all still there.

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<v Speaker 1>He just was such a nuclear athlete that he brought

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<v Speaker 1>a huge positive element to the game. Teams could not

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<v Speaker 1>keep the guy out of the paint, and when he

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<v Speaker 1>got there, he finished all the time. Whereas now he's

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<v Speaker 1>getting there a lot, a lot more than most guards

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<v Speaker 1>in the league. But it's a reckless, forced drive to

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<v Speaker 1>the basket with a team that's prepared for him to

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<v Speaker 1>do so, and he's not finishing when he gets there,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's an issue and that we could all see

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<v Speaker 1>coming a mile away, and that was the concern. Tomorrow

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<v Speaker 1>Mornings Pod, before we do number two and one on

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<v Speaker 1>the list, I'm gonna dive a little bit deeper into

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<v Speaker 1>this concept having to do with the Lakers and the

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<v Speaker 1>Warriors both kind of losing sight of what made them good.

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<v Speaker 1>And we'll talk a little bit about that, like I

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<v Speaker 1>said tomorrow, before we get into the list. But let's

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<v Speaker 1>go ahead and get started with our top five contenders

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<v Speaker 1>this season again, top five teams that I think are

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<v Speaker 1>most likely to win the championship, and first on my list,

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<v Speaker 1>I should say fifth on my list is Phoenix. They

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<v Speaker 1>are currently eighth in offense, second in defense, and third

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<v Speaker 1>in net rating. Chris Paul is giving you fourteen and

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<v Speaker 1>ten and only two point three turnovers per game. He's

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<v Speaker 1>he looks great. Booker's efficiency is down a little bit,

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<v Speaker 1>but he's twenty four, five and five and he's shooting

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<v Speaker 1>the ball really well from three. UM. They're both playing

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<v Speaker 1>really well there. They look every bit as good as

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<v Speaker 1>they did last year. Uh. They have amazing depth. I

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<v Speaker 1>would say they have the best depth of talent in

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<v Speaker 1>the league. Cam Johnson and Michael Bridges are both over

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<v Speaker 1>from three and averaging about twelve points per game. DeAndre

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<v Speaker 1>Ayton is giving you seventeen and eleven and on any

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<v Speaker 1>given night can outplay any of the top big men

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<v Speaker 1>slash huge athletes that we have in the league. And

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<v Speaker 1>that's a huge, huge weapon to have on the roster. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>That is what makes them better than the Utahs in

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<v Speaker 1>the Chicago's, in the memphisis of the league. They have

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<v Speaker 1>this elite high end isolation score in Devin Booker, which

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<v Speaker 1>we know brings a great deal of value in the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 1>They have this elite high end playmaker in Chris Paul

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<v Speaker 1>that can take advantage of the very very tiny gaps

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<v Speaker 1>that materialize in playoff defenses. And they have this depth

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<v Speaker 1>of wing talent and and athleticism that again we know,

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<v Speaker 1>brings a ton of value in a playoff setting. They

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<v Speaker 1>can reach a a defensive ceiling with all of their

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<v Speaker 1>athletes that only a handful of teams in the league

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<v Speaker 1>can reach. We're gonna talk about this in my list

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<v Speaker 1>of the five teams that I have, Brooklyn is really

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<v Speaker 1>the only team that can't reach this unbelievable defensive ceiling.

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<v Speaker 1>That's kind of like a wash between all those teams

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<v Speaker 1>except for Brooklyn, and we'll talk to Brooklyn. We'll talk

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<v Speaker 1>about Brooklyn when we get there. But there's just a

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<v Speaker 1>level that Phoenix can get to with their wings in

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<v Speaker 1>their defense that the Utahs and the Chicago's in the

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<v Speaker 1>memphisis of the world can't each and that will always

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<v Speaker 1>be a leg up for them. And then they also

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<v Speaker 1>have CP three and Devin Booker, t proven playoff weapons

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<v Speaker 1>that have done well on that level. However, the reason

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<v Speaker 1>why I have them fifth, the reason why I have

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<v Speaker 1>them beneath Golden State Milwaukee, and I won't share the

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<v Speaker 1>other names yet just yet, but the reason why I

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<v Speaker 1>have them below is in any given playoff series against

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<v Speaker 1>the top tier teams in the league, they're gonna have

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<v Speaker 1>probably the third or fourth best players on the floor,

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<v Speaker 1>but the other team is probably gonna have the first

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<v Speaker 1>or second best players on the floor. And that's an

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<v Speaker 1>issue in the playoffs set. It because in the playoffs setting,

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<v Speaker 1>when defense is really really tightened down and they start

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<v Speaker 1>switching everything and canceling out all your actions, and the

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<v Speaker 1>refs are swallowing the whistle, and all that stuff you

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<v Speaker 1>used to do during the regular season with your regular

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<v Speaker 1>season machine kind of stops working. In that setting. It

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<v Speaker 1>becomes about superstars making plays. And what we saw last

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<v Speaker 1>year in the playoffs is there were stretches where Devin

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<v Speaker 1>Booker could go on streaks of shot making where he

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<v Speaker 1>could kind of hang with those top guys for short stretches.

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<v Speaker 1>But we saw Chris Paul really really struggle in that

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<v Speaker 1>setting to where he was in a lot of games

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<v Speaker 1>getting outplayed by Drew Holiday. That's an issue because when

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<v Speaker 1>you're going against the top teams in the league, you're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be going against Steph Curry and Clay Thompson and

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<v Speaker 1>Draymond Green and Johannas Antenna Coompo and Kevin Durant, Lebron

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<v Speaker 1>James Anthony Davis. These guys across the way, the teams

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<v Speaker 1>you're gonna be competing against, have extremely high end, top

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<v Speaker 1>end talent on their roster, and that will, forever as

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<v Speaker 1>long as the game of basketball is played, be a

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<v Speaker 1>monumental impact on a playoff series. And so to me,

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<v Speaker 1>even though Phoenix has looked so good this year and

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<v Speaker 1>looked so good in the playoffs last year, if you

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<v Speaker 1>look really closely, they just had to outex acute a

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<v Speaker 1>Laker team that lost Anthony Davis. And we know that

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<v Speaker 1>that team, that particular team, the Lakers, has so much

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<v Speaker 1>of their talent tied up in Lebron and a D.

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<v Speaker 1>So when one of them go down, they're pretty bad.

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<v Speaker 1>And then they go in and they play a Denver

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<v Speaker 1>team that same situation. They don't have um Jamal Murray,

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<v Speaker 1>so they're just not capable really from a talent level,

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<v Speaker 1>of hanging with with Phoenix. And then they go in

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<v Speaker 1>against the Clippers and they don't have Kawhi Leonard and

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<v Speaker 1>so the same concept. Even the Clippers, who had utterly

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<v Speaker 1>maximized modern basketball with that roster, they just didn't have

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<v Speaker 1>enough talent to hang with hang with Phoenix. And then

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<v Speaker 1>they run into the finals, and suddenly those warts show

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<v Speaker 1>against the team that's healthy and has their stars. So

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<v Speaker 1>as good as Phoenix is, and they're still very likely

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<v Speaker 1>to win the championship. I'm just saying they're the fifth

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<v Speaker 1>most likely team to win the championship, but that lack

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<v Speaker 1>of star power, in my opinion, will always hold them

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<v Speaker 1>back against the Golden States and the Brooklyn's in the

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<v Speaker 1>Milwaukee's of the league. That's gonna be a problem for them.

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<v Speaker 1>That doesn't go away. The fourth team on my list,

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<v Speaker 1>the fourth most likely team to win the NBA Championship

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<v Speaker 1>this season in my opinion, is the Milwaukee Bucks. They're

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<v Speaker 1>currently seventh in offense, ninth in defense, and seventh in

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<v Speaker 1>net rating. Despite having some pretty bad luck with injuries

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<v Speaker 1>and COVID, Johannis and Drew still very much look like

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<v Speaker 1>Johannis and Drew. They look fantastic. Y honest is starting

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<v Speaker 1>to show a little bit more shot making, although I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think that's as important as some of the other

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<v Speaker 1>things in his game. We'll talk about that in a minute.

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<v Speaker 1>Um Chris Middleton's having a down year, but he's been

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<v Speaker 1>in and out of the lineup, so I wouldn't worry

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<v Speaker 1>about that too much. Pat Conatton is playing great, Bobby

0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:45.120
<v Speaker 1>Porters is playing great. West Matthews has turned out to

0:12:45.120 --> 0:12:47.880
<v Speaker 1>be a great fit to the to the to the

0:12:47.920 --> 0:12:50.680
<v Speaker 1>horrible news for Laker fans, as as we all wanted

0:12:50.720 --> 0:12:53.640
<v Speaker 1>him to come back, especially me. I I advocated for West.

0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:55.559
<v Speaker 1>I'm not sure why they decided not to bring him back,

0:12:55.559 --> 0:12:59.520
<v Speaker 1>but he's fitting in great with Milwaukee. They are more

0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:02.120
<v Speaker 1>or less the same team that they were last year

0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:04.000
<v Speaker 1>in in a lot of ways, and I am a

0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:06.160
<v Speaker 1>huge believer in what they do. So then you might

0:13:06.160 --> 0:13:09.520
<v Speaker 1>ask why do I have them forth? And it really

0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:14.920
<v Speaker 1>isn't any more complicated than does Janice have the ability

0:13:15.040 --> 0:13:21.000
<v Speaker 1>to out execute the absolute top tier talent in a

0:13:21.080 --> 0:13:25.240
<v Speaker 1>playoff setting four times out of seven? Because you know,

0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:27.440
<v Speaker 1>they have the defensive ceiling. Like I said, they're going

0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:29.000
<v Speaker 1>to be able to defend just as well as a

0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:32.000
<v Speaker 1>Phoenix or a Golden State or or any of those

0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:34.520
<v Speaker 1>teams that have all the athletic talent that they have.

0:13:35.040 --> 0:13:37.640
<v Speaker 1>You know, Janice obviously brings a ton to the table defensively.

0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:41.280
<v Speaker 1>I'm not worried about that at all. But on the

0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:43.640
<v Speaker 1>offensive end, when things really slow down and you're stuck

0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:47.120
<v Speaker 1>in the half court. What can Yannice brain compared to

0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:50.640
<v Speaker 1>the top tier team of players in the league. I

0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.040
<v Speaker 1>know he can out execute Chris Paul and Devin Booker.

0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:56.560
<v Speaker 1>I've seen that he can out execute those guys. I

0:13:56.600 --> 0:14:01.960
<v Speaker 1>know he can just barely out execute Brooklyn. If James

0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:04.640
<v Speaker 1>Harden is on a bad hamstring and Kyrie Irving can't

0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:07.320
<v Speaker 1>play and Joe Harris forgets how to shoot, I know

0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:10.720
<v Speaker 1>he can do that. But the last two times they

0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:13.960
<v Speaker 1>played the Lakers, when Lebron and a D were healthy,

0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:16.480
<v Speaker 1>they went down to Staples Center and got beat handily,

0:14:16.679 --> 0:14:19.720
<v Speaker 1>and Lebron was way better than him. And then they

0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:23.240
<v Speaker 1>went on the road to Milwaukee, and the last season

0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:26.040
<v Speaker 1>before the Lebron in a D injuries and they beat

0:14:26.080 --> 0:14:28.680
<v Speaker 1>him in Milwaukee, and Lebron and a D looked great.

0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:33.400
<v Speaker 1>Because it's different when you're playing the top tier teams,

0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:37.080
<v Speaker 1>when they have their stars healthy and they're engaged on

0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:39.960
<v Speaker 1>the defensive end. In that type of setting, it's a

0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:43.680
<v Speaker 1>different level of basketball. I know j honest can out

0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:48.280
<v Speaker 1>execute the Hawks. I know he can out execute that

0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:51.920
<v Speaker 1>injury ravaged Brooklyn team and that Phoenix team where he's

0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:55.239
<v Speaker 1>just having to do better than Chris Paul, who's really struggling,

0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:58.880
<v Speaker 1>Withdrew Holiday, and with Devin Booker, who can get on

0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:01.960
<v Speaker 1>some hot streaks. But there's another level to this, and

0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:05.040
<v Speaker 1>that will be the level to me that if Janice

0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:07.920
<v Speaker 1>can cross that, then he's the best player in the league.

0:15:08.480 --> 0:15:13.480
<v Speaker 1>I'm not beholden to holding him down if he accomplishes

0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:16.320
<v Speaker 1>that goal. I'm all in on the honest train. But

0:15:16.440 --> 0:15:19.760
<v Speaker 1>to me, that next level for him is staring down

0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:23.400
<v Speaker 1>the great teams at full strength, with the greatest players

0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:26.720
<v Speaker 1>in the game, and beating them. And that's the next step.

0:15:27.280 --> 0:15:30.440
<v Speaker 1>I thought Kevin Durant was clearly better than Janice in

0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:34.040
<v Speaker 1>that Eastern Conference semi final series last year, and at

0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:35.680
<v Speaker 1>the end of those games, you're watching those games and

0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:38.640
<v Speaker 1>you're like, man, Milwaukee has a lot more talent because

0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:41.160
<v Speaker 1>of all the injuries that Brooklyn was dealing with and

0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:44.400
<v Speaker 1>because of Joe Harris's struggles, But the game's just kind

0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:47.400
<v Speaker 1>of lingered around and stayed close, and all of a sudden,

0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:50.800
<v Speaker 1>you're like, man, that's Kevin freaking Durant and he's making

0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:54.000
<v Speaker 1>all these shots and he's extending the series. And now

0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:56.760
<v Speaker 1>all of a sudden, you're couple inches away from potentially losing.

0:15:57.160 --> 0:16:00.520
<v Speaker 1>That's that next level. That's what Janice had to prove

0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:03.840
<v Speaker 1>to me in order for me to think that he's

0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:06.200
<v Speaker 1>better than Kevin Durant, better than Lebron James, better than

0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:08.400
<v Speaker 1>Stephan Curry. But so I have them as the fourth

0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:11.640
<v Speaker 1>most likely team to win the title because I do

0:16:11.760 --> 0:16:14.680
<v Speaker 1>think that's a possible outcome. I just would put my

0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:16.680
<v Speaker 1>money on the other three teams that I'm about to

0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:20.040
<v Speaker 1>mention because of the fact that they have top tier

0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:23.360
<v Speaker 1>talent that has proven they can out execute the best

0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:25.600
<v Speaker 1>teams and the best players in the league in a

0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.200
<v Speaker 1>seven game setting. That to me, is that next step

0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:32.040
<v Speaker 1>free honest, I hope he takes it. I'm rooting for him.

0:16:32.080 --> 0:16:34.720
<v Speaker 1>I just don't necessarily think he's there yet, so I've

0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:38.440
<v Speaker 1>Milwaukee it for I think the Los Angeles Lakers are

0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:41.280
<v Speaker 1>the third most likely team to win the championship this year.

0:16:41.440 --> 0:16:43.560
<v Speaker 1>And I know that sounds crazy, and I know that's

0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.680
<v Speaker 1>completely not based on anything that has actually happened on

0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:50.640
<v Speaker 1>the court this season. They've been twenty three in offense

0:16:50.720 --> 0:16:54.760
<v Speaker 1>this year and defense twenty and net rating. Even if

0:16:54.800 --> 0:16:58.000
<v Speaker 1>you do throw out DeAndre Jordan's minutes and throw out

0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:00.840
<v Speaker 1>some of the weird COVID lineups that they've had to use.

0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:04.159
<v Speaker 1>They have not looked like a top tier team in

0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:06.199
<v Speaker 1>the league this year. That goes without saying, So why

0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:09.200
<v Speaker 1>do I have them third? It really isn't all that complicated.

0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:13.000
<v Speaker 1>We have a proven method for success in the modern NBA,

0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:16.840
<v Speaker 1>and that is Anthony Davis at center, Lebron James at

0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:19.959
<v Speaker 1>power forward, both playing at the top of their games,

0:17:20.320 --> 0:17:22.040
<v Speaker 1>and the fact that teams just can't match up with

0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:25.040
<v Speaker 1>them when they do that. Like I've mentioned earlier, the

0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:28.439
<v Speaker 1>last two times they've played the Bucks, they've manhandled the Bucks,

0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:32.040
<v Speaker 1>including once in Milwaukee. When Lebron James and Anthony Davis

0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:34.479
<v Speaker 1>are healthy, and we know what they did when they

0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:37.160
<v Speaker 1>were in the bubble, we know their winning percentage over

0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:39.520
<v Speaker 1>the last three years when those two guys are healthy.

0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:42.880
<v Speaker 1>And that's even with last season and this season Anthony

0:17:42.960 --> 0:17:46.960
<v Speaker 1>Davis being a significantly lesser version of himself than he

0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:51.520
<v Speaker 1>was in that belief will always be what brings me

0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:57.320
<v Speaker 1>to consider the Lakers a legitimate championship contender. Lebron looks fantastic.

0:17:57.560 --> 0:18:00.000
<v Speaker 1>He's playing arguably some of the best two way basketball

0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:02.760
<v Speaker 1>of his career. He's playing this new modern style as

0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:05.640
<v Speaker 1>a center, which I think will maintain even when Anthony

0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:07.639
<v Speaker 1>Davis comes back. I almost look at it as like

0:18:07.960 --> 0:18:11.200
<v Speaker 1>Lebron at center, Anthony Davis at power forward. These Braun

0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:13.639
<v Speaker 1>at center lineups are plus two point three per one

0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:17.120
<v Speaker 1>possessions and four hundred and seven minutes, and that's even

0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:21.680
<v Speaker 1>including that minus thirty complete ship show last night against Memphis.

0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:24.240
<v Speaker 1>The truth of the matter is the Lakers have a

0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:27.919
<v Speaker 1>trade to make th Ht is playing much better. He

0:18:28.080 --> 0:18:30.800
<v Speaker 1>is valued around the league, and him and Kendrick Nunn

0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:32.960
<v Speaker 1>will package together and bring a wing back. I feel

0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:35.760
<v Speaker 1>very confident about that. So when push comes to shove

0:18:36.080 --> 0:18:38.359
<v Speaker 1>and you're in a playoff setting, you're going to have

0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:41.880
<v Speaker 1>to play Anthony Davis, Lebron James in a legitimate wing

0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:45.240
<v Speaker 1>in the front court, and some arsenal of role players

0:18:45.280 --> 0:18:47.119
<v Speaker 1>coming in and out of that system. We talked a

0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:49.359
<v Speaker 1>lot about Russ earlier in the pod. If you haven't

0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:51.520
<v Speaker 1>heard that yet, just go back and listen to the

0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:55.119
<v Speaker 1>beginning of this pod. But you know, regardless of the

0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:58.919
<v Speaker 1>Russ fit, that dynamic front court presents a legitimate weapon.

0:18:59.440 --> 0:19:02.160
<v Speaker 1>And if you had to ask me, what's more likely

0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:05.800
<v Speaker 1>to happen that the Phoenix Suns, with their lack of

0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:11.080
<v Speaker 1>top tier star power, will beat Golden State and then

0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:15.000
<v Speaker 1>go on to beat Kevin Durant or Jana Santana Coompo

0:19:15.000 --> 0:19:18.640
<v Speaker 1>in the finals. Do you think that's more likely than

0:19:19.160 --> 0:19:22.520
<v Speaker 1>Lebron and a D figuring it out and getting healthy

0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:24.960
<v Speaker 1>and getting on the court. In Lebron and a D

0:19:25.920 --> 0:19:29.199
<v Speaker 1>beating Steph Curry in the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals,

0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:32.200
<v Speaker 1>in Lebron in a D beating Janice or Kevin Durant

0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:35.000
<v Speaker 1>the finals, I take my chances with Lebron and a

0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:38.600
<v Speaker 1>D and that will always be the ultimate trump card.

0:19:39.000 --> 0:19:40.920
<v Speaker 1>And that's why, even with as much of a ship

0:19:40.960 --> 0:19:43.400
<v Speaker 1>show as the season has been, I think they are

0:19:43.480 --> 0:19:46.600
<v Speaker 1>the third most likely team to win the championship this year.

0:19:47.480 --> 0:19:48.760
<v Speaker 1>There are a couple of little things they have to

0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:51.760
<v Speaker 1>figure out, you know, Like I tweeted this last night

0:19:51.800 --> 0:19:54.000
<v Speaker 1>and talked about it on the pod last night. But

0:19:55.119 --> 0:19:58.320
<v Speaker 1>when Lebron's at center, they can't play all these small guards,

0:19:58.440 --> 0:20:02.239
<v Speaker 1>you know, Russ, Monk Bradley. Uh, those three guys are

0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:04.119
<v Speaker 1>all six three and under. They played I think eighteen

0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:07.440
<v Speaker 1>minutes last night, and they went minus forty six point

0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:11.280
<v Speaker 1>eight net rating against Memphis. When you're playing these good

0:20:11.320 --> 0:20:13.920
<v Speaker 1>teams that have all this size, you just can't play

0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:15.879
<v Speaker 1>all these tiny guards. And I know that's going to

0:20:15.960 --> 0:20:19.160
<v Speaker 1>be an issue, but that goes away when Anthony Davis

0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:22.160
<v Speaker 1>comes back. That goes away when you upgrade th HT

0:20:22.359 --> 0:20:26.520
<v Speaker 1>into a bigger wing. This team is so far from

0:20:26.520 --> 0:20:29.320
<v Speaker 1>what they are going to be in April or May.

0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:31.880
<v Speaker 1>And like I, like I said all year, when will

0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:34.320
<v Speaker 1>I stop believing in the Lakers. I'll stop believing in

0:20:34.359 --> 0:20:36.560
<v Speaker 1>the Lakers. When Lebron or Anthony Davis can't finish a

0:20:36.560 --> 0:20:38.879
<v Speaker 1>playoff game, That's when I'll stop believing in the in

0:20:38.880 --> 0:20:41.920
<v Speaker 1>the Lakers, or if one of them is playing severely

0:20:42.000 --> 0:20:45.080
<v Speaker 1>hampered by injury. But as long as those two are healthy,

0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:49.720
<v Speaker 1>I trust Frank Vogel to put something around them to work.

0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:53.280
<v Speaker 1>In a playoff setting, they are simply more dangerous than

0:20:53.320 --> 0:20:56.600
<v Speaker 1>a team that can't execute in the half court or

0:20:56.680 --> 0:21:00.840
<v Speaker 1>a team that lacks that top tier star power. Alright,

0:21:00.880 --> 0:21:03.920
<v Speaker 1>that is it for Part one of our Contenders Pod

0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:08.400
<v Speaker 1>Part two, including the second and first most likely teams

0:21:08.400 --> 0:21:10.560
<v Speaker 1>to win the championship or tomorrow. I'm also going to

0:21:10.640 --> 0:21:12.400
<v Speaker 1>do a little bit of a deep dive on the

0:21:12.480 --> 0:21:15.199
<v Speaker 1>Lakers and Warriors and their identity changes. As always, we

0:21:15.200 --> 0:21:18.320
<v Speaker 1>appreciate your guys support and we will see you tomorrow