WEBVTT - What It Do, Babyyy! 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:04.680 On this episode of This League, we discuss the shocking news, 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:08.039 as Marty would say, one of the worst hot seats ever. 0:00:08.360 --> 0:00:10.920 We talk about how the Clippers are basically like a 0:00:10.960 --> 0:00:16.480 fine piece of china. We detail this year's most surprising team, 0:00:16.840 --> 0:00:19.439 which is the New York Knicks. I just like calling 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:22.800 the Clippers fine China, and we get back to answering 0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:28.200 some more. Listener DMS Meyers Leonard saga. As everyone knows, 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:31.639 he got suspended during a Call of duty live stream 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:35.559 for saying an anti Semitic slur, leading him to get 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:38.760 fined and suspended by the league. He just was never 0:00:38.840 --> 0:00:41.280 going to go back to the Heat after that, no way. 0:00:41.440 --> 0:00:44.559 Miami traded him and a second round pick to OKC 0:00:44.760 --> 0:00:48.040 for Trevor Ariza, and that brings immediate help to the Heat, 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:52.120 but it also got rid of a nightmare PR situation 0:00:52.240 --> 0:00:55.279 for the team, and Miami does not like PR issues. 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.360 Does not solve an issue for Meyers Leonard because OKC 0:00:59.040 --> 0:01:01.040 made it very clear as soon as he got traded, 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:02.800 we are not bringing him to the team. He will 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:05.640 never suit up in an Okay see jersey. He's not 0:01:05.720 --> 0:01:08.319 even coming to the city. Like it's just we just 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:11.440 needed to match salaries and sorry, Meyers Leonard, you go 0:01:11.440 --> 0:01:13.759 out of a job now. They said. Leonard will not 0:01:13.800 --> 0:01:15.720 be an active part of the Thunder moving forward and 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:18.280 will not report to oka See. How toxic are you 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:21.640 that in a trade that amounts to an Aresa's salary dump. 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:24.640 Okay See immediately issued a press release that said that 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.640 the guy that you just traded for will never ever 0:01:27.720 --> 0:01:31.040 ever suit up for your team. Hey, folks, fan base, 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:32.720 I know that you want to know why we trade 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:35.959 for Meyers Leonard. It was just a formality. And the 0:01:36.040 --> 0:01:38.840 craziest part was that Leonard had to wave his no 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:41.640 trade clause in his contract just to be traded to 0:01:41.680 --> 0:01:45.080 a team that declared, no, we don't want him, not now, 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:49.000 not never, no way, no way. What does that mean? 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:52.360 That means that the Heat had too strong arm Meyers 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:55.320 Leonard into doing that, because if I was Meyers Leonard 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:57.640 be like, no, I'm not true, I'm not waving my 0:01:57.760 --> 0:01:59.920 no trade clause. Who does that? And they were like, 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:03.800 we don't want you. Either we do this the easy 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:06.080 way or we do this the hard way. Kid in 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:09.320 the draft pick that the Heat sent to OKC, this 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:13.880 is great. A twenty twenty seven second rounder, which means 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:17.000 that they just took Meyer's letter contract in exchange for 0:02:17.080 --> 0:02:23.200 a mediocre eighth grader. That's crazy. The only funny thing 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:25.799 about this whole trade is that the OKC thunder now 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:29.600 have nineteen first round picks or swaps and sixteen second 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:33.720 round picks in the next seven years. Rumors are flying around, dirty, nasty, 0:02:34.560 --> 0:02:38.359 unadulterated rumors. A team that's fifth in the West way 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:41.920 out performing their circumstances. They probably should be eleventh in 0:02:42.000 --> 0:02:44.959 the West based on what's going on, and now they're 0:02:44.960 --> 0:02:48.080 getting players back healthy. And on the eve of CJ's return, 0:02:48.360 --> 0:02:52.959 we had a bombshell story dropping that Yes, Terry Stotts 0:02:53.040 --> 0:02:55.280 is rumored to be on the hot seat. 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:59.600 Say what, Yeah, I mean, like you said, I don't 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:03.320 really agree with it too much. I understand there's definitely 0:03:03.360 --> 0:03:06.000 some issues with his defensive coaching and stuff like that. 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:08.480 I just think there's so few coaches in the league 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:12.440 that can win despite their circumstances, and he's proven to 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:15.720 be one. And I do think were he to were 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:17.520 he to be let go, he would be swooped up 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:18.680 insanely fast. 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:20.920 Yeah, I think that that's right. That I think the 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:25.920 Western Conference Finals appearance speaks volumes about Terry Stott's ability 0:03:25.960 --> 0:03:29.840 to use scrubs and turn them into something. But the 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:33.040 reason is simple. The Blazers currently are scoring one hundred 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:35.880 and fifteen points per game, and they're giving up more consistently. 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:39.240 They ranked twenty ninth in the league in team defense. 0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:41.800 I would say that's not good. How bad is that 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:45.120 The Blazers one hundred and sixteen point three rating is 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:50.800 the third worst in the history of the NBA. I 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:54.000 don't know why that's so funny, but it's terrible, only 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.040 trailing the twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen Calves at one hundred 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:59.640 and seventeen point six and this year's Sacramento Kings at 0:03:59.640 --> 0:04:01.840 a hundred eighteen point eight. And if you think that 0:04:01.880 --> 0:04:04.000 this is an anomaly, this is just a one off 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:06.520 in a pandemic year. They were twenty seventh in the 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:09.720 league last year. In Statt's career, he's ranked in the 0:04:09.760 --> 0:04:13.000 bottom half in seven out of the nine years, and 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:16.080 the bottom quarter four times out of the nine years. 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:18.960 But what's really interesting is this article. Jason Quick talks 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:23.120 about that the Blazers spend eighty five percent of their 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:28.440 film study and practice on just defense. Besides Tom Thibodeau, 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:30.719 I've never heard of such a thing. Never. All of 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:33.800 this to say, Quick points out that there are rumblings 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:38.400 the ownership is unhappy and there is a tense backdrop 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.159 to his future in Portland. He's got one year left 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:44.039 on his deal, and it should be noted that the 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:46.599 Blazers did not pick up in extend Terry Stotts in 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:50.240 this last offseason. So yes, things are a little tense. 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:53.560 Despite his team outperforming in the bubble this year. If 0:04:53.560 --> 0:04:56.159 he doesn't fix the defense, there is a rumor that 0:04:56.200 --> 0:04:59.039 there is a quote unquote really good chance that he 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.800 gets the boot. I like Terry Stotts. I do, so 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:06.680 does everybody else, Dame CJ. Nurk cancer all Rave reviews. 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:11.919 But the question is, does Terry Stotts know anything about defense? 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:14.200 Does he know how to teach defense? Does he know 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:16.919 how to implement defense? If you spend eighty five percent 0:05:16.920 --> 0:05:20.400 of your time on anything and you're still second worst 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:24.320 in the league at that thing, maybe you're not any 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:27.400 good at that thing. That's something to evaluate. Let's talk 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:30.800 about Scotts's defensive ratings over time. He was twenty fifth 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:33.159 in the league and twenty twelve, sixteenth in the league 0:05:33.200 --> 0:05:35.880 and twenty thirteenth. He's only had two good years in 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:39.680 twenty fourteen and twenty seventeen, twenty second in the league, 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:41.719 sixteenth in the league, seven twenty seventh in the league, 0:05:41.720 --> 0:05:45.400 twenty ninth in the league. Yikes. So the Blazers defense 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:47.640 is just trash as we know. But the good news 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:51.040 is what the Blazers can fucking score a lot of 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:54.600 points a ton. We are not just good at offense. 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:57.440 This is great and it's about to get even better 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:00.159 with CJ coming back. Harry Giles is coming back and 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:02.479 he can also play some defense, and within a couple 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:05.680 of weeks, Useuf Nurkic is coming back. If that man 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:08.359 can play tough, we will be a tough out. This 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:11.400 team is exciting. Marty Carmelo Anthony, Can we talk about 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.680 Carmelo Anthony for a second? Jesus Christ, can we. 0:06:14.680 --> 0:06:16.400 Talk about him? Yeah? I want to talk about him. 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:19.479 On that game that I bet, I bet on the 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:22.800 Hornets and that was just a terrible, terrible bet. In 0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:27.680 that game, he had twenty nine points, five steals, two 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:32.000 blocks in thirty minutes of action. Here's where I remind 0:06:32.080 --> 0:06:34.919 you that he was left for dead, picked up for 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:39.000 table scraps, no one wanted him, and now he's averaging fourteen, 0:06:39.080 --> 0:06:41.240 three and two and can give you twenty on any night. 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:44.480 Eleven times he scored twenty or more points this year. 0:06:45.800 --> 0:06:48.560 Do you think Marty Carmelo Anthony could be our league 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:49.720 sixth Man of the Year. 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:52.560 I think he'll be in the conversation. I think Clarkson 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:54.960 is playing too well and that team is playing two well. 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:56.640 I think he's probably the one that's gonna get it. 0:06:57.040 --> 0:06:59.600 But yeah, I mean, Mellow is doing what a lot 0:06:59.600 --> 0:07:03.359 of people thought he would never be able or willing 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:06.080 to do. He adjusted to a role and he's adjusted 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:09.800 to it awesomely. And you know, maybe he needed, you know, 0:07:10.000 --> 0:07:13.720 the entire league to call himselfish and criticize him like 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:16.000 that so that he realized that he needed to, you know, 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:18.160 kind of change the way he plays, and I think 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:20.600 he had. He doesn't look like Nix Carmelo at all. 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.320 Right now. You know, Carmelo reminds me a little bit 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:27.920 of Tiger Woods Elite. At one point in time, massive 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:31.320 egos thought that they were a certain kind of player. 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:35.080 Father time got to them. Injuries obviously got to Tiger 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:37.800 and then all of a sudden, the game gets snatched 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:40.800 away from them. And then when they're allowed to come back, 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:45.400 they come back a different, happier, more grateful player, just 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:49.240 outperforming what anybody would possibly think that they could end 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:51.640 up doing. And he's thirty seven and we got him. 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:54.880 Portland got him for two point six million dollars a year. 0:07:55.080 --> 0:08:01.160 Do you know Luke Canard, La Clippers wing guard combo 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:05.520 Esque is making almost ten times that amount Luke Cannard, 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:09.600 who's averaging six point seven points per game. What a steal. 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:13.280 Melo has played for four different teams in four years. 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:17.560 This crazy Nick's OKC Houston, Portland and the world. Like 0:08:17.600 --> 0:08:20.320 you said, Marty said, he would not be able to 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:25.120 accept a smaller role. Nbagm said, Carmelo, you can't have 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:27.600 him on your bench because he's going to want to 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:31.080 play more than you can play him for your team's success. 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:33.720 And it's just not a good look. And now what 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:35.920 we're seeing is Mellow committed to this role that is 0:08:35.920 --> 0:08:38.000 one of the biggest, I would say, the biggest keys 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:41.720 to the Blazers winning games, especially when Dame goes cold. Yeah, 0:08:41.800 --> 0:08:44.920 when Dame has an off night, Melo just picks up 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:48.080 the slack. He is still a bucket at any given time, 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:51.200 a bucket five steals in a game. When did we 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:54.400 ever see Carmelo play defense like that? That was his knock, right? 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:55.679 He does not play defense? 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:58.040 Oh yet? No, totally. I didn't watch that game. I 0:08:58.040 --> 0:09:01.000 don't know how he came in those five steals, but 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:05.200 that's definitely a statue head scratcher for sure. 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:07.360 Who would have ever thought that the Blazers would have 0:09:07.360 --> 0:09:11.360 a plethora of capable wings? Not me, not me. When 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:12.719 we had Evan Turner, I was like, can we just 0:09:12.760 --> 0:09:15.480 get one wing? I was happy to have Trevor Ariza 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:18.800 last year. I was like, yeah, I mean he can 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:23.320 do something, he can defend. Now we've got Covey mellow Hood, 0:09:23.600 --> 0:09:27.080 Derek Jones Junior, and now there's a rumor that the 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:29.959 Blazers might go and get Aaron Gorton. What do you 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:30.559 think about that? 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:35.000 I guess that improves the defensive problem quite a bit. 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:36.760 I would like it. I kind of like that fit. 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:38.559 I kind of like that fit with good guard play 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:40.240 like that would open him up a little bit more 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:43.320 and he's he's shooting better this year, I believe. Yeah, 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:44.920 if y'all could pull him. Yeah, that'd be great. 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:47.800 I think that makes us immediately in the mix. Right. 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:50.560 I don't know if that's gonna happen, because the Timberwolves 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:52.600 are trying to get everyone. They've got a plethora of 0:09:53.000 --> 0:09:55.680 assets and picks to trade. But all of that to 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:57.880 say the Blazers are gonna score. We've got problems on 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:00.480 the defensive end, and unless they play so some sort 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:03.760 of defensive scheme, the only path forward for them is 0:10:03.800 --> 0:10:07.000 just to be the Western Conference Brooklyn Nuts. Just shoot 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:11.120 from everywhere, never miss, go fifty eight percent from three 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:14.720 and sixty nine percent from the field, score one hundred 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:17.079 and forty in hoping your opponent doesn'tcore one hundred and 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:20.040 forty one, which is exactly what happened Tuesday. Did you 0:10:20.040 --> 0:10:23.840 see that game where the Blazers beat your your boys 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:28.800 Pelicans down seventeen five minutes and fifty seconds left in 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:31.400 the game, and the best clutch player in the NBA 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:34.480 just took over, did not miss from two, did not 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:37.560 miss at all from two, did not miss a free throw. 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:40.000 It's insane. Three for five from three, three for three 0:10:40.080 --> 0:10:42.680 from two, five or five from the free throw line 0:10:42.800 --> 0:10:46.120 to assist three rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:50.719 Those also the fourth quarter Pelicans attacking their known to 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:51.600 blileaves like that. 0:10:51.760 --> 0:10:55.120 Yeah, Pelicans game, though, does underscore what I would consider 0:10:55.120 --> 0:10:58.960 the biggest problem going forward. The Blazers in the last 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:00.880 five games have given up one hundred and twenty one 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:03.480 points per game during that same stretch, Nets have given 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.600 up one hundred and nine, So Nets defense shoring up 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:13.480 Blazer's defense becoming a sieve. So I'm worried. I'm not 0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:17.160 just worried for the Blazers, Marty. I'm worried that if 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:21.760 this doesn't get fixed, it might be time for a change. Sorry, 0:11:21.800 --> 0:11:27.880 Terry might have to go expensive, beautiful and highly fragile. 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:32.480 I'm talking about the Clippers. Yes, I am. A lot 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:35.320 of news coming out that the Clippers having lost four 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:37.959 of seven, they got lit up by a bad loss 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:43.120 to the Pelicans, and Kawhi Leonard was very concerned. The 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:46.800 news is that he went on a rampage on his team, 0:11:46.800 --> 0:11:49.920 which is just kind of impossible to imagine. Yeah, uh, 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:52.079 Kawhi lnt As. I like to call him the guy 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:54.360 that has the least energy in the NBA, the guy 0:11:54.400 --> 0:11:57.280 that they literally make commercials about being a Cyborg is 0:11:57.320 --> 0:12:02.880 telling teammates, listen up, guys, it's time. The time is now. 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:04.880 I don't know what he said. I don't know what 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:07.480 a motivational speech looks like from Kawhi Leonard, but I 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:10.800 imagine it's like very monotone. It's like being lectured by 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:13.080 a tax accountant because you're just spending a little too free. 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:14.000 I just don't think. 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:16.400 I mean, his merch is in time. It's new Romans, 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:17.680 So that tells. 0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:20.760 You everything exactly. So what did he say, Marty, What 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:22.360 was Kawhi's quote? 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:26.040 Yeah, okay, the quote was, I'm very concerned. Do you 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:28.000 want to have it checks at anything. You've gotta be 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:32.520 consistent nights where energy is not there. It's all about consistency. 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:34.000 That is what makes a team great. 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:37.520 That monotone, even if it was monotone and oppressor. I mean, 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:42.839 that's facts. When you don't feel like competing, you still 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:47.680 need to do what compete. Fucking compete every single night. 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:50.920 That's what your job is, and that's what Kawhi Leonard 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:53.680 does so well. I think that's the difference between mediocre 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:57.440 players and really really great players. Players that do not 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:01.320 want to play still show up and compete. Unlike Paul 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:06.120 George just gets cooked, cooked by Luca cooked. He fell 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:10.040 on his ass two nights ago, three times fell to 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:13.280 the ground anyway, just a pandemic. Pe became a trending 0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:15.720 topic again last night. So I just felt like I 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:20.480 would bring that up. Clipper's very Clipper's very inconsistent, and 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:23.760 I would say I am concerned. But the world says, 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:27.720 trist Everything's gonna be okay. This team has an amazing roster. 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:30.240 They can d up when they want to. They've got 0:13:30.360 --> 0:13:34.240 Paul George and Nebaka and Kawhi Leonard, and when they're great, 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:37.760 they're really really great. When Kuhi and PG are clicking, 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:40.160 this is crazy. They have a net rating of plus 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:42.079 sixteen and a half, which is the best in the 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:44.439 league among duos who have played five hundred or more 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:49.280 minutes together. That's crazy. When they're clicking, they're clicking. So yeah, 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:51.800 you think, oh, they're gonna figure it out. But that's 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:55.760 what we said last year. We just assumed that just 0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:59.240 because you have these pieces, that everything's just gonna work 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:02.319 out on its own. That's not how it works, just facts. 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:04.760 That's just not how it happened. Remember what ended up 0:14:04.760 --> 0:14:07.200 happening was like, Oh, yeah, it's fine, it's fine, They're 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:09.480 gonna be the Western Conference. Who knows, whoever comes out 0:14:09.480 --> 0:14:10.840 of the West is gonna win it all. Blah blah 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:13.280 blah blah blah. And then you had pandemic pe hitting 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.480 off the sideboard, blowing a three to win lead, not 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:18.199 scoring at all in the fourth quarter. That's what happened. 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:21.120 So you just can't say that things are gonna be fine. 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:24.120 I don't know. I think I'm just a little bit cynical, Marty, 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:27.840 because the world and the media tells me I'm gonna 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:31.560 be fine, when everything that I see and read tells 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:34.320 me things are not gonna be fine. I'm sorry. I'd 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:37.360 rather be a pessimist and be wrong than being optimist 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:40.280 and be disappointed, because there are real problems. Lou Williams 0:14:40.520 --> 0:14:42.400 one of the great six men in the league's thirty four, 0:14:42.480 --> 0:14:44.560 and his production just fell off a cliff. He went 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:48.000 from eighteen three and six to twelve two and four. Yikes. 0:14:48.520 --> 0:14:50.480 And then they decided they were gonna pay this guy, 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.880 Luke Canard casual fans do not know him, do not 0:14:54.000 --> 0:14:56.400 know him. He was on the Detroit Pistons had half 0:14:56.440 --> 0:14:58.400 of a good year and then the Clipper said, yeah, 0:14:58.440 --> 0:14:59.640 we'll pay a twenty million a. 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:02.800 Year come to la which was so weird because they 0:15:02.800 --> 0:15:04.720 traded for him and he had one more year left 0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:06.560 on his deal and they decided to just extend him. 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:08.360 Why would they do That's it? 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:10.160 They figured he was going to outperform it and be 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:11.880 worth more. But that was wrong. 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:15.360 That was very wrong. Here's the thing. You're on the 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:19.960 Detroit Pistons. Your production should be fucking high. Yeah, you 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:22.480 go to a contender, your production is going to fall 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:24.320 off of a cliff. Why would you pay that man 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:27.440 twenty plus million dollars a year. That's gotta be one 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:29.480 of the dumbest decisions that Jerry West has ever made 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:32.240 in his fucking life. He's a very very smart guy. 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:36.080 That was very very dumb uncharacteristic by Jerry. 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.080 Nobody thought it was a good idea when it happened either. 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:42.280 And now Patrick Beverley has banged up Reggie Jackson. Is 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:47.720 Reggie Jackson also another former Piston And you know no 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:49.320 wonder that the Clippers are in the market for a 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:52.000 new point guard. The problem is the guy that they want, 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:54.000 Kyle Lowry, makes thirty mili a year, and the other 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:56.720 guy is Terry Rosier, who's locked in for next year 0:15:56.960 --> 0:16:01.120 and is like making very very little money. So what 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:03.640 are the Clippers going to get or what are they 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:05.440 gonna be able to get and what are they gonna 0:16:05.440 --> 0:16:07.360 be able to give? I don't think they have any 0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:10.360 assets or any picks since they mortgage their entire future 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:11.040 for Paul George. 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:13.280 Yeah, they certainly don't have any draft backs too. 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:17.160 No, how can you possibly make a trade enticing for 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:20.880 the Charlotte Hornets to give you Terry Rozier? I'm what 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:22.600 are you? What are you gonna do? Like you're gonna 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:25.080 give Terrence Man, Jay Scrubb and a twenty eight twenty 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:28.040 twenty eight twenty twenty ninth first round pick, Like you're 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:31.040 just never gonna have draft picks until like two administrations 0:16:31.040 --> 0:16:33.360 from now. Get the fuck out of here. They also 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:36.840 are targeting George Hill, but George Hill's production is exactly 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:38.280 the same as Lou Williams. So I don't know why 0:16:38.280 --> 0:16:41.120 you would do that. No easy answers when you've already 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:44.720 emptied the cupboard. So it appears that the roster is 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:46.960 going to go into the playoffs exactly the same way 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:49.680 as it is right now, and the West is a gunfight. 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:52.920 Everybody's better. Portland, Utah, Phoenix, New Orleans, all of those 0:16:52.960 --> 0:16:53.840 teams are much better. 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:56.240 Would you say, oh, yeah, certainly, Yeah. 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:59.920 Portland, Utah, Phoenix, New Orleans all could beat the Clippers 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:02.400 in a seven game series. I would say it's possible. 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:04.400 Not saying it's going to happen, but it's possible. 0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:06.560 New Orleans is the one team out of those that 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:07.960 I wouldn't bet on at. 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:10.440 All, but yeah, the one thing. But they did blow 0:17:10.440 --> 0:17:14.040 out the Clippers. That's a matchup problem, matchup problem. The 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:16.840 one thing that's different though from last year is that 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:20.639 they have a Baca instead of Montrez Harrel and Abaka 0:17:20.680 --> 0:17:23.080 is the only guy that makes Kawhi Leonard laugh. He's 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:26.920 the only guy now. Apparently there's a new ESPN story 0:17:26.920 --> 0:17:30.560 out that Sergia Bacha's presence on the Clippers. Now Kawhi 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:33.320 Leonard is smiling and laughing in front of everyone, and 0:17:33.400 --> 0:17:38.240 a team that was embroiled in controversy over chemistry issues, 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:41.680 when you've got Kawhi Leonard being the vocal leader, standing 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:43.920 on top of a bench and being like the time 0:17:44.040 --> 0:17:46.719 is now or whatever he said, and you've got him 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:50.480 laughing and smiling and joking and joking about trading Abaca 0:17:50.520 --> 0:17:52.040 and putting him on the trade block when he ends 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:54.440 up elbowing him in the face, and like we're seeing 0:17:54.520 --> 0:17:58.640 a new version of the claw, maybe like comic sans 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:03.480 version and sometimes do Roman right. I like that. I 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:06.320 like that. Chemistry is big, and you've got ty Lu 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:08.680 another chemistry guy. I would be if I was a 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.160 Clipper fan, That's the only reason I would be encouraged. 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:14.960 And of course because you got Kawhi Leonard. So the 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:18.840 world is going to say, Trista, why are you so negative? 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:21.159 The Clippers are gonna be fine? What if they're not? 0:18:21.640 --> 0:18:24.480 It's not like a conclusion that Kawhi Leonard is going 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:28.239 to resign there, It's just not. I hear rumblings from 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:30.760 Kendrick Perkins that if Kawhi doesn't win a title this year, 0:18:30.960 --> 0:18:34.120 he isn't re signing. The Knicks are hard rock, they 0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:36.840 really are. I am so proud of what Tom Thibodeau 0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:42.840 has done with this team. It's crazy. It's crazy, is it? 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:45.840 Is it? It sounds impossible to say, but are the 0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:48.399 New York Knicks not just a playoff team? But a 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:53.240 dangerous out. Are they dangerous? They seem a little dangerous 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:56.679 to me here and there with Derrick Rose, I just 0:18:56.760 --> 0:18:57.200 I think. 0:18:57.080 --> 0:18:59.560 They're in that category now where it's they're the team 0:18:59.600 --> 0:19:01.639 that no what he wants to play, which when you 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:05.080 look at what the Knicks have been, that's an insane upgrade. 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:11.359 So yeah, insane. You saw the Knicks without Derrick Rose 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:16.960 take the Nets and then the Sixers to the brink. Yes, 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:21.320 I know, folks that the Nets were missing pieces and 0:19:21.720 --> 0:19:25.399 also the Sixers were missing mbeat. That's fine, but still 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:28.960 this is a team that should have been in prior years, 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:32.600 probably blown out by twenty five. So along with the 0:19:32.680 --> 0:19:34.800 Charlotte Hornets, this is a team that would, if I 0:19:35.080 --> 0:19:37.919 was them, scare the shit out of me. They have 0:19:38.080 --> 0:19:41.240 exciting young players, they've got veteran leadership and Tibbs at 0:19:41.280 --> 0:19:44.920 the helm. You know that they're just this team defensively 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:48.399 as hard as nils. Did you see Marty Julius Randall 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:51.679 try to fight the entire Brooklyn Nets team at all 0:19:51.720 --> 0:19:53.080 at the same time and a referee? 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:55.400 Yeah I did see clips of that. Yeah I love 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:56.560 Randall me too. 0:19:56.960 --> 0:19:59.560 So I think this all goes back to Tibbs and 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:03.159 the trade for Derrick Rose. Who would have thought that 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:08.560 reuniting the Timber Bowls in Madison Square Garden would pay dividends? 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:12.440 Yeah, yeah, No, it seems like d Rose only gets 0:20:12.520 --> 0:20:14.520 up to play for Thibodeau. You know, that's where he's 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:17.080 had his only good years in the league, is being 0:20:17.160 --> 0:20:20.640 coached by him. Even in Minnesota, he actually played pretty well, 0:20:20.680 --> 0:20:24.600 and since his addition, they've been consistently I think a 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:26.760 more cohesive unit for sure. 0:20:26.920 --> 0:20:29.320 Yeah, And I think the young guys are getting something 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:33.359 out of them right yeah quickly and RJ. Barrett both 0:20:33.440 --> 0:20:37.679 have credited their production increases to the d Rose arrival. 0:20:38.440 --> 0:20:40.439 I didn't see this coming, and I don't think anyone 0:20:40.480 --> 0:20:44.919 saw this coming except for Nate Robinson. He told me 0:20:45.320 --> 0:20:48.600