Speaker 1: Welcome to the State of the Lakers podcast. This is
Speaker 1: another special edition recording of our locker room chat from
Speaker 1: after the Mavericks Lakers game on Thursday night. We had
Speaker 1: kind of almost two hours that we went on that
Speaker 1: locker room chat, and so I split it into two
Speaker 1: and this is the second half where we allowed all
Speaker 1: of you guys the listeners to come in and uh
Speaker 1: and to talk some hoops with us for a little while.
Speaker 1: We had a bunch of you guys. We still had
Speaker 1: Jason Maples, and we also had our friend Rouge from
Speaker 1: UM from Houston Rockets Twitter who came to hang out.
Speaker 1: We talked about a bunch of basketball for almost an hour.
Speaker 1: I wanted to make sure that you guys had access
Speaker 1: to that for those of you who weren't able to
Speaker 1: be with us in the room on the Thursday night.
Speaker 1: So I hope you guys enjoy it. As always, I
Speaker 1: really appreciate you guys support and I hope you have
Speaker 1: a good rest of your weekend. What do you think
Speaker 1: of a d today? Would you do you think it is? So? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I mean I knew he was gonna struggle, especially on
Speaker 1: the offensive, and the one thing I wanted to look
Speaker 1: forward today is just see how mobile he was and
Speaker 1: you look pretty look pretty spry out there, which is
Speaker 1: really good to see. Um, I mean, and I wanted
Speaker 1: to see, like I knew he was gonna fall. He
Speaker 1: just loves falling down to the ground, so I wanted
Speaker 1: to see how he'd react any time you would fall
Speaker 1: or whatever. And you look fine. I think one time
Speaker 1: you fell, you like immediately got out before anyone can
Speaker 1: come help him, which is probably he's probably thinking, oh,
Speaker 1: I don't want the fans to think I'm hurt or whatever.
Speaker 1: But but what I wanted to ask you guys, is that, obviously,
Speaker 1: with a D slowly ramping up, what are some of
Speaker 1: the things that we should be looking out for as
Speaker 1: he slowly open up. Some things I'm looking out for
Speaker 1: is I want to see more pick and roll between
Speaker 1: Dennis and a D because I think they'll be importnt
Speaker 1: come playoffs toime when Lebron gets his rest. But what
Speaker 1: about what about you guys, Jason, We've got you Maple's
Speaker 1: we've got you back awesome. Sorry yeah, yeah no. So
Speaker 1: basically I wanted to make sure we could get other
Speaker 1: people in the room to join us, and I tried
Speaker 1: to reset the room, and of course I closed it,
Speaker 1: but I have the ability to basically just cut and
Speaker 1: paste this onto the end of the other the other
Speaker 1: one for the podcast form, but I wanted to make
Speaker 1: sure that we actually took advantage of what the platform
Speaker 1: does and give other people a chance to talk. Absolutely
Speaker 1: all good, Yeah, So all my Amar question was what
Speaker 1: else should we look out for as a D starts
Speaker 1: to ramp up here? He said, more shrewter, adi pick
Speaker 1: and rolls. What else should we look for here, Maples,
Speaker 1: as a D starts to start to ramp up his minutes? Uh,
Speaker 1: just hipical to the basket man. It's just what I'm
Speaker 1: looking for. It's gonna be tough to take the roles
Speaker 1: with him and dentist with a D because this is
Speaker 1: not any spacing, so the role option is not going
Speaker 1: to be as as a fluid as would be what
Speaker 1: he's after five. So I don't know about that, but
Speaker 1: just I think health man, he'd being just the burst
Speaker 1: that we're used to seeing. The Anthony Davis is its longest,
Speaker 1: that's there. I think the skill of the resident will
Speaker 1: catch up eventually because he's just uber talented. Do you
Speaker 1: guys feel like his release is different than it was
Speaker 1: back in the bubble. Uh. I don't know. I got
Speaker 1: to pay more attention. I'm just more so, how's gonna
Speaker 1: been his paying attention to how he was moving. He
Speaker 1: looked a little slimmer, which is the big plus. I
Speaker 1: noticed that too, man, Yeah, he looks in ship earlier
Speaker 1: this season. Right, Yeah, it's jump He looked a little
Speaker 1: bit more slower on his jump shot. But I think
Speaker 1: that will come with you. Watch if you watch the
Speaker 1: video of him in the bubble, man, that thing is
Speaker 1: like coming out hot and confident and all all this year.
Speaker 1: For like a couple of months, he's looked a little
Speaker 1: bit different. It seems like, Yeah, it looked like a
Speaker 1: set shot tonight, right, a little bit more definitely, Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think so maybe I'll come with conditioning. I think
Speaker 1: it was probably the first time you've running up and
Speaker 1: down the floor. He looked like he hasn't played in
Speaker 1: ten months. You got a nice he got a nice offseason.
Speaker 1: Let's see here, let's bring someone that that that I've
Speaker 1: missed thirty games. Uh that that graphic they put out
Speaker 1: at the start of the game, Like thirty games is
Speaker 1: a long time, Like that sounds like a suspension you
Speaker 1: get for punching a fan. All right, let's see George.
Speaker 1: Are you there? Yeah? Can you guys hear me? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I can. What's up, George? What's up? Guys? Um A
Speaker 1: question I have? We haven't seen any minutes of Tre's
Speaker 1: and Mark. Do you guys think you could see that
Speaker 1: maybe the postseason? I know Maple's team sa I want
Speaker 1: to see it. I think it could work out well,
Speaker 1: you know, Mark spaces the floor and Trust can go
Speaker 1: to work inside. And we haven't seen it, and I'm
Speaker 1: kind of disappointed by it. Man, I've been praying for it,
Speaker 1: to be honest, but it's been like they've had zero
Speaker 1: minutes together this season. It might. I mean, Bogel is
Speaker 1: the only reason I pushed for is because Bogel said
Speaker 1: he would do it, and he just never did. I
Speaker 1: thought I thought the other game, he's the other game
Speaker 1: that they had. I think a dye was out and
Speaker 1: they had Gasol and Treads, but then Treads got I
Speaker 1: think Gasol got her, Treads got thrown out. It was
Speaker 1: the Wizards an out wizard. I forgot who was Toronto?
Speaker 1: Was the Sixers? Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, with
Speaker 1: Tread's got thrown out in the in the first quarter,
Speaker 1: so I would like to see it. What do you
Speaker 1: guys think you'd like to see some Gasol and treads
Speaker 1: minutes together? Yes, yes, the team gasol. He's to me,
Speaker 1: he's still the best center on the roster. I understand
Speaker 1: a D, but I think the Saw is gonna play
Speaker 1: in a big series just to keep it forth faced.
Speaker 1: So that's where you know, when it happens, I'll be
Speaker 1: waving my T shirt. Baby. Also, why not try it now?
Speaker 1: Now is the time to try it. You're you're roughly
Speaker 1: a five slightly below five hundred team without LEBRONI a D.
Speaker 1: You're struggling with offensive creation. You know, Roger and I
Speaker 1: talked about this a lot last week, like at this point,
Speaker 1: you gotta be throwing stuff at the wall to see
Speaker 1: what sticks, you know what I mean, right, And I
Speaker 1: mean I know he's been he has that hammy injury now,
Speaker 1: but I just felt like, especially with the fin front
Speaker 1: court we had, you know, Keith was missing games, a
Speaker 1: D was obviously out, it just felt smart to use him,
Speaker 1: and then he almost m Pete and in that one game,
Speaker 1: I thought I thought they were been like five out.
Speaker 1: So I'm I was freaking out. Now they were never
Speaker 1: going to buy out the Saw. I don't think that
Speaker 1: was ever coming close it, but I feel like it's
Speaker 1: it was pretty clear that like he was going to
Speaker 1: get drum in a bunch of minutes right now. I
Speaker 1: think Microsol came in late into one of the games
Speaker 1: and it was because they were playing so terrible. I
Speaker 1: forgot which game it was that he came into. Yeah,
Speaker 1: he did, but it seems like it was pretty clear
Speaker 1: that them two had a conversation and he told Mark, Look,
Speaker 1: you're probably not gonna play for for these next few games.
Speaker 1: We're gonna get a big look at Drummond, and then
Speaker 1: Traid is going to get the minutes. And I think
Speaker 1: as we get closer to the playoffs, as Lebron gets back,
Speaker 1: he gets back to his self. I think you'll see
Speaker 1: Gasol back in the rotation and then the playoffs will
Speaker 1: will be kind of pick and choose who he plays
Speaker 1: like he did last year. I look at the first
Speaker 1: Nuggets game when when a d didn't get hurt. Man,
Speaker 1: look watch how gas defend. It just doesn't get any
Speaker 1: better than that. Man. That guy's gotta play with what
Speaker 1: the chips are doing I think a good job on
Speaker 1: and beat as well. Exactly. I think in that first
Speaker 1: game and what I'm saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, And I
Speaker 1: mean it looks like we're on track to play them
Speaker 1: in the first round. I'd rather have Gasol guarding him
Speaker 1: over Drummond and Spurts. I mean, he could be used
Speaker 1: as like you know that some fouls if someone gets
Speaker 1: in foul trouble, But I'd rather have Mark in that
Speaker 1: first one. Magical, I agree, but I expect Frank to
Speaker 1: Frey's not going to keep that in the whole strup Yeah,
Speaker 1: Like like Frank is gonna throw throw us all at
Speaker 1: at Yoka if he's going off for surely. I cannot
Speaker 1: overstate how much, uh you know, I talked with Roger
Speaker 1: about this a lot in our last podcast. Like Denver
Speaker 1: becomes so I don't want to say they're easy to guard,
Speaker 1: because they're not, but Denver becomes so much easier to
Speaker 1: guard without the Murray problem. And uh and like they
Speaker 1: become like I legitimately think Denver was the second best
Speaker 1: team in the West before he went down. I thought
Speaker 1: they were. I thought they were bona fide better than
Speaker 1: the Clippers. Like and if they would have matched up
Speaker 1: against the Clippers, I would have picked the Nuggets and
Speaker 1: it would have been like one of my most confident picks. Ever,
Speaker 1: I thought they were clearly and definitively better than the Clippers,
Speaker 1: and I and that that that that Murray lost just
Speaker 1: completely threw off the map of the way their offense works.
Speaker 1: Now the Lakers are gonna be able to load up
Speaker 1: on yoga in a way that's going to make inferior
Speaker 1: basketball players make play. Yeah, I don't. I don't know.
Speaker 1: Maybe in a couple of years, but I don't see
Speaker 1: him p J covering the slack yet, even though I
Speaker 1: think he's on that track eventually. He's playing out of
Speaker 1: his mind lately, so maybe one day, but not that.
Speaker 1: Now they're calling him like six ten Clay. Even your fans.
Speaker 1: You see how he's shooting the ball is crazy, Mason,
Speaker 1: what's up here? Are you here? What's up? Guys? I
Speaker 1: can hear you, guys. How's it going? Good man? Thanks
Speaker 1: for hopping in with this. Of course, I am so
Speaker 1: terrified about Drummond, like his commination of a low bass.
Speaker 1: Like you, he still thinks he's a Max contract guy.
Speaker 1: He's super slow and out of shape. Like, I guess
Speaker 1: he rebounds well, but his rain protection is not even great.
Speaker 1: I mean, I just think that because Soul's way better
Speaker 1: fit next day. You know, he's a high bass like
Speaker 1: you could pick up the energy in the playoffs, you
Speaker 1: could start rebounding defending better. I just really think he
Speaker 1: made a mistake and jump the gun. This I'm in
Speaker 1: signing and promise in the world. So I think he's
Speaker 1: the one thing that's you know, stands away for must
Speaker 1: in championship, believe it or not, his Drummond. So what
Speaker 1: do you think about that. I'm not gonna go that
Speaker 1: far as far as getting the way of the championship.
Speaker 1: You got They got him for nothing, right, so why
Speaker 1: do I have to get a center who was somewhat athletic.
Speaker 1: They got him for nothing. There was a buyout, so
Speaker 1: I think it's a good gamble. The issue is like
Speaker 1: for always me, I was never an anti Drummond because
Speaker 1: the cost was nothing and said, hey, just see what happens.
Speaker 1: But if for me, it should not have taken Mark
Speaker 1: out of the rotation, especially with no Lebron. Now without Lebron,
Speaker 1: he's the best passing of the team. So it's like
Speaker 1: you gotta find at least, you know, champion hip team
Speaker 1: minutes the game for him as long as Lebron and
Speaker 1: A D you know aren't there. So that was my concern,
Speaker 1: But now I'm not gonna say derail championship. He has
Speaker 1: tools that he brings to the table, Like tonight he
Speaker 1: rebounded really well, he was real fee. He got us
Speaker 1: a whole bunch of possessions that led out to some
Speaker 1: a CP kick out threes. So like he got he
Speaker 1: got good Lakers extra points and possessions. It's just the
Speaker 1: finishing is a legitimate issue. The picking all defense is
Speaker 1: legitimate issue. But you know, we'll see what happens. Crosses
Speaker 1: vengas Man Mark's gonna play with. I think I think
Speaker 1: Jeroman has the worst hand eye coordination I've ever seen
Speaker 1: on a human being, because I swear like he does
Speaker 1: work on that stuff, like you see him going with
Speaker 1: Bill Handy in doing all the moves and stuff. Like
Speaker 1: he's the opposite of Steph Curry in the sense that
Speaker 1: like they're legitimate, like like physiological things in him that
Speaker 1: stop him from being able to make shots and moves.
Speaker 1: I swear if he puts the ball on the floor,
Speaker 1: it's an automatic like fumble. Yeah, I feel like we
Speaker 1: should look at Drummond moras like we look at him
Speaker 1: as a Dwight replacement, But he reminds me more of
Speaker 1: like Javail right, I think we have short memories to
Speaker 1: forget that and forget that we forget that javl started
Speaker 1: every game last year, and how frustrating some of his
Speaker 1: like faked the handoff drive from three point line, like
Speaker 1: throw the ball up and like there's nothing really there
Speaker 1: like he and and Drummond has a lot of that.
Speaker 1: Drummond tries to do like Kyrie handles and get to
Speaker 1: the room and finished, when like, dude, you're a big dude,
Speaker 1: just go right through them. So like he reminds me
Speaker 1: of that. And again, these will get even less with
Speaker 1: a d here, and those suggestions will get even less
Speaker 1: with Lebron there. So um, again, he was four for
Speaker 1: like seven tonight. I know those misses are loud, like
Speaker 1: he was a plus he was he was. It was
Speaker 1: like he was a plus fifteen before the game ended,
Speaker 1: which was a Laker high. So it's just like sometimes
Speaker 1: the eyes don't really match because his game, his misses
Speaker 1: are so loud and his mess ups are so loud,
Speaker 1: but like he is being productive. I feel like so
Speaker 1: I would look at him more in the Javail kind
Speaker 1: of role, where Market is like the Dwight, really veteran
Speaker 1: guy who's been a defensive Player of the year kind
Speaker 1: of guy. Right, you put Mark into the Dwight role
Speaker 1: in the playoffs, that's the guy will get minutes my opinion, Mason,
Speaker 1: I appreciate you, uh coming on and talking to get
Speaker 1: someone else up here. Yeah, thanks, man, appreciate. Let's see here, Ryan,
Speaker 1: what's up? What's are you doing? My question is, say
Speaker 1: all hell breaks loose in the East, right, and the
Speaker 1: seventies sixers somehow beat the nuts. How do you guys
Speaker 1: think the Lakers match up with the seventy six ers.
Speaker 1: It will happen. It will happen. I actually like that
Speaker 1: matchup for the Lakers. I think I think the Laker defense.
Speaker 1: I've talked about this a lot over the last two years.
Speaker 1: I've done it with in pods, with Jason Maples and
Speaker 1: with Raj and I think I think the Lakers have
Speaker 1: one of the best defenses of all time. And I
Speaker 1: think ironically they kind of build up with reputation as
Speaker 1: a team that can their effort can fade in and out.
Speaker 1: But I think they're one of the best defenses of
Speaker 1: all time, and I think that teams like the Sixers
Speaker 1: that have some weaknesses offensively with their decision making and
Speaker 1: their uh and and beads. Biggest weakness is his ability
Speaker 1: to pass out of double teams. Is like he ever
Speaker 1: want assist the game in his last playoff series, he is.
Speaker 1: He's the player that the Lakers are gonna find a
Speaker 1: way to make him make adjustments in a playoff series,
Speaker 1: and I don't think he'd be able to. If you
Speaker 1: watch that fourth quarter when the Lakers almost one in Philly,
Speaker 1: uh and be killed them all night. But late in
Speaker 1: the game there was a lot of digging from Schroeder
Speaker 1: and digging from KCP that made him feel uncomfortable, and
Speaker 1: then a lot of times flat out doubles and then
Speaker 1: really tight rotations on the back end, and a D
Speaker 1: even an individual defense when he actually gave him a
Speaker 1: little bit of space instead of getting attached to his
Speaker 1: body which is actually playing directly into Mbat's hands. A
Speaker 1: D did a really nice shot on him down the
Speaker 1: stretch of that game too, and I just and then
Speaker 1: throwing the frank adjustments that he's gonna be able to make.
Speaker 1: Like I I think, I think the Lakers are are
Speaker 1: built for that type of matchup. Personally, Yeah, I got
Speaker 1: the Lakers is six if that happens. Uh, Like I said,
Speaker 1: I just I think, yeah, you know, I picked Philly
Speaker 1: to come out the East. But Frank does a good
Speaker 1: great job of, you know, make in your weakest points,
Speaker 1: you know, stick out. I think he's just really gonna
Speaker 1: make Ben a score. You know, I don't know if
Speaker 1: he's gonna be able to do that. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1: And Philly is a team that can kind of one
Speaker 1: of the few teams in the league that can kind
Speaker 1: of match the Lakers physicality, right, and Beads are really
Speaker 1: physical dude. Ben Simmons is a super physical dude, especially
Speaker 1: at the guard position. Um, he's he They really hunted.
Speaker 1: They really hunted like Shrewder with Ben Simmons in that
Speaker 1: first matchup, that's gonna be in trouble. They're gonna do
Speaker 1: the same thing like k CP. So that's my struggle
Speaker 1: with Philly. I think they're really good. I agree with you,
Speaker 1: I think the Lakers probably win. That's also a tough
Speaker 1: matchup to me. I just think I beat is a
Speaker 1: tough guy. Even the Lakers are probably trapped and make
Speaker 1: him try to create out of double teams more. Um,
Speaker 1: that's still that's still a really fun matchup. Um, are
Speaker 1: you guys worried at all that the ability that Philly
Speaker 1: you can just throw two special defenders at the Lakers
Speaker 1: two best players like debility, throw Simmons on Lebron and
Speaker 1: m ideas. I'm not wor I'm not worried about Lebron
Speaker 1: being stopped in the playoff series. Just yeah, it hasn't
Speaker 1: happened so long. I think the last the last series
Speaker 1: he was legitimately bad was two thousand left in the
Speaker 1: NBA Finals. Like after that, like if he got beat,
Speaker 1: the team was just better. He was still special. So
Speaker 1: that doesn't concern Like Lebron James would not be the
Speaker 1: reason the Lakers losing my opinion, if if they do lose,
Speaker 1: that's That's what I'm saying. Yeah, and not only that,
Speaker 1: Like since basically two thousand and fifteen and the Finals
Speaker 1: when his efficiency tanked, there hasn't even been a team
Speaker 1: that's made him like uncomfortable, Like you you can put
Speaker 1: him down for plus from the field thirty five plus
Speaker 1: percent from three right around twenty eight to thirty points
Speaker 1: and you know nine and nine or whatever. Uh that
Speaker 1: like I agree, like in in a d has legitimate
Speaker 1: advantages over and beat. He's he's got quick he's got
Speaker 1: a quickness advantage and uh uh and beat uh you
Speaker 1: have the ability to pull and beat out of the pain.
Speaker 1: This is another thing where Dennis is such a huge
Speaker 1: advantage because you know, Dennis legitimately is a great matchup attacker.
Speaker 1: And if you have a situation where Ben Simmons is
Speaker 1: giving Lebron some problems and a d s not attacking
Speaker 1: him bid, but he's pulling him out of the paint.
Speaker 1: That gives That gives Dennis a chance. You know, maybe
Speaker 1: it's Seth Curry whoever it is that he's on, but
Speaker 1: I dentist just gives you a little bit more versatility
Speaker 1: to attack them as well. Yeah, for sure, Ryan, appreciate
Speaker 1: you get thanks Ran okay, And then I think we
Speaker 1: have one more ruge? Ruge? What's going on? What's the deal? Baby?
Speaker 1: I was listening having some fun because uh, I come
Speaker 1: in peace from Rockets Twitter and we suck. So what's up? Man?
Speaker 1: I figured I'd check in and see what the Lakers
Speaker 1: are up to. Man up chilling, Um. I just wanted
Speaker 1: to drop in man and say two things. I think
Speaker 1: Jason and Jason and Jason actually both of you nailed it. Um.
Speaker 1: Number One, the defense is too good. So all of this,
Speaker 1: all this stuff we're talking about, you that you're talking about,
Speaker 1: how does Drummond fit all this other stuff? If and
Speaker 1: when Lebron James comes back, none of none of that
Speaker 1: ship is gonna matter. First of all, offensively, like I mean,
Speaker 1: like you're just talking about, he hasn't even been slowed
Speaker 1: down in what half a decade maybe more, um, And
Speaker 1: I think people forget that. And obviously you have the
Speaker 1: pieces around him that you all know, a guy like Schroeder,
Speaker 1: if like, in order to slow Lebron down, it requires
Speaker 1: a tremendous amount of attention, and a guy like Schroeder
Speaker 1: is gonna eat off of, you know, being on an
Speaker 1: island against whoever is guarding him. Um. And in addition
Speaker 1: to that, man, even if things don't click on offense,
Speaker 1: the defense is just too damn good, you know. I
Speaker 1: think a guy like Gassoul is gonna slide right back
Speaker 1: into place with Lebron's return, and if he doesn't. I
Speaker 1: think Drummond's overrated defensively to some extent, but he's still
Speaker 1: gonna plug in like it's it's just gonna click. I don't.
Speaker 1: The only trouble I see potentially for the Lakers in
Speaker 1: the Western Conference is if you're not at full hell
Speaker 1: and you slide to the six and you face the
Speaker 1: Clippers in the first round while you're not at full health. Um,
Speaker 1: and even then, I still would put my money on
Speaker 1: Lebron James. Yeah, I agree. I guess I have a
Speaker 1: question because if you watched the Lakers, I guess up
Speaker 1: close right when you played they played the Rockets last
Speaker 1: year and then Guy's one. You guys won Game one,
Speaker 1: At what point like in that series, did you kind
Speaker 1: of realize like, hey, this is not going to happen,
Speaker 1: Like there was a point right where the Lakers kind
Speaker 1: of figured out Houston, I guess. And do you say,
Speaker 1: like game three, I guess is when you kind of
Speaker 1: saw that just from the Lakes prospected that was my perspective.
Speaker 1: Did you feel that same way as a Houston fan
Speaker 1: kind of like in like Game three? Yeah, I mean, look,
Speaker 1: I remember previewing that series with Sku Smith's rest in peace,
Speaker 1: and we talked about you know, I was, I was
Speaker 1: all in on Okay, look, man, the small ball works.
Speaker 1: We spread the Lakers out, like, you know, once we're
Speaker 1: able to take advantage of those individual matchups, we can
Speaker 1: really give them trouble. And after game one, now the
Speaker 1: caveat is I never bet against Lebron James. Lebron James
Speaker 1: terrifies me when I'm playing again when your team is
Speaker 1: playing against him, right, obviously, Um, but after game one, man,
Speaker 1: I felt good, and then after game two I started
Speaker 1: getting shaky. And then once you go down to one
Speaker 1: to Lebron, like, it's trouble. Right. Part of that, though,
Speaker 1: had to do with the fact that, uh, you know,
Speaker 1: I was extremely critical of Mike D'Antoni and I still think.
Speaker 1: I don't think the Rockets would have won, but I
Speaker 1: think they could have competed a little better had they
Speaker 1: adjusted better. Um, but he doesn't adjust, you know, he
Speaker 1: just kind of runs like the base offense that he
Speaker 1: runs and and leaves it up to like read and
Speaker 1: react place. And part of that is Frank Vogel is
Speaker 1: pretty damn good. I don't know, I'm sure Lakers fans
Speaker 1: love him. I don't know what he's how he's thought
Speaker 1: of at large, but um in terms of adjustments, in
Speaker 1: terms of like pushing the right buttons, I would put
Speaker 1: a lot of faith in Frank vogel Um. You know,
Speaker 1: especially you know Jamal Murray's out the one team I think,
Speaker 1: like I said, I think you could run in some
Speaker 1: trouble with the Clippers in the first round. I would
Speaker 1: also I'm also really really interested to see Phoenix. I
Speaker 1: think Phoenix might be interesting, but I don't think there's
Speaker 1: anyone good enough to take the Lakers down, not even Utah.
Speaker 1: You know, Utah is going to be one of those
Speaker 1: teams that, like, they look good and crisp right now,
Speaker 1: when they're moving the ball, all that stuff looks great.
Speaker 1: But when a defense schemes specifically to put I think
Speaker 1: Jason timp earlier, you were saying, you know, in a series,
Speaker 1: once you force inferior players to Joel Embiid make plays
Speaker 1: similar right in Utah, once you force their like they're
Speaker 1: lesser players to make those big plays and hit those
Speaker 1: big shots, I don't think it's gonna happen personally, so,
Speaker 1: but I mean to answer your question, Yeah, game three,
Speaker 1: once we went down to one. You know, once we
Speaker 1: went down to one, I was like, all right, it's
Speaker 1: a rap. And then House was out and I was like, Okay,
Speaker 1: that's definitely a rap. He is he is an adjustment,
Speaker 1: a type of player, and that that is something that
Speaker 1: I think is is a weapon. We always like make
Speaker 1: holes and I did a pod last year. And remember
Speaker 1: we used to talk this was during that playoff roun.
Speaker 1: We used to joke that when the role players played well,
Speaker 1: the Lakers would beat the ship out of you. And
Speaker 1: then when they put when when they played okay, they
Speaker 1: went by fifteen, and when they played bad, they'd barely win.
Speaker 1: And it was because and it was because like they
Speaker 1: they they won with their defense and whatever they got
Speaker 1: out of everybody. It was just kind of like, how
Speaker 1: bad are we beating you tonight? And there towards the end,
Speaker 1: I thought they hadn't figured out so well. I was
Speaker 1: the guy who got in trouble for this because people
Speaker 1: thought I was, you know, shooting on Jimmy Butler, which
Speaker 1: is not what I was trying to do. I was
Speaker 1: just talking about the Lakers. But I'd be like yelling
Speaker 1: from I'm I'm yelling from the mountain top I'm like,
Speaker 1: they're not trying to I guys, They're like, no, Jimmy's
Speaker 1: going for forty. I'm like, no, no no, no, they're literally
Speaker 1: not trying. I could tell. I could see it, you know,
Speaker 1: And then uh, Pete a Pete from Lake a Field
Speaker 1: Room saved us all by putting out a thread showing
Speaker 1: what I was talking about. But like, literally, like the Lakers,
Speaker 1: they were so dumb in it there at the end
Speaker 1: defensively that they would have nights where they wouldn't bring
Speaker 1: it and they would end up in these dog fights
Speaker 1: and they'd lose a couple of them. But I thought,
Speaker 1: you know, people attributed it to fatigue, but what they
Speaker 1: did to Miami in game one in Game six of
Speaker 1: that series should like literally should be illegal, like as
Speaker 1: they absolutely and completely shut them off in the first
Speaker 1: half of both of those games, like to the point
Speaker 1: where they like, you know, what it reminded me of
Speaker 1: is like when you watch a one seed play a
Speaker 1: sixteen seed in the n C Double A tournament and
Speaker 1: their guards just aren't getting any separation and all of those,
Speaker 1: like all the things they were able to do in
Speaker 1: their little conference play just isn't working anymore. And then
Speaker 1: it's like in the deficit is like thirteen to two,
Speaker 1: but it feels like it's a forty point game like that.
Speaker 1: That's that's what it feel felt like for me to
Speaker 1: watch that Laker defense, like and then then they get
Speaker 1: a big lead, and then they let their foot off
Speaker 1: the gas and you know, the game would end however
Speaker 1: it would end. But I think they're I think that
Speaker 1: it's literally that good. And it all is on the
Speaker 1: strength Anthony Davis being you know, the transcended defensive player
Speaker 1: that he is, uh, and then Lebron being his versatile
Speaker 1: battle like Lebron's kind of turn transition to being like
Speaker 1: kind of a back line communicator, got the type of
Speaker 1: guy saying yeah, exactly and and and which where it
Speaker 1: can use his brain to blow up plays. Um. And
Speaker 1: then they just have these ridiculous ball pressure guards all
Speaker 1: over the place that they can rotate in and out.
Speaker 1: They got like six of them now, so they can
Speaker 1: rotate him in and out. And it's just like this
Speaker 1: incessant line of crazy ball pressure funneling you into the
Speaker 1: craziest defensive back line in the league. And I think
Speaker 1: I think that makes him really tough to be. I mean,
Speaker 1: look on the other hand, so you know, when the
Speaker 1: Rockets were relevant, a lot of Rockets fans would talk offense, offense, offense.
Speaker 1: You know, if we can do X y Z on offense,
Speaker 1: how does Russell Westbrook fit on offense? But at the
Speaker 1: end of the day, they couldn't defend, you know, and
Speaker 1: we we always focus on offense because we love offense
Speaker 1: and whatever the funk. But at the end of the day,
Speaker 1: like I said, the Lakers defense is gonna be too good.
Speaker 1: So in those games where the role players aren't on
Speaker 1: and if Anthony Davis isn't being Anthony Davis there, like
Speaker 1: you said, they're still gonna be in the game. When
Speaker 1: the role players are on and a d is on fire,
Speaker 1: they're gonna thump people. Assuming Lebron is back. I see
Speaker 1: people talking on Twitter like, oh, this is the most
Speaker 1: wide open, you know, playoff race in a long time.
Speaker 1: And I'm just like, how do y'all do this every year?
Speaker 1: Every year? How do we forget? Like it's like it's
Speaker 1: Lebron man and he's known tim f you uh, you
Speaker 1: alluded to this. He's known for flipping the switch, man.
Speaker 1: I mean, he's like he's put the blueprint in the
Speaker 1: template forward, like when it's time to play, they flipped
Speaker 1: a switch, and they might not even do it from
Speaker 1: the beginning of the game. They might wait till the
Speaker 1: third quarter, they might wait till the fourth quarter. But
Speaker 1: when they flipped the switch, it's on. And the other
Speaker 1: thing is this year, like last year, you know, there
Speaker 1: were players that you could call unproven as far as
Speaker 1: like a postseason run goes right. I didn't think Mark
Speaker 1: Keip Morris was going to do with Mark Kiep Morris did,
Speaker 1: but he did k c P like earned his worth
Speaker 1: certified stamps Caruso, you know. And then now you have
Speaker 1: a guy like Schroeder, who I think will sufficiently replace Rondo,
Speaker 1: super super potent in the in the playoffs. I mean
Speaker 1: he killed the rockets. Um you have I mean there's
Speaker 1: trust in th h T. And then you gott I
Speaker 1: got like Montrese Harrold. I know he's kind of been
Speaker 1: up and down, but like all you need is, you know,
Speaker 1: a four minute spur from those types of guys to
Speaker 1: like save a either make a run or to you know,
Speaker 1: buy some time when Lebron's on the bench, and then
Speaker 1: the rest is gravy. So you know, I think the
Speaker 1: Lakers are winning it all unless someone's hurt um And
Speaker 1: I just think it's funny to see. It's kind of
Speaker 1: like what we did with the Spurs, right every year
Speaker 1: they're too old, This is the year they're too old,
Speaker 1: you know. And then no, that was not the case.
Speaker 1: They would go and win at all, you know what
Speaker 1: I mean. So, yeah, there was another game this year.
Speaker 1: I don't know if you guys remember this, Maple's raj h.
Speaker 1: It was the last time they played Denver when Lebron
Speaker 1: and ay b were both healthy. And then it was
Speaker 1: kind of close and competitive until about the middle of
Speaker 1: the third quarter, and then the Lakers kind of clipped
Speaker 1: the switch and Denver suddenly could Denver suddenly couldn't score,
Speaker 1: you know, was the game was putting clamps. Yeah, like Denver,
Speaker 1: Denver could not score, They could not score the basketball.
Speaker 1: Yeah like yeah. And then the same thing happened in
Speaker 1: the playoffs. If you guys remember the game they lost again.
Speaker 1: They blew the one that Jamal Murray did the Jimmy
Speaker 1: dance down the court. Uh, the one Rondo just was like,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna take the ball away from Javal Murray every
Speaker 1: time he crosses that court. Now like like it was.
Speaker 1: It was. It was pretty ridiculous like that. They're just
Speaker 1: they have these defensive ceiling moments that I don't think
Speaker 1: any other team can hit. And then I think that's
Speaker 1: they're one of their many calls and one of their
Speaker 1: many calling cards. And they're just so versatile, dude, Like
Speaker 1: they like gasol will help you match up with literally
Speaker 1: the top four seeds in the West got eighten Zubots.
Speaker 1: If you run into Nurkics, he can cover you there too,
Speaker 1: you know, and like you got Drummond, you got We
Speaker 1: already talked about the Wings like they're just so versatile,
Speaker 1: you know. Let me ask you this, Maples, let me
Speaker 1: ask you this. How do you think you match up
Speaker 1: with the Nets? Are you afraid of the Nets? Assuming
Speaker 1: that they're healthy? No, I don't think. I said this
Speaker 1: several times. The Nets are not my favorite until next
Speaker 1: I only think they're coming out of the East. I
Speaker 1: just think seven games together, that's just too much to overcome.
Speaker 1: You got new coach injuries. I think somebody said something
Speaker 1: Katie hasn't played six games in a row like four
Speaker 1: years or something like that. It was like crazy, So
Speaker 1: there's there's serious health considerations. You got a rookie coach,
Speaker 1: you know, j Anthony isn't known for adjusting. I just
Speaker 1: I don't see it. But next year, when they retool,
Speaker 1: they'll be my prohibitive favor to win it all. But
Speaker 1: this year, I just I can't see it. With seven
Speaker 1: games played with your three man guys hardening Katie are
Speaker 1: going to be dealing with some type of helping all
Speaker 1: the way through. I just I don't see him going
Speaker 1: to the finals. But if they do get there, then
Speaker 1: that's the lakers toughest assignment defensively, But they are the
Speaker 1: NBA team best equips to defend the nets in my opinion,
Speaker 1: So can you elaborate on that. I just think the
Speaker 1: Lakers they're they're switchable one or one through four pretty much,
Speaker 1: and even like if you put a d at the five,
Speaker 1: he can blow up pretty much any pick and roll
Speaker 1: because he's able to switch on anybody that the nets half,
Speaker 1: maybe except for Kyrie, but I don't mind that because
Speaker 1: if Kyrie has a ball, that's less James Harden, and
Speaker 1: James Harden is our best decision maker. So I'm not,
Speaker 1: you know, tripping off that, but I just think they're
Speaker 1: the best team as far as defending the Nets skills,
Speaker 1: but I'd like feeling to come out to the East
Speaker 1: this year. This is the year. I think people are
Speaker 1: also sleeping on Milwaukee. By the way, I agree with
Speaker 1: what I said, what that's a good point. What I
Speaker 1: said was you got us is different this year and
Speaker 1: Drew how upgrading blessings you holiday? Oh my god, that's
Speaker 1: I can't even. I also think they're gonna get some
Speaker 1: I think they're gonna get some big play out of
Speaker 1: some random bench guys bring forward shooting off the bench.
Speaker 1: I think Bobby Porters might have a big game or
Speaker 1: two in the playoffs. People kind of sleeping on that
Speaker 1: he makes and bigger. I mean, he can make some
Speaker 1: terrible decisions and play some bad basketball, but he's the
Speaker 1: kind of guy that I think he's going to be
Speaker 1: a gamer. So I think people are I think the
Speaker 1: fatigue of like Janice, you know right, they're basically the
Speaker 1: fatigue has settled in. And it's funny because I spent
Speaker 1: a lot of time trashing honest because obviously I'm a
Speaker 1: Rockets fan. Um, but I think ironically enough people are
Speaker 1: sleeping on him this year because of the fatigue. I
Speaker 1: think that's good for them, though I would rather be
Speaker 1: coming from their position. They can't play. They play Lopez
Speaker 1: too much in Marquee matchups. Yeah, he's been bad this year. Yeah,
Speaker 1: he played too much the five. Yeah, they're running a
Speaker 1: lot more of that. They go to Drew Holiday nice
Speaker 1: picking roll at the end of games now, which is
Speaker 1: really nice. I feel like it really gets them, gets
Speaker 1: them going. Devincenzo. I feel like took a step up.
Speaker 1: But yeah, like they ran to the East before. Right there,
Speaker 1: they're kind of in the Paul George room to me,
Speaker 1: right and the like they might run PJ. They remember
Speaker 1: on PJ, Tucker is five. Yeah, anybody anybody but Lopez. Yeah,
Speaker 1: there was the Bill Simmons and his most recent podcast
Speaker 1: was joking that when he watched that Janice possession from
Speaker 1: the top of the key against the Sun's, he was like,
Speaker 1: this has an eighteen percent chance of working. It was
Speaker 1: funny because I was like, I thought the same thing
Speaker 1: as it was happening, Like they just have to get
Speaker 1: away from trying to make you honest into something he's not,
Speaker 1: because that's going to be the thing that could get
Speaker 1: him be Like he just like when he's in that position,
Speaker 1: where he's attacking in isolation. It gets a good set
Speaker 1: up defense. I just don't like their chances. That's the
Speaker 1: one thing they got to avoid. Yeah, I mean, when
Speaker 1: your best player can't shoot very it's very simple, you know,
Speaker 1: it's just hard to trust it in the crunch, especially
Speaker 1: when people are targeting you. Yeah, he's gotta be a
Speaker 1: big man in the clich right, Like he's got to
Speaker 1: become like a roller and all that once you get
Speaker 1: him the crunch time, it feels like, but this is true,
Speaker 1: Holiday man, just Blesso has been born aline unplayable. In
Speaker 1: the playoffs, you playing thirty minutes a game of nothing,
Speaker 1: and I think they upgraded that with a with a
Speaker 1: high level two way guard. I think that might be
Speaker 1: the difference. As far as sailing Maples, let me ask
Speaker 1: you this, assuming it's got to be a veteran minimum contract,
Speaker 1: what does your fourth and fifth man look alike? If
Speaker 1: you're Brooklyn next year and all your like your your
Speaker 1: key lineup that you go to Kadie Party and Kyrie,
Speaker 1: you've had an offseason. You're signing dudes that are veteran
Speaker 1: minimum level players. What are you putting around them that
Speaker 1: makes them the like you know the bona fide title favorite.
Speaker 1: Well I'll say this before I A, uh, guys are
Speaker 1: gonna take pay cuts to play for the Nets that
Speaker 1: they do with the Lakers because it's a championship opportunity.
Speaker 1: I think those would be the two teams that scoop
Speaker 1: up all those you know, lower level or high level
Speaker 1: free agents looking for a wrinkle take a pay cut
Speaker 1: to go somewhere else. Like I think the Nets will
Speaker 1: find a like Bill get a surge about the tech,
Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, Like they'll they'll get a
Speaker 1: Wesley Matthews who could probably get money elsewhere will come
Speaker 1: play with them. So just those type of guys I'm thinking.
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I don't know these a lot of these
Speaker 1: guys contract situations, but I'm trying to think who would ship.
Speaker 1: We'll just think like an the archetype of player, Like
Speaker 1: what what do you think they need in order to
Speaker 1: be Like my biggest thing concerned with them would be
Speaker 1: any lineup that has hardened Kyrie and k D is
Speaker 1: not a physical lineup like I amble to think it
Speaker 1: would have to be p J. Tucker type of players
Speaker 1: like that, or like an Egual Dollar like who's made
Speaker 1: his money. He's a free agent, you know what I'm saying,
Speaker 1: Like they're like, I think they'll be in a help
Speaker 1: for a guy like you doll will play with him
Speaker 1: for the minium That was scare the hell out of me.
Speaker 1: If they got a good dollar like guys like that
Speaker 1: who have already made hundreds of millions and looking for
Speaker 1: like another championship opportunity, like, I think that will be
Speaker 1: a great gift for him. That's my that's my biggest
Speaker 1: question with them this year, because like even when they
Speaker 1: had le broncos Aldred, like they're they're big man rotation
Speaker 1: is basically, are they comfortable playing Jeff k d at
Speaker 1: the five or they have are they have twenty one
Speaker 1: year old you know, uh Nick Laxton and then or
Speaker 1: they can go to thirty year old DeAndre Jordan's or
Speaker 1: you know, Blake Griffin whatever it remains of him. So
Speaker 1: it's kind of like a really weird big man rotation
Speaker 1: that they have to go to. That's my question with them.
Speaker 1: Can those bigs hang on against like d mbiads and
Speaker 1: the uh you know and and the other players that
Speaker 1: they have to go, all the bigs that they have
Speaker 1: to go through uh, not even getting to the Lakers,
Speaker 1: even though I still have them coming out of the East.
Speaker 1: But still, like I feel like that's their biggest question
Speaker 1: to mean that they'll probably shore up in the off season. Um,
Speaker 1: if it doesn't work out. I mean, just like I said,
Speaker 1: it's all these m Harvard, all these teams have flaws. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's just as no matter who the coach's adjustments, which
Speaker 1: primetime players, they're gonna step up when it matters, hey,
Speaker 1: you know timely shot making. Hey, but that's exactly why
Speaker 1: the Lakers are gonna win it, because all these teams
Speaker 1: have flaws. And you if there's any chink in your
Speaker 1: armor and you're going against Lebron James, it's a rap.
Speaker 1: I mean, I know that's like shallow analysis, but but
Speaker 1: like it's just facts, you know what I mean, Like
Speaker 1: you look back as like Maple said it, right, last
Speaker 1: time he played like a bad series was straight up
Speaker 1: over a decade ago Obama first term. So I mean,
Speaker 1: I don't know, man, any team has a weakness, he
Speaker 1: is going to destroy it. Um yeah, by my only,
Speaker 1: but my by just had to be unbiased picking team
Speaker 1: that could Probably it would probably be the the Clippers,
Speaker 1: because that's the team that there's me man, they have,
Speaker 1: they have the closest, Like I think last year was
Speaker 1: outlier for Kauai. He's usually money in the playoffs, so
Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm chalking that up for him. Paul George,
Speaker 1: I don't know what I'm gonna get, but Kauai is
Speaker 1: probably the closest thing to probably match somewhat a percentage
Speaker 1: of what Lebrown does, and if they get the shooting
Speaker 1: that they've been getting all year, the series could go longer.
Speaker 1: But aside from that, out West, I just I don't
Speaker 1: see much. I think I think the reason they'll play
Speaker 1: different in the playoffs this year is because of Rondo.
Speaker 1: I think they've needed like a facilitator. Yeah, you know,
Speaker 1: like a high i Q basketball player from the guard
Speaker 1: position that can also handle the ball. It's not Patrick Beverley,
Speaker 1: what it wasn't je Williams um so you know, I
Speaker 1: think the Clippers could do. They also got size, a
Speaker 1: little more size with Ibaka and the Tomb, but you
Speaker 1: could argue those are like a little softer than maybe
Speaker 1: not Ibaka, but the Tomb is a little I feel
Speaker 1: like a little softer um when going up against someone
Speaker 1: like Lebron and a d but Clippers and then I'm
Speaker 1: really really interested to see Phoenix, really interested to see Phoenix.
Speaker 1: My only my only thing with Phoenix is the guy
Speaker 1: they're gonna lean on has never done it before. Like
Speaker 1: when it comes down to it, like I've seen Chris
Speaker 1: book or Chris Paul actually, like it's gonna be tough
Speaker 1: for him. His whole career, he's been great. He's a
Speaker 1: Jesus floor Razor four a team, but it's hard to
Speaker 1: go to him at the end of big game. Is
Speaker 1: because of his size. That's always been the issue with
Speaker 1: where he was with it was with the Clippers or
Speaker 1: New Orleans. It's whatever he laid those playoffs, it's hard
Speaker 1: for him to get shops off. So it's gonna be
Speaker 1: Booker and he's never done it before. That's everything you
Speaker 1: need to win the championship. I got sized, they got
Speaker 1: switchable wings, I got the shooting, they got the floor general,
Speaker 1: they got the guy. He's never done it before, and
Speaker 1: it's hard for me to see a guy in his
Speaker 1: first year doing it pushing it all the way to
Speaker 1: the finest unless you get like a d Way type.
Speaker 1: This kid just you know, just lightning in the lightning
Speaker 1: in the you know pop this year, you know what
Speaker 1: I'm saying. So I agree, I agree with you, But
Speaker 1: I do think that while he's not gonna be enough
Speaker 1: to push him over the hump, Chris paul Um, he's
Speaker 1: gonna he's gonna scare the hell out of you. I
Speaker 1: think I agree that. I agree like that Second Friends,
Speaker 1: that second World Series. But if we get if we
Speaker 1: get Clippers seven second, like it looks like right now,
Speaker 1: like that's that's that's a six or seven game or
Speaker 1: in my opinion, yeah, yeah, and Devin Booker is a
Speaker 1: killer and that it is legit score, Like I feel
Speaker 1: like that's going to translate really nicely into the playoffs.
Speaker 1: They have two dudes who can just create a shot.
Speaker 1: I feel like that's really tough to cover good like that,
Speaker 1: which which Jake Crowder are you getting you getting the
Speaker 1: are you getting exactly? You get getting the blind? He's
Speaker 1: he's a versatile guy for them though, like the shooting,
Speaker 1: he's either Clay Thompson with Dreds or he's blind. Their
Speaker 1: their roster just makes sense to me, like that, you know,
Speaker 1: you got a big, big physical wing like Jay, You've
Speaker 1: got like kind of more slender, but the wings that
Speaker 1: that lean on length like mcil bridges and Cam Johnson.
Speaker 1: Everybody can shoot, you've got size inside, and you've got
Speaker 1: a two alpha dogs and so all of those things
Speaker 1: to me just like makes sense. Like I always talking
Speaker 1: about with playoff teams like can you defend? Do you
Speaker 1: have alpha dogs and can go toe to toe with
Speaker 1: the Stars and the other teams? Do you have versatility?
Speaker 1: And the Suns have all of those things. I don't
Speaker 1: think they're gonna win, but I mean the roster makes
Speaker 1: sense to me. It's just that there are other teams
Speaker 1: like the Lakers that makes sense to me more. But
Speaker 1: I do there if I was GM of the Sons,
Speaker 1: that's what I would have shot for, if that makes sense.
Speaker 1: So just the last thing I'll say before I get
Speaker 1: out of here, just to make sure no one's scared
Speaker 1: of Utah, right. Uh, It's it's man. I'm trying to
Speaker 1: be saying that as respectfully as possible. Just Gobert is
Speaker 1: an all time for being an all time defender, he
Speaker 1: just doesn't strike fear to anybody, Like if you watch,
Speaker 1: like nobody's scared of go there, like of all the
Speaker 1: all times defenders in NBA history. Jason, I don't think
Speaker 1: he's an all time defender quite frankly, I don't. I
Speaker 1: just don't. I mean, looks like I said, like despite
Speaker 1: all the stats putting out there and say otherwise, you
Speaker 1: you're even saying he's not all for that. Like that's
Speaker 1: that's the lack of fear he puts into opposing you know,
Speaker 1: fans and players like you. Just I kind of proved
Speaker 1: my play right there, like right beyond that. Man. I mean,
Speaker 1: I've rooted for a team that went toe to toe
Speaker 1: with those guys twice in a row, and we just
Speaker 1: exactly we disposed of them. There were nothing. I mean,
Speaker 1: there were times where you know, he made shots difficult
Speaker 1: or you know, Harden had to hit the float or whatever,
Speaker 1: but like we whooped their ass, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: So I don't know. I mean, they're obviously I guess
Speaker 1: Devil's added kids Like that's James, Harden and Chris Paul,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Like that's not every not
Speaker 1: every team has that. Like to me, I'm hired on YouTube,
Speaker 1: you got you got Lebron James, my boy. Yeah, I'm
Speaker 1: not saying like for us, but to me, like because
Speaker 1: I saw people do this with the Lakers last year,
Speaker 1: Like the Lakers were winning at a ridiculous place last year,
Speaker 1: you know, people still saying, oh, they might lose to
Speaker 1: Portland or you know, even even the Rocket Series, which
Speaker 1: I feel like it was closer than it seemed. Like
Speaker 1: Utah's winning at a ridiculous place pace, Like you have
Speaker 1: to kind of respect that at what it is you
Speaker 1: do you do? Yeah, Like that's why I'm hired on them,
Speaker 1: and I think I'm higher on Mitchell of the most.
Speaker 1: Like I don't think he's a superstar, but like I
Speaker 1: can see him winning a series with this scoring. Bitch
Speaker 1: have to prob Mitch is gonna show up. He's gonna
Speaker 1: get Don't you worry about his decision making? I worry
Speaker 1: about his decision making. I mean he's he's twenty three.
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying is
Speaker 1: that he's gotten way better out. I think he's awesome,
Speaker 1: but I think he has Russell Westbrook ruined the game
Speaker 1: with port No, No, he doesn't. He's just inefficient. He's
Speaker 1: got Russell Westbrook's inefficiency at times and when you're when
Speaker 1: you're playing against somebody with no margin for air like
Speaker 1: Lebron James. You just can't do that, you know. I
Speaker 1: I hope I'm wrong for the sake of him and
Speaker 1: what will happen to him. But he, to me, is
Speaker 1: the kind of guy that in the Pivotal Game five
Speaker 1: will randomly shoot forty shots even though it kind of
Speaker 1: takes the offense out of rhythm. Yeah, like he's got
Speaker 1: That's that's what the Lakers are going to force from Utah,
Speaker 1: because Utah that heavy pick and roll. The Lakers are
Speaker 1: gonna switch everything and the ball is gonna be with
Speaker 1: Mitchell sayings with seven seconds at one o'clock and then
Speaker 1: you and Clarkson are going to just have to be
Speaker 1: he rolls individually, so that that's what it's gonna That's
Speaker 1: what's gonna happen to Utah. I guess the Lakers in
Speaker 1: my opinion, Yeah, that's what I was saying. I was
Speaker 1: saying earlier, like they're what they do right now is
Speaker 1: they moved the ball beautifully and they get the open shot.
Speaker 1: But when you get into the playoffs and you don't
Speaker 1: care about that, or you like decide, hey, when the
Speaker 1: ball hits ex person, we don't care you disrupted, you know,
Speaker 1: and then then they're gonna, like you said, they're gonna
Speaker 1: be forcing to put the ball in someone's hands to
Speaker 1: go when I wanted to create, it's gonna be Mitchell's
Speaker 1: gonna be Clarkson, and it's not gonna be enough against
Speaker 1: the Layers. Yeah. I see people compare them to the
Speaker 1: Rockets a lot, and I feel like differences. They have
Speaker 1: a lot more of emotion offense, right, I feel like
Speaker 1: Houston with a lot more isolations on hardened, and then
Speaker 1: they're they're all predicated on screen roll and then they
Speaker 1: take advantage of that when you switched a little tougher.
Speaker 1: But man, do they chucked like they just chucked the three.
Speaker 1: You don't even have to it's not even like open.
Speaker 1: I swear like Ingles has like two ft two inches
Speaker 1: of space and he just flings it up. And then
Speaker 1: get has like the that that can really be like
Speaker 1: you can really be hot or cold. Ran the playoffs
Speaker 1: with that, especially if the shooting is not going. But
Speaker 1: that's right. I think Mitchell comes in and I'm interested
Speaker 1: to see if really if the Clippers in jazz shooting
Speaker 1: stage the level this is a stork be It's like
Speaker 1: almost what they're doing from three. So I'm that's what
Speaker 1: I mainly stayed in the playoffs like it's no way,
Speaker 1: it won't. It won't. Roger, You're right, they just get
Speaker 1: it up. Rocks playing in the other day, I was
Speaker 1: watching they just get it up from anywhere, and right, like,
Speaker 1: that's that, that's that, you know. I hate to be cliche,
Speaker 1: but it's not because it's the regular season, but it's
Speaker 1: because it's like we talked about in the postseason, when
Speaker 1: they make it, when the defense is going to make
Speaker 1: a concerted effort or a conscious decision to give shots
Speaker 1: up to some someone specific or to give specific types
Speaker 1: of shots of like adjusting to that on the fly
Speaker 1: if you if you've been doing it for seventy two games,
Speaker 1: is very difficult, you know. So as soon as some
Speaker 1: of those shots stopped falling, I think they're gonna stall out.
Speaker 1: Now I think I think they're gonna be good. But
Speaker 1: I think the Lakers will stall them out for sure,
Speaker 1: just Devil's advocate. But the Utah they have four guys
Speaker 1: that could really not get down those I'm like, they
Speaker 1: have a guys non shooting four. They keep my four
Speaker 1: guys who can legitimately shoot at a time. So that's
Speaker 1: that's the only kind of can It's like, who do
Speaker 1: you want to shoot? They're all going to be able
Speaker 1: to take them, and they can make them like decently,
Speaker 1: that's true. Do you remember do you remember when we
Speaker 1: watched the Knicks play the other night, we were talking
Speaker 1: about how they defend like the Lakers, and how there
Speaker 1: just doesn't seem to be an opening. Um, that's kind
Speaker 1: of That's kind of where I worry about with them,
Speaker 1: is like the Jazz right now in the regular season
Speaker 1: take advantage of the fact that defenses are just a
Speaker 1: little more sloppy and openings are more likely to appear.
Speaker 1: And so while I agree with you that like their
Speaker 1: design makes sense, like they do not play non shooters,
Speaker 1: which is why they're high volume hasn't led to lower efficiency. However,
Speaker 1: in a playoff series, like a team like the Lakers
Speaker 1: who is extremely dialed in with their rotations are going
Speaker 1: to take are going to massively lower their shot quality.
Speaker 1: And I think that that and then like in teams
Speaker 1: that do that to the Lakers, it's like, okay, well,
Speaker 1: I'm literally going to use this these two physical beemits
Speaker 1: to get to the rim, you know, and then how
Speaker 1: that can kind of contort the defense generated wide open three.
Speaker 1: I mean, what did you do? What did the Lakers
Speaker 1: do to the Rockets? The Rockets were jack and fifty
Speaker 1: a game, and the Lakers dictated the pace to where
Speaker 1: the Rockets in the in the post season against them
Speaker 1: in the series, they were shooting like thirty five game,
Speaker 1: thirty game, and like it just got to a point
Speaker 1: where mathematically, as a fan, I was like, all right, well,
Speaker 1: if we're gonna go thirteen and thirty six, we're gonna lose. Um,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. And that's what happened. That's
Speaker 1: exactly what happened. So I think something similar will happen
Speaker 1: against you. So it's different, like you said, because they're
Speaker 1: more motion and the Rockets were just like ISO. But
Speaker 1: it's kind of the inverse of the Like the Rockets
Speaker 1: problem was they didn't trust the ball to go to
Speaker 1: other people. I think the the Jazz problem against the
Speaker 1: Lakers will be do they trust whoever is creating to create?
Speaker 1: Like is Donovan Mitchell go on one on one against
Speaker 1: k CP or Caruso Lebron being funneled into Anthony Davis?
Speaker 1: Is that gonna get it done. I don't know, that's funny.
Speaker 1: You talk, you talk having the best season ever and
Speaker 1: they might get Curry and Lebron back to back series. Man,
Speaker 1: But but YO, appreciate your man. Uh. I gotta get
Speaker 1: I gotta get out of here. But it was fun talking.
Speaker 1: So go Rockets. Good luck to the Lakers. I got
Speaker 1: my money on l A as long as Lebron's playing.
Speaker 1: Thanks for hopping in, my guy, I appreciate it. I
Speaker 1: gotta go to guys. I am pushing almost five hours
Speaker 1: to sleep. Everybody you hopped in. Thank you guys so much,
Speaker 1: and I'm glad we were finally able to get get
Speaker 1: some people to hop in and shot with us in Maple's.
Speaker 1: You know how much I appreciate you, man, and I
Speaker 1: thank you for taking a couple of hours to hang
Speaker 1: out with us tonight. And I was love BRONC man. Yeah,
Speaker 1: thank you A long time coming in. I have you
Speaker 1: on be smooth. Sorry everybody, good night. Thanks