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I hope 30 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: all of you guys are having a great week so far. 31 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: Gonna keep it really simple tonight. You're gonna talk Clippers, Lakers, 32 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: and then we're gonna talk Nick's nets. You guys know 33 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: the drill before we get started. Subscribe to the volume's 34 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of our videos. 35 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: Follow me on Twitter at underscore Jason lt so you 36 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: guys don't miss any show announcements as well as any 37 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: other video content that I produced. Since we have some 38 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: limitations on what we can use on YouTube and then last, 39 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: but not least, for whatever reason, you guys miss one 40 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: of these shows and you can't get back over to 41 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: YouTube to finish. Remember, you can find them wherever you 42 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:52,399 Speaker 1: get your podcasts under Hoops tonight, So I gotta start 43 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 1: with the Clippers. Obviously, as per my rule, with a win, 44 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna talk too much about them, because I 45 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: did just dive into a bunch of Clippers stuff last 46 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: night talking about their win um over the Cleveland Cavaliers 47 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: on Monday. But it starts and ends with Paul George, 48 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 1: to be honest, he You know, the Clippers in general 49 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,839 Speaker 1: struggled a lot offensively to start the season, and they're 50 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: starting to trend in the right direction now in large 51 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: part because of how damn good Paul George is and 52 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: him playing better basketball. He had a really weird start 53 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: to the season. I think four of his first five 54 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: games he had like sixteen points or fewer, was not 55 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 1: being aggressive to the basket. And remember that was the 56 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: big turnaround for Paul George's career. He had this weird 57 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: stretch where he lost like five consecutive playoff series, and 58 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: then the player you saw in playoffs looked like a 59 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: top ten player in this league, in a bona fide superstar. 60 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: And I talked to you guys yesterday or yeah yesterday 61 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: about Monday Night's game, about how Paul George, when he's 62 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: playing like this, which is the combination of shot making 63 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: with downhill, getting to the rim and finishing at a 64 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: high rate which puts pressure on the defense that allows 65 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: him to have more flexibility to get to his jump shot, 66 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: that he's a onna fied superstar because how good he 67 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: is defensively. And he made a game winner against the 68 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: Calves that really overshadowed what was the real game winner 69 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: in that game, which was him making a defensive play 70 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: at the rim against Jared Allen. You know, he's got 71 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: his rim finishing in this recent stretch back up to 72 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: where it needs to be. He's shooting lights out from 73 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: everywhere on the floor. He's in high forties on like 74 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: eleven plus pull up jump shot attempts per game. You 75 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: saw that again tonight as he routinely knocked down shot 76 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: after shot after shot over the top of excellent Laker defense, 77 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: and it led the way for the Clippers. But as 78 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 1: you go down the roster, that's where you see the 79 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: difference between these two teams because Lebron James also had 80 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: a great offensive game, and the two secondary creators in 81 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: this situation the Lakers Anthony Davis and for the Clippers, 82 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: Reggie Jackson had pretty rough nights compared to the way 83 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: that they normally play. We'll get a little bit more 84 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: into Anthony Davis later, but as it turns out, basketball's 85 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: five on five sports, and you're gonna play probably maybe 86 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: even eleven guys in a rotation on any given night, 87 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: and because of the way the game is now, all 88 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: those guys are gonna have the basketball in their hands 89 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 1: at various points during the game. And what you saw 90 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 1: in this game was a massive chasm and offensive skill 91 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: level between the supporting players for the Clippers and the 92 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: supporting players for the Lakers. There's a stretch there in 93 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: the believe it was in the third quarter, or Marcus 94 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: Morris with his aggressive spot up shooting. I talk a 95 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,679 Speaker 1: lot about that, the difference between you know, Austin Reeves 96 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: and Patrick Beverley pump baking every time they catch on 97 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: the perimeter versus a guy like Marcus Morris, where you 98 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 1: close out on him and sometimes you'll just shoot right 99 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: over the top of you which adds to his gravity, 100 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 1: and that level of confidence allows him to knock down 101 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 1: shots at a higher level. When you're pumped baking at 102 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: everything than the one you do shoot, you don't feel 103 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: really great about. But you're getting high level spot up 104 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: shooting from Marcus Morris. A little to a post mismatch 105 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: tacking there too, although that's not the way he was 106 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: playing tonight. John Wall had little bursts. He had a 107 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: big three couple uh lightning quick drives to the basket 108 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 1: to score um. Just when you're stagnant at various points 109 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: in the game, having a backup guard that can create 110 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 1: like that, that's an advantage there. At the I believe 111 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: it was at the start of the fourth quarter, Norman 112 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: Powell just hit a heater, hitting pull up jump shots, 113 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: coming over the top of all screens and like and 114 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: and carried the Clippers offensively for a few minutes during 115 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: the game. And then you got like Zoobas hitting a key, 116 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: Malajuan moves on on uh Anthony Davis scoring in the 117 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: post and bullying him on the offensive glass. He flat 118 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: out just outplayed Anthony Davis in the second half of 119 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: this game. That's what you're getting from like you're from 120 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 1: a player that's not one of your two best players. 121 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: And then Luke Kennard obviously, I don't think I've seen 122 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,559 Speaker 1: him miss a wide open three ever in my entire life. 123 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: And then I go over to the Lakers, and yeah, 124 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: there was like a little stretch there in the third 125 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: quarter where Troy Brown Jr. Made some plays and nifty 126 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,679 Speaker 1: little left handed reverse layup or a pull up jumper 127 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: attacking off of the left wing. But you're not getting 128 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: those little bursts of high level basketball. And from the 129 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: supporting players on the Lakers. Where's the heater that Austin 130 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: Reaves catches, Where's the heater that Patrick Beverley catches, Where's 131 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: the heater you know that Max Christie catches, or any 132 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: of these guys. They're not capable of that. And that's 133 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: just the reality of their roster construction at this point. 134 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: And and again, like we're gonna get back to that 135 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: in a minute, because I think tonight in particular, we've 136 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: got to look at Anthony Davis and generally the dynamic 137 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: between Lebron James and Anthony Davis, and they're inconsistent play. 138 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: But as it pertains to the Clippers, that's why it's 139 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: important to construct your roster in that way. It's not 140 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: just their switchy wings and everything they can do defensively, 141 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: and they're one of the best defensive teams in the league. 142 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: They have guys down the roster that can do things 143 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: with the basketball when you give them an opportunity to, 144 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: especially when the defensive scheme is geared in a way 145 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: that you're chasing Reggie Jackson over the top of ball 146 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: screens and crawling him in the paint, and there's just 147 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: openings in the like all game long, Lakers helping out 148 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: of that strong side corner, as the Clippers ball handlers 149 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: coming off of that left wing getting downhill, they're helping 150 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: out of the right corner, which is the easiest kick 151 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: out in basketball. And those are good basketball players over 152 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: there that are going to make those shots. But those 153 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: guys are all equipped to capitalize on the attention that 154 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: their two primary creators create, whereas with the Lakers and 155 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: Lebron James and Anthony Davis are not blameless this season, 156 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: which we're about to talk about, but you're not getting 157 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: nearly enough down the roster. In that case, it's the 158 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: most underrated thing that was glossed over in the Russell 159 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: Westbrook trade is just how important Kyle Kuzma was and 160 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: his aggressive spot up shooting and his ability to cut 161 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:47,959 Speaker 1: to the basket, and is his occasional mismatch attacking and 162 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: his ability to get out in transition. The the role 163 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: that Kyle that can Tabio is called a pope played 164 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: in transition, running the floor for layups in corner threes. 165 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: You know what he did in general spot up shooting. 166 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 1: You of the role that Alex Caruso played as a cutter, 167 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: and he shot forty from three in his last season 168 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: with the Lakers. Everything that those guys did was immensely 169 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: important to what Lebron James and Anthony Davis did on 170 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 1: a nightly basis. And instead you traded that all for 171 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook, who has played all of about ten good 172 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: games since he put on the Laker jersey. And that 173 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: and that, that's where you run into this talent deficit 174 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: that's hurting you on a night and night out basis. 175 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: But I didn't want to spend a couple of minutes 176 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: talking about Lebron James Anthony Davis because Lebron finally got 177 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: going tonight, which we assumed that he would like Lebron 178 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: has been a great jump shooter pretty much since two 179 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: thousand thirteen. You know, like he's had a couple of 180 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: bad seasons and there, but for the most part, from 181 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 1: two thousand thirteen on, Lebron James is a reliable jump shooter, 182 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: both off the dribble and off the catch, but especially 183 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,319 Speaker 1: off the dribble over the course of the last five 184 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 1: years or so. And he couldn't make a damn shot 185 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,719 Speaker 1: to start the year. But you could see that for 186 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: what it was. He started the season in a slump, 187 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: and then he got sick. Then he came back against 188 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: the Calves and it looked like his legs were back 189 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: underneath him. He was finishing around the rim better, and 190 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: you just felt like he was trending in the right direction. 191 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: The good Lebron, the good Lebron game was coming. We 192 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,959 Speaker 1: assumed it would. But of course, on this particular night, 193 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: after Lebron gets going, Anthony Davis plays what I thought 194 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: was his worst game of the season. He got bracketed 195 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: in the post. Of what that means is they're fronting 196 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: him on one side and then they're offering week side 197 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 1: help directly under the basket to dissuade that over the 198 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: top past. It's the exact same scheme that Miami used 199 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,719 Speaker 1: to shut down Joel Embiad in the second round of 200 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: the Eastern Conference playoffs last year. But here's the thing, 201 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis. That means you don't get to touch the 202 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: ball in the post tonight, Okay, or at least not often. 203 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: This might not be the game where you score in 204 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: the post. But what's you haven't been a great post 205 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: player this year. That's just the reality. What's your elite skill? 206 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: Your elite skill is I've been calling you the best 207 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 1: defensive player in basketball this year and the early season 208 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: favorite for Defensive Player of the Year. That's what you 209 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,559 Speaker 1: do best. You clean up everybody else's messes. And I 210 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: thought he did the bare minimum defensively tonight. He did 211 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: maybe the base concept of his role in the scheme, 212 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: but he made no attempt to go out of his 213 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:06,559 Speaker 1: area to clean up other people's messes. I don't know 214 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: if it's because he was pouting because of the bracketing, 215 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: or if he was just having a bad night, or 216 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: whatever the deal was, but he wasn't nearly good enough 217 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: with what the Lakers needed from him to do. In 218 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 1: this particular matchup with the way that the Clippers regarding him. 219 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: Then in addition to that, he just got straight up 220 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 1: out worked by Zoobots almost every time down the floor, 221 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: being bullied for offensive rebound position, but Zobach just going 222 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: at him in the post like Zubatch is a is 223 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: a master of post positioning. And I've talked about this 224 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: a lot on the show. Uh Yokich is the best 225 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 1: in the world at this particular thing. But it's about 226 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: understanding angles and understanding what your advantage is. Zuba does 227 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: nothing as well as Anthony Davis except for the fact 228 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: that he's a little bit stronger, probably right, a little 229 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: bit bigger, a little bit stronger, So he knows that 230 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: if he can just work angles and when Anthony Davis 231 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: is leaning too hard to the right, pivot to the left, 232 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:56,719 Speaker 1: and me when he's leaning to hard to the left, 233 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 1: pivot to the right. When he can work those angles 234 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,679 Speaker 1: against Anthony Davis, he can punish him. But Anthony Davis 235 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: can make up for that a million times over if 236 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: he just works hard, because he's a better athlete with 237 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: longer arms, and he can recover lost ground. But he 238 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: was losing that battle and the Lakers are not gonna 239 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: win many basketball games when Anthony Davis is losing to 240 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,719 Speaker 1: a mid level center in this league. That's a problem. 241 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 1: That's a real problem. And here's the thing. The Lakers 242 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: are two and nine and their roster limitations. They've absolutely 243 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: contributed to that. Like we just talked about, if Troy 244 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: Brown Jr. Is the only guy that can make offensive 245 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 1: plays off of Lebron James and Anthony Davis, that's a 246 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: big problem. But they shouldn't be two and nine. They 247 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: should be something closer to four and seven, five and six. 248 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: They should be afloat. But instead they're spiraling into nothing. 249 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: And the main reason why is there two best players 250 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: the guys that this entire roster is catered around. That 251 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: that that this I shouldn't say it's catered around that 252 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: the roster is dependent on those two guys haven't held 253 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: up their end of the bargain. When Anthony Davis has 254 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: been great, Lebron hasn't. When Lebron has been great, Anthony 255 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: Davis hasn't. And during the season when they won the trophy, 256 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: every single night you could count on those two. You know, 257 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: Lebron hasn't been a great season for him by any 258 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: stretch of the imagination. But I had a feeling he 259 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 1: would get it going, and I have a feeling he's 260 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: gonna go on a little bit of a run here, 261 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: especially as their schedule lightens up, and he's gonna play 262 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: some better basketball outside of the season. I have no 263 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: feel for what I'm gonna get from Anthony Davis on 264 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 1: a nightly basis, if it if there's a big game 265 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: on the schedule, I couldn't tell you if he's gonna 266 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: play well or not. And that didn't used to be 267 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 1: the case, and that and that's pretty discouraging. But like, 268 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: until those two guys figure their thing out to where 269 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 1: they both can consistently play well in a nightly basis, 270 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: there there there's no point to any of this. But 271 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, in terms of planning, 272 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: they do have to plan as though those guys will 273 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: eventually figure it out. One of the note there, it 274 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: looks like Lebron might have tweaked his growing a little bit. 275 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: They're calling it left legs sore nous. Who knows. I 276 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: wasn't overly concerned by it because it looked like you 277 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: didn't really react to the injury until several seconds after 278 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: the actual play or so if it was like a 279 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: pop or a pull or something more serious, you probably 280 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: feel it immediately. UM on the move, but who knows. 281 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: We won't have any intel on that for a little while, 282 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: um And And as soon as we find out, we 283 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 1: can react to that as that goes. But I did 284 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: it didn't look like anything overly serious. But at the 285 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: end of the day, like the Lakers, you know you 286 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: don't I always talked about you don't have um and 287 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis and Lebron James. Team missed the playoffs in 288 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: a league that has twenty of the thirty teams make 289 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: the playoffs unless a whole bunch of things go wrong. 290 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: And we're seeing that again. You don't go two and 291 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: nine with Lebron James and Anthony Davis playing in what 292 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: twenty one of the twenty two available games. That doesn't 293 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: happen unless a whole bunch of things go wrong. And 294 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: it's funny because if you look at the Lakers kind 295 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: of like in different phases of the game, you see 296 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: all these good things, like their defense when they're locked 297 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: in is really good. They went on a defensive run 298 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: in that second quarter that was extremely impressive, flying around 299 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: making extra efforts. Anthony Davis on his good nights has 300 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: looked like a top ten player. Lebron James tonight looked 301 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: like a top ten player. The problem is is none 302 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: of those three things have happened at the same time, 303 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: and if they did, they'd start kicking everybody's ass. But 304 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: they just can't get those three things going together at 305 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: the same time like this is and this is the 306 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: problem with the patient approach because belief starts to fade. 307 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: The Lakers had an outstanding defensive effort in that second quarter, 308 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: but their defensive effort was piss poor in the first quarter. 309 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: They dug themselves a massive hole, and they looked like 310 00:15:57,360 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: an uninspired team that didn't believe in what they were doing. 311 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: The your hard work has to be rewarded with something. 312 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: For instance, it's like with you guys at your job. 313 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: If you guys take on extra shifts, take on additional responsibility, 314 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: whatever it is, you expect to be rewarded. And if 315 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: you don't get rewarded for it, what are you gonna do. 316 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: You're gonna stop working the extra shifts, You're gonna stop 317 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: taking on the additional responsibility because what's the point you're 318 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: not getting anything out of it. And that's the problem 319 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: with what they did to start the season. Darvin Hamm 320 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: had these guys locked in on the defensive end of 321 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: the floor and they were playing great defense, and they 322 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: went oh and five. They've got nothing for their hard work. 323 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: And so what we've seen over the course of the 324 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: last week two weeks is significant defensive slippage. They're not 325 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 1: even a top ten defense anymore after being the second 326 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: best defense in the league after seven games or so. 327 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: That's a problem. So what happened is is during that 328 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: initial stretch of the season, you know you weren't talented 329 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: enough to win games, and so teams so the team 330 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: started to let go of the defensive rope. Now Lebron 331 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: James is getting going, but the defense isn't there anymore, 332 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: not consistently enough, right, And and that's the problem with that. 333 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 1: That whole approach, you sucked belief out of the team 334 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 1: and you stopped them from building a positive identity. The 335 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: uh the Knicks Nets game, which we're gonna talk about 336 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: here in a few minutes, was a blowout and uh Um. 337 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: During the halftime third quarter phase I clicked over to 338 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: Indiana Denver and they almost beat the Nuggets tonight, a 339 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: classic tanking game. Fund for your home crowd, lots of 340 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: good stuff. Your rookie puts up a bunch of points, 341 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 1: and Ben Mathurin looks really good. By the way. I'm 342 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: gonna try to find some time to talk about him 343 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: in the future. Um, but you end up losing, which 344 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: helps you in the standings, which is all that matters 345 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: when you're taking team. But in that game, I'm watching 346 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter as Buddy heald is flying off 347 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: of multiple a wide pin downs, drawing multiple defenders and 348 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: generating wide open threes, as the Nuggets are having to 349 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,479 Speaker 1: send a third defender over to help on that screening 350 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: curl action Like that's that's something that no Lakers doing. 351 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 1: Right now, I'm watching Miles Turner score out of the 352 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: short roll, get offensive rebounds. He played defense on Yokis 353 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: down the stretch of that game as well as I've 354 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: seen anybody played defense on Yokich. Four stop bunch of me. 355 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: He only scored twice down the stretch of that game. 356 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: It was an offensive rebound on a play where he 357 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: got a stop and one of his teammates didn't box 358 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: out and in the process, he was at a position 359 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: and Yoket's buried him, and then Yokis ended up hitting 360 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: a massive pull up jump shot at the top of 361 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,440 Speaker 1: the key that Turner defended extremely well, but he got 362 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,119 Speaker 1: several stops at one point, I think four stops in 363 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: a row issuing against Yo kitchen crunch time of a 364 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 1: winnable game, and I'm sitting there and I'm looking at 365 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: this and I'm like, that's a damn good basketball player. 366 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,919 Speaker 1: And Buddy Yield is a damn good basketball player. And 367 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: they both addressed very specific needs for the Lakers right now. 368 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis can't play at the four. He's only playing 369 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: at the five because the Lakers don't have good enough fives. 370 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: As a result, they're really small on the perimeter and 371 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:16,360 Speaker 1: they're getting beat up and shot over the top by 372 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: bigger wings everywhere on the floor. Also, Anthony Davis, when 373 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,400 Speaker 1: he has to play center, is expected to do so 374 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 1: much covering in screens and stuff, and when he loses 375 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:29,400 Speaker 1: his motor, the Lakers defense completely disappears, like you saw 376 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: tonight against the Clippers. If you put him at the four, 377 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 1: where he can roam around more, and you put a 378 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: legitimate shot blocking five like Miles Turner next to him. 379 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 1: He can phase in and out of the game a 380 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 1: little bit more defensively, and it won't be as detrimental. 381 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, because he's not banging with 382 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:46,879 Speaker 1: fives all game long. He might have some more energy 383 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: for that sort of thing. He needs to play the 384 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: five a lot, but it shouldn't be the only thing 385 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: that he does. Miles Turner gives you a great mix there. 386 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: It gives you an alternate identity, a big line up 387 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: which the Lakers haven't been able to use all season, 388 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 1: and he shoots the ball well, makes play at a 389 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: short role, and he can guard Nicola Yokichen in isolation. 390 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: That seems like a really valuable player to me, Buddy Healed. 391 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: I just spent the entire first chunk of this show 392 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: talking about the lack of offensive skill on the perimmeitter 393 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 1: for the Lakers and the fact that but Lebron James 394 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 1: and Anthony Davis are kicking the ball out to Patrick 395 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: Beverley and and Troy Brown Jr. And And and Lonnie 396 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:21,200 Speaker 1: Walker and all these guys that are just pump baking 397 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:25,359 Speaker 1: at shots and are in there. They're they're not aggressive 398 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,120 Speaker 1: enough or proficient enough to continue to extend the advantage 399 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: and to make plays off of attention directed towards Lebron 400 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 1: James and Anthony Davis. That's a problem. How nice would 401 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: it be if you slotted you know, Buddy yield into 402 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: that role. Now suddenly you've got a dependable offensive player 403 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,880 Speaker 1: out there, who, by the way, is shooting the ball 404 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: extremely well again this year. And by doing that, you 405 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 1: slot everybody further down. Now, Austin Reaves, you know, is 406 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: coming off the bench, which I really like Austin Reeves, 407 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 1: but that's probably where he belongs. You know, I really 408 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:00,920 Speaker 1: like Troy Brown Jr. But he's probably a bench wing 409 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: the Patrick Beverley because of what he does defensively as 410 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: a starter level NBA player, Buddy Yields, starter level NBA player, 411 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,719 Speaker 1: Lebron James, starter level NBA player, Anthony Davis, starter level 412 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 1: NBA player, Miles Turner, starter level NBA player. You put 413 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: all your bench guys in bench rolls where they belong. 414 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: Everyone slotted properly, things go up. That deal was on 415 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: the table. Indiana wanted to do it. There's reports out 416 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,360 Speaker 1: that it was Rob Polinka that was like, never mind, 417 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: I want to see them play with Russ for twenty games, 418 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: and this is the problem. You sent them out there 419 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:36,719 Speaker 1: at a significant talent disadvantage every single night, and as 420 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: a result, they've lost belief. And now they're going into 421 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: an easier stretch of their schedule, and who knows if 422 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: they're playing good enough basketball to win some games, because 423 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: they look like a team that's down in the dumps 424 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: right now. There were multiple multiple reports over the last 425 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: couple of days from both Adrian wars Nawskin Shams Turranio 426 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: that the Lakers are now considering that it may not 427 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: be worth making a trade at all. Whatsoever did I 428 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 1: tell you guys was gonna happen this summer? I told 429 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: you that that the that my biggest fear is that 430 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 1: that Rob Polinka and Genie Bus would essentially just be like, hey, 431 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: let's send him out there like this. They'll be terrible 432 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 1: and then we won't have to make a trade. Because 433 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: the dirty little secret is is that Genie Buss just 434 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 1: wants to get out of the luxury tax and there's 435 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: all sorts of intel on that front. Hell, the head 436 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: coach literally said so after the last game that they 437 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: can't get out of that that they need to get 438 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: out of the repeater tax. It's just, you know, this 439 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: is the last thing I'll say about it. What Rob 440 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 1: Polinka and Genie Buss did with this team over the 441 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: last couple of years is going to be studied for 442 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: generations after this. To take literally a team that started 443 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 1: twenty four and three and then twenty one and six 444 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: the next year after winning a title in convincing fashion, 445 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 1: never truly being threatened to go from there to two 446 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: and nine with Lebron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, 447 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: because not only did you stop Lebron from making the 448 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook mistake, you were too prideful or too cheap 449 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: to fix the Russell Westbrook mistake, and you convinced yourself 450 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: that Darvin Hamm would be able to fix it. Darvin 451 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: Ham's done a great job with the Lakers. He can't 452 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: fix this. I see Laker fans complaining about lineups on Twitter. 453 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: What do you expect him to do? Every other team 454 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,479 Speaker 1: in the league has similar speed bumps. Oh this guy 455 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,119 Speaker 1: went cold for a week. Oh, our defense slipped a 456 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:37,880 Speaker 1: little bit. Oh this guy got hurt and he's out 457 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: for a week. And they stay afloat because the aggregate 458 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: talent on the roster is enough to stay respectable when 459 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 1: they're dealing with speed bumps. The Lakers hit the slightest 460 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,919 Speaker 1: speed bump and they get blown out because they simply 461 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: don't have enough talent. But we all knew that going 462 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,679 Speaker 1: into this summer, which is why I said that they 463 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,919 Speaker 1: had one thing they needed to accomplish this summer. May 464 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: gave Russell West pork trade that brought back multiple role 465 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: players that could bolster them around Lebron James Anthony Davis. 466 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: They had one job and they didn't do it. They've 467 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: played the toughest schedule in the league to start the season, 468 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 1: which we all saw when the schedule came out months ago, 469 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: which Robin Blinka saw when they had opportunities to make 470 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: the Pacers trade. They saw the schedule, they knew what 471 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: was going to happen, and they chose to do this anyway. 472 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: And and that's why it's it's we are guys October 473 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:33,920 Speaker 1: of they hoisted the trophy. It is now November, and 474 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 1: this team is the worst team in the league potentially. 475 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 1: It's it's it's genuinely impressive. Alright. On that note, let's 476 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:46,199 Speaker 1: move to the early game and the Brooklyn Nets might 477 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,919 Speaker 1: be a good basketball team. We're going to be diving 478 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 1: into the Nets Knicks game tonight. Talk a tiny bit 479 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:53,879 Speaker 1: of Knicks, not too much of them though, talk a 480 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 1: little bit about jaque Von and a little bit about 481 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: how Kyrie fits into all of this. We are live 482 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: on AMP. Thank you guys for coming to hang out. 483 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 1: And for those of you guys who are listening on 484 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 1: either the podcast feed or on YouTube, remember that AMP 485 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: is the first place where you guys can get these 486 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: instant reaction videos. So this was I'm not gonna talk 487 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: too much about the game itself because it was kind 488 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 1: of boring, as you guys who watched. No kind of 489 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: a heliocentric clinic from k D as has been the 490 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 1: case over the course of the last four games to 491 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: alve assists in one turnover. Like I've said, his passing 492 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 1: has been the most impressive thing to me over this stretch. Uh. 493 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,640 Speaker 1: Seth Curry, who's played a few games for the Nets 494 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: this year, but this was the first time he looked 495 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: like Seth Curry, which is obviously encouraging. And he's such 496 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: He's so important to their offense because he is usually 497 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: the guy who ends up getting left open. With all 498 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 1: of the stuff that Katie and Kyrie usually have done 499 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 1: over the years, I have Ben Simmons continued to make 500 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: big momentum plays on the defensive end of the floor, 501 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 1: although the offensive fit is still a little clunky. And 502 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,679 Speaker 1: then how about Edmund Sumner a career night from him, 503 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 1: made some threes that's been his biggest weakness in his 504 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: young NBA career, but continues to be fearless attacking the 505 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 1: basket of good impressive win first or the third in 506 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 1: this stretch. I I said after the Kyrie suspension that 507 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: the Nets were staring down potentially a one in four 508 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: stretch over their next five games with Kyrie out unless 509 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant decided to play inspired basketball, which he absolutely has. 510 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,399 Speaker 1: And that's the interesting part about all this, not just 511 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant, but the Nets as a whole just playing 512 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 1: better basketball. You know, there's an old cliche that you 513 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 1: guys have all heard a million times, and I've said 514 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 1: on this show that winning cures everything. I specifically said 515 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,920 Speaker 1: that this summer as it pertained to Kevin Durant and 516 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: Kyrie recommitting to the franchise, there was all this drama, 517 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 1: all this baggage, and I said that if they won 518 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 1: games to start the season, everything would be fine, but 519 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 1: if that they lost games to start the season, all 520 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 1: of the baggage would float up to the surface. And really, 521 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 1: really it could not have gone worse than it did 522 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: to start this season. They were very clearly not bought 523 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 1: into Steve Nash at all whatsoever. You know, the Seth 524 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: Curry injury impacted some of their offensive talent a little bit, 525 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: and then the Kyrie drama cropped up and became a 526 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,880 Speaker 1: big distraction for them. And from there, from the Kyrie suspension, 527 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: it really could have gone two ways. It could have 528 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 1: gone the first way that I described, which was, you know, 529 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 1: just pack it in, you know, mail in these games 530 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 1: and blow up the roster. But the other way it 531 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 1: could have gone is that they were galvanized by that. 532 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: And I think there were three things in particular that 533 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: have led to that turnaround. One is the new voice. 534 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,400 Speaker 1: You know, Steve Nash was a scapegoat. He flat out 535 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: was he did not deserve to be fired in the 536 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: sense that it's not that his tactical approach was what 537 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 1: was wrong with the Nets. However, as I've said, so 538 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: many times on this show, Guys, especially big egoes, just 539 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 1: get sick of voices. They hear the same guy telling 540 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 1: them what to do every day for a few years, 541 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 1: and they get sick of that guy. And that was 542 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: why I supported the Frank Vogel firing, even though it 543 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,640 Speaker 1: wasn't his fault that the Lakers were bad. That's why 544 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 1: I supported the Steve Nash firing even though it wasn't 545 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 1: his fault that the Nets were bad. And that's why 546 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,680 Speaker 1: I would support a Doc Rivers firing even though it's 547 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: not necessarily his fault that the Sixers haven't played up 548 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: to their potential. You get a new voice in the room, Jaquvon, 549 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: although he's not necessarily a new voice, he's been around 550 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,440 Speaker 1: the Nets since two thousand sixteen, but he's a new 551 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: leadership voice and the team is playing hard for him 552 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 1: in a way that they have not in the past. 553 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: And then the second big thing there is the lack 554 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: of the distraction everything that comes with Kevin Kyrie Irving. 555 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: And you know I talked about this a lot earlier 556 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: this week, Like Kevin Durant is like basketball is his 557 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: top priority, and then like two through five are vacant 558 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: and then who knows what's after that. But basketball is 559 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 1: all he cares about and he'll never let any thing 560 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: disrupt that from being his focus in his approach to 561 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 1: the game. But Kyrie Irving, well, absolutely, like like you know, 562 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: like a bug chasing a light, will go off of 563 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: the basketball track for the latest distraction and throw the 564 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 1: team off kilter. That's just the way he is wired. 565 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: And so getting him out of the picture has got 566 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: that entire locker room entirely focused on basketball and that's 567 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: been a big part of the turnaround. And then last 568 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: was Kevin Durant, you know, and I gave him a 569 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: shout out on Monday, But I don't think we're even 570 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: giving him enough recognition for what this is, because let's 571 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 1: be clear, this is Kevin freaking Durant. He is a 572 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: top ten player in NBA history that is still at 573 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: the peak of his powers and very capable of leading 574 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: a team to a championship. He is on a team 575 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 1: that does not have enough talent at least without Kyrie 576 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 1: Irving to win an NBA championship. He has every reason 577 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: in the world to pack it in and say, screw this, 578 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: trade me. He's at every reason in the world to 579 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: do that, he could have been the thing that kept 580 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: them going down that dark path, and instead he said, 581 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: screw this, I'm just gonna play basketball to the best 582 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: of my ability, and it galvanized the team. A new 583 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: voice at the top, Kevin Durant, pent focused on basketball 584 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: and getting the Kyrie distraction out of the picture, has 585 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:25,479 Speaker 1: galvanized this team and it's jarring the results. They were 586 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: dead last in defense through eight games. Over their last 587 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: three games coming into tonight, they were number one in 588 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: the entire league in defensive rating and the only team 589 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 1: in the league that held their opponents to less than 590 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: a hundred points per one hundred possessions over the previous 591 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:42,480 Speaker 1: three games. Over this four game stretch since the Kyrie suspension, 592 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 1: they've held all four opponents under a hundred points. What 593 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:47,360 Speaker 1: was the other big thing that I said was the 594 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: next big weakness rebounding. They were second to last in 595 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: the league through eight games. They are plus two in 596 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: the rebounding margin over the last four games, so they're 597 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: outrebounding their opponents since the Kyrie Irving suspension. So simply 598 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: through by in and the galvanization that Kevin Durant brought 599 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: and that jacque Van brought. They are a good basketball team. Again, 600 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: what do I say this summer? I put the Nets 601 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 1: at sixth in my power rankings if I remember correctly, 602 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: and they were in that if things go right here 603 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 1: and uh, it's because on paper you could not deny 604 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: the talent. I've I mentioned this in the show earlier, 605 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: but I liked how Zach low Is calling him the 606 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: dunder Mifflin NBA team because on paper they were a 607 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: great basketball team, but so many things had to pan 608 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: out properly. You don't have to look far to see it. 609 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant. I had him as the third best player 610 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: in the world coming into the season. Kyrie Irving, I 611 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: think I had him right around twenty, okay, and he is. 612 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: He's a top twenty player in this league when he's 613 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: actually engaged in participating in basketball games as opposed to 614 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 1: the other things that he likes to do. They have 615 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 1: lots of shooting Patty Mills and Seth Curry and Joe Harris. 616 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: They've got defensive minded role players Ben Simmons and Royce 617 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,720 Speaker 1: O'Neil and Nick Claxton. They've got potentially reinforcements on the 618 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 1: way with t j Warren. You know, I like Cam 619 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 1: Thomas as a scoring guard. Edmund Sumner has been giving 620 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: them dribble penetration. They've got basketball players man, lots of 621 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: good ones, and they should be a very good basketball team. 622 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: But they weren't trying hard and they were distracted. And 623 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: Katie does deserve some blame for that at the start 624 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 1: of the season because I think he kind of led 625 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: the charge on the not caring about Steve Nash thing. Hell, 626 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: he literally vouched against him over the course of the 627 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 1: summer to the owner and tried to get him fired. 628 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: But what you're seeing is now that things are kind 629 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: of coming into the things are kind of coming together. 630 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: They're defending at a really high level. They're rebounding at 631 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 1: a much better level than they used to. Seth Curry 632 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: is back, so they've got more offensive punch. They're committed 633 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 1: to jacque Von Kevin Durant's playing like an m v P. 634 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 1: Ben Simmons is finding a spot to help the team 635 00:32:56,680 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 1: on the defensive end. The now. The the reality is 636 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:04,120 Speaker 1: that they do have some limitations on the top end, 637 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: at least with Kyrie out of the picture, and that's 638 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:11,040 Speaker 1: where it gets really complicated because we did get a 639 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,960 Speaker 1: report I believe from Sean Sharrania that Kyrie sat down 640 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 1: with Adam Silver and with the Nets and they have 641 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,240 Speaker 1: begun the process of trying to return him to basketball. Now. 642 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,239 Speaker 1: Had things continued to go further south, which I had 643 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 1: expected them to at the time, um, I don't think 644 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: you would have seen Kyrie play in that jersey again. 645 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 1: But like you have to remember why Josiah did this 646 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:36,479 Speaker 1: and I thought it was a bad idea, and how 647 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: I still think it's a bad idea. But over the summer, 648 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 1: the reason why Joe Sigh and Sean Marks were pushing 649 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: for Kevin Durant's return and pushing for Kyrie Irving to 650 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 1: come back was because they believed in that on paper 651 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,000 Speaker 1: roster that we just talked about. And Nick, no mistake. 652 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: If they defend like this and you get Kyrie Irving 653 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 1: back into the picture, they're a contender. Yes they are. 654 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:00,360 Speaker 1: Because if you've got Kevin Durant playing like an m 655 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: v P, and you've got the scoring punch provided by 656 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: all those things that I just mentioned, and they're defending 657 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: at a passable level and rebounding, guess what, there's no 658 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 1: perfect basketball team out there. Right now, they're right up 659 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 1: there with the rest of the guys. That's how good 660 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:18,719 Speaker 1: they can be. So ironically, the winning cures everything might 661 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:22,840 Speaker 1: have just saved Kyrie Irving's tenure with the Nets, because 662 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: now you're looking at it and it's like clear that 663 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 1: they have a limitation on their top end ceiling. Kyrie 664 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:31,799 Speaker 1: has no trade value. So the only way you can 665 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,960 Speaker 1: improve the team from limited the way they are now 666 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 1: to their ultimate ceiling is by bringing Kyrie back into 667 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: this mix. And all I would ask is this, and 668 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:45,799 Speaker 1: I would say asked because I'm asking Kevin Durant, if 669 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: you allow Kyrie Irving to come back into this mix 670 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:53,080 Speaker 1: as his buddy, sit down with him and beg him 671 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: to just keep it about basketball for the next six months. 672 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 1: Just beg him as your friend, if you have any 673 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 1: cat shay there, beg him to keep it about basketball. 674 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 1: Because you guys do have an opportunity here and you 675 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 1: are Kevin freaking Durant, and you can still play at 676 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,240 Speaker 1: in extremely high level and this team does have potential 677 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: to make some noise, but you don't have enough talent 678 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 1: and you can't trade Kyrie, And so I bet you 679 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: Josiah is gonna try to bring him back, and if 680 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:24,120 Speaker 1: he does, you need him invested, and you need him 681 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: to keep the off court stuff on the back burner 682 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: until you guys aren't playing basketball anymore. Who who the 683 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 1: hell knows what's gonna happen. This whole Brooklyn thing has 684 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: been such a roller coaster over the course the last 685 00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 1: few months. I have no idea. I'm not I I 686 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,200 Speaker 1: don't know what to expect, but I am genuinely curious. 687 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:45,200 Speaker 1: And I will say that it makes me happy to 688 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:48,399 Speaker 1: watch Kevin Durant playing basketball and a good team again, 689 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: because he's one of the best players in the league 690 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:52,759 Speaker 1: and he's fun to watch. And then last thing before 691 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: we get out of here, the New York Knicks. I 692 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,160 Speaker 1: saw that there were five and five coming into tonight. 693 00:35:57,239 --> 00:36:00,160 Speaker 1: John Hollidger of The Athletic had a tweet that sent 694 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: out where he said something along the lines of like 695 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: they were five and five with a dead even point differential, 696 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: one and one in overtime, the ultimate Like and if 697 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: you guys remember after the Jalen Brunson off season, I said, 698 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: like they were signing up for mediocrity and this is 699 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: what you get. And you know what's funny, about that 700 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: is I respect the idea of signing up for mediocrity 701 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: if you have a plan, but the plans should be 702 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 1: get you know, salary and picks attached to each other, 703 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 1: and go get that big star. And essentially your pitch 704 00:36:33,239 --> 00:36:36,359 Speaker 1: to him is, hey, we're building a positive culture here. 705 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,239 Speaker 1: We've got a coach that we've stuck to for a while, 706 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:40,560 Speaker 1: we have a front office that we've stuck to for 707 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:44,759 Speaker 1: a while. Look at this, we're playing coherent, respectable basketball. 708 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:47,520 Speaker 1: We just need a superstar and then you trade for 709 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:49,319 Speaker 1: that guy and you extend him, and then that's how 710 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,279 Speaker 1: you build from there. But they got gun shy when 711 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell was available, and you know, I'm sure I 712 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:58,839 Speaker 1: talked to my buddy, Tony Jones, was Knicks fan who 713 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: works for the athletic and I asked, I was like, 714 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:02,320 Speaker 1: what are the Nicks saying about all this? And he 715 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 1: was like, they're playing the whole like, oh, well, we 716 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,440 Speaker 1: didn't want Donovan anyway. We wanted somebody different, which is 717 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: a classic excuse. But the reality is, you better have 718 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 1: a good plan, then you better have somebody else in mind. 719 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 1: Because Donovan is playing like a top five player in 720 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: the league and you look like you fumbled the bag 721 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 1: here a little bit, and you are five and six 722 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:22,720 Speaker 1: now and and and look like the same old mediocre 723 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,319 Speaker 1: Knicks that we've seen over the last couple of years. 724 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:27,680 Speaker 1: Al Right, guys, that is all I have for tonight. 725 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 1: As always, I sincerely appreciate your sport and I will 726 00:37:30,239 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: see you next time. The volume