1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: M all right, welcome to the State of the Lakers 2 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: post game show on Dash Ready. I thank you guys 3 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: so much for coming to hang out with us on 4 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: a Sunday evening. Uh, and once again, the Lakers have 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: given us way too much to talk about. You know. 6 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: It's so funny. Someone tweeted at me underneath something I 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: tweeted earlier and said, Remember, apparently at the end of 8 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: last podcast, I said something along the lines of like, hey, 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: come back on Sunday because it'll probably be uneventful and 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 1: we'll have, you know, more time to take callers blah blah, 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: blah blah, And he was rubbing it in my face 12 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: because this ended up being arguably much more eventful than 13 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: than the Friday night game. But anyway, ROJ, how are 14 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: you doing. Man? How's your Sunday? Did you? Uh? I 15 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: think you and I had a different idea of how 16 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: to end of that game was gonna go, but a 17 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: nice little, nice little positive ending. But I hope you 18 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: had a good Sunday man. Yeah. I did these three 19 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: o'clock games, or at least three o'clock. For me being 20 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: in southern California, it means you can't really do anything 21 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: for your other part of the day. Right, it's like 22 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: right in the middle of the day. You can't plan 23 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: anything before planning after it. Three hours just chunked right 24 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: in the middle. This is a good, good game. Man. 25 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: It was really sorrow and we were texting back and 26 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: forth what to discussed. We're like, Frank Vogel, Lebron, James, 27 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: just the nature of the team looking dejected, looking un 28 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: uninterested for majority part of this game. And then that 29 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: fourth quarter absolutely just turned around. I think it was 30 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,639 Speaker 1: like thirty seven fifteen or something like that they closed 31 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: the quarter on where do you want to start with this? 32 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: Because I I think we can start positive at least 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: to start here. There's still a lot of problems with 34 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: the teams. There's a lot of issues. Lebron, I guess 35 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: might be ejected here for one game, But where where 36 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: do you want to kind of start with this? So yeah, 37 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: so like if I were to like make bullet points 38 00:01:58,040 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: of the key stories of the game. It was funny 39 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: because about their even in spore tip off, we found 40 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: out that DeAndre Jordan was being reinserted into the starting 41 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: lineup and that th h T was being moved to 42 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: the bench, and there were two interesting things about that 43 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: one reverting to them going big. And then also th 44 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: Ht who you know, obviously had a bad game last game, 45 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: but he certainly had a better case to be with 46 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: the starters than Avery Bradley did. And so that was 47 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: kind of like the interesting little wrinkle there now that 48 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: seems like so far on the back burner tonight compared 49 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: to the Lebron basically mailing in the game and then 50 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: the Lebron ejection situation, which was its whole other interesting thing. 51 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: And for the record, those two things I want to 52 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: hit later on because quite frankly, it just it just 53 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: doesn't deserve to be talked about first for a bunch 54 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: of reasons. But then you have this, you know, clear 55 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: and obvious stretch of the game that lasts that like 56 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: basically three quarters where the where the Lakers just are 57 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: giving absolute trash effort, operating in this funky zone and 58 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: and and just getting absolutely beating everything. Everything got pumped 59 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: in every physical matchup, ever, every everything. But then you 60 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: have them wake up in the fourth quarter, largely driven 61 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: by Russell Westbrook and then Anthony Davis at the end 62 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: of the game, which I think is the perfect place 63 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: to start because what you saw there was Russ and 64 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: a d giving a ship, which is an expression, which 65 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: is an expression I use a lot on the show 66 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: because of the obviously like you can't judge scheme, you 67 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: can't judge personnel, you can't judge lineups if guys aren't trying, 68 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: and you couldn't tell me like, oh, this zone isn't 69 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: gonna work when I when the guys are not even 70 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: trying in the zone, you know what I mean, Like, 71 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: it's hard to get a read on any of that 72 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: stuff when the guys are mailing it in like that. 73 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: And what you saw was two supreme talents, Russell Westbrook 74 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: and Anthony Davis go from coasting through a game aim 75 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: to trying desperately to win, and all of a sudden, 76 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: the Detroit Pistons couldn't do anything to stop them. They 77 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: couldn't stop him at the rim. They couldn't stop Anthony 78 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: Davis on the offensive glass they could they literally they 79 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: couldn't get to the rim and finish on Anthony Davis. 80 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: It was. It was masterful to see the two of 81 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: them hit the gas, and so I guess that's where 82 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: we could start. It's like, and I don't know if 83 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: it's associated with Frank. I don't know if it's the 84 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: Stars false themselves, but this team just looks better when 85 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: it's best players play hard and when they try to 86 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: when they try to win the game. And that's just 87 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: with two of them, with one of them in the 88 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: locker room. So I mean that that's kind of that 89 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: that to me is the most interesting phenomenon that happened 90 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: here tonight. Yeah, again, we don't have to go deep 91 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: into the ejection or whatever happened with Lebron and Asia Steward, 92 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: but I definitely think that was a turning point in 93 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: the game. Like I totally saw Russ even if earlier 94 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: early in the game it wasn't efficient if he wasn't 95 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: scoring it, I when he saw his energy tick up, 96 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: eighties energy tick up. And not to like move this 97 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: into Frank Vogel, but like again, a whole bunch of 98 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: Laker fans and everyone is calling for his job throughout 99 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: the whole night tonight, honestly, and I know you felt 100 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: you felt that way as well. To me, like firing 101 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: Frank Vogel is very similar to like the take DeAndre 102 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: Jordan out of the starting lineup, Like it solves some issues, 103 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: but it opens up these these other problems on the 104 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 1: team as well, where I'm just don't want to go 105 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: there there, and look, his job is probably saved tonight. 106 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: We'll see going forward. But a D and Russ turned 107 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: into superstars in the fourth quarter of Who They Are. 108 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: A D looked like the best defensive player in the world. 109 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: And again, this is Detroit, one of the worst teams 110 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 1: in the league. And all those caveats are fair. But 111 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: we haven't been a good team either, like you've been saying, right, 112 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: we've been a bad team for a very long time. 113 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: Like all wins are important right now. And I thought 114 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: they really turned it up. Russ's aggression to get to 115 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: the rim. He got a charge on what he got 116 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 1: a charge on one play, but I saw I was 117 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: fine with that, like just him being aggressive, him attacking. 118 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: I like th ht in that lineup, even if he 119 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: had some questionable decisions. I just thought another guy that 120 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: can kick out to the A D post stuffs were 121 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: still there, but it was a lot better. They continue 122 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: to double one pass away off us, but he cut. 123 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: We saw Russ cutting like that was stuff, such a concept, 124 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: but like we were that's what we were begging for right, 125 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: Like Russ just cut to the rim and he did 126 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: this night and he got like four layups off of that. 127 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,239 Speaker 1: And once they stopped doubling, a D was in single 128 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: coverage with Jeremy Grant able to get to his spot, 129 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: get to the basket, a little big gift out. It 130 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: was just something that we need to see more, man, 131 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: this type of effort. You talked about four we got 132 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 1: punked in the earlier in the game by how many 133 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: Diallo as well, and I think Russell Westbrook felt that 134 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: as well. He's the one that he got dunked on 135 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: and he saw him scream all loud, and I don't 136 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: think it was an accident that was on Diallo a 137 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: D with the big scream after blocking shots and after 138 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: we sealed the game, like they could tell this game mattered, man, 139 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: And they just need to see more of this. There's 140 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: a good team in here somewhere, they just need to 141 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: find it. To me, I think it wasn't a coincidence 142 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: either that we started to go on a run with 143 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: like we took out a lot of the bad defenders. 144 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: I thought, you know what I mean, Monk stopped lane, 145 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: Ellenton stopped playing the only guy out. There was Carmelo 146 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: who was on fire again tonight and his spot up 147 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 1: shooting was huge. Just a good fourth quarter win, and 148 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: that we talked about after after they at Miami game, 149 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: where that could have been a spark plug. But tonight 150 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: they just looked so dejected early, and I thought, this, 151 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: maybe this is the turning point. I'm not there to 152 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: say that yet, but this is an important win. I 153 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: thought it was really big that they got together and 154 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: came together to get this one. Because even though I 155 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: wasn't for the firing or like Frank Vogel, I honestly thought, 156 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: if they lost this game, to me, if Lebron didn't 157 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: get ejected tonight, they were lost by twenty. Like, I 158 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: don't know, do you agree with that? Like that's that's 159 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: how I saw this game kind of going. If Lebron 160 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: didn't get out, if they didn't have any kind of 161 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: spark to them, the game was going towards where Jeremy 162 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: Grant was just getting whatever he wanted and we were 163 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: gonna lose by twenty. But that fourth quarter, man he 164 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: started switching. Jeremy Grant wasn't able to get to his 165 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: spots easier. I thought again, THHD was big on both ends. 166 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: I thought he bothered Grant enough. Uh, and he's gonna 167 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: be a big part of this team. But yeah, that 168 00:07:57,760 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: was a good fourth quarter. That was a good fourth 169 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: quarter to kind of build off off if they can. 170 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: So the reason why I don't think they would have 171 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: I don't think Lebron was related to the outcome was 172 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: things got a lot worse after the ejection. They got worse. 173 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: And then basically what happened was in the start of 174 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter, Mello made a couple of threes off 175 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: of driving kicks rim pressure that Russ created, and then 176 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: it cascaded into hey, why don't we try to win 177 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: this game? You know what I mean? And so like 178 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: that that that's more my interpretation. That's not that's not 179 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: to say like Lebron, you know, Uh, Lebron deserved a 180 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: lot of blame, as did everyone else on the roster 181 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: for finding themselves in the predicament that they were in. However, 182 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: I tend to think that that was more an example 183 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: of holy coward, we're really going to lose to the 184 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: Pistons tonight. Not ah, Okay, Lebron and Isaiah two had 185 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: almost gotten a fist fight, So now let's start trying. 186 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: I didn't think those two events were tied to each 187 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: other at all, you know. Um and again, just to 188 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: put a bow on the positive parts of it, that's 189 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: kind of the the order of operations. Russ put his 190 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: head down and got to the room to start the 191 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: fourth quarter. When he did, when he did, uh, Mello 192 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: made a couple of threes and uh. Then at that 193 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: point Anthony Davis engaged defensively, and then they rode that 194 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:21,199 Speaker 1: talent wave and that competitiveness wave to beat an inferior 195 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: basketball team that severely lacked offensive creation at the end 196 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: of the game and was leaning on Jeremy Grant and 197 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: and Kate Cunningham to create everything. So I think, in 198 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: a weird way, as much as I'm happy about the 199 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: win and as much as it is an indicator of 200 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: their competitive spirit, I'm not sitting here and saying like, Okay, 201 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: everything's good. Now we came back and beat the Pistons 202 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter. No, those problems still exists. So 203 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 1: moving to the Frank piece, because like I texted Roger 204 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: to be in the middle of the game and I said, 205 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: frantastic go and and I joked with him that if 206 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: they won, it would be bad because because it would 207 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: just delay that inevitable outcome. And I told him I 208 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 1: was joking, but there's some truth to that concept, because 209 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 1: the reality the situation is is Frank going back to 210 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: DeAndre Jordan represents everything that's wrong with this situation. Frank 211 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,319 Speaker 1: has justified that by saying we need defense and we 212 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: need rebounding. But as we know, throughout this whole season 213 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: with DeAndrea on the floor, they've been killed on defense 214 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: and they've been killed on the glass. So that was 215 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: never a solution based in reality. That was a that 216 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: was a fantasy that existed in Frank's head. And then 217 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 1: in addition to that, the heavily leaning on a zone, 218 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:40,199 Speaker 1: which you and I talked about a lot in the 219 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: last pot. You can use a zone two throw a 220 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: team off out of rhythm by just mixing up looks. 221 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: The Dallas Mavericks did a fantastic job of this in 222 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: the two thousand and eleven finals, as we all know. 223 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: But you can't just run a zone NonStop, especially against 224 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: good teams, because they'll just figure it out. And there 225 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: were stretches, especially in the in the third quarter tonight, 226 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: where Kay Cunningham just completely solved our zone, kicking out 227 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: the shooters and making us pay. The point being like, 228 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: there were just some strategies from Frank tonight that that 229 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: we're glaringly. You know, they just struck me as a 230 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: person who was like, things are getting bad. I'm going 231 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: to revert to everything that makes me feel comfortable as 232 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: opposed to trying to adapt and solve this situation, you 233 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: know what I mean. And then and then when you 234 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: couple in the effort and focus stuff, which we talked 235 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: a lot about, like you can't blame everything on effort, 236 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,559 Speaker 1: but dude, like efforts a real problem here, Like, it's 237 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: actually a real problem here. This is not like, Okay, 238 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: if they run the right sets and we put another 239 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: big forward out there, everything is going to be fixed. No, 240 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: guys aren't doing their jobs either. That's the real problem. 241 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis early in the game was getting destroyed on 242 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: box outs by Isaiah Stewart. Lebron James was getting caught 243 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: ball watching get backcut all the time, making no attempt 244 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: to help around the basket. Mellow in particular, after having 245 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 1: a pretty good stretch of defense there a few games ago, 246 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 1: has really tailed off in recent games as a defensive player. 247 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: The guys aren't bought in, and so this is where 248 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 1: I come back to the Frank problem. I don't like 249 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: the idea of firing Frank either. Everything you say makes 250 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: perfect sense. Firing a coach in the middle of the 251 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:28,319 Speaker 1: season is asking for chaos, you know, having having a uh, 252 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: tricking yourself into thinking that David Fizdale or some other 253 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: random guy is going to fix all your problems. You're right, 254 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: that's that that that's that's that's completely irrational thinking. However, 255 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: if anybody gets into the chair and the guys buy 256 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: back in, meaning they actually commit to doing the job 257 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: that is asked of them by the coaching staff, it's 258 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: better than what we have with Frank. That's just the 259 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: reality of this situation. It doesn't matter. I have you 260 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: and I again for everybody who's just joining us in 261 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: the last few weeks, Roger and I have been doing this. 262 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: This is our hundred and first episode. We've been doing 263 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: this for a long time. We are the biggest Frank 264 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: supporters you'll find out there. I think he's by far 265 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: the best coach for this team. If they actually were 266 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,319 Speaker 1: bought in to what they want him to do or 267 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: what he wants them to do. But the buy in 268 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: is gone, and I'm not sure why that's a whole 269 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: other topic, but the buying is gone. These guys don't 270 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: listen to Frank anymore for whatever reason, and so as 271 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: a result, it's untenable. That's just my opinion. It doesn't 272 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: matter if David Fizdel is a lesser coach. If he 273 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,319 Speaker 1: gets in there and then when he says, hey, guys, 274 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: I need you to freaking box out and they actually 275 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: do it, then he's better than Frank for this job 276 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: simply because of the buying. And it's unfair, but that's 277 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: just the reality of the situation. You know, there's everyone 278 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,319 Speaker 1: points of the two thousand sixteen situation with David Blatt 279 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 1: and Tyler. Is Tyler a better coach than David Blatt? 280 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: Probably Yeah, as a matter of fact, yes, he absolutely is. 281 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: But a good a good percentage of that turnaround that 282 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: season was associated with changing the voice. When David talked, 283 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: they looked at him as an arrogant dude from the EuroLeague, 284 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: who thought he was who thought he was a lot 285 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: better than he actually was, who thought he was more 286 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: accomplished than he actually was, and all the NBA pros 287 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: Net locker room didn't listen to him, But when Tyler 288 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: got in the chair, they all bought back in and 289 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: they all started carrying again and it turned around their season. 290 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: And that that's kind of the way that I look 291 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: at this. The chaos, to me, is part of the 292 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: process to leading towards making that change, to get the 293 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: group to buy back in. And I know that scares 294 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: the heck out of people, but that's just kind of 295 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: where my brain is at right now. Yeah, And I 296 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: had a whole bunch of notes ready for like the 297 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: Frank Vogel is probably fired and this is why it 298 00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: probably should have happen, and we can kind of save 299 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: the is going forward. And I touched on earlier, like 300 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: to me, it's the same issue that we're just trying 301 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: to like plug plug one button in and solve everything. 302 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: And again, like Frank Vogel hasn't been great some of 303 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: the rotations, but like what we were playing was not 304 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: his team, you know what I mean, Like tonight the 305 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: two big stuff, like DeAndre Jordan is not the best 306 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: guy for it. He's fitting an archetype that Frank Vogel 307 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: wants to play. But Frank Vogel was never a coach 308 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 1: that wanted to play guards that can't defend at the 309 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: point of at tech, that can't do any kind of 310 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: that can't help on the boards, you know what I mean. 311 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: And again, like putting effort into a scheme, it's really 312 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: tough to judge that. But when your stars aren't bought in, 313 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: like that's a to me, that's a star issue, right, Like, yeah, 314 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: you can bring someone else in, maybe they'll buy in 315 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: for a little bit, But to me, that doesn't solve 316 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: your problem. Like tonight we saw Russ and a D 317 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: bought in. Is a makes this a really good basketball team? 318 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: Like we kicked the Pistons as in the fourth quarter 319 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: it was thirty seven to fifteen, Like this game that 320 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: we were blowing out all game, Russ and a D 321 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: just bought in like that, Like that's a huge turning 322 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: point to me, And it just shows that that's in there, 323 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: that's in them. Like Malik Monk is not going to 324 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: be able to defend, Like it's just that's who he 325 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: is as a player. He's this park plug offensive guy. 326 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: I think that's been pretty clear. Carmelo Anthony, what you 327 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: get out of him defensively, to me is a bonus 328 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: just with his shooting that's coming. But like the boden 329 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: has to come from RUSS, A D and Lebron And 330 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: again we can you can't fire them. You're you're a 331 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: thousand percent right. It is not Frank's fault. It is 332 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: lebron a Navy's fault. But you can't fire lebron a Navy. 333 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: It's unfair, but it's a reality. Sure. But I like, 334 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: just my opinion, I don't think firing Frank all of 335 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: a sudden gets that Like to me, that's an inner 336 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: problem within them that they have to get to. Like 337 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: to me, that's not a fire. The coach's like the 338 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: Sacramento King just fired Lukewald right, seventeen games in, just 339 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: fired their coach. To me, their season is done. Alvin 340 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: gentr is probably a good coach. Alvin Gentry is gonna 341 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: come in. It's just gonna try to instill whatever new 342 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: philosophy he has. But that season is kind of done 343 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: for them. They're onto the next one. They're gonna try. 344 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: They have little things in the contract. While Avan Gentry 345 00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: can become their you know, future coach for a longer time, 346 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: but they're probably going to a deeper coaching search in 347 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: there to me, firing Frank Vogo mid season just that's 348 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 1: not the solution for this team. This team has Russell 349 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: Westbrook fit issues. This team has we have guards who 350 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 1: can't defend, who we need to space the floor? Issues? 351 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: We have who is our two centers that can play, 352 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 1: that can protect the rim and rebound enough? Like those 353 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 1: are not firing your coach issues to me, And like 354 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,479 Speaker 1: Frank Vogo has a ton of problems himself, he has 355 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,400 Speaker 1: line of issues. Tonight, I thought it was a step 356 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 1: forward though, no Rondo tonight, Like we got what we wanted. 357 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: We got the th ht Russ stagger tssue Russ and Lebron. 358 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 1: We got Rondo a little bit. Once Lebron went out. 359 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: I tweeted that. I tweeted that when Lebron goes out, 360 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: it's a license for Frank to play Rondo. It's just 361 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: like that he gets, he gets like a card and 362 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: it's like, oh, Lebron's gone, O, let me play in 363 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: my Rondo card, Like I can play Rondo now. Great. 364 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: But like but again, like we got we got those 365 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: staggered and I'm seeing process that's going forward here. But 366 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: like to me, Fryan Frank Vogo is the same thing 367 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: I've been talking about with the DeAndre Jordan's stuff. Everyone 368 00:17:57,560 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 1: came at us and like, hey, just you know, stop 369 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: playing Jandre Jordan's and we'll be fine. Play a d 370 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 1: at the Five, And that solved some issues. That solved 371 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: the rust not playing a phone booth playing in a 372 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: phone booth issues, but opened up these other problems that 373 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 1: like now the eighties the five now the help man, 374 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: the low Man's monk to help Man's Carmelo Anthony to 375 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: help Man's, the guy who's tagging the rollers, Wayne Ellington, like, 376 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: those are other issues that comes up. And maybe it's 377 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: not fair that Lebron has to be bought in from 378 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: you know, tip off to end of tip off defensively, 379 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: but that's what this roster has built, has been built 380 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: upon at least until Trevor Reason comes back, list until 381 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: Austin Reeves shockingly comes back like we need his defense, uh, 382 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: and he needs to be bought in. And then hopefully, 383 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: I'm hopeful and maybe again I'm a optimist. I'm a 384 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,719 Speaker 1: hopeful optimist in the wrong way, but I'm hopeful this 385 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: can kind of build towards that. But like firing Frank 386 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 1: to me, is like pushing a button and hoping it 387 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,159 Speaker 1: solves everything. And there's all these other unintended consequences that 388 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: probably come from that. And I'm a big believer in 389 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 1: a team needs a training camp, but team needs, you know, 390 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: to have voices that they've been they've been with they 391 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: went to war and won a title of the thirteen 392 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:04,120 Speaker 1: months ago. Like, if Frank Vogel's voice is lost, imagine 393 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: a guy that they haven't been to war with. Imagine 394 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: a guy that they don't know if his stuff works. 395 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: You know what I mean? You know what I mean 396 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: by that, Jason, like that, You're right, You're a thousand 397 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: percent right. I do not again, I do not think 398 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: Frank is anything but a scapegoat in this situation. But like, 399 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: but I'll give you an example. You know who the 400 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: two thousand eighteen has at the trade deadline. So you know, 401 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,719 Speaker 1: Jay Crowder is pretty good. I would say he's a 402 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 1: better player than Rodney Hood. Okay, you know they made 403 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 1: the trade for Larry Nance, but he didn't really play 404 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: much in the playoff run. They really primarily went with 405 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,400 Speaker 1: Tristan Thompson to turn things around in that playoff run. 406 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: You know, Mainly the trade was about ditching Isaiah Thomas, 407 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: who was a bad attitude and just getting some new 408 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: faces in the locker room because it just helped to 409 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 1: have some new faces because for whatever is in that 410 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:07,120 Speaker 1: particular concoction of basketball players wasn't working. And again, it's 411 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 1: not Jay Crowder's fault that they sucks to start that season. 412 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: It wasn't Dwyane Wade's fault that they suck to start 413 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: that season. That wasn't it at all. It was one 414 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: thousand percent about a scenery change. And it's completely just 415 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: like it's a it's almost like a placebo effect, you 416 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,719 Speaker 1: know what I mean, there's something about it for whatever 417 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: reason with basketball that sometimes it's just guys tune a 418 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: guy out that they used to listen to and you 419 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: just need to change. And I don't think it's fair 420 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: again to you to your point, it's not fair. It's 421 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,159 Speaker 1: a thousand percent not fair. This is Lebron and a 422 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: d not buying in the way they did in it 423 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: trickling down the roster. Couple that with personnel problems and 424 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: like shortages at the forward position and guys having less 425 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: of a natural defensive identity, and you get this disaster. 426 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: To me, those are all all the things that are 427 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: actually happening. But you can't get rid of Lebron in ade, 428 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: nor should you want to. You just need them to 429 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: wake up. What was the famous thing that Kobe Altman 430 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: said after that trade deadline? Do you remember roj H 431 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 1: I don't know. So he was interviewed, he was interviewed 432 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: during a game at halftime, or it was actually during 433 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: the broadcast and they were interviewing Kobe Altman, and Kobe 434 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 1: Altman literally said this and I'm not exaggerating, he goes, 435 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: I'm not making this up. He goes, He goes, the 436 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: most important thing that we got in this trade is 437 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: we got Lebron to re engage. That's what he's said. 438 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: And that's literally a thing. And we're gonna talk more 439 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: about this in a minute when we get to Lebron. 440 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: But the reality is is Lebron is not engaged right 441 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: now for whatever reason. And that's a whole other topic 442 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: that we'll get to, but Lebron is not engaged right now. 443 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,119 Speaker 1: That is trickled down to Anthony Davis having his least 444 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: engaged season as a Laker. Will probably not as bad 445 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 1: as last year, but still pretty bad. And so now 446 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 1: you're stuck in this like limbo where the two guys 447 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,920 Speaker 1: that are most capable of fixing this situation, Shian, are 448 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: not intent on fixing it. So until that changes, nothing 449 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: can really change and nothing can really start heading in 450 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: the right direction. And so it's just kind of the 451 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: harsh reality of the situation when your stars aren't bought in. 452 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 1: But you're right, it's not Frank's fault. And for for 453 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: the record, let's say tomorrow, you know, Rob Polinka comes 454 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 1: out with like some sort of message where he says, 455 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: we're not firing Frank. Frank's here for the long run. 456 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: We want thousand percent supported. At that point, something else 457 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: has to be done. And so I actually got into 458 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: a discussion with Christian Rivas, who's another guy who covers 459 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: the Lakers today, and the idea there is something that 460 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: you and I talked about in our last pot. If 461 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: you don't have a team identity that is focused on 462 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 1: effort and focus on defense and all those things that 463 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: the controllables that we talk about, then you need to 464 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:55,479 Speaker 1: start playing players that have that as an individual identity. So, 465 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: for instance, if I can't count on the group to 466 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: commit on the defense the end of the floor. Then 467 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: I need to play players who will do it on 468 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: their own volition, like Austin Reaves, who, by the way, 469 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 1: is obviously hurt, but we'll be coming back soon. Frank 470 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: said this morning that he's if it were up to him, 471 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: he'd be playing, and so the medical stats just being 472 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:18,439 Speaker 1: safe with him. If that is bringing Stanley Johnson in 473 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: on a somehow through waving another waving one of the 474 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 1: other vets or whatever it is, if that means playing 475 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 1: more John Dy Brown, that means more Dwight Howard, who, 476 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 1: by the way, is a player who has a defensive 477 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: identity as an individual, like playing big, even though I 478 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: don't like that idea, if Dwight is one of the 479 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: five on the floor and he's actually trying on the 480 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: defensive end of the floor, that it carries a certain 481 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: amount of value. That's our beef, you and I are 482 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: beef has always been with DJ, not with playing big. 483 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,439 Speaker 1: It's been with DJ. That's the problem. And so that 484 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 1: would be the fix for Frank is like start to 485 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 1: give some attempts to play the players who have an 486 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: individual defensive identity, which do exist on this roster. They're 487 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: absolutely here. So to me, that would be if Frank 488 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: stays that's the way it has to go. But I 489 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: tend to think that that ship is sailed and Frank 490 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:18,679 Speaker 1: needs to go to get that change of scenery that 491 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: gets the stars to buy in. Even if that sounds 492 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: completely irrational, it's just it's something that has happened many 493 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: times in the history of the league. So it's funny. 494 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: When we got the notification that Frank was going with 495 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 1: the two big lineups, everyone started to freak out right, 496 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 1: it was like, oh man, what's going on? But I 497 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: think that was and I kind of respected. I think 498 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: that's just Frank going down like on his in his 499 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: own way, right, like I'm going down with this ship 500 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: my way. And he started again Avery Bradley DeAndre Jordan's 501 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 1: and that's this team needs a defensive identity. And I know, 502 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 1: like I disagree with like the way it's gone gone about, 503 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: Like I think we need to lean into the offense, 504 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: but that's not the coach Frank is. Like, Frank is 505 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,679 Speaker 1: defensive minded coach, and to me, a GM, a coach 506 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 1: and a star player should be moving in unison. And 507 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: I feel like this roster was built somehow, some way, 508 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: like in spite of freak somehow, like in a in 509 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: a way it's built in a totally opposite way that 510 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: he would like to play guards that can't defend. But tonight, 511 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: like I put in my notes here, like we need 512 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: a new rotation, you know what I mean, Like that's 513 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: the way you fix this. To me, like blaming a 514 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: d and russ Is and Lebron's lack of engagement on 515 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: the them not buying into their coach, Like that's a 516 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: bridge you have to jump to to me, and like 517 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: to me, I can't get there, Like like losing the 518 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: okay see is not a I'm not losing okay see 519 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 1: earlier in the year. It is not a I'm not 520 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,919 Speaker 1: bought into frame right, Like like that's that has to 521 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: be something within them. That's a lack of urgency within them, 522 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: that's a lack of wanting to And then again, playing 523 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: guards who don't do this anyway, like Malik Munk, Wayne Elton, 524 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 1: our guards who fight and go box out, Like that's 525 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: not stuff to me that gets fixed by changing the personnel, 526 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: Like that's where I want to go with this, Like 527 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: to me, we need a new rotation and that's where 528 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: like the hope comes in for me and this team 529 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: playing Austin Reeves, Kendrick Gun will see when he comes back, 530 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 1: Trevor Reza that needs to replace kind of the Malik Monk, 531 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: the other bad defenders that we play, and then you 532 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: can start to build that because Frank's not gonna to me, 533 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 1: he's not going to go back to a D at 534 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: the five for a little while. Now, this is starting 535 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: lineup we're gonna get. I think Avery Bradley is gonna 536 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:25,719 Speaker 1: stay in the starting lineup. And to me, this lineup 537 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 1: fits more with Avery what Aby Bradley does. I thought 538 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: he was a little bit more impactful tonight, Like he's 539 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: not the switching guy but and his shot wasn't really 540 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: falling either. But he's a guy that but he's not 541 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 1: been the problem, right And I like, to me, this 542 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: is the starting lineup that fits him. It doesn't fit Rus, 543 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: but it fits Avery Bradley, Like this is his type 544 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: of lineup. The fight over funnel you to one of 545 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: the bigs. One of the bigs are going to be 546 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: in the paint. I'll funnel you there and I can 547 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: do my job doing that. That's that's an expectation thing, right, 548 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: Frank Bogel knows what he's going to get out of 549 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: Avery Bradley. That's why to me he starts him base 550 00:26:58,400 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: more and Milak Monk. You don't know what you can get. 551 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:01,399 Speaker 1: And I tonight even Bradley might not be able to 552 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:03,399 Speaker 1: shoot as well as them every night from night tonight 553 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: in terms of like a ceiling to floor level, but 554 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: you know he plays at the level that you can 555 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: predict um. And again, like with the zone stuff, like 556 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: Jeff van Gundy when but when he used to when 557 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 1: he used to at least analyze basketball. Now it's kind 558 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: of like a Now it's kind of like a three 559 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: hour podcast exactly. But Jeff Van Gundy a long time ago, 560 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 1: he said it's harder to get players to buy into 561 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: a zone, right, like it just naturally as a coach, 562 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: and he was a coach for a while. And this 563 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 1: is not newt to Frank Vogo as well, which is 564 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: this is the reason why I don't like the zone. 565 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:35,879 Speaker 1: Looks like it works for a couple of possessions, but 566 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: you just don't get players to buy into it. And 567 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:40,480 Speaker 1: that's that's something that Frank has talked about. But there's 568 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: a defensive identity you can build here, I thought someone 569 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 1: that's something someone brought up is a good point. Like, 570 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: if you're gonna go with the two bigs, try Dwight 571 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 1: Howard at least start him. I know we like him 572 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: off the bench. There's still things to do. To me 573 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 1: where like once you press the fire, Frank Vogel plug like, 574 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: you better be damned right at the next guy that 575 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: comes in, because we know Frank Vogel is a good 576 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: coach in whatever situation. It is. The new guy that 577 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: comes in, whoever it is, whether it's on the bench 578 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 1: right now, whether it's an outside higher whoever comes in. 579 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:10,399 Speaker 1: Like to me, that doesn't solid issues we have. I 580 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,679 Speaker 1: keep relating it back to the just start eight at 581 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: the five. That solve some problems. But then you open 582 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: up all these other unintended consequences with that, and I'm 583 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: not ready to go there. Yeah, I know a lot 584 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: of I know all of la your nation pretty much is, 585 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 1: but I'm I'm just not there at that point. You're 586 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: you're the hold out, and it's good. We need all that. 587 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: We need someone to talk us off the ledge. We 588 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 1: need we need someone that is a little bit less reactionary. 589 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, you know how it is man 590 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: like I've been kind of trending in this direction a 591 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: little by a little with each passing with each passing game. 592 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 1: But you know, it's just weird. I mean, it's like 593 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: you have to watch, you have to compare yourself to 594 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:46,520 Speaker 1: the best, right, I mean, because the Lakers goal is 595 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: not to beat the Pistons. The Lakers goal is to 596 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: win the championship, right, And you know, it's like it's 597 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: like I'm sick of going on the ESPN app and 598 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: look and looking at the scores and being like, oh, 599 00:28:57,640 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 1: Phoenix is beating the living ship out of Denver right 600 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: now in the first quarter because they care and because 601 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: they are actually committed to to to building that championship 602 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: momentum and crossing those championship check marks, you know what 603 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 1: I mean, like checking all those boxes. And I'm sick 604 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: of it. I'm sick. I'm sick of watching them just 605 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: get out classed every single time they play. And and 606 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: to and to me, you gott it's about the controllables, 607 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 1: you know, And and and to me that ties to Frank, 608 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: but I mean it is what it is. We we 609 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: you know, I mentioned a couple of weeks back, we 610 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: said there's probably a group chat that exists that has 611 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: Lebron and Russ and Anthony Davis, and it maybe Rob's 612 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: in there too, I don't know. But with this group chat, 613 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: there's a sentiment that's being exchanged among the group, and 614 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 1: that sentiment is either like, come on, guys, let's get 615 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: our ship together, or it's I need Frank addat here, 616 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 1: and then Rust being like, yeah, me too. I I 617 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: don't know what it is, and I guess, like we say, 618 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: we'll find out through some kind of of of WOJ bomb. 619 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: But thought it was really interesting that you pointed out 620 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: that he's going down his way, because that's what I 621 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: ended up tweeting out when I saw in the starting 622 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: lineup that's the last two nights ago, Frank said after 623 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: they got killed by Boston, He's like, if you want 624 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: to have a significant role in this rotation, you have 625 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 1: to commit to plaint defense. He said that, which was 626 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: very very abrasive ish, you know what I mean, Like 627 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: it was kind of like it was, it was kind 628 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: of very off the cuff compared to the way Frank 629 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: usually talks. And then a couple that with the starting 630 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: lineup decision tonight, you can tell He's to that point, 631 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 1: like I think Frank is sick of these guys. Like honestly, Like, 632 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 1: can you imagine being Frank watching the film from these 633 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: games compared compared to what he saw when he was 634 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: coaching them the previous two seasons, you know what I mean. Like, 635 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: it's got to just be he's got to just be 636 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: pulling his hair out, you know what I mean. But 637 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 1: it is what it is. We can move on from 638 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 1: the Frank thing. I mean, look, look, I want to 639 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 1: talk about Lebron for a minute, because this is something 640 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: that I've been warning you know, I've been warning you 641 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 1: guys about for a long time, and I just never 642 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: thought it would apply to this team. But I used 643 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: to always tell you, like, hey, like I think I 644 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: said in the offseason, I was like, I could not 645 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: imagine a better leader for this team. Why Because they 646 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: have legitimate championship aspirations and a legitimate chance to win 647 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: an NBA title. That's the best leader you want for 648 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: that type of group. Right, Well, things have been so 649 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: off the rails that it's brought into the equation this 650 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: other element of the Lebron James experience that I frequently 651 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 1: talked about, which is the chaos, the fact that he 652 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 1: when things go south, has a tendency to power and 653 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 1: to be passive aggressive, and to entirely check out of 654 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: basketball games mentally, and to try to send a message 655 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: to the team or to the front office or to 656 00:31:56,560 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: the public through very, very melodrama attic means, as opposed 657 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 1: to handling that kind of thing behind closed doors. He's 658 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: not gonna go up to Kevin Love in his locker 659 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: room and be like, dude, I need you to stop 660 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: being so like like you know, alone to yourself, and 661 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:14,200 Speaker 1: I need you to start being a part of this 662 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: team and try to find a way to win. No, no no, no, 663 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 1: it's I'm gonna tweet it like like that's the Lebron experience. 664 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 1: It's not. It's not. Hey, I'm gonna go to Rob 665 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: and tell him we need to do this, this and this, 666 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 1: and in the meantime, I'm gonna play really hard and 667 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 1: try to maximize as much as this is. No, it's 668 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:34,000 Speaker 1: like I'm going to pout and not try until I 669 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: get what I want. That's that's the way he is. 670 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: It's the way he's been pretty much ever since Miami. 671 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: And so I've warned you guys, I warn you Laker 672 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 1: Nation that this is kind of part of that experience. 673 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 1: But there's two sides to that coin. ROJ. You said 674 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 1: the King's season is over. They fired Luke Walton, their 675 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: season is over. Lebron, in my opinion, yes, and you're 676 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 1: not wrong about that, although the one little detail I'd 677 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 1: say is that the king season might have been over 678 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: before it even started. But the one flip side of 679 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 1: that coin with Lebron is that with the chaos, there 680 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: is no better person to have in that chair in 681 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: terms of coming out the other side. There will be 682 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 1: a point when Lebron buys back in this year. I 683 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: don't know if it's tomorrow. I don't know if it's 684 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: after the suspension. I don't know if it's after the 685 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 1: trade deadline. I don't know if it's after Frank gets fired. 686 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's after another five game losing 687 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: streak and nothing changes. I'm not sure. But there will 688 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: be a point where he dials it back up, and 689 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:46,959 Speaker 1: what he does this team will be just fine. Lebron 690 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 1: is very very good at taking the ugly after it's 691 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: past and just moving on. It doesn't linger it doesn't 692 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 1: stay on the team like a tumor. He just one, 693 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 1: he gets what he wants, he cuts it out, and 694 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: he moves forward. And so all I would say is 695 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,879 Speaker 1: this is gonna get ugly, and I don't know what's 696 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 1: going to change. Something's gonna change, though, and when we 697 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 1: come out the other side, you're going to see the 698 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 1: real Lebron James and it's all gonna be fine. I 699 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 1: genuinely feel that. I don't think you and I ever 700 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 1: during the season have lost faith in the ultimate goal 701 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 1: with this team. We've just been frustrated with the process. 702 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: So does what I'm saying makes sense to you at all? No, 703 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 1: it definitely does. Uh, Definitely, that definitely makes sense. Like 704 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 1: Lebron has shown, I wasn't following the calves as closely, 705 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:39,920 Speaker 1: but obviously I've read the stories all the people have 706 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:42,439 Speaker 1: come out with it, Bryanoyd Horizon because the guy who's 707 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 1: detailed it, uh, gone in detail on that. But like 708 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,879 Speaker 1: to me, I can't again, like I just can't jump 709 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,359 Speaker 1: that bridge to like because we've seen Lebron not trying 710 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: on defense before in a Laker uniform, right like that, 711 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: that's definitely happened, like it happened last year in Points 712 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,080 Speaker 1: as well. I don't know if that's to blame on 713 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 1: him just coming back from injury. And again I keep saying, 714 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:05,960 Speaker 1: like it's unfair to me to have year nineteen Lebron 715 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:08,400 Speaker 1: have to be the first defense type of player that 716 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: we need him to be. Uh tonight, again, a lot 717 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 1: of really lack of engagement, lack of interest in the 718 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: ball game, and that kind of goes out to the 719 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 1: whole team. But I really can't jump that gun to 720 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: go like, yeah, Lebron is not trying and that's because 721 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:24,759 Speaker 1: he's out on Frank Fogol. Like again, I said this 722 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: when they when the King's let go of Luke Wall 723 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:28,560 Speaker 1: and like, if you let go of a coach seventeen 724 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 1: games in, you know he's not your guy going into 725 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: the season, right, Like the King's knew. I don't know 726 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: why they wasted everyone's time doing the seventeen game, you know, 727 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:40,439 Speaker 1: the seventeen game trot out this fake like, oh maybe 728 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,239 Speaker 1: he could have won. Now they knew they were letting 729 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:44,239 Speaker 1: him go at some point, whether it was now, where 730 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:46,359 Speaker 1: it was later, it was gonna happen. That's the same 731 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:48,320 Speaker 1: thing to me with the Frank Vogl stuff. And we 732 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: joke about how much power Lebron has Lebron asked for 733 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:53,399 Speaker 1: all of this, like let's let's be on his here, 734 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: like this team was built with you know, him and 735 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:59,359 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis in mind. Carmelo directly came out and said 736 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 1: he was rooted by Lebron James, not Rob Polinka. He 737 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:05,440 Speaker 1: was recruited by Lebron, James, Russell Westbrook, Russell Westbrook. The 738 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 1: whole story about going to their house, and you know 739 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,800 Speaker 1: Rob wasn't there. Rob wasn't at that fancy dinner wherever 740 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 1: it was. It was. It was Russ, Lebron and a 741 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:16,360 Speaker 1: D deciding hey, we're gonna do this. Lebron as for 742 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: all this, and he also had Frank Vogel as his 743 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 1: coach four months ago. He had his coach three months ago. Like, 744 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,720 Speaker 1: this is not something that to me changes mid season. 745 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:26,399 Speaker 1: If you want to fire your coach, that's an off 746 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 1: season thing. And that's the thing that you know, if 747 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:30,800 Speaker 1: if Lebron and a D really were you know, against 748 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 1: Frank Vogel, that could have happened last last off the season. Instead, 749 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 1: Frank Bogo got an extension. Like to me, like the 750 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:41,000 Speaker 1: Lebron not trying on defense equaling to uh equaling to 751 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:43,440 Speaker 1: them out on Frank Vogel. Like those two, those two 752 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:46,240 Speaker 1: things to me just don't connect yet. Like I can't 753 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 1: get there yet. But I see your point there. I 754 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,320 Speaker 1: know that if things do go bad, like stuff like 755 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 1: this can happen. First year Lebron, right, like we lost 756 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 1: a lot of games and then all the all the 757 00:36:55,920 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: dudes were traded. Like that's sure, and Jackie mcmullens the 758 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,040 Speaker 1: one who got really mad at that. I don't care 759 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 1: about that. Lebron can drink whatever he wants on the sideline. 760 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 1: But but yeah, like that's where I just can't get 761 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:10,960 Speaker 1: to that they haven't bought into Frank Vogel. Now, look, 762 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: maybe Frank vogel scheme doesn't match the team, Like that's 763 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:17,240 Speaker 1: a fair conversation to have, Like these guards can't defend 764 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:19,040 Speaker 1: that way. I think that's something that we've been saying 765 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,520 Speaker 1: for a while now that you like, we probably need 766 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: to do a little bit more of this switching again, 767 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 1: he's gone to some zone. But like the drop coverage 768 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:29,479 Speaker 1: with DeAndre Jordan as the big probably is not gonna work. 769 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: And and that's okay. That stuff that can be worked out, 770 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:34,880 Speaker 1: that can be tinkered with, that that stuff that can 771 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 1: be worked out, and again the lineup stuff is super frustrating. 772 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: I would like to get I would like Frank Vogel 773 00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:41,960 Speaker 1: to have the full team though, have the media day 774 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,240 Speaker 1: starting lineup that we were, you know, sold the Russ ellington. 775 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:47,200 Speaker 1: I think it was a reason Lebron and a d 776 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 1: like I'd like to see that lineup once. I'd like 777 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:51,760 Speaker 1: it to give a chance before we pull the plug, 778 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,360 Speaker 1: because again, to me, find a coach is pulling the 779 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:56,759 Speaker 1: plug and then the next only next thing bigger than 780 00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:59,239 Speaker 1: that is trading Russ, which I compared to you know, 781 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: so Frank Vogel was pulling the fire alarm trading Russ 782 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:04,719 Speaker 1: as the house burned down. I don't want to even 783 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:06,839 Speaker 1: get close to either of those two yet. So that's 784 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 1: that's why I'm at with that. I know we're trying 785 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: to move on and go on to Lebron, but they're 786 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 1: all intertwined if you're connected here. But again, his objection 787 00:38:14,239 --> 00:38:16,359 Speaker 1: to me didn't matter. I know we got we gotta 788 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,240 Speaker 1: ask kick early, but I thought Russ really changed his energy. 789 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:22,840 Speaker 1: He wasn't. He wasn't playing effectively right after the objection, 790 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:25,800 Speaker 1: after the tussle with Stewart. But I thought that his 791 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 1: you know, his his energy really reflected onto the rest 792 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:31,440 Speaker 1: of the team. Obviously Carmelo getting going was a part 793 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 1: of it too, But I do think that was a 794 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 1: spark tonight and hopefully that that builds on. But but yeah, 795 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: I can't get to the Lebron's not playing hard because 796 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:42,400 Speaker 1: of he's not bought into Frank Vogel or he doesn't 797 00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 1: like the roster when I feel like his hands are 798 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: his hands are tempered with all of it, you know 799 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:49,880 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like, I can't, I can't get there yet. 800 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,839 Speaker 1: I I'm not. First of all, I'm thankful that your 801 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:56,960 Speaker 1: perspective is what it is because I think it makes 802 00:38:57,160 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 1: for a little bit more balanced with my more radical approach, 803 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:03,479 Speaker 1: so that that's a good thing. So we got about 804 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 1: fifteen more minitary. I wanted to touch about the touch 805 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,560 Speaker 1: on the Lebron flagrant foul thing because this I thought 806 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:13,040 Speaker 1: was super interesting to me. So, um, a couple of things. 807 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,000 Speaker 1: First of all, guys get hit in the face in 808 00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:21,799 Speaker 1: basketball games. That happens, okay a lot. Actually, um, it's 809 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:25,400 Speaker 1: a contact sport and it's part of the game. Now 810 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,080 Speaker 1: they are kind of like three varying levels to that 811 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 1: there's I accidentally get you in the face entirely, like 812 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 1: maybe I was literally driving to the basket and my 813 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,879 Speaker 1: hand was on the ball, but my elbow that had 814 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:41,600 Speaker 1: the shot attempt happened to clip you in the face. Yeah, 815 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:47,320 Speaker 1: that's entirely inadvertent. Then there's like the Okay, I literally 816 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 1: punched you in the face on purpose, you know, like 817 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:53,239 Speaker 1: a like a you know, Malice at the Palace type 818 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:56,360 Speaker 1: of deal. But then there's like this other thing that happens, 819 00:39:56,640 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 1: and it happens all the time. It's so thing Dwight 820 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,680 Speaker 1: Howard of the Lakers does like two or three times 821 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: every single game, and that's the We're jostling for position, 822 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 1: fighting for a rebound, and I thought you were a 823 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,160 Speaker 1: little too handsy, so I try to elbow your arms 824 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:16,880 Speaker 1: off of me. It's like just kind of like a 825 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,319 Speaker 1: flailing chuck of the arm. Dwight doesn't, Like I said, 826 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,680 Speaker 1: literally two or three times every single game. I see 827 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,520 Speaker 1: it every single NBA game that I watch, at least once. 828 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:31,160 Speaker 1: But almost of the time it happens the elbow catches 829 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,560 Speaker 1: the dude in the bicep and knock the dude's arm off. 830 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:37,200 Speaker 1: Most of the time they run back on defense. Some 831 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: of the time, they might get a little bit angry 832 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 1: at each other, they might jaw at each other a 833 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,120 Speaker 1: little bit, they might get attacked, but for the most part, 834 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,920 Speaker 1: we all just move on. And what happened on that 835 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:49,440 Speaker 1: play was Lebron was pinching on a on the top 836 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:52,359 Speaker 1: side on a free throw rebound, and Isaiah Stewart, who 837 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:55,040 Speaker 1: all night long has been physically bullying the Lakers on 838 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:58,800 Speaker 1: the offensive glass, especially Anthony Davis, got tangled up with 839 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:01,240 Speaker 1: Lebron and tangled up with his own arm, and Lebron, 840 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 1: as he was falling away from him, ripped his arm 841 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 1: through in the same way that I just described happens 842 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:10,760 Speaker 1: every single NBA game, and on the play, his hand 843 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 1: followed through the elbow and hit Isaiah Stewart in the 844 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:18,000 Speaker 1: face and it opened up his eyeball, and then everything 845 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:23,080 Speaker 1: you saw happened to me that was such like such 846 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:26,400 Speaker 1: a typical example of that kind of middle ground that 847 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:28,719 Speaker 1: I was talking about, something that is kind of a 848 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:34,520 Speaker 1: typical basketball play that accidentally went south. And it's hilarious 849 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:38,160 Speaker 1: because every time anything involving Lebron happens, it always turns 850 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:41,600 Speaker 1: into this. It always turns into here, comes the Lebron's 851 00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:45,239 Speaker 1: a dirty player crowd, Here comes the you know, all 852 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:48,279 Speaker 1: the Lebron stands go on the entire other direction where 853 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:50,239 Speaker 1: it's like the dude could never do anything wrong ever. 854 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:54,440 Speaker 1: And what bothers me the most about it is like, like, literally, 855 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:58,560 Speaker 1: had Isaiah Stewart not freaked out the way that he did, 856 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 1: I don't think it would nearly have been the story 857 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:03,759 Speaker 1: that it was. And I don't think Isaiah Stewart even 858 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:06,839 Speaker 1: freaked out until he realized he was bleeding. He got 859 00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:08,920 Speaker 1: in Lebron's face and there was a little bit of jawing, 860 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:11,680 Speaker 1: and then he started seeing the blood come down his 861 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:16,040 Speaker 1: face and then he just went absolutely psycho. And what's 862 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:19,440 Speaker 1: so it's such a non story to me. And the 863 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 1: far more interesting topic, which we already talked about, which 864 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:25,959 Speaker 1: was Lebron's effort during the game, and obviously the Laker 865 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:29,200 Speaker 1: come back and the stuff with Frank and the stuff 866 00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:31,520 Speaker 1: with the zone has all been glossed over because at 867 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:35,600 Speaker 1: this stupid angle of this video where Lebron is just 868 00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:37,720 Speaker 1: trying to get a dude off of him who's jockeying 869 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:40,400 Speaker 1: for rebound position, and it's just so funny to me 870 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:42,919 Speaker 1: because it's I'm curious to hear your opinion, Rose, because 871 00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:44,640 Speaker 1: I thought, and maybe this is just me as a 872 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:47,320 Speaker 1: basketball player, you know, because like to me, it was 873 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:50,560 Speaker 1: such a normal kind of thing that can happen in 874 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 1: the game that just so happened to go south. It 875 00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:55,520 Speaker 1: almost looked to me like Lebron went right up to 876 00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:59,480 Speaker 1: him after like whoops my back like Lebron. I looked 877 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:01,560 Speaker 1: to me like Ron was saying, hey man, I was 878 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:03,000 Speaker 1: just trying to get your arm off of me, and 879 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:04,759 Speaker 1: I did not mean to hit you in the face. 880 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:07,480 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, but that's the di vibe I got. So 881 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:10,920 Speaker 1: what was your two cents on that play? So I 882 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,880 Speaker 1: remember in the finals when again I'm not comparing the 883 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:17,080 Speaker 1: two actions here because I'm a lot more on your 884 00:43:17,120 --> 00:43:19,640 Speaker 1: side on this, but I remember when Draymond Green got 885 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:22,719 Speaker 1: suspended right for doing his kicking thing, and he tried 886 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,640 Speaker 1: to sell that, uh you know, that wasn't his intent. 887 00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:29,279 Speaker 1: But on a replay, you can't judge intent, right Like 888 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:31,960 Speaker 1: a ref can't go and look at intent. They can 889 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:34,720 Speaker 1: only look at the actual action that happened. So Lebron, 890 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,279 Speaker 1: the action that actually happened was he did hit his face. 891 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:40,440 Speaker 1: He got ejected. He got the flagrant too, might get 892 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:43,200 Speaker 1: one game suspension just with how it looked, I guess, 893 00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:45,160 Speaker 1: with how bloody is. But I thought that's a play, 894 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:48,040 Speaker 1: a routine play as well. Like, Look, I do I 895 00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:50,640 Speaker 1: think Isaiah Stewart obviously, I do. I think he thinks 896 00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:53,120 Speaker 1: that was super intentional. Oh yeah, like I obviously think 897 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:55,120 Speaker 1: that's why he reacted the way he did. So I 898 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:57,400 Speaker 1: was bleeding. He thought it was intentional thought, you know, 899 00:43:57,480 --> 00:43:59,360 Speaker 1: as he was thought that Lebron was really trying to 900 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 1: hit him. I thought it was the same thing. They 901 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:02,880 Speaker 1: were tied up. I think it was Dwight Howard on 902 00:44:02,920 --> 00:44:05,520 Speaker 1: the other end. Look, Isaiah Stewart was kicking our ass too, 903 00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:09,200 Speaker 1: Like it was. His offensive rebounding was insane, like early on, 904 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:11,080 Speaker 1: just with our lack of lack of days a goal 905 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:14,040 Speaker 1: effort combined with him going hard for every play that 906 00:44:14,239 --> 00:44:16,600 Speaker 1: mixed he really killed us on that. But but yeah, 907 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:18,360 Speaker 1: like I thought that was a normal basketball play. We 908 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:20,400 Speaker 1: see that all the time. Dudes get tangled up and 909 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:22,000 Speaker 1: one guy is like trying to get the other guy 910 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:24,600 Speaker 1: off him. And I think Lebron might have just pulled 911 00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:26,320 Speaker 1: the elbow a little bit harder than he thought, and 912 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:28,799 Speaker 1: and it caught Isaiah Stewart in the face. That's all 913 00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:31,239 Speaker 1: I thought it was. And again I saw the same 914 00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:33,000 Speaker 1: thing you did. I thought Lebron went up to him 915 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:34,960 Speaker 1: right after it to say, like my bad, but he 916 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:38,640 Speaker 1: immediately saw the energy that that Isaiah had and obviously 917 00:44:38,719 --> 00:44:41,279 Speaker 1: that wasn't uh. He didn't feel he didn't feel it was. 918 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:43,320 Speaker 1: It was an accident, but that's all I kind of 919 00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:45,920 Speaker 1: saw it was. I think Lebron gets one game, honestly, 920 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:47,919 Speaker 1: like I really do. I think that's how they're gonna 921 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:50,439 Speaker 1: they're gonna judge this. I don't know what Stewart gets. 922 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:53,000 Speaker 1: You know, he really tried to run at run at Lebron, 923 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:55,520 Speaker 1: which was Yeah, I don't know if I can blame him. 924 00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:57,600 Speaker 1: He really did think it was intentional, But that's all 925 00:44:57,600 --> 00:44:58,960 Speaker 1: I thought it was, too. I didn't think it was 926 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,600 Speaker 1: a big, super big deal, which is why I told 927 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:03,640 Speaker 1: you as well that we didn't really need to discuss 928 00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:05,440 Speaker 1: it that much. Just throw it onto the end of 929 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:07,320 Speaker 1: this one, because I don't want that to be the 930 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:12,400 Speaker 1: story of this game. Yeah. Yeah, Now do I think 931 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 1: that sparked the Lakers. I honestly did think that sparked them. 932 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 1: I think Lebron going out and not that like Lebron 933 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:20,719 Speaker 1: got ejected and we need the energy. It was more 934 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:23,120 Speaker 1: like Russ and a D being like, oh, like, oh, 935 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:25,000 Speaker 1: I'm the I'm the guy now, like I have to 936 00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:27,239 Speaker 1: run this like Lebrons on the floor and anymore like 937 00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:28,879 Speaker 1: it's my time. I got to run it. And maybe 938 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:30,839 Speaker 1: that's a separate issue. That's a we need to find 939 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:32,800 Speaker 1: a way to get Russ, Lebron in Ady to have 940 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:36,160 Speaker 1: that type of energy all game, even when all three 941 00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:38,040 Speaker 1: are there. But that's what I thought happened. I didn't 942 00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:39,920 Speaker 1: want this to be the story. You didn't either. I 943 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:41,560 Speaker 1: thought that was a play that it's a it's a 944 00:45:41,600 --> 00:45:44,920 Speaker 1: player that happens, you know, routinely in basketball. Like you said, Dwight, 945 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:46,719 Speaker 1: how are you see it? A lot big man who 946 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:49,040 Speaker 1: tustled down low. We talked about how much contact they 947 00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:52,480 Speaker 1: allow at the rim versus the perimeter. I think at 948 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:54,600 Speaker 1: the free throw line is the biggest space of that. 949 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:57,040 Speaker 1: Like on the free throw rebounds, you'll see all kinds 950 00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:00,080 Speaker 1: of contact. Files just get the rest, just slaw all 951 00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 1: the whistles on that, and I think this was another 952 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:04,880 Speaker 1: part of that. But you know, Stuart, he was bleeding 953 00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:06,840 Speaker 1: and he felt the type of way about it. But 954 00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:09,640 Speaker 1: I didn't think Lebron was intentionally trying to elbow him 955 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:12,279 Speaker 1: in the faces as it looked as it can look 956 00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:15,080 Speaker 1: on replay. When you slow things down, things can can 957 00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:17,200 Speaker 1: sometimes look a lot worse than it would just play 958 00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:20,000 Speaker 1: them in real time. That was my whole take on that. Yeah, 959 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:22,799 Speaker 1: it's interesting because, like I even think there's a big 960 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:27,480 Speaker 1: gap between like we're jocking for position and I deliberately 961 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:31,239 Speaker 1: elbow you in the ribs, like like trying to forcibly 962 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:34,280 Speaker 1: hit the elbow into somebody to me is so different 963 00:46:34,360 --> 00:46:37,560 Speaker 1: than like ripping away, And to me, that's what that was. 964 00:46:37,680 --> 00:46:40,360 Speaker 1: He was ripping away. Now he did it in a 965 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:43,640 Speaker 1: reckless way. He hit the dude in the face as 966 00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:46,239 Speaker 1: a result, But like, I'm serious and this is gonna 967 00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:49,360 Speaker 1: you know, obviously everyone knows I am a fan of Lebron, 968 00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:51,440 Speaker 1: that's true, but I also try to call it like 969 00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:53,960 Speaker 1: I see it with him, and like, to me, that 970 00:46:54,040 --> 00:46:57,279 Speaker 1: was a flagrant one play on It just happened to 971 00:46:57,360 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 1: be his knuckle must have just caught him in the 972 00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:06,440 Speaker 1: wrong spot opened up his face. Then Isaiah Stewart proceeded 973 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,480 Speaker 1: to have one of the crazy that part where he 974 00:47:09,640 --> 00:47:11,719 Speaker 1: ran through the tunnel of the announcers. We're talking about 975 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:14,360 Speaker 1: him potentially looping all the way around the hallway to 976 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:17,680 Speaker 1: reappear by the Lakers bench. That was crazy. I've never 977 00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:21,200 Speaker 1: seen anything like that before. Like that was absolutely wild. 978 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:24,360 Speaker 1: But the point being is, like I I just it 979 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:27,200 Speaker 1: was a riff away again, Like, I can't tell you 980 00:47:27,320 --> 00:47:29,719 Speaker 1: how many times I see that watching NBA basketball. That 981 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:32,120 Speaker 1: kind of thing happens. So there are so many like 982 00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:34,960 Speaker 1: little things like that that happened in basketball all the time. 983 00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:36,960 Speaker 1: It's no different than like there are a lot of 984 00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:39,799 Speaker 1: guys that like when you're isolating in a triple threat 985 00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:42,000 Speaker 1: and the dude sticks his arm out and like guards 986 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:44,719 Speaker 1: you from one from arm's length away. Sometimes the guy 987 00:47:44,840 --> 00:47:47,080 Speaker 1: will slap down at the arm just to knock the 988 00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:49,320 Speaker 1: arm away, you know, that kind of that kind of 989 00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:52,520 Speaker 1: weird hand fighting and elbow fighting, you know, just with 990 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:55,239 Speaker 1: your limbs. That kind of thing happens all the time 991 00:47:55,280 --> 00:47:57,920 Speaker 1: in basketball. I'd be willing to bet if I really tried, 992 00:47:58,040 --> 00:48:01,200 Speaker 1: And no, I don't care enough to try, But if 993 00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:03,360 Speaker 1: I really tried, I bet you I could find a 994 00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:06,680 Speaker 1: half dozen examples this year of Isaiah tom or excuse me, 995 00:48:06,719 --> 00:48:09,239 Speaker 1: Isaiah Stewart flailing his elbow at a guy while fighting 996 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:11,960 Speaker 1: for rebound position. I bet you I can find those clips. 997 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:16,080 Speaker 1: That's that's how common this play is to me, and 998 00:48:16,239 --> 00:48:18,920 Speaker 1: just how straightforward it was. But but it is what 999 00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:21,000 Speaker 1: it is. Like you said, it should never have been 1000 00:48:21,040 --> 00:48:23,880 Speaker 1: a big for those of you are who just tuned in. 1001 00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:26,800 Speaker 1: We're doing this at the end for a reason. This 1002 00:48:26,920 --> 00:48:29,880 Speaker 1: should not have been the story tonight. The story of 1003 00:48:29,920 --> 00:48:32,279 Speaker 1: this game was the Lakers mailing it in for three 1004 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:35,680 Speaker 1: quarters again and the team looking like they had quit 1005 00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:38,239 Speaker 1: on Frank. And then suddenly in the fourth quarter, after 1006 00:48:38,280 --> 00:48:41,040 Speaker 1: a few Carmelo, Anthony Threes, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis 1007 00:48:41,120 --> 00:48:43,080 Speaker 1: hit the gas in won a game on the road 1008 00:48:43,080 --> 00:48:45,800 Speaker 1: against the Pistons and pretty impressive fashion down at the 1009 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:47,800 Speaker 1: down there at the end of the game. That's the 1010 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:50,759 Speaker 1: story tonight. And then you could get into a story 1011 00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:55,240 Speaker 1: about Lebron's buy in and Frank Vogel and all that stuff. 1012 00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:57,400 Speaker 1: But this should not have been the story, and it's 1013 00:48:57,480 --> 00:49:00,120 Speaker 1: unfortunate that it was. Yeah, and it's going to be 1014 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:03,200 Speaker 1: like this, It's gonna run on ESPN all that it's 1015 00:49:03,239 --> 00:49:05,400 Speaker 1: gonna be the number one story, but like we didn't, 1016 00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:07,640 Speaker 1: we didn't spend too much time on it, so I 1017 00:49:07,719 --> 00:49:09,879 Speaker 1: guess I don't know much how much time we have left. 1018 00:49:09,920 --> 00:49:13,080 Speaker 1: But again, yeah, I just wanted to give Thd again 1019 00:49:13,120 --> 00:49:14,880 Speaker 1: the shoutout. He was a plus thirteen to night, and 1020 00:49:14,880 --> 00:49:16,640 Speaker 1: again a lot of that was because he was in 1021 00:49:16,719 --> 00:49:18,920 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter. But I think his defense is 1022 00:49:18,960 --> 00:49:21,680 Speaker 1: super important to this team. We didn't start him tonight 1023 00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:24,239 Speaker 1: and I kind of like that. I'm I'm fine with that, 1024 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:27,080 Speaker 1: letting him kind of run his units. He's still really 1025 00:49:27,960 --> 00:49:29,880 Speaker 1: he's still really out of control going to the basket 1026 00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:31,880 Speaker 1: and stuff like that. But his defense I thought was 1027 00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:36,000 Speaker 1: super important. Every Bradley plus eighteen and that wasn't directly 1028 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:38,680 Speaker 1: just him, It's just I think he fits what the 1029 00:49:38,760 --> 00:49:40,879 Speaker 1: team wants to do when they go to these these 1030 00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:43,960 Speaker 1: lineups for Frank, and it's really consistent. What is what 1031 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:45,399 Speaker 1: he's gonna do on the floor, And I think Frank 1032 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:46,839 Speaker 1: really likes that. So I just want to give those 1033 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:50,080 Speaker 1: two guys a shout out. And the Russell Westbrook ten 1034 00:49:50,239 --> 00:49:53,520 Speaker 1: and nine. We always talked about the numbers. We always 1035 00:49:54,080 --> 00:49:56,480 Speaker 1: talked about the production and how real the numbers kind 1036 00:49:56,480 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 1: of equate to winning. For his fourth quarter was just huge, 1037 00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:02,040 Speaker 1: and uh, I want to make that the story from tonight, 1038 00:50:02,160 --> 00:50:04,439 Speaker 1: like the ejection is what it is. But I thought 1039 00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:07,160 Speaker 1: those three really played played well. I thought Frank found 1040 00:50:07,160 --> 00:50:09,239 Speaker 1: the lineup that he could play. I like that. In 1041 00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:13,120 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter they went to Russ Bradley, Russ Bradley, Mellow, 1042 00:50:13,640 --> 00:50:15,560 Speaker 1: a D and I forgot who the other guy was 1043 00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:18,080 Speaker 1: on the floor there th HD, Sorry yeah, Russ Bradley, 1044 00:50:18,160 --> 00:50:20,719 Speaker 1: th HD, Mellow and a D. I thought that was 1045 00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:23,520 Speaker 1: the lineup that worked. It looked nice, something they can 1046 00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:26,359 Speaker 1: use in second units. They defended enough and then Russ 1047 00:50:26,400 --> 00:50:28,880 Speaker 1: a D going nuclear is something our second units can 1048 00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:31,120 Speaker 1: kind of build towards. So I always talk about process. 1049 00:50:31,160 --> 00:50:33,360 Speaker 1: Those are things I wanted to take take from this 1050 00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:37,520 Speaker 1: game before we close it up. Um So, everybody who requested, 1051 00:50:37,560 --> 00:50:38,839 Speaker 1: I know, I said that we were trying to get 1052 00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:40,719 Speaker 1: to some collars today, but this ended up just being 1053 00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:43,680 Speaker 1: way too eventful of a game. Um. I think they 1054 00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:48,000 Speaker 1: played the Pistons again soon, and then they also played 1055 00:50:48,160 --> 00:50:52,000 Speaker 1: two games against the Kings the King, so we're gonna 1056 00:50:52,120 --> 00:50:56,480 Speaker 1: have some games here soon that hopefully or less eventful. 1057 00:50:56,560 --> 00:50:58,719 Speaker 1: And then I promise we'll just like do like a 1058 00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:00,960 Speaker 1: little ten minute break down, and then we'll get into 1059 00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:02,960 Speaker 1: a bunch of callers because I am curious to hear 1060 00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:05,800 Speaker 1: where all your guys kids are at. But it is 1061 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:08,320 Speaker 1: a Sunday night, and if I go over fifty five minutes, 1062 00:51:08,320 --> 00:51:09,920 Speaker 1: I get dirty looks from my wife, So it is 1063 00:51:09,960 --> 00:51:13,160 Speaker 1: time to call it. I appreciate you guys and your support. Um. 1064 00:51:13,280 --> 00:51:15,239 Speaker 1: This is gonna air on Dash Radio tomorrow morning at 1065 00:51:15,280 --> 00:51:18,439 Speaker 1: seven am. This will also be on our podcast feed 1066 00:51:18,920 --> 00:51:22,520 Speaker 1: here in about fifteen twenty minutes. We Roger and I 1067 00:51:22,560 --> 00:51:24,320 Speaker 1: continue to be blown away by your guys a support, 1068 00:51:24,320 --> 00:51:26,239 Speaker 1: and we appreciate it, and we hope you'll join us 1069 00:51:26,280 --> 00:51:28,880 Speaker 1: again for that back to back on Tuesday and Wednesday. 1070 00:51:29,640 --> 00:51:33,920 Speaker 1: Appreciate everyone for coming out on a Sunday. Have a 1071 00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:40,160 Speaker 1: good night, Yeah,