1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: Mmmmmmm. Welcome to the State of the Lakers podcast with Roj. 2 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: You guys know him as at Unwritten Rules on Twitter. 3 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: Rog Good morning man, how are you doing so far today? 4 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: Good morning. We got the All Star break going on here, 5 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: so we're all kind of in a break as well. Um. 6 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: Drake dropped some music yesterday, so that was fun. I 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: saw you a slow listen to it. So so it's 8 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: a good morning here in Cali. Yeah. I woke up 9 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: at four twenty this morning, as I usually do on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: to play basketball, and I was it helps to have 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: something like that when you're having trouble waking up in 12 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: the morning. Um. Since you and I last talked, the 13 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: Lakers had an impressive win against the Warriors, one that 14 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: you and I predicted based solely on the fact that 15 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: we knew Dennis Shudder was so valuable to everything that 16 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: the Lakers needed to do, especially as it pertained to 17 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: their roles and guys kind of slotting into their proper roles. 18 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: And then, of course, immediately after that, Marcusol goes into 19 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: health and safety protocols, which we don't know what's going 20 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 1: on with that yet, and Kyle Kuzma has a heel contusion, 21 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: and so right when we could have had a pretty 22 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: good indicator of the of the Lakers, you know, with 23 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: Dennis against the better team than the Warriors and the Suns, 24 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: they go out there completely undermanned and lay an egg 25 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: and lose to the Suns. And then Lebron sits out 26 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: uh the other day against Sacramento and they take a loss. 27 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: So not too much to take away from that. Fields 28 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: especially frustrating when you factor in the fact that the 29 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: Jazz have tricked off four their last seven games and 30 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: the Clippers have been losing, and there was kind of 31 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: an opportunity here to get back in the mix of things. 32 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: Could be worse at this point in the season than 33 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: being a half game back of first place and a 34 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: half game back of second place and in three and 35 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: a half games back at first, But it did feel 36 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: kind of like a missed opportunity. We are going to 37 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: save everything having to do with like a total season, 38 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,959 Speaker 1: you know, rehash of the Lakers for next week. Uh, 39 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: you know, as we're in the All Star break, uh, 40 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: and we're gonna just kind of we'll we'll, we'll do 41 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: a mail bag. We're gonna do some player grades. We're 42 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: gonna do everything under the sun, just kind of rehashing 43 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: the whole season, but we kind of want to focus 44 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: on But today we're gonna focus on just what happened 45 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: in this last week, and then we're gonna focus on 46 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: a little bit of what we think roster upgrades might 47 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: look like for the Lakers. So my first question for 48 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: Ross to start this off today is, yesterday I sent 49 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: out a pole and all I did was set out 50 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: a pole. People were mad at me, and I literally 51 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: just asked a question, okay, and the question was would 52 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: you trade talent Horton Tucker for PJ Tucker. Now, the 53 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:00,519 Speaker 1: context of that simply was me thinking that there will 54 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: probably be some kind of bidding war and you might 55 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: have to give up THHD maybe, And I'm not even 56 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: saying necessarily that's the case, but I knew that was 57 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: an option, So I was just presenting the question. So 58 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: my question for you is what was your reaction when 59 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: you saw that poll that I sent up? Yeah, I 60 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: was like, that's gonna be a pretty one sided poll. 61 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: I mean, you have a Laker fans. First of all, 62 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: everybody loves th HT here and the Lakers aren't in 63 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: like a desperation mode, right, Like, if they're in a 64 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: desperate mode, then yeah, um they would give up tail 65 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: Horton Tucker. But he's I feel like he's shown too much. 66 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: He's also a part of Clutch. I mean, they're not 67 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: going to send him to a franchise that's that's falling off. Um, 68 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: Like I saw the treads somebody put up treads for 69 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: like p J Tucker as well, Like there's no way 70 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: treads getting traded there with the Clutch and all that 71 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: comes in comes into play. And uh also p J 72 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: tuckers like thirty six, you know what I mean? Like you, 73 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: I just I would not want to send out twenty 74 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: year old t HD for p J. Tucker. So when 75 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: I saw that, I was like, man, people are gonna 76 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: really take that into one side. I knew where you 77 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: were going with it. I feel like you were thinking 78 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: like young player for that kind of win now move. 79 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: But yeah, I just don't I don't I don't see that. 80 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: I don't see that happening. P J Tuck is a nice, 81 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: nice player. I just he hasn't shown anything. Well, I mean, 82 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 1: you can't really say that because it's a conversation we're 83 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: gonna get into but um, I mean for right now, 84 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: he's not shooting well. I mean it's all situation wise. 85 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 1: I feel like if he gets bought out, then yeah, 86 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: there's a conversation. I just don't think t HD is 87 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: the guy to give up right now. He's really the 88 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: lakers only asset really, if you think about it that way. 89 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: They don't really have anyone else that's a chip in 90 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: that way. I don't think they'll give it up for 91 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: p J. Tucker because there's something funky with Kuzma's contract 92 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: that makes him hard to trade, right I can't remember 93 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: what it is, but it's uh, maybe I'm wrong about that, 94 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: but I used to be that it was Kuzma, you know, 95 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: and t HD. I would say Caruso is kind of 96 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: an asset too, but they definitely don't have a ton 97 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: of assets, and t HD is certainly their best asset. 98 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: So the whole premise for my whole, you know, devil's 99 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 1: advocate type approach that I took yesterday is the simple 100 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: fact that the margin for error for the Lakers this 101 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: year is less than it was last year, which is 102 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: crazy because the Lakers got better. But the problem is 103 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 1: is everybody around the league got better. You know, the Clippers. 104 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: We we've kind of slandered them at length on this podcast, 105 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: in addition to other podcasts that have been on. But 106 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: the truth is is that with Nick Potuman and Surgebaka, 107 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: they're a better basketball team. Not to mention, any team 108 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: coming off of an embarrassing loss usually comes back the 109 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: next year really better. Look at Portland, they get embarrassed 110 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 1: by New Orleans, They come back next year and make 111 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: the Western Conference Finals. You know, you look at the 112 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: San Antonio Spurs, they blow that game, they come back. 113 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: You know that every every team has a tendency to 114 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: kind of rally around each other when something really bad 115 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: happens and they play better. Uh, if you have Philly 116 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 1: looks like a bona fide contender. I talked about them 117 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: yesterday as a team that crosses all three boxes. They're 118 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: elite defensively, they put a ton of pressure on the rim, 119 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: and they have shooters. So it's a team that that 120 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: that is interesting to me in that regard. And then 121 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,799 Speaker 1: Brooklyn obviously, and then even these Utah and Phoenix teams 122 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: have kind of added something to the mix. The the 123 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: level of good that the Lakers need to be to 124 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 1: win this year, it's it's at a higher level than 125 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: it was last year. And so from that perspective, when 126 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: I look at a guy like t p J. Tucker 127 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: as is is a guy that that that fills a 128 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: specific need that very well could increase your chances of 129 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: winning the title by a few percentage points, which, and 130 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: with the margin of air being as small as it is, 131 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 1: could be the difference maker. Now I agree that he's old, 132 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: but as we're going to talk about here more in 133 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: a second, you know, I think there's plenty of examples 134 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: over the last few years that that guys who are 135 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: are playing in bad situations have a tendency to just 136 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: let the ropes, let the rope slip, and then when 137 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: they get re engaged in a good situation, begin to 138 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: look more like themselves. And p J. Tucker quite simply 139 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: is one of the best corner three point shooters in 140 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: the league. He's not a good overall three point shooter, 141 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: but there's an easy need for the Lakers to have 142 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: somebody in the corner that can knock down shots, and 143 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: he's another body to throw at a Kauai or at 144 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: a Paul George or even a bigger forward in the 145 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: league that he might be able to to to cause 146 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: some physical problems for so, so tell me why you 147 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: don't believe in p J Tucker necessarily as a as 148 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: a as a contributor at this point. Yeah, I mean, 149 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: I I got to watch, you know, the Lakers played 150 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: Houston last year in the second round. UM, and PG 151 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: Tucker was awesome and he was there small ball five. 152 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: But he's not keeping up with those wings at that 153 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: age right now, he's what like thirty six. And then 154 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: we talked about those bets that are kind of in 155 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: bad situations. They're usually not this old. They're usually like 156 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: around maybe thirty two, thirty three. I feel like thirty 157 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: six is pretty pretty high up there. And PJ. Tucker 158 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: is a guy with a lot of mileage on him. 159 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: And uh, he's a corner shooter, right He's he's gonna 160 00:07:57,760 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: sit there and shoot corner threes. Um, he's not gonna 161 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: take it off the dribble. Um, he's not gonna, you know, 162 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: create any kind of offense. He's just gonna stand there. 163 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: And I feel like the Lakers have players like that. 164 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: Um Wes Matthews is probably not as good a shooter, 165 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: but I feel like he feels that kind of defender role. 166 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: And again to get p J. Tucker, I feel like 167 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: it's gonna have to be in a trade and I 168 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: just don't think the Lakers gonna give up anything for him. 169 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: And we saw yesterday at the All Star Draft, Um, 170 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: we saw Lebron kind of take a take a crap 171 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: on Utah there. Just to bring that around here, the 172 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: Lakers shouldn't have to go and trade right there there 173 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: there are a place that people are gonna want to 174 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 1: come to. They're gonna be a free agent. Uh, They're 175 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: gonna be a buyout market place that people are gonna 176 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: come and play for. And I feel like that's where 177 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: the market is going to be giving up th h 178 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: D for a couple of months of p J. Tucker 179 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: just does not. Like I understand the margin of air 180 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:46,959 Speaker 1: might be a little spatted this year. I might kind 181 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: of contest to that, but uh, because eighties missed like 182 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: fourteen games and the standings are still as close as 183 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: they are. But even with the marginary, I don't think 184 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: p J. Tucker saws that marginal maryor too high. Like 185 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: how much is he playing in a Brooklyn Net series? Guy? Really? 186 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: Like that's a team to me that I want to 187 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: look at here, the Clippers and Lakers. We know kind 188 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: of the matchups are. I think in a Brooklyn series, 189 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: I don't know how much p J Tucker is playing. 190 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: And I think that's where you're looking at here. You 191 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: don't want to sign guys for a few months or 192 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: you know, for a first round series or somebody that 193 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: That's where my issue was with p J Tucker. So, 194 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: but how much is talent Horton Tucker going to be playing? Like, 195 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 1: I mean, a part of this for me, and for 196 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: the record, I'm not necessarily saying I don't even know 197 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: what my answer would be to that poll, because there 198 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 1: are a number of different things that that make it complicated. 199 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: For instance, talent Horton Tucker's salary doesn't match up with 200 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: p J Tucker, so you've got to add additional players, 201 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: and when you're Hardcaps, that can be a problem. Um 202 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: In addition to that, like, yeah, I'm not sure that 203 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: that either talent Horton Tucker or p J Tucker will 204 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: be will be relatively usable in a in a specific 205 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: playoff matchup against some of the best teams in the league. 206 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: You know that said all, I'm saying is like I 207 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 1: bel I personally was very high on talent Horton Tucker 208 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: about a month and a half ago, um that he 209 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 1: went through a strike where he was defending extremely well, 210 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: he was attacking closeouts well, he was simplifying his game 211 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 1: and he did a good job within that specific role. UM. 212 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: But I mean, what's really been disappointing to me as 213 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,839 Speaker 1: of late as I don't think either Frank or really 214 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: any you know, any of his teammates can can count 215 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: on talent Horton Tucker to do his job defensively, which 216 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: has been frustrating because we talked a little bit about this, 217 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: you know, two podcasts ago. But he's not defending very 218 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: well and pick and roll, he's he's getting caught on 219 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: screens too much, which is something he needs to work on. 220 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: He's losing his focus and help defense and getting caught. 221 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: You know, there was a play, uh, there was a 222 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: play against Phoenix the other night where you know, basic 223 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: backdoor cut from I think it was Jay Crowder and 224 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: he's just he's just he's not You're supposed to have 225 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: an eye on man and ball is what they always 226 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: teach you when you're when you're coming up in the game, 227 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: and he didn't have an eye on either, Like he 228 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:56,959 Speaker 1: was kind of like looking back and forth, looking back 229 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: and forth. But then the guy cut behind him and 230 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,559 Speaker 1: he just wasn't paying attention. It was like was kind 231 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: of sort of like, uh, just towing that line in 232 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: no man's land, and he got beat. And so from 233 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: that same point, like what I'm saying is I I 234 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 1: feel relatively certain that the perceived value within some corners 235 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: of Lakers Twitter that th h T is this future star. 236 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: I feel relatively certain that that's not the case. Now 237 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm in the minority there. Um, I 238 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: think he's a good player, but I don't necessarily see 239 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: the same ceiling that everybody else sees. And so, you know, me, 240 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: I've got a core philosophy here, which is like, don't 241 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: get caught trying to tow both lines of the current 242 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: era and the future to the point where you get 243 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: you know, where you get yourself beat. You know, because 244 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: it's like everyone goes like, well, what about the Spurs, 245 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: you know, a team that consistently kind of did both, 246 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 1: And it's like, yeah, but his talent weren't Tucker Kauai 247 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: Because I don't think talent Horton Tucker's Kauai, you know, 248 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 1: but that's just my take. I'm lower on th HT 249 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,079 Speaker 1: than other Laker fans, and and that makes it so 250 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: that And again I'm not saying that necessarily giving up 251 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: give him up for p J Tucker, but I think 252 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: I think a lot of fan bases act like this, 253 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: and I'm not necessarily of the opinion that he should 254 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: be untouchable. But you do make a good point. You 255 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: and Ben Roe Salas brought this up yesterday, this idea 256 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: that the Lakers aren't desperate, and I agree. We talked 257 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: about this a lot last week. You know, when a 258 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: d comes back and everyone's healthy, this is still the 259 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: best team in basketball, So there's no reason to overextend yourself. 260 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 1: All I said from the beginning was is like I 261 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: would I would be I would at least think heavily 262 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 1: about moving someone like th HT for really solid veteran 263 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: peace because of the fact that the margin for error 264 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: is less this year. And something silly like allowing Lebron 265 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: to save his legs so that he doesn't have to 266 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: guard Kauai in a play series, you know, something silly 267 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: like that might be the difference this year. It might 268 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: not be the Lakers might just be better, but it 269 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: might be the difference this year. So that that's kind 270 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: of where I I kind of tell the wine if 271 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 1: that makes sense, Yeah, for sure, And I feel like 272 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: there's a right trade out there, then you know you 273 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 1: can make it for t hd At. I'm not in 274 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: the camp that T is untouchable. I was lower on 275 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: him than most. Well I'm not a draft guy, so 276 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: I really don't even try with those kind of things. 277 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: I was kind of lower on him, But watching him 278 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: this season, I you know, I got excited to you. 279 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: How can you not You watch him kind of dominating 280 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,839 Speaker 1: the UH in the preseason and kind of go go off, 281 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: and you see the ball handling skills, Like against Sacramento, 282 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: there was no one else so they just ran high 283 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: ball screen after high ball school for him and he 284 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: was comfortable and you could see like he was in 285 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: his lab, able to drive and kick and dish, and 286 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,079 Speaker 1: you know that. I feel like the Lakers see him 287 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:48,679 Speaker 1: as that kind of player. They want to develop him, 288 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: and I don't think for the really quick Sacramento was 289 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 1: a horrifically bad. Yeah, they have they have a lot 290 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: of bigger issues than just basketball, in my opinion, day 291 00:13:58,040 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: they have a have a live a lot of issues, 292 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: but just seeing case you get to go to work 293 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: and have fun. You can see, like on defense, I 294 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: get your point with that, but to me, he's twenty, Like, 295 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: I just don't know how many twenty year olds are 296 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: contributing on a title team, like a title team, um, 297 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: especially you know at that age. And he really didn't 298 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,320 Speaker 1: play that much his rookie year either, so he's still 299 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: really new and I'm not going to really kill him 300 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: for that. I feel like his defensive was fine and 301 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: he was playing next to like a d and you 302 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: know in those lines for a while. Yeah. Right now 303 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: it's accountability with those guys. But he just he's been 304 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: he's lost his focus lately. Yeah, right now he's lost. 305 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 1: I mean, he doesn't know where he's supposed to be. 306 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: You can see a lot of communication issues as well. 307 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: Him and coups and traders are always kind of like, hey, 308 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: that was your rotation. He's like, I'm trying to stop 309 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: the guy at the rim and his guys open for three. 310 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 1: So a lot of things like that happened. Um, So 311 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: I I still really believe in him defensively and yeah, 312 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: I just don't think p J took is the right 313 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: trade for it. But I'm like, I'm kind of on 314 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: your side there. I don't think he's untouchable. Like, if 315 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: there's a right move out there, then you make it. 316 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: You don't, uh, you don't hold yourself for that that's 317 00:14:58,560 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: gonna help you in the title. I just don't think 318 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: there are many moves out there they're gonna create the 319 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 1: big margin that's gonna help you in the playoffs here 320 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: for sure, And there's not minutes available for some sort 321 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: of large type of thing. I'm just saying, like, you know, Okay, 322 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: So for instance, like one of the things I saw 323 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: yesterday from somebody that on Twitter that I follow, I 324 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: can't I'm blanking on the gentleman's name right now, So 325 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: I apologize in advance. But the someone that I followed 326 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: for a while who knows this stuff, and he was 327 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: bringing up the fact that that in Houston in the playoffs, 328 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: that that PJ had started to struggle a little bit. 329 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: And what bothered me about that is, like, you know, 330 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: I correct me if I'm wrong, And I'm pretty sure 331 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: p J. Tucker led the league in corner three point 332 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: percentage last year, So it was a specialty of his, which, 333 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: for the record, it's a significantly different shot, like when 334 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: I'm shooting a photo versus it's a significantly different shot. 335 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: There's a it's a it's a different uh. You know. 336 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,239 Speaker 1: The easiest way I can describe it is like a 337 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: an NBA, you know, a wing or the top of 338 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: the key. Three point shot is like a full body shot, 339 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: whereas a where you have to get a lot of lift, 340 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 1: Whereas the corner shot is a shot that is a 341 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: little bit more of a set shot. It's a little 342 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: bit more of something that if you if you really 343 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: jumped crazy high and got a ton of lift, it 344 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: would actually throw you off a little bit on that shot. 345 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: And so from that standpoint, you know, I don't think 346 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: it's fair to discount his entire season of shooting based 347 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: on the fact that the Lakers, who are one of 348 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: the best three point defenses in the league, made PJ 349 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: struggle a little bit. Like that, to me, is in 350 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,119 Speaker 1: a fair assessment necessarily because you know, it's like Marcusol. 351 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: Everyone's like, oh, Marcusol can't shoot. He shot poorly in 352 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: the playoffs last year for Toronto, and it's like, well, 353 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: he shot really well all season, he just was on 354 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: a team that didn't have a lot of offensive creation, 355 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: and so when they ran into some elite defenses in 356 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: the playoffs, he wasn't getting the same shot quality, you know. 357 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: And and ironically, like Marcusol has been shooting the hell 358 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: out of the basketball as of late. But I just 359 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: I think, like, you know, uh, the limited minutes, because 360 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 1: he would them into l a and he'd played probably 361 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: fifteen to twenty minutes a game, the overall shot quality 362 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 1: that he would get, I think would rejuvenate him. And 363 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:09,959 Speaker 1: so this is a good point because we're gonna we're 364 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 1: gonna segue to Blake Griffin here in a second and 365 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 1: what that would look like. And I think, so there 366 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,439 Speaker 1: are dozens of examples, because there's a difference between what 367 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:23,439 Speaker 1: I was talking about with Tommy yesterday, which is, you know, uh, 368 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: younger players playing on really good teams and struggling. Think 369 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: like a Kelly Ubre with this Warriors team, or like 370 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 1: a Rodney Hood or a Jordan Clarkson with the two 371 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: thousand eighteen Calves, and they're struggling, and there's a tendency 372 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: to kind of point fingers and be like why is 373 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,239 Speaker 1: this guy struggling? Why is this guy struggling? Well, that 374 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 1: has to do with the fact that they're young and 375 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:46,479 Speaker 1: they're struggling trying to find a way to fit in 376 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: that offense. But with veterans, guys in their late thirties 377 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: who are stuck in bad situations, who come out of 378 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: bad situations and go into good situations and start playing 379 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,679 Speaker 1: around high i Q basketball players, I don't think we 380 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: can I don't think it's possible to overstate how much 381 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,199 Speaker 1: that can reinvigorate people. I don't have any sort of 382 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 1: receipt or anything, because I remember not necessarily talking about it, 383 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: but I was pretty confident that Nick Patum was going 384 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: to be fine when he came back to the Clippers. 385 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: Why because I wanted the Calves to get him when 386 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: they were floating around that Colin Sexton pick. And the 387 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: truth of the matter is is Nick Patum is It 388 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: brings very translatable skills, right like, you can shoot, he's 389 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,360 Speaker 1: big and pretty athletic, and you can put the ball 390 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: on the floor make basic basketball reads. So obviously, if 391 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 1: you stick him on a bad basketball team where the 392 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,479 Speaker 1: collective i Q is low, those skills aren't really going 393 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: to manifest themselves. As we talk about all the time 394 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: with the Lakers, their role players play a simplified version 395 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 1: of the game because of what Dennis Lebron and a 396 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,880 Speaker 1: d do. They put them in situations where they're doing 397 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: a closeout drill where there there are hacking against every 398 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: defensive player at a disadvantage. Those sorts of things. With 399 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: a smart veteran player who brings translatable skills, I think 400 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: reinvigorate them. And I think we have lots of examples 401 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:15,479 Speaker 1: of that over the years. Like even this last example 402 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:16,959 Speaker 1: I'll use and then I'll hand it over to you, 403 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: Like even Tyson Chandler last year for him it was 404 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,880 Speaker 1: a health issue or two years ago. I'm sorry for him, 405 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,679 Speaker 1: it was a health issue. Uh, he couldn't say on 406 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: the court for the Lakers. But even when he was 407 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: out there, like just having a guy who wouldn't completely 408 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: urinate down his leg when he was on the court 409 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: at the center position, like really helped them. And there 410 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,959 Speaker 1: and there were numbers, there were advanced metrics that showed 411 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: that when Tyson Chandler was on the floor of the 412 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: Lakers played really well that year. It was just he 413 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: struggled with health and that might have been the most 414 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: washed version of this type of situation, if that makes sense, right. 415 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: But like my only thing with Nick Putune, I mean, 416 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: the rims are still ten feet high and Charlotte as 417 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: they are in l A. Um, it's not like he 418 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: was playing for the Vetterman minimum and Charlotte. He was 419 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: making thirty million a year. So like, I don't know 420 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: if he's an excuse to be like, I just don't care. Um, 421 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: that's the one that's really shocked me. I did not 422 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: think he would. I thought he would be like in 423 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 1: the rotation and I think he'd be starting and hitting 424 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:15,120 Speaker 1: threes and you know, going off the dribble and things 425 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: of that nature. So yeah, it's kind of interesting when 426 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 1: you look at his environment and moving over and you 427 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: kind of like move that to anyone else. Um, I 428 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: wonder if that's more like the exception than the rule. 429 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 1: But um, the guy I was looking at his Blake Griffin, 430 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: I think we were going to kind of segue to him. 431 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 1: Um I went because NBA dot com you can go 432 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,439 Speaker 1: and like look at every assist, right, so you can 433 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: go and look at guy's assist and they'll just video 434 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: out the assist and the look at is like they're 435 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: very generous with the assists. So like Blake Griffin would 436 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: have like a six assist game and four of them 437 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: are literally him just swinging to Jeremy Grant who does 438 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,439 Speaker 1: like a three dribble move up and under layup, and 439 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: I'm like, man, he really didn't do anything with that, 440 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 1: and like a lot of them are of that. Or 441 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: he'll just like kick it to a shooter and he'll 442 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 1: pumping step back three and he'll get the assist for that. 443 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:00,640 Speaker 1: So I went and try to rewatch the Laker Students game, 444 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 1: and that's the game I think Blake actually tried. I 445 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,880 Speaker 1: think he's gonna try against those big, big opponents, and um, 446 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: what I saw is like it's a guy that he's 447 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: obviously lost his athleticism, but he's a guy who can 448 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 1: hit open threes, he can run a little bit of 449 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 1: pick and roll, he can handle it. Um, he plays 450 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:17,479 Speaker 1: a lot out of the post, which I think kind 451 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 1: of fits this team. I would like to see him 452 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: next to a guy like a d That's the guy 453 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: I think I would like to go for. He's like 454 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:28,400 Speaker 1: thirty two years old, kind of a really bad situation. Yes, 455 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,920 Speaker 1: I'm I'm gonna like hundred percent check that, but I'm 456 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: pretty sure I checked that yesterday. Here's a reputation around 457 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:38,239 Speaker 1: the league as a corpse. He's actually I gave him 458 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 1: an extra year. He's thirty one, so even even more. Yes, yeah, 459 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: it's kind of it's crazy. So and I mean you 460 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 1: look at him. I mean he came to the league 461 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 1: even before DeAndre or after DeAndre Jordan. I can't remember 462 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,640 Speaker 1: who's starting on the net. So I can see him 463 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: being a contributor. Again, he's a guy that's going to 464 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: get bought out. You don't have to really do much. 465 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 1: And I think it's a like a low risk, high 466 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: reward kind of player. Um so yeah, I feel like 467 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: you that's the kind of guy. And again, like we 468 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:06,879 Speaker 1: talked about with p J. Tucker, the minutes just aren't there, 469 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: Like Tres right now with all these guys out is 470 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: playing still played only twenty minutes of game with a 471 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,400 Speaker 1: d out, Mark out still only playing like twenty five 472 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 1: minutes of game. So look, if you look at the minutes, 473 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: I just don't see they're being too many minutes there 474 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: to have on this team. That's the guy I would 475 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 1: like to see them go after, for sure. Yeah, it's 476 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: it's fascinating because like a Bloy Griffin move is kind 477 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: of an identity change for the team in a certain 478 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,879 Speaker 1: sense because like you you you kind of tried to 479 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,439 Speaker 1: to slot him into a combination of what you've been 480 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 1: giving minutes to uh to Keith and uh tres and Marcossol. Now, like, 481 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: for instance, like you can't count on on Blake Griffin 482 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 1: to be as you know, as active in rotations defensively 483 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 1: as him on tres Can. He doesn't have the motor, 484 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: he doesn't have the foot speed. Uh, you can't count 485 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:02,639 Speaker 1: on him to be the same physical rim protector that 486 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: Marcos al is. He's not big enough, he can't jump 487 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: as high anymore. But what he does give you, in 488 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: my opinion, is kind of like a slightly better version 489 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 1: of what you've been getting from markueff Um. Like if 490 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 1: you think about what Mark Keith brings to the table, 491 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:18,880 Speaker 1: which is like he's kind of a corner three point 492 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: shooter kind of guy. To He's he's done a good 493 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: job in post defense. He's that he has struggled in 494 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,879 Speaker 1: in rotations. But if you if if the teams that 495 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,439 Speaker 1: try to isolate markuef on the block like he actually 496 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:32,919 Speaker 1: does a good job of holding his own. You know, 497 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: I think Blake would slot into that role perfectly. And 498 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: and I would argue that he's a little bit better 499 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 1: of a shooter and then a little bit better with 500 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,200 Speaker 1: the ball in his hands. Is he as he puts 501 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: the ball on the floor. And again, everything has to 502 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: be quantified with the with the with the type of 503 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,159 Speaker 1: shot quality that they're going to get. You know, the 504 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 1: Lakers are dead last and three point shooting over the 505 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: last fifteen games. The shoot about it's awful, awful, offul awful, 506 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: like horrific, horrific stuff. Um, but I think the main 507 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: reason for that has to do with the fact that 508 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: with a D out and with Lebron kind of being 509 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 1: on cruise control as of late, they're just not and 510 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: with Dennis being out for as long as he was, 511 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: they're just not putting any pressure on the rim, which 512 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:20,119 Speaker 1: is not which is not creating the same high quality 513 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: looks that they were getting when A d was playing. 514 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: Because early in the season the Lakers shot well. And 515 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 1: so from that standpoint, like when everybody gets back, you know, 516 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 1: Blake Griffin is gonna be one of the guys that 517 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: gets left alone and you know, we're gonna transition here 518 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:36,920 Speaker 1: in a minute to kind of talking about the Lakers 519 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:39,680 Speaker 1: trapping defense. And you know, one of the points that 520 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,159 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make is that you know, everybody talks with 521 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,479 Speaker 1: the Lakers like you gotta make Eventually they're gonna make 522 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,920 Speaker 1: these guys make shots because they're gonna, uh, they're gonna, 523 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 1: you know, trap Lebron or double Lebron and they're gonna 524 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: double a D. And the Lakers are gonna do the 525 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,360 Speaker 1: same thing to other teams with their defense, which we're 526 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: gonna talk about in a minute. But the truth of 527 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: the matter is is that's how it's going to be 528 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 1: in a playoffs series. They're gonna they're gonna relentlessly attack 529 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: specific matchups with Lebron and a D and guys like 530 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: Blake Griffin, you know, are going to be able to 531 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,679 Speaker 1: to make plays off the dribble in space as they 532 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: put the ball on the floor. And I think if 533 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: you can get him in the buyout market, I mean, 534 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,120 Speaker 1: there's obviously no way they're going to trade for him, 535 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:20,479 Speaker 1: the salaries would be impossible, but if you could get 536 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 1: him in the buyout market, like I see him as 537 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:24,359 Speaker 1: a pretty clean swap. The only thing that would get 538 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: trouble from there is then Markief almost entirely falls out 539 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: of the rotation, which makes it tough to kind of 540 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 1: figure out how you work that out because he's complained 541 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,400 Speaker 1: in the past about not being in the rotation. Yeah, 542 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 1: and I think Blake would have to earn those minutes. 543 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: I mean, just on this team. He's not gonna come 544 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: here and kind of demand minutes, But you have to 545 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: earn those And if he's playing better than Markief, then 546 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 1: he plays. I mean that's just how it goes. Markief, 547 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: I think would understand that. Um, he started some games 548 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 1: in the bubble right in the playoffs and uh and 549 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: some games he didn't play. So that's how I see him. 550 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: Blake man like he was, he was a star in 551 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 1: this league. Like those kind of guys, I feel like 552 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 1: they're not just gonna go out off on a whip, right, 553 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,200 Speaker 1: Like they're not just gonna fall out of the league. 554 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: In my opinion, Like those guys want to prove something 555 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,120 Speaker 1: we saw with Dwight Howard last year, and I don't 556 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:08,159 Speaker 1: think Blake is even close. I think Dwight was a 557 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: lot closer to his athletic uh peak than Blake is 558 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 1: right now. But you know those kind of guys that 559 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,400 Speaker 1: they know how to play, and uh, Blake's was never 560 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: like a great defender, but he's a smart defender. He 561 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,439 Speaker 1: knows where to be, where he's supposed to be. He 562 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 1: doesn't put a crazy amount of pressure on the rim. 563 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: But what's interesting to me rewatching a few Pistons game, 564 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: which I don't recommend at all because those are not 565 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: fun games to watch, but people do send like doubles 566 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: at him still, which is kind of funny. Like, so 567 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: he'll go on the post and people will trap him, Yes, 568 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,119 Speaker 1: and people will trap him even though like even the 569 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 1: numbers say again this the numbers test kind of thing, 570 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 1: but like the number say, shoot on turnaround jumpers. But 571 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: still people come and double him and he kicks it. 572 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: He makes the right play guys, cut off of it um. Again, 573 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,119 Speaker 1: he gets some kind of what's called assists that he 574 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,680 Speaker 1: probably shouldn't get, but still like he makes the right 575 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: play um in those situations. So again, in that second 576 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 1: unit where offense is kind of struggling, I would like 577 00:26:58,160 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 1: him to kind of help that out. I think he 578 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 1: can be a he can be a secondary creator. But 579 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 1: when everyone's healthy. Yeah, I mean he might be a luxury, 580 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: but I think it's a guy that low risk, high reward. 581 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: Like you, you can if it doesn't work out, it 582 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: doesn't work out, but he can kind of test it 583 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: and see if it does. Yeah, and you know he's 584 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:19,439 Speaker 1: even setting basketball aside. Um. Blake's a star and he 585 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 1: belongs in l A, and I I it's on good 586 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 1: authority for many people that he wants to be here, 587 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: and thank God for Steve Bomber burning the bridge so 588 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: horrifically bad that he would never go back to the Clippers. Um. 589 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: So like I I would imagine. You know, I don't 590 00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: have any intel on this, obviously I'm not the intel 591 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 1: kind of guy, but my gut tells me that he 592 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: will be a Laker um just by virtue of the 593 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: simple fact that there's intel out that he's gonna get 594 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: bought out and all signs point to l A. But 595 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 1: the one thing that's gets sketchy is there will be 596 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:53,879 Speaker 1: a conversation with Rob Olinka and Frank Vogel at some 597 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 1: point talking about minutes. And as you and I both know, 598 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: there is there is significant evidence in NBA history of 599 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: buy out guys chasing minutes because they like to play basketball, 600 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 1: and so that'll be the interesting part. Like I, you know, 601 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,160 Speaker 1: people would probably burn me at the stake for this too, 602 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:17,920 Speaker 1: but I would consider trading Tres for some shooting if 603 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,640 Speaker 1: I knew for a fact that Blake Griffin was coming, um, 604 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: just because of the fact that I think they only 605 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: have one additional buyout spot after Blake and uh um. 606 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 1: You know, in Montrese, to me, as good as he's 607 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 1: been this year, he's been exactly what we wanted him 608 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: to be, which is an innings eater, a guy that, yeah, 609 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: the Lakers on the short turnaround got blitzed by injuries 610 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 1: in COVID, And the truth of the matter is is 611 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 1: Montrese was worth every penny to be the guy that 612 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: could eat up a lot of those minutes. But that said, 613 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: when push comes to shoves in the shove in the playoffs, 614 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: I don't necessarily see him as as that much of 615 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: an ass that whereas like you know, Blake's got tons 616 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: and tons of playoff reps and uh and his shooting 617 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: helps with spacing and that specific type of environment. And 618 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 1: then defensively they're not the same. But my guess is 619 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: that you could find a way to be similarly effective 620 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 1: with Blake defensively that you would with a mantres if 621 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: that makes sense. Yeah, well my only issue, like I 622 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: saw a lot of like I would trade Tres on 623 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: Twitter or whatever. Um, but I mean this is not 624 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: two K you know what I mean, Like we can't 625 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: like uh and also this is pleased with Clutch and 626 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: all those kind of factors go in and uh, yeah, 627 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: I just don't see it happened. He took a pay 628 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: cut to kind of be here, and I wouldn't even 629 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: think about it because there's just no way they're moving. 630 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: They're moving Tress, no chance at all whatsoever. But I 631 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 1: just don't. I just don't see it. It's it's way 632 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 1: too many things that would have to go wrong for 633 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: that to happen. Um, it was funny. I was seeing 634 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: like a Celtics fan being like, um yeah, I can't 635 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: even put Tristan Thompson trade room trade rorez because he's 636 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: a clutch guy and you can't screw over clutch, which 637 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: you know, I think he was talking kind of facetiously, 638 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 1: but uh, that's kind of true. I mean these are 639 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: like relationships that people have built, you know, and it's 640 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: just no way that he was getting he would get 641 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: traded in my opinion, Um, he's he's a he's too 642 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: close with everyone, so I just don't see it, and 643 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: he's played too well. I just I just don't see 644 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 1: it happening. He's been as advertised and he hasn't complained, 645 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: he's he's done his role, so I just don't see 646 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: him getting moved. I would even argue he's been better 647 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 1: than I thought he would be. To be honest, it's 648 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: just it's more just like a fit thing. And you know, 649 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: and it may be as simple as like, you know, 650 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: because the Lakers shooting has been you know the problem 651 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: this last you know, a couple of months month really 652 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: and and really if you look at the way the 653 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: rosters built in their core lineups, you know, when k 654 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: CP is actually playing like k c P. You know 655 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: when when Wesley Matthews is shooting a league average like 656 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: he should at this phase of his career. Kyle Kuzma 657 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: has actually been better shooting the ball than he has 658 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 1: in years passed. When all these guys are actually playing 659 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: like themselves, they are what they should be, which is 660 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: an average three and shooting team that should shoot really 661 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: well at times because of the high quality at three 662 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: point shots that they get. So I I don't necessarily 663 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: see that as a problem. I'm just kind of floating 664 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: these kinds of things out there. In truth of the matter, 665 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 1: is with how old Marcosol is, and with how old 666 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,959 Speaker 1: Blake Griffin is, and with Anthony Davis being somewhat injury 667 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: prone this year, you know, Blake Griffin might be worth 668 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 1: having just for death at this position, which is which 669 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: is something to to uh uh to at least, you know, 670 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: takeing to to at least take a look at even 671 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: if you have to have a conversation with your players 672 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: and and be like, look like we're keeping you around 673 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 1: for debt um. So I wanted to talk about uh 674 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: you actually brought this up, so I should credit you, 675 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 1: but to talk about the Lakers defensive schemes. So you 676 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: had I'll let you actually lead this one off. So 677 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: you had mentioned that you, uh had something you wanted 678 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: to say about the Lakers trapping the way they have 679 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: in the last couple of games. What did you have 680 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,479 Speaker 1: in mind? Yeah, So it's funny because I remember when 681 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: we recorded last week, you said, uh, something like I 682 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 1: think fans are gonna be surprised how well they play. 683 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: When Shrewder comes back, I was like, well, I think 684 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: they'll play better and I think they played this good. 685 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: But just just like watching right but like, but for me, 686 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: like I focus on that Portland's and Warriors game because 687 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: I feel like they really wanted those two and they 688 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: had all their guys pretty much there except for except 689 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: for a d obviously, and man, these trapped Like, to me, 690 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: Stephan Dame are the most dangerous thirty plus shooters in 691 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: the league. Like, I don't know if there's anyone other 692 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 1: than that, maybe Luca when he's on, but Stephan Dame 693 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 1: to me are the ones you have to guard that 694 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 1: high up and uh, obviously step doesn't have the supporting 695 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 1: cast right now there this is Dame. But watching like 696 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 1: Shrewder first of all, him chasing screens like this, Like 697 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 1: it's funny when people think about the trapping defense, they think, 698 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: like anyone can just trap, and it's just not It's 699 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: just not true that not every team can play this style. 700 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: So I was watching Shooter kind of chase Steph and 701 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: Dame around these screens, and marcusol is at the level 702 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: of the screen, right, and you have Stephan Dame picking 703 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: the ball up like near half court, and now you 704 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 1: have like a four on three and I'm watching Lebron. 705 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,960 Speaker 1: I forgot, like how much of a force Lebron can 706 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: be on defense when he's when he wants to. He 707 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: he hasn't really done it much this year, so you 708 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: kind of forget. But I think him and A d 709 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: are probably the best at this, and they're on the 710 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: same team kind of defending two guys at the same time. Obviously, 711 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 1: with the Warriors, I think he's played them a million times. 712 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: He knows their place. But even with even with the Blazers, 713 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,239 Speaker 1: man he was blowing up those those coverages. So I 714 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 1: saw like the peak of what they can be. They're 715 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: not gonna do that every night. They can't do that 716 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: every play, but just seeing their trapping schemes something they 717 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 1: have in their wallet that they've used last year that's worked, Um, 718 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 1: I think. I think it's really cool to see it 719 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: see it work in these two games because I feel 720 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: like they really tried it. And again, this is all 721 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: without Anthony Davis, who to me is the the number 722 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: one in this who protects all things at the rim 723 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:47,360 Speaker 1: and around around the basket. But yeah, I want to 724 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: see like your thoughts on that, because I really felt 725 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 1: like they wanted to defend those guys. Dame have like 726 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 1: twenty eight or some crazy number in the first half, 727 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: and then they really shut all that off in the 728 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,040 Speaker 1: second half, and from there, I think they took that 729 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: into the Warriors game, and that Warrior's game was over 730 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 1: within the first five minutes. It was not a contest um. 731 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: So I want I wanted, you know, like, were those 732 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 1: shots that they were missing, like because they were giving 733 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:09,799 Speaker 1: some open looks. I think Andrew Wiggins had a few 734 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:11,800 Speaker 1: open threes and all that. But again, I feel like 735 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:13,920 Speaker 1: they can control it. Right, if you just let Stephan 736 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: Dame run high screen a role, they're gonna kill your 737 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: drop coverage and they're gonna kill your switches. But if 738 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: you can kind of control who's getting the shots, I 739 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: think because I was listening to the Warriors broadcast and 740 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:25,279 Speaker 1: they're like, oh, they're just missing open looks, I was like, well, 741 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:28,359 Speaker 1: there's a reason those guys are open right, making sure 742 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: Wiggins is the one taking the three with the hard 743 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:32,799 Speaker 1: clothes out. So I kind of want to hear your 744 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 1: thoughts kind of on that. So, first of all, as 745 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 1: far as missing open looks go. I talked about this 746 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 1: specifically with Tommy yesterday, and it's actually a problem with 747 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: strictly analytical approach to two shot evaluation because they'll call 748 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 1: a shot a wide open shot because there's no defender 749 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 1: within six feet, but it doesn't account for how that 750 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,799 Speaker 1: wide open shot was generated so or who it is. 751 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 1: So for instance, like if the shot is generated in 752 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:01,799 Speaker 1: against the super physical def is that chases you off 753 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 1: the line and forces you into a couple of attacked closeouts. 754 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: By the time you're open, there's a fatigue element, you know, 755 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:12,839 Speaker 1: in addition to the selective leaving of guys open. So 756 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: when you look at it's I don't think it's necessarily 757 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:21,440 Speaker 1: a fair indicator of of of shot quality to just say, oh, 758 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 1: we have this many wide open shots, because if those 759 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: wide open shots are all in fatigued situations and all 760 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 1: given to average to blow average shooters, it's actually good defense. 761 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: And it always bothers me when analytics guys will undercut 762 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:37,080 Speaker 1: a defense by saying like, oh, well, they're actually performing 763 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: way above uh they're expected three point shot quality defensively, 764 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: so they're benefiting from luck. So this defense actually sucks 765 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:47,800 Speaker 1: Like that to me is that to me is dishonest, 766 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,840 Speaker 1: and it just it just glosses over some basic, uh 767 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:55,000 Speaker 1: you know, principles of the way basketball actually works. And 768 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 1: as far as the trapping team goes. I brought this 769 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 1: up earlier. You know, the we talk about how teams 770 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:04,359 Speaker 1: are gonna inevitably make Lebron and a D B passers, right, 771 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,480 Speaker 1: that's just part of how playoff basketball works. Well, the 772 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 1: truth of the matter is that the Lakers have to 773 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 1: do the same thing to these other teams, especially in 774 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 1: the Western Conference, when you've got Dame and you've got 775 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:16,439 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray, and you've got Steph Curry, and you've got 776 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:18,160 Speaker 1: you know, whether it's Here and Fox that you see 777 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:19,920 Speaker 1: in a playing game or in the first round if 778 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: they happen to sneak in or there are just all 779 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:26,160 Speaker 1: of these super super quick guards that are great at 780 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 1: at creating shots. I mean, Lou Williams is a guy 781 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 1: that they'll probably do it to some in the uh 782 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 1: in the Clipper series. But the truth of the matter 783 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: is is like that's their version of what some of 784 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: these other teams are doing to Lebron and A D. 785 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:42,880 Speaker 1: When teams are doubling Lebron in the post or doubling 786 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 1: a d in the post. That's what the Lakers are 787 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: doing to these guards at the point of attack in 788 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,359 Speaker 1: these pick and rolls. And so what I always look 789 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 1: at it as is you're you're accepting the fact that 790 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 1: you're going to give up a certain amount of shot quality, 791 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 1: whether it's a wide open shot for and Andrew Wiggins 792 00:36:57,760 --> 00:36:59,560 Speaker 1: or you know, a Nick Patuma or whoever it is 793 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: that ends up getting the shot. However, what you're hoping 794 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:06,360 Speaker 1: is that the overall rhythm of the offense gets thrown 795 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:08,760 Speaker 1: off by the fact that their star player, who usually 796 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 1: controls everything, is suddenly not getting the normal shot attempts 797 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:14,799 Speaker 1: and a bunch of inferior players are shooting the ball 798 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 1: more frequently. You hope that that throws them off. And 799 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 1: then secondly, this is something that you and I have 800 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,759 Speaker 1: talked about at length, the Lakers thriving chaos they do. 801 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 1: And so you know the trap. The key with the 802 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:31,719 Speaker 1: trap is, uh, if you aggressively trap out front and 803 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 1: you force the stepher a dame to throw a looping 804 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:39,320 Speaker 1: like side arm kind of over the top pass to 805 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 1: the short roll guy, that time that it takes for 806 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 1: that past to connect is what allows you to pre 807 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 1: rotate or essentially like jump the gun in your rotations 808 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 1: and give yourself an advantage. And it almost allows for 809 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,680 Speaker 1: that second defender on the on dame to get into 810 00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:58,439 Speaker 1: the flow and get back into the rotation. That's what's 811 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:00,600 Speaker 1: so bad about this kind of half past thing that 812 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:02,840 Speaker 1: they did for most of the first part of the season. 813 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:05,800 Speaker 1: Or it's not a trap, but it's not drop coverage, 814 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:08,000 Speaker 1: and you're basically just a no man's line because now 815 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 1: that pass to the short roll guy is a pocket pass, 816 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 1: and that hard bounce pass into that gap hits that 817 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:17,319 Speaker 1: guy and you can't pre rotate, and now you're a 818 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,040 Speaker 1: step behind through the whole process, and it just puts 819 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:24,520 Speaker 1: you at a disadvantage. But the Lakers extensively used that 820 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 1: specific scheme against Portland last year and against Houston in 821 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:33,880 Speaker 1: the playoffs, and it worked. Then they had a problem 822 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:36,960 Speaker 1: with with Denver having to do with the fact that 823 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:40,319 Speaker 1: Yokis was so good in that short role. So they 824 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,440 Speaker 1: did and this is what's so genius about it is 825 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:48,440 Speaker 1: they put Lebron in that action with Anthony Davis, and 826 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:51,080 Speaker 1: so they would run Yokis Murray pick and roll and 827 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:56,439 Speaker 1: they would just switch it. And now Jamal Murray there's 828 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:58,799 Speaker 1: a whole highlight reel of film of him trying to 829 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 1: attack Anthony Davis and Lebron and these isolations and and 830 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 1: not getting good shots, you know. And so that's what's 831 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,240 Speaker 1: so devastating about what they do is they can trap 832 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:12,120 Speaker 1: you and and survive in rotations. And if you're beaten that, 833 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:14,920 Speaker 1: here are two of the best defensive players in the 834 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:17,480 Speaker 1: world when they're engaged, and we're just gonna put them 835 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:20,480 Speaker 1: on your two best players. Now, good luck running that 836 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 1: sort of action. Okay, you want to bring our worst 837 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:25,319 Speaker 1: defender into the action, cool, I bet you he's on 838 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:29,359 Speaker 1: your worst offensive player, and your worst offensive player isn't 839 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,560 Speaker 1: smart enough to consistently beat us in that short role position. 840 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: Because that's the key. What makes the Warriors short role 841 00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:39,240 Speaker 1: work out of those traps is Draymond because he's making 842 00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:42,600 Speaker 1: the first play. What's making it work for Denver is 843 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 1: Yoki because he's making the first play. Portland Nurkics is 844 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:49,200 Speaker 1: pretty good at it. But anybody else they put in 845 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:53,200 Speaker 1: that spot, like like can't just can't make enough plays 846 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:56,399 Speaker 1: out of that position. And so you actually that's what's 847 00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 1: so beautiful about putting a Lebron in a D pairing 848 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:02,239 Speaker 1: on your two best playmakers is now you've got to 849 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:05,319 Speaker 1: run that action with an inferior playmaker and a guy 850 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: who's a little bit slow making a read and a 851 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:10,520 Speaker 1: four on three. That's all it takes for your defense 852 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:12,479 Speaker 1: to recover at that point. And the truth of the matter, 853 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:14,319 Speaker 1: this is what's so nice about having Lebron in a 854 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 1: D two is Lebron and a d are so big 855 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,920 Speaker 1: and physical that I don't care how many doubles you 856 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:22,880 Speaker 1: send their way. They're still getting thirty points because of 857 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: their physicality around the rim, and there are specific spots 858 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:28,719 Speaker 1: on the floor that it's suicide to double. But like 859 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:30,480 Speaker 1: a guy like Dame or a guy like Steph, like 860 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:32,680 Speaker 1: when you trap them, they literally have to give it up. 861 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:35,440 Speaker 1: They don't have an option that's like, oh, I'll just 862 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:37,319 Speaker 1: go post up, because that's the thing. If you try 863 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:39,640 Speaker 1: to trap Lebron and pick and rolls, He's just gonna 864 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:41,719 Speaker 1: go post up where it's a better spot for him 865 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 1: to attack double teams. Guys like Stephan Dame can't do that, 866 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:46,560 Speaker 1: and so that that's kind of what I think is 867 00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:49,320 Speaker 1: so fascinating about the trapping defense is it's a specific 868 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:53,000 Speaker 1: way to neutralize a star and force them to play 869 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,040 Speaker 1: four on three in the back end. And as long 870 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:57,000 Speaker 1: as you can force them to play four on three 871 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: with an inferior initiator, or you can switch that act altogether, 872 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 1: it allows them to shut down these teams. That's why 873 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:06,440 Speaker 1: I think they looked so unbelievably dominant at stretches in 874 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:09,040 Speaker 1: the playoffs last year. Right. And I like how you say, 875 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:11,799 Speaker 1: like Anthony Davids kind of raises the ceiling for this defense. Right, 876 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:14,799 Speaker 1: He's not like the the Anchors the speed right in 877 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:17,680 Speaker 1: their guards. Their guards are fast as hell. Carusoe k 878 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: CP shrewder. Those guys are running around chasing Um, I 879 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:24,760 Speaker 1: saw them. Depending they're the labor intensive guys in the defense. 880 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:27,560 Speaker 1: They do the most work exactly. And it's all about 881 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:29,320 Speaker 1: your point of attack defense, right. If you're just getting 882 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:31,600 Speaker 1: blown by, it's gonna be hard to do anything. Um. 883 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:34,080 Speaker 1: But they really keep guys in front of them. They stay, 884 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:36,319 Speaker 1: they stay in front, and uh, that's the that's the 885 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:39,000 Speaker 1: basis of this defense. You have Lebron also chasing around. 886 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 1: H posted a few clips against the Warriors and they 887 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: just took away every single action so the Warriors. The 888 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:46,520 Speaker 1: Warriors are emotion offense. I know Warrior fans get mad 889 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:48,760 Speaker 1: at that a lot that the Warriors are emotional offense, 890 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:51,360 Speaker 1: but they're super heavy motion offense, and I feel like 891 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:53,040 Speaker 1: that's where they have some wins because those are hard 892 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:55,440 Speaker 1: to defend. Um. The Lakers are really good at switching 893 00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 1: and getting out and I feel, I guess for t 894 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:00,759 Speaker 1: HT struggles right because he's he is having trouble with 895 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:02,920 Speaker 1: that kind of communicating and getting on the same page. 896 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:04,960 Speaker 1: But when you have five guys that know what they're doing, 897 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:07,239 Speaker 1: this team really locks in. And I was looking at 898 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 1: I think they still have like the third best defense. 899 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:11,600 Speaker 1: I think Davis has missed sport teen games and in 900 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:13,920 Speaker 1: those spoorteen games, they still have like third best defense 901 00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:16,840 Speaker 1: in the league, which is incredible. So they have the 902 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 1: first right now obviously overall, but just looking at it 903 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,440 Speaker 1: in totality with the games he's missed. UM. So yeah, 904 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:23,600 Speaker 1: I'm excited to see how they keep moving with that. 905 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:25,880 Speaker 1: But it was awesome to see them lock in because 906 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:28,120 Speaker 1: they haven't locked in in very many games this year, 907 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:30,719 Speaker 1: but seeing see it against Portland and Golden State, I 908 00:42:30,719 --> 00:42:33,759 Speaker 1: feel like was a template they can use going going 909 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,960 Speaker 1: forward well, and so to the to the point of 910 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 1: what you're talking about with the with the defense, like 911 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:42,960 Speaker 1: there's there is a delineation in my opinion, between like 912 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:49,759 Speaker 1: effort based regular season success, scheme based success, and then 913 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:53,560 Speaker 1: like a playoffs ceiling success. So, for instance, there in 914 00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:55,840 Speaker 1: the regular season over the last two years, the Lakers 915 00:42:55,840 --> 00:42:58,839 Speaker 1: have actually been better defensively without a D on the floor. Now, 916 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:01,920 Speaker 1: I don't think a D actually hurts their defense. That's silly, 917 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:03,880 Speaker 1: that's not at all what I'm saying. But in the 918 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: regular season, the effort of the guards at the point 919 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:10,239 Speaker 1: of attack and in rotation and Frank Vogels scheming and 920 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:13,320 Speaker 1: things along those lines, the consistency on that end allow 921 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:16,160 Speaker 1: them to be an elite defensive team without Anthony Davis. 922 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:18,320 Speaker 1: But then there's this whole other side of it in 923 00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:20,280 Speaker 1: the playoffs, and the same thing goes on with offense. 924 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:21,640 Speaker 1: We talked about you and I have talked about this 925 00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:24,600 Speaker 1: at length, Like offense is cute with like what Utah 926 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:26,720 Speaker 1: is doing is cute, right, Like they're driving and kicking, 927 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,160 Speaker 1: they're putting their you know, Rudy Gobert's roll into the rim, 928 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:31,480 Speaker 1: and they're generating these threes or like what the Bucks 929 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:33,480 Speaker 1: have done the last two years is like literally one 930 00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:36,400 Speaker 1: of the best offenses like ever that we've ever seen 931 00:43:37,239 --> 00:43:39,440 Speaker 1: the last couple of years. And but then all of 932 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:41,640 Speaker 1: a sudden they get in the playoffs and that offense 933 00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:44,719 Speaker 1: like doesn't work, Like it just doesn't work. And the 934 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:47,799 Speaker 1: it's because there's this delineation between the two. Like you 935 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:50,600 Speaker 1: can try hard your way and just scoring points in 936 00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:53,440 Speaker 1: the regular season. You can try hard your way into 937 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:55,799 Speaker 1: defending in the regular season, but once we get to 938 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 1: the playoffs, there has to be like a tangible like 939 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,760 Speaker 1: like identity to the way that that defense can succeed 940 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:05,520 Speaker 1: against the best of the best. And you can see 941 00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:08,840 Speaker 1: that with the Lakers were like when like the truth 942 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:11,560 Speaker 1: of the matter is when push comes to shove, If 943 00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:14,479 Speaker 1: you've got the Lakers down to one and you're going 944 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:17,080 Speaker 1: into Game three and you think you've got a chance 945 00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:20,200 Speaker 1: to get to win there in the game is you know, 946 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:22,360 Speaker 1: and it's a tie game in the fourth quarter, It's like, 947 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:24,600 Speaker 1: here's what I know you're gonna see. You're gonna see 948 00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:27,719 Speaker 1: Dennis Showder hounding your point guard full court. You're gonna 949 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:31,920 Speaker 1: see Alex Caruso flying around in rotations, You're gonna see 950 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:35,600 Speaker 1: k c p out there flying around in rotations and 951 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:39,080 Speaker 1: you've got Lebron and a d Good luck because when 952 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:42,680 Speaker 1: that because when that group is out there, there's gonna 953 00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:46,600 Speaker 1: be nothing easy for you on anywhere on the floor. 954 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:50,239 Speaker 1: And so you know that group, I don't even know 955 00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:52,200 Speaker 1: what their defensive rating is this year when the five 956 00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:54,920 Speaker 1: of them play together, and it's probably okay because with 957 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:56,840 Speaker 1: the eight minutes have been weird this year because he 958 00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:59,040 Speaker 1: hasn't been great. But the truth of the matter is 959 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:02,040 Speaker 1: like when things really come down to that that moment 960 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:06,520 Speaker 1: in a game, you know that specific lineup makes sense 961 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:08,680 Speaker 1: in the way that they can guard. All three of 962 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:11,239 Speaker 1: those guards are super quick and they play extremely hard, 963 00:45:11,239 --> 00:45:13,200 Speaker 1: and they're great at the point of attack. Even Dennis 964 00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 1: like will fight in a in a post mismatch, you know, 965 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:17,759 Speaker 1: at least put in a position where the guy's a 966 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:21,160 Speaker 1: little uncomfortable, you know. But if I that, uh, you know, 967 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:23,840 Speaker 1: a team like Utah for instance, it's like at the 968 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:27,040 Speaker 1: end of the day, like do you love Bogdanovitch out there? 969 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:30,000 Speaker 1: You know, guarding the other team's best player like Royce 970 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:33,160 Speaker 1: O'Neil is pretty good, but he's not you know, he's 971 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:36,880 Speaker 1: not that great in those specific matchups. You know, some 972 00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:40,040 Speaker 1: of the stuff doesn't make sense and translate to the 973 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:42,000 Speaker 1: playoffs and and and then good luck on the other 974 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:43,640 Speaker 1: end too, because you know what Lebron and n A. 975 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:45,760 Speaker 1: D Are going to do to you offensively with that lineup, 976 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,920 Speaker 1: you know, with the spacing that it's provided. So it's 977 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:50,960 Speaker 1: just different. It's important to draw the line between the two, 978 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:55,040 Speaker 1: you know, And and I like, I clearly don't think 979 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:57,960 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis hurts their defense in the regular season, but 980 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:00,920 Speaker 1: but it's very it's obvious that what they can do 981 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:03,560 Speaker 1: against the best of the best requires him to be 982 00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:07,520 Speaker 1: on the floor. Um yeah, anyway, yeah, yeah, exactly. And 983 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:09,600 Speaker 1: their biggest trump card is a D at the five, right, 984 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:11,800 Speaker 1: That's that's the one that no one's known in the 985 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:14,160 Speaker 1: league has yet figured out how to stop. And I 986 00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:17,080 Speaker 1: don't don't see anything that has changed my mind on that. 987 00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:20,000 Speaker 1: Him and Lebron with the elite defense at the five, 988 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:22,160 Speaker 1: them two can just run, screen and roll. They did 989 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:24,080 Speaker 1: it I think against the Bucks to win that game. 990 00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 1: They haven't really had to go and go to it 991 00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:27,759 Speaker 1: too much. Yeah, that's that's where it goes and you 992 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:30,160 Speaker 1: have to stop that four out of seven. So I 993 00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:33,800 Speaker 1: saw something funny yesterday. I think it was a Raptors 994 00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:37,359 Speaker 1: fan was like telling Utah Jazz fans like a being 995 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:39,640 Speaker 1: then one seed with Lebron in the same conference doesn't 996 00:46:39,640 --> 00:46:42,920 Speaker 1: really mean much because they've they've obviously been destroyed by 997 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,439 Speaker 1: by Lebron a few times. So um yeah, I've seen. 998 00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:47,279 Speaker 1: Seeing Lebron kind of shoot on Utah was kind of 999 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:49,960 Speaker 1: hilarious considering they're the best team and they have like 1000 00:46:50,040 --> 00:46:52,440 Speaker 1: what eight losses and they've just run through the league. 1001 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:55,520 Speaker 1: So I'm excited to see them play again. Utah obviously 1002 00:46:55,600 --> 00:46:58,200 Speaker 1: kicked our butt, but I want to see with a 1003 00:46:58,280 --> 00:47:00,000 Speaker 1: D healthy and see how that how that line up 1004 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:04,040 Speaker 1: looks going forward. The as far as seeding goes, what 1005 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:09,120 Speaker 1: matters most to me is not, uh, getting above Utah. Obviously, 1006 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:11,600 Speaker 1: I think it'd be fine. I mean, you don't What 1007 00:47:11,680 --> 00:47:13,319 Speaker 1: you don't want to do is put yourself in a 1008 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:18,160 Speaker 1: situation where you know a guy's banged up and it 1009 00:47:18,239 --> 00:47:20,759 Speaker 1: has to sit out a game, and you lose a 1010 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:22,839 Speaker 1: game in l A and now you've got to win 1011 00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:24,879 Speaker 1: two games in Utah. Like, you don't want to put 1012 00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:27,959 Speaker 1: yourself in that position, especially since knowing Utah, like, they'll 1013 00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:30,719 Speaker 1: probably have like fifty percent capacity fans by the time 1014 00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:35,719 Speaker 1: May and June coming around. So like I but but fortunately, 1015 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:37,839 Speaker 1: like I think the Lakers are only a half game 1016 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:41,080 Speaker 1: back being above everybody in the East. I don't know 1017 00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:42,719 Speaker 1: that for sure, but I think they are because I 1018 00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:44,879 Speaker 1: think Phoenix is a one full game ahead of them. 1019 00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:47,440 Speaker 1: And but anyway, so like, as long as they can 1020 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:49,799 Speaker 1: have home court advantage against everyone else, I think it's 1021 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:53,880 Speaker 1: worth going for. Uh, you know, because obviously against the Clippers, 1022 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:56,319 Speaker 1: they'll probably have home games for every single game, but 1023 00:47:56,640 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 1: you know, going into going into Milwaukee in the finals 1024 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 1: would suck, like if you had to do that four times, 1025 00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:03,600 Speaker 1: So like, why not at least go for it? But 1026 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:07,439 Speaker 1: I agree with you, like Utah, Utah having home court 1027 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:09,359 Speaker 1: isn't as big of a deal, and quite frankly, as 1028 00:48:09,400 --> 00:48:11,040 Speaker 1: you and I have discussed on this podcast a half 1029 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:14,759 Speaker 1: dozen times, that it's just the worst possible matchup for them, 1030 00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:16,920 Speaker 1: And I don't think the Lakers are even the slightest 1031 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:22,320 Speaker 1: bit scared of that particular matchup. But but I mean, uh, 1032 00:48:22,320 --> 00:48:23,840 Speaker 1: it'll be interesting to see what they go for. By 1033 00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:24,880 Speaker 1: the way, I don't know if you saw, but the 1034 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:26,600 Speaker 1: alert just came on my phone. Blake Griffin just got 1035 00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:30,040 Speaker 1: bought out. Oh really, Oh yeah, let's see. It's a 1036 00:48:30,120 --> 00:48:32,400 Speaker 1: six time also for Blake. Griffin has agreed to a 1037 00:48:32,440 --> 00:48:34,319 Speaker 1: contract by it with the Detroit Pistons and will become 1038 00:48:34,320 --> 00:48:38,120 Speaker 1: an unrestricted free agent. Griffin has interest from many of 1039 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:41,560 Speaker 1: the NBA's top playoff contenders and is expected to make 1040 00:48:41,560 --> 00:48:44,680 Speaker 1: a decision on his next team after conversations with prospective 1041 00:48:44,680 --> 00:48:47,200 Speaker 1: teams in the near future. That's very vague from for 1042 00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:50,919 Speaker 1: the Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty sure he knows where he's 1043 00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:53,759 Speaker 1: going in my opening, like those kind of those kind 1044 00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:58,839 Speaker 1: of people really know what they're know what's coming. I 1045 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:03,840 Speaker 1: my gut is tell like, because it's just knowing Blake. Uh, 1046 00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 1: why wouldn't he Why wouldn't he come here? I there's 1047 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:10,600 Speaker 1: the thing again. The one thing that would throw it 1048 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:14,080 Speaker 1: off would be minutes. Like all it takes is a 1049 00:49:14,120 --> 00:49:18,800 Speaker 1: team like Brooklyn calling Blake and being like, do you 1050 00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:20,520 Speaker 1: can play as much as you want here? You know, 1051 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:23,400 Speaker 1: like something stupid like promising minutes? That could throw it 1052 00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:27,160 Speaker 1: off because the conversation with Frank and Uh and Rob 1053 00:49:27,280 --> 00:49:30,520 Speaker 1: is gonna go like this, Hey, Blake, you're our backup 1054 00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:34,120 Speaker 1: stretch five. That's what it is like the like Blake's 1055 00:49:34,160 --> 00:49:36,000 Speaker 1: not gonna take Mark out of the starting lineup, Like 1056 00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:39,040 Speaker 1: he's just not there. So you're backup five. You know 1057 00:49:39,120 --> 00:49:42,000 Speaker 1: there's minutes there, but you're a backup five. But if 1058 00:49:42,040 --> 00:49:43,960 Speaker 1: there's a contender out there that will look at him 1059 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:46,200 Speaker 1: in the face and be like, dude, you're starting. You're 1060 00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:48,839 Speaker 1: playing twenty plus minutes a night. You know you can 1061 00:49:48,880 --> 00:49:50,399 Speaker 1: play as much as you want, but if you need rest, 1062 00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:52,640 Speaker 1: will rest you. Blah blah blah. That might be something 1063 00:49:52,680 --> 00:49:54,840 Speaker 1: that that could throw him out of the mix. But 1064 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:56,480 Speaker 1: I certainly would like to like to see him in 1065 00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:58,560 Speaker 1: l A so quickly before we get out of here. 1066 00:49:58,560 --> 00:50:01,200 Speaker 1: You had mentioned so mean and I had a conversation 1067 00:50:01,200 --> 00:50:06,239 Speaker 1: about analytics, yeah, yesterday and you had mentioned that you 1068 00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:08,399 Speaker 1: had a follow up to that you that you wanted 1069 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:10,560 Speaker 1: to ask, Yeah, because there's the stat that I always 1070 00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:13,040 Speaker 1: see people throw around, is this per thirty six minutes? Right? 1071 00:50:13,080 --> 00:50:15,759 Speaker 1: And I kind of fell into it too. I just, um, 1072 00:50:15,800 --> 00:50:17,319 Speaker 1: I just heard you guys yesterday though, was a good 1073 00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:19,000 Speaker 1: point where you're saying, like every shot is in the 1074 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:21,239 Speaker 1: same shot, right, So you kind of have to uh 1075 00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:24,560 Speaker 1: kind of fit in fatigue, and you know how long 1076 00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:27,040 Speaker 1: guys played or who's open or whatever. There's a whole 1077 00:50:27,080 --> 00:50:29,120 Speaker 1: bunch of factors that you know, numbers will never be 1078 00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:32,080 Speaker 1: able to quantify, and you can work with that with film. Right, 1079 00:50:32,080 --> 00:50:34,560 Speaker 1: those two go together. There shouldn't be some big war 1080 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:37,279 Speaker 1: onto it. But like the thirty six minutes, I think 1081 00:50:37,320 --> 00:50:40,239 Speaker 1: it's fine for like players who play thirty minutes right, 1082 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:42,400 Speaker 1: that to me it makes sense. It's really when I 1083 00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:44,920 Speaker 1: see like I saw like a James White, little James Wisen, 1084 00:50:44,960 --> 00:50:46,239 Speaker 1: which you know, I think he's gonna be good. But 1085 00:50:46,280 --> 00:50:49,400 Speaker 1: I saw that James Wisen per thirty six someone posted 1086 00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:52,040 Speaker 1: he would be like twenty and twelve in per thirty six. 1087 00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:55,040 Speaker 1: I'm like, he's never playing thirty six minutes. So like 1088 00:50:55,680 --> 00:50:58,800 Speaker 1: showing showing that James Wisen as averages twenty and twelve 1089 00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:00,600 Speaker 1: on a per thirty six just doesn't makes sense to me. 1090 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:02,400 Speaker 1: Or like I saw what the Clippers that they posted 1091 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:04,279 Speaker 1: like a Luke Kennard per thirty six, it was like 1092 00:51:04,560 --> 00:51:08,560 Speaker 1: sixteen four and like you know, like shooting, I'm like, 1093 00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:11,240 Speaker 1: he's never playing thirty six minutes. The average is nineteen. 1094 00:51:11,280 --> 00:51:12,960 Speaker 1: It doesn't really make sense to me to put up 1095 00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:15,319 Speaker 1: per thirty six out for guys who will never play 1096 00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:18,200 Speaker 1: thirty six minutes. Like, it's just it's confusing to me 1097 00:51:18,239 --> 00:51:19,920 Speaker 1: when I see that, Like with the Lebron or like 1098 00:51:20,160 --> 00:51:22,640 Speaker 1: Paul George or those guys are gonna play thirty minutes, 1099 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:24,279 Speaker 1: so their per thirty six kind of makes sense. It 1100 00:51:24,320 --> 00:51:26,719 Speaker 1: fits into their rotation, right, so you can kind of 1101 00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:29,719 Speaker 1: you can kind of predict what their numbers will be 1102 00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:31,960 Speaker 1: in that kind of thirty six minutes is kind of 1103 00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:34,000 Speaker 1: like the average what a superstar or like a full 1104 00:51:34,120 --> 00:51:38,200 Speaker 1: rotation starter plays, right, so it makes sense exactly. But 1105 00:51:38,200 --> 00:51:40,239 Speaker 1: when I see like rookies have per like rookies that 1106 00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:42,560 Speaker 1: don't play at all getting per thirty six minutes, who 1107 00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:45,640 Speaker 1: average like fifteen minutes a game. Basketball just doesn't work 1108 00:51:45,719 --> 00:51:47,799 Speaker 1: like that, where like if you get ten points in 1109 00:51:47,800 --> 00:51:50,160 Speaker 1: ten minutes, it means you'll make you'll get twenty and 1110 00:51:50,200 --> 00:51:53,480 Speaker 1: like another fifteen. Like that's what's confusing. What do you 1111 00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:55,759 Speaker 1: think about that kind of staff? That's that's kind of 1112 00:51:56,280 --> 00:51:57,920 Speaker 1: strange to me when I when I see it put 1113 00:51:57,920 --> 00:52:00,759 Speaker 1: out for guys who don't play rotate minutes, and I 1114 00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:02,440 Speaker 1: see like per thirty six for them like, yeah, that 1115 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:04,400 Speaker 1: looks great, that looks awesome. You can do that with 1116 00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:06,600 Speaker 1: any rookie lee round. I'll go do their per thirty six. 1117 00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:08,879 Speaker 1: It's just doesn't really make sense for guys who will 1118 00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:12,080 Speaker 1: never get that that minutes this year. So for me personally, 1119 00:52:12,080 --> 00:52:16,600 Speaker 1: I've used it, uh mostly referring to stars who have 1120 00:52:16,719 --> 00:52:18,880 Speaker 1: been playing in lower minutes. So for instance, think like 1121 00:52:18,960 --> 00:52:21,920 Speaker 1: Janice last year. I think like early this year when 1122 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:24,520 Speaker 1: Lebron is playing like thirty three minutes a game or whatever. 1123 00:52:26,080 --> 00:52:29,440 Speaker 1: Where I agree with you that it's not necessarily the 1124 00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:32,440 Speaker 1: same translation for a rookie playing ten minutes a night. 1125 00:52:32,640 --> 00:52:36,040 Speaker 1: But here's where I would look at per thirty six 1126 00:52:36,840 --> 00:52:39,680 Speaker 1: and I don't I don't think it's perfect, but I 1127 00:52:39,680 --> 00:52:43,239 Speaker 1: think it is an indicator of your overall activity in 1128 00:52:43,280 --> 00:52:45,040 Speaker 1: those minutes. So let me give you an example. So 1129 00:52:45,080 --> 00:52:47,560 Speaker 1: for instance, like I played pickup basketball games this morning. 1130 00:52:47,560 --> 00:52:49,240 Speaker 1: One of the things I love about these pickup basketball 1131 00:52:49,239 --> 00:52:51,120 Speaker 1: games that I played with this particular group of guys 1132 00:52:51,200 --> 00:52:53,680 Speaker 1: is we like quick games. So we played twos and 1133 00:52:53,680 --> 00:52:55,719 Speaker 1: threes to nine. So literally a game can end in 1134 00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:59,600 Speaker 1: three possessions if you don't defend. And what's interesting is like, 1135 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:03,560 Speaker 1: you know, I might average you know, four or five 1136 00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:07,040 Speaker 1: points per pickup game, but if there was a way 1137 00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:11,319 Speaker 1: to quantify it as a per thirty six, it would 1138 00:53:11,440 --> 00:53:15,560 Speaker 1: give an indicator of how productive I was in that 1139 00:53:15,719 --> 00:53:21,959 Speaker 1: specific young on one second, I'm having a nightmare said 1140 00:53:21,960 --> 00:53:24,440 Speaker 1: of luck in the last couple of weeks with my computers. 1141 00:53:24,440 --> 00:53:28,719 Speaker 1: I'm telling him in um anyway, So the it gives it, 1142 00:53:28,960 --> 00:53:31,680 Speaker 1: h it gives a general indicator of what your productive, 1143 00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:36,799 Speaker 1: your production level was in those minutes. So again, if 1144 00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:40,120 Speaker 1: you we use Alex Cruso as an example, Alex Crusoe 1145 00:53:40,160 --> 00:53:42,239 Speaker 1: is going to be more impactful, not even statistically, but 1146 00:53:42,320 --> 00:53:45,239 Speaker 1: just in his overall effort and stuff. He's gonna be 1147 00:53:45,280 --> 00:53:47,560 Speaker 1: more productive in a seventeen minute outing than he is 1148 00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:49,759 Speaker 1: in a twenty seven minute outing. We've learned this now, 1149 00:53:49,840 --> 00:53:51,480 Speaker 1: you know that that was one of the things that 1150 00:53:51,560 --> 00:53:56,960 Speaker 1: was revealed during this Dennis Shrewder injury. However, you know, uh, 1151 00:53:57,000 --> 00:54:00,560 Speaker 1: if if if a guy, if if a guy. I 1152 00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:03,680 Speaker 1: if I play Trisan Thompson off the bench in Boston, 1153 00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:07,480 Speaker 1: and I play him for fifteen minutes a night, and 1154 00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:11,800 Speaker 1: in those fifteen minutes he's getting ten points and eight rebounds. 1155 00:54:12,480 --> 00:54:17,719 Speaker 1: I don't think that's a fair a fair uh you know, 1156 00:54:17,840 --> 00:54:20,920 Speaker 1: representation of what he accomplished in that game, because what 1157 00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:23,440 Speaker 1: he really accomplished in that game is per thirty six, 1158 00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:26,680 Speaker 1: he averaged like he put up like twenty six and 1159 00:54:26,760 --> 00:54:28,600 Speaker 1: fourteen or whatever it is. I'm not sure where the 1160 00:54:28,600 --> 00:54:31,520 Speaker 1: conversion is there, but the and what that means is 1161 00:54:31,600 --> 00:54:35,000 Speaker 1: in his fifteen minutes, he was a wrecking ball. Now 1162 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:38,600 Speaker 1: that doesn't that doesn't translate to him having been able 1163 00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:40,880 Speaker 1: to be a wrecking ball for thirty minutes, but it 1164 00:54:40,960 --> 00:54:43,319 Speaker 1: does show me that he was a wrecking ball for 1165 00:54:43,480 --> 00:54:47,480 Speaker 1: those fifteen minutes. So it's as with any stat, it's imperfect. 1166 00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:50,760 Speaker 1: You know, plus minus is imperfect. I hate plus minus 1167 00:54:50,760 --> 00:54:53,800 Speaker 1: in a single game, but I do believe in plus 1168 00:54:53,840 --> 00:54:56,040 Speaker 1: minus in the long term because I think that clearly 1169 00:54:56,120 --> 00:54:58,479 Speaker 1: shows that when this guys on the floor, the team 1170 00:54:58,480 --> 00:55:01,360 Speaker 1: has success for whatever reason, even fits against specific lineups 1171 00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:04,240 Speaker 1: and with specific role players next to him are specific 1172 00:55:04,239 --> 00:55:07,560 Speaker 1: supporting cast. But you know, one of the things I 1173 00:55:07,600 --> 00:55:09,960 Speaker 1: like about her thirty six is it's an indicator of activity. So, 1174 00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:12,440 Speaker 1: for instance, Damian Jones like, it'd be interesting to take 1175 00:55:12,440 --> 00:55:13,959 Speaker 1: a look at it, and I'll look it up real quick, 1176 00:55:14,320 --> 00:55:18,520 Speaker 1: but it's it's a quick indicator. Let's see real quick. 1177 00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:21,840 Speaker 1: Let's look up Damian Jones. So if Damian Jones is 1178 00:55:21,840 --> 00:55:24,880 Speaker 1: playing super limited minutes, so he's been playing ten point 1179 00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:28,200 Speaker 1: three minutes per game with the Lakers, it shows that 1180 00:55:28,239 --> 00:55:34,080 Speaker 1: he's only averaging four point seven rebounds. But if I 1181 00:55:34,600 --> 00:55:37,200 Speaker 1: take it as a per thirty six, he's at fourteen 1182 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:43,560 Speaker 1: and nine, So I can relatively assume that his production 1183 00:55:43,640 --> 00:55:47,360 Speaker 1: in his limited minutes mimics that of a fourteen and 1184 00:55:47,440 --> 00:55:50,759 Speaker 1: nine type of player. That that's not amazing, but that's 1185 00:55:50,760 --> 00:55:53,480 Speaker 1: that's back up big type of production, right, So I'm 1186 00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:56,320 Speaker 1: getting I'm getting back up big level production out of 1187 00:55:56,400 --> 00:56:00,279 Speaker 1: Damian uh, Damian Lee in or like Damian Joel in 1188 00:56:00,280 --> 00:56:02,879 Speaker 1: those specific minutes. Does that make sense? Yeah, for sure. 1189 00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:05,040 Speaker 1: And I don't think there's no place for it obviously, 1190 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:06,520 Speaker 1: And I think it does have something like if you 1191 00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:08,319 Speaker 1: have a guy that's playing twenty five minutes, I guess 1192 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:11,160 Speaker 1: you can kind of extrapulate that out to thirty six, right, well, 1193 00:56:11,200 --> 00:56:12,920 Speaker 1: he would be in a rotation. I just see it 1194 00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:16,880 Speaker 1: used a lot today for like narrative base and like, oh, 1195 00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:20,480 Speaker 1: let's compare this rookie who's playing fifteen minutes to the 1196 00:56:20,560 --> 00:56:22,920 Speaker 1: per his per thirty six to like Jimmy Butler and 1197 00:56:23,000 --> 00:56:25,600 Speaker 1: be like, oh yeah, they're both averaging like seventeen and eight. 1198 00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:28,040 Speaker 1: You know, in these things like that's not how um 1199 00:56:28,120 --> 00:56:30,960 Speaker 1: this that that comparison should kind of go. So that's 1200 00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:32,920 Speaker 1: that's my main issue with it. I see it used 1201 00:56:32,920 --> 00:56:35,440 Speaker 1: a lot for rookies, especially because rookies aren't gonna get 1202 00:56:35,440 --> 00:56:37,520 Speaker 1: crazy minutes, right, So like when you do a Perth 1203 00:56:37,560 --> 00:56:39,839 Speaker 1: Dady six or a guy making who's doing fifteen minutes 1204 00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:42,400 Speaker 1: who has no reputation at all in the league, it's 1205 00:56:42,440 --> 00:56:44,400 Speaker 1: kind of hard to um. It's kind of hard to 1206 00:56:44,440 --> 00:56:46,839 Speaker 1: see that um in the stats. So obviously with any 1207 00:56:46,840 --> 00:56:48,640 Speaker 1: stat you have to kind of think about it. With 1208 00:56:48,719 --> 00:56:51,600 Speaker 1: the film and with everything that you see. Obviously Alex 1209 00:56:51,600 --> 00:56:54,120 Speaker 1: Cruse you can tell his activity obviously is high. So 1210 00:56:54,160 --> 00:56:56,200 Speaker 1: when you go to a Perth day six, you kind 1211 00:56:56,200 --> 00:56:58,560 Speaker 1: of like, okay, he gets like one steel every fifteen minutes. 1212 00:56:58,560 --> 00:57:00,400 Speaker 1: I can kind of see him getting three fields and 1213 00:57:00,520 --> 00:57:02,800 Speaker 1: like that minutes. You know, So that that's remics to 1214 00:57:03,280 --> 00:57:05,920 Speaker 1: issue with it. It is just using it for players 1215 00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:09,479 Speaker 1: in comparisons that it just doesn't makes sense for UM, 1216 00:57:09,480 --> 00:57:11,239 Speaker 1: but I mean, I'm not mad at Every stat has 1217 00:57:11,280 --> 00:57:13,279 Speaker 1: its flaws, every stat has its positive. So I'm a 1218 00:57:13,320 --> 00:57:15,880 Speaker 1: person who really likes defensive rating. A lot of people don't. 1219 00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:17,640 Speaker 1: I feel like there's stats that you like and don't 1220 00:57:17,680 --> 00:57:20,280 Speaker 1: like kind of um in your philosophy and stuff like that. 1221 00:57:20,320 --> 00:57:21,880 Speaker 1: So that that was my main thing. That's the thing 1222 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:23,520 Speaker 1: that I thought when I was hearing you guys talk 1223 00:57:23,560 --> 00:57:25,560 Speaker 1: about it, because I thought it was interesting that there's 1224 00:57:25,560 --> 00:57:27,560 Speaker 1: a lot of stats out there. There's I mean, there's 1225 00:57:27,560 --> 00:57:29,400 Speaker 1: a stat for a stat right today, you can have 1226 00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:31,480 Speaker 1: stats for stats, so you can kind of gets you 1227 00:57:31,520 --> 00:57:33,680 Speaker 1: can kind of get lost in that um. And yeah, 1228 00:57:33,760 --> 00:57:36,240 Speaker 1: that's my main point that it's kind of interesting seeing 1229 00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:38,080 Speaker 1: those kind of things. Like a lot of people like 1230 00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:40,440 Speaker 1: there's I think Andy Bailey who's like the Utah guy. 1231 00:57:40,520 --> 00:57:43,200 Speaker 1: He really likes per seventy five possessions, Like he does 1232 00:57:43,240 --> 00:57:46,080 Speaker 1: everything with per seventy five, which I guess is like 1233 00:57:46,120 --> 00:57:49,440 Speaker 1: the the average amount of possessions in like a full game. 1234 00:57:49,480 --> 00:57:52,640 Speaker 1: I'm guessing, so he really goes possessions would be closer 1235 00:57:52,680 --> 00:57:54,280 Speaker 1: to a full game, and no one plays a full 1236 00:57:54,280 --> 00:57:56,120 Speaker 1: game because I think the NBA game has like a 1237 00:57:56,160 --> 00:57:58,920 Speaker 1: hundred and seven possessions per team or something like exactly. 1238 00:57:58,960 --> 00:58:00,760 Speaker 1: So that kind of trips blow and I'm like, I 1239 00:58:00,840 --> 00:58:03,400 Speaker 1: understand it where he's going with it, but he uses 1240 00:58:03,640 --> 00:58:05,800 Speaker 1: a lot to be like, Okay, Gobert with average like 1241 00:58:06,240 --> 00:58:08,880 Speaker 1: five and fifteen on like a per seventy five, you know, 1242 00:58:08,920 --> 00:58:11,040 Speaker 1: and things like that. So it's kind of funny just 1243 00:58:11,120 --> 00:58:12,959 Speaker 1: to see it used in that way, and I feel 1244 00:58:12,960 --> 00:58:14,760 Speaker 1: like there's a that's a better way to kind of 1245 00:58:14,760 --> 00:58:16,800 Speaker 1: look at it. Again. We're all kind of improving here 1246 00:58:16,840 --> 00:58:19,600 Speaker 1: on our stats. But I was interesting I heard. I 1247 00:58:19,640 --> 00:58:21,040 Speaker 1: thought of that when I when I heard you guys 1248 00:58:21,080 --> 00:58:24,760 Speaker 1: do that conversation? Can you hear me or my cut out? 1249 00:58:25,160 --> 00:58:28,080 Speaker 1: You're good, I'm hearing. I'm getting a little symbol on 1250 00:58:28,120 --> 00:58:31,000 Speaker 1: my screen. Heck is about the break loost with my WiFi? 1251 00:58:31,640 --> 00:58:33,800 Speaker 1: Um No, I think you're absolutely right. Using it to 1252 00:58:33,800 --> 00:58:37,120 Speaker 1: compare players is foolishness because there's no two situations that 1253 00:58:37,160 --> 00:58:39,360 Speaker 1: are like like I said, I just like using it 1254 00:58:40,040 --> 00:58:43,240 Speaker 1: specifically to kind of gauge, you know, if you're a 1255 00:58:43,280 --> 00:58:45,640 Speaker 1: fan of a team and you want to gauge you know, 1256 00:58:45,880 --> 00:58:48,200 Speaker 1: how impactful a player has been in a limited role. 1257 00:58:48,240 --> 00:58:57,280 Speaker 1: I think it'll give you a general idea. Um the uh, 1258 00:58:57,320 --> 00:58:58,920 Speaker 1: and it's the last thing I'll talk about and then 1259 00:58:58,960 --> 00:59:03,160 Speaker 1: we'll get you out of here. But the defensive rating 1260 00:59:03,160 --> 00:59:08,840 Speaker 1: is scoreboard like offensive rating is the scoreboard. That's not 1261 00:59:09,760 --> 00:59:14,120 Speaker 1: That's not an advanced metric. All that is is a 1262 00:59:14,160 --> 00:59:18,040 Speaker 1: scoreboard waited per possessions like guess what, like if you 1263 00:59:18,120 --> 00:59:20,880 Speaker 1: have a positive net rating in a basketball game, you 1264 00:59:20,920 --> 00:59:24,880 Speaker 1: are guaranteed to win as a team. That like guaranteed 1265 00:59:24,920 --> 00:59:27,360 Speaker 1: like one thousand million percent of the time. It's not. 1266 00:59:27,720 --> 00:59:30,400 Speaker 1: It is not an advanced metric, and it buy any 1267 00:59:30,400 --> 00:59:32,480 Speaker 1: stretch of the imagination. The only thing I don't like 1268 00:59:32,600 --> 00:59:36,600 Speaker 1: with advance with offensive rating and defensive rating is every 1269 00:59:36,680 --> 00:59:38,480 Speaker 1: single year there are a bunch of teams that are 1270 00:59:38,520 --> 00:59:40,680 Speaker 1: at the top of the offensive rating that don't defend. 1271 00:59:41,200 --> 00:59:43,040 Speaker 1: And every single year there are teams like the Lakers 1272 00:59:43,080 --> 00:59:45,640 Speaker 1: and other teams who defend extremely well, but they are 1273 00:59:45,840 --> 00:59:49,000 Speaker 1: more middle of the pack offensively or you know, bottom 1274 00:59:49,040 --> 00:59:50,760 Speaker 1: of the top ten or whatever it is. And the 1275 00:59:50,840 --> 00:59:53,400 Speaker 1: reason why is because it takes energy to do both. 1276 00:59:53,920 --> 00:59:56,240 Speaker 1: You know, teams that don't defend usually have better legs 1277 00:59:56,240 --> 00:59:58,520 Speaker 1: on offense and they're better at scoring points and teams 1278 00:59:58,560 --> 01:00:01,080 Speaker 1: that don't score are better at defend Teams that defended 1279 01:00:01,080 --> 01:00:04,120 Speaker 1: a really high level struggle offensively because they're fatigued and 1280 01:00:04,240 --> 01:00:06,800 Speaker 1: usually the game will they'll strangle the pace in a 1281 01:00:06,800 --> 01:00:10,919 Speaker 1: lot of ways. But yeah, I there are uh, there's 1282 01:00:10,960 --> 01:00:14,320 Speaker 1: nothing wrong with defensive rating offensive rating in a vacuum, 1283 01:00:14,360 --> 01:00:17,480 Speaker 1: because all they are is literally the scoreboard. My biggest, 1284 01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:21,240 Speaker 1: my biggest. You know, it's not a convoluted stat you know, 1285 01:00:21,320 --> 01:00:25,400 Speaker 1: like raptor is or lebron or whatever. Those metrics that 1286 01:00:25,440 --> 01:00:28,520 Speaker 1: you see floating around as of late, Like those are deeply, 1287 01:00:28,640 --> 01:00:32,360 Speaker 1: deeply convoluted stats that are trying to attach a single 1288 01:00:32,480 --> 01:00:37,000 Speaker 1: number to something that uh, to a specific role on 1289 01:00:37,080 --> 01:00:50,480 Speaker 1: a basketball team, like more you kind of cut off. 1290 01:00:58,360 --> 01:01:01,560 Speaker 1: I think you're bad. There you go, alrighty, I'm back. 1291 01:01:01,600 --> 01:01:04,040 Speaker 1: I apologize everyone for the WiFi stuff. I was talking 1292 01:01:04,080 --> 01:01:07,440 Speaker 1: with Roj beforehand. I think I have it figured out. 1293 01:01:07,480 --> 01:01:11,160 Speaker 1: I just have to order a specific piece of equipment 1294 01:01:11,200 --> 01:01:13,280 Speaker 1: to get me back up and running towards not a problem. 1295 01:01:13,320 --> 01:01:15,920 Speaker 1: But I appreciate everybody bearing with me through the process. 1296 01:01:16,560 --> 01:01:21,320 Speaker 1: Um real quickly before I get you out of here. Uh. 1297 01:01:21,480 --> 01:01:25,520 Speaker 1: Tweet from Mark Stein the Lakers Clippers nets and Heat 1298 01:01:25,600 --> 01:01:29,200 Speaker 1: and Warriors are the five teams that have most publicly 1299 01:01:29,240 --> 01:01:33,760 Speaker 1: expressed interest in Blake Griffin at this time. Yeah, and 1300 01:01:33,800 --> 01:01:36,520 Speaker 1: that's kind of predictable, right, all kind of contenders or 1301 01:01:36,760 --> 01:01:40,200 Speaker 1: semi contenders. Um. Also big markets, right, he doesn't want 1302 01:01:40,200 --> 01:01:42,600 Speaker 1: to go to know, go no East market, a small 1303 01:01:42,640 --> 01:01:44,720 Speaker 1: market team, so it kind of makes sense. I still 1304 01:01:44,760 --> 01:01:46,360 Speaker 1: think he's gonna want to go to a winning contender, 1305 01:01:46,440 --> 01:01:48,880 Speaker 1: like he wants to go to one of the championship teams. Um. 1306 01:01:48,920 --> 01:01:51,200 Speaker 1: I think I think it's gonna be Brooklyn or the Lakers. 1307 01:01:51,240 --> 01:01:53,240 Speaker 1: I don't think he's going to the Clippers. Might be 1308 01:01:53,320 --> 01:01:55,800 Speaker 1: I just can't see him going back there after being 1309 01:01:55,840 --> 01:01:58,800 Speaker 1: sent away, But we'll we'll see. I think he's coming. 1310 01:01:58,800 --> 01:02:00,520 Speaker 1: I think you're right. I think you're I think you 1311 01:02:00,560 --> 01:02:02,400 Speaker 1: said you're kind of feeling him coming here too. I 1312 01:02:02,440 --> 01:02:06,360 Speaker 1: think it just makes too much sense, um for them 1313 01:02:06,360 --> 01:02:07,960 Speaker 1: to to kind of try it out. So that's I 1314 01:02:08,000 --> 01:02:10,600 Speaker 1: think he'll be here. We'll see. Um, maybe we'll find 1315 01:02:10,600 --> 01:02:12,880 Speaker 1: out today. I don't know. I hope we find out today. 1316 01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:15,320 Speaker 1: We'll see at least get some intel. But I'm gonna 1317 01:02:15,320 --> 01:02:18,360 Speaker 1: get you out of here before my WiFi cuts out again. Um, 1318 01:02:18,920 --> 01:02:22,000 Speaker 1: let's let's send out a tweet, you know, Monday, Tuesday 1319 01:02:22,040 --> 01:02:25,680 Speaker 1: next week, just asking for some mail back questions, and 1320 01:02:25,720 --> 01:02:28,520 Speaker 1: then we'll do uh, we'll do some grades and some 1321 01:02:28,680 --> 01:02:31,720 Speaker 1: just overall kind of like rehashing of the first half 1322 01:02:31,720 --> 01:02:34,120 Speaker 1: of the season from the Lakers. Roj is always I 1323 01:02:34,160 --> 01:02:36,600 Speaker 1: really appreciate you, man, and I will see you next Friday. 1324 01:02:36,600 --> 01:02:39,080 Speaker 1: Thank you everybody for listening in. Thank you