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Speaker 2: welcome to Hobes tonight. You're at the volume halfy Thursday, everybody.

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Speaker 2: Hope all of you guys are having an incredible week.

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Speaker 2: While I woke up this morning to a bit of

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Speaker 2: a bombshell, Mister Jovan Buja from The Athletic with John

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Speaker 2: Serrania has help reported that Darvin Ham is apparently facing

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Speaker 2: some internal issues within the Lakers locker room and that

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Speaker 2: there are some frustrations and I could think of nobody

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Speaker 2: better than mister Yovann to come on the show to

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Speaker 2: break it all down. Yovann is good to see you.

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Speaker 2: I know you've had a long night. I know there's

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Speaker 2: been a lot that's going on, but I appreciate you

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Speaker 2: taking the time to come hang out and break it

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Speaker 2: down for us. Today, I want to just start really simple.

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Speaker 2: Is there any can you just elaborate for us about

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Speaker 2: the specific frustrations that are going on within the Lakers

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Speaker 2: locker room, specifically with Darvinham and the job he's been

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Speaker 2: doing coaching the team.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Well, I'll go back to the last night because the

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Speaker 1: postgame scene last night was bizarre. It was unlike anything

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Speaker 1: I've seen this season, where the Lakers lose, and they

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Speaker 1: lose to an undermanned Heat team who are not only

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Speaker 1: missing Jimmy Butler, but they're missing Caleb Martin and Heyward

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Speaker 1: Highsmith and so like they're missing two starters and a

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Speaker 1: rotation player, and of course their best player in Jimmy Butler.

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Speaker 1: And you see, kind of with the game in the balance,

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Speaker 1: the Heat execute well, make all the right plays, and

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Speaker 1: the Lakers don't. They kind of crumble in the fourth

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Speaker 1: quarter after cutting down the lead, and it was just

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Speaker 1: to me, kind of this interesting, the discrepancy in how

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Speaker 1: the Heat handle not having their best player and several

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Speaker 1: rotation players versus the Lakers who are without D'Angel Russell,

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Speaker 1: Ruy Hachimora and of course gave Vincent who remains out indefinitely.

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Speaker 1: But then postgame, no Darvin Ham for a while, and

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Speaker 1: he goes pretty quickly, usually within about ten minutes. So

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Speaker 1: it's been ten minutes, it's been twenty minutes, still no

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Speaker 1: Darvin Ham. Eventually the locker room opens up, which basically

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Speaker 1: never happens before Darvin speaks. It's usually the locker room

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Speaker 1: opens up after the head coach speaks. That's kind of

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Speaker 1: the thing that triggers the locker room opening up. So

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Speaker 1: locker room opens up, we go in, we start talking

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Speaker 1: to Ad, and then about almost at the end of

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Speaker 1: eighty's availability, we get told Darvin's about to go, so

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Speaker 1: head over to Darvin speak with him. But while we're

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Speaker 1: talking Ad, Lebron and AD have lockers right next to

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Speaker 1: each other, and Lebron gets dressed and just walks out,

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Speaker 1: And to my knowledge, it was only the second time

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Speaker 1: this season he did not speak with the media. And

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Speaker 1: occasionally we request Lebron and Ad every game. They basically

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Speaker 1: speak every game, and once in a while they'll get

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Speaker 1: a night off where it's like, you know, maybe it's

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Speaker 1: a you know, the the Charlotte game or something where

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Speaker 1: it just doesn't really make sense that we need to

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Speaker 1: talk to them. But for most nights, they'll talk with us.

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Speaker 1: Lebron's been great with the media throughout his whole career,

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Speaker 1: so to me, that was a message of where Lebron

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Speaker 1: is at right now in terms of how he's feeling

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Speaker 1: about the direction of the Lakers and you know where

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Speaker 1: things are. So Lebron leaves eighty is completely dejected. He's

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Speaker 1: he's soft spoken, he seems very down. And then we

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Speaker 1: go and speak with Darvin and it's kind of business

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Speaker 1: per usual and he's sort of, you know, he likes

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Speaker 1: to portray an optimistic perspective publicly, so he was hitting

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Speaker 1: on a lot of the same messaging that he's been

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Speaker 1: hitting on throughout this losing streak of you know, we're

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Speaker 1: gonna chip away at this rock, we're gonna figure it out,

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Speaker 1: we're gonna look at the film, or we're gonna get

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Speaker 1: back to it and you know, come up with a

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Speaker 1: solution and like kind of the same stuff he's been

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Speaker 1: saying throughout this whole you know process. And then Austin

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Speaker 1: Reeves goes and he says similar things to Anthony Davis,

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Speaker 1: so basically like, we have enough talent here, even with

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Speaker 1: our injuries, to not be losing some of these games

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Speaker 1: that we're losing, and that was one of the things

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Speaker 1: we contract, you know. Highlighting the story was the contrast

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Speaker 1: between a d and Austin Reeves saying injuries aren't an excuse,

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Speaker 1: the ever evolving lineups and rotations are not an excuse,

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Speaker 1: like we should be winning a lot of these games

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Speaker 1: that we're losing, whereas Darvin Ham was saying, you know,

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Speaker 1: the we can't get we we're not gonna, you know,

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Speaker 1: find a rhythm until we're healthy, and you know, he

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Speaker 1: mentioned considering the previous starting lineup of Jared Vanderbilt, D'Angel Russell,

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Speaker 1: and Austin Reeves and going back to that and saying

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Speaker 1: he's gonna, you know, leave no stone unturned. And it

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Speaker 1: was just like this weird contrast of the head coach

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Speaker 1: kind of almost acting like things were fine kind of

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Speaker 1: in a way and just saying, you know, we just

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Speaker 1: got to get healthy and it's the lineups.

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Speaker 3: And this and that.

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Speaker 1: And then I think the one that definitely rubbed some

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Speaker 1: people the wrong way was basically implying that, you know,

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Speaker 1: Gabe vincent In, Diangel Russell, and Ruja Chimoora being out

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Speaker 1: was as impactful, if not more than Jimmy Butler being

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Speaker 1: out for the heat because he said it's easier to

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Speaker 1: replace a big dog than it is to replace some

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Speaker 1: multiple pieces in the rotation. And I think that's the

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Speaker 1: thing that's kind of gotten lost in all the Lakers

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Speaker 1: injury talk. Is Lebron eighty, Austin Reeves, Indiangela Russell, I've

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Speaker 1: basically been healthy all season. They've combined to miss a

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Speaker 1: total of eight games. That's two games per player. So

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Speaker 1: if we were discussing this before the season, and so

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Speaker 1: what cave Ha told us, Hey, those guys are going

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Speaker 1: to miss eight games. At the thirty five game mark,

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Speaker 1: we would think this team has at least twenty wins

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Speaker 1: right now. So you know, to me, for them to

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Speaker 1: be under five hundred at this point, it is a

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Speaker 1: It's a significant underachievement. Even with the injuries, the ist,

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Speaker 1: the schedule, whatever excuse you want to throw in there,

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Speaker 1: they are underachieving right now. And I think there was

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Speaker 1: clearly a dissonance and how it was viewed by the

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Speaker 1: head coach and how it was viewed internally and by

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Speaker 1: the player's post game last night.

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Speaker 2: So when it comes to the actual reporting that you

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Speaker 2: guys did, did you guys hear any specific basketball frustrations,

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Speaker 2: any sort of like tactical stuff where it was like

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Speaker 2: the guys in the locker room are like, we're doing

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Speaker 2: this the wrong way and we should be doing something differently,

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Speaker 2: Like was there any like above and beyond the messaging

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Speaker 2: from Darvin? Which I agree with you, Like the messaging

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Speaker 2: is part of my language. It's bullshit, Like there's no excuse,

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Speaker 2: like you can not only was Miami dealing with a

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Speaker 2: tougher set of circumstances last night, and not only is

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Speaker 2: that idea that a superstar is easier to replace than

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Speaker 2: a few role players completely ridiculous, But it just screamed

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Speaker 2: at you off the screen what you said at the

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Speaker 2: beginning of your ran is something I very much agree with.

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Speaker 2: Like you look, it looks like a Miami Heat team

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Speaker 2: that is completely and utterly bought into a brand of

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Speaker 2: basketball and both ends of the floor, and they are

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Speaker 2: and they are like just competing like crazy, and they're

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Speaker 2: willing to run through a wall for their coach. And

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Speaker 2: then there's a lethargic Lakers team on the other end.

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Speaker 2: And so I'm just wondering if if you guys heard

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Speaker 2: any like specific frustrations within the locker room with the

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Speaker 2: basketball approach of the team.

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Speaker 1: So the biggest thing has been the lineups and the

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Speaker 1: rotations and how often they're fluctuating and guys just feel

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Speaker 1: like they don't have a rhythm, and that's you.

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Speaker 3: Know, partly on them.

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Speaker 1: And Darbenham actually addressed that, you know, he's he refrains

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Speaker 1: from calling people out. He likes to keep that stuff internal.

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Speaker 1: But even last night he called out some of the

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Speaker 1: new additions and said, like, those guys have to play better.

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Speaker 3: Those guys have to do the.

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Speaker 1: Things that we brought them in here to do. So

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Speaker 1: that was sort of out of character in terms of

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Speaker 1: how he normally handles that stuff with criticizing players. He like,

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Speaker 1: you know, he likes to keep all that stuff internal,

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Speaker 1: So for him to do that publicly, I thought was

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Speaker 1: kind of telling of where this is headed.

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Speaker 3: But the biggest thing has been the lineups and the rotations.

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Speaker 1: And they've had ten starting lineups this year. They've had

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Speaker 1: three in the last three games, and it's clear up

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Speaker 1: to this point they don't know who their best five

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Speaker 1: players are. And I think we have an idea of

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Speaker 1: who their best five players are, but internally, you can

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Speaker 1: talk to five different people and get five different answers.

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Speaker 1: You know, you might get different rankings or different guys

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Speaker 1: thrown in there. But it seems like there's a general

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Speaker 1: frustration with let's just stick to a certain starting lineup,

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Speaker 1: a certain rotation, and sure, if a guy gets injured,

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Speaker 1: we can plug someone else in and we can rearrange it.

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Speaker 1: But it feels like with them right now, if a

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Speaker 1: guy gets pulled out of the rotation, it's wholesale changes

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Speaker 1: of Okay, well, now it's a brand new starting lineup.

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Speaker 1: It's gonna be a brand new, you know, eight or

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Speaker 1: nine man rotation, and night tonight, there's really no consistency

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Speaker 1: with I mean, they have their general identity of what

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Speaker 1: they're trying to do. They're there, they want to play

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Speaker 1: with size, they want to play with force. Their their

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Speaker 1: defensive minded group. But in terms of the actual rotation,

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Speaker 1: like I thought, Max Pisy was playing pretty well and

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Speaker 1: then he just kind of gets benched for two weeks

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Speaker 1: and Christian Wood I think has outplayed Jackson Hayes overall

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Speaker 1: this season, and then he also gets bench for a

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Speaker 1: couple of weeks, and it's just it's just kind of

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Speaker 1: been that that you know, push and pull with who's

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Speaker 1: in who's out, and again a lot of that has

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Speaker 1: been injury related. But I think the one thing that

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Speaker 1: we reported and I actually talked about it on here

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Speaker 1: when we spoke about a week and a half ago,

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Speaker 1: was like the OKC starting lineup was a head scratcher

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Speaker 1: internally with multiple parties.

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Speaker 3: Wasn't just players, but multiple levels of the.

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Speaker 1: Organization inside and out were pretty shocked by that decision

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Speaker 1: to start that lineup and to have your third, fourth,

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Speaker 1: and fifth highest paid players in d Lo, Rui, and

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Speaker 1: Austin Reeves all coming off the bench. And one thing

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Speaker 1: that's gone out of the window with all this has

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Speaker 1: been continuity. The Lakers champion their continuity all off season.

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Speaker 1: That was the theme that was the buzzword, and those

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Speaker 1: three guys who were their third, fourth, and fifth highest

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Speaker 1: scorers in the playoffs have all had their roles toyed

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Speaker 1: with and reduced to some extent until recently with Austin

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Speaker 1: now back in the starting lineup. But like it's been

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Speaker 1: grasping at straws, throwing different stuff against the wall. Nothing

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Speaker 1: has really worked, and I think there's just a general

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Speaker 1: frustration of like, you know, does Darvin know how to

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Speaker 1: manage this group right now, and clearly that hasn't been

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Speaker 1: the case for several weeks.

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Speaker 2: Now. Yeah, I've seen this coming for a little while.

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Speaker 2: I was wondering if it would ever reach a you know,

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Speaker 2: because firing your coach in the middle of the season

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Speaker 2: is always a challenge if you don't have a specific

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Speaker 2: plan in mind. And obviously one of my biggest pet

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Speaker 2: peeves is when people just scream like fire the coach,

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Speaker 2: fire the coach, but then they don't explain why they

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Speaker 2: feel that sort of way. So bear with me for

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Speaker 2: a second. I want to I kind of explain a

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Speaker 2: specific basketball case for why I think Darvin Ham needs

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Speaker 2: to go, And to be clear before I go any further,

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Speaker 2: I don't think firing Darvin Ham would fix all of

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Speaker 2: the Lakers problems. You don't go seventeen and eighteen with

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Speaker 2: Lebron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reeves healthy, with Lebron

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Speaker 2: James and Anthony Davis playing better than they did last

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Speaker 2: year at an all NBA level unless tons of things

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Speaker 2: are going wrong, and so any one thing isn't going

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Speaker 2: to turn things around. Darvin Ham didn't lose to the

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Speaker 2: Miami Heat last night. The Lakers lost to the Miami Heat.

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Speaker 2: The Lakers were the ones kicking the ball all over

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Speaker 2: the damn court, not spreading back in transition, completely incapable

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Speaker 2: of making an open catch and shoot shot. The losing

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Speaker 2: shooters off ball, like the players are the ones who

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Speaker 2: lost to the Miami Heat last night. So, to be clear,

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Speaker 2: firing Darvin is not going to fix all of those issues.

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Speaker 2: That said, I do think there is a very clear

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Speaker 2: basketball case that a coaching change needs to be made,

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Speaker 2: and it's kind of different than some of the other

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Speaker 2: lebron seasons we've seen. Like we remember the David Blat year,

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Speaker 2: and I don't think David Black tactically was a mismanaging

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Speaker 2: the Cavaliers. It was a voice in the locker room.

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Speaker 2: He came in really arrogant. The veterans kind of pushed

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Speaker 2: away from him. There was a rift there that it

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Speaker 2: listened to him anymore. They needed to make a move.

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Speaker 2: Same sort of thing with Frank Vogel. Like I actually

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Speaker 2: think Frank Vogel is a much better coach than Darvin

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Speaker 2: Ham and I think he specifically on the defensive ends schematically,

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Speaker 2: is one of the most advanced coaches in the league,

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Speaker 2: and I think he brings a lot of value to

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Speaker 2: the table, but it became clear that there was a

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Speaker 2: separation in terms of the leaders of the team and

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Speaker 2: just listening to Frank Vogel, and so a change needed

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Speaker 2: to be made. The Darvin Ham case, I think, extent

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Speaker 2: much further into the basketball realm, and so there are

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Speaker 2: four reasons, in my opinion, why Darvin Ham has to

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Speaker 2: go first. They've been one of the worst energy and

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Speaker 2: effort teams in the league this year, So I think

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Speaker 2: the clear example of that is the difference between how

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Speaker 2: good they've been in crunch time versus how good they've

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Speaker 2: been at the start of games. This has been one

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Speaker 2: of the ten best clutch teams in basketball this year,

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Speaker 2: and they've been really good on both ends of the floor.

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Speaker 2: They've actually been a very good half court offense and

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Speaker 2: defense throughout the year. As recently as like a couple

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Speaker 2: of days ago, they were top ten in both half

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Speaker 2: court offense and half court defense. They lose games on

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Speaker 2: the margins, but if you look at the first quarter,

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Speaker 2: they're twenty ninth in first quarter defensive rating. They average

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Speaker 2: trailing by four points at the end of every first quarter,

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Speaker 2: which is a second only to the Portland Trailblazers. So

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Speaker 2: they come out every night and play bad basketball, which

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Speaker 2: tells me they're not bought in to the basketball identity

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Speaker 2: of this team. They're not bought into a brand of

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Speaker 2: basketball that they want to play. They don't believe in

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Speaker 2: what they're doing on both ends of the floor. Reason

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Speaker 2: number two. You use the word grasping at Straws, and

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Speaker 2: I entirely agree. He doesn't seem to have any idea

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Speaker 2: what scheme he wants to implement with this group. I

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Speaker 2: thought there was an interesting play in the first quarter

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Speaker 2: last night that demonstrated this, so dribble hand off with

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Speaker 2: Bam and Tyler Harrow where Cam was guarding Tyler Harrow

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Speaker 2: and Anthony Davis was guarding Bam, and Anthony Davis thought

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Speaker 2: it was a hedge and recover, so he's coming out

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Speaker 2: to kind of show on Tyler and he's looking to

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Speaker 2: recover to Bam, but Cam peels off and switches on

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Speaker 2: to Bam and runs to guard him in the post,

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Speaker 2: and Ad looks at him like what are you doing?

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Speaker 2: And he's pointing at Tyler Harrow and then Cam goes

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Speaker 2: and rotates. They make the pass to Bam and he

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Speaker 2: makes a wide open jump shot. One of the issues

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Speaker 2: there is Darvin keeps switching up the defensive scheme throughout

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Speaker 2: the season. They won the nd Season Tournament blitzing and rotating,

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Speaker 2: an aggressive athletic approach to defense, and then Darvin just

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Speaker 2: was like, never mind, we're gonna try switching for a while,

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Speaker 2: and so they just decided to do something different. And

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Speaker 2: when you constantly are switching up your schematic approach, you

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Speaker 2: end up being bad at everything, because every schematic approach

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Speaker 2: requires repetition in practice to get the rotations down, to

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Speaker 2: get the communication down, to get the habits down to

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Speaker 2: where you start playing good defense right. And then on

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Speaker 2: the offensive end, we saw this team make it to

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Speaker 2: the Western Conference finals last year with a four out

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Speaker 2: one in spread pick and roll and heavy post up attack,

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Speaker 2: and the five out attack that darvinham implemented this year

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Speaker 2: really didn't make sense for the personnel. If you want

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Speaker 2: to run a five out attack, you either need to

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Speaker 2: be an outstanding shooting team like the Warriors, which the

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Speaker 2: Lakers are not, or a real downhill athleticism team like

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Speaker 2: the Kings, which the Lakers are not. Since then, he's

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Speaker 2: tried to implement other things, but once again it's become

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Speaker 2: a situation where the lack of commitment to an offensive

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Speaker 2: identity has made them bad at everything. The third reason

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Speaker 2: I think he needs to go over tinkering with the rotation,

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Speaker 2: which you mentioned. This massively disrupts rhythm and confidence and

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Speaker 2: just the overall comfortability of these role players. And I

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Speaker 2: think that's a specific reason why the role players beyond

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Speaker 2: Lebron and Anthony Davis have all had down offensive seasons.

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Speaker 2: I think it stems from the constant tinkering with the rotation.

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Speaker 2: And the craziest thing a part about it is this

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Speaker 2: is not a difficult rotation to figure out. In my opinion,

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Speaker 2: there is a clear starting lineup. It's Austin Torrian Lebron,

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Speaker 2: ad any one of the point attack guys. It can

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Speaker 2: be Cam, or can be Van Do or it can

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Speaker 2: be Max. And as far as the bench groups, it's

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Speaker 2: very clear that D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis pair really well, right,

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Speaker 2: they're positive on the season. And it's really clear that

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Speaker 2: that Austin Reeves, Lebron, James Christian Wood trio pairs really well.

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Speaker 2: And so this is not a difficult rotation to figure out.

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Speaker 2: But because it's been constantly tinkering with it, here's five

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Speaker 2: athletes and none of them can shoot. And here's five

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Speaker 2: shooters and none of them can run and jump, and

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Speaker 2: it turns into the situation where the redundancies just lead

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Speaker 2: to these diminishing returns as the lineups have struggled. And

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Speaker 2: so this has not been a situation where it's been

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Speaker 2: a complicated rotation to figure out. But Darvin Ham is

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Speaker 2: galaxy brained the whole thing, and everyone has suffered as

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Speaker 2: a result. In the last but not least you guys

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Speaker 2: said in the lock or in the report, I should

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Speaker 2: say that there were six different reports or six different sources.

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Speaker 2: I think it was either five or six, I can't remember,

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Speaker 2: but there was. Yes, there's a half dozen sources that

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Speaker 2: are saying in the locker room that they're frustrated. That

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Speaker 2: to me is a clear sign of almost like a

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Speaker 2: schism in the locker room. And at that point, like

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Speaker 2: there's no version of that where like everyone's just like,

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Speaker 2: never mind, let's buy back in and go do this

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Speaker 2: thing again. And so to me, when you couple all

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Speaker 2: of those together, you have the same vogel. David Black

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Speaker 2: case of like the guys just aren't listening to him anymore.

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Speaker 2: But then you have this clear basketball case for why

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Speaker 2: Darvin Ham just quite frankly, is not the guy to

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Speaker 2: maximize this group in terms of basketball on both ends

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Speaker 2: of the floor. So, now that I'm off my soapbox,

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Speaker 2: I want to ask you specifically. The Laker front office

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Speaker 2: has been quiet and there hasn't really been much on

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Speaker 2: this front. Actually poked around about a week ago and

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Speaker 2: just asked if some people that I know, like, is

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Speaker 2: it even something that's on the table. And I was

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Speaker 2: hearing no at that point. And so my question for

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Speaker 2: you is, do you actually think there's a chance Starvin

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Speaker 2: gets hired or fired? Have you actually heard anything from

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Speaker 2: the front office that would lead you to believe that

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Speaker 2: decision is on the table.

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Speaker 1: Yes, I think it is on the table, and I

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Speaker 1: think it's not gonna happen today, probably not gonna happen tomorrow.

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Speaker 1: But if this skid continues, with this homestand that they

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Speaker 1: have coming up, twenty three of the first twenty five

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Speaker 1: days of January are in LA that includes a road

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Speaker 1: game against the Clippers. But if they somehow come out

385
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Speaker 1: of that skid under five hundred and potentially even sooner.

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Speaker 1: I mean, if they play Memphis on Friday, they lose

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Speaker 1: that game, then they play the Clippers on Sunday, they

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Speaker 1: lose that game. Now you're three games under five hundred.

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Speaker 1: I think that's in play at that point. So I

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Speaker 1: I think you know to what you just said. I

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Speaker 1: have been monitoring this during the skid and checking in

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Speaker 1: with people, and it had been nope. I mean, the

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Speaker 1: guy made the Western Conference finals last year, they won

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Speaker 1: the n Season Tournament a few weeks ago. Like, he's fine,

395
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Speaker 1: but the seat warming has started. And if we were

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Speaker 1: comparing this to a car, I think it's on level

397
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Speaker 1: one out of level three, but that could easily go

398
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Speaker 1: up to level two or three with another loss or two,

399
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Speaker 1: just because of like you have it, You're in a

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Speaker 1: win now situation with Lebron and Ad like this isn't oh,

401
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Speaker 1: let's see how this year goes and then we always

402
00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,199
Speaker 1: have next year. Like it's championship or bust for this

403
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,560
Speaker 1: group this season, And I think they're gonna approach the trade.

404
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Speaker 3: Deadline with that mentality, but.

405
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Speaker 1: They also have to approach the on court product and

406
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Speaker 1: the coaching and the rotations with that mindset as well,

407
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Speaker 1: and if Darvin isn't getting through to the guys, you know,

408
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Speaker 1: whether that's on him or on them, or some combination

409
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Speaker 1: of both, at some point that becomes.

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Speaker 3: A real issue.

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Speaker 1: And you know that again the Lakers, like they've Lebron

412
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Speaker 1: and Idy have missed the combined five games, that has

413
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Speaker 1: not happened over the last few years. And for them

414
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Speaker 1: to be this healthy and under five hundred, it's just

415
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Speaker 1: it's insane. And I still can't really believe it. Again,

416
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Speaker 1: even with the schedule, even with the injuries, like they've

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Speaker 1: had their top four players basically every night, and in

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Speaker 1: most cases that should be enough to at least be

419
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,520
Speaker 1: above five hundred. So you know, I think that the

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Speaker 1: seat has started to warm. I wouldn't say it's hot yet.

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Speaker 1: I would say it's it's warming. But we'll see how

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Speaker 1: the next couple of games go and you have the

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Speaker 1: Lakers come out, because again, I think you hit on

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Speaker 1: something like last night to me was it was a

425
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Speaker 1: really bad body language game for them, and they eventually

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Speaker 1: turned it on in the second half. And they've shown

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Speaker 1: in spurts they can be they can just kind of

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Speaker 1: flip a switch where all of a sudden they get

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Speaker 1: into the you know, back into these games despite trailing

430
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Speaker 1: by ten, fifteen points whatever. But to me, some of

431
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Speaker 1: the body language was just really bad. And you know,

432
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:09,960
Speaker 1: by the time we got in the locker room, the

433
00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,920
Speaker 1: locker room had cleared out, aside from the guys who

434
00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:14,679
Speaker 1: still had to talk to the media. So it was

435
00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,280
Speaker 1: just the vibes last night were as bad as they've

436
00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:21,640
Speaker 1: been all season. Understandably so again losing to a Miami

437
00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,600
Speaker 1: team that they felt like they should have beat considering

438
00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,600
Speaker 1: who was out in Miami being on. I think they're

439
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:31,439
Speaker 1: on like a six game road trip right now. So again,

440
00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,560
Speaker 1: like you know, I think it's in play, you know,

441
00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,280
Speaker 1: potentially sooner than later with Darvin, but I think it's

442
00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:40,440
Speaker 1: going to have to take this skid extending a little

443
00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,320
Speaker 1: bit more before that happens.

444
00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,119
Speaker 2: I think the one thing that could top this, that

445
00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:49,439
Speaker 2: could stop the skid is Darvin just picking and sticking

446
00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:50,119
Speaker 2: with something.

447
00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,000
Speaker 3: I agree like, like like.

448
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,159
Speaker 2: You you pointed out last night, that was the starting

449
00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,919
Speaker 2: lineup that you specifically called for for a while, and

450
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,280
Speaker 2: it's more or less the structure that I was calling four. Like,

451
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:02,080
Speaker 2: it really doesn't matter to me who's at the two,

452
00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,159
Speaker 2: Like all three of those guys are flawed. Sorry, Like

453
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,760
Speaker 2: all three of them have certain like Max Christy as

454
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,879
Speaker 2: much as he's more of a two way version, like

455
00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,600
Speaker 2: he's got so much of that young guy decision making

456
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:13,840
Speaker 2: thing going on where he just will just make a

457
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,119
Speaker 2: catastrophic like pick six turnover or something like that that

458
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:18,960
Speaker 2: just kind of kills the momentum of the game. So

459
00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:20,600
Speaker 2: like all of them kind of come with flaws. But

460
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:22,959
Speaker 2: he did pick a starting lineup that I agree with.

461
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,080
Speaker 2: And again as far as the bench rotation, it is

462
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,080
Speaker 2: challenging when D'Angelo Russell and Ruy Hachimur are out because

463
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,680
Speaker 2: in the current configuration of the team, they are important

464
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,320
Speaker 2: bench players. But I think if he sticks to a

465
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,320
Speaker 2: simple rotation kind of like we talked about, like those

466
00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,280
Speaker 2: Austin Lebron Christian Wood groups really work. I think it's

467
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,800
Speaker 2: important because Austin in a two man game with Lebron

468
00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,440
Speaker 2: is just so much more impactful offensively than when he's

469
00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,280
Speaker 2: running it with some of the lesser Lakers players. D'angela

470
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:52,119
Speaker 2: Russell is the one ball handler non Lebron that seems

471
00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:54,280
Speaker 2: to have really good chemistry with Anthony Davis to get

472
00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:56,080
Speaker 2: him the ball where he needs to get it, So like,

473
00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,480
Speaker 2: I think there's a way they can configure that. A

474
00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,399
Speaker 2: big thing too, is like they need to pick a

475
00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:03,359
Speaker 2: defensive identity and stick with it. Like to me, I

476
00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:06,439
Speaker 2: don't like the switching simply from the standpoint of I

477
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,920
Speaker 2: want Anthony Davis at the rim. I want Anthony Davis

478
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:11,080
Speaker 2: at the rim as much as possible. End of a

479
00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,600
Speaker 2: game like, oh, it's the Western Conference Semis and Steph's

480
00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:17,080
Speaker 2: calling for the ball in game four and he's running

481
00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,159
Speaker 2: pick and roll. Yes, which Ad tried to get a

482
00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:22,359
Speaker 2: couple of late game stops. But for the most part,

483
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,160
Speaker 2: I would look to run that. You can vary between

484
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,840
Speaker 2: you know, a high drop, a low drop, a blitzing

485
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,840
Speaker 2: scheme based on the opponent. But I would have chasing

486
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,280
Speaker 2: over the top of screens and Anthony Davis staying on

487
00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:36,879
Speaker 2: the center as much as possible. Lean into that and

488
00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,240
Speaker 2: see what happens. I'm just you know, I'm just not

489
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,960
Speaker 2: sure if he's going to like for him to say

490
00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,560
Speaker 2: once again last night, after he finally lands the plane

491
00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,440
Speaker 2: on the lineup that you and I have been calling for,

492
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,360
Speaker 2: that he might leave no stone unturned. It's like that's

493
00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,200
Speaker 2: the problem, dude. The problem dude is like you, like,

494
00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:54,639
Speaker 2: no matter what lineup you pick, you might have a

495
00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,800
Speaker 2: bad night in there, right Like, Yet, just like those starters,

496
00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:01,080
Speaker 2: the ridiculous starting lineup kind of man handled the Oklahoma

497
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,080
Speaker 2: City Thunder on that one particular night, right Like, it's

498
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,159
Speaker 2: not about the one night. You've got to stick with

499
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,359
Speaker 2: something for a while and actually give these guys a

500
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,160
Speaker 2: chance to figure it out and get better. I wanted

501
00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,159
Speaker 2: to talk about personnel for a little bit because I

502
00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,840
Speaker 2: personally am starting to kind of change my feeling about

503
00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:19,320
Speaker 2: the team a little bit, so to give you specifically

504
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:23,560
Speaker 2: where my brain has been going. I am really worried

505
00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,480
Speaker 2: about the Lakers offense, and I don't think it's as

506
00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:31,320
Speaker 2: much about schemantics as people think. I do think that's

507
00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:34,479
Speaker 2: part of it, but I think the reality is is

508
00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:38,280
Speaker 2: like when Lebron James and Anthony Davis really want to

509
00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,800
Speaker 2: play bullyball, they can be a really good offense, but

510
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:45,040
Speaker 2: they don't want to do that a ton for completely

511
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,159
Speaker 2: normal reasons, right Like Lebron James and January of a

512
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,200
Speaker 2: regular season is not going to be looking to post

513
00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:54,320
Speaker 2: up fifteen times a game, right. But I do think

514
00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:57,120
Speaker 2: in the grand scheme of things they really do need,

515
00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,320
Speaker 2: in my opinion, another high level offensive player. And so

516
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:04,240
Speaker 2: I've been more willing to kind of explore the idea

517
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:09,280
Speaker 2: of an offensive firepower type of trade than I was

518
00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,600
Speaker 2: a couple of weeks ago, simply because when you really

519
00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,439
Speaker 2: look back, they were bottom fifteen offense in October, they

520
00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,560
Speaker 2: were bottom ten offense in November, they were a bottom

521
00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:23,679
Speaker 2: ten offense in December. Last night they looked utterly inept

522
00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,199
Speaker 2: on the offensive end of the floor. It's clear to

523
00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,600
Speaker 2: me that they might have to consider, you know, especially

524
00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:31,760
Speaker 2: when they have the ability at that three spot to

525
00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,760
Speaker 2: potentially throw a perimeter defender, they might have to look

526
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,560
Speaker 2: into more of an offensive oriented trade. So I was

527
00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,560
Speaker 2: just wondering where your head is at from a personnel standpoint,

528
00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:43,359
Speaker 2: with the types of targets the Lakers should be targeting

529
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:44,240
Speaker 2: at the deadline.

530
00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:47,119
Speaker 1: Well, and I think this hits on another thing where

531
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:51,159
Speaker 1: going back to that OKC lineup, you know, this is

532
00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,160
Speaker 1: where there was a bit of a disconnect internally where

533
00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:57,120
Speaker 1: Darvin kept referencing the defense and their defense hasn't been

534
00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:59,960
Speaker 1: as great as it was in the nd season tournament,

535
00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,679
Speaker 1: although again part of that is the new switching scheme

536
00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,560
Speaker 1: and the adjustment with that, but really it's been the

537
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:09,560
Speaker 1: offense all season, Like they've consistently been a bottom ten offense,

538
00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,600
Speaker 1: and you're not gonna win a championship with a bottom

539
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:13,879
Speaker 1: ten offense. It's just not going to happen in twenty

540
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:18,639
Speaker 1: twenty four. So I think even kind of the diagnosis

541
00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,000
Speaker 1: of clearly something was wrong and something needed to be

542
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:26,680
Speaker 1: adjusted and fixed. And I think people were understanding of, hey,

543
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,080
Speaker 1: you know, maybe try out a new lineup because this

544
00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:34,160
Speaker 1: current group clearly isn't working. But it was the diagnosis of, well,

545
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,560
Speaker 1: it's our defense, and we got to start this new

546
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:40,199
Speaker 1: lineup and we have to overhaul our scheme and you know,

547
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,240
Speaker 1: kind of go more defensive minded when it's like sure,

548
00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,320
Speaker 1: and look that that group played really good defense at

549
00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:51,159
Speaker 1: for stretches, like they you saw the thinking behind it

550
00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,200
Speaker 1: from a defensive perspective, But offensively they were atrocious. And

551
00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,720
Speaker 1: it really was like Lebron and eighty had to be

552
00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:02,800
Speaker 1: superheroes offensively and basely find ways to score without spacing,

553
00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:05,640
Speaker 1: which they're capable of doing because they are so special.

554
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,280
Speaker 1: But that's not a sustainable model for you know, the

555
00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,159
Speaker 1: rest of this regular season. And into the playoffs, like

556
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,840
Speaker 1: you weren't going to win with that lineup, So I

557
00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:19,480
Speaker 1: think clearly they need some more offensive firepower, you know,

558
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,840
Speaker 1: I think I've warmed to the idea of a potential

559
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:25,800
Speaker 1: Zach Lavine trade because of that, depending on what they

560
00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:28,200
Speaker 1: would have to give up. I still think is Zach

561
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:32,400
Speaker 1: Lavine Austin Reeves backcourt is pretty tricky defensively to make

562
00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:36,560
Speaker 1: that work, and you really have to have a special defender,

563
00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,840
Speaker 1: I think in that you know, third front court spot

564
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,600
Speaker 1: next to Lebron and eighty to help mitigate some of

565
00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,800
Speaker 1: the limitations there. But be it Zach Lavine, de jon

566
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,640
Speaker 1: Te Murray, like those are the two consistent names that

567
00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,200
Speaker 1: I continue to hear. Obviously they both have clutch connections.

568
00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,360
Speaker 1: I think either one of those guys would help boost

569
00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,720
Speaker 1: the offense. And then with de Jonte, it's much less money,

570
00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,840
Speaker 1: is making less than half of what Zach is making,

571
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:05,080
Speaker 1: and he's obviously a much better defender and can help

572
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,280
Speaker 1: shore up some of the point of attack stuff from

573
00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,360
Speaker 1: the guard position that they haven't had with Gabe Vinson out.

574
00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,600
Speaker 1: So I think those two, like either one of those

575
00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,720
Speaker 1: I've warmed up to, and you know, think that I'd

576
00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:20,240
Speaker 1: be okay with if I'm the Lakers. It's just really

577
00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,680
Speaker 1: a matter of cost. Everyone wants Austin reeves like that.

578
00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,960
Speaker 1: You know, there was a point where maybe he wasn't

579
00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:29,840
Speaker 1: as hot of a name just because he was struggling

580
00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:32,200
Speaker 1: earlier in the season, But he's right back to where

581
00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:34,200
Speaker 1: he was at the end of last season. In terms

582
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,320
Speaker 1: of like that contract him making basically twelve million a

583
00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,440
Speaker 1: year for the next three years, that is a steal

584
00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:43,080
Speaker 1: with the production you're getting. He's already shown he will

585
00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,719
Speaker 1: be mature enough to embrace avent Roll. So depending on

586
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,760
Speaker 1: your team configuration, you could start him, you can bring

587
00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:51,600
Speaker 1: him off the bench. So like he's the guy that

588
00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:54,680
Speaker 1: everybody wants, that they also want Max Christy, And those

589
00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,120
Speaker 1: are a couple of haggle points for the Lakers right

590
00:29:57,120 --> 00:29:59,600
Speaker 1: now of like viewing those two guys as part of

591
00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:02,480
Speaker 1: their co or moving forward and potentially having to give

592
00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:06,320
Speaker 1: up one or both depending on the trade. So right now,

593
00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:08,160
Speaker 1: I think those are going to be the two hago

594
00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,920
Speaker 1: points for them in terms of just not wanting to

595
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,760
Speaker 1: give those two guys up, particularly Austin. I think that

596
00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:15,640
Speaker 1: they're going to try and hold on to him and

597
00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:17,800
Speaker 1: do the best that they can to you know, keep

598
00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:21,960
Speaker 1: him in any trade. But zach Lavine, like, he's not

599
00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:26,640
Speaker 1: perfect that there are major defensive concerns, shot selection concerns,

600
00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:29,520
Speaker 1: although I do think he'd be properly slotted as a

601
00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,800
Speaker 1: third option on this team, There's some health concerns with him,

602
00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:34,960
Speaker 1: the contract. Like, I get all the reasons not to

603
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,200
Speaker 1: trade for him, but in a win now context of

604
00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:42,200
Speaker 1: like can zach Lavine help spark the Lakers this season

605
00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:46,760
Speaker 1: and for this season? Like I'm starting to understand the

606
00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,040
Speaker 1: logic a little bit more.

607
00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:54,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm in on that needing to be one of

608
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:56,760
Speaker 2: the archetypes they go after in terms of a high

609
00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:00,720
Speaker 2: level offensive player, I would be really reticent to give

610
00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:03,880
Speaker 2: Austin up because just in a vacuum when it comes

611
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,640
Speaker 2: to like playoff offensive production, there's not that big of

612
00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,360
Speaker 2: a gap between Austin and some of those guys. One

613
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,560
Speaker 2: of the things with Austin that I think, you know,

614
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,880
Speaker 2: I was actually looking into it this morning. Austin's been

615
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,440
Speaker 2: over a point per possession in both catch and shoot

616
00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:22,880
Speaker 2: and pull up jump shots this year. He's been a

617
00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,400
Speaker 2: very very good pull up jump shooter. But he's taking

618
00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,320
Speaker 2: almost twice as many pull up jump shots as he

619
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:30,800
Speaker 2: is catch and shoot jump shots. He's spending a ton

620
00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:32,640
Speaker 2: of his time on the ball, and for the record,

621
00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:35,440
Speaker 2: I like Austin on the ball. He's been right about

622
00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,880
Speaker 2: a point per possession and pick and roll and ISO

623
00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,040
Speaker 2: this year, including passes. I just would like to see

624
00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:43,239
Speaker 2: the volume there cut down a little bit more and

625
00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,719
Speaker 2: like to see him a little bit more in some

626
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,440
Speaker 2: of that second side action, some of that playing off

627
00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:52,080
Speaker 2: of attention gathered by others. Dejonte Murray, I think is

628
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,840
Speaker 2: still my favorite target in terms of a guy that

629
00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,360
Speaker 2: brings some of that point of attack defense, the ability

630
00:31:57,400 --> 00:31:59,960
Speaker 2: to break the defense down off the dribble, which keeps

631
00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,880
Speaker 2: defense and rotation where guys like Lebron and Austin and

632
00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,240
Speaker 2: Ad would just absolutely thrive on some of the advantage

633
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,400
Speaker 2: creation stuff there that I still really really like, like

634
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:13,600
Speaker 2: a Crusoe DeRozan package, not only because of Alex Cruso

635
00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,880
Speaker 2: specifically addressing that two way point of attack defender need,

636
00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,720
Speaker 2: but Demarta, rozen after having a really rough start to

637
00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,120
Speaker 2: the season, has been hooping his ass off as of

638
00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,840
Speaker 2: late and is up well over a point per possession

639
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,640
Speaker 2: in pick and roll. I saw in post ups, including passes.

640
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:29,280
Speaker 2: He could be an example of one of those guys

641
00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:32,200
Speaker 2: where like when Lebron and Ad don't want to just

642
00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:35,760
Speaker 2: play bully ball every damn possession, maybe they could try

643
00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,720
Speaker 2: running more of the offense through a high level shot

644
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,760
Speaker 2: creator like Demart Rosen, at least through the context of

645
00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:43,560
Speaker 2: the regular season. And then if you came to a

646
00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:47,000
Speaker 2: point where you know you needed to bench Damar and

647
00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:51,200
Speaker 2: you closed games with Austin Alex, you know, Tony and

648
00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:53,720
Speaker 2: Lebron Ad, that would be an option for you there.

649
00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:56,360
Speaker 2: Or maybe you could do you know, Austin Alex and

650
00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,160
Speaker 2: Damar if he's committed to the dirty works stuff. But

651
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,239
Speaker 2: like the bttom line is, I do think it's one

652
00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,880
Speaker 2: of those things where a targeting a guy that can

653
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:06,760
Speaker 2: actually play both ends of the floor and I mean

654
00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:09,440
Speaker 2: bring high level offense to the table is something that

655
00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,680
Speaker 2: I that I almost view as a necessity at this point.

656
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,280
Speaker 2: Although one other thing, I wouldn't be surprised if there

657
00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:19,600
Speaker 2: was a clear leaning into a specific rotation and leaning

658
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:22,400
Speaker 2: back into the offensive identity that they used last year,

659
00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,280
Speaker 2: if we saw a significant uptick in offensive rating. But

660
00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:29,240
Speaker 2: here's the thing, what I would do is I'd settle

661
00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,320
Speaker 2: into that rotation and be like, let's see what happens

662
00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:35,520
Speaker 2: in January, and if you see a clear sign of

663
00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,160
Speaker 2: an ascending trajectory on the offensive end of the floor,

664
00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:41,080
Speaker 2: then you can look to find some more defensive minded

665
00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:43,280
Speaker 2: role players. But it's gonna be a tough decision, and

666
00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:46,640
Speaker 2: quite frankly, like it kind of feels a little bit

667
00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:48,800
Speaker 2: like there, you know, every time they poke one hole,

668
00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:51,520
Speaker 2: it just opens up another. And that's where it starts

669
00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:53,960
Speaker 2: to get a little concerning to me. This is where

670
00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,680
Speaker 2: we'll end for today after all that, though, are you

671
00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:02,040
Speaker 2: still and again before we go in, as crazy as

672
00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:06,040
Speaker 2: this all has been, this is not exactly uncommon for

673
00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:11,920
Speaker 2: Lebron James, Like it's not, it's not exactly unprecedented. So

674
00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:17,320
Speaker 2: and we've seen I vividly remember in twenty sixteen, twenty

675
00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:22,480
Speaker 2: fifteen in December, right before David Black got fired. It

676
00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:24,680
Speaker 2: was Kyrie Irving's first game back. I was there. I

677
00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,640
Speaker 2: was in the arena in Phoenix, and Lebron didn't come

678
00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,279
Speaker 2: out until like four minutes before tip and then just

679
00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,120
Speaker 2: bs through the game and it was a huge like

680
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:35,440
Speaker 2: they barely won on it. This is a bad Suns

681
00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,160
Speaker 2: team too. They barely won on some Kyrie Irving dagger

682
00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,120
Speaker 2: and then David Blatt was fired a few days later,

683
00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,760
Speaker 2: and then they hoisted the trophy like they hoisted the trophy,

684
00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,920
Speaker 2: so it can't happen. My question for you is, do

685
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:54,239
Speaker 2: you think this Lakers team still has championship potential? Yeah?

686
00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:57,400
Speaker 1: You know what I'm gonna I'm gonna stand on business

687
00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:03,319
Speaker 1: and say yes, I think we're in agreement though that

688
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:06,840
Speaker 1: some things have to change, and one of those things

689
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:11,759
Speaker 1: is establishing a rotation and just sticking with it as

690
00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,560
Speaker 1: best you can. And I think again, you look at

691
00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:18,399
Speaker 1: certain teams and they have their top eight or nine,

692
00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:23,920
Speaker 1: and if player seven or player nine is out of

693
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,600
Speaker 1: the rotation or maybe both guys, you know, dude injuries,

694
00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:30,520
Speaker 1: they just plug in player ten and eleven and figure

695
00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:34,200
Speaker 1: it out. But it doesn't mean, you know, bench two

696
00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,440
Speaker 1: of the starters and put two bench guys in and

697
00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:41,000
Speaker 1: now have an entirely new lineup and entirely new rotation,

698
00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:45,120
Speaker 1: and then also change the schematics with that. And you know,

699
00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:48,080
Speaker 1: I think I will give Darvin credit. I think that

700
00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:50,960
Speaker 1: there's been a lot of negativity and I thought last night,

701
00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:54,520
Speaker 1: like again, the starting lineup, to me, was one of

702
00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,080
Speaker 1: the bettert starting lineup decisions that he's made in recent weeks.

703
00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:00,719
Speaker 1: I thought it made a lot of sense. We discussed

704
00:36:00,719 --> 00:36:04,080
Speaker 1: like that is the archetype of what the starting lineup

705
00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:06,600
Speaker 1: should be given what we've seen up to this point

706
00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,800
Speaker 1: in the season. And then last night he bench Torrian

707
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,399
Speaker 1: Prince who was having a bad game, and he went

708
00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:15,440
Speaker 1: away from Cam Reddish and Jared Vanderbilt, and he closed

709
00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:17,960
Speaker 1: with Max Christy and Christian Woods. So like there was

710
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:22,000
Speaker 1: a level of adjusting and actually playing the players that

711
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:26,359
Speaker 1: were playing well and having that flexibility in the fourth

712
00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:30,760
Speaker 1: quarter last night. So I think he does deserve credit

713
00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:34,120
Speaker 1: in him adjusting a little bit more recently.

714
00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:36,680
Speaker 3: How much of that is because he's starting to be

715
00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:37,680
Speaker 3: on the hot seat.

716
00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,600
Speaker 1: And because some of the internal stuff, Like I don't

717
00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,319
Speaker 1: know the answer to that, but I will give him

718
00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:46,719
Speaker 1: credit for being a little bit more flexible recently with

719
00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,200
Speaker 1: adjusting to you know, obviously, Torrian and Cam have been

720
00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:54,560
Speaker 1: two staples for him kind of regardless of what level

721
00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:58,280
Speaker 1: of defense they're playing, if they're making shots, their energy level,

722
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:00,520
Speaker 1: it's kind of just been like, I trust these guys.

723
00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:03,279
Speaker 1: I have familiarity with these guys, I'm going to play

724
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,080
Speaker 1: them a certain amount of minutes, and that has adjusted

725
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:08,240
Speaker 1: a little bit recently, so I will give him credit

726
00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:11,400
Speaker 1: on that. That said, I think they have to figure

727
00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:14,759
Speaker 1: out a lineup, a starting lineup, and a rotation that

728
00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:17,600
Speaker 1: makes sense. Stick with that, give it a couple of weeks,

729
00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:22,080
Speaker 1: see how it looks, and from there, you know, I

730
00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:24,680
Speaker 1: think they have to make a trade. Like I did

731
00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:27,200
Speaker 1: spectrum a couple of nights ago, and one of the

732
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,560
Speaker 1: questions was like patience or panic with the Lakers' title hopes,

733
00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:35,000
Speaker 1: and I said panic insofar as as currently constructed, I

734
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,640
Speaker 1: don't think they can win a championship with this roster.

735
00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:41,400
Speaker 1: But when I was factoring in their championship potential throughout

736
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,880
Speaker 1: the season, it's always been they're going to make a trade,

737
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,000
Speaker 1: and I think that trade can propel them to winning

738
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,000
Speaker 1: a championship. Now we have the uncertainty with Darvin Ham

739
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:50,560
Speaker 1: and is he going to be there? What would it

740
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:52,680
Speaker 1: look like if he's not there? So that's kind of

741
00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:54,839
Speaker 1: a wrinkle that is going to play out, I think

742
00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:55,840
Speaker 1: in the next couple of weeks.

743
00:37:56,239 --> 00:37:58,719
Speaker 3: But as long as they make the right.

744
00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:01,840
Speaker 1: Trade, which I think they've shown they're capable of making Obviously,

745
00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:04,600
Speaker 1: going back to last season, I think if they can

746
00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:07,760
Speaker 1: figure out some semblance of continuity over the next few weeks,

747
00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,120
Speaker 1: make a trade, then have to figure it out again

748
00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:13,960
Speaker 1: and at least hang in that like six to eight mix,

749
00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,839
Speaker 1: I think they have a shot. But if they drop

750
00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,520
Speaker 1: the next couple go under five hundred fire Darvin Ham

751
00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:22,439
Speaker 1: like all of a sudden, you could start to see

752
00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:25,760
Speaker 1: this season spiral and get ugly before it gets better.

753
00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:30,760
Speaker 1: So I'm remaining cautiously optimistic that with the right trade

754
00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:34,240
Speaker 1: and the right rotation buttons, they can turn this around.

755
00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:37,080
Speaker 1: But I will say my confidence is definitely lower than

756
00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:40,120
Speaker 1: it was a week ago, two weeks ago, a month ago.

757
00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:45,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm in a similar spot. I mean, here's the thing.

758
00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:48,160
Speaker 2: I try not to overthink it in the sense that,

759
00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:50,960
Speaker 2: like the Lakers really have been one of the worst

760
00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,239
Speaker 2: effort and energy teams in the league. That's a real thing.

761
00:38:54,239 --> 00:38:57,040
Speaker 2: I think that's been a consistent theme with Lebron team

762
00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:01,000
Speaker 2: since the twenty twenty year. Not entirely. You know, the

763
00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,959
Speaker 2: implausible when you think about his age, right, But here's

764
00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:07,319
Speaker 2: the reality, Like Lebron James and Anthony Davis are both

765
00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:09,959
Speaker 2: playing at an all NBA level. Now, Lebron was god

766
00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:12,239
Speaker 2: awful last night. That would have been the first thing

767
00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:13,600
Speaker 2: he would have told you if he would have actually

768
00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:17,160
Speaker 2: done his media availability right. But like Lebron and Anthony

769
00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,799
Speaker 2: Davis are playing at an all NBA level, Austin reeves as

770
00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:21,800
Speaker 2: your third best players are a really good spot to be.

771
00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:27,120
Speaker 2: It's really just finding dependable two way guys to slot

772
00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:30,759
Speaker 2: between them, right, and specifically when it comes to Lebron,

773
00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:33,360
Speaker 2: James and Anthony Davis, Like, there really is some truth

774
00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:35,160
Speaker 2: to the fact that when they get to the postseason

775
00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,480
Speaker 2: they go up a level. They really do. It's not

776
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:40,680
Speaker 2: even really all that uncommon around the league these days.

777
00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:43,160
Speaker 2: From like Jimmy and Bam. I know they're they're having

778
00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,560
Speaker 2: a better regular season this year, although Jimmy's hurt, but

779
00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:48,359
Speaker 2: like they're a team that consistently goes up a level

780
00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:51,040
Speaker 2: when they get to the postseason, right, Like the Golden

781
00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:54,600
Speaker 2: State Warriors last year, like kind of had a year

782
00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:56,920
Speaker 2: that was full of a lot of issues, and yet

783
00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:58,920
Speaker 2: they beat one of the best regular season teams in

784
00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,719
Speaker 2: the league without court advantage in the first round. And

785
00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:04,960
Speaker 2: so obviously NBA history tells us that a high seed

786
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,560
Speaker 2: typically wins the title, and so being the championship favorite

787
00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:11,840
Speaker 2: is definitely not where I'm going with this. That said,

788
00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:16,359
Speaker 2: if they make the right trade, this has the foundation

789
00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:20,600
Speaker 2: of a championship team, which is two legitimate superstars that

790
00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:23,240
Speaker 2: compete on both ends of the floor, and a really

791
00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,120
Speaker 2: good third player to have in that team. And then again,

792
00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:28,319
Speaker 2: we got to remember they do have the assets. They

793
00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:30,960
Speaker 2: have players that other teams want. Ruey Ha Chimura is

794
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,360
Speaker 2: a good basketball player that teams would be happy to

795
00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,880
Speaker 2: get back into trade, right like d' Angelo Russell is

796
00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:37,919
Speaker 2: a regular season inning. Zeeder is a guy that would

797
00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:40,600
Speaker 2: have some value on his contract. Right, They have a

798
00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:43,480
Speaker 2: first round pick to give up. They have guys that

799
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:46,000
Speaker 2: can fill you know, point of attack rolls off the

800
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,280
Speaker 2: bench if they have to go and make a trade

801
00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:49,120
Speaker 2: somewhere down the line.

802
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:49,359
Speaker 3: Right.

803
00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:51,319
Speaker 2: But at the end of the day, I do think

804
00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:53,840
Speaker 2: that this looks more like last year's team in the

805
00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:55,919
Speaker 2: sense that I view them as a team that would

806
00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:57,680
Speaker 2: be in a you know, a seven to two or

807
00:40:57,719 --> 00:40:59,840
Speaker 2: a six to three matchup in the first round, and

808
00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,960
Speaker 2: you know, you'd be foolish to count them out. And

809
00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:05,640
Speaker 2: if they win that, suddenly you know there are two

810
00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:08,160
Speaker 2: series away from the finals, right, so, like, I think

811
00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:10,360
Speaker 2: it's foolish to count them out, but they absolutely have

812
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,200
Speaker 2: to hit on a trade, and either Darvinham needs to

813
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:16,360
Speaker 2: be fired or Darvinham needs to start committing to a

814
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,680
Speaker 2: basketball identity and stop grasping it straws so much. But

815
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:21,640
Speaker 2: I agree with you in the sense that I think

816
00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:24,880
Speaker 2: it's too soon to write them off completely. All right, guys,

817
00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:27,360
Speaker 2: that is all we have for today, Yovann. I sincerely

818
00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,480
Speaker 2: appreciate you on short notice after a crazy night taking

819
00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:32,520
Speaker 2: the time to come and hang out with us. This

820
00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:35,920
Speaker 2: was great as always. Do you have any are you

821
00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,600
Speaker 2: writing anything specific coming out about this story or is

822
00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:40,680
Speaker 2: it just that joint story that you and Sham's released This.

823
00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:44,120
Speaker 1: One joint story For now, I'm still working working the

824
00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:44,719
Speaker 1: phones to.

825
00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:46,040
Speaker 3: See what else I can gather.

826
00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:51,920
Speaker 1: Might have another story coming out tomorrow, so TVD on that,

827
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:54,959
Speaker 1: but make sure to check out The Athletic to stay

828
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:59,279
Speaker 1: up to date on everything Lakers and Darvinham.

829
00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,000
Speaker 2: Alrighty, all right. As always, we appreciate you, guys, and

830
00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:31,040
Speaker 2: we will see you tomorrow. The volume