1
00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:12,559
Speaker 1: This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up,

2
00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:18,040
Speaker 1: straight Fire Fan, It's the Jason McIntyre Straight Fire for Tuesday,

3
00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,880
Speaker 1: January twenty four. Got a great interview today with the

4
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,840
Speaker 1: lovely yo Van Buja. The guy is tremendous covers the

5
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,960
Speaker 1: Lakers for the Athletic. I've met him at Laker games.

6
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,159
Speaker 1: Super friendly guy, really plugged in. We break down the

7
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:41,159
Speaker 1: huge seismic Lakers trade acquiring the Japanese Jordan's Ruey Hachimura.

8
00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,120
Speaker 1: And it's a fun fact. I was a fan of

9
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,919
Speaker 1: Ruei Hachimura at Gonzaga and I love saying his name

10
00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:49,560
Speaker 1: if you couldn't tell. So I think it's a great

11
00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,840
Speaker 1: pick up for the Lakers. Will break that down. Lakers

12
00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,000
Speaker 1: getting ready to make a move tonight. Huge game and

13
00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,760
Speaker 1: I'm not not even no Joe. It's a big one

14
00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,720
Speaker 1: against the Clippers. They could pick up a game. Clippers

15
00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,760
Speaker 1: are two games ahead of them in the sixth spot.

16
00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,000
Speaker 1: Lakers got to win this one. I'm not even kidding January.

17
00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,600
Speaker 1: I know January can't be must win. There's thirty games left.

18
00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:09,800
Speaker 1: I'm just telling you guys. We'll break it down with

19
00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,760
Speaker 1: with Mr Buja. If you look at the schedule. This

20
00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,760
Speaker 1: one's a big one. They got the Spurs tomorrow on

21
00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,520
Speaker 1: a back to back. They'll probably try to wrest Lebron

22
00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,760
Speaker 1: and steal a win against the tanking Spurs. And if

23
00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:24,280
Speaker 1: you can win those two, then you go into a

24
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,320
Speaker 1: tough East Coast trip. The schedule gets harder. Could be

25
00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,880
Speaker 1: some Lakers talk in your future. I know you guys

26
00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,759
Speaker 1: are excited. Come on, even the Laker haters can get excited. Um,

27
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,240
Speaker 1: it's getting exciting. NBA is getting good about thirty games left,

28
00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,160
Speaker 1: thirty five ish. Bucks dropped a one fifty burger last night.

29
00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,360
Speaker 1: I know nobody cares. Chris Middleton still not rounding into form.

30
00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,919
Speaker 1: College basketball is getting exciting. I was doing some research

31
00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,560
Speaker 1: on Kansas State, thinking about acquiring some Kansas State futures

32
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,080
Speaker 1: for the n c A Tournament. We'll see. I mean

33
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,840
Speaker 1: it's early. Gosh, I love hoops. I'm even getting cowher

34
00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,840
Speaker 1: to start to like college hoops. No, really, Um, before

35
00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,560
Speaker 1: we get to the interview, some quick words. Really excited

36
00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,799
Speaker 1: for these NFL games. I've seen so many stats that

37
00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:15,720
Speaker 1: basically say this is the most toss up final four

38
00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,560
Speaker 1: in the NFL we've had in six years. There is

39
00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,600
Speaker 1: no considerable favorite. The Eagles are a slight favorite. They

40
00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,359
Speaker 1: have a short edge, not a big one, and as such,

41
00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,880
Speaker 1: forty Niners are the longest shot remaining because obviously they're

42
00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,320
Speaker 1: playing the Eagles on the road, which is interesting because

43
00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,959
Speaker 1: I think I'm getting closer to pulling the trigger on Niners.

44
00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:41,800
Speaker 1: I would love to see three. I don't think it's

45
00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,240
Speaker 1: going to get there. Two and a half still Eagles

46
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,560
Speaker 1: at home. I think it's an overreaction. Reminder, this was

47
00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,160
Speaker 1: minus one before the game, so we're talking about a

48
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,079
Speaker 1: I mean, you're not going through a key number. You're

49
00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,680
Speaker 1: just crossing the zero, which isn't that big. But it's

50
00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,079
Speaker 1: a significant move. I think, not massive, but it's the

51
00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,200
Speaker 1: most significant of these games. Um, and I think that

52
00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,280
Speaker 1: is because Philly looked incredible. I mean they rang up

53
00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:11,919
Speaker 1: what two hundred and I gotta hear some more of

54
00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,800
Speaker 1: my notes. Two hundred and thirty three sorry, two one

55
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,040
Speaker 1: yards on the ground against the Giants. I mean, that's great,

56
00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,959
Speaker 1: that's outstanding. But I need to remind you guys, the

57
00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,520
Speaker 1: Giants are not a good football team. I looked up

58
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,280
Speaker 1: Football Outsiders d v o A. The Saints and Falcons

59
00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,359
Speaker 1: finished ahead of the Giants, So like, that's the level

60
00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,880
Speaker 1: team we're talking about. Sure, Dexter Lawrence was great at

61
00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,880
Speaker 1: moments during the season, and um, the young kid what's

62
00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,440
Speaker 1: his name, Thibodeau was good coming off the edge. Yeah,

63
00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,560
Speaker 1: they had some good players, but come on, now, you're

64
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,560
Speaker 1: going up against oh, the four defense, which led the

65
00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,880
Speaker 1: NFL in run defense when you look at yards per carry.

66
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,600
Speaker 1: They have arguably the best duo of linebackers in Green

67
00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,960
Speaker 1: Law and Warner in the league. And somebody on TV

68
00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:04,800
Speaker 1: was breaking down how Fred Warner essentially covered Seedee Lamb

69
00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:09,120
Speaker 1: in space twice like one of them helped force an

70
00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,800
Speaker 1: interception the first pick that Dak had and the second

71
00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:14,560
Speaker 1: time was a key in completion where he had t

72
00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:19,159
Speaker 1: Y Hilton deep over the middle. But Dak thought, okay,

73
00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,360
Speaker 1: based on where the blitz came from the safety Mofonga,

74
00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,719
Speaker 1: I'm gonna have a linebacker on Ceedee Lamb and Warner

75
00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,360
Speaker 1: just got there. I mean, he's that good. I think

76
00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,719
Speaker 1: he's gonna eliminate all this. Oh, we're gonna have Jalen

77
00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,160
Speaker 1: Hurts running all over the place, Like I just don't

78
00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,640
Speaker 1: know about that. I Mean, it's really strength on strength.

79
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,880
Speaker 1: These teams are very good too, completely awesome rosters. Listen,

80
00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:47,160
Speaker 1: if we're being honest, Eagles and the Four have the

81
00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,599
Speaker 1: two best rosters left it in the playoffs. Che's are good,

82
00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,480
Speaker 1: Bengals are very good. They both have the better quarterbacks.

83
00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:56,680
Speaker 1: The other interesting fact that I turned up, I mean

84
00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,640
Speaker 1: it's not really turning up, but when you look at

85
00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:06,119
Speaker 1: the quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes big Bunny deal has not kicked

86
00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,440
Speaker 1: in yet. Next year his cap hit goes up and

87
00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,760
Speaker 1: he's the third highest cap hit in the league. Number

88
00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,160
Speaker 1: one is DeShawn Watson to his Dak Prescott. Three is

89
00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:17,040
Speaker 1: Mahomes force Josh allt So Mahomes has not gotten paid yet.

90
00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:26,239
Speaker 1: Joe Burrow still on the rookie deal, Jalen Hurts still

91
00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,600
Speaker 1: on the rookie deal. Second in your pick, Brock Purty, rookie,

92
00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,960
Speaker 1: seventh round pick. That's why these teams are here. When

93
00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,800
Speaker 1: you can build a really really good roster around cheap quarterbacks,

94
00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,839
Speaker 1: you're gonna have a chance. And I'm not eliminating everybody

95
00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,360
Speaker 1: who hasn't. But look at the other teams that were

96
00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,719
Speaker 1: just eliminated. Daniel Jones, you ain't making a lot of money.

97
00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,479
Speaker 1: He was on his rookie deal. We'll see what happens.

98
00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,880
Speaker 1: Maybe they pay, maybe they don't. Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott,

99
00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,520
Speaker 1: his big, huge deal kicks in next year, and I'm

100
00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:58,039
Speaker 1: sure we'll spent a lot of time in the offseason

101
00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:02,600
Speaker 1: talking about it. It's rough Trevor Lawrence rookie contract and

102
00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,920
Speaker 1: Josh Allen closing out his big deal and it kicks

103
00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,560
Speaker 1: in next year. So the secret sauce is out there.

104
00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,520
Speaker 1: You gotta get a quarterback, don't pay him a lot,

105
00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,120
Speaker 1: build an awesome roster, and you're good to go. Easier

106
00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,080
Speaker 1: said than done, right, and the forty niners is fascinating.

107
00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:21,880
Speaker 1: What do you do with Trey Lance? Do you keep

108
00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,919
Speaker 1: him that? What if he loses the job to Brock Purty.

109
00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,800
Speaker 1: I think we're certain Jimmy G's gone, And then you

110
00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,440
Speaker 1: have the question like, oh, well, could Brock pretty be

111
00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:34,840
Speaker 1: the quarterback in the future or if he totally is

112
00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,600
Speaker 1: awful in the first half and Rob will shooting me

113
00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,640
Speaker 1: down yesterday, you can't put Jimmy G. And you can't

114
00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,360
Speaker 1: are you sure? I don't know. Jimmy G is playing

115
00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:42,960
Speaker 1: in a couple of big games now coming off the

116
00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,560
Speaker 1: injury against that front four is tough, but now I

117
00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,120
Speaker 1: just have a good offensive line. I will also point

118
00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,400
Speaker 1: out one for funds fact before we get to Mr

119
00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,600
Speaker 1: Yovan Buja, and this is somebody on Twitter pointed this

120
00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,040
Speaker 1: out to me, like everybody's bagging on the Niners for

121
00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:02,640
Speaker 1: not playing anybody. So, how many top tier defenses have

122
00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:06,120
Speaker 1: the Eagles faced? And this is this is interesting? So

123
00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,920
Speaker 1: they went two and three against top ten defenses this year.

124
00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,640
Speaker 1: They went one and one against Washington, which is interesting.

125
00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:15,920
Speaker 1: Remember they lost I think it was thirty twenty one

126
00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,480
Speaker 1: on the Monday night football game. That was weird because

127
00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,400
Speaker 1: they had just had a couple of flukey turnovers. Washington

128
00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,920
Speaker 1: defense didn't totally shut them down. They lost to the Saints,

129
00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,360
Speaker 1: but it was Gardner Minshew, So Gardner Minjew didn't move

130
00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,960
Speaker 1: the football well. Then they split with Dallas, but again

131
00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:38,920
Speaker 1: they faced Cooper Rush and then then they had Gardner Minshew.

132
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,080
Speaker 1: So it's it's difficult to parse, like, well, what is

133
00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,960
Speaker 1: Philly going to do against a really good defense? And

134
00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,880
Speaker 1: I think the answer is, we don't really know. I

135
00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,240
Speaker 1: think there's gonna be a little shock to the system here.

136
00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,120
Speaker 1: That would be my guess. Obviously, I would I would

137
00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,760
Speaker 1: assume this will be low scoring. I think the definite

138
00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,720
Speaker 1: advantage Philly has is on the outside with A J.

139
00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,480
Speaker 1: Brown and our guest last week, quarterback school guy J. T. O. Sullivan,

140
00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,160
Speaker 1: pointed it out that this forty Niners defense can be

141
00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:08,000
Speaker 1: had on the outside. Now, the only problem is are

142
00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,520
Speaker 1: you gonna have time with Bosa chasing you down and

143
00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:13,960
Speaker 1: Armstead coming up the minute? Are you gonna have time

144
00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,680
Speaker 1: to get a J. Brown deep? Because another stat um,

145
00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,960
Speaker 1: the forty Niners defending the middle of the field are

146
00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:23,920
Speaker 1: one of the top three teams in the league and

147
00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,600
Speaker 1: multiple categories, partially because of those linebackers, but also the

148
00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,640
Speaker 1: safeties are great. Forts aren't gonna blitz either. I would

149
00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,680
Speaker 1: assume they're gonna. Demiko Ryan's who interesting stuff from Jay Glazers.

150
00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,400
Speaker 1: So Demiko Ryan's had four interviews lined up last week.

151
00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:40,480
Speaker 1: He had to cancel two of them to prepare for

152
00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:42,800
Speaker 1: the Cowboys, which kind of in some games with ship

153
00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,120
Speaker 1: Why the hell would you schedule for anyway only be

154
00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,840
Speaker 1: canceled to make it look like you're really committed. Anyways,

155
00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,480
Speaker 1: I like Tomko Ryan's a lot. I think he's gonna

156
00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:55,160
Speaker 1: scheme up some interesting stuff here to confuse Hurts, who,

157
00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,560
Speaker 1: by the way, is coming off an injury. I don't

158
00:08:57,600 --> 00:08:59,439
Speaker 1: think he wants to run as much. And the San

159
00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,280
Speaker 1: Francisco perhaps the hardest hitting team in the league. And

160
00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:07,680
Speaker 1: I did flow to stat earlier that teams that played

161
00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,880
Speaker 1: San Francisco the following week were something like oh and

162
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,480
Speaker 1: twelve or something some ridiculous stat. I don't have the

163
00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,760
Speaker 1: exact number, and you strip out the you know, questionable

164
00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:18,400
Speaker 1: games at the end of the season where guys are

165
00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,360
Speaker 1: sitting guys, but that's how physical they are. They just

166
00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:23,760
Speaker 1: beat you up. I feel bad for Tony Pollard. They

167
00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,760
Speaker 1: literally broke his uh fibular artibula whatever it was, and

168
00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:29,640
Speaker 1: he's he's going to be out. But this is a

169
00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:34,120
Speaker 1: Niners team that I mean again, Philly faced the Giants.

170
00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,480
Speaker 1: They faced the worst team of the final eight that

171
00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,320
Speaker 1: we're remaining. Not a knock on the Giants, just a fact.

172
00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,599
Speaker 1: And now you go from a bad Giants team to

173
00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,560
Speaker 1: a nasty forty Niners defense. Um. At the same time,

174
00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:49,719
Speaker 1: he listened Eagles defense is nothing a scoff at. I

175
00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,679
Speaker 1: just don't think they have the linebackers. And I think McCaffrey,

176
00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,840
Speaker 1: assuming he's healthy, the McCaffrey. Stuff caught me by surprise.

177
00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:57,840
Speaker 1: I didn't think it was serious. But we'll see if

178
00:09:57,880 --> 00:09:59,960
Speaker 1: he's at practice. I'm sure we'll wait for the practice report.

179
00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:02,679
Speaker 1: Um didn't do as much today on Bengals Chiefs. It

180
00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:06,800
Speaker 1: looks like Bengals are now favored market wide by one

181
00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:08,440
Speaker 1: and a half. I see one two and a half

182
00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,880
Speaker 1: out there. You have to make Burrow the favorite. And

183
00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,480
Speaker 1: you wonder, does somebody in Kansas City hav an into

184
00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,400
Speaker 1: what's going on with Patrick Mahomes. Is he propped up

185
00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,600
Speaker 1: at home elevating the foot getting around the clock treatment,

186
00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,800
Speaker 1: Like what the heck is going on? Some gamble are

187
00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,120
Speaker 1: out their nose because you know you're betting six figures

188
00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,240
Speaker 1: on games. You gotta have the best information at any rate.

189
00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:32,560
Speaker 1: I'm just fascinated by all this NFL. We'll talk about

190
00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:36,199
Speaker 1: it all week, but for now, let's get to the

191
00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:41,080
Speaker 1: NBA and the wildly interesting Los Angeles Lakers with mom

192
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,160
Speaker 1: My Guy Yo von Buha of the Athletic Fox Sports

193
00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,880
Speaker 1: Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.

194
00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,079
Speaker 1: Catch all of our shows at Fox sports radio dot

195
00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,160
Speaker 1: com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f

196
00:10:54,520 --> 00:11:00,840
Speaker 1: s R to listen live. Jason did think he knows

197
00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,280
Speaker 1: everything when it comes to sports. I know what sports

198
00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:07,319
Speaker 1: dance want, but for everything he doesn't. He knows a

199
00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,360
Speaker 1: guy who does. Let's just say, I know a guy

200
00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,040
Speaker 1: who knows a guy. He knows another guy. All right,

201
00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,760
Speaker 1: let's welcome in from the athletic. He covers the Lakers,

202
00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,000
Speaker 1: the NBA, He's at all the Lebron press conferences. His

203
00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,160
Speaker 1: Monday was hampered by the big news of Ruey Hachimura

204
00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:30,400
Speaker 1: going to the Lakers. Johan Yo von Buha did I

205
00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:34,160
Speaker 1: butcher that Yovan? Damn it. It's all good. It's all good.

206
00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,960
Speaker 1: It's a hard name. How you doing, man, I'm doing well. Uh,

207
00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,800
Speaker 1: it's been. I mean, it feels like there's just always

208
00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:44,920
Speaker 1: something going on with the Lakers beat. You can never

209
00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:46,920
Speaker 1: have you know, you think you're you're just having a

210
00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:50,640
Speaker 1: normal Friday night primetime matchup between the Lakers and the

211
00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:56,440
Speaker 1: Grizzlies that breaks out into a halftime altercation, and uh,

212
00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,079
Speaker 1: you know, it's just there's always something going on, but

213
00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,320
Speaker 1: it's always fun. And um, I think, you know, obviously

214
00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,280
Speaker 1: we're gonna get into the trade like I think this was,

215
00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:08,000
Speaker 1: you know, on on one hand, a small move. It

216
00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:10,920
Speaker 1: wasn't the blockbuster that Laker fans have been waiting for.

217
00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,920
Speaker 1: But I think step move that really upgrades the roster.

218
00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:18,200
Speaker 1: Uh and and I think Roy's got some untopped potential.

219
00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,600
Speaker 1: But the Lakers got younger, they got bigger, they got

220
00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,599
Speaker 1: you know, more athletic. Uh And I think for for

221
00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,319
Speaker 1: a group that has been under size for most of

222
00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:32,240
Speaker 1: the season, this kind of balances the positional structure of

223
00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,719
Speaker 1: the rosters. So, um, I really like the move. And

224
00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:37,839
Speaker 1: I think, you know, at the cost of Kendrick nun

225
00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,240
Speaker 1: who one healthy, what was out of the rotation, you know,

226
00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,040
Speaker 1: when the Lakers are at full strength, and then also

227
00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,600
Speaker 1: just three second round picks, Like, I think it really

228
00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,280
Speaker 1: was a no brainer. Yeah, we could dive into that

229
00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,040
Speaker 1: in a moment, but you should you mention the Lakers

230
00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:57,079
Speaker 1: Grizzlies Friday night fiasco. Um, I mean it, listen. I

231
00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,760
Speaker 1: know it's tough your job. Again, relatively to sports media,

232
00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,000
Speaker 1: you're not digging digits, but you know, let's be realistic, Van,

233
00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,960
Speaker 1: you could be covering I don't know, an irrelevant team

234
00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,120
Speaker 1: like why should Wizards or Lando Magic? I mean you

235
00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,360
Speaker 1: go to a game and then there was the Dylan

236
00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,920
Speaker 1: Brooks shin and sharp and your videos were all over

237
00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,959
Speaker 1: social media? Are you getting paid for those? By the way, No, no,

238
00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,000
Speaker 1: I'm getting credited, which you know, hopefully boost the following

239
00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,480
Speaker 1: and then in turn maybe leads to you know, payment

240
00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,839
Speaker 1: down the road with different opportunities. But um, yeah, no,

241
00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:32,480
Speaker 1: I mean, I mean, I want to be clear. I'm

242
00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:34,480
Speaker 1: not complaining by by any means. I guess I'm just

243
00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,040
Speaker 1: saying it. It feels like you already have like your

244
00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:39,199
Speaker 1: kind of typical beat duties of of just like the

245
00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,719
Speaker 1: flow of a game, and um, you know, different things

246
00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,040
Speaker 1: are working on and always kind of talking to people.

247
00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:46,079
Speaker 1: But it feels like with the Lakers there's always just

248
00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:50,080
Speaker 1: the curveball around the corner that uh makes the job

249
00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,240
Speaker 1: more fun but but also more challenging depending on what

250
00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,400
Speaker 1: it is. Did you add what was the was the

251
00:13:56,559 --> 00:13:58,800
Speaker 1: vibe like, oh man, this could escalate as it was

252
00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,120
Speaker 1: going down or no, yeah, I mean I I I

253
00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,240
Speaker 1: missed the beginning of it, uh, because at halftime it's

254
00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,240
Speaker 1: it's usually we we get up. You know, we were seated.

255
00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,360
Speaker 1: The Lakers beat writers sit on the opposite end of

256
00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:13,839
Speaker 1: where it happened, so we're on the Lakers side of

257
00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,520
Speaker 1: the court. Uh so I I didn't. You know, typically, uh,

258
00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:21,960
Speaker 1: we get up go to the you know, the chickerm

259
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,840
Speaker 1: press room. You know you've been there before. Uh you

260
00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,960
Speaker 1: have everyone huddles around the ice cream machine and get

261
00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:30,920
Speaker 1: some water, coffee or popcorn whatever wherever you're you're trying

262
00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,720
Speaker 1: to get at halftime to kind of refuel. And uh So,

263
00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:35,640
Speaker 1: as I got up from my seat, I started walking

264
00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:38,840
Speaker 1: and then I just see like this congregate of of

265
00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:44,040
Speaker 1: the Grizzlies bench going towards uh, you know, the sideline,

266
00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,960
Speaker 1: and I'm like, usually it's some type of of fan,

267
00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,280
Speaker 1: I mean, and of course it technically was a fan,

268
00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,120
Speaker 1: but it wasn't you know, It's normally just a random

269
00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,480
Speaker 1: fan court side, you know, says something to a player

270
00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:57,440
Speaker 1: and they get upset, and maybe they'll say something they'll

271
00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,640
Speaker 1: try to get them thrown out, but you rarely see

272
00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:03,040
Speaker 1: it like the whole team moves to the sideline. And

273
00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,880
Speaker 1: of course, you know Shannon being I mean I walked

274
00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:10,240
Speaker 1: by him. The dude's huge. Like I could see why, uh,

275
00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,880
Speaker 1: Dylan Brooks or John Moran needed some back up there.

276
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:18,560
Speaker 1: But but aqua man, oh yeah, that so that that

277
00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,720
Speaker 1: would have been interesting. But yeah, I mean, i've you

278
00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,560
Speaker 1: rarely see something like that, but but again, I feel

279
00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:27,160
Speaker 1: like when I remember I was at Lakers Rockets a

280
00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,080
Speaker 1: few years ago, but when you had the whole situation

281
00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,400
Speaker 1: with with Chris Paul and Genrondo and uh, you know

282
00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:34,920
Speaker 1: that kind of there's the Laker fan that got up.

283
00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:36,600
Speaker 1: I don't know if you remember that, but there was

284
00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:38,720
Speaker 1: a fan sitting courtside on the baseline who like, once

285
00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,560
Speaker 1: it started, he like got up and looked like he

286
00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:42,760
Speaker 1: was ready to go, even though he he was like

287
00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,040
Speaker 1: ten ft from the play. But it's like there's just

288
00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,840
Speaker 1: something about the spotlight of a Laker game, and really

289
00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:50,760
Speaker 1: like the way the lighting is in the arena that

290
00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,360
Speaker 1: it just I feel like there's always just some extra

291
00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,120
Speaker 1: juice there. So um yeah, I mean it was I

292
00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,920
Speaker 1: didn't see it coming, but I then like tried to

293
00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,120
Speaker 1: be line over there and get as close as I could,

294
00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,520
Speaker 1: but at that point he got broken up. But uh,

295
00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,480
Speaker 1: that was that was crazy, so fun Friday night and

296
00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,520
Speaker 1: then Sunday night, you're in Portland's the Lakers are getting

297
00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,040
Speaker 1: their butts kicked. I think what a half time and

298
00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:21,800
Speaker 1: apparently Patrick Beverley gives some spirited halftime talk and the

299
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,680
Speaker 1: Lakers store back Patrick Beverley talking all the while to

300
00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,640
Speaker 1: Damian Lillard pointing at his watch that he's not wearing

301
00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,400
Speaker 1: and acting like it's broken. And the Lakers win in

302
00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,680
Speaker 1: in what felt like a stirring victory, and then moments

303
00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:36,640
Speaker 1: well not moments later, but the next day, yesterday, they

304
00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:40,000
Speaker 1: end up trading Kendrick Nunn for Ruey Hatchi Moore talk

305
00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,040
Speaker 1: about just the Portland into the trade and whatever you've

306
00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:46,360
Speaker 1: heard about that halftime speech. Yeah, well, the Lakers and

307
00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,600
Speaker 1: Wizards had been discussing this for a few days that

308
00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,880
Speaker 1: this got on my radar on Saturday. Uh So I

309
00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:57,120
Speaker 1: didn't know exactly when it was gonna happen. It sounded

310
00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,000
Speaker 1: like it was going to happen within a few days.

311
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,320
Speaker 1: Uh but you know, the main thing they were haggling

312
00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,080
Speaker 1: over was the the pics and just how many second

313
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,720
Speaker 1: round picks? What years? Um? And you know, the Lakers,

314
00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:13,040
Speaker 1: I think are have been very diligent in their talks

315
00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,480
Speaker 1: because of how many picks they've already traded, you know,

316
00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,359
Speaker 1: really trying to strategize them and plan out you know

317
00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,879
Speaker 1: what years can we you know move these picks? What what?

318
00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,560
Speaker 1: You know? How do we value these picks, um. But

319
00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:27,720
Speaker 1: I think I mean, this group has gone ten and

320
00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,040
Speaker 1: nine since Anthony Davis is injury, and if you look

321
00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,840
Speaker 1: at the beginning part of the schedule was relatively easy,

322
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:37,000
Speaker 1: but it's gotten tougher and winning you know, a Friday

323
00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:41,560
Speaker 1: night you know important uh match up against Memphis and

324
00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:45,320
Speaker 1: then beating Portlands on the road, a team that they're

325
00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:47,879
Speaker 1: jocking with right now in the West standings. They actually

326
00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,640
Speaker 1: just passed Portland's because of that win, I think they've

327
00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:53,920
Speaker 1: shown a message, you know, they sent a message rather

328
00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,720
Speaker 1: to the front office that this group has some fight

329
00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:00,639
Speaker 1: in them and there's potential there. You you've seen it,

330
00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,200
Speaker 1: uh in the form of you know, beating Memphis and

331
00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,919
Speaker 1: that Milwaukee win back in December, and some of these

332
00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,159
Speaker 1: close losses that they've had to two teams like Philly

333
00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:15,440
Speaker 1: and Dallas, and like they've shown that if you get

334
00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,439
Speaker 1: us some help, and obviously help is on the way

335
00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,880
Speaker 1: in the form of Anthony Davis, but if you bring

336
00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,800
Speaker 1: in a roy Hat Chimura, who I think is probably

337
00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,080
Speaker 1: gonna start for this group, uh, you know, maybe not

338
00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,800
Speaker 1: from day one, but eventually when Lebron and a d

339
00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,359
Speaker 1: or or you know, when eighties back, it's gonna be

340
00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:36,160
Speaker 1: a d Lebron and breui Um Like, I think now,

341
00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,480
Speaker 1: all of a sudden, this team looks interesting because they've

342
00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:41,200
Speaker 1: had to play a lot of three guard lineups. They've

343
00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,919
Speaker 1: often been out of size this advantage. Like Lebron had

344
00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:48,480
Speaker 1: a quote after the Memphis game where Memphis had thirty

345
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:52,160
Speaker 1: nine second chance points, which was the most a team

346
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,359
Speaker 1: has had in over twenty five years. Lebron was asked

347
00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,320
Speaker 1: about that and he said, that team's got eight or

348
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,360
Speaker 1: nine dudes that are six eight and above. We've got

349
00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:03,640
Speaker 1: like three or four of them, and they just added

350
00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:06,280
Speaker 1: another one. And really, and again I don't want to

351
00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,280
Speaker 1: I don't think really solves all of their problems. But

352
00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,360
Speaker 1: I think at full strength, Kendrick was the six guard

353
00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:14,920
Speaker 1: on this roster, wasn't gonna be playing much, and to

354
00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:17,919
Speaker 1: swap him out I didn't really. I think a guy

355
00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,119
Speaker 1: who's better than want to Knawy Anderson, probably better than

356
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,160
Speaker 1: Troy Brown Jr. All of a sudden, you go from

357
00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:28,080
Speaker 1: like replacing your eleventh guy to a starter like that,

358
00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:31,600
Speaker 1: to me is just a no brainer upgrade for the Lakers.

359
00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,240
Speaker 1: So I also think they deserve some credit that They've

360
00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:35,840
Speaker 1: been getting a lot of heat the front office, a

361
00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,680
Speaker 1: lot of heat about not making a move and about

362
00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,359
Speaker 1: standing pat and they just took on three million dollars

363
00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:47,639
Speaker 1: almost uh in luxury tax hit from this deal. So again,

364
00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:49,439
Speaker 1: like that's part of their job. So I'm not I'm

365
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:51,560
Speaker 1: not trying to say that they're doing anything that um,

366
00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:54,080
Speaker 1: you know, going above and beyond necessarily, but I think

367
00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,080
Speaker 1: they've they've gotten a lot of flak recently, um deservedly

368
00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,760
Speaker 1: so to an extent, But I think with this move

369
00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,760
Speaker 1: they showed, hey, like we're we're looking to be creative.

370
00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,000
Speaker 1: We basically kept all our assets. They still have the

371
00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,680
Speaker 1: two first round picks that they can trade ahead of

372
00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,440
Speaker 1: the deadline, so I expect there's another thing coming. I

373
00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,359
Speaker 1: think that they're gonna make another move. Uh right now,

374
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,280
Speaker 1: my guests would be something like Patrick Beverley in the

375
00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,359
Speaker 1: first for another upgrade, But you know, could that be

376
00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,959
Speaker 1: two first for for a bigger upgrade? Could Russell Westbrook

377
00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:23,960
Speaker 1: get involved? Like, I think there's different ways they can go,

378
00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,840
Speaker 1: but it's gonna depend on eighty coming back and looking good,

379
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,160
Speaker 1: this team continuing to win, and what else is out there?

380
00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:32,960
Speaker 1: And so far eighties on on track to be back

381
00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:35,760
Speaker 1: within about a week or so. The team is continuing

382
00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,000
Speaker 1: to win even without him, and the trade market is

383
00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,040
Speaker 1: kind of the one thing where it's like as of now,

384
00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,000
Speaker 1: it's it's not a great market. So I don't know

385
00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,399
Speaker 1: if they find that big upgrade. But could they get

386
00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,720
Speaker 1: boy Magdonovich. Uh, you know, Gary Trent is another name

387
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,399
Speaker 1: that that's been out there, just just another type of

388
00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,200
Speaker 1: wing shooter that could really upgrade this team, because that's

389
00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:55,680
Speaker 1: the one thing with Roy. He's not much of a shooter.

390
00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,600
Speaker 1: Shooting thirty three point seven percent this year on threes.

391
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:02,159
Speaker 1: Did shoot forty repercent last year, So like you kind

392
00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,040
Speaker 1: of average that out that that's that's a plus shooter,

393
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,879
Speaker 1: but low volume. I don't know if you can fully

394
00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,560
Speaker 1: trust his shot. But I think if they can find

395
00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,119
Speaker 1: that shooter, uh, I think this is a team that

396
00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:13,920
Speaker 1: no one's gonna want to face in the first round.

397
00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:18,000
Speaker 1: Don't get there now. The thing is he he came

398
00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,000
Speaker 1: out of Gonzaga and I liked his game a lot.

399
00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,479
Speaker 1: He averaged I think their team is a rookie, very

400
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,760
Speaker 1: good player, but he's become one of these stretch almost

401
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,000
Speaker 1: like a stretch, not quite a stretch four, but it

402
00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:30,200
Speaker 1: stretched four in a small ball lineup, would you say, yeah,

403
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,600
Speaker 1: I mean he he uh, you know, oscillates between the

404
00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,120
Speaker 1: three and the four. If you look at a basketball reference,

405
00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:38,840
Speaker 1: he's almost split between small forward and power forward. So, um,

406
00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,760
Speaker 1: the like just didn't have Like again j T a

407
00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:46,640
Speaker 1: six ft six six ft six, Uh, like those guys

408
00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,520
Speaker 1: are playing a lot of three and four, whereas Roy

409
00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,520
Speaker 1: is a six ft eight, two pound like thirty. I

410
00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:55,600
Speaker 1: mean you look at you know, just going through some

411
00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,280
Speaker 1: of his clips, Like, I mean he dunks on like

412
00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,080
Speaker 1: everybody he dunked on eight ast year. Like he's very

413
00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,919
Speaker 1: athletic and explosive. Um, A couple of not I mean

414
00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,399
Speaker 1: the knocks I've heard, I mean their abilities. One concerned

415
00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,879
Speaker 1: he's only played fifty seven games. That that that's the

416
00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,200
Speaker 1: most he's ever played in a season. Um. Although last

417
00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,800
Speaker 1: year he took a mental health break, so that that

418
00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:16,760
Speaker 1: kind of what do we know what that was about? Um,

419
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,159
Speaker 1: I don't off the top of my head, um I

420
00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:23,920
Speaker 1: you know, in doing some reading, it was, um I

421
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,040
Speaker 1: saw had something to do with the Japanese national team.

422
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,560
Speaker 1: But because he is you know, uh kind of the

423
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,240
Speaker 1: face of that, and um, I think some of the

424
00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,680
Speaker 1: pressure and stuff that came with that, but uh, not

425
00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,040
Speaker 1: sure on on why. I was just kind of doing

426
00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:42,720
Speaker 1: some research on you know, his background. Wow, here we go. Yeah,

427
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,600
Speaker 1: so he was subjected to online racism by Japanese ethnic nationalists.

428
00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:51,080
Speaker 1: Yeah so that that sounds familiar. Um, I remember reading

429
00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:55,160
Speaker 1: that last year. So that's that's awful and and so yeah,

430
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,320
Speaker 1: I mean so I think that that's a little skewed,

431
00:22:57,359 --> 00:22:59,000
Speaker 1: but I think with him it's it's more of like

432
00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:03,000
Speaker 1: an awareness and inconsistency thing. Uh, you know, three point

433
00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,560
Speaker 1: shooting again kind of been up and down, but uh,

434
00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,159
Speaker 1: you know, Washington. It's interesting how this all kind of

435
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,560
Speaker 1: unfolded because he just had a thirty point game on Saturday,

436
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,000
Speaker 1: and that was asked after the game if he had

437
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,439
Speaker 1: requested a trade from the Wizards just because of all

438
00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,359
Speaker 1: the recent speculation of them trading him. He said, no comment,

439
00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:20,920
Speaker 1: but then he said, you know, I want to be

440
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:22,920
Speaker 1: somewhere where I wanted, you know, I feel like I

441
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,760
Speaker 1: can give more, etcetera, etcetera. And then a couple of

442
00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,320
Speaker 1: days later he's traded a Lakers. So, um, this has

443
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,520
Speaker 1: been building, I think on on the Washington side for

444
00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,240
Speaker 1: the Lakers. Side. They've been looking for a forward upgrade

445
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:37,280
Speaker 1: for for months, So I really think for Washington, you

446
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:39,440
Speaker 1: know that they're saving money that they're now not in

447
00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,920
Speaker 1: the position to have to resign him because you know,

448
00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:45,280
Speaker 1: most teams don't want to just give up on uh,

449
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:49,520
Speaker 1: you know, a restricted free agent like Yeah, so I

450
00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:51,200
Speaker 1: think it makes sense for both sides, but for the

451
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,920
Speaker 1: Lakers in a competitive win now situation, I think Roy

452
00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:58,000
Speaker 1: is definitely an upgrade over Kendrick Nunn. Fox Sports Radio

453
00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:00,920
Speaker 1: has the best sports talk lineup and then acean catch

454
00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:03,840
Speaker 1: all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com

455
00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:07,040
Speaker 1: and within the I Heart Radio app search f s

456
00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:10,280
Speaker 1: R to listen live. Yeah. I feel like, you know,

457
00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,280
Speaker 1: in the NBA, it's weird yo on because people are good.

458
00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:15,879
Speaker 1: The casual fan is going to see them to be

459
00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:18,879
Speaker 1: like Rudy Hatchi mora, what is this Guy's nothing special?

460
00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,680
Speaker 1: And you know he's not gonna move the needle, he's

461
00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:25,680
Speaker 1: not an All Star. But it's these small moves that

462
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,040
Speaker 1: can matter, because remember, the Lakers aren't full strength people.

463
00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,200
Speaker 1: I went to a game recently Lakers MAVs. Uh No

464
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,680
Speaker 1: Austin Reeves. You had no Lonnie Walker, no a d

465
00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,000
Speaker 1: that's three of the top five players, maybe four, I

466
00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,240
Speaker 1: don't know, And I'm like, how the hell are they

467
00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:42,520
Speaker 1: even winning games a competitive And it's really comes down

468
00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,159
Speaker 1: to Lebrons and Russell Westbrook and you know, Thomas Bryant

469
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,240
Speaker 1: on occasion. But once they get healthy, as you said,

470
00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,400
Speaker 1: this is gonna be a dangerous team. But people still

471
00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:54,280
Speaker 1: don't want to give them the credit. Um, I don't know. Why.

472
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,800
Speaker 1: Why do you think that? Is it just a Lebron backlash? Nonsense?

473
00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,199
Speaker 1: I think it's a couple of reasons. I think one mean,

474
00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,000
Speaker 1: for for as well as they've played and going ten

475
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:06,080
Speaker 1: in nine, uh since AD's injury, Like, they're still twelt

476
00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:07,760
Speaker 1: in the West. And you can look at it one

477
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:09,280
Speaker 1: of two ways. You can look at it. While they're

478
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:11,639
Speaker 1: a game back of tenth and there you know, and

479
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:15,040
Speaker 1: this is currently what we're speaking, um you know, as

480
00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,560
Speaker 1: things stand right now Monday afternoon. But um, you know,

481
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,160
Speaker 1: a game out of the tenth, two games out of six.

482
00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:24,600
Speaker 1: So that's the optimistic side that the pessimistic side is

483
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:26,879
Speaker 1: there twelth right now and they've been out of the

484
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,439
Speaker 1: plan and mixed for most of the season, and as

485
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,560
Speaker 1: Darvin Hamm recently said, like we can keep showing these

486
00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:36,200
Speaker 1: flashes of of promise and um, you know, beating a

487
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,240
Speaker 1: good team every now and then, but like there's thirty

488
00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,000
Speaker 1: something games left, like we gotta put it together at

489
00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,600
Speaker 1: some point. We we can't just keep saying, oh, you know,

490
00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:45,840
Speaker 1: we're we're on the way. You know, we're we're figuring

491
00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,280
Speaker 1: it out. It's like, we gotta figure it out. We

492
00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,680
Speaker 1: got to start putting some consistency together. And I think

493
00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:51,840
Speaker 1: they've done that recently with uh, you know that they

494
00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:54,159
Speaker 1: had a recent five game one streak. Uh you did

495
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,359
Speaker 1: have a couple of close losses to Dallas in Philly,

496
00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:00,200
Speaker 1: but now we responded very well, uh with with he's

497
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,239
Speaker 1: wins over Memphis in Portland. So I think, I mean,

498
00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,080
Speaker 1: I think you you mentioned Lebron backlash, and I think

499
00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:07,200
Speaker 1: that's part of it. I think there's a lot of

500
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,520
Speaker 1: Russ backlash where just as long as Russ is on

501
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,080
Speaker 1: this team, I think there's probably a certain ceiling. I mean,

502
00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:14,720
Speaker 1: you you look at some of the crunch time stuff,

503
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,600
Speaker 1: like earlier in the season, he had he had the

504
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:20,879
Speaker 1: two for one opportunity against Portland which he shouldn't have taken. Uh,

505
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,280
Speaker 1: you know, takes that jump shot misses it, Lakers lose

506
00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:27,159
Speaker 1: that game. Had the situation against Philly a week or

507
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,760
Speaker 1: so ago where he he um, you know, takes the

508
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:34,320
Speaker 1: rebound full court, loses the ball, Lakers probably should have

509
00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:36,920
Speaker 1: called time out. They don't. He takes a bid misses. So,

510
00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:39,719
Speaker 1: like I think Russ and crunch time is one thing

511
00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,960
Speaker 1: where um, you look at the crunch time metrics, Lakers

512
00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:45,159
Speaker 1: really struggle with him on the floor. He's been one

513
00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,040
Speaker 1: of the worst crunch time players in the league. They

514
00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:49,560
Speaker 1: probably gotta go away from him in crunch time to

515
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,600
Speaker 1: to be honest. But Uh, aside from that, I think

516
00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,119
Speaker 1: it's really just been you know, the Lakers with some

517
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,960
Speaker 1: of these losses that they've had. Uh, it's hard to

518
00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,040
Speaker 1: have faith in them. They just haven't been consistent. I

519
00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,320
Speaker 1: mean there's still under five hundred. Like, for for as

520
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,720
Speaker 1: much as we can praise them, there's still three games

521
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,720
Speaker 1: under five hundred. So I think that's it. But to

522
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,800
Speaker 1: your point, like, they have to top ten guys, and

523
00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:12,720
Speaker 1: that's something that I don't think any other team in

524
00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,960
Speaker 1: the league can say. I mean, just go down the list.

525
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,040
Speaker 1: You know, Joannest doesn't have a top ten teammate Tatum

526
00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:24,560
Speaker 1: and be Well in Middleton, I don't think to stop time. Um,

527
00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,919
Speaker 1: so like I think now you can, of course, now

528
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:29,679
Speaker 1: you can. I mean the problem is you look at

529
00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:31,840
Speaker 1: like three through nine on all those teams, and they're

530
00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:34,879
Speaker 1: all better than the Lakers through But I think as

531
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,240
Speaker 1: we saw in that run, like with the you know,

532
00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:40,680
Speaker 1: Lebron and E D can solve a lot of problems

533
00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,159
Speaker 1: for limited supporting costs. Now that supporting cost was definitely

534
00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,000
Speaker 1: better than this one and fit better around them. But

535
00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:48,840
Speaker 1: I just think with the level those two guys have

536
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,960
Speaker 1: shown this season again, you know, put them in a

537
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,520
Speaker 1: seven game series, give them a chance to problem solve

538
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:58,480
Speaker 1: an opponent like there. I mean, I'm not gonna say

539
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,359
Speaker 1: that the favorite body means because I still think there's

540
00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:02,880
Speaker 1: several teams I put ahead of them in the West.

541
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:04,840
Speaker 1: But like, could they win a first round series and

542
00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,600
Speaker 1: a bad matchup? Like I think so for sure? So, uh,

543
00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:10,680
Speaker 1: especially if they gotta like if they got Bugdanovich and

544
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,720
Speaker 1: now you're looking at Lebron, a D. Bugdanovich, let's say

545
00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,800
Speaker 1: Austin Reeves and Dennis Schroeder and then off the bench

546
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:27,240
Speaker 1: uh Russ Walker, Walker, moura Um, Troy Brown, Thomas Bryant.

547
00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,840
Speaker 1: Thomas Bryan's played really well, Like that's a nindertend Man

548
00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,800
Speaker 1: rotation that you can kind of talk yourself into. Now. So, um,

549
00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:35,760
Speaker 1: the one thing now with moving none is that they

550
00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:41,840
Speaker 1: might have to include Lonnie Walker in a deal. Oh no, yeah,

551
00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:43,600
Speaker 1: I mean if you just look at the money, If

552
00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:45,320
Speaker 1: you look at the money like Pat and the first

553
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,920
Speaker 1: doesn't work for Bugdanovich, uh that that the gap there

554
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,680
Speaker 1: in salaries too much so and the problem with the

555
00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,160
Speaker 1: Lakers roster is constructed is they don't have a lot

556
00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:57,560
Speaker 1: of tradeable guys. Everyone's on a minimum contract. So if

557
00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:59,880
Speaker 1: you look at that was the thing with Kendrick where

558
00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,080
Speaker 1: you know, kind of his value was primarily as like

559
00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:06,360
Speaker 1: a filler for you know, six millions, five and a

560
00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:08,480
Speaker 1: half million. You add that to Pat and all of

561
00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:11,080
Speaker 1: a sudden you're there with Buganovitch or another guy in

562
00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,120
Speaker 1: that twenty million dollar range. Currently, the only other salary

563
00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:15,960
Speaker 1: they have that they could do that with is Lonnie.

564
00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:18,400
Speaker 1: So I think that's something that is going to be interesting,

565
00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:20,920
Speaker 1: like depending on who the guy is. I think Bogdanovich

566
00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,960
Speaker 1: is probably borderline for for them on on whether they

567
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:28,320
Speaker 1: would do that. But do you think that's too much personally?

568
00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,840
Speaker 1: Probably not. Um, Oh, you're so, you're high on Bug,

569
00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:35,880
Speaker 1: high on Bogdanovich. And I also think Lonnie. I feel

570
00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,560
Speaker 1: like Lonnie had had played a little bit worse before

571
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,000
Speaker 1: his injury, and if you just look at his his scoring,

572
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,160
Speaker 1: it tailed off a little bit. He wasn't as consistent

573
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:49,240
Speaker 1: as earlier in the season. Um. But let's just say, hypothetically,

574
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,800
Speaker 1: they draw a team with some wings in the in

575
00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:55,720
Speaker 1: the playoffs, who are their best wing defenders? And I'm sorry,

576
00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:57,760
Speaker 1: I don't think Lebron could be guarding the opponent's best

577
00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,760
Speaker 1: wing at his age coming into the playoff. So you're

578
00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,880
Speaker 1: left with what Austin Reeves, who's solid and long. Yeah,

579
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:08,880
Speaker 1: but he's he's he's thin, Um wings, like I like,

580
00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,040
Speaker 1: I like Austin more against point guards. I think that,

581
00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:12,960
Speaker 1: like you know, ones and two is is more of

582
00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:15,080
Speaker 1: his strength. Um. It's It's a good question, and it's

583
00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:17,040
Speaker 1: something that I think the Lakers will struggle with. Like

584
00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,360
Speaker 1: right now, Pat Beverley has been that guy, but Pat

585
00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,760
Speaker 1: six one, you know, and I think there's a limitation

586
00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:26,680
Speaker 1: to that. Um Lawny earlier in the season, and this

587
00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:28,600
Speaker 1: is something that Darvin Hamm has mentioned a few times,

588
00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:32,080
Speaker 1: like he hasn't been the same defender that he was

589
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:33,680
Speaker 1: earlier in the season, So like if he can get

590
00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:37,400
Speaker 1: that back, He's got the the you know, six four

591
00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,680
Speaker 1: really athletic, you know, a strong guy. So like maybe

592
00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:42,760
Speaker 1: maybe Lawnie can do some of that. Um, you know,

593
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,680
Speaker 1: Troy Brown has been a guy for them that uh,

594
00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,120
Speaker 1: you know, it's funny because Troy Brown was in Washington

595
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,920
Speaker 1: with Roy and Roy took a spot basically in and

596
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,640
Speaker 1: now it might be happening again with the Lakers. It's

597
00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,080
Speaker 1: just interesting how that works. But I would say those

598
00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,760
Speaker 1: two j t a uh uh, the rookie Mac like

599
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:04,080
Speaker 1: not great option. I mean that it's still it's still

600
00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,640
Speaker 1: a weak Gabriel. What about Gabriel? I really I like

601
00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,120
Speaker 1: Gabriel too. Um, he is more of a four four

602
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:14,160
Speaker 1: five I mean honestly, the one guy that has done

603
00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:16,880
Speaker 1: it in the past that like, you know, we haven't

604
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,520
Speaker 1: said it yet, but like a D has you know.

605
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,560
Speaker 1: I remember when I was covering the Clippers, the Lakers

606
00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:26,320
Speaker 1: were put a D on Kauai and that was an

607
00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:30,280
Speaker 1: effective strategy. Latent games, Like I don't think it's something

608
00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,880
Speaker 1: you can necessarily do for you don't want to do

609
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:34,400
Speaker 1: it for forty eight minutes just because a D is

610
00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,360
Speaker 1: such a good rim protector you don't want to drag

611
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:40,080
Speaker 1: him out. But can you put a D. I mean

612
00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:41,479
Speaker 1: you can put him on the honest, you can put

613
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:42,880
Speaker 1: him on I think you can put him on a

614
00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:47,120
Speaker 1: Tatum or Kauai in a close game six seven minutes left, Like,

615
00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:49,640
Speaker 1: can you do that for six or seven minutes? Yeah? Uh?

616
00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:51,800
Speaker 1: Then I wonder if you go bigger and you go

617
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,680
Speaker 1: like one in or Thomas Bryant as like the other

618
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,120
Speaker 1: big to kind of just have another big guy in

619
00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,960
Speaker 1: the paint. But um yeah, I mean, look like the

620
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,360
Speaker 1: Lakers defense has been awful since a D has been out.

621
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,440
Speaker 1: It is probably it's right there were shooting as like

622
00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:11,040
Speaker 1: the biggest concern with this group. And Roy I think helps,

623
00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:13,320
Speaker 1: But I don't know if he has you know, I

624
00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,240
Speaker 1: don't think as of now, he hasn't shown he's that

625
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,400
Speaker 1: lockdown defender. Could he be that? Could he grow into that?

626
00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:21,560
Speaker 1: Like the Lakers look at it as like, uh, you know,

627
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:25,440
Speaker 1: Washington hasn't been exactly like the best developmental situation for

628
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:29,000
Speaker 1: the last few years, right, so put him in l

629
00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,280
Speaker 1: A with Lebron, with they D, with Russ, with Pat.

630
00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:36,200
Speaker 1: He's got some leaders that have you know, one championships,

631
00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,440
Speaker 1: gone on deep playoff runs. Can that bring out a

632
00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:43,080
Speaker 1: more focused really defensively? Can you know he's gonna get

633
00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:44,680
Speaker 1: the best shots he's ever gotten in his career? Like

634
00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:47,080
Speaker 1: we see that time and time again with with Lebron,

635
00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,200
Speaker 1: you know, and guys playing around Lebron, you get your

636
00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:54,160
Speaker 1: highest percentage shots with Lebron just with the attention he commands.

637
00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,760
Speaker 1: So like playing with put him around Lebron, A D

638
00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:59,400
Speaker 1: and Russ, he's gonna get open threes and he's shown

639
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:02,160
Speaker 1: in the past he can't make those. So again, I

640
00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:04,840
Speaker 1: think the Lakers are you know, they don't have a

641
00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:08,800
Speaker 1: perfect roster that there they have a uh you know

642
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,280
Speaker 1: at birth of these three and D wings that everybody,

643
00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,040
Speaker 1: all the best teams have and it's it is the

644
00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,320
Speaker 1: weakness of the roster. But I think Roy is a

645
00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:18,680
Speaker 1: step in the right direction. And if they can get

646
00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:21,520
Speaker 1: another one of those guys, be it Gary, Trent boy

647
00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,640
Speaker 1: on Boys a little bit weaker defensively, but but really

648
00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:28,080
Speaker 1: good shooter. Could they get Trent? Could they get Trent

649
00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,440
Speaker 1: for Beverly and one of the first is that the

650
00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:32,960
Speaker 1: sellers match up there I have off top of my head,

651
00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:36,760
Speaker 1: I believe. I believe. So they might have to throw

652
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,440
Speaker 1: in like a Damien Jones, uh tossing in there, Like

653
00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:42,360
Speaker 1: I would just like to keep Walker. I feel like

654
00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,240
Speaker 1: he's a rotation. The big things to me gonna be

655
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,080
Speaker 1: the the protection because the Lakers right now want to

656
00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:50,880
Speaker 1: give up a From what I've been told, you know

657
00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:53,200
Speaker 1: that they're really fighting to give up a lottery protected pick,

658
00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:56,480
Speaker 1: and it's really gonna come down to like lottery protected

659
00:33:56,640 --> 00:34:00,000
Speaker 1: versus you know, is it top ten protected, top five protective,

660
00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,520
Speaker 1: no protections? Like because for teams, they obviously want the

661
00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,200
Speaker 1: no protections because that's where you see uh, like like

662
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:08,759
Speaker 1: the Clippers and Calves doing the trade, uh you know

663
00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,200
Speaker 1: from Williams, where then the Calves get Kyrie Irving. Had

664
00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,359
Speaker 1: the Clippers protected that trade or you know that pick

665
00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:18,400
Speaker 1: they get Kyrie Irving. So like that's where I think

666
00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:20,920
Speaker 1: teams will looking at the Lakers down the rest of

667
00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:23,279
Speaker 1: the decade and like, can we get an unprotected pick

668
00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:24,880
Speaker 1: from the Lakers, And like we don't know what the

669
00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:26,520
Speaker 1: situation is going to be like in a few years,

670
00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:30,000
Speaker 1: Like that could be a top five pick. So it's

671
00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:31,880
Speaker 1: to me the biggest thing for the Lakers is just

672
00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,160
Speaker 1: gonna be the haggling on the pick and the protections

673
00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:38,000
Speaker 1: and like, can we get a lottery protective because I

674
00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:39,799
Speaker 1: think that's a win for the Lakers if if they

675
00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,400
Speaker 1: can lottery protect some of these. The problem is it

676
00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:45,040
Speaker 1: is the Lakers so Toronto, and they're gonna be asking

677
00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,200
Speaker 1: for the world. They know it's the Lakers who are desperate.

678
00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:50,080
Speaker 1: Polinka has got his work cut out. We could wrap

679
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:52,960
Speaker 1: up here. You have on with the schedule. So the

680
00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:56,560
Speaker 1: league always loads up the good TV games after the

681
00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,360
Speaker 1: NFL season. So if you look at the Lakers schedule,

682
00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:03,000
Speaker 1: it is brutal in the second half. Well, we're, you know,

683
00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,239
Speaker 1: in the game fifties and sixties. I know this is

684
00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,880
Speaker 1: gonna sound silly for a January game, but this Clippers

685
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,080
Speaker 1: game is enormous for the Lakers. They can make up

686
00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:16,120
Speaker 1: a game. Clippers are I think six, but only two

687
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:17,880
Speaker 1: games up with the Lakers. So you win this, you

688
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:20,200
Speaker 1: pick up a game and then on a back to back,

689
00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:23,120
Speaker 1: maybe you can wrest Lebron against the Spurs the following night,

690
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:26,600
Speaker 1: maybe and you pick up steal a win there, because

691
00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:29,080
Speaker 1: after that, you've got a pretty tough road trip at

692
00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:33,839
Speaker 1: Boston National TV game Saturday at Brooklyn National TV, well

693
00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:36,320
Speaker 1: NBA TV. Then you got at the Knicks on a

694
00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:38,239
Speaker 1: back to back and the Nicks are pretty good. Then

695
00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:41,920
Speaker 1: you go Indiana New Orleans. But again, like with about

696
00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:45,719
Speaker 1: thirty ish games left, you can't be going on these

697
00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:47,640
Speaker 1: three four game losing streaks now, not if you want

698
00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:50,360
Speaker 1: to make the playoffs for sure. And you know, the

699
00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:54,520
Speaker 1: Lakers are expected to get a d Lonnie Walker and

700
00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:58,600
Speaker 1: Austin Reaves back within the next week too, you know,

701
00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:02,680
Speaker 1: maybe weeks two weeks with Austin maybe, but but the

702
00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:04,439
Speaker 1: other guys should be by the end of the week.

703
00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:08,720
Speaker 1: So uh, you know, you could have those guys potentially playing,

704
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:10,520
Speaker 1: maybe not in the Clipper game, but maybe in the

705
00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:13,040
Speaker 1: San Antonio game. So as you said, maybe you do

706
00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:16,320
Speaker 1: wrest Lebron just to kind of buy them some you know,

707
00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,440
Speaker 1: buy him some some rest, but but also get those

708
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:21,319
Speaker 1: guys back and get that boost. So yeah, I mean,

709
00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:25,120
Speaker 1: I think to your point, like you know, the one

710
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:30,080
Speaker 1: thing that I think could change the Lakers uh activity

711
00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:32,560
Speaker 1: around the deadline would be another losing streak that that

712
00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:38,040
Speaker 1: maybe pushes them back into the spot and like maybe

713
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,480
Speaker 1: a few games out of the ten uh spot. At

714
00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:43,600
Speaker 1: that point, it's like, okay, we we made an upgrade.

715
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,600
Speaker 1: We're gonna keep our first, you know, and and if

716
00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,399
Speaker 1: you know this team could stay healthy, we gotta puncher's chance.

717
00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:54,000
Speaker 1: But otherwise, like we're not really investing much if they

718
00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,560
Speaker 1: continue to win and at least they around five hundred.

719
00:36:56,800 --> 00:36:59,399
Speaker 1: If not, you know, go above that. I think that's

720
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,160
Speaker 1: where you really have to consider, like is it worth

721
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:05,000
Speaker 1: not only throwing in at first, but maybe even a

722
00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:09,080
Speaker 1: second first, and like really just saying hey, like you know, no,

723
00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:11,400
Speaker 1: we're not gonna have home court advantage, and and you

724
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:13,440
Speaker 1: know know the season hasn't gone the way we wanted,

725
00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,840
Speaker 1: but we've we've seen now if Lebron and Adie are healthy,

726
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:20,000
Speaker 1: there aren't ten players in the league better than both

727
00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:23,400
Speaker 1: of them. And if you have like in most matchups,

728
00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:25,240
Speaker 1: the Lakers will have two of the three best players

729
00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,239
Speaker 1: on the floor. And if you have that advantage, like

730
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,560
Speaker 1: we've seen time and time again, how good you give

731
00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,239
Speaker 1: Lebron James uh, you know, decent teammates and he can

732
00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,560
Speaker 1: beat teams that on paper are better or deeper or whatever.

733
00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:43,279
Speaker 1: So again, I don't. I think the Lakers would need

734
00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,759
Speaker 1: a really big trade to become a true contender. But

735
00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:50,839
Speaker 1: if they I mean true contender to me is is um,

736
00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:53,960
Speaker 1: you know a team that could actually win the championship? Like,

737
00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:55,640
Speaker 1: I don't think this, don't know who who is that

738
00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:59,000
Speaker 1: in the West right now? Uh, it's tough because the

739
00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,719
Speaker 1: West is so jump bold right now, that's the good

740
00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:06,120
Speaker 1: It's true. I think I think I think Denver, Memphis

741
00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:10,520
Speaker 1: and I still give Golden State deference as the defending champs.

742
00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,200
Speaker 1: Um So I would say Golden State Clippers. I don't

743
00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:15,680
Speaker 1: think so right now, what with what we've seen. Um,

744
00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:18,600
Speaker 1: I would say Denver, Memphis and Golden State are the

745
00:38:18,719 --> 00:38:25,520
Speaker 1: three teams I look at as no. I I no, um,

746
00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:29,600
Speaker 1: I think that the brunts in loss Like I don't

747
00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:32,200
Speaker 1: want to be I think in a few years we're

748
00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:35,200
Speaker 1: gonna be talking about Luca. Maybe not the same as Lebron,

749
00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:37,560
Speaker 1: but but you know, close where Like I don't want

750
00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:39,800
Speaker 1: to be on the wrong side of like doubting Luca.

751
00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,919
Speaker 1: But uh, I mean already one of the best young

752
00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:47,440
Speaker 1: playoff performers we've ever seen. But I just no, I

753
00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:50,320
Speaker 1: could see them winning around But I think I just

754
00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:52,640
Speaker 1: I don't think they're they're good enough to win more

755
00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:55,160
Speaker 1: than conference finals last year, I believe, right, yeah, but

756
00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:58,240
Speaker 1: I think the it's always like how the bracket breaks

757
00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,919
Speaker 1: and like you know, and I think, I mean, we've

758
00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:03,440
Speaker 1: seen what Bronson's done now for the Knicks, Like I

759
00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:07,200
Speaker 1: think it's very solid good number two. So I would say,

760
00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:10,520
Speaker 1: I mean, if you're asking like Dallas versus Lakers, I

761
00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:13,200
Speaker 1: give Dallas the edge right now, But how about this

762
00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:15,719
Speaker 1: okay see or the Lakers? Who do you think ends

763
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:17,960
Speaker 1: up with the better record? And that's an all seriously,

764
00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:23,120
Speaker 1: but I think fans don't know, no' you're you're hitting

765
00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:27,600
Speaker 1: on something. It's this Oklahoma City team is like actually solid. Um. Yeah,

766
00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:29,960
Speaker 1: there used to be lay up wins over them. Lakers

767
00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:32,600
Speaker 1: have them twice here in the next like five weeks.

768
00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:35,160
Speaker 1: They might those aren't gimmey wins. They might be a

769
00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:38,600
Speaker 1: playing team like that, like the legitimately, um, you know,

770
00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:41,359
Speaker 1: but I would put the Lakers over like I mean,

771
00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:46,880
Speaker 1: they just passed Portland's but like Portland's, Minnesota, Um, Minnesota

772
00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,719
Speaker 1: is a mess, like I hear, I'm looking at the

773
00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:54,160
Speaker 1: standings right now, but um, I mean I mean Minnesota

774
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,359
Speaker 1: could figure it out when Anton Karl Anton Towns comes back.

775
00:39:56,400 --> 00:40:00,560
Speaker 1: I don't know when that is. They've been I've I've

776
00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:02,880
Speaker 1: been kind of out on Minnesota this whole time. I mean,

777
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:05,680
Speaker 1: I think the Gobert thing has been a total disaster.

778
00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:07,879
Speaker 1: I was way wrong. I thought they would be very good.

779
00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:14,080
Speaker 1: But the Jazz out Okay see jazz Minnesota. Uh, Phoenix

780
00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:16,920
Speaker 1: is a tricky one with just when is up? But

781
00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,080
Speaker 1: I don't know what what the Dealers coming back, but

782
00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:22,360
Speaker 1: like there's just been something off with that team all season,

783
00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:24,080
Speaker 1: with with the like them and the Clippers of the

784
00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:26,520
Speaker 1: two teams, with like the chemistry stuff where I just

785
00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:30,279
Speaker 1: don't you know, it's just been weird all year. Um,

786
00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:33,960
Speaker 1: I mean I like New Orleans a lot. Uh Sacramento

787
00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:37,040
Speaker 1: is like on paper better than the Lakers, but there

788
00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:39,480
Speaker 1: are two and two against each other this this season

789
00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:45,600
Speaker 1: and like that. I mean, I think the Kings are better,

790
00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:47,160
Speaker 1: but I think the Lake. I think the Lakers would

791
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,239
Speaker 1: beat them in a seven game series if healthy. Yeah,

792
00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:53,839
Speaker 1: so nobody who really. I guess the bonus might scare

793
00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:55,120
Speaker 1: you a little bit, I guess, but if you have

794
00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:58,320
Speaker 1: a D it's different teams. I put it definitively against

795
00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:00,640
Speaker 1: the head of the Lakers are are dead R Memphis,

796
00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:05,560
Speaker 1: New Orleans and Golden State. That's four. Oh wait, I

797
00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:10,239
Speaker 1: don't when's Brandon there? I just I don't know what

798
00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:12,480
Speaker 1: to make of the pills that Zion's always hurt, Brandon

799
00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:14,799
Speaker 1: Ingland's always hurt. Yeah, I guess I'm assuming that they

800
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:18,000
Speaker 1: get healthy, which is not I mean, they've lost four

801
00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:19,880
Speaker 1: in a row. There're three and seven in the last time. Like,

802
00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:25,080
Speaker 1: I'm looking at the player efficiency rating in the league

803
00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:28,280
Speaker 1: this year. Do you want to guess how many teams

804
00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:35,200
Speaker 1: have two players in the top ten? Mmm? Are the

805
00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:40,279
Speaker 1: Lakers one of them? Lakers are the only Anthony Davis

806
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:42,600
Speaker 1: is too now he's only played games and Lebron is ten.

807
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:47,279
Speaker 1: So everything you've said about the Lakers having the two

808
00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:49,600
Speaker 1: best players on the court is true, and I still

809
00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:53,759
Speaker 1: go back. I mean, that's sun serious. Remember the what

810
00:41:53,920 --> 00:41:57,680
Speaker 1: was it the Jake Crowder against Yeah no, no, no,

811
00:41:58,080 --> 00:42:02,399
Speaker 1: um was it Jake Crowder against Lebron? The backing down

812
00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:04,040
Speaker 1: and the whole bench was going crazy and then he

813
00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:08,960
Speaker 1: gets hurt. Um. Yeah, yeah, Lakers were the better. They

814
00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,680
Speaker 1: should have won that series if everybody they had a

815
00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:17,920
Speaker 1: a lead at halftime, and then and the third quarter

816
00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:22,960
Speaker 1: of Game four, a D goes down. Yeah, and it

817
00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:25,200
Speaker 1: feels like it was actually right before. I think it

818
00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:29,360
Speaker 1: was right before halftime actually, but but still, Yeah, the

819
00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:32,640
Speaker 1: sun's rise up thanks to a D getting hurt, and boy,

820
00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:36,160
Speaker 1: it feels like that window is closing rapidly. No, yeah,

821
00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:41,759
Speaker 1: I think so. Um internally between eight and UM, I

822
00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:43,680
Speaker 1: don't even know what's going on with Jake Crowder right,

823
00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:45,880
Speaker 1: like he's not playing for them. No, yeah, I mean

824
00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,319
Speaker 1: that's been in such a weird situation because he's been

825
00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:53,359
Speaker 1: holding out and they just haven't found a trade for him.

826
00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:57,720
Speaker 1: And it's weird because you know, they are trying to compete,

827
00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,640
Speaker 1: so like they're only it's like they're looking or a trade.

828
00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:03,400
Speaker 1: They're not looking to just like dump him somewhere and

829
00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:05,440
Speaker 1: like get a pick back or or get like a

830
00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:07,520
Speaker 1: young like they want someone that can help now. But

831
00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:10,040
Speaker 1: the way his salary is, it's kind of in that

832
00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,200
Speaker 1: in between zone where it's hard to find a guy

833
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:15,760
Speaker 1: that's as good as Jay Crowder making the same amount

834
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:17,319
Speaker 1: of money that a team is willing to give up

835
00:43:17,719 --> 00:43:20,279
Speaker 1: for Jay Crowder. I also think him kind of holding

836
00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:22,399
Speaker 1: out isn't always like that's not always the best look

837
00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:24,239
Speaker 1: for some teams where they're like, we just don't want

838
00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:26,960
Speaker 1: to deal with the situation and like, you know what

839
00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:30,319
Speaker 1: if he turns on us? Like so I think, yeah,

840
00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:34,280
Speaker 1: I mean going back to their their collapse against the Mavericks,

841
00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:37,920
Speaker 1: like everything, I mean, you have the Robert Sarver massive

842
00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:40,240
Speaker 1: report in that whole situation, and now that this ownership

843
00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:43,719
Speaker 1: uh you know shift that they're having. You had the

844
00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:48,040
Speaker 1: whole DeAndre Ayton contract situation where they clearly didn't want

845
00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:51,239
Speaker 1: to resign him, but you know, he forced their hand

846
00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:53,360
Speaker 1: signed with the Pacers and or they didn't want to

847
00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:55,000
Speaker 1: pay him as much as as he ended up getting.

848
00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:57,680
Speaker 1: They're playing hardball. Then he says he hasn't talked to

849
00:43:57,760 --> 00:44:01,719
Speaker 1: Money Williams since uh their playoff loss. You got Jay

850
00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:05,920
Speaker 1: Crowder holding out. Uh, Like it's just been situation after

851
00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:07,719
Speaker 1: situation with the Sun. So it does feel like that

852
00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:10,359
Speaker 1: they're coming up against it where like, uh, they're gonna

853
00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:12,840
Speaker 1: have to pivot kind of one where one direction or

854
00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:17,120
Speaker 1: in the alright, sorry, uh yo, von my dog is

855
00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:19,800
Speaker 1: freaking out, buddy boy. Um, he's really sick of the

856
00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:23,319
Speaker 1: Lakers talk. So anyways, thank you for taking the time

857
00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:25,000
Speaker 1: to join the pot, and now we'll be looking for

858
00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:27,239
Speaker 1: your coverage on the Lakers. The rest of the way

859
00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:29,480
Speaker 1: sounds good man, Thanks for having me all right, buddy.

860
00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:29,919
Speaker 1: Later