1 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Jason Tin Podcast. Thank you guys so 2 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: much for taking time out of your Friday evening to 3 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: come hang out and talk some basketball with me. Um. 4 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: I'm heading into a pretty busy weekend and I only 5 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: had gotten to one show this week, so I wanted 6 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: to set aside some time real quick before I get 7 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,319 Speaker 1: busy tonight to UH go over my thoughts of from 8 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: last night's Laker Nuggets Lakers Nuggets game. I went back 9 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: over the film, UH in an in depth manner today, UH, 10 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: and I have a bunch of thoughts on a bunch 11 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: of different things having to do with the Lakers, and 12 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: then I just want to give my quick two cents 13 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: on the the NBA All Star Game and all the 14 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: pushback that they've been receiving. UM. Usually when two sides 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:00,040 Speaker 1: are agreeing to do something, there's kind of like a 16 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: public push, but then there's obviously a private push as well, 17 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: and I think I understand where those folks are coming from. UM. 18 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: But let's let's start with the Lakers and the Nuggets. So, 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 1: you know, one of my favorite things about last night's 20 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: game is it was the the the embodiment of everything 21 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: that I've talked about this team being over the course 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: of the last few years, because uh, you know, there's 23 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: been this this big emphasis on how big the Lakers are. 24 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 1: You know, they had they had Dwight Howard Day, had 25 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: Vale McGee, Lebron six nine seventy pounds, Anthony Davis is 26 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: this big athletic freak. There was always this talk about 27 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: how how big they were, and a lot of people 28 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: who weren't watching the Lakers very closely would say that 29 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: that was the reason why they were defending so well. 30 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: They were just too big for teams, and I actually 31 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: disagree with that. I think their size is a huge 32 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: problem on the offensive end, particularly with Lebron and Anthony Davis, 33 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: because they can bully you to get close shots, shots 34 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: at the rim. You know, Anthony Davis more so is 35 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: an offensive rebounder, but Lebron as a post up player, 36 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: and just the way that that can really cause problems 37 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: for your defense, especially in a playoff series. However, on 38 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: the defensive end, I've always said that it wasn't built 39 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: on their size. It was built on their guards and 40 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: their wings and the fact that they were all so 41 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: dialed in to being in the right spots, to communicating 42 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: to rotating all the effort and focus stuff. You guys, 43 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: everyone who's been listening to me for a while knows 44 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: that I've been beating that drum forever. And you know, 45 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 1: when I was looking back at the film today, their 46 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: defense really took off when Montrez Harrold was playing center 47 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: later in the third quarter, uh yesterday, and you know, 48 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: and Anthony Davis was kind of floating around on the perimeter, 49 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: and and uh talent Horton Tucker was getting everything going 50 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: with his length and his quickness out on the perimeter 51 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: guarding Jamal Murray, taking Jamal Murray out of his core actions, 52 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,359 Speaker 1: bothering him from behind with his length, and then when 53 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: he would get switched off of Jamal Murray by some 54 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: sort of pick and roll or other screening action, he 55 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: would stay engaged in the play, immediately rotate to another 56 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,679 Speaker 1: man that he needs to needed to in the sequence. 57 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: And there's a lot of like instinctual stuff, people knowing 58 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: the right places where the right places to be at 59 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: the right times, and the way that that can disrupt 60 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: a really good offense. There's a play on my Twitter 61 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: feed if you scroll down and you look at the 62 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: video clips that I've posted today There's a play where 63 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: he starts on Jamal Murray and then gets caught in 64 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: a ball screen action with Yokich which he inevitably has 65 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: to switch, where he switches and gets up underneath yo 66 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: Kitchen pushes him out kind of to where the semi 67 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: circle was, which leads to a rotation on the back 68 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: end where he believes Yokich to sprint out to the 69 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: corner to contest to Michael Green and it leads to 70 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: an air ball. And that's an example of what I'm 71 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: talking about here the Laker defense that it hasn't just 72 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: been uh talent Horton Tucker this season. Contavious called Bo 73 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: Pope has been great with that for the last two years. 74 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: Alex Crusoe has been great with that for the last 75 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: two years. You know, Avery Bradley was great with that 76 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: last year. It was always built on just this total 77 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,839 Speaker 1: team effort and commitment to rotating and covering for each 78 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: other and being in the right spots at the right time. 79 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: That's always what it was that, Don't get me wrong. 80 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: Having Anthony Davis and lebron Is, these super versatile forwards 81 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: in the front line that can protect the rim and 82 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: guard on the perimeter is also a huge chunk of 83 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: what makes that defense so good. But I've always thought 84 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: that the guards kind of got the short end of 85 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: the stick in terms of the media and the way 86 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: that the Laker defense is portrayed, because I think they're 87 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: just as important, if not more important, to the success 88 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: of that defense. And I think last night was a 89 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: great example of that. That whole third quarter run was 90 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: was sprung by by town Horton Tucker and honestly Mantrese Harold, 91 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: who was great so real quick on tres one of 92 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: the things that I thought was really interesting and if 93 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: you guys listen to the pot I did with Jason Maples, 94 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: I talked a lot about this, But I've always said 95 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: that I thought Mantrese Harold, with the clip and a 96 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: little bit with the Lakers to start this year, has 97 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: been set up to fail because they've been using him 98 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: as kind of like a center that patrols the paint, 99 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: where he's not a great room protector, not in the 100 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: sense that you would think of like being head up 101 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: with guys and being able to disrupt them and change shots. 102 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 1: He can block shots if he really gets loaded up 103 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: in the right spot. If another defenders involved. That prevents 104 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 1: the the the offensive player from being really aggressive to 105 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: the rim. He can really load up in block shots 106 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: and he will get blocks that way. But he's never 107 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: been great as just an overall just rim presence is 108 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: just too small and his instincts aren't that great. But 109 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: he has strengths. He has legitimate athletic strengths that would 110 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: make him a great defensive player. He's very quick for 111 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: a for a big man. He's got really long arms, 112 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: and he plays super hard. He's got a great motor, 113 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: which fits great into what the Lakers are trying to 114 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: do every single game. And so what you saw, what 115 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,799 Speaker 1: you saw last night is ironically what turned things around 116 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: for Trey's was the fact that that center that they 117 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,359 Speaker 1: were using, Yokich was starting a lot of actions with 118 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: the ball in his hand. So he wasn't defending a 119 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 1: ball handler out on the perimeter as a screening defending 120 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: like defending the screener where he was caught kind of 121 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 1: in some sort of weird drop coverage or in between. 122 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: Instead a lot of times he was on the ball. 123 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: So because of that, he opted to ball pressure Yokich 124 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,799 Speaker 1: and kind of get up underneath them and get into 125 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: his his handle a little bit, and it really bothered Yoki. 126 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: And I think that was a big reason why he 127 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: had so much success defensively last night. What was he 128 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: was kind of by virtue of what the Denver Nuggets 129 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: were doing. It allowed the Lakers to play treads to 130 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: his strengths. Uh. And then you know, Jason Maples brought 131 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: this up a lot in our pod, but he said that, um, 132 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,799 Speaker 1: you know, it's very important for treads to be aggressive 133 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: in certain matchups, and a lot of times last night 134 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: they would have Michael Porter Jr. Playing the four, you know, 135 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:01,280 Speaker 1: And so they were at the end of the third 136 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: quarter that lineup they had Yokich at the five and 137 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: MPG at the four. They'd had u Yoki on Anthony 138 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: Davis and Tres was just destroying the uh, the Nuggets, 139 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: especially in transition when they would get caught in a 140 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: cross match or like Michael Porter Jr. Would end up 141 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: on Kyle Kuzma, uh and all of a sudden, he's 142 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: got Jamal Murray on him or Will Barton on him 143 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: right under the basket, and he's getting he's getting dunks 144 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: and deep seals and things along those lines. There's one 145 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: in transition that he got out in front of Jamal 146 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: Murray for a dunk, and then there was another one 147 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: where he got switched on to Will Barton just did 148 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: a really good side seal and Lebron through a really 149 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: nice bounce pass into the right spot and he got 150 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: another dome. That's that's an example of Montrez finding a 151 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: way to to to use his strengths, the things that 152 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: he's really good at. Because all of these role players, 153 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: they all have they all have pros and cons. You know, 154 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: because if if there was a player out there who 155 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: was playing a role for a team who had no weaknesses, 156 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: he would be on the floor all the time and 157 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: he'd be he'd be a star. He wouldn't be a 158 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: role player. So when you're dealing with these kinds of guys, 159 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: these in between or type NBA players, they've got downsides, 160 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: and so you need to structure their role on the 161 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: team in a way that that that strengthens what they do. 162 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: So what I used to talk about all all the 163 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: time last year with the Laker guards. Everyone was obsessed 164 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: with the fact that the Lakers didn't have good guards, 165 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: And I said, who cares, Lebron's your guard on offense. 166 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: All they need to do is defend, and it turned 167 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: out all of them could defend, and they didn't need 168 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 1: to be you know, uh, super versatile defensive players that 169 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: could defend all three levels. They just needed to chase 170 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: people off of the three point line and funnel him 171 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: into Anthony Davis. So it worked. The everything is about, 172 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: you know, taking your player, finding out what he's good at, 173 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: finding out what he's bad at, and then keeping him 174 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: in in a wheelhouse for him or he's gonna play well. Uh, 175 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: you know, the same goes for talent Horton Tucker. I 176 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: talked a lot about how I wasn't sure if talent 177 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: Horton Tucker was going to be usable as a playoff 178 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: rotation player, and it was never about the offense. Like 179 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: he he was incredible offensively last night, particularly attacking close outs. 180 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: He did such a great job in situations where the 181 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: defense was chaotic, either in transition or in the half court, 182 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: or he would get catch the ball on the wing 183 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: and you could either have a defender who was too 184 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: slow or no defender at all, one that was closing 185 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 1: out on him, and he was able to attack and 186 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: make quick decisions and get into the paint that that 187 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: that's amazing, that's great, but that's not what you need 188 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: from talent Horton Tucker. In order for him to play 189 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: in the playoffs, he needed him to defend at an 190 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: extremely high level in the entirely focused on that on 191 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: the ball. Remember in the Portland's game early in the season, 192 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: I think it was their second loss of the season. 193 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: In the Portland's game, he got absolutely killed by Gary 194 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: Trent Jr. Because of the fact that he wasn't paying 195 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 1: attention on the defensive end of the ball every single possession. 196 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: For him to have progressed to where he is now, 197 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 1: where he's like a regular rotation member, he's actually like 198 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: their six man. It's all about the fact that he 199 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: is now committed on that end of the ball. Whatever 200 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: you get offensively from him is great. He had a 201 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: couple of turnovers he had wanted transition where he got 202 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: a little crazy and tried to throw a chess pass 203 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: to Lebron that got stolen. Those are the other things 204 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 1: that he's got to be careful of because it's so 205 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: like decision making is so important in a playoff series. 206 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,679 Speaker 1: But I mean, from from a month ago, we were 207 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,680 Speaker 1: all wondering is this kid gonna be usable at all 208 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: in the playoffs too? Now it looks like he's he's 209 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:35,079 Speaker 1: a very important part of their defensive backcourt. That it's 210 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: it's remarkable how much he's progressed in in such a 211 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: short period of time. All Right, I want to play. 212 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: I want to pay Kyle Kuzma a compliment. So, you know, 213 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: Kyle Kuzma has a specific personality about him that would 214 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: suggest that he'd be a certain type of player, right, Like, 215 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: he's he's very online, he's very on social media, he's 216 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 1: very he behaves kind of young. I mean, I don't 217 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: want to call him immature, because he's not. He's a 218 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: grown man. But he behaves in a way that would 219 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: would make you think that he's wired in a in 220 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,200 Speaker 1: a in a kind of a young, selfish kind of way. 221 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: And to see what's happened in the last couple of 222 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: months between him signing this extension, uh to to make 223 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: potentially less money than he could have if he left 224 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: the Lakers to go put up big numbers on a 225 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: lesser team, and then too after signing that extension, really 226 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 1: embrace a minimal offensive role that has him just flying 227 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: around all over the place, getting offensive rebounds, getting blocks, 228 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: sprinting back in transition, and becoming just a really really solid, 229 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: almost veteran esque role player is remarkable to me because, 230 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: like I said, it doesn't matter, it doesn't mess up 231 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: with what you think his personality would be. Like you know, 232 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 1: when you meet people like that, the person who's very online, 233 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: they're usually the They're usually the person who is a 234 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: little self absorbed, a little more worried about what they've 235 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: got going on it. And you know, it's so it's 236 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: so cool to see him buy into this concept and 237 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: and quite frankly, like that's gonna be the thing that 238 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: keeps him in the league as a as a Shane 239 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: Battier type of wing for you know, for a really 240 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: long time. It is him becoming that guy that him 241 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: having a seventeen year NBA career is gonna depend on 242 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: him being this guy. And and and I just like 243 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: I said, I just wanted to pay him a compliment 244 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: because this is literally a player who took potentially less 245 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: money to stay on a team where he is in 246 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: a much smaller role, and he's just addicted to playing 247 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: winning basketball and doing all of these little things that 248 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: lead to a lot of success on the team level. 249 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: And and I and again like I me, just like 250 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: just like all of you, just like most of the 251 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: people in in uh, in the Laker fan base. I've 252 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: been really hard on Kyle Kuzma. Are a lot of 253 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: reasons over the years, and a lot of it had 254 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: to do with the fact that he wasn't embracing those 255 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 1: little things. And to see him do it now, like, uh, 256 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: you know, I don't want to say necessarily that we 257 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 1: owe him an apology, because we had reasons to feel 258 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: the way that we did, but but it's it's incredible 259 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: to see his transformation from that guy into literally like 260 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: the guy who was playing harder than anybody on the 261 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: court last night. It was really really impressive in my opinion. 262 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: So about the next thing I want to talk about 263 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: is Anthony Davis. So I read a poll last night 264 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: and I asked a very simple question. I said, our 265 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis struggles based on the fact that he's not 266 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: getting enough touches or is it based on the fact 267 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: that that he's just struggling, you know, that he's just 268 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 1: in a funk. And the voting came came back at 269 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: about thought that he was just in a funk, and 270 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: that it wasn't related to his touches at all. Now, 271 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: you know, I think there's two I think I tweeted 272 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: this last night, and I think it. I think there 273 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: is some truth to the fact that his touches look 274 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 1: different than they did last year, and a lot of 275 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,320 Speaker 1: that has to do with Schroeder in the starting lineup. 276 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:12,560 Speaker 1: This is something I talked about, uh in a couple 277 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: podcasts recently. You know, when Schroeder's on the floor with 278 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: Lebron and Anthony Davis, they destroy teams without a doubt. 279 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: It is good for the team to have all three 280 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: of them together. However, having all three of them together 281 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: in the starting lineup has a couple of unintended consequences. 282 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: One that I always beat the drumon is that leads 283 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: Lebron to run half of the second quarter by himself 284 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: or with four role players rather than with one of 285 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 1: the other co stars. And two, I think it really 286 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: does potentially have an impact on Anthony Davis's rhythm. UH. 287 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: That meaning that in the beginning of the game, the 288 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: fact that you've got two of these primary ball handler 289 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: type of players on the floor with Anthony Davis is 290 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: just leading him to getting less touches uh initially in 291 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: the game. And one of the things that I that 292 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: I preached about all year last year, if you guys remember, 293 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: is that I thought, you know, Lou Williams over aggressiveness 294 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: uh in Montrese, Harold and as well might have had 295 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: something to do with some of the inconsistency from from 296 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: Paul George. Now, Paul George is proving me very wrong 297 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: this year. But I do I I do think that 298 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: there is some truth to the basketball you know thought 299 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: process that having too many ball handlers on the floor 300 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: can cause some issues with rhythm for players. That is 301 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: true for Anthony Davis. However, he has been really really 302 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: bad on the offensive end of the floor. And at 303 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: a certain point, like if you think of the line 304 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: between the two outcomes, like this is where it's based 305 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: on his rhythm, and this is where he's just not 306 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: playing well, Like it's somewhere in the middle, Like at 307 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: some point he's got to accept some blame for what's 308 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: happening here. At the end of the day, he's he's 309 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: not dribbling the ball very well at all, he's not 310 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: shooting the ball very well at all, and he's not 311 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: being physically aggressive around the rim. Almost every shot that 312 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: he's making this year is something where he's being set 313 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: up by one of his teammates. He's having like one 314 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: of his worst you know, uh scoring individual scoring seasons 315 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: in terms of his isolation, in terms of what he 316 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: was doing so great in the bubble, He's he's having 317 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: a terrible season in that regard, and I can't entirely 318 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: blame that on the touches. Now, there are a couple 319 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: of people that I follow on Twitter, people that are 320 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: Laker fans who have been beating this drum all season, 321 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: and I don't want to undercut that because they are right, Like, 322 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: there is something to be said about the fact that, 323 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: you know, Lebron is playing basically the same way he 324 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: played last year, the same amount of touches, same overall 325 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: control of the game, same everything, and Anthony Davis is 326 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: getting less touches. So what is the difference. It's Dennis 327 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: Schroeder that that goes without saying. But at the end 328 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: of the day, like, I don't think you can entirely 329 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: blame Shorter because you gotta worry about his rhythm and 330 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: if Schroeder just entirely gives up his feel for the 331 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: game and the initial stretches to to force feed Anthony Davis. 332 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: It's very likely that Schroeder will have some struggles, and 333 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: he has had some struggles for certain stretches of this 334 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: year where he hasn't played very well well offensively, where 335 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,680 Speaker 1: he hasn't shot the ball really well. So from that standpoint, 336 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: I think, like, you know, if you're Anthony Davis, you've 337 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: got to kind of acknowledge the realities of the situation. Okay, 338 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: I'm getting less touches because we have another really, really 339 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: good ball handler this year, and so as a result 340 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: of that, my offense has changed. But he also has 341 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,920 Speaker 1: to look in the mirror and say, however, that's not changing. 342 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: Schroeder's not coming out of the starting lineup. It's very 343 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,199 Speaker 1: clear that he wants that the Lakers have a vested 344 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: interest in trying to keep him here and and and 345 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: get him to come back after his contract runs out. 346 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 1: So I doubt they're gonna move him to the bench. 347 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 1: So if you're Anthony Davis, you've got to acknowledge the 348 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 1: realities of the situation and be like, I have to 349 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: play better. I don't know if I have to spend 350 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 1: extra time in the gym working on my shot. I 351 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: don't know if I have to just like demand the 352 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: ball a little bit more from maybe from Lebron, because 353 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 1: Lebron is, you know, less dependent on rhythm, and he's 354 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: someone who's a little bit more capable of of deferring 355 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: and then coming back into the game later on, uh 356 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 1: and being more aggressive later. I don't know what he 357 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: has to do, but he's got to do something. And 358 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: my and and you know, he had a really really 359 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: good defensive stretch to end the third quarter and in 360 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter last night, he defended Joel and Bed 361 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: really well at the end of the fourth quarter in 362 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: the Philadelphia game. He's had stretches defensively this year where 363 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:31,919 Speaker 1: he's been great, but he's also had a lot like 364 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: long stretches of the season where he hasn't been great defensively. 365 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:37,919 Speaker 1: So at a certain point, like I said, at a 366 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 1: certain point, Anthony Davis has to kind of, you know, 367 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 1: accept some responsibility for for what's happening here. And it 368 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: attempts to make a change, and I try to do something, 369 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: uh to turn things around. But I'm not I'm not 370 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: worried about him. But I mean, let's this is now, 371 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: We're now over a quarter of the way through the season, 372 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: and he's actually really slumping worse now than he was 373 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: to start the season. So I think all I'm saying is, 374 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:06,880 Speaker 1: I think it's time for Anthony Davis to to try 375 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: to figure this thing out really quickly. On Lebron, um 376 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: I said in the podcast that I did with Tommy 377 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: on Tuesday, I said that I thought Lebron was the 378 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: the m v P front runner just by a hair. 379 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:34,360 Speaker 1: I think it's important to understand that embid Yokich and 380 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: and be Kauai and Lebron, those three are kind of 381 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: on the same tier, and that that's typical and such 382 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 1: a short in such a short uh sample size, because 383 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: all that they haven't played enough games to really build 384 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:51,439 Speaker 1: some gap between each other. But all three teams are 385 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: right around the same record, They're all within a half 386 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 1: game of each other, all three of them are putting 387 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: up ridiculous numbers, and all three of those teams are 388 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: at the every top of the league. And so from 389 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: that standpoint, they absolutely deserved to all be in that 390 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: tier together. And then I basically said that the reason 391 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 1: why I thought Lebron deserved to be on the top 392 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: over Kauai had to do with the fact that Kauai 393 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: has had somebody on his team playing just as good 394 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: as him and Paul George, whereas Anthony Davis has kind 395 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: of faded and Lebron has had to deal with that 396 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 1: really quick short turnaround. And then I also said that Mbiid, 397 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: who has missed I believe five or six games already 398 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,639 Speaker 1: this season, that his availability is starting to become a 399 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: differentiating factor, even though his numbers are better than what 400 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,719 Speaker 1: Kauai and Lebron had been putting up. But last night 401 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: was another great example of that, because you know, uh, 402 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: you're at home, you're playing against You're playing against a 403 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,119 Speaker 1: team that very clearly wants to send a message to you. 404 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: The Nuggets came in with their hair on fire in 405 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,640 Speaker 1: that game, especially in that first half, coming in there 406 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: attempting to to to knock the Lakers off. The Nuggets 407 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: have been playing really well this year. They were eleven 408 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: and four in their previous fifteen games if my math 409 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,919 Speaker 1: is correct, and they were top ten in defense. They 410 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: were ninth in defense in their previous fifteen games, and 411 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: they were top five in offense. They were fourth in 412 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: offense in their previous fifteen games. So the Nuggets came 413 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: in their hair on fire trying to beat the Lakers. 414 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,440 Speaker 1: Lakers don't have much to play for. It their at home, 415 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: the game doesn't mean much for them in the standings. Uh. 416 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis comes out and he was he was aggressive 417 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:26,919 Speaker 1: on the offensive glass early, but he didn't have anything 418 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: going offensively outside of that. And Lebron did what an 419 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: m v P does, which is he just refuses to 420 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: let his team lose. And throughout that game. Although you know, 421 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: the role players were amazing in that game, but they 422 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: always are for the really good teams. But Lebron throughout 423 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:46,119 Speaker 1: that game asserted himself when he needed to, uh, in 424 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 1: order to keep pushing that that uh, that winning go 425 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: forward and and I just think, like you know, over 426 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: the course of the season, that's gonna be a part 427 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:58,120 Speaker 1: of his case is understanding that the Lakers did did 428 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 1: get dealt up pretty shitty hand that really quick turnaround. 429 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 1: You know, like it's very clearly affecting Anthony Davis, but 430 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, Lebron is just not letting it affect him. 431 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: And he's been really, really good on the defensive end. 432 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:13,959 Speaker 1: He's he's incredibly gifted around the rim with his hands 433 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: in a way that's actually pretty crazy because you know, 434 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: when you're when you play, when you play basketball in 435 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: college or really in any competitive level, almost every single 436 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: coach and ref will tell you to never swipe down 437 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: on the ball. They always tell you to swipe up. 438 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: That's why when you see guys practice at defensive slide, 439 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: they always kind of have that left hand out with 440 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: their hand up and then the other art hand is 441 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: up as they kind of slide down the court. The 442 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: idea is they're they're training you to reach up at 443 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: the ball because they don't want you to get called 444 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,320 Speaker 1: for a foul. And Lebron just has this ridiculous ability 445 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: around the basket to strip guys on the way up, 446 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: and he does it by reaching down, and he does 447 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,479 Speaker 1: it without getting foul calls, which which is amazing to me. 448 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: But again, I've been, I've been, uh, you know, I 449 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: took a little bit of not heat. But a couple 450 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:04,920 Speaker 1: of people that I'm friendly with on Twitter are making 451 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: fun of me yesterday because they said, oh, like figures 452 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: Lebron had Jason as Lebron as the m v P 453 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,680 Speaker 1: again And you know, yeah, man, I think he's the 454 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: best player in the league. And outside of a handful 455 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: of seasons like two thousand fifteen when he missed several 456 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,879 Speaker 1: weeks with injury and UH when his team kind of 457 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 1: struggled through the regular season, and two thousand and sixteen 458 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: when Steph was just otherworldly, and then two thousand nineteen 459 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: when he was hurt, I do think he was the 460 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:31,880 Speaker 1: m v P every year. But it's because I don't 461 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,239 Speaker 1: think any basketball player impacts winning nearly as much as 462 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,359 Speaker 1: he does, and and more often than not, like I 463 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: think that that that needs to be something that is 464 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: factored in the MVP race, and and it it. You know, 465 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: if you go look at the the UH the NBA 466 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,359 Speaker 1: dot com stats website, and you you scroll down and 467 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: you look at points per game leaders, there are a 468 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: lot of guys that are averaging plus points a gain 469 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: a lot of them that that doesn't mean anything in 470 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: the NBA anymore. You know, Zach Lavine averages over points 471 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,719 Speaker 1: a game, you wouldn't say he's a top twenty player 472 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 1: there that that part of it is such a small 473 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: part of what it takes to win basketball games. And 474 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 1: so when I'm looking at that, when I'm looking at 475 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: at what Lebron brings to the table. Those are the 476 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: that that's the kind of stuff that I try to 477 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:20,920 Speaker 1: see beyond and look at all of his impact and 478 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: that that's why I'm going to favor him in a 479 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: case like this. And I don't think it's a coincidence 480 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:26,959 Speaker 1: that when you put him on a roster that has 481 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: the pieces that they need to contend that all of 482 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: a sudden he can win a championship or beyond the 483 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: team that's in the top two or three records in 484 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 1: the league. That that's literally what it means to impact 485 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: winning at that level is if you put them in 486 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: in a set of good circumstances, they're going to win. Alright, one, 487 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: This is gonna be a shorter show today. There's one 488 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:46,640 Speaker 1: last thing I wanted to touch on before we're done, 489 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 1: and if any of you guys have any questions, If 490 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: you guys have any I'll take him at the end, 491 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:55,479 Speaker 1: m um. So I wanted to touch on the All 492 00:24:55,560 --> 00:25:05,120 Speaker 1: Star Game. So important thing to understand about the way 493 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: that I look at stuff. I you know, I'm an 494 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: optimist when it comes to uh, my sport, my sports interests. 495 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 1: When I'm rooting for something I'm an optimist. I'm naturally 496 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,640 Speaker 1: easy going in life, and naturally, when I'm looking at 497 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:24,560 Speaker 1: at something like that, I'm always going to take a 498 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 1: glass half full type of approach. But when it comes 499 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:32,400 Speaker 1: to like society and and like, you know, more more 500 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: intense and less playful type of topics, I tend to 501 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 1: be more of a pessimist and a realist. And I 502 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: think that that's just part of the way I'm wired. 503 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: And I don't think there's anything wrong with having a 504 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: different approach to that kind of stuff, But like, I'm 505 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:50,479 Speaker 1: always going to look at some of these things with 506 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 1: a kind of a harsh reality type the type of perspective, 507 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: and and that's kind of the way I look at this, 508 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,920 Speaker 1: this All Star Game thing, because you know, Lebron comes 509 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: out last night and he says, you know, I don't 510 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 1: want to do this, Like I'm exhausted. I was looking 511 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 1: forward to having a break and to kind of recalibrate 512 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:09,679 Speaker 1: and prepare for the second half of the season. Like 513 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 1: I don't want to be there. I think this is stupid. 514 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 1: And as I've said several times on Twitter and as 515 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: I said in the pod with Tommy, like the reasoning 516 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: for having an All Star Game is literally the exact 517 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: same reason for having the season. Coming into this season, 518 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,199 Speaker 1: nobody wanted to play basketball in December. None of the 519 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 1: owners wanted to do it. None of the players wanted 520 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,560 Speaker 1: to do it. Why because of the fact that the 521 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,119 Speaker 1: owners weren't weren't gonna make as much money without fans, 522 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,159 Speaker 1: and because the players needed a break from the bubble, 523 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: and because they knew the pandemic was gonna make the 524 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 1: season less fun. None of them wanted to play the 525 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: same thing Lebron was feeling when he was talking about 526 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: that All Star Game is the exact same way he 527 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 1: was feeling when he was talking about this season in 528 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: general back in November, that that that that was the 529 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 1: reality of the situation. But they went forward with the 530 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,400 Speaker 1: season for a couple of really obvious reasons, For really 531 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:03,359 Speaker 1: simple reasons. The players really wanted to keep this current 532 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 1: cb A intact, and so they wanted to uh to 533 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: to try to capitalize on as much of the TV 534 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 1: contract as they could, because they knew if they didn't 535 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: that the owners would rip up the c b A, 536 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: and that that they didn't want to play seventy two games, 537 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: but they had to in order to fulfill as much 538 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 1: of the TV contract as possible. They didn't want to 539 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: play in December, but they had to because the TV 540 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: partners were aggressively pressuring them because of the low ratings 541 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: as a result of them playing during the election coverage 542 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 1: and during the heat of the NFL season back in 543 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: in uh August and September and October. Those were the 544 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: harsh realities of the situation. They knew that if they 545 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 1: and then also all of a bunch of people in 546 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: the players Association were from other countries and really really 547 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: wanted to play in the Olympics and play for their country, 548 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: and so they needed to be done in July. So 549 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,399 Speaker 1: there were all of these reasons to push through with 550 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:59,440 Speaker 1: seventy two games from December to July that would that 551 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 1: would lead to them having kind of a hectic, weird 552 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 1: season without fans that kind of suck. With all these 553 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,480 Speaker 1: restrictions that they inevitably that they had to even tighten 554 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 1: further than they did. That this was always going to 555 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 1: be bad. This was never meant to be fun for them. 556 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 1: This was work. You know, we all have jobs, but 557 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:20,400 Speaker 1: you know, they have a more fun job than most. However, 558 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: this season became less fun for them as a result 559 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 1: of the lack of fans and the lack of the 560 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: ability to you know, have fun in these cities that 561 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: they were traveling to. And that really sucks. And I'm 562 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: not debating now, you know, there's no there's no point 563 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 1: in and and and trying to tell them how to 564 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: feel about a situation, because obviously they have reasons to 565 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 1: feel the way they do. All all I'm saying is 566 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: that they knew what this was when they signed on 567 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: the dotted line. This season is gonna suck. It's gonna 568 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: be seventy two games, it's gonna run from December to July. 569 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 1: None of us want to be doing this, but we're 570 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: doing it for the c b A, We're doing it 571 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: for the television contract or doing it so that we 572 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: can get back to normal next year. They had all 573 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: these reasons why they were doing it, and like if 574 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: I'm the league and Turner Broadcasting comes into the room 575 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: and sits down with Adam Silver and goes like, hey, listen, like, 576 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 1: the All Star Game is part of our contract. If 577 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,479 Speaker 1: you guys do it, it's gonna make up you know, 578 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty million of the of our total 579 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: TV deal or whatever it is. I don't know what 580 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: the number is. But then Adam Silver calls up uh, 581 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: Chris Paul and the Players Association and Michelle Roberts and goes, hey, listen, 582 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: like this, this All Star Game is gonna make up 583 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: a huge chunk of our overall TV deal. All we 584 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: gotta do is keep the same protocols and fly everybody 585 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: into Atlanta, have them do dunk contests, have them do 586 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: with three point contests, have them do a game, and 587 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: then fly you out of there. It's gonna put a 588 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: bunch of money in all of our pockets. It's the 589 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: exact same reasoning for why we're doing this whole season 590 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: to begin with. Let's go ahead and do it, you know, 591 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: and and for the you know, one of the most 592 00:29:57,040 --> 00:30:00,280 Speaker 1: common bits of pushback that I've seen is people's saying, 593 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: you know, well, I don't like the idea of putting 594 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: all of our stars in one place. And I get that. 595 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: In theory, if if if an outbreak took place at 596 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: the All Star Break at the All Star Game, that 597 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: would be the worst possible place for it to happen, 598 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: because a bunch of stars from a bunch of different 599 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 1: teams would get it that that's that's terrifying, right, But 600 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: that's the exact same fear that was in play during 601 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: the bubble. You've got all these players in one spot. 602 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 1: If if a if an outbreak happens to take place 603 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: in there, it's gonna infect everybody. Blah blah blah blah blah. 604 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 1: But what kept the bubble secure was the protocols, and 605 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 1: that's the whole point of trusting them for the purpose 606 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: of the All Star Game. Yes, if COVID happens to 607 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: get into a player who is at one of those 608 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: who's at an event at at at All Star weekend, 609 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 1: it will be problem. But there's been one positive COVID 610 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 1: test in the last two testing cycles within the n 611 00:30:56,080 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 1: b A strictly because they have great protocols, you know, 612 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: and people people really like to to to roast the 613 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: NBA and to talk a bunch of shit about how 614 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: terrible they are because they're trying to have a season. 615 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: But they really did go to great lengths to to 616 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 1: uh to have great protocols, and and it's funny because 617 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 1: they they uh. If you think about what basketball is, 618 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: like I I caught COVID playing basketball. I went to 619 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: an alumni game at the school that I played in college, 620 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: and they stuck a thermometer at my forehead and said 621 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: you're good to go, and made me just sign a 622 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: piece paper that said I wasn't experiencing symptoms. I'm pretty 623 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 1: sure that's where I got it. You know, you do 624 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: catch COVID playing basketball, but somehow NBA players aren't catching 625 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: COVID right now, and it's because of the protocols. So 626 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: for all the the ship talking about shaking hands at 627 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: mid cord or shaking hands at the free throw line 628 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: and all and all of the people given the NBA 629 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: a hard time about some of the cheesy rules, well, 630 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 1: underneath the cheesy rules, there were a lot of really 631 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: smart rules, and they're basically running like a mobile bubble 632 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: everywhere they go. The team basically exists with within its 633 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 1: own bubble that travels around to all these destinations, and 634 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 1: it's working. It is. It's not perfect, it's not as 635 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 1: perfect as a real bubble, but it's doing really, really well. 636 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 1: And the NBA deserves more credit for that because for 637 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 1: all the talk about them being a business who just 638 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 1: wants to profit and make money, they're at least doing it. 639 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 1: Unless of a dumpster fire fashion in the NFL did 640 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:43,959 Speaker 1: where they where. They just didn't care that people were 641 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: getting it all over the place. These NBA players aren't 642 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: really strict protocols and they know it sucks and they're 643 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: pushing through. But my thing is, like, what what's the 644 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: difference like as as it pertains to the All Star Game? 645 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: You know, as long as they obey those protocols there, adically, 646 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 1: nothing's going to happen to the group of guys in there, 647 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: even if you had you know, Obama and Gandhi and 648 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:08,000 Speaker 1: every other famous person in the world within that bubble. 649 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 1: If they're if they're behaving according to the protocols, they're 650 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 1: going to be fine. All right. Do we have any 651 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 1: questions in the comments? Do you care about the NFL? 652 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 1: Do you care about the NFL? If so, who do 653 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 1: you have winning the Super Bowl? I do care about 654 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: the NFL, but I'm a very casual fan. I grew 655 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: up a Cowboys fan because all of my my family, 656 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: so my my dad and mom met in Dallas, all 657 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 1: of their brothers and sisters live in Dallas. Um I 658 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: used to visit Dallas two or three times a year, 659 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: and as a family growing up, every year for Thanksgiving, 660 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,680 Speaker 1: we would travel back to Dallas. My parents both moved 661 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 1: to Tucson, Arizona. That's where I live now, but we 662 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:53,360 Speaker 1: would travel back to Dallas every single year, and on 663 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving Day we'd watched the Cowboys play and we watched 664 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 1: the Lions play. Because my dad was originally from Detroit, 665 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,280 Speaker 1: but I grew up a cow was fan. I've always 666 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 1: really really liked the NFL. I just had a really 667 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: hard time getting into this season and and that that 668 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:11,520 Speaker 1: there's a lot of reasons behind that. One is the uh, 669 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:14,120 Speaker 1: the Cowboys having been very good to the thing with 670 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:15,959 Speaker 1: the fans and COVID has made it kind of weird 671 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: for me. But three, and this is this is the 672 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: most important. Like, you know, I'm married now, and you 673 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:27,360 Speaker 1: know I I really invest a lot into my relationship. 674 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: I think it's one of the reasons why you know, 675 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,600 Speaker 1: my wife and I are very happily married is because 676 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,080 Speaker 1: I invest heavily into that. You know, Like when I 677 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 1: wake up in the morning and I'm making my plan 678 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: for the week and I'm planning gym time and I'm 679 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: planning work because I've run my own business and I'm 680 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: planning all of these things out I also set aside 681 00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: time for my wife. I have to, because if I don't, 682 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: I think that sort of thing is what builds all 683 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 1: of the scar tissue that can lead to a really 684 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: bad relationship. And so um, you know, and it's not perfect. 685 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 1: I'm not perfect. I mean, my I'm twenty nine years old. 686 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,439 Speaker 1: I'm learning just like every to else. But so far 687 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 1: it's it's so far, so good as it pertains to 688 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: that sort of thing. And so I really enjoy doing this. 689 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 1: I enjoy recording these podcasts. I enjoy covering the NBA 690 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 1: as closely as I can with all of the other 691 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 1: responsibilities I have. And and one of the ways that 692 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 1: I do that is I've basically told my wife, like, look, 693 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,319 Speaker 1: if there's a Laker game on, I'm watching it, and 694 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: but outside of that, I'm gonna keep as much time 695 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,319 Speaker 1: for you as I can. So the old days when 696 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 1: I used to wake up on a Sunday and watch 697 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:32,359 Speaker 1: football all day, you know, those days are pretty much 698 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,400 Speaker 1: gone because now I set aside the three nights a 699 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 1: week where I'm gonna be, you know, very closely watching 700 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 1: the Lakers and and uh and and afterwards being on Twitter, 701 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 1: you know, kind of engaging in the conversation and and 702 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 1: doing all of those things. I set that time aside, 703 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 1: and I save as much of the other time as 704 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:54,799 Speaker 1: possible to be with my wife and for the other 705 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 1: social engagements, whether it be my family or her family 706 00:35:57,239 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: or our friends and things along those lines. So I 707 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 1: think that's probably be one of the bigger reasons why 708 00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: I don't follow the NFL more closely than I do 709 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:08,200 Speaker 1: is that I'm taking this NBA stuff really serious, and uh, 710 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:10,120 Speaker 1: I really really enjoy doing this. When I come on 711 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 1: here and talk about the Lakers. Usually I've watched every 712 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,319 Speaker 1: Laker game twice. Because I don't like being someone who's 713 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: talking out of my ass. I try to I try 714 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,399 Speaker 1: to pretend, at least pretend like I know what I'm 715 00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:24,200 Speaker 1: talking about. So uh, I think that probably is the 716 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:33,799 Speaker 1: bigger reason. Let's see any other questions. Nope, that's it. Um, 717 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: all right, guys, thank you so much for listening in. 718 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,480 Speaker 1: Like I said, UM, I just wanted to hop on 719 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:41,520 Speaker 1: for a little bit before we all get busy with 720 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: our weekends. But I would imagine I'll be doing something 721 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 1: with Tommy early in the week next week, and then 722 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 1: uh my next Laker guest that I'm having on is Vine. 723 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: We had a bit of a scheduling conflict last week, 724 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 1: but we have three kind of week Laker games coming up. 725 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:01,399 Speaker 1: The they play the thund Or twice, and they play 726 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: the Detroit Pistons. But after that, there's a lot of 727 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:05,320 Speaker 1: really good games and we're gonna have a lot of 728 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 1: good Laker basketball to go over. But thank you guys 729 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 1: as always for your support. And I'll have the podcast 730 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,440 Speaker 1: version of this up shortly and I will see you 731 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:14,479 Speaker 1: next week for another show.