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Speaker 1: Welcome to the State of the Lakers podcast. Good morning everybody,

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Speaker 1: coming from a new destination where hopefully Rog and I

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Speaker 1: won't have ridiculous cutouts. Uh. I was super super impressed

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Speaker 1: because even though it was a total ship show of

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Speaker 1: a podcast where we had a half dozen dropouts and

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Speaker 1: I was like visibly upset the entire time, over two

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Speaker 1: hundred of you went back and downloaded the podcast, in

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Speaker 1: addition to everybody who watched it live or watched the replay.

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Speaker 1: And that just means that you guys are loyal and

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Speaker 1: you're supporting us through what was chaotic. But I think

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Speaker 1: we haven't figured out now. Knock on wood, and I'm

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Speaker 1: really excited to talk some Lakers uninterrupted with Roger Rog.

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Speaker 1: How you doing this morning, man, I'm doing well. Manitsy

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Speaker 1: nice Friday morning here in California. It's beautiful outside. I

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Speaker 1: have all my toes, like, all my toes are on

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Speaker 1: my feet, so I can't complain. Um, yeah, so I'm

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Speaker 1: doing well. I'm doing well. That's the crazy part with

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Speaker 1: these injuries that have happened to uh, Drummond and Lebron

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Speaker 1: is their their impact injuries. They're like bad luck. Someone

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Speaker 1: else physically is injuring uh them as opposed to the

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Speaker 1: stuff that kind of feels more associated with their durability,

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Speaker 1: like non contact injuries and whear and tear injuries. You're

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Speaker 1: always like associating that with how well someone takes care

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Speaker 1: of their body and their genetics and stuff. But man,

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Speaker 1: like you, you've gotta be kidding me. Literally stomp someone's

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Speaker 1: big toe off, And as someone who's played a lot

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Speaker 1: of basketball, I can't think of a single time anything

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Speaker 1: close to that has happened to me. But then again,

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Speaker 1: Brooke Loope has has to weigh brook Loop has has

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Speaker 1: to weigh three pounds are close like probably like two

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Speaker 1: seventy two eighty, So I don't encounter many humans that big.

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Speaker 1: So maybe that's just the differentiating factor there. Yeah maybe,

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Speaker 1: But I mean, like you look, look at your toe.

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Speaker 1: How difficult would it be to like get your toe off?

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Speaker 1: Like that's a super painful process that I feel like

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Speaker 1: I would know is happening right in the moment he

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Speaker 1: kept playing for like two more minutes on that. I

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Speaker 1: just don't Maybe NBA athletes are just different, they're built different,

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Speaker 1: But yeah, I would I would not be able to

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Speaker 1: walk after my tonail came off this tonel just floating

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Speaker 1: around and just like scratching. I have no idea that

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Speaker 1: that is not a level of pain that I want

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Speaker 1: any part of, any time, anytime soon. So hopefully he's okay.

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Speaker 1: Now it's ridiculous, all right, So today today we're gonna

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Speaker 1: talk about about drummonds debut, and we're just gonna talk

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Speaker 1: about what we liked, what we disliked, what we could

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Speaker 1: see that look like moving forward. We're gonna talk about

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Speaker 1: Marcus Ault and his uh current status with the team

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Speaker 1: and just the way his attitude is and and uh

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Speaker 1: and his place in the rotation, and then uh, we're

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Speaker 1: going to discuss dinner Shooter's contract negotiations. We're gonna talk

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Speaker 1: about Wes Matthews and Mark Keith Morris and how they

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Speaker 1: seemed to be coming into their role. Uh, and then

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Speaker 1: we're going to finish up with some league wide stuff

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Speaker 1: I want to talk about J J. Reddick. I talked

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Speaker 1: a little bit about it on Wednesday, but when I

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Speaker 1: get Roger's take, and then there's a couple other things

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Speaker 1: that have come out about it that I think are interesting.

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Speaker 1: But let's let's start with Drummond. So just really plain

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Speaker 1: and simple you probably went back and watched the film

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Speaker 1: a couple of times. I've I've watched it twice myself.

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Speaker 1: What did you think about Andre Drummond's debut? What did

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Speaker 1: you like? What did you dislike? Yeah, it's funny. We we

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Speaker 1: we are the state of the Lakers. So I think

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Speaker 1: part of that is knowing like the pulse of like

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Speaker 1: Lakers Twitter and what they were, what they were kind

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Speaker 1: of thinking. And it was pretty much a panic right

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Speaker 1: during the live like watching it, watching with everyone. When

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Speaker 1: you go back and watch like that first, uh said

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Speaker 1: that he had the first five minutes or seven minutes,

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Speaker 1: he was great. He was exactly what they brought him

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Speaker 1: to do. Um, he was defending, he was in a

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Speaker 1: defensive stance. He was able to um deterr you honest

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Speaker 1: from getting to the rim um he was getting. He

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Speaker 1: was making people second s. Middleton throw a layout that

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Speaker 1: went way off the backboard because Drummond was right there.

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Speaker 1: I thought he played well. Um, but but this team,

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Speaker 1: especially when he got hurt, it can really bring out

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Speaker 1: his like bad tendencies right, Like he's a guy that

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Speaker 1: really wants to attack is so he was pulling out

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Speaker 1: Kyrie dribbles for no reason. At all Kyrie package dribbles

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Speaker 1: against brook Lopez. But again, with this team that has

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Speaker 1: so low shock creation, it's just gonna bring out those

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Speaker 1: kind of plays because there's no one else, Like the

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Speaker 1: if shooter in his pick and roll doesn't work, it

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Speaker 1: just becomes a swing thrown to the post. And then like,

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Speaker 1: can you really blame Drummond for trying to score? I mean,

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Speaker 1: it's seven sexs on the shot clock. What he's gonna do?

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Speaker 1: So I thought he was fine. Um, there are parts

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Speaker 1: of his games that aren't great, but that's why he

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Speaker 1: got him on the biout market. I mean, you're not

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Speaker 1: gonna get a star player at this level. But I

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Speaker 1: thought he was fine until he broke his toe. Like

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Speaker 1: I thought he was perfectly what he was expected to be.

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Speaker 1: He had like two points, four rebounds, a steel and

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Speaker 1: a block like in like four or five minutes, which

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Speaker 1: is great. And then after that he obviously was really impacted.

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Speaker 1: So hopefully he's okay now. But that's what I saw.

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Speaker 1: What did you see, um going back and watching? Well,

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Speaker 1: first of all, you and I very clearly predicted this

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Speaker 1: on our pot on on on Monday. We said it

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Speaker 1: will be ugly to start, Uh, not necessarily a percent ugly,

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Speaker 1: but there that there would be some ugliness associated with

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Speaker 1: Drummonds debuts that that wouldn't necessarily be problems when Lebron

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Speaker 1: and a d came back just out of necessity like

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Speaker 1: they were. They were throwing down to Drummond in the

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Speaker 1: post against brook Lopez, which is just not a matchup

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Speaker 1: that they would attack in any other situation. And for

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Speaker 1: the record, he actually got decent separation a couple of times.

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Speaker 1: There was a move that he made on Janice where

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Speaker 1: he got pretty good separation where he did like a

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Speaker 1: fake dribble handoff and then attacked. And Janice is just

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Speaker 1: a freak and like I've seen you honest block shots

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Speaker 1: that no other human being would block. So that's not

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Speaker 1: on Drummond, and that's gonna work in every other matchup.

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Speaker 1: He had a play where he kind of beat brook

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Speaker 1: Lopez to the spot and drew a blocking foul, and

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Speaker 1: then he had another one where he got across the

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Speaker 1: lane and shot like a little sweeping hook, like he

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Speaker 1: can get separation on that stuff. The reason why he's not,

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Speaker 1: you know, a top tier center is he just doesn't

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Speaker 1: have any touch in those sorts of situations. That's what

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Speaker 1: affects him the most. Um. But we expected that that

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Speaker 1: kind of stuff to happen, that kind of you know,

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Speaker 1: out of out of rhythm, kind of weird offensive decision making,

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Speaker 1: just out of virtue of their lack of talent. But

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Speaker 1: you know, the biggest thing that stood out to me

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Speaker 1: as just a potential positive for the Lakers is I

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Speaker 1: think that Drummond very clearly brings what we lost with

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Speaker 1: Dwight Howard in particular. So one of the things with

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Speaker 1: White that was so was so amazing is he had

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Speaker 1: a really high defensive i Q. He had good defensive instincts,

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Speaker 1: and he had the uh, the ability to be disruptive

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Speaker 1: with his hands in the paint, you know, with the

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Speaker 1: little passes and drop off passes and everything. Uh that

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Speaker 1: everything that was loose around the pain he had an

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Speaker 1: ability to get a hand on. Uh. Now, they're totally

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Speaker 1: different mentalities, Like Dwight Howard is this like kind of

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Speaker 1: crazy hothead who picks up technicals and picks up fouls,

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Speaker 1: and whereas Drummonds like kind of the exact opposite, Like

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Speaker 1: he has a tendency to almost be too passive and

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Speaker 1: and and and like and it can disappear and they

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Speaker 1: will be Like in that opening stretch, he was really

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Speaker 1: disruptive on defense, but then he had a play where

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Speaker 1: he kind of lost your honest's body and your honestly

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Speaker 1: dumped on him with an alley oop. And on that play,

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Speaker 1: Drummond almost looked like he was completely upright, not even

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Speaker 1: in a defensive stance, and just just zero resistance. So

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Speaker 1: that's kind of the opposite version of the Dwight experience. However,

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Speaker 1: the actual skill set that disruptive hand stuff in the paint,

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Speaker 1: his size around the basket, his defensive instincts, his ability

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Speaker 1: to move his feet on a guy like Joannest who

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Speaker 1: tries to play bullyball, all of that stuff he does

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Speaker 1: really well. And to me, that's a clean fit because

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Speaker 1: that's something they straight up lost when they lost Dwight.

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Speaker 1: And and you and I I think we're the biggest

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Speaker 1: proponents in in Lake or Twitter for for keeping Dwight.

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Speaker 1: Uh And so I'm excited in the sense that I

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Speaker 1: think Drummond brings that back right and we but we

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Speaker 1: talked about it last week like we should temper expectations

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Speaker 1: before um Lebron and a d got got back. But

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Speaker 1: the Lakers did not do that. I mean, this is

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Speaker 1: a team and a fan base that you know, there's

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Speaker 1: not much positive going on, Like without Lebron a d

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Speaker 1: it's been tough. So all the quotes that came out,

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Speaker 1: you know, Drummond said, uh, you know, I've been working

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Speaker 1: out for the last three months. I'm in the best

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Speaker 1: shape of my life. And then Frank Vogel said he

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Speaker 1: had an amazing practice. He was getting steals all over

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Speaker 1: the place. You know, some people just came into that

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Speaker 1: with the expectations that Drummond was gonna come out and

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Speaker 1: get like ten steels in the first quarter or whatever.

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Speaker 1: But you're right, you could see his hands. He had

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Speaker 1: a strip on Drew Holiday that he almost got, but

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Speaker 1: I think it went to the corner for three. Um

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Speaker 1: he tried to. I think he got a strip almost

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Speaker 1: on the honest as well. So yeah, I think like

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Speaker 1: he showed what he does. And again, like I love

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Speaker 1: that first block that he got that double jump where

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Speaker 1: he jumped to a contest I think the rim and

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Speaker 1: then he also got the block on de Vincenzo. Like

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Speaker 1: that him and a d with the double jumping ability

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Speaker 1: is gonna be awesome. But yeah, I mean, I don't

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Speaker 1: think you can really judge him until uh, the two

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Speaker 1: Stars get back and he's gonna look like this. It's

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Speaker 1: gonna be tough, Um, but he's gonna eat possessions. I mean,

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Speaker 1: it's better that he gets a flip shot at the

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Speaker 1: rim than a turnover, which has been happening a lot

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Speaker 1: like there's have been really high and turnover is the

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Speaker 1: last few games. And he's a guy you can give

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Speaker 1: it to and you at least get a possession out

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Speaker 1: of it. Um, he might not score, but you know,

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Speaker 1: he might get his own rebound. He only had one

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Speaker 1: rebound like last night, which is just way off base

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Speaker 1: from who he is, right, But I think some of that,

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Speaker 1: again was how he was feeling. Um, brook Lopez is

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Speaker 1: a guy that also stays out to the three point line,

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Speaker 1: so he was guarding brook Lopez so he couldn't really

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Speaker 1: come and crash the boards as he wanted to. So

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Speaker 1: hopefully when he plays the next game he can kind

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Speaker 1: of play on a more traditional center. But yeah, I

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Speaker 1: feel like he was. He was fine. And again people

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Speaker 1: expected like a twenty point fifteen rebound game or something

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Speaker 1: that expectations that I saw. It was just it's just

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Speaker 1: not gonna happen right now. Maybe going forward against bad teams,

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Speaker 1: but Milwaukee's not the team too that's gonna let you

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Speaker 1: get to the basket or you know, get a bunch

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Speaker 1: of offensive rebounds. It'll be matching up oriented like he's

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Speaker 1: gonna have matchups where he's gonna have fifteen And you're right,

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Speaker 1: like he ended up on the ball a lot, or

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Speaker 1: he ended up like they attacked him and switches and

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Speaker 1: he'd end up in picking roll coverage against like Chris Middleton,

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Speaker 1: or he'd end up in uh isolation coverage against the

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Speaker 1: honest or you're right, like Brook Lopez and be in

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Speaker 1: the corner and he'd be sprinting out on a shooter.

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Speaker 1: So it was just a strange defensive matchup for for

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Speaker 1: his rebounding and like, you know, this is the just

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Speaker 1: the natural order of Twitter. But like there were a

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Speaker 1: lot of people making fun of that sequence where he

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Speaker 1: had that opening lob and and get lift and like

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Speaker 1: and then I saw people comparing it to like a

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Speaker 1: play where uh, Damian Damian Jones had like a dunk

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Speaker 1: and on the plate like like like Damian Jones got

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Speaker 1: had a really good set up. He had a straight

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Speaker 1: line drive. There's no bump or anything, and he really

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Speaker 1: loaded up into his jump, whereas on on the Drummond play,

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Speaker 1: you could tell his momentum was taking him away from

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Speaker 1: the basket. He didn't get foul or anything, but just

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Speaker 1: with the speed of the play and he didn't quite

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Speaker 1: get all the way turned around to where he could

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Speaker 1: load up towards the basket. So when he jumped, his

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Speaker 1: momentum was going in the wrong direction. He just and

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Speaker 1: get great lift and everyone's like, oh, look, Drummond. It's like,

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Speaker 1: I guess what Drummond is gonna be a totally viable

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Speaker 1: vertical spacing threat. It just was a bad play, and

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Speaker 1: just by virtue of the white Twitter works, It's like

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Speaker 1: I was checking in on Andre Drummond. Actually he was

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Speaker 1: awesome in his first stint. And and I mean that

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Speaker 1: that I'm not worried about the toe thing at all.

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Speaker 1: It sounds like the m r I thing is is fine.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I have you ever lost a fingernail or

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Speaker 1: a toneo before, not like the whole nail, Like I've

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Speaker 1: had a nail kind of break, but I mean I've

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Speaker 1: never lost the whole tone. And I don't even know

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Speaker 1: what that must be the most painful thing in the world.

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Speaker 1: I have no clue how that would even happen. So

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Speaker 1: now I've never lost a tone. No, So I slammed

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Speaker 1: my finger in a door, a car door when I

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Speaker 1: was a kid, and a fingernail came off, and like

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Speaker 1: the whole thing came off and and basically like it

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Speaker 1: was tender for a few days, but then it was fine.

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Speaker 1: And so my thing is like, uh like because it's

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Speaker 1: it's basically like open flesh and then like you're the

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Speaker 1: whole thing basically scabs over and then the new mail

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Speaker 1: like slowly grows across. And so my guess is, like

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Speaker 1: he might miss tonight's game, but then after that, my

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Speaker 1: guess is that they'll be able to, you know, I

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Speaker 1: don't know, put some sort of vassoline or something on

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Speaker 1: it and then tape it and then he'll be able

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Speaker 1: to play. Because it's just gonna be a pain management

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Speaker 1: kind of thing. So I think that'll be fine, which

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Speaker 1: brings us to the Marcus Alt thing, because I think

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Speaker 1: this will be uh, this has been a super interesting

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Speaker 1: uh topic, and like, you know, I think he's gonna

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Speaker 1: be great tonight. I expect him to play twenty five

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Speaker 1: to thirty minutes. And you know the biggest thing, you know,

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Speaker 1: when when they got Drummond, what did I tell you?

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Speaker 1: I said that I thought that he would be an

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Speaker 1: infusion of talent that would give them a better chance

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Speaker 1: of stealing some of these fringe games. And tonight's one

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Speaker 1: of those fringe games. And it sucks that Drummonds out.

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Speaker 1: I prefer to him be in there because then your

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Speaker 1: entire center rotation for the whole day is huge. And Sacramento,

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Speaker 1: for the record, is a smaller team and and having

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Speaker 1: those two centers gives you a better chance. But you know, Marcusol,

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Speaker 1: like is a perfectly awesome alternative option to the to

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Speaker 1: the Andre Drummond experience. Like he's different. He's not as athletic,

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Speaker 1: he's not as quick, but he's way smarter. He's a

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Speaker 1: much much better passer, and he's a much much better shooter,

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Speaker 1: and he's got a much better soft touch around the rim.

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Speaker 1: If you get him into a position where you can

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Speaker 1: catch and finish, it's going in every time. And so

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Speaker 1: I always said that Marcosol brings versatility, and as the

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Speaker 1: Lakers showed at length in last year's playoffs, they would

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Speaker 1: go with the best matchup. You know, against Denver, it

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Speaker 1: was a lot of Dwight Howard. You know, against Houston,

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Speaker 1: it was a lot of Markis Morris. They went with

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Speaker 1: the matchup that made the most sense. And so having

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Speaker 1: Marcusol on the roster is what gives you the flexibility

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Speaker 1: to go a different route when it's clearly not working

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Speaker 1: with Andre Drummond, or when it's clearly not working with

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Speaker 1: Mark Kith Morris, because they're gonna be or excuse me,

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Speaker 1: Marki Morris or Montrese Hair. There are going to be

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Speaker 1: matchups where they need to go huge and they need

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Speaker 1: the physicality of Drummond, and then there are gonna be

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Speaker 1: matchups where they need the shooting or they need the

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Speaker 1: skill in the in the versatility of a montresor Marquis.

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Speaker 1: So I I even want to I think that you know,

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Speaker 1: Marcusol might pout for a little while. You know, he's

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Speaker 1: gonna have this phase where he has his issues, but

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Speaker 1: I think you gotta keep him on board and just

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Speaker 1: keep hammering home with him that you're going to win

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Speaker 1: us a playoff game. We're going to need you at

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Speaker 1: some point. Right. I never bought into the Marcusol was

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Speaker 1: gonna buy Rumors like that was all from rival executives, right,

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Speaker 1: that was never sourced into the in the team. And

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Speaker 1: I don't even know why that even reaches Frank Bogol.

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Speaker 1: I was disappointed that, you know, Frank Bogol had to

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Speaker 1: even address that. He said, we are not buying out Marcusol. Um.

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Speaker 1: And the whole point that we were excited about Andre

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Speaker 1: Drummond was because we can get him for free. Right,

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Speaker 1: we don't have to give up anything. People acting like

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Speaker 1: we traded marcusol yesterday. It was just a really strange reaction. Um,

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Speaker 1: he's gonna be fine. He's gonna start a lot of games,

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Speaker 1: even in the playoffs. Maybe Drummond will start for now.

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Speaker 1: But you know, the guy's thirty six. I think he

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Speaker 1: understands his role right now in the league. Even when

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Speaker 1: he was playing, he was playing like when the whole

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Speaker 1: team was healthy. He was playing twenty minutes a game

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Speaker 1: sometimes because Tress was taking his minutes. I mean, it's

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Speaker 1: not like a huge shift here, and he can still

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Speaker 1: close games. Um, I don't know, Like, yeah, he's he

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Speaker 1: refused to speak to the media for like a few days,

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Speaker 1: I think, or something like that, and the whole point

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Speaker 1: is that you know, you have a team with Lebron

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Speaker 1: James on it, and h these kind of issues can

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Speaker 1: be you know, exasperated on other teams, on bad teams,

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Speaker 1: on teams without that kind of leadership. But Frank Vogel

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Speaker 1: seems to have been pretty transparent with him on his role,

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Speaker 1: right and what's going on. But yeah, like the thing

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Speaker 1: with Marcosol starting, like just looking at it from a

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Speaker 1: basketball sins like in that starting lineup, shooter is the

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Speaker 1: only guy that puts pressure on the basket. So that

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Speaker 1: was my thing. That's why I liked the drum and starting.

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Speaker 1: I thought, you know, they can steal some games that

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Speaker 1: we thought Marcosol. You know, he's a great playmaker, great passer.

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Speaker 1: I just think like right now we need people to

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Speaker 1: put pressure on the rim and he just doesn't do that.

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Speaker 1: He's popping mostly every time. And it's just really tough

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Speaker 1: to core because it's just Shrewder really the only one

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Speaker 1: that's getting any kind of dribble penetration. So that's why

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Speaker 1: I like Drummond starting for now. Um, but ye have

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Speaker 1: Marcus At. I mean, he's a professional, he understands how

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Speaker 1: this league works, and I don't think he was shocked

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Speaker 1: by any of this, So maybe he's a little upset

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Speaker 1: for now. I understand he's a pro, you know, but uh,

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Speaker 1: I think he'll be fine and he's gonna be big

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Speaker 1: in the playoffs. I don't know, Like, I don't think

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Speaker 1: Drummond starting yesterday means he's gonna start every game going forward. Now,

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Speaker 1: that's just just what they're going for now until the

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Speaker 1: Stars get back, and then we'll see what happens. Well, Like,

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Speaker 1: we have an example of this with the with the

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Speaker 1: Markief Morris situation when they pulled him and and uh

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Speaker 1: and West from the rotation early in the season, and

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Speaker 1: and then Markief goes into a press conference and goes like,

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Speaker 1: I don't understand how I could have literally been, you like,

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Speaker 1: playing in the NBA Finals in the closing group, and

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Speaker 1: then suddenly I'm out of the rotation. And you and

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Speaker 1: I both were like, well, that's not ideal. We'd prefer

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Speaker 1: he didn't say something, you know, but he wasn't playing

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Speaker 1: well at the time, and and and so at that

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Speaker 1: point in time he was viewed as outside of the rotation.

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Speaker 1: And then by playing really, really well, he has worked

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Speaker 1: his way to being arguably one of the most valuable

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Speaker 1: role players right now because he's one of the few

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Speaker 1: guys he's making shots. And so from from from that standpoint,

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Speaker 1: like you know, the people, you can't you've got to

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Speaker 1: manage people's emotions, but at the same time, you can't,

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Speaker 1: you know, make decisions based on people's emotions. I said

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Speaker 1: this last year about JaVale McGhee, like, there's a lot

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Speaker 1: of there was a lot of talk in the locker

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Speaker 1: room about this idea that like, you know, they needed

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Speaker 1: to have JaVale McGee in the starting lineup for the

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Speaker 1: sake of his like ego, you know, and I would

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Speaker 1: frequently tell you and others on my podcast, you know,

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Speaker 1: I don't understand why they're they're catering so much to

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Speaker 1: to to Javail But and they did for a while.

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Speaker 1: But then when it came when push came to shove

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Speaker 1: in the playoffs, they were like, yeah, it's time for

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Speaker 1: you to sit down. So my thing is like, you

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Speaker 1: have to understand that guys are going to react, but

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Speaker 1: as long as you're very transparent honest with them, it'll

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Speaker 1: all come back around. And that's kind of what I

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00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,240
Speaker 1: expect to happen here. Is like, you know, you look

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00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,600
Speaker 1: at Mark and you say, we're gonna need you, and

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Speaker 1: if you play great, you're gonna keep playing. So you know,

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Speaker 1: he might pout for a little while, but eventually I'll

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Speaker 1: understand you know, the predicament here, which is like, you know,

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Speaker 1: if you've been really good, because he's been playing really

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Speaker 1: well lately, and and there's there's an argument to be

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Speaker 1: made that had a D been healthy all season, that

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Speaker 1: Drummond doesn't even get signed. You know, maybe they go

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Speaker 1: for a shooter or something along those lines. Like part

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Speaker 1: of the reason why Drummond was such an obvious move

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Speaker 1: is like they are have a really thin front court

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Speaker 1: right now because of Lebron and a D being out.

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Speaker 1: So from that standpoint, like the the uh, they need

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Speaker 1: Drummond right now and in the future, the rotation is

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Speaker 1: going to sink and the guys that are gonna play

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Speaker 1: every single every single person in the road that we're

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Speaker 1: gonna talk about West Matthews here in a second, Like

402
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Speaker 1: even k c P who was arguably their third best

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00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,960
Speaker 1: player in last year's play off run, he he might

404
00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,720
Speaker 1: not play in some of these playoff matchups because he's

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Speaker 1: been so bad. So you know, you gotta think of

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Speaker 1: it like outside a shrewder Lebron and a d everyone

407
00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:13,760
Speaker 1: else is fighting for minutes the way that I see it,

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00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:16,960
Speaker 1: and k cps a starter, and he might still fall

409
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Speaker 1: out of the rotation, so are not all entirely but

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Speaker 1: he his minutes might be cut. So you know, everyone

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Speaker 1: everyone's kind of in the same boat. Like you. You

412
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Speaker 1: can't go back to the locker room and and be

413
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Speaker 1: all pissy about the fact that you're minutes have been

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Speaker 1: cut when every single player in there outside of the

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00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,680
Speaker 1: core three is technically under the same steaks. So I

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Speaker 1: think he'll I think it'll end up being fine, But

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Speaker 1: I just I hope, I hope you and I don't.

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Speaker 1: I don't think, you know. Frank straight up came out

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Speaker 1: and said we have no plans to buy out Marcusol

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Speaker 1: And then he also said before that game against Milwaukee,

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Speaker 1: he said, uh, with the way that the this all

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Speaker 1: is shaping up with the UH, with the matchup against Milwaukee,

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Speaker 1: we're expecting not to play Mark tonight, but we still

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Speaker 1: think that in our bench lineups that we can play

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00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,280
Speaker 1: Mark and Treads together. He said that. So then so

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Speaker 1: then the game comes and he doesn't play and you

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00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:14,920
Speaker 1: know a lot of lak er Twitter starts freaking out,

428
00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,160
Speaker 1: like I can't believe Marcusol is not playing until crunch

429
00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,840
Speaker 1: time or until garbage time. And it's like Frank literally

430
00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,880
Speaker 1: told us, and he told us earlier this season. Hey,

431
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:25,959
Speaker 1: by the way, I'm not playing West and I'm not

432
00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,360
Speaker 1: playing Mark Keith tonight, Like this is super super transparent

433
00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:35,240
Speaker 1: coaching staff and uh AN organization and so like I

434
00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:37,679
Speaker 1: trust that you know they can at least figure it out.

435
00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:39,600
Speaker 1: We're gonna talking about this more with JJ Reddick later.

436
00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,560
Speaker 1: Like guys are way better at dealing with bad news

437
00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,800
Speaker 1: when it's honest and for three then they are when

438
00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,760
Speaker 1: they get blindsided, Like that's the key difference here, and

439
00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,000
Speaker 1: and the Lakers handle that well. So I I'm not

440
00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,119
Speaker 1: too worried about Mark, right, And you brought up the

441
00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:00,000
Speaker 1: Mark and Treads kind of line ups at Frankfurt lots

442
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,520
Speaker 1: talked about those two have not played a minute together

443
00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,320
Speaker 1: this season before that Bucks game. I think they played.

444
00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,000
Speaker 1: I'm gonna play a little bit against the Bucks, but

445
00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:08,919
Speaker 1: they have not played a minute together before that, So

446
00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:10,960
Speaker 1: that's one thing I want to see. And again, Mark's

447
00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,119
Speaker 1: gonna get his minutes. I mean he's I mean, he's

448
00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,000
Speaker 1: at the stage of his career. I don't think starting

449
00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,760
Speaker 1: is Maybe it's a huge deal still to him, but like,

450
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:19,879
Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't feel like starting should be

451
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,760
Speaker 1: that big of a point here that should be, you know,

452
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:24,600
Speaker 1: I don't think he'd be that upset about that for

453
00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,000
Speaker 1: right now. So Drummond's gonna start for now. But again,

454
00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:28,800
Speaker 1: all these matchup dependent. We just saw it in the

455
00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,920
Speaker 1: last playoffs. Frank Bogo has no problem benching someone who's

456
00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,680
Speaker 1: not gonna play. You talked about KCP. I mean all

457
00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,960
Speaker 1: those players are pretty much a revolving door right around

458
00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,240
Speaker 1: Lebron in a d Whoever is playing well, it's gonna start.

459
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:42,399
Speaker 1: West could start. I think West started the season if

460
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,320
Speaker 1: I remember correctly, but he couldn't hit a shot, so

461
00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,080
Speaker 1: he got moved to the bench. M Markief got moved

462
00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,240
Speaker 1: to the bench because th HD was playing so well. Right,

463
00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,359
Speaker 1: they need to find minutes for THHD, and they just

464
00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:53,960
Speaker 1: the minutes that got cut where West and Markief. So

465
00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:55,959
Speaker 1: that's how it's gonna go. Whoever is playing well, it's

466
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,320
Speaker 1: gonna play. Um, we're in the place right now where

467
00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,560
Speaker 1: like wins are just whatever. When you can get you

468
00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,080
Speaker 1: get um. So whoever's playing well is going to play,

469
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,399
Speaker 1: whether it's Mark, whether it's Drummond, whether it's Harold, that's killing.

470
00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,400
Speaker 1: I mean that that's how it's going to go. And

471
00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,800
Speaker 1: I think Mark is going to be fine. He's a professional.

472
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:13,920
Speaker 1: He understands. He's been the league eighteen like fifteen years

473
00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,199
Speaker 1: or something like that, so he understands the game, and

474
00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:21,760
Speaker 1: he'll be He'll be fine. Yeah. So the Marcusol, Mantrese

475
00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:23,920
Speaker 1: Harold lineups are going to be interesting. So the way

476
00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,360
Speaker 1: that the way that Frank framed it, as he said,

477
00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,280
Speaker 1: if I remember correctly, you correct me if I'm reversing this,

478
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:33,640
Speaker 1: but he basically said, we'll put uh Marcussol at the

479
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,160
Speaker 1: at the five on defense and Montres at the four

480
00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,720
Speaker 1: on defense, and then on offense, will run Marcusol as

481
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,320
Speaker 1: the four and Montres at the five. Now that works,

482
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,320
Speaker 1: and I actually like that idea mainly because we have

483
00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,919
Speaker 1: all the ways agreed that Montrez is better defensively almost

484
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,879
Speaker 1: as a wing um, flying around using his length, using

485
00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,720
Speaker 1: his motor, using uh putting him in space as opposed

486
00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,439
Speaker 1: to put him around the basket. And Marcusol is actually

487
00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:06,080
Speaker 1: a great drop coverage center because he's just like really

488
00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:09,920
Speaker 1: good at positioning his body between the the offensive player

489
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,480
Speaker 1: in the rim, not fouling. You know, he's not as

490
00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:14,960
Speaker 1: vertically athletic, he's not a great shot blocker, but he's

491
00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,480
Speaker 1: so just savvy around the basket as a defensive player.

492
00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,320
Speaker 1: And and we saw him do a great job with

493
00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:22,159
Speaker 1: that against Ben Simmons, and we saw him again in

494
00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,000
Speaker 1: that in that fourth quarter doing a good job against

495
00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:28,560
Speaker 1: the Bucks and sou From that same point, that lineup

496
00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:30,800
Speaker 1: I actually think can work. And the only reason it

497
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:34,200
Speaker 1: hasn't played is because of the fact that they were

498
00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:38,480
Speaker 1: kind of playing Montrese and and Mark as the two fives.

499
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:40,320
Speaker 1: But I but I do, I do think it would

500
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:41,919
Speaker 1: work because you know they always talk about with these

501
00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:43,680
Speaker 1: line ups it's just about who you can guard. And

502
00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,280
Speaker 1: we know Marcusol can play defensively as the five, and

503
00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,440
Speaker 1: I would argue that Montress every bit as mobile and

504
00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:54,200
Speaker 1: good on the perimeter as as a Marquis for instance.

505
00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:58,400
Speaker 1: And so I absolutely think that that that it can work. Um,

506
00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:00,680
Speaker 1: and so it'll be interest thing to say. And then

507
00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:05,479
Speaker 1: offensively on the other end, uh, you have Montraz who

508
00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:09,720
Speaker 1: has been absolutely amazing offensively in the last you know

509
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,840
Speaker 1: month or so, I think he's averaging over twenty points

510
00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,399
Speaker 1: a game, shooting like sixties six percent from the field.

511
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,800
Speaker 1: He's piling in in mismatches in the post, he's got

512
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:20,560
Speaker 1: it all going. He made some mid rain shots the

513
00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,000
Speaker 1: other night. He's still got that little floater thing going.

514
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,119
Speaker 1: And then uh, and then marcusol is starting to be

515
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,240
Speaker 1: really aggressive from the three point line out on top

516
00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:30,560
Speaker 1: of the key. Missed a couple of shots there in

517
00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:32,800
Speaker 1: the fourth quarter, but like he's every bit as good

518
00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,600
Speaker 1: as Shooter out there as any of the guards are. Uh,

519
00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:39,360
Speaker 1: and so like it all makes sense to me that

520
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:41,720
Speaker 1: Marcus l still has a role here. And then when

521
00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,360
Speaker 1: Anthony Davis comes back, everyone in the rotation gets squeezed

522
00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:50,200
Speaker 1: because eighties playing thirty six minutes. Now, Lebron's playing forty minutes. Now,

523
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,520
Speaker 1: Shooter is gonna play thirty five minutes or whatever. And

524
00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:55,959
Speaker 1: in the playoffs, it's gonna be we got you know,

525
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,400
Speaker 1: these you know, five or six big roles to fill,

526
00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,439
Speaker 1: and it's gonna be based on who's going. Um, and

527
00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,119
Speaker 1: I think this is a good opportunity to transition into

528
00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,960
Speaker 1: West because you know you and I talked at length

529
00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,800
Speaker 1: earlier this year when West was struggling about how we

530
00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,440
Speaker 1: thought West would probably end up being one of their

531
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,480
Speaker 1: most dependable playoff guards, and it was based on the

532
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,760
Speaker 1: fact that his role, what he's good at, makes the

533
00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,680
Speaker 1: most sense when Lebron, Lebron and a d are playing

534
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:27,600
Speaker 1: really well, because they do attract so much attention to

535
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:29,880
Speaker 1: do put so much pressure on the rim, and West

536
00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,280
Speaker 1: Matthews can knock down the open shot, and he can

537
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,239
Speaker 1: defend these bigger wings and things along those lines. And

538
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,680
Speaker 1: so ironically, and this is something I did not expect.

539
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,440
Speaker 1: He actually appears to have kind of got it going. Uh,

540
00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,520
Speaker 1: in a situation where it'd be really hard for him

541
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,800
Speaker 1: to get it going. What do you think is going

542
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:48,800
Speaker 1: on with him that's caused him to start to start

543
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,320
Speaker 1: playing better. He just looks in a rhythm now, Like

544
00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,160
Speaker 1: his shot looks good. Um, he's getting open looks, he's

545
00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,240
Speaker 1: coming off us, he's coming off pinned downs. Um, he's

546
00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,400
Speaker 1: curling like he just he just looks in a rhythm.

547
00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:01,000
Speaker 1: And I always say like he was a better he's

548
00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:03,719
Speaker 1: a better movement shooter. He's our best like movement shooter

549
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:05,760
Speaker 1: that we have on the team. Um, that's the difference

550
00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:07,639
Speaker 1: between him and like Danny Green. To me, like he

551
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:09,800
Speaker 1: can come off curl and get right into a shot

552
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,600
Speaker 1: and it looks it looks really good. In his defense

553
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:14,240
Speaker 1: has been consistent throughout the year. Um, he can't guard

554
00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,560
Speaker 1: like the super big wings, right, but he's done a

555
00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:18,520
Speaker 1: good job. Like last down on Milton, he did, he

556
00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:20,720
Speaker 1: did a really nice job. He had some switches on

557
00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:22,920
Speaker 1: the honest that he played well. And again, West is

558
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,600
Speaker 1: a professional. He's been the league for a bunch of years,

559
00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,159
Speaker 1: and he's well. I think he's like the leader and

560
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,600
Speaker 1: three point three pointers made for an undrafted player or

561
00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:32,359
Speaker 1: something like that, and a guy like that is just

562
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,680
Speaker 1: not going to forget how to shoot. So um, yeah,

563
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:36,280
Speaker 1: he he looks a lot better and he's our best

564
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,240
Speaker 1: shooter right now. He's shooting thirty from three on almost

565
00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,840
Speaker 1: five attempts the last five games. Um, I think the

566
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,800
Speaker 1: Lakers only one like two of those. But you know,

567
00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:46,480
Speaker 1: he's he's playing well and uh man a KCP is

568
00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:48,720
Speaker 1: really struggling. So it's it's nice to have at least

569
00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:52,280
Speaker 1: one shooter going because our margin forever is just so low.

570
00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:54,280
Speaker 1: If we can't hit open shots, is gonna be tough,

571
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,400
Speaker 1: so he's the only guy really hitting them right now.

572
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,919
Speaker 1: And uh, it's nice to see he's even tacking the

573
00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:02,040
Speaker 1: basket a little bit, trying to create off the dribble um.

574
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,159
Speaker 1: But yeah, Kevin, a guy that can make shots right

575
00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,640
Speaker 1: now is what we need, and whoever's making shots has

576
00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,080
Speaker 1: to play. And he's played well. He's gonna be big

577
00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,720
Speaker 1: in the playoffs as well, especially matchup dependent. He can

578
00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,479
Speaker 1: guard those wings and trace him off screens. He's all.

579
00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:16,760
Speaker 1: He's a lot quicker than some guards that we have,

580
00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,040
Speaker 1: and he's a little bit both here as well, can

581
00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:22,080
Speaker 1: stay in front. So he's been playing well, and I'm

582
00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:24,359
Speaker 1: really happy for him that he's he's gotten out that

583
00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,000
Speaker 1: stretch because he looked like he was really frustrated because

584
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:30,320
Speaker 1: he was missing wide open shots, especially passes from Lebron.

585
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,359
Speaker 1: They'd be wide open in the corner and he'd be

586
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,920
Speaker 1: he'd be clanking them. So yeah, I'm happy for him.

587
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:37,440
Speaker 1: I'm happy he's he got his shot going, and uh,

588
00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,600
Speaker 1: it's can't come at a better time because the Lakers

589
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:43,080
Speaker 1: needed right now. He was one of dozens and dozens

590
00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,080
Speaker 1: of players around the league who really struggled with getting

591
00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:47,919
Speaker 1: his legs underneath him at the start of the season.

592
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,000
Speaker 1: And so you know, especially as like one of the

593
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:53,360
Speaker 1: older guys around the league. Uh, and you know, he's

594
00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,359
Speaker 1: not as old as some of the oldest guys in

595
00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,160
Speaker 1: the league, but when you actually factor in the injuries

596
00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,080
Speaker 1: that he suffered in his career, like he he is

597
00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:01,880
Speaker 1: an older guy, and and so it kind of makes

598
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,120
Speaker 1: the most sense and that that he would peek later

599
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,760
Speaker 1: in the year. And I agree. Like the interesting part

600
00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,640
Speaker 1: about him getting it going is I talked about how

601
00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:13,880
Speaker 1: I thought him and most of the shooters would get

602
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,200
Speaker 1: going as Lebron and a d came back because their

603
00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,439
Speaker 1: shot quality would massively improve, and then just by virtue

604
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,359
Speaker 1: of getting constant great looks, they would they would get

605
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,359
Speaker 1: their rhythm going. And uh, ironically, it appears to be

606
00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,480
Speaker 1: that even in this crappy situation, offensively, he's got a

607
00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:31,520
Speaker 1: going because he's got his legs back and already looks

608
00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:35,120
Speaker 1: great off the move. He's he's uh, their best off

609
00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:38,280
Speaker 1: the move shooter in large part, in my opinion, because

610
00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,440
Speaker 1: he's so strong in his lower body and his ability

611
00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:43,640
Speaker 1: to get a strong base because off the move shooting

612
00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,160
Speaker 1: is all about your legs. It's it's every bit as

613
00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,160
Speaker 1: athletic a move as a dunk, because what you're doing

614
00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,680
Speaker 1: is you're trying to regain balance when your momentum is

615
00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,440
Speaker 1: carrying yourself away from the basket. It's all about leg strength,

616
00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:58,120
Speaker 1: and so he's naturally good at that sort of thing,

617
00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:00,560
Speaker 1: you know. Defensively, at the beginning ing of the year,

618
00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:05,280
Speaker 1: he was so bad against quick guards, and I just,

619
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:07,560
Speaker 1: you know, was clinging to the fact that I loved

620
00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,720
Speaker 1: him for specific matchups, like he's just a great guy

621
00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:14,280
Speaker 1: to throw out of Chris Middleton or Kauai or Paul George,

622
00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:20,000
Speaker 1: any bigger wing score who doesn't necessarily use like lightning

623
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,600
Speaker 1: athleticism to get by you, but rather uses shiftiness in

624
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:27,040
Speaker 1: size and strength to get an advantage against you. West

625
00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,480
Speaker 1: is like such a weapon to throw against that type

626
00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:32,400
Speaker 1: of guy. He used to do amazing work against Lebron

627
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,720
Speaker 1: and against Kauai in previous seasons, and I was most

628
00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:38,760
Speaker 1: excited about that. But the truth is that he's very,

629
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:41,480
Speaker 1: very laterally quick, and he should be able to guard

630
00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,360
Speaker 1: the quicker guards at least as well as any of

631
00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,360
Speaker 1: the other defensive guards in the league. He just didn't

632
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:48,800
Speaker 1: have his legs underneath him and to see that all

633
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,000
Speaker 1: kind of coming together now, and with Drummond and his

634
00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,200
Speaker 1: ability to put pressure on the rim, although he's not

635
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,280
Speaker 1: gonna be playing tonight, I don't think. Um, but when

636
00:29:57,360 --> 00:29:59,800
Speaker 1: when Anthony Davis comes back, which I think we're I

637
00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:01,800
Speaker 1: think he's probably gonna come back next week. I mean,

638
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:03,960
Speaker 1: according to what Sham's had said at the trade deadline,

639
00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:07,680
Speaker 1: like theoretically late next week. Maybe. I don't know. Um,

640
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,640
Speaker 1: but with a d coming, all that shot quality stuff

641
00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,080
Speaker 1: is just gonna keep going up and up, and I

642
00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,640
Speaker 1: think all these all these guys are gonna get going.

643
00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:19,880
Speaker 1: And you know, it's interesting. This is the advantage of

644
00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,480
Speaker 1: depth because when you've got you know, because the Lakers.

645
00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:26,080
Speaker 1: We were talking about this in my Wednesday podcast when

646
00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:28,800
Speaker 1: one of the people in the comments asked like, hey,

647
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,200
Speaker 1: you know what buyout guys should the Lakers go to?

648
00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:33,320
Speaker 1: And of course, if an auto border comes up, you

649
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:38,240
Speaker 1: snatch him. If you know who's the flamethrower Blake in

650
00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,760
Speaker 1: his name, yeah, the flamethrower shooter. If he comes up, yeah,

651
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,280
Speaker 1: of course you take it. But look at the Lakers rotation.

652
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:48,160
Speaker 1: They got five guards, like good rotation guards, you know,

653
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,760
Speaker 1: th ht Crusoe, Wes Matthews, h k CP and Dennis

654
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,560
Speaker 1: and then they've got two really good wings and Kuzman

655
00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,640
Speaker 1: Labron Uh and then in the front court they've got

656
00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:03,200
Speaker 1: you know, Markie Morris, mon Tres marcusol uh Um and

657
00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:06,560
Speaker 1: Uh Andre Drummond. So they're deep. So the truth of

658
00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:10,280
Speaker 1: the matter is is like like it's impossible for all

659
00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:13,120
Speaker 1: of them to be cold forever, and so somebody was

660
00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:17,240
Speaker 1: going to get it going, and here come Mark Keith

661
00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:22,000
Speaker 1: and Wes Matthews. Just by virtue of of of like

662
00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,680
Speaker 1: banging your head against the wall, somebody started making shots.

663
00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,040
Speaker 1: And it's been the two of them, and I think

664
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,000
Speaker 1: that you know, it's it's we always talk about how

665
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,440
Speaker 1: it's a waterfall effect, like the two of them making

666
00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,440
Speaker 1: shots is going to open things up for uh, for

667
00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:37,120
Speaker 1: Dennis shooter and for Andre Drummond around the basket, which

668
00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,360
Speaker 1: is going to continue to increase the shot quality for

669
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:42,560
Speaker 1: the other shooters. And then everybody's gonna start getting it going.

670
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,480
Speaker 1: And so I'm super super excited about that. Are you

671
00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:52,680
Speaker 1: Are you yet concerned about KCP because I'm getting close. Yeah, Like, okay,

672
00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,160
Speaker 1: I'm gonna tie this back to West because West talked

673
00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:57,400
Speaker 1: about a lot we forget that. West started last year

674
00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,680
Speaker 1: on a Bucks team that was rolling through the league.

675
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:01,720
Speaker 1: He was out, he was playing like twenty thirty minutes

676
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:03,920
Speaker 1: a game, getting a bunch of shots up. He came

677
00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:05,840
Speaker 1: to the Lakers and what he started to come out

678
00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:07,920
Speaker 1: of the bench. He was taking like two threes a game,

679
00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:09,040
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. He was just there's just

680
00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:10,760
Speaker 1: no way for him to get in rhythm. I think

681
00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,320
Speaker 1: he's talked about this, like he's used to touching the ball,

682
00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,400
Speaker 1: you know, going through, having the ball in his hands,

683
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:17,640
Speaker 1: kind of feeling for the game, and um, just sitting

684
00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:19,920
Speaker 1: there and spotting up. I think it was tough for him.

685
00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,200
Speaker 1: I feel this way the way with KCP because I'm

686
00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,080
Speaker 1: watching him and he's passing up shots. Now. He's driving

687
00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:27,760
Speaker 1: very recklessly. He gets to the basket with no intention

688
00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:30,760
Speaker 1: of scoring or doing anything. He got blocked twice last

689
00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:33,160
Speaker 1: night in an absolute terrible fashion. He just threw up

690
00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,840
Speaker 1: some layups that you know had no chance or anything. Um,

691
00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:37,440
Speaker 1: but he's got to get his shots up like this.

692
00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:39,360
Speaker 1: He's not going to get his shot back by just

693
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,760
Speaker 1: passing up taking these taking two threes a game, three

694
00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,120
Speaker 1: threes a game, It's just not gonna work and his jumper,

695
00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:47,520
Speaker 1: he has no confidence right now his jump shot. Um,

696
00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:49,440
Speaker 1: I don't know if a week off would help him, Like,

697
00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:52,120
Speaker 1: I really don't know. Again, his benefit of the doubt

698
00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:54,680
Speaker 1: was very long, Like it's still pretty long. You win

699
00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:56,680
Speaker 1: a title and you you get that long benef of

700
00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:59,040
Speaker 1: the doubt. It's starting to run up a little bit though. Um,

701
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,440
Speaker 1: the Lakers need him to uh, like you just need

702
00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,160
Speaker 1: him to play, man. This is this is the time.

703
00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,200
Speaker 1: This is where you earn your money. You got the contract, Like,

704
00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,959
Speaker 1: this is time you like like we're not asking you

705
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:09,720
Speaker 1: to you know, run pick and roll and not asking

706
00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,479
Speaker 1: you to playmate. Just hit open shots, Um, hit your

707
00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,800
Speaker 1: mid range jumper. He just I don't know. I think

708
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:17,960
Speaker 1: I think he'll be fine again when the playoffs start.

709
00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,520
Speaker 1: But it's been almost a full season long of just

710
00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,120
Speaker 1: a real struggle. He had a really hot start. Um,

711
00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:25,520
Speaker 1: he played well ins Philly, and then from there it's

712
00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,680
Speaker 1: just really tough. Maybe the shock creation is the problem.

713
00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:31,200
Speaker 1: No one else really puts pressure on the rim for him,

714
00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,600
Speaker 1: so he's not getting the looks the same. We all

715
00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:35,800
Speaker 1: we talked about it. Every open shots not the same.

716
00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,840
Speaker 1: But my issue is his defense has really fallen off

717
00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,120
Speaker 1: as well. It's not where it used to be. Um,

718
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,600
Speaker 1: he's getting beat a lot more. He gets lost. Um.

719
00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:45,760
Speaker 1: I think that Andre Drummond lab play you you talked

720
00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,280
Speaker 1: about it. I think that was a backscreen on KCP

721
00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:50,000
Speaker 1: or Drummond or something like that which got him to

722
00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:51,640
Speaker 1: lob There's just a lot of plays like that that's

723
00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,920
Speaker 1: been happening. So it's like his engagement level isn't where

724
00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,760
Speaker 1: it used to be. Like he's really disengaged from the

725
00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,680
Speaker 1: game for long stretches, way longer than it's been. Again,

726
00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:02,680
Speaker 1: this may be a mental thing that you know, because

727
00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:04,440
Speaker 1: of the bubble. I look at It's funny you look

728
00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,360
Speaker 1: at the Miami Heat are five hundred there, twenty five

729
00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:10,600
Speaker 1: and twenty four against same they went to the finals

730
00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:13,360
Speaker 1: like the Lakers did their five hundred. Yet they're comfortably

731
00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:15,000
Speaker 1: in the four. They're gonna be comfortably in the four

732
00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:17,920
Speaker 1: seed pretty soon, like they have eight more losses in

733
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:19,520
Speaker 1: the Lakers. So I just look at that and that

734
00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:23,080
Speaker 1: that might be a factor still for KCP, But I

735
00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:24,839
Speaker 1: don't know. It's time for him to start playing well,

736
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:28,480
Speaker 1: hopefully against like more bad teams like the Kings tonight

737
00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:31,320
Speaker 1: in Toronto, coming up. He can kind of get a rhythm.

738
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:33,440
Speaker 1: But I think this is all in his head. Like

739
00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:36,600
Speaker 1: most things, when he's confident, he looks like Clay Thompson,

740
00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,560
Speaker 1: and when he's not, he looks like whatever. This version

741
00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:41,680
Speaker 1: is so hopefully hofully he picks it up. But I

742
00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:43,600
Speaker 1: think you'll be fine. But right now it's a it's

743
00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:47,000
Speaker 1: a big time struggle. Well, you just made a great

744
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,239
Speaker 1: point the Latin You and I have talked about this

745
00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:52,080
Speaker 1: several times on the podcast, Like the last four teams

746
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,000
Speaker 1: in the league have all struggle. The Miami Heat have

747
00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:57,200
Speaker 1: basically been a five hunder basketball team. The Box and

748
00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:02,240
Speaker 1: Celtics have been like catastrophic below options. And I predicted

749
00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:04,319
Speaker 1: that I predicted the Celtics would get off to a

750
00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,480
Speaker 1: slow start because I really thought their lack of playmaking

751
00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:08,600
Speaker 1: would be a problem, just because Tatum and Brown, as

752
00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,479
Speaker 1: talented as they are, they're just not developed as playmakers yet.

753
00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:15,640
Speaker 1: And I and Dave and like I said, catastrophically below expectations,

754
00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,399
Speaker 1: and the Nuggets are basically just now getting it going.

755
00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:20,520
Speaker 1: The Nuggets and Lakers are basically right next to each

756
00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:22,799
Speaker 1: other in the standings, in the middle of the pack,

757
00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,359
Speaker 1: so they've both been bad for them. It hasn't been

758
00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:29,520
Speaker 1: health related, it was more just, uh, Jamal Murray really

759
00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:31,839
Speaker 1: took a while to get going, although now he's having

760
00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,000
Speaker 1: like a career season, so it's it's kind of funny

761
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,879
Speaker 1: how that all worked out. But anyway, like the thing

762
00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,400
Speaker 1: with KCP that I think everyone has to remember is

763
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,560
Speaker 1: what it looks like when it's good, and then remember

764
00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:46,680
Speaker 1: and try to understand why it's been hard for him

765
00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:50,200
Speaker 1: to do that this season. So for instance, like when

766
00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:53,439
Speaker 1: you watch a good KCP game, what do you usually see?

767
00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,719
Speaker 1: He usually gets out, he gets going in transition. That's

768
00:35:56,719 --> 00:36:00,520
Speaker 1: where he gets his game going. He gets these because

769
00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,120
Speaker 1: he's got such great speed and he's got such great

770
00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:06,120
Speaker 1: single leg bounce, Like that's his advance, Like his athletic

771
00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,400
Speaker 1: strength strength is single leg bounce, which is the best

772
00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:11,560
Speaker 1: bounce to have in transition because it allows you to

773
00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,279
Speaker 1: extend and actually it's like it allows you to to

774
00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:17,800
Speaker 1: stop from slowing your body down before going to the basket.

775
00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:20,440
Speaker 1: And so what will happen is is like every single

776
00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:24,120
Speaker 1: game he'll lock up on defense and run out and

777
00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:27,759
Speaker 1: Lebron will hit him in transition to three times he'll

778
00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:30,000
Speaker 1: get some and ones or some dunks, and that kind

779
00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:32,400
Speaker 1: of feeds into his confidence, and then the rest of

780
00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:36,319
Speaker 1: his offensive game is built around attacking closeouts and and

781
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,920
Speaker 1: just by virtue of like you know, Marcosol playing limited

782
00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,200
Speaker 1: minutes and being out with COVID for a while, and

783
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:45,120
Speaker 1: then Lebron being out, he's been playing without that that

784
00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,560
Speaker 1: outlet passer, that guy who can get him the ball

785
00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,600
Speaker 1: in transition, because those transition openings are open open for

786
00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,160
Speaker 1: a split second before the defense gets back, and you

787
00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:56,719
Speaker 1: need someone like Lebron or Marcusol who can grab the

788
00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:00,239
Speaker 1: rebound but already knows what's happening down the floor and

789
00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:02,920
Speaker 1: it can hit KCP and stride so that he can

790
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,719
Speaker 1: get that going. And then it's all just part of

791
00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:08,719
Speaker 1: his waterfall effect of his rhythm. He builds all of

792
00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:11,640
Speaker 1: that together into this finished package, which is him being

793
00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:14,600
Speaker 1: a great defensive player who can hurt you in transition,

794
00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:16,120
Speaker 1: and then he can hurt you in transition as a

795
00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:18,600
Speaker 1: shooter too. There's one of the biggest plays of the

796
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:22,359
Speaker 1: Finals last year was in Game four when the when

797
00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,640
Speaker 1: the Lakers won, and he had a play where where

798
00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:27,920
Speaker 1: Lebron drove in transition to hit him in the corner

799
00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,080
Speaker 1: he had sprinted the floor and got to the corner.

800
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,160
Speaker 1: That's all part of his game that's kind of going

801
00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:37,239
Speaker 1: untapped right now. And so and hopefully Marcusol playing a

802
00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:40,760
Speaker 1: bigger role tonight, we'll help him get get that going again.

803
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:44,439
Speaker 1: But I I'm with you, he deserves the longest bit

804
00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,480
Speaker 1: of leash. And uh, I kind of think of it

805
00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:50,360
Speaker 1: the same way I think about with Lebron. Like with Lebron,

806
00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:53,960
Speaker 1: this is like he deserves all of the the the

807
00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:58,200
Speaker 1: positive outlook in the world because of his history of

808
00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:01,880
Speaker 1: taking such good care of his body. But it's important,

809
00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:04,680
Speaker 1: it's important to point out like this is the first

810
00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:10,200
Speaker 1: like impact physical injury he suffered in his later life

811
00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:14,240
Speaker 1: lower leg late in the season. There's something weird about

812
00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:18,319
Speaker 1: this with KCP as long as his leashes. This is

813
00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:22,239
Speaker 1: the worst he's been for an extended stretch. And so

814
00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:26,200
Speaker 1: I think it's okay to acknowledge like this doesn't look great,

815
00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:29,120
Speaker 1: but I think we I think he'll still be fine.

816
00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:32,319
Speaker 1: You know, it's not like he's going anywhere. It's not

817
00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:34,640
Speaker 1: like the Lakers have to worry about trading him anymore.

818
00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,520
Speaker 1: It's it's just a question of him getting it going.

819
00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:40,399
Speaker 1: So like in the beginning of the party, you talked

820
00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,040
Speaker 1: about how you were excited about Drumming because he kind

821
00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:45,680
Speaker 1: of gives with Dwight missed right what we lost with

822
00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:48,959
Speaker 1: Dwight last year k c P and Dwight. Because Ksey

823
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:51,400
Speaker 1: came off the bench last year. People for Gabe Bradley

824
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:53,680
Speaker 1: has actually started. So him and Dwight used to have

825
00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,319
Speaker 1: this play where they would run this double drag handoff right,

826
00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:58,400
Speaker 1: so Casey would come off two screens. He was starting

827
00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:00,720
Speaker 1: the corner, and then Dwight would roll ole, so Casey

828
00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:03,840
Speaker 1: we would basically have three choices. He particularly attacked the basket,

829
00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:06,799
Speaker 1: take his mid range, pull up fine Dwight, or kick

830
00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:09,439
Speaker 1: it into the corner. That's what I was excited about

831
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:11,759
Speaker 1: Drumming coming because he gives him another role threat to

832
00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:14,799
Speaker 1: kind of play with. Um. He seems very just designated

833
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:17,919
Speaker 1: into spot up shooting. Lakers aren't defending as well right now.

834
00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:19,719
Speaker 1: They are defending well, but they aren't getting into a

835
00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:22,400
Speaker 1: transition as well as much, and he's not spreading the

836
00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:24,200
Speaker 1: way he used to. So I'd like to see them

837
00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:26,200
Speaker 1: kind of go back to that run some actions for him,

838
00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:28,920
Speaker 1: run some handoffs um, just to get him going, get

839
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:32,360
Speaker 1: him feeling the basketball. It's he just he's just waiting

840
00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:33,640
Speaker 1: for the ball to come to him and he's just

841
00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:35,799
Speaker 1: getting into no rhythm. So I would hope maybe they'll

842
00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:37,960
Speaker 1: run a few more sets for him to get going. Um.

843
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,839
Speaker 1: But but again, yeah, his benefit the doab is pretty long. Um,

844
00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:43,680
Speaker 1: it's not Lebron level. He's not He's not Lebron James.

845
00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:46,480
Speaker 1: So we can't just expect him to turn on some

846
00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:49,360
Speaker 1: players they have a good postseason, that's pretty much what happens.

847
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:52,120
Speaker 1: So we'll hopefully he plays well. But yeah, his role

848
00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:53,840
Speaker 1: kind of he's one of the he's the player that

849
00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:56,400
Speaker 1: probably misses the two stars the most. Um, he's the

850
00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:59,319
Speaker 1: guy that plays off them the most. So again, he's

851
00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:01,120
Speaker 1: not a movement shooter. He's a guy that likes the

852
00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,160
Speaker 1: spot up. He can sprint to a spot, but he's

853
00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:06,399
Speaker 1: not like a curl and uh, you know gets set

854
00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:09,200
Speaker 1: through that way. So hopefully he plays better. And again

855
00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:11,480
Speaker 1: we talked about We're going to talk about Markueffe as well. Right,

856
00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:13,759
Speaker 1: Markeefe has played really well. Again, he's a guy to

857
00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,160
Speaker 1: me that's in a rhythm. He's getting touches, he's getting

858
00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:17,960
Speaker 1: a lot of post touches. He's getting a lot of

859
00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:22,359
Speaker 1: isolations right, and he's able to feel the ball kind

860
00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:25,160
Speaker 1: of you know, get his get his mid range pull

861
00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:27,440
Speaker 1: up in and that kind of uh works to his

862
00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:29,360
Speaker 1: three pointer that's starting to go in. He's starting to

863
00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:31,880
Speaker 1: hit his corner threes. And again it's all because to me,

864
00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:33,839
Speaker 1: he's a rhythm guy who likes to have the ball

865
00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,680
Speaker 1: kind of feel the defender, fade away jumper. Um can

866
00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:39,719
Speaker 1: score that way. So again, both of those guys I

867
00:40:39,719 --> 00:40:41,200
Speaker 1: feel like are playing well and I don't think it's

868
00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:43,560
Speaker 1: an accident because they're getting more shots, they're able to

869
00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:45,600
Speaker 1: get in a rhythm into games, and they're starting to

870
00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:47,279
Speaker 1: hit their jumpers. So both of them have been a

871
00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:50,759
Speaker 1: positive surprise and I hope Case gets it going gets

872
00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:55,520
Speaker 1: going here. Markis Morris is the most interesting like rotation

873
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:59,399
Speaker 1: conundrum that they have because you know, he was really

874
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:01,960
Speaker 1: good in the season last year because he was flat

875
00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:04,359
Speaker 1: out a knockdown shooter. And for the record, he's been

876
00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:08,040
Speaker 1: a knockdown shooter for the last month or so this season,

877
00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:10,080
Speaker 1: and he was a knockdown shooter in the playoffs, and

878
00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:13,160
Speaker 1: so you know, the question becomes, you know, and again

879
00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:14,279
Speaker 1: it goes back to what we were talking about with

880
00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:16,319
Speaker 1: Marcus Ool. It's about versatility. I think Mark I think

881
00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:18,960
Speaker 1: Mark Keith Morris is going to get run even with

882
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:21,960
Speaker 1: as crazy deep as the front court is, I think

883
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,080
Speaker 1: Mark Kief Morris is going to get run. Like in

884
00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:26,480
Speaker 1: games where Kuzma is a little sloppy, I think they'll

885
00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:29,000
Speaker 1: go to Markief. In games where the centers aren't really

886
00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:32,160
Speaker 1: working for matchups like a Brooklyn series, I think you

887
00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:34,640
Speaker 1: might see a lot of Mark Kive Morris. They might.

888
00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:37,800
Speaker 1: They'll they'll try to go big to try to bully

889
00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:40,840
Speaker 1: the nets. But if it's not working, if Drummond and

890
00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:44,600
Speaker 1: Gassol and Treads are aren't getting enough offensive rebounds and

891
00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:47,600
Speaker 1: beating them up inside, they're gonna have to audible for

892
00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:51,200
Speaker 1: that switching attack to get UH to put Markis on

893
00:41:51,239 --> 00:41:53,319
Speaker 1: the floor. So I think he's going to continue to

894
00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:56,480
Speaker 1: be UH involved. But the thing is is, like you said,

895
00:41:56,560 --> 00:41:58,840
Speaker 1: the reason why he's succeeding is because he's getting a

896
00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:00,600
Speaker 1: lot of run. And he did get a lot of

897
00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:02,719
Speaker 1: run in the playoffs, and so it'll be interesting to

898
00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:04,520
Speaker 1: see in the coming weeks when Lebron and a d

899
00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:08,000
Speaker 1: come back, if if Mark Kith gets out of rhythm

900
00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:13,040
Speaker 1: just by virtue of them, uh playing the centers a lot,

901
00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:16,200
Speaker 1: so it'll be he but he just he provides, He provides.

902
00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:18,359
Speaker 1: He was another guy kind of like Wes Matthews who's

903
00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:21,600
Speaker 1: to start the season physically didn't look great and his

904
00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:24,360
Speaker 1: legs are clearly underneath him. Now now he's shooting the

905
00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:27,319
Speaker 1: ball really well. He's a very good post offender. He's

906
00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:29,520
Speaker 1: just good at holding his position and forcing guys to

907
00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:32,200
Speaker 1: shoot over the top. He's a very good shooter when

908
00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:35,359
Speaker 1: he's wide open, and he just doesn't make mistakes. And

909
00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:39,719
Speaker 1: so I he's an interesting uh, he's I was really

910
00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:41,960
Speaker 1: psyched about the Markis Moore signing from the beginning, and

911
00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:44,880
Speaker 1: he's exceeded expectations even above that, and it'll just be

912
00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:48,840
Speaker 1: really interesting to see if he stays involved throughout the process. Yeah,

913
00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:50,439
Speaker 1: for sure. And he played a lot of minutes next

914
00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:52,239
Speaker 1: to Harold right to start, and I think that really

915
00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:55,080
Speaker 1: struggled with him because he basically played the backup five

916
00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:58,000
Speaker 1: in that situation. Both him and Harold aren't room protector

917
00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:00,319
Speaker 1: and m protectors like that at all, and it was

918
00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:02,000
Speaker 1: tough to watch him kind of try to defend that

919
00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:04,479
Speaker 1: way right now to the Lakers have him playing some five,

920
00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:06,239
Speaker 1: but you could just see how much more comfortable he

921
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:08,520
Speaker 1: is playing next to a good big, like playing next

922
00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:11,360
Speaker 1: to Drummond, playing next to Marcusol, even playing next to

923
00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:14,120
Speaker 1: Damien Jones. He's been starting right, So yeah, I think

924
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,000
Speaker 1: he's looked really good as as that kind of role.

925
00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:18,319
Speaker 1: And he's the He's when you look when you think

926
00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:20,560
Speaker 1: of versatility on this team, you think of him. He's

927
00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:22,879
Speaker 1: the He's the reason that Houston really got shut down.

928
00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:25,640
Speaker 1: That was their adjustment, right, Their adjustment was starting Markis

929
00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:28,319
Speaker 1: Morris against the Rockets. So the Rockets couldn't you know,

930
00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:30,719
Speaker 1: small ball them. Um, they just play a D at

931
00:43:30,760 --> 00:43:32,960
Speaker 1: the five and from there that series was over by

932
00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:35,200
Speaker 1: that time. So yeah, he's gonna be big going into

933
00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:37,799
Speaker 1: the playoffs. And again another matchup dependent guy. But if

934
00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:39,320
Speaker 1: he hasn't going, you're gonna play him a guy you

935
00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:43,000
Speaker 1: can throw the ball into eat possessions, like we always say, um,

936
00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:44,920
Speaker 1: if if you have nothing going. He's a guy that

937
00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:47,000
Speaker 1: is really helping the team right now. His mid range

938
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:49,480
Speaker 1: pull up is it's not super efficient, but again it's

939
00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:52,120
Speaker 1: better than having a turnover, you know, having a bad pass.

940
00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:54,839
Speaker 1: So I'm happy he's got it going and he's he's

941
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:57,239
Speaker 1: a rhythm guy. That's he looks happy getting all the

942
00:43:57,280 --> 00:43:59,759
Speaker 1: shots he's getting. So hopefully, hopefully we get some wins

943
00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:02,640
Speaker 1: out of it. That's the funny part about watching this

944
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:05,480
Speaker 1: team as of late is so many Laker fans are

945
00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:10,000
Speaker 1: incessantly complaining about them looking like they have a massive

946
00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:13,640
Speaker 1: talent disadvantage. And they do, but you know, throwing Lebron

947
00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:15,240
Speaker 1: and a D in the mix, all of a sudden,

948
00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:18,840
Speaker 1: that talent disadvantage becomes a massive depth of role players

949
00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:21,960
Speaker 1: and it just gives you more options to go to

950
00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:26,040
Speaker 1: and uh and more potential, uh, you know, for guys

951
00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:28,279
Speaker 1: to get hot. Like you know, if you you can

952
00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:30,760
Speaker 1: go to so many games last year in the playoffs

953
00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:33,319
Speaker 1: where like Cruso, Like, for instance, Cruiso shot. You know,

954
00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:35,560
Speaker 1: I tweeted it out the other day because that guy

955
00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:42,640
Speaker 1: from Clippers Twitter right last year, right, So yeah, he

956
00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:44,879
Speaker 1: was in the twenties in the in the playoffs last

957
00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:47,000
Speaker 1: year for the Lakers. But he had games where he

958
00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:49,719
Speaker 1: made shots. And there I think I think game one

959
00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:52,360
Speaker 1: and Game six of the NBA Final. I don't know

960
00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:53,719
Speaker 1: off top of my head, but I think in those

961
00:44:53,719 --> 00:44:55,440
Speaker 1: two games he made a bunch of shots and then

962
00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:57,480
Speaker 1: you know, Mark Kieth had that game where he made

963
00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:00,920
Speaker 1: five threes. Like you know, KCP had huge games even

964
00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:03,840
Speaker 1: though his three point percentage was was I think hover

965
00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:07,560
Speaker 1: just under for the entire playoff front. But the point

966
00:45:07,640 --> 00:45:10,200
Speaker 1: is is, like you know, Frank had did a really

967
00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:12,799
Speaker 1: good job of kind of giving them all chances, and

968
00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:15,600
Speaker 1: they all had moments and and so you know, that's

969
00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:17,120
Speaker 1: the thing is you just kind of have to read

970
00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:20,239
Speaker 1: the room, see who's feeling confidency, who's not, and go

971
00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:23,440
Speaker 1: with those guys. And they have so many options and

972
00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:25,200
Speaker 1: that that's what's really cool about the way that team

973
00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:29,720
Speaker 1: is built is just the depth of options. Um. So

974
00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:35,400
Speaker 1: really quickly before we get to the the JJ Reddick stuff. Uh,

975
00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:39,480
Speaker 1: the so, we don't know exactly what the offer was.

976
00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:43,279
Speaker 1: We know that it was somewhere in the neighborhood of

977
00:45:43,320 --> 00:45:46,560
Speaker 1: four years and eighty million dollars for Dennis Shorter. We

978
00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:49,440
Speaker 1: have no idea whether or not it was guaranteed. We

979
00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:51,440
Speaker 1: have no idea whether or not there was a player

980
00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:56,080
Speaker 1: option involved. But Dennis turned it down. Um So you know,

981
00:45:56,120 --> 00:45:57,600
Speaker 1: as is the case with all this stuff, it's all

982
00:45:57,600 --> 00:45:59,719
Speaker 1: conjecture because you know, no one wants to show their

983
00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:01,880
Speaker 1: hand and they try to handle this stuff behind the scenes.

984
00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:05,640
Speaker 1: But what what is your what's your early impressions takeaways

985
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:09,319
Speaker 1: from the dentist shooter contract negotiation. Yeah, I mean there's

986
00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:11,359
Speaker 1: always like three sides to every kind of story, right

987
00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:14,120
Speaker 1: one side, one side, and the truth and these kind

988
00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:16,200
Speaker 1: of things. I always look at who kind of benefits

989
00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:19,279
Speaker 1: from who benefits from this kind of information leaking? Really,

990
00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:21,880
Speaker 1: and I can't really decide who. I mean, the shrewder

991
00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:24,719
Speaker 1: benefit by showing that he turned down an eight four

992
00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:27,000
Speaker 1: million dollar extension. I mean, I'm not sure that the

993
00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:29,680
Speaker 1: Lakers benefit by showing that, you know, hey, we offered

994
00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:31,560
Speaker 1: this and he just didn't take it. Um, to me,

995
00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:34,200
Speaker 1: this is just a bet, Like I'm I'm betting that

996
00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:36,239
Speaker 1: they did offer it and he declined it. I think

997
00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:38,480
Speaker 1: that's the main facts in the story. Everything else is

998
00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:41,279
Speaker 1: just conjecture like you talked about. But um, I think

999
00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:43,160
Speaker 1: this is just a bet on himself, right, I mean,

1000
00:46:43,160 --> 00:46:45,399
Speaker 1: the Shooters a smart guy. He knows this offer will

1001
00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:47,359
Speaker 1: be there in the summer. I mean, the Lakers can't

1002
00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:50,040
Speaker 1: just Lakers don't if he doesn't take it. Lakers just

1003
00:46:50,080 --> 00:46:52,239
Speaker 1: can't offer this to someone else. They can sign and

1004
00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:54,319
Speaker 1: trade him, do other things. But he probably knows that

1005
00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:56,600
Speaker 1: this offer is there um to me for the Lakers,

1006
00:46:56,600 --> 00:46:58,600
Speaker 1: like shooters betting on himself. If he plays well and

1007
00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:01,280
Speaker 1: the Lakers win the title, the happily give him this money.

1008
00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:03,040
Speaker 1: They can even offer him a little more, I think,

1009
00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:05,600
Speaker 1: because this is the max he can offer him right now.

1010
00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:08,319
Speaker 1: But going to the summer, we'll see. And again, sure,

1011
00:47:08,840 --> 00:47:12,279
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm my comfortable paying Dennis million dollar year.

1012
00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:15,040
Speaker 1: I'm not really sure to be honest on that, But again,

1013
00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:17,040
Speaker 1: that's not a decision I think the Lakers can really

1014
00:47:17,239 --> 00:47:19,239
Speaker 1: have right now. So I think the point is that

1015
00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:21,680
Speaker 1: he's betting on himself. He thinks he's gonna play well

1016
00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:23,640
Speaker 1: the Lakers on the title, he's gonna get even more

1017
00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:26,040
Speaker 1: money if not, If he doesn't play well, then maybe

1018
00:47:26,200 --> 00:47:28,120
Speaker 1: that gives, you know, more leverage the other way. But

1019
00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:30,960
Speaker 1: I respect him for betting on himself. Um, I think

1020
00:47:30,960 --> 00:47:32,600
Speaker 1: teams are gonna be out there with cap space. I

1021
00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:34,960
Speaker 1: just don't see a team offering him more than that

1022
00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:38,520
Speaker 1: million dollars that's there. But if he thinks he can

1023
00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:41,520
Speaker 1: get more than great, But again, right now we're watching him.

1024
00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:43,680
Speaker 1: He's a nice point guard. Again, I don't think he's

1025
00:47:43,719 --> 00:47:45,920
Speaker 1: gonna lead this team to very many wins right now.

1026
00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:47,600
Speaker 1: I just don't think that's how his game is built,

1027
00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:49,879
Speaker 1: and his team is not built around Dennis Shrewder. So

1028
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:52,840
Speaker 1: um again looking at that he's played well next to

1029
00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:55,239
Speaker 1: the stars. I talked about all the time that him,

1030
00:47:55,320 --> 00:47:57,279
Speaker 1: Lebron and a D are killing teams when they're on

1031
00:47:57,280 --> 00:47:58,799
Speaker 1: the floor together. And that's the main point of this.

1032
00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:01,239
Speaker 1: That's what Denni shrewders here for easier to play next

1033
00:48:01,239 --> 00:48:03,360
Speaker 1: to Lebron and a D and everything else. Um, he

1034
00:48:03,400 --> 00:48:05,440
Speaker 1: can earn his money in other ways, but that's the

1035
00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:07,279
Speaker 1: main ways. That's how That's how I take it. How

1036
00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:09,960
Speaker 1: about you, Yeah, so I really thought it was simple.

1037
00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:12,560
Speaker 1: I think I think just like a lot of guys

1038
00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:15,560
Speaker 1: in his position. Um, A great example of this is

1039
00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:19,360
Speaker 1: Anthony Davis, uh last summer. I think a lot of

1040
00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:23,600
Speaker 1: guys just would rather at least keep their options open

1041
00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:26,280
Speaker 1: till the summer, like I'm sure Shrewder in his mind,

1042
00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:29,520
Speaker 1: and I would. I would be relatively certain that Shrewder

1043
00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:32,240
Speaker 1: behind the scenes has been telling Lebron and Anthony Davis

1044
00:48:32,280 --> 00:48:37,880
Speaker 1: and you know, colloquial conversations like I'm staying but you know,

1045
00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:41,759
Speaker 1: of forward facing It's like, why why would I sign

1046
00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:43,520
Speaker 1: this deal now when I know it's going to be

1047
00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:46,239
Speaker 1: available in the summer. I like, my I don't think

1048
00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:48,560
Speaker 1: Rob lobald him. I would imagine that he offered him

1049
00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:51,279
Speaker 1: a straight up you know, four years eighty probably a

1050
00:48:51,320 --> 00:48:54,440
Speaker 1: player option, like who knows, I just I think honestly,

1051
00:48:54,960 --> 00:48:59,319
Speaker 1: it was just a matter of uh of shrewder having

1052
00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:01,400
Speaker 1: no incent have to sign that deal right now. The

1053
00:49:01,400 --> 00:49:03,200
Speaker 1: only incentive would be if you, you know, were to

1054
00:49:03,200 --> 00:49:05,719
Speaker 1: tear as Achilles tomorrow. You know, but that you can't

1055
00:49:05,760 --> 00:49:07,759
Speaker 1: live life and fear of that sort of thing, because

1056
00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:11,759
Speaker 1: that's just a terrible way to make decisions. Um. But

1057
00:49:11,840 --> 00:49:14,680
Speaker 1: you know, as far as his his actual dollar amount goes,

1058
00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:16,759
Speaker 1: I don't want to dive too far into because you

1059
00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:18,719
Speaker 1: and I have talked at length about this before. But

1060
00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:21,360
Speaker 1: you know, there is a premium to keeping talent on

1061
00:49:21,400 --> 00:49:23,840
Speaker 1: your roster as a contender, because a player's value is

1062
00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:25,920
Speaker 1: not what you're willing to pay, it's what a crappy

1063
00:49:25,960 --> 00:49:28,600
Speaker 1: team is willing to pay. Somebody out there is gonna

1064
00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:33,000
Speaker 1: pay Dinner Shooter twenty million a year, So guess what,

1065
00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:34,640
Speaker 1: if you want him to stay on the Lakers, you're

1066
00:49:34,640 --> 00:49:37,520
Speaker 1: gonna have to come somewhat close to that. Uh. That's

1067
00:49:37,600 --> 00:49:39,920
Speaker 1: the nature of the business. You have to overpay those

1068
00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:42,400
Speaker 1: kinds of guys. Give you an example for the Warriors.

1069
00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:46,840
Speaker 1: You know, Draymond's argue was arguably their third most important player,

1070
00:49:46,960 --> 00:49:49,320
Speaker 1: maybe the second most important, but their third best player

1071
00:49:49,560 --> 00:49:52,000
Speaker 1: because Clay Thompson was just playing so well there at

1072
00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:54,239
Speaker 1: the end of two thousand nineteen, and so you're looking

1073
00:49:54,239 --> 00:49:56,520
Speaker 1: at it and you're like, Okay, you know, I don't

1074
00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:59,799
Speaker 1: love the idea of paying Draymond Green million a year.

1075
00:50:00,040 --> 00:50:02,120
Speaker 1: He can barely score ten points, and he's you know,

1076
00:50:02,320 --> 00:50:05,879
Speaker 1: he's more or less like a you know, uh, he's

1077
00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:10,200
Speaker 1: just a guy that isn't necessarily good enough to dictate

1078
00:50:10,239 --> 00:50:12,720
Speaker 1: that kind of kind of dollar value. But the Warriors

1079
00:50:12,760 --> 00:50:15,120
Speaker 1: were in a predicament. If they let Draymond go to

1080
00:50:15,200 --> 00:50:18,640
Speaker 1: unrestricted free agency, somebody who was gonna pay him five

1081
00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:21,600
Speaker 1: million or maybe even a few million more. So they

1082
00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:23,480
Speaker 1: were in a predicament where they had no choice but

1083
00:50:23,560 --> 00:50:27,000
Speaker 1: to either sign Draymond Green million to keep their team

1084
00:50:27,160 --> 00:50:30,480
Speaker 1: near their ceiling, or let him go save the money

1085
00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:32,000
Speaker 1: and look in the mirror and go like, oh, I

1086
00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:35,360
Speaker 1: didn't overpay Draymond, but now your team is way worse

1087
00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:37,360
Speaker 1: and so you have nothing to show for it. It's

1088
00:50:37,360 --> 00:50:39,319
Speaker 1: just that it's just part of the business, and so

1089
00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:41,880
Speaker 1: you know, yes, Shoot is not worth the money, but

1090
00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:44,759
Speaker 1: they need him to remain competitive moving forward, especially with

1091
00:50:44,840 --> 00:50:48,400
Speaker 1: Lebron aging, and he fits so cleanly into their identity.

1092
00:50:48,520 --> 00:50:50,920
Speaker 1: Is just a defensive point of attack guard and a

1093
00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:54,040
Speaker 1: guy that can create some offense that like, they're in

1094
00:50:54,080 --> 00:50:56,360
Speaker 1: the predicament where it's like we can either overpay Dennis

1095
00:50:56,360 --> 00:50:58,319
Speaker 1: and get into the luxury tax is just part of

1096
00:50:58,360 --> 00:51:00,440
Speaker 1: what this experience is going to be like, or we

1097
00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:03,000
Speaker 1: can let him go and be the worst basketball team

1098
00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:06,080
Speaker 1: in the strongest era in NBA history where you need

1099
00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:08,360
Speaker 1: to be really, really really good to win. So I

1100
00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:10,120
Speaker 1: don't I don't think it's over the complicated. My guess

1101
00:51:10,160 --> 00:51:12,799
Speaker 1: is he'll come to a deal this summer. Yeah. Yeah,

1102
00:51:12,800 --> 00:51:14,200
Speaker 1: And you brought up Draymond. I mean I feel like

1103
00:51:14,239 --> 00:51:16,440
Speaker 1: Draymond was a little bit more of a no brainer.

1104
00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:18,640
Speaker 1: I mean, they just they won what three titles or

1105
00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:21,120
Speaker 1: something like then four years he was the best defensive

1106
00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:22,880
Speaker 1: player in basketball in my opinion, like I feel like

1107
00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:25,120
Speaker 1: there was no brainer. Um. I compared this more to

1108
00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:28,239
Speaker 1: like Malcolm Brogning with the Bucks, right, um shooter, I

1109
00:51:28,239 --> 00:51:30,480
Speaker 1: mean he might not people whether you think shooters better

1110
00:51:30,520 --> 00:51:32,600
Speaker 1: than Brogden or not, they're pretty comparable in terms of

1111
00:51:32,600 --> 00:51:36,520
Speaker 1: their uh just their play style and who's who impacts

1112
00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:38,960
Speaker 1: the game or whatever. Malcolm Browden can't probably be your

1113
00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:41,160
Speaker 1: best player on the title team, but he's very good.

1114
00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:44,200
Speaker 1: The Bucks decided to not you know, resign him, uh

1115
00:51:44,239 --> 00:51:46,799
Speaker 1: and he went to Indiana and he flourished, and then

1116
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:48,960
Speaker 1: the Bucks end up having to probably overpay for a

1117
00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:51,360
Speaker 1: Drew holiday and Drew Holidays awesome. But again, this is

1118
00:51:51,320 --> 00:51:52,799
Speaker 1: the kind of situation you get to when you're a

1119
00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:55,520
Speaker 1: contending team. You can't just let talent walk out the door,

1120
00:51:55,560 --> 00:51:57,839
Speaker 1: and they did with Malcolm Browden, right. They didn't match

1121
00:51:57,880 --> 00:51:59,920
Speaker 1: his offer and they ended up having to the fall

1122
00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:02,239
Speaker 1: allowing year after losing in the playoffs, they ended up

1123
00:52:02,239 --> 00:52:05,600
Speaker 1: having to uh rectify that with other moves. So that's

1124
00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:07,520
Speaker 1: kind of the way I would compared to is Malcolm

1125
00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:10,239
Speaker 1: Broden probably worth four years ninety I don't know, but

1126
00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:12,160
Speaker 1: I think he was worth that to the Bucks. Like

1127
00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:14,040
Speaker 1: the Bucks needed a shock creader. He was the second

1128
00:52:14,080 --> 00:52:16,520
Speaker 1: best player in that playoff, so, um, I thought that

1129
00:52:16,560 --> 00:52:18,879
Speaker 1: was a mistake on their part. But yeah, that that's

1130
00:52:18,920 --> 00:52:20,120
Speaker 1: kind of how I see it. I feel like you

1131
00:52:20,160 --> 00:52:22,400
Speaker 1: have to resign Denis Shooter and whatever that comes to

1132
00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:24,520
Speaker 1: if you want to move him later. He understands how

1133
00:52:24,560 --> 00:52:26,840
Speaker 1: the business goes. But that's you just have to keep talent.

1134
00:52:26,920 --> 00:52:28,640
Speaker 1: And that's kind of where I would compare it to.

1135
00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:30,799
Speaker 1: I don't know, Malcolm Broaden was really good. He's again

1136
00:52:30,800 --> 00:52:33,280
Speaker 1: he's not like your superstar, but he's a really good talent.

1137
00:52:33,400 --> 00:52:37,000
Speaker 1: So that's how I compared to just yeah, and the

1138
00:52:37,080 --> 00:52:40,160
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five million number or not even whatever the

1139
00:52:40,239 --> 00:52:42,320
Speaker 1: Lakers can offer from twenty two. To me, that's the

1140
00:52:43,239 --> 00:52:46,480
Speaker 1: respect number. To me, that's the number where it's like

1141
00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:48,640
Speaker 1: he like in Dennis has said this in quotes. He's like,

1142
00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:50,319
Speaker 1: I just want to feel like I'm valued like I

1143
00:52:50,360 --> 00:52:53,759
Speaker 1: want to be, you know, fairly compensated. The truth, the

1144
00:52:53,760 --> 00:52:55,600
Speaker 1: truth of the matter is is the Lakers would get

1145
00:52:55,600 --> 00:52:57,600
Speaker 1: out bit this summer. In my opinion, Let's say like

1146
00:52:57,719 --> 00:53:01,279
Speaker 1: let's say for instance, that you know, he has a

1147
00:53:01,320 --> 00:53:04,239
Speaker 1: great playoff run and the Lakers win the championship, Like

1148
00:53:04,640 --> 00:53:07,080
Speaker 1: somebody out there is going to offer him close to

1149
00:53:07,120 --> 00:53:09,160
Speaker 1: the max, not the max, but they'll offer him twenty

1150
00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:12,520
Speaker 1: six million, seven millions something along those lines. Like there's

1151
00:53:12,520 --> 00:53:14,440
Speaker 1: gonna be someone out there, Like I'll give you a

1152
00:53:14,520 --> 00:53:17,160
Speaker 1: random example, like let's say Kyle Lowry doesn't go to

1153
00:53:17,200 --> 00:53:20,000
Speaker 1: Miami and stays in Toronto or whatever, and then Miami

1154
00:53:20,120 --> 00:53:22,440
Speaker 1: ends up sitting there like, hey, we got this cap space,

1155
00:53:22,600 --> 00:53:24,920
Speaker 1: and you know, maybe we don't like Victor Oladipo and

1156
00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:27,400
Speaker 1: we just saw, you know, Dennis Shooter have a fantastic

1157
00:53:27,400 --> 00:53:29,160
Speaker 1: playoff run with the Lakers where he did everything on

1158
00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:31,359
Speaker 1: both ends, and they just throw a big offer at

1159
00:53:31,719 --> 00:53:33,480
Speaker 1: you know, Dennis Shooter because they feel like he's their

1160
00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:36,120
Speaker 1: best option to fill that spot and to compete the

1161
00:53:36,160 --> 00:53:37,839
Speaker 1: next season. And I'm not saying that's gonna hapen. It's

1162
00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:42,200
Speaker 1: just a random example. Like there is the Lakers casche

1163
00:53:42,280 --> 00:53:44,680
Speaker 1: in the ability to play with Lebron to build his profile,

1164
00:53:44,760 --> 00:53:47,360
Speaker 1: the ability to play with this franchise to build his

1165
00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:49,840
Speaker 1: his fame, and his ability to make money in other aspects,

1166
00:53:50,200 --> 00:53:53,320
Speaker 1: that's absolutely gonna bridge whatever gap. I think the Lakers

1167
00:53:53,320 --> 00:53:57,200
Speaker 1: would automatically win if they hit that max number that

1168
00:53:57,239 --> 00:53:59,040
Speaker 1: they can pay, which is twenty two million a year

1169
00:53:59,120 --> 00:54:02,080
Speaker 1: or whatever. It's just that it's just that they'd have

1170
00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:04,960
Speaker 1: to hit that number for Dennis to feel respected in

1171
00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:07,000
Speaker 1: my in my opinion, But if there's a gap of

1172
00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:09,879
Speaker 1: five million a year between what someone else offers him

1173
00:54:09,960 --> 00:54:11,680
Speaker 1: and what the Lakers can offer him, I think he'd

1174
00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:13,719
Speaker 1: stay in l A. I don't think he's going to

1175
00:54:13,800 --> 00:54:18,440
Speaker 1: free agency for the UH for to to consider other teams.

1176
00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:21,080
Speaker 1: I think it's literally just no reason to sign right now.

1177
00:54:21,560 --> 00:54:23,919
Speaker 1: You know, might as well keep your options open. Who

1178
00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:26,399
Speaker 1: knows what's going to happen in this playoff run. Let's

1179
00:54:26,480 --> 00:54:29,000
Speaker 1: you know, let's just see how it goes, right, And

1180
00:54:29,040 --> 00:54:31,080
Speaker 1: this is the first time being a free agent as well,

1181
00:54:31,160 --> 00:54:33,480
Speaker 1: Like I think he got dropped to Atlanta and he

1182
00:54:33,520 --> 00:54:35,399
Speaker 1: got traded to the Thunder, so this's his first time

1183
00:54:35,520 --> 00:54:37,919
Speaker 1: kind of he wants to be wanted dining as I say,

1184
00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:40,319
Speaker 1: you know, free agents want to be recorded, um and

1185
00:54:40,320 --> 00:54:42,200
Speaker 1: all that. So I think this is what that is.

1186
00:54:42,239 --> 00:54:44,040
Speaker 1: He just gonna you know, test the market and then

1187
00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:46,839
Speaker 1: probably come back as most most free agents do. So

1188
00:54:47,280 --> 00:54:49,200
Speaker 1: I don't think there's anything to worry about again right now,

1189
00:54:49,880 --> 00:54:51,960
Speaker 1: working for focus about the playoffs. I mean, that's what

1190
00:54:52,080 --> 00:54:53,400
Speaker 1: this matters. I mean, if he doesn't play the one

1191
00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:55,480
Speaker 1: to play well in the playoffs, then then this is

1192
00:54:55,520 --> 00:54:57,400
Speaker 1: a whole different conversation anyway. But I think both of

1193
00:54:57,440 --> 00:55:00,120
Speaker 1: us expect him to show up when it matters, So

1194
00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:02,640
Speaker 1: I don't think this will be much of a problem

1195
00:55:02,680 --> 00:55:05,839
Speaker 1: in the in the off season anyway. Yep, I agree. Um,

1196
00:55:05,920 --> 00:55:07,319
Speaker 1: So before we get out here, I want to get

1197
00:55:07,360 --> 00:55:11,200
Speaker 1: your take on the JJ Reddick situation. So, I mean,

1198
00:55:11,320 --> 00:55:14,439
Speaker 1: just super fast breakdown here for those of you haven't

1199
00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:18,200
Speaker 1: seen it. JJ Reddick goes on his podcast and undresses

1200
00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:22,360
Speaker 1: the New Orleans front office, basically saying that he a

1201
00:55:22,520 --> 00:55:27,080
Speaker 1: very explicitly requested a trade and that he was promised

1202
00:55:27,160 --> 00:55:30,160
Speaker 1: a trade or a buy out, a trade to a

1203
00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:33,040
Speaker 1: destination in the northeast or a buy out, and that

1204
00:55:33,719 --> 00:55:38,680
Speaker 1: the Pelicans basically you know, Reneck down that that promise

1205
00:55:38,719 --> 00:55:41,760
Speaker 1: and send him to Dallas. So, first of all, before

1206
00:55:42,000 --> 00:55:44,520
Speaker 1: before I add the new wrinkle, I just want to

1207
00:55:44,520 --> 00:55:48,239
Speaker 1: hear your overall take on that situation from the start. Yeah,

1208
00:55:48,239 --> 00:55:49,759
Speaker 1: so I went and did you go and listen to

1209
00:55:49,840 --> 00:55:51,880
Speaker 1: J J reddix podcast as well? How did you go

1210
00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:55,680
Speaker 1: listen to Yeah I listened. Yeah, So how I see

1211
00:55:55,760 --> 00:55:57,839
Speaker 1: like basketball again, like we always talked about, it's not

1212
00:55:57,840 --> 00:55:59,880
Speaker 1: played on an Excel sheet. And then these players are

1213
00:56:00,120 --> 00:56:02,840
Speaker 1: you know, robots on two K as well. So basketball

1214
00:56:02,960 --> 00:56:06,399
Speaker 1: is a people business. It is a relationship business as well. Um,

1215
00:56:06,480 --> 00:56:10,160
Speaker 1: these managers and teams are only there to focus on

1216
00:56:10,200 --> 00:56:11,960
Speaker 1: their team right there, They're supposed to do the best

1217
00:56:12,080 --> 00:56:14,279
Speaker 1: right by their team. Now, the problem with this is

1218
00:56:14,320 --> 00:56:17,200
Speaker 1: that it is a relationship business. So like if JJ

1219
00:56:17,320 --> 00:56:19,560
Speaker 1: read it, got promised that he was getting a buyout,

1220
00:56:19,680 --> 00:56:21,759
Speaker 1: then I feel like you should fulfill your promise, like

1221
00:56:21,800 --> 00:56:23,920
Speaker 1: as a as a word, I understand he's signed to

1222
00:56:23,920 --> 00:56:27,560
Speaker 1: a contract. But again, this is why is Lebron a Laker? Right, Like,

1223
00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:30,080
Speaker 1: just just think about why Lebron is lak. He's because

1224
00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:31,960
Speaker 1: you know, the Lakers signed KCP and they got a

1225
00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:34,399
Speaker 1: relationship with Clutch and they got a relationship with Rich Paul.

1226
00:56:34,560 --> 00:56:37,520
Speaker 1: There's no qualms about this. This isn't this isn't uh,

1227
00:56:37,560 --> 00:56:40,040
Speaker 1: this isn't like a new information, right, we we knew

1228
00:56:40,080 --> 00:56:42,480
Speaker 1: about this. Rich Paul and the Lakers and Lebron all

1229
00:56:42,520 --> 00:56:45,160
Speaker 1: wanted to build a relationship. The Lakers build themselves on

1230
00:56:45,239 --> 00:56:47,920
Speaker 1: family right, their whole thing. If you see any Laker game,

1231
00:56:47,960 --> 00:56:50,319
Speaker 1: it's all about family. Jennie Buzz talks about this a

1232
00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:52,720
Speaker 1: lot um. The players aren't just play as their family,

1233
00:56:52,719 --> 00:56:55,040
Speaker 1: and what do plan families do? They you know, respect

1234
00:56:55,040 --> 00:56:58,080
Speaker 1: each other's promises and word that they've given. So um,

1235
00:56:58,120 --> 00:56:59,920
Speaker 1: I think JJ Reddy does. I mean if he was

1236
00:57:00,040 --> 00:57:02,839
Speaker 1: specifically promised by David Griffin. I mean there might be

1237
00:57:02,920 --> 00:57:06,000
Speaker 1: some telephone going on here, some you know. Again, I

1238
00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:08,479
Speaker 1: always say there's three sides to every story, one side,

1239
00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:10,319
Speaker 1: one side, and the truth. We don't know what David

1240
00:57:10,320 --> 00:57:12,719
Speaker 1: Griffin and Javid J. J Reddick talked about. We have

1241
00:57:12,760 --> 00:57:14,879
Speaker 1: no idea. We're not in those rooms. We have his side.

1242
00:57:14,920 --> 00:57:16,720
Speaker 1: Griffin's gonna come out and say whatever. I think he

1243
00:57:16,760 --> 00:57:19,240
Speaker 1: did say something. I'm not sure, But JAVIERD. Grizz's gonna

1244
00:57:19,240 --> 00:57:20,600
Speaker 1: come out and say, you know, I feel bad that

1245
00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:22,880
Speaker 1: j J feels that way. And it's not like he

1246
00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:26,200
Speaker 1: sent JJ to like, you know, some Minnesota or to

1247
00:57:26,640 --> 00:57:28,840
Speaker 1: some horrible team in the bottom. He sent him Dallas.

1248
00:57:28,840 --> 00:57:31,840
Speaker 1: It's a good basketball situation. But again, I understand J. J.

1249
00:57:31,920 --> 00:57:33,640
Speaker 1: Reddick's part as well. He wanted to be close to

1250
00:57:33,680 --> 00:57:36,320
Speaker 1: his family. And let's let's not mix words. He wanted

1251
00:57:36,320 --> 00:57:38,240
Speaker 1: to play for the Nets like that's it was pretty

1252
00:57:38,280 --> 00:57:40,920
Speaker 1: clear that's where he wanted to go, whether Nets wanted

1253
00:57:40,960 --> 00:57:43,200
Speaker 1: him or not. I don't know. Like those again, those

1254
00:57:43,200 --> 00:57:45,480
Speaker 1: are conversations I'm sure Griffin called the Nets are like

1255
00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:47,400
Speaker 1: you know, and they're like, why would we give up

1256
00:57:47,400 --> 00:57:49,600
Speaker 1: anything for him if you're gonna buy him out eventually?

1257
00:57:49,680 --> 00:57:53,240
Speaker 1: So I mean, you don't know. I think it's really tough. Now.

1258
00:57:53,440 --> 00:57:56,040
Speaker 1: My thing is like, was it worth a second round

1259
00:57:56,040 --> 00:58:00,640
Speaker 1: pick and west of Wondo to just absolutely destroy relationship

1260
00:58:00,720 --> 00:58:03,720
Speaker 1: between you know, JJ Reddick and his agent Aaron Mints,

1261
00:58:03,760 --> 00:58:07,880
Speaker 1: who's a very huge agency a represents a lot of players.

1262
00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:10,040
Speaker 1: I don't know that's a calculated risk. I'm sure David

1263
00:58:10,040 --> 00:58:12,320
Speaker 1: Griffin took and if he feels that way. But again,

1264
00:58:12,360 --> 00:58:15,160
Speaker 1: there's only thirty NBA team So it's not like a player,

1265
00:58:15,280 --> 00:58:18,280
Speaker 1: can you know black ball a team. There's only thirty teams.

1266
00:58:18,520 --> 00:58:20,320
Speaker 1: If an NBA team wants to sign you, it's it's

1267
00:58:20,360 --> 00:58:22,240
Speaker 1: like people aren't going to go to the Pelicans, now,

1268
00:58:22,320 --> 00:58:25,000
Speaker 1: you know. That's how I think. That's how I feel

1269
00:58:25,040 --> 00:58:26,880
Speaker 1: about situation. I don't know, it's a it's a it's

1270
00:58:26,880 --> 00:58:32,000
Speaker 1: a tough line to kind of walk. So I was there.

1271
00:58:32,080 --> 00:58:34,880
Speaker 1: This to me is so simple, Like people keep talking

1272
00:58:34,920 --> 00:58:37,360
Speaker 1: about how this has to do with the business. People

1273
00:58:37,440 --> 00:58:39,320
Speaker 1: keep talking about how this has to do with like

1274
00:58:39,560 --> 00:58:42,560
Speaker 1: the harsh realities of what a front office is supposed

1275
00:58:42,560 --> 00:58:44,720
Speaker 1: to do and what their responsibilities are. To me, one

1276
00:58:44,840 --> 00:58:48,240
Speaker 1: thousand percent is just about honesty. That's literally all it's about.

1277
00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:51,160
Speaker 1: And and we don't you will never know who's actually

1278
00:58:51,160 --> 00:58:53,080
Speaker 1: telling the truth because my guess is if David Griffin

1279
00:58:53,120 --> 00:58:55,160
Speaker 1: came out and made a comment, because David Griffin did

1280
00:58:55,160 --> 00:58:57,040
Speaker 1: have a comment where he came out, but it was

1281
00:58:57,080 --> 00:58:59,280
Speaker 1: before the JJ Reddick podcast. It was in his like

1282
00:58:59,400 --> 00:59:03,760
Speaker 1: post trade deadline press conference, and basically he goes, uh,

1283
00:59:03,800 --> 00:59:06,800
Speaker 1: you know, we we feel like we did what was

1284
00:59:06,840 --> 00:59:09,000
Speaker 1: best for JJ and his family. That was the actual

1285
00:59:09,080 --> 00:59:11,240
Speaker 1: quote at the end. And when I saw that, I

1286
00:59:11,280 --> 00:59:15,200
Speaker 1: was like, whoa dude, well, because he very clearly disagrees,

1287
00:59:15,280 --> 00:59:18,480
Speaker 1: so like that that comment was like to me, that

1288
00:59:18,560 --> 00:59:23,720
Speaker 1: comment was like rationalization, like like, Oh, I'm doing something

1289
00:59:23,760 --> 00:59:26,800
Speaker 1: really shitty, but I'm going to tell myself that I

1290
00:59:26,840 --> 00:59:29,720
Speaker 1: actually did something good so that I can feel good

1291
00:59:29,760 --> 00:59:32,480
Speaker 1: about myself. That was like my whole read on the situation.

1292
00:59:32,480 --> 00:59:34,400
Speaker 1: I thought it was. It was really weird. But there's

1293
00:59:34,480 --> 00:59:36,240
Speaker 1: so But there's a couple of angles to this that

1294
00:59:36,280 --> 00:59:39,600
Speaker 1: are that are fascinating. First of all, yes, all they

1295
00:59:39,600 --> 00:59:41,680
Speaker 1: got is the second round pick. Second of all, as

1296
00:59:41,720 --> 00:59:44,800
Speaker 1: Bobby Marks explained, uh and wind Horse was talking about

1297
00:59:44,840 --> 00:59:49,000
Speaker 1: in his pod yesterday, Uh, this actually puts the Pelicans

1298
00:59:49,040 --> 00:59:51,200
Speaker 1: into the luxury tax, and the only way they can

1299
00:59:51,240 --> 00:59:53,720
Speaker 1: avoid it is by like I think it was some

1300
00:59:53,880 --> 00:59:55,720
Speaker 1: sort of crazy thing where they have to like wave

1301
00:59:55,760 --> 00:59:57,600
Speaker 1: a player and then sign a guy for a ten

1302
00:59:57,680 --> 01:00:00,360
Speaker 1: day and then like wait until the end of season

1303
01:00:00,360 --> 01:00:01,919
Speaker 1: and sign a guy for another ten day or something

1304
01:00:01,960 --> 01:00:04,400
Speaker 1: along those lines. I can't remember the exact thing, but

1305
01:00:04,480 --> 01:00:07,120
Speaker 1: they have to do like crazy gymnastics now to avoid

1306
01:00:07,160 --> 01:00:08,800
Speaker 1: the luxury at tax, which is a problem they didn't

1307
01:00:08,840 --> 01:00:10,760
Speaker 1: have with j J. So the point was just like

1308
01:00:11,000 --> 01:00:15,440
Speaker 1: a whole lot of trouble for nothing, basically, or if anything,

1309
01:00:15,920 --> 01:00:18,320
Speaker 1: is something that doesn't make sense. So, you know, Bobby

1310
01:00:18,360 --> 01:00:20,840
Speaker 1: Marx is basically saying, like I really truly don't understand

1311
01:00:20,880 --> 01:00:23,680
Speaker 1: why they did this, especially for like a middling a

1312
01:00:23,720 --> 01:00:25,760
Speaker 1: second round pick. You know that wasn't really gonna pretty

1313
01:00:25,800 --> 01:00:29,520
Speaker 1: much value But the bottom line is, just like like

1314
01:00:29,560 --> 01:00:33,520
Speaker 1: I said, are our front office is obligated to do

1315
01:00:33,560 --> 01:00:36,920
Speaker 1: it's best for the team. Absolutely, there's no doubt. Is

1316
01:00:36,960 --> 01:00:41,200
Speaker 1: this a tough business, Absolutely, there's no doubt. But to me,

1317
01:00:41,280 --> 01:00:43,320
Speaker 1: that's irrelevant. All this is is about honesty and we

1318
01:00:43,360 --> 01:00:45,400
Speaker 1: can try to pretend like that doesn't matter, but it does.

1319
01:00:45,480 --> 01:00:48,120
Speaker 1: And hey, guess what, bows I and Williamson and J. J.

1320
01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:51,240
Speaker 1: Reddick are represented by c A A. So that like

1321
01:00:51,640 --> 01:00:54,720
Speaker 1: that made me nothing, but it certainly doesn't help. And

1322
01:00:54,760 --> 01:00:58,080
Speaker 1: so if you're if you're David Griffin, why the hell

1323
01:00:58,120 --> 01:01:01,400
Speaker 1: would you even risk this if that's the case, And like,

1324
01:01:01,680 --> 01:01:04,320
Speaker 1: you know, just one little phone call from from j

1325
01:01:04,520 --> 01:01:07,520
Speaker 1: J to Zion complaining and telling what happened, you know,

1326
01:01:08,160 --> 01:01:10,240
Speaker 1: it's probably not going to push Zion out the floor.

1327
01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:12,880
Speaker 1: But if Zion is trying to make that decision one

1328
01:01:12,920 --> 01:01:14,520
Speaker 1: day and he's got a list of he's got like

1329
01:01:14,560 --> 01:01:16,439
Speaker 1: a list of reasons why he should leave on one hand,

1330
01:01:16,440 --> 01:01:17,920
Speaker 1: and a list of reasons why I should stay on

1331
01:01:17,960 --> 01:01:20,080
Speaker 1: the other hand. This goes on the list of reasons

1332
01:01:20,080 --> 01:01:22,160
Speaker 1: why he should leave. You know, David Griffin hurt one

1333
01:01:22,160 --> 01:01:24,480
Speaker 1: of my friends, you know, and J J. Redickins and

1334
01:01:24,600 --> 01:01:27,240
Speaker 1: Zion were pretty close. But like at the at the

1335
01:01:27,320 --> 01:01:30,120
Speaker 1: end of the day, like you know, people are the

1336
01:01:30,160 --> 01:01:33,080
Speaker 1: people are so quick to be like j J doesn't

1337
01:01:33,120 --> 01:01:38,400
Speaker 1: deserve this type of leeway, you know. J J is

1338
01:01:38,400 --> 01:01:40,520
Speaker 1: is a victim of what all these other players deal

1339
01:01:40,560 --> 01:01:42,640
Speaker 1: with all the time. You're right, I can't remember the

1340
01:01:42,680 --> 01:01:44,000
Speaker 1: exact player, but I remember there was a time a

1341
01:01:44,040 --> 01:01:45,600
Speaker 1: couple years ago where like a guy was in his

1342
01:01:45,920 --> 01:01:48,280
Speaker 1: new press conference with a new team and I think

1343
01:01:48,280 --> 01:01:50,520
Speaker 1: it was a middling role player and and they were

1344
01:01:50,600 --> 01:01:52,680
Speaker 1: like what happened with the old front office? And he

1345
01:01:52,760 --> 01:01:55,880
Speaker 1: was like it was weird. I was literally, uh, sitting

1346
01:01:55,920 --> 01:01:58,040
Speaker 1: on a shoot around in the in the general manager

1347
01:01:58,080 --> 01:01:59,439
Speaker 1: came up to me and like put his arm around

1348
01:01:59,480 --> 01:02:01,000
Speaker 1: me and said you're here to stay. I think it

1349
01:02:01,040 --> 01:02:02,840
Speaker 1: was Rob Polinka, and I think it was into I

1350
01:02:02,880 --> 01:02:05,240
Speaker 1: think it was in nineteen, the season before I d came,

1351
01:02:05,440 --> 01:02:07,080
Speaker 1: and it was like, yeah, Rob Polinka put his arm

1352
01:02:07,080 --> 01:02:09,240
Speaker 1: around mean and basically was like you're not getting traded.

1353
01:02:09,240 --> 01:02:11,000
Speaker 1: And then I got traded. So it was like like

1354
01:02:11,200 --> 01:02:13,680
Speaker 1: this this. But my thing is is like I'm okay

1355
01:02:13,720 --> 01:02:16,440
Speaker 1: with people like saying I would not want to do

1356
01:02:16,480 --> 01:02:19,560
Speaker 1: business with someone who's dishonest with me. Now, there are

1357
01:02:19,640 --> 01:02:21,840
Speaker 1: varying degrees of that. Like my father in law will

1358
01:02:21,920 --> 01:02:24,440
Speaker 1: never ever own an Apple product again because of a

1359
01:02:24,480 --> 01:02:26,800
Speaker 1: bad experience he had with Apple back in like two

1360
01:02:26,800 --> 01:02:30,520
Speaker 1: thousand four. I think that's ridiculous. But you know, I

1361
01:02:30,560 --> 01:02:33,439
Speaker 1: do think people at least way these things when they're

1362
01:02:33,480 --> 01:02:36,000
Speaker 1: deciding who to do business with. I think that's absolutely

1363
01:02:36,040 --> 01:02:38,840
Speaker 1: been like part of the equation. Yeah, it's all about

1364
01:02:38,840 --> 01:02:42,640
Speaker 1: being transparent, right, and being honest, And I think that's

1365
01:02:42,680 --> 01:02:44,680
Speaker 1: what j J. Reddick's big problem here is. The funny

1366
01:02:44,680 --> 01:02:46,840
Speaker 1: thing is that both j J and Griffin are very

1367
01:02:46,880 --> 01:02:49,000
Speaker 1: media savvy. They know how to spin a thing like

1368
01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:51,920
Speaker 1: they're they're not new to this media game, right. Griffin

1369
01:02:51,960 --> 01:02:55,120
Speaker 1: went out all last summer and really boasted. Right, He's like, oh,

1370
01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:57,720
Speaker 1: I'm ahead of the game. He had that Lebron quo

1371
01:02:57,800 --> 01:02:59,920
Speaker 1: Toby not be Lebron might not be as much of

1372
01:03:00,000 --> 01:03:01,960
Speaker 1: an animal about winning anymore. You know. He did all

1373
01:03:01,960 --> 01:03:04,360
Speaker 1: these things to pump the Pelicans up, who eventually you know,

1374
01:03:04,440 --> 01:03:06,800
Speaker 1: won like thirty games. But again, he's really good at

1375
01:03:06,800 --> 01:03:08,680
Speaker 1: the media, and it's another thing that he spun right.

1376
01:03:08,680 --> 01:03:10,479
Speaker 1: I don't I don't know I'm not in those rooms,

1377
01:03:10,480 --> 01:03:12,960
Speaker 1: but I wouldn't doubt Griffin has loved in the media.

1378
01:03:13,040 --> 01:03:14,560
Speaker 1: He has a lot of friends in there, and you know,

1379
01:03:14,600 --> 01:03:16,320
Speaker 1: no one's really gonna call him out on this, and

1380
01:03:16,440 --> 01:03:19,040
Speaker 1: it was funny and see JJ Reddick absolutely just burned

1381
01:03:19,040 --> 01:03:21,439
Speaker 1: the house down and what he was saying, and uh,

1382
01:03:21,480 --> 01:03:23,080
Speaker 1: he was saying that he wasn't the first player to

1383
01:03:23,160 --> 01:03:25,840
Speaker 1: kind of deal with this. But again, it's all about transparency.

1384
01:03:25,880 --> 01:03:27,920
Speaker 1: I mean, the Lakers have a few clutch guys, you know,

1385
01:03:28,040 --> 01:03:30,240
Speaker 1: on their on their roster. I mean, would it be

1386
01:03:30,240 --> 01:03:32,960
Speaker 1: worth trading. I mean you could probably trade Montrose, Harold

1387
01:03:33,040 --> 01:03:36,120
Speaker 1: or something. Would you do it? I mean probably not right.

1388
01:03:36,160 --> 01:03:38,280
Speaker 1: I mean it's just like looking at those situations. This

1389
01:03:38,360 --> 01:03:41,000
Speaker 1: is a people business as much as a especially in

1390
01:03:41,000 --> 01:03:43,880
Speaker 1: the league where stars are the main thing. Right, stars

1391
01:03:43,920 --> 01:03:46,920
Speaker 1: impact everything. You get two stars and you are absolutely

1392
01:03:47,040 --> 01:03:49,320
Speaker 1: vaulted into the top. I mean, this is a star

1393
01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:52,760
Speaker 1: relationship business. And again I don't I don't know if

1394
01:03:52,760 --> 01:03:55,360
Speaker 1: this impacts you know, Zion and all that stuff, but

1395
01:03:55,600 --> 01:03:59,000
Speaker 1: you're right, maybe maybe he thinks about it, but I

1396
01:03:59,000 --> 01:04:00,880
Speaker 1: think it's tough to say right now. But again, like

1397
01:04:01,200 --> 01:04:03,320
Speaker 1: David Griffin, wasn't worth it for a second round pick.

1398
01:04:03,400 --> 01:04:06,439
Speaker 1: James Johnson and west Wind do probably not. I mean

1399
01:04:06,760 --> 01:04:08,960
Speaker 1: it's probably good from Like again, the Celtics are dealing

1400
01:04:09,040 --> 01:04:12,280
Speaker 1: with this exact same thing. The Celtics traded Isaiah Thomas

1401
01:04:12,360 --> 01:04:14,960
Speaker 1: again for again, everyone does that deal for Kyrie Irving.

1402
01:04:15,120 --> 01:04:17,960
Speaker 1: But Isaiah Thomas found out, you know, the day of

1403
01:04:18,120 --> 01:04:20,440
Speaker 1: and he talks about this a lot and that that

1404
01:04:20,520 --> 01:04:22,720
Speaker 1: broke a lot of goodwill around the league. And it's

1405
01:04:22,760 --> 01:04:25,160
Speaker 1: it's been well documented people don't want to do business

1406
01:04:25,200 --> 01:04:28,320
Speaker 1: with Danny Ainge because he tries to first of all,

1407
01:04:28,320 --> 01:04:30,040
Speaker 1: attack you in the trade. He tries to win the

1408
01:04:30,080 --> 01:04:32,760
Speaker 1: trade by some you know, a huge amount, and then

1409
01:04:32,800 --> 01:04:35,480
Speaker 1: he also is pretty dishonest is about how he trades.

1410
01:04:35,520 --> 01:04:38,280
Speaker 1: And that's just how it's been. So again, the Celtics

1411
01:04:38,320 --> 01:04:40,400
Speaker 1: are dealing with this a lot of teams now, Like

1412
01:04:40,720 --> 01:04:43,080
Speaker 1: I remember when Lebron left Cleveland or whatever, and they

1413
01:04:43,120 --> 01:04:45,720
Speaker 1: kind of attacked him. Now every team when a player leaves,

1414
01:04:45,720 --> 01:04:48,480
Speaker 1: they give him like a tribute video coming back because

1415
01:04:48,480 --> 01:04:51,360
Speaker 1: they saw how that impacts everything. So and again, like

1416
01:04:51,600 --> 01:04:54,280
Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon asked for a trade from the Magic. You know,

1417
01:04:54,360 --> 01:04:57,760
Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon got a trade request from the Magic to

1418
01:04:57,840 --> 01:04:59,440
Speaker 1: a team, to a winning team. I mean, it's just

1419
01:04:59,720 --> 01:05:02,360
Speaker 1: that's a league is right now. His relationship building if

1420
01:05:02,720 --> 01:05:04,360
Speaker 1: if you don't build good relationships is going to be

1421
01:05:04,360 --> 01:05:06,040
Speaker 1: a struggle. And I think I don't think this will

1422
01:05:06,080 --> 01:05:07,440
Speaker 1: be the enzion is going to be there for a

1423
01:05:07,480 --> 01:05:10,640
Speaker 1: long time because that's how these contracts work. But again,

1424
01:05:10,680 --> 01:05:13,040
Speaker 1: it was it worth it for James Johnson? Who knows,

1425
01:05:13,160 --> 01:05:16,040
Speaker 1: But that's probably not as that's what the league is showing.

1426
01:05:16,560 --> 01:05:21,240
Speaker 1: And you said earlier you mentioned, uh, like the truth

1427
01:05:21,280 --> 01:05:23,280
Speaker 1: of the matter is is Sally Pelicans aren't gonna be

1428
01:05:23,280 --> 01:05:25,000
Speaker 1: able to sign guys. I mean, even the Celtics, who

1429
01:05:25,000 --> 01:05:27,760
Speaker 1: have burnt every bridge in the league, still got Tristan

1430
01:05:27,760 --> 01:05:29,920
Speaker 1: Thompson last summer because it was the best offer that

1431
01:05:29,960 --> 01:05:32,200
Speaker 1: was available and that was with that was with the

1432
01:05:32,200 --> 01:05:34,800
Speaker 1: one agency that you probably expect never to send a

1433
01:05:34,800 --> 01:05:36,520
Speaker 1: guy to the Celtics. So at the end of the day,

1434
01:05:36,600 --> 01:05:38,600
Speaker 1: like if the option is just so much better that

1435
01:05:38,800 --> 01:05:41,240
Speaker 1: they'll still get guys, I don't. I don't doubt the

1436
01:05:41,280 --> 01:05:43,880
Speaker 1: fact that, uh, you know, like teams are just gonna

1437
01:05:44,400 --> 01:05:46,520
Speaker 1: like refuse to do business. But my thing is, like

1438
01:05:46,560 --> 01:05:48,920
Speaker 1: if all other circumstances are the same, you're I think

1439
01:05:48,920 --> 01:05:52,000
Speaker 1: you will see guys way that um. And then you know,

1440
01:05:52,360 --> 01:05:56,240
Speaker 1: there's the David Griffith thing is an interesting uh topic

1441
01:05:56,360 --> 01:05:59,240
Speaker 1: because like you know, he is a very arrogant guy

1442
01:05:59,680 --> 01:06:03,640
Speaker 1: in his story is interesting. And so I've I've read

1443
01:06:03,640 --> 01:06:06,760
Speaker 1: a book, um that where David Griffin was involved and

1444
01:06:06,760 --> 01:06:08,440
Speaker 1: I learned a little bit about him. It was the

1445
01:06:08,440 --> 01:06:11,520
Speaker 1: book about the two thousand sixteen Calves. And so David

1446
01:06:11,520 --> 01:06:15,440
Speaker 1: Griffin is a cancer survivor. So there's that. Um. So

1447
01:06:15,480 --> 01:06:19,720
Speaker 1: then David Griffin uh comes into the to the front

1448
01:06:19,760 --> 01:06:23,200
Speaker 1: office role. The way he sees it, he was super

1449
01:06:23,240 --> 01:06:27,320
Speaker 1: super like uh, integral to their success. Now, I think

1450
01:06:27,400 --> 01:06:29,560
Speaker 1: most of us would probably argue that he's a little

1451
01:06:29,560 --> 01:06:32,080
Speaker 1: bit full of himself there, um, But like the way

1452
01:06:32,080 --> 01:06:36,480
Speaker 1: he sees it, like the firing of time of David Blatt,

1453
01:06:36,920 --> 01:06:40,480
Speaker 1: the trades for j R. Smith and him on Schumpert,

1454
01:06:40,600 --> 01:06:43,480
Speaker 1: the way that he sees it, he played an integral

1455
01:06:43,600 --> 01:06:48,000
Speaker 1: role in that team success. And here's an example. After

1456
01:06:48,120 --> 01:06:51,000
Speaker 1: Game five against or after Game four against the Warriors

1457
01:06:51,040 --> 01:06:53,840
Speaker 1: when they went down three to one. You know, David

1458
01:06:53,880 --> 01:06:56,360
Speaker 1: Griffin sends out an email and the email goes to

1459
01:06:56,440 --> 01:06:59,480
Speaker 1: everyone in the Calves organization, including the players, and it

1460
01:06:59,520 --> 01:07:03,160
Speaker 1: basically it was like a pep talk. Now, I guarantee

1461
01:07:03,200 --> 01:07:06,120
Speaker 1: you that if I got Lebron drunk and I asked him, Hey,

1462
01:07:06,160 --> 01:07:08,280
Speaker 1: do you think David Griffin's email had any impact on

1463
01:07:08,320 --> 01:07:10,840
Speaker 1: you guys winning the title? I bet you. Lebron says no.

1464
01:07:11,280 --> 01:07:14,480
Speaker 1: But but David Griffin has if you listen to him

1465
01:07:14,480 --> 01:07:18,280
Speaker 1: tell that story, like he feels like he galvanized the team,

1466
01:07:18,320 --> 01:07:20,520
Speaker 1: you know, like he in the email, he's like, you know,

1467
01:07:20,560 --> 01:07:23,400
Speaker 1: we're built for this, Like we've we've dealt with adversary,

1468
01:07:23,440 --> 01:07:25,320
Speaker 1: We're we're at our best when our backs are against

1469
01:07:25,360 --> 01:07:27,680
Speaker 1: the wall, all this stuff, so like, and and then

1470
01:07:27,720 --> 01:07:30,680
Speaker 1: you you get into the fact that he couldn't come

1471
01:07:30,720 --> 01:07:35,320
Speaker 1: to contract terms with with Dan Gilbert, who Dan Gilbert

1472
01:07:35,360 --> 01:07:38,240
Speaker 1: was probably like, you're one of the least valuable people

1473
01:07:38,240 --> 01:07:40,480
Speaker 1: in this organization. Why do I need to pay you,

1474
01:07:40,480 --> 01:07:43,920
Speaker 1: you know, president of basketball operations type of money? You know? Uh?

1475
01:07:44,240 --> 01:07:46,960
Speaker 1: And then he comes to New Orleans starts talking reckless

1476
01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:50,080
Speaker 1: about Lebron like he does have And then and then

1477
01:07:50,080 --> 01:07:52,240
Speaker 1: this JJ read anything happens and it's like, look, even

1478
01:07:52,280 --> 01:07:55,880
Speaker 1: if JJ is telling lies here, even if JJ is

1479
01:07:55,960 --> 01:07:58,880
Speaker 1: making this whole thing up. You coming out and saying

1480
01:07:59,560 --> 01:08:01,560
Speaker 1: we feel like we did the best thing for JJ

1481
01:08:01,640 --> 01:08:05,320
Speaker 1: and his family is utter bullshit. So like so like

1482
01:08:05,480 --> 01:08:10,800
Speaker 1: the the dude without a doubt is arrogant and definitely

1483
01:08:10,920 --> 01:08:13,479
Speaker 1: lacks some self awareness. And so I think that that's

1484
01:08:13,560 --> 01:08:16,519
Speaker 1: an angle here. But then again, I guarantee you if

1485
01:08:16,560 --> 01:08:19,960
Speaker 1: I got to personally know most of the front office

1486
01:08:20,000 --> 01:08:21,840
Speaker 1: people in the NBA, I'm sure I'd meet a few

1487
01:08:21,920 --> 01:08:25,000
Speaker 1: jerks along the way. But like, it's just I think

1488
01:08:25,040 --> 01:08:28,439
Speaker 1: I think that that's a relevant part of this story. Yeah,

1489
01:08:28,520 --> 01:08:30,000
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure a lot of them. That's how

1490
01:08:30,040 --> 01:08:31,559
Speaker 1: you get to that point, right, You get that you

1491
01:08:31,560 --> 01:08:33,200
Speaker 1: have some arrogance in you and you have to be

1492
01:08:33,240 --> 01:08:35,840
Speaker 1: confident in all that. U But most players don't have

1493
01:08:35,880 --> 01:08:38,160
Speaker 1: a podcast that they can go in and share this on, right,

1494
01:08:38,200 --> 01:08:40,640
Speaker 1: Like most people aren't JJ Reddick, who have you know

1495
01:08:40,680 --> 01:08:43,320
Speaker 1: a podcast they go and share and uncomfortable and media

1496
01:08:43,400 --> 01:08:45,680
Speaker 1: savvy and know how to spend their their story the

1497
01:08:45,680 --> 01:08:47,680
Speaker 1: way they want to to make it feel like, you know,

1498
01:08:47,800 --> 01:08:49,840
Speaker 1: he was the he was the victim and all of this.

1499
01:08:50,000 --> 01:08:53,519
Speaker 1: So again, I think I think if David Griffin promised

1500
01:08:53,560 --> 01:08:55,680
Speaker 1: him that he was gonna you know, do right by him.

1501
01:08:55,680 --> 01:08:57,720
Speaker 1: Then I think he should have kept that promise. I

1502
01:08:57,760 --> 01:09:00,280
Speaker 1: think that's just how life works. Um. But and like

1503
01:09:00,320 --> 01:09:02,320
Speaker 1: his contract has nothing to do with that. Like you said,

1504
01:09:02,360 --> 01:09:05,280
Speaker 1: this is a humanitarian kind of human human issue, right,

1505
01:09:05,320 --> 01:09:07,800
Speaker 1: Like it's it's a man to man kind of conversation

1506
01:09:07,840 --> 01:09:10,240
Speaker 1: that they think they had. So and it's a tough

1507
01:09:10,280 --> 01:09:12,640
Speaker 1: line of Walga, David Griffin works for the owner of

1508
01:09:12,640 --> 01:09:15,040
Speaker 1: the Norman Repelicans, Like that's who he works for, and

1509
01:09:15,040 --> 01:09:17,519
Speaker 1: that's who he thinks he's gonna do things that way.

1510
01:09:17,680 --> 01:09:20,400
Speaker 1: So he's trying to win and that's that's all that

1511
01:09:20,479 --> 01:09:22,719
Speaker 1: he's trying to do. And I feel like JJ Reddick

1512
01:09:22,720 --> 01:09:24,200
Speaker 1: feels the type of way he has the right to.

1513
01:09:24,520 --> 01:09:27,280
Speaker 1: It's it's not right that he was promised something he

1514
01:09:27,280 --> 01:09:29,880
Speaker 1: didn't get it. But again, that's the business. You signed

1515
01:09:29,880 --> 01:09:32,800
Speaker 1: a million eighteen million dollar contract, whatever it was that

1516
01:09:32,840 --> 01:09:35,639
Speaker 1: he signed for, then you gotta go with this. So yeah,

1517
01:09:35,680 --> 01:09:38,080
Speaker 1: it's it's a tough situation, but it's funny seeing two

1518
01:09:38,160 --> 01:09:39,960
Speaker 1: dudes who are really media savvy, who knew how to

1519
01:09:40,000 --> 01:09:43,000
Speaker 1: spend their way, like you said, with David Griffin saying, uh,

1520
01:09:43,080 --> 01:09:45,240
Speaker 1: this was the best for JJ Reddick and his family, Like,

1521
01:09:45,280 --> 01:09:48,800
Speaker 1: that's hilarious. That's obviously not what that's obviously not with

1522
01:09:48,920 --> 01:09:51,840
Speaker 1: JJ Reddick things. So it's funny seeing two dudes kind

1523
01:09:51,880 --> 01:09:55,320
Speaker 1: of go at it that way in the media. Yeah,

1524
01:09:55,360 --> 01:09:58,559
Speaker 1: and like and and I saw someone tweet out two

1525
01:09:58,640 --> 01:10:01,960
Speaker 1: days ago just the perfect, you know, succinct explanation of

1526
01:10:01,960 --> 01:10:06,320
Speaker 1: the situation, like, uh, JJ Reddick doesn't deserve special treatment,

1527
01:10:06,360 --> 01:10:07,960
Speaker 1: but if he was lied to, he has every reason

1528
01:10:08,000 --> 01:10:10,519
Speaker 1: to be upset it. Really, it really is that simple

1529
01:10:10,560 --> 01:10:12,960
Speaker 1: to me, Like I I don't think it's it's any

1530
01:10:13,000 --> 01:10:16,080
Speaker 1: more complicated than that. Um, And it was super interesting.

1531
01:10:16,120 --> 01:10:19,320
Speaker 1: I thought to see a long form, you know, explanation

1532
01:10:19,439 --> 01:10:23,400
Speaker 1: from somebody about why, uh they felt like they were wronged.

1533
01:10:23,640 --> 01:10:26,280
Speaker 1: And that is the interesting part about the podcast format.

1534
01:10:26,320 --> 01:10:28,519
Speaker 1: And j J said in his thing, he's like, he's like,

1535
01:10:28,560 --> 01:10:30,479
Speaker 1: I'm not ignoring the Mavericks. He's like, I just don't

1536
01:10:30,520 --> 01:10:34,719
Speaker 1: have media availability until this other day. And then he said, uh,

1537
01:10:34,760 --> 01:10:37,320
Speaker 1: He's like, I didn't want to tweet something out, you

1538
01:10:37,320 --> 01:10:39,840
Speaker 1: know that had no context and had no uh, you know,

1539
01:10:40,520 --> 01:10:42,439
Speaker 1: any sort of in depth perspective. He's like, so I

1540
01:10:42,439 --> 01:10:43,840
Speaker 1: wanted to wait till my podcast and I thought, I

1541
01:10:43,840 --> 01:10:45,960
Speaker 1: thought that that was cool really quickly before I get

1542
01:10:46,000 --> 01:10:48,200
Speaker 1: you out of here. Last night I pointed out yet

1543
01:10:48,240 --> 01:10:51,759
Speaker 1: again that I think that there is starting to build

1544
01:10:51,840 --> 01:10:56,800
Speaker 1: this incontrovertible set of evidence that the Brooklyn Nets are

1545
01:10:57,040 --> 01:11:02,000
Speaker 1: way better than everybody. And you know, like, even when

1546
01:11:02,040 --> 01:11:05,559
Speaker 1: the Lakers are at full strength, they basically had one

1547
01:11:05,640 --> 01:11:08,040
Speaker 1: dominant stretch like this, and it was to start last

1548
01:11:08,040 --> 01:11:10,439
Speaker 1: season when they went twenty four and three. So if

1549
01:11:10,439 --> 01:11:12,320
Speaker 1: there's something to lean back on, you could say the

1550
01:11:12,400 --> 01:11:14,960
Speaker 1: Lakers have been as dominant as this next team. The

1551
01:11:15,040 --> 01:11:18,000
Speaker 1: differences though, is Lebron and a d were healthy for

1552
01:11:18,080 --> 01:11:22,120
Speaker 1: that stretch this next team. I'm gonna run the numbers

1553
01:11:22,200 --> 01:11:24,920
Speaker 1: later today because I've been meaning to, But my guess

1554
01:11:24,960 --> 01:11:29,679
Speaker 1: is they've been averaging playing one point five one point

1555
01:11:29,760 --> 01:11:32,800
Speaker 1: seven of their three stars per game, meaning like of

1556
01:11:32,840 --> 01:11:35,360
Speaker 1: the available games for their stars in this in this

1557
01:11:35,439 --> 01:11:38,559
Speaker 1: twenty three game stretch, Katie has been out for basically

1558
01:11:38,640 --> 01:11:42,679
Speaker 1: all of them. Harden's missed a few, and Kyrie's missed

1559
01:11:42,720 --> 01:11:46,080
Speaker 1: a bunch. So like for them to be this dominant

1560
01:11:46,479 --> 01:11:50,759
Speaker 1: missing core pieces, like, oh, there's a lot of precedent

1561
01:11:50,920 --> 01:11:53,439
Speaker 1: outside of the defense stuff where their defense isn't there

1562
01:11:53,720 --> 01:11:56,360
Speaker 1: that's that doesn't usually have a precedent of success in

1563
01:11:56,400 --> 01:11:59,400
Speaker 1: the NBA. However, there is a precedent for teams dominating

1564
01:11:59,439 --> 01:12:02,160
Speaker 1: the regular season and having some success. And so I

1565
01:12:02,520 --> 01:12:05,000
Speaker 1: am I am I crazy for thinking that they should

1566
01:12:05,040 --> 01:12:07,160
Speaker 1: be the favorite at this point, even if the Lakers

1567
01:12:07,200 --> 01:12:10,840
Speaker 1: are healthy. No, I don't think you're crazy. Like, look,

1568
01:12:10,840 --> 01:12:13,160
Speaker 1: their margin forever is so large. I mean when you

1569
01:12:13,240 --> 01:12:16,519
Speaker 1: have Harden, Kyrie and then Kevin Durant has played seven

1570
01:12:16,560 --> 01:12:19,320
Speaker 1: games together with that trio and they're absolutely killing the league.

1571
01:12:19,520 --> 01:12:21,160
Speaker 1: I think they're going to run through the East in

1572
01:12:21,200 --> 01:12:24,080
Speaker 1: a way that we haven't seen before. Um but again,

1573
01:12:24,280 --> 01:12:26,800
Speaker 1: I think Lebron and d d posed like a like

1574
01:12:26,840 --> 01:12:29,280
Speaker 1: a certain type of matchup issue for them. When you

1575
01:12:29,320 --> 01:12:31,800
Speaker 1: just break it down, I thought you thought. I think

1576
01:12:31,840 --> 01:12:33,360
Speaker 1: it was you that said something similar to this. You

1577
01:12:33,360 --> 01:12:36,000
Speaker 1: were talking about how Drew Holiday is a really interesting

1578
01:12:36,000 --> 01:12:38,000
Speaker 1: matchup problem for the Nets as well. Right, It's kind

1579
01:12:38,000 --> 01:12:40,519
Speaker 1: of like a tough big guard that they have to defend.

1580
01:12:40,880 --> 01:12:43,360
Speaker 1: And yeah, like their team where you're gonna have to

1581
01:12:43,400 --> 01:12:44,960
Speaker 1: be able to switch, You're gonna have to be able

1582
01:12:44,960 --> 01:12:47,880
Speaker 1: to just live with these contested jumpers. Um but ayay

1583
01:12:47,920 --> 01:12:50,120
Speaker 1: we saw what happens to Harden the playoffs. It's a

1584
01:12:50,160 --> 01:12:52,280
Speaker 1: different kind of guy who's to step back. Three is

1585
01:12:52,320 --> 01:12:54,720
Speaker 1: not as uh, it's not able to go to as well.

1586
01:12:54,840 --> 01:12:57,080
Speaker 1: Kyrie kind of goes up and down as well. The

1587
01:12:57,080 --> 01:12:59,080
Speaker 1: guy Katie is the guy that I feel like you

1588
01:12:59,080 --> 01:13:01,080
Speaker 1: have to live with get thirty. I mean, there's nothing

1589
01:13:01,080 --> 01:13:03,120
Speaker 1: really you can do about that. But again, like just

1590
01:13:03,160 --> 01:13:05,559
Speaker 1: looking at the match of dependent um things, I feel

1591
01:13:05,600 --> 01:13:07,439
Speaker 1: like if you go down the roster other than the

1592
01:13:07,479 --> 01:13:10,240
Speaker 1: three stars and the two stars, everything else is kind

1593
01:13:10,240 --> 01:13:13,599
Speaker 1: of uh, kind of even playing field from there. So

1594
01:13:14,240 --> 01:13:16,080
Speaker 1: I'm kind of taking the team with the better defense.

1595
01:13:16,360 --> 01:13:18,960
Speaker 1: But no, you're not crazy for saying the Nets are.

1596
01:13:19,080 --> 01:13:21,599
Speaker 1: The Nets are probably the favorite of the favorite in Vegas.

1597
01:13:21,680 --> 01:13:25,280
Speaker 1: I believe they've also played more games together continuity wise,

1598
01:13:25,400 --> 01:13:27,240
Speaker 1: even than the Lakers did, even though they've had all

1599
01:13:27,240 --> 01:13:30,080
Speaker 1: those players out, and Katie is just an easy guy

1600
01:13:30,080 --> 01:13:32,599
Speaker 1: to fit in there. But man, they are scary. Nick Claxton,

1601
01:13:32,720 --> 01:13:35,400
Speaker 1: somehows like the best big on their team. I mean,

1602
01:13:36,080 --> 01:13:38,639
Speaker 1: if LaMarcus Soldiers and Blake Griffin gets minutes, I'm I'm

1603
01:13:38,680 --> 01:13:41,200
Speaker 1: glad DeAndre Jordan's get all those minutes because Nick Laxson

1604
01:13:41,280 --> 01:13:44,160
Speaker 1: is a serious dude. Joe Harris is shooting shoot around

1605
01:13:44,200 --> 01:13:47,519
Speaker 1: threes every game. I mean, it's just ridiculous. He's wide open,

1606
01:13:47,600 --> 01:13:50,000
Speaker 1: able to look at the palm, looking, able to test

1607
01:13:50,000 --> 01:13:52,400
Speaker 1: the win and take sies. Um. So they're gonna be

1608
01:13:52,400 --> 01:13:55,680
Speaker 1: a really tough out. Again, that hard and trade is

1609
01:13:55,760 --> 01:13:58,960
Speaker 1: malpracticed to me. But that's that's another issue for another day.

1610
01:13:58,960 --> 01:14:02,120
Speaker 1: But uh, yeah, they're they're scary team. And I don't

1611
01:14:02,120 --> 01:14:04,240
Speaker 1: think your cage was saying the favorites. I still I

1612
01:14:04,280 --> 01:14:06,400
Speaker 1: give the benefit of the doubt to the champs, to

1613
01:14:06,479 --> 01:14:10,040
Speaker 1: the defending champs, but yeah, that they're almost likely the favorite.

1614
01:14:10,000 --> 01:14:11,840
Speaker 1: They're going to get to the finals pretty easily, in

1615
01:14:11,840 --> 01:14:13,559
Speaker 1: my opinion. Just look at the West risk of the

1616
01:14:13,560 --> 01:14:16,479
Speaker 1: east Man. They're gonna play like some under five hundred,

1617
01:14:16,479 --> 01:14:18,840
Speaker 1: way under five hundred team in the first round. I mean,

1618
01:14:18,840 --> 01:14:22,760
Speaker 1: it's just a ridiculous conference difference right now. Yeah, So

1619
01:14:22,960 --> 01:14:24,679
Speaker 1: I got some I got some crap the other day

1620
01:14:24,720 --> 01:14:26,439
Speaker 1: for for tweeting out that I thought that they were

1621
01:14:26,479 --> 01:14:28,960
Speaker 1: similar to the two thousand seventeen Warriors, and I overreacted

1622
01:14:29,000 --> 01:14:31,240
Speaker 1: and I took that back and and it was just

1623
01:14:31,360 --> 01:14:34,240
Speaker 1: it was just based on how dominant they've been. Um.

1624
01:14:34,280 --> 01:14:36,320
Speaker 1: The key difference between them and the two thousand and

1625
01:14:36,320 --> 01:14:39,439
Speaker 1: seventeen Warriors is the fact that, like the two thousand

1626
01:14:39,479 --> 01:14:43,400
Speaker 1: seventeen Warriors, were literally better at everything than everybody. Like

1627
01:14:43,439 --> 01:14:46,439
Speaker 1: they were an elite defensive team that was every bit

1628
01:14:46,479 --> 01:14:48,800
Speaker 1: as good defensively, if not better than every defensive team

1629
01:14:48,840 --> 01:14:50,720
Speaker 1: in the league. They were the best offense in the

1630
01:14:50,800 --> 01:14:52,840
Speaker 1: league that had one of the top two players and

1631
01:14:52,880 --> 01:14:54,479
Speaker 1: to two of the top three players in the league

1632
01:14:54,479 --> 01:14:56,400
Speaker 1: playing at the absolute peak of their game, so you

1633
01:14:56,479 --> 01:14:59,080
Speaker 1: had no angle. There was no advantage you could gain

1634
01:14:59,120 --> 01:15:02,120
Speaker 1: against them at That's why they basically went undefeated in

1635
01:15:02,120 --> 01:15:04,439
Speaker 1: the playoffs until they tricked off Game four in the

1636
01:15:04,479 --> 01:15:08,400
Speaker 1: in the finals. The differences is the But the Nets

1637
01:15:08,439 --> 01:15:10,680
Speaker 1: are going to face a lot of teams that have

1638
01:15:10,800 --> 01:15:13,920
Speaker 1: a clear advantage over them, whether it's a physicality advantage

1639
01:15:14,040 --> 01:15:16,040
Speaker 1: or it's a defensive advantage, and so that's gonna be

1640
01:15:16,040 --> 01:15:19,040
Speaker 1: the interesting wrinkle. If they play the Milwaukee Bucks. The

1641
01:15:19,080 --> 01:15:21,759
Speaker 1: Milwaukee Bucks have the ability to put some physical pressure

1642
01:15:21,760 --> 01:15:23,559
Speaker 1: on them that will cause them some problems. I don't

1643
01:15:23,600 --> 01:15:25,840
Speaker 1: think Milwaukee has the scoring chops to beat them, though.

1644
01:15:26,040 --> 01:15:28,439
Speaker 1: The interesting team is is Philly to me because the

1645
01:15:28,560 --> 01:15:33,439
Speaker 1: Joel MB presents such a scoring uh mismatch for the Nets.

1646
01:15:33,880 --> 01:15:36,479
Speaker 1: But again, that's a team that has a legitimate size

1647
01:15:36,520 --> 01:15:39,760
Speaker 1: and physicality advantage, and they have the ability to UH

1648
01:15:39,920 --> 01:15:42,559
Speaker 1: to defend at such a high level and gain an

1649
01:15:42,600 --> 01:15:45,040
Speaker 1: advantage against Brooklyn that way, and then the Lakers do

1650
01:15:45,080 --> 01:15:46,800
Speaker 1: as well. The Lakers are the best of those three

1651
01:15:47,040 --> 01:15:50,479
Speaker 1: teams because the Lakers have the star power to match

1652
01:15:50,520 --> 01:15:52,800
Speaker 1: the top two guys in Brooklyn, and they have the

1653
01:15:52,800 --> 01:15:55,360
Speaker 1: physicality to beat you up, and they have the defense

1654
01:15:55,400 --> 01:15:57,960
Speaker 1: too to gain an advantage there. So I absolutely think

1655
01:15:57,960 --> 01:16:01,519
Speaker 1: the Lakers can beat them. I'd didn't think anybody could

1656
01:16:01,560 --> 01:16:05,640
Speaker 1: beat the two thousand seventeen Warriors the so that's the

1657
01:16:05,680 --> 01:16:10,080
Speaker 1: clear difference. However, I do think like the it's it's

1658
01:16:10,120 --> 01:16:13,080
Speaker 1: okay to admit the fact that Brooklyn has just appeared

1659
01:16:13,120 --> 01:16:16,120
Speaker 1: to be better than everybody to this point, and it's

1660
01:16:16,120 --> 01:16:17,920
Speaker 1: all really gonna come down to whether or not teams

1661
01:16:17,920 --> 01:16:21,200
Speaker 1: can attach attack their switching defensive scheme in a playoff series,

1662
01:16:21,240 --> 01:16:23,679
Speaker 1: because in in the regular season it's been catching people

1663
01:16:23,680 --> 01:16:25,920
Speaker 1: off guard and teams don't know how to attack it

1664
01:16:26,280 --> 01:16:28,200
Speaker 1: uh and there are certain teams that have no chance

1665
01:16:28,240 --> 01:16:30,439
Speaker 1: like as someone said the other day, I said, this morning,

1666
01:16:30,439 --> 01:16:32,479
Speaker 1: I saw someone said they thought the Clippers could push

1667
01:16:32,520 --> 01:16:34,720
Speaker 1: the Nets to six. I totally disagree. I think the

1668
01:16:34,720 --> 01:16:37,759
Speaker 1: Clippers will get swept by the Nets because they their

1669
01:16:37,800 --> 01:16:43,400
Speaker 1: offensive style plays directly into Brooklyn's defensive schemes, So they

1670
01:16:43,400 --> 01:16:46,040
Speaker 1: would be the worst possible matchup for that type of team.

1671
01:16:46,360 --> 01:16:49,320
Speaker 1: You need a team that attacks their switches at the rim.

1672
01:16:49,880 --> 01:16:51,960
Speaker 1: Uh And the best team to do that is going

1673
01:16:52,040 --> 01:16:54,320
Speaker 1: to be a Philly with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiide

1674
01:16:54,520 --> 01:16:57,720
Speaker 1: or a Lakers with Lebron and Anthony Davis and and

1675
01:16:57,720 --> 01:17:01,200
Speaker 1: and Milwaukee outside chance if Janice just goes absolutely berserk

1676
01:17:01,680 --> 01:17:05,160
Speaker 1: and and Drew Holiday does a nice job defensively on

1677
01:17:05,280 --> 01:17:08,360
Speaker 1: James Harden or Kyrie Irving, and if Chris Middleton just

1678
01:17:08,400 --> 01:17:11,320
Speaker 1: plays to his absolute peaks. So those are the teams

1679
01:17:11,320 --> 01:17:13,960
Speaker 1: that I think have a chance. But again that's the

1680
01:17:14,040 --> 01:17:17,840
Speaker 1: clear cut difference between this Brooklyn Nets team in the

1681
01:17:17,840 --> 01:17:20,519
Speaker 1: two thousand and seventeen Warriors is as dominant as they

1682
01:17:20,520 --> 01:17:24,280
Speaker 1: have been. They're doing it by being super super super

1683
01:17:24,280 --> 01:17:28,479
Speaker 1: good at specific things and not having a ton of versatility. Uh,

1684
01:17:28,560 --> 01:17:31,160
Speaker 1: And so that there will they will be in playoff

1685
01:17:31,240 --> 01:17:34,559
Speaker 1: series where the other team will be clearly better than

1686
01:17:34,600 --> 01:17:37,559
Speaker 1: them at a couple of things, and so that's gonna

1687
01:17:37,600 --> 01:17:39,960
Speaker 1: be what allows them to potentially get beat in the

1688
01:17:40,000 --> 01:17:42,479
Speaker 1: second round, you know, if they end up against like

1689
01:17:42,479 --> 01:17:45,160
Speaker 1: a Milwaukee in the second round, or just run through

1690
01:17:45,200 --> 01:17:48,200
Speaker 1: the league and beat everybody. And then that's my thing,

1691
01:17:48,280 --> 01:17:49,920
Speaker 1: is I wonder if, well, I wonder if you and

1692
01:17:50,000 --> 01:17:51,720
Speaker 1: I'll be doing a pop this off season. We're to

1693
01:17:51,840 --> 01:17:54,000
Speaker 1: be like, why didn't we just realize the Nets were

1694
01:17:54,000 --> 01:17:56,919
Speaker 1: better than everybody? You know that That's that's where that's

1695
01:17:56,960 --> 01:18:00,280
Speaker 1: that's the range of outcomes that I see with them. Yeah,

1696
01:18:00,280 --> 01:18:02,679
Speaker 1: I remember there was like a Clippers Nets game, which

1697
01:18:02,720 --> 01:18:04,439
Speaker 1: was really good. It was an exciting game, right I

1698
01:18:04,479 --> 01:18:06,559
Speaker 1: think I think it was in Brooklyn, and they had

1699
01:18:06,560 --> 01:18:08,360
Speaker 1: like a bunch of big shots. But once I saw

1700
01:18:08,400 --> 01:18:10,040
Speaker 1: that they were playing one on one, I just knew

1701
01:18:10,040 --> 01:18:12,160
Speaker 1: the Nets. You're not beating the Nets at their own game, right,

1702
01:18:12,240 --> 01:18:14,439
Speaker 1: if you want to go into is so heavy park

1703
01:18:14,560 --> 01:18:16,680
Speaker 1: one on one style basketball, you're not beating them. You're

1704
01:18:16,720 --> 01:18:19,639
Speaker 1: not beating Kyrie, Katie and Harden in a switch heavy

1705
01:18:19,720 --> 01:18:22,519
Speaker 1: offense type of basketball. So like, I feel like you

1706
01:18:22,520 --> 01:18:24,439
Speaker 1: gotta beat them with you know, schemes, and we'll see

1707
01:18:24,520 --> 01:18:26,240
Speaker 1: up the Bucks and Buddooles. It can kind of come

1708
01:18:26,360 --> 01:18:28,960
Speaker 1: up with something. You honest needs some kind of mid

1709
01:18:29,200 --> 01:18:31,960
Speaker 1: mid range game to get it going. Their shooters have

1710
01:18:32,040 --> 01:18:34,200
Speaker 1: to have it going. And I don't know, I just

1711
01:18:34,240 --> 01:18:36,519
Speaker 1: think you can't beat the Nets with a blow average

1712
01:18:36,560 --> 01:18:40,040
Speaker 1: like defense or a blow average you know, shock creation offense.

1713
01:18:40,080 --> 01:18:42,800
Speaker 1: And they're they're gonna be scary. I think they're gonna

1714
01:18:42,880 --> 01:18:45,240
Speaker 1: run through the East like we haven't seen before. UM

1715
01:18:45,320 --> 01:18:48,759
Speaker 1: and the Warriors, like they won what seventy three games before,

1716
01:18:48,840 --> 01:18:51,840
Speaker 1: and then they just fit Katie into their system right,

1717
01:18:51,880 --> 01:18:54,519
Speaker 1: so they basically put him where Harrison Barnes was and

1718
01:18:54,560 --> 01:18:56,280
Speaker 1: then up for him to there. This is a brand

1719
01:18:56,320 --> 01:18:59,200
Speaker 1: new kind of system team that we haven't seen before.

1720
01:18:59,520 --> 01:19:01,840
Speaker 1: Kind of this is like one on one, very pick

1721
01:19:01,880 --> 01:19:04,400
Speaker 1: and roll heavy, a lot of rolling to the basketball.

1722
01:19:04,479 --> 01:19:07,559
Speaker 1: Kyrie gets like a whole quarter of game where he

1723
01:19:07,560 --> 01:19:09,880
Speaker 1: gets to just play on one on one and it's

1724
01:19:09,920 --> 01:19:13,080
Speaker 1: just a really tough cover. And Harden's become their point guard.

1725
01:19:13,320 --> 01:19:15,320
Speaker 1: Katie is gonna come right in and fill in for

1726
01:19:15,800 --> 01:19:17,840
Speaker 1: I don't know who's starting for Bruce Brown. I mean,

1727
01:19:17,840 --> 01:19:22,120
Speaker 1: it's just gonna be just ridiculous level of talent. So yeah,

1728
01:19:22,320 --> 01:19:24,080
Speaker 1: I think they're the favorite right now. But again, the

1729
01:19:24,080 --> 01:19:27,000
Speaker 1: playoffs are a different matchup. We'll see what happens. Philly

1730
01:19:27,040 --> 01:19:29,160
Speaker 1: and Milwaukee are gonna be I don't know, like people

1731
01:19:29,200 --> 01:19:30,880
Speaker 1: say Joel and Beat. I mean, even if Joel and

1732
01:19:30,920 --> 01:19:33,200
Speaker 1: Beat I were just forty, I'm verre you comfortable with

1733
01:19:33,240 --> 01:19:36,240
Speaker 1: the with Philly being the nets probably not so well,

1734
01:19:36,520 --> 01:19:38,640
Speaker 1: we'll see how that works out. I just don't think

1735
01:19:38,680 --> 01:19:41,360
Speaker 1: anyone's beating them until the finals. I think it's gonna

1736
01:19:41,360 --> 01:19:43,160
Speaker 1: be the Lakers can get there. I think they can

1737
01:19:43,200 --> 01:19:45,679
Speaker 1: beat them. Uh, they have the chance, right, Like you said,

1738
01:19:45,680 --> 01:19:48,599
Speaker 1: they have a chance. Other than that, they're most likely

1739
01:19:48,680 --> 01:19:50,759
Speaker 1: are gonna walk away with the ring here in this season.

1740
01:19:51,680 --> 01:19:53,559
Speaker 1: So the last thing I want to say about this

1741
01:19:53,640 --> 01:19:55,760
Speaker 1: is just the you know you just brought it up

1742
01:19:55,840 --> 01:19:57,920
Speaker 1: having to do with attacking the switches, like and I'll

1743
01:19:57,920 --> 01:20:00,160
Speaker 1: give you an example. I think there's a different us

1744
01:20:00,160 --> 01:20:02,679
Speaker 1: between attacking a switch for what's a high quality look

1745
01:20:03,000 --> 01:20:07,680
Speaker 1: and attacking a switch for what is a extremely extremely

1746
01:20:07,760 --> 01:20:11,360
Speaker 1: like high quality looks. So, for instance, like Kawai Leonard

1747
01:20:11,400 --> 01:20:13,839
Speaker 1: is gonna be able to get switches and get kyrie

1748
01:20:13,920 --> 01:20:16,320
Speaker 1: on him and you know, bounce him a couple of

1749
01:20:16,360 --> 01:20:18,040
Speaker 1: times and get to one of his turnarounds that he's

1750
01:20:18,040 --> 01:20:20,960
Speaker 1: gonna make fifty of the time, you know, and that's

1751
01:20:20,960 --> 01:20:23,559
Speaker 1: a really good shape. But that it's a stagnant form

1752
01:20:23,600 --> 01:20:26,120
Speaker 1: of offense. And and as we've seen so many times,

1753
01:20:26,160 --> 01:20:28,040
Speaker 1: like over the course of a series, that if you

1754
01:20:28,120 --> 01:20:30,120
Speaker 1: force him to do that a lot, his efficiency will dip,

1755
01:20:30,120 --> 01:20:31,920
Speaker 1: maybe from fifty two to forty eight, and then you

1756
01:20:31,960 --> 01:20:33,920
Speaker 1: just are scoring at a higher clip on the other end.

1757
01:20:34,400 --> 01:20:37,519
Speaker 1: The difference is like when you attack a switch with

1758
01:20:37,680 --> 01:20:41,920
Speaker 1: size and physicality at the rim, it is a shot.

1759
01:20:42,040 --> 01:20:45,360
Speaker 1: So for instance, late in the game yesterday against the Clippers,

1760
01:20:45,680 --> 01:20:50,559
Speaker 1: there was a chaotic stretch where, uh, who's the small

1761
01:20:50,560 --> 01:20:53,040
Speaker 1: guard for the Clippers that got switched on the Yo

1762
01:20:53,160 --> 01:20:57,639
Speaker 1: kich I'm trying to remember who it was, Umge Jackson.

1763
01:20:58,600 --> 01:21:00,640
Speaker 1: It was either Reggie Jackson or tear Man one of

1764
01:21:00,640 --> 01:21:02,720
Speaker 1: the one of their smaller players got switched on to

1765
01:21:02,800 --> 01:21:06,560
Speaker 1: Yoki in a roll and and so they were isolating

1766
01:21:06,840 --> 01:21:09,240
Speaker 1: Jamal Murray on the outside of Jamal Murray just was

1767
01:21:09,479 --> 01:21:12,600
Speaker 1: force fed. You know, kitchen yokis is getting foul like

1768
01:21:12,640 --> 01:21:15,360
Speaker 1: the dudes like hanging on his left arm. He's being

1769
01:21:15,400 --> 01:21:17,559
Speaker 1: held to the ground, but they just throw the ball

1770
01:21:17,640 --> 01:21:19,639
Speaker 1: up to the over the top and Yoki's just kind

1771
01:21:19,640 --> 01:21:21,519
Speaker 1: of catches it with one hand and just kind of

1772
01:21:21,560 --> 01:21:24,599
Speaker 1: guides them to the basket. It was a one percent shot,

1773
01:21:24,800 --> 01:21:28,320
Speaker 1: like when you have that size and physicality and they

1774
01:21:28,360 --> 01:21:31,719
Speaker 1: switched the smaller guy onto you, it is a one

1775
01:21:32,280 --> 01:21:35,479
Speaker 1: percent shot, or they're doubling and you're getting wide open

1776
01:21:35,520 --> 01:21:38,160
Speaker 1: shots on the other end. So that's the key difference there,

1777
01:21:38,200 --> 01:21:39,960
Speaker 1: and that to me is what makes a Lebron in

1778
01:21:40,040 --> 01:21:42,920
Speaker 1: a d or you know, uh, you know, if you

1779
01:21:42,960 --> 01:21:46,160
Speaker 1: put like Lebron, if you put Drew Holiday, the best

1780
01:21:46,240 --> 01:21:48,799
Speaker 1: little guy defender in the league, on him, it's bucket

1781
01:21:48,920 --> 01:21:51,080
Speaker 1: every time down the floor, like he just it's a

1782
01:21:51,160 --> 01:21:54,280
Speaker 1: one percent shot, like he's just getting onto the rim.

1783
01:21:54,320 --> 01:21:56,800
Speaker 1: And there are famous clips of him last year just

1784
01:21:57,240 --> 01:22:00,879
Speaker 1: ripping through Holiday a new one in isolation and Anthony

1785
01:22:00,960 --> 01:22:03,599
Speaker 1: Davis like, you put you know, PJ. Tucker on him

1786
01:22:03,600 --> 01:22:05,679
Speaker 1: and you attack him, and you attack p J. Tucker.

1787
01:22:05,920 --> 01:22:08,840
Speaker 1: He's just getting such high quality shots that it's not

1788
01:22:08,960 --> 01:22:12,519
Speaker 1: a fifty Kauai turnaround, which is a really nice look.

1789
01:22:13,000 --> 01:22:16,880
Speaker 1: It's this incredibly like hard dribble rights, spin back over.

1790
01:22:16,960 --> 01:22:19,240
Speaker 1: He's shooting that little you know, five foot kind of

1791
01:22:19,320 --> 01:22:21,439
Speaker 1: leaner with his right hand that he's gonna make sevent

1792
01:22:22,320 --> 01:22:24,680
Speaker 1: of the time. And that's the key difference in the

1793
01:22:24,680 --> 01:22:27,720
Speaker 1: way that those team attack. Teams attack those switches, and

1794
01:22:27,760 --> 01:22:30,519
Speaker 1: that's how you have to beat Brooklyn where they of

1795
01:22:30,640 --> 01:22:33,719
Speaker 1: them giving up a switch literally gives up a basket.

1796
01:22:34,080 --> 01:22:36,439
Speaker 1: That that that's the that's where where you beat them.

1797
01:22:36,439 --> 01:22:38,799
Speaker 1: And that's why I think the bigger, more physical teams

1798
01:22:39,080 --> 01:22:41,040
Speaker 1: have a better chance. And the Clippers, for the record,

1799
01:22:42,000 --> 01:22:44,320
Speaker 1: what do they do well. They don't close games well,

1800
01:22:44,360 --> 01:22:46,320
Speaker 1: they don't defend well. The only thing they do well

1801
01:22:46,360 --> 01:22:48,000
Speaker 1: to score. But they can't score at the end of

1802
01:22:48,000 --> 01:22:51,880
Speaker 1: games because they get too stagnant. They're they're like as

1803
01:22:52,000 --> 01:22:55,040
Speaker 1: sure a bet to lose and in the first two

1804
01:22:55,280 --> 01:22:58,200
Speaker 1: rounds of the playoffs as any really really talented team

1805
01:22:58,240 --> 01:23:01,280
Speaker 1: that I can remember in the last few years. Man,

1806
01:23:01,320 --> 01:23:05,479
Speaker 1: they already hate you, but they have a real they

1807
01:23:05,479 --> 01:23:08,679
Speaker 1: have a real like athletic disadvantage, right Their whole starting

1808
01:23:08,680 --> 01:23:12,000
Speaker 1: lineup really doesn't push other than Zooboch and like Terence Man,

1809
01:23:12,040 --> 01:23:14,000
Speaker 1: like that's why Terence Man pops off the screen. For

1810
01:23:14,040 --> 01:23:16,680
Speaker 1: them because he's such an athletic dude. He gives them

1811
01:23:16,720 --> 01:23:18,760
Speaker 1: some pop, but other than that, the whole team kind

1812
01:23:18,760 --> 01:23:21,599
Speaker 1: of is really lethargic. Like Paul George doesn't really put

1813
01:23:21,600 --> 01:23:23,519
Speaker 1: pressure on the rim, and he's not really he's not

1814
01:23:23,560 --> 01:23:26,120
Speaker 1: beating you with any kind of athleticism. Kauai as well,

1815
01:23:26,160 --> 01:23:27,960
Speaker 1: gets a few dunks here and there, but he's really

1816
01:23:27,960 --> 01:23:30,759
Speaker 1: going to his midrange pull ups and fade away jumpers,

1817
01:23:30,760 --> 01:23:34,400
Speaker 1: which again you talked about probably most likely those kind

1818
01:23:34,400 --> 01:23:36,599
Speaker 1: of shots, so they put no pressure on the basket.

1819
01:23:36,640 --> 01:23:39,040
Speaker 1: And that's kind of when I watch a team like Brooklyn,

1820
01:23:39,120 --> 01:23:41,680
Speaker 1: like you have to beat them with force. Right, That's

1821
01:23:41,720 --> 01:23:43,599
Speaker 1: the same thing with Houston. It's why Houston was so

1822
01:23:43,600 --> 01:23:46,160
Speaker 1: successful in my opinion, in the regular season last year.

1823
01:23:46,400 --> 01:23:48,120
Speaker 1: Um No, teams really came at him with a lot

1824
01:23:48,120 --> 01:23:50,639
Speaker 1: of fours and they again that switch heavy kind of

1825
01:23:50,640 --> 01:23:54,439
Speaker 1: defense really um perpetuates that. So like when you when

1826
01:23:54,439 --> 01:23:56,759
Speaker 1: you look at it, the Lakers really beat Houston because

1827
01:23:56,800 --> 01:23:58,519
Speaker 1: they had no one to guard Anthony Davis, right, they

1828
01:23:58,520 --> 01:24:00,920
Speaker 1: were switching Daniel House, um guys like that on to

1829
01:24:01,000 --> 01:24:03,160
Speaker 1: Anthony Davis, and he really put them in the basket.

1830
01:24:03,439 --> 01:24:05,400
Speaker 1: Hit his midrange jumpers as well. And I think that's

1831
01:24:05,400 --> 01:24:07,000
Speaker 1: what you have to do with Brooklyn. You have to

1832
01:24:07,439 --> 01:24:09,600
Speaker 1: um back them down, get a d kind of the

1833
01:24:09,600 --> 01:24:12,400
Speaker 1: switches he wants, get doubles from there, put pressure on

1834
01:24:12,400 --> 01:24:15,240
Speaker 1: the rim, offensive rebound, and beat them up that way

1835
01:24:15,280 --> 01:24:18,120
Speaker 1: to where their offense can't get out of transition. Katie's

1836
01:24:18,120 --> 01:24:20,320
Speaker 1: not flying around off screens like. You have to make

1837
01:24:20,360 --> 01:24:23,800
Speaker 1: it a slow grind game for them, because if you

1838
01:24:23,800 --> 01:24:26,120
Speaker 1: get into a scoring match with them, you're gonna lose.

1839
01:24:26,200 --> 01:24:29,160
Speaker 1: You're not outscoring Brooklyn, You're not gonna You're not getting

1840
01:24:29,200 --> 01:24:31,800
Speaker 1: into You're not gonna win a hundred and thirty game

1841
01:24:31,840 --> 01:24:33,840
Speaker 1: in the playoffs. To me, like that, they're gonna they're

1842
01:24:33,840 --> 01:24:35,280
Speaker 1: gonna win that type of game. You need to get

1843
01:24:35,320 --> 01:24:38,559
Speaker 1: them slow down, play your pace kind of and uh,

1844
01:24:38,600 --> 01:24:40,599
Speaker 1: that's why that's why I love about Denver. This Aaron

1845
01:24:40,640 --> 01:24:44,480
Speaker 1: Gordon addition for them just gives them this athletic advantage

1846
01:24:44,520 --> 01:24:46,439
Speaker 1: that they just didn't have. He saw it last night

1847
01:24:46,439 --> 01:24:48,240
Speaker 1: against the Clippers. They beat up on them, They got

1848
01:24:48,240 --> 01:24:51,160
Speaker 1: offensive rebounds whenever they wanted. Your kids got on the post.

1849
01:24:51,360 --> 01:24:53,559
Speaker 1: Your kidch had zero free throws last night. By the way,

1850
01:24:53,560 --> 01:24:55,519
Speaker 1: did you know that you did not shot a single

1851
01:24:55,560 --> 01:24:58,280
Speaker 1: free throw and they still want by like what double digits.

1852
01:24:58,320 --> 01:24:59,960
Speaker 1: So I like their team and that's how you have

1853
01:25:00,000 --> 01:25:03,599
Speaker 1: to be Brooklyn. To me, that was a weird game

1854
01:25:03,680 --> 01:25:07,360
Speaker 1: because he Yokis wasn't super aggressive. Um, you know, he

1855
01:25:07,439 --> 01:25:10,040
Speaker 1: made key plays. Jamal Murray wasn't super aggresive until late

1856
01:25:10,040 --> 01:25:12,360
Speaker 1: in the game. Uh. To me, the interesting thing there

1857
01:25:12,360 --> 01:25:15,200
Speaker 1: in Gordon is like like, you know Jeremy Grant, like

1858
01:25:16,000 --> 01:25:19,280
Speaker 1: the we joke about how you know the Nuggets needed

1859
01:25:19,360 --> 01:25:23,479
Speaker 1: him as like this wing defender, Lebron destroyed Jeremy Grant,

1860
01:25:23,760 --> 01:25:26,439
Speaker 1: Like he didn't do that good of a job on him.

1861
01:25:26,560 --> 01:25:28,200
Speaker 1: Like he did a lot of flopping when every single

1862
01:25:28,240 --> 01:25:30,599
Speaker 1: time you picked up a blocking foul and Lebron Lebron

1863
01:25:30,720 --> 01:25:33,360
Speaker 1: really ate his launch, especially like in that fourth quarter

1864
01:25:33,360 --> 01:25:37,080
Speaker 1: of Game five, Like Aaron Gordon is he's been stuck

1865
01:25:37,080 --> 01:25:40,760
Speaker 1: in basketball, you know, purgatory down there in Orlando. He's

1866
01:25:40,800 --> 01:25:43,120
Speaker 1: one of the better perimeter defensive players in the league

1867
01:25:43,120 --> 01:25:46,519
Speaker 1: because he's super strong and super athletic, and there's a

1868
01:25:46,560 --> 01:25:49,840
Speaker 1: strength that he has that that Jeremy Grant didn't have,

1869
01:25:50,479 --> 01:25:53,000
Speaker 1: and there's an athleticism that that he has that Tory

1870
01:25:53,080 --> 01:25:57,320
Speaker 1: Craig didn't have and so he's a massive massive improvement

1871
01:25:57,360 --> 01:26:00,439
Speaker 1: over what they've made that position, and and and you know,

1872
01:26:00,479 --> 01:26:04,439
Speaker 1: he's such a natural off ball fit offensively next to

1873
01:26:04,439 --> 01:26:08,840
Speaker 1: to Yokich. I'm super I definitely view them now as

1874
01:26:08,880 --> 01:26:10,960
Speaker 1: the second best team in the East or West, behind

1875
01:26:10,960 --> 01:26:14,160
Speaker 1: the Lakers. But we've gone for eighty six minutes, so

1876
01:26:14,200 --> 01:26:15,639
Speaker 1: I gotta get you out of here because we both

1877
01:26:15,640 --> 01:26:19,320
Speaker 1: have to get do some work. But the stream state steadies,

1878
01:26:19,320 --> 01:26:22,040
Speaker 1: so that's awesome. I really appreciate all of you guys

1879
01:26:22,240 --> 01:26:24,720
Speaker 1: for hanging out and listening. Roger, you have a good

1880
01:26:24,720 --> 01:26:26,160
Speaker 1: rest of your weekend, man, and I'll see you next

1881
01:26:26,160 --> 01:26:28,400
Speaker 1: week YouTube. Man, have a going