WEBVTT - Could The Lakers Be A Real Threat In The West?

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<v Speaker 1>So Dame could have grabbed all the headlines by himself

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<v Speaker 1>last night, but something fascinating happened. Something As a Blazer fan,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't really care to discuss. But for the people,

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<v Speaker 1>we will. For the people, we will not brush it

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<v Speaker 1>off and discard it as an anomaly or as an

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<v Speaker 1>abhorrent situation. The Los Angeles Lakers were in Dallas, and

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<v Speaker 1>they might have saved their season by staging what would

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<v Speaker 1>also be something historic in their comeback, but it wasn't.

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<v Speaker 1>It wasn't just the comeback. The coming back. That's fine.

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<v Speaker 1>The comeback itself was amazing, but it that would have

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<v Speaker 1>been worth talking about anyway. But it's how they came back.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not just a barrage of threes, which, let's be honest,

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<v Speaker 1>the Lakers are never gonna give you a barrage of threes.

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<v Speaker 1>But what it was was lock down defense against one

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<v Speaker 1>of the most difficult guys to defend and stop in

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<v Speaker 1>the league. Luka Doncic, one of the most unguardable dudes

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<v Speaker 1>in league history, plays at his own pace, is absolutely

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<v Speaker 1>a load on the court. You cannot move him, you

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<v Speaker 1>cannot stop him, and yet the Lakers did. Kyrie and

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<v Speaker 1>Luca ran out to a huge first half lead, looked

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<v Speaker 1>like the Lakers were cooked. They then rallied as we'll

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<v Speaker 1>get into Vanderbilt and Austin Reeves lockdown Luca, while Lebron

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<v Speaker 1>looked really good and Ad pretty much looked like he

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<v Speaker 1>should be the guy that the Lakers run their offense around.

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<v Speaker 1>The Lakers end up stealing a win that they should

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<v Speaker 1>not have won but absolutely needed on the road. Huge

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<v Speaker 1>w for a team that most people have written off

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<v Speaker 1>even after the trade deadline, and as a world class

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<v Speaker 1>lifelong Laker hater, it pains me. It pains me to

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<v Speaker 1>say that the Lakers are just not the same team

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<v Speaker 1>as they were before the deadline. They were dead. They

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<v Speaker 1>were barbecue chicken. They were not just barbecue chicken. They

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<v Speaker 1>were a little piece of coal inside of the barbecue.

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<v Speaker 1>Like that's how cooked they were. They had been on

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<v Speaker 1>the grill a long time. And if they had an

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<v Speaker 1>even Windhorse said this on his podcast, if this roster

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<v Speaker 1>was the roster that they came into the training camp with,

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<v Speaker 1>they'd probably be a five seed, four seed. This is

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<v Speaker 1>this is a really good roster, top six team in

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<v Speaker 1>the West Foreshore, probably most of it having to do

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<v Speaker 1>with Jared Vanderbilt, a player that nobody seemed to feast

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<v Speaker 1>after at the deadline, which made no fucking sense. Malik Beasley,

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<v Speaker 1>who can shoot Dilo, who had an ankle injury last

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<v Speaker 1>night and didn't actually even play, but he's been a

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<v Speaker 1>bucket And I don't really know why people whipped on

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<v Speaker 1>Jared Vanderbilt. That doesn't make any sense to me. He's

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<v Speaker 1>probably the most important new Laker on this team. Why

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<v Speaker 1>you say how you say Vanderbilt? Jared Vanderbilt as a

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<v Speaker 1>primary defender on Luca. Luca was zero for three with

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<v Speaker 1>one assist and five turnovers, all caused by Vanderbilt, who

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<v Speaker 1>either forced a turnover intercepted a pass. Seven foot one

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<v Speaker 1>wing span. Our guy Jared Vanderbilt has that allows him

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<v Speaker 1>to stay big, stay long, stay active against a very

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<v Speaker 1>huge Doncic, like a guy who is just very crafty,

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<v Speaker 1>moves at his own pace and gets around pretty much everyone.

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<v Speaker 1>Messed with the step back multiple times, cut off passing

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<v Speaker 1>lanes when he wanted to drive. Vanderbilt's five deflections led

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<v Speaker 1>the Lakers and was almost as many as the entire

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<v Speaker 1>MAVs team had by themselves. Yeah, he was also by

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<v Speaker 1>the way, six for eight from the field shooting, had

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<v Speaker 1>seventeen rebounds. This was a guy that Minnesota had and

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<v Speaker 1>they just gave him up. They just gave him up

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<v Speaker 1>for Rudy Gobert and other things. Like they gave other

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<v Speaker 1>things up too. He was a plus fourteen and twenty

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<v Speaker 1>seven minutes, had eight offensive rebounds himself. That's incredible. I

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<v Speaker 1>am shocked the teams like the Blazers didn't go after him,

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<v Speaker 1>like teams like the Kings, a contender like the Suns,

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<v Speaker 1>a contender like the Bucks. Like you gave up five

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<v Speaker 1>second round picks for Jake Crowder, you couldn't give one

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<v Speaker 1>first round pick in four second rounds for Jared Vanderbilt.

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<v Speaker 1>I know you want a veteran, but like, Jared Vanderbilt

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<v Speaker 1>is pretty good. He's gonna be good for a long time.

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<v Speaker 1>And this led me to a question because you had

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<v Speaker 1>the Clippers game and you had the Lakers game, and

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<v Speaker 1>so I was thinking about him both, and I wondered

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<v Speaker 1>to myself who got better more? Like who got more

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<v Speaker 1>better between the Clippers and the Lakers. I know it's

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<v Speaker 1>like a ridiculous way of saying it, but that's how

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<v Speaker 1>I think about it. So like who had the better

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<v Speaker 1>roster up grade, because it's like pretty close. They got

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<v Speaker 1>both a lot better. I love the fact that the

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<v Speaker 1>Clippers got Gordon Plumbley bones Russell Westbrook. I don't really

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<v Speaker 1>love the west Russell Westbrook, but it's a part of

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<v Speaker 1>their situation. And the Lakers team, though, is completely unrecognizable.

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<v Speaker 1>They got Ruey from the Wizards. But then you add

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<v Speaker 1>in d lo who was out against the MAVs. Like

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<v Speaker 1>I said, Vanderbilt Malik Beasley, all of that changed this

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<v Speaker 1>team for the first time all year. The Lakers are long,

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<v Speaker 1>they can switch, they can play defense and the same

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<v Speaker 1>athletic way that they won the title in the Bubble.

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<v Speaker 1>They can shoot, and it all shows they can just

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<v Speaker 1>do more things, like Darvin Ham can just be a

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<v Speaker 1>better coach because like he has the pieces for them

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<v Speaker 1>to do those things he wants them to do. And

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<v Speaker 1>watching that game made me realize that, like what Darvin

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<v Speaker 1>Ham at the All Star Game we said, Remember we said,

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<v Speaker 1>he said, hey, we are not doing any of that

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<v Speaker 1>load management shit anymore. No more, nobody from one through fifteen,

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<v Speaker 1>there is no more of that, no more sitting out

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<v Speaker 1>for the rest of the year. And damn if we

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<v Speaker 1>didn't see an example of that, come down to the

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<v Speaker 1>wire and show us exactly that it was true. He said,

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<v Speaker 1>whoever could play is gonna play. And sure enough, in

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<v Speaker 1>the fourth quarter, Lebron James, Lebron James sprained his fucking

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<v Speaker 1>ankle so bad he had to take his shoe off,

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<v Speaker 1>rolled around in abject pain in ways that made my

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<v Speaker 1>own ankle hurt. And what did he do. He put

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<v Speaker 1>that shoe right back on and he ran back down

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<v Speaker 1>the court. He didn't even come out for a second. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>And like, injuries are a concern for the Lakers, and

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<v Speaker 1>you've had a de miss time, and Broun missed time,

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<v Speaker 1>and Reeves miss time, and Shroeder miss time, and Braun

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<v Speaker 1>of course is the centerpiece of that. So when he

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<v Speaker 1>was down in clear pain, it was like, oh, shot,

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<v Speaker 1>they are done. Is it the rest? Is Ron done

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<v Speaker 1>for the season? No? No, He put that shoe back on,

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<v Speaker 1>tight it tight, and just kept it moving. This is

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<v Speaker 1>what he said after the game when they asked him

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<v Speaker 1>about his ankle, to get the foot ankle question out

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<v Speaker 1>of the way so we can talk about the game

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<v Speaker 1>down for a little bit there.

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<v Speaker 2>Obviously stayed in and finished.

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<v Speaker 1>The game out any different for.

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<v Speaker 2>The last of the weeks. It's been better, that's for sure,

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<v Speaker 2>but definitely wasn't gonna go to the locker room. And

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<v Speaker 2>I finished the game on tonight just you know, understood

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<v Speaker 2>the import of the game. And then the momentum that

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<v Speaker 2>we had. I feel like we could you know, still

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<v Speaker 2>wouldn't have to be a down, but were monitored the

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<v Speaker 2>next couple of days, see how it feels and go

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<v Speaker 2>from there.

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<v Speaker 1>He said, it's been better. Yeah, no shit. That ankle

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<v Speaker 1>injury looked it was a non contact just just sprained

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<v Speaker 1>it on his own. Looked bad. And earlier this week

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<v Speaker 1>he said they'd basically have to carry him off the

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<v Speaker 1>court to keep him from playing out the rest of

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<v Speaker 1>this year. So he's going to muscle his way through

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<v Speaker 1>the playoffs. And that was not hyperbole. He gutted that

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<v Speaker 1>game out when the Lakers needed him. He continued to

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<v Speaker 1>play on what is probably a very painful ankle injury.

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<v Speaker 1>And so when Lebron is thirty eight, this is a

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<v Speaker 1>thirty eight year old man. This man is ready to

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<v Speaker 1>collect his AARP card and his Social Security from the NBPA.

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<v Speaker 1>And when he's out there risking further ligament damage. Bron

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<v Speaker 1>is not allowing anybody out there, like Malik Beasley to

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<v Speaker 1>do any shenanigans, Like there is no more a Disney,

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<v Speaker 1>there is no more paper, skin and bones of whatever

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<v Speaker 1>they say glass for Anthony Davis, no more street clothes.

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<v Speaker 1>AD stops right now. If he's putting his body on

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<v Speaker 1>the line, then AD sure as hell is going to

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<v Speaker 1>be doing the same and to make sure that everyone

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<v Speaker 1>else is going to do it as well. And so

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<v Speaker 1>as much as I hate to say it, because I do,

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<v Speaker 1>the Lakers are fun. Yeah, they're really fun to watch.

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<v Speaker 1>They are. They're like the most fun that they've been

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<v Speaker 1>since Lebron got there. They're really dangerous, they play really

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<v Speaker 1>good offense and defense. They if they make the play

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<v Speaker 1>in tournament, I would be worried if I was the

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<v Speaker 1>other team. Like if you're the Warriors and you play

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<v Speaker 1>the Lakers, it's basically the exact same thing that happened

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<v Speaker 1>the year before or the time before when it was

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty one, This night night sleep mask for our dubs.

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<v Speaker 1>Like if you are the team that plays the Lakers

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<v Speaker 1>in the seven game series, uh also have fun with that,

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<v Speaker 1>Like have fun with that dog fight. You remember New

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<v Speaker 1>Orleans when they played the Phoenix Suns last year and

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<v Speaker 1>then things were so bad for the Phoenix Suns in

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<v Speaker 1>that seven game series. If they all got COVID, then

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<v Speaker 1>they just died against the MAVs the next round. That's

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<v Speaker 1>whoever plays the Lakers in the first round. Maybe the

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<v Speaker 1>Lakers don't beat you, but they beat you in continuity

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<v Speaker 1>where you're basically knocked out, put so much pressure on

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<v Speaker 1>you you're gonna be so sad. The whoever you play

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<v Speaker 1>next is just gonna cruise, just cruise along. Suns looking

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<v Speaker 1>at you, Nuggets looking at you, MAVs looking at you.

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<v Speaker 1>You better fucking pray you don't get the Lakers in

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<v Speaker 1>the first round or it is gonna be night Night

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<v Speaker 1>sleep mask. And if this team is fascinating, they are fun.

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<v Speaker 1>And why didn't they do this before? Like why, I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know how Rob Plink pulled it off, but I

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<v Speaker 1>tell you what, he just finally did something that a

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<v Speaker 1>GM is supposed to do. Next twenty seventh games are

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be very interesting.