1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: Mmmm. Welcome to the State of the Lakers on Dad Purdie. 2 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: Thank you guys so much for coming to hang out 3 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: on a Sunday night. Your Los Angeles Lakers are five 4 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: and two in their last seven games, starting to look 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: a lot more like the team that they that we 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: hoped they would be. We gotta wait for the numbers 7 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: to update, but my guess is that they will be 8 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: top ten in both offense and defense over that span. Uh. 9 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: Not a perfect seven game stretch, a couple of ugly 10 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: losses in there, but we gotta take our wins where 11 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: we can get him. Rogs right, how are you doing, man? 12 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: How's your weekend? Ben? So far, it's been good. Yeah. 13 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: We're not really in a position to be picky about wins, right, 14 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: like this is a five, close to five team, but 15 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: it was nice to just to get another blowout win. 16 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: I thank you missed the last one, but yeah, this 17 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: was a much better win and it's good to have 18 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: one that felt like it was a win throughout, like 19 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,319 Speaker 1: Orlando made a run in the fourth and those kind 20 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 1: of things happened. But yeah, it was a good win. 21 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: It was a fun win. At least I don't know 22 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: about goodwin with how the Orlando Magic's record is. But 23 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: how are you man? Welcome back? I guess he missed 24 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: the last one. Good to have you bet. You guys 25 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: did a great job holding it down while I was gone. 26 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: Special shout out to Viny. I always appreciate that he 27 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: is available to help us when one of us has 28 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: to stop for whatever reason. But yeah, man, I'm excited. 29 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: You're right. We can't be picky about this at all whatsoever. 30 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: After the You know, I was extremely critical of Lebron 31 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: and a d to start this season because while they 32 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: had some excuses like Lebron had some availability issues and 33 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis's jump shot like that's a little bit out 34 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: of his control. I can't get super upset about at 35 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: him that shots that he used to make are suddenly 36 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: not going in. But I was mad about process with 37 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: both of them. Anthony Davis was taking a lot of 38 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: really difficult jump shots. He wasn't being as aggressive in 39 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: the post to get into the lane. He would float 40 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: in and out of games. Defensively, his motor wasn't what 41 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: it was in previous season. And then Lebron, even if 42 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: you gave him an excuse for conditioning, even if you 43 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: gave him an excuse for trying to get his legs 44 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: underneath him. He wasn't as engaged as he should have 45 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: been given the situation. And if you guys remember, after 46 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: that triple overtime lost to the Kings, Roger and I 47 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: both just went in on those guys for just not 48 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: being good enough. And if you remember after the game, 49 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: Lebron in his postgame interview said, I have to find 50 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: a way to be better for this team. And we 51 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: talked about in the next pot that we thought that 52 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: was the first time Lebron really vocalized. You know, the 53 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: word I used was contricte. Maybe that's the wrong word, 54 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: but like he just finally seemed to get it that 55 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: what those guys were bringing to the table wasn't enough. 56 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: That if there are intent was for the Russell Westbrook 57 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: trade to make it so that they could coast, that 58 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: clearly wasn't materializing. They weren't going to be able to coast. 59 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: So it got to the point where those two guys 60 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: had to take on the responsibility and the accountability necessary 61 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: to get the ship headed in right direction. And they 62 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: had a really ugly game against Detroit, if you guys remember, 63 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: but in that ugly game. It was ugly outside of 64 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: Lebron and a D. Lebron and a D were both fantastic, 65 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: and over the course of the next next seven games, 66 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: look there they were a bad team. It was never 67 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 1: gonna get fixed overnight, and Anthony Davis still has a 68 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: ways to go to get to where he needs to be. 69 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: But again, one they played three over five teams in 70 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: that stretch, they did beat one of them, they nearly 71 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:25,959 Speaker 1: beat another in that Clippers game, they had a chance 72 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: to win that one late. And then they went four 73 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: no against the below five hundred teams, which is good 74 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: because they have already lost seven games this season against 75 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: below five hundred teams. So we're trending in the right direction. 76 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: But to me, it all starts and ends with Lebron 77 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: and a D. And so far Lebron has been able 78 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: to get back to mostly what he was at his 79 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: peak in this Lebron a D era. Once, once a 80 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: D kind of gets back to that level, then we'll 81 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: really be cooking with gas. But to me, you know, 82 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: we looked at that game, that triple overtime lost to 83 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: the Kings as a potential turning point, and so far 84 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: it appeared years that it might have been long way ago. 85 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: Obviously not a perfect stretch of games, but we're headed 86 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: in the right direction. Do you agree with me, rog, Yeah, 87 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: for sure. And we keep saying like this team has 88 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: kind of lost the benefit of the doubt um And 89 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: we talked before we're gonna keep this one a lot 90 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: about Lebron because he's kind of deserved it. I guess 91 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: for this one, I want to separate. I guess because 92 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: I feel like I can separate the team from Lebron, 93 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: and I know they're intertwined. Obviously, his play directly correlates 94 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: with wins and all that, but he's been awesome. Man 95 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: in Orlando is not a good team. Okay, see he's 96 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: not a good team. But the last seven games, Spectrum 97 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: posted it thirty points, almost eight assists. On shooting. Tonight again, 98 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: I think he hit the triple double thirty ten and 99 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 1: ten or something three blocks. This is the best to me, 100 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: he's looked since he got hurt last February. I think 101 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: when Solomon Hill fell into his high ankle sprain, and 102 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: I think someone was telling you that he was in 103 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: the MVP conversation during that time, and the leader in 104 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: the MVP conversation, but just his body looks great. He 105 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: looks like the most energy energized guy on the floor, 106 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: even though he's the old this guy on the floor, 107 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: his body looks good. He's running like he's getting blocks, 108 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: he's getting lift on his jumper as well. He just 109 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: looks great. And again I want to separate him from 110 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: the team because the team is, you know, two games over, 111 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: hasn't been great. Lebron to me, looks Lebron looks like 112 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: he's ready. He looks like a guy that can continue 113 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: to be the best player UM in any series against 114 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: any team. And that was the most important thing for 115 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: us to look at. In the space. He still isn't great, 116 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 1: We still put him in rough spots, but it just 117 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: looks like he doesn't care about that stuff. And and 118 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: we'll get into it more, I guess from this game. 119 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: But I want to stick on that because I think 120 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: he's been awesome last eight games. It's gonna average for 121 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: around thirty eight and eight or something like that, and 122 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: that's just incredible for a guy who's thirty seven, like 123 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: his age needs to be put into that because that's 124 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,280 Speaker 1: unprecedented stuff. That's just stuff that we have not seen 125 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,040 Speaker 1: its stuff that we shouldn't take for granted. Um. And 126 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: even though Lebron's you know, this is what you're for 127 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: whatever it is with the Lakers, but just stuff that 128 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 1: we shouldn't take for granted. And this is the best 129 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: he's looked even his whole tenure. Here, his body, his 130 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: jumper is, everything is going well. Um And I think 131 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: that's awesome to see. And obviously when a d and 132 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: Russ kind of hit their stride, that's when this team 133 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: will hit the ceiling. But we've got the first part 134 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 1: of that right, Like Lebron being Lebron is the total 135 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: key to the house. Obviously, you know how to key 136 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: to the house. You're not gonna be able to get in, 137 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: So like that's that's step one. And I think he's 138 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: looked great. Yeah, you know, there's this there's it all 139 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: comes from a specific section of basketball fans, and we 140 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: all know who they are and they don't need to 141 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: describe them. But there's always been this sick obsession with 142 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: trying to get out in front of Lebron's decline, to 143 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 1: try to be the guy that like is like here, 144 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,280 Speaker 1: this guys, it's here the declines here everyone look, look, 145 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: look Lebron's bad now, and and it's it's so funny 146 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: because for literally a half decade, everyone's been trying to 147 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: jump out in front of that train. And it's like, guys, like, 148 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: it's gonna eventually happen. He's thirty seven, he's played a 149 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: million minutes. You don't have to be the guy who's 150 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 1: wrong all the time. He will eventually. If your desire 151 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: is to see Lebron not be good at basketball anymore, 152 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: you don't have to hold your breath that long. It's 153 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: gonna eventually happen. But you keep making yourself look foolish 154 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: by trying to jump out in front of that train. 155 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: And here's the thing. If you're being honest with what 156 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: you're seeing and you understand the way that Lebron plays, 157 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: he plays there is a lot of physical flash, but 158 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: he plays with his brain. That is has always been 159 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: his best asset on the basketball court. When you look 160 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: in that fourth quarter, Orlando is just throwing crazy double 161 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: teams and strong side like like box coverages at him NonStop, 162 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: and he's just picking them apart. Like he would have 163 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: loved to go out and put up forty in that game, 164 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: but he didn't need to he always scored I think 165 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: five five in the fourth quarter because Orlando was just 166 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: sending all kinds of bodies at him. His the way 167 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: he plays the game, at his size and strength, with 168 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: his basketball IQ and with his newfound I said new 169 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: found it's been around for roughly seven eight years now, 170 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: but with his ability to shoot the basketball, he was 171 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: always going to be at least a top ten player 172 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: well into his late thirties. So to me, it's just 173 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: it's just crazy that people keep It's like they're it's 174 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: like it's like they have no worry about whether or 175 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: not they'll be proven wrong. They just they're just addicted 176 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: to like that rush that they get from like seeing 177 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: him have a couple of bad games and trying to 178 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: jump out in front of it. It's silly to me. 179 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, man, like, just how are you 180 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: not just sitting back and enjoying this? Like I could 181 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: watching him tonight get those three crazy chase down blocks. 182 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: All I could think is like, it's insane that he's 183 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: that that we're still watching this and it's about to 184 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: be the year two, and I just I wish all 185 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: I like those people. That's a miserable crowd of people 186 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: over there, So I don't envy them in any in 187 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: any sense, but I mean, all I know is from 188 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: my perspective, I'm just trying to enjoy it while I can. Yeah, 189 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: I don't really want to give that any attention. But 190 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: were you able to hear the Spectrum broadcast tonight. I'm 191 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: not sure if you got here, but Stulan kept saying, okay, 192 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: so Steve Lance was saying, this is vintage Lebron, and 193 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: I was thinking, like, well, I mean, I'm not sure 194 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: that ever ended, you know, like it's been vintage Lebron 195 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: for a long time. But moving, I guess onto the game. 196 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: He picked the team spirit up tonight, right, Like, That's 197 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: what I caught from tonight, And to me, it's really 198 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: not fair that he's the one that has to do that. 199 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: I guess, um, but this team looked super lethargic early on. 200 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: It looked very uninterested, very disengaged, high turnover prone, just 201 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: lack of engagement. I thought he tried to keep everyone's 202 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: spirits up, which just crazy to see again in a 203 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: guy in your year, nineteen thirty seven years old. But 204 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: did you see that as well? Because I thought that 205 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: was a big point of this game, and I thought 206 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: this turned around the whole night. He picked everyone up. 207 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: He was flexing after and once right, kind of extending it. 208 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to give everyone's spirits up. And I 209 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: thought that's what turned the game. I guess in the 210 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 1: third quarter he saw the defense go up as well, 211 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: but yeah, he just looked awesome. He destroyed Orlando in 212 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: that third quarter. I believe we were down five. He 213 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 1: had two threes to start that quarter and I just 214 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: got on and got them on a tree to oh 215 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: run twenty three, oh run and put the game away again. 216 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: Orlando came back and made a run. But he brought 217 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: the spirit up of the team. And that doesn't have 218 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: to be his job every night, but that he could 219 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: you could see that he could tell that that was 220 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: his job tonight, was to pick the team spirit up 221 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 1: and I and I thought he did that. And his 222 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: him being able to recognize that and recognize what the 223 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: team needs every night, I think it's special. And you're 224 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: starting to see him round into form, and he's talked 225 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: about it after the games. He's starting to get healthier, 226 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: and you're seeing that jump off the page. To me, 227 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 1: he looks like you know in conversation for best player 228 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: in the league, and that's all. That's all you can 229 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: really ask of him. And he's looked he looked great 230 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: at that. But do you agree with that? Do you 231 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 1: agree he picked I guess the team's spirit up tonight 232 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: because I thought I thought that kind of turned I 233 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: guess this night around. Well, it's funny you said that 234 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: this is his job for tonight, for the team that 235 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: spend his job for the entire season. He just what 236 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: he wasn't doing it to start the season. Like when 237 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: you put this roster together, Yeah, of course it looks silly. 238 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: If Lebron looks like the seventh best player in the 239 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:40,839 Speaker 1: world and a D looks like the fifteenth best player 240 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: in the world, of course, then you're asking Molik Monk 241 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: and Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook and all these guys 242 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: who are far more limited to do a lot more 243 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: to fill in those gaps. This only ever made sense, 244 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: This roster construction only ever made sense with Lebron and 245 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: a D being Lebron and a D the same guys 246 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: that on the title. Okay, and you know again, I 247 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 1: was super critical Lebron. I had a lot of guys 248 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: who were who are who are on my case about 249 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: it during that stretch, But like it's it's it's not 250 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 1: really all that complicated to me. You cannot possibly tell 251 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: me that this guy from an energy standpoint that we've 252 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: seen the last two weeks is the same guy from 253 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: the beginning of the season. It absolutely was not for stretches. Yes, 254 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: we saw it a little bit against Houston, little bit 255 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: against Cleveland. He was good in that Golden State game. 256 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: He had his moments. I'm not I'm not pretending like 257 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: he didn't have his moments, but it just wasn't the 258 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: same guy from an engagement level, from a care level, 259 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: from an effort level, that we've seen since that that 260 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 1: triple overtime catastrophe against Sacramento. They he absolutely has turned 261 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: it up. But that is absolutely what he needs, because 262 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: you know, someone said on Twitter, they go. The people 263 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: have been saying like, oh, it's it's ridiculous that Lebron 264 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: has to hit the gas to beat a team like 265 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: Orlando on a random Sunday night. And the way the 266 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,080 Speaker 1: way I look at it is like, no, no, know, 267 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 1: like there will be a point this season, you know, 268 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 1: hopefully where everybody kind of is in the right role, 269 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: Lebron and Nadiere in a groove and everyone else gets going, 270 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: and then Lebron and a D will have some more 271 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: margin for error to have off nights here and there. 272 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: But the team just isn't rolling like that right now. 273 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 1: They don't have good enough defensive habits. I talked a 274 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: little bit about this in the podcast yesterday. We're not 275 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 1: boxing out at all. We're not contesting shots. We are 276 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: literally dead last in the league and contested shots per 277 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: per game, and we're dead last in the league in 278 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: uh in box out, the defensive box out percentage. We're 279 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: just not doing those things well. When all of those 280 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,959 Speaker 1: things get tightened up, when this team becomes a basketball 281 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 1: team that has good habits, that plays the game the 282 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,959 Speaker 1: right way, that develops that championship basketball character that I've 283 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: been harping on all season, when they get that nailed down, 284 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 1: then Lebron and a D and Russ will have the 285 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: flexibility in the margin of air to have off nights. 286 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: That's just not the way the team is right now. 287 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: He has to be like this now. But in theory, 288 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 1: the way this roster was constructed, if they all have 289 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: good habits and they all do their jobs in the 290 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,199 Speaker 1: dirty work parts of the game. There is enough offensive 291 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 1: creation here, there's enough shooting here. You have this like 292 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: Elite other perimeter option in Russell Westbrook. In theory, it 293 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 1: will all kind of come together and make more sense 294 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: at that point. But yeah, like at this point, when 295 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 1: the team still sucks at all those things, Lebron's got 296 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: to be the guy who is the energy. He's got 297 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:25,560 Speaker 1: to be the guy that gets everyone going, that builds 298 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 1: the momentum, that carries them until they get to that point. 299 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: If that makes sense, Yeah, for sure. And we're starting 300 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: to see it right last eight games thirty ten and ten, 301 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: And I think a lot of people have been trying 302 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 1: to and I've seen just how the conversation has been 303 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: around this team, and we talked about it after every game, 304 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: trying to just have a one one fix, right, like 305 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: just press one button and it fixes the team. Right. 306 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: And it was DeAndre Jordan's not starting, it was put 307 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: E d at the five, it was start our shooters. 308 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,319 Speaker 1: I think those are all, you know, little solutions. But 309 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: there's a good team in here, right and I think, 310 00:13:57,280 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 1: of course, and the way they're going to find it 311 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: is through try on error and the trial has probably 312 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: taken longer than it should have, right, Like the error 313 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: was found like ten games ago, but we're still doing 314 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 1: the same trials. But like to find the to find 315 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: the good team in here, it's gonna take trial and error, 316 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: and you can't even get to that trial without having 317 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: Lebron being himself without a D being himself. Right, Like 318 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: to me, you can't even get to that trial error 319 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: part until Lebron and a D are themselves and a 320 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: D has put up the numbers that still when we 321 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: watch the film sometimes it feels like it's not matching 322 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: and we still have issues on engaging, but the numbers 323 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: are there the point you know it's leading in points 324 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: of the paint. But now that Lebron's kind of picked 325 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: it up, you see him start to roll and again, Okay, 326 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: seeing Orlando aren't great teams, but they did have a 327 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: good win over Boston, the loss in Memphis things um, 328 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: and just putting this more into the team perspective. I 329 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: believe we're now like six in defense in the last 330 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: six games, and I think that's gonna even go up 331 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: after this. Sorry last seven games or six in defense, 332 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: twelfth in offense. The numbers are starting to even ow 333 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: to match the roster um. And again, these are silver 334 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: linings that you're trying to find on a team that's 335 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: two games over five. But it's also a team that's 336 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: missed Lebron for a lot of these games. And even 337 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: when he played earlier in the year, he was wasn't 338 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 1: this Lebron. So I guess those are like kind of 339 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: the civil lines you can see. But Lebron being himself 340 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: is such a breath of fash air. To see these 341 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: last eight games or whatever it is. It seems like 342 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: he's ramping up, he's picking it up. His energy is awesome. 343 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: He looks like the young guy on the floor. Um, 344 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 1: And it's just been great to see man. And it's 345 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: been fun to have at least two two wins that 346 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: to talk after a win for once, it's been like 347 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: it's been bad loss after bad loss. But yeah, it's 348 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: great to see them. And the team is moving in 349 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: a positive direction, even if it doesn't feel like it, 350 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: even if the engagement looks bad, even if they look 351 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 1: disengaged for quarters on end. Um, hopefully these are kind 352 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: of uh stepping stones to a good team. But yeah, 353 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: I think there's a good team in here. Man, it's 354 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: just it's gonna take a lot of trial and air 355 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: to figure it out. And the trial is gonna take 356 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: longer than we probably wanted to. But I think that's 357 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: the way we find the good team in here, and 358 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 1: I think we're getting to that. Yeah, no idee on 359 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: Lebron before we move on to the team. Uh. You know, obviously, 360 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: with the way that the top of the field looks 361 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: right now, Lebron would have to rip off another month 362 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: where he's just incredible and the Lakers would have to 363 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: win a whole lot of games in order for him 364 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 1: to kind of enter into the MVP conversation. But that said, 365 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: for him to even be playing that level of basketball 366 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: absolutely changes the calculations for the for the rest of 367 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: the season, because that's been one of the biggest question marks, 368 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: you know, around this whole era. How long can Lebron 369 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: play at an m v P level that is by 370 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: definition the window, you know what I mean. And so 371 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: for him for him to be looking like this and 372 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: also trending in the right direction, not oh he has 373 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: dead legs on Tuesday night and he has dead legs 374 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: every night and you can just tell, oh, this is 375 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: what he is now no, he is progressing in the 376 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: right direction athletically. You could tell as his conditioning gets better, 377 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: and as he gets his legs underneath him, he's looking 378 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: better and better, his touches matching up. Then there then 379 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: there will be this continuity piece where all the guys 380 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: playing together for a long time. Because with this stretch 381 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: of basketball, the Lakers still had crazy turnover. I mean, 382 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis has missed two games, right, so you know 383 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: the way the way I look at it, this has 384 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: a lot of room to go up from here. Now, 385 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: moving on to the team, and I talked a little 386 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: bit about this on the On on Today's spot earlier today. 387 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: But we we have some things that we do really well, 388 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: and we pushed the ball in transition and we avoid 389 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: half court sets. I actually thought that was one of 390 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,159 Speaker 1: the biggest problems in the first half tonight against the Magic. 391 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: The Magic we're playing it too big lineup, a really 392 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: really big shot blocking two big lineup, and the Lakers 393 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: weren't doing a good job of pushing the ball in transition, 394 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: something they've done super well all season they weren't doing tonight, 395 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: so they kept getting caught in these half court sets 396 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: against the Magic and when you have that much size 397 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: and guys like Russ and t h T and Lebron, 398 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: who are are guys who prefer to be downhill, you know, 399 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 1: try to get to the rim, guys like it's it's 400 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: inherently going to lead to some Jankee looking basketball. And 401 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: I thought, you know, pushing in transition is the inevitable 402 00:17:58,080 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: way to get out of that. How do we know, 403 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: because that's what team did to us for all season 404 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:04,479 Speaker 1: when we were starting with DJ and and Anthony Davis 405 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: in the starting lineup, and and and prioritizing these big, 406 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 1: lumbering lineups, teams would run us off the floor. And 407 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: it was only a matter of time before we started 408 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 1: to do that to the Magic and start to have 409 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 1: some success. And we did in the second half. Obviously 410 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: need to dig into the tape to kind of get 411 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,640 Speaker 1: a better feel for that, but you could tell that 412 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: that is one of our strengths. And so when we 413 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: that's what kills us at the end of these games, Like, 414 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: I'm not too concerned about what happened at the end 415 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: of the game tonight. That's classic older guys letting me guess. 416 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:36,199 Speaker 1: But we kept getting caught walking the ball up the 417 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: floor and attacking their set defense. And then when we 418 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: would miss a shot, they would run it right down 419 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: our throat and attack in a semi transition and get 420 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: all the way to the rim and draw foul or 421 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: make a layup right and and so our team is 422 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: at our best. Our comfort zone is defending with energy, 423 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 1: but pushing the ball in transition, staying out of the 424 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: half chord is what allows us to be at our best, 425 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: as I opposed to the other night. Before tonight this game, 426 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: we were six in the league and field goal percentage. 427 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: That's pretty good, right, So like for for us to 428 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: be twenty three or whatever, we were an offense, but 429 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 1: sixth and field goal percentage, that basically tells us when 430 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 1: we value the possession, we don't turn the ball over, 431 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 1: and we get and we stay out of those slow, 432 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: methodical half court possessions. We are getting great shots and 433 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: we have good process. So what makes me happy is 434 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 1: there are more optimistic I should say, is that there 435 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: there is kind of like an identity forming with this team, 436 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: and identity that didn't exist early on. And when we 437 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: start to tighten up those little things that I was 438 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,400 Speaker 1: talking about, like finishing possessions on defense, by getting good 439 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: box outs and guys crashing from all over the floor, 440 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,879 Speaker 1: and then offensively just taking care of the basketball, getting 441 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 1: to the point where that field goal percentage becomes what 442 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: we rely or that's excuse me, that sixth in the 443 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 1: league and field goal percentage that we're relying on when 444 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: we on offense, that we're getting to that more and 445 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: not hemorrhaging possessions and doing things stupid things to shoot 446 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: us in the foot. When you clear all that you know, 447 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: stuff up, you can see that there's a definitive pathway 448 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 1: to being a contender here, and so that to me 449 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: is exciting. And obviously step one is a seven game 450 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 1: stretch like this where four of the teams are bad 451 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: and two of the good teams you played are also 452 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: pretty bad, and yeah, you go five and two, and yeah, 453 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,120 Speaker 1: there's some disappointing stretches in there, but you're defending, You're 454 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,120 Speaker 1: you're definitively heading in the right direction. And the next 455 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:27,919 Speaker 1: step is like, hey, go to Dallas on Wednesday and 456 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: kick their ass. That's that's that's the next step. They have. 457 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: They have a little foundation here, they just need to 458 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 1: continue to build on it. Yeah, for sure, and they 459 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,920 Speaker 1: have a chance here to run off some wins. I mean, Dallas, 460 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: I believe Luca is gonna be out for a little while. Um. 461 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: Then they play Minnesota, who's been on a bad stretch. 462 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: I think they lost like five games in a row, 463 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: out again, came back. Now you heard his ankle again, 464 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 1: So he's gonna be out again, I believe. Yeah. So 465 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 1: you play the Mads without Luca, you go to the 466 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,479 Speaker 1: you go play in Minnesota where they beat us at 467 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: home by like thirty. Um, so I'm sure they would 468 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 1: want to get some revenge on that, and also so 469 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,199 Speaker 1: it has not been playing well. And then Chicago, who 470 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: I think has like eight other guys or nine guys 471 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,880 Speaker 1: out due to COVID protocols. And then you play Phoenix, 472 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:09,880 Speaker 1: who I think is still out. I think Chris Paul 473 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: and Devin Booker is still out or something. But you 474 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 1: have Okay, Yeah, so you have a chance here to 475 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: run off some wins. But to me, like the team 476 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,679 Speaker 1: is playing themselves a lot of the times, right Like 477 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:23,719 Speaker 1: when especially when you play bad teams, I feel like 478 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: you're kind of playing yourself. And against Memphis, I thought 479 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 1: we beat ourselves and turnovers it's such a big part 480 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: of this team, where if we can just stop the 481 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:33,120 Speaker 1: other team from running, because I think our half court 482 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 1: defense has been better. And then the fourth quarter, to me, 483 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: a lot of this was we went small, We went 484 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 1: lebron at the five, and to do that, your guards 485 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: have to be so engaged. And you can tell Russell 486 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: Westbrook had did not want to be tagging, you know, 487 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter up twenty on guys rolling to 488 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: the rim. Yeah, so it's basically just pick and roll 489 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: and window Carter dunk or Wagner dunk or Vagner open three. 490 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: So the engagement little job. That's why I'm not really 491 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: worried about that fourth quarter. I saw enough in the third. 492 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, getting back to the team, like the identity switch. 493 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: I think Austin Reaves is a big part of that. 494 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: We're seeing league lunk at more minutes. Wayne Ellington, we 495 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: ran a floppy action for him, I don't know, did 496 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,400 Speaker 1: you see that tonight? We ran one floppy action stept 497 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,479 Speaker 1: for him. He got a curl three. I thought that 498 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: was amazing. Like we're starting to at least see the 499 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: identity of this team, and the starting lineup still isn't great. 500 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: I don't think it's gonna change anytime soon. Even though 501 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,400 Speaker 1: I thought th h T was awesome tonight. I think 502 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 1: he hit like three threes um and his defense was 503 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,719 Speaker 1: was great. He had five steals. I believe we had. 504 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 1: The team is starting around and Avery Valley is never 505 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 1: gonna you know, hit threes out of consistent rate, but 506 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:34,880 Speaker 1: he plays hard. That starting line up again, the space 507 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: is gonna be jankie, but we're seeing identity shifting. I 508 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 1: thought it was great. We closed tonight with Lebron at 509 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: the five. Orlando went on a run, he pulled out, 510 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: he took out Dwight Howard. We went Lebron at the 511 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,439 Speaker 1: five with Russ and Uh. Russ was able to attack 512 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 1: the rim and kind of close the game. And I 513 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: think that's a little bit of and you're seeing pieces 514 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 1: and pieces here where like you can fit a D 515 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 1: into that, right, you can have a D at the five. 516 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 1: And I believe they closed with Monk and uh and 517 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 1: Bradley or or it was a th H and Bradly, 518 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 1: I don't remember who was, but yeah, they closed the 519 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: game and we're seeing pieces of the team kind of 520 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: form here. And we got a little bit of news 521 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 1: uh about a reason. I guess in that video. But 522 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: we're seeing the identity shift here a little bit, uh, 523 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 1: piece by piece in these games. Yeah, let's let's talk 524 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: about TC for a second, because I thought I thought 525 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: he had one of his better games as of late. Um, 526 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: you know, you and I talked a lot about how 527 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: he was getting kind of doing young guys, stupid young 528 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,680 Speaker 1: guys stuff offensively, like just you know, forcing the action, Uh, 529 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:32,920 Speaker 1: just whenever he catched the ball and there wouldn't be 530 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 1: a defender aroun him, he would just assume it's a 531 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: time to shoot instead of time to make a read, 532 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: and being overly aggressive on defense and committing silly fowls. 533 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: You know tonight, one of the things we were harping 534 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 1: on with him is like kind of take away some 535 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: of the decision making responsibility in terms of him like 536 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,359 Speaker 1: actually running actions and try to get him with an advantage. 537 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,399 Speaker 1: So they did a lot of really good stuff like 538 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: trying to get him to attack off of curls off 539 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 1: of like where he would just come out of the 540 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,439 Speaker 1: week side corner and curl around a guy and try 541 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: to hit him when he's got the ender already on 542 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: his back, so that he can you know, kind of 543 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 1: use his body to get position and then just stick, 544 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 1: you know, stick his arms out like he always does 545 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: to to finish those layups, and a lot of attacking 546 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: closeouts and you know, just primarily attacking and already compromise defense. 547 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: You could tell tonight in particular, that's that's where th 548 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 1: HD actually has potential to be a really good offensive 549 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: player already. Obviously we can talk about his ceiling, and 550 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,959 Speaker 1: there's kind of a divide among Laker fans, you know 551 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: about you know, whether or not he's going to be 552 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: an All Star or whatever you want to say, or 553 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:32,439 Speaker 1: what other teams might think about him in terms of 554 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 1: a trade piece. But right now, for this team, they 555 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: just need him to do what he did tonight. Be 556 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: able to curl off the screen when Lebron needs rest, 557 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: so you can just dribble out of give you an advantage, 558 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:46,920 Speaker 1: hits you and stride and have you make a play, 559 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,119 Speaker 1: you know, when the double teams come, when the the 560 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: the defense is loading up on one side, to swing 561 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,400 Speaker 1: it around to you and have you beat a guy 562 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: on a close out and make a play. He also 563 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: made a lot of really nice passes today. That one 564 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,400 Speaker 1: in the second half and where I thought for sure 565 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: he was going to shoot and then he ended up. 566 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 1: Lebron was cutting at the same time too, and he 567 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: kicked it out to Avery Bradley in the corner. I 568 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: think it was the three that put him up by 569 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: twenty five. But just just in general, tonight, th HT 570 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,639 Speaker 1: succeeded by playing a role instead of being an initiator. 571 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:19,919 Speaker 1: He was a guy who's finishing plays and and it 572 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: worked really well. And that's that's what you need when 573 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 1: you're especially when you're looking down the line and you're 574 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:27,680 Speaker 1: gonna have Russell Lebron in a d in a playoff series, 575 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 1: playing forty minutes a piece. You need him to succeed 576 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: in a limited role and instead of trying to be 577 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: the guy already, if that makes sense. But I was 578 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 1: really really happy with what I saw from THHD tonight. Yeah, 579 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,639 Speaker 1: his his jumper went, which I think, you know, changes 580 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff for him, and he was taking 581 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: it confidently. And I've always said I think he's a 582 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: better at catch and shoot, you know guy than he 583 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: even thinks he is. He doesn't have to drive on 584 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 1: every play, and those curls, you're right, those are stuff 585 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:54,120 Speaker 1: that just set place for him where he comes off 586 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: the curl and he gets him going downhill and he 587 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: has all these wild finishes at the rim and he's 588 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: does a lot of this where he thinks he gets fouled, 589 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 1: so he just throws it up and he got to 590 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: the rim a little bit tonight. But he's out there 591 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:07,679 Speaker 1: to me defense for defense, And I thought, again today 592 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:09,879 Speaker 1: we talked about it a lot of th HD is 593 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,920 Speaker 1: a havoc defender, right, he's a chaos creator. Um, he's 594 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,160 Speaker 1: not much. Indeed he does. He's not great yet at 595 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 1: like going around screens. He still gets killed when he's 596 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 1: trying to chase guys, but in isolation he's a problem. 597 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,399 Speaker 1: His length is a problem. He had a bunch of 598 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: deflections tonight again, like I said, five steals, and I 599 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:27,399 Speaker 1: feel like he deflected way more, way more balls and 600 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 1: that changed a bunch of shots. Um, he was he 601 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 1: was good tonight. And this is kind of the peak. 602 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: If we can get this level of th HD. I 603 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:36,239 Speaker 1: don't think the jumber is gonna go like this just 604 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 1: controlled shot selection. I guess, um got to the rim, 605 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: got to got to the rim aton. This is kind 606 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: of what we need in Orlando is not a good team. 607 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: They don't have great shop blocking, I guess at the rim, 608 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:48,439 Speaker 1: but I feel like he's gonna stay in the starting lineup, 609 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:53,880 Speaker 1: don't you like, I don't feel like that starting he's playing. Yeah, 610 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: so I feel like he's gonna stay in the starting 611 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,120 Speaker 1: lineup unless maybe Reeves you know, takes over at some point. 612 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 1: But uh, yeah, I think th hd gonna stay there 613 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: for now, at least until we get a reason back 614 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 1: whenever he comes f Yeah, Austin looks great too. And 615 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,919 Speaker 1: and you know, this is something Vane was talking about 616 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:10,679 Speaker 1: in the in the pod when he was filling in 617 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: for me the other night, and I thought he hit 618 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,360 Speaker 1: the nail on the head, like Reeves is a connective 619 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:19,120 Speaker 1: tissue guy. What you know, there's with basketball, We talked 620 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: about this with the starting line If you have a 621 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:22,679 Speaker 1: list of responsibilities that need to get filled on the floor, right, 622 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,719 Speaker 1: Like I need guys who can create from the perimeter, 623 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: either getting into the length of drivel penetration or like 624 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: a Chris Paul type and more of a guy who's 625 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: like really good at getting teams into sets right. But 626 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 1: then you also need guys who can finish play both 627 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: at the rim as you know, vertical spacers or as 628 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: guys who can roll hard to the Raymond pick and roll, 629 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: or guys who can pick and pop, or guys who 630 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 1: can attack closeouts or spot up shoot things along those lines. 631 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: You have a bunch of roles you have to fill. 632 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: So when you have Lebron in a d and Russ 633 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 1: on your team, those guys do so much to cover 634 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: those responsibilities. There's kind of a diminishing return with the 635 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 1: guys who play around them, right. You know, we talked 636 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: about this a lot in previous seasons, like, yeah, is 637 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: Wesley Matthew is a fantastic shooter? No, but if he's 638 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,359 Speaker 1: wide open, how much different is the is the you know, 639 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,679 Speaker 1: expected result compared to if you have a better shooter 640 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: in that spot with everything else that Wayne Ellington is 641 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: bringing to the to the floor. Whereas if you don't 642 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: have Lebron and rust and yeah, maybe you need a 643 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: Tyler Harrow who can do crazy stuff off the dribble 644 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:27,360 Speaker 1: to generate shots for himself. There's a diminishing attorney, isn't 645 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: there with that because you actually need that ability from him. 646 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,639 Speaker 1: Guys like Austin Reeves, they're not great at anything, but 647 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,119 Speaker 1: because they're pretty good at everything and they're you know. 648 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: One of the things that with Austin Reeves you see 649 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: is like there was a ploy today where he caught 650 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: wide open in the in the week side corner and 651 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: had a shot and pump faked it and swung into 652 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: Avery Bradley, who was every bit as guarded as as 653 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: Austin Reeves was, and he missed it. And you're like, 654 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 1: you like, you'd like to see Austin take that shot, 655 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 1: But that's Austin's character. Austin's basketball character is like, I'm 656 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: gonna error on the side of not shooting this. I'm 657 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 1: gonna around the side of making the extra pass. You know, 658 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: even with those rotations, like there's so many plays where 659 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: the Lakers will concede a basket because they're like, Okay, 660 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: we just didn't get it done on this possession. This 661 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: guy's rolling to the rim. He's gonna get it done. 662 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: Who cares, We'll get it back on the next possession. No, 663 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: Austin's like every single time, I'm putting my face, I'm 664 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 1: putting my body on the line, like I'm getting in there, 665 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna try and take a charge. I'm gonna try 666 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: to disrupt the play. He got hit in the gut 667 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: again today like elbowed and they looked like he got 668 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 1: the win knocked out of him on another play like that, 669 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 1: Austin Reaves. He is a white than they said. He 670 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 1: is a connective tissue player. When you play him alongside 671 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,719 Speaker 1: very good players, he actually brings more to the table 672 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: than more talented players than him do. And you you 673 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:44,720 Speaker 1: you have to have guys like that in your rotation. 674 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: They're such a hall mark of you know, NBA champion 675 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: level teams. Like great example of this is Gary Payton Jr. 676 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: With the Golden State Warriors. If you play Gary Payton Jr. 677 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: On the Orlando Magic, he's not gonna look like a 678 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: good basketball player because he's not going to be able 679 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 1: to generate advantages for himself and there's nobody else on 680 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: the team that can generate advantages for him. But within 681 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,360 Speaker 1: Golden State, he's constantly playing with an advantage and so 682 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: in that environment he can his connective tissue is it 683 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: brings immense value to the team and so I love 684 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: that dynamics. It's always been one of my favorite things 685 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: about the game of basketball. It's like when I go 686 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: play pick up, I'm not always just trying to run 687 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:28,200 Speaker 1: with the most talented guys. I want guys on the 688 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 1: floor that mesh well with what I do, and I 689 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 1: have a much better chance of winning a lot when 690 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: I have that than just let me roll with all 691 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: the most talented guys, you know what I mean. And 692 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: so that that to me is Austin Reaves basketball player 693 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: in a nutshell, and I'm glad to see that he's 694 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: starting to get an opportunity again. Yeah, and I'm not 695 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:50,960 Speaker 1: trying to make this. You know, you can make this 696 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: THHD versus Austin Reaves. But Austin, you know, Austin has 697 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: no I spoke about this again last part with but 698 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:00,120 Speaker 1: Austin has no Like he knows exactly who he is 699 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 1: right in the league, and he knows what's going to 700 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: keep him in the league. And I think that's the 701 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: difference to me between him and Taylor, where Taylor still 702 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 1: you know, when Taylor starts to get going, he'll like 703 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:10,719 Speaker 1: get the ball and like stop the whole play and 704 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: be like, Okay, it's my time, you know, give me 705 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: a high ball screen like this is I'm going to 706 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: run the show for here. And the starting lineup doesn't 707 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 1: ask for that, like it just doesn't it's great. It's 708 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 1: nice to have another ball handler that can create. But 709 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: it really asked for guys who you always talked about 710 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 1: do the dirty work. And Austin, you know, is always 711 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: like rubbing his face off because he just got elbowed, 712 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: or you know, like grabbing his ribs because he just 713 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 1: got hit. He just got to elbow to the rib 714 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: But he he just goes in and does the dirty work. 715 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: You don't have to ask him to do it. It's 716 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,280 Speaker 1: all natural for him. And then on the offensive end, 717 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: you're right, he's a you know, he's a glue guy. 718 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: He makes the right play every time you get a 719 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: play tonight where the ball swung around it got to him. 720 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: I think Carmelo was in the corner. Carmelo swung it 721 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: to him, he got it, he was a little bit open, 722 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: but the guy ran out and ran out to him. 723 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: He faked it, won dribble right back to Carmelo for 724 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:57,479 Speaker 1: an open three. And I was like, man, that's just 725 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: that's just stuff that you can't like. He just like, 726 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 1: that's just stuff that he has instinctively, Like he just 727 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: understands basketball and he understands how spacing and flow and 728 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,240 Speaker 1: where guys get open looks at so he's awesome. And 729 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: last thing I guess on Reeves is him and Lebron, 730 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: And again I don't want to get too much into 731 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: their chemistry, but he rolls into open space into aware 732 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: that fits so great with Lebron, right like their tree 733 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: Man game is just beautiful and and Austin Reeves only real. 734 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 1: You know, his detriment right now is his physicality as 735 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,960 Speaker 1: his body, you know, is his physical traits. But like 736 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: he'll screen and he'll roll, and he could he'll short roll, 737 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: or he'll roll all the way to the rim or 738 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: get to any kind of open space that makes sense. 739 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: So it's fun watching him play. I think his minutes 740 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: are going to continue to go up. Um I believe 741 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: that he wasn't healthy. I guess why he was collecting 742 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: DMPs and stuff like that. But he's a big part 743 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: of this team and he's part of the identity as well, 744 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,560 Speaker 1: uh the shift in going small. And and last thing Vogo, 745 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: I guess how a quote today where he said, um, 746 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: Lebron's thirty point games are a function of better spacing 747 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 1: right and better lineups and and obviously you can say 748 00:32:57,360 --> 00:32:59,440 Speaker 1: that was obvious, but it's just good to hear. You know, 749 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 1: thanks Frank, I'm glad. I'm glad you finally understand well again, 750 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: but again, like it's great to kind of hear that, 751 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:07,960 Speaker 1: I guess, and I think Austin is a big part 752 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: of that. Um, it's hard to find two way guys, 753 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:12,240 Speaker 1: you know, like they pay a lot of money for that. 754 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: They pay a lot of money for two way guys, 755 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: and I believe we have one on a rookie deal. 756 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: So um, yeah, I think I think Austin has been 757 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:20,120 Speaker 1: great and it's cool to see him kind of find 758 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: his niche with the team too. Yeah. Andre Gudala did 759 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 1: a podcast a while back, um, and they were asking 760 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: him about step Curry potentially breaking the three point record, 761 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: and they basically were like, you know, like what's your 762 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: most memorable step three? You know, like typical interview questions, 763 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 1: and and Andre Gudala went on like a diet try, 764 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: basically saying like I don't remember many of steps three's. 765 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 1: And he was like because because he's like when I'm 766 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: out there, he's he's constantly just doing these little things 767 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 1: to help the team win, and he's like half the 768 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: time he's like I would just hear the crowd go 769 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: crazy and I just run back on defense because he 770 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 1: just like he was maybe setting off all screen, or 771 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 1: maybe he was the one screening for step or he's 772 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,239 Speaker 1: fighting for rebound position or whatever it is. You know, 773 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 1: like he's just so wrapped up in the job that 774 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 1: he's almost not even paying attention to what's happening, you know, 775 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 1: with Steph running around or doing whatever he's doing. That's 776 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:11,239 Speaker 1: kind of like what you see with Austin Reeves. Like 777 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: there are a lot of plays where where where the 778 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 1: older veterans on the Lakers are kind of guessing at 779 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: what the outcome is and trying to get ahead of 780 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 1: their next job, you know, like leaking out after a 781 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 1: three or doing the same thing like giving up a 782 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 1: instead of fighting for a defensive rebound, like leaking out 783 00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 1: in transition. Austin Reeves is just always in the mix, 784 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:31,799 Speaker 1: like he's just always just fighting it in and he'll 785 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: I see that happen all the time with him, where 786 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 1: the ball go through the net and it'll like where 787 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:37,920 Speaker 1: Austin will be the last guy who realizes it and 788 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 1: he'll start running back, you know. But uh, yeah, he's 789 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:44,319 Speaker 1: definitely a really good a really good glue guy for 790 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 1: this team, and uh, it makes you feel Obviously he's 791 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: not Alex Cruso. We're not going to talk about Alex 792 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:56,360 Speaker 1: Cruso again, but uh, but him him developing as quickly 793 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 1: as he did into a guy that can help this 794 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: team win is undoubtedly takes a little bit of that 795 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: pain away, you know what I mean. And and especially 796 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: since he's a little bit better offensively, you could even 797 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:11,920 Speaker 1: make the case that he fits well with this team's identity. 798 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:14,360 Speaker 1: Obviously he doesn't shoot the lights out or get to that, 799 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:17,319 Speaker 1: but he's just he's a little bit more sound as 800 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:20,719 Speaker 1: an off ball player than than Alex was. Um, so 801 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 1: he so he fits well with this team and I'm 802 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: happy with him. So we were gonna we were gonna 803 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 1: move on to a little bit of stuff that we 804 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,760 Speaker 1: saw in that UM spectrum. It was in their postgame 805 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: show after the last game, I think, but basically they 806 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: had the behind the scenes in the the UM coaches 807 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: meeting when they were kind of coming up with their 808 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: strategy or whatever. Come then it looked like they were 809 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: talking about rotation in particular, and so a couple of 810 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: interesting things. They talked about Anthony Davison's fatigue, which is 811 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:51,280 Speaker 1: something I definitely want to hit on here in a minute. 812 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:53,879 Speaker 1: But one of the interesting parts that I saw there 813 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,359 Speaker 1: was Frank was basically talking about the starting lineup, and 814 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:00,360 Speaker 1: he was talking about how like guys like Monk and 815 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:04,319 Speaker 1: Ellington are guys that he favors as offensive players, and 816 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: then th Ht, Avery Bradley, and Austin Reeves were defensive players. 817 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 1: And then he basically was saying, I don't know that 818 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 1: we can even play four of these guys alongside Lebron 819 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:18,319 Speaker 1: Russ and a D but they're going to try to 820 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 1: play four in the meantime. But he's always trying to 821 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: weigh those two against each other, which I thought was 822 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:26,000 Speaker 1: interesting strictly from the same point of like we all 823 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:28,440 Speaker 1: think of th h T as like a second side creator, 824 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 1: a guy who runs actions, but obviously Frank views him 825 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:34,640 Speaker 1: more as a defensive piece, which I think is is 826 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 1: definitely interesting, and I think you're seeing him kind of 827 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 1: trend in that direction and the way they're using him. 828 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:42,280 Speaker 1: But but that I thought that was an interesting question 829 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: to ask. I personally would lean into, even as good 830 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 1: as Avery Bradley's played, and he's played very very well, 831 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:52,719 Speaker 1: I would lean into what, like Monk or Ellington, one 832 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: of them lean into them big because you need that shooting. 833 00:36:56,920 --> 00:37:00,279 Speaker 1: But I would prioritize, I would kind of go from 834 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,920 Speaker 1: every Bradley out of that five, if that makes sense. 835 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:07,359 Speaker 1: But where are you at with that kind of decision? Yeah, 836 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:09,439 Speaker 1: So that's interesting that the quote that kind of got 837 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: blown up was vocal saying we have enough wings, right, 838 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:13,560 Speaker 1: and people are like, how could you say we have 839 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,200 Speaker 1: enough wings? You know, like we're super short on wings. 840 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:17,920 Speaker 1: But I think what he's thinking about is like, yeah, 841 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:20,480 Speaker 1: we have PhD and then he has Kem baysmore he 842 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 1: could go to even though camp Baysbre's not playing right, 843 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: and then when Trevor Reason gets back and I think 844 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:26,759 Speaker 1: that's kind of what he means by the we have 845 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:29,799 Speaker 1: enough wings um in that situation. But I've been you know, 846 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 1: I've been asking for Ellington to start for a little 847 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:35,799 Speaker 1: while now, and Ellington was honestly the odd man out tonight. Um. 848 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:37,880 Speaker 1: I don't I think he only played like ten minutes 849 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:40,799 Speaker 1: or something like that because they Bradley, um leak monk 850 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 1: going off. Yeah, but that's who I guess like to 851 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:45,799 Speaker 1: start in that role. I feel like th is gonna 852 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: stay there because, like you said for defensive purposes, but 853 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:51,800 Speaker 1: every Bradley has been playing well too, right, like again 854 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:53,960 Speaker 1: every Bradley. You can separate the team I guess from 855 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 1: Bradley as well, because Bradley has been playing well. He 856 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,719 Speaker 1: just it's not his fault. He doesn't fit that lineup. Like, 857 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 1: I can't be mad at him that he's not a 858 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 1: dead eye three point shooter. That's not who he is 859 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:04,960 Speaker 1: and we knew that going in. I can't be mad 860 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,280 Speaker 1: at him for starting, so but I would like Ellington 861 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:09,520 Speaker 1: to start. I think that would open things up just 862 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: a bit um just for the starting lineup. It's still 863 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,400 Speaker 1: just so ugly, especially for russ Uh and for Lebron. 864 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:17,360 Speaker 1: So that's who I'd like to start. But I understand 865 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:20,239 Speaker 1: Ellington has defensive issues and Bogo is a guy that's 866 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:23,400 Speaker 1: going to maximize that he's gonna go on the defensive end. 867 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:25,359 Speaker 1: And I think we're just going to continue to see 868 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 1: th HD and Bradley to start. But it was fascinating 869 00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:29,920 Speaker 1: to get behind the scenes kind of look into the 870 00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:32,320 Speaker 1: coaches and how they kind of make decisions like that, 871 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:34,359 Speaker 1: because I just I think it's interesting and it's not 872 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:36,479 Speaker 1: an easy decision. I think these are all really tough 873 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 1: things that you have to way back and forth. And 874 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:41,759 Speaker 1: I think the A D conversation was fascinating as well 875 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,919 Speaker 1: when he said, eighties tired after playing the full full 876 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,359 Speaker 1: first quarter, but we don't have another center because you'd 877 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:48,960 Speaker 1: have to put Dwight Howard in and he doesn't like 878 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:51,480 Speaker 1: to play Dwight until the second quarter. So it's a 879 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 1: fascinating kind of back and forth. But what do you 880 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: think of that? What do you think of um A D? 881 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 1: I guess through Phil Handy um showing his concern. I 882 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:01,239 Speaker 1: guess for being fatigued after full of force quarter full 883 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 1: first quarter, which you know, that's that's that's fair, Like 884 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: that's not every player plays the whole first quarter, and 885 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 1: most don't, right Yannest plays in like six minutes stints 886 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:11,279 Speaker 1: like superstars all around the league don't play the full 887 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:12,640 Speaker 1: first part. But what do you think of that? I 888 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,200 Speaker 1: guess that that part of the video. I was genuinely 889 00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:17,880 Speaker 1: confused by it. Uh not not the fact that A 890 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 1: D was tired. That makes perfect sense to me, and 891 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,640 Speaker 1: I agree, like, don't play a guy twelve minute shifts 892 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:25,960 Speaker 1: when he struggles with his motor, like that's that's not 893 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 1: a that's completely nonsensical. Now, his thing was like, I 894 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:30,880 Speaker 1: don't want to go to Dwight to end the quarter, 895 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:33,680 Speaker 1: and I don't understand that because to me, it should 896 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 1: be a basic staggering concept, right, because like I'm looking 897 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:42,000 Speaker 1: at Lebron running the second unit to start the second quarter, right, 898 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:44,640 Speaker 1: and Dwight's probably gonna be with him in that group. 899 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:48,160 Speaker 1: But that Dwight shift is split up by a quarter 900 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:50,440 Speaker 1: time out, which is usually like three and a half minutes. 901 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:53,320 Speaker 1: So why can't Dwight play the last three minutes of 902 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:56,200 Speaker 1: the first quarter? You know, Russ is with that lineup. 903 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:58,680 Speaker 1: That's when you can lean into Russ and shooting and Dwight, 904 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:02,600 Speaker 1: you know, and uh, and then from that standpoint, a 905 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:05,560 Speaker 1: D is gonna come back. Sometimes Dwight gets a rest, 906 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:08,000 Speaker 1: he comes back, starts the second quarter, and then a 907 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:11,160 Speaker 1: D can come in whenever, you know, like right now, 908 00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:12,880 Speaker 1: he's been coming in around the six minute mark in 909 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,120 Speaker 1: the second quarter. But by taking him out at the 910 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: nine minute, the first he can come out in the 911 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:19,879 Speaker 1: nine minute, come back at the nine minute after nine minutes, 912 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:21,480 Speaker 1: and the first he can come back at the nine 913 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:23,799 Speaker 1: minute mark in the second quarter. So I didn't understand that. 914 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:26,080 Speaker 1: When I was listening, It's like, it's a basic staggering 915 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:28,560 Speaker 1: If you're gonna play a D nine minutes and then 916 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 1: Dwight six minutes, and then a D nine minutes and 917 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 1: then you know, just repeat that in the second half. 918 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:36,800 Speaker 1: I don't see why that can't just be the rotation again. 919 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:40,120 Speaker 1: Like what you're asking from that position is when a 920 00:40:40,239 --> 00:40:41,640 Speaker 1: D s on the floor, he does a little spot 921 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 1: up work. But for the most part, those are screening 922 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:45,400 Speaker 1: dive guys. You don't have to change the way you 923 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,520 Speaker 1: play as much when you switch between those two. And 924 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:51,880 Speaker 1: so that was confusing to me. And look, a D 925 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,840 Speaker 1: has struggled with his motor all season. We you know, 926 00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:56,880 Speaker 1: I've gotten an arguments with a bunch of people about this, 927 00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:59,120 Speaker 1: and you know, the way I look at it, you know, 928 00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:01,440 Speaker 1: he's not really much of a self starter. He struggles 929 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,839 Speaker 1: trying to navigate his way through the game in terms of, uh, 930 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:06,960 Speaker 1: knowing when to be physically aggressive and when to be 931 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,839 Speaker 1: more passive. Why not make that decision a little bit 932 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 1: easier for him by giving him shorter burst. That's literally 933 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:16,280 Speaker 1: what Russell Westbrook does. Russell Westbrook loves coming in, playing 934 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:19,080 Speaker 1: his ass off for six minutes, sitting for three, playing 935 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 1: his ass off for six minutes, sitting for three. It 936 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 1: doesn't if that that might work better than playing for 937 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:28,239 Speaker 1: twelve minutes, being awful for half of them because you're, 938 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:30,680 Speaker 1: you know, very tired, and then sitting on the bench 939 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 1: for what amounts to like twenty five minutes of real time, 940 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:35,440 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? Like, I just didn't. I 941 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,720 Speaker 1: didn't understand that in terms of the concept, Like, it's 942 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:41,680 Speaker 1: like to me that there, He's like, has anybody Frank 943 00:41:41,719 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: goes in the video, he goes, has anybody heard anything 944 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:47,520 Speaker 1: in the locker room about A D s long shifts? 945 00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:50,360 Speaker 1: And you know, I can't remember who was the assistant 946 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:53,279 Speaker 1: hand Yeah, So Phil Handy speaks up and goes, yeah, 947 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 1: A D always comes up and tells me he's tired. 948 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:57,239 Speaker 1: To me, it's like end of discussion, Okay, cool, we're 949 00:41:57,239 --> 00:42:00,279 Speaker 1: shortening his shifts, Like, like, what's the what's the push 950 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:01,959 Speaker 1: back there? Like, I just don't get it. You don't 951 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:05,040 Speaker 1: have it doesn't make any sense to do that. Lebron 952 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 1: hasn't even done that since he was a young player. 953 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:12,200 Speaker 1: Lebron hasn't played twelve minute shifts literally since he was 954 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:14,520 Speaker 1: in like since he was you know, I think thirty 955 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 1: two or earlier, like he just like he, It just 956 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:19,880 Speaker 1: is a nonsensical way to do it, unless you're a 957 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:22,279 Speaker 1: guy like the honest or like young Lebron, a guy 958 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 1: who oh Draymond Green, like a guy who just has 959 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:28,640 Speaker 1: an incredible motor, who catches a second win and can 960 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:30,239 Speaker 1: just go up and down the floor all day long. 961 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:31,960 Speaker 1: If you're that guy, that's great. But Ad is just 962 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:35,319 Speaker 1: not that guy. So I would definitely try to get 963 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:38,719 Speaker 1: him more in and out of the game quicker um 964 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: so that he has an opportunity to stend more of 965 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:44,200 Speaker 1: his energy while he's out there. Yeah. I thought another 966 00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 1: interesting thing too, was Phil Handy kind of putting the 967 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:49,600 Speaker 1: responsibility on a D as well. Right, He's like, he 968 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:53,799 Speaker 1: told him, if you don't want to play, they hand 969 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:55,799 Speaker 1: up and we'll sub for you. And I think part 970 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:57,839 Speaker 1: of this it's not that vocal, you know, I don't 971 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,640 Speaker 1: think he doesn't know how to staggers. They rely on 972 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 1: a D so much defensively, right, So I'm thinking, like 973 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:05,880 Speaker 1: they like him playing that full first usually get the 974 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:08,360 Speaker 1: you know, you get the team's best players in that 975 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:11,080 Speaker 1: first quarter, So they play him the full force and 976 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:14,000 Speaker 1: then Dwight and Russ or whoever, and maybe it's I 977 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:16,120 Speaker 1: think it's Lebron who starts the second Um. I think 978 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:18,120 Speaker 1: Russ comes back back in late in the first and 979 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:20,120 Speaker 1: then I'm not sure if it's Russian and Braun or 980 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 1: something that starts the second quarter, and they've been going 981 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:24,319 Speaker 1: with le Brunett center, but it's either Dwight Howard. I 982 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:26,680 Speaker 1: think they like that lineup. But yeah, we'll see if 983 00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:28,520 Speaker 1: going forward, if that changes a little bit. You could 984 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:31,120 Speaker 1: tell a D is tired um, And I thought they 985 00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:32,759 Speaker 1: made a good point as well that it could be 986 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:35,200 Speaker 1: injury prevention as well. Um. You could just see him 987 00:43:35,239 --> 00:43:37,319 Speaker 1: not you know, like in that Memphis game, there are 988 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:38,799 Speaker 1: a lot of times where they would go at him 989 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:41,000 Speaker 1: and he's just kind of stepping back, you know, and 990 00:43:41,040 --> 00:43:44,160 Speaker 1: just trying to preserve or just not go as we've 991 00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:46,120 Speaker 1: seen a d B And there's a lot of factors 992 00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:48,160 Speaker 1: to that, and there's always human elements to it. But 993 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 1: I think it's a fascinating discussion because the the full 994 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 1: first quarter thing that is fatiguing, like that's tough for 995 00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 1: a player to do, especially with the load that a 996 00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:58,440 Speaker 1: D carries on the defensive end and on on on 997 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 1: the offensive end honestly, where he put in the post 998 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,439 Speaker 1: and he's you know when especially when he's at the five, 999 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:05,680 Speaker 1: he's banging with guys or you know, get his job 1000 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:07,480 Speaker 1: is to be the screen roll guy. But like, it's 1001 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:09,799 Speaker 1: a fascinating discussion because I think it's interesting, and we'll 1002 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:11,799 Speaker 1: see if Lebron at the center lineups can kind of 1003 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:13,600 Speaker 1: fix that as well, maybe they pull a d a 1004 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:15,880 Speaker 1: little bit quicker so he has energy going forward. But 1005 00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 1: I think it's interesting. It's fascinating to get to kind 1006 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:19,680 Speaker 1: of look into that because that's not something I think 1007 00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:21,920 Speaker 1: we knew about before before the video, even though we 1008 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:23,799 Speaker 1: saw it on film and we kind of had thoughts 1009 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:25,880 Speaker 1: about it. I think it's interesting to hear it, I 1010 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:29,000 Speaker 1: guess from the from the coaching staff. Yeah, So moving 1011 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:33,239 Speaker 1: beyond the minutes, just to the general idea of fatigue 1012 00:44:33,280 --> 00:44:36,360 Speaker 1: for Anthony Davis. I got into a discussion with the 1013 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:38,000 Speaker 1: Cranges about this the other day, and I'm going to 1014 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:39,800 Speaker 1: try to get him on the pod next week because 1015 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:42,440 Speaker 1: obviously Twitter is just a really terrible place to have 1016 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,520 Speaker 1: these kinds of back and forth discussions, and he's just 1017 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:47,200 Speaker 1: a super smart guy and I'm sure he'll be able 1018 00:44:47,239 --> 00:44:49,719 Speaker 1: to to give give us a really good example of 1019 00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:53,520 Speaker 1: his perspective. But he basically was like his cases, like 1020 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:56,040 Speaker 1: a d has more on his plate on both ends 1021 00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:57,880 Speaker 1: of the floor than any start in the league, was 1022 00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:01,760 Speaker 1: his point. Like his point like, defensively, he's basically covering 1023 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:05,200 Speaker 1: for garbage defensive lineup by flying around all the time 1024 00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:08,520 Speaker 1: trying to to cover for people and then offensively obviously 1025 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 1: has way more responsibilities than a you know, a Rudy 1026 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:15,279 Speaker 1: Gobert or a Clint Capella or the the other you know, 1027 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:19,080 Speaker 1: ground covering mobile defensive centers that we have in the league. 1028 00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:21,719 Speaker 1: And he's not he's not wrong in that regard. I 1029 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:24,040 Speaker 1: just think I think that's part of it. But I 1030 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:28,080 Speaker 1: think I also think part of it is is that 1031 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:32,000 Speaker 1: that motor, because there's no excuse, regardless of what your 1032 00:45:32,040 --> 00:45:36,600 Speaker 1: responsibilities are, to have three consecutive off days and then 1033 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:41,040 Speaker 1: go into the Boston game and and be really hot 1034 00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:43,960 Speaker 1: garbage for the first twentysomething minutes of the game, you know, 1035 00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:47,320 Speaker 1: like it's like and just looking like you're not mentally 1036 00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:50,040 Speaker 1: engaged in the game. When we when we recorded that pot, 1037 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:52,719 Speaker 1: that was the big that was one of the big 1038 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:54,719 Speaker 1: stories of that game was like Lebron was carrying him 1039 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:57,799 Speaker 1: early and Anthony Davis came in the second half, you know. 1040 00:45:57,880 --> 00:46:01,400 Speaker 1: And then obviously the Memphis games same thing. Like again, 1041 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:03,839 Speaker 1: Memphis was two nights later, so it's not like it 1042 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:06,720 Speaker 1: was the same rest. But he had played two games 1043 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:11,560 Speaker 1: total in the previous seven days. So I can't like, like, man, 1044 00:46:11,600 --> 00:46:13,680 Speaker 1: if you're running out of gas, then like, how the 1045 00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:15,480 Speaker 1: hell are you going to get through a playoff run? 1046 00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:17,600 Speaker 1: You know what I mean? So I can't. I can't 1047 00:46:17,640 --> 00:46:21,239 Speaker 1: really make the fatigue excuse for him entirely. I do 1048 00:46:21,320 --> 00:46:23,960 Speaker 1: agree that he has a really difficult job, and and 1049 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:26,200 Speaker 1: I'm glad Crane has pointed out because it's it is 1050 00:46:26,239 --> 00:46:29,840 Speaker 1: absolutely true. However, there's not a guy in the league 1051 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:32,360 Speaker 1: that's vying for a spot to be considered one of 1052 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:34,520 Speaker 1: the top tier superstars that doesn't have a lot on 1053 00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:37,320 Speaker 1: his plate. Like think about how much running Steph Curry 1054 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:39,080 Speaker 1: has to do every night in order for the Golden 1055 00:46:39,080 --> 00:46:42,120 Speaker 1: State offense to even function. And in addition to that, 1056 00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:44,400 Speaker 1: he's got people vying for him to make an All 1057 00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:47,040 Speaker 1: defense team, which I don't necessarily agree with. But he 1058 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:50,480 Speaker 1: is absolutely a good, positive defensive player. He's doing a 1059 00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:53,160 Speaker 1: lot for them night in and night out, you know, 1060 00:46:53,239 --> 00:46:56,200 Speaker 1: like that's that is what comes with the territory when 1061 00:46:56,239 --> 00:46:59,160 Speaker 1: you're that type of player. Same goes for Janice, same 1062 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:01,919 Speaker 1: goes for Kevin. To Kevin Dury is having an incredible 1063 00:47:02,239 --> 00:47:05,719 Speaker 1: two a season and he's being asked to do so 1064 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:09,280 Speaker 1: much every night because one of his co stars wouldn't 1065 00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:11,880 Speaker 1: take the vaccine and another one of his co stars 1066 00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:15,520 Speaker 1: literally showed up to the season like he has been 1067 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:17,680 Speaker 1: on a spot teen day bender at the strip clubs. 1068 00:47:17,719 --> 00:47:19,960 Speaker 1: Like he just like it's he's been asked to do 1069 00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:22,680 Speaker 1: so much night in the night out to keep the 1070 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:25,600 Speaker 1: team afloat. Like I don't like the idea of being 1071 00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:28,040 Speaker 1: like guys, we should really just lighten up on a 1072 00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:30,560 Speaker 1: d he's he's got to do too much, Like no 1073 00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:34,160 Speaker 1: like that that then then don't tell me he's one 1074 00:47:34,160 --> 00:47:35,480 Speaker 1: of the top players in the league, you know, like 1075 00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:41,440 Speaker 1: this is what we expect now practically he's struggling with 1076 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:44,520 Speaker 1: the long shifts, So how about we make his job 1077 00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:47,600 Speaker 1: a little bit easier by giving him opportunities to step 1078 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:49,400 Speaker 1: off the forward and get his breath, you know what 1079 00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:51,600 Speaker 1: I mean? That's that to me, is like a more 1080 00:47:51,640 --> 00:47:55,200 Speaker 1: practical solution there. But to me, asking a D to 1081 00:47:55,200 --> 00:47:57,600 Speaker 1: do what we're asking a D to do is foundationally 1082 00:47:57,680 --> 00:48:00,239 Speaker 1: what we did with this team. If you're if you 1083 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:03,520 Speaker 1: are a team that doesn't trade everything away for a 1084 00:48:03,520 --> 00:48:07,480 Speaker 1: super duperstar, You've got really high quality role players. You've 1085 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:10,719 Speaker 1: got lots of guys on midsize contracts. All of them 1086 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:14,680 Speaker 1: are expected to do a lot so that the top 1087 00:48:14,719 --> 00:48:18,080 Speaker 1: players on the team have lighter workloads. But when you 1088 00:48:18,160 --> 00:48:21,879 Speaker 1: trade Brandon Ingram and Lonzo ball and and Josh Hard 1089 00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:25,000 Speaker 1: and all these guys to UH to a team to 1090 00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:29,600 Speaker 1: bring back Anthony Davis, you are saying, I think this 1091 00:48:29,640 --> 00:48:34,320 Speaker 1: guy can do what a lot more than what these 1092 00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:38,320 Speaker 1: three players can do combined. That's literally what the the 1093 00:48:38,600 --> 00:48:42,520 Speaker 1: entire concept of this sort of team construction was. It 1094 00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:46,440 Speaker 1: was it was it was always about Lebron and a 1095 00:48:46,520 --> 00:48:48,840 Speaker 1: D are gonna have to do a lot, you know 1096 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:50,919 Speaker 1: what I mean? And so that and so that's where 1097 00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:54,160 Speaker 1: I was pushing back. And by the way, Tim's I'm 1098 00:48:54,160 --> 00:48:55,840 Speaker 1: gonna reach out him tomorrow. We're gonna get him on 1099 00:48:55,840 --> 00:48:57,319 Speaker 1: the pod next week and we're gonna have a good 1100 00:48:57,320 --> 00:48:59,200 Speaker 1: discussion about this, and I'll try to work it out 1101 00:48:59,200 --> 00:49:01,120 Speaker 1: so you can be there as well, Rods. But like 1102 00:49:01,719 --> 00:49:05,200 Speaker 1: my my point is is, like I think it's okay 1103 00:49:05,239 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 1: to hold Anthony Davis to that standard in terms of 1104 00:49:08,080 --> 00:49:10,040 Speaker 1: what we expect him. We can talk about the practical 1105 00:49:10,080 --> 00:49:14,919 Speaker 1: stuff like I just said, but I think in terms 1106 00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:16,880 Speaker 1: of the principle of the matter, I think it's okay 1107 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,960 Speaker 1: to expect that from him. Yeah, I think there's like 1108 00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:22,200 Speaker 1: a fine line, right, and we're starting to see a 1109 00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:24,919 Speaker 1: d trades pop up on the timeline, which I think 1110 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:29,200 Speaker 1: is you know, just absolutely insane. I think that's crazy. Um, 1111 00:49:29,239 --> 00:49:30,879 Speaker 1: it's tough. It's a it's a fine line to walk 1112 00:49:30,920 --> 00:49:34,399 Speaker 1: because the numbers all say that he's been contributing at 1113 00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:36,359 Speaker 1: you know, the level that he's supposed to. He leads 1114 00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:38,239 Speaker 1: the league in you know, paying touch, he leads the 1115 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:40,480 Speaker 1: leading in dunks and points in the pain and and 1116 00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:42,400 Speaker 1: all that stuff. And then you talked about cranes. He 1117 00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:45,600 Speaker 1: posted that eighties, running the most as any player in 1118 00:49:45,600 --> 00:49:48,640 Speaker 1: the league. Um, again, his defensive versatility has been all 1119 00:49:48,719 --> 00:49:50,800 Speaker 1: up and down. He's switching, he has to protect the 1120 00:49:50,880 --> 00:49:53,240 Speaker 1: rim and all that's true, but still there's an engagement 1121 00:49:53,280 --> 00:49:54,920 Speaker 1: level that you have to expect, and I think the 1122 00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:57,680 Speaker 1: toughest part is that we've seen it. We saw it all. 1123 00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:00,960 Speaker 1: Like to me, I saw it all. And obviously there's 1124 00:50:01,200 --> 00:50:03,719 Speaker 1: games where he doesn't engage offensively as he should, and 1125 00:50:03,760 --> 00:50:05,680 Speaker 1: I can live with that, um, I can live with 1126 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:07,799 Speaker 1: that kind of stuff here and there, but it's been 1127 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:10,759 Speaker 1: too it's been too often. I guess that I see 1128 00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:13,840 Speaker 1: where there's just full quarters where he just isn't isn't 1129 00:50:13,840 --> 00:50:17,200 Speaker 1: there and this team and this team just can't handle that, 1130 00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:20,080 Speaker 1: I guess especially. I think Russ has pulled his way, 1131 00:50:20,120 --> 00:50:22,160 Speaker 1: but Russ is still supposed to be the third guy 1132 00:50:22,160 --> 00:50:23,880 Speaker 1: on this team. That's the whole point of this, and 1133 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:25,880 Speaker 1: I feel like it's been a lot of a Russ 1134 00:50:25,920 --> 00:50:27,879 Speaker 1: has led a lot of the comebacks, at least early on, 1135 00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:30,400 Speaker 1: and again that second half against Boston was great, and 1136 00:50:30,440 --> 00:50:32,400 Speaker 1: we see bits and flashes of it. We just has 1137 00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:35,360 Speaker 1: to be consistent. I think the putting on mass is 1138 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 1: a really key point as well. I think that's been 1139 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:40,040 Speaker 1: something that's everyone's kind of pointed out now and I 1140 00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:41,960 Speaker 1: think that's part of it. That is not getting that 1141 00:50:42,040 --> 00:50:44,719 Speaker 1: same lift as he was. He got blocked twice, I 1142 00:50:44,719 --> 00:50:46,600 Speaker 1: believe in Memphis and one of them was like by 1143 00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:49,200 Speaker 1: Kyle Anderson. That kind of stuff happens, but it's just 1144 00:50:49,480 --> 00:50:51,440 Speaker 1: there was a lack of lift there that that you 1145 00:50:51,440 --> 00:50:53,600 Speaker 1: see is kind of impacting him and we'll see how 1146 00:50:53,640 --> 00:50:55,399 Speaker 1: that goes. But the numbers are still there. He's still 1147 00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:57,839 Speaker 1: a super impactful player. It's just when you have when 1148 00:50:57,840 --> 00:51:00,239 Speaker 1: you see a guy with the amount of talent so 1149 00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:02,960 Speaker 1: cantalizing that a D has, you expect more right when 1150 00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:05,720 Speaker 1: you watch him, you just feel like there's a super 1151 00:51:05,760 --> 00:51:09,040 Speaker 1: crazy impactful player there and we're not seeing the ceiling 1152 00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:10,640 Speaker 1: of it. And I think that's the part that we 1153 00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:13,000 Speaker 1: struggle with because the numbers are all there, like you 1154 00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:14,720 Speaker 1: can go and low. He's still putting up his twenty 1155 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:17,080 Speaker 1: six and ten and he can sleepwalk into a lot 1156 00:51:17,120 --> 00:51:19,040 Speaker 1: of that, right, Like that's just how good he is, 1157 00:51:19,200 --> 00:51:21,719 Speaker 1: even with his jumper not falling. But it's a a 1158 00:51:21,760 --> 00:51:23,560 Speaker 1: thin line to walk. We'll see if the minutes kind 1159 00:51:23,560 --> 00:51:25,760 Speaker 1: of come down a little bit. I think that's something 1160 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:28,239 Speaker 1: that that's a fixable issue. Like you talked about, the 1161 00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:30,640 Speaker 1: jumper isn't really something we can control. It's gonna be 1162 00:51:30,719 --> 00:51:33,160 Speaker 1: up and down so the whole season. But I just 1163 00:51:33,160 --> 00:51:35,600 Speaker 1: think like it's a tough thing to walk here. Blaming 1164 00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:38,560 Speaker 1: everything on a D obviously isn't the case. He's not 1165 00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:41,279 Speaker 1: the problem, right, But I just need him to contribute 1166 00:51:41,280 --> 00:51:43,480 Speaker 1: more to the solution, right, And I guess that's the 1167 00:51:43,719 --> 00:51:46,239 Speaker 1: That's the way I would like to put it. People 1168 00:51:46,239 --> 00:51:48,040 Speaker 1: are like, oh, eighties, you're saying eighties the problem. No, 1169 00:51:48,080 --> 00:51:50,040 Speaker 1: I'm not saying he's the problem. I just there's a 1170 00:51:50,040 --> 00:51:52,560 Speaker 1: solution here that needs him to be more part of it. 1171 00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:54,880 Speaker 1: And you know, his defense. This team needs him to 1172 00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:59,439 Speaker 1: be all world defensively on most possessions, and it also 1173 00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:02,840 Speaker 1: needs on to be all world defensively almost possessions to 1174 00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:05,279 Speaker 1: beat the good teams. That's just how this team is 1175 00:52:05,360 --> 00:52:07,600 Speaker 1: kind of built, at least until we see how thirty 1176 00:52:07,640 --> 00:52:09,759 Speaker 1: six year old of reason fits into it. But like, 1177 00:52:09,840 --> 00:52:11,719 Speaker 1: that's how this team is kind of built, and he's 1178 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:14,120 Speaker 1: expected to do that. I think it's okay to expect 1179 00:52:14,120 --> 00:52:16,719 Speaker 1: our twenty eight year old superstar who just signed the 1180 00:52:16,760 --> 00:52:19,520 Speaker 1: Mega Max hold him to a higher standard. Like, I 1181 00:52:19,520 --> 00:52:22,880 Speaker 1: think that's okay without going to an extreme of trading 1182 00:52:22,960 --> 00:52:25,040 Speaker 1: him or calling him soft or you know, like all 1183 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:27,600 Speaker 1: these extremes that we see. There's the middle lines. Here 1184 00:52:27,600 --> 00:52:29,279 Speaker 1: that that we can walk and I think I think 1185 00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:32,000 Speaker 1: that's important to talk about. Yeah, exactly, and guess what, 1186 00:52:32,160 --> 00:52:34,480 Speaker 1: like you can't you can't be like, oh A D 1187 00:52:34,640 --> 00:52:37,000 Speaker 1: is doing great. It's all the minimum guys that are 1188 00:52:37,040 --> 00:52:39,760 Speaker 1: at fault when the reason why we have minimum guys 1189 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:41,960 Speaker 1: is because we went after Lebron and na D. Like 1190 00:52:42,040 --> 00:52:47,200 Speaker 1: with that team structure comes the accountability and responsibility, you 1191 00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:49,719 Speaker 1: know what I mean, Like you and even above and 1192 00:52:49,760 --> 00:52:52,040 Speaker 1: beyond that with the Russ thing. It's like you guys 1193 00:52:52,080 --> 00:52:55,040 Speaker 1: had even a variation of that where you had some 1194 00:52:55,120 --> 00:52:58,480 Speaker 1: high quality role players like how Kuzma, like Alex Cruising White, 1195 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:02,680 Speaker 1: k CP, all under control and you forfeited that to 1196 00:53:02,800 --> 00:53:05,120 Speaker 1: bring in Russ, you know what I mean. And that's 1197 00:53:04,920 --> 00:53:08,880 Speaker 1: that to me, like those guys, I just those three guys, 1198 00:53:08,920 --> 00:53:13,440 Speaker 1: I can't really go around making excuses for them. Um 1199 00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:15,680 Speaker 1: you know when they this is kind of like a 1200 00:53:15,719 --> 00:53:18,880 Speaker 1: decision they made in a predicament that they put themselves in. 1201 00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:21,759 Speaker 1: But to be clear, that's not something we're trying to 1202 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:25,040 Speaker 1: be super negative about. This positive night, um uh, the 1203 00:53:25,080 --> 00:53:27,439 Speaker 1: team is trending in the right direction. I think I'm 1204 00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:29,960 Speaker 1: surprised I didn't hear about that Luca news. That's a bummer. 1205 00:53:30,040 --> 00:53:32,839 Speaker 1: I thought that would have been an interesting challenge going 1206 00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:35,640 Speaker 1: into Dallas on Wednesday, but so that's all we have 1207 00:53:35,719 --> 00:53:39,080 Speaker 1: for tonight. Uh So quick news. So, my grandfather actually 1208 00:53:39,080 --> 00:53:40,759 Speaker 1: passed away a couple of days ago, so I am 1209 00:53:40,920 --> 00:53:44,480 Speaker 1: flying to Iowa on Tuesday, so I'm actually going to 1210 00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:49,560 Speaker 1: miss the the game on Wednesday night, but I'm sure 1211 00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:52,960 Speaker 1: we'll get uh Raj is still planning on going that night, 1212 00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:55,080 Speaker 1: so we still have a postgame show and then I'm 1213 00:53:55,080 --> 00:53:58,200 Speaker 1: gonna try to get my thoughts out there on on 1214 00:53:58,239 --> 00:54:01,800 Speaker 1: Thursday during the day sometime as well. But we appreciate 1215 00:54:01,840 --> 00:54:03,680 Speaker 1: you guys support. This will be on dash Radio tomorrow 1216 00:54:03,719 --> 00:54:06,960 Speaker 1: morning at seven am Pacific Standard time, and we'll be 1217 00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:09,279 Speaker 1: on our podcast feeds here in the next twenty or 1218 00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:11,840 Speaker 1: thirty minutes or so. We always appreciate your support and 1219 00:54:11,880 --> 00:54:15,560 Speaker 1: we will see you in a couple of days. Thanks everyone,