WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.640 But the saltier Adam Austin, who was doing double duty and filling in for 2 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:10.960 Kevin today is in the studio with the NBA schedule released from the Magnanimum Magnanimous, 3 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:14.919 I should say, Oral hirsh eyes are to the saltier little dichotomy here, 4 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:17.079 Fred, Well, we're gonna mix things up. We're gonna mix it 5 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:20.600 up a little bit. Yeah, and we said yesterday, unlike other places, 6 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:24.559 we're not going through eighty two games. We're not going to do that. 7 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:28.160 I mean, I know a show on this station from about fifteen years 8 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:30.760 ago that went through every game. In fact, you might be able to 9 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:34.640 talk about that with Vic later on every game, HiT's a win, y'all, 10 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:40.640 eighty two and oh Lakers going y'all. But as you and by the 11 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:42.679 way, what do you think of the end season tournament that we'll get to 12 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:47.520 the schedule. I think it has to play out because remember the backlash when 13 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:51.280 we talked about the play in tournament and how people thought that would go and 14 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:54.920 it would make a mockery more of a mockery of the regular season. And 15 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:58.119 then all of a sudden we saw the Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors, 16 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:00.119 for a win and you're in the playoff scheme, and it was like, 17 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:03.760 oh, this kind of works. This is a success for the NBA. 18 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:08.920 The bar is so low because all the end season tournament has to do 19 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:14.239 is make things a little bit more exciting than the regular season normally is in 20 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:18.200 the middle of November in early December, So it's not like it's a high 21 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:21.920 bar to clear. I think it's ultimately going to pay off and be a 22 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:25.519 good idea. Will the winner be mocked, Yes, they will be. 23 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:27.400 You'll say if the Clippers want to be like, oh, hang the banner, 24 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:34.640 you guys finally won a championship, that's what it's a good idea to 25 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:37.280 hang the banner. Yeah, but Rodney said the banner has to be small. 26 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:41.040 It's it's a ferment, right, you get a flyer banner, and 27 00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:44.560 if you win the title, you get the big banner, so the size 28 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:51.799 of a basketball card. So I do think ultimately it just has to generate 29 00:01:51.879 --> 00:01:56.200 a little bit more buzz than the regular season typically does when it's competing with 30 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:00.239 the NFL, when it's competing with hockey early on in the season, so 31 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:05.280 it's not asking a lot. I think over time it's going to be more 32 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:08.520 and more popular. Now, the question is, does it become later on 33 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:13.960 more than just a financial incentive, or the winner makes five hundred thousand dollars, 34 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:16.039 do they dangle a bigger carrot? Do they say, Okay, we're 35 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:21.639 gonna say the winner gets five more wins added onto their wins total at the 36 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:23.439 end of the season, and therefore you have a better chance of getting in 37 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:28.240 the playoffs or an automatic bid to get into at least the play in tournament. 38 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:30.319 Now there's a downside to that too, because there's still, you know, 39 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:35.360 fifty five more games left to player around that number, and would that 40 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:38.280 therefore diminished the rest of the regular season for that team? I don't know. 41 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:43.439 But they're just has to be stakes involved that are high enough to make 42 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:47.479 teams care to want to win this Cup and therefore ups the viewership because those 43 00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:52.719 stakes are higher. And inn't that the thing? It has to be The 44 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:58.280 stakes have to be high enough for this to even matter to the players. 45 00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:00.800 I mean, I think the players right now probably rolling their eyes about it. 46 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:07.039 Oh well, to the stars, not much, but to the role 47 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:10.840 players guys on a minimum deal making just over a million dollars, that's that's 48 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:16.000 big That's why I said, Adam, and these tournament games that count your 49 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:21.879 your players, that are those seven to twelve players down the end of the 50 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:25.280 rotation. They have to get the most minutes. Oh that is their championship. 51 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:29.639 They have to get the most minute and they get the lion's shares of 52 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.400 the money. So so friends, as your your starters or your top seven, 53 00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:37.599 say they can only play so many minutes of the game, and then 54 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:39.719 the rest gotta play by the bottom half. I'm gonna say some teams are 55 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:44.639 going to do that naturally anyways, when there's load management going on in the 56 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:47.960 league. But so in that way, it kind of plays to the direction 57 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:53.159 the league is going already with resting your stars, because the guys on minimum 58 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:55.159 deals on the back end of your bench are gonna play the hardest anyways, 59 00:03:55.159 --> 00:04:00.319 because they're gonna have the most financial incentive to do so in this play tournament. 60 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:05.080 All right, now you've looked at the schedules, what is your assessment 61 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:11.680 for both the Lakers and the Clippers Clippers getting screwed? Is that what you 62 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:15.120 wanted to hear? Like I'm just repeating when a lot of Clipper Nation has 63 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.120 been saying they get third billing in the arena. There's a reason that this 64 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:23.319 happens, and there's a reason that the Intuit Dome can't come soon enough for 65 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:29.079 this team. They're traveling thirty six hundred more miles than any other team in 66 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:32.000 the league is this season the Clippers are And you would say, well, 67 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:34.720 how can that be. The Lakers play in the same building, right, 68 00:04:34.839 --> 00:04:41.240 and the Clippers are still traveling eight thousand more miles total than the Los Angeles 69 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:46.600 Lakers. But it happens every season. They have more matinee home games, 70 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:50.480 ten of those. This year, they have four instances of five games in 71 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:57.360 seven nights. They have twenty five instances where they're playing three games in four 72 00:04:57.480 --> 00:05:02.000 nights. So what I think does is for a team that during the off 73 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:06.160 season has been stressing, we have to get back to respecting the regular season. 74 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:11.160 And if that means the Stars play more, or there's just as Brian 75 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:15.759 Seman would say, more competitive integrity out there each and every night, or 76 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:17.000 you just give it girl, no matter who was out there. Because at 77 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:20.120 times last season for the Clippers, some of that was lost. That was 78 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:25.240 the first time I would say they didn't look like they were playing hard enough 79 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:29.160 at times when that was never in question before. And I do wonder if 80 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:32.720 over the years, because of the stars have been sitting so much through injuries 81 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:36.199 that it's worn down guys that they say, here we go again to the 82 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:41.600 role players. I have to play more and give more myself each and every 83 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.920 night. When the two players that we were hoping we're going to be leading 84 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:46.920 us all the time, Kawai and Paul George aren't able to go, I 85 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:50.279 think they hit somewhat of a breaking point. Now. They go into this 86 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:55.040 season starting things off with a guy like Russell Westbrook. Russ is a no 87 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:59.639 nonsense playing every back to back, playing every night. Say what you want 88 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:03.519 about him, but he is consistently available. And I think that leadership is 89 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:06.639 going to be key for them, and just that continuity coming off of last 90 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:10.759 season and starting the year off with Russ as your point guard and the most 91 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:14.519 of good James Harden in there, I think that's gonna be critical for them. 92 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:16.600 But they have to get back to playing harder in the regular season, 93 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:20.519 and this schedule, as brutal as it is for them, it demands them 94 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:25.600 to have the attention of these regular season games, because after about the first 95 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:30.879 thirteen games, of the season. The Clippers just enter an absolute gauntlet and 96 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:33.879 they have to look, you don't play hard every night with this schedule, 97 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:39.120 you're talking about being in the play in tournament. That's how difficult it's going 98 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:42.480 to be for them. For a team with championship aspirations. You don't get 99 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:45.399 out there and take care of business and beat the teams you should beat, 100 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:48.199 and then go five hundred against the top elite teams, you could miss the 101 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:54.040 playoffs a top six seed altogether. That is a real possibility when you just 102 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:58.839 expect Paul George and Kawhi Leonard at this point to play sixty games at most. 103 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:01.480 Right, it's not like we're talking about Kauai coming off a healthy offseason. 104 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.240 He had a meniscus injury. That's what took him out of the playoffs, 105 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:08.199 So he hasn't exactly been able just to work on his game and fine 106 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:12.560 tune things. He's had to rehabilitate once again. So they have to get 107 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:15.160 off to a much quicker start than they did last year, and they just 108 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:18.360 have to prioritize playing much better in the regular season. Guys, the last 109 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:24.560 team that won a championship that wasn't a top three seed in the NBA was 110 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:29.199 back in nineteen ninety five with the Houston Rockets, So we're talking over twenty 111 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:33.600 five years now of historical precedent where you have to be a great regular season 112 00:07:33.639 --> 00:07:39.480 team to end up winning it all. Wow, Hey, Adam, you 113 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:45.199 mentioned James Harden. What kind of mess is that? And was that ever 114 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:47.639 gonna work? Because it feels like the seventy six ers was just going to 115 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:51.959 first of all, ask for the world from the Clippers. Where does that 116 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:56.240 stand? You threw it out there kind of tongue in cheek, But is 117 00:07:56.279 --> 00:07:59.240 that a done deal or is that ever gonna happen? Or are we just 118 00:07:59.319 --> 00:08:01.399 blown smoking? This is just James Harden being James Harden. Now, when 119 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:05.560 we know James Harden is the goat at getting his way eventually and getting out 120 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:09.600 of what he considers a bad situation. He did it in Houston. He 121 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:13.439 got to Brooklyn, he got what he wanted, he made a stink, 122 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:16.360 he made things uncomfortable, and then eventually he wanted to leave Brooklyn after he 123 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:22.160 realized those guys were unreliable with KD being injured and Kyrie Irving obviously having his 124 00:08:22.199 --> 00:08:24.959 own issues, and then he wants to go to Philly, and then a 125 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:28.759 couple of years later now he wants out there. But I gotta say, 126 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.679 if Daryl Morey promised that he was going to get a big contract this offseason 127 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:39.399 after sacrificing eleven million and taking less last year so they could bring in PJ. 128 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:43.519 Tucker, that's bad business. He's been working with James Harden far too 129 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:48.120 long for them to have this strain, this schism in their relationship because there 130 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:52.000 was a handshake deal or a promise made and it wasn't kept between those two 131 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:56.159 guys. And he opped it in right, He opted in, and that 132 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.879 gives them the ability to get something back for him because he opted him. 133 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:05.000 But he makes thirty six million dollars. So the Clippers, you would think 134 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:09.200 a package would have to be centered around somebody like Norman Powell or Terrence Man 135 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:13.000 in there and then Marcus Morris roco. But toomb a first round pick or 136 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:16.159 two to make this work. Does it happen? Eventually? I leaned towards 137 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:22.840 there's a better chance than not, just because James is hell bent and adamant 138 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:26.399 on getting out of there, and I don't see you can drag your feet 139 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:28.759 as much as you want and say, hey, if we trade him and 140 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:31.559 don't have a championship contender next to Joe LMB, then he's asking out. 141 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:37.240 But if Harden's there and he's not given full effort, and we saw that 142 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:39.840 at the end of his tenure with the Houston Rockets and then criticizing the team 143 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:45.279 post game every night, you can't have a malcontent in a toxic situation in 144 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:48.039 your locker room like that either. I think it's gonna force Jerald Mori's hand 145 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:52.919 at some point. The question is can he still get a better deal than 146 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:56.000 what the Clippers are offering when they know the Philadelphia seventy six ers don't have 147 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:58.799 a lot of leverage here? All right, Adam, give me two minute 148 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.039 time. Lakers schedule. What do you think when you see it? Well, 149 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:05.360 it's brutal early on, I'll say that about it. They don't have 150 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:07.840 as many back to backs as the Clippers do, with fifteen of them tied 151 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.320 for the league, league and back to backs. But they start things off 152 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:16.120 obviously in Denver, then Phoenix, then Sacramento. They have the Clippers within 153 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:18.559 their first five games, a team they haven't beaten in their last eleven tries. 154 00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:22.759 I think the Clippers have beaten them thirty six out of the last forty 155 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:26.600 three meetings. And then you're talking about a road trip Orlando. Okay, 156 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:28.799 but then Miami Houston, who I think is going to be better than last 157 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:33.600 season at Phoenix. They got Memphis on the schedule, Sacramento. Again, 158 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:37.720 it's not gonna be easy, but they do get a little bit more breathing 159 00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:41.840 room as the schedule goes along for them. And the Lakers did great work 160 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:46.279 this offseason. Rob Polinka, everybody's given him his flowers now talking about what 161 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:50.200 a great job he has done going back to last season's trade deadline, deservedly 162 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:54.240 so when some of those young guys are just getting better. Austin Reeves now 163 00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:56.679 on Team USA Iron Sharpen's Iron. A lot of those guys who have come 164 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:01.159 out of Team USA over the years have career years afterwards, just because the 165 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:05.440 level of competition, the tough practices, picking things up, tricks of the 166 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:09.919 trade from other veterans who they're playing next to. I expect Austin Reeves have 167 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:13.440 a big season. Ruey Haschima as well. The Lakers are looking like a 168 00:11:13.480 --> 00:11:16.639 top three seed to me in the West this year, and as much as 169 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:20.840 yes, they were swept by the eventual champions in the Denver Nuggets. I 170 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:26.240 mean, all of those games were very winnable down to the very end. 171 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:28.480 They're not that far away, I think, and there's a chip on their 172 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:33.600 shoulder because they feel like we were embarrassed a little bit in the Western Conference 173 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:35.960 finals. Salty, thanks for jumping in. I love you guys. Well, 174 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:39.000 what else am I doing? I'm right here, I'm right off in 175 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:41.279 here. As Bick would say, that's right, you're right here. I 176 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:41.559 appreciate that very much.