Now Clippers tip off the regular season tonight. Of course they're playing the Lakers,
and like a second game, that gives us an opportunity to welcome back
the man who was all over the NBA and does such a fantastic job.
The host of Clipper Countdown the halftime showing the postgame show but plugged in around
the NBA. This salta Adam Auslin and Adam another season and welcome back.
First appearis of this young season. It's good to be with you, guys,
all right, good to be with you. We were talking earlier about
the expectations this year for the Clippers, and they've had some good teams and
people thought they could be pretty good if they stay healthy. I mean,
the expectation is this year they can win, honestly, win the NBA title.
Does that make a different for them, Well, I think you have
to embrace it. There's a responsibility there when you're the favorite, and they
know that, and they've been the favorites. They were the favorites when they
first brought in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. They flamed out in the second
round, up three one against Denver and the bubble. The next year they
came back, and I think most people would agree that if Kawhi Leonard doesn't
get hurt, if he doesn't tear his ACL, they would have taken down
Phoenix. They still took him with six games, and they would have beat
Milwaukee. We saw a Kawhi can do against the Honest and then Kompo before
in the playoffs. So they've had these expectations and they have been a championship
contender. Things just haven't worked out or fallen into place. Now they're hoping
finally they can put it all together with a team that's even more refined around
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard with the pieces they have. I told you guys
before, Clipper Nation loves to call him wingstop. While the Lakers are lacking
wings, the Clippers have them, they have a grip of them. It's
unbelievable the switchability and the versatility of this team. And I do think this
is where the game is headed. And it started with Golden State being the
pioneers of three points shooting and playing more small ball with Draymond Green at center.
To defend that, you gotta have guys that can switch on the perimeter.
A lot and the Clippers do. And that's the team you're gunning for
this season. The Warriors are the champs until proven otherwise they are. But
I talked, you know, and we saw the Warriors too. I talk
about depth, and we are talking about the Clippers, but seeing the Warriors
the other night and the depth that they have is pretty impressive as well.
It's gonna be a dog fight in the West, I believe. But given
that, and I'm assuming everybody stays healthy, Adam, how do they handle
Kauhi this year? How do they handle his minutes, you know, back
to back to all those things. Do they handle it with kid gloves or
how do you see them handling his playtime? Well, he's coming off an
ACL injury in the same knee where he had the issues a few years back
with the San Antonio Spurs before he was traded to Toronto. And yeah,
you have to be overly cautious because your championship opportunity is hinged to Kawhi Leonard.
He's your guy, He's your number one option. Paul George came out
in the preseason and said he's number one, just so there's no question about
that. I'm the number two he's number one or one and one A.
And Kawhi Leonard has proven over the years that when he is healthy, and
he was having a phenomenal historic playoff run before hurting the knee, fifty seven
percent from the field, thirty eight percent from the outside, ninety percent from
the free throw line. He was putting up shack numbers in that first round
series against the Dallas Mavericks while shooting it from ten feet away from where shack
normally would in the restricted area. That's how efficient he was. So it's
all dependent on Kawhi Leonard in his health. You have to be careful with
him. And I saw the report earlier today from Chris Haynes saying they're considering
bringing him off the bench. The Clippers haven't said that to my knowledge.
That's coming from Chris Haynes. He's plugged in. Who knows, Maybe he's
right about that. A couple of years ago. Actually it was just last
season we saw Kevin Durant when he came back from a hamstring injury. He
came off the bench to start things off so he would be more available in
the second halves of games, in those critical minutes down the stretch. That
makes sense. You want Kawhi Leonard in fourth quarters obviously, so there could
be some logic there. But yeah, they're going to be careful with him.
I know he wants to play. I know he wants to play as
much as possible. Played just two preseason games, but look really good out
there. So a lot of encouraging signs with him coming back from the ACL.
Oh when you look at the Clippers depth, and we were kicking this
around earlier, you're sitting me. You forget you know, John Wall obviously,
but then you forget guys like Norman Powell, who's a starter anywhere else,
and he's coming off the bench. I mean, they literally have ten
guys and the five that don't play probably could start almost anywhere else. I
think they got twelve guys. I mean, when you're talking about Luke Kennard
finding minutes for him, Terrence Man, you mentioned John Wall being in there,
and we still don't know who's going to start tonight at the point guard
position. I thought it was Reggie Jackson. No, coach lew Is not
divulged that there's been a battle in training camp between Reggie and John Wall.
It was an open competition. I would lean towards thinking Reggie's going to be
the guy, just because he already has that established continuity with Paul George and
Kawhi Leonard and he's been there for some time. But John Wall looked really
good in the preseason, like real good. Like Okay, we talked about
it a few years ago when they brought Jen Rondo. Could that be the
missing piece to help facilitate and make things easier out there for Kawai and Paul
George. It didn't turn out to be that, but that was still a
team that could have won the championship anyways regardless of that. So they have
this embarrassment of riches where if John Wall helps, if he adds a new
element to their game with his downhill attack and being able to pass and play
make and help out Kawai and Paul George, great, If not, they're
still gonna be great. But I do think John Wall is gonna be He's
gonna work for them in ways where John Rondo didn't, just because he's still
explosive in the open court. And that's the one. Did you hear him?
That's what I say. What have you been saying? Fred? Have
you been telling on here? Still hating on John Wall from years back.
You know he never liked John Wall. He hated on he like Colin Coward.
You didn't like him doing the douggie. Oh he's not focused, he's
dancing out there. He didn't like him, And I said John Wall will
be a humongous factor for this team. I agree with you, Adam.
I think he's found his mojo and I think he's got a little chip on
his shoulder. Let people know that he ain't done. Oh he does.
He didn't play at all last season. It wasn't because he was hurt.
It was because US Houston's rebuilding. They wanted to play the young guys.
He just sat there on the bench. He wants to prove that he can
still be an elite point guard in this league and on this Clippers team.
He really has that opportunity because not as much or not as much as asked
of him offensively. Obviously, he doesn't have to be the number one to
the number two options like he was in Washington. He just has to make
the game easier for everybody else. So if he's coming off the bench,
he'll push things with the second unit. If he's starting, he'll get Kawai
and Paul George to their spots. I think it's a perfect situation. And
the one thing that he adds that you could say the Clippers are missing a
little bit. They don't attempt a lot of free throws. He gets to
the free throw line, he gets downhill, he puts pressure on the rim,
he attacks. They were bad and transition the last couple of seasons.
John Wall can change that for them. So they still have parts of their
offense to unlock and john Wall can aid them there. All right, So
if we forecast forward now and clips are the battle, let's say trade deadline
years, They've got enough guys where they can package somebody and somebody else and
bring someone in here that could make a difference if they need you, right,
Yeah, when you have an embarrassment of riches, when you have a
team this deep, my guess is they're going to see how things play out
through the first forty five games or whatever it is, until the trade deadline,
and a lot of guys are gonna play because Kauai early in the season
and even Paul George may play less minutes, and they'll ramp things up as
they head into the playoffs, which means you need less deaf or you don't
need as much death then and you could make a trade and consolidate some of
that talent that they have. But I don't know if that's going to be
the case or not. Look at what's happened the last couple of years,
it's been survival of the fittest in the playoffs. The healthiest teams have won.
So you don't want to give up too much of that strength, which
is all world depth, like a team maybe we've never seen in the modern
NBA, because you never know when you're going to need someone. But the
good news is they have options and they will have a decision to make it
the trade deadline. And I think because of that, uh, speaking of
options or lack thereof the Lakers at them, Oh, I mean, listen,
I don't think they're waiting for the trade deadline a man. I mean
listen. I know it was Opening Night and the rings were giving out and
it was hyped and hoop lah, and they were gonna going up against it.
But and you can't read too much into Game one of opening series against
the NBA champs, but they're in trouble at them, they're in trouble,
aren't they? I mean, it just it just it's it feels like the
beginning of a long, drawn out, painful season for the Lakers. It's
amazing that we're one game in and it already feels like season on the brink.
Things are teetering for the Lakers because all that baggage that we talked about
during the off season and going back to last year with Russell Westbrook, it's
still there. They have a new head coach, they have some new philosophies,
but the same problems exist. We talked about it all offseason. We're
the three point shooter with this team. Where are the wings? Who's gonna
guard some of these players tonight on the Clippers? I don't know. They
have so many holes on this roster, and they're too dependent on one a
guy who's turning thirty eight and Lebron James. Two Anthony Davis who can't stay
healthy. And even though he looked really good in that first quarter the other
night, he looked dominant, his activity level slowed down as the game went
along. He kind of faded after that. And this is the question I've
had about him for a couple of seasons now because He's had so many of
those little injuries. It reminds me a little bit of Blake Griffin. They
add up over time, even if one's not major. They take something out
of your explosiveness. And I just wonder, for thirty eight minutes night,
forty minutes night, whatever they would like Anthony Davis to play out there,
can he give them enough energy? Can he be at his best during those
thirty eight minutes like he used to be. I don't know if that's the
case anymore, But look, there's still a dangerous team because they have two
top fifteen players and maybe the greatest player of all time in Lebron James.
And there's gonna be nights where things click in and they do look good.
And Russ didn't look awful no other night because when they get in transition,
and that's what happens often against the Golden State Warriors because they shoot a lot
of threes, you get some long rebounds, you get runouts. The Lakers,
that is one of their few strengths getting in transition with Russ and Lebron
James. And that's something Coach lu brought up yesterday at practice. That's the
thing the Clippers have to watch out for with this Lakers team. You know,
when you talk about Russ, we made the point. It's time to
stop stop blaming Ross. Not Russ's fault. Russ is here, not Russ's
fault. They acquired somebody it didn't really fit. Not everybody thought he didn't
fit, but they thought he did well. If they're two best players,
are the ones who wanted him there. And that's what all the reports say.
Yeah, pinning on them. Yeah, are pinning on Rob Polinka for
not sticking his neck out and saying, no, I'm gonna put my foot
down on this one. We're not doing it right. But that being said,
it's hard to blame a guy for doing his exactly what he does.
And because they acquired him, they don't have the money to go out and
get anybody that can shoot from the wing. They don't have three points shooters.
I don't know how you'll rectify that. They just don't have guys that
can shoot from outside. You know the scene in the wedding singer or John
Lovett's like closes the curtain and says, and I'm reaping the benefits. He's
losing his mind watching Adam Sandler singing that song. Somebody killed me, please,
and I'm reaping the benefits. That's what the Indiana Pacers I think we're
doing the other night when they saw how bad the Lakers looked. Because now
they can drive up the price if you want Miles Turner, if you want
Buddy Healed, or you're gonna have to give us that second first round pick.
It just feels inevitable that trade is eventually going to go down. That's
how I look at it right now. I don't think this is a long
term solution. Having Russell Westbrook on the team. Reports say that they'll give
him twenty games just to see what Darvin ham can get out of him,
as opposed to Frank Vocal they'll give him twenty games. I'm not even sure
it will last that long, because, like I said, it already feels
like this is turned into a downward spiral and we're one game in in the
drum was already. This heightened what happens if they got blown out tonight by
the Clippers, which could happen, and look Patrick Beverley also, this was
the worst sign I saw between the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors of their
night when Patrick Beverley is trying to create and isolate. That's not his game,
but he felt like he had to because nobody else is doing anything outside
of Lebron in a D and Russell Westbrook here and there, Like who else
is scoring on that team? Kendrick Nunn, good player, Austin Reeves.
I like the intangibles, but he's not getting you fifteen to night. If
Patrick Beverley feels like the onus is on him to have to create shots from
three, that's not his game, that is a red flag. H Yeah,
so you know you mentioned it may not last twenty games. How did
they fix it at him? How did they even salvage It's that's the question.
You know, give it twenty games, do you? But you already
know that's my old thing. You already know. Why are you giving it
twenty games? I think it's just doing Darvin him a favor and just seeing
what he can do with Russ to Westbrook. I don't understand why they wouldn't
have made this trade this offseason. I told you guys, I don't think
Russ is going to be there throughout all of training camp. I thought they
would have already made the trade package the two first round picks. It's a
some cost at this point. It's cutting your losses a little bit. It's
trying to mask for your mistake of bringing Russ in to begin with. But
you have to sorry. You're admitting your mistake. You're admitting your failure.
Yes, and you have to get rid of two first round picks, which
you don't want to do because by the time Lebron James is gone and Anthony
Davis is gone, it's gonna be a tough rebuild, of course, but
you're trying to win now still because you have those guys. So just do
it. To bite the bullet and trade those two first round picks with Russell
Westbrook because I think Indiana will do it. And look, if they got
Buddy Heel to Miles Turner, they're in business a little bit. Then all
of a sudden, Okay, maybe they could be like a fifth seed in
the Western Conference with as talented as it is, maybe a fourth at best
if those two really fit well, because Miles Turner could play more center.
If Anthony Davis doesn't want to know that's always the case. Those are two
good young players that could really help them out immediately. And as Rodney pointed
out, you know, why wait twenty games. Let's say the Lakers get
out here to a bad start, and you know, Rodney asked the other
day, would I be surprised if the Clippers blew them out tonight? My
answer was no, I would not be surprised if the Clippers blew them out
tonight. Let's say it's a really uneven start and you can tell it's a
bad start before you hit twenty games, would you pull the trigger faster?
I would? Why wait around? You're just turning this season into watching Lebron
James pass screen Rebdual Jabbar. Then if you're not making a move to try
to win, to try and compete, it's not going to be easy.
In the West, there's at least seven teams that are clearly better than the
Lakers, probably more than that right now. To me, their range is
somewhere between seven and ten right they're playing team and the Pelicans look really good
last night, beating up on Brooklyn, Dallas is going to be there,
even though they blew a game to the Phoenix Suns last night. There are
so many teams that are just younger and more spry and have three point shooters
and play modern basketball. It looks like the Lakers are built for a different
era. That's what it looks like right now, and that is really confounding
because we've known for a long time. You got us surround Lebron James with
some shooters. That is how you maximize his potential and create some lanes for
him to drive down. Because he still he goes to those spurts where I
remember last year he shot forty percent for a month or something like that from
three. He's still inconsistent from the outside. He's streaky. I don't think
he's ever going to turn into Steph Curry all of a sudden. So Lebron,
he still has to get to the basket. How are you gonna do
that when everybody's packing the paint because you got no shooters out there. The
Lakers have so many problems, and they were all foreseeable except by the guy
who just got an extension in Rob Polinka. I don't get it. Yeah,
how do you figure that? Yeah? I guess it's just they're reverting
back to what they've always been. We're gonna get superstars and we're gonna find
a way to win anyways, and we just won a year and a half
ago technically or two years ago in the bubble, and even though then,
they remade that team, and they went away from what Frank Vogel wanted,
which is kind of some Twin Towers action and playing big like that, to
bringing in Monchrese Harold and Dennis Shrewder. I have no idea why, you
know, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. For some reason,
the Lakers thought it was broke after winning the championship. They had to change
things up. But they've lost a lot of their good defenders and three point
shooters. They could have paid Alex Caruso, they decided not to. They
could have kept him and Thht who's now gone anyways, and they let Kyle
Kuzman CACP go in the Russ trade. All right, those two guys in
Montrese Harold, those two guys can help you. Those two guys were actually
really good against the Clippers. Kuzman was probably the best defender against Kawhi Leonard,
shockingly, but he turned himself into a pretty good better. So there
have been a series of bad moves by the Lakers over the last couple of
years. It's not just one thing, but the biggest thing, yes,
was the trade for Russell Westbrook. That's what's hanging over their head right now.
Adam, appreciate you stopping in. Good stuff, A good to be
with you. Guys. Got the pre game at six, Adam, we'll
be there and then we'll have the game from the crypt here on the radio
station that's gonna rypt