WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:08.240 This is the baseline discussing the hot button topics of the nb A. Welcome 2 00:00:08.279 --> 00:00:12.599 everybody, your tune to the baseline. Cali Warrenshaw discussing the hot button topics 3 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:18.480 of the NBA as we continue our scope, looking and giving a bird's eye 4 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:24.960 view of everything that's been happening so far in the NBA playoffs. Also, 5 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:32.200 it allows us more opportunity to raise the dead, as a few more teams 6 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:38.880 are gonna get put on the slab their exodus. Maybe what we'll discuss about 7 00:00:38.920 --> 00:00:44.119 them might be nicer than the way that they were exited stage left out of 8 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:47.520 the playoffs. So you might have an idea of who are who we might 9 00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:50.679 be talking about. But as always, man, it's always good to chop 10 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:55.280 it up and talk hoops with my man fifty grand www dot Show Sports dot 11 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:58.880 Net, Bigger hunipenc my man, mister warren Shaw, what's up man? 12 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:02.280 Listen? I was trying to make a little make light of the scenario because 13 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:04.280 you know, we knew that this was coming, right, Like we knew 14 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:07.760 that once teams start dropping like flies, it's going to start getting hot and 15 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:11.680 heavy and before the body's rot, we gotta come, We gotta come. 16 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:15.879 In here, and we got to make sure that you know, we we 17 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:19.400 we we do the crosses that hail Mary's, you know, shake the holy 18 00:01:19.480 --> 00:01:23.200 water out of them and stuff like that, so that we can pray for 19 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.280 better times for some of these teams, maybe for their fan base as well 20 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:30.000 too. Well. Do you know what it is, Man's it's really interesting 21 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:33.959 this time of year, especially when you get to the latter part of the 22 00:01:33.959 --> 00:01:37.040 first round. You know, it's like a punched up up to get beat 23 00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:44.159 down right, and we're here to to be the cleanup cleanup crew, reservoir 24 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:48.480 dog style, my guys, so exciting times three teams that did not expect 25 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:52.959 to be here this early, not this soon, but here we are nevertheless, 26 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:56.439 so we don't want them to decay to too much before we put them. 27 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:00.439 I love how you segued into the cleanup crew. I love that part, 28 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:01.319 you know what I'm saying, because the first thing I thought of mine 29 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:07.480 was John Wick. And you know who one of my favorite characters is is 30 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:10.520 our man. You know, it leads the cleanup crew. He's like, 31 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:14.599 you know what I'm saying, And if people remember who he is Man, 32 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:19.280 he was in a lot of movies during our generation that always plays the sleazy 33 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:23.159 bad guy. I love how you know what I'm saying, it's intellectual sleaziness. 34 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:25.159 Right. He's like, I'm so good at what I do. He's 35 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:29.560 like, You'll never find a better clean up crew than this, especially when 36 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:32.400 you cleaning up john wickbodies, right like, so right about now, first 37 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:37.840 round of the NBA playoffs, Man, we got john wickbodies being laid out 38 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:43.800 by the elite teams in the Eastern Western Conference, respectively. And it's always 39 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:46.759 great for you and I to continue to kind of dig in. And you 40 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:50.280 know, this is why we do our coveted autopsy reports and why it's it's 41 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:53.280 gotten you know, a lot of attention. It's gotten a lot of conversations 42 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:54.639 from people, not because of the cleverness from it, but you know, 43 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:00.520 again, we can sit here and harp on all of the controversial bad that 44 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:05.520 kind of emanates from what happens when teams get eliminated from the playoffs. But 45 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:08.120 I also think that it gives us a scope about what the priorities really should 46 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:10.840 be for some of these teams as they're heading into the off season. And 47 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:15.280 if we're expecting these teams to take a step forward or you know, we're 48 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:17.240 looking at it, you know, realistically for fans, because you know, 49 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.479 sometimes fandom gets the best of them. We want them to understand like, 50 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:23.599 look, man, this is a team that this could have been their final 51 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:28.120 window. This is a team that you know, ultimately, you know, 52 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:30.960 maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel and there's a team 53 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:32.599 that you know, there's a lot of great space before we start talking about 54 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:36.000 any space with them, and that has to get cleared away. So that's 55 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:39.360 the reason why we love doing these autopsy reports. We absolutely do. My 56 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:44.759 guy and I think our fans listeners. Again they tap in and this one 57 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:46.919 is is going to be special, I think, not necessarily venomous. But 58 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:52.599 again, these teams too specific specifically, they're not expect to be here in 59 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:54.439 the form in which they they got to us, brothers, So it's going 60 00:03:54.479 --> 00:04:00.479 to be a lot of one. They were delivered with they were you know 61 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:05.159 how they say delivered with care, hand handle with CAREA this was this was 62 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:11.680 handle. This was not handle with care. They all just like they got 63 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:17.399 treated like spirit airlines back just however which way you wanted. They were thrown 64 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:20.439 our way, brothers, So we gotta put them in some symbolance of an 65 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:26.519 order here exactly do the property because this was their god Jane Doe, Jane 66 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:29.240 John does all over the place. Man, all right, listen, so 67 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:32.480 as you well know then you know the cats out the back. You know 68 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.480 this this edition of the Baseline, we'll be talking about the the LA Lakers, 69 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:40.680 the Phoenix Suns, and New Orleans Pelicans. And it's ironic that I 70 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:43.600 was sitting here saying, you know, with autopsy and and you know, 71 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:47.240 Eastern Conference Western Conference seems respectively, it looks like all this damage has done 72 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:53.199 all the Western Conference. So you know, so far, so far, 73 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:56.759 but that that's what makes for good conversation. So as always, be sure 74 00:04:56.759 --> 00:04:59.720 to get at my man Astra Sports NBA Get at me a gay Face Leader 75 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:04.240 show Twitter handle at NBA Baseline, available on all the major platforms. Go 76 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:09.639 to www dot the Baseline NBA dot com to catch this episode in all of 77 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:13.399 our previous episodes. If you see us on YouTube, you know, and 78 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:16.839 we have our YouTube channels shining brightly, you see the blue and white logo, 79 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:21.079 that's the nineteen Media Group family, right like, so the nineteen Media 80 00:05:21.079 --> 00:05:26.240 Group. 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All right. 87 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:59.399 So, so with that being said, and I know that there's this 88 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:03.720 antis patient for us to be getting right into the autopsy report, I did 89 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:15.519 have a question for you as it pertains to the status of where we are 90 00:06:15.560 --> 00:06:24.839 with the NBA's appetite to look at the way officiating is taking place right now 91 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:30.079 currently in the NBA Playoffs and the consistency by which it has been kind of 92 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:34.680 scrutinized or talked about through the course of the regular season. And the only 93 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:40.639 reason why I'm bringing this up too is because I have found that this year's 94 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:47.040 playoffs offers a lot more physicality than I think we've seen previously. And I 95 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:53.319 don't know if this is a prelude to a larger conversation about them trying to 96 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:59.519 trend back to that yesteryear time, you know, reminisce of the glory days 97 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:02.680 of the nineties ease, and you know what I'm saying of how basketball is 98 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:08.040 being played, But do you think that this is an appropriate time to set 99 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:13.120 that type of tone given the elite talent that is out there and the way 100 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:15.959 that the game has been played up until this point, that this is what's 101 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:19.720 being used to profile whether or not you know, you know, the let 102 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:26.319 the bodies hit the floor type mentality with how they're calling these games. I'd 103 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:29.959 say eye test is telling me the scoring is down in general, and you 104 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:32.839 alluded to the physicality is up. Skirmishes are up, if you will, 105 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.639 you know, the k fluffles, you know, those types of situations. 106 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:41.480 The term marginal contact has been bantered about, you know, almost as almost 107 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:46.040 like a dirty word, as coaches get their challenges reviewed and kind of shot 108 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:49.639 down as hey, that was deemed to be marginal contact not significant enough for 109 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:54.560 where right now in terms of playoff basketball. I think there's been an underlying 110 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:59.120 message basically since All Star that they wanted things to regress. If you will, 111 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:01.079 and not to have some much focus on offense. And I think we're 112 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:05.160 getting a better overall product in general. So squall scoring is down, the 113 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:09.720 intensity is up because the physical play is also up as well too. So 114 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:11.240 that's kind of like where I stand on it right now. I don't know 115 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:16.439 that they're going to make any further proclamations, if you will, about how 116 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:20.360 they've instituted this, but I think the eye test tells us, hey, 117 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:22.839 scoring is definitely down and the physical play is up. I mean, the 118 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:26.240 Pelicans, who will discuss later on, didn't score more than ninety two points 119 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:31.040 in any single game, and maybe that's an indictment on their overall offense without 120 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:33.399 Zion Williamson, but I think it's also a testament to how the games are 121 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:37.080 being called as you look to Yeah, and I think it also is shedding 122 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:41.399 a light a little bit on the teams I think that really want it right. 123 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:45.360 When I say that, I mean, you know, the teams that 124 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:50.720 we're going to be talking about we probably would have thought would have been the 125 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:54.720 table setters of that level of physicality, maybe with the exception of the Phoenix 126 00:08:54.759 --> 00:09:03.080 Suns, but the way that they wound up losing and and to their detriment, 127 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:07.120 I think made us really question whether or not that team exhibited that level 128 00:09:07.159 --> 00:09:11.559 of physicality that I think would be required to offer the balance. Right of 129 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:16.639 what we're what we're speaking to. The teams that are still in it are 130 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:18.279 the teams that we were questioning in the beginning of the season and whether or 131 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:22.639 not they would be physical enough to be able to run the table, you 132 00:09:22.679 --> 00:09:26.200 know what I'm saying, to get themselves in a position to possibly compete in 133 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:30.320 the conference finals or even in the NBA Finals. So I you know, 134 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:33.240 again, I just found it kind of interesting, you know what I'm saying 135 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:37.399 so far as my observations of what I've been seeing so in the playoffs, 136 00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:43.879 as far as you know, how those teams have been exited out and how 137 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:46.600 you know the current teams are and you know, it's not like a night 138 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:48.759 and day like a jeckul and High kind of thing. What I'm saying with 139 00:09:48.759 --> 00:09:54.039 this team, it almost seems like they've unlocked that aspect of themselves, Like 140 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:56.759 it's almost like they've had it sitting in the wins. If you're Oklahoma City 141 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:01.960 Thunder team, if you're in Minnesota tim Wolves team, if you are a 142 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:05.480 I'm not going to say the Knicks. I think the Knicks have prided themselves 143 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:09.879 and being a physical basketball team, and finally it's it's swaying in their direction 144 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:13.440 in a series where you probably would have anticipated the affiliate, the Sixers, 145 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:18.080 who have been in the playoffs a lot more over the last five six years 146 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:22.200 than the Knicks right to be a more physical team. But you're seeing the 147 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:26.799 Knicks show that physicality even against the biggest and the you know, the most 148 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:30.840 dominating player you know probably still remain that was still remaining in the in the 149 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:35.919 in the playoffs with Joel Embiid. So it's just interesting seaw the dynamics because 150 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:39.200 I think now you're seeing what that physicality can lead to, what it means 151 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:43.519 where it takes a toll on teams that really are not prepared to play with 152 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:46.840 that level of physicality, especially in the playoffs, and I think it makes 153 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.960 for good basketball. It's ugly in the sense that we're so used to the 154 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:54.559 one hundred and fifteen, hundred and twenty point teams. When you have a 155 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:58.480 team like the Indiana Pacers, you get to that next round, what can 156 00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:01.960 you live with only scoring maybe one hundred points? Because you know that the 157 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:03.639 team that you're going to be playing up against next is going to be about 158 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:09.000 as physical as you probably have seen all season long. Yeah, well side 159 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:13.360 brother well said, So hopefully fans listeners are enjoying this aspect of the NBA, 160 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:16.559 this version of the NBA, it has really transformed itself. I think 161 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:20.679 from where we were in late October early November to where we are now here 162 00:11:20.679 --> 00:11:24.120 now heading out absolutely all right, So we are about to get right into 163 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:26.960 our autopsy report and the first team we're going to put on a slab is 164 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:33.519 Los Angeles Lakers. But first, are you ready to elevate your fantasy sports 165 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:35.919 experience? With Prize Picks, you can win up to one hundred times your 166 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:41.159 money during the most thrilling time of the basketball season. 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Don't forget to use promo code see LNS 185 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:52.279 to get your deposit match and stay tuned for more basketball insights right here on 186 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:58.159 the Baseline NBA Podcast, Let's play a win together with prize picks coming up. 187 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:01.360 Sew not put the Lakers on the slop the autopsy Report, don't go 188 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:07.960 away. We're back Cali Warrenshaw Baseline NBA Podcast and time now for our coveted 189 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:13.000 autopsy Report first Team. But putting on a slab Shaw the Los Angeles Lakers. 190 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:16.360 I know I'm a man Jabari right now would love to be on this 191 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:24.720 segment for him to kind of make sure that there's no celtic bias being bantered 192 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:26.879 about, you know what I'm saying, Like he would be the person to 193 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:31.039 speak truth to what has actually taking place with the Lakers. But I am 194 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:35.440 very confident you and I can hold our own and we can speak objectively about 195 00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:41.279 the Lakers you know, falling by the wayside, and you know, listen, 196 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:43.440 there's no question this was a disappointing, you know, outcome to a 197 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:48.879 season that has had its ups and downs, and probably more than anything else, 198 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:56.519 has really raised a spotlight on the what the overall outlook of this team 199 00:13:56.600 --> 00:14:01.320 is going to be and feel like over the next few years, especially with 200 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:05.000 the murmurings that have still been continuing to to go on about Lebron James in 201 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:09.000 his future, how long he plans to play basketball, Bronni James now probably 202 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.639 being out there in that space, all of that stuff. Man, it 203 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:16.399 again, it's it's it's tinsel Town, it's lilaline. We expect that. 204 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:20.799 But I think what people have those expectations, it's knowing that through all that 205 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:24.399 white noise, it's there, it's still championship or bust and the fact that 206 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:28.399 they just could not figure out a way to defeat which arguably now is they're 207 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:33.639 arch nemesis and the Denver Nuggets. I think it speaks volumes and exposes a 208 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:37.480 lot more of the deficiencies that the Los Angeles Lakers are going to continue to 209 00:14:37.480 --> 00:14:41.080 fight through over the next few seasons, even with the combination of James and 210 00:14:41.159 --> 00:14:45.559 Anthony Davis. I mean, it's hard because this is a forty seven win 211 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:48.200 team, right, so despite all of that, like they were still they 212 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:52.879 scraped their way. I guess eve with the forty seven wins and they have 213 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:54.960 the luxury again like a lot of teams do, to feel like, well, 214 00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:00.480 we weren't ever healthy. Lebron made an interesting soliloquy I think in his 215 00:15:00.919 --> 00:15:05.320 postgame pressure but The Lakers also doubled as their exit interviews. This is the 216 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:07.279 first time that's ever been done, you know, in NBA history, that 217 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:11.679 they won't actually have exit interviews in their hometown after a playoff series. They 218 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:15.480 did them right then and there in Denver. So that says to me that 219 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:20.120 there's a vibe about this that this team just wanted things to be over. 220 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:24.080 They wanted it to be done. And that's where you start to get concerned, 221 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:28.879 because this, again, forty seven wins is not a bad basketball team, 222 00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:31.759 but it did put you into the play in tournament. But and this 223 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:35.600 is a team that can't stay healthy. And this time it wasn't Lebron, 224 00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:37.960 and it wasn't Anthony Davis who weren't healthy. They were mostly healthy for the 225 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:41.679 majority part of the season, but it was auxiliary parts that they needed to 226 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:45.840 take some pressure off of those guys, and it just didn't work out, 227 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:48.200 and Lebron came off as a little bit defeatus. Here, I'm going to 228 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:50.600 play a quick clip that I'm sure you've seen already, but I want to 229 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:54.639 get your reaction to Lebron, you know, talking about his potential future tonight. 230 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:58.240 Was there any thought at all that you know, this could have been 231 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:07.559 your last game with the Lakers. I'm not gonna answer that. Appreciate it, 232 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:17.679 I'm not gonna answer that always wanting to leave people on pins and needles 233 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:22.480 for whatever reason, because that is Lebron way. Your thoughts on that aspect 234 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:27.360 of how Lebron is trying to play chess with the Lakers team, I don't 235 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:32.000 know. I just to me, I wasn't surprised by it. I was 236 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.679 waiting for maybe I was waiting for for Lebron, you know, to give 237 00:16:34.759 --> 00:16:40.559 something very snarky pertaining to Darwin Ham. I was maybe waiting for him to 238 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:44.480 say give something maybe snarky to Rob Polenka. I was probably waiting for him 239 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:47.759 to say something snarky as it pertains to the style of fashion of how they 240 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:52.639 lost the game. But I'm not surprised by this because this is what it 241 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:56.480 really comes down to. I mean, let's be realistic, Shaw, all 242 00:16:56.519 --> 00:17:00.879 of this, all of this has been pretty on the desperation of the Los 243 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:08.359 Angeles Lakers wanting to keep Lebron James engaged and in tune for as long as 244 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:12.240 possible because they're not ready to hand the reins over to Anthony Davis right, 245 00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:19.480 they want the allure and the magnanim nation. As my own word for this 246 00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:26.960 of Lebron James, Lebron James is box office. Lebron James is Los Angeles. 247 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:29.519 As much as you know, I'll manage a barber will come out here 248 00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:32.359 and he'll always forever in to day say, you know, Lebron James is 249 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:34.880 not a true Laker, but he's a Laker enough for me. He delivered 250 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:40.480 me a chip in the era of Lebron. He did something that we struggle 251 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:44.480 to get with most superstars that come from other places and other parts who think 252 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:48.759 they can handle being in Los Angeles. So this is what comes with being 253 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:52.279 Lebron James. I don't care. That could have been nineteen year old Lebron. 254 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:56.119 That could have been Lebron James when he was in the YMCA with them 255 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:02.240 little kids sitting around giving us the cryptic language until the very last minute about 256 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.680 what his decision was going to be. It's only packaged up in a thirty 257 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:08.960 nine year old man. This has always been him. But to your point, 258 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:15.200 Shaw, I think where it surprises me more than anything is how the 259 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:21.000 Lakers should or would want to respond in kind to this It's not that it 260 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:26.680 to be in vidriol or questions or whatever. It's now you understand right now, 261 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:33.160 you truly understand you need an exit strategy, not with Lebron, but 262 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:37.559 with the future of the Los Angeles Lakers post Lebron, because he is going 263 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:41.880 to continue to dance this dance. It wasn't realistic two years ago because his 264 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:47.279 mind and everything was focused on trying to win the chip. But now I 265 00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:51.680 think that those circumstances have completely changed, and I think he's recognizing it like 266 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:55.160 how Tom Brady recognized it. I think he's recognizing it like a lot of 267 00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:59.400 legendary players who've put up all the nominous numbers, got all of the chips, 268 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:02.960 and he'll probably never catch Michael Jordan maybe or whatever the case may. 269 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:06.519 All that stuff does it matter at this point in his life. He's like, 270 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:10.279 am I really interested in playing a game of basketball and dealing with all 271 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:15.319 of this only to see myself get bounced in the first round because teams are 272 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:19.839 better set up for success during the years that I still have remaining left for 273 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:25.920 me to try to get that ship. So losing to the Nuggets is it's 274 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:29.200 there's nothing to hang your head on. I think it's in the manner that 275 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:33.119 it's in five games, but it was a close five games, but again 276 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:36.400 it's five games nonetheless, right, And so you're out in the first round, 277 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:40.799 which is hard for anybody to think of his ilk to to just digest. 278 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:45.359 It's the first time a team I was gonna say, y'all, that's 279 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:52.480 the earliest exit in Lebron's career in the playoffs. But how do they get 280 00:19:52.519 --> 00:20:00.119 better? And with a salary or a roster that is often injured, maybe 281 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.960 or maybe does not fit together, but you don't know because they're so often 282 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:06.759 injured, whether that be Lebron and Ad that wasn't the case, as I 283 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:10.279 said this year. But the pieces you bring in, like do you just 284 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:14.759 feel like the luck is just not going to change for them? And he 285 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:18.240 can opt out, he can opt in, you can try to opt out 286 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:21.480 and then obviously extend and you know, get maybe sixties million dollars a year 287 00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:26.799 or whatever for however long he's gonna play. But the question remains is what 288 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:30.759 are they doing to solidify their standing in the Western Conference? Clearly, forty 289 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:33.799 seven wins and being the play in is not where they ultimately want to be. 290 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:38.200 Are they going to go big game hunting again? And we're already seeing 291 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:41.039 the names, and like it's going to be a little bit of the theme 292 00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:45.200 of the show with the autopsy report, because the Trey Young conversations are back 293 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:48.039 into the fold, that the Jenttey Murray conversations are back into the fold. 294 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:51.920 Anybody else who becomes available and loses in the first round is going to come 295 00:20:51.960 --> 00:20:56.000 into the fold. And it's just really interesting because I think the Lakers are 296 00:20:56.240 --> 00:21:00.480 going to consistently do the same thing that they've always done, and I don't 297 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:03.799 know that it's going to get the different results. But you have to say, 298 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:06.400 but on the other hand, you understand it because it's like you said, 299 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:10.519 you don't have a whole lot left with Lebron, like you have another 300 00:21:10.759 --> 00:21:14.359 year two. And I'm not buying the clip that we played in terms of 301 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:15.599 him saying, oh, well, he's not ready to answer that, you 302 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:18.960 know, like there's this air of doubt. Earlier in the thing he said 303 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:22.319 he was absolutely going to play for Team USA, and I don't believe and 304 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:25.920 this is this is going to sound like a slap in the face, but 305 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:29.039 I don't believe his ego will let him just walk away like that. I 306 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:33.359 think he wants in some ways the adulation, the farewell tour, all of 307 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:38.319 those things, and quite frankly, he effen deserves it. So whatever, 308 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:44.519 whenever that time comes, we will properly get in line and give him the 309 00:21:44.519 --> 00:21:48.839 praise that is due a player of his milk, which we get to see 310 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.240 in terms of his overall accolades, like the accumulation of accolades. But this 311 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:56.519 Lakers team is in very much in arrears, I think right now in terms 312 00:21:56.559 --> 00:22:00.319 of understanding of how they can not have the same thing happen to them for 313 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:03.880 the next year or two. Isn't it interesting that in our you know, 314 00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:07.640 conversation of the autopsy report, where typically we talk about the team holistically, 315 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:11.119 that it all seems to still come back to Lebron James. Like, we're 316 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:15.119 not talking about Anthony Davis, We're not talking about D'Angelo Russell, We're not 317 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:18.599 talking about Riacha Mora, We're not talking about any of those guys because quite 318 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:22.559 honestly, no matter what we say about them, particularly at the end of 319 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:26.119 the day, it really just comes down to what does Lebron James want? 320 00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:30.680 Right We're not talking about the organization we're talking about what is leb because the 321 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:36.200 organization conceded that when they brought Lebron James, and I don't blame them. 322 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:38.640 I don't blame them. You know that has always kind of been the moo 323 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:42.920 with with most teams that operate in the space of dominating the free agency market, 324 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:45.880 like the Los Angeles Lakers have, especially in this era of basketball. 325 00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:49.960 I want to ask you this question Shaw real quick, okay, because I 326 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:55.920 think to me, it's interesting with what you said that the Lakers are probably 327 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:59.759 going to go big game hunting right maybe is it? Do you think it's 328 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:04.359 because they don't have a choice, or do you think it's because Lebron James 329 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:11.400 and his principle and his standards dictate and demand that this comes down to I 330 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:15.920 need a quick, ready made team that's gonna compete. Right Whereas and we've 331 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:22.559 said this right, sometimes it starts again at the very beginning. You look 332 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:26.799 at the Boston Celtics, you look at the Minnesota Timberwolves. You gotta find 333 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:29.880 a diamond and a rough in a draft. Man, you gotta find someone 334 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:32.640 as you as your you know what I'm saying, as your catalyst, your 335 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:34.880 starter, so to speak, your building block. You gotta find that person 336 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:40.279 that fits right in with the gamut the culture of the organization, and even 337 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:42.680 if you've got a couple of stars, you will see whether or not you've 338 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:48.160 got that gem because when that person leaps leap frogs over whatever you got on 339 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:53.160 that roster already, they will recognize that the torch needs to be passed to 340 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:56.680 them, that they need to take the mantle and run with it. Right. 341 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:00.519 And so the Lakers have been trying to do this non since now for 342 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:03.480 the last five or six years, and they've been going through free agency, 343 00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:07.200 top in free agency selection, through top in free agency selection. Right, 344 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:11.160 they got to Anthony Davis. But I think it's it's a foregone conclusion. 345 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:19.759 Anthony Davis is a one B type player. He's got one A play talent 346 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:25.400 exactly, but one B as far as him being that person that you are 347 00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:27.200 gonna ride the shoulders when that's gonna take you to the promised land. I 348 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:32.279 think that forever will always be Lebron James. And I think until you find 349 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:38.400 the next person who has the I want to say the kahonas to say this 350 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:42.839 is my team, right, I think this is where the Lakers are gonna 351 00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:47.880 be They're gonna always be at the hostage of the persona of a Lebron James 352 00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:52.359 led basketball team, and I think that's very, very true. So I 353 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:56.920 don't know what other names might become available for them. You would have presumed 354 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:00.960 that they're going to kick the tires on a lot of different scenarios. They 355 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:06.480 are committed to Anthony Davis for the next three years at almost two hundred million 356 00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:10.680 dollars. It's a lot of money, right and you know, but Anthony 357 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:12.799 Davis is still in his proverbial prime. He'll be thirty four to thirty five, 358 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:17.519 I think by the time that deal ends. But the key here is 359 00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:19.319 what do you what do you have and what can you do with Lebron And 360 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:26.440 can you alternate, sorry, operate within two timelines the now and the future 361 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:29.680 for Ron, you know, potentially leaving. I'm not even gonna get into 362 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:33.359 the whole Bronnie James aspect of drafting him and what that might mean. And 363 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:36.200 you know, do you do Lebron a wink wink favor and all of that. 364 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:41.440 If he's truly considering not playing for this organization anymore, then that's that's 365 00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:45.799 a completely different, different, different equation altogether, and if we're look at 366 00:25:45.799 --> 00:25:49.039 their cap, that's fifty million dollars that will come off off of their books. 367 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:53.279 They probably don't pick up the options well as player options, But like 368 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:59.240 Christian Wood and Jackson Hayes and Cam Reddish and those guys, you can create 369 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:02.000 even more caps potentially with some of that stuff if you were to try to 370 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:06.519 move through it and then you know you're you're you're almost at the floor and 371 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:10.079 you could try to be active. But as we've said many times over, 372 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:14.240 this is not a great free agent draft class. I mean pool, it's 373 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:17.880 not a great draft class on top of it as well. So what is 374 00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:19.680 the equity? What are the moves that can be made in essence to bring 375 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:23.519 people over, you know, to to the to the Laker organization, depending 376 00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:26.480 on what happens with the Clippers. Could you snip over and say could you 377 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:30.319 bring PG over and or you know, have them switched sides like Anakin and 378 00:26:30.359 --> 00:26:33.559 come over to that side. I don't know, but you have to have 379 00:26:33.559 --> 00:26:37.960 the cap flexibilion in essense to do that. But it all hinges on Lebron's 380 00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:41.279 actual decision to be with this team, whether that be for one year or 381 00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:44.640 if he's trying to sign an extension one way or the other. All right, 382 00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:48.160 Well, as far as I'm concerned, you know, the Los Angeles 383 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:52.160 Lakers, you know, really have you know, a lot of soul searching 384 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:57.480 to do. And and I know we didn't talk about this. I don't 385 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:00.480 and I don't want to blame you know, Darvin Ham, but I do 386 00:27:00.519 --> 00:27:08.400 think that the murmurs and the hot seat sort of speak conversation about Darwin Ham's 387 00:27:08.759 --> 00:27:14.200 job. I think there's two things that can be looked at. One. 388 00:27:15.160 --> 00:27:18.680 I can't question whether or not you feel like, hey, this probably just 389 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:22.680 isn't gonna work out, okay. I mean, he's had opportunities to try 390 00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:26.640 to make things work. It looked like he had, you know, the 391 00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:29.680 the you know what I'm saying, the ears of the guys in the locker 392 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:33.119 room. But I sense that that's probably not what's kind of going on. 393 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:37.000 And I don't know who who his allies are and who clearly whose enemies are. 394 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:41.359 I think most of the guys who are enemies certainly did themselves a disservice, 395 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:44.519 more so than Darvin Ham's. But I do think though, if you're 396 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:48.839 the Los Angeles Lakers, isn't this gonna start getting tiring? Now? Like, 397 00:27:48.920 --> 00:27:52.920 how many head coaches are you going to run through before you actually find 398 00:27:52.000 --> 00:28:00.000 someone that is building a culture where even even Lebron James and anyone else who 399 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:04.160 rolls with Lebron James can't argue with the fact that the culture means a lot 400 00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:10.519 more than the standard that he sits. I'm not saying that Lebron's standard is 401 00:28:10.519 --> 00:28:12.640 not you know, is something that we're dissing. What I'm saying is that 402 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:17.000 if it's not, it's not yielding success. At some point you have to 403 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:21.559 concede to just like how he conceded to Eric Spolstra and pat Riley. He 404 00:28:21.640 --> 00:28:25.359 ultimately had to give in and it can't be Lebron's way of things. I've 405 00:28:25.400 --> 00:28:29.720 got to give into that culture, the heat culture, what's going on there 406 00:28:29.880 --> 00:28:33.240 to win that chip. And he did that, and maybe that's where the 407 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:37.319 Lakers have to be. Again, I saw a stat and I don't I 408 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:40.160 saw it, so I don't know. I didn't vet it to see how 409 00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:44.160 true it is. But there it's said or a meme on Instagram that Eric 410 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:48.039 Spolsho is the only Lebron James kochha have never been fired, I guess while 411 00:28:48.119 --> 00:28:52.839 Lebron was there in some capacity, So just like and how many times and 412 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:59.279 how many times did we put Eric Spolster on the hot seat? Yeah yeah, 413 00:28:59.319 --> 00:29:02.319 I mean I'll I'll never forget the infamous bump in that first year, 414 00:29:02.680 --> 00:29:04.559 you know, as he's walking by him and all that, and I feel 415 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:07.279 like that that sat can't be true. You got to figure out what like 416 00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:11.400 when Lebron left the Calves and what happened with the coach there or whatever. 417 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:15.519 But in any event, there does seem to be a trail of dead bodies. 418 00:29:15.799 --> 00:29:21.240 You know when Lebron's wake, you know when the results are Ron and 419 00:29:21.240 --> 00:29:23.680 obviously what all teams want. Every team wants to win a championship. But 420 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:27.960 he, his teams and his coaches are held to the highest of standards, 421 00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:33.480 and there's not many that have been able to meet that standard or come away 422 00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:36.839 unscathed, if you will, from from coaching mister Lebron. I'm sure I 423 00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:38.920 got to make a note, man, we might have to call on lbj 424 00:29:40.359 --> 00:29:44.440 You know what I'm saying, Get an extra get an extra white jacket, 425 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:52.279 man, Lebron, listen, mate, it can't you can never have a 426 00:29:52.319 --> 00:29:56.559 person you know what I'm saying, to cover these that that what do we 427 00:29:56.640 --> 00:30:00.160 call them? The crime scenetter. You know what I'm saying you, You 428 00:30:00.200 --> 00:30:02.880 know you can never have too much of You see how many crossovers there are 429 00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:12.640 for CSI, it's like LBJs I your tune to the baseline Cali Warrenshaw discussing 430 00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:18.839 the hot button topics of the NBA. Coming up, we'll focus our attention 431 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:26.319 on the Phoenix, on the Phoenix suns. I don't think that we're gonna 432 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:30.240 spend too much time speaking on it, because I think the whole universe is 433 00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:34.480 spoken to what took place with the Phoenix Suns. I gotta tell you though, 434 00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:38.839 man like it's yeah, well, you'll just find out where we're coming 435 00:30:38.880 --> 00:30:44.359 from. But first, did you know there's a whole collection of blacklead products 436 00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:47.279 that fit into your daily routine and lifestyle that you can get at Walmart. 437 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:49.400 And it's so important that we show Black founders some love, not just during 438 00:30:49.400 --> 00:30:52.279 Black History Month, at all year long, because every time we leave we 439 00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:56.160 buy a black lid brand, we're making rumor creating demand for another black lid 440 00:30:56.200 --> 00:31:00.680 brand. Black Founders and their products bring to the tape. People are creating 441 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:03.680 a whole new world of choices at Walmart. Some of the products I want 442 00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:07.440 to check out are Natural Vert Granola, Zach and Zoe, Honey, Scotch, 443 00:31:07.480 --> 00:31:10.759 Porter, Beard Bomb, and Partake Cookies. Go to walmart dot com, 444 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:14.720 Slash Black and Unlimited to discover all the amazing Black owned products that you 445 00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:18.480 can add to your daily routine. More baseline Cali Warnshaw, don't go away, 446 00:31:21.240 --> 00:31:25.240 We're back, Cali Warrenshaw based one NBA podcast. Time now for the 447 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:27.240 next team to put on the slab of our autopsy reports. Time for us 448 00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:33.519 to discuss the Phoenix Suns. Not a whole lot really could be said about 449 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:38.279 this team, Shaw. I mean, look, I had them peg to 450 00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:44.680 be one of the finalists in the Western Conference and to ultimately get outsted by 451 00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:55.160 the Denver Nuggets. Yeah, they certainly fell short of that. That did 452 00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:59.680 not happen. Yeah, So I'll let you, I'll let you speak to 453 00:31:59.720 --> 00:32:04.319 this is. I'm still trying to wrap my head around whatever the hell that 454 00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:07.599 that was that that took place with this team really all season long. So 455 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:12.079 and I think that's that's the key right there. All season long, they 456 00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:15.359 haven't looked right. Yes, Beal Booker were in and out of the lineup 457 00:32:15.400 --> 00:32:19.200 to some degree. Durant had some some miss games as well too, but 458 00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:23.480 they just they went too heavy. They were too top heavy and didn't have 459 00:32:23.640 --> 00:32:30.640 enough augillary parts to assist, didn't have enough guys to stabilize that offense on 460 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:34.680 a regular basis, the whole point guard thing. And now Bradley Beal has 461 00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:37.960 become He's only thirty, but he's become the worst contract in the NBA, 462 00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:43.000 worse than Ben Simmons for for some people's accounts, just because he gets paid 463 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:45.680 a lot more money than than Ben Simmons. And that's a tough place to 464 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:50.480 be from where we were two years ago, where everyone was free, free 465 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:53.039 Bradley Beal and you know what, Bill wanted his bag, He got his 466 00:32:53.119 --> 00:32:58.039 bag, and it just hasn't been good I think since that time. Now 467 00:32:58.039 --> 00:33:02.720 Frank Vogel looks like to be their scapegoat after getting fired from La Thank You 468 00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:07.799 Lebron and somehow landing on his sweet in Phoenix, and now Kadi, another 469 00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:14.640 notorious guy who's had issues with coaching, has said, hey, it doesn't 470 00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:17.039 like the way the offense has been ran, and Vogel could also be on 471 00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:23.759 their way listen man Phoenix and managed to be a They knew what they were 472 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:28.519 doing. There took a shot they so long and they missed. And I 473 00:33:28.599 --> 00:33:31.680 think it's foolish to just put this on Frank Vogel, But this is where 474 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:35.920 this is a society we live in, especially in the NBA. Coaches are 475 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:39.599 always the first ones to go. But where Phoenix goes from here is going 476 00:33:39.640 --> 00:33:44.759 to be really interesting. And now when you talk about the rumors that are 477 00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:47.640 out there, and we talked about the Lakers and Trey Young, there's already 478 00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:52.400 Kadi might have to be on the move, Katie may ask for a trade. 479 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:57.279 Here comes Miami again and that familiar conversation, and ironically, here comes 480 00:33:57.279 --> 00:34:01.039 the Golden State conversation again, going back to the comforts, the welcoming arms 481 00:34:01.119 --> 00:34:07.280 of number thirty Steph Curry. If those things happen, whether he pushes for 482 00:34:07.360 --> 00:34:12.960 it openly or the Sons ultimately decide that this is their best path forward. 483 00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:16.679 I know his legacy is going to continue to take hits, and he may 484 00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:21.320 not care, and maybe he shouldn't care. But this Phoenix Sun's team is 485 00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:27.440 one of the bigger disappointments I think in recent history and Unfortunately, Kevin Durant 486 00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:30.960 has been at the center of some of the bigger disappointments in history when it 487 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:36.960 comes to talent on rosters. But he played well, So I'm not saying 488 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:39.960 that. I just but something about where he goes doesn't always seem to work 489 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:45.960 out in the way that he intends it to be. Yeah, so let 490 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:52.920 me first say this. I feel the person who I feel bad for is 491 00:34:52.960 --> 00:35:00.960 Devin Booker. And the reason why I say this is because I don't know 492 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:05.719 if whether or not I don't know if whether or not the Phoenix Sons really 493 00:35:05.800 --> 00:35:08.119 really truly, in their heart of hearts, believed that Devin Booker was that 494 00:35:08.199 --> 00:35:15.480 guy. But everything that the Phoenix Sons organization has done, I really don't 495 00:35:15.480 --> 00:35:19.000 think that's a strong statement. It's a strong here where I'm coming from for 496 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:22.400 a moment. What I'm trying to say is, you know how there's some 497 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:28.840 guys who work hard enough to earn the respect of being given the keys to 498 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:32.079 the kingdom. And when you say, hey, I need help, and 499 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:36.159 you're saying I want help, I'm saying I want people that I know that 500 00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:37.360 I can play with, guys, that I can ball with, Guys that 501 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:42.079 I want to roll with. I'm going to give you the opposite side of 502 00:35:42.119 --> 00:35:45.559 that. Look at what happened with the Knickson Jalen Brunson. Let's be real, 503 00:35:46.360 --> 00:35:51.400 the Knicks did not have Jalen Brunson as their number one option. They 504 00:35:51.440 --> 00:35:59.039 were trying to get Spider Mitchell right, did not Jalen Brunson earn the respect 505 00:35:59.239 --> 00:36:02.039 of the New York Knicks to say, if there are guys that you can 506 00:36:02.159 --> 00:36:06.800 run with, guys that you want, who do you want? And I'm 507 00:36:06.840 --> 00:36:08.639 sure that he was just like, look, man, you saw what I 508 00:36:08.679 --> 00:36:12.679 did when I played in Villanova. When I have my man Josh Hart, 509 00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:15.440 when I have my man Dante gi Vincenzo, you want to know what winning 510 00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:21.760 basketball looks like. Despite what they do moving forward, everybody knows there is 511 00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:27.760 no question that this team is Jalen Brunson's team. I want to ask you 512 00:36:27.840 --> 00:36:32.639 this question Shaw, straight up and down. Given the path by which the 513 00:36:32.679 --> 00:36:38.119 Phoenix Suns have gone about. Remember they drafted DeAndre Ayton first and he was 514 00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:43.239 supposed to be the future of the Phoenix Sons. Devin Booker, by leaps 515 00:36:43.239 --> 00:36:47.039 and bounds proved that that team should have been his. They went to go 516 00:36:47.079 --> 00:36:51.840 get Chris Paul, which in many respects could have been a knock to saying 517 00:36:52.360 --> 00:36:54.599 you might have the talent to go out there and score to basketball, but 518 00:36:54.679 --> 00:36:59.480 you don't have the dog in you to really shoulder a team and put him 519 00:36:59.480 --> 00:37:01.039 on the shoulder and take us to where it is. I know these are 520 00:37:01.079 --> 00:37:05.679 strong states. What I'm saying is this is what the perception is becoming to 521 00:37:05.719 --> 00:37:08.639 look like, because look what happens now by getting Kevin Durant. You brought 522 00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:14.840 Kevin Durant and this whole year. Then you also brought Bradley bial Kevin Durant 523 00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:17.599 last year, but then you also not have Bradley Beal. These are all 524 00:37:17.880 --> 00:37:22.960 alphas or wanna be alphus? Right? Where is Devin Booker in all of 525 00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:28.639 this Shaw It's not like his he had a disappointing he dropped forty in this 526 00:37:28.760 --> 00:37:32.800 series. But I can guarantee you that after the dust settles with this whole 527 00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:38.519 team, you're now questioning more about Devin Booker and his leadership and how a 528 00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:43.840 team can roll with anyone With Devin Booker at the helm, then you all 529 00:37:43.880 --> 00:37:45.880 worried about what's gonna happen with Bradley Beal. Then when you're worried about what's 530 00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:50.559 gonna happen with Kevin Durant, and that's who I feel bad for. I 531 00:37:50.599 --> 00:37:52.079 mean, well, I mean but you feel bad for him, but are 532 00:37:52.239 --> 00:37:55.039 then but at the same time are you criticizing him as well too? So 533 00:37:55.079 --> 00:37:59.800 that's where I think I'm not I'm not connecting the dots because I think Booker 534 00:37:59.880 --> 00:38:01.920 is somebody who they've wanted to build around and said, well, let's get 535 00:38:01.920 --> 00:38:06.079 you the records at help to get you there. Kevin Durant looked at that 536 00:38:06.119 --> 00:38:08.039 situation said hey, I want to go there to play with that guy. 537 00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:13.239 And Durant, for as great as he is, and there's no denying that 538 00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:20.159 he's amazing, is better suited when he has another alpha alongside him, even 539 00:38:20.159 --> 00:38:24.400 from the aspect of not just the heavy lifting offensively, but the locker room 540 00:38:24.400 --> 00:38:30.239 presence. And I think Booker learned in some ways from Chris Paul what it 541 00:38:30.280 --> 00:38:32.440 means to try to be the leader and be the locker room guy. So 542 00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:37.280 I think the sons are all in on d book right now, and I 543 00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:39.440 would be stunned. And I've heard some stuff in the short days that that 544 00:38:39.480 --> 00:38:44.280 have come since they lost that. Hey, maybe they trade both of those 545 00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:47.519 guys, or maybe you can't trade Durant because he's older, and so Booker 546 00:38:47.559 --> 00:38:52.119 is the guy who you ultimately have to move because nobody's touching the Bradley Beal 547 00:38:52.159 --> 00:38:55.639 contract. And and and look, whether you're saying whether whether you think that 548 00:38:55.679 --> 00:39:00.000 I'm saying that I should or I shouldn't be criticizing him. And I understand 549 00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:02.360 where you're saying, well, maybe I'm just not connecting the doubt. What 550 00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:06.679 I'm trying to say is if you're having a hard time trying to figure it 551 00:39:06.679 --> 00:39:08.519 out, well, then guess where I've been about this. You see what 552 00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:13.800 I'm saying, Like it's not supposed to like, this isn't where we should 553 00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:15.960 be having that conversation. But if it's in the Airshaw, it's in the 554 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:20.719 air for a reason, right, And let's keep the other thing in perspective 555 00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:24.639 too. I think it's now said and done. Kevin Durant just wants to 556 00:39:24.639 --> 00:39:30.639 play basketball. People have to stop this illusion that because Kevin Durant is coming 557 00:39:30.679 --> 00:39:36.760 to a team, or Kevin Durant is going to an organization like the Brooklyn 558 00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:39.039 Nets or whatever the case may be, that he is supposed to be leading 559 00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:45.360 that team to the Promised Land. If Kevin Durant goes out and balls out 560 00:39:45.400 --> 00:39:50.360 and everything else is in its place, you'll probably be a successful basketball team. 561 00:39:50.360 --> 00:39:52.840 But if you're asking Kevin Durant to go out there and do the things 562 00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:57.239 that I'm saying should have been, if the idea was that it's on Devin 563 00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:01.159 Booker, if that's what you're doing, then you're putting a situation that is 564 00:40:01.199 --> 00:40:07.840 in conflict with the maturation of that player getting to that point. Because much 565 00:40:07.960 --> 00:40:12.159 like everything else, Devin Booker still wants to score the basketball. Right. 566 00:40:12.199 --> 00:40:15.239 I think people forget that. That's what that was his claim, right, 567 00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:20.920 him dropping sixty points, dropping what's seventy against the Boston Celtics. That's why 568 00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:23.760 we talk about Devin Booker. But then what happens when he plays in games 569 00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:28.840 like the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, or he plays in a 570 00:40:28.880 --> 00:40:32.280 playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks and watches his team get shellacked by damn near 571 00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:37.599 fifty points at one point, or this is a situation getting swept. Now 572 00:40:37.639 --> 00:40:42.840 you have to start questioning whether or not Booker has the heart to really call 573 00:40:42.880 --> 00:40:45.920 out his teammates, to call out the team when they're not playing as hard 574 00:40:45.960 --> 00:40:47.800 as he should be playing. Then that makes you question whether or not there 575 00:40:47.840 --> 00:40:52.320 really is a leader on this basketball team because all of these guys, it 576 00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:54.559 makes it look like they're all contract guys, not you know what I'm saying, 577 00:40:54.719 --> 00:40:59.920 like culture guys, I mean book He called him out, you know, 578 00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:02.440 and I'd say it was more of a call out of the ownership in 579 00:41:02.519 --> 00:41:07.119 terms of the roster construction than it was even though Vogel as a coach and 580 00:41:07.159 --> 00:41:08.880 saying, hey, we're missing the details. We don't have guys who do 581 00:41:08.960 --> 00:41:14.039 the small things. It's nice to have offensive firepower. I'm paraphrasing kind of 582 00:41:14.079 --> 00:41:16.039 like what he said here, but that was like the quotable. That was 583 00:41:16.039 --> 00:41:21.119 a clip that everybody latched onto. So I think as a leader, you 584 00:41:21.320 --> 00:41:24.320 need you need those things to be said, even to your management, and 585 00:41:24.360 --> 00:41:28.559 then if you don't have regular conversations with them, well then you say it 586 00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:31.840 through the media to put put the proverbial pressure on. There's just not a 587 00:41:31.880 --> 00:41:37.039 true pathway because they have no picks. They owe everybody, like four or 588 00:41:37.079 --> 00:41:42.559 five guys a crap ton of money and they got swept in the first round. 589 00:41:42.880 --> 00:41:46.199 So what is there a path other than moving off some of those higher 590 00:41:46.320 --> 00:41:50.519 level guys, which is not the path they want to go to. Yes, 591 00:41:50.599 --> 00:41:53.480 you can still find some teams that will happily pay some sort of a 592 00:41:53.519 --> 00:41:58.119 ransom for Kevin Durant, and there's some people who pay a ransom for Booker. 593 00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:01.719 But Booker is a guy who you still want to build around because you 594 00:42:01.760 --> 00:42:05.599 can't. You can't strip it to the bones and leave it with Beal like 595 00:42:05.679 --> 00:42:09.920 that is just that is that is that's asking for, you know, lottery 596 00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:14.199 for the next five years. You know what makes basketball so interesting? Shaw? 597 00:42:14.599 --> 00:42:16.880 You want to know what makes it like so crazy? You know? 598 00:42:16.960 --> 00:42:22.280 In football, there are certain players who are willing to take pay cuts if 599 00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:25.039 it's for the greater good of them putting together a championship team, right, 600 00:42:25.599 --> 00:42:30.840 And I wonder if whether or not we will be in a situation where a 601 00:42:30.920 --> 00:42:35.639 player who's thinking more about the well being of his legacy is going to be 602 00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:37.079 willing to take, say, a pay cut, if it's going to open 603 00:42:37.239 --> 00:42:39.880 up opportunity. Obviously, that has to be a lot of trust with the 604 00:42:39.920 --> 00:42:44.000 management to be able to do something like that. But I'm saying that this 605 00:42:44.039 --> 00:42:46.719 is what it's getting to when you're talking about some of the guys who we 606 00:42:46.840 --> 00:42:52.440 hold on such a high pedestal, right with the expectations that they should be 607 00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:55.519 more successful than the way that they that how the team, like this Phoenix 608 00:42:55.519 --> 00:43:00.000 Suns team, even even though we can say Shaw is way too top, 609 00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:05.599 there was still no excuse to get molly wopped the way that they got molly 610 00:43:05.679 --> 00:43:09.039 wopped in this first round of the series. And and really, in all 611 00:43:09.119 --> 00:43:13.000 honesty, due the course of the last year and a half, right, 612 00:43:13.159 --> 00:43:15.559 Like when I say that, I'm saying all of the speculations of the moves 613 00:43:15.599 --> 00:43:20.039 and everything like that, we shouldn't have to be questioning whether or not the 614 00:43:20.039 --> 00:43:22.920 guys you're bringing in really want it bad enough, you know what I mean? 615 00:43:22.960 --> 00:43:27.000 Like it should never get to that point, But that's what it makes 616 00:43:27.039 --> 00:43:30.199 it. That's what it seems like when you when you talk about these particular 617 00:43:30.239 --> 00:43:34.400 moves are either a moves of desperation or their moves of incompetence. And at 618 00:43:34.400 --> 00:43:36.559 some point, if you're a player, I'm sure you don't want to be 619 00:43:36.599 --> 00:43:38.079 a part of that. And at the same time, if you're a coach, 620 00:43:38.360 --> 00:43:43.280 do you really want to be coaching that? So well, I'll say 621 00:43:43.280 --> 00:43:47.000 this and closing, Vogel did a pretty good job because I thought I thought 622 00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:52.440 this team's defense was going to be absolutely atrocious. Somehow they were in the 623 00:43:52.480 --> 00:43:57.519 middle of the pack, I think thirteenth or fourteenth the thinking defensive rating what 624 00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:01.519 that team this resources. So when people want to point to Vogel and say 625 00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:05.880 he was the issue, sure could he been maybe a little bit more creative 626 00:44:05.920 --> 00:44:09.800 offensively, I'll give you that. But when you have three and in some 627 00:44:09.880 --> 00:44:15.639 ways potential Hall of Fame track guys, and obviously the beal stuff is questionable, 628 00:44:15.079 --> 00:44:19.280 so dominated players, and that is the other problem. And then you 629 00:44:19.280 --> 00:44:22.719 did and you didn't give him somebody to set them up. You chose not 630 00:44:22.800 --> 00:44:24.559 to go and get a point guard. How many opportunities do they have, 631 00:44:25.079 --> 00:44:29.280 you know, going into the trade deadline to try to address that, even 632 00:44:29.280 --> 00:44:30.880 in some some form of things say that it's like, now we're good. 633 00:44:30.960 --> 00:44:34.079 Didn't we say that, y'all? How many times did we say that? 634 00:44:34.239 --> 00:44:37.199 He said? My question, Remember, I remember we had this conversation back 635 00:44:37.199 --> 00:44:39.320 in the beginning of the year, and I said, it's the only thing 636 00:44:39.320 --> 00:44:44.840 that I wondered, is what role is Devin Booker or Bradley Beal playing on 637 00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:47.880 this team. Is Bradley Beal going to be more of a facilitator or is 638 00:44:47.880 --> 00:44:52.320 he going to be a person who's going to be the true two guard or 639 00:44:52.400 --> 00:44:53.920 is Devin Booker going to play the point? And I don't think they ever 640 00:44:53.960 --> 00:44:57.880 figured that stuff out. I don't think there was enough time to ever figure 641 00:44:57.880 --> 00:45:00.800 that stuff out. Not that I've buy into the idea of either one of 642 00:45:00.840 --> 00:45:05.920 them really being a point guard for the team, because again, their true 643 00:45:05.920 --> 00:45:07.760 calling card is them going out there and scoring the basketball. But to your 644 00:45:07.760 --> 00:45:12.920 point, they need somebody to write that ship, and they need to do 645 00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:15.840 it very quickly. I don't care if they do it through free agency or 646 00:45:15.880 --> 00:45:20.079 they find a dominant a rough in well in what draft, But they got 647 00:45:20.199 --> 00:45:22.559 it, They're gonna have to find it somehow, some way. You know, 648 00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:24.320 it's it's definitely not on the coach though. Your tune to the baseline 649 00:45:24.360 --> 00:45:29.280 Cali Warrns y'all discussing the hot button topics of the NBA. Coming up, 650 00:45:29.559 --> 00:45:32.039 we'll talk about the New Orleans Pelicans. Well, probably won't hit them as 651 00:45:32.079 --> 00:45:37.719 hard and heavy they they've been going. They've gone through a whole They've gone 652 00:45:37.760 --> 00:45:42.440 through a whole lot. You know what I'm saying, We ain't gonna We're 653 00:45:42.440 --> 00:45:46.519 gonna Willy Greenham. We ain't gonna Willy beat them. So anyway, more 654 00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:52.239 baseline, Cali Warrenshaw, don't go away. We're back. Cali warns y'all 655 00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:54.679 basedline NBA podcasts, And the last team we're gonna put on the slab is 656 00:45:54.719 --> 00:46:00.840 going to be the New Orleans Pelicans. So the Pelicans, Shaw not whole 657 00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:04.960 lot, you know, I know everybody is really focusing on well, you 658 00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:07.719 know, the Pelicans team is definitely a different team without Zion Williamson. We 659 00:46:07.760 --> 00:46:12.440 had talked about this as part of last week's episode, you know where we 660 00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:15.360 caught where we basically or no, I'm sorry, not last week's episode, 661 00:46:15.360 --> 00:46:20.360 but our last episode where we had Milk Carton players right, and we were 662 00:46:20.360 --> 00:46:23.199 talking about CJ. McCullum and Brandon Ingram and they've been in pretty much M 663 00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:28.679 I A and I chalk it up to the fact that I just don't think 664 00:46:28.719 --> 00:46:31.400 that this is a dynamic that works even if you bring back Zion Williamson to 665 00:46:31.440 --> 00:46:37.639 wait that the Oklahoma City Thunder played to me, I don't think Zion Williamson's 666 00:46:37.719 --> 00:46:43.039 best performance ever would have stopped the way that Oklahoma City Thunder just ran rough 667 00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:45.880 shot against the New Orleans Pelicans. So I think it speaks to a much 668 00:46:46.119 --> 00:46:52.000 larger issue sort of speak about if you're the Pelicans, it's not so much 669 00:46:52.079 --> 00:46:55.159 how you lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, It's about how competitive do you 670 00:46:55.159 --> 00:47:00.159 think that you can be in a division? Right that can up and coming 671 00:47:00.280 --> 00:47:05.719 Rockets team that's gonna have John Morant back for the Memphis Grizzlies, that's gonna 672 00:47:05.760 --> 00:47:08.840 have a very competitive Dallas Mavericks team, which if they win this series, 673 00:47:09.199 --> 00:47:13.199 you know, hey, man, these guys are still set for the future 674 00:47:13.320 --> 00:47:16.000 with the dynamic of Dantis and Irving. Right, Like, if you're thinking 675 00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:22.559 about the New Orleans Pelicans, that window of you capturing something is now more 676 00:47:22.639 --> 00:47:25.800 tight knit just within your own division, let alone the damn Conference. And 677 00:47:25.960 --> 00:47:35.360 it just makes you wonder can you afford to compete with that trifecta that you're 678 00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:38.039 rolling out, you know, with the type of team that you have. 679 00:47:39.519 --> 00:47:45.000 So the theme I said is gonna be guys potentially on the move. And 680 00:47:45.079 --> 00:47:49.199 I think with Ingram the way that he played coming off of injury, and 681 00:47:49.239 --> 00:47:53.079 we said in the Milk Carton episode that Loudort was not having it, like 682 00:47:53.320 --> 00:47:58.000 he was wearing brandon Ingram out. So that is not the guy you want 683 00:47:58.039 --> 00:48:01.079 to be facing coming off of injury in the first round of a playoff series, 684 00:48:01.280 --> 00:48:04.760 and he was just like locked in, Like it was almost like box 685 00:48:04.800 --> 00:48:07.480 on one side is wherever Ingram was, lou Dort was an inch away from 686 00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:10.960 him, I think at all times. And now the Pelicans are faced with 687 00:48:12.000 --> 00:48:15.000 the aspect of and you said that's going into it, what is do they 688 00:48:15.039 --> 00:48:19.639 truly have a trio that is meant to play together. It's a little bit 689 00:48:20.159 --> 00:48:25.199 like the Lakers scenario because guys can't stay healthy and sometimes it's like, again, 690 00:48:25.239 --> 00:48:29.239 you get fooled into feelings like well if you could just we could just 691 00:48:29.880 --> 00:48:36.159 and as as incongruent as it may even seem, sometimes the mix just doesn't 692 00:48:36.199 --> 00:48:38.320 work, like maybe guys are just not going to be healthy together here, 693 00:48:38.639 --> 00:48:42.719 and then all of a sudden, Zion gets traded or collum or Ingram, 694 00:48:42.760 --> 00:48:46.039 somebody goes somewhere else and then they play seventy five games next year. That's 695 00:48:46.239 --> 00:48:50.760 just that's just the breaks. But I think they have to look at what 696 00:48:50.800 --> 00:48:53.400 it looks like. Do they want to keep this team together because they have 697 00:48:53.480 --> 00:48:58.719 guys like Herb Jones and Trey Murphy who are itching and ready to take steps 698 00:48:58.800 --> 00:49:01.800 up. And while they I don't know that they're as offensively gifted as Ingram 699 00:49:01.840 --> 00:49:08.000 could potentially be, they could probably fill some of that with greater offensive delineation, 700 00:49:08.159 --> 00:49:10.920 kind of parsing out to some other guys, you know, if one 701 00:49:10.920 --> 00:49:15.519 of those three were to be moved on, And ironically, again here come 702 00:49:15.559 --> 00:49:20.280 the Warriors kicking the tires on a potential brand of Ingram thing again fresh. 703 00:49:20.360 --> 00:49:22.960 This is all very fresh, but the Warriors at least would be interested and 704 00:49:23.679 --> 00:49:28.360 exploring an opportunity like that. And I don't know that that's going to happen. 705 00:49:28.400 --> 00:49:30.800 And I think other teams will obviously get in here on this if if 706 00:49:30.880 --> 00:49:34.280 Ingram does become available, But for some reason, he seems like he's going 707 00:49:34.360 --> 00:49:37.039 to be the potentially be the odd guy out. Despite all the injuries that 708 00:49:37.159 --> 00:49:39.679 Zion has also faced with, Zion was as healthy as as he's ever been 709 00:49:39.719 --> 00:49:43.599 in his entire career this year, and it's very much of what have you 710 00:49:43.639 --> 00:49:45.800 done for me lately? A year, and I think that's what's going to 711 00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:47.920 be sticking fresh in their minds in addition to the fact they have some draft 712 00:49:47.920 --> 00:49:52.440 picks. So if they really wanted to try to go in and retool in 713 00:49:52.480 --> 00:49:54.599 another way, they could offer you know, two first rounders even this year, 714 00:49:54.639 --> 00:49:59.199 if they wanted to try to do something to improve this team immediately. 715 00:49:59.280 --> 00:50:04.320 Where are you with brandon Ingram just in general? Do you see him like 716 00:50:04.360 --> 00:50:08.679 I think the the idea maybe was you know, Zion one A, brandon 717 00:50:08.800 --> 00:50:13.760 Ingram one B and then you have you know McCollum as a you know, 718 00:50:14.119 --> 00:50:19.639 two av type player. Again, I'm more of the mindset that I found 719 00:50:19.639 --> 00:50:22.760 CJ. McCullum to be more effective when he is you know, an aggressive 720 00:50:22.920 --> 00:50:27.679 CJ. McCollum and not this passive, you know, kind of search me 721 00:50:27.760 --> 00:50:30.960 out type of guard. You know, he needs to he needs to get 722 00:50:30.960 --> 00:50:32.840 the basketball and he needs to, you know, get a rhythm going, 723 00:50:34.079 --> 00:50:38.559 and it's hard to do that with volume guys like brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson 724 00:50:38.840 --> 00:50:44.559 on the roster. But I'm just curious about where you see brandon Ingram as 725 00:50:44.599 --> 00:50:49.239 far as in the in the hierarchy you know of a constructed basketball team. 726 00:50:49.760 --> 00:50:52.760 Well, to me, they are a little like the Suns to some degree 727 00:50:52.920 --> 00:50:55.559 only in the aspect of like, I don't know if those three guys work 728 00:50:55.639 --> 00:51:02.719 together. So I think Ingram is twenty six sold feasibly get you more on 729 00:51:02.760 --> 00:51:06.679 the open market if you were to move him. But he's a guy who 730 00:51:06.760 --> 00:51:09.280 can apply when he applies himself, can play good defense, has been able 731 00:51:09.280 --> 00:51:12.199 to play create. I think, you know, look at the stats. 732 00:51:12.199 --> 00:51:15.000 I think you have like twenty five and five or twenty one five and five 733 00:51:15.039 --> 00:51:19.400 this year. That's that's those aren't bad numbers, but it's just how do 734 00:51:19.440 --> 00:51:22.119 you make it all work cohesively, you know, with that roster. So 735 00:51:22.199 --> 00:51:25.159 to me, McCollum is the is the non point guard who they have on 736 00:51:25.199 --> 00:51:29.119 the team, you know, almost in the Bradley Beal role. You know, 737 00:51:29.199 --> 00:51:30.800 I'm not. I know that's a little bit of a lazy narrative only 738 00:51:30.840 --> 00:51:34.760 because of the conversation we're having right now, But I think you know, 739 00:51:34.840 --> 00:51:37.400 to me, I would see if I can move McCallum and see if I 740 00:51:37.440 --> 00:51:39.360 can get more of a of a conductor in there to get both of those 741 00:51:39.360 --> 00:51:43.519 guys Zion and Random in their spots. I wouldn't give up on b I 742 00:51:43.679 --> 00:51:47.079 just yet. But I think it's trending in that way because I don't know 743 00:51:47.079 --> 00:51:50.440 the same thing. I don't know how many people are interested in CJ at 744 00:51:50.440 --> 00:51:53.880 this stage. And he was just as awful if well, if he will 745 00:51:54.079 --> 00:51:58.320 in this four game sweep. But I still like b I and I wouldn't 746 00:51:58.280 --> 00:52:00.039 I wouldn't give up the goals on him just yet. But I don't know 747 00:52:00.079 --> 00:52:04.000 that that he'll be a Pelican going into next season. Yeah, probably not. 748 00:52:04.079 --> 00:52:06.119 But I you know, to your point, I think he is a 749 00:52:06.159 --> 00:52:09.280 savvy scorer, and I think he needs more opportunities for him to show how 750 00:52:09.360 --> 00:52:13.760 savvy a score he is. And I feel like he's been doing a lot 751 00:52:13.760 --> 00:52:19.519 of making up sort of speak because of Zion Williamson's absence, And I think 752 00:52:19.599 --> 00:52:23.280 that's what's hurt brandon Ingram more than anything, because when the pressure is on 753 00:52:23.960 --> 00:52:29.519 for him to produce and he's not doing it, kind of like in the 754 00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:32.039 he reminds me he listened. I mean, his his stature is very similar 755 00:52:32.039 --> 00:52:37.159 to Kevin Durant, but even his mentality is very similar to Kevin Durant in 756 00:52:37.239 --> 00:52:40.840 many respects. I think that it has to come on his terms for you 757 00:52:40.920 --> 00:52:46.039 to see the abundance of talent that that brandon Ingram displays or exhibits. And 758 00:52:46.079 --> 00:52:52.239 I think when it's under forced circumstances or outcomes that really he doesn't have control 759 00:52:52.280 --> 00:52:55.039 over. He doesn't seem to, you know, kind of get in his 760 00:52:55.079 --> 00:52:59.400 bag, sort of speak like it just that's just what I sent I tend 761 00:52:59.400 --> 00:53:02.960 to feel like unfortunately in New Orleans, that just seems to be the way 762 00:53:04.039 --> 00:53:08.320 things go around there, right, like loeu of a natural disaster. Right, 763 00:53:08.440 --> 00:53:12.559 these are the things that are going to tend to happen with with brandon 764 00:53:12.760 --> 00:53:15.719 Ingram. As it pertains to the rest of the roster show, what do 765 00:53:15.760 --> 00:53:21.000 you think should probably take place? I'm interested to see what to see what 766 00:53:21.039 --> 00:53:25.440 they do with with Theonis valentiunas does not have a deal. No extension was 767 00:53:25.440 --> 00:53:30.239 was given to him, and I think he's been a huge part of what 768 00:53:30.239 --> 00:53:34.400 they've done, uh in the years that he's been there. Just kind of 769 00:53:34.400 --> 00:53:37.199 an underrated pro to me. I like him a lot, but I understand, 770 00:53:37.639 --> 00:53:39.880 you know, kind of as a plotting big uh, not really a 771 00:53:39.880 --> 00:53:43.760 space. He shoots the three occasionally, but you know, not in any 772 00:53:43.800 --> 00:53:46.440 real volume or even real like great percentage. What do they do there? 773 00:53:46.760 --> 00:53:51.119 You know, or do they try to go small play zie more and five 774 00:53:51.159 --> 00:53:53.440 play small ball five with larren Nan says they did a lot in that OKC 775 00:53:53.679 --> 00:53:58.599 series as well. But then there's the development of the young guys, because 776 00:53:58.599 --> 00:54:01.320 I think they've they've drafted well, Jordan Hawkins, Dyson Daniels, all those 777 00:54:01.360 --> 00:54:07.199 guys can play. So to me, they're getting to a point of of 778 00:54:07.320 --> 00:54:08.519 a debarcation, if you will, It's like, all right, well who 779 00:54:08.559 --> 00:54:13.039 are who are our core guys? And I think in some ways, you 780 00:54:13.079 --> 00:54:15.800 know Zion has to be one of them. But then do you make a 781 00:54:15.880 --> 00:54:20.639 choice between McCollum and Ingram. But then the supplemental pieces. How much of 782 00:54:20.639 --> 00:54:22.639 a role are you willing to give for Jones? How much of a role 783 00:54:22.679 --> 00:54:24.239 you're willing to give Trey Murphy? And again, as I said, to 784 00:54:24.239 --> 00:54:27.400 start this, you know, to start this conversation, you know, what 785 00:54:27.400 --> 00:54:30.639 do they do with Valanchotonis? And I think Valents will probably end up being 786 00:54:30.679 --> 00:54:35.599 a casualty and and and having to find a contract elsewhere. But this is 787 00:54:35.639 --> 00:54:38.519 a team that has has some options, you know, a little bit better 788 00:54:38.599 --> 00:54:43.079 off than the other two teams we talked about, despite not being as successful 789 00:54:43.639 --> 00:54:45.599 in theory I mean, well, they all got beat in the first round, 790 00:54:45.679 --> 00:54:47.599 right, But you know, I think there's there's there's there's more hope 791 00:54:47.679 --> 00:54:52.000 I think for the Pelicans because of the way they've drafted, the draft picks 792 00:54:52.039 --> 00:54:55.079 they even have on top of it, and I think tradable pieces if they 793 00:54:55.079 --> 00:54:58.880 were to try to make a move on some of their larger known names. 794 00:54:59.079 --> 00:55:04.400 Yeah. So if where I where I kind of I agree with you, 795 00:55:04.480 --> 00:55:07.159 But where I kind of disagree with you when it comes to the Pelicans is 796 00:55:07.159 --> 00:55:08.559 that you know, and again I always keep coming back to this, is 797 00:55:08.599 --> 00:55:13.559 I come back to that window in that timeline. A lot of it could 798 00:55:13.559 --> 00:55:15.719 be just the natural way of things and the other time and the other part 799 00:55:15.719 --> 00:55:19.920 of it could really just be, you know, because of the type of 800 00:55:19.920 --> 00:55:23.159 player that you have on your roster, that being his Ion Williamson. Now, 801 00:55:23.599 --> 00:55:28.760 he obviously is a person, you know, who decided to stay on 802 00:55:28.840 --> 00:55:32.039 board, and you've pushed your chips all in into the table and you're saying, 803 00:55:32.320 --> 00:55:36.119 you know, this is your corner piece guy. So with that being 804 00:55:36.159 --> 00:55:39.239 said, that MIS mean that you have to assure that your corner piece guy 805 00:55:39.360 --> 00:55:44.880 is going to be available for the foreseeable future. If not you're going to 806 00:55:44.920 --> 00:55:46.920 be riding a lot of these supplemental role guys, you know, and I 807 00:55:46.920 --> 00:55:51.519 think they have a ton of wings, right, but how many wings could 808 00:55:51.519 --> 00:55:53.800 you possibly have? And then you're not filling in the other you know, 809 00:55:53.920 --> 00:56:01.519 necessary player uh sorry, necessary positions excuse me, just to to really make 810 00:56:01.559 --> 00:56:05.920 the team about as well rounded as possible, because part of the problem again 811 00:56:06.239 --> 00:56:09.239 comes down to the health factor of your core guys being available for the majority 812 00:56:09.239 --> 00:56:14.239 of the NBA regular season and then ultimately being available for the playoffs. And 813 00:56:14.320 --> 00:56:16.519 so it's a very tight squeeze, so to speak, and a very fine 814 00:56:16.559 --> 00:56:22.000 line that has to be walked. And it all comes back again, not 815 00:56:22.159 --> 00:56:24.639 to the leadership of a of a player, which I often talk about, 816 00:56:24.679 --> 00:56:28.920 but it comes to the availability of a player. And so I think a 817 00:56:28.960 --> 00:56:31.480 lot of this is gonna come down to and let's also speak about it as 818 00:56:31.480 --> 00:56:35.599 well too, that you know, guys like c J. McCullum and Zion 819 00:56:35.639 --> 00:56:42.360 Williamson have been you know, you know, been injured, right and it's 820 00:56:42.519 --> 00:56:46.360 at critical times where they've needed guys to fill in. They have other guys 821 00:56:46.360 --> 00:56:52.320 doing things, you know, playing roles and assuming responsibilities, but you know, 822 00:56:52.360 --> 00:56:57.199 they don't have those guys right and to back up that gap or that 823 00:56:57.280 --> 00:57:01.280 hole that that that's not being filled when they go out. So it'll be 824 00:57:01.320 --> 00:57:06.960 interesting, you know, if they're giving up you know, say Brandon Ingram 825 00:57:07.000 --> 00:57:09.559 and they're giving up Jonas Valanciunis, is it that they're they're only you know, 826 00:57:09.639 --> 00:57:15.880 filling in those spots, or they're trying to look for more hybrid light 827 00:57:15.000 --> 00:57:20.000 type players that when their core players go out, they have a much more 828 00:57:20.039 --> 00:57:23.360 well rounded team. They can plug and play and have more versatility, because 829 00:57:23.360 --> 00:57:28.000 it doesn't seem like there's versatility still with the with the nor Leans Pelicans, 830 00:57:28.519 --> 00:57:30.840 it's basically you know, Willie Green, like you know, pulling a rabbit 831 00:57:30.840 --> 00:57:35.159 at the hat sometimes with the way that he constructs the roster or plays the 832 00:57:35.239 --> 00:57:38.360 roster, you know, in order to achieve goals of winning games. Yeah, 833 00:57:38.440 --> 00:57:40.960 well I'll close in this, and I think I think what you said 834 00:57:42.079 --> 00:57:45.599 there's a lot of great points to that, especially if they can get some 835 00:57:45.760 --> 00:57:52.960 role delineation and maybe more classic positions positionality I think on the roster, especially 836 00:57:52.000 --> 00:57:55.880 at the back corp position, getting somebody who's a true distributor. While Zion 837 00:57:55.920 --> 00:58:01.320 and Ingram and CJ can all playmake that shouldn't be their primary responsibilities. And 838 00:58:01.320 --> 00:58:07.800 an Alvarado is not a playmaking guard. He's he's an irritant. He can 839 00:58:07.840 --> 00:58:10.079 get into the teeth here and there, but he's not somebody that give you 840 00:58:12.239 --> 00:58:15.400 forty eight minutes to lead. So yeah, and and to be fair, 841 00:58:15.440 --> 00:58:19.119 there's not a lot of those guys out there anyway, So I don't know 842 00:58:19.119 --> 00:58:22.400 that that's something that they can just manufacture. But I think they need to 843 00:58:22.440 --> 00:58:25.320 be trending in that direction to some degree, uh, to give them the 844 00:58:25.320 --> 00:58:30.119 best hope for the future and some viability. But like I said, man, 845 00:58:30.360 --> 00:58:31.639 I like their young guys. They do have some wings. They have 846 00:58:31.679 --> 00:58:36.679 some young talent that is still very much in development. And they have draft 847 00:58:36.679 --> 00:58:39.480 picks, draft equity from the Drew Holiday trade, from the Anthony Davis trade 848 00:58:39.480 --> 00:58:44.599 as well too, so they can be very active and they don't necessarily need 849 00:58:44.639 --> 00:58:47.039 to, you know, push put some accelerant on here in the summer. 850 00:58:47.920 --> 00:58:51.159 If they don't like what they don't, if they don't see something they like, 851 00:58:51.199 --> 00:58:52.159 they can wait to see. Hey, well what happens becomes of the 852 00:58:52.199 --> 00:58:55.039 trade deadline, so forth and so forth. So you know, I think 853 00:58:55.039 --> 00:59:00.559 this team will be very similar next year in terms of overall production, although 854 00:59:00.599 --> 00:59:05.079 I think the pieces around the might shift a little bit as again, especially 855 00:59:05.079 --> 00:59:07.639 with Valentunas and potentially a brandon Ingram. But I think this team can still 856 00:59:07.639 --> 00:59:10.159 be very competitive because I think WILLI Greens are pretty good coach as well too. 857 00:59:10.280 --> 00:59:13.039 All right, man, well there you go. Man. We went 858 00:59:13.079 --> 00:59:19.719 through three teams, not like our quadruple body up that we did, you 859 00:59:19.719 --> 00:59:23.079 know, a few weeks ago or a month ago, but nonetheless pretty good 860 00:59:23.159 --> 00:59:29.159 stuff going going over the Lakers, Suns and the Appelicans respectively. Yes, 861 00:59:29.239 --> 00:59:31.199 it was so as always, tap in, let us know your thoughts. 862 00:59:31.239 --> 00:59:34.559 What do we miss? What do you think these three teams should do? 863 00:59:34.760 --> 00:59:37.280 Who has the highest ceiling of the three teams in terms of what their future 864 00:59:37.320 --> 00:59:43.039 may look like going into the twenty five No, twenty four, twenty twenty 865 00:59:43.039 --> 00:59:45.840 five, twenty where are we going? Twenty four twenty five four five? 866 00:59:45.320 --> 00:59:50.519 No, you were in brother, Yeah, but ultimately well neither did neither 867 00:59:50.559 --> 00:59:57.719 did the Suns? Yeah neither? And also the one not necessarily important aspect, 868 00:59:57.760 --> 00:59:59.599 But the final aspect I'll say is like, just what are your all 869 00:59:59.599 --> 01:00:02.360 thoughts on the Super Team era? You know? Is it truly truly dead, 870 01:00:02.760 --> 01:00:07.320 especially when you see what happened to this Phoenix Suns team. Yeah, 871 01:00:07.360 --> 01:00:09.840 it's it's tough sletting out there, I think for these high priced teams. 872 01:00:10.119 --> 01:00:14.599 But here we have a team like the Boston Celtics who maybe nobody have used 873 01:00:14.599 --> 01:00:17.039 those that team as superstars, but they're gonna be paying pretty hefty build here 874 01:00:17.079 --> 01:00:20.239 in a little bit, go and stay the pain and have to build right 875 01:00:20.239 --> 01:00:22.920 now. But they're out of the playoffs. It costs to be good. 876 01:00:23.119 --> 01:00:27.920 So I think parody is definitely coming up. Absolutely absolutely. Once again, 877 01:00:27.960 --> 01:00:30.960 we like to thank you and yours for hopping over board with us this week 878 01:00:30.000 --> 01:00:34.039 for the baseline Cali Warre show. We appreciate you guys, you know we 879 01:00:34.119 --> 01:00:36.639 do, and we catch up with you next time.