So now let's bring on the saltier Adam p and Adam, how are you
today? That's what the p Fred What are you implying there? What are
you saying? Yeah, what are you saying? Prophetic? Nice? Save
turn the damn phone off. That's what the piece for. Turn off your
phone. What's up? Guys? Going to be back? Okay, let's
just get right to it as we get ready to start the second half of
the season. You're a guy that you know, kept an eye of Montres
Harold as closely as anyone. Give it his time with the Clippers. He
sent out that tweet. Jen he Bust responded, what do you think's going
on there? Well? Monstres has always been an emotional, a passionate guy.
He plays like that on the court, but he's also prone to cryptic
tweets like we saw. But he's going through it because his grandma died last
year. That pain is still, I'm sure very fresh. And and Adam
talked real quick about his grandmother, someone that's just you know, everybody's mother,
grandmother, parents, whatever, is different in their life. But she
was very in his life and very close to him. This was his best
friend. I mean, when it happened. He left the bubble for about
a month, and he was having a really tough time. Understandably, this
was one of the most if not the most important person in his life.
And you know, he's still a young man at twenty six years of age.
I don't know if he went through something like that before. So maybe
it's related to that. We're all trying to figure that out. But I
would just give him some distance, give him some time, I like what
Jeanie Buss said, and send him your thoughts and prayers and some care his
way. Even Clippers fans who before were upset with him going to the Lakers,
they reached out on Twitter and just said, hope everything's good, Prayers
up emoji for Montrez Harold. So we don't know what's going on. Yeah,
I thought I thought it was more concerning. Honestly, when I thought,
I thought, oh, I mean, if he's to this point and
he's basically it's to me, it's like, to what point? In other
words, he's asking for some help from emotional help. It's not out of
the ordinary. If you followed him on Twitter the past couple of years for
him to tweet stuff like this, I don't think there's going to be a
situation where he doesn't show up to the game or something like that on Friday,
or there's something else going on behind the scenes. It's not some subtext
that you have to parcel out and pick apart, like Lebron James talking about
Kevin love fit in stop fitting out on Twitter a few years back. I
think it's more likely than that. It's it's related to just what's going on
in his life and it has nothing to do with on the court, So
so show him some love. Okay when it comes to the second half.
We'll touch on the Clippers at the end. But as for the Lakers,
Mantras, Haile is an asset at this point. I mean, and if
they want to improve in certain aspects, there are so many assets they can
moved. Would you see them possibly even moving him. I think it's unlikely,
And I'm not sure what the contract situation is because they did just sign
him last offseason, and sometimes that puts different stip relations on whether or not
you can move a guy within the next six months, Like I don't think
Kyle Kuzma signing that extension could be moved at this point. It would have
to be during the summer. It could be the same thing with Montrez Harold.
But let's say hypothetically it's not. Well, you could make the argument
that, first of all, he did sacrifice, taking less money to come
there. According to all the reports, the Charlotte Hornets had offered him more,
they had more to offer, he didn't go there. He wanted to
be with a contender, and apparently he wanted to stay in LA and he
wanted to be respected. But making only nine million dollars, we all thought
he'd get somewhere between fifteen and twenty per year coming off the season, the
six Man of the Year season he had last year with the Clippers, and
just the way that his game has grown over the years, he is still
getting better overall. He's even shown off the jumper here and there this season
with the Lakers. So I don't know if you can really make that much
of an upgrade when you're trading salaries like that, or you're getting to within
seventy five percent of nine million and to make a trade work. I don't
know if you can find a much better valued player than Montrese Harrold. Plus,
I just don't see them going in that direction this soon with him,
because he has been good for them all season long, especially considering the injuries.
They've needed somebody like that who's a spark, who always has that high
motor out there during a long regular season. Guys like that are invaluable.
And you know, you were the first one to talk about this, Adam
and you mentioned it last year when he was with the Clippers about defense and
the Lakers. I think people are understanding now how much Javelle McGee and White
Howard meant to this team, and Marcusol is not really you know that guy
anymore. How much do they need, even with Anthony Davis coming back,
really need to focus on that rim protection and how much would that hurt them
going in the playoffs. I do think that something that could arise as more
of an issue in the playoffs. I've said that all season long. Even
though they are the number one defense right now, and that's impressive. They're
even better than they were last season when they were third overall. They've actually
dipped offensively, which is the opposite of what I think a lot of people
assumed would happen this season with the Lakers. But the rim protection in the
playoffs, even in Spurts because obviously Dwight Howard didn't even play in that series
against the Houston Rockets, but when he did play against Nicola Yokich in the
Western Conference Finals, he was effective and he frustrated him and he was an
irritant and just having that athleticism in the paint, which is not something size
wise that Montrese Harold can offer you. He's not a big enough body and
that Marcus al just doesn't have enough juice left in those lakes to be hopping
around. He is someone who if you get in space, he is barbecue
chicken. And Shaquille O'Neal would say he's easy to get around, yes,
exactly. So it's still a concern and I think they know that too,
because Frank Vogel's talked about it. We have to get or in this area.
Even though they're only giving up four more points per game in the paint,
that is something that can be exploited in the playoffs. When last year
they were so good, they built a fortress beneath the rim and it was
just really tough to get around any of those guys, and so a lot
of teams had to resort to three points shooting, which I think a big
reason why. Well, even in that series with the Houston Rockets, you
know, we thought maybe it could be a good matchup. They're going to
go small against the Lakers, Lakers will go small against them. They still
had enough athleticism, which avail McGee out there at times two to match up
well with anybody. Now, I think there are flaws in their defense that
just weren't there last season. Okay, let's quickly hit on the Clippers as
they begin the second half anything they will do are considering doing. You're talking
about the trade deadline in Marsh twenty fifth. I read an article earlier today
from Sam Amick, who's very plugged in with this team obviously, and he
talked about how they're just looking to do little things on the margins and they
like where they're at right now, even though they still have a ton of
injuries. I mean Peg and Kawhi Leonard and miss nineteen of their first thirty
eight games. Combine, those two missed nineteen of the thirty eight games,
and half of their losses have come without one of those guys on the floor.
So some of the issues from last season are still there, But the
main thing people have talked about is not having that traditional playmaker out there.
Didn't really have it last season either, but PG and Kawhi have assumed that
role. They lead them in assist I think Kawhi is at about six per
game, Paul George is at about five. Serio two superstars have the ball
in their hands all the time, which is normally what happens in the playoffs
anyways. So I think that style lends itself better in the playoffs this time
around. But it could ease the burden on them by having another traditional,
more traditional type of point guard out there who's setting the table and getting everybody
else involved that way, because when you've watched them recently, when they've gone
those long four minute stretches without scoring late in the fourth quarter, it looks
like it times Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Granted it was just one game
in Milwaukee where they went cold the last four minutes and got outscored fifteen to
nothing, but it looked like they were tired, and they were settling for
some really tough shots, and they were having to create and do everything.
So could it be a place where they improve on the margins by bringing in
well, somebody like I don't know Lonzo Ball, who knows if he's going
to be available. But George Hill has been talked about. And Gen Ronda
was barely played in Atlanta. He's played only twenty games and I think is
playing like less than ten minutes a night or something like that. And that
was somebody that they were supposedly interested in this past offseason. So is that
the guy that they make a move forward. I don't think it's gonna be
Kyle Lowry or anyone like that if they go for that point guard, because
he just makes too much money. It's just not feasible. But I do
think there's a good possibility they upgrade in that area if they're looking at anything.
All Right, well, thanks for hanging today, all right, gonna
be with you guys. Good seeing you