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Coors Brewing Company, Golden Colorado. What is up? 11 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,960 Hardwodox listeners. I am Damned to Valley, coming at you with one of 12 00:00:51,039 --> 00:00:56,640 my favorite writers and Twitter follows Sabrina Merchant. She covers, she writes lots 13 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,880 of words. Let's put it for Spnation, NBA. We're in different women's 14 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,120 sports. I've seen her write some college basketball stuff this week. If you're 15 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,359 not following her on Twitter, remedy that post taste that's at Sabrina JM. 16 00:01:07,519 --> 00:01:14,319 That's at sab r e n A JM. Sabrina, welcome back, and 17 00:01:14,359 --> 00:01:18,280 how are you doing. I'm doing great. I love when people spell my 18 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,439 name because everyone always searches for Sabrina with and I, and that is not 19 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,920 the gastory of finding me. I like the way yours is spelled because I 20 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,560 feel like there's two or three, like other different first names in there too, 21 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:34,239 So I guess I appreciate it. I was looking because you're still one 22 00:01:34,239 --> 00:01:38,879 of the guests that is nice enough to record on Skype. Everyone thinks I'm 23 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,359 living in like the early twenty and tens. It's just that's been the most 24 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,359 reliable way for me to record and I saw. I feel like I just 25 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,239 spoke with you about the Clippers, and it turns out that that was in 26 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,840 October, so my central time is clearly not not doing too well at the 27 00:01:53,879 --> 00:01:57,079 moment. Yeah, well, for me, it's literally my second most recent 28 00:01:57,079 --> 00:02:00,159 Skype call, so it does feel like it just happened. I do appreciate 29 00:02:00,159 --> 00:02:02,640 you. If you have to hide hide your confusion as to when I'm ever, 30 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,239 I'm asking you if you can hop on Skype. Most people are like, 31 00:02:06,599 --> 00:02:08,120 is it twenty twelve or something, but you just roll with it, 32 00:02:08,159 --> 00:02:13,039 so I appreciate that. Let's do this. So I brought you on to 33 00:02:13,039 --> 00:02:16,919 tall Clippers and Lakers double dose here. I'd like to start with the Clippers, 34 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:22,439 who are coming off as we record this. They're coming off their win 35 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,719 over Dallas, who was believe I can commit to having watched exactly zero minutes 36 00:02:25,879 --> 00:02:31,599 of that game. But overall this season, have you noticed any distinct changes 37 00:02:31,879 --> 00:02:36,759 in how the Clippers play under ty Lou aside from you know, anything that's 38 00:02:36,759 --> 00:02:40,479 personnel is driven by having Surge shoot jumpers instead of having Tress in those minutes. 39 00:02:42,439 --> 00:02:45,280 Yeah, so I think you hit the nail on the major stylistic change 40 00:02:45,319 --> 00:02:49,039 in that they have more space in the starting lineup because they're starting Surge instead 41 00:02:49,039 --> 00:02:53,639 of Zubach and he just is a better willing three point shooter. I shouldn't 42 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:55,360 say I'm not even a better three point shooter, but he actually takes threes 43 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:00,599 and he's feared from that distance. So it opens a lot of space in 44 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:05,120 the paint for Kawhi, Leonard and Paul George just sort of operate out of 45 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,039 the post and on the elbows a little bit more than they were able to 46 00:03:07,199 --> 00:03:13,159 when Zoobotch was the starter. I think that's the major difference, just the 47 00:03:13,199 --> 00:03:16,800 look of that half court offense. And there has been a significant amount of 48 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:21,280 ball movement. I think that's been added to the half court offense. But 49 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,719 I'm not sure how much of that, again is because of Tylou versus Dock 50 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,000 or just different personnel. Because they have Nicholas be Two in the starting line 51 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,960 of worth they did before yesterday, who is a more natural pastor I think 52 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:36,560 than Marcus Morris. So those personnel shifts I think make that, you know, 53 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,919 a more ball movement heavy starting five than it was a year ago. 54 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,479 But it also seems like they have just a little bit more flow beyond the 55 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,520 initial action. Like when you have a guy like Kawhi Leonard or someone like 56 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,639 Paul George who's so capable of getting their shot in isolation and you only have 57 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,639 to like run one down screen and all of a sudden pgs free and he's 58 00:03:53,639 --> 00:03:55,680 got a six book out in front of him, who can just shoot right 59 00:03:55,719 --> 00:03:59,800 over. It's tempting to just do that, And like that was a lot 60 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,479 of what they were doing a year ago, especially when you know they had 61 00:04:02,479 --> 00:04:05,360 a limited amount of time when Kawai and PGI were on the court together because 62 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:10,000 of injuries and whatnot. I totally understood that, you know, default, 63 00:04:10,199 --> 00:04:13,560 but there has been more commitment to like, okay, if the initial action 64 00:04:13,639 --> 00:04:15,000 fails, like what do we have running on the second side, there's you 65 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,040 know, side pick and roll or like a weak side action running. There's 66 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:21,480 there's definitely a little bit more happening in the half court than there was a 67 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,759 year ago. But I do think that that's sort of come at the expense 68 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,399 of like they don't really push the ball at all, or like, you 69 00:04:28,399 --> 00:04:31,560 know, their defense has been a little marginalized, so to speak. So 70 00:04:32,639 --> 00:04:35,000 you know, I think that's just a consequence of taylou right, Like we 71 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:39,079 think of him as an offensive coach. I really think he got the very 72 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:44,360 most out of those Cleveland teams on the offensive end, and that has brought 73 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,959 itself over the Clippers, where I think they're supremely talented on the offense and 74 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,399 they're getting the most out of their talent. But you see the gaps, 75 00:04:51,439 --> 00:04:55,720 you know, and other parts of the court. So is it and so 76 00:04:55,759 --> 00:04:58,399 you mentioned that they're playing slower, which I think would if you're going to 77 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,000 get out in transition less and I feel like they just don't even They just 78 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,839 don't even try and push the ball in. They literally do not get like 79 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:09,480 live rebounds, turnovers. They just don't. Is that like the main culprit 80 00:05:09,639 --> 00:05:12,680 behind them being twenty nine and the shaff shots coming at the rim? And 81 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,319 my father question of that would be, doesn't matter when they're still third in 82 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,120 points chord per possession and they just they shoot the hell out of the ball 83 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:23,240 from three. Yeah, I think they definitely want to get more shots at 84 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,199 the rim. It's just not really in any of their DNA, you know. 85 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,480 I think the only guy in the starting lineup who really put pressure on 86 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,759 the room last year was Zoobach and he's not a starter anymore. So it's 87 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,560 just harder for them to generate shots in that area of the court. Generally, 88 00:05:36,639 --> 00:05:40,319 when they get touches in the paint, it's just so they can kick 89 00:05:40,319 --> 00:05:43,199 it back out for threes, and they're shooting really well on threes, so 90 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,680 obviously there is a method to that madness. But I definitely think they would 91 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,800 like to get more shots in the paint, whether that comes from transition, 92 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:57,160 which Tyler talks about all the time, is pace pace pace, But it's 93 00:05:57,199 --> 00:06:00,480 just again like those guys on their team aren't really wired to get to the 94 00:06:00,519 --> 00:06:04,639 basket. We think about like Kawhi Leonard any think about him like in the 95 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,360 mid range, you know, And Paul George is just a really sweet shooter, 96 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:10,319 and Nicholas with him pretty much at this point in his career. All 97 00:06:10,319 --> 00:06:13,720 he does is spot up. Even Marcus Morris is more of a mid range 98 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,600 out guy, and Surge for whatever reason, has lost a lot of his 99 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:20,720 touch around the rim, so he's significantly more effective when you put him out 100 00:06:20,759 --> 00:06:27,079 as a jump shooter. It's just the personnel doesn't really suggest that they want 101 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,639 to take shots directly at the basket. I'm of the belief that they should 102 00:06:30,639 --> 00:06:34,959 be starting zoobatch and thus generating more looks at the rim that way, but 103 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,519 that does not appear to be a direction that the Clippers are headed towards. 104 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,079 So yeah, I mean, I think they want to get more shots in 105 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,199 pain, even though, like you said, their offense is pretty great regardless, 106 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:47,560 and I don't think there's a reason to believe that their jump shooters are 107 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,079 not capable of this level of performance, you know, other than but toom 108 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,879 who obviously had just a terrible season in Charlotte last year. Like, everybody's 109 00:06:55,879 --> 00:07:00,199 pretty much right in line with their career recent norms, so it doesn't seem 110 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,279 out of the ordinary rate that they can continue shooting this way. If these 111 00:07:03,319 --> 00:07:06,800 are the shots they're going to generate, it still blows my mind that Patuma 112 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,959 is third on this team in minutes per game. That just might be one 113 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,519 of the most bizarre developments of the season. I guess you do. Look 114 00:07:14,519 --> 00:07:15,519 at the Clippers, though, as you kind of mentioned it, there's like 115 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,959 no one because if you look at their team, they only have two guys 116 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:27,480 who rank higher than the fifty second percentile and just frequency of their shots coming 117 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,040 at the rim, and it's Zoo and then it's Terrence Mann. But then 118 00:07:30,079 --> 00:07:32,519 you look at everyone else and it's like there's no one who really can Because 119 00:07:32,519 --> 00:07:36,399 you mentioned how Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have historically played. I think Marcus 120 00:07:36,439 --> 00:07:41,079 Morris is capable of He's in the zero with percentile of volume with the rim 121 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,839 right now relative to this position, So he's like the one guy you could 122 00:07:43,839 --> 00:07:45,800 look at and say, well, he should probably be getting there more often, 123 00:07:45,839 --> 00:07:48,360 but they just don't have that type of player on this team, and 124 00:07:48,439 --> 00:07:51,959 even just I think with Zoo, when he's going to put pressure on the 125 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:54,920 rim, like, it's not going to be with the ball in his hands 126 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,279 or maybe Tres at least provided a little bit of that last year. And 127 00:07:58,279 --> 00:08:01,720 that's also not something that Surgeby is going to give you, at least consistently. 128 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,639 Yeah, I mean, I think you nailed it. You know, 129 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,680 Zoo is going to get shots at the room, but that's just because he 130 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:11,920 happens to be standing there when he's passed the ball, all right, And 131 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,959 I think we kind of thought of Lou Williams as a guy who could put 132 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,959 some pressure on the rim because he does run a lot of pick and roll 133 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:24,199 and like get actions moving in that direction. But a lot of that was 134 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:26,920 just because he had Tress as a pick and roll partner, and he was 135 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:31,199 the guy who was just rolling really hard to the basket every single time you 136 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,519 gave him the ball. And it's funny because I've sort of done like a 137 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:39,120 little bit of a I'm not going to say a total one eighty on Tress, 138 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:43,960 but I've shifted like ninety degrees or so because the way he ended last 139 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:48,120 season, it was overwhelmingly clear that like the Clippers needed something else in that 140 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:52,799 spot because they didn't trust you Watch enough to play on significant minutes, which 141 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:54,519 I think is a bigger story in and of itself. But if you're not 142 00:08:54,519 --> 00:08:58,399 going to trust you Watch and you need somebody else to take those center minutes, 143 00:08:58,919 --> 00:09:03,480 and obviously Trees was not the guy to you know, go up against 144 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,679 those big, burly dudes like you know, even Poban in the first round 145 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:09,279 and then obviously nicoleio Kitch in the second round of the playoffs when they lost. 146 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:15,159 But there's a certain level of energy that Mantrase brings, whether that's just 147 00:09:15,519 --> 00:09:20,360 that he's you know, ramming his way to the hoop at every possible opportunity, 148 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:24,600 or just like the general vibe that he brings to the game. The 149 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,039 Clippers really miss that, just in terms of that effort level that you have 150 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,600 on a night's night basis that Mantrase brings. And I'm not sure how much 151 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,039 that will matter during the playoffs when like you you're naturally just like hyped up 152 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,399 to play every single night, But during the regular season you really miss it. 153 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,320 And you've seen it on the Lakers, where like they need that right 154 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:45,120 like they're going for this championship malaise and Mantras is like, nah, hell 155 00:09:45,159 --> 00:09:48,440 though, Like I'm gonna play exactly this hard every single night no matter what. 156 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,000 So it's it's an interesting like dynamic of what he brings. Like I'm 157 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,679 not sure how much the Clippers miss it like going forward, but you kind 158 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:00,960 of notice it right now. The actual concern would be, at least when 159 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,559 you look at it on paper, is their defense being twenty second in points 160 00:10:05,519 --> 00:10:09,399 alout possession? Which I never would have guessed this far into the year. 161 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:16,399 Is there can you identify like a root cause behind what's happening here for them? 162 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,919 So for me, the defense is weird. Those numbers are really really 163 00:10:20,919 --> 00:10:24,080 weird. But when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are on the court, they're 164 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,279 perfectly fine defense flute, and when Patrick Beverly joins them, they're excellent defensively. 165 00:10:28,879 --> 00:10:31,360 So I happen to think it's a matter of them not having their best 166 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,159 players on the court as much. And you can say, like, oh, 167 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,240 well, that was the case last year too, right, Like PG 168 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,240 missed a bunch of time and Pat bab was in and out of the lineup, 169 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:46,279 but Paul and Kawhi pretty much always played together last year, so you 170 00:10:46,279 --> 00:10:50,279 were really maximizing their defensive potential together. And then those bench lineups like you 171 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,360 can say whatever you want about like the Reggie Loew Williams, Montrase Harald things, 172 00:10:54,399 --> 00:10:58,120 like they just brought so much energy that it kind of worked defensively at 173 00:10:58,159 --> 00:11:03,799 least during the regular you know. And then this year there's a pretty strict 174 00:11:03,799 --> 00:11:09,159 stagger of Kauai and pg's minutes, and so you're not getting the defensively suffocating 175 00:11:09,159 --> 00:11:13,519 lineups that you were last year as often. And so I think, you 176 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,159 know, when you get down the stretch into games that really matter, they're 177 00:11:16,159 --> 00:11:20,960 going to be playing together a lot more often. So the lineups that have 178 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,720 been good defensively are going to be together more, you know, on the 179 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,879 court more frequently, and you're not going to get these like Luke Kennard, 180 00:11:28,039 --> 00:11:33,919 Lou Williams, Reggie Jackson lineups such a hemorrhage points that's often. So I 181 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:39,159 do believe that like Tylu tolerates more defensive slippage than Doc Rivers does, Like 182 00:11:39,159 --> 00:11:45,000 I think we're seeing that in Philly where they're still prioritizing defensive lineups that don't 183 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,360 shoot threes. Even though Darryl Morgan is the general manager there Narret, so 184 00:11:48,919 --> 00:11:52,200 there's definitely a difference in philosophy among these two guys. But the personnel is 185 00:11:52,279 --> 00:11:58,080 so good for the Clippers and when they're together that has borne out that I'm 186 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,480 not as concerned as like any second in the league would suggest. Do you 187 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:07,320 get concerned at all by their crunch time performance in general? It's been Yeah, 188 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:09,480 such a small sample size, but they take so many threes during the 189 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,840 stretches there, and their offense has not been great, their defense has not 190 00:12:13,879 --> 00:12:15,879 been great. Or is it just you just kind of write that off as 191 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,159 a bunch of noise because of again, if they've been in a bunch of 192 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,559 games that have leaked into those minutes. But it's just I think it's what 193 00:12:20,639 --> 00:12:24,919 is it, nineteen games, but the minutes are clearly under sub one hundred 194 00:12:24,039 --> 00:12:28,879 right now, right I think it's like even sub fifty. But the thing 195 00:12:28,879 --> 00:12:33,240 with the crunch time is, I mean, I hate to say this, 196 00:12:33,279 --> 00:12:37,159 but there's just like a there's like some bad karma hanging over the Clippers, 197 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:41,679 you know. And I don't want to be the person that brings narrative into 198 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:45,360 this, but sometimes I think it's relevant. You know, the Clippers had 199 00:12:46,159 --> 00:12:48,440 a really bad go of it in crunch time in the playoffs last year, 200 00:12:48,519 --> 00:12:52,320 and they famously blew a lot of leads and it wasn't pretty. And you 201 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,759 know, you've got from the eternal Luca don chitch clip that's going to be 202 00:12:56,759 --> 00:13:01,039 played on his highlight reel for years and years to come, and and obviously 203 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:05,840 all of those blown lads to Denver. So to me, it's more of 204 00:13:05,879 --> 00:13:09,799 a mental block than anything, because, yeah, their offense looks a little 205 00:13:09,799 --> 00:13:13,519 bit different, Like I think they get a little stagnant, which tends to 206 00:13:13,519 --> 00:13:16,960 happen during crunch time, especially when you have a guy like Kauai or even 207 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:22,440 Paul George again, who can get a shot anytime. It's kind of tempting 208 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:24,919 to just say, like, hey, do your thing, even though we 209 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:31,200 know we can run better offense. And my guess is that as the season 210 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:37,279 gets further along, they'll be more let's say creative in their crunch time offense 211 00:13:37,279 --> 00:13:39,840 and actually try to run things instead of just you know, one screen. 212 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,159 Pg's got a good look at a three, let's shoot it. But I 213 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:46,720 also just think like there is something in their head, you know, like 214 00:13:46,879 --> 00:13:54,320 This is a team that screwed up pretty badly last year and has a history 215 00:13:54,399 --> 00:13:58,960 of some playoff you know, catastrophe. So what I think is they just 216 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,159 need like one or two games where they do really well and the crunch the 217 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,799 clutch and like sort of just get the monkey after their back. Like I 218 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,240 thought the Dallas game was really good yesterday because it wasn't technically crunch time for 219 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,639 the majority of it, because like Dallas only got to within four for like 220 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:18,440 forty seconds or so, but they actually ran like real offense, you know, 221 00:14:18,519 --> 00:14:20,960 like PG had a big shot down the stretch, you know, the 222 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,879 three pointer that sort of put the game away. They were locked in defensively, 223 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,679 you know. I just think they need like a couple of those games 224 00:14:28,679 --> 00:14:33,440 to just sort of right the ship and turn the direction, because I don't 225 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,159 think there's anything fundamentally different about the way they can play for the first forty 226 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,279 three minutes versus the way they played for the last five, because it's not 227 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,799 like they're in isolation heavy offense, you know, for the first forty three 228 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,840 minutes, Like it's you shouldn't be able to gear in on their guys, 229 00:14:45,879 --> 00:14:50,159 like the way the defenses haven't able to. So I'm of the belief that 230 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:54,159 it's kind of just a fluke, but like, I'm not one hundred percent 231 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,559 certain that they can work their way out of it just because it's the Clippers, 232 00:14:56,679 --> 00:15:01,399 you know, like there's there's something there. I guess there's also just 233 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:05,120 a temptation. I think every team has that temptation, and you normally see 234 00:15:05,159 --> 00:15:09,399 it from teams that like aren't very good overall, like that's what they're virtu 235 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,559 But if you have a really good and they have two good stars that can 236 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,000 go one on one, and I think with Kawhi Leonard, you know, 237 00:15:16,279 --> 00:15:18,679 since he's entered that superstar mold, that's sort of always been the temptation. 238 00:15:18,679 --> 00:15:22,879 I mean, Toronto cleared it out for him a bunch during crunch time, 239 00:15:22,879 --> 00:15:24,480 and so I guess that does add an element of predictability, but at the 240 00:15:24,519 --> 00:15:28,600 same time as it is it the necessarily the wrong decision. I feel like 241 00:15:28,639 --> 00:15:33,240 we anytime there's missed crunch time opportunities, there's always a harp like, well, 242 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,919 why wasn't there more ball movement or why did they settle for this shot 243 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,639 or hold the ball for so long or only put it in one guy's hands? 244 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:45,639 Yeah, and to me, the real problem with their crunch time is 245 00:15:45,679 --> 00:15:50,879 their defense. They've been running the small lineup with Marcus Morris at the five 246 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,679 a lot during the end of games, and that has been just an absolute 247 00:15:54,679 --> 00:15:58,080 tire fire on the defensive end, Like they can't rebound the ball to save 248 00:15:58,159 --> 00:16:00,960 their lives. It really costs them against Brooklyn, you know, DeAndre Jordan 249 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,799 was just bullying them on the glass down the stretch. And I know that 250 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,879 that's a unit that Tyler likes a lot. He talks a lot about practicing 251 00:16:08,919 --> 00:16:11,440 with that lineup and how they have to get good playing small, and it 252 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,360 was just bubbing him out at the beginning of the season that they couldn't go 253 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:19,480 to it because Marcus wasn't healthy. And you know, just based on Tyler's 254 00:16:19,519 --> 00:16:23,320 history, it seems like if they can get a five out offensive lineup on 255 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,879 the court at the end of games, it's something he's going to want to 256 00:16:26,919 --> 00:16:30,120 do. So that's where I would look for, like potential improvement is if 257 00:16:30,159 --> 00:16:33,919 that lineup can start to hold its own defensively, because I have a hunch 258 00:16:33,919 --> 00:16:37,799 it's going to get used pretty often. That seems like the and I have 259 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,480 this jot it down later, but it seems like that could become like maybe 260 00:16:41,519 --> 00:16:45,440 they're insofar as they have want to go to crunch timeline up in the playoffs, 261 00:16:45,679 --> 00:16:48,559 at least against certain matchups. Sugar Ray, Leonard, Roberto Duran, 262 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:55,840 Marvelous, Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearns legends whose four way rivalry define one 263 00:16:55,879 --> 00:17:00,480 of the greatest errors in boxing history, relive their decade of DOMA in the 264 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,480 new Showtime Sports documentary The Kings, a four parts series premiering Sunday, June 265 00:17:04,519 --> 00:17:11,279 sixth, only on Showtime. Nobody builds five G like Verizon builds five G 266 00:17:11,759 --> 00:17:15,519 because we're the engineers who built the most reliable network in America. And the 267 00:17:15,559 --> 00:17:18,799 more you do with five G, the more building it right matters, The 268 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:22,240 more your network matters, The more Verizon engineers going the extra mile matters. 269 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:27,880 It's us pushing us. It's Verizon versus Verizon. Five G built right from 270 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:33,720 America's most reliable network, most reliable based on rankings from Metrics second half twenty 271 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,559 twenty U West report of three Mobile Networks Results may vary. Award is not 272 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:42,720 an endorsement. Should Quiet Letter be getting more MVP love or just I mean, 273 00:17:42,759 --> 00:17:45,880 like you just look at his numbers and they're I know this season is 274 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,759 weird, but they're just they're absolutely absurved. Fifty six percent on two's that's 275 00:17:49,759 --> 00:17:53,880 the second highest mark of his career. Is hitting thirty ninety percent is three 276 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,559 is also the second mark of his career twenty six and five basically, and 277 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,880 he can still I mean, it's Leonard. You can just clamp down defensively 278 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:06,039 whenever he wants. Should he be, I think it's it was at least 279 00:18:06,079 --> 00:18:10,240 until Joel Andby's injury. If Eli lebron Yokich in bed conversation where I leaned 280 00:18:10,279 --> 00:18:11,160 that, I thought it was more going to be in bid Yokich, but 281 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,440 he should be in like that Jannie here at least where it's like, hey, 282 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:18,559 these guys can still wedge their way into this. So at the thought 283 00:18:18,559 --> 00:18:21,920 of the start of the season, at the start of the season, I 284 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,960 thought that Kauai should be in the MVP conversation a little bit more, and 285 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:27,920 I would stay up until like the last two weeks or so. I was 286 00:18:29,079 --> 00:18:33,559 on that you know, wavelength. But you know, there's got to be 287 00:18:33,559 --> 00:18:36,599 like some measure of team success here. And as the Clippers sort of falter 288 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:38,920 a little bit. I think Kawhi gets some of the blame for that. 289 00:18:40,839 --> 00:18:44,680 I actually think that Janice has sort of surpassed him on the MVP conversation, 290 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:45,640 which I mean, Janie is never going to win because they're not going to 291 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,839 give him three in a row without winning a title. Let's just be real, 292 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,480 regardless of how good of a season he's having. But yeah, I 293 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:56,400 mean Kawhi Leonard, like, individually, these stats are just bonkers, right 294 00:18:56,480 --> 00:19:00,160 like you you ran them down offensively, I feel like he just gets more 295 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,279 and more gifted the longer he stays with the Clippers. Like, his playmaking 296 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:07,839 is just off the charts impressive right now, The types of reeds he's able 297 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,119 to make in the half court offense or just like I didn't know that he 298 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:15,039 had that in his bag before he got to Los Angeles. And it's really 299 00:19:15,079 --> 00:19:19,119 important to how the Clippers even function because they don't have a traditional point guard, 300 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,960 right Like, they put the ball in Kawai's hands or Paul's hands and 301 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:26,480 make them go to work, and it's able to be a really, really 302 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,599 effective offense because of the type of vision that Kawai has in the half court. 303 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:34,160 So yeah, I mean, he's just he's been outstanding on that end 304 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:38,240 of the floor. I do think that defensively, you know, he he 305 00:19:38,279 --> 00:19:42,240 doesn't turn on that like Kawhi Leonard Defensive Player of the Year gear very often 306 00:19:42,279 --> 00:19:45,400 anymore. You saw it. Actually, I'm gonna bring up the Styles game 307 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:49,079 again that you watched there all minutes up. But he was excellent, really, 308 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,799 just truly excellent down the stretch of that game yesterday, during the entire 309 00:19:52,799 --> 00:19:56,920 second half, Like that was legitimately the best defense I've ever seen Kawai play 310 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,960 in the Clippers uniform. So watch. Yeah, the only reason I would 311 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,480 say that maybe he doesn't belong in that conversation to the same extent as like 312 00:20:04,519 --> 00:20:10,359 you know, jannat leron and those other second tier candidates is just because I 313 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:12,640 don't think that he's been fully engaged on that end of the floor. And 314 00:20:14,599 --> 00:20:17,039 you know, it's it's hard to like say, oh, well, Kawhai 315 00:20:17,079 --> 00:20:19,240 is an excellent defensive player, but the Clippers are twenty second on defense, 316 00:20:19,319 --> 00:20:22,039 right, Like, I know, I give a lot of caveats for that, 317 00:20:22,039 --> 00:20:23,160 but at a certain point he has to take some responsibility for that, 318 00:20:23,839 --> 00:20:29,519 and if the Clippers are going to stay in like that fourth range in the 319 00:20:29,519 --> 00:20:33,119 West, then it's hard for me to push him ahead of those other guys 320 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:37,319 that you mentioned. Do you know why it seems that Paul George is so 321 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:41,759 high variants? Is it? Does it have anything to do with him coming 322 00:20:41,759 --> 00:20:44,680 back from the right foot injury he had? He just right now he feels 323 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,039 like the most likely player in the NBA to go eight of eleven from three 324 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:52,039 but then one of eight the next night, or vice versa. It's interesting. 325 00:20:52,079 --> 00:20:56,880 I hadn't really noticed that until you brought it up. And you're absolutely 326 00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:00,200 right that he's been super hit or miss since that, and maybe that's it, 327 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:04,559 right, Like he had a foot injury, swollen toe, I want 328 00:21:04,599 --> 00:21:08,119 to say it in a diema, and I have to imagine that that's super 329 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:14,640 painful when you're wearing basketball shoes and it's probably got to affect your footwork when 330 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,039 you're, you know, going up for jumpshots. The thing with PG, 331 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:21,759 though, is like he's always gonna be guarded out there, right, even 332 00:21:21,799 --> 00:21:25,000 if he goes one for eight or whatever. So the spacing is obviously very 333 00:21:25,039 --> 00:21:29,119 important to me. I thought, kat, I just keep doing this, 334 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:34,079 It's it's really important. When he just stops forcing it, and like tries 335 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:37,799 to get to the hoop. I know he's made a big fuss recently about 336 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,720 how he doesn't get foul calls like other superstars do. It's been like a 337 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,319 throughout my career, I've never been a guy to get into the foul game. 338 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:45,799 And I don't know if that's true or not, but definitely this year 339 00:21:47,279 --> 00:21:48,960 he hasn't really been getting to the foul line. But I think it's so 340 00:21:49,039 --> 00:21:52,960 important when he actually just tries to get into the paint and you know, 341 00:21:53,039 --> 00:21:56,799 even generate some of those like Kobe assists, where like enough guys collapse on 342 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,240 him that like Zoo can get an offensive rebound or somebody else can clear up 343 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:06,160 the miss, which again he did yesterday against the Evers. But I'm so 344 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:11,920 sorry. I necessarily like it given myself new sources of material, but I 345 00:22:11,599 --> 00:22:15,279 don't I don't know if that's like something we can count on going for that. 346 00:22:15,319 --> 00:22:18,319 PGS just gonna be like inconsistent he was. He was so hot to 347 00:22:18,319 --> 00:22:22,200 start the season, like just unbelievably good shooting numbers from Paul George, Like 348 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:26,319 his true shooting percentage was just off the charts. So it's totally understandable to 349 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:30,680 expect like some aggression from that. But I would hope that, like as 350 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:34,559 he gets more and more moved from that injury absence, that his consistency starts 351 00:22:34,599 --> 00:22:37,079 to come up again, because like I mean, eight of eleven, like 352 00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:41,480 we're not going to expect that very often, but he should be making like, 353 00:22:41,519 --> 00:22:42,359 you know, four or threes. It came like, I don't know 354 00:22:42,559 --> 00:22:48,000 why these singular performances keep happening. What have you and you kind of talked 355 00:22:48,039 --> 00:22:52,640 about this already? What have you thought of Serge Ibaka's fit so far? 356 00:22:52,759 --> 00:22:56,680 And again the spread element is there? Is there anything that you view as 357 00:22:56,039 --> 00:23:00,000 does he bring anything else to you? Because in Toronto always kind of felt 358 00:23:00,079 --> 00:23:03,400 like if he wasn't getting his like twelve or something shots a game, I 359 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,240 wasn't sure much he was going to impact. Do you think there's like an 360 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:07,640 element that they're lacking now because of him? Would you view them as a 361 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:12,759 decided upgrade for this roster relative to how they played last season? I think 362 00:23:12,799 --> 00:23:18,160 Surge is definitely better than Mantras for what the Clippers are trying to do because 363 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:22,400 they don't have to put the ball in his hands as much as Mantras had 364 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,559 it, and that benefits like the rest of the guys they have on the 365 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:29,119 roster, and it also provides them extra level of room protection because their power 366 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,880 forwards are not really you know, going to help in that respect at all, 367 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,480 Like Marcus Morris is not a last line of defense kind of guy. 368 00:23:34,519 --> 00:23:38,039 Nicholas with hum is absolutely not that kind of gry. So you need to 369 00:23:38,079 --> 00:23:41,640 have that from your center position, and it you know, in that respect, 370 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:47,599 Surge definitely more than what Trees was giving for the Clippers. I also 371 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,720 think it's quite helpful that he can couire friends because there was, you know, 372 00:23:51,839 --> 00:23:55,920 some some tension in the Clipper locker room last year, was there, 373 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,559 and you know, some of it can be traced back to a guy who 374 00:23:59,599 --> 00:24:04,000 was now on the Lakers. But Surge and Chawir buddies from Toronto, and 375 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:08,759 there is definitely more of a feeling of like good vibes from the Clippers this 376 00:24:08,799 --> 00:24:12,720 year, even when they lose. So I don't think you can understate that, 377 00:24:12,799 --> 00:24:15,039 like it's it's got to help when you're going through this season where you 378 00:24:15,039 --> 00:24:18,400 literally can't do anything but play basketball and hanging with your family, that like 379 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:19,880 the guys who're playing basketball with are actually good dudes. And you enjoy being 380 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:26,000 around them, right, So I'm glad that they have that element. But 381 00:24:26,079 --> 00:24:30,519 I also think that surge his I think I mentioned this earlier, like it's 382 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,319 kind of comical how bad is touch around the basket is at this point, 383 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:37,920 Like I don't know when when it went away, Like I gotta be honest, 384 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:41,039 I pay less attention to him when he was an Eastern Conference than when 385 00:24:41,039 --> 00:24:44,000 he was in the West. So it's been like since twenty sixteen when I 386 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:45,480 was watching him on the rug and I thought he was like a really good 387 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:49,079 finisher, and that is not really the case anymore, which is why I 388 00:24:49,079 --> 00:24:55,079 think the Clippers space him as often as possible. There is like there's like 389 00:24:55,079 --> 00:24:57,079 a little bit of ego involved with Abaca, you know, like you mentioned 390 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,799 if he's not getting his twelve shots, Like twelve shots is all shots, 391 00:25:00,839 --> 00:25:03,200 and there is an argument to be made that he does not deserve that many 392 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,160 shots on an offense that also has all of these other weapons that we've talked 393 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,480 about. But the Clippers make it a point to run like the first play 394 00:25:10,519 --> 00:25:12,079 of the game for him, at the beginning of the game and at the 395 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,359 start of the third quarter, and he's starting the game instead of a beats 396 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:18,000 the Zoo batch, which again I've mentioned that I think that's a mistake, 397 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:25,319 but he's still doing it, and I don't think he's the same like switchable 398 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:29,000 defender that we might have thought Surge was earlier in his career, Like you 399 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:30,559 put him on an island with the guard. I think he's getting blown by 400 00:25:30,599 --> 00:25:36,079 these days, whereas Zoo has sort of shown more of an ability to be 401 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:40,720 effective in those situations. So there's like very specific things that evoke it as 402 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:45,079 well. Right, he's going to give you those jumpers. He is like 403 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:47,680 a pretty decent passer out of the short role of these days, like that's 404 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,880 a very helpful action for the Clippers to run. And again like good rim 405 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:56,440 protector. But he kind of gets when he gets outside of himself, like 406 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:57,599 when he decides like I'm going to post up on this possession. Its just 407 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:03,160 it's bad and there's not really anything you could do about it. So I 408 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,480 don't think it's an accident that, like he hasn't been closing that many games. 409 00:26:07,079 --> 00:26:10,640 Tyler goes with Zoobatch a lot, and he goes with Marcus Morris at 410 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:12,720 the five a lot, and you know he often says postgame, like, 411 00:26:12,759 --> 00:26:15,640 oh, you know, they're only four minutes left, and I didn't think 412 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,519 it was fair to surge, like get him back up when he's been cold 413 00:26:18,559 --> 00:26:19,119 for the whole fourth quarter. And it's like, well, that's a very 414 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:22,759 convenient excuse. You could just say I think the other guys are better at 415 00:26:22,759 --> 00:26:26,799 this point in the game, which is what I think is happening every No 416 00:26:26,839 --> 00:26:30,079 matter how many times I watch Zubos, I'm always caught off guard by his 417 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:33,839 footspeed, Like he just doesn't look like he has that type of juice in 418 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,799 his feet. And the question actually have for you is do you view him 419 00:26:37,799 --> 00:26:41,480 as like the clippers third most important player at this point or if it's not 420 00:26:41,599 --> 00:26:45,839 him, who do you look at it as. So I've been on the 421 00:26:45,839 --> 00:26:51,039 bandwagon that Patrick Beverley is the Clippers third most important player pretty much since the 422 00:26:51,039 --> 00:26:53,920 start of the twenty nineteen twenty season. I think it's harder and harder to 423 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:59,640 say that Zoo is not their third best player honestly, because he's just damn 424 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,160 good at protecting the rim. He rolls so hard, he sets such good 425 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,720 screens, like just bone crushing screens. It's just a lost start in the 426 00:27:06,759 --> 00:27:11,359 NBA honestly, and I love the way zoo Watch plays, but I do 427 00:27:11,519 --> 00:27:15,799 think that the Clippers can sort of manage without him, not for extended stretches, 428 00:27:15,839 --> 00:27:18,279 but like you can put a back in the game and still get your 429 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:22,200 room protection, and you can play like Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris the five 430 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,079 and still gets him spacing, And there are ways to kind of fill in 431 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:30,440 for zoo Watch when he's unavailable, which, let's be clear, never happens 432 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,119 because he has never missed a game due to injury as a Clipper, which 433 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,799 you think about all of the injuries that the Clippers have gone through over the 434 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:38,799 last two years. He's the one constant, Like I think in his entire 435 00:27:38,839 --> 00:27:44,000 Clipper tenure. He might have like sat out one game against the Warriors in 436 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,759 the playoffs just because he couldn't hang with him, but like that's it. 437 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:52,279 You know, He's always always available. Which brings us to Patrick Beverley, 438 00:27:52,319 --> 00:27:56,079 who's kind of the opposite side of the coin where the Clippers don't have anybody 439 00:27:56,079 --> 00:28:00,480 to replicate Patrick Beverley, right, like he is their only good defender at 440 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,319 the point of attack. I think he's a little bit better now on guys 441 00:28:04,319 --> 00:28:07,480 who are slightly bigger, you know, maybe off ball, but he's still 442 00:28:07,519 --> 00:28:12,200 the best guy you have on point guards and that's an important trait to have. 443 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:15,119 In the Western Conference. Let's be cure, there's a lot of a 444 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:18,119 lot of really dynamic league guards that the Clippers could come up against in the 445 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:23,559 playoffs. I mean, I think you saw it, like really just displayed 446 00:28:23,559 --> 00:28:27,319 for everyone to see in the playoffs against Dallas when Patrick Peverley missed the final 447 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:30,279 five games that series and Luca don Chich and Trey Burke was even just lighting 448 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:36,160 up the Clippers because they had no resistance at the point guard position. And 449 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:37,680 you know, we talked about how like the Clippers don't really have a playmaker 450 00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:41,359 at that spot, and Patrick Beverley is basically like a three and D wing 451 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,160 who happens to be in a point guard sized body, but at least like 452 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,960 he can bring the valluve against pressure, at least he makes attempts to drive 453 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,079 to the basket like off of clothes outs and can ping the ball around a 454 00:28:51,119 --> 00:28:55,400 little bit on an offense. There's just I don't know that you can really 455 00:28:55,440 --> 00:29:00,200 trust Reggie Jackson to play that role in the playoffs because he's just a turn 456 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,880 style defensively and we've seen that over and over again, even if he is 457 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:06,839 the one guy on the Clippers who brings like a modicum of pace, you 458 00:29:06,839 --> 00:29:07,960 know, in terms of bringing the ball up the court. I don't think 459 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,480 you can trust Lou Williams from works stend minutes in the playoffs because we have 460 00:29:11,319 --> 00:29:15,400 what like a decade's worth of evidence on your back against that, and he 461 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:21,079 would struggle to do it accurately. But yes, I mean I do think 462 00:29:21,079 --> 00:29:23,799 like Lou Williams was a little bit it was actually better than people realize in 463 00:29:23,839 --> 00:29:26,000 the playoffs las year, But like who cares when you're losing in the second 464 00:29:26,039 --> 00:29:29,799 round after being up through one and then you know, they brought in Luke 465 00:29:29,839 --> 00:29:32,039 Kennard who they thought was going to be that guy as a playmaker, and 466 00:29:32,079 --> 00:29:33,759 he's not even in the rotation at this point. You know, he's only 467 00:29:33,839 --> 00:29:37,799 available when somebody else is you know, ruled out for injurie like he has 468 00:29:37,799 --> 00:29:42,160 been recently. But Patrick Barley, like he's he's the guy. He's the 469 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:45,599 one point guard you can count on. And that's why I think he's the 470 00:29:45,599 --> 00:29:49,680 third most important, just because like he leaves a gaping hole on the raster 471 00:29:49,799 --> 00:29:52,599 when he's not there. But I think we're coming to the point where, 472 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:56,559 like zoo Watch is the third best. And I know that, like Clippers 473 00:29:56,599 --> 00:30:02,039 fans are trying to work out all these trades to get guys to come to 474 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:03,640 LA. The only way I need these trades work is if you're willing to 475 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,119 move, you watch it. I don't think the Clippers should do that. 476 00:30:07,599 --> 00:30:11,759 Yeah, the salaries of some of the players that the Clippers seem to be 477 00:30:11,759 --> 00:30:15,359 interested in is just like, okay, it's not even just subots. It's 478 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,000 like, are you trading Beverly or Marcus Moore. It's like, if you're 479 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,240 not matching Kyle Lowry salary, you're not even Ricky Rubio I saw. I 480 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:26,000 think that was from Sports Illustrated. And so do you not I'm jumping around 481 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,599 here for time purposes. So do you not ascribe to what feels like the 482 00:30:29,599 --> 00:30:33,359 prevailing sentiment that they do need another point guard or is it more about, 483 00:30:33,759 --> 00:30:37,000 as you mentioned with Jackson, you on someone who can maybe bring some pace 484 00:30:37,119 --> 00:30:40,799 without being an absolute sieve on the defensive end, or do you think that 485 00:30:40,839 --> 00:30:45,200 they actually need something other than than a point guard leading into not even necessarily 486 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,160 the trade deadline. But if you have any targets that spring to mind, 487 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,920 but just at large, something that could come back to bite them during the 488 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:53,200 playoffs, yeah, I don't. I don't think they really need the operates 489 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:56,960 on the offensive end. I don't watch their crunch time offense and think like, 490 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:02,759 oh, we need another or lead guard to help them sort out, 491 00:31:02,799 --> 00:31:06,640 you know, this stagnation. I don't think that's the case. So to 492 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,279 me, it's not really like, oh, a point guard just fixed all 493 00:31:08,279 --> 00:31:11,359 of the eels of the Clippers save. I just don't see it that way. 494 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:15,359 I am coming to the point where I'm not sure if Patrick Beverley is 495 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:18,640 going to be available on the court as long as you need him in the 496 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,559 playoffs, because you know, he missed a lot of games last season. 497 00:31:21,559 --> 00:31:22,799 He missed five games in the playoffs, and he was a shell of himself 498 00:31:22,839 --> 00:31:27,160 in that Denver series. So I'm kind of, you know, reaching like 499 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:32,319 a maybe a George Hill type situation where you know, you just need a 500 00:31:32,319 --> 00:31:33,720 guy who's going to be there right. And I know he's a little bit 501 00:31:33,759 --> 00:31:37,079 older, he's a little bit Greeky, but so is Pat I really and 502 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,519 you know, George at least didn't missing the playoff games last season. He 503 00:31:40,599 --> 00:31:44,559 kind of fits that defensive ethos that you're looking for and that he can switch, 504 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:47,680 you know, with that five man lineup that the Clippers like to close 505 00:31:47,759 --> 00:31:49,200 with. He's a good three point shooter, you know, he kind of 506 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:55,359 just fills in what you're looking for with pat with more reliability. Right, 507 00:31:56,480 --> 00:32:00,559 But I don't I don't look at the trade landscape and see a guy where 508 00:32:00,079 --> 00:32:05,519 he's going to crack the top eight of the Clippers rotation and can be had 509 00:32:05,559 --> 00:32:08,359 for the limited assets the Clippers are willing to part with. Right, So 510 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:10,480 that's sort of where I like, I don't think they need a playmaker, 511 00:32:10,559 --> 00:32:15,480 Like, I just don't think that's what it is. But I am concerned 512 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:19,880 about Patrick Beverley being ready to go, which is why I think they should 513 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:24,160 make meaningful you know, like employs to Oklahoma City. They're like, Hey, 514 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:28,440 I know we've given you everything we already have, but like we need 515 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:32,000 this guy. Look, you might you've shorted enough. If you're Oklahoma City, 516 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,920 you've shorted enough of the Clippers huge, and you might as well just 517 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,119 keep shorting it so if you can get you know, I mean, they 518 00:32:37,119 --> 00:32:39,359 do have those Detroit seconds too, which have to be semi attractive. It's 519 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:44,039 true. I was really excited when the original asking price on PJ. Tucker 520 00:32:44,119 --> 00:32:45,960 was three seconds, and I was like, oh, well the Clippers have 521 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:47,319 like Detroit seconds, Like those are good seconds. But then apparently that has 522 00:32:47,319 --> 00:32:51,240 since been upgraded to a first round pick because the market is, oh, 523 00:32:51,279 --> 00:32:53,160 it's been upgraded. I did not see that. Yeah, I thought they'd 524 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,839 be lucky to get multiple seconds for him at this point, given the way 525 00:32:55,839 --> 00:32:59,599 he's played and that he's just not with the team. Just god athulize and 526 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,799 he Yeah, something tells me this might be a James Hard situation where he 527 00:33:01,799 --> 00:33:06,079 plays a little bit better on a team that matters. But yeah, the 528 00:33:06,119 --> 00:33:08,759 two names I came up with, and now please brace yourself because they're clearly 529 00:33:08,759 --> 00:33:12,720 doorbusters, and I talk to myself. Out of the first one, Delan 530 00:33:12,839 --> 00:33:15,400 right, I thought could be helpful as some defensive optionality and then he could 531 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:19,480 put some pressure on the rim. But I don't think he cracks here unless 532 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:22,079 he's shooting threes like he was for part of the season in Detroit off the 533 00:33:22,119 --> 00:33:24,240 catch, but then he gets injured. And also the money is just he 534 00:33:24,279 --> 00:33:27,400 makes nine million, which isn't a lot. But then it's like, are 535 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,880 you giving up Lou Williams in a trade for de Lawn right? And I 536 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:32,720 don't. I think Lou Williams would be more valuable in the playoffs because from 537 00:33:32,759 --> 00:33:37,920 scratch scoring is more valuable. So I've settled on Sterling Brown. I thought 538 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:42,119 maybe if you brought it, I was saying that if they don't think Beverly, 539 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,839 I wasn't even talking about his injury. I thought process was they don't 540 00:33:44,839 --> 00:33:46,920 think he's the guy to go up against some of these like guards. Sterling 541 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,359 Brown is more than capable of doing that, and he comes with the added 542 00:33:50,359 --> 00:33:52,599 benefit of no, you don't want to put the ball in his hands, 543 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:55,400 even though Houston has because I mean it's freaking Houston right now. Yeah, 544 00:33:55,920 --> 00:34:00,039 but he's really like he's hitting his threes and to get that defensive mind that, 545 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:01,960 I don't know what it would take. But the Rockets signed him for 546 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,079 nothing. He's not they don't have his bird, right, So if you 547 00:34:05,119 --> 00:34:08,039 can turn that player that you got essentially for free into a second round pick, 548 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:10,119 I would think that'd be valuable. And it works, you know, 549 00:34:10,119 --> 00:34:14,440 if you can trade FIANDU just to the to the Rockets, like that's how 550 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:16,320 you and I think he Brown's making a minimum anyways, don't even need technically 551 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:21,559 send anyone out. But for the Clippers, their hardcap situation is I guess 552 00:34:21,599 --> 00:34:23,239 dire would be the words. It's a dire, Yes, that is correct. 553 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:27,920 That's an interesting one, Sterling Brown. I'm gonna I'm gonnait Dlan right 554 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,719 first, because I actually Rember about a little bit over the offseason, like 555 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:35,360 a sort of sign and trade with Mantras. I just really like his size 556 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,840 at that position, you know, in terms of being again a guy who 557 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:43,199 can switch on to wings and you're not worried about it. And at that 558 00:34:43,199 --> 00:34:45,440 point, like he wasn't getting any run for Dallas, so it's like, 559 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:46,719 why not, you know, give him an opportunity to play a little bit 560 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:52,480 more. I just don't know if he has like the creative juice you know 561 00:34:52,519 --> 00:34:55,199 that the Clippers are looking for to where he's like an upgrade over what they 562 00:34:55,199 --> 00:35:00,760 have at that position. But Stirling Brown is really interesting because if there is 563 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:04,480 a you know, a defect and the Clipper's roster, I happen to think 564 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,079 it's like like athleticism. And that's a weird thing to say, because like 565 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,079 they have a lot of good athletes, but they don't have anybody with like 566 00:35:10,599 --> 00:35:15,320 who sort of like jumps out at the gym, you know, and like 567 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:17,559 if they had somebody who was a little bit like bouncy, a little bit 568 00:35:17,559 --> 00:35:22,880 s freer who And that's that's Sterling Brown. That's like a really interesting fit. 569 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,840 That's that's so interesting. I'm just like a little lost in my thoughts 570 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:30,480 here because I really like that idea. I was trolling because I wrote about 571 00:35:30,519 --> 00:35:34,880 it and people wanted to know why I was wasting space on Sterling Brown, 572 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:36,920 and I was like, who else do you want the Clippers to trick me 573 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:40,119 for it? I'm really a dan. That's that's kind of interesting because he 574 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,159 again, I'm not gonna like go too much of what he was doing in 575 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:50,280 Houston because it's hard to take away too much from what's happening with the Rockets 576 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:52,599 right now. But he was in a strong defensive ecosystem in Milwaukee oups. 577 00:35:52,599 --> 00:35:54,480 He was not getting a lot of time there, so I'm not sure if 578 00:35:54,519 --> 00:35:58,519 we can take away too much from that. But yeah, the mover was 579 00:35:58,519 --> 00:36:01,719 definitely keeping Pat conn attention, but not Silling Brick. That's like the archetype 580 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:04,800 you know of the player I think the Clipper should be looking for is just 581 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,760 sort of like a young flyer of a guy. I noticed today that the 582 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:12,239 Wizards were making some of their young guys available, like Troy Brown or Issac 583 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:15,679 Bonga, who I think make a lot of sense on the Clippers. Just 584 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:21,000 again, more wing defenders who have some bounce right, and I think it's 585 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:22,480 like sort of the archetype you're looking for. But yeah, that's interesting. 586 00:36:22,639 --> 00:36:25,679 I would not have laughed at you when I read that. I appreciate that 587 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:31,880 Eesa Bonga would be interesting and another former Laker to add into the rodation. 588 00:36:32,119 --> 00:36:37,159 I'm also just laughing because I remember seeing the report that the Wizards were showcasing 589 00:36:37,199 --> 00:36:39,320 Troy Brown Junior, and I was like, so they've showcased him by playing 590 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:44,800 him a total of thirty nine minutes over the Peace Games. Last thing on 591 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:50,400 the Clippers for most of the Lakers is do you see, like, is 592 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:52,199 anyone's mint Like? What do you see a playoff rotation looking like for this 593 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:55,360 team at full strength? You've seen anyone losing minutes? Is does Luke Kennard 594 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:59,840 have any wiggle room to work his way back into those plans? I also 595 00:37:00,079 --> 00:37:02,280 have like fear eyes, like if you can get the Knicks involved, Like 596 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,760 maybe is there a way to work out a Luke Canard deal, because then 597 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,639 base your compensation doesn't matter if you can send another player into someone's cap space. 598 00:37:08,679 --> 00:37:10,400 But then it's like, well, if you're giving up Luke Knard and 599 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:14,440 another player, like who are you trying to get back? And that's scenario. 600 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:15,920 And so I'm just curious as to looking at how the Clippers have played 601 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:21,760 now, is there anyone whose role you would see demonstratively changing once they reach 602 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:28,719 the postseason. It's interesting. I think Terrence Man's minutes might lower a little 603 00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:32,679 bit just because he is a little less consistent, you know, than you 604 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:37,519 might want in a playoff rotation. I think Tyler's gonna want guys who you 605 00:37:37,599 --> 00:37:38,840 know exactly what to expect out of them on a game in a game up 606 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:43,639 basis, and Terrence provides that spark, that energy right Like you mentioned, 607 00:37:43,679 --> 00:37:46,079 he's the only guy other than Zubach who actually gets a decent number of shots 608 00:37:46,079 --> 00:37:50,960 at the rim. It's good cutter, you know, but he's not going 609 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,760 to be guarded from the three point line. You know that he gets a 610 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:55,760 little jump beyond defense. Is not quite as solid as you'd want him to 611 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:59,920 be, and I almost wonder if they'd be better off just like giving that 612 00:38:00,039 --> 00:38:05,639 at eight and a half man minutes to Luke Kenard because he can provide some 613 00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:07,920 playmaking, give you know, the other guys a little bit of rest on 614 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:13,159 the offensive end, and then he's, you know, despite like what his 615 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:15,320 theoretically a down season for him with the Clippers, he's a knock down joe 616 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:20,360 to really forty plus percent from three point range, So that that might be 617 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:22,519 it, Like you're going to have your top eight of the starters, plus 618 00:38:22,559 --> 00:38:28,440 Morris, Zoobach and Lou off the bench, and then I think that eight 619 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:30,320 and a half will just be like a split between Luke and Reggie, depending 620 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:36,079 on what the situation calls for. Is there anything I did not blow through 621 00:38:36,119 --> 00:38:38,760 with the Clippers that you think needs to be discussed about them? No? 622 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:43,199 I mean, I think if we've gotten to the Sterling Brown trade package, 623 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:47,119 then we've hit just about everything, which would mean onto the Lakers, and 624 00:38:47,199 --> 00:38:52,159 the obvious point here is Anthony Davis, who's going to be out at least 625 00:38:52,199 --> 00:38:55,960 another three plus weeks. I think that report said so on a scale of 626 00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:00,559 not at all to oh shit, how concerned should the Lakers be about this? 627 00:39:00,679 --> 00:39:04,639 Right? Cash slash Achilles tendonosis that he's stealing. Well, I think 628 00:39:04,639 --> 00:39:08,840 we're like firmly on a nine out of the ocean ten because the fact that 629 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,679 you know there was a non Laker report, right, I think it was 630 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:15,920 Chris Haynes who said that he's gonna be out even longer than what the Lakers 631 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:20,480 originally said. You never want that to happen, even though I know that 632 00:39:20,519 --> 00:39:22,480 the Lakers have more leaks than on their teams around the league, just because 633 00:39:22,679 --> 00:39:27,079 people are more interested in what's going on here. I mean, like, 634 00:39:27,079 --> 00:39:30,119 this is not a team that's going to win a playoffs I'm gonna I'm gonna 635 00:39:30,199 --> 00:39:32,360 step that back for a second. This is not a team that's going to 636 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:36,360 win two playoffs series without Anthony Davis, right, Like, it's it's not 637 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:37,960 going to happen. There are too many good teams in the Western Conference. 638 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:43,559 We've seen them just get there, like the knocked off the floor with Utah 639 00:39:43,599 --> 00:39:45,400 and Phoenix, and I mean, I feel like a lot of other teams 640 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,599 have plowing them out with Anthony Davis sib. But it's been bad. It's 641 00:39:49,599 --> 00:39:54,440 been really bad. And he was like the switchbuster, Like he was the 642 00:39:57,079 --> 00:39:59,480 just that piece that you put into the playoff series and like all of a 643 00:39:59,519 --> 00:40:01,760 sudden, the other team has no answers for you. You know, during 644 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:05,199 last year's postseason, I think there was a reasonable argument that he was batter 645 00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:07,679 than Lebron James up until the finals. You know, it's certainly more important 646 00:40:07,679 --> 00:40:13,000 to the Lakers up until the finals, when Lebron just had this you know 647 00:40:13,039 --> 00:40:15,280 performance that was like, hey, I'm not going to give up my Finals 648 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:21,039 MVP, Like it's not happening. Yeah, I am very concerned because, 649 00:40:21,519 --> 00:40:24,119 like I can't help but think about the Kevin Durant situation right where like it 650 00:40:24,159 --> 00:40:28,159 was a calf injury and then he comes back to play and what twelve minutes 651 00:40:28,239 --> 00:40:30,920 later he's torn as achilles and nobody wants that, right, Like you've just 652 00:40:31,079 --> 00:40:35,119 given a five year contract Anthony Davis. He said part of the reason was 653 00:40:35,159 --> 00:40:37,199 because he was scared about his injury history and lo and behold here it is. 654 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:42,159 I mean I don't think that you can beet like at a point where 655 00:40:42,159 --> 00:40:45,280 you're sacrificing this season because you have a thirty six year old Lebron James who's 656 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:50,320 didn't come to Los Angeles to sacrifice seasons. He already sacrificed one. So 657 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:52,519 it's it's just really tricky because I don't think the Lakers are in a position 658 00:40:52,559 --> 00:40:57,000 where they can afford to set him out, but that might be the healthiest 659 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,880 option for him going forward, and it's it's hard to reconcile both of those 660 00:41:00,679 --> 00:41:05,239 competing aims, and it's it just sucks, It really sucks. Yeah, 661 00:41:05,239 --> 00:41:07,559 I get skiveed whenever I just hear the word Achilles. That is my that 662 00:41:07,639 --> 00:41:10,239 is my official take. Like I know we had the whole like, oh 663 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:14,119 my god, Kevin Durant looks so great now, Like can you imagine like 664 00:41:14,119 --> 00:41:15,559 a guy coming back from an Achilles and looking this good? And then like, 665 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:19,000 I mean, what was the last time Kevin Durant played? Deal with 666 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,480 hamstring stuff? Now? And also Anthony Davis is coming off the shortest off 667 00:41:22,519 --> 00:41:29,679 season in sports history too. It's it's really scary and it's just a bomber 668 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:34,320 because you the title words. I think it's really wide open this year and 669 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:37,800 you're just taking one team out of the picture. If Anthony Davis is on 670 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:39,800 a eelbow and kind of sticking with him. Was it? Did you look 671 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:45,320 at his shot problem where you would all concerned or at least on my level, 672 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,679 befuddled, Like I know he was Kevin Durant in the bubble for mid 673 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:51,320 range. Yeah, but he wasn't really getting the rim as much this year. 674 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:53,320 And it wasn't because he was taking more threes. Like Frank Vogel ass, 675 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:57,920 he was actually taking fewer of his shots from three point range? And 676 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:01,079 so is that mid rangel? Was that the byproduct of him trying to diversify's 677 00:42:01,119 --> 00:42:04,880 offense? Was it? I was he fatigued out of shape? Was he 678 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:07,800 that injured before he was actually injured? I just it was it's been such 679 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:12,079 a start drop off when you look at the rim to just the number of 680 00:42:12,079 --> 00:42:15,320 shots he was taking from mid range. So I will say that I'm a 681 00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:17,760 little bum that he's not taking more threes, just because you know, he's 682 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:22,159 been given the green light, and I think that would do wonders for the 683 00:42:22,199 --> 00:42:25,400 Lakers offense if Anthony Davis was a credible three point shooter, you know, 684 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:30,760 not just in percentage, but also in volume. So yeah, that is 685 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:34,000 a little bump, that's a bomber that he's not taking more threes. But 686 00:42:34,639 --> 00:42:38,719 as far as the mid range, like Anthony Davis, it's funny because he's 687 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:42,880 only had one like deep playoff run, but he sort of came into this 688 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,000 season with a thing like, oh, I get it now, Like I 689 00:42:45,039 --> 00:42:47,000 know what I have to do in the playoffs, so I'm just gonna chill 690 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:51,760 for most of the regular season and like I'm gonna give it a good effort 691 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,239 on defense because I know that's what the team means. But on offense, 692 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:57,199 like I don't want to bang around against big guys, Like I don't want 693 00:42:57,199 --> 00:42:58,760 to play center. I don't want to get in the post. I don't 694 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:02,000 want to like, you know, bruise up against these bigger guys, Like 695 00:43:02,039 --> 00:43:06,039 I'm just gonna hang out in mid range. You know, it takes some 696 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,840 takes, some jumpers and have a good time with it. And that's sort 697 00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:12,920 of how I saw the Anthony Davis regular season going. Like I don't think 698 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:15,320 it's anything to be worried about. It's just it's a lot of effort to 699 00:43:15,320 --> 00:43:17,480 play the way he did during the playoffs, right, And it's a lot 700 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:21,920 of effort to play the way Anthony Davis does when he's full involved. So 701 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:23,639 if he wants to just save it all for the defensive end and then just 702 00:43:23,679 --> 00:43:28,519 like be like a you know, a mid range assassin who's not really making 703 00:43:28,559 --> 00:43:30,960 a shot sun Office, so be it. I do think his importance of 704 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:34,800 the defense has been underscored since he's out. And I know they've been missing 705 00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:37,840 Bassol for a little bit and they were missing Shrewder at one point, but 706 00:43:38,519 --> 00:43:40,800 the on off numbers with him are all have always been weird. And I 707 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:44,480 say always, this is only a second season in LA, they have always 708 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:46,159 been weird. I agree, and it's I mean, if you look at 709 00:43:46,199 --> 00:43:50,599 the lineups he uplifts like to defensive mediocrity, you understand why. And they're 710 00:43:50,679 --> 00:43:53,480 nineteenth and defense since he's left, and I think so that's at least underscored 711 00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:55,880 his value. And also they can't I won't say they can't, but like 712 00:43:55,920 --> 00:44:00,400 Frank Vogel refuses to play Mantras Harrold as much without him, and so it's 713 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:02,639 part of his values rooted there, because like, doesn't it sort of feel 714 00:44:02,639 --> 00:44:05,239 like, now you know, you mentioned how you sort of did a one 715 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:08,360 eighty on Trez last year, doesn't it sort of feel like he's doesn't fit 716 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:13,400 well with the Lakers anymore? Either you know, I was totally on that 717 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:15,920 train of what his tries doing on this team for I would say, the 718 00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:19,960 first thirty six games of the season, and then they came back from the 719 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:23,360 break and against Indiana, he's the reason they win that game in the fourth 720 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:28,760 quarter, that Lebron James Mantras Harold high pick and roll and Harold just you 721 00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:32,639 know, unguardable rolling to the basket or even like leave Lebron to cover Harold 722 00:44:32,719 --> 00:44:37,480 right Like, it's it's really hard to depend that play. And then against 723 00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:42,639 the Warriors last night, just again, the Warriors are like like an excuse 724 00:44:42,679 --> 00:44:45,000 for a good NBA team at this point at all the the spectacle in State, 725 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:50,159 but like the Lakers went twenty seven out of twenty seven at the room 726 00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:54,679 last night, Like Mantres was dunking everything in sight he got like he James 727 00:44:54,639 --> 00:44:57,760 wisn't picked up a tech like trying to guard him. I mean, it's 728 00:44:58,559 --> 00:45:04,199 he has been so important just to bring like an extra level of force for 729 00:45:04,239 --> 00:45:06,840 the Lakers. And you think about what the Lakers' identity was last year, 730 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:09,760 right like they were a big, like strong team that was just going to 731 00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:15,559 punk you you know, like just be like bigger, faster, stronger than 732 00:45:15,559 --> 00:45:19,119 you. And yeah, maybe Tries isn't bigger, but he's definitely faster and 733 00:45:19,159 --> 00:45:23,840 stronger, and he kind of resembles that Dwight Howard bullyball identity, even though 734 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:28,679 he's like six inches shorter than Dwight was. So I actually am starting to 735 00:45:28,719 --> 00:45:30,559 see the fit with Tries, and it took some time because you know, 736 00:45:30,559 --> 00:45:35,519 they were playing him as the defensive five, even in those Anthony Davis line 737 00:45:35,559 --> 00:45:37,480 ups at the started in season, and that makes no sense. Like, 738 00:45:37,559 --> 00:45:40,000 let's be clear, I get that you use the regular season to experiment, 739 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:45,280 Frank that was stupid. That was just a bad idea. And now they're, 740 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:47,199 you know, using they're leveraging his speed a little bit more, right, 741 00:45:47,239 --> 00:45:51,119 They're bringing him up to the level of the screen and like making him 742 00:45:51,159 --> 00:45:53,000 rotate a little bit more instead of just hanging back in the drop because Tris 743 00:45:53,039 --> 00:45:55,559 can't do that. Like, let's all right, I like a lot of 744 00:45:55,559 --> 00:46:00,559 things Tres does. That's not one of his friends. So you're starting to 745 00:46:00,559 --> 00:46:02,960 see him optimize a little bit more. Like I know you mentioned the like 746 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:07,440 Tres's minutes have gone down then without Anthony Davis. I think that's peaked back 747 00:46:07,519 --> 00:46:09,239 up after the All Star break. Now that you know, Vobo and the 748 00:46:09,239 --> 00:46:13,280 coaching staff have had some time to figure out how to use tries in these 749 00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:15,840 situations, you know, And I really do believe, Like I know, 750 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:20,320 it's only two games. I'm like, again, I made some cracks. 751 00:46:20,360 --> 00:46:22,760 Buckle and State in Indiana is like a fine team. They're they're okay, 752 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:24,760 you know, They're not like a great team. So I shouldn't be putting 753 00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:29,119 too much stock into what Tres did in like two games after the All Star 754 00:46:29,159 --> 00:46:32,119 break. But I have a lot of faith in what Volbo and the coaching 755 00:46:32,119 --> 00:46:36,559 staff can do with the benefit of time, and I think there has been 756 00:46:36,679 --> 00:46:42,079 some sort of corner that they've turned and how to maximize trees, especially in 757 00:46:42,119 --> 00:46:45,719 these non Anthony Davis, non Marcus Fall situations. Maybe I'm just scarred from 758 00:46:45,760 --> 00:46:49,880 the end of his season with the clip. It's quite possible. It's really 759 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:52,519 it left a really bad impression, like a really bad impression. And someone 760 00:46:52,519 --> 00:46:55,639 who watches these two teams a lot, like I spent like thirty games trying 761 00:46:55,639 --> 00:47:00,519 to get over it with restless, and well, I would be curious. 762 00:47:00,519 --> 00:47:02,320 I guess I would have to see it work in the postseason against like certain 763 00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:06,000 matchups, whereas you mentioned, just sort of no one on the Warriors is 764 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:08,480 like playing treads really off the floor in the front court and even with the 765 00:47:08,519 --> 00:47:12,519 pacers, like that's not I mean, it's a bonus is really good, 766 00:47:12,519 --> 00:47:14,239 but you can go to s a bonus or turner at the five, and 767 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:16,000 that's not like super mismatchy. So if this, I guess, if this 768 00:47:16,079 --> 00:47:20,960 stands, I would have to rethink some some tread stuff. Let's be clear. 769 00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:22,480 I'm not saying that it's going to hang in the playoffs quite yet, 770 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:27,320 and I was pretty clear about that from the moment they signed him. But 771 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:32,400 the regular season matters, like it you have to build habits and they have 772 00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:36,719 to like get a good record, I think, because like they're going to 773 00:47:36,760 --> 00:47:37,760 be fans in the playoffs, and like you don't want to just be traveling 774 00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:43,000 the Utah all the time, Like there's altitude problems there too. So I 775 00:47:43,039 --> 00:47:45,559 think that there's like a ten fifteen minute role for him in the playoffs. 776 00:47:45,559 --> 00:47:50,039 I do believe that's going to exist, and like those minutes matter, Like 777 00:47:50,079 --> 00:47:52,679 you know, all of the non Labron minutes have just been a disaster for 778 00:47:52,719 --> 00:47:57,800 the Lakers. Like the entire season. So I'm not saying quite yet that 779 00:47:57,840 --> 00:48:01,079 he's postseason ready, but I'm much closer to that than I was. You 780 00:48:01,079 --> 00:48:05,480 know, like a couple of years ago. Where do you you Lebron sort 781 00:48:05,519 --> 00:48:07,719 of in the MVP race if you were to build your own quick ladder, 782 00:48:07,719 --> 00:48:12,159 and do you think that? I think obviously Joel Embi's absence is going to 783 00:48:12,199 --> 00:48:15,119 help anyone who's in the MVP race at this point. But does AD's absence 784 00:48:15,159 --> 00:48:19,480 actually make his case stronger? Well, it didn't help when they lost the 785 00:48:19,480 --> 00:48:23,480 first four games, thought and multily that. But you know, Lebron's got 786 00:48:23,519 --> 00:48:25,519 the narrative. Like I know, I brought this up with the Clippers earlier. 787 00:48:25,800 --> 00:48:30,280 It's it's in Lebron's favor. You know, he did not win MVP 788 00:48:30,400 --> 00:48:34,559 last year when I thought he should have. You know, get at me, 789 00:48:34,599 --> 00:48:37,920 all of you Jana's people, with his statistical profile and whatever like. 790 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:39,760 It was built up against playing the Knicks and the Hornets every single game. 791 00:48:40,079 --> 00:48:49,159 But that is a level that is spicy. So yeah, I think Lebron 792 00:48:49,559 --> 00:48:53,000 was denied a right ful MVP last year, and I do think that he 793 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:58,480 is aware of what that would mean for his place in history. Right, 794 00:48:58,519 --> 00:49:00,559 Like, if you get to number five in terms of individual MVPs, now 795 00:49:00,599 --> 00:49:07,199 you're on a level with Michael and like Bill Russell, it's very goodlimited company. 796 00:49:07,639 --> 00:49:10,199 And let's be clear, like that matters to him. I don't know 797 00:49:10,199 --> 00:49:15,920 if you're watching the Lakers Warriors game last night, but here's two rebounds shy 798 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:17,519 of a triple double and the fourth quarter, writer's about eight minutes left. 799 00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:21,800 Blakers are just obliterating the Warriors. There's no reason for Lebron to be on 800 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:23,679 the court anymore. Steve Kerr calls time out and you're thinking, Okay, 801 00:49:23,719 --> 00:49:28,199 well Lebron's gonna sit right because this is a natural stopping No, he comes 802 00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:31,519 back in, gets his second rebound. Okay, he gets a second rebound, 803 00:49:31,880 --> 00:49:37,280 deliberately fouls on the ensuing plate like the cheapest day value you've ever seen, 804 00:49:37,360 --> 00:49:39,400 so he can get out. And you look at the bench and like 805 00:49:39,519 --> 00:49:44,239 after he gets the rebound, both Lionel Hollins and Jason Kuld have tapped Frank 806 00:49:44,280 --> 00:49:47,800 like, yo, now we can get him out. He cares. That's 807 00:49:49,039 --> 00:49:51,280 when he says he doesn't care. You can't believe him. He's in the 808 00:49:51,400 --> 00:49:55,519 numbers matter to him. Okay, he wants this fifth MVP and they have 809 00:49:55,639 --> 00:50:00,280 a an acceptable schedule for the next couple of weeks. So I think if 810 00:50:00,360 --> 00:50:05,639 Lebron can go on, you know, a run while Joel is out and 811 00:50:05,679 --> 00:50:07,599 they can get back to like a two seed in the West, you know, 812 00:50:07,599 --> 00:50:12,599 which is no small feet because Meanings is just playing wonderfully. I think 813 00:50:12,599 --> 00:50:15,679 it's there for the taking. You know, I thought Embiid had sort of 814 00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:20,840 gotten head and shoulders above anybody. But if I record wise, they can 815 00:50:20,880 --> 00:50:23,159 be better than the Sixers. Like, I don't think Joel's case is stronger 816 00:50:23,159 --> 00:50:27,039 than his. And that's not because I don't think that he's had a better 817 00:50:27,079 --> 00:50:30,159 season, because let's face it, I do think he has, but then 818 00:50:30,280 --> 00:50:35,440 the storyline matters, and coming off the season that he just did being thirty 819 00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:37,599 six years old, like I know, that's not a criteria, Like it's 820 00:50:37,599 --> 00:50:38,760 not the best thirty six year old season. It's the best player in the 821 00:50:38,840 --> 00:50:45,360 league. But there's just a lot working for him. You know, all 822 00:50:45,400 --> 00:50:46,519 of these factors sort of meshed together for Lebron, like, you know, 823 00:50:46,559 --> 00:50:50,719 being able to carry the team after the shortest off season without Anthony Davis, 824 00:50:50,719 --> 00:50:52,719 you know, in the tougher Western Conference. I think it's all going to 825 00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:54,280 add up if he goes on a nice stretch over the next two weeks. 826 00:50:54,360 --> 00:50:57,800 Yeah, I think the ambid injury ends up being big for him because at 827 00:50:57,840 --> 00:51:00,960 some point I think it's important to look at the quality of minutes. But 828 00:51:00,039 --> 00:51:04,760 when when the quality of minutes is so high across the board lebron As I 829 00:51:04,760 --> 00:51:07,599 think tenth in total minutes playing in the season right now, and so you 830 00:51:07,599 --> 00:51:09,039 don't even need the lean on the And I think a lot of people, 831 00:51:09,079 --> 00:51:12,320 not you, but a lot of people are like, you know, he's 832 00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:14,320 thirty six, and it's like, well, you can't really factor that in, 833 00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:16,159 like that's not part of but it's he doesn't he does what doesn't need 834 00:51:17,079 --> 00:51:20,639 I think you do well, you do, but well, actually I would 835 00:51:20,679 --> 00:51:22,960 argue you don't, like doesn't have enough of a case where you I mean, 836 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:25,320 you laid it out for me where it's like he's coming off the short 837 00:51:25,400 --> 00:51:29,360 the short offseason. He's carrying the Lakers without Anthony Davis. There's a chance 838 00:51:29,400 --> 00:51:32,360 they finished what second, third, first in the Western I mean, if 839 00:51:32,360 --> 00:51:37,119 they finish top two in the West under all those circumstances, you can say, 840 00:51:37,159 --> 00:51:38,360 well, look at Lebron doing this at age thirty six, But like, 841 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:43,400 is it nicolea Yokichs fault that Lebron is ten years older than him or 842 00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:45,639 whatever it is. You're right, you don't need the age, but I 843 00:51:45,639 --> 00:51:47,800 think it helps. Oh, I think it it helps. I just don't 844 00:51:47,800 --> 00:51:52,480 think it should, is my point. Yeah, I just I find myself 845 00:51:52,519 --> 00:51:55,199 just well, it's buy it every time I think about it, which is 846 00:51:55,239 --> 00:51:59,199 why I can't help but bring it up. Yes, I mean, I'm 847 00:51:59,239 --> 00:52:01,639 I'm just i'mfounded by watching Lebron. Now. I mean, can you think, 848 00:52:01,800 --> 00:52:05,840 like, I don't like five six years ago, could you imagine a 849 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:09,039 world in which Lebron takes step back three pointers and you don't think it's a 850 00:52:09,119 --> 00:52:14,199 terrible shot, Like, oh, that's where we're at right now. And 851 00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:17,360 it's funny because when he got to the Lakers, I had to sort of, 852 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:21,000 you know, wrap my head around the fact, like, yeah, 853 00:52:21,039 --> 00:52:22,280 you know, the Lakers got Lebron James, but this is going to be 854 00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:24,960 a more limited version of Lebron, Like, right, he's not going to 855 00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:28,400 be the guy who was before. And it's no, like that's not the 856 00:52:28,440 --> 00:52:31,039 case. He's just he's just a cyborg and this is what he does and 857 00:52:31,079 --> 00:52:35,679 has been doing for so many years. It's it's astounding. I won't even 858 00:52:35,719 --> 00:52:37,760 read quick pay attention to anyone just saying like this is the year he drops 859 00:52:37,800 --> 00:52:43,119 off, like he's earned premo benefit of the doubt Lebron. Lebron will exit 860 00:52:43,159 --> 00:52:45,519 his prime when Lebron wants to exit his prime. That's that's what I've decided. 861 00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:50,639 What have you thought about the this has been It feels like it's been 862 00:52:50,679 --> 00:52:53,960 a bizarrely controversial topic among Lakers fans. What have you made of the Mark 863 00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:59,320 Desol experience so far? So I'm glad you wrap this up because I have 864 00:52:59,360 --> 00:53:02,519 a lot of strong Marcosol feelings. They as strong as your Yanna's attended Coupo 865 00:53:02,559 --> 00:53:07,679 winning MVP last year feelings. You know you would be the judge of that. 866 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:14,119 Dan, I thought when the Lakers signed Mark that they were aware of 867 00:53:14,119 --> 00:53:16,039 how he played in the bubble. You know, with Toronto it was it's 868 00:53:16,079 --> 00:53:21,679 not great, let's be clear, and we're sort of hoping that he would 869 00:53:22,519 --> 00:53:24,119 return to how he had played for the majority of the regular season with the 870 00:53:24,159 --> 00:53:27,519 Raptors because the Bubble was sort of an anomaloust experience, right, Like I 871 00:53:27,519 --> 00:53:31,199 think they applied that same logic to Treads when they signed him. And I 872 00:53:31,199 --> 00:53:36,199 think the logic of signing Mark makes a lot of sense because Javail and Dwight 873 00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:38,679 were not playing down the stretch in the postseason. They weren't even starting games 874 00:53:38,679 --> 00:53:43,159 in the postseason, let's be clear, Like they were increasingly not a part 875 00:53:43,159 --> 00:53:45,679 of the rotation. So they were trying to find a center who could hang 876 00:53:45,719 --> 00:53:49,679 in those situations. And once you lost White, you needed a guy who 877 00:53:49,679 --> 00:53:52,639 could go up against Joel, who could go up against Nicole Yokich. And 878 00:53:52,840 --> 00:53:57,960 I think Gasol has acquitted himself fairly well in those situations. Now, if 879 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:00,639 you want him to like bel and like blocking shots at the rim, like, 880 00:54:00,760 --> 00:54:05,920 then why did you sign Marcusol? Like It's just like they're, you 881 00:54:05,960 --> 00:54:08,920 know, looking for someone who appears to be more like Javail and Dwight, 882 00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:10,559 and he s he's not that guy. He like a lot of the SF 883 00:54:10,639 --> 00:54:14,679 he does is very nuanced, and the defensive rating when he's on the court 884 00:54:14,800 --> 00:54:17,840 is really good. And I think we saw during you know, stretches of 885 00:54:17,840 --> 00:54:21,519 the season, when you put him out on the perimeter and let him orchestrate 886 00:54:21,559 --> 00:54:23,639 the offense from the top of the key, like he's really good at finding 887 00:54:23,639 --> 00:54:29,159 cutters and making the motion work, and for whatever reason, the Lakers didn't 888 00:54:29,159 --> 00:54:30,719 do a lot of at the start of the season. They were still playing 889 00:54:30,719 --> 00:54:32,360 Anthony Davis out on the perimeter and like putting Gasol on the dunker spot, 890 00:54:32,360 --> 00:54:39,119 and it's like Cassol doesn't dunk like for him or whatever, exactly right. 891 00:54:39,239 --> 00:54:43,920 So it's kind of the trust situation where I think he was just being misutilized 892 00:54:43,920 --> 00:54:47,159 at the start of the season and at the time. And then of course 893 00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:52,920 there's the fact that he say what you will about Javail and Dwight Howard, 894 00:54:52,000 --> 00:54:57,119 like they are confident in their offense. They are very confident in their offense. 895 00:54:57,239 --> 00:54:59,159 I don't know if you've read like Zach loose ten things this week, 896 00:54:59,199 --> 00:55:02,000 but like the White Howard dribbling adventures, and to Vail McGee's like some of 897 00:55:02,039 --> 00:55:05,960 the shots that he takes in Cleveland, like those guys will let it fly. 898 00:55:06,480 --> 00:55:09,360 Mark is not that guy. Mark is a lot more demure in the 899 00:55:09,360 --> 00:55:13,519 half court offensive setting. Right, he gets an open three, he still 900 00:55:13,519 --> 00:55:19,239 thinks about the next pass, and it's just an adjustment for him to play 901 00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:21,280 the way the Lakers want him to where they just want him to be a 902 00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:22,719 little bit more free, you know, a little bit less, a little 903 00:55:22,719 --> 00:55:27,559 bit more decisive, a little less let's do everything for the team. And 904 00:55:27,599 --> 00:55:30,000 I thought he was getting closer to that point before, you know, he 905 00:55:30,159 --> 00:55:34,280 had to take this health and safety absence. So, yes, the Lakers' 906 00:55:34,320 --> 00:55:38,079 offense looks very different without that vertical spacing, and I would argue that is 907 00:55:38,119 --> 00:55:42,599 just complicated by the fact that they're actual you know, three point spacing has 908 00:55:42,639 --> 00:55:45,960 just been shitty for the last few weeks, so that makes Mark look even 909 00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:50,159 worse because you know, the way the Lakers compensated for their bad shooting last 910 00:55:50,239 --> 00:55:52,760 year was because they had the vertical spacing and they had neither of a little 911 00:55:52,760 --> 00:55:55,559 while there. So it was just like a confluence of factors that made the 912 00:55:55,599 --> 00:55:59,760 Lakers look really bad. And they're looking for skatebook and it's like, oh, 913 00:55:59,800 --> 00:56:01,039 well, let's put it on Marcasol And I don't think that's fair. 914 00:56:01,280 --> 00:56:04,760 I think he's done exactly what the Lakers asked of him. I think he 915 00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:07,039 was getting even better before he had to set out. And the fact that 916 00:56:07,079 --> 00:56:13,239 they think they needed another center to augment this rotation, like is stupid if 917 00:56:13,320 --> 00:56:15,920 Damien Jones can play meaningful minutes for you on a ten day, Like, 918 00:56:15,960 --> 00:56:19,760 why are we wasting real resources to acquire a center? Thank you? I 919 00:56:19,719 --> 00:56:22,440 don't understand. I don't understand the discourse. It doesn't make any sense to 920 00:56:22,480 --> 00:56:25,760 me. Like, if you want to convert Damien Jones to the rest of 921 00:56:25,760 --> 00:56:28,960 the season contract, by all means, do that, Like I think he 922 00:56:29,000 --> 00:56:31,039 fills Quinn Cook's roster spot just as well as Quinn Cook did. Like that's 923 00:56:31,079 --> 00:56:37,599 great, but no, do not put like actual assets into acquiring a center. 924 00:56:37,639 --> 00:56:42,079 That is a bad idea. And I don't think that if they got 925 00:56:42,079 --> 00:56:45,000 a center off the buyout market that he would even play minutes for them in 926 00:56:45,039 --> 00:56:50,400 the postseason, whereas Mark realistically could. So just let him, you know, 927 00:56:50,440 --> 00:56:52,519 grow with a team. If we're going to give everybody else time to 928 00:56:52,559 --> 00:56:55,320 get better, gotta give the same way way to Marcusol. Yeah, and 929 00:56:55,360 --> 00:56:58,840 then the only reasonable way you should give up I mean, first all the 930 00:56:58,920 --> 00:57:00,400 Lakers don't really have it. But the only way you should actually give anything 931 00:57:00,480 --> 00:57:04,320 up for a big as if you actually think that Anthony Davis for some reason 932 00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:07,239 isn't going to be in the playoffs or something. Ready for that, and 933 00:57:07,239 --> 00:57:08,960 even then it's just iffy because Anthony Davis is still gonna be on your team 934 00:57:09,000 --> 00:57:13,400 for the next half decade and it feels like they have other needs. Do 935 00:57:13,400 --> 00:57:15,920 you have time for a couple more questions? Trilet you go. This is 936 00:57:16,039 --> 00:57:21,039 and you kind of touched upon this with the gasol stuff. The Lakers' offense. 937 00:57:21,679 --> 00:57:25,320 You know, last year, everyone you know got themselves all worked or 938 00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:29,320 a lot of people got themselves worked up about well, the offense is bad 939 00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:31,320 without Lebron. The half court offense is mediocre in general. It falls off 940 00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:35,639 a cliff when he's not on the floor, and it's the same story this 941 00:57:35,719 --> 00:57:37,400 year. There are things that I think you can bank on, like KCP 942 00:57:37,599 --> 00:57:42,159 is going to start shooting better from three again. I would assume Wesley Matthews 943 00:57:42,159 --> 00:57:45,760 won't shoot sub thirty percent like he has been basically for most of the year. 944 00:57:45,119 --> 00:57:47,760 But is it something to actually be concerned about when I think part of 945 00:57:47,800 --> 00:57:52,280 the thought process was and well I clearly missed with the gasol stuff. I 946 00:57:52,320 --> 00:57:54,199 thought maybe he was going to play a bigger part in those no Lebron minutes 947 00:57:54,199 --> 00:57:58,679 and he really just hasn't. But the part of the reason I know he 948 00:57:58,719 --> 00:58:02,280 wasn't available for a good amount of time, but Dennis Shrewder was supposed to 949 00:58:02,280 --> 00:58:06,559 like help with that. And the Lakers' offense is still when you look at 950 00:58:06,559 --> 00:58:09,480 the numbers, it's still sub average when he's on the floor without Lebron. 951 00:58:10,039 --> 00:58:14,960 Is that something that they actually should be concerned about, or is this again 952 00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:15,840 a repeat of last year where it's, well, they're just gonna get into 953 00:58:15,880 --> 00:58:20,440 the postseason and it's nothing's gonna matter. They're gonna shoot a million percent from 954 00:58:20,480 --> 00:58:22,840 three for some reason, and Lebron's gonna play forty plus minutes a game when 955 00:58:22,840 --> 00:58:25,639 he didn't even have to last year because that's how good they were. And 956 00:58:25,639 --> 00:58:30,480 so I'm just curious just to where you land on that. So, assuming 957 00:58:30,519 --> 00:58:35,840 Anthony Davis is healthy and you know, at like ninety percent of the level 958 00:58:35,880 --> 00:58:37,800 that he was last postseason, which I realized is a strong assumption because he 959 00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:42,000 was damn good last year, then I don't think there's any reason for concerning 960 00:58:42,079 --> 00:58:45,760 I mean, this has been a trend for Lebron James teams since the beginning 961 00:58:45,800 --> 00:58:49,199 of time, I believe, you know, like seven CE right, Like 962 00:58:49,280 --> 00:58:52,519 that's when James teams have been bad. You know, when he's off the 963 00:58:52,519 --> 00:58:55,280 court, whether like Kyrie Irving is there, Dwyne Wade is there, or 964 00:58:55,360 --> 00:59:00,199 Anthony Davis is there, they're just not good in the regular season without him. 965 00:59:00,239 --> 00:59:06,159 And I have just grown less concerned with that because he plays more minutes 966 00:59:06,239 --> 00:59:08,480 during the postseason and everybody's energy level just gets amped up at that time of 967 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:13,360 the year, so it's not a huge concern. I do think that part 968 00:59:13,400 --> 00:59:16,000 of the impetus of bringing Shrewder in was to address those minutes. I have 969 00:59:16,119 --> 00:59:20,159 to imagine that Polinka and Vogel are a little bit disappointed with that in that 970 00:59:20,199 --> 00:59:22,719 respect, because you know, you don't sacrifice the first round pick and a 971 00:59:22,719 --> 00:59:25,159 really good player in Danny Green to get a guy who's just going to be 972 00:59:25,719 --> 00:59:29,800 like German Rondo, right, Like, that's not what they were hoping for. 973 00:59:30,280 --> 00:59:32,199 But he doesn't really shoot off the dribble, which is something that Rondo 974 00:59:32,239 --> 00:59:37,199 will probably does he make them like I don't that. I did say that 975 00:59:37,960 --> 00:59:42,920 the Shrewder three point shooting experience has not been my favorite thing to watch. 976 00:59:43,239 --> 00:59:47,360 But anyway, the important thing about Shrewder is that he met He plays really 977 00:59:47,360 --> 00:59:52,719 well next to Lebron James, and he was doing really well with Lebron James 978 00:59:52,760 --> 00:59:55,639 and Anthony Davis when that was an option earlier in the season. So yeah, 979 00:59:55,679 --> 01:00:00,199 you know, you're not fixing the fourteen minutes or so that Lebron James 980 01:00:00,280 --> 01:00:01,840 isn't playing the right of season. I think tries is more important for that. 981 01:00:02,239 --> 01:00:06,599 And again, I you know, I wanted into trestle a lot earlier. 982 01:00:06,679 --> 01:00:07,960 I think that's going to get better as the season goes on. But 983 01:00:08,840 --> 01:00:12,920 going forward, you know, like when we think about Dennis Shrewder potentially staying 984 01:00:12,920 --> 01:00:15,000 with the Lakers beyond this season, the fact that he fits with the stars 985 01:00:15,039 --> 01:00:19,079 I think is far more important than the fact that he's not able to prop 986 01:00:19,159 --> 01:00:22,239 up the non star lineups, because, like like you said during the postseason, 987 01:00:22,320 --> 01:00:28,360 like it's just not as important. And I guess lastly, what do 988 01:00:28,440 --> 01:00:31,239 you think actually is this team's biggest need, if you know, leading into 989 01:00:31,239 --> 01:00:36,599 the trade deadline, or even if it's just longer term with them something that's 990 01:00:36,639 --> 01:00:38,119 sort of the same question with the Clippers that I mean, they're the Lakers 991 01:00:38,119 --> 01:00:40,599 are just as limited. Basically, I think they have a little bit more 992 01:00:40,679 --> 01:00:45,159 room beneath the hardcap, but they're not blessed with a ton of much. 993 01:00:45,280 --> 01:00:46,400 Yeah, and they're not blessed with a ton of assets. And what are 994 01:00:46,440 --> 01:00:51,880 you what are you giving up town Horton Tucker with to one bring back salary 995 01:00:51,880 --> 01:00:54,000 into someone who's actually worth it. But do you see, like, what 996 01:00:54,159 --> 01:00:57,719 is the need that you would if you were them, that you would focus 997 01:00:57,719 --> 01:01:00,559 on at the trade deadline? Yeah, I think they could use just another 998 01:01:00,559 --> 01:01:02,360 wing, which, like, I mean, what team in the league could 999 01:01:02,360 --> 01:01:07,400 not use another wing? Right? But yeah, like I mean the Clippers, 1000 01:01:07,440 --> 01:01:08,840 I think it was more like a one two that they were looking for, 1001 01:01:08,920 --> 01:01:12,320 right, Whereas I think the Clippers could the Lakers could use more of 1002 01:01:12,360 --> 01:01:15,320 a three four. Kyle Kuzm I think has been great. I know he 1003 01:01:15,360 --> 01:01:16,639 was on the Allan wouldn't end up talking about him, But just just a 1004 01:01:16,679 --> 01:01:21,039 wonderful season for Kyle. The advanced numbers absolutely hate whom I don't understand what 1005 01:01:21,079 --> 01:01:23,639 the deal is. That part of it is just like some of those lineups 1006 01:01:23,679 --> 01:01:27,480 that he's in with. Yeah, with a lot of those bench lineups are 1007 01:01:27,519 --> 01:01:30,239 just are just bad. But yeah, I think Kusmos some really good You 1008 01:01:30,320 --> 01:01:34,239 can you can really trust him actually to be a good wing defender in the 1009 01:01:34,239 --> 01:01:36,960 playoffs. Anthony Davis I think is the best wing defender that the Lakers have. 1010 01:01:37,000 --> 01:01:39,320 And then obviously there's Lebron James. So you know, there's options to 1011 01:01:39,360 --> 01:01:43,039 work with if the Lakers don't find anybody on the buyout market. But I 1012 01:01:43,079 --> 01:01:46,159 think that would be the number one concern because, like I always think about 1013 01:01:46,199 --> 01:01:51,000 the Clippers matchup, and you can't if you're going to go small, which 1014 01:01:51,000 --> 01:01:52,360 I think you're gonna have to if they're going to start surge, Like, 1015 01:01:52,400 --> 01:01:54,920 you just can't put Marcusol in those groups. It's really hard for him to 1016 01:01:54,920 --> 01:01:59,519 guard Ibacca. Then you're gonna put Davis at the fives. You can't have 1017 01:01:59,599 --> 01:02:02,199 him guard one of the two wings because and you lose all your room protections. 1018 01:02:02,239 --> 01:02:05,960 So then you put what Lebron on Kawhi, and then who's guarding Paul 1019 01:02:05,960 --> 01:02:07,840 George? Like it's it's a problem. They need somebody else there. I 1020 01:02:07,920 --> 01:02:09,920 think they thought West Matthews was going to be that guy. It's been pretty 1021 01:02:09,920 --> 01:02:16,519 bad, yeah, Wolf. Indeed, the West Matthews experience has been less 1022 01:02:16,559 --> 01:02:20,679 than ideal. I would say for the lakerself, more rocky than most other 1023 01:02:20,719 --> 01:02:24,400 West Matthews is experience. You know, I actually had not realized that this 1024 01:02:24,440 --> 01:02:27,880 was the first time in his career that he had not been starting regularly. 1025 01:02:28,000 --> 01:02:30,800 That was something that had not occurred to me. Nothing about West Matthews to 1026 01:02:30,840 --> 01:02:35,440 me screams starting lineup. But apparently that's a thing and he's not accustomed to 1027 01:02:35,480 --> 01:02:37,559 this limited role and it's been hard for him. But I don't think that 1028 01:02:37,599 --> 01:02:40,079 means that he should be starting gast. Let's face it, KCYP has been 1029 01:02:40,119 --> 01:02:45,119 really good, Dennis I should take that back for a second. KCP has 1030 01:02:45,159 --> 01:02:47,480 proven that he could be really good and Dennis Ruder has been good, so 1031 01:02:49,360 --> 01:02:52,079 you know, they're not going to make an adjustment for West Matthews. But 1032 01:02:52,159 --> 01:02:53,559 yeah, if there was an option for like a wing guy, I don't 1033 01:02:53,559 --> 01:02:58,079 know, maybe, like you know, I don't even know who's bailable because 1034 01:02:58,159 --> 01:03:01,079 kind of that with the Kings. I have two names that will, once 1035 01:03:01,119 --> 01:03:04,760 again, like with the Clippers, they're just gonna blow you away because there's 1036 01:03:04,800 --> 01:03:07,760 such doorbus. Right, I'm I'm so excited, Dan, let's do this. 1037 01:03:07,239 --> 01:03:10,360 The first one is Garrett Temple. Okay, I love Garrett Temple. 1038 01:03:10,559 --> 01:03:14,920 Yeah, and he's guarded some bigger guys this year and he definitely I agree 1039 01:03:14,960 --> 01:03:16,719 with you on the three four stuff and I think he's overstretched, if that's 1040 01:03:16,719 --> 01:03:20,920 how you view him, but he's he's two three, yeah, yeah, 1041 01:03:21,000 --> 01:03:23,760 and he gives them some extra ball handling, like with someone who can initiate 1042 01:03:23,800 --> 01:03:27,719 a little bit. I don't think he'd be the answer in No Lebron minutes, 1043 01:03:27,760 --> 01:03:30,800 but I don't think he would write and the other one is. And 1044 01:03:31,000 --> 01:03:35,199 a lot of this is because the postseason will be taking place. If they 1045 01:03:35,199 --> 01:03:37,159 have to go back inside the bubble, maybe I'll think differently about this. 1046 01:03:37,199 --> 01:03:45,400 But Daniel House was the name that's brington mine for me. I mean, 1047 01:03:45,400 --> 01:03:47,280 you could argue Daniel House and won the Lakers the second round here his last 1048 01:03:47,360 --> 01:03:52,039 year. Yeah, he was their most valuable player in the second round. 1049 01:03:52,119 --> 01:03:55,320 Guy. Yeah. Again, I'm in a cop to the fact that I 1050 01:03:55,320 --> 01:03:59,039 haven't really watched much of the Rockets, so I can't comment too much on 1051 01:03:59,079 --> 01:04:01,639 how he's been bad. He's been full stop. He's been bad. He's 1052 01:04:01,639 --> 01:04:04,480 not shooting well. But he when you I think he covers. You know, 1053 01:04:04,519 --> 01:04:08,360 he could basically defend two through five for you and imagining him, and 1054 01:04:08,760 --> 01:04:11,840 you know, I'm assuming they'll close with Davis at the five in the postseason, 1055 01:04:11,840 --> 01:04:14,000 which they don't really do in the regular season, you just see more 1056 01:04:14,000 --> 01:04:16,440 wings around him, right, Yeah, and so that was that was my 1057 01:04:16,800 --> 01:04:19,159 that was my that was my thought there. But I don't know that they're 1058 01:04:19,199 --> 01:04:24,079 going to be able to do anything huge. I've already kept you longer than 1059 01:04:24,119 --> 01:04:27,199 I said I would, so thank you so much for coming on, Sabrina. 1060 01:04:27,239 --> 01:04:29,480 This was a joy. Yea, this is so much fun. Dan, 1061 01:04:30,360 --> 01:04:31,639 Well rest as short. I'll be pestering you again in the future, 1062 01:04:31,639 --> 01:04:35,480 as I'm sure you know by now. Follow Sabrina on Twitter if you guys 1063 01:04:35,519 --> 01:04:41,599 have not already at Sabrina JM. That's at sab r e n a j 1064 01:04:41,880 --> 01:04:45,320 M. She has a fantastic job covering the NBA at Large and other stuff 1065 01:04:45,440 --> 01:04:48,960 for sp Nation. So again, Sabrina, thank you again so much for 1066 01:04:49,119 --> 01:04:59,199 coming on. Yeah, happy to do it. Nobody builds five G like 1067 01:04:59,360 --> 01:05:03,400 Verizon built five G because worthy engineers who built the most reliable network in America. 1068 01:05:03,440 --> 01:05:06,000 And the more you do with five G, the more building it right 1069 01:05:06,119 --> 01:05:11,360 matters, the more your network matters. The more Verizon engineers going the extra 1070 01:05:11,440 --> 01:05:16,079 mile matters. It's us pushing us. It's Verizon versus Variezy. Five G 1071 01:05:16,239 --> 01:05:21,360 built right from America's most Reliable network Most reliable based on rankings from Metrics second 1072 01:05:21,400 --> 01:05:25,519 half twenty twenty US report of three Mobile networks. Results may vary. Award 1073 01:05:25,559 --> 01:05:26,400 is on an endorsement