WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.240 All right, Vic, thank you. And earlier in the show, we 2 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:07.440 were talking about the NBA the Salty A. Adam Auslin joins the program, 3 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:10.599 Salty, thanks for jumping on here from the NBA to the Salty A. 4 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:14.560 I like it. Fred. That's how we roll on the point today of 5 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:20.559 the week. Let's go. Let's do Fred Firecracker up here took us say. 6 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:24.440 Let me say, whoa, I'm the king of the Segway. Let's 7 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:29.480 go speaking of that. Yeah what yeah? No, go ahead, go 8 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:33.280 ahead, but no, I'll let that go. You're gonna let it go. 9 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:36.159 Yeah, coolerheads will prevail him, not save it for the off air 10 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:41.359 podcast. Yes, it might be more appropriate, Adam, for that we 11 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:45.079 were talking earlier. Adam, I have to tell you, I really really 12 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:48.119 like what the Lakers did. I liked that they held on to that core. 13 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:52.039 I'd like the signings. I don't know if they're good enough to win 14 00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:55.159 it, but I think they positioned themselves pretty well. Now, well, 15 00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:58.640 this is a team that resigned the guys they had to. That helped them 16 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:02.679 get to the Western Conferences, and while they did get swept. If I'm 17 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:04.799 a Laker fan, I'm looking at all four of those games and saying, 18 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:10.280 how did we not get one against Denver? We weren't that far away. 19 00:01:10.280 --> 00:01:14.239 We were in every one of those games in the fourth quarter. It was 20 00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:17.640 as close as you could get to a competitive sweep as I've ever seen, 21 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:21.560 let me put it that way. So they bolster their roster and bring back 22 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:26.159 some continuity at the same time. And that's something Rob Polinka stressed heading into 23 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:29.359 the off season. He saw Denver, he saw that they got beat by 24 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:32.120 a team that had been together for a long time, and they had built 25 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:34.680 up that chemistry and they messed really well together. Can we do the same 26 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:40.640 thing here? It looks like they finally have a more sustainable roster after the 27 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:46.719 twenty Bubble Championship that they can run back with youth to match their older players 28 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:51.280 and Anthony Davis and obviously Lebron James. They have a nice mix now older 29 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:55.359 guys and young guys that can help carry the load a little bit more. 30 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:57.560 And even though yeah, you lose Lonnie Walker, you bring in someone like 31 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:01.319 Cam Reddish, who's a slasher, who's similar to that, who has a 32 00:02:01.319 --> 00:02:05.480 ton of potential. This is a guy who is the tenth pick in the 33 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:12.080 twenty nineteen NBA draft. De'angelo Russell returns on a two year team friendly type 34 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:15.439 of deal. Gabe Vincent comes over from Miami. This is somebody who shout 35 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:22.479 over fifty percent in the Eastern Conference Finals from distance against the Boston Celtics. 36 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:25.560 Without him staying that hot, they don't win that series. And I believe 37 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:30.759 he shot forty percent in the first round from distance against the Milwaukee Bucks. 38 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:36.120 So a guy who has that heat culture is twenty seven years of age, 39 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.199 but is wise beyond his years because he's had a lot of postseason experience with 40 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:44.960 the Miami Heat. Already, the Lakers did great. Rob Polinka is knocking 41 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:47.039 it out of the park right now. You can't say a bad word about 42 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:52.000 what he has done. Torreon Prince, another guy a wing you bring in, 43 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:54.240 can play the three, can play the four. Little bit shot thirty 44 00:02:54.240 --> 00:03:00.080 eight percent from the outside, solid defender, and you resign Hotchi more to 45 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:05.360 resign Austin Reeves. Jackson Hayes is a high upside type of player, so 46 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:08.039 to speak, because of his vertical but he's a little bit undersize at six 47 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:12.400 eleven, two twenty. I think the one thing they still need to do 48 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.159 is shore up that front court and bring in one more big man, whether 49 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:20.520 it's Bismack Biambo or bringing back Moo Bomba or Tristan Thompson, whatever it may 50 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:24.120 be. That's pretty much it for them, I think. And their roster 51 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:30.400 looks as strong as anybody's in the West. Lebron James, Yeah, does 52 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:34.639 Lebron get the credit because he takes a lot of blame. You got to 53 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:37.479 give him a little something for this too. Hey, keep it back together, 54 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:40.120 run it back, Adam. Do you think they look back and go, 55 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:44.840 we kind of messed up not keeping it together after the bubble win, 56 00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:51.639 not keeping Caruso, letting KCP walk. Who's all those guys go? And 57 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:53.159 they looked up and go, oh my god, what did we just do? 58 00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:57.199 It was they made every effort, it seems like, to keep the 59 00:03:57.240 --> 00:04:00.439 cord there. It was strange that they went away from what worked in twenty 60 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:04.719 twenty, which was a ton of size next to Anthony Davis, where you 61 00:04:04.759 --> 00:04:09.560 had JaVale McGee, you had Dwight Howard. So if ad doesn't want to 62 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:13.680 bang with the big boys in the front court, somebody else can take up 63 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:17.879 part of that responsibility from him. And they were a defensive minded team. 64 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:21.920 They were a lead on that end, and they were opportunistic offensively, and 65 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.759 that was good enough to win that championship then and then they kind of just 66 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:31.000 remain a roster. With Dennis Shrewder coming in with Montrese Harold, they went 67 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:36.160 a very different direction. And then obviously bringing in Russell Westbrook and trading away 68 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:42.839 three crucial guys, including Montrese Harold along with Kyle Kuzma and KCP that completely 69 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:46.439 changed the complexion of their team. So this to me is a roster with 70 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:50.759 sustainability. Now you can say Lebron's gonna turn thirty nine. I understand that 71 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:55.399 part of it, and he's likely gone after this season because he wants to 72 00:04:55.399 --> 00:04:59.879 play wherever Brownie goes. But this is a team where even if Lebron leaves 73 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.240 and you still have Anthony Davis there with some of these young guys who are 74 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:06.560 going to get a lot better, you're building something you can compete now while 75 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:11.360 still building for the future. And that's pretty much the fine line in the 76 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:15.560 balance that every team tries to do. You want to be competing for championships 77 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:18.319 and you want to have a larger window. I think the Denver Nuggets trading 78 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:23.240 up to get some higher picks in the draft because they know you can't hold 79 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:26.360 on to some of these guys you get picked apart once you win a championship. 80 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:30.560 With the free agency, you know they are looking at a long term 81 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:32.279 plan, a bird's eye type of view. And I think the Lakers now 82 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:35.480 with Rob Plink, are in a good position to do some of the same 83 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:40.680 stuff where they could win the championship this season at least compete for it in 84 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:44.480 the West with the roster they have today, and then if Lebron leaves, 85 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:48.199 they could still bring in another player to pair with Anthony Davis and have this 86 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:55.120 youthful resurgence with the Lakers of guys that you know Austin Reeves. I was 87 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:59.800 shocked that he got that deal. Nobody challenged the Lakers because he was restricted 88 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:01.879 for agent. They said they were gonna match any offer, and they basically 89 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:05.560 said, hey, whatever you do, we're gonna match it no matter what 90 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:09.480 it is. And they scared teams away from time to say, do you 91 00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:12.600 think that was a move by the Lakers A scaryybody off and say, okay, 92 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:15.279 what you want to do, but we're gonna match everything. And all 93 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:16.680 of a sudden, everybody said well, he's not in play, so we're 94 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:20.399 not even going to offer him anything. It was tactical. Usually you'd see 95 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:25.639 a team still like the old San Antonio Spurs, and Greg Popovitch will be 96 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:28.319 like, oh, we're gonna make the Lakers have to pay for him. 97 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:30.000 We're gonna offer him something. The problem, though, is when you do 98 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:34.079 that, you get money tied up, and the Lakers apparently we're gonna wait 99 00:06:34.120 --> 00:06:39.439 till the last second to match it to keep Austin Reeves. So therefore, 100 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:43.279 that team that tried to pay him to make the Lakers pay more would have 101 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:46.319 had money tied up and they wouldn't have been able to make other moves. 102 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:50.079 So kind of a brilliant chess three D chess like game plan from Roblinka and 103 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:54.480 the Lakers' off season so far. I like what they did. I do 104 00:06:54.839 --> 00:07:00.160 you know? And you have to give God if Fred likes it that when 105 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:03.759 Mellow comes, you're not gonna comes back. He don't remember the days. 106 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:08.160 We know what we need and we got him. And when this guy's healthy, 107 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:11.519 all bets are off Trevor a reason. I mean, there was a 108 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:14.800 period of time where they were depending on Trevor a reason. So credit Rob 109 00:07:14.839 --> 00:07:18.399 Pulink or credit Lebron credit. Give credit where credit is due. They built 110 00:07:18.439 --> 00:07:23.920 something, they burned it to the ground, and they rebuilt it, and 111 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:27.319 they rebuilt it in a way where they're going to be competitive. It'll be 112 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:30.279 fun to watch them going it. It'll be fun. We don't know how 113 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:32.160 healthy Anthony Davis will be. We don't know how healthy Lebron will be. 114 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:35.279 We don't know, but we do know this. Starting the season, this 115 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:40.759 goal round, they have an NBA roster that's competitive. Well, you give 116 00:07:40.839 --> 00:07:45.560 yourself a chance. Now, if those guys are healthy. That's the thing. 117 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:49.480 It's still totally relying on your superstars being healthy in a seven game series, 118 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:54.800 but with the roster they are building around them, you got a chance 119 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:59.519 to compete for the entire thing. Of course, health is paramount. I 120 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:01.639 said it. I'll say it again. The Denver Nuggets had a guy coming 121 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:07.040 off in acl and Jamal Murray a guy with a back injury, and both 122 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:11.399 of them were able to play the entire way throughout the playoffs. You need 123 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:13.879 a little bit of luck. But if the Lakers get that with this roster, 124 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:18.720 with the depth they have with the young guys, it's you would expect 125 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:22.839 to be out there logging heavy minutes and being spryed and being innings eaters during 126 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:26.160 the regular season, so you can rest Anthony Davis and rest Lebron James more 127 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:30.040 often. You're putting yourself in a great spot. All right, let's go 128 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:35.799 to the Clippers now. The report today that Paul George was definitely available and 129 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:39.080 the Knicks just thought the price was too great. It really, any price 130 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:43.279 for Paul George was probably too great, not because he can't play, but 131 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:46.799 because you don't know if he's ever healthy. But it does tell you that 132 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:52.519 the Clippers we're trying to make moves. I like that as well. Adam 133 00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:58.159 Well, if the reports are true, yes, I'm gonna go off of 134 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:01.519 I guess with the New York rate. Joho said, we'll assume it's true 135 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:05.440 for the sake of this conversation. I don't know if it was because the 136 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:09.360 Clippers rarely leak anything. Maybe it's coming from the Knicks side. And apparently 137 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:13.639 the issue was they don't want to give him that MAX extension. Had they 138 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:16.879 have brought him in because he's extension eligible this summer, he has an opt 139 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:22.879 out after this year and likely will to get one. More big contract at 140 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:26.159 the age of he'll be thirty four next summer. The Knicks have been a 141 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:31.120 team that have been looking around to find another supporting star next to Jalen Brunson, 142 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:33.399 who has turned into a star. And they got him on a great 143 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:35.879 deal. Now, when everybody said, we are they doing giving him a 144 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:39.720 hundred million dollars, Dallas wouldn't even pay him. Well, now it looks 145 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:43.200 like a team friendly deal. So the Knicks were a team that had been 146 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:46.960 rumored to be interested in Paul George. But if this is the route that 147 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:52.519 the Clippers were looking at, that means also maybe some of those reports with 148 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:56.879 the Portland Trailblazers and dangling him for Scoot Henderson maybe there was some truth to 149 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:00.200 that as well. So who knows. At this point though, it it's 150 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:03.320 like they're still building around he and Kawhi Leonard and they're going to run it 151 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:09.039 back and maybe if James Harden gets his way, he could be an addition 152 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:13.279 to this team. They already resigned Russell Westbrook, they resigned Mason Plumley, 153 00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:20.279 and Westbrook's coming back for three point eight million dollars. Relievable deal that they 154 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:22.840 got with him. But I love them getting kJ Martin, who is a 155 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:26.960 need. This is somebody I've been talking about for a year. Watch him. 156 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:30.960 I think he's someone the Clippers may have an eye on. Young player. 157 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:35.480 Obviously he comes back home as well, but wasn't getting as much run 158 00:10:35.559 --> 00:10:39.279 with the Houston Rockets. Ton of potential and they have a need at that 159 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:43.679 three four position and just an infusion of athleticism. A guy who can just 160 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:48.039 be a rim runner out there and have huge monster put back dunks like Kmart 161 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:52.799 his dad used to have back in the day for New Jersey and Denver. 162 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:56.600 But if James Harden, if you're able to make that move, and it 163 00:10:56.759 --> 00:11:01.240 sounds like according to the reports, he wants to come also another homegrown guy 164 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:05.759 back to the West Coast and play for the Clippers. If you can make 165 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:07.480 that move, you find a way to do it. I think you go 166 00:11:07.720 --> 00:11:11.919 all in this here bringing James Harden in. What do you think Frede feeling 167 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:16.840 about that? Fred No, I'm not gonna fits with them. Okay, 168 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:18.960 James Harden is standing alone. You made like whatever. But I think I'm 169 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:22.840 like with Adam you come. He comes into this team, this roster with 170 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:26.919 the Clippers, with Paul George and with Kawhi Leonard. Now they gotta they 171 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:31.960 gotta play, they gotta take you know, Denver's note and stay healthy. 172 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:35.399 But Harden would be a great fit for them, don't you think, fred 173 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:41.080 I think this. I think I really was a yes or no question there 174 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:43.240 for exactly. It really is, okay the question. The answer to your 175 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:48.600 question, Rodney is yes. I think the days of the three Stars and 176 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.799 they eat up and cannibalize the cap and then you have Trevor or Reason, 177 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:56.919 Carmelo Anthony come in doesn't work. But I think in the case of the 178 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:01.440 Clippers, if they're going to run it back, I mean, it's kind 179 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:05.200 of desperation time. We just got to go for it. And if that's 180 00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:09.000 the case, this is our best shot to do it. It's championship or 181 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:11.279 bust either way. So if you can bring in someone like James Harden and 182 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:15.320 doubled down with the two one three connection, I think you have to do 183 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:18.440 so. And by the way, appropriately so I guess pertaining to this conversation 184 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:22.399 today, I believe it was the four year anniversary of when Kauai and Paul 185 00:12:22.519 --> 00:12:28.039 George signed with the Clippers when they came over PG in the trade, then 186 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:33.200 Kauhai signing, and man it is, I know Clipper Nation is as hungry 187 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:37.960 as ever for a ring still when we thought it was a foregone conclusion when 188 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:41.200 these guys first came over. But listen to this, They've only been able 189 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:46.799 to play together in thirty three percent of the available games when they're both on 190 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:50.960 the court for the Clippers so far in these four years. It's just been 191 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:54.919 an extraordinary amount of bad luck that has been going on with this team and 192 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:00.759 those two stars in particular. Yeah, and you know what, I give 193 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:05.480 the Clippers honestly a ton of credit because when they signed him, they went 194 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:09.519 for it. Every year they've tried to go for it. Through no fault 195 00:13:09.639 --> 00:13:13.000 of the front office, those guys keep getting hurt. And in this situation, 196 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:16.399 if you can get James Hardon, although the guy I would go for, 197 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:20.480 who's not gonna come. Yeah, that's the guy. That's the guy 198 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:24.039 they're rumored in. Damian Lillard talks too, but it looks like he wants 199 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:28.960 to go to Miami. Whether or not Portland wants to honor that. And 200 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:31.919 I don't think they really need to. They have paid him, I think 201 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:35.879 around two hundred and fifty million dollars. How much more do they owe him. 202 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:41.879 He doesn't have a negotiable trade contract where he can dictate where he wants 203 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:45.600 to go, like I think Bradley Beal could, so they could send him 204 00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:50.360 anywhere wherever the best deal is coming back their way. It could you feel 205 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:52.000 like that. They feel like they got to do him a solid because he's 206 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:56.039 been there for so long, he's been a fixture that they're not trying to 207 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:58.480 send him to do a waste land somewhere. They're trying to make sure that 208 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:01.360 he's happy as well. You never know where that waste land could be. 209 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:03.639 A lot of people thought that was going to happen for Kawhi when he went 210 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:05.960 to Toronto. Oh, they set him out of the country. The Spurs 211 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:09.759 got rid of him all the way up north. They ended up winning a 212 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:13.759 championship. I think the majority of teams are going to offer the most are 213 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:18.320 going to be contenders anyways for him and San Antonio. Some people have brought 214 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:22.559 them up as a little bit of a dark horse and going for Damian Lillard 215 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:26.200 just because they have Wemby there now that would be interesting, but the Clippers 216 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:31.279 still have a ton of assets. They've worked with Portland recently when they brought 217 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:35.960 in Norman Pale and Rocco last year. So I wouldn't put it past him 218 00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:39.240 that they wouldn't try to bring him in. Obviously that's not easy. He's 219 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:43.720 making over forty million dollars I think over the next three years now. But 220 00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:46.200 you know, keep your eyes out, keep your ears open. If Freddy 221 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:50.279 there you go, Adam, appreciate your stopping by. All right, I 222 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:52.039 love you guys. Well I'm already here. What do you mean stopping by. 223 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:58.480 I've been producing the damn show. Well you actually, yeah? He 224 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:03.639 walked three feed God Forbiddy does it from the other room. He came in 225 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:07.600 here professional. Freddy's a professional. Thanks for making the walk. All right? 226 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:11.519 Good beer? All right? When we come back, it's the event 227 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:13.440 of the summer. It's happening in Vegas. We've been giving you a chance 228 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:16.960 to go, and you'll find out exactly why you want to be there.