All right, let's welcome in the salta Adam Austlin. Hello, Adam,
what's up, guys? How are we doing? What's up? Rodney?
What's up? Adham? How you doing? Buddy? Let's go, let's
go. All right. Bronnie James best game is a pro. Too much
focus on him, Adam, Well, you're starting off this segment talking about
him, so probably if you talking about the Clippers or some other things.
Look, it's Lebron's son. It's all expected. I'm not shocked by any
of this. I'm not shocked that he played a little bit better the last
couple of games. First two games in Vegas, he was shooting about twenty
percent from the field, last two games forty seven percent. I gotta commend
him for not shying away. If you watch the last two games, he
started things off with a jumper right away. In fact, he hit the
first shot the game for the Lakers last night. He at least, you
know, is not curling up into a ball in the fetal position or anything
like that, because he knows the spotlight is on him. He knows that
he had missed at one point sixteen straight three pointers. God, I thought
he was going to get to twenty seven straight threes like the h Houston Rockets
in the Game seven of twenty eighteen or whatever it was. It was bad,
it was ugly. But he's picked fifty five. And while I don't
believe if he didn't have the last name Bronnie, he would have been picked
in the second round. This stuff is unusual, or I should say it
isn't unusual. It is not unique to Bronnie James. Nepotism in the NBA.
What the hell are we talking about? Guys? Giannis Denakoopo's brother Thanasis
is thirty one. We've had ten years of evidence he is not an NBA
player, Yet he gets to remain in the league when he scored thirty two
points all of last year in his thirty four games that he played for the
Milwaukee Bucks. Why do the Bucks do this to appease Gianni Dinakoupo. Why
are the Lakers doing this to appease lebron James as any other franchise would.
J R. Smith had his brother in the league. Dwayne Wade had his
son drafted late in the second round by a team as he's a minority owner
in with Utah Jazz. It's just not unique to just Bronnie James. The
amount of coverage is not sure he's asking for any of it, but uh,
he knew it was coming. Everybody knew it was coming. So I
understand some people want to push back because they're trying to push him on us
and some of the media and the way they're reacting to any time he makes
a shot and talking about him like he was a top ten pick. It's
absurd, it's ridiculous. He's going to be in the G League, hopefully
all of this season because he needs reps. If he's going to have any
shot of making it in the NBA, he either has to get taller or
more realistically, he's got to get a handle, be a better playmaker,
be a better shooter. The only way to accumulate those skills is to get
reps in the G League, which is likely going to happen this year.
Yeah, no doubt, no doubt. And I will say this that you're
right about him, you know, not letting you know the first couple of
games affect him, at him and coming out and firing right away and putting
a lot of that to rest because he was like zero for fifteen threes.
And then you know, some guys would shy away from shooting I don't want
the ball, but he has done that. And I will say, just
kind of knowing him a little bit, and Lebron has said this about him,
he does not hear or feel y'all hear you know, we all hear
it, but does not feel the outside noise. And you got to believe
that's true. Being Lebron's son and having to deal with it his entire life
of what people have said about him from the moment he was probably eight years
old starting to play organize basketball that people were talking about him. So you
know, just again, he is the fifty fifth pick, and we talked
about this Adam before. It's like we're going to go run down the list
of fifty fifth picks that that people think that it's going to have a real
impact on a season that year, we can do it. It doesn't happen.
It doesn't happen, so just just let it be what it is going
to be. He's going to be in the G League and hopefully he does
get better and we'll see what happens. But yeah, people are enamored because
either they they hate Lebron and want to see him fail, or they love
Lebron and want to see him succeed. I think there's very few people that
are in the middle. Is it not a Roarshack test on just whether or
not you like Lebron James. Yes, it is. It's another way that
he can be polarizing. I guess to some either appreciate it, think it's
cool if they ever get that moment, and they will at some point,
they'll get the photo ops, they'll get the play in where they have it.
Yeah, I think you're right. Christmas Day they'll have the Christmas miracle
out there with Bronni on the court, with Lebron James. He'll throw an
alue to his dad or vice versa or something like that, and some people
will think that's great and that'll be something to celebrate. Others will think it's
contrived and manufactured. I understand both sides of it, but I can't hate
that much on Lebron wanting his sud in the NBA with him. It's at
least I don't know. I want to see how it plays out here.
I want to see Bronnie James be in the G League and start in the
G League. But I just I can't be that outraged against them taking a
chance on a late round pick on a guy who, yes, wouldn't be
in the league if it was fertile Bron James. I don't believe. But
still, it's his son. You knew what was coming. I don't understand
the level of backlash from some Adam all Right bleacher Report saying a possible deal
for Brandon Ingram could make sense, could be in the works. I mean,
I guess you'd have to give up maybe de Angelo Ruy Reddish, or
would a first round pick for a guy like Ingram who's a stud but oftentimes
injured and a pending free agent? Do you see something like that happening.
I like Brandon Ingram, I like b I obviously he was a former Laker
before traded for Anthony Davis. The real issue is just whether or not you're
gonna pay him the one hundred and fifty to two hundred million dollars that he's
going to demand after this season. If he was under contract for two or
three more years, some team would have already made the move for him,
as it hasn't been a great fit with him in New Orleans on the Pelicans
when Zion has been available to play, just because they both kind of clog
up the pain a little bit becau Zion's trying to get to the basket.
Brandon Ingraham likes to play in the mid range. In fact, he has
been someone while he has shot it well at times from three, he just
refuses to do so. Assistant coaches want him to do it more. The
analytics say he should do it more. He hasn't done it, so he's
not necessarily a great floor spacer out there. Would he be okay next to
Lebron and Anthony Davis. I mean, it depends on how the coaching staff
wants to use him. I think it would make them better depending on what
you give up. If we're talking about DeAngelo Russell, but I think the
New Orleans Pelicans are gonna want more than that. They're probably gonna want what
another first round pick from the Lakers. They do have a few they could
give up, but it's a big commitment because if this season doesn't go well
for Brandon Ingram, if it doesn't work out, if it doesn't look like
he can play next to Anthony Davis moving forward in the next five years,
when Lebron James is off the Lakers. You would assume if it looks like
a bad fit, then you could you could give up assets and lose him
for nothing if you're not willing to pay him after he might have a down
year with the Los Angeles Lakers, because somebody's gonna give him around at least
one hundred and fifty million dollars. And I don't know if the Lakers,
you know, are that committed. It all depends on how this season would
go. But it's just a big risk to take on a player like that.
He's only twenty seven, though, guys, so he's just entering the
beginning of his prime. He could still grow as a player out there,
and he's been an All Star before already, and he is a high level
offensive threat when he wants to do it at all three levels, when he
wants to get downhill and not just stay in the mid range but also shoot
it from the outside. Like he has the skills set you're looking for.
It just hasn't materialized enough with the New Orleans Pelicans and some of the players
on that team. And then he also had a really bad first round series
in the playoffs that a lot of people are thinking about right now. So
there's some recency bias there, But I like brandon Ingram overall, and depending
again on what you give up, I do think he could upgrade the Lakers
top end talent. Yeah, but a lot of people are talking about Lakers
got to make moves, do this, do that? How much of this?
You know what they can do? Adam, we're talking about brandon Ingram,
talking about some other guys maybe, but how much with the second apron
and the salary cap and things that they have, how much can they really
do this offseason to get better? Are we gonna look at this team as
is, as constructed as we start the season. It's fair they're just under
the second apron right now. I guess Lebron's taking a little bit less help
him out there. Didn't end up being twenty million dollars less, which I
thought he might do. But if they weren't getting someone that he wanted,
and Demarta Rosen are one of these guys on his list, I guess he
wasn't gonna play ball like that and help him out that significantly. I don't
blame him for that, that's fine, but if you're not going to go
over the second apron you got to make the salaries at least close to matching.
I think it's got to be within one hundred and twenty five percent or
something like that of what they send out to get brandon Ingram, who I'm
guessing makes around thirty five thirty million dollars right now. I haven't looked at
his contract, but again, he has it's either easy going to be a
free agent at the end of the season straight up, or a player option
that he's going to end up opting out of to get that next big contract.
So you have to make a decision after year one what you want to
do with this guy. And if you're giving up high quality assets, It's
like the Clippers gave up a first round pick to get James Harden. You
knew they were going to bring him back this season, they gave up a
first round pick to get him. If the Lakers do the same thing,
give up one or two first round picks to get to get brandon Ingram,
you kind of gotta go all in with that. You kind of gotta make
sure that situation works out and you're willing to pay him one hundred and fifty
million dollars plus this next offseason. So I think there's a way they could
do it without going over the second apron right now, Rodney, to answer
your question, it wouldn't be easy. But then going into next season it
may get a little bit tougher because of that next contract, he's gonna be
owed. All right, Let's shift over to the Clippers your wheelhouse first,
Russell Westbrook, I actually felt sad to see him go out. How did
you think? I thought the fit after getting James Harden was just awkward.
I said it right away. You can't start those two together. You can't
play them on the court together. It just doesn't work. Russell Westbrook obviously
doesn't offer a lot off ball, and you want James Harden to be on
the ball the majority of the time. I love Russ I love the energy,
the passion, the heart, the intensity he would bring night tonight.
But he hasn't looked the same in a couple different ways over the last year.
I mean, for one, guys, he just went eight of forty
two the last five games of that playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, where
they desperately needed more from him in a series where Kawhi Leonard was a shell
of himself, in the two games he played eight of forty two over a
five game stretch in a playoff series. That is the lowest shooting percentage nineteen
percent anyone has ever shot over five games in the playoffs before, and Russ
hasn't had a lot of playoff success. That chaotic style that he plays up
and down game. The playoffs are about slowing things down, being more methodical,
plotting a little bit. That's not Russ's game. I think he can
still be a regular season innings eater, if you will, And I'm interested
to see the fit next to Nikolojokic. I think it's strange. Once again,
he's replacing KCP basically like he did when he came to the Lakers.
We know how that went. But if anyone can make it work, it's
Nikola Jokic. And if he does and they win a championship with Russ,
give him all the MVPs. Ever, I guess because right now, Russell
Westbrook, to me, we talk about three level scorers, two level scores.
He looks like a zero level score and I'm not trying to be harsh,
but he can't shoot the three. He's not good in the mid range.
And this season. I think he was bottom five in shooting percentage at
the rim. Guys. It was strange because you know, he's thirty five,
I think turning thirty six. Now his hands are really mangled, and
I think he's lost what touch he did have before. So when he's flying
towards the basket, he's blowing and smoking a lot of and then what happens
is the other team has a five on four going the other way. It's
basically a turnover because Russ goes so hard on the basket he usually ends up
on the floor, and if he doesn't convert those layups, it turns into
a fast break opportunity for the opposition. So I think it was time.
The situation kind of ran its course with the Clippers appreciated for his time,
but Chris done. To me. He's been one of the more underrated players
in this league for a bit defensively, while his offense has never showed up
the way it was at Providence. Defensively, all the analytics say it he
is one of the best on ball defenders and point of attack defenders in the
league. So for fifteen to twenty minutes a night of Chris Dunne coming off
the bench for the Clippers and helping solidify more of a defensive identity with this
Clippers team. That's going to be really helpful for them. Adam, what's
the latest and what's going on with Kawhi Leonard and you are you buying you
know, Lawrence Frank's criticism of USA Basketball and dropping him from the team in
the comments that he made. I thought initially it sounded to me like,
you know, he's sticking up first player and Kawhi Leonard, who you're not
going to see on social media talk about or anything like that. He's not
going to hold a press conference if he was upset about being dropped from Team
USA. But I read the situation like this, Kawhi Leonard wanted to play
Team USA, was not willing to wait and see if he was fully ready
to play or if there could be an issue along the way with that right
knee. Because some of the verbiage and some of what Kawhi Leonard was talking
about when he initially got there, he said he had a turnaround with the
swelling what he had been dealing with in the playoffs just two weeks before training
camp to Team USA. So we're talking about what two and a half months,
almost three months of him dealing with this injury, going back to late
March. I think March thirty first was the last game before he had the
soreness in his right knee. That's a little bit concerning. And then also
he said that the knee is currently in a neutral state mode. Right before
they let him go, and he thought maybe he was going to be playing
that first game for them against Canada on what was that last Wednesday. So
the way he was talking about it, there seemed to be a little bit
of uncertainty, and I guess that's natural because it's been flaring up over the
last couple of months when he has played. But Lawrence Frank said he was
there. He played the first two practices fully. It was after that third
practice where he wasn't there, and then Temusa made the decision or thought better
of it, or just wanted somebody in Derek White that they knew could be
a little bit more reliable. So I don't know, I can see both
sides of this, but I know it was a bucket list type thing for
Kawhi Leonard. I know he really wanted to play, and I'm sure as
Lawrence Frank put it. He said, you know, we're really disappointed,
very disappointed, he said multiple times at that press conference, because they knew
this was something Kawhi wanted to do. I understand some people say, well,
he hasn't been available for the Clippers to end the last four seasons.
He can't pick and choose like when he's healthy, when he's able to go,
and not when he is he should probably be playing basketball, right,
I mean, if he wanted to play in Tmusa and he was fully healthy
and he felt good, then he should be able to play. But I
can see the other side where the way he was talking about it might have
made them think, you know, we're not sure if he's going to be
able to make it through the entire ordeal. Adam put a bow on the
Paul George saga. Paul George said one thing, Lawrence Frank seemed to indicate
another. How did that all play out? Well, look, I've heard
the promo with you, Fred and what's been playing here on this station,
and I know you've kind of had the position where correct me if I'm wrong,
but you have said that, you know I had the Clippers picked the
wrong guy? Should they have gone in with Paul George and let Kawhi Leonard
test free agency, or he could have opted into the last year of his
contract. To am I misstating things, bred I will not correct you.
Okay, Here's what I will say to that the difference between the two players
on the court is greater between the difference of games missed between those two players.
For instance, Kawhi missed an entire season with the torn acl and Paul
George still only ended up playing forty more games than he did as a Clipper
the last two years. Paul George only missed or only played about five more
games than Kawhi Leonard as a Clipper, so both had extreme availability issues.
You can say Kawhi more than Paul George, but I'm saying this, Kawhi
when he's on the court plays like a number one, far more than Paul
George. He plays like the best guy out there, far more than Paul
George. And that comment that you heard from Chris Haynes with that report saying
that, well, Paul George came out and admitted a couple of years ago
that he's the number two. Kawhi is the number one. Look. They
also said in that report that yeah, he plays like it at times,
and the day before that little excerpt from Chris Haynes came out, I said
it on Twitter when Paul George talked on his podcast and said, you've viewing
Kawhi Leonard and us the same, right, So I'll take what he got,
I said the day before this report came out. The problem is Paul
George doesn't even view himself the same or play the same as Kawhi Leonard.
I love the guy, but he was brought there to be the one b
not the obvious two, not the guy who I said after the playoffs series
was relative to expectations, the fourth best player against Dallas for the Clippers in
their time of need. With Kawhi out, he only scored nineteen points per
game, and more damning than that, he only attempted fifteen shots per game.
You have to at least go out firing in that situation if you're Paul
George. So what do I think think happened? I think he wanted the
Max. I think he always woned the Max. I think he always knew
the Max would be there for him. I think the three years, one
hundred and fifty million was there and available, and it was kind of mischaracterized
with what he said about they first offered me two for sixty million dollars.
Well, that was on top of him opting in to the fifty million dollars.
So the starting point was really one ten in negotiations after two seasons where
he only played a combined e three games. I don't think that was a
slap in the face or complete low ball as a starting point. And according
to Lawrence Frank, and you can take it from each side here, you
know, he said, he said type of thing. But Lawrence Frank stated
that, you know, we upped the offer after how good they looked with
James Harden and we didn't wait for their agent to say, okay, let's
let's let's bring this up a notch here. No, they upped the offer
without being probed by either agent from Kawhi Leonard or Paul George. So it
seemed fair to me. It's fair for Paul George to go take the max
though too. I have no issue with that. If he wants seventy two
million more dollars, I'm not gonna hate on that. Give the guy.
Give the guy what he wants if he wants to go to Philly, and
that meant more to him. And I have no issue with getting the money
with the short lifespan you have as an athlete, so to speak like that's
that's not an issue to me. And it wasn't to the Clippers either.
If you heard Lawrence Frank, he understood it. They just said, you
know, for our situation and moving forward with now the cap and paying all
these guys, this is what we can offer. So I don't think there
should be, you know, hurt feelings too much on either side in this.
All right, Adam, good stuff. Thanks for hanging out today,
man, double A love you guys. Feel better, my guy, Ronnie,
thank you, brother,