Rob Now we welcome on a man who has established himself as a leading purveyor
of information when it comes to the NBA. In this very room, you
better qualify the end when it comes to the NBA, nothing else. And
I also said, in this very room, in this very room, for
right now, for right now, what's happening now, And we do have
planters online. One for you, salty. Okay, Adam Austin joins us,
Salty, thanks for coming in. What's good guy, It's good to
be here. Okay. Last night, I gotta be honest, all kidding
aside, impress it for the Clippers and kind of weak for the Lakers.
Well, especially because you called it yesterday. You said the Lakers were going
to win. And actually postcame Fred one of the first calls we got,
and let me set the scene. Noah Eagle is doing Clippers talk with me.
So it's a special night and you could call in and talk to the
voice of the Clippers, but somebody just wanted to call in and gloat about
Oh. I can't wait to listen to Rogan and Rodney tomorrow. After Fred
was talking about the Lakers and now he's got to wear it. The Clippers
won. They were just reveling in the fact that you were wrong about it.
Fred, I couldn't believe it. So now here's the thing. And
I came on the show when I started today, I said, yesterday,
in my opinion, the game was more important for the Clippers, but that
the Lakers would win. And I came up and I said, I was
absolutely wrong. Okay, what I should have said was the game was more
important for the Clippers and the Clippers would blow him out. That's what I
should should have said, right, Yeah, well we could go back and
check the tape to make sure on that, but yeah, I'll take your
word for it. That's what I said. Both teams needed the ball game,
both teams were desperate to win that game. Because the Lakers ended up
playing heavy minutes in the night before in Utah, I thought that would have
an effect. In early on, the Clippers just punched him in the mouth.
They were up fifteen to three, and you could tell there were some
tired legs out there. But Lebron did flip it around in the second half
and they made it somewhat interesting. Only in the second half. If you're
slug sluggish in the first second win second away, and what are you implying,
Rob, are you trying to hate I'm in plenty change of shoes.
He went from pink and if you had to shoot together, he would have
future. Thank you. Lebron actually had more turnovers in the first half than
he had points. He had four turnovers to just three points. And they
just look lifeless out there with their movement and Anthony Davis was getting locked up.
It was a great coaching job by coach lou He said at practice two
days ago on Tuesday that, oh, we're just gonna guard a d straight
up. We'll just have a beatsa zoo bots on him. He was doubled
every time he touched the basketball. The Clippers were giving him different looks left
and right. He didn't He didn't ever get comfortable in the ball game,
and that was really the difference if Ad doesn't get it going. Because Lebron's
still dealing dealing with that foot injury and he doesn't quite look the same.
We don't know he might need surgery after the season. He's just putting that
off for now. But Anthony Davis has been amazing over the last three weeks
now, and they won a lot of games without Lebron James. They had
the fourth best record heading into that game last night. Coming out of the
All Star Break, the Lakers had been playing really good ball. They had
won fifteen to the last twenty one. So even though yes, they were
at a rest disadvantage, guess what. The Clippers had to play the most
games before the All Star break in NBA history. There's a reason that all
of a sudden, they got three days off to get to get ready for
this one. They played sixty one games before the All Star break. They
had the most sea There's only twenty five percent or twenty percent left of the
season after the All Star break. Now they push it back, but no
one's feeling bad for the Lakers. The Clippers still didn't have Paul George,
their second best player in the ball game last night, and they dominated.
And they've won eleven straight over the Lakers. They've won thirty six of the
last forty. Why. I mean, I get basketball. It's all about
matchups, and you might be able to use that during a certain stretch.
But what what has happened? Why? Why has this happened for such a
long stretch. This is incredible to me. Some of it is just flukey.
Some of it is the Lakers win seven years without making the playoffs,
and that's when the Clippers were up during the Lobb City era. I do
think there's something to being called little brother all the time and them getting more
up for these ball games. But during the two one three era and coach
Lewis never lost the Lakers as head coach of the Clippers. Now, they've
done a really good job against Lebron James. He has his worst numbers against
the Clippers over the last three four seasons now, other than the forty point
game he got last time out against the Clippers and they still lost by eighteen.
Remember that was the last team he hadn't scored forty against in the NBA.
He got it, but they still lost big. But outside of that
ballgame, for the most part, he's been shooting under forty percent against the
Clippers. They've done such a good job against him. They play Anthony Davis
really well. It's just a bad matchup for the Lakers overall. Even with
the different iterations and different roster turnover, the Clippers still do have a lot
of wings that they can throw at Lebron and that's been one of the big
difference makers for them. But it's incredible. During the eleven game winning streak
the Clippers have had over the Lakers, the biggest lead in all eleven of
those games that the Lakers have had has been six. That's it. They've
been absolutely it is. It's crazy. Until last night. Well, I
mean they still only got up by I think three or something like that in
the first half. The Lakers think that was the most so they have gotten
run off the floor by the Clippers. Did you see And I actually started
laughing out loud when I saw this. In the second half of Lebron was
guarding Kawuahi and basically face guarding him, just looking right at him. He
turned his back to everything. I thought I was watching a high school game.
I could not believe I was watching Lebron James do that, just staring
at him, keeping his back to the ball and just watching Kawhi. Kawai
really didn't do much in the second half, but he didn't have to.
He didn't have to, and I think that's actually a really good sign for
the Clippers. They've been able to win some games recently where Kawhi hasn't been
all world, which he has been the last three months. As much as
people want to talk about load management and him not playing back to backs and
the way they have babied him coming back from injuries, well, guess what,
it is worked because since he got back to regular minutes, Kawhi Leonard
has played at an MVP level. Well, it hasn't worked yet, so
because ultimately, and I hear what you're saying, but when you say it
worked, it'll work when this thing works in the playoffs and then they can
get where they want to go with him though, Well sure, but he's
got to be playing great basketball and back to that peat Kawhi level coming off
an ACL injury, and he is. He's the only player that I've ever
seen come back from huge injuries, the quad injury with the San Antonio Spurs
and now the ACEL and just get better. He's been close to fifty fifty
ninety splits from the field since January seven, since he's gotten back to playing
thirty five plus minutes a night, and he was, you know, the
best player on the floor at times when he had to be. Last night,
I know he didn't have a huge second half. They didn't eat him
too with bones Highland going off in the fourth quarter. Who's been kind of
a revelation bringing him in from Denver for the Clippers for two second round picks,
and he had fourteen points in the fourth quarter alone and didn't shy away
from the moment. And Kawhi still was guarding Lebron James at times. Lebron,
as you mentioned, was guarding Kawhi Leonard. Good to see that out
there. But it's just been crazy the level of domination the Clippers have had
over the Lakers. And that was the biggest game between the two teams ever,
make no mistake about it. Unfortunately we've never gotten a postseason series between
them. Almost happening in two thousand and six the Lakers lost the Phoenix in
the first round. Almost happened in twenty twenty with the Clippers collapse in the
bubble to the Denver Nuggets. They have just missed one another. I'm gonna
let that slide rob but it could still happen this season. The Lakers are
still going to be at worst in the play in tournament, and look,
they may have a better path if they end up taking on the Memphis Grizzlies.
I told you a month and a half ago. If they get Memphis
in the first round and the Lakers are healthy, they're gonna bounce them.
If they get Denver in the first round, they're going to push them.
At least. I think this Lakers team is still extremely dangerous. Last night
there were some tired legs. They had played four games in the last six
nights, but overall, they've been the third best defense post All Star Break.
And when you played defense like that consistently, your offense can come and
go. And they're one of the only teams in the NBA that's really scary
because they don't rely on three points shooting as much as other teams. It's
almost a bonus for them. They can beat you with points in the paint
and also getting to the free throw line ad nauseum plus four hundred the free
throw differential, the Lakers leading their opposition all season long. I'm just saying,
right, Rob, Yeah, I'm just saying, you know, I
don't know the Lakers. To me, First of all, I can't have
complete confidence that you'll have your full squad for any kind of playoff run.
I just I'll have to see it to believe it. And then, uh,
I don't know, when you take a look at the run and what
they've done, you got to tip your cap to him because they definitely made
some changes, you know, and and personnel that were for the better and
probably should have been made in the off season and they wouldn't be in this
situation. Hey, Rob, let me ask you something. Because they made
good moves. Does Lebron get credit as being the shadow GM when they made
good moves or just bad moves? Because that's what I've seen over the last
year. Oh, Lebron James wanted to bring in Russell Westbrook, terrible move.
He did well the trade deadline to get better. Does Lebron get any
credit for them? No? Because those are any of those players that they
brought in, those are Lebron James. Guys, come on and don't know
that Lebron deeside do Lebron is not Lebron's not not dealing with with that level
player. It's the bigger names that he has influence on. Would you at
least admit that out You don't think he knows he's a little Russell d loading.
I think they're they're well aware of him that he could have had an
intention there. I just don't think that Lebron hand picked all these players,
uh and said oh yeah, this is gonna turn the roster around. And
I think that's fine. But if you're going after him whenever there's a bad
move conveniently well but but but but the really bad move, though, you
gotta admit, was Westbrook, when everybody and their uncle said it wasn't gonna
work. Come on, Adam, everybody people first guessed it no doubt,
and he and Anthony Davis probably were the guys that wanted to bring him in.
But look, I'm just saying it's not fair. You can't have it
both ways. I agree with criticized for the bad moves and don't give him
any credit for the good ones. I think you can't kind of have it
both ways. I think Rob Polinka was far more instrumental in this deal,
That's what I because it worked. No oh no, I mean he's just
because of the type of most one too. But I agree with Rob.
I don't think Anthony Davis and Lebron called Rob Polink and said go get d
Low And I just don't believe that. You don't think they put pressure on
them to make a move well, to make well they should because it was
their fault. He was there, right. Well, the buck stops with
Rob Polink, right, and he should always be the one that takes the
blame or gets the credit. That's his job, that's his role. Well,
not everybody knows what happened, but I think in this and the first
time too with the Westbrook trade, if you look closely at Polink, I
saw strings on his arm, so I wasn't definitely sure he was making Lebron
the puffic master. What was the crowd like last night? It was loud,
they were into it. I mean, what about the breakdown. It
was a plan to stay out of the plan basically, so fans were going
crazy. Fans more Clipper fans. It's tough to tell because the Lakers fans
only cheer when their team is doing good, and the Clippers fans cheer regardless.
So it was just hard to get a read on that. Fred I'm
gonna say that it was close over to fifty fifty. It was technically a
Clippers home game, and Lakers fans were leaving early. Some left far too
early when they were down by twenty four in the second half, and they
ended up making a run and making a push. You know what. It
was a case of prematroy evacuation. What were they doing? Rob When is
your next stand up routine? Are you? Are you getting that Chris Rock
Netflix treatment eight times soon? Okay, Adam, So two games to go
for the Clippers, as you look into your crystal ball, because you've been
right most of the time on these things. Yeah, thank you forecasts.
What do we see? Two games to go and then the playoffs? What
happens? Well, you want to beat the Portland Trail Blazers of course on
Saturday on Saturday to help solidify your spot staying out of the plane. Look,
well, if you don't, it's crazy because the Blazers take no.
They completely have an eye on next season. They shut down Damian Lillard.
However, I think Buck Williams is playing in that game for Port Harry Porter.
They did just beat the timber Wolves in Minnesota who needed to win that
game, and overlook the Portland Trailblazers. You can't let that happen because the
guys who are out there on the court, even when a team is doing
some institutional tanking, the guys who are out there, the young guys,
have something to prove. So they can rise up and beat you. Sometimes
when they're just getting you know, minutes, all of a sudden, they
want to show off for their head coach and Chauncey Billups, So be careful
there. But let's assume they take down the Portland Trailblazers. They take that
game seriously, they don't have a letdown after beating the Lakers. Then you
may have a decision to make against the Phoenix Suns depending on what else happens
to the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans in the standings, because
you may not want to have to go the route of taking on Phoenix in
the first round, and then even if you beat them in the four or
five matchup, you'd be in the same bracket of taking on the Denver Nuggets
should they win in the one eight matchup, which they most likely will.
That's about as tough as a route as you could have just to get to
the Western Conference Finals, having to go through Phoenix and then the Denver Nuggets.
So your other option is, if you have a chance to fall to
the six spot without falling into the plan, would you prefer taking on the
Sacramento Kings in the first round, and then in the second round it could
be the Memphis Grizzlies. I think that's a more advantageous position to be in
path the least resistant least resistance matters in the NBA, and the Sacramento Kings
obviously are making the They're making the playoffs for the first time since two thousand
and six. They don't have that experience. Now. Daron Fox has been
the most clutch player in the NBA all season long when it comes to points
scored last five minutes of a game within five points, so be careful what
you wish for. But they don't play a ton of defense, and then
just don't have the postseason experience. So I would think if it comes down
to that and you have a chance to pick between taking on Phoenix or Sacramento,
you might look at taking on the Kings and taking that route in the
first round. But there's a good chance they're not going to be in a
position where they can choose because the things are so tight in the standards now
you can't fall but careful. The last two years, the two teams that
have fallen into the play in as the eighth seed, the Clippers last season
and the Golden State Warriors the year before that have not made it out of
the play in even though they had two chances. Because remember it's double elimination.
If you're in that seven eight matchup, loser ends up playing the winner
of nine ten. But the last two seasons that team that falls in the
eighth spot has not come out. So it's a dangerous game to play,
and you get five more days off if you're a top six seed. And
for the Clippers who are trying to get Paul George Moore rest and try to
get him back for the first round, we don't know about that situation yet.
That's everything I was going to ask you, No inkling, nothing yet.
He was supposed to be reevaluated in two or three weeks. Two weeks
would have been yesterday. No news came out on that. Three weeks would
be next week. But look, they avoided catastrophe because at first it looked
like a dead of a stating injury. But I did bring it up right
away. It looks similar to the hyper extension that Jannison Den and Kompo had
in the playoffs a couple of years ago. He came back after a week.
Now that's you honest, he's the Greek freak for a reason. But
I think there's a possibility, and nobody knows because it all depends on how
his body responds and recovers. Paul George probably doesn't even know at this point
because it's gonna come down to his movement and where he's at coming off the
injury. But is there a chance that he could come back in the first
round at some point? I think they're likely is. We'll see what happens,
though. The goal is to get as much rest as possible for a
Clippers team that needs to be fully healthy to get to their ultimate goal,
which is trying to win a championship. Clippers and Portland's Saturday. You'll hear
the game here on AM eleven fifty The SALTYA. I'll have the pregame show
at noon. Adam, thanks for coming in all right, love you.
Sorry about that one color going after you. Hey, but did I fess
up to all right? Did you always own it? I got no problem.
I fessed up. I was honest. I mean, Rob never say
but you do. I don't know that. I always sell it. Brogan
and Rotney A M five seventy LA Sports