WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:07.559 Lolco've been to Clippers Talk a live edition, just the 2 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:10.880 third we have done so far. I'm out of Moslin. 3 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:14.119 If you missed yesterday's show, we had Paul's cheron that 4 00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:18.199 was not live. That was an intimate podcast with a 5 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:22.320 comedium that is a Clippers fan that y'all should learn 6 00:00:22.359 --> 00:00:24.600 more about because he is one of the best of 7 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:28.640 the best speaking of today in this live everyone is 8 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:33.399 fortunate to have La Murray on, uh, including myself, because 9 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:36.119 we haven't connected in some time now during the off season. 10 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:38.039 I think he came on with us once on Clips 11 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:40.439 and Dip. But now I got this YouTube channel going 12 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:43.119 at Clippers Talk is where you could find it at 13 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:46.920 La Murray. The NU is where you find him on x. 14 00:00:47.079 --> 00:00:50.560 He covers the Clippers for the athletic He is well. 15 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:54.679 He is an unbiased, objective, impartial member of the media. 16 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:57.920 He does a service to Clippers fans because of his 17 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:01.280 great coverage. You are more plugs did and more informed 18 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:04.680 with this team clipornation. I know everybody loves La Murray 19 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:06.120 a lot of my friend, good catch. 20 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:10.200 Up, appreciate the kind words, thank you, and uh yeah, 21 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:13.239 I've been seeing your your little pot thing. I thought 22 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:15.760 that John went straight out of Super Mario World too, 23 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:17.400 with the cutouts and whatnot, so. 24 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:21.760 We're not as hard as Super Mario World. 25 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:25.840 To come on, y'all. Y'all's closed. Is that a lo 26 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:28.159 O Eric production? 27 00:01:28.840 --> 00:01:32.480 It is hashtag w t F l O l Eric. 28 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:36.359 You gotta shout out my guy, my guy Eric. I 29 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:40.079 recently had a change the avatar because it's a new year, 30 00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:43.040 but shout out to him. Shout out to him. Man, 31 00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:46.519 he gifted me for a year, so I gotta shout 32 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:49.239 him out. I know his see I know his work 33 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:50.719 when I see it. But I was like, if it's 34 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:53.439 not that, it's something out of this is definitely something 35 00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:54.879 out of Yoshi's Island for sure. 36 00:01:56.239 --> 00:01:58.760 With a little baby, asked Mario that starts crying all 37 00:01:58.799 --> 00:01:59.200 the time. 38 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:01.519 Yeah, no, I hate that game for real. 39 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:06.519 Lobry is with us here. It's a Clippers Talk Live. 40 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:10.400 I'm out of Mosland. Why alive because we both want 41 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:12.240 to watch the game tonight too, So we gotta get 42 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:14.120 this out of the way now. I don't want to 43 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:16.360 have to worry about uploading it later on. It's on 44 00:02:16.439 --> 00:02:20.280 the YouTube side at Clippers Talk is where you find it. 45 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.879 Love that game tonight is going to be a celebration 46 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:25.400 for some. 47 00:02:26.199 --> 00:02:30.960 So celebration for some Chiefs and Ravens. We'll see what 48 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:35.159 King Henry can do, all right. Not talking about King 49 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:37.919 James here on Clippers Talk. But there are a lot 50 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:39.759 of subjects I want to get into. Because you've been 51 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:42.919 doing a series. Let people know where they can find it. 52 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:46.360 Talking about the fourteen teams that didn't make the playoffs 53 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:47.080 last season. 54 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:51.479 Yeah, well not just those teams, but the teams that 55 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:54.560 sixteen teams that made the playoffs as well. So I 56 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:56.840 called it the Epitome Game Series. It's something that I 57 00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:00.680 did last summer as well. But last summer was the 58 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:02.560 first time I was like, you know what, I'm watching 59 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:06.599 all these games in the offseason. Let me do some 60 00:03:06.759 --> 00:03:10.560 video breakdowns. Mainly because I learned how to use iMovie efficiently, 61 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:12.400 so I was like, you know what, let me use it. 62 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.199 You know, shout out to the New York Times for 63 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:18.080 that one. And so last year I gave myself thirty 64 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:21.240 days to do it, and that was that was reasonable. 65 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:24.639 My life was a little bit more hectic going into 66 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:27.599 August twenty twenty four, so I didn't get around to 67 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:31.000 You might have heard about that building opening up in Englewood, 68 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:33.560 So you know, I was a little busy the first 69 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:38.599 half of August, but it was August seventeenth, I was like, 70 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:41.719 all right, if I start today on this project and 71 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.120 do two today, then I can get this done before 72 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:51.199 September first. And so doing doing these video breakdowns, I 73 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:56.599 watched entire an entire game for every team, and I 74 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:59.919 would basically break down what I thought was like the 75 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:04.080 gain that showed their biggest extreme as far as their 76 00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:06.280 strength or their weakness if they were a team that 77 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:10.759 missed the playoffs, and and you know I had I 78 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:13.120 had a good time doing it, Like you can't tell 79 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:16.639 me I don't watch your damn team. So I've watched 80 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:20.000 every single team at least once, and a lot of 81 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:23.279 those games were not fun to watch. I watched the 82 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:29.040 Blazers get smacked by sixty points. So like it was 83 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.040 a project I wanted to do, especially after doing it 84 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:33.720 last year, I was like, yeah, let me, let me, 85 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:36.319 let me do it again, because not only does it 86 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:38.839 refresh me at the deadest time of the year as 87 00:04:38.839 --> 00:04:41.680 far as games go, Like we're in the midpoint of 88 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:44.279 it's been a while since the playoffs, but it'll be 89 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:48.040 a little while before the season starts going, So August 90 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:50.560 is that time where it's like, let me remind myself 91 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:55.720 what basketball looks like in the regular season. And so 92 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:59.199 not only do you have that refresher, but also naturally 93 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:03.360 you're going to look at that and preview this upcoming season. 94 00:05:03.480 --> 00:05:06.399 So you know, it's a It was a service to 95 00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:10.040 me because newsflash, a lot of the work I do 96 00:05:10.120 --> 00:05:12.240 for anyone else that's got to start with me. Do 97 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:14.600 I want to do this? Is am I engaged with it? 98 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.600 Do I have a sense of purpose here? And then 99 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:20.839 obviously if I do this, I want people to see it. 100 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:24.240 So shout out to anybody who is like, yeah, I 101 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:26.519 want to watch one hundred minutes of what Law's got 102 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:29.360 to say about thirty NBA teams. It goes by quick 103 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:30.759 if you break it down like that. 104 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:33.399 And where can people find it? One more time? 105 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:36.759 Law, Yeah, it's on my YouTube, It's on my Instagram. 106 00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:40.879 I'm putting them up daily on my Instagram. Now they're 107 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:45.480 on my little used TikTok. So if you can find 108 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:47.959 my social you can probably find where these are at. 109 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:50.000 And if you can't, then I ain't that hard to find. 110 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:53.519 I saw it on Instagram earlier today, and it reminded 111 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:56.279 me of something that we'll be keeping track of all 112 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.439 season long, and maybe we can start with this. But 113 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:01.519 teams that you believe that are going to be close 114 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.959 on the standings in the Western Conference to the Clippers 115 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:08.519 who those teams are based upon, you know, the outlook 116 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:10.800 of this season. A lot of people have said law 117 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:16.319 that they believe sixth is aspirational. Basically for the Clippers, 118 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:18.959 staying out of the playing is the goal right now. 119 00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:21.399 But if you're saying they're going to be around that area, 120 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:24.759 that means six through ten somewhere in there. There's a 121 00:06:24.759 --> 00:06:26.959 lot of teams in the mix. We know how close 122 00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:29.959 the standings were last season. Do you believe I know 123 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:32.519 we say this every year with the Western Conference, but 124 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:37.279 to me, this might be peak Western Conference Gauntlet because 125 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:40.000 of the young teams that are on the rise. Wemby 126 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:42.639 with the Spurs now as CP three, the Houston Rockets 127 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:45.480 could be right there fighting for position with the Clippers. 128 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:46.959 Do you believe this is going to be one of 129 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.920 the most competitive years in league history in the Western Conference? 130 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:53.920 Sure, Let's league history. 131 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:55.839 Is modern history. 132 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.800 We got a lot of we got a lot of 133 00:06:58.839 --> 00:07:01.560 years to stack up, and I know a lot of 134 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:05.279 y'all not really trying to look at I mean, look, 135 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:08.639 I remember when the Western Conference was garbage in the eighties. 136 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:13.319 Lakers fans don't really like talking about you know, they 137 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:16.720 don't really talk about that. But like good reason, they 138 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:19.639 actually won the Chips. It'll be another thing if you 139 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:21.319 come out of the West all the time and you 140 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:25.399 can't get it done. They got it done. But like 141 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:27.160 I thought that was the case last year. I don't 142 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:31.040 really see anything that new, to be honest with you. 143 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:33.480 I mean, I know Clippers fans are going to probably 144 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:37.319 see it a different way because, you know, they had 145 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:40.480 a different kind of team last year, like an end 146 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:45.519 stage team with some high star power, you know, a 147 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:48.639 level of desperation that comes with the contract status of 148 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:51.120 the guys that they had. Like that's not the case anymore. 149 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:54.600 We're in a different kind of era as far as 150 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:57.279 discussing where the Clippers are at. But the Western Conference 151 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:01.720 was like that last year, Like Becase was different last 152 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:03.120 year compared to the year before. 153 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:06.839 No, no doubt, it's always tough. I just see it 154 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:09.879 as well. Memphis was out of the picture last year. 155 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:12.600 We expected them to be back. How many teams are 156 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:15.920 actually getting significantly worse. Most would point to the Clippers 157 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:19.000 as being that team because they lost Paul George of 158 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:20.839 a team that's going to take a real step back 159 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:23.079 when there's all these other teams that could get better. 160 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:26.120 Yeah, I mean the Clippers is the only team in 161 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:29.399 the entire league East or West that lost an All Star, 162 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:34.080 you know, So there's that part of it. No other Yeah, 163 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:36.879 another team has to deal with that. But then again, 164 00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:39.720 the Clippers are also they look a lot more like 165 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:44.000 the team that they were for years before James Harden 166 00:08:44.039 --> 00:08:46.080 got there, before Russ got there, as far as a 167 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:49.080 team built around two stars. So I think a lot 168 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:51.159 of people are going to react more to what the 169 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:55.360 Clippers lost than to who the Clippers have mostly been 170 00:08:55.480 --> 00:08:59.279 under Toronto Loo anyway, it's just astet of P's. It's 171 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:03.480 James Harden, you know, when you look at teams like Memphis, 172 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.080 just like, on one hand, you get job back, but 173 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:09.120 on the other hand, Joe's not coming back to the 174 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:12.440 same team that he left when Memphis was the two 175 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:17.559 seed in twenty twenty three, and in I think believe 176 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:22.519 they were the two seed also in twenty twenty two 177 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:27.440 as well. If the two, or I believe they were two. 178 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:30.840 They were up there. I'm thinking of the year they 179 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:32.399 lost the Lakers in the first round. 180 00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:35.519 They're just the Lakers. They were two for sure. Yeah, 181 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:40.639 the year before. I'm trying to remember quickly who had 182 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:43.399 home court advantage between the Warriors and the Grizzlies in 183 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:47.639 that semi finals, and like the reality is like a 184 00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:49.559 lot of people are going to react to that Grizzlies 185 00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:52.320 team and it's like, yeah, like that that Grizzly team 186 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:55.279 had home court advantage, like they were fifty six and 187 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:58.279 twenty six. The Warriors were fifty three and twenty nine 188 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:00.960 wound up winning the championship as a three. So like 189 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:05.240 the Grizzlies are a team where it's like, how much 190 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:07.279 better are they going to be? It's like, on one hand, yes, 191 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:10.039 John coming back changes a lot, Like they were literally 192 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.840 the worst offense in basketball last year. They were terrible 193 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:16.600 to watch play basketball, like from the jump, and Joh 194 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:20.000 changes a lot. On the other hand, that team is 195 00:10:20.039 --> 00:10:22.360 not as good as those teams that were two seeds 196 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:25.240 number one and number two. The thing with Jah is 197 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:29.799 Joh don't stay healthy either. Like John didn't just play 198 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:32.000 nine games because he was suspended for twenty five of them. 199 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:34.799 Joh had a shoulder injury that took him out for 200 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:37.000 the rest of the year. Joe rarely stays on the 201 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:40.080 floor for you know, John's probably going you can pencil 202 00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:42.720 Joh in and probably miss twenty games. So that's the 203 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:45.000 thing with these teams. It's like, on one hand, yes, 204 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:48.600 on paper, the competition is going to be crazy, but 205 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:51.840 what separate teams every year? Player availability? And yes, if 206 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:54.440 you're the Clippers, you're probably a little bit concerned about that. 207 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:57.320 If you're a team like Memphis, if you're a team 208 00:10:57.360 --> 00:10:59.240 like Golden State, if you're a team like the Los 209 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:02.120 Angeles Lakers, you should also be concerned about that. Some 210 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:04.039 of the teams that might take a jump, they gotta 211 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:07.000 take massive jumps, like the Spurs have to take a 212 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:11.240 massive jump to be quote unquote competitive like they were. 213 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:12.960 Of course, they looked better in the second half of 214 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:15.360 last year because they started the year damn near five 215 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:19.679 and thirty. Like, if you're going from an F to 216 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:22.080 a C minus, you're gonna look like an improved team. 217 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:25.080 All yeah, but what just happens if they actually play 218 00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:28.320 wemby real minutes like it it's they're not I think 219 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.440 as far from being a playing team as some people 220 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:32.039 might believe. 221 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:34.320 Yeah, no, that play in Battle is going to be 222 00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:37.320 what's crazy? You know, I think all these teams in 223 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:40.559 the West have real flaws, Like like Denver's not going 224 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:42.919 to be as good as they were last year. I 225 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:45.519 think Phoenix has a reason to be better, but no 226 00:11:45.559 --> 00:11:47.799 one is going to be scared of Phoenix if it 227 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:50.879 gets to a playoff situation. Like I think Phoenix actually 228 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:53.440 like they hired the right coach if they wanted to 229 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:57.080 get their regular season stuff together, Like Bud goes to 230 00:11:57.159 --> 00:12:00.240 teams and makes them better in the regular season, but 231 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:03.519 you knows, I. 232 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:06.120 Don't think they playing seventy five games this year. 233 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:10.279 Well that's the thing. It's like Budd is coaching three 234 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:14.639 guys who, yeah, KD I expect will miss some time. 235 00:12:15.320 --> 00:12:17.639 Book is a guy who doesn't always still on the floor. 236 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:21.080 But Brad can't be as bad as he was last year. 237 00:12:21.159 --> 00:12:23.000 I think they're gonna just be in a better state 238 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:27.039 when they got their guys actually available to play. And 239 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:31.440 you know, even even teams like Dallas, how good do 240 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:33.600 you think Dallas is going to be? Like I expect 241 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:36.000 them to be really good, But at the same time, 242 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:41.600 they're the typical team where given a short run, bacon 243 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.639 hurt you. Given a long season, they're more likely to 244 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:48.200 run in some real bumps and stuff because of the 245 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:50.720 guys that are that are on their team, like Klay 246 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:53.919 Thompson is all of a sudden their third most important player, 247 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:58.679 and that that's a little scary. So the competition in 248 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:02.320 the West is more like every night is just going 249 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:04.519 to be something. But the teams that are going to 250 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:06.879 be at the top of the West, they have real flaws. 251 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:09.480 And the teams that are already at the bottom, it 252 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:11.840 don't take much for them to be like, Yo, we 253 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:15.639 were talking some game and we ain't really about that life. 254 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:19.960 The Clippers, I feel like, are literally dead smack in 255 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:22.559 the middle of that. They are the most bubble of 256 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:25.759 the bubble teams. There's like, if. 257 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:29.639 Kawhi plays sixty games, right, that's a sing it's playing enough. 258 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:32.159 Yeah, And I think he will, like I think he 259 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:37.039 had some bad timing and bad fortune with where his 260 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:37.799 knee was at. 261 00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:40.519 Can we talk about that. I want to ask you 262 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:44.720 about that because like I'm not trying to be an alarmist, 263 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:47.600 but I have real concerns when it sounds like a 264 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:50.679 right knee that had been under the knife multiple times 265 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:55.039 prior was swollen and they couldn't get it over under 266 00:13:55.080 --> 00:13:58.519 control for almost two months. We don't even know when 267 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:01.399 the swelling really subsides. You just kind of have to 268 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:03.399 go off of the timeline of when he showed up 269 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:06.159 for camp or Team USA, right, and that's almost three 270 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:09.080 months so when and he said, then, you know, two 271 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:13.440 weeks beforehand he had a turning point. It's like that 272 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:17.799 to me is really worrisome. Is that am I being 273 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:20.879 a little bit too caution cautionary there? 274 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:23.840 I don't think he can be too cautious with Kawhi, 275 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:30.039 Like it's just because Kawhi Leonard finishing a playoff series, 276 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.039 whether his team wins the damn playoff series or not, 277 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:37.519 would be an event that we have not seen since 278 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:41.799 the twenty twenty one quarterfinals against the Dallas Mavericks. So 279 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:45.320 you know, I think you have to reasonably expect Kuhi 280 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:47.559 to miss time. I think there has to be a 281 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:52.200 maintenance plan for Kawhi to you know, get through the season. 282 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:57.080 Like that's just what it is. And so there aren't 283 00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:59.679 a crazy number of five and sevens. I know, people 284 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:02.120 are I reacted to the fact that they have sixteen 285 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:06.039 sets of back to backs and if Kawhi misses games 286 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:09.919 on those back to backs, then you're just gonna have 287 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:14.159 to be ready for that. But I do feel like 288 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:17.080 if Kawhi, the most important thing for right now is 289 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:19.279 that Kawhi is going to be ready for camp. Like 290 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:22.840 when I last saw him in Vegas in July, he 291 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:25.440 was feeling, he was feeling good, he was feeling like 292 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:27.320 he was in good spirits, like he could have did 293 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:30.960 the Team USA thing, Like he wasn't in distress or 294 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:33.480 anything like that. He was ready to work. We've seen 295 00:15:33.559 --> 00:15:38.840 him be in San Diego working at USC working with 296 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:43.159 Eric Musselman, Like I think, you know, you have to 297 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:46.679 let basketball players play basketball. And I do think the 298 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:48.960 Clippers are going to do things differently to kind of 299 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:52.519 adjust for the fact that they don't want his knee 300 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.200 to get worn down at a terrible time. And I 301 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:59.440 think that reasonably that probably means Kawhi is a shoe 302 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:02.240 in the mist fifteen to twenty games. The hope is 303 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:04.519 that that's all you have to do is just manage, 304 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:07.559 you know, stuff and hope that he doesn't have an 305 00:16:07.559 --> 00:16:10.559 occurrence where something random pops up. What you don't want 306 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:14.159 is any Joe Ingles incidents or any time where he 307 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:17.559 falls on the dude and springs an ankles. Seriously, you 308 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:20.440 want to just avoid the freak stuff from happening. And 309 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.039 if Kawhi is out there, the team's going to be 310 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:27.159 good because that's what Kawhi does. He raises the floor 311 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:30.200 and he raises the ceiling. Not every star does that, 312 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:34.080 and James is a similar way. Like I think people 313 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:37.000 react to James in the playoffs and James having fallouts 314 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:40.240 with the teams that he's been on. What people will 315 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:42.919 gloss over because James is the kind of player that 316 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:46.919 you move go posts for is the fact that James 317 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:52.000 is a guy who is a league average at worst 318 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:56.080 offense every single year. So the Clippers are going to 319 00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:59.240 need offensive contributors this year. Well, at the very least, 320 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:01.559 it's good that you have James Harden as part of 321 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:04.319 the solution, the figuring that stuff out, not just getting 322 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:06.799 himself more opportunities to do what he does well, so 323 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:09.079 as putting the ball to the basket, but he's going to 324 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:11.799 work with ben guys who are new to the team 325 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:14.559 to get them up to speed, to do things that 326 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:16.640 a lot of those guys are trying to get paid 327 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:19.039 or in position to get paid, they haven't done before. 328 00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:22.000 And that is a floor raising thing. And we're talking 329 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:24.440 about regular season at him right, We're not talking about 330 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:28.480 what they might do in the playoffs. So those guys 331 00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:31.319 getting a reasonable amount of games out of those guys, 332 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:33.839 both individually and as a combo, is going to be 333 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:35.960 a good place for where the Clippers are going into 334 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:36.440 the season. 335 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.640 My biggest concern is just is it over with that 336 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:44.200 one issue of the swelling or is this something you 337 00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:46.240 have to manage all the way through where it. 338 00:17:46.200 --> 00:17:49.119 Can manage it. I think you're gonna have to just 339 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:51.960 manage it. We're gonna We're probably gonna hear from Kawhi 340 00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:57.519 about if he's learned anything, if there's something about his 341 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:02.519 body that he feels good about that he feels concerned about. 342 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:06.119 And I think the team is probably spooked. 343 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:09.440 You know, I think Tmusa was spooked law I think 344 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:13.279 what he said, we know they were no, but particularly 345 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:16.440 by the language Kawhi used of right now it's in 346 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:20.519 a neutral state. I think that set up a red 347 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:23.160 flag for them where you could say Kawhi felt good 348 00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:26.440 enough to go. I think the reason they sent him 349 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:30.599 home was maybe because they just weren't sure if he 350 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:34.079 was able to sustain that level of play or they'd 351 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:36.279 be a setback at some point during the campaign and 352 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:38.160 they didn't want to have to deal with that. That's 353 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:40.440 my guest. I didn't like it. Of course, I want 354 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:42.759 Kawhi to be playing, and if he says he's ready 355 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:45.319 to go, you know, he's such a legacy player and 356 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:47.359 one of the greatest players of his generation. I think 357 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:50.640 he should have had that opportunity. But I think that's why. 358 00:18:50.920 --> 00:18:52.839 I mean, look, man, they got an up close look 359 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.279 at him. They had Derek White on speed all and 360 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:59.599 they felt better with because to me, it wasn't just 361 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:02.599 Kawhi that they had to consider as far as get 362 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:05.359 Derek White on the team. The fact is they had 363 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:08.599 other guys that weren't playing, weren't practicing, weren't going to 364 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:10.519 be ready to play in the exhibitions, or we're going 365 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:13.119 to be limited in the exhibitions. And it was like, 366 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:15.960 do we make a decision now or do we risk 367 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:19.039 you know, Katie not getting his calf right or Joelle 368 00:19:19.079 --> 00:19:22.200 not being ready to go. And I felt like Kawhi 369 00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:24.799 was always going to be the guy who was whether 370 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:30.000 Kawhi looked great or Kawhi didn't look greater. Really it 371 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.319 was a matter of, you know, Kawhi is not going 372 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:34.640 to be a flashy dude. Okayhi is just going to 373 00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:36.880 show up and go through the emotions. It was t 374 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:39.480 USA basically to me, this is my read on it, 375 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:41.880 and this is I feel like Kawhi's reading as well. 376 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:44.880 I feel like it was like, we have this zude 377 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.880 Derek White, who we know is healthy and going to 378 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:49.680 be ready to play. Do we feel better about him 379 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.000 being with us or do we feel better about risking 380 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:55.680 whether it was Kawhi or somebody else being shorthanded for 381 00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:58.480 a port or the a portion of the Olympics. And 382 00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:00.759 I just feel like they took a I and Derek, 383 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:04.440 who was more of a short thing than Kawhi was. Yeah, 384 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:05.759 and he. 385 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:06.480 Played well too. 386 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:09.359 By the way he played well played he played a 387 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:12.480 role that you know they that team needed, Like it's 388 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.240 not like they replaced Kawhi with Jalen Brown. You know, 389 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:18.559 they didn't replace Kawhi with another Kawhi, a assimilate of 390 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:22.240 that player. They were like, we want a sure thing 391 00:20:22.359 --> 00:20:25.400 we want a guy who's here, Like, if anything, look 392 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:28.319 at Kevin Durant replacing Kawhi, Like KD wasn't the one 393 00:20:28.359 --> 00:20:32.319 playing in Vegas, and then KD got because he had 394 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:35.759 the points record. What are you gonna do? You wanna 395 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:40.039 send KAD home when Kawhi is out there feeling his 396 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:43.720 way out? Nah, Like you're gonna get Derek White in there, 397 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:45.599 and you're gonna hope, all right if KD is there, 398 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:48.000 at least you know KD got a level to get 399 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.359 to and kt got to that level. So it worked 400 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:54.400 out for USA. It was definitely a more eventful Olympics. 401 00:20:54.519 --> 00:20:58.559 I feel like than any Olympics that I've ever experienced 402 00:20:58.599 --> 00:20:59.640 since two thousand and four. 403 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:03.599 You're listening to Clippers Talk. It's a Clippers Talk Live edition. 404 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:06.319 I'm outa Maslim. We got Lot Murray of the Athletic here, 405 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:09.240 having talked with Lawn sometime, a lot to catch up on. 406 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:11.119 I know you guys have a lot of questions too. 407 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:15.240 Here's Miles Johnson. Since it's topical we're talking Kawhi, but 408 00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:17.759 also we mentioned James Harden a little bit, and this 409 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.519 is the new duo. Now it is pretty damn clear 410 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:23.160 twenty one Blackjack, whatever you want to say for their 411 00:21:23.240 --> 00:21:26.519 jersey numbers. The two one three era is over. It's Kawhi, 412 00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:29.920 it's James Harden, and Miles Johnson wants to know this 413 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:34.480 from law the points rebounds assist expectations for Kawhi and 414 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:35.599 James Harden this year. 415 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:38.240 Mole sound like he's trying to do a get a 416 00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:45.519 fantasy draft together. Like individual numbers are a little like 417 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:50.279 it's a little tough to project for me because I'm like, 418 00:21:50.359 --> 00:21:54.519 I mean, look, what do you really expect. I think 419 00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:58.799 it's more important to have guys play play games than 420 00:21:58.839 --> 00:22:01.680 it is to expect them to hit certain numbers. Like 421 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:05.200 I think sometimes guys numbers go up and that's a 422 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:05.640 bad thing. 423 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:10.160 You know, efficiency goes down, but the overall numbers. 424 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:12.480 Go up or your team just ain't good enough, so 425 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:16.000 you needed you need those players to do more. For instance, 426 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:19.839 like you know, like Ajia Wilson right now, like Ajie 427 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:23.119 Wilson's going is, her numbers are crazy good right now, 428 00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:25.759 but her team ain't running the league like it was, 429 00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:29.160 you know, in the years where her numbers were not 430 00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:31.279 needed to be as high as they are and right 431 00:22:31.319 --> 00:22:37.559 now for instance, So yeah, I think, yeah, Kawhi needs 432 00:22:37.559 --> 00:22:40.119 to hit twenty five game. I think James needs to 433 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:43.680 hit twenty a game. I don't think either one of 434 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:48.640 those guys hit those numbers last year. As far as points, rebounds, 435 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:53.119 like Kawhi's rebounding has declined over time, but I think 436 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:58.160 that I think seven the game is probably a good 437 00:22:58.680 --> 00:23:01.319 a good number. The thing with kaw Kawhi is a 438 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:06.480 pretty good contested rebounder. That's something that there are some 439 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:09.880 guys who grab a ton of rebounds, but like Jason 440 00:23:09.880 --> 00:23:13.720 Tatum for instance, Jason Tatum is an outstanding rebounder from 441 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:17.960 a I just got rebounds perspective, But Jason gets a 442 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:22.599 lot of uncontested, cheap rebounds, okay, you know, and. 443 00:23:22.519 --> 00:23:24.799 Then the Russell Westbrook boards. 444 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:33.160 I'm Tatum gets a lot of uncontested rebounds. And then 445 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:36.359 if you flip it, a guy like Aaron Gordon, like 446 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:41.440 Aaron Gordon gets doesn't have as many counting number rebounds, 447 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:43.279 But if you look at the kind of rebounds Aaron 448 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:47.240 Gordon gets for an outstanding rebounding team, and the Nuggets 449 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:49.880 like Aaron Gordon gets the toughest rebounds in the league. 450 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:51.920 Like so if you look at it. From that perspective, 451 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:56.000 Kawhi is a really good, like contested rebounder, but there's 452 00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:57.920 gonna be more of those that he's gonna have to 453 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:01.759 get because instead of Paul George, you're playing with Derek 454 00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:04.400 Jones Junior more often, and Derek is not going to 455 00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:06.279 be around the perimeter as much. It's going to be 456 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:08.960 a cascading effect. So there's going to be more rebounds 457 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:11.240 that Kawhi is going to have to, you know, pry 458 00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:14.279 his hands on to secure possessions sort of. Clippers. I 459 00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:16.839 think the Clippers are going to be a pretty bad 460 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:21.880 rebounding team this year, but you know there's a side 461 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:23.759 effect to that. I do expect them to be more 462 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:27.920 aggressive as well, trying to force some turnovers. James is 463 00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:31.240 a guy who last year he have five rebounds a game. 464 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:34.119 I think that that guy is a really good rebound 465 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:36.079 for reguard, like I think he can get back up 466 00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:40.720 to six next year. We're talking about rebounds like dimes 467 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:44.759 per game. James slipped to eight point five last year, 468 00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:49.440 and the thing with you know, James Harden going eight 469 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:52.160 point five, he was still close to top five in 470 00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:54.000 the league. In a sistber game and look at all 471 00:24:54.039 --> 00:24:57.359 the mouths that the Clippers offense had to feed. Again, 472 00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:01.039 you don't have PG, you don't have Russ you got, 473 00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:05.279 you don't have as many playmakers. James averaging tennisist per 474 00:25:05.319 --> 00:25:09.160 game is a thing that is a real possibility. Like 475 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.799 he's got he's going to have guys, he's gonna have 476 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:13.599 to create the balls want to be in his hands. 477 00:25:14.039 --> 00:25:16.480 I think you know, he led the league and assists 478 00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:19.960 his last year in Philly, Like, it's a pretty good expectation. 479 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:22.599 Like ten tennisis per game is a pretty good number 480 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.759 for James and possibly reach like he can average twenty 481 00:25:24.759 --> 00:25:28.960 and ten next year. Kawhi Kawhi has never been a huge, 482 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:33.359 you know, playmaker, So I mean where he was last 483 00:25:33.400 --> 00:25:36.880 year is probably about where he'll be next next year. 484 00:25:36.920 --> 00:25:38.359 I think for a sists per game is probably what 485 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:41.880 you can expect for Kawhi. And yeah, I think that 486 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:45.240 covers points, rebounds, and assists. But good luck on you 487 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:47.319 old fantasy draft bro Like, I don't know why you 488 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:49.920 would draft any Clippers for your fantasy team, but if 489 00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:54.680 you need to. If there's one Clipper I'm drafting for fantasy, 490 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:58.759 it's James Harden because I trust his health more than 491 00:25:58.839 --> 00:26:02.160 Kawhi's I trust defect. The ball is going to be 492 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:05.799 in his hands all the time. Like Toronto Lu learned 493 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:08.279 in November of twenty twenty three that what you're not 494 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:10.480 going to do with James Harden is tell him to 495 00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:14.160 get ready to catch and shoot from three. You're gonna 496 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:15.759 get the ball in his hands to get the most 497 00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:19.319 out of James, and Tlu leaned into James more than 498 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:23.720 he's leaned into any guard he's ever had. Like and 499 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:27.400 now you got less, guys. James Harden is going to 500 00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:29.880 put up crazy numbers. I'm not sure how efficient he 501 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:33.119 will be. I don't feel great about his efficiency, but 502 00:26:34.119 --> 00:26:37.799 he's his counting stats. His volume is going to be 503 00:26:39.240 --> 00:26:41.200 spectacular going in the next season. 504 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:46.000 J m I thirteen twenty four said Harden will be 505 00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:48.480 at twenty ten and six on forty four thirty eight 506 00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:53.559 eighty seven shooting splits. That is optimistic, I'd say, but 507 00:26:54.119 --> 00:26:57.599 it's not totally crazy. How many more shots do you 508 00:26:57.640 --> 00:26:59.480 think he ends up taking per game? Because he was 509 00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:01.319 only at a let been with the Clippers last season. 510 00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:03.799 Law I was talking with somebody in like maybe fifteen 511 00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:06.400 to seventeen. They were saying seventeen to twenty. I think 512 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:08.440 that's just far too many. Where do you have, Matt? 513 00:27:09.880 --> 00:27:12.359 I mean, I just don't think there's there's areas on 514 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:15.480 the floor. James doesn't hit and just doesn't get to 515 00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:20.200 fifteen shots per game is a good baseline for me. So, 516 00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:22.799 I mean, you have to look at it like this, 517 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:26.160 where are your shots coming from? We already established James 518 00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:28.640 ain't really about that catch and shoot life, and so 519 00:27:29.559 --> 00:27:31.279 you need other guys to set you up to shoot 520 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:33.559 that shot. Their ball will get out of his hands 521 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:37.160 and get back in his hands on occasion, and he is. 522 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:39.000 It's not like he's a bad catching shoot guy. It's 523 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:41.759 just that you know, the ball has to be out 524 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:44.079 of your hands and back in your hands somehow. You 525 00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:46.079 have to play with other guys who make plays. So 526 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:51.400 for the most part, we're talking what James is outstanding at, 527 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:56.119 and that is the pull up three, that sidestep three. Like, 528 00:27:56.200 --> 00:27:58.720 we're gonna see that a lot. That dude's going to 529 00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:02.079 be launching them three is a lot. Like The concern 530 00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:07.559 is can he embrace the floater we saw in game four? 531 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:10.079 I wrote a whole story on float school, you know 532 00:28:10.119 --> 00:28:14.559 what I mean. But he wasn't the floatgoat in Game 533 00:28:14.599 --> 00:28:18.119 five though? So like because James is the type of 534 00:28:18.119 --> 00:28:21.440 player where if that thing is working and he knows 535 00:28:21.480 --> 00:28:25.279 he needs to hit it, he'll hit it. But James 536 00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:27.519 is also the kind of player where he'll get discouraged, 537 00:28:27.880 --> 00:28:31.480 you know, so it's like, oh, I got my ship blocked, like, 538 00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:33.680 and then he won't he won't go back to it. 539 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:37.079 You know, he'll feel like he can Minnesota. 540 00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:41.519 Yeah, And and it's like that's where it's like, Okay, 541 00:28:41.799 --> 00:28:43.440 James is good at reading the game, and I think 542 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:47.720 James is leaned into his ability to create for others 543 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:50.359 at a high, high level. Like again, how many tennis 544 00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:53.720 seasons does he have? Like he's one of the very 545 00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:56.720 best passers the game has ever seen in that regard. 546 00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:00.680 But the dude has to score. And it's easy, I 547 00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:03.240 think for him to get the pull up three off, 548 00:29:03.400 --> 00:29:06.119 because all you need to do is dribble, dribble, dribble, 549 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:09.200 create some space and get that thing off. Will he 550 00:29:09.319 --> 00:29:12.039 hit the mid range more often? Will he embrace the 551 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:15.160 floater more often? How can he get to the rim? 552 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:19.720 Because when you're older, any player who has bursts to 553 00:29:19.759 --> 00:29:22.960 consistently get to the rim as a special player. James 554 00:29:23.160 --> 00:29:26.920 used to be that guy. Does James consistently get to 555 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:29.720 the rim at this age of his career, And if 556 00:29:29.759 --> 00:29:32.359 you see it early, I don't care. You got to 557 00:29:32.400 --> 00:29:35.160 see it over the course of the dog days of the season. 558 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:37.960 I thought, James last year, here's how the season win. 559 00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:40.759 He needed some time to get acclimated and to get 560 00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:43.440 into playing game shape. I thought he actually came to 561 00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:46.960 the Clippers in good shape physically, but as far as 562 00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:50.799 being a basketball player and playing games, he needed a 563 00:29:50.839 --> 00:29:53.000 good ten games to get to the point where he 564 00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:54.799 was comfortable playing games. And then he got to that 565 00:29:54.839 --> 00:29:57.960 point and the Clippers offense took off, and then you 566 00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:01.240 saw in February that there was a little bit of 567 00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:04.880 a Okay, we've been playing hard for two months, now, 568 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:08.839 let's see some regression. And then he finally missed games 569 00:30:08.839 --> 00:30:16.319 in March. Right, So it's sustainability. How can James be effective? Efficient? 570 00:30:16.599 --> 00:30:20.319 And that third part sustainable and what does that look like? 571 00:30:20.319 --> 00:30:23.640 A sorry his shot diet and that's and I have 572 00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:27.480 concerns about that part from an efficiency standpoint, but I 573 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:30.400 think those three's are going to get them, and I 574 00:30:30.440 --> 00:30:32.319 think he knows he has to hit the paint more often, 575 00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:34.640 and he's going to get you know, I think you're 576 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:37.000 going to see a lot more paint James Harden than 577 00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:37.759 you did last year. 578 00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:40.960 That answer kind of ties into a good question from 579 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:43.359 Grant Mona from the Sporting Tribute and talking about his 580 00:30:43.480 --> 00:30:48.519 raine concern with fatigue. Will he be able to sustain 581 00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:51.519 it while being asked to score more at the age 582 00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:53.480 of thirty five. He just had a birthday a week 583 00:30:53.559 --> 00:30:56.960 or so ago, and I have concerns about that. I 584 00:30:57.240 --> 00:30:59.519 think you have to manage James Harden to some extent 585 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:02.519 to the season. Having to do that with your other 586 00:31:02.519 --> 00:31:05.200 best player in Kawhi Leonard while trying to stay out 587 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:08.240 of the play in that seems very difficult. That's a 588 00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:09.119 difficult balance. 589 00:31:09.720 --> 00:31:11.480 I think it was a balance that they had to 590 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:14.759 do with Paul George as well. Like the thing with 591 00:31:14.839 --> 00:31:17.640 Paul is you saw it last year. You know why 592 00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:20.559 Paul was able to play as many games as he did, 593 00:31:20.839 --> 00:31:26.119 It's because they took responsibility away from Paul. Like on 594 00:31:26.200 --> 00:31:28.680 both ends of the floor, they didn't have Paul chasing 595 00:31:28.720 --> 00:31:31.000 around the smallest guards. They let Terrence man get his 596 00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:34.839 get his head beat in. With that responsibility which I'm 597 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:37.720 sure Terrence is appreciated the fact that they have two 598 00:31:37.720 --> 00:31:41.039 guys to handle that instead of Terrence. You know, Derek 599 00:31:41.160 --> 00:31:42.960 is going to do that to start games, and Chris 600 00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:46.119 Dunn is going to be asked to do that in relief. 601 00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:49.480 On the other end of the floor, Paul wasn't running 602 00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:52.440 as many ISOs, as many pick and rolls. His off 603 00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:56.319 ball was enhanced, and Paul had to kind of accept that. 604 00:31:56.799 --> 00:32:00.920 But you know that James Harden allowed out for Paul 605 00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:05.839 to be healthy efficient, not because Paul and Pete and 606 00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:09.960 James clicked together. You know, I think Paul played better 607 00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:12.440 when Russe was on the floor, But at the same time, 608 00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:17.160 Paul didn't have to take the beat down that on 609 00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:19.920 ball guys have to take, and I think that helps 610 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:22.039 Paul get through the season. You know, Paul had a 611 00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:25.160 little rough patch in there physically at the end of 612 00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:27.839 January and throughout February. 613 00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:31.039 But points per game, Yeah, it was bad. 614 00:32:30.839 --> 00:32:34.039 But but but but you know, like Paul was able 615 00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:37.319 to be healthier last year than he was able to 616 00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:40.759 stay healthy in the previous two years, right, And obviously 617 00:32:40.759 --> 00:32:43.440 a lot of that also comes with not having your 618 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:46.960 arm smashed by Yusef Nurkics and not having your knee 619 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:49.920 smashed by Lugan Stewart. Like, again, there's some luck involved 620 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:54.039 in that as well. So sustaining James Harden, I think 621 00:32:54.119 --> 00:32:56.920 he's very stubborn. I think he wants to play all 622 00:32:56.960 --> 00:32:59.359 the games and all the minutes that he can. They 623 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:02.720 literally had to pry him to the bench in March 624 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:04.720 because if it was up to James, he wouldn't have 625 00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:08.359 missed even the games that he did miss Like that's 626 00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:11.160 how James is wired. James is more durable than Kawhi 627 00:33:11.400 --> 00:33:15.039 and Paul George are, and at the same time, there 628 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:17.839 are things that James can't do that other guys can do. 629 00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:20.759 So the key to sustaining James, especially if the key 630 00:33:20.839 --> 00:33:22.720 is getting James to do the most, I think Terrence 631 00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:24.440 is gonna have a lot to do with it. If 632 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:27.400 you're gonna want James to be able to get a 633 00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:30.240 little bit easier buckets over the course of games, you 634 00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:32.279 need to put the ball in Terrence Man's hands a 635 00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:34.960 lot more. And Terrence has to show that he can 636 00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:37.799 make things happen as a playmaker. That is something that 637 00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:40.599 people probably aren't talking about as much, but I believe 638 00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:42.640 that if Terrence and I believe Terrence is the better 639 00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:45.079 option to start so that Norm can do what we 640 00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:48.000 know he's capable of, and that is cook entire second 641 00:33:48.079 --> 00:33:51.279 units by himself, like me and me and Norm. Norm 642 00:33:51.319 --> 00:33:53.680 doesn't like to hear it, but me and me and 643 00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:55.839 Norm like used to talk all the time about, hey, 644 00:33:55.839 --> 00:33:58.559 you have more points than the entire other team's reserves combined. 645 00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:01.400 Like we didn't have as many of those games last 646 00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:06.079 year because Norm's scoring output wasn't as required. It will 647 00:34:06.119 --> 00:34:08.639 absolutely be required this year. But we know what Norm 648 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:11.079 doesn't do. Normans. Norm's on the court to get buckets. 649 00:34:11.159 --> 00:34:14.199 Norm's not on the court to send Zoo bots wrap 650 00:34:14.239 --> 00:34:17.480 around passes like Terrence can do that stuff, though, and 651 00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:21.039 Terrence has to be able to do more on the 652 00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:24.159 ball because the entire offense just needs somebody. You're not 653 00:34:24.199 --> 00:34:26.599 gonna ask Derrick Jillones you're gonna do that Zoo, I'm 654 00:34:26.639 --> 00:34:29.000 sure if you're gonna want to talk about Zoo on here, 655 00:34:29.199 --> 00:34:32.679 Like Zuo is a proficient post player, but what Zoo 656 00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:35.880 is not is a guy who's going to be a 657 00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:39.079 guy who you play through. You know, we see that 658 00:34:39.159 --> 00:34:41.880 if Zoo's allowed to post jus up and match them 659 00:34:41.880 --> 00:34:46.400 and score. He can be incredible. If a team says, 660 00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:48.519 screw that, we're gonna beat the hell out of Zoo, 661 00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:51.679 double team him, take him out the game, Zuo's probably 662 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:54.280 not hurting you as much like Zoo's not a proficient passer. 663 00:34:54.320 --> 00:34:55.880 He's not a guy who if you put two on 664 00:34:56.039 --> 00:35:00.719 Zoo and Zoo's catch areas aren't expansive. Zuo is a 665 00:35:00.719 --> 00:35:02.599 low block guy, a role guy. He's not a guy 666 00:35:02.639 --> 00:35:05.800 who's setting up, spacing the floor, picking him pop in, 667 00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:08.559 doing any of that stuff. So Terrence is the guy 668 00:35:08.559 --> 00:35:11.639 who has the versatility to do more. Has shown us 669 00:35:11.679 --> 00:35:14.880 he can do more, but has to actually do more. 670 00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:17.039 And Terrence will be highly motivated to do those things 671 00:35:17.119 --> 00:35:18.960 because he's the one who's next in line for a 672 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:21.239 new deal, whether there comes from the Clippers or some 673 00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:22.000 other team. 674 00:35:22.599 --> 00:35:25.960 And to me, the other reason you got to start 675 00:35:26.039 --> 00:35:28.440 him next to James Harden is you can't have Norman 676 00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:31.960 Powell and James Harden as you're starting backcourt. Defensively, it's 677 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:34.280 just gonna get cooked from the outset. I don't care 678 00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:37.079 who's behind them. It just leads to all sorts of problems. 679 00:35:37.639 --> 00:35:40.719 You mentioned Terrence Man the contract extensions Zoo gets paid. 680 00:35:41.760 --> 00:35:44.519 All quiet on the Terrence Man front right now, unless 681 00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:47.159 you've heard something behind the scenes. Do you think he 682 00:35:47.239 --> 00:35:49.679 goes into this season betting on himself that he can 683 00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:51.480 get more money after having a big year. 684 00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:54.599 He has every reason too, Like if there's one guy 685 00:35:54.599 --> 00:35:57.239 who has no reason to trust that his role is 686 00:35:57.239 --> 00:36:00.159 going to be the same from day one to eighty two, 687 00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:04.000 Game one, the game eighty two Sarence Man, Like we've 688 00:36:04.039 --> 00:36:08.119 seen it every single season of his career, So he 689 00:36:08.159 --> 00:36:10.719 can win the starting job, but how well will he 690 00:36:10.760 --> 00:36:12.119 play in that role? And plus I think the Clipper 691 00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:13.760 should feel that way too, Like I know the Clippers 692 00:36:13.760 --> 00:36:15.280 are gonna say, yeah, we want Terrence back, because what 693 00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:17.400 else are they going to say? Like, of course you 694 00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:20.400 want Terrence on your team, playing well, playing for you, 695 00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:26.079 take a deal that fits you as an organization. Terrence 696 00:36:26.159 --> 00:36:32.239 changed representation last year. Okay, so Terrence is read by 697 00:36:32.239 --> 00:36:37.239 the same people that play pgs repp by. I just 698 00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:41.320 think that's a relevant thing. Like it's not everything, but 699 00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:44.679 I don't think it's nothing. Uh. Terrence Man was asked 700 00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:47.239 before last season when he was extension knowledgeable. Hey, so 701 00:36:47.239 --> 00:36:50.519 what's the chances And Terrence shook his headings like nothing's 702 00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:53.679 happening there. That was last year. The last time Terrence 703 00:36:53.760 --> 00:36:57.199 sign an extension wasn't until we were coming home from 704 00:36:57.280 --> 00:37:01.719 the Ontario game back in twenty twenty one. That was October. 705 00:37:02.239 --> 00:37:06.159 So if the same timeframe matches up, and again that's 706 00:37:06.199 --> 00:37:09.760 extension was like, you're still under your original deal for 707 00:37:09.880 --> 00:37:13.239 that year. The year after then your extension kicks in. 708 00:37:13.400 --> 00:37:16.159 It was a two year extension and that didn't kick 709 00:37:16.199 --> 00:37:20.480 in until twenty twenty three, a year ago. Okay, so 710 00:37:20.679 --> 00:37:25.039 like and again that was the previous representation for Terrence. 711 00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:28.400 But it's like, you know, Terrence took a deal way 712 00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:31.320 earlier than most people would extend for that was after 713 00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:34.800 his second year in the NBA. And again as a 714 00:37:34.840 --> 00:37:37.239 forty eighth pick, you're looking at that, it's like lock 715 00:37:37.320 --> 00:37:40.960 it in. Terrence has no reason to give the Clippers 716 00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:45.320 any favors. Now, if I'm Terrence Man, unless you get 717 00:37:45.320 --> 00:37:48.679 an overpayer or something like that, I feel like, play 718 00:37:48.719 --> 00:37:51.320 this out. See what the team does, See what the 719 00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:54.679 trade deadline looks like, See what your role is, See 720 00:37:54.760 --> 00:37:56.840 how much more money you can make being that ye're 721 00:37:57.400 --> 00:38:01.719 not sharing the floor with for future haul famers. It 722 00:38:01.800 --> 00:38:04.159 took Terrence until last year to win a starting job 723 00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:06.719 and then he gets hurt and then he comes back 724 00:38:06.760 --> 00:38:09.199 and James Harden's on the team. Like that was an 725 00:38:09.239 --> 00:38:13.400 adjustment and that was his most stable you know again 726 00:38:13.480 --> 00:38:16.559 October to April roll of his entire career to this point, 727 00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:19.079 Like Terrence is every reason to be like, let's see 728 00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:19.800 how this goes. 729 00:38:20.559 --> 00:38:23.400 Yeah, and needs to start fast from the outside. He 730 00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:26.000 had the ankle injury in training camp or the very 731 00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:28.320 end right before the season started that I think hurt him, 732 00:38:28.320 --> 00:38:30.719 but he turned the four. 733 00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:34.840 He like, look, we all saw how good Terrence was 734 00:38:34.880 --> 00:38:38.519 starting in January shooting the basketball, and Terrence is going 735 00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:40.679 to be the first one to tell you, hey, look 736 00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:43.920 I start seasons slow shooting it. He he can't do 737 00:38:44.039 --> 00:38:48.360 that this year, Like this team is every team again. 738 00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:52.000 We just got finished talking about the West. I clearly 739 00:38:52.039 --> 00:38:55.400 remember last year's West. At the onset, everyone knew how 740 00:38:55.400 --> 00:38:57.320 competitive the West was going to be. There was the 741 00:38:57.360 --> 00:39:01.800 outside pressures of the ND season torn the TV contracts 742 00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:05.079 being up, the player participation policy and all of those 743 00:39:05.119 --> 00:39:09.599 things that it was like even from upstairs, you know, 744 00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:13.159 the message was we need the best players to play 745 00:39:13.320 --> 00:39:16.039 right and how that was going to affect competition in 746 00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:19.880 the league overall, people are gonna forget how last year started. 747 00:39:20.079 --> 00:39:22.960 Last year was incredible from a competitionandpoint, and the damn 748 00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:26.159 Clippers were three and seven at them, they were three 749 00:39:26.199 --> 00:39:30.079 and seven, okay, and they had to put the pedal 750 00:39:30.119 --> 00:39:32.079 to the metal, like even they win a few games. 751 00:39:32.119 --> 00:39:35.800 Seelu tells me, minutes, we're not gonna send anybody, so 752 00:39:35.920 --> 00:39:37.800 what there's a five and seven coming up. Minutes are 753 00:39:37.800 --> 00:39:43.320 going to be dictated by winning games, and so yours urgency. 754 00:39:43.400 --> 00:39:46.280 At least every team in the league has some level 755 00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:48.920 of optimism going into these media days at the end 756 00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:52.440 of the month. That optimism is going to go straight 757 00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:55.960 to hell by December when reality sets in, and the 758 00:39:56.000 --> 00:39:59.199 reality will be mean different things for different teams. For 759 00:39:59.280 --> 00:40:03.079 the Clippers, it means if Toronto Lo decides to start 760 00:40:03.159 --> 00:40:07.360 Terrence and Derek Jones together, then those dudes better improve 761 00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:11.000 the defense significantly and those guys have to make the 762 00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:13.760 very most of their offensive opportunities. It's a very easy 763 00:40:13.840 --> 00:40:16.119 job for Derek Jones year. It will be very difficult 764 00:40:16.159 --> 00:40:19.280 for Terrence. Man, It's not impossible for Terrence, but he 765 00:40:19.360 --> 00:40:23.119 can't come into the season passing up shots, missing shots 766 00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:28.280 from the corner, not knowing how he can get increased 767 00:40:28.360 --> 00:40:32.320 volume with the players that he's playing with. That can't 768 00:40:32.360 --> 00:40:34.679 happen because then the Clippers will sit there at three 769 00:40:34.760 --> 00:40:38.800 and seven again and they won't have a magic pill, Like, 770 00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:41.840 what are you gonna do? Start Norm? Like they could 771 00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:44.760 do that, but that would I believe that decreases the 772 00:40:44.800 --> 00:40:47.880 ceiling of your team. Yes, yes, like we all know 773 00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:49.920 the role that Norm is best at. Like I think 774 00:40:49.960 --> 00:40:52.199 they want us to start Norm. Two years ago, wh 775 00:40:52.239 --> 00:40:55.840 Kawhi was dealing with his recovery, his comeback season, and 776 00:40:56.159 --> 00:40:59.400 after like a week, Tilu was like, you know what, 777 00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:01.599 I don't think I can do that. And there were 778 00:41:01.599 --> 00:41:03.440 a lot of moments that t Lou had over the 779 00:41:03.440 --> 00:41:06.559 course of that season, you know, for example, not having 780 00:41:06.599 --> 00:41:09.079 a competent backup center. You know, there are a lot 781 00:41:09.119 --> 00:41:13.320 of things we learned that the team didn't really look 782 00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:16.159 at going into the season as being a potential issue. 783 00:41:16.719 --> 00:41:20.400 It's funny when Terrence turned the corner in twenty twenty four, 784 00:41:21.239 --> 00:41:23.920 I remember there was a quote from Paul George that 785 00:41:24.000 --> 00:41:25.800 got into his head maybe a little bit in a 786 00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:28.480 good way, and this was good leadership. You could say 787 00:41:29.159 --> 00:41:31.519 he made a joke like twenty twenty four, we're shooting 788 00:41:31.519 --> 00:41:33.800 the shit out of the ball, and Terrence just kind 789 00:41:33.800 --> 00:41:36.840 of cleared the mechanism, got a blank slate and shot 790 00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:39.079 forty four percent in twenty twenty four and then forty 791 00:41:39.079 --> 00:41:42.440 five percent in the series against Dallas, granted on low volume. 792 00:41:42.960 --> 00:41:45.679 So hopefully he's got that confidence coming into the start 793 00:41:45.679 --> 00:41:48.480 of this season, because I do think it's his offense 794 00:41:48.519 --> 00:41:50.360 that's going to keep him on the court to start 795 00:41:50.360 --> 00:41:52.119 things off, because I'm not worried about his defense, but 796 00:41:52.119 --> 00:41:53.440 he's got to do something the offense. 797 00:41:53.639 --> 00:41:56.039 That thing. I am worried about his defense, Like, really, 798 00:41:56.400 --> 00:41:59.000 I don't think Terrence had a good year defensively last year, 799 00:41:59.039 --> 00:42:00.679 and a lot of it is because because he was 800 00:42:00.840 --> 00:42:03.559 in a role that the team needed him to be in, 801 00:42:03.840 --> 00:42:07.239 but was really just not something that played to Terrence's strengths. 802 00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:11.159 Like Terrence is better guarding up, and what that means 803 00:42:11.320 --> 00:42:15.480 is if you have Terrence guarding bigger bodies, physical guys, 804 00:42:15.599 --> 00:42:18.719 guys where Terrence can be able to put contact on 805 00:42:18.880 --> 00:42:22.039 guys and be physical, that's where Terrence is at his 806 00:42:22.119 --> 00:42:27.119 most effective. Get let Terrence guard Luka Doncic's not Kyrie irvings, right, 807 00:42:27.360 --> 00:42:30.360 And there's a lot more Kyrie irvings, And there's a 808 00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:32.519 lot more Kyrie irvings in the NBA than there are 809 00:42:32.599 --> 00:42:35.519 Luka Doncic's. Now you have a guy in Dereck Jones 810 00:42:35.599 --> 00:42:40.840 Junior who he can chase those dudes around point of attack, Okay, 811 00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:42.760 and he can do it for twenty five minutes a game. 812 00:42:43.360 --> 00:42:47.320 That allows Terrence to guard your top wing if you will, 813 00:42:47.360 --> 00:42:51.400 your guy that isn't starting plays but is going to 814 00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:53.920 get the ball in the half court run some ISO's 815 00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:57.679 that kind of thing. Having Terrence play against those guys 816 00:42:57.800 --> 00:43:00.400 more often instead of being in the back court trying 817 00:43:00.400 --> 00:43:03.480 to be a spider is a lot more effective for him. 818 00:43:04.199 --> 00:43:06.760 But he needs to he needs to show that he 819 00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:08.679 can be more of a playmaker. You know how many 820 00:43:08.679 --> 00:43:11.480 steals in blocks Terrence Man had in the Ploseason series 821 00:43:11.480 --> 00:43:13.960 in that six game series, Uh? 822 00:43:14.960 --> 00:43:15.440 Under ten? 823 00:43:17.159 --> 00:43:20.320 As many as you and I bro Oh, come on, 824 00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:23.639 Terrence played one hundred and eighty seven minutes in the playoffs, 825 00:43:23.679 --> 00:43:26.280 didn't have a single steal, didn't have a single block, 826 00:43:26.679 --> 00:43:30.239 And yes, he did a great Jolbum. He'll shot. 827 00:43:31.000 --> 00:43:34.119 He shot twenty from three that kept him in that series. 828 00:43:34.519 --> 00:43:38.960 Exactly. I'm not talking about Terrence's ability to defend in 829 00:43:39.039 --> 00:43:42.159 the playoffs. I'm talking about Terrence's overall Like what is 830 00:43:42.199 --> 00:43:44.960 he giving you off the ball as a defensive playmaker, 831 00:43:45.039 --> 00:43:49.119 as someone who's doing stuff, And so I think Terrence, 832 00:43:49.239 --> 00:43:51.599 you want the defense that Terrence gave you in the 833 00:43:51.639 --> 00:43:54.119 playoffs because you want to put him in those matchups 834 00:43:54.159 --> 00:43:58.079 more often. Now, even that has an area of improvement. 835 00:43:58.119 --> 00:44:00.440 That's why I said the defense. This is what I'm 836 00:44:00.440 --> 00:44:03.079 worried about with Terrence, because even if he's in more 837 00:44:03.119 --> 00:44:07.039 advantageous situation defensively from a matchup standpoint and who he's guarding, 838 00:44:07.480 --> 00:44:09.400 you got to do more in that role. You got 839 00:44:09.440 --> 00:44:12.440 to be able to, you know, come up with some turnovers. 840 00:44:12.679 --> 00:44:15.079 This team has to force more turnovers, and I thought 841 00:44:15.079 --> 00:44:17.000 they did a good job of that last year. But 842 00:44:17.559 --> 00:44:19.320 you don't have Paul George, who's one of the best 843 00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:21.000 guys in the league at getting steals. You don't have 844 00:44:21.079 --> 00:44:22.960 Russell Westbrook, who I thought was really good for him. 845 00:44:23.039 --> 00:44:25.559 You do have Chris Dunn, and the more Chris Dunn plays, 846 00:44:25.880 --> 00:44:28.559 the more likely you are to force turnovers. But then 847 00:44:29.039 --> 00:44:30.719 Derek Jones, you're not a guy who forces a lot 848 00:44:30.719 --> 00:44:32.440 of turnovers, and you're not going to really ask him 849 00:44:32.440 --> 00:44:34.639 to do that as much as a point of attack 850 00:44:34.679 --> 00:44:36.840 guy like it would be nice, but Derek is going 851 00:44:36.920 --> 00:44:40.599 to focus on preventing guys from getting comfortable shots. Terrence 852 00:44:40.679 --> 00:44:43.239 is comfortable that role too. Someone else has to force 853 00:44:43.239 --> 00:44:46.000 some turnovers, though, and if it's not going to be Derek, 854 00:44:46.239 --> 00:44:48.159 it's got to be Terrence. And what you can't have 855 00:44:48.280 --> 00:44:50.320 is you can't have Terrence going damn near two hundred 856 00:44:50.360 --> 00:44:53.239 minutes in between steals and blocks. 857 00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:56.880 Well, especially as you mentioned earlier, and I agree, if 858 00:44:56.880 --> 00:44:59.960 you're not a great rebounding team and you're getting the 859 00:45:00.280 --> 00:45:03.719 to miss, you have to close out possessions. 860 00:45:03.079 --> 00:45:06.079 Here and got to close out possessions. 861 00:45:05.559 --> 00:45:08.760 And when that possession battle, which is the InVogue thing 862 00:45:08.800 --> 00:45:10.480 to say now in the NBA, it's not just the 863 00:45:10.599 --> 00:45:14.480 NFL anymore so a Visa Zoobos does get paid. What 864 00:45:14.599 --> 00:45:17.360 did you think of the deal? Fair market value? Is 865 00:45:17.360 --> 00:45:19.920 Big Zoo gonna give him that big return on investment? 866 00:45:20.840 --> 00:45:23.719 I think so? I think is a great deal for him. 867 00:45:24.039 --> 00:45:28.400 We already know he's severely outplayed his contract as far 868 00:45:28.440 --> 00:45:31.360 as going into this season, like to think that there 869 00:45:31.440 --> 00:45:33.719 is more than thirty centers in the league that are 870 00:45:33.760 --> 00:45:37.320 going to make more next year than Zoo. It's like, well, 871 00:45:37.840 --> 00:45:42.239 Zuo's outplayed the contract extension that he signed already and 872 00:45:42.719 --> 00:45:45.480 he's going into I don't know if I want to 873 00:45:45.480 --> 00:45:48.480 call I mean, he's in his prime, Like he's got 874 00:45:48.519 --> 00:45:51.719 several years left in his twenties, and that's going to 875 00:45:51.760 --> 00:45:54.920 be huge. He's playing with James Harden, who he did 876 00:45:54.960 --> 00:45:56.840 not have a training camp with last year, and you 877 00:45:56.920 --> 00:45:59.519 saw once James got up to speed how much better 878 00:45:59.599 --> 00:46:03.480 Zoo was. Right, Zuo is going to have a really 879 00:46:03.480 --> 00:46:06.199 good season next year. We'll see if James is still 880 00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:10.039 on the team the year after. But like we saw, 881 00:46:10.199 --> 00:46:12.039 like Zuo has rarely gotten to play with the kind 882 00:46:12.039 --> 00:46:15.599 of point guard that enhances what Zu does, and now 883 00:46:15.639 --> 00:46:19.119 he's got James Harden. It's it's a that's a big deal. 884 00:46:19.199 --> 00:46:22.880 So again, we know what Zuo's good at. Maybe you know, 885 00:46:23.199 --> 00:46:26.119 some other people don't know what Zuo's good at, And 886 00:46:26.360 --> 00:46:30.679 I gotta maybe write more explicit stuff about that. Zu 887 00:46:30.760 --> 00:46:33.440 can help me. Zu can help me with that, Like 888 00:46:33.840 --> 00:46:36.440 ZU can't give me one big game and then the 889 00:46:36.519 --> 00:46:40.119 next game miss all of its loaders. Okay, so there's that. 890 00:46:40.239 --> 00:46:42.400 How about giving him some consistent minutes. How about he 891 00:46:42.440 --> 00:46:45.079 doesn't play twenty six minutes les he did the year I. 892 00:46:45.079 --> 00:46:48.280 Don't think I think that's That's the thing though with Zuo, 893 00:46:48.480 --> 00:46:52.920 Like we saw Zoo without a competent backup play a 894 00:46:52.960 --> 00:46:55.440 ton of minutes and Zoo get worn out by that. 895 00:46:56.000 --> 00:47:01.559 I think that, yeah, like that's I think Zoo. I mean, 896 00:47:01.639 --> 00:47:03.840 Zoo will be the one to tell you. Getting Mason 897 00:47:03.880 --> 00:47:08.320 Plumley was huge because it didn't overextend him. Like, I 898 00:47:08.320 --> 00:47:11.480 don't think Zoo is a thirty thirty five minute player 899 00:47:11.719 --> 00:47:14.400 at all. I think Zoo is a twenty five to 900 00:47:14.440 --> 00:47:17.719 thirty minute player. And because what you're asking Zoo to 901 00:47:17.800 --> 00:47:21.400 do requires Zoo to actually be able to do it 902 00:47:21.440 --> 00:47:24.719 for four quarters. If Zoo's gonna get more touches, well 903 00:47:24.719 --> 00:47:26.400 he's still going to have to be able to do 904 00:47:26.440 --> 00:47:27.840 what he does on the other end of the floor 905 00:47:27.840 --> 00:47:31.239 at a high level. And I think he can do it. 906 00:47:31.599 --> 00:47:35.320 But production isn't just how many minutes you're playing, how 907 00:47:35.320 --> 00:47:38.559 many touches you're getting. It's like who you're playing against 908 00:47:38.599 --> 00:47:41.639 and can you be effective against a number of different teams, 909 00:47:41.880 --> 00:47:44.960 like the teams that are going like the OKAC Thunder. Now, 910 00:47:45.119 --> 00:47:47.440 the OKC Thunder did Zoo a favor by signing Isaiah 911 00:47:47.440 --> 00:47:49.360 Hart and sign I will tell you that. But last 912 00:47:49.440 --> 00:47:52.280 year you couldn't. You couldn't really, like it was hard 913 00:47:52.280 --> 00:47:54.800 for Zoo to play against Okay, see with hit Holmgren 914 00:47:54.960 --> 00:47:57.960 just running circles around him, Like, that's a tough matchup 915 00:47:57.960 --> 00:47:59.480 for Zoo. There's a lot of matchups that are a 916 00:47:59.519 --> 00:48:02.320 little tough for Zoo than others. So you know, there 917 00:48:02.360 --> 00:48:04.519 there are teams where Zoo's like, yeah, he can play 918 00:48:04.519 --> 00:48:07.480 over thirty in this game, like Toronto Lou. I think 919 00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:09.639 he played Zoo forty minutes in one game last year, 920 00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:13.679 and t Lou made a scene like Zoo had had 921 00:48:13.719 --> 00:48:16.639 to do a bit, you know what I'm saying. It's like, Yo, 922 00:48:17.159 --> 00:48:19.320 we had as to play a lot of minutes. We ain't. 923 00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:21.039 We ain't really going to do that, But I'm glad 924 00:48:21.159 --> 00:48:24.559 he was able to handle it. It was you guys need. 925 00:48:24.599 --> 00:48:27.280 To get the conditioning up a little bit. I I 926 00:48:27.320 --> 00:48:30.519 agree with that. I just don't see how they can. 927 00:48:31.199 --> 00:48:34.639 I don't see six seed if zu bots isn't averaging 928 00:48:34.679 --> 00:48:37.239 thirty minutes per game, Like, I don't. 929 00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:39.920 I don't think expect I don't think you can. I 930 00:48:39.920 --> 00:48:41.800 don't think you you can expect him to do that. 931 00:48:41.880 --> 00:48:44.360 He's a guy who wears down if he plays a 932 00:48:44.360 --> 00:48:45.280 ton of minutes like that. 933 00:48:45.639 --> 00:48:50.280 So at twenty seven, like, what, what's wearing him down 934 00:48:50.360 --> 00:48:50.880 so much? 935 00:48:52.679 --> 00:48:55.400 Workload? Man, center, dude, bigger. 936 00:48:55.079 --> 00:48:57.960 Body, save he hardly touches the ball at the time. 937 00:48:58.599 --> 00:49:00.559 He's going to touch the ball more man, and when 938 00:49:00.559 --> 00:49:02.960 he's on the floor, he's going to be a guy 939 00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:06.960 who touches the ball. I think more this season upcoming 940 00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:09.519 than any other year in his career. And again, I think. 941 00:49:10.199 --> 00:49:12.159 The most important player on the team because that's where 942 00:49:12.159 --> 00:49:12.679 I got him. 943 00:49:13.159 --> 00:49:16.280 Uh yeah, I think that's a reasonable thing to say. 944 00:49:18.079 --> 00:49:21.800 Really you really want to say that guy should be Terrence. 945 00:49:22.119 --> 00:49:26.639 But Terrence is a wildcard, whereas Zoo's less of a wildcard. 946 00:49:26.920 --> 00:49:30.320 Zoo's more of a constant. Zu is like and I 947 00:49:30.320 --> 00:49:33.800 think the other thing they watched for that's caat Calf. 948 00:49:33.960 --> 00:49:36.320 I really hope doesn't prop up next year because that's 949 00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:39.559 something that's been an issue three years in a row. 950 00:49:40.239 --> 00:49:42.079 It might not show up in the games played because 951 00:49:42.119 --> 00:49:46.440 Zoo's really good at missing the right games. But it 952 00:49:46.519 --> 00:49:48.400 has been a thing where three years in a row, 953 00:49:48.519 --> 00:49:51.639 I've seen this dude either missignificant time, be on a 954 00:49:51.679 --> 00:49:54.480 cart heading out of the arena during All Star break. 955 00:49:55.039 --> 00:49:59.760 You know, I want Zoo. Zuo's gonna gonna get a 956 00:49:59.800 --> 00:50:03.639 chance to eat and to show that those numbers aren't 957 00:50:03.719 --> 00:50:07.480 just quote unquote efficiency numbers. I like volume. Zuo's going 958 00:50:07.519 --> 00:50:10.159 to get the ball more. Zuo's going to be James 959 00:50:10.159 --> 00:50:13.559 Harden's target on pick and rolls. The Clippers were not 960 00:50:13.639 --> 00:50:16.320 a heavy pick and roll team last year. I think 961 00:50:16.400 --> 00:50:18.480 they're going to run more picking rolls this year. They 962 00:50:18.519 --> 00:50:21.920 just need more guys to diversify their offense, and Zoo's 963 00:50:21.920 --> 00:50:23.880 going to be the guy. Zoo has to show that 964 00:50:24.360 --> 00:50:27.840 I'd like in again, it's year nine for him. I'd 965 00:50:27.920 --> 00:50:30.239 like to see an expanded skill set for Zoo. As 966 00:50:30.320 --> 00:50:33.360 great as he is in the post. Like, I'd like 967 00:50:33.440 --> 00:50:36.719 to see Zoo like show the coaching staff that he 968 00:50:36.760 --> 00:50:39.679 can comfortably hit a shot outside the paint, that he 969 00:50:39.760 --> 00:50:43.119 can confidently hit the double teams, that if he puts 970 00:50:43.159 --> 00:50:45.440 the ball on the floor he can draw more fouls. 971 00:50:45.719 --> 00:50:47.719 He's so great in the post without being a guy 972 00:50:47.719 --> 00:50:50.599 who draws siles out a high rate. Well, let's draw 973 00:50:50.639 --> 00:50:53.880 some fouls this year, Zoo like. So there's things where 974 00:50:54.559 --> 00:50:57.199 Zuo is going to get the greatest opportunity to showcase 975 00:50:57.239 --> 00:50:59.679 his offensive game than in any of his previous eight 976 00:50:59.800 --> 00:51:01.800 MB eight seasons, and a lot of it's going to 977 00:51:01.800 --> 00:51:04.079 be on Zoo to show that all that stuff that 978 00:51:04.199 --> 00:51:08.000 you have let us kind of you've hinted at, this 979 00:51:08.039 --> 00:51:08.960 is the time to show it. 980 00:51:09.880 --> 00:51:12.039 So if I say over under twenty nine minutes, are 981 00:51:12.079 --> 00:51:12.679 you going under? 982 00:51:12.920 --> 00:51:16.079 Yeah, I'm going under. Ooh, I sound like I sound 983 00:51:16.119 --> 00:51:17.880 like you just set me up to sound like Rick 984 00:51:17.960 --> 00:51:21.800 James on Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories. But yeah, I'm 985 00:51:21.840 --> 00:51:23.320 going I'm going under if. 986 00:51:25.880 --> 00:51:29.159 I'm going over, because I just think it's necessary. He 987 00:51:29.199 --> 00:51:31.880 played thirty two minutes per game against Dallas in that series. 988 00:51:32.559 --> 00:51:35.320 He was detonating. He was their second best player behind 989 00:51:35.360 --> 00:51:35.920 James Harden. 990 00:51:35.960 --> 00:51:38.800 For me, you're talking about a playoff series though your 991 00:51:38.840 --> 00:51:42.199 playoff seron. I understand, but every game, like the end 992 00:51:42.199 --> 00:51:44.079 of your season, you got four months the rest if 993 00:51:44.079 --> 00:51:44.760 you don't win it. 994 00:51:45.320 --> 00:51:50.039 I just said he was productive. Those were taxing minutes 995 00:51:50.480 --> 00:51:53.079 and he did it, Like I don't. I just don't 996 00:51:53.119 --> 00:51:56.800 see a path for them to stay afloat if it 997 00:51:56.880 --> 00:52:01.360 beats a Zoo bots isn't dramatically more utilized this season. 998 00:52:01.960 --> 00:52:05.159 Yeah, I mean, well the other party would two. And 999 00:52:05.639 --> 00:52:08.639 I know, like we refer to Zoo and his rim 1000 00:52:08.679 --> 00:52:12.960 protection how great it was, Like I think, I don't 1001 00:52:12.960 --> 00:52:16.639 think Zoo was great and defensively in the playoffs last year. 1002 00:52:18.000 --> 00:52:22.840 I feel like the Clippers protecting the paint, protecting the 1003 00:52:22.920 --> 00:52:27.880 rim in the playoffs was It was a disappointment. I 1004 00:52:27.880 --> 00:52:30.440 don't put that all on Zoo, But look at what 1005 00:52:30.599 --> 00:52:33.199 Zu did in the regular season, where I can reasonably 1006 00:52:33.239 --> 00:52:35.559 say he was the best rim protector in the NBA 1007 00:52:35.679 --> 00:52:39.000 among starting centers, and then look at what them rim 1008 00:52:39.079 --> 00:52:42.079 protection numbers and what the output was in the playoffs. 1009 00:52:42.639 --> 00:52:46.239 It wasn't nearly as good. So that's what I mean. 1010 00:52:46.679 --> 00:52:49.960 I think you want Zu to do more in the 1011 00:52:50.000 --> 00:52:52.960 minutes that he's on the floor. But Mobamba better be 1012 00:52:53.039 --> 00:52:55.280 ready to play, Kobe Brown better be ready to play 1013 00:52:55.360 --> 00:52:58.639 whatever small lineups that Toronto Lou figures that he's going 1014 00:52:58.679 --> 00:53:00.719 to come up with. Because it's twenty twenty four in 1015 00:53:00.760 --> 00:53:03.760 the NBA. You will have lineups out there that doesn't 1016 00:53:03.760 --> 00:53:07.199 have a traditional center. They're gonna have to be effective. 1017 00:53:07.559 --> 00:53:11.159 So that's where I'm looking at. Averaging thirty minutes, Adam 1018 00:53:11.440 --> 00:53:14.400 means for every game you're playing twenty five, you're playing 1019 00:53:14.440 --> 00:53:17.480 thirty five. That's what that means. For every game where 1020 00:53:17.559 --> 00:53:21.400 Zoo's like, oh man, they only got twenty minutes, foul, trouble, ineffective, 1021 00:53:21.519 --> 00:53:24.760 nicked up, whatever, it means that you're doubling that with 1022 00:53:24.960 --> 00:53:25.920 a forty minute game. 1023 00:53:26.400 --> 00:53:28.880 Well, well, look he played. He averaged twenty eight two 1024 00:53:29.000 --> 00:53:31.360 years ago. I think you can average thirty now at 1025 00:53:31.400 --> 00:53:34.280 the age of twenty seven. Like, if he's without Paul George, 1026 00:53:34.760 --> 00:53:36.760 I think it's possible. I think it's very possible, and 1027 00:53:36.840 --> 00:53:38.519 I agree possible. 1028 00:53:38.599 --> 00:53:39.599 I just don't think it's likely. 1029 00:53:40.159 --> 00:53:43.519 Okay, I they didn't lose that series to me, though 1030 00:53:43.559 --> 00:53:45.800 defensively they lost it on the offensive end. 1031 00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:48.840 No, they lost it. They lost it because the bottom 1032 00:53:48.880 --> 00:53:51.960 line is this. Look at all the points that were 1033 00:53:51.960 --> 00:53:56.480 scored by Luca, Kyrie, Paul and James, and then look 1034 00:53:56.480 --> 00:53:59.000 at the points that are scored by every other Maverick, 1035 00:53:59.440 --> 00:54:01.880 every other clip. I'm not looking at this right now, 1036 00:54:02.079 --> 00:54:05.480 this is a feel thing. Y'all watching this, and y'all 1037 00:54:05.480 --> 00:54:07.559 want to break out, y'all calculators, y'all can get back 1038 00:54:07.599 --> 00:54:11.079 to me and Adam, but I'm pretty sure you're gonna 1039 00:54:11.119 --> 00:54:14.039 look and be like this. That That's how even the 1040 00:54:14.079 --> 00:54:18.519 series was. It came down to one one team stars 1041 00:54:18.559 --> 00:54:21.800 shot the ball and the other teams didn't. Like that's 1042 00:54:21.920 --> 00:54:26.039 really that decided the series. Like Luca kept coming as 1043 00:54:26.079 --> 00:54:29.280 inefficient as he was, Kyrie was like, man, I'm glad 1044 00:54:29.280 --> 00:54:30.840 I got that first quarter out the way. It's time 1045 00:54:30.880 --> 00:54:33.039 to get buckets, you know, because Kyrie, you need to 1046 00:54:33.079 --> 00:54:35.360 do a damn thing in the first quarter in the series. 1047 00:54:35.320 --> 00:54:37.920 And Paul George said, I'm good with taking fifteen point. 1048 00:54:39.159 --> 00:54:44.559 Paul just Paul had games where he just didn't have 1049 00:54:45.360 --> 00:54:48.559 you know, he cook himself out mentally in that series, 1050 00:54:48.599 --> 00:54:51.920 Like he had foul trouble. We knew he was playing 1051 00:54:52.039 --> 00:54:54.760 through it as far as trying to navigate the game 1052 00:54:55.119 --> 00:54:58.039 on both ends of the floor. He put it together 1053 00:54:58.079 --> 00:55:01.559 in that in game four, he was like, I get 1054 00:55:01.679 --> 00:55:04.840 the circumstances. I'm coming out no matter what. And even 1055 00:55:04.840 --> 00:55:07.519 in that game, the third quarter Paul ran out of 1056 00:55:07.519 --> 00:55:10.719 buckets and next thing. You know, the Clippers are trailing 1057 00:55:10.760 --> 00:55:14.159 after being up by more than thirty, but what was it? 1058 00:55:14.480 --> 00:55:15.360 Crazy three? 1059 00:55:15.440 --> 00:55:15.599 One? 1060 00:55:15.679 --> 00:55:16.400 Crazy three? 1061 00:55:16.480 --> 00:55:19.239 And that was the difference in that game, and that 1062 00:55:19.480 --> 00:55:24.159 hard voters like when those guys were able to figure 1063 00:55:24.159 --> 00:55:26.880 out what was happening and they started the series like that. 1064 00:55:27.119 --> 00:55:29.760 They played Game four like ef it were just going. 1065 00:55:30.280 --> 00:55:32.360 They were good. I feel like they relaxed going in 1066 00:55:32.400 --> 00:55:35.400 the game five and they wind up losing by thirty 1067 00:55:35.519 --> 00:55:37.960 and that was your season. So yeah, what do you 1068 00:55:38.000 --> 00:55:39.039 want to talk about, dam. 1069 00:55:40.599 --> 00:55:44.960 Jay am I one three, two four? Ask this? I'm 1070 00:55:44.960 --> 00:55:47.119 not asking this. He said, how did you feel about 1071 00:55:47.119 --> 00:55:49.400 pg's comments after he left? And what do you think 1072 00:55:49.440 --> 00:55:52.760 you will do in Philly law recent comments from his father, 1073 00:55:53.079 --> 00:55:57.920 the B team comment contract comments being offered sixty million 1074 00:55:57.920 --> 00:55:59.960 when we know it actually means one hundred and ten million, 1075 00:56:00.039 --> 00:56:02.320 but he presented is they were only giving him sixty million. 1076 00:56:02.719 --> 00:56:03.320 All that. 1077 00:56:04.639 --> 00:56:09.119 I mean, I wrote about it, you know, like I 1078 00:56:09.199 --> 00:56:12.119 knew how everything was going down that last week in 1079 00:56:12.199 --> 00:56:16.559 the June, and I knew how Paul was. I knew 1080 00:56:16.559 --> 00:56:20.519 how Paul's feeling, how Paul's family is feeling, how the 1081 00:56:20.519 --> 00:56:26.480 Clippers were feeling. Right, we knew. We just knew what 1082 00:56:26.519 --> 00:56:30.679 the feeling was, and so everything that has come out 1083 00:56:30.719 --> 00:56:34.840 of it, Like, I'm not reacting as much to it 1084 00:56:34.920 --> 00:56:37.159 because it's not a surprise to me. Like I knew 1085 00:56:37.199 --> 00:56:39.599 what the feelings were going. We were in Hawaii and 1086 00:56:39.639 --> 00:56:42.079 people were asking about Paul in his contract, and Paul 1087 00:56:42.280 --> 00:56:45.039 was looking around, like what do you want me to say? 1088 00:56:45.239 --> 00:56:49.480 You know, like we just I just feel like I 1089 00:56:49.559 --> 00:56:52.039 spent the whole damn year with those dudes in getting 1090 00:56:52.079 --> 00:56:55.599 a feel for stuff. So I don't really have as 1091 00:56:55.719 --> 00:56:59.440 much of a visceral reaction to the fallout as I 1092 00:56:59.480 --> 00:57:01.679 feel like a lot of people who might have gotten 1093 00:57:01.679 --> 00:57:05.559 comfortable with the idea that, you know, Paul was at 1094 00:57:05.679 --> 00:57:08.960 least going to take the high road on a lot 1095 00:57:09.000 --> 00:57:13.840 of stuff. Like I think Paul's mentally preparing himself for 1096 00:57:14.039 --> 00:57:16.920 a rude awakening when he gets back here on November 1097 00:57:16.960 --> 00:57:20.519 sixth or whatever the date is. But I think that's 1098 00:57:20.559 --> 00:57:22.440 where Paul's at his most comfortable. I think that's how 1099 00:57:22.440 --> 00:57:25.320 he treated Indiana. You know, Oklahoma City did him the 1100 00:57:25.360 --> 00:57:27.840 biggest favor of all. They paid him and then they 1101 00:57:27.840 --> 00:57:30.599 said him where he wanted to go. So and Okay, 1102 00:57:30.599 --> 00:57:33.039 see obviously has no hard feelings because they got Shay 1103 00:57:33.360 --> 00:57:37.719 and they got draft picks for you know, forever. 1104 00:57:37.960 --> 00:57:40.800 So like this part out. I know it's live, but 1105 00:57:40.840 --> 00:57:41.679 I'm cutting this out. 1106 00:57:42.280 --> 00:57:46.760 Yeah, like so so like that, Paul. I think Paul's 1107 00:57:46.800 --> 00:57:50.199 comfortable being being, you know, the bad guy. I think 1108 00:57:50.280 --> 00:57:52.559 the more you talk about it, the more comfortable you'll 1109 00:57:52.559 --> 00:57:54.840 be when you got to actually face the music. And 1110 00:57:54.880 --> 00:57:57.719 that's great because he's going to my city. He's going 1111 00:57:57.760 --> 00:58:02.480 to Philadelphia, and you know, Philadelphia is the type of 1112 00:58:02.519 --> 00:58:04.719 city they don't if you get paid a bunch of 1113 00:58:04.719 --> 00:58:06.920 money and ain't, they ain't gonna celebrate you for long. 1114 00:58:07.159 --> 00:58:10.559 They want you to produce immediately. He's going He ain't 1115 00:58:10.599 --> 00:58:14.199 going to Indiana. Okay, see the Clipper's version of Los Angeles. 1116 00:58:14.519 --> 00:58:18.960 Like no shape, it's just reality. Like you're going to 1117 00:58:19.000 --> 00:58:23.000 a place in Philadelphia where if you have an zero 1118 00:58:23.039 --> 00:58:25.519 for ten game, if you have a quiet game and 1119 00:58:25.559 --> 00:58:28.320 a big spot, you will be booed. And they don't 1120 00:58:28.320 --> 00:58:30.039 need to wait to the playoffs to do it. You 1121 00:58:30.119 --> 00:58:33.880 will be booed on Halloween. If you underperform with a 1122 00:58:33.920 --> 00:58:36.679 big price tag, you can't do that in Philly. Like 1123 00:58:37.039 --> 00:58:39.880 Philadelphia is passionate but they're passionate in a way of 1124 00:58:40.360 --> 00:58:42.639 you underperform, and we will let you know right away. 1125 00:58:42.679 --> 00:58:45.199 The worst thing you can get from Philadelphia is apathy 1126 00:58:45.280 --> 00:58:47.760 and not caring and not showing up. But yes, the 1127 00:58:47.800 --> 00:58:50.239 next level above that is play poorly in front of 1128 00:58:50.280 --> 00:58:52.199 those people and see what happens. And I think Paul 1129 00:58:52.280 --> 00:58:55.199 understands that. So I think that Paul's going to be 1130 00:58:55.199 --> 00:58:57.559 great in Philly because he's got guys that are going 1131 00:58:57.559 --> 00:58:59.679 to put Paul in the positions that are most comfortable 1132 00:58:59.679 --> 00:59:02.679 for him on both ends of the floor, especially offensively. Defensively, 1133 00:59:02.679 --> 00:59:04.800 I've got concerns, but I don't think Nick Nurse teams 1134 00:59:04.840 --> 00:59:07.320 rebound anyway. So I think that's going to be great 1135 00:59:07.360 --> 00:59:10.360 for what the Philadelphia seventy six ers do offensively. The 1136 00:59:10.400 --> 00:59:13.480 meal ticket is Joel. Joel gonna walk his butt to 1137 00:59:13.519 --> 00:59:16.760 the elbow and he gonna do what Joelle does, especially 1138 00:59:16.800 --> 00:59:19.360 in the regular season. Tyresse is going to play fast. 1139 00:59:19.639 --> 00:59:22.480 He's going to play like Russell Westbrook plays, and that's 1140 00:59:22.519 --> 00:59:24.920 going to be great for Paul because Paul doesn't have 1141 00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:28.239 to worry about the extra ball handling duties. But Tyree 1142 00:59:28.440 --> 00:59:30.280 is going to get the ball to Paul. And when 1143 00:59:30.320 --> 00:59:32.440 Paul has it going, he's gonna cook. And when Paul 1144 00:59:32.519 --> 00:59:34.719 doesn't have it going, you got Tyresse, you got Joel, 1145 00:59:35.079 --> 00:59:37.039 you got some other guys who can handle the ball, 1146 00:59:37.039 --> 00:59:39.920 who can shoot the ball. I think it's a great 1147 00:59:39.960 --> 00:59:44.599 situation for Paul from a basketball standpoint. The other stuff, 1148 00:59:44.639 --> 00:59:46.400 I think Paul's gonna have to adjust to and get 1149 00:59:46.480 --> 00:59:48.960 used to, not just being back in the East, but 1150 00:59:49.000 --> 00:59:51.000 being in cold Weather City, being in big city, being 1151 00:59:51.000 --> 00:59:54.199 in big market, that Philadelphia media. I'm telling you, I 1152 00:59:54.280 --> 00:59:57.400 grew up there. It ain't sweet like it's going to 1153 00:59:57.440 --> 01:00:03.239 be different. But as far as his and everything, like again, 1154 01:00:03.960 --> 01:00:06.840 I knew where this was headed or possibly headed, and 1155 01:00:06.880 --> 01:00:09.800 I knew the playoffs were going to be the big variable. 1156 01:00:10.119 --> 01:00:13.320 If Kawhi was healthy and playing and doing what Kawhi 1157 01:00:13.400 --> 01:00:17.320 basically was able to do all season. Maybe we're having 1158 01:00:17.320 --> 01:00:19.679 different conversations. Maybe the Clippers get out of that first 1159 01:00:19.719 --> 01:00:21.880 round series and look at the West. The West was 1160 01:00:21.920 --> 01:00:25.000 not as good, not as airtight as you thought it was. 1161 01:00:25.360 --> 01:00:28.119 They had the past, they had the pass fifth. 1162 01:00:27.920 --> 01:00:31.239 Seed made it to the finals, Adam Yea and not 1163 01:00:31.280 --> 01:00:32.960 just any fifty, but the fifty that was then a 1164 01:00:33.159 --> 01:00:36.639 seed in the middle of March. You know what I'm saying. 1165 01:00:37.159 --> 01:00:41.119 But the West as competitive as was, it's also competitive 1166 01:00:41.119 --> 01:00:43.880 in a way where your very best teams are vulnerable, 1167 01:00:44.599 --> 01:00:46.840 and they will be vulnerable from the beginning of the 1168 01:00:46.840 --> 01:00:49.079 season to the middle of the season, to the end 1169 01:00:49.119 --> 01:00:51.679 of the season. Wherehere he got the playoff standings set 1170 01:00:51.760 --> 01:00:54.119 in stone, and then when the playoffs actually start, they 1171 01:00:54.119 --> 01:00:56.519 will be vulnerable the whole way through. 1172 01:00:57.559 --> 01:01:00.679 I think it was another missed opportunity. I think they 1173 01:01:00.760 --> 01:01:03.320 get out of that series with Dallas. 1174 01:01:02.559 --> 01:01:04.639 And an arrow full of them, and then. 1175 01:01:04.960 --> 01:01:08.199 They had nobody went back to back in the five 1176 01:01:08.280 --> 01:01:10.559 years in the two to three era in the NBA, 1177 01:01:10.679 --> 01:01:14.039 they had a great opportunity if Kawhi could ever stay healthy. 1178 01:01:14.760 --> 01:01:17.440 I do want to act bet there were five different 1179 01:01:17.480 --> 01:01:19.119 Western Conference champions. 1180 01:01:19.559 --> 01:01:23.360 Yeah, that's what I'm saying, Like nobody, nobody was that dominant. 1181 01:01:23.400 --> 01:01:25.840 There was no super team with the Golden State Warriors anymore. 1182 01:01:26.400 --> 01:01:28.880 It was right for the picking and the Slippers couldn't 1183 01:01:28.880 --> 01:01:29.599 take advantage of it. 1184 01:01:29.639 --> 01:01:32.679 I don't think anyone even went back to back appearances 1185 01:01:32.679 --> 01:01:35.320 in the conference finals. Like you get teams that make 1186 01:01:35.360 --> 01:01:37.920 the conference finals one year and missed the playoffs the net. 1187 01:01:37.920 --> 01:01:39.880 That's what happened to the Clippers. Yeah, you know what 1188 01:01:39.880 --> 01:01:40.320 I'm saying. 1189 01:01:40.679 --> 01:01:42.679 Like, Denver didn't make it this year. 1190 01:01:42.760 --> 01:01:44.719 Denver didn't make it back to the conference finals. 1191 01:01:44.800 --> 01:01:46.480 The State Warriors didn't make it back. 1192 01:01:46.960 --> 01:01:49.559 The Lakers are like the conference finals. Let's running back. 1193 01:01:49.559 --> 01:01:51.239 The only thing they ran back was a seventh seed. 1194 01:01:51.280 --> 01:01:54.360 Bro Yeah, and the Chanzy was an accomplishment for that 1195 01:01:54.440 --> 01:01:55.159 team last year. 1196 01:01:56.079 --> 01:01:58.519 Phoenix didn't make it back in twenty two because Dallas 1197 01:01:58.519 --> 01:02:01.519 blow them out in the second round in games. So yeah, 1198 01:02:01.679 --> 01:02:02.760 nobody made it back. Uh. 1199 01:02:03.400 --> 01:02:05.599 That's the West. The West to me isn't Oh, look 1200 01:02:05.599 --> 01:02:07.840 at how good these teams are. The West is yo. 1201 01:02:08.360 --> 01:02:12.119 It don't take much for your season to go to shit. Like, 1202 01:02:12.639 --> 01:02:16.199 that's the West. It's what's your weakness and how how 1203 01:02:16.400 --> 01:02:19.159 likely is that weakness going to be exploited? Nothing. Every 1204 01:02:19.159 --> 01:02:23.280 team in the West has a major concern right up 1205 01:02:23.320 --> 01:02:24.480 to the OKAC thunder. 1206 01:02:25.559 --> 01:02:29.239 Yeah, I agree with you. Uh. I want to ask 1207 01:02:29.280 --> 01:02:31.840 you this specifically about Paul George. I said this the 1208 01:02:31.880 --> 01:02:35.400 other day. I believe he was always gonna take the 1209 01:02:35.400 --> 01:02:37.440 two hundred million and always knew it was going to 1210 01:02:37.480 --> 01:02:39.280 be out there. He would have taken it from the 1211 01:02:39.280 --> 01:02:42.039 Clippers had they offered it, they weren't going to. Maybe 1212 01:02:42.039 --> 01:02:43.800 if they get out of the first round, something's different. 1213 01:02:43.840 --> 01:02:45.360 If he bawled out and they got he got him 1214 01:02:45.360 --> 01:02:46.800 out of the first round, maybe they have to give 1215 01:02:46.800 --> 01:02:50.159 it to him. But do you believe the stuff he 1216 01:02:50.199 --> 01:02:53.199 said in this podcast regarding you know you felt disrespected 1217 01:02:53.360 --> 01:02:56.280 because Kawhi was offered this. He said, just give me 1218 01:02:56.320 --> 01:02:59.400 what Kawhi got. But then two seconds later he said, 1219 01:02:59.440 --> 01:03:01.159 then they offered me the one fifty. And I was like, 1220 01:03:01.199 --> 01:03:03.199 all right, we're in the ballpark. It's like, wait, you 1221 01:03:03.280 --> 01:03:05.920 just said give you what Kawhi got. They offered it, 1222 01:03:06.000 --> 01:03:09.159 you didn't take it. You wanted more money or you 1223 01:03:09.239 --> 01:03:11.519 wanted to know trade clause. Do you think it was 1224 01:03:12.280 --> 01:03:14.559 always about the money and he was always gonna end 1225 01:03:14.639 --> 01:03:17.199 up in Philly because they telegraphed this. We saw they 1226 01:03:17.199 --> 01:03:19.000 didn't make a move of the trade deadline. We saw 1227 01:03:19.039 --> 01:03:21.599 they were going to keep that max slot open. To me, 1228 01:03:22.039 --> 01:03:23.280 the writing was on the wall. 1229 01:03:24.440 --> 01:03:26.719 I could have swore when the Sixers played in LA 1230 01:03:27.039 --> 01:03:29.599 against the Clippers that there were we won Paul Chance 1231 01:03:30.159 --> 01:03:33.079 when the because that game was embarrassing for the Clippers. 1232 01:03:33.159 --> 01:03:36.559 I'm pretty sure the arena was filled with with with 1233 01:03:36.599 --> 01:03:38.440 that stuff. I could have been wrong, but I'm pretty 1234 01:03:38.440 --> 01:03:40.599 sure that's what I heard. Like even Sixers fans, they 1235 01:03:40.679 --> 01:03:43.519 know what it was. But I feel like all the 1236 01:03:43.559 --> 01:03:46.039 negotiation game stuff to fall out from it, to talk 1237 01:03:46.199 --> 01:03:50.400 from it. I mean, you know, look at the contract 1238 01:03:50.440 --> 01:03:54.320 James Harden signed. James Harden signed the contract that probably 1239 01:03:54.400 --> 01:03:57.559 was offered to Paul at some point. I don't think 1240 01:03:57.599 --> 01:04:02.079 that's ironic. Now, look, Paul has to me, Paul has 1241 01:04:02.159 --> 01:04:07.239 the right to feel disrespected, because the reality is, Paul 1242 01:04:07.280 --> 01:04:11.440 has never saved money on a contract. Any contract that 1243 01:04:11.480 --> 01:04:14.480 he's ever signed has been the one that he was 1244 01:04:14.519 --> 01:04:17.559 slotted for or the one that like he's never like. 1245 01:04:18.000 --> 01:04:20.599 His previous contract was an extension that was signed after 1246 01:04:20.639 --> 01:04:23.840 the bubble. What happened in the bubble, Paul played really 1247 01:04:24.559 --> 01:04:27.360 you know, even Paul knows, like Paul played the kind 1248 01:04:27.400 --> 01:04:30.960 of basketball that really concerns you in the bubble. And 1249 01:04:31.079 --> 01:04:33.960 then he signed the deal that he extended for and 1250 01:04:34.039 --> 01:04:38.239 Kawhi matched that deal this season after after Kawhi towards ACL. 1251 01:04:38.559 --> 01:04:43.000 So like Paul has always been driven to make the 1252 01:04:43.039 --> 01:04:45.199 most that he can when he can, and I think 1253 01:04:45.239 --> 01:04:49.400 Paul did that. I think the difference is there might 1254 01:04:49.440 --> 01:04:53.000 have been a chance to re sign with the Clippers 1255 01:04:53.280 --> 01:04:56.800 if it just made sense. And because Kawhi got hurt, 1256 01:04:56.840 --> 01:05:01.039 because the team flamed out, because it's James, because Russ 1257 01:05:01.320 --> 01:05:03.639 went from the guy who was running training camp to 1258 01:05:03.679 --> 01:05:06.800 the guy who basically was, you know, kind of phased 1259 01:05:06.840 --> 01:05:10.039 out over as the year went on, and obviously Paul 1260 01:05:10.079 --> 01:05:12.760 had a big voice in supporting Russ, and that's what 1261 01:05:12.800 --> 01:05:16.039 wound up happening with Russ. I just feel like all 1262 01:05:16.119 --> 01:05:19.400 the things that could have went into, you know, the 1263 01:05:19.440 --> 01:05:24.199 off season with things being compatible with the Clippers and 1264 01:05:24.239 --> 01:05:25.880 Paul didn't work out. 1265 01:05:26.159 --> 01:05:30.519 So he said disrespected, though I feel like he. 1266 01:05:30.440 --> 01:05:34.800 Does, but that was no. I don't feel like he 1267 01:05:34.920 --> 01:05:38.719 was disrespected. But I am an empathetic person, and I 1268 01:05:38.800 --> 01:05:40.719 understand how a player is going to look at his 1269 01:05:40.880 --> 01:05:44.880 value in his situation versus everybody else, and how they're 1270 01:05:44.880 --> 01:05:47.320 going to look at it if you're everybody else, take 1271 01:05:47.360 --> 01:05:48.880 it if you're a the Clippers. I don't think it's 1272 01:05:48.880 --> 01:05:53.039 a mistake that the Clippers pointed out exactly when Paul 1273 01:05:53.159 --> 01:05:55.840 was an All Star and when he wasn't exactly when 1274 01:05:55.920 --> 01:05:58.000 Paul was good in the playoffs and what he comes 1275 01:05:58.039 --> 01:06:02.079 to the playoffs versus the four years. I don't think 1276 01:06:02.119 --> 01:06:04.639 that that is, you know, I think the Clippers are 1277 01:06:04.639 --> 01:06:09.000 looking at like, listen, Paul was great, but y'all have 1278 01:06:09.079 --> 01:06:12.920 to understand this is a business and Paul, you know, 1279 01:06:13.159 --> 01:06:16.199 Paul understands this a business too. That's why Paul is 1280 01:06:16.559 --> 01:06:19.360 playing for the contract that he's playing for at a 1281 01:06:19.400 --> 01:06:22.239 place that if you also listen to what Paul has 1282 01:06:22.280 --> 01:06:24.880 been saying over the past few months, it's clear that 1283 01:06:24.920 --> 01:06:27.320 Paul wanted to stay as close to la as possible. 1284 01:06:28.239 --> 01:06:32.280 He wanted to have the comfort of being here with 1285 01:06:32.960 --> 01:06:35.920 the price that he knew he could command. He wasn't 1286 01:06:35.920 --> 01:06:38.360 going to get that from the Clippers. He really orally 1287 01:06:38.400 --> 01:06:42.000 wanted that from the Clippers. Well, it's not like you're 1288 01:06:42.000 --> 01:06:44.679 getting that from the Lakers. Not that you'd want to 1289 01:06:44.679 --> 01:06:47.519 play there. He would have wanted to play in Golden State. 1290 01:06:47.599 --> 01:06:50.920 I think he was very clear about, you know, please 1291 01:06:51.360 --> 01:06:53.760 send me to Golden State. But to go to Golden 1292 01:06:53.800 --> 01:06:58.079 State requires the Golden State Warriors getting to dump the 1293 01:06:58.119 --> 01:07:00.800 remains of a team that didn't even survived the playing 1294 01:07:00.800 --> 01:07:03.679 tournament on to the Clippers, Like that doesn't improve the 1295 01:07:03.679 --> 01:07:06.079 Clippers in the short term, and it really don't improve 1296 01:07:06.119 --> 01:07:08.159 them in the long term because of some of those salaries. 1297 01:07:08.519 --> 01:07:10.960 So Paul, a guy who would have preferred to stay 1298 01:07:10.960 --> 01:07:13.320 as close to the West Coast as possible, winds up 1299 01:07:13.360 --> 01:07:17.840 taking the money out of place that geographically, you know, 1300 01:07:18.559 --> 01:07:20.639 that's not where I don't think he would have wanted 1301 01:07:20.639 --> 01:07:22.960 to go there. But it is a great money situation. 1302 01:07:23.159 --> 01:07:26.480 It's a great basketball situation. Yeah, So the other stuff, 1303 01:07:26.639 --> 01:07:28.920 you'll be like, all right, we'll figure it out. 1304 01:07:29.639 --> 01:07:31.320 He kind of gets your cake and get it eat 1305 01:07:31.360 --> 01:07:33.679 it too. It's not like he's going to a bad team. 1306 01:07:33.719 --> 01:07:35.840 You can make the argument he's going to a better 1307 01:07:35.920 --> 01:07:38.159 team in some ways, or at least a little bit 1308 01:07:38.199 --> 01:07:38.960 healthier of her team. 1309 01:07:39.000 --> 01:07:40.679 In a lot of ways. He's going to the same 1310 01:07:40.760 --> 01:07:42.239 team he's going. 1311 01:07:42.440 --> 01:07:44.039 He's got a young guy in Maxie. 1312 01:07:44.079 --> 01:07:48.400 That's like, here's the thing with Tyresse, though Tyresse and 1313 01:07:48.440 --> 01:07:51.559 I love Tyrese as a as a player, as a 1314 01:07:51.880 --> 01:07:54.559 I especially love him as a person like that dude 1315 01:07:54.800 --> 01:07:59.039 is like that dude's a great a great dude, a 1316 01:07:59.079 --> 01:08:03.760 great vibes dude. He's a legitimately good person, a hard worker. 1317 01:08:03.960 --> 01:08:07.360 He's earned the contract that he got, you know, but 1318 01:08:08.000 --> 01:08:11.199 he plays a position that is a dime a dozen 1319 01:08:11.559 --> 01:08:12.360 in the NBA. 1320 01:08:13.159 --> 01:08:16.880 Okay, yeah, but forty in a playoff game like he 1321 01:08:17.000 --> 01:08:17.359 just did. 1322 01:08:18.039 --> 01:08:20.720 Okay, But if you put the ball in a lot 1323 01:08:20.720 --> 01:08:22.479 of dudes' hands in this league, they're going to be 1324 01:08:22.520 --> 01:08:24.680 able to do something like that. That's what I'm saying. 1325 01:08:25.039 --> 01:08:28.600 What he does is we used to talk about centers 1326 01:08:28.760 --> 01:08:32.600 as the most replaceable players in the league, and you 1327 01:08:32.640 --> 01:08:35.039 know what, Zoo's contract kind of speaks to that. There 1328 01:08:35.119 --> 01:08:37.560 isn't a whole lot of difference between the guy who 1329 01:08:37.600 --> 01:08:40.119 is number ten versus a guy who's number twenty and 1330 01:08:40.159 --> 01:08:42.279 start as centers, You're asking a lot of centers to 1331 01:08:42.319 --> 01:08:46.079 do a lot of the same shit. Screen, protect the rim, rebound, 1332 01:08:46.680 --> 01:08:49.239 be mean, that's it. You ain't asking a whole lot. 1333 01:08:49.279 --> 01:08:51.560 There's not a lot of variants in that position. We're 1334 01:08:51.600 --> 01:08:54.039 getting to that point with the point guard position, where 1335 01:08:54.399 --> 01:08:58.119 if you're a small guard, we're just asking dudes to run, 1336 01:08:58.159 --> 01:09:01.119 pick and rolls, hit some pull up, hit your shots. 1337 01:09:01.279 --> 01:09:03.520 Don't be a complete liability. On the other end of 1338 01:09:03.520 --> 01:09:06.880 the floor, Tyres does that a little bit more consistently 1339 01:09:06.920 --> 01:09:08.680 and better than a lot of other guards. That's why 1340 01:09:08.680 --> 01:09:10.600 he's doing the contract that he's on. That's why he 1341 01:09:10.760 --> 01:09:13.239 is an All Star. But let me be real about it, 1342 01:09:13.520 --> 01:09:15.680 there's a whole lot of dudes like that. You know 1343 01:09:15.720 --> 01:09:18.159 why Jamal Murray's never been an All Star. It ain't 1344 01:09:18.239 --> 01:09:21.319 just because he plays with nicolea. Jokicch It's because Jamal 1345 01:09:21.399 --> 01:09:23.119 Murray does a lot of stuff that a lot of 1346 01:09:23.119 --> 01:09:25.119 the dudes who wind up being All Stars wind up 1347 01:09:25.159 --> 01:09:28.680 doing okay. And so for every time you get Jamal 1348 01:09:28.760 --> 01:09:32.039 Murray running dudes crazy in the playoffs, you get what 1349 01:09:32.079 --> 01:09:34.600 you saw from Jamal Murray in this past postseason where 1350 01:09:34.600 --> 01:09:36.960 he just kind of flamed out against the Timberwlves at 1351 01:09:37.000 --> 01:09:40.039 the end, Like there's so much there's so many of 1352 01:09:40.039 --> 01:09:43.159 these small guards that do a lot of the same things, 1353 01:09:43.680 --> 01:09:45.800 and so what do the Clippers have. The Clippers are 1354 01:09:45.840 --> 01:09:49.039 actually an anti small guard team. They realize that. They're like, 1355 01:09:49.600 --> 01:09:51.760 if we're gonna have a guard that needs the ball 1356 01:09:51.800 --> 01:09:54.880 in your hands all the time, you want that guard 1357 01:09:54.920 --> 01:09:59.079 to be, you know, either great size or great skill. 1358 01:09:59.760 --> 01:10:02.560 And with James Harden, you got a big guard, so 1359 01:10:02.920 --> 01:10:06.600 that actually helps you defensively, because hiding James Harden is 1360 01:10:06.600 --> 01:10:10.079 different than hiding tre Young. Okay, that's just what it is. 1361 01:10:09.840 --> 01:10:14.520 Is post good. Well again he guards up on the post. 1362 01:10:14.560 --> 01:10:16.359 He's all right, you know, I'll give justin. 1363 01:10:16.359 --> 01:10:18.760 The stript club, the stript club exactly. 1364 01:10:18.800 --> 01:10:21.640 You know what I'm talking about. Like, not every small 1365 01:10:21.640 --> 01:10:25.039 guard's doing that. Are you hiding James Harden? Are you? 1366 01:10:25.119 --> 01:10:27.159 Does Cee Lou go out of his way to say 1367 01:10:27.159 --> 01:10:30.079 in every other press conference, oh, James isn't. We're not 1368 01:10:30.119 --> 01:10:32.560 asking him to be a stopper, like we heard that 1369 01:10:33.079 --> 01:10:36.479 a dozen times probably last season. But what does James 1370 01:10:36.520 --> 01:10:40.000 give you as a high guy defensively? He gives you rebounds, 1371 01:10:40.079 --> 01:10:43.119 He gives you an opportunity to force turnovers, and he 1372 01:10:43.199 --> 01:10:45.319 gives you an opportunity where guys try and post them 1373 01:10:45.399 --> 01:10:48.159 up and they turn and their post game is inadequate, 1374 01:10:48.680 --> 01:10:51.159 the balls on the ground. Like, there aren't a lot 1375 01:10:51.199 --> 01:10:53.520 of small guards who do that on a consistent basis. 1376 01:10:53.560 --> 01:10:57.000 So even as a liability defensively, James is a guy 1377 01:10:57.079 --> 01:10:58.880 that gives you a little bit more than some of 1378 01:10:58.920 --> 01:11:01.199 these other weak ass guards out here. So there are 1379 01:11:01.199 --> 01:11:04.520 a lot of guards who do great ship, but at 1380 01:11:04.520 --> 01:11:07.079 the end of the day. There's a reason the Philadelphia 1381 01:11:07.079 --> 01:11:09.439 seventy six ers were like, let's get Paul georgan pay 1382 01:11:09.520 --> 01:11:12.439 him two hundred Let's get Paul George and pay him 1383 01:11:12.640 --> 01:11:15.640 max money in his age thirty seven season. You know, 1384 01:11:15.720 --> 01:11:19.880 because Tyree Maxy and Joel Embiid ain't enough. You need 1385 01:11:19.920 --> 01:11:22.800 Paul George to be able to give you a little 1386 01:11:22.840 --> 01:11:25.039 bit more. You need him to give you a year 1387 01:11:25.079 --> 01:11:28.000 or two more of all star production. Because having a 1388 01:11:28.000 --> 01:11:30.159 small guard and even one of the most dominant bigs 1389 01:11:30.159 --> 01:11:32.720 in the league that ain't that ain't enough. You You 1390 01:11:32.840 --> 01:11:36.760 need something more to, you know, rise above what the 1391 01:11:36.800 --> 01:11:38.600 other teams in the East can present to you. 1392 01:11:39.279 --> 01:11:44.000 Yeah, and they see though I don't know, man, that 1393 01:11:44.119 --> 01:11:45.520 was hope he doesn't hear. 1394 01:11:45.439 --> 01:11:52.359 That because we talk about guards. It's a guard dominated league. 1395 01:11:52.760 --> 01:11:54.680 But you know why as a guard dominated league, because 1396 01:11:54.680 --> 01:11:57.960 the rules put it in position to let guards run 1397 01:11:58.000 --> 01:12:00.159 wild in the league. Like that's why the guards have 1398 01:12:00.239 --> 01:12:03.039 numbers now in twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four that 1399 01:12:03.119 --> 01:12:05.560 you weren't seeing at the turn of the twenty first century. 1400 01:12:05.760 --> 01:12:08.079 Like we literally change the rules in the NBA to 1401 01:12:08.159 --> 01:12:10.920 let guards do ship that they weren't doing in the nineties. 1402 01:12:11.600 --> 01:12:12.800 That's that's real. 1403 01:12:13.359 --> 01:12:16.399 I think some of that is two all time drafts 1404 01:12:16.520 --> 01:12:20.960 and the level of skill is incredible. Some of it's 1405 01:12:21.000 --> 01:12:23.520 the rules. They're taking advantage of it in the playoffs 1406 01:12:23.560 --> 01:12:25.439 though I see hand checking all the time. 1407 01:12:25.520 --> 01:12:29.920 Still, how many guards are are leading their teams further 1408 01:12:29.960 --> 01:12:33.880 than you expect them to. Even Steph Curry needs a 1409 01:12:33.920 --> 01:12:38.680 lot of help, of course, but he needs how many bigs? 1410 01:12:39.039 --> 01:12:41.640 How many bigs. There's a couple of very unique bigs 1411 01:12:41.640 --> 01:12:43.439 in this league still that can do it all. 1412 01:12:43.479 --> 01:12:46.199 But there's not a ton That's why you don't see 1413 01:12:46.239 --> 01:12:48.479 any of these gms. You don't hear Lawrence Frank ever 1414 01:12:48.560 --> 01:12:51.119 saying you can never have enough bigs, you can never 1415 01:12:51.159 --> 01:12:54.560 have it's wings, it's a wing. 1416 01:12:54.840 --> 01:13:00.720 I'm with it. My point was Max is a buck 1417 01:13:01.039 --> 01:13:05.119 as opposed to playing next to Kawhi and James Harden 1418 01:13:05.159 --> 01:13:07.880 who just turned thirty five, Like that is an advantage 1419 01:13:08.119 --> 01:13:08.960 that they do have. 1420 01:13:09.359 --> 01:13:11.640 And I think Paul saw that. You know, Paul's gonna 1421 01:13:11.680 --> 01:13:15.000 look at Joel. Paul's gonna look at Joel like a 1422 01:13:15.039 --> 01:13:18.560 lot of like the Stephen A Smith troll faction is 1423 01:13:18.600 --> 01:13:21.239 going to look at Kawhi, Like, you know, if you're 1424 01:13:21.279 --> 01:13:25.359 gonna blame Kawhi for not being there at the end, well, 1425 01:13:25.399 --> 01:13:28.119 what's Joel's biggest issue? And this is coming from someone 1426 01:13:28.119 --> 01:13:31.039 who actually likes Joel, like I know people like to 1427 01:13:31.319 --> 01:13:35.239 you know, people don't like Joel. I like Joelle, like, 1428 01:13:35.359 --> 01:13:38.800 I'm always gonna like Joe too. But Joel indeed is 1429 01:13:38.840 --> 01:13:42.319 one of the least reliable players in the postseason, you know, 1430 01:13:42.479 --> 01:13:45.279 even when he's on the floor. So if you're gonna 1431 01:13:45.279 --> 01:13:47.279 put that on Kawhi because Kawhi can't get through the 1432 01:13:47.279 --> 01:13:50.880 playoff series, well, getting Joel to play through a playoff series, 1433 01:13:50.920 --> 01:13:53.479 even win multiple playoff series, we haven't seen that yet. 1434 01:13:53.560 --> 01:13:56.000 So that's Paul's got to look at it like this, 1435 01:13:57.159 --> 01:14:00.960 Joel is your new Kawhi. Okay, he's big, maybe he's 1436 01:14:01.000 --> 01:14:03.319 more durable, but he's also a guy who still has 1437 01:14:03.359 --> 01:14:06.199 a lot to prove even as an MVP. Tyressee is 1438 01:14:06.239 --> 01:14:09.760 your new Russell Westbrook. Tyrese is younger and able to 1439 01:14:09.760 --> 01:14:11.800 play the kind of style of basketball that you wanted 1440 01:14:11.840 --> 01:14:14.319 to play. James does not fit either one of those. 1441 01:14:14.479 --> 01:14:18.760 And James, obviously, you know, people were thinking last year 1442 01:14:18.800 --> 01:14:22.960 that James and Paul were going to commiserate over Darryl Moury. Well, 1443 01:14:23.000 --> 01:14:26.520 now Joel and Paul are going to commiserate over the 1444 01:14:26.680 --> 01:14:29.279 James Harden experience. But you know what, I bet you 1445 01:14:29.399 --> 01:14:32.760 James is going to feel empowered by that, and I 1446 01:14:32.800 --> 01:14:36.039 bet you, going into this next year, Paul doesn't have 1447 01:14:36.119 --> 01:14:39.640 to worry about having to fit in with James, but 1448 01:14:39.720 --> 01:14:42.239 he is. That's his new situation. It's like, I know 1449 01:14:42.319 --> 01:14:45.960 Paul loved playing with Kawhi, loved playing with Russ. I 1450 01:14:45.960 --> 01:14:48.840 don't know if he'd say the same about playing with James, 1451 01:14:48.960 --> 01:14:52.079 not on a personal level, just on a play style level, 1452 01:14:52.159 --> 01:14:53.920 Like the ball was out of his hands. The last 1453 01:14:53.960 --> 01:14:55.960 time Paul George complained about the ball being out of 1454 01:14:55.960 --> 01:14:59.279 his hands, it was Doc Rivers team, and Doc Rivers 1455 01:14:59.279 --> 01:15:02.079 obviously wound up up getting replaced by t Lou. It's 1456 01:15:02.119 --> 01:15:05.439 the same situation. That's who he's looking at playing with. 1457 01:15:05.560 --> 01:15:07.479 And then he got the ball back in his hands. 1458 01:15:07.560 --> 01:15:11.479 They didn't like being picked up ninety four feet. I 1459 01:15:11.119 --> 01:15:13.560 I wish Russ could have shot like Tyrese MAXI for 1460 01:15:13.560 --> 01:15:17.359 the Clippers, will tell you that much right now, All right, 1461 01:15:17.600 --> 01:15:20.199 a few more here? Is it possible this is from 1462 01:15:20.279 --> 01:15:23.680 Betsy c. The Clippers just didn't want to help Golden State. 1463 01:15:24.039 --> 01:15:26.600 If they're gonna lose PG anyways, it makes more sense 1464 01:15:26.640 --> 01:15:28.720 to lose them to Philly instead of a conference opponent. 1465 01:15:28.800 --> 01:15:33.600 Law they weren't given Kaminga. I mean, if they gave 1466 01:15:33.640 --> 01:15:35.319 the right package, I think they would have sent Paul 1467 01:15:35.359 --> 01:15:36.199 Georgia Golden State. 1468 01:15:36.520 --> 01:15:38.840 You don't you don't know. Look, Golden State would love 1469 01:15:38.880 --> 01:15:44.880 to trade Jonathan Kaminga like and I think, yes, why. 1470 01:15:47.279 --> 01:15:51.520 If they would love he just the second half at 1471 01:15:51.600 --> 01:15:53.800 least Steve Kerr gave in the second half of the season, 1472 01:15:54.239 --> 01:15:55.279 so I think they're starting to. 1473 01:15:55.199 --> 01:15:59.479 Believe in him. I think. I think the Warriors were 1474 01:15:59.600 --> 01:16:03.000 a playing team the entire year and didn't survive to 1475 01:16:03.039 --> 01:16:05.560 play in tournament. That's what I saw. The Warriors are 1476 01:16:05.840 --> 01:16:09.279 very strange. They put together basketball team because of the 1477 01:16:09.319 --> 01:16:12.920 mistakes that they have made even while winning a championship. 1478 01:16:12.960 --> 01:16:15.000 Mind you, So every report. 1479 01:16:14.720 --> 01:16:17.159 Is they won't give out Kaminga in a trade. Same 1480 01:16:17.159 --> 01:16:17.920 thing for marketing. 1481 01:16:18.960 --> 01:16:24.479 Look man, Jonathan Kaminga is contract extension eligible before the 1482 01:16:24.600 --> 01:16:28.399 start of the season because he was drafted in the 1483 01:16:28.399 --> 01:16:34.119 first round UH in twenty twenty one. Right the Warriors 1484 01:16:34.119 --> 01:16:36.600 have the decision to make on him. Do you pay 1485 01:16:36.680 --> 01:16:42.039 him now, do you trade him at some point, or 1486 01:16:42.079 --> 01:16:46.600 do you put him the isaacacro zone and be like, 1487 01:16:47.039 --> 01:16:51.239 you're restricted, will pay you then immediately, or you're restricted 1488 01:16:51.279 --> 01:16:53.960 and we're just going to play this thing out. Johnathan 1489 01:16:54.000 --> 01:16:57.560 k Minga is a tough player because, like he's a 1490 01:16:57.600 --> 01:17:01.960 power forward. Okay, he's not a comfortable shooter. He's not 1491 01:17:02.000 --> 01:17:04.079 a bad shooter, but he's not a comfortable shooter. He's 1492 01:17:04.079 --> 01:17:06.000 a little bit too much like Andrew Wiggins. But he 1493 01:17:06.039 --> 01:17:09.279 also shares the same team as Draymond Green. If the 1494 01:17:09.319 --> 01:17:11.319 Warriors want to defend at a high level, they put 1495 01:17:11.399 --> 01:17:13.880 Draymond at power for it and start someone like Trace 1496 01:17:14.000 --> 01:17:16.239 Jackson Davis. You know why the Worriors can't do that, 1497 01:17:16.680 --> 01:17:20.840 it's because their offense would be terrible because there's not 1498 01:17:21.039 --> 01:17:24.399 enough guys who can shoot, and that includes Jonathan Kaminga. Again, 1499 01:17:24.439 --> 01:17:27.760 I'm not saying Cominga can't shoot. I'm saying Jonathan Kaminga 1500 01:17:27.840 --> 01:17:31.119 is is a bucket getter more than he is a 1501 01:17:31.199 --> 01:17:33.920 guy who is comfortable standing in the corner waiting for 1502 01:17:33.960 --> 01:17:37.159 his shots to come. Yeah, okay, so you have a 1503 01:17:37.600 --> 01:17:39.600 dilemma there, how do you get the most out of 1504 01:17:39.680 --> 01:17:43.079 Jonathan Kaminga individually as a player, which they had to 1505 01:17:43.159 --> 01:17:47.720 lean into more because you know, Draymond suspended, Clay's having 1506 01:17:47.800 --> 01:17:51.399 his issues. Like it's like, okay, you need someone to 1507 01:17:51.399 --> 01:17:54.239 help help out and score points, but how do you 1508 01:17:54.359 --> 01:17:56.199 do that in the context of what kind of team 1509 01:17:56.279 --> 01:17:59.119 you have. I think the Warriors would love a team 1510 01:17:59.399 --> 01:18:03.119 to take that issue off their hands, and they haven't 1511 01:18:03.159 --> 01:18:04.600 found the team to do that yet. 1512 01:18:04.439 --> 01:18:07.319 With I don't know if they. We're gonna see. 1513 01:18:07.119 --> 01:18:09.039 Plenty of the Warriors. By the way, in October, we're 1514 01:18:09.039 --> 01:18:10.920 gonna be with them in camp. We're gonna see the 1515 01:18:10.920 --> 01:18:13.920 first preseason game against them the first weekend of the season. 1516 01:18:14.239 --> 01:18:16.680 It's gonna be a nasty back to back. I don't 1517 01:18:16.720 --> 01:18:19.600 know how that's how that happened, but it's gonna be 1518 01:18:19.680 --> 01:18:22.359 Denver on a Saturday afternoon and then Golden State on 1519 01:18:22.399 --> 01:18:26.039 a Sunday evening. Like first weekend of the season. We're 1520 01:18:26.039 --> 01:18:28.159 gonna see plenty of the Warriors. We're gonna see plenty 1521 01:18:28.199 --> 01:18:32.039 of the dynamic between those teams and what their adjustments are. 1522 01:18:32.239 --> 01:18:34.800 We're gonna see teams look at Paul George leaving the 1523 01:18:34.800 --> 01:18:36.720 Clippers as like, we don't want to talk about the 1524 01:18:36.720 --> 01:18:40.560 Clippers anymore, and Klay Thompson leave the Warriors and you know, 1525 01:18:41.199 --> 01:18:44.199 make the Warriors great again, talk like we we know 1526 01:18:44.239 --> 01:18:47.159 how the sausages made. We know that one team made 1527 01:18:47.159 --> 01:18:50.279 the playoffs and has like nine national TV games the 1528 01:18:50.399 --> 01:18:53.800 entire season, whereas the Warriors damn near lead the entire 1529 01:18:53.880 --> 01:18:56.079 NBA in national TV games. And again they didn't even 1530 01:18:56.079 --> 01:18:59.760 earn a seven game series last year. So like, anything 1531 01:18:59.800 --> 01:19:04.079 you hear about Jonathan Kuminga's value coming from coming from 1532 01:19:04.079 --> 01:19:07.840 that team needs to be Actually, you need to see 1533 01:19:07.880 --> 01:19:11.520 it before you believe it. That's all I'm saying now, No, 1534 01:19:11.600 --> 01:19:14.560 the Clippers should not have been excited about getting Jonathan Kuminga. 1535 01:19:14.800 --> 01:19:19.520 We've seen Jonathan Kaminga play basketball. He's a talented player individually. 1536 01:19:20.039 --> 01:19:22.520 If you're trying to get the best out of your 1537 01:19:22.520 --> 01:19:25.279 team circumstances, how the heck do you fit that player 1538 01:19:25.399 --> 01:19:28.520 into what you're trying to build. That's the concern with 1539 01:19:28.239 --> 01:19:29.880 with with with cominga. 1540 01:19:29.960 --> 01:19:34.399 Sure, he's twenty one. It's twenty one, Like it's it's 1541 01:19:34.640 --> 01:19:38.640 a lot of talent and unrealized potential so far, but 1542 01:19:39.760 --> 01:19:42.960 I think that is enough for teams to come calling. 1543 01:19:43.000 --> 01:19:44.600 At least uh. 1544 01:19:44.680 --> 01:19:48.039 Team didn't happen. Do you pay him? Do you pay 1545 01:19:48.079 --> 01:19:51.159 him now? Do you pay him later? What's his value? Yeah, 1546 01:19:51.199 --> 01:19:53.920 same thing with Brandon Ingram in New Orleans, Like that's restricted. 1547 01:19:53.920 --> 01:19:55.479 I'd let him play it out and if I have 1548 01:19:55.560 --> 01:19:57.479 to match, I have to match. That's what I would do. 1549 01:19:58.079 --> 01:20:01.479 Yeah, that's a you know, for for some teams, if 1550 01:20:01.800 --> 01:20:04.680 they feel good about that, then they'll they'll they'll do it. 1551 01:20:04.840 --> 01:20:07.359 And maybe they might feel good about that in the 1552 01:20:07.399 --> 01:20:10.439 middle of the season in February, if you look at 1553 01:20:10.479 --> 01:20:12.920 the Warriors and the standings and the Warriors are like, 1554 01:20:13.000 --> 01:20:16.239 we gotta do something, maybe that maybe that's what happens. 1555 01:20:16.680 --> 01:20:19.560 You know, look at Brandon Ingram, different situation, but a 1556 01:20:19.560 --> 01:20:22.920 similar kind of player. It's like Brandon Ingram as a 1557 01:20:23.000 --> 01:20:26.840 talent in a vacuum. It's like, oh my god, it's 1558 01:20:26.880 --> 01:20:28.520 a it's a wing who can put the ball in 1559 01:20:28.560 --> 01:20:30.520 the basket. He can run pick and rolls like, he 1560 01:20:30.520 --> 01:20:33.199 can make plays. Of course you'd want that guy on 1561 01:20:33.279 --> 01:20:36.319 the team. Okay, cool, what's his value from one year 1562 01:20:36.560 --> 01:20:39.680 to your team? And what are you paying that dude? 1563 01:20:40.560 --> 01:20:42.239 And that you get carried. 1564 01:20:42.359 --> 01:20:45.319 Please? Can he take more threes? Please? 1565 01:20:45.840 --> 01:20:50.439 And again, unlike and unlike Jonathan Kaminga who you mentioned, 1566 01:20:50.479 --> 01:20:53.840 is twenty one and has years of upside to figure 1567 01:20:53.840 --> 01:20:56.640 out the holes of his game. BI is who he 1568 01:20:56.760 --> 01:20:59.840 is and who he probably is going to be, and 1569 01:21:00.640 --> 01:21:04.720 like he's you know, he's coming in a place where 1570 01:21:05.359 --> 01:21:11.239 we saw BI team USA pre that that was incredibly 1571 01:21:11.279 --> 01:21:15.920 disappointed by anybody with a reasonable basketball opinion his experience there. 1572 01:21:16.279 --> 01:21:18.560 You saw BI in the playoffs. You didn't have zion. 1573 01:21:19.439 --> 01:21:22.359 You are going up against the one seed. You mentioned 1574 01:21:22.680 --> 01:21:26.840 yourself after you eliminated the Kings, that that Oklahoma City 1575 01:21:26.840 --> 01:21:28.640 thunder team ended your season in the playing turn of 1576 01:21:28.640 --> 01:21:30.920 the year before next thing, you know, Willie Green is 1577 01:21:30.920 --> 01:21:35.439 benching b I to spark his team like that, and 1578 01:21:35.520 --> 01:21:39.159 so it's like, what are you doing with that player 1579 01:21:39.159 --> 01:21:40.800 in the short term and the long term? I think 1580 01:21:40.880 --> 01:21:43.600 with every player in the NBA, there's a reasonable level 1581 01:21:43.640 --> 01:21:46.079 of talent where you don't want to disrespect these guys. 1582 01:21:46.199 --> 01:21:48.640 They're all talented, they're all good, they all provide some 1583 01:21:48.720 --> 01:21:51.720 level of value. But you're building a team. It's a 1584 01:21:51.760 --> 01:21:54.800 team game. It's not hey, let's have that guy on 1585 01:21:54.840 --> 01:21:57.119 our team, or let's get the most out of this 1586 01:21:57.159 --> 01:22:00.479 guy from an individual level, despite my guy's playing fantasy 1587 01:22:00.520 --> 01:22:04.199 basketball and preparing for their drafts. It's what does your 1588 01:22:04.199 --> 01:22:07.000 team look like in this short term and what are 1589 01:22:07.039 --> 01:22:09.960 you doing from a team building standpoint. That's why the 1590 01:22:10.000 --> 01:22:13.000 Clippers are complicated because they're like, we're so used to 1591 01:22:13.119 --> 01:22:16.079 teams saying trade this guy, you're gonna get value for him, 1592 01:22:16.079 --> 01:22:18.520 because that's what makes sense in the short term, because 1593 01:22:18.560 --> 01:22:21.039 none of these people give a damn about what happens 1594 01:22:21.159 --> 01:22:23.279 in the long term. With these teams. We love to 1595 01:22:23.319 --> 01:22:26.079 talk about the light years of the Golden State Warriors 1596 01:22:26.560 --> 01:22:29.840 and not thinking about, oh shoot, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson 1597 01:22:29.880 --> 01:22:31.479 might not be back next year. We're going to be 1598 01:22:31.520 --> 01:22:33.600 the worst team in the NBA for a year. No 1599 01:22:33.720 --> 01:22:37.680 one talks about that, So I got to bring that up. 1600 01:22:37.720 --> 01:22:41.119 Adam, Hey, it's fair. Lakeb's a big listener here on 1601 01:22:41.159 --> 01:22:44.560 Clippers talk too, so he's gonna hear this. Miles Johnson 1602 01:22:44.600 --> 01:22:47.319 has a good question, how aggressive, if at all, do 1603 01:22:47.319 --> 01:22:49.960 you think the Clippers will be if they exceed expectations? 1604 01:22:50.039 --> 01:22:52.239 Law This is interesting if they did get off to 1605 01:22:52.319 --> 01:22:55.399 a hot start, if they are in the hunt, you know, 1606 01:22:55.439 --> 01:22:58.119 as a top five seed in the Western Conference around 1607 01:22:58.159 --> 01:23:00.840 the trade deadline. Do they try to make a move, 1608 01:23:01.159 --> 01:23:04.319 Do they try to get back into serious contention. 1609 01:23:06.239 --> 01:23:07.720 Because we was the guy they go after. 1610 01:23:08.159 --> 01:23:11.680 I obviously it could materialize differently, basically all other teams 1611 01:23:11.720 --> 01:23:13.520 are doing. There could be teams that are sellers all 1612 01:23:13.560 --> 01:23:15.880 of a sudden. But the Lavignon name's been out there, 1613 01:23:15.920 --> 01:23:18.000 b I's been out there, as you mentioned, Jeremy Grant's 1614 01:23:18.039 --> 01:23:18.600 been out there. 1615 01:23:20.239 --> 01:23:22.039 Well, y'all know me. I think a lot of people 1616 01:23:22.119 --> 01:23:24.840 who've asked me questions about guys, I'm more likely to 1617 01:23:25.399 --> 01:23:28.600 not be nice about it. Betsy c can tell you 1618 01:23:28.640 --> 01:23:33.199 all that. So like, I'm not at the I'm not 1619 01:23:33.399 --> 01:23:36.000 really trying to have that conversation right now. I'm a 1620 01:23:36.239 --> 01:23:42.039 I'm a defer to that conversation about individuals. But as 1621 01:23:42.039 --> 01:23:45.439 far as the principle of what you're asking, we've seen 1622 01:23:45.479 --> 01:23:47.840 it every year. The Clippers were dead in the warter 1623 01:23:47.920 --> 01:23:50.960 when Paul George swore the ligament in his elbow in 1624 01:23:51.039 --> 01:23:55.000 Christmas and had that daunting January of twenty twenty two 1625 01:23:55.000 --> 01:23:58.520 ahead of them, while Covid was dripping through the whole league, 1626 01:23:58.760 --> 01:24:03.079 minds you. Okay, I saw Winn and Gabriel and and 1627 01:24:03.119 --> 01:24:08.159 this dude, James Ennis played for one team on a Tuesday, 1628 01:24:08.640 --> 01:24:11.239 and by Saturday they were playing for the damn Clippers 1629 01:24:11.239 --> 01:24:11.760 in Brooklyn. 1630 01:24:11.800 --> 01:24:14.840 Okay, and that Brooklyn victory was legendary though. 1631 01:24:14.800 --> 01:24:19.159 Exactly that's real ones. No, So like that team had 1632 01:24:19.239 --> 01:24:21.479 no business staying in the in the middle of the 1633 01:24:21.520 --> 01:24:24.239 Western Conference. The Clippers were all ready to be like, yeah, 1634 01:24:24.279 --> 01:24:26.800 you know, look at our roster. We're not We're not. 1635 01:24:26.960 --> 01:24:29.119 Like they had an eight game road trip that was 1636 01:24:29.159 --> 01:24:32.000 going to take them from MLKD basically through the last 1637 01:24:32.079 --> 01:24:35.279 day of January. They split that road trip, I believe, 1638 01:24:35.600 --> 01:24:39.560 and so you look overall and they were like come home. 1639 01:24:39.600 --> 01:24:43.039 They had this emotional game winner against the Lakers. You know, 1640 01:24:43.119 --> 01:24:45.680 I'm pretty sure that was the Reggie Jackson skipping game. 1641 01:24:46.119 --> 01:24:48.399 You know, that dude was like Austin Reeves, I got 1642 01:24:48.439 --> 01:24:55.039 a bucket and so like Aaron Bledze never played another 1643 01:24:55.199 --> 01:24:59.720 NBA game in his career, okay, like never again. Justice Winsbrow, 1644 01:25:00.359 --> 01:25:02.319 I thought Justin Winslow was like, oh, there's no way 1645 01:25:02.319 --> 01:25:04.239 they break this team up. Justin Winslow had them all 1646 01:25:04.319 --> 01:25:06.960 on a boat in Miami, that dude wound up playing 1647 01:25:07.479 --> 01:25:11.159 getting included in the trade, like Keon Johnson got included 1648 01:25:11.199 --> 01:25:14.319 in that trade. Somebody's son got included in that trade 1649 01:25:14.319 --> 01:25:18.039 that brought Norman Powell and Robert Covington to DLA Clippers. 1650 01:25:18.159 --> 01:25:21.159 And why did they make that trade? Because they looked 1651 01:25:21.159 --> 01:25:24.640 at their team survived that January, even with Paul George 1652 01:25:24.680 --> 01:25:28.319 contemplating season ending surgery, even with Kawhi Leonard doing nothing 1653 01:25:28.319 --> 01:25:30.319 more than jumping over a damn box and getting it 1654 01:25:30.359 --> 01:25:33.399 reported on national TV, and they were like, this team 1655 01:25:33.439 --> 01:25:36.319 has a chance, this team has a chance. Let's go 1656 01:25:36.359 --> 01:25:38.640 get Norm Powell just so Norm pal can break a 1657 01:25:38.680 --> 01:25:41.439 bone in his foot a weekend later. So like, we 1658 01:25:41.520 --> 01:25:43.640 know that that front office and I know the CBA 1659 01:25:43.760 --> 01:25:46.119 is different, We know that circumstances are different. But the 1660 01:25:46.159 --> 01:25:49.479 whole point of not paying Paul George and not going 1661 01:25:49.520 --> 01:25:52.439 to make a stupid trade with a division rival just 1662 01:25:52.520 --> 01:25:54.800 to say you got something for Paul George was to 1663 01:25:55.279 --> 01:25:58.479 maintain in some level of flexibility in case you do 1664 01:25:58.560 --> 01:26:01.800 want to make a trade, in case you do exceed expectations, 1665 01:26:02.000 --> 01:26:05.399 and then you can make some lose if they make sense. So, yes, 1666 01:26:05.720 --> 01:26:09.319 the Clippers have a track record of doing stuff rather 1667 01:26:09.399 --> 01:26:12.000 than a track record of not doing stuff. That's how 1668 01:26:12.079 --> 01:26:14.800 James Harden winds up on your damn team, even when 1669 01:26:14.840 --> 01:26:17.199 you have a whole training camp that might as well 1670 01:26:17.239 --> 01:26:20.840 have been called We're not training for James Harden. So 1671 01:26:21.640 --> 01:26:23.680 you know, yes, answer your question. 1672 01:26:24.279 --> 01:26:28.239 Expect that there's a great answer for Lobbry. A couple 1673 01:26:28.279 --> 01:26:30.439 more burning questions here, a lot. We still got a 1674 01:26:30.479 --> 01:26:31.720 little bit of time before the game. 1675 01:26:31.760 --> 01:26:33.239 But you see Taylor Swift yet? 1676 01:26:33.960 --> 01:26:36.600 No, I see she drawn up players right now. I 1677 01:26:36.640 --> 01:26:38.239 hear she's offensive coordinator. 1678 01:26:38.880 --> 01:26:41.520 They might might might be. Man, they gotta lose some 1679 01:26:41.600 --> 01:26:43.920 games this year. Man, I'm tired of I'm tired of 1680 01:26:43.920 --> 01:26:46.279 talking about Taylor's Taylor Swift and the Chiefs. 1681 01:26:46.920 --> 01:26:50.319 The Swifties are tough. Frankie Boy nine wants to ask, 1682 01:26:50.359 --> 01:26:52.359 do you guys think Kevin Porter Junior will be used 1683 01:26:52.399 --> 01:26:54.760 a lot this season? He was a beast in Houston. 1684 01:26:55.560 --> 01:26:58.840 Now he's being investigated by the NBA. Correct, he could 1685 01:26:58.840 --> 01:27:01.640 still be suspended BEFO for the season, even stars. 1686 01:27:02.239 --> 01:27:04.640 I would expect there to be league disciplined. I don't 1687 01:27:04.640 --> 01:27:09.239 think the league will not discipline him that. I think 1688 01:27:09.279 --> 01:27:12.760 there will be disciplined and because of that, I think 1689 01:27:12.800 --> 01:27:16.840 the toughest suspension for any player, for any team, for 1690 01:27:16.920 --> 01:27:20.640 any coaching staff to deal with is one where you're 1691 01:27:20.680 --> 01:27:26.399 starting the season suspended. Patrick Beverley is in Israel and 1692 01:27:26.479 --> 01:27:29.520 everyone's going to point out that, you know, Pat Bev 1693 01:27:29.600 --> 01:27:31.680 himself that he could have signed a deal and everything. 1694 01:27:32.199 --> 01:27:34.760 I think a huge barrier to signing a deal for 1695 01:27:34.800 --> 01:27:37.239 a player like that is when you know that he's 1696 01:27:37.239 --> 01:27:41.560 facing a four game suspension on site. So and all 1697 01:27:41.640 --> 01:27:44.680 Pat bever did was throw the damn bal to some 1698 01:27:44.920 --> 01:27:49.720 ignorant stands in Indiana. Apologies if they actually weren't ignorant 1699 01:27:49.720 --> 01:27:51.399 and they were saying nice things to Pat Bev, I 1700 01:27:51.439 --> 01:27:55.199 just doubt that was the case. So I think that 1701 01:27:55.359 --> 01:27:58.279 the tough thing, you know, and again Pat's a veteran, 1702 01:27:58.319 --> 01:28:01.199 he's played is he played his beast basketball. I think, 1703 01:28:01.479 --> 01:28:03.560 you know, go and do your thing. But I think 1704 01:28:03.720 --> 01:28:05.920 a factor in him going to the overseas wasn't just 1705 01:28:05.960 --> 01:28:08.039 the money or the fact that he's been in the league. 1706 01:28:08.039 --> 01:28:11.399 I think he got suspended. Man. So, like, like, what 1707 01:28:11.520 --> 01:28:14.319 team is like going crazy over adding a player that 1708 01:28:14.359 --> 01:28:17.640 they are going into the season trying to establish something 1709 01:28:17.640 --> 01:28:19.760 and they can't even have that guy ready to play. 1710 01:28:19.840 --> 01:28:22.560 So you know, it's different than an injury. So with 1711 01:28:23.000 --> 01:28:25.800 Kevin Porter, a guy who not only might be suspended 1712 01:28:25.880 --> 01:28:27.840 to start the year, but didn't play in the NBA 1713 01:28:27.920 --> 01:28:30.199 for a year. I don't care what level of basketball 1714 01:28:30.239 --> 01:28:33.359 you played, not playing on that level is still going 1715 01:28:33.399 --> 01:28:36.000 to put you in a position where there's an adjustment period, 1716 01:28:36.039 --> 01:28:38.880 an acclimation period to play in high level basketball again. 1717 01:28:39.239 --> 01:28:41.880 And so to begin the year, I don't think he'll 1718 01:28:41.920 --> 01:28:44.199 be in the rotation now. He's talented enough and the 1719 01:28:44.199 --> 01:28:47.199 Clippers aren't talented enough to where that has a likelihood 1720 01:28:47.199 --> 01:28:49.960 of changing over the course of the you know, over 1721 01:28:49.960 --> 01:28:55.119 the course of November going into December. But when I've 1722 01:28:55.119 --> 01:28:59.479 put my initial rotations together, Kevin's been excluded in that. 1723 01:29:00.199 --> 01:29:02.920 I actually I got to see Kevin last week, so, 1724 01:29:03.399 --> 01:29:08.119 you know, and we had a good conversation about about basketball, 1725 01:29:08.199 --> 01:29:09.159 about life stuff. 1726 01:29:10.359 --> 01:29:12.560 And think it's good spot right now. 1727 01:29:12.960 --> 01:29:16.439 I think I think he is you know, I think 1728 01:29:16.960 --> 01:29:19.199 him being on the Clippers is an indication that the 1729 01:29:19.239 --> 01:29:22.680 team thinks that they have the right people to support him. 1730 01:29:23.399 --> 01:29:26.359 I think basketball, again, we look at basketball from the 1731 01:29:26.439 --> 01:29:34.840 lens of stats, highlights, numbers, money, fame, even and it's 1732 01:29:34.840 --> 01:29:38.239 easy to just get roped into those things. But it's 1733 01:29:38.600 --> 01:29:42.399 like it's a workplace. It's you're going to work, You're 1734 01:29:42.439 --> 01:29:45.119 going to be with a team. You're going to be 1735 01:29:45.159 --> 01:29:48.560 with these dudes every single day for like six months straight. 1736 01:29:49.399 --> 01:29:52.960 Like you you can't bring a player like Kevin Porter 1737 01:29:53.039 --> 01:29:55.800 on the team, be like figure it the fuck out. 1738 01:29:56.000 --> 01:29:59.880 Like everyone in the league knows Kevin Porter's, you know, 1739 01:30:00.079 --> 01:30:02.640 dealt with some things, and Kevin Porter's putting himself in 1740 01:30:02.680 --> 01:30:08.720 situations that are unacceptable. So you have to have that 1741 01:30:08.800 --> 01:30:12.800 player be in a position where you can support him 1742 01:30:12.840 --> 01:30:16.319 so that beyond the basketball, you can make sure that 1743 01:30:16.359 --> 01:30:19.279 he doesn't do stuff that puts him in a bad place. 1744 01:30:19.800 --> 01:30:22.920 And so I think the Clippers have the I think 1745 01:30:23.000 --> 01:30:25.359 Kevin knows that. I think Kevin knows the responsibility that 1746 01:30:25.720 --> 01:30:27.720 is ahead of him. I think he knows that there's 1747 01:30:27.720 --> 01:30:30.000 a lot more scrutiny that's going to come his way 1748 01:30:30.279 --> 01:30:34.199 between now and the end of this calendar year on 1749 01:30:34.359 --> 01:30:37.000 and off the floor, and so he's got to adjust 1750 01:30:37.039 --> 01:30:38.960 toy off the floor stuff before you can get to 1751 01:30:39.000 --> 01:30:41.239 be on the floor stuff. So I get everyone looking 1752 01:30:41.279 --> 01:30:43.520 at Kevin Porter and what he's done in the league. 1753 01:30:43.800 --> 01:30:46.720 He put fifty on Drew's head three years ago. He's 1754 01:30:46.760 --> 01:30:49.520 been a starting point guard. He earned a big contract 1755 01:30:49.520 --> 01:30:52.359 from the Rockets. I get all that. I have respect 1756 01:30:52.359 --> 01:30:56.039 for that. I also know that Kevin Porter Junior, him 1757 01:30:56.119 --> 01:31:00.760 being on the basketball port goes beyond the basketball. Everyone 1758 01:31:00.800 --> 01:31:05.760 knows that he's on a zero tolerance situation right now, 1759 01:31:06.199 --> 01:31:09.640 Like that's a pressure that a reasonable citizen is like, Oh, 1760 01:31:09.680 --> 01:31:13.800 that's easy, I'll just behave not everyone's like that, So 1761 01:31:14.079 --> 01:31:16.479 we'll see where it goes. So I get people want 1762 01:31:16.520 --> 01:31:19.960 to talk about basketball player Kevin Porter. I feel like 1763 01:31:20.000 --> 01:31:24.039 we're some steps away from basketball player Kevin Porter. 1764 01:31:25.279 --> 01:31:30.079 Anything else you can divulge from that conversation with him. 1765 01:31:30.199 --> 01:31:33.680 I mean, he's healthy, he's playing basketball. You know, this 1766 01:31:33.720 --> 01:31:37.439 isn't a player who you know. It's like, it's different 1767 01:31:37.479 --> 01:31:41.479 than Kai Jones, for instance. Right, Like, my whole thing 1768 01:31:41.600 --> 01:31:44.399 if I got to see Kay this summer was can 1769 01:31:44.479 --> 01:31:47.760 Kai actually be on the floor. You know, Kai didn't 1770 01:31:47.760 --> 01:31:49.840 get a chance to play in summer League. Why because 1771 01:31:49.840 --> 01:31:54.319 he messes damn ankle up. You know, prior to Summer League, 1772 01:31:54.760 --> 01:31:57.359 Kai didn't play at all. Once the Clipper signed him. 1773 01:31:57.880 --> 01:32:02.119 There was no time to do that. Kai Jones went 1774 01:32:02.199 --> 01:32:04.720 and signed a ten day contract with the Philadelphia seventy 1775 01:32:04.760 --> 01:32:07.520 six Ers, And it's crazy that there is a seventy 1776 01:32:07.520 --> 01:32:11.000 six Ers Clippers pipeline. He's in it. But like this, 1777 01:32:11.439 --> 01:32:14.439 you know, he was under that deal. His deal expired 1778 01:32:14.479 --> 01:32:17.079 right around the time the Sixers came to LA and 1779 01:32:17.119 --> 01:32:18.960 I knew I was going to ask people about Kai. 1780 01:32:19.560 --> 01:32:23.640 The reality was Kai signed a ten year deal, played 1781 01:32:23.640 --> 01:32:26.399 a couple games in the g mess his hamstring up. 1782 01:32:27.119 --> 01:32:29.880 So Kai signed a deal with the Clippers and was 1783 01:32:31.039 --> 01:32:32.560 and it was like he was never going to put 1784 01:32:32.560 --> 01:32:34.840 a uniform on. They just wanted to get him in 1785 01:32:34.880 --> 01:32:38.520 the system. That's another part of me talking about how basketball. 1786 01:32:38.800 --> 01:32:41.359 You see all these highlights, you see all these oh 1787 01:32:41.399 --> 01:32:43.439 he was drafted in the first round, and it's like, 1788 01:32:44.399 --> 01:32:47.520 you gotta get a dude to be able to simply 1789 01:32:48.039 --> 01:32:52.560 be professional, you know, get relationships built so that you 1790 01:32:52.600 --> 01:32:54.600 know what works and what doesn't work as part of 1791 01:32:54.920 --> 01:32:58.079 a treatment plan, a preparation plan so that eventually he 1792 01:32:58.079 --> 01:33:00.840 can get on the floor. So I had to spend, 1793 01:33:00.920 --> 01:33:02.760 Like I was telling dudes this time last year, when 1794 01:33:02.800 --> 01:33:07.039 Kyle was tripping, I was like yo, Ky ain't contributing 1795 01:33:07.039 --> 01:33:10.079 to nobody playing basketball this year. Kyle got some things 1796 01:33:10.079 --> 01:33:12.000 he got to deal with and the Hornets knew that, 1797 01:33:12.039 --> 01:33:13.560 and the Hornets were like, we can't even have you 1798 01:33:13.600 --> 01:33:15.880 in training camp. And the Hornets let him go, and 1799 01:33:15.960 --> 01:33:18.399 the NBA PA they stepped up. They put him in 1800 01:33:18.439 --> 01:33:22.319 position to where he can get the help that he needed. 1801 01:33:22.600 --> 01:33:25.600 And then he had to go to AMERICAUP play for Bahamas, 1802 01:33:25.840 --> 01:33:28.520 and then the Sixers were like, okay, you're ready to play, 1803 01:33:28.680 --> 01:33:31.119 let's put you in our get. Unfortunately, from there he 1804 01:33:31.199 --> 01:33:33.840 had the injury issues. He heard his hand string, he 1805 01:33:33.920 --> 01:33:36.439 hurts his foot ankle before a summer league, so he 1806 01:33:36.479 --> 01:33:39.600 missed a ton of time there. Fortunately now Kai is healthy. 1807 01:33:40.119 --> 01:33:42.640 So like it's the same thing with Kevin Porter. It's 1808 01:33:42.680 --> 01:33:47.000 like basketball is complicated and it's easy for us to 1809 01:33:47.000 --> 01:33:51.039 get excited about, you know, guys playing basketball, putting up numbers, 1810 01:33:51.079 --> 01:33:53.720 the things that we like basketball for. But when you 1811 01:33:53.760 --> 01:33:56.319 were around the team, you realize it's so much more 1812 01:33:56.319 --> 01:34:02.199 that goes into getting guys minutes than the actual basketball. 1813 01:34:03.000 --> 01:34:06.079 There's a couple other complicated situations. Maybe I don't know 1814 01:34:06.079 --> 01:34:09.119 how you defined it, but are bones highling and PJ 1815 01:34:09.199 --> 01:34:10.720 Tuck are gonna be on the team. Are they going 1816 01:34:10.760 --> 01:34:12.119 to be in training camp with the Clippers? 1817 01:34:12.479 --> 01:34:15.319 Yeah, I mean Bones, I saw Bones. I think it 1818 01:34:15.359 --> 01:34:20.800 was last week, and I think here's and in respect 1819 01:34:20.800 --> 01:34:23.800 of both of those guys, I love this conversation, by 1820 01:34:23.800 --> 01:34:25.479 the way, So shout out to you and shout out 1821 01:34:25.520 --> 01:34:27.560 to Taylor Swift for not rocking the state so far. 1822 01:34:27.960 --> 01:34:30.439 You're killing it. I've been texting in the message part here, 1823 01:34:30.479 --> 01:34:32.880 I'm like, great stuff from law while you're saying all. 1824 01:34:32.760 --> 01:34:37.479 This, Yeah, like like, okay, look at bones situation. He 1825 01:34:37.560 --> 01:34:41.079 comes into last year and I'm the backup point guard 1826 01:34:41.079 --> 01:34:44.199 to Russell Westbrook. He killed last summer. I thought he 1827 01:34:44.239 --> 01:34:46.319 did a great job working out. We know Bones is 1828 01:34:46.319 --> 01:34:48.560 the kind of player where it's like Bones like the hoop, 1829 01:34:48.680 --> 01:34:52.000 So we saw Bones hooping. Kawhi says in training camp. Yeah, 1830 01:34:52.039 --> 01:34:53.520 we have two point guards this year, so I don't 1831 01:34:53.520 --> 01:34:55.640 have to do that shit. You know, you got Russ's 1832 01:34:55.680 --> 01:34:59.159 your QB one and Bones is your QB two. And 1833 01:34:59.720 --> 01:35:01.520 all of a sudden, in the middle of the year, 1834 01:35:02.479 --> 01:35:04.680 not the middle of the year, but it's in season, 1835 01:35:05.119 --> 01:35:08.640 you have this trade with James and at first tlu 1836 01:35:08.760 --> 01:35:10.920 Is trying to make it work for everybody. That doesn't 1837 01:35:10.960 --> 01:35:14.359 just mean starting all of Russ, James, PG, and Kawhi. 1838 01:35:14.640 --> 01:35:17.600 It also means continue to play norm off the bench, 1839 01:35:17.640 --> 01:35:20.359 continue to play Bones off the bench. Oh, Terrence is 1840 01:35:20.399 --> 01:35:21.920 going to come back in the middle of the road 1841 01:35:21.920 --> 01:35:26.039 trip in New York. We're gonna introduce Terrence and he's 1842 01:35:26.119 --> 01:35:29.760 going to play, And I'm just foxing on Bones right now. 1843 01:35:30.439 --> 01:35:32.920 Eventually it gets to the point where it's like there's 1844 01:35:32.920 --> 01:35:35.640 too many small guards in the rotation, so we need 1845 01:35:35.680 --> 01:35:38.479 to consolidate that right away. And then it got to 1846 01:35:38.479 --> 01:35:39.960 the point where it's like, we need to put Russell 1847 01:35:39.960 --> 01:35:42.520 Westbrook in the second unit so that James we don't 1848 01:35:42.560 --> 01:35:46.239 need to like bully James into being James Harden. That's 1849 01:35:46.279 --> 01:35:48.960 what needed to happen. Like, it's not that Rusted anything 1850 01:35:49.000 --> 01:35:51.039 wrong to have to go to the second unit. It's 1851 01:35:51.079 --> 01:35:54.199 that James was not performing like the player that the 1852 01:35:54.239 --> 01:35:56.880 front off is traded for, and the only way to 1853 01:35:56.880 --> 01:35:59.159 fix that was to stop pretending like James Harden was 1854 01:35:59.199 --> 01:36:02.319 a shooting guard. So like like they wanted to have 1855 01:36:02.399 --> 01:36:04.319 Russell continue to be the point guard because that's the 1856 01:36:04.359 --> 01:36:07.079 team that they had training camp for. And that's and 1857 01:36:07.199 --> 01:36:10.439 as a coaching staff, you don't go into a year saying, oh, 1858 01:36:10.479 --> 01:36:12.119 the front office is going to do this, so we're 1859 01:36:12.119 --> 01:36:14.079 going to prepare for that. No, as a coaching staff, 1860 01:36:14.079 --> 01:36:16.039 you're like, the front office could fire our ass, so 1861 01:36:16.079 --> 01:36:18.840 we need to get done with what we have now. 1862 01:36:19.560 --> 01:36:23.680 So side note, did the front office ever want Russell 1863 01:36:23.720 --> 01:36:26.399 Westbrook or did they just have to try to make 1864 01:36:26.439 --> 01:36:26.920 that work? 1865 01:36:27.159 --> 01:36:28.720 They had to try to make it work, But I 1866 01:36:28.800 --> 01:36:31.920 also think they wanted him on the team, Like last year, 1867 01:36:32.399 --> 01:36:32.840 even when. 1868 01:36:32.800 --> 01:36:34.920 Lawrence Frank was like talking about the type of point 1869 01:36:34.960 --> 01:36:37.319 guard they were looking for the trade deadline and Rust 1870 01:36:37.319 --> 01:36:38.720 didn't check any of those boxes. 1871 01:36:38.720 --> 01:36:42.199 I always, George, I always told people the thing with 1872 01:36:42.199 --> 01:36:45.199 the Clippers front office is that, yes, they have their 1873 01:36:45.239 --> 01:36:48.920 idea of what kind of players they want. However, unlike 1874 01:36:48.960 --> 01:36:52.439 a lot of teams, they actually keep a pretty good 1875 01:36:52.520 --> 01:36:55.640 dialogue with the stakeholders on the team. They don't work 1876 01:36:55.640 --> 01:36:58.800 in a silo. So, yes, the front office they have 1877 01:36:58.960 --> 01:37:01.920 their preferences the players. We see it every draft. We 1878 01:37:02.039 --> 01:37:03.920 see it with the players that they do bring in 1879 01:37:04.319 --> 01:37:07.880 all of that. But the difference between them and a 1880 01:37:07.880 --> 01:37:11.520 lot of front offices is even if there's some conflict 1881 01:37:11.640 --> 01:37:14.880 or some disagreements, they keep the door open. The door 1882 01:37:15.000 --> 01:37:18.319 was open for Paul, for Kawhi, for Tilu to go 1883 01:37:18.359 --> 01:37:20.680 to Lawrence and be like, I saw what you did. 1884 01:37:21.039 --> 01:37:25.560 We need Russ and guess what. Russ exceeded everyone's expectations, 1885 01:37:26.000 --> 01:37:29.119 Like Russell Westbrook came in and you saw it when 1886 01:37:29.239 --> 01:37:32.000 they didn't have Kawhi and Paul to finish the Sun 1887 01:37:32.119 --> 01:37:35.560 series and Russ took off and was doing things that 1888 01:37:35.800 --> 01:37:38.279 we hadn't seen Russ do in a while. You know why, 1889 01:37:38.560 --> 01:37:41.800 going back to that Tyrese Snaxy point, tyre Snasey drops 1890 01:37:41.800 --> 01:37:43.840 forty in a playoff game with the balls in his 1891 01:37:43.920 --> 01:37:46.239 hands because tyres is really good. Well, it turns out 1892 01:37:46.279 --> 01:37:48.319 if you give Russell Westbrook the ball and let him 1893 01:37:48.359 --> 01:37:50.520 do Russell Westbrook stuff, you're probably going to get some 1894 01:37:50.600 --> 01:37:51.239 volume out of it. 1895 01:37:51.399 --> 01:37:53.640 He had a good series. He also had a game 1896 01:37:53.720 --> 01:37:55.560 one where he went three of nineteen. He had the 1897 01:37:55.560 --> 01:37:57.920 block on Booker. Overall, it was probably. 1898 01:37:57.640 --> 01:38:02.119 They won, and they won that game they did. I 1899 01:38:02.159 --> 01:38:03.960 do different players in that. 1900 01:38:04.199 --> 01:38:06.199 I think it's ten years a little bit mixed. Though 1901 01:38:06.319 --> 01:38:09.039 as a Clipper, I would I would not define it 1902 01:38:09.079 --> 01:38:10.760 as a success Honestly. 1903 01:38:10.359 --> 01:38:12.840 I think I think Russ would tell you the same thing. 1904 01:38:12.880 --> 01:38:17.119 It's it's definitely mixed because and again I swear, you know, 1905 01:38:17.159 --> 01:38:20.199 getting staying with the bones point, Rusk is going to 1906 01:38:20.199 --> 01:38:23.239 the season like I'm going to be this team's leader. 1907 01:38:23.439 --> 01:38:25.079 I'm going to have the ball in my hands and 1908 01:38:25.119 --> 01:38:28.960 my job is to get the Stars the ball in 1909 01:38:29.119 --> 01:38:30.920 the spots they need to be getting in. And I 1910 01:38:30.920 --> 01:38:35.039 think the Tilu is going to, you know, be fine 1911 01:38:35.079 --> 01:38:37.960 with that happening. Now, just be fine. He built the 1912 01:38:37.960 --> 01:38:40.479 whole training camp out of getting the most out of 1913 01:38:40.520 --> 01:38:44.199 putting Russell's position to succeed, and that was going to happen. 1914 01:38:44.760 --> 01:38:48.640 And what Blue team up is that, you know, they 1915 01:38:48.640 --> 01:38:51.399 try to maintain as much as that as possible. When 1916 01:38:51.479 --> 01:38:54.720 you lose six games in a row, it forces your hand. 1917 01:38:55.119 --> 01:38:57.359 It means that Russ has to go to the second unit, 1918 01:38:57.600 --> 01:38:59.960 not because Russell was playing poorly, but because you need 1919 01:39:00.159 --> 01:39:02.319 James to play like James Harden and the only way 1920 01:39:02.359 --> 01:39:04.479 that was going to happen at the balls in James hands. 1921 01:39:04.680 --> 01:39:06.800 It means that you're gonna have a second unit where okay, 1922 01:39:06.840 --> 01:39:08.399 Russ is going to be in the second unit, but 1923 01:39:08.439 --> 01:39:10.560 that also meant that Bones was not going to see 1924 01:39:10.560 --> 01:39:12.439 the light of a day as long as the following 1925 01:39:12.520 --> 01:39:16.520 four guys were healthy. James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Norman Powell, 1926 01:39:16.840 --> 01:39:19.800 Terrence Man and guess what, for the most part, all 1927 01:39:19.840 --> 01:39:23.079 four of those guys, they pretty much didn't miss any 1928 01:39:23.119 --> 01:39:28.239 time Bones. I don't think Bones handled that particular adversity well. 1929 01:39:28.600 --> 01:39:31.199 And he checked out. I thought he checked out behind 1930 01:39:31.239 --> 01:39:33.960 the scenes, and I thought that as. 1931 01:39:33.920 --> 01:39:36.520 What it looked like behind the scenes with him, Well, 1932 01:39:36.600 --> 01:39:38.079 how did he portray checking out? 1933 01:39:39.159 --> 01:39:41.479 I just feel like, you know, you kind of saw 1934 01:39:41.760 --> 01:39:44.039 in the garbage Time games. I think you saw when 1935 01:39:44.079 --> 01:39:47.840 their games were in January that he didn't even get 1936 01:39:47.960 --> 01:39:50.079 on the floor even with the margin in hand. Like, 1937 01:39:51.319 --> 01:39:54.560 I just feel like it was being known behind the 1938 01:39:54.600 --> 01:39:58.199 scenes that Bones would have preferred a different situation. He 1939 01:39:58.359 --> 01:40:01.720 wanted to be traded. And guess what, he wasn't at 1940 01:40:01.720 --> 01:40:04.880 home exactly. It was because those guys weren't traded. And 1941 01:40:04.920 --> 01:40:09.279 those guys, again, behind the scenes, they weren't really they 1942 01:40:09.279 --> 01:40:11.920 were happy. They were disgruntled. I think that's an objective 1943 01:40:11.920 --> 01:40:12.479 way to put it. 1944 01:40:12.960 --> 01:40:15.479 So they're still on the team. 1945 01:40:15.680 --> 01:40:18.800 Well, that's the thing. If you're dealing with that. In 1946 01:40:18.840 --> 01:40:22.159 the season, that's going to create conflict and that's going 1947 01:40:22.199 --> 01:40:24.840 to increase your chances of people not being on the 1948 01:40:24.880 --> 01:40:28.319 same page. That's where frustration comes in. But in the 1949 01:40:28.439 --> 01:40:30.920 off season, when things calm down, when you can see 1950 01:40:30.920 --> 01:40:32.920 your family, when you can do the things that you 1951 01:40:32.960 --> 01:40:35.680 need to do, when you can hoop in whatever league 1952 01:40:35.720 --> 01:40:37.760 that you hooping in, when you got some fresh air, 1953 01:40:37.800 --> 01:40:40.760 when you took a vacation, you know, you can have 1954 01:40:40.800 --> 01:40:42.960 some conversations, you can settle down, and you can have 1955 01:40:43.000 --> 01:40:45.479 a better sense of where your expectations are. And that 1956 01:40:45.560 --> 01:40:48.239 released to PJ Tucker too, because PJ Tucker, while all 1957 01:40:48.239 --> 01:40:51.960 this shit was going down with James Harden, PJ was thinking, 1958 01:40:52.680 --> 01:40:55.000 Nick Nurse is going to start me, you know what 1959 01:40:55.039 --> 01:40:57.920 I'm saying, And he did. PJ was in training camp, 1960 01:40:58.079 --> 01:41:01.479 PJ was participating every day. PJ started the first week 1961 01:41:01.520 --> 01:41:04.960 of the season for the Philadelphia Sydney Sixers, and that 1962 01:41:05.079 --> 01:41:08.319 whole time, Pj's like, man, that shit going on with James, 1963 01:41:08.359 --> 01:41:12.119 that's crazy. Well, PJ got roped into the trade and 1964 01:41:12.279 --> 01:41:15.119 PJ PJ didn't want to be traded to the LA 1965 01:41:15.760 --> 01:41:16.800 And then. 1966 01:41:16.760 --> 01:41:18.319 I don't think they wanted to have to trade for 1967 01:41:18.479 --> 01:41:20.239 him either, right, it goes well, no. 1968 01:41:20.680 --> 01:41:22.399 It was like, look, this is the deal that we had, 1969 01:41:22.600 --> 01:41:25.119 Like for instance, they didn't want Nico Batum and the deal, 1970 01:41:25.680 --> 01:41:27.960 but that's that's who they needed to trade to make 1971 01:41:28.000 --> 01:41:30.039 the deal work. You know. Now, next thing you know, 1972 01:41:30.119 --> 01:41:32.640 Nico Beatum is back here. You know. 1973 01:41:33.119 --> 01:41:36.279 So PJ complained to you because I know he complained 1974 01:41:36.279 --> 01:41:39.640 to multiple outlets that he wanted a bigger role. He 1975 01:41:39.680 --> 01:41:41.479 didn't sign up for this. Did he talk to you 1976 01:41:41.560 --> 01:41:41.960 about it? 1977 01:41:42.239 --> 01:41:44.239 I don't want to look at it as him complaining 1978 01:41:44.319 --> 01:41:46.199 to me, like I don't want to put a I 1979 01:41:46.199 --> 01:41:47.039 don't I don't want. 1980 01:41:46.880 --> 01:41:48.399 To be the expressed frustration. 1981 01:41:48.920 --> 01:41:52.640 I mean, I think he explained yes is a short answer, 1982 01:41:52.680 --> 01:41:55.680 But I think the frustration is not something that that's 1983 01:41:55.720 --> 01:41:57.760 not like I look at him, be like, PJ, are 1984 01:41:57.800 --> 01:42:03.439 you frustrated? Like he's a basketball player, want to play, Yeah, 1985 01:42:03.479 --> 01:42:06.960 you're gonna be frustrated like and so he wanted to 1986 01:42:07.000 --> 01:42:09.720 be traded. Well, guess what, no team's gonna trade for 1987 01:42:09.760 --> 01:42:13.399 his contract, especially not for just his contract, right, and 1988 01:42:13.479 --> 01:42:15.800 so he had to get through the season. And I 1989 01:42:15.840 --> 01:42:19.079 think that the reality is this, I wouldn't have been 1990 01:42:19.119 --> 01:42:22.359 surprised if the Clippers were like, you are so untenable 1991 01:42:22.439 --> 01:42:25.000 to be here that we need to stretch and wave you. 1992 01:42:25.960 --> 01:42:28.600 But I don't think we're dealing with that. I think 1993 01:42:29.159 --> 01:42:32.319 now we're dealing with a situation where all those people 1994 01:42:32.399 --> 01:42:35.279 mad that the Clippers let Eric Gordon go because they 1995 01:42:35.520 --> 01:42:39.439 knew that there's a possibility that, you know, they could 1996 01:42:39.439 --> 01:42:42.600 have the flexibility with their roster to bring someone else in, 1997 01:42:42.880 --> 01:42:45.960 and the someone else being James Harden. Well, now you're 1998 01:42:46.000 --> 01:42:48.880 gonna keep PJ. Tucker around more than likely because unless 1999 01:42:48.880 --> 01:42:51.439 the team is like, we really need PJ. Tucker between 2000 01:42:51.479 --> 01:42:53.880 now and the end of October, you're more than likely 2001 01:42:53.920 --> 01:42:57.239 gonna be like, well, PJ, you're gonna compete, and more 2002 01:42:57.239 --> 01:42:59.920 than likely other guys are probably gonna play above you. 2003 01:43:00.000 --> 01:43:02.199 Like I expect Nigo between Kobe Brown to play more 2004 01:43:02.199 --> 01:43:05.680 than PJ. Tucker reasonably speaking, But you know, I think 2005 01:43:05.720 --> 01:43:09.199 he's going to get his Jordan Miller, I guess. But 2006 01:43:09.920 --> 01:43:14.439 Jordan's Jordan's biggest concern is can he do the stuff 2007 01:43:14.479 --> 01:43:19.159 that he's done on respectably lower levels on a level 2008 01:43:19.159 --> 01:43:23.079 where he's competing with you know, let's just the name 2009 01:43:23.159 --> 01:43:27.920 is Amir Coffee, Like Amir is my second string small forward. 2010 01:43:28.119 --> 01:43:31.520 Going into the year, there's five guys hunting for Amir 2011 01:43:31.560 --> 01:43:35.520 Coffee's job, and a Mere Coffee. This greatest land leg 2012 01:43:35.560 --> 01:43:37.319 that he has a stand on is the fact that 2013 01:43:37.840 --> 01:43:41.399 he's done it in games that matter the most for 2014 01:43:41.439 --> 01:43:45.800 the Clippers, you know, regular season games. These other dudes 2015 01:43:45.880 --> 01:43:49.199 might have higher ceilings and they might have longer roads 2016 01:43:49.239 --> 01:43:54.119 to get to where a mir is. But Amir's a 2017 01:43:54.199 --> 01:43:57.880 pretty good incumbent, a pretty good guy to say, you 2018 01:43:57.960 --> 01:44:00.720 want his job, go and beat that guy out. And 2019 01:44:00.800 --> 01:44:03.199 so I think Jordan might get a fair shot to 2020 01:44:03.199 --> 01:44:06.319 beat that guy out. But that guy it's his job 2021 01:44:06.399 --> 01:44:09.720 until someone takes it from him, right, Yeah, PJ. Tucker, 2022 01:44:09.880 --> 01:44:12.439 it was his job until someone took it from him. Well, 2023 01:44:12.960 --> 01:44:16.520 Kobe Brown took that job. But guess who wound up 2024 01:44:16.520 --> 01:44:19.600 getting an opportunity and staying with it. Amir Coffee. Mere 2025 01:44:19.680 --> 01:44:22.439 Coffee was nowhere close to the rotation again last year, 2026 01:44:23.079 --> 01:44:26.000 and even with PJ. Tucker falling out the rotation, Amir 2027 01:44:26.079 --> 01:44:30.399 Coffee wasn't a consideration to play. But Amir got his 2028 01:44:30.439 --> 01:44:33.199 opportunity when Paul missed his first game and a Mirror 2029 01:44:33.199 --> 01:44:36.760 played so well that when it came down to someone's 2030 01:44:36.800 --> 01:44:38.399 not going to be in a rotation between a mirror 2031 01:44:38.399 --> 01:44:40.880 and Kobe. Well, Kobe looked like a guy who needed 2032 01:44:40.920 --> 01:44:42.720 to be in the G League and a guy who 2033 01:44:42.760 --> 01:44:45.439 needed some more seasoning, a guy who wasn't quite ready 2034 01:44:45.520 --> 01:44:48.239 yet to play at that level. And there's a Mirror 2035 01:44:48.279 --> 01:44:51.279 who is literally a five year NBA veteran, and I 2036 01:44:51.479 --> 01:44:55.319 was a guy a mir Yeah, And it's like it 2037 01:44:55.840 --> 01:44:58.199 made it easy on the coaching staff. It's like, well, 2038 01:44:58.359 --> 01:45:01.920 Amr is ready to play in Kobe's and PJ. We're 2039 01:45:01.920 --> 01:45:04.359 trying to trade PJ and we're gonna keep PJ on 2040 01:45:04.439 --> 01:45:07.319 ice and Amir is playing. Next thing, you know, Amir 2041 01:45:07.399 --> 01:45:10.479 is a rotation player for a team literally winning twenty 2042 01:45:10.520 --> 01:45:13.439 six out of thirty one games, and then started playoff 2043 01:45:13.479 --> 01:45:16.279 games for a while, started playoff games, and you know 2044 01:45:16.319 --> 01:45:18.399 what had happened to Amir in the playoffs is as 2045 01:45:18.399 --> 01:45:23.000 simple as Amir just wasn't getting He just didn't make 2046 01:45:23.000 --> 01:45:25.439 the most of his opportunities, and there weren't a lot 2047 01:45:25.439 --> 01:45:28.680 of opportunities to make the most of. It was a 2048 01:45:28.800 --> 01:45:31.159 role that there's a reason Derek Jones Junior is on 2049 01:45:31.199 --> 01:45:33.479 this team. It's not like you lose PG and it's like, hey, 2050 01:45:33.479 --> 01:45:36.199 mere Coffee's ready to start. It's like, oh, we're gonna 2051 01:45:36.199 --> 01:45:39.199 lose p We need a guy. We're getting Dereck Jones 2052 01:45:39.279 --> 01:45:42.640 Junior right away. Derek Jones Junon is gonna start. Like 2053 01:45:43.520 --> 01:45:46.119 he's of all the guys the Clippers brought in that 2054 01:45:46.279 --> 01:45:48.479 was new to the team, he's the one who got 2055 01:45:48.479 --> 01:45:52.319 the biggest commitment from a financial and a year standpoint 2056 01:45:52.479 --> 01:45:56.239 like that, Dude's going to be playing and starting and 2057 01:45:56.279 --> 01:45:59.399 fulfilling a role where the Clippers are hoping Derek leads 2058 01:46:00.079 --> 01:46:04.600 a team in something very specific next year. So but yeah, 2059 01:46:04.720 --> 01:46:06.880 if you talk about Bones, you're talking about PJ. The 2060 01:46:07.000 --> 01:46:10.479 vibes were shitty as far as those guys go last year, 2061 01:46:10.479 --> 01:46:13.920 but I think the off season allows for guys to 2062 01:46:13.960 --> 01:46:16.039 be in a different place and to be in a 2063 01:46:16.039 --> 01:46:19.199 different situation. I still think those guys would prefer to 2064 01:46:19.199 --> 01:46:22.279 move on. But again, Bones is what Adam say it 2065 01:46:22.319 --> 01:46:25.560 with me a small guard and those guys are a 2066 01:46:25.600 --> 01:46:29.079 dime a dozen. There's no team falling over backwards to 2067 01:46:29.119 --> 01:46:32.439 acquire a player like that. Like the Minnesota Timber was 2068 01:46:32.479 --> 01:46:37.560 a great example. Minnesota needed another guard. Tim Connolly drafted 2069 01:46:37.600 --> 01:46:40.159 Bones when Tim was in his last year with Denver, 2070 01:46:41.000 --> 01:46:44.680 there was an admiration there. Minnesota wound up trading for 2071 01:46:44.760 --> 01:46:47.920 Monte Morrison instead. Okay, and not even Monte got a 2072 01:46:47.960 --> 01:46:50.800 lot of burn with Minnesota. Monte had a very uneven season. 2073 01:46:52.000 --> 01:46:54.439 Well move initially, but he didn't play much. 2074 01:46:54.520 --> 01:46:56.800 Yeah, he didn't play much. Like Monte had a rough season, 2075 01:46:56.840 --> 01:46:59.039 and a big reason is because he was hurt going 2076 01:46:59.039 --> 01:47:01.039 into the years. As soon as he got healthy, he 2077 01:47:01.079 --> 01:47:03.359 was eligible to be traded. He just never really got 2078 01:47:03.399 --> 01:47:06.960 a swooting. Now he's in Phoenix. But what did Minnesota do. 2079 01:47:07.199 --> 01:47:11.239 Minnesota looked at they're depleted assets, and we're like, hmm, 2080 01:47:11.279 --> 01:47:13.840 we would like to have a guard. And Tim Connolly's like, 2081 01:47:13.880 --> 01:47:16.920 you know, I like bone silent. Let's get blue blood 2082 01:47:17.159 --> 01:47:22.239 conference bone siland. And that's who Rob Dillingham is, same size, 2083 01:47:22.760 --> 01:47:26.279 same GM, drafting that kind of player for his for 2084 01:47:26.399 --> 01:47:30.640 his Northwest Division team to fulfill a similar kind of 2085 01:47:30.720 --> 01:47:33.239 role for that Minnesota Timberwolves team. 2086 01:47:33.680 --> 01:47:37.359 And so like, they're not MAXI, they're not MAXI, they're. 2087 01:47:37.119 --> 01:47:39.920 Not MAXI, they're not bone siland. Like so if you 2088 01:47:39.920 --> 01:47:42.600 want bones siland, you gotta really want bones silent, because 2089 01:47:42.840 --> 01:47:47.399 again that dude is eligible for an extension. Obviously that's 2090 01:47:47.479 --> 01:47:51.199 unlikely for obvious reasons. But then it's like if anything 2091 01:47:51.319 --> 01:47:53.720 with bones, Hiland is going to get a guy who 2092 01:47:53.880 --> 01:47:57.319 is eligible for restricted free agency next year, Like so 2093 01:47:58.000 --> 01:48:01.279 you know, we'll see what happens. When it comes to PJ. 2094 01:48:01.560 --> 01:48:06.960 It's like, PJ has a tradable contract. Any team that's 2095 01:48:07.319 --> 01:48:12.439 horrible next by February, excuse me, Like, let's get PJ Tucker. 2096 01:48:12.800 --> 01:48:15.159 We can buy out the last year of his deal, 2097 01:48:15.680 --> 01:48:18.199 and PJ will go and play for whoever wants to 2098 01:48:18.199 --> 01:48:20.880 play with after that, and that is going to be 2099 01:48:20.920 --> 01:48:25.119 a key factor in the Clippers team building. Maybe there's 2100 01:48:25.159 --> 01:48:27.920 not a team in October that makes sense for PJ Tucker. 2101 01:48:28.199 --> 01:48:31.079 We see what the roster spots look like. But in February, 2102 01:48:31.279 --> 01:48:33.800 after some of these teams been punched in the damn mouth, 2103 01:48:34.119 --> 01:48:36.479 they're like, yeah, we'll take on whoever's contract to make 2104 01:48:36.560 --> 01:48:39.199 some moves, get some assets out of it, and say 2105 01:48:39.199 --> 01:48:41.960 that we have an open contract spot going into the 2106 01:48:42.399 --> 01:48:45.279 next offseason. That is how you have to look at it. 2107 01:48:45.359 --> 01:48:47.920 I think PJ is gonna I haven't talked to PJ, 2108 01:48:48.039 --> 01:48:50.119 I haven't seen PJ, but I think PJ is going 2109 01:48:50.199 --> 01:48:52.640 to be in a better place going into training camp 2110 01:48:53.079 --> 01:48:56.560 than perhaps he was, you know, going into last year's 2111 01:48:56.600 --> 01:49:00.600 trade deadline. Bones. I'm pretty sure Bones would like to 2112 01:49:00.640 --> 01:49:02.760 be on a team where he's not staring at the 2113 01:49:02.800 --> 01:49:05.720 third string point guard role. But I don't think there's 2114 01:49:05.760 --> 01:49:08.399 any chairs left looking at the state of the small 2115 01:49:08.439 --> 01:49:11.600 guard position in the NBA where it's like, what is 2116 01:49:11.640 --> 01:49:15.399 a team that obviously, now again, injuries might change something. 2117 01:49:15.640 --> 01:49:18.079 There might be a team with a biblical you know, 2118 01:49:18.880 --> 01:49:22.960 you know, basically you're Memphis Grizzlies of last year, a 2119 01:49:23.039 --> 01:49:25.439 biblical tie of good guys who you just run out 2120 01:49:25.439 --> 01:49:27.239 of guys like I feel like this happens to the 2121 01:49:27.239 --> 01:49:29.880 Cleveland Cavaliers every year and then then all of a 2122 01:49:29.880 --> 01:49:32.600 sudden you're like, oh my god, we have nobody who 2123 01:49:32.640 --> 01:49:33.880 can dribble the basketball. 2124 01:49:34.920 --> 01:49:38.000 Or what happens if Kevin Porter Junior gets suspended? Like 2125 01:49:38.119 --> 01:49:41.039 does then Bones become more valuable to the Clippers somehow. 2126 01:49:40.800 --> 01:49:43.039 I don't think I think that's already built in. I 2127 01:49:43.039 --> 01:49:45.520 don't think that, Like, like, I don't even look at 2128 01:49:45.560 --> 01:49:47.680 Kevin Porter Junior as a point guard right now, you 2129 01:49:47.680 --> 01:49:50.159 know what I mean? Like, I look at you want 2130 01:49:50.159 --> 01:49:52.560 to go depth chart, point guard James hard and Chris 2131 01:49:52.640 --> 01:49:56.560 Don Bones Island shooting guard, Terrence Man, Norman Powell, Kevin Porter, 2132 01:49:56.640 --> 01:50:02.039 Junior small Ford, Dare Jones, Junior, Amirka, and Cam Christy, 2133 01:50:02.119 --> 01:50:04.000 who won't even be around the Clippers. He's going to 2134 01:50:04.039 --> 01:50:06.520 be playing a ton of games in San Diego, which 2135 01:50:06.760 --> 01:50:09.760 is not even in San Diego. It's ocean side power 2136 01:50:09.800 --> 01:50:16.640 forward Kawhi Leonard, Nicholas Patoom and pretty much want more 2137 01:50:16.800 --> 01:50:21.159 likely Kobe Brown and center. It's if it's a Zoobots 2138 01:50:21.479 --> 01:50:27.680 Mobamba and insert insert player here, Like I'm for now 2139 01:50:27.880 --> 01:50:30.199 saying Kobe Brown's your third string center, but Kobe's going 2140 01:50:30.239 --> 01:50:34.359 to play a lot And obviously I think Kai Jones 2141 01:50:34.399 --> 01:50:37.039 has the lead on a two aay contract spot. He's 2142 01:50:37.039 --> 01:50:39.359 on an exhibit ten right now. There's two two way 2143 01:50:39.399 --> 01:50:42.600 contracts on the Clippers, Jordan Miller, who is going into 2144 01:50:42.600 --> 01:50:46.439 his second year on that contract, and Trenton Flowers, an 2145 01:50:46.479 --> 01:50:49.960 undrafted rookie who is already on a two way. He's 2146 01:50:50.000 --> 01:50:52.239 got a long way to go in every single regard, 2147 01:50:52.319 --> 01:50:55.079 but it's a good sign for him that he's already 2148 01:50:55.079 --> 01:50:58.439 on that contract. Kai is there's an open two way 2149 01:50:58.479 --> 01:51:02.319 contract spot. I would consider kai Jones the front runner 2150 01:51:02.359 --> 01:51:04.880 for that spot. I think everyone wants to see kai 2151 01:51:04.960 --> 01:51:09.359 Jones get that get that spot, get that contract if 2152 01:51:09.560 --> 01:51:13.319 the Clippers can't complete any trades before the beginning of 2153 01:51:13.319 --> 01:51:15.760 the regular season, and I think that is your expectation. 2154 01:51:16.279 --> 01:51:19.279 I think you have fifteen contract spots already accounted for 2155 01:51:19.680 --> 01:51:22.560 to two eight contract spots already accounted for, and Kai's 2156 01:51:22.600 --> 01:51:26.279 the front run runner over guys like Elijah Harkless or 2157 01:51:26.600 --> 01:51:28.920 you know, ray J. Dennis or anybody like that. 2158 01:51:30.039 --> 01:51:32.920 Harkless just got what that invite earlier today. I love 2159 01:51:32.960 --> 01:51:35.800 his defense. I know the chance of him as saw that. 2160 01:51:35.960 --> 01:51:38.920 People saw that. But like I told people in late June, 2161 01:51:39.520 --> 01:51:42.159 like I mean, and this ain't on Keith, but like 2162 01:51:42.319 --> 01:51:46.439 people like see tell them, tell them, I mean again, 2163 01:51:46.479 --> 01:51:50.319 it's not on Keith. You know, I'm sure Keith got Keith. 2164 01:51:50.399 --> 01:51:52.640 Keith got great sources, Keith got people who talk to him. 2165 01:51:52.920 --> 01:51:57.840 I'm just saying, if you are. You know, I said 2166 01:51:57.880 --> 01:52:01.279 the same thing in late July that you know, the 2167 01:52:01.279 --> 01:52:04.960 Clippers were bringing Elijah in on an E ten, like 2168 01:52:05.119 --> 01:52:08.079 we're talking six weeks ago. So if someone saw it 2169 01:52:08.119 --> 01:52:12.840 because Keith got way more followers than me, then I 2170 01:52:13.239 --> 01:52:16.760 understand that. But I'm just telling y'all like that was 2171 01:52:16.800 --> 01:52:20.960 a that was a deal that was already done six 2172 01:52:21.000 --> 01:52:23.560 weeks ago, so I'm glad you saw it today, But 2173 01:52:23.680 --> 01:52:26.439 like that was a that was a contract that's not 2174 01:52:26.520 --> 01:52:28.560 new today. Like we know the Elijah was going to 2175 01:52:28.600 --> 01:52:30.439 be with the Clippers in camp like more than a 2176 01:52:30.439 --> 01:52:30.960 month ago. 2177 01:52:31.399 --> 01:52:34.159 I just needed some news today to make things interesting. 2178 01:52:34.239 --> 01:52:34.399 You know. 2179 01:52:35.359 --> 01:52:38.920 I gave it a retweet. But at the Law Murray 2180 01:52:38.960 --> 01:52:41.600 and you is where I go for my source when 2181 01:52:41.600 --> 01:52:45.239 it comes to Clippers news and information and great analysis 2182 01:52:45.319 --> 01:52:48.600 as well, even dime droppers on the chat. Now, as 2183 01:52:48.600 --> 01:52:51.319 we've been up for almost damn near two hours here 2184 01:52:51.319 --> 01:52:54.239 with law Murray on the live stream, well I don't 2185 01:52:54.279 --> 01:52:55.920 I don't want to take any more of your time. 2186 01:52:56.079 --> 01:52:58.680 We gotta get ready for the game. Maybe you're getting 2187 01:52:58.760 --> 01:53:01.720 some pre games snacks in. I don't know where it is. 2188 01:53:01.880 --> 01:53:03.640 Football's coming in a half hour. 2189 01:53:03.720 --> 01:53:06.199 Dude, I'm gonna do. I'm gonna be doing basketball work 2190 01:53:06.279 --> 01:53:09.079 during the football game. Because the funny, the great thing 2191 01:53:09.119 --> 01:53:12.000 about football and why it is our American pastime is 2192 01:53:12.000 --> 01:53:14.279 that over a three and a half hour time there's 2193 01:53:14.319 --> 01:53:17.960 only like ten to fifteen minutes of actual game being played, 2194 01:53:18.399 --> 01:53:23.960 and therefore I'm just gonna be multitasking. Football is a 2195 01:53:24.000 --> 01:53:26.000 great family sport because you ain't got to do a 2196 01:53:26.079 --> 01:53:28.720 damn thing. You can do a whole lot of multitasking 2197 01:53:28.800 --> 01:53:31.199 during a football game. Can't do that during basketball game. 2198 01:53:31.479 --> 01:53:33.640 Basketball game, you blink for five minutes a team down 2199 01:53:33.680 --> 01:53:34.079 by ten. 2200 01:53:35.319 --> 01:53:38.159 So what's the next piece you're working on right now 2201 01:53:38.199 --> 01:53:40.920 that everybody can be looking forward to from the athletic. 2202 01:53:41.159 --> 01:53:44.079 Oh man, I mean me and my ors were talking 2203 01:53:44.119 --> 01:53:48.000 about that earlier today. But it'll more than likely involve 2204 01:53:48.039 --> 01:53:52.359 some level of player ranking. So yeah, I'm I'm in 2205 01:53:52.520 --> 01:53:57.600 a player evaluation mode heavy right now across the entire league. 2206 01:53:57.680 --> 01:54:01.560 So I don't know how soon that'll turn around. But 2207 01:54:02.479 --> 01:54:05.800 that's my next project. And you know, obviously whatever else 2208 01:54:05.800 --> 01:54:07.199 Sty'll let me write. 2209 01:54:07.199 --> 01:54:10.760 So it will be thorough, it will be comprehensive, It 2210 01:54:10.800 --> 01:54:13.920 will be La Murray. That's the way he does things, 2211 01:54:14.039 --> 01:54:17.560 includes all the contexts and then filters it down to 2212 01:54:17.640 --> 01:54:19.880 come up with these great opinions that you heard today 2213 01:54:19.880 --> 01:54:24.520 on this live. This has been another edition of Clippers Talk, 2214 01:54:24.560 --> 01:54:27.359 the third live. We have done law once again. I 2215 01:54:27.399 --> 01:54:29.239 want to thank you for doing this and staying on 2216 01:54:29.279 --> 01:54:31.000 for so long. It was just great to hang out 2217 01:54:31.000 --> 01:54:32.840 with you again and shoot the ass when it comes 2218 01:54:32.880 --> 01:54:33.359 to be ball. 2219 01:54:33.760 --> 01:54:37.600 Hey appreciate it, man. And you know, it's like we're 2220 01:54:37.600 --> 01:54:40.479 coming to a different basketball team next year, like an 2221 01:54:40.520 --> 01:54:44.479 expansion team almost. So looking forward to making my way 2222 01:54:44.520 --> 01:54:46.680 around the into it Dome and figuring out when we'll 2223 01:54:46.720 --> 01:54:47.720 talk about hoop again. 2224 01:54:48.319 --> 01:54:52.359 We'll get real familiar. One of the opening night, you know, 2225 01:54:52.720 --> 01:54:54.960 I have I already told somebody I don't know, but 2226 01:54:55.319 --> 01:54:57.399 we're gonna have you on pregame one of the first, 2227 01:54:57.600 --> 01:54:59.560 one of the first days they're into it. Do so 2228 01:55:00.119 --> 01:55:03.319 for La Murray. I'm at a Moslin We're at one 2229 01:55:03.319 --> 01:55:06.600 hour and fifty five minutes. He're on this Clippers talk Live. 2230 01:55:07.279 --> 01:55:10.159 Talk to you next time, likely earlier next week, because 2231 01:55:10.159 --> 01:55:12.039 I'm done. We're done for this week. 2232 01:55:12.079 --> 01:55:12.399 It's oh