WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.400 All right, we continue on Fred Rogan Rodney Peepe on 2 00:00:04.519 --> 00:00:09.560 AM five to seventy LA Sports Next Hour. Chief operating 3 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:12.560 officer of the Rams, Kevin Demoff will join the program. 4 00:00:13.160 --> 00:00:15.960 And the Rams spent time in Hawaii and they are 5 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:18.640 trying to build their brand globally, and Kevin will be 6 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:20.960 on and we will talk about that. But now it's 7 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:23.679 been much too long, so we welcome on the host 8 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:27.199 of the Clipper pregame halftime in postgame show. He's got 9 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:29.879 a YouTube show about the Clippers as well. It's the 10 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:31.760 Saultier Adam Auscelin. 11 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:32.840 Adam. How are you. 12 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:34.200 Helloja, guys? How are we doing? 13 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:36.320 How are we feeling? Helloh? Helloa? Do you. 14 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:37.840 Me? 15 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:38.560 Okay? 16 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:40.479 You got off the Rams there? Why not? 17 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:42.719 So? What have you been doing? Adham? 18 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:44.960 I mean it's tough, you know well, First of all, 19 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:47.119 this season is way too long. I mean, how long 20 00:00:47.159 --> 00:00:49.320 ago did the Clipper season end? Like six months ago? 21 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:52.560 You ranting about this like every two weeks is way 22 00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:53.079 too long. 23 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:53.520 Fred. 24 00:00:53.560 --> 00:00:56.359 This is like your number one gripe, your big crusade. 25 00:00:56.520 --> 00:00:59.240 All the NBA Season's way too long. I feel like 26 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:01.119 you hit on this every couple of weeks, Adam. 27 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:03.000 Let me ask you something. Now, you watched the game 28 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:05.159 last night, right, Yeah, I watched the game last night. 29 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:07.560 Of course you watched the game. Didn't seem a little 30 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:08.480 anti climactic? 31 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:12.840 You mean because the best player on the Indiana Pacers 32 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.040 tours Achilles and it kind of took the air out 33 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.000 of the building and it was heartbreaking and gut wrenching, 34 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:21.280 and it, yeah, kind of put a damper in a 35 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:23.920 dark cloud on what could have been maybe the greatest 36 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:25.599 Game seven ever. It felt like it was. 37 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:27.560 At first of all, No, it might not have been 38 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:28.760 the greatest Game seven ever. 39 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:31.040 It felt like it, Fred, It felt like a game. 40 00:01:31.719 --> 00:01:33.959 It was a one point lead or two point lead 41 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:38.120 going into halftime. Halftime, What do you mean when it 42 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:40.920 when every one of the games, every one of these 43 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:43.640 games has been pretty epic, yes, right, and Fred. 44 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:46.760 Most of the time Game sevens are like knocked down, 45 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:50.959 drag out fights that end in the seventies. Remember Lakers 46 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.560 versus Celtics and twenty ten. They can be really ugly. 47 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.560 This game didn't feel like that. There was some well 48 00:01:57.560 --> 00:02:00.439 played basketball out there, but unfortunately it was by the 49 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:02.560 fact that Tyrese Haliburt and towards Achilles. 50 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:06.040 Who are you saying it wasn't gonna be one of 51 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:09.039 those exciting finishes for it. Well, I don't know, Adam 52 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:10.800 goes Ever, I think ever was a bit over. 53 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:13.560 I said, might have been. Who knows this was. This 54 00:02:13.639 --> 00:02:17.639 was one of the greatest NBA playoffs ever. That's just facts. 55 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:20.120 All the series from front to back, from the first 56 00:02:20.199 --> 00:02:23.719 round to the NBA Finals, all the game winners, the 57 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:27.240 series that went seven games, the amount of them like 58 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:32.240 this was epic, and it felt like the unstoppable force 59 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:35.719 versus the immovable object in this NBA Finals, where I 60 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:37.960 had okay See winning in five or six games and 61 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:40.879 Indiana said, hell no, we're taking this thing to seven. 62 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:43.879 And they looked very comfortable early on as Tyrese Haliburton 63 00:02:43.960 --> 00:02:49.719 hit three three pointers within the first six minutes. Yeah, Fred, 64 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:52.240 take that in your pipe, smoke it. 65 00:02:52.919 --> 00:02:57.879 Take that rid. Yeah. Every time everyone counted Indiana out, 66 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:02.120 they found a way to clout back in and surprise people, 67 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:05.000 which is why this whole thing went to game seven. 68 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:08.479 I mean, I think most people didn't thought okay See 69 00:03:08.599 --> 00:03:10.639 was gonna run through them. It's going to be, you know, 70 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:15.240 one of those gentlemen's sweeps or four to two or whatever. 71 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:19.080 It may be, but the Pacers forced the game seven, 72 00:03:18.919 --> 00:03:22.000 and it would have been Yeah, it would have been 73 00:03:22.039 --> 00:03:24.840 an epic Game seven had haliburt and I got hurt. 74 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:26.520 The hell Fred, you asked me if I watched the 75 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:28.599 game last night? Did you watch the game last night? 76 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:30.479 Did you watch the series at all? Or because there 77 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:33.000 was two small markets you said, nah, not good enough 78 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:34.360 for me, that's beneath. 79 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:39.919 Me, Nicks, I actually watched, yes, Adam, I watch all right. Well, 80 00:03:39.960 --> 00:03:41.919 I saw the game last night, and I watched a 81 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:44.240 lot of the playoffs. For whatever reason, I just couldn't 82 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:48.800 get excited. I'm sorry, I'm being honest. How I don't know. 83 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:50.719 Ye that I don't know, And maybe you're right. 84 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:52.479 Maybe I'm more of a home guy, and if the 85 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:54.319 Lakers or Clippers are in it, I'm gonna be into 86 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:57.360 it like playoffs. Maybe if the Kings are in it, 87 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:00.000 I'm more into it. That could be the case. 88 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:05.240 It was a fascinating series to me because the magical 89 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:08.759 run the Indiana Pacers were on. I didn't see anything 90 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:10.439 like it before. Guys, you want to talk about the 91 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:12.719 whole is greater than some of its parts. In a 92 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:15.759 league that is driven by superstars and people were still 93 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:18.319 debating as Tyres Halbert and even a superstar is their 94 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:20.800 best player? Even a superstar, how are they doing this 95 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:25.240 right now? He has a Robert Hoary career like run 96 00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:28.319 in one playoffs. When it comes to clutch shots. He 97 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:33.000 hit clutch shots in each and every series. Huge, big 98 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:36.560 time three pointers, big time comebacks. The Indiana Pacers, it 99 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:39.600 looked like they were Cinderella, and I thought they had 100 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:42.240 a coin flip chance of winning on the road against 101 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:44.639 OKCE in Game seven. This would have been if they 102 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:48.160 had won this series, the Indiana Pacers, We'd be talking 103 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:51.480 about this forever. This was New York Giants versus the Patriots. 104 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:52.319 That's what it felt like. 105 00:04:54.279 --> 00:04:57.800 Oh, New York Giants versus the Patriots. 106 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:02.600 Guys, the thunder wered plus seven excuse me, minus seven 107 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:05.639 hundred favorites. You'd have to bet so seven to one odds, 108 00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:08.560 like you'd have to bet one hundred bucks or seven 109 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:10.920 hundred bucks just to win one hundred. They were huge 110 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:13.959 favorites in this series, and Indiana was doing the exact 111 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.279 same thing against them that they had done throughout this 112 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:17.360 entire playoff run. 113 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:17.800 It was. 114 00:05:17.879 --> 00:05:18.800 It was unbelievable. 115 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:24.160 Adam, what do you think about the trade with Kevin Durant. 116 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:28.000 I think the Houston Rockets fleeced him. Freddy, I think 117 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:30.120 the Phoenix Suns now maybe they just didn't have a 118 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:32.279 better offer out there, and that could very well be 119 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:35.560 the case. Once Kevin Durant says, hey either want Houston 120 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:39.560 or Miami or San Antonio. I won't go to Minnesota, 121 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:42.000 it kind of limits your options. And they wanted to 122 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:45.000 get it done before the draft on Wednesday, so it 123 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:47.040 put them in a corner a little bit to have 124 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:50.399 to make a deal. They weren't bargaining from a position 125 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:52.839 of strength, you could say, and maybe they just had 126 00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:56.000 to take the best offer. But to me, for them 127 00:05:56.360 --> 00:06:04.120 not to get Jabari Smith Junior out of it, Tarry Eason, Reed, Shepherd, 128 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:10.040 Amn Thompson, she Goon, They they didn't get. They didn't 129 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:13.399 get Cam Whitmore. They didn't get their two first round 130 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:18.199 picks back that Houston, oh, that Houston got from them 131 00:06:18.279 --> 00:06:21.240 a couple of years ago from Phoenix that would be 132 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:24.160 very valuable to the Suns. They got the tenth pick 133 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:26.639 in this draft. They got Dylan Brooks. I like that, 134 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:29.879 but Jalen Green is a complete wild card, and I 135 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:33.000 think the Houston Rockets wanted to get rid of him because. 136 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:35.879 Yeah, what happened to him, Adam? I mean, because at 137 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:38.959 what two years ago, he was about to be the 138 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:40.879 toast of the league and a new kid on the 139 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:44.120 block and all these things and all all the hype, 140 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:46.399 and it feels like he fell off a cliff. 141 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:50.360 He just has I think a really low floor. His 142 00:06:50.439 --> 00:06:53.120 ceiling may be high who he could be at his 143 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:56.279 very best, but he has games and we saw it 144 00:06:56.279 --> 00:06:58.439 in that first round series when Houston was the two 145 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:00.920 seed against Golden State and they lost and seven games 146 00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:03.600 where he's out there going two for twenty, like he 147 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:06.360 had one good game where he scored thirty points and 148 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:09.639 outside of that he was miserable. He is a streaky shooter, 149 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:13.639 He is a chucker. He is an inefficient player. I'm 150 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:15.480 not saying I'm giving up on him because he's only 151 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.600 twenty three years of age and with athleticism and potential 152 00:07:18.759 --> 00:07:21.800 like that. I get it. The explosiveness is there. He's 153 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:24.639 a very exciting player. But I think the Houston Rockets 154 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:26.480 were saying, we got all these other young guys that 155 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:28.879 have higher floors out there, We'd rather give them a 156 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:31.680 longer runway to develop, and if Jalen Green is out 157 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:34.879 there taking twenty shots per night, that's taking away usage 158 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.040 and reps from these other young guys. I think they 159 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:40.000 wanted to move him and to get Kevin Durant out 160 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:42.240 of this. You can say he's thirty seven cool or 161 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:45.360 he's going to be by the time this season starts. Guys, 162 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:47.439 he's still one of the top fifteen players in the league. 163 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:49.439 He was one of the most efficient players in the 164 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:52.360 league on jump shots. Of anyone who took five hundred 165 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:55.800 jump shots last season, he shot five percent better on 166 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.160 those shots than the next best guy, which was SGA 167 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:03.360 Like he is trom smendously efficient. Still, he's I think 168 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:06.120 going to age. Well. We thought he'd slow down after 169 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:09.000 the Achilles he responded better than anyone in NBA history. 170 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:09.439 After that. 171 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:13.639 He has still been elite. And he's exactly what they 172 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:17.079 needed because their offense was an absolute mess in that 173 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:20.120 playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. So their defense 174 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:22.079 is so good it kept him minute and they're still 175 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:23.920 going to be really good on that end. But they 176 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:26.639 need someone who's much more reliable on the offensive end 177 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:29.399 that can just go and get a bucket because Kd's 178 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:31.879 thirty seven, but you know he's not old enough to 179 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:34.440 where he's starting to shrink yet he's still seven feet 180 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:36.360 toll and can shoot over the top of you. Even 181 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.320 if he can't get by you as much, he can 182 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:41.360 still get clean looks out there. They did very well 183 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:45.519 not giving up those draft picks that are that were 184 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:48.120 formerly owned by the Phoenix Suns back to them and 185 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:49.919 not giving up one of the young players that they 186 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:53.039 really cover it. And now they have this opportunity where 187 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:56.360 maybe Kad signs a one plus one an extension of 188 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.679 two years after this one, so he's got three more 189 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:01.360 years left in the league, play till he's forty or whatever, 190 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:04.320 say he plays three or four more years. Well after that, 191 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.360 they get his money off the books. They still have 192 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:10.000 their picks, and these young guys who are only like 193 00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:13.960 twenty three now are going to be starting the prime of. 194 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:15.159 Their career and ready to go. 195 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:17.519 So the Houston Rockets are set up for a nice 196 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:20.080 little window here where they can contend, and they can 197 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:22.840 contend immediately. I think they're one of the more talented 198 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:23.799 teams in the league now. 199 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:26.720 And as for Phoenix, they just don't know what they're doing. 200 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:29.360 Do they you know about that situation, fred I gotta 201 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:31.279 give you credit. You called out DeAndre eight and the 202 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:33.279 number one pick in the draft a few years back 203 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:36.840 before anybody did, and you were right about it. And 204 00:09:36.919 --> 00:09:39.240 while he's not the you know, he's been gone for 205 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:41.799 a couple of seasons and they still just haven't been 206 00:09:41.799 --> 00:09:45.840 able to figure it out. They have some dysfunction, Adam. 207 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:48.360 The Bradley Beal dial just killed them. Well, that's that 208 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:49.519 terrible decision. 209 00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:54.159 The KD move is understandable. That's kind of like the Clippers, 210 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:56.519 and maybe we'll get into this a little bit. Making 211 00:09:56.559 --> 00:09:59.279 the move they did, trading all the picks and SGA 212 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:01.960 to bring in and Paul George. It's understandable why they 213 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:04.080 did it. Everybody said it was the right move at 214 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:07.279 the time. Nobody questioned the KD move for the Phoenix Suns. 215 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:10.200 The one they questioned a first guest was Bradley Beal 216 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:14.440 because he's too similar. There's a skill set overlap with 217 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:17.840 him KD and Devin Booker, and in the bad ways too, 218 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:22.639 where he's not a great defender. On the other HANDE great, yeah, okay, 219 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:26.000 I'm being kind a poor defender and a no trade 220 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:28.759 clause he and Lebron James are the only two guys 221 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:31.039 with a no trade clause in the league, and now 222 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:34.120 they're gonna have to like bully him to make him 223 00:10:34.200 --> 00:10:37.080 wave his no trade clause to go somewhere else, because 224 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:39.679 if they do hold on a Jalen Green now and 225 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:42.039 they want to pair him with Booker, that's definitely not 226 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:44.799 gonna work with Bradley Beal. That will be even worse 227 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:47.919 than they were this season. If your three best players 228 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:51.480 all don't play great defense and all are just similar 229 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:55.320 guards that are one of them's explosive, the other two 230 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:58.559 are jumpshooters, and Beale and Booker, you can't win like that. 231 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:01.639 Their defense was twenty seven this past year, and their offense, 232 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:04.360 quite frankly, wasn't good enough even though they got plenty 233 00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:07.559 of games from KD and Booker. So they have more 234 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:10.960 issues than just talent, like they didn't play well together. 235 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:13.159 And then that story comes out there were fistfights in 236 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:15.960 the locker room from DeMarcus Cousins. Kevin Urant went on 237 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:19.799 Twitter argued about that, said, it wasn't true. Who knows, 238 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:23.159 but Phoenix is in a real bad place. But they 239 00:11:23.159 --> 00:11:24.799 do have the tenth pick in the draft. That may 240 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:26.799 be the best thing they got from the Houston Rockets. 241 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:30.440 We'll see our reserve full judgment on the trade after 242 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:32.639 seeing who they draft. And by the way, this trade 243 00:11:32.679 --> 00:11:35.360 can't be fully consummated till July sixth, I think, so 244 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:38.080 there's a possibility another team gets involved, it turns into 245 00:11:38.120 --> 00:11:41.080 a three way trade. Maybe these aren't all the pieces 246 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:42.360 and players being moved yet. 247 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:50.080 Yeah, you mentioned that, And ownership is an issue in 248 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:54.519 Phoenix as we've seen over the last few years, and 249 00:11:54.600 --> 00:12:00.320 some really crazy decisions made by that ownership group. What 250 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:06.080 did you make of the Walters buying the Bus family 251 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:08.879 out of the Lakers in that whole transition after the 252 00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:11.879 Lakers family and the Bus family and Jeanie owning this 253 00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:16.639 team for over forty years now has relinquished that. What 254 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:18.000 did you think when you first heard that. 255 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:21.080 I was a little bit surprised like everybody else, But 256 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:24.720 he already had a percentage of ownership with the group, 257 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:27.080 and people thought if they ever did sell it would 258 00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:28.120 be to Mark Walter. 259 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:30.080 Now that was the thing, right that a lot of 260 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:33.480 people didn't realize that he had bought the Anstooth Group's 261 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:37.360 percentage of a few years back. And that he already 262 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:42.039 was involved, and then and then everybody found out that Okay, 263 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:44.360 he already owned some and now he's got the majority share. 264 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:47.879 Yeah, that story kind of went under the radar. At 265 00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:50.559 least it got buried and we forgot about it. Both 266 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:53.039 the success he's had with the Dodgers. I know Lakers 267 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:55.679 fans are ecstatic about this because they have felt like 268 00:12:55.799 --> 00:12:58.120 we're a little mom and pop's type place for a 269 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:00.879 team that has all this history and tradition, and we're 270 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:03.399 not competing in the ways we should be able to 271 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:07.080 as a big market as one of the preeminent franchises 272 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:10.799 in all of sports. In the modern NBA now, of 273 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:16.480 course it's not the same. There isn't the availability to 274 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:19.720 go out and just bring in Otani and bring in 275 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:22.320 everybody like the Dodgers have and create a super team 276 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:25.159 like that because the second apron. A lot of teams 277 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:27.240 view it as just a hard cap now because it's 278 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:31.279 so restrictive in the NBA, like it is so punitive 279 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:33.559 with some of the things that can take away from 280 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:36.240 you with first round picks or being moved to the 281 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:39.200 back of the line, or not being able to aggregate trades. 282 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:41.919 So you got two guys that make thirty million, you 283 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.639 can't trade them for one guy that makes sixty million. 284 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.519 It makes things very difficult, so teams do try to 285 00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:49.679 stay below it. And by the way, the two teams 286 00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:52.080 that were just in the NBA Finals were both below 287 00:13:52.279 --> 00:13:56.519 the first apron in Indiana and the OKC Thunder. The 288 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:59.480 Lakers have been operating under the second as of late, 289 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:01.000 where I think a lot of teams are trying to 290 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:05.240 find that sweet spot to contend. But this at least 291 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:07.879 gives them the ability to be on par with everybody 292 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:11.440 else when it comes to the periphery stuff, which does matter. 293 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.120 I'll give you two examples that if they had Mark 294 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:17.600 Walter during these times, I think it would have gone differently. One, 295 00:14:17.720 --> 00:14:21.279 Alex Caruso doesn't end up leaving the Lakers now two 296 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:23.960 time NBA champion after winning last night with okay see, 297 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:27.639 that wouldn't have happened because they made a decision between 298 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:30.720 paying him or Taylor Horton Tucker, which I know looks 299 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.279 really bad now. They could have paid both of them. 300 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:35.759 They didn't want to dip into the luxury tax so much. 301 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:39.799 That's what this new ownership group can do for them. 302 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:43.600 And then also they low balled coach Lou Tron Lou, 303 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:46.120 and they didn't want to pay him as much as 304 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:47.799 the market said he should have been paid for a 305 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:50.559 coach that had won a championship, and they want to 306 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:54.679 choose who would be his assistant coaches. Stuff like that. 307 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:57.399 Is the difference who you have in the front office. 308 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:02.240 There's no salary cap there. You're scouting department facilities. You 309 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:04.679 can improve in all these little ways on the margins 310 00:15:04.679 --> 00:15:07.720 that do make a difference over time, and I think 311 00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:10.360 that's where the Lakers now have a much better advantage. 312 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:13.000 I agree with you. Yeah, they're just gonna They're going 313 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:16.840 to invest in infrastructure. That's really the bottom line, infrastructure. 314 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:20.200 They'll have more scouts, they'll have more analytics people, They'll 315 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:23.080 they'll have more front office personnel. We made the point 316 00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:25.639 now the Clippers haven't won, but Steve Bomber has done 317 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:28.559 it right. I mean, he's put together a top notch organization. 318 00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:31.639 They just haven't been able to win yet. The Lakers 319 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:35.559 need to try to construct an organization like Steve Bombers. 320 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:38.559 Would you agree? I would. 321 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:40.399 I don't want it to happen because I want the 322 00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:42.919 Clippers to have the advantage but yes they should. They 323 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:45.000 could mirror the other team in town and the way 324 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.240 they do it. Steve Bambers spared no expense in areas 325 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:50.679 where he's able to now. The reason they brought on 326 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:53.399 the second apron is because of Steve Balmer and Joe 327 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:55.919 Lacob who are paying one hundred million dollars in luxury 328 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:59.039 tax every year and just didn't care about it because 329 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:01.000 they have the b they have. They they're the big spenders. 330 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:03.240 I think Steve Balmer is the fifth richest person in 331 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:06.919 the world at this point. He's still the richest sports 332 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:11.200 owner in North America for sure North American sports. So yeah, 333 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:13.679 they could pattern themselves a little bit after what the 334 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:16.279 Clippers have been able to do. They just brought in 335 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:19.399 Moniu McNair to their front office from the Sacramento Kings. 336 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:22.120 That's a whole nother story with what happened there up 337 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:25.759 in NorCal. But he has always paid coaches. Jeff Van 338 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:28.679 Gundy was brought in this past year as the defensive coordinator. 339 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:30.600 He did a great job for them. They've been on 340 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:33.120 top of the analytics. There was a time the Lakers 341 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:36.559 were so far behind around twenty ten, and the analytics 342 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:40.360 department stuff like they relied so much on being able 343 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:43.759 to bring in superstars for so long and win that way, 344 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.720 where it felt like the rest of the league was 345 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:48.600 a farm system for the Lakers and hashtag future Laker. 346 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:50.960 If you have a player that's really good and young, 347 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:53.440 he'll eventually end up with the Lakers. That's not the 348 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:55.360 case anymore. They're not just going to be able to 349 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:56.159 bring in everybody. 350 00:16:56.200 --> 00:16:56.360 Now. 351 00:16:56.360 --> 00:16:58.559 I know that's wild to say after they got Luka Dancic, 352 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:03.360 but typically that is an outlier. At this point, uh, 353 00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:06.279 the Lakers are looking towards the future where there's more 354 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:09.200 of a level playing field, there's more parody. Just look 355 00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:11.720 at the NBA finals to small markets. This is the 356 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:14.920 way the NBA has been going. So all those teams 357 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:17.480 in small markets who have been doing things on the margins, 358 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:20.440 on the edges the right way to try to hang 359 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:22.920 with the big ball clubs and the big markets. Like, 360 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:25.480 you have to fight back against that. Now if you're 361 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:26.440 the Lakers. 362 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:30.480 Adam, NBA draft coming up? Your thoughts on that? Where 363 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:34.119 are the Lakers? Where the Clippers? And you know, is 364 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:36.880 there is there? I mean, obviously Cooper Flag is going 365 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:41.519 to be you know the guy, but is this a 366 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:45.039 strong draft class? And where do the Lakers and Clippers fall. 367 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:48.480 I will not pretend to be a draft expert because 368 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.799 I get frustrated around this time of the year, and uh, 369 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.880 I think I would say, k Fig is your man 370 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:57.599 for this. He was one before anybody else pointed out 371 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:01.640 how good Sga was. I remember here saying that, oh 372 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:03.400 this was the pick, this was the right pick. And 373 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:06.000 remember he went twelfth. And by the way, he was 374 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:08.519 originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, so it was them 375 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.720 who traded him originally, not the Clippers. Blamed them for 376 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:14.920 making the bad decision they swapped with the Clippers, drafting 377 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:20.720 Miles Bridges at twelve Sga at eleven. But I'm gonna 378 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:23.480 say this, when it comes to this draft, it feels 379 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:27.079 like because of Nil, a lot of these guys that 380 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:29.680 were going to be mid to late round picks in 381 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:33.079 the first round elected to stay in college because they 382 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:36.680 could actually make more money. So it feels like there's 383 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:40.880 a steep drop off around pick number ten. Now, the 384 00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:44.200 top of the draft is obviously loaded with Ron Harper's son, 385 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:48.839 obviously with Cooper Flag, but after that things could get 386 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:52.039 a little bit murky because there's all this stuff with 387 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:56.079 Ace Bailey and his representation and not working out with 388 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:59.039 the Philadelphia seventy six ers, and who's gonna take him. 389 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:01.759 He apparently won to be the guy right away and 390 00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:04.160 be able to play and put up as many shots 391 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:07.160 as he wants to. So I think there's a lot 392 00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:09.279 of uncertainty, and I always go back to this, guys, 393 00:19:09.319 --> 00:19:12.160 but I have done extensive researchers just what a crapshoot 394 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:14.680 the NBA draft is over the years. And I remember 395 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:18.200 pulling the numbers from two thousand and six to twenty sixteen, 396 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:21.200 So over a ten year period here you're talking six 397 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:26.039 hundred players drafted. Only five percent of those players became 398 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:29.960 All Stars, and only over that time of the top 399 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:34.400 ten picks, twenty five percent of those players became All Stars. 400 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:37.960 So remember that when on Draft night, on the Evil 401 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:41.079