Now Clippers tip off the regular season tonight. Of course they're playing the Lakers, and like a second game, that gives us an opportunity to welcome back the man who was all over the NBA and does such a fantastic job. The host of Clipper Countdown the halftime showing the postgame show but plugged in around the NBA. This salta Adam Auslin and Adam another season and welcome back. First appearis of this young season. It's good to be with you, guys,
all right, good to be with you. We were talking earlier about the expectations this year for the Clippers, and they've had some good teams and people thought they could be pretty good if they stay healthy. I mean, the expectation is this year they can win, honestly, win the NBA title. Does that make a different for them, Well, I think you have to embrace it. There's a responsibility there when you're the favorite, and they
know that, and they've been the favorites. They were the favorites when they first brought in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. They flamed out in the second round, up three one against Denver and the bubble. The next year they came back, and I think most people would agree that if Kawhi Leonard doesn't get hurt, if he doesn't tear his ACL, they would have taken down Phoenix. They still took him with six games, and they would have beat
Milwaukee. We saw a Kawhi can do against the Honest and then Kompo before in the playoffs. So they've had these expectations and they have been a championship contender. Things just haven't worked out or fallen into place. Now they're hoping finally they can put it all together with a team that's even more refined around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard with the pieces they have. I told you guys before, Clipper Nation loves to call him wingstop. While the Lakers are lacking
wings, the Clippers have them, they have a grip of them. It's unbelievable the switchability and the versatility of this team. And I do think this is where the game is headed. And it started with Golden State being the pioneers of three points shooting and playing more small ball with Draymond Green at center. To defend that, you gotta have guys that can switch on the perimeter. A lot and the Clippers do. And that's the team you're gunning for
this season. The Warriors are the champs until proven otherwise they are. But I talked, you know, and we saw the Warriors too. I talk about depth, and we are talking about the Clippers, but seeing the Warriors the other night and the depth that they have is pretty impressive as well. It's gonna be a dog fight in the West, I believe. But given that, and I'm assuming everybody stays healthy, Adam, how do they handle Kauhi this year? How do they handle his minutes, you know, back
to back to all those things. Do they handle it with kid gloves or how do you see them handling his playtime? Well, he's coming off an ACL injury in the same knee where he had the issues a few years back with the San Antonio Spurs before he was traded to Toronto. And yeah, you have to be overly cautious because your championship opportunity is hinged to Kawhi Leonard.
He's your guy, He's your number one option. Paul George came out in the preseason and said he's number one, just so there's no question about that. I'm the number two he's number one or one and one A. And Kawhi Leonard has proven over the years that when he is healthy, and he was having a phenomenal historic playoff run before hurting the knee, fifty seven percent from the field, thirty eight percent from the outside, ninety percent from
the free throw line. He was putting up shack numbers in that first round series against the Dallas Mavericks while shooting it from ten feet away from where shack normally would in the restricted area. That's how efficient he was. So it's all dependent on Kawhi Leonard in his health. You have to be careful with him. And I saw the report earlier today from Chris Haynes saying they're considering bringing him off the bench. The Clippers haven't said that to my knowledge.
That's coming from Chris Haynes. He's plugged in. Who knows, Maybe he's right about that. A couple of years ago. Actually it was just last season we saw Kevin Durant when he came back from a hamstring injury. He came off the bench to start things off so he would be more available in the second halves of games, in those critical minutes down the stretch. That makes sense. You want Kawhi Leonard in fourth quarters obviously, so there could
be some logic there. But yeah, they're going to be careful with him. I know he wants to play. I know he wants to play as much as possible. Played just two preseason games, but look really good out there. So a lot of encouraging signs with him coming back from the ACL. Oh when you look at the Clippers depth, and we were kicking this around earlier, you're sitting me. You forget you know, John Wall obviously, but then you forget guys like Norman Powell, who's a starter anywhere else,
and he's coming off the bench. I mean, they literally have ten guys and the five that don't play probably could start almost anywhere else. I think they got twelve guys. I mean, when you're talking about Luke Kennard finding minutes for him, Terrence Man, you mentioned John Wall being in there, and we still don't know who's going to start tonight at the point guard
position. I thought it was Reggie Jackson. No, coach lew Is not divulged that there's been a battle in training camp between Reggie and John Wall. It was an open competition. I would lean towards thinking Reggie's going to be the guy, just because he already has that established continuity with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and he's been there for some time. But John Wall looked really good in the preseason, like real good. Like Okay, we talked about
it a few years ago when they brought Jen Rondo. Could that be the missing piece to help facilitate and make things easier out there for Kawai and Paul George. It didn't turn out to be that, but that was still a
team that could have won the championship anyways regardless of that. So they have this embarrassment of riches where if John Wall helps, if he adds a new element to their game with his downhill attack and being able to pass and play make and help out Kawai and Paul George, great, If not, they're still gonna be great. But I do think John Wall is gonna be He's gonna work for them in ways where John Rondo didn't, just because he's still
explosive in the open court. And that's the one. Did you hear him? That's what I say. What have you been saying? Fred? Have you been telling on here? Still hating on John Wall from years back. You know he never liked John Wall. He hated on he like Colin Coward. You didn't like him doing the douggie. Oh he's not focused, he's dancing out there. He didn't like him, And I said John Wall will be a humongous factor for this team. I agree with you, Adam.
I think he's found his mojo and I think he's got a little chip on his shoulder. Let people know that he ain't done. Oh he does. He didn't play at all last season. It wasn't because he was hurt. It was because US Houston's rebuilding. They wanted to play the young guys. He just sat there on the bench. He wants to prove that he can still be an elite point guard in this league and on this Clippers team. He really has that opportunity because not as much or not as much as asked
of him offensively. Obviously, he doesn't have to be the number one to the number two options like he was in Washington. He just has to make the game easier for everybody else. So if he's coming off the bench, he'll push things with the second unit. If he's starting, he'll get Kawai and Paul George to their spots. I think it's a perfect situation. And the one thing that he adds that you could say the Clippers are missing a
little bit. They don't attempt a lot of free throws. He gets to the free throw line, he gets downhill, he puts pressure on the rim, he attacks. They were bad and transition the last couple of seasons. John Wall can change that for them. So they still have parts of their
offense to unlock and john Wall can aid them there. All right, So if we forecast forward now and clips are the battle, let's say trade deadline years, They've got enough guys where they can package somebody and somebody else and bring someone in here that could make a difference if they need you, right, Yeah, when you have an embarrassment of riches, when you have a team this deep, my guess is they're going to see how things play out
through the first forty five games or whatever it is, until the trade deadline, and a lot of guys are gonna play because Kauai early in the season and even Paul George may play less minutes, and they'll ramp things up as they head into the playoffs, which means you need less deaf or you don't need as much death then and you could make a trade and consolidate some of that talent that they have. But I don't know if that's going to be
the case or not. Look at what's happened the last couple of years, it's been survival of the fittest in the playoffs. The healthiest teams have won. So you don't want to give up too much of that strength, which is all world depth, like a team maybe we've never seen in the modern NBA, because you never know when you're going to need someone. But the good news is they have options and they will have a decision to make it
the trade deadline. And I think because of that, uh, speaking of options or lack thereof the Lakers at them, Oh, I mean, listen, I don't think they're waiting for the trade deadline a man. I mean listen. I know it was Opening Night and the rings were giving out and it was hyped and hoop lah, and they were gonna going up against it. But and you can't read too much into Game one of opening series against the NBA champs, but they're in trouble at them, they're in trouble,
aren't they? I mean, it just it just it's it feels like the beginning of a long, drawn out, painful season for the Lakers. It's amazing that we're one game in and it already feels like season on the brink. Things are teetering for the Lakers because all that baggage that we talked about during the off season and going back to last year with Russell Westbrook, it's still there. They have a new head coach, they have some new philosophies,
but the same problems exist. We talked about it all offseason. We're the three point shooter with this team. Where are the wings? Who's gonna guard some of these players tonight on the Clippers? I don't know. They have so many holes on this roster, and they're too dependent on one a guy who's turning thirty eight and Lebron James. Two Anthony Davis who can't stay
healthy. And even though he looked really good in that first quarter the other night, he looked dominant, his activity level slowed down as the game went along. He kind of faded after that. And this is the question I've had about him for a couple of seasons now because He's had so many of those little injuries. It reminds me a little bit of Blake Griffin. They add up over time, even if one's not major. They take something out
of your explosiveness. And I just wonder, for thirty eight minutes night, forty minutes night, whatever they would like Anthony Davis to play out there, can he give them enough energy? Can he be at his best during those thirty eight minutes like he used to be. I don't know if that's the case anymore, But look, there's still a dangerous team because they have two top fifteen players and maybe the greatest player of all time in Lebron James.
And there's gonna be nights where things click in and they do look good. And Russ didn't look awful no other night because when they get in transition, and that's what happens often against the Golden State Warriors because they shoot a lot of threes, you get some long rebounds, you get runouts. The Lakers, that is one of their few strengths getting in transition with Russ and Lebron James. And that's something Coach lu brought up yesterday at practice. That's the
thing the Clippers have to watch out for with this Lakers team. You know, when you talk about Russ, we made the point. It's time to stop stop blaming Ross. Not Russ's fault. Russ is here, not Russ's fault. They acquired somebody it didn't really fit. Not everybody thought he didn't fit, but they thought he did well. If they're two best players, are the ones who wanted him there. And that's what all the reports say.
Yeah, pinning on them. Yeah, are pinning on Rob Polinka for not sticking his neck out and saying, no, I'm gonna put my foot down on this one. We're not doing it right. But that being said, it's hard to blame a guy for doing his exactly what he does. And because they acquired him, they don't have the money to go out and get anybody that can shoot from the wing. They don't have three points shooters. I don't know how you'll rectify that. They just don't have guys that
can shoot from outside. You know the scene in the wedding singer or John Lovett's like closes the curtain and says, and I'm reaping the benefits. He's losing his mind watching Adam Sandler singing that song. Somebody killed me, please, and I'm reaping the benefits. That's what the Indiana Pacers I think we're
doing the other night when they saw how bad the Lakers looked. Because now they can drive up the price if you want Miles Turner, if you want Buddy Healed, or you're gonna have to give us that second first round pick. It just feels inevitable that trade is eventually going to go down. That's how I look at it right now. I don't think this is a long term solution. Having Russell Westbrook on the team. Reports say that they'll give him twenty games just to see what Darvin ham can get out of him,
as opposed to Frank Vocal they'll give him twenty games. I'm not even sure it will last that long, because, like I said, it already feels like this is turned into a downward spiral and we're one game in in the drum was already. This heightened what happens if they got blown out tonight by the Clippers, which could happen, and look Patrick Beverley also, this was the worst sign I saw between the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors of their
night when Patrick Beverley is trying to create and isolate. That's not his game, but he felt like he had to because nobody else is doing anything outside of Lebron in a D and Russell Westbrook here and there, Like who else is scoring on that team? Kendrick Nunn, good player, Austin Reeves. I like the intangibles, but he's not getting you fifteen to night. If Patrick Beverley feels like the onus is on him to have to create shots from three, that's not his game, that is a red flag. H Yeah,
so you know you mentioned it may not last twenty games. How did they fix it at him? How did they even salvage It's that's the question. You know, give it twenty games, do you? But you already know that's my old thing. You already know. Why are you giving it twenty games? I think it's just doing Darvin him a favor and just seeing what he can do with Russ to Westbrook. I don't understand why they wouldn't have made this trade this offseason. I told you guys, I don't think
Russ is going to be there throughout all of training camp. I thought they would have already made the trade package the two first round picks. It's a some cost at this point. It's cutting your losses a little bit. It's trying to mask for your mistake of bringing Russ in to begin with. But you have to sorry. You're admitting your mistake. You're admitting your failure.
Yes, and you have to get rid of two first round picks, which you don't want to do because by the time Lebron James is gone and Anthony Davis is gone, it's gonna be a tough rebuild, of course, but you're trying to win now still because you have those guys. So just do it. To bite the bullet and trade those two first round picks with Russell Westbrook because I think Indiana will do it. And look, if they got
Buddy Heel to Miles Turner, they're in business a little bit. Then all of a sudden, Okay, maybe they could be like a fifth seed in the Western Conference with as talented as it is, maybe a fourth at best if those two really fit well, because Miles Turner could play more center. If Anthony Davis doesn't want to know that's always the case. Those are two good young players that could really help them out immediately. And as Rodney pointed
out, you know, why wait twenty games. Let's say the Lakers get out here to a bad start, and you know, Rodney asked the other day, would I be surprised if the Clippers blew them out tonight? My answer was no, I would not be surprised if the Clippers blew them out tonight. Let's say it's a really uneven start and you can tell it's a bad start before you hit twenty games, would you pull the trigger faster? I would? Why wait around? You're just turning this season into watching Lebron
James pass screen Rebdual Jabbar. Then if you're not making a move to try to win, to try and compete, it's not going to be easy. In the West, there's at least seven teams that are clearly better than the Lakers, probably more than that right now. To me, their range is somewhere between seven and ten right they're playing team and the Pelicans look really good last night, beating up on Brooklyn, Dallas is going to be there,
even though they blew a game to the Phoenix Suns last night. There are so many teams that are just younger and more spry and have three point shooters and play modern basketball. It looks like the Lakers are built for a different era. That's what it looks like right now, and that is really confounding because we've known for a long time. You got us surround Lebron James with some shooters. That is how you maximize his potential and create some lanes for
him to drive down. Because he still he goes to those spurts where I remember last year he shot forty percent for a month or something like that from three. He's still inconsistent from the outside. He's streaky. I don't think he's ever going to turn into Steph Curry all of a sudden. So Lebron, he still has to get to the basket. How are you gonna do
that when everybody's packing the paint because you got no shooters out there. The Lakers have so many problems, and they were all foreseeable except by the guy who just got an extension in Rob Polinka. I don't get it. Yeah, how do you figure that? Yeah? I guess it's just they're reverting
back to what they've always been. We're gonna get superstars and we're gonna find a way to win anyways, and we just won a year and a half ago technically or two years ago in the bubble, and even though then, they remade that team, and they went away from what Frank Vogel wanted, which is kind of some Twin Towers action and playing big like that, to bringing in Monchrese Harold and Dennis Shrewder. I have no idea why, you know, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. For some reason,
the Lakers thought it was broke after winning the championship. They had to change things up. But they've lost a lot of their good defenders and three point shooters. They could have paid Alex Caruso, they decided not to. They could have kept him and Thht who's now gone anyways, and they let Kyle Kuzman CACP go in the Russ trade. All right, those two guys in Montrese Harold, those two guys can help you. Those two guys were actually
really good against the Clippers. Kuzman was probably the best defender against Kawhi Leonard, shockingly, but he turned himself into a pretty good better. So there have been a series of bad moves by the Lakers over the last couple of years. It's not just one thing, but the biggest thing, yes, was the trade for Russell Westbrook. That's what's hanging over their head right now. Adam, appreciate you stopping in. Good stuff, A good to be
with you. Guys. Got the pre game at six, Adam, we'll be there and then we'll have the game from the crypt here on the radio station that's gonna rypt