Fools Gold in Laker Land & Big Sweaters in DC

Not come home, Come, come home. Come on this episode of The Heat check Man.

Just when you think things can't get worse for the Los Angeles Lakers, it does. It just continues to get more dysfunctional, more strange, more unacceptable, unacceptable moves. Chaos is now fully engorged the Purple and Gold, and I have to say, I feel a little bad. I feel a little bad for them.

So we get into that.

We're gonna dig all the way into what I feel is happening there. We talk a little bit about Kyle Kuzma, former Laker by the way they could use them six', ten how he's kind of developed into a legit player now in The Wizard's. Land and we also update you on what we talked about, before which Is James wiseman and why the fuck isn't he back on the floor. Yet let's drop that beat, Perfect.

Oh.

Man every failing leader needs a, scapegoat.

And if you're really, failing you probably need a fail, safe a scapegoat.

In case that first scapegoat doesn't.

Work that's the that's like literally like a you, know crash this, glass pull the lever in case of.

Emergency that's where we're. At right, now and nobody's really talking about.

That they're mostly talking about the, scapegoats right because that's what.

Is designed to, be.

Right so that's where we're at right now with The Los Angeles. Lakers my, guy my, Guy Rob.

Polinka he's a wily. One he is real.

Slippery he is exactly who you could basically bet every single good looking man In Los angeles that looks Like Rob blow would, be like like an aspiring actor who moonlights as a waiter at some random high end restaurant the middle Of, Brentwood, california just lies about some production deal that he's got working on with this with you, know some Random James cameron liked it At Soho.

House you.

Know that's where we're at with my, Guy Rob, polinka just completely.

Unqualified we've talked about this many times and somehow.

Consistently employed based around what we know is his time With Kobe, bryant and he just keeps going back to the, hits hiring his friends.

And then throwing them under the bus when shit doesn't go. Right that's just where we're.

At Quintessential agent TURN gm just that's what they. Do they just will they will sewer anyone to keep and preserve. Themselves it's fucked, up, honestly and that is what's. Happening and it's kind of sad because he's making it a little, obvious you know WHAT i.

Mean when you've got my man who's not.

Even plugged, in which we'll talk about a little later in this, segment which Is Charles, barkley When chuck is, like, YO i think people are being, scapegoated he's using the word. Scapegoat you're Being you have now stooped to a level of transparency of your little move making that is now beyond the.

Pale so let's just say.

This Russell westbrook And Frank vogel are currently The lakers, scapegoats and they. Are let's just make it. Plain they are not the reason that The lakers. Suck let me rephrase, that they are not the only reason that The lakers. Suck they're not even the major reasons that The lakers. Suck but they are who we're talking.

About they are the, Escapegoats so let's dig.

In this season has been largely the drama has largely been localized to a couple of. Teams you've Got Ben, simmons what's happening with. Him that's the big, lead that's the one story everyone wants to discuss all the. Time but not too far behind that is The Los Angeles. Lakers we haven't checked in on them in a.

Bit so here's the. Latest let's say a lot's been going. On russ is now currently being benched in late game.

Situations, yeah and it's been apparently coming for. Weeks for, Weeks you've been debating this for. Weeks vogel's, butt as per we thought might, happen is now in the not just speculation that it's on the hot, seat we are actually seeing headlines that it's on the hot, seat that he is potentially got a very short, rope and that the only thing that kept him from being fired was a decent win against The.

Jazz if he would have ended up, losing and that team would have ended up losing against.

The, Jazz Apparently vogel was going to be, fired Which i'm not sure IF i actually think is.

True and Now braun.

Is testing as fuck because he has has to explain what's going on with the, roster what's going on with these late game, benches and how he's got to dig into the mind of his.

Teammate he doesn't even know exactly what he's.

Feeling that teammate's taken off in the middle of after the games and it doesn't even take a. Shower he Goes Klay thompson literally drives out in his. UNIFORM i, mean and let's be, honest, like we know How Russell westbrook.

Feels we don't need to ask he doesn't feel. Good we know.

That we know that if you have been AN mvp in this league and you make forty six million dollars a year and you've been a starter this entire time for twelve years or whatever it, is thirteen, years and then you get in crunch, time sit your ass. Down you're no longer contributing to a winning basketball. Team and then the head coach, says BECAUSE i am putting the players on the floor THAT i think is gonna win.

The, game and that's not. Him how el WHAT i, mean do we need to ask really how he? Feels it's not.

Good but more importantly than all of this is that The lakers just continue to. Lose they are five hundred, team but losing isn't really an issue when you're The Detroit, pistons, Right we're not expecting them to do. Shit they've never told us they were gonna do, shit, Right they're not, saying, hey we got Kid now.

We're a, contender you, know which would be a.

Lie, uh it's losing when you've given a expectations and you've set the expectations for, winning for, contending for not just, contending but for winning at.

All, right that's what we were.

Promised we were promised that this move would take this team over the, top back to at least some situation where they could. Contend so when you lose and you've told us you were gonna, contend we've got. Questions, hey this is not exactly working how you told us it would. Work please tell us how you plan to fix. It please tell us diagnose why it's not working how you promised us it would.

Work that's Why Penny hardaway.

His ass is like getting a lot of questions right now because he's got the top recruiting.

Class he's not.

Winning they promised us, wins and when we were promised, wins, boy and we don't get.

Them we got some.

Questions we knew already Everyone joshmo sitting on the couch Knew russ was a ball dominant player who would probably have trouble integrating With braun And Ad but they, said, no we know more than you give us. Time this is, how this is how we're getting to the. Top we promise you it'll be different than you think in your. Mind we've got.

This we Knew.

Anthony davis was, Soft we Knew Anthony davis.

Was, gimpy and they were, like, no, No we've Got Kobe bryant's trainer like shea took him to the like promised land up until the time he was basically. Dust he was at eighty one, points and we knew that this team needed an emotional leader Like Alex crusoe and losing him was a. Problem we knew this team was filled with veterans that we're probably not gonna do shit and made like the.

Minimum we knew these, things but they promised us we were. Wrong they told.

Us they guessled us into being. Wrong so now we're checking in, Constantly, hey, hey, hey what's. Up and so now the folks in charge when the mob comes, out they're, like what do we?

Do we gotta figure out a way to place the.

Blame somewhere so that then if we get rid of those, people or we bench those, people or make a change to those, scapegoats Then i'll buy us some.

Time there's no, move there is no move.

Happening let me just be very very. Clear this isn't there's no. Endgame there's no winning endgame to. This it's literally just to buy time from the mob entering the gate and like legitimately burning the place, down like they're just trying to put up barriers to swash the.

Mob that's what it. Is the First Russell westbrook bench, him that'll buy a at least a month or two at. Least, right he's by all.

Metrics been playing pretty, bad but like he's been doing what he's. Told when he played With Anthony davis And Lebron, james which they've only played seventeen games together on the, floor if you can imagine. It they've never played more than three games in a row together this, season which is kind of wild when you think about.

It took a long time to find that stat by the, way.

So they've not had much time to gel together and make it. Work, Right and when the eighty, Plays Russell westbrook's.

Averaging twenty eight points a, game like playing.

Very, well he doesn't look himself, Though let's be, Honest like you look at the the highlights or the low, lights and it looks like it looks like have.

You ever seen Ant?

Man and Ant man goes, inside he gets a little very, small and then he goes inside of a yellow jacket the, villain and he screws with his wiring and he just short circuits his arms do weird. Things his head goes one. Way That's russ underneath the basket right. Now russ literally is having a seizure. Underneath shout out To. Russ he's figuring.

Away his body controls all.

Gone it's literally like the Ant man is inside of his, body which is a machine and is messed up with the way that it.

Functions because it looks real bad right, now he can't shoot a jumper that hits the.

Rim they all hit the top corner of the, backboard like you've seen so many shots where you're, like this is not even the realm.

Of like possibilities That i've seen With. Russ but like he's gotta figure it.

Out there's probably something wrong with him, physically like when he played on a torn quad and he didn't tell anyone for The, wizards something will.

Come out because he doesn't look right, right and we know.

That.

But like to bench.

Him in crunch time and lose, anyway like you emasculated him and humiliated him on a scale.

That is probably irreparable.

To the point where now he can just, chill, like fuck this. Team i've done everything you've. ASKED i didn't tell YOU i would fit like you trade it for, me And i'm doing EVERYTHING i can to try to make this. Work but like everybody knew it wasn't gonna make it. Work and so to like do this To, russ to Scapegoat russ into being the number, one the only problem is very. Wrong like that's just plain, immoral, Right like it's.

JUST i can't find the words to describe how wrong it is to like trade for a, guy let him go back, home play With Lebron james And Anthony.

Davis none of them are healthy Butt.

Russ we don't even know If russ is, healthy but like he's the only one that's been available, consistently and let and let him be the rat in the scurrying shit that you, squash.

Who's literally the only thing.

That's been holding you up while your two stars haven't been, healthy.

But like that's. Wild and then now.

The second Scapegoat Frank, vogel who is apparently on a serious hot, seat because, again if it's Not russ and you bench him and you still, lose who's the next level? Up well maybe we can Fire vogel and then you get an interim, coach so you basically get the entire rest of the season to do nothing and be, like, well we got this interim, coach we're integrating. Him we gotta figure out who our next big get, Is like

Like who will it be coaching?

Search distract the mob with new information and they will lose the, thread which is that this team fucking. Sucks it's gonna suck no matter. What the problem Isn't russ, is the problem Isn't. VOGEL i mean they're not, great.

But like that's not the.

Problem the problem is the other two aren't even around, fully like eighty haven't seen him in. Months fully The Big, three LIKE i, said played seventeen games. Together they played when they played, together they're ten and. Seven that's sixty percent winning. Percentage that is a better winning percentage they had last. Year they've never played more than three games. Together they've had no chance to form some jelling or. Continuity LIKE i, Said russ was averaging twenty eight and

Four seed we have. No IDEA do i think.

This is a?

CHAMPIONSHIP squad i mean. Absolutely not everyone knows that it's not a.

Championship squad but if you're going to try in, the middle we'll call this like this is, the, Winter right like we're almost a spring where you start to figure out what plants you put into, the, Ground right and what they're trying to do is pull the plants out of the ground and rip the seeds out before they, they mature so that you don't don't even know what, you, have right and then they're gonna try to putting new seeds in and tell you have to wait until next

The stream you have to reap what. You sow you have to sit in your shit if that's what.

You've made you can't try to distract us, with escapegoats try to putting new seeds in and try to like tweak. Our minds not we don't even know what's what what the real, problems are because there's, new problems there's. Whole, problems right you need to have this entire squad spend the entire year together, fully healthy and then we hold you, all accountable keep you.

All together see what.

It is let these three men who HAVE been mvp caliber players, gel together make it work or not before we can fully assess.

Anything else is just.

Fucked really and you, can, say, oh well you gotta make Moves because bronze.

Windows closing bron is partially responsible for this.

As well It was braun's decision to bring in when he held meetings with every other superstar in, the league and He. Chose russ so if if we close a window or a, year passes, fuck it because you know what if bron didn't, want, to like wait and see what this Was. With russ he didn't have to, choose him he didn't have to take this. Overinflated contract then he knew wouldn't fit.

With Him but i'm not the only one.

Saying THIS like, I Said charles barkley also went off the. Other night, let's LISTEN but i really have you not heard that? Phrase?

BEFORE oh, i mean well, Normally right i'd love to pursue. THAT first i just want, to say, you KNOW so I never i DON'T cause i don't care. WHO wins, I mean i just want the season. Be ables we can go play golf. And, fish alright LET'S but i Root the lakers are such WHISSIES and i want to say WHISSLES because i can't say THE word. I want, i know the way they have trying To Throw russell Westbrook And frank vogel under the bus is just really pissing. Me OFF and i got to tell. You, something, no

To campaign not sure you, Caught, it yes, tell him say it with, Your, chest chuck tell him how. You feel the way They're throwing Russ And frank vogel under the bus is pissing.

Me off they're blaming him.

The people this is what he, said later the people up top who put that trash together are running and hiding, like, cowards.

Saying Oh, it's Frank. It's russ you put them old geezers.

Out.

There listen the, best game the best guy Other than lebron the last month has Been Who?

Stanley johnson a guy you brought in.

Off the street for y'all to bring a guy who was on, the street and he becomes your second. Best player whoever's running that trash out there getting away. With it, it's, Ridiculous, man yes this. Is ridiculous all that, being said here's. The question not enough people, are asking what is the upside to all of, this motion all of this, this change getting Rid, of Russ, firing frank, benching him pissing, everyone off that's already within, the organization like inside.

The.

Roster nothing they lost that Game, With russ frank, Goes in.

Frank, goes out.

Same team all this to me Is Just, rob palinka by the Way Of, kirk rambis trying to just.

Do a lot.

Of things move, the cups move. The balls and the truth Is benching russ is not. Gonna Help Firing frank vocal is not gonna change a. Goddamn Thing Vintage phil jackson could not say, the team, My man not even the Ghost of Red hour back is going to say this.

Fucking season this season is.

Cooked regardless so all you need to figure out to do is like how do we just keep the?

Peace here like how do we keep?

Everyone happy so you don't Have Like lebron james basically going off on the Media And russell westbrook leaving the building before he can even get out the shower or in, the Shower like justney ride out. The storm folks like Wait For anthony davis to sometime, Get healthy, like wait Hope that bron, Stays healthy like make this locker. Room healthy go to the, movies together like do something have like a. Bowling night you might just like hope you.

Of games you Play the jazz in the.

FIRST round, i MEAN like, i said you can never know kind of luck you could run into because if you blow this, UP now I just i just don't think this can be fixed if you switch.

It again you don't have a. Time machine.

This thing this is like that part in the chess game where the only thing you can do is just knock your, King over and in life you can't, do.

That right you can't just blow the whole team up in the middle of the season.

Start again this Is what. Russ says he blew off the, postgame pressure as you. Might Imagine let braun take. THE flat i don't, blame him but he did come out and say this the. Next day i'm.

Committed to making.

This, work ultimately you have to be okay when shit doesn't, go Well and.

I'm okay i've done everything that's been asked to.

Me here i'll continue to, do So and i'll ride this out as long as we can towards our, ultimate goal and that's to win. A championship we obviously haven't been, fully Healthy but i'm committed to making. This work the communication is there with everybody in the organization to make this work to make this team the way we want it to be in. The future i've accepted everything that has been asked of me and try to do it

Go me that's what he's saying.

Right there do not let these fucking idiots try to put the blame. ON me i do everything they tell me, to Do and i'm the only one in this building that's. Been healthy how do you Not? Love russ even A broken russ. Is tremendous you KNOW who, I am you know who. You got you can't try to change the stripes on a fucking, snow leopard which, is dots try to make them. A tiger like you can't, do that, and, like listen you knew you were supposed to turn it into a time when you.

Got, Here bitch.

Come, On now when when asked why He benched russ vocal said he was looking to put players out there that gave him the best chance. Of Winning when russ was asked about his reaction, to it, he, SAID yeah i. WAS surprised i WAS disappointed i didn't go, back In but i'm more disappointed pointed that we lost. THE game i want to be on the floor to help my teammates and be able to help our team to win in games, like that but that was the decision that. Was made whatever is asked, OF me i will do

Gotten.

HERE oh i Hate the lakers, so much but there is just something inside of me that roots for a forty six million dollar, paid Underdog. RIGHT like i don't want them, to WIN but i don't want him To do russ dirty. LIKE this I Know frank vogel, is MEDIOCRE but i don't want them to do him. Like THIS what i want is not For the lakers to win. A championship i want them to go down, in FLAMES but i want, real ACCOUNTABILITY and i want it to start with that.

Slimy little rob low.

Looking MOTHERFUCKER and I want i want My man chuck to go after HIM on tnt over and over and over and over until the masses wake up and they realize who is really to blame my.

Position get complace and want to come places with, star girls and they end up on the. Front pages i'm just ride. WITH it A moment i stop having fun, With it i'll be done. With it i'm the only one that's putting shots up and like a pot locking me to come.

With it i'm the only one putting. Shots up i'm like a. Pot love we come, with it, My Man kyle kuzma putting.

Shots up, goodness gracious speaking of a man who should Be a laker, right now speaking of a man who'd.

Be a perfect piece to Help the lakers. Right now it's about time that.

We put a little, of sprinkle a, little adoration a little a little complimentation to My Man coos Coos cous like you forget how good, cous is and you forget how tall he is because of how oversized his, sweaters are don't you Like he couz looks like the youngest brother of four who's like ten and wears his seventeen year old brother's sweaters to like, the party and, you're like.

What tries to like?

Get, In, like coos what are you doing walking into the tunnel with a sweater that's like four inches longer than. YOUR hands i don't even know how a sweater can be made. That big Knowing that kus is, Six' ten coos, is six ten.

He plays like, he's six' six plays like. He's six, 's eight but man. This guy is big he's.

Got decent hops and he doesn't use his length nearly as.

Much as he should, BUT when he does, i tell you.

What it is tremendous he is now only the third most dunking player on A very. Non dunking wizard's team so.

When he put a when he Put His.

Nuts, on joel embiid's face it was, A shock to, Me i would say and then he celebrated After. Color ME tickled coos kuz i didn't know you, Had. It in you coos there was, a reason for it turns Out goes back. To kuzma's rookie year he explained the details, In his postgame presser let's.

LISTEN my rookie year i tried to dunk on him and it, didn't go.

So well. And uh you know he came UP to me after, i told him that but HE told me if, i did it again he'll punch. Me in the face so, hold him, for, Sure, he said nah no joellenb definitely told him he would punch him in the face if he tried. A DUNK on him and I keep waiting for kus to flip the switch and be, this like elite scorer But that would require kus, to BE consistently aggressive.

And i just don't.

Kuss a sweet boy he doesn't seem like an aggressive guy to me on. Or off the floor, but this hammer dunk this. Gave me some hope and he. IS killing right now. I tell you what he is ballin' all phases of the game in. The Last, ten games, Kyle Kuzma, my man kyle kuzma who is A Joke. On the la lakers he came out said some things about what he wanted to accomplish, in a new team and now. He is doing, it twenty, four points, twelve rebounds one block and three and a half assists on average in.

The last ten games.

Those. Are all star numbers That is a true he has been a hero for Anybody Who is a Washington wizards fan. And god bless you So You know what kyle kuzman is right. Now in the stretch he has hit clutch. Shot after clutch shot he was in the d back At Home, against the detroit pistons which we won't talk about the fact that you had to have a Game Winner, against the detroit. Pistons but he, did he came, through got the dub, hit the game, winner, and, everybody's.

Like coos coos, Fix. Our drinking water Coos.

This. Man's from, FLINT uh but man, i tell you what he has become almost more important late Game Situations than Even brad beale because brad bial.

Gets, So much attention right so let's.

Just soak It, in for cous like LET'S just give cous i get a lot of hate about HOW many, negative things i Say but like cous is has a special place in my heart even, when he shoots airballs like you just.

Kind of love.

Him and HE told the world i can, have a bigger role. And we all, Laughed we, were like, kho's no you can't like just get your eight rebounds and you're like thirteen points and like your one, assist or, two assists like no like he is that even though he's a little bit of a, Chucklehead, like he is actually who wouldn't want a six to ten guy who's putting,

Near seven feet tall he is.

Maybe one of the more underrated role players that could. Be plugged and played That's Probably one of tommy shepherd's greatest assets that He Acquired in. THAT russell westbrook trade i bet you could get a couple of firsts for KOs if you Traded With. Like the portland trailblazers they.

Might be, in twenty twenty eight twenty twenty nine because we.

Don't HAVE a lot but, I tell you What I bet you joe cronin would try To Swing.

For some kyle.

Kuzma so let's look for this year and Next Year.

To be kyle. Kustmas breakout your life.

It's like.

You're really rough guy.

It just good enough it's. Just always a. Guy i'm not bad.

So after very sweet.

Full segment, of love and, adoration admiration and positivity pushing p. As they call it i'm gonna be pushing, some men right now and it's some or some s. Pushing some s skepticism we got, some, truth Bombs coming uh and i'm gonna be. The bad guy, here so last week finally we detailed these Strange News, swirling around james wiseman who has, been we'll just say not living up to the expectations of being the number two pick two years.

Ago In The draft when LaMelo ball, was taken after him right.

And recall that we talked about how he had A, secret surgery in december a secret one that the, team did Not Disclose and literally anthony Slater Had to be inspector gadget and also, what was her name, A murder she wrote He Had to go angela lansbury had To Go, one part Angela Lansbury one part inspector gadget To Find, out that james wiseman the number two Overall Pick By, the golden state warriors had another setback and another quote unquote clean up injury that, they did not disclose and

Like hey.

This ah I'm concerned everyone In Warriors media to steve kerr. Is now Really Worried our guy Sam Svandiari from the light years podcast just put, out a tweet today a tweet storm today. To address this issue so you know this is about.

To become a thing this.

Is what he said warriors are gonna be a frustrating Five hundred. Team until draymond returns but the real story is About, what's up with wiseman though the entire situation has not smelt right since he'll be back by camp and then just hiding the, second procedure quote unquote they.

Did not disclose it slater had.

TO. Dig FOR it yep Obviously. I feel for wiseman setback suck and that's. Out of his control but what is in the team's control is the amount of bigs they. Carry on a roster and if a big you were counting on to at minimum, play second unit minutes has no timeline and you're. ENTERING game forty seven i. Mean DOT dot dot Obviously i Feel for wiseman and steve's frustration. Here says, it too But whatever now drem on has a herniated disc And your centers are.

Loon, and auto porter.

Yeah that's an issue want to know why that's? Going To Blow up even steve kerr has to throw his hands up and even calls himself The.

Boy who cried wolf here's how. He addressed the situation.

Where are we with james now in terms of his progress getting, back to?

The, COURT anything new, yeah i you know.

See.

That doesn't, LOOK good well yeah, i mean you know we haven't had a practice now. In about a week we won't have a practice this week because we've got

Week see, Just, to follow upon james it's you you mentioned it's a hard, one to figure out but it's also a, matter OF practice time right i mean, you made that point and there isn't a lot of. Practice time right now it's not as if he's had some kind of. A setback or something i.

Want to MAKE sure the point i was making is that over the, Over the last month i'm well aware that you guys have Asked and, several, times i've said yeah we're hoping that he's going to, have contact next week and then he didn't for, one reason or another and, he had you know, swelling in his knee and then he had the procedure to flush the the swelling out and Then you know there so there's just been sort, of this you know extended time where he's been out

We'll let, You know oh. Yep oh my God.

Guess what the warriors might be in trouble if dre is out for. Any length of time this team is Four and seven without draymond and twenty eight and.

Six when he plays so if his lower back.

Issues, become a real thing which apparently disc problems can, be a massive deal and they keep them out, for an, extended problem, Extended period, excuse me oh boy they cannot afford to be patient.

With wise men anymore and.

That has to, mean if you're me, If You're, my guy bob myers, at the trade deadline you, have to be thinking maybe.

We need to be swinging for someone.

Like, a surge, AT baka or yeah i, know it's Not great or a christian would maybe you Try to get a christian wood at the Deadline if you're the warriors and you want to Remain. Favorites IN the, west but i repeat. THIS is, not good i repeat this is really bad and it is and continues to. Be a developing. Situation more to come that is all the time that We Have. For the heat Check will be back monday. With a new episode do, not. Forget to