The Lakers have Become a DISASTER

from around the league. Lots to get into Anthony my man, drop that motherfucking beat. That should be wean all right. The league is comming along, homing along nicely. Can you believe it's already been already a quarter away to the season. That's insane. This shit goes so fast. Anyway, we are humming along nicely in early December. The League Cup is through the early stages. Teams are starting to find their groove. Players are showing us who are there, who they're gonna

be this year. By the way, Donovan Mitchell out of his mind right now. The Suns fall to one and seven without KD. Tibbs is playing his starters forty plus minutes in a twenty four point blowout of the Hornets and the Calves. They just keep winning, and they keep doing it with their awful powder blue jerseys on that say Land City. Well, what is this like a Taylor Sheridan show. I don't know what's going on. Even the Warriors, our dubs keep beating the Rockets, which they've now done,

by the way, fifteen times in a row. And like death taxes and everything else, the Lakers they just keep losing. Yeah they do. I know that we haven't talked about the Lakers in a minute, but yeah, it's making me feel really good. It's making me just's not roasting on an open fire, you know what I mean. It's like that. It's like going to the tree lighting ceremony. It's just very warm, fuzzy. It's like a pumpkin spice latte. It's

like a cinnamon fur candle. Just oh my god. And everybody was sick and tired of the brown and brawny thing. And then JJ Reddick being a madman as the Lake Show burst out of the gates like Secretariat and everyone's like a the Lakers are back, purple ink goal. Baby.

time too. The Lakers' front office hasn't done enough to surround Lebron James with the guys that he needs to compose a roster that's gonna compete, not enough to fix the problems that plagued Darvin Ham or Frank Vogel or Luke Walton, and no coach ever could make the Lakers work under any circumstance, because, as Lebron James said, I don't know two years ago, when I think he was pressing for Kyrie Irving, we ain't got no snipers. Some of you laughed at me and you said, Tristan, it's

too early for this. Guess what I think. Laker fans are hitting the panic button now. We got Windhorse saying, hey, it's ugly out here on these streets, and you know how ESPN loves the whole water for the Lakers. The Lakers are are in a tailspin not seen since Amelia Earhart tried to cross the Pacific. They've been outscored by an insane seventy points in their last two games. I want to say that again because it's kind of hard

to really absorb the first time around. The Lakers have have been outscored by the team they were playing against by seventy points combined in their last two games. There are now reports out there that this is the worst point differential in a two game stretch in NBA history. Trista Fax is here to report that's actually not correct. The OKC thunder lost two games in December one and December two. To remember this, I remember this. We talked about this twenty twenty one in the second year of

the heat check. They lost their two games by combined seventy seven points. I think one of them was like by seventy though. Yeah, but the Lakers seven second worst. They've now lost six of eight that includes four twenty point or more losses. Two games ago, they got their doors blown out by a struggling Timberwolves team. I think they actually like you know, and in Agatha all along how the witches she takes their powers, you know, and they're like they're yelling at her, and they're trying to

show her, Ah, we're a witch, we've got powers. And that just plays right into her hands and she just soaks it all up and then she gets more powerful. I think that's what the Timberwolves did to the Lakers. The Timberwolves were on their dying breath, they had no purple stuff left inside, and you know what they did. They've been rolling ever since. They took belt to ass

to the Lakers, which we'll talk about. I'm sure sometime soon they got anyway, Lakers got murdered by the Miami Heat, who I think Tyler Hero had seven threes in a row against them, one four ninety three, and like anytime the Miami Heat scored more than one hundred, it's a good day for the Miami Heat. One thirty four. They put one thirty four the Miami Heat. Jimmy Butler on his last breath of his career, and Bam had a

bioh and Tyler herroll. They gave you one thirty four twenty nine point loss, followed by a forty one point loss. In the Minnesota game, Anthony Davis had twelve points on four for fourteen shooting, and then against Miami he had eight points, three for fourteen shooting, and he was statistically the worst person on the floor for the Lakers at a minus twenty nine. That is concerning. This is supposed

to be Anthony Davis's team. You cannot lose by seventy points in two games and your MVP caliber player have twenty points combined scoring in those two games. It's also not just the fact that they're losing, it's the way that they're losing. There's just you know, you know when people get really old and they just kind of like, I'm done. I've just decided I'm not gonna try anymore.

My grandma did that. That's Lebron James right now. He's like, you know, I don't really feel like getting back on defense. I'll wait until we're here on offense, and I'm gonna walk around and stand on the court again. You've got various Lakers walking back on defense getting clowned by other teams, like the possession where the Heat had the ball out of the basket for an open layup but instead decided no,

we won't do that. We'll do the Harlem globe trotter thing and pass it instead to the perimeter where they played in around the world. Until finding an open shooter who hit a three against you guessed it no defense. I think the Lakers are twenty seventh in offense and twenty seventh in defense in the league out of thirty. Just in case you forgot how many teams were in

the NBA. Lebron, by the way, who has been in an epic slump, said, when you're individually fucking up and you're trying to rely on everyone else to cover for you, I think it starts with individuals. First. All of us have to take accountability. Ooh when we have when we have direct shots fired, it's not good. This is aimed at Rui Hachimura, who, at one point against Miami, Lebron literally pointed to where he was supposed to be on defense. Ruy was like, eh, lost his man on the switch.

Tyler Hero hits one of his seven open threes while Lebron James is just throwing up his hands in disgust. I think we need to check in on JJ Reddick see how he's handling this. He says, I'm embarrassed. We're all embarrassed. It's not a game where we have the right fight, the right professionalism. There has to be some ownership. I own this, but there's gonna have to be some

ownership on the court. JJ. JJ. You thought you were just gonna be able to grab a bottle of I don't know merlow and some whiteboards, and you thought you were gonna be able to x'es and o's this fucking dumpster fire and to be in something. Let me tell you, I've been watching the Lakers for a long time, and ever since doctor Buss died, there's no exes and ohing anything out of doing anything. I just I could have told you. I could have told you don't take the job. JJ.

I know Purple and Gold is enticing, it's intoxicating. You think you can be the next pat Riley. No one is going to be able to fix this because it's Rob, Rob Snake, Polinka fucking everything up, and Genie and Linda Rambis and Kurt Rambus. It's the same thing every year, every single year we told about the same people fucking up the same things, and Lebron James just taking money

even though he knows this is never gonna work. He just keeps extending, and keeps extending, and keeps extending, and then lies and says that he's not gonna extend, and then pretends he's going to leave, and then tries to get somebody to come there, which is why they ended up trading for Russell Westbrook, which is why he tried

to get Kyrie there. It's insane. Anyway, Renick has declared he's going to meet with his coaching staff, the players as a group, and then other players individually, all in an effort to complete, to prevent the Lakers from completing completely falling apart. That was just a bad sentence, Just scratch that. All to stop the mutiny, which we know is on its way right First, it's like, first comes the money, next comes the power, then comes the nana fool.

Don't be no dummy. First comes, first comes the losing, Then comes Lebron bitching, Then comes the coach bitching, and then comes Lebron getting you fired. That's how it goes. I'm sorry it was so bad. Channing Fry said, this might be the worst effort I have ever seen in the last few years. This Lakers team quit before the game even started. In no world, my guy should my guy Kevin Love be able to guard a D or a D not be able to go at him every time?

The worst effort in recent memory, May I remind folks that Luke Walton coach this team disastrously. Darvin am coached the Lakers recently. So the worst effort is saying a lot and there are issues? Oh yeah, there are issues. Do you think I feel like I'm excited about this segment because I am like I could go all day,

This entire show could be just this. And there are issues with everyone from Ruy who's been god awful, he's been Wizards, Ruey, let's be honest, Dalton Connect, who has turned back into March madness, Dalton Connect at Tennessee ten five and one over the last seven games to now Lebron, which probably the first time I've ever said this in my life. In the last seven games, Lebron's offensive production dropped to nineteen seven and nine, down from twenty six,

ten and eleven in his previous seven. He missed twenty four consecutive three pointers at one point and is shooting twelve percent from three in his two week slump, and by the way, Lebron James was shooting the best from three in his career up until that slump. There's just a lot of people now online. The mutiny comes fast on social media, does it. They are people ready to put Lebron James's head in a guillotine. What they are saying, Hey,

Lebron James is washed. Get this motherfucker out of here. That's crazy. Asked whether Lebron has slowed down, Lebron just said it was a blip. I just feel off rhythm these last three four, not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, seven games. It's everything. It's just the rhythm. I feel off rhythm these last three four games. My man, it's almost ten games. It's

not three four. But when asked about maybe, hey, you think maybe you want to take a day off or something, get a massage, he said, no, I want to play all eighty two. A dude in his twenty second year in the NBA saying I'm exhausted, I have no rhythm, sucking win on the court, not trying, says no, I want to let you guys know, I'm an iron man. Sorry, that's just not gonna happen. JJ, Reddick has different ideas.

When redd occurred that Lebron said that, his response was, immediately, I don't know if that's in the best interest of him and us if he decides to do that. You think you think, JJ. It's one thing to know Lebron James personally. It's one thing to host a podcast with them. It's another to tie your career longevity and your ability to make a living at your new path with Lebron James, who does whatever the fuck he wants and allows the shrapnel around him to go ourd anyway. Bron will be

forty in a few weeks. Probably needs some time off. He has maybe been distracted by the fact that Bloomberg. Probably not, But I do want to add this in. He's not been distracted by it. I just want to say, but the fact of the matter is his media company, spring Hill. I don't even know why I need to put this in here right now, except for the fact that it's in the news and I need to put

it somewhere. Spring Hill losing money twenty eight million dollar loss in twenty twenty three, on top of a seventeen million dollar loss in twenty twenty two. Could be even more in twenty twenty four. In other words, Lebron's got to take money from the Lakers because his media company's not doing so well. His company could be looking at seventy five million dollars or more in losses the last

three years. Back to the basketball, the bottom line is the Lakers roster, which wasn't fixed in this last off season, and wasn't fixed in the off season before that, and wasn't fixed in the off season before that, is doing the same things that occurred in those other seasons. Dalton connect is never going to come in and be your savior.

You lost Torrian Princewitz, I think you probably would pray for right now, considering the fact that Torrian Prince is the best three point shooter in the league right now. Guarantee he's shooting thirty two percent for the Lakers though right now, if he's on that team. Austin Reeves is never going to turn into a twenty five point a game guy. The Angela Russell is never gonna play basketball the right way. Rui Hachimer is never gonna give you

consistent production. Anthony Davis is always Anthony Davis, and Lebron James is not getting any younger. The fact that they're twelve and ten, and that that's actually worse than it was at this time last year under Darvinham when they were thirteen to nine, and they probably should have should be worse, shouldn't have surprised anyone. And guess what, it didn't surprise me. And I love nothing more than a

victory lap, and that's what this was. Unless major changes are made to this roster, the Lakers are a team that's going to like normal, spe in the seven seed, scratch claw for the play in, and then get bounced in the blink of an eye. Good luck, Lakers, it's been real. At least my Portland Trailblazers aren't fucking you. Let's moving on. Let's move on your NBA Cup date. The up opening rounds of the NBA Cup are over. We've moved down to the quarterfinals, set to be played

next Tuesday and Wednesday. Couldn't make it out to Vegas. I'm doing some moving next year. In the first Tuesday quarterfinal, we now get the matchup between the two hottest teams in the East, the Orlando Magic and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have been surging as of late, they haven't really played anyone anyway, winners of their last eight of ten games. The Magic have won eight of ten, mind you, without Paolo Bancaro. Franz Wagner versus Giannis, Jalen Suggs versus Dame.

I love this matchup. This is so much better to me than like the Pacers versus Bucks matchup, which definitely was rivalry. But this is gonna be really really fun. Second Tuesday quarter pits the defending Western Conference champs, the Dallas Mavericks, which I am shocked if they are here, by the way, versus one of the teams they had to be to get there, the OKAC Thunder. No love lost between these two teams. Both are playing very well. Luca's health will be a key point in the game.

Luca in Vegas, guys, come on. OKAC without Chet actually has proven to be pretty beatable, even though they will still lead the West by one and a half games. Dallas quietly has won nine of ten, so this is gonna be be a very very fun matchup. On Wednesday, the surprise Atlanta Hawks will play in the third quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks. Of course, this means Trey Jung returns to the place that he became

a villain, which he loves. Plus, the Hawks have won five in a row, including two wins against Cleveland one against Milwaukee. I don't know what Atlanta is. Are they good? The Knicks are good. They are rolling behind Karl Anthony Towns and Brunson and og. They just came back by like twenty five points last night to the Charlotte Hornets, which, by the way, proabab shouldn't be down to the Charlotte Hornets either, which way, pretty impressive win. This is the

game that I'm most looking forward to seeing. Gonna be very fun, bad blood between these two. And then in the final quarter we have a great matchup against the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. I don't know how these teams get good. The Rockets are shockingly good right now despite not being able to hit the broadside of a barn from three, and while Golden State is stumbling a little bit following their very hot start. They've lost five in a row before beating the same Rockets

last night. As I said, they have now beaten the Rockets fifteen straight times. Anyway, that's gonna be a very fun matchup too. Note that the NBA Quarters does not have Cleveland and Boston in it, the two top teams in the East with the two best records. You snooze, you lose. You lose to Atlanta, you get bounced the fuck out, which is exactly what happened. And the second NBA Cup has proven to be a lot of fun once again. I am looking for the final eight teams

to really get with it. Five hundred thousand to the bench players. We know that means really a lot. So look for star players to ball out in an effort to get their boys paid and hammer those steel pops. We're not supposed to say that. Hammer those steel props during Cup games been super profitable two years running. Okay, moving on, it's Friday. Let's get in on these injuries. We haven't had an update on Kawhi in a while. What do you think he's doing. Do you think he's

coming back anytime soon? Uh No, he's not. According to Bill Simmons, the Clippers are now expecting Kawhi to return to the lineup before Christmas. I just don't believe it. Reports are the East had on court activities for a couple of weeks, so that's probably not gonna be surprising. I don't think so, though, I really don't see it.

The Clippers, though very surprising fourteen and ten. They've been playing really good basketball as of late, seven and three in their last ten, so it's gonna be fascinating to see how they try to integrate Kawhi back, if he ever comes back. Where Norm Powell and a mirror coffee, just a small coffee, are thriving, thriving. In fact, Norm was asking why the Clippers are thriving with only Harden on the floor, and he said, I think the way that we're playing with the group of guys that we

have is more team oriented and less star dominant. How insane is it by the way that a team with James Harden on it is considered team oriented less star dominant. He said, we had four superstars and Hall of Fame candidates, and everybody was used to playing a certain way. It's hard to get four superstars on a team. To mesh oo sounds like shots fired at Kawhi Leonard. Norm Powell thinks you're gonna have trouble integrating back into this lineup.

There are a fair number of nuance injuries to monitor. Terrence Mann, Clippers player, He's gonna undergo surgery to replair a fractured middle finger on his left hand. He's had an offseason production down twenty five percent over the last few seasons, so maybe this break is actually gonna be good for him. Lakers center Jackson Hayes, which no one cares about, resprained his ankle. He won't return for another

three weeks. Lakers injury woes continue. Remember, we can't really evaluate what this Lakers team is until Jackson Hayes gets fully healthy. Kevin Durant sprained his left ankle. He will miss at least a week. They are not gonna win any games without him. They just lost to the New Orleans Pelicans. And finally we'll get an update on Zion Williamson, who Michael Scotto says will be re examined in two weeks, which is to say he will not necessarily be back

in two weeks. Definitely not going to be back in two weeks, but he will be looked at in a couple of weeks, which we will then have a better idea of how long he'll be gone. There's also a big list of players who are about to return. Zach Edie he has ramped up his recovery he's doing on court work. Taylor Jenkins says the recovery timetable sooner than later. Jeremy's Sohn he is ahead of schedule in his rehamp from a thumb injury. He should be back end of

the month, right around New Year's Day. Jared Vanderbilt, who seems to have missed like I don't know, three seasons. Honestly, when was the last time. The last time I saw Jared Vanderbilt was when he was buying clothes, keeping the tags on them, wearing them and then returning them anyway. He has recently experienced fluid in his knee, so he's now slated to be back in a month, which no one also cares about. Joe El Embiid, who has missed a ton of time for the season for the Sixers

five and fifteen. They are maybe he'll be back this weekend. They say, how well has he recovered? Unknown? And finally, speaking of guys who have been injured, Chris Middleton is slated to make his season debut and they gave him a real Cupcake Day game to come back to Boston it's been I would feel like that, maybe I'd want a little bit of a ramp up period, little Washington Wizards, a little Charlotte Hornets. Anyway, it's been a very long

road back for Chris double ankle sent surgery. By the way, he'll be in his classic Middleton form, hopefully instead of what we saw in Fitz and Spurs Spurts the last two season, which was wish Middleton. Also, Jalen Suggs sprained his ankle against Philly. He stepped on the foot of a comedian, Michael Blaxham. That's actually kind of a nuts situation who was sitting courtside. That's like sounds like something I would make up, but it was not made up.

It actually was real. Suggs thugged it out, he played thirty seven minutes to another win. But he said this oute of this game, I was mad, and then I saw it was him, and I couldn't be mad anymore. I mean, he's brought me too many laughs to be angry. Jalen Suggs in that game, by the way, still had seventeen points and three steals, so good for him. Wish him back very very soon, and a little tea from

around the league. Not a lot, just a few little stories. First, we did discover the truth behind why Adrian Wargenowski left ESPN for a job with Saint Bonnie's, besides the fact that he was tired of breaking news about Isaaca Quarrel. Back in March, Wojes was diagnosed with prostate cans sir, and probably as you would imagine, caused Weljesh to say, am I doing what I need to be doing right now? Or maybe should I spend some time with my family.

In particular, he attended the funeral of his colleague Chris Mortensen, and he was flabbergasted at how few of his colleagues from ESPN decided to come in to attend the funeral, sort of like a, well, these people will give a fuck about me, Like, so, why do I really give a fuck about them if I die of this prostate cancer? No one's coming to this, None of the players, none of the gms, no one. Just my wife and my kids, who probably hate me because I've been off breaking news

for so long. Anyway, he said, I don't actually think they hate him. Just wanna make sure that's clear what I was doing. It wasn't fulfilling anymore. It was just done. This is what gets me excited to learn something new, to be a part of something like this, it's a whole new challenge. I'm glad Woj's reevaluated his life. Honestly, I like to see him happy at Saint Bonnie's. I like to see that he's enjoying some time away from the grind and giving up the capo life. Of course,

we all hope that Woja's recovery goes well. By the way, he said that this process cancer was very manageable, So I don't think Woj's life is in danger. I think he's gonna be fine. That's why I'm able to crack jokes Bonnie's upset someone in March madness. We're hoping for that as well, wishing Woj well. Second, we've got another example of how the NBA is just a cold, cold world. Pelicans just released Alfred Peyton. Remember Peyton got signed by

the Pelicans because they're hospitaling. There's just seven games. He came in and gave him some good minutes, great numbers for a guy who most people had written off. He averaged seven three and seven two stocks a game. I remember he had that huge assist game. I think he had over twenty assists. Yeah, twenty one assists and fourteen points against Indy. Only Trey young Is had a game with more assists this season. So then they they got

healthy and they said, fuck you, dipset. Why boy, we needed you for about seven games and now you're out of here. That's pretty tough. That's a tough break, let's be honest. After eight years, remember though, remember really quick side road. Remember Alfred Peyton was like the starting point guard for the New York Knicks. That's how far we've come, folks. It was bad for a while. Anyway, Elfred spent all last year overseas and the G League, where he led

the league in assists. So I think it can be an NBA player. Here's the hoping he gets another shot. He's a hooper. I'd love to see him get to the ten year mark to get those benefits. Very important for your pension. It's tough break for Alfred Peyton. Next, Lonzo Balla is in the news. This one one is delicious. Uh. Not because he's back on the court after a three week recovery from a knee injury. No, not because he dropped an ig post about reuniting with Mellow and Charlotte

that went megaviral. No, and not telling his brother Leangelo the Hey, you've got no future in the NBA. Your future is not in the G League either. We tried that. It didn't work. It's in Europe only. No, not that either. Lonzo Ball made news because he finally admitted, well, we all kind of knew and were trying to tell him as nicely as we could, which, hey, probably don't let your dad build sneakers for you and sell them when

you're trying to make a living playing back basketball. Remember those Big Baller shoes, by the way, they're still being made, and remember they were getting we were getting charged five hundred dollars for them. Get the fuck out of there. A lot of people don't remember the Big Baller brand. I remember it, and you know who also remembers it. Lonzo Ball remembers it. They were a huge splash in

twenty seventeen. Remember the Zo two. It was like a broke ass wish version of the Kobe and then like it sort of clang lawn to relevancy and then it disappeared into the cultural ether. Even like LaVar Ball was on TV with I want to say Skip Bayless, maybe it was Colin Coward. And then remember LaVar told Christine Leaheat to stay in her own lane. Yeah, he was on that show to talk about the Big Baller brand sneakers. So anyway, Lonzo Ball gave an interview to Ramona Shelburn,

who's the best. It's a great read about his thousand day recovery, which is crazy. Lonzo Ball told ESPN when his dad made him wear the Zo twos in twenty seventeen, he said they were unwearable. They were like kickball shoes. So she followed up, like a good interviewer would, like, Hey, do you think those kickball shoes contributed to your string of injuries that caused you to have a thousand day recovery.

He was blunt. I think it's a possibility for sure, to be honest with you, I wasn't really getting hurt like that until I started wearing them. We tried to tell you. Everyone was like, you're trying to keep a black man and his family down. Black businesses, we gotta support these businesses. Like No, I just don't think that LeVar Ball has the acumen to build a shoe for basketball high performance, and I just think like testing it

out on somebody else might be better. To be fair, Lonzo does speculate he had knee isshoes before blowing it out while wearing the big baller shoes as a rookie, but like, let's be real, the shoes didn't help, right if you lived through those days where LeVar tried to force his way everywhere, which I remember like it was yesterday. Nothing about this is surprising. What has surprised me is how good Lonzo and LaMelo both have been and become.

I hope Lonzo finds some good orthotics and has a very long successful career and that his knee is as solid as how heavy those big baller shoes were. I hope that he's fine. I hope he's found the right path and the right shoes. And I hate pointing how right I am out out for a like a new

topic when you're right right, and I am right. I said this season that the Denver Nuggets and how they needed to win they would have to rely on Jokic at a historical degree, well world class crank and old man yelling at Klow's George Carl just tweeted by the way fun fact he spit in my face when I was nine the accidentally, the Nuggets have been more reliant on Joker than the Bulls ever were on Jordan. Jokic is the primary rebounder, passer, playmaker, and leader every game.

I don't think that sustainable, do you. I watched the Nuggets get the brakes blown out of them by the Calves last night. Not even Jokic could have saved them. Nuggets fans, it's gonna be a rough one for you. Don't run from it. You can't win long term. Trade Michael Porter Junior while he's still hitting threes at an alarming rate, and try to get something back. Try to get Jeremy Grant. I don't figure it out. You're fucked. That's all the time that we have for this episode

of Heat. Check come back Monday. Check out the feed for past episodes, and many episodes would drop unexpectedly, like a new season, new series from Taylor Sheridan. That man has put out King of Tulsa. That man has put out lab Man. That man has put out Yellowstone, That man has put out Mayor of Kingstown. That man has put out Lioness Jesus christis man is putting out so many damn good shows. He is prolific. Do not forget

to follow the heat check throughout the season. That means download, subscribe, tell your friends, even that lapteck at the vet trying to sell you every single add on possible. Say hey, I don't need my dog to get her anal glands expressed for sixty seven dollars. I just try to get some meds so that you know she can get by on her day. This is just a I just want her to get her raby shots anyway, Throw on the heat check to cover up the sound of yelping dogs

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