Episode 39: State Of The Lakers With Raj C. @UnwrittenRul3s

And that just means that you guys are loyal and you're supporting us through what was chaotic. But I think we haven't figured out now. Knock on wood, and I'm really excited to talk some Lakers uninterrupted with Roger Rog. How you doing this morning, man, I'm doing well. Manitsy nice Friday morning here in California. It's beautiful outside. I have all my toes, like, all my toes are on my feet, so I can't complain. Um, yeah, so I'm

doing well. I'm doing well. That's the crazy part with these injuries that have happened to uh, Drummond and Lebron is their their impact injuries. They're like bad luck. Someone else physically is injuring uh them as opposed to the stuff that kind of feels more associated with their durability, like non contact injuries and whear and tear injuries. You're always like associating that with how well someone takes care of their body and their genetics and stuff. But man,

like you, you've gotta be kidding me. Literally stomp someone's big toe off, And as someone who's played a lot of basketball, I can't think of a single time anything close to that has happened to me. But then again, Brooke Loope has has to weigh brook Loop has has to weigh three pounds are close like probably like two seventy two eighty, So I don't encounter many humans that big. So maybe that's just the differentiating factor there. Yeah maybe, But I mean, like you look, look at your toe.

How difficult would it be to like get your toe off? Like that's a super painful process that I feel like I would know is happening right in the moment he kept playing for like two more minutes on that. I just don't Maybe NBA athletes are just different, they're built different, But yeah, I would I would not be able to walk after my tonail came off this tonel just floating around and just like scratching. I have no idea that that is not a level of pain that I want

any part of, any time, anytime soon. So hopefully he's okay. Now it's ridiculous, all right, So today today we're gonna talk about about drummonds debut, and we're just gonna talk about what we liked, what we disliked, what we could see that look like moving forward. We're gonna talk about Marcus Ault and his uh current status with the team and just the way his attitude is and and uh and his place in the rotation, and then uh, we're

going to discuss dinner Shooter's contract negotiations. We're gonna talk about Wes Matthews and Mark Keith Morris and how they seemed to be coming into their role. Uh, and then we're going to finish up with some league wide stuff I want to talk about J J. Reddick. I talked a little bit about it on Wednesday, but when I get Roger's take, and then there's a couple other things that have come out about it that I think are interesting.

But let's let's start with Drummond. So just really plain and simple you probably went back and watched the film a couple of times. I've I've watched it twice myself. What did you think about Andre Drummond's debut? What did you like? What did you dislike? Yeah, it's funny. We we we are the state of the Lakers. So I think part of that is knowing like the pulse of like Lakers Twitter and what they were, what they were kind of thinking. And it was pretty much a panic right

during the live like watching it, watching with everyone. When you go back and watch like that first, uh said that he had the first five minutes or seven minutes, he was great. He was exactly what they brought him to do. Um, he was defending, he was in a defensive stance. He was able to um deterr you honest from getting to the rim um he was getting. He was making people second s. Middleton throw a layout that went way off the backboard because Drummond was right there.

I thought he played well. Um, but but this team, especially when he got hurt, it can really bring out his like bad tendencies right, Like he's a guy that really wants to attack is so he was pulling out Kyrie dribbles for no reason. At all Kyrie package dribbles against brook Lopez. But again, with this team that has so low shock creation, it's just gonna bring out those kind of plays because there's no one else, Like the if shooter in his pick and roll doesn't work, it

just becomes a swing thrown to the post. And then like, can you really blame Drummond for trying to score? I mean, it's seven sexs on the shot clock. What he's gonna do? So I thought he was fine. Um, there are parts of his games that aren't great, but that's why he got him on the biout market. I mean, you're not gonna get a star player at this level. But I thought he was fine until he broke his toe. Like I thought he was perfectly what he was expected to be.

He had like two points, four rebounds, a steel and a block like in like four or five minutes, which is great. And then after that he obviously was really impacted. So hopefully he's okay now. But that's what I saw. What did you see, um going back and watching? Well, first of all, you and I very clearly predicted this

on our pot on on on Monday. We said it will be ugly to start, Uh, not necessarily a percent ugly, but there that there would be some ugliness associated with Drummonds debuts that that wouldn't necessarily be problems when Lebron and a d came back just out of necessity like they were. They were throwing down to Drummond in the post against brook Lopez, which is just not a matchup

that they would attack in any other situation. And for the record, he actually got decent separation a couple of times. There was a move that he made on Janice where he got pretty good separation where he did like a fake dribble handoff and then attacked. And Janice is just a freak and like I've seen you honest block shots that no other human being would block. So that's not on Drummond, and that's gonna work in every other matchup.

He had a play where he kind of beat brook Lopez to the spot and drew a blocking foul, and then he had another one where he got across the lane and shot like a little sweeping hook, like he can get separation on that stuff. The reason why he's not, you know, a top tier center is he just doesn't have any touch in those sorts of situations. That's what

affects him the most. Um. But we expected that that kind of stuff to happen, that kind of you know, out of out of rhythm, kind of weird offensive decision making, just out of virtue of their lack of talent. But you know, the biggest thing that stood out to me as just a potential positive for the Lakers is I think that Drummond very clearly brings what we lost with

Dwight Howard in particular. So one of the things with White that was so was so amazing is he had a really high defensive i Q. He had good defensive instincts, and he had the uh, the ability to be disruptive with his hands in the paint, you know, with the little passes and drop off passes and everything. Uh that everything that was loose around the pain he had an

ability to get a hand on. Uh. Now, they're totally different mentalities, Like Dwight Howard is this like kind of crazy hothead who picks up technicals and picks up fouls, and whereas Drummonds like kind of the exact opposite, Like he has a tendency to almost be too passive and and and and like and it can disappear and they will be Like in that opening stretch, he was really disruptive on defense, but then he had a play where he kind of lost your honest's body and your honestly

dumped on him with an alley oop. And on that play, Drummond almost looked like he was completely upright, not even in a defensive stance, and just just zero resistance. So that's kind of the opposite version of the Dwight experience. However, the actual skill set that disruptive hand stuff in the paint, his size around the basket, his defensive instincts, his ability to move his feet on a guy like Joannest who tries to play bullyball, all of that stuff he does

really well. And to me, that's a clean fit because that's something they straight up lost when they lost Dwight. And and you and I I think we're the biggest proponents in in Lake or Twitter for for keeping Dwight. Uh And so I'm excited in the sense that I think Drummond brings that back right and we but we talked about it last week like we should temper expectations before um Lebron and a d got got back. But

the Lakers did not do that. I mean, this is a team and a fan base that you know, there's not much positive going on, Like without Lebron a d it's been tough. So all the quotes that came out, you know, Drummond said, uh, you know, I've been working out for the last three months. I'm in the best shape of my life. And then Frank Vogel said he had an amazing practice. He was getting steals all over

the place. You know, some people just came into that with the expectations that Drummond was gonna come out and get like ten steels in the first quarter or whatever. But you're right, you could see his hands. He had a strip on Drew Holiday that he almost got, but I think it went to the corner for three. Um he tried to. I think he got a strip almost on the honest as well. So yeah, I think like

he showed what he does. And again, like I love that first block that he got that double jump where he jumped to a contest I think the rim and then he also got the block on de Vincenzo. Like that him and a d with the double jumping ability is gonna be awesome. But yeah, I mean, I don't think you can really judge him until uh, the two Stars get back and he's gonna look like this. It's

gonna be tough, Um, but he's gonna eat possessions. I mean, it's better that he gets a flip shot at the rim than a turnover, which has been happening a lot like there's have been really high and turnover is the last few games. And he's a guy you can give it to and you at least get a possession out of it. Um, he might not score, but you know, he might get his own rebound. He only had one rebound like last night, which is just way off base from who he is, right, But I think some of that,

again was how he was feeling. Um, brook Lopez is a guy that also stays out to the three point line, so he was guarding brook Lopez so he couldn't really come and crash the boards as he wanted to. So hopefully when he plays the next game he can kind of play on a more traditional center. But yeah, I feel like he was. He was fine. And again people expected like a twenty point fifteen rebound game or something that expectations that I saw. It was just it's just

not gonna happen right now. Maybe going forward against bad teams, but Milwaukee's not the team too that's gonna let you get to the basket or you know, get a bunch

of offensive rebounds. It'll be matching up oriented like he's gonna have matchups where he's gonna have fifteen And you're right, like he ended up on the ball a lot, or he ended up like they attacked him and switches and he'd end up in picking roll coverage against like Chris Middleton, or he'd end up in uh isolation coverage against the honest or you're right, like Brook Lopez and be in the corner and he'd be sprinting out on a shooter.

So it was just a strange defensive matchup for for his rebounding and like, you know, this is the just the natural order of Twitter. But like there were a lot of people making fun of that sequence where he had that opening lob and and get lift and like and then I saw people comparing it to like a play where uh, Damian Damian Jones had like a dunk and on the plate like like like Damian Jones got had a really good set up. He had a straight

line drive. There's no bump or anything, and he really loaded up into his jump, whereas on on the Drummond play, you could tell his momentum was taking him away from the basket. He didn't get foul or anything, but just with the speed of the play and he didn't quite get all the way turned around to where he could load up towards the basket. So when he jumped, his momentum was going in the wrong direction. He just and

get great lift and everyone's like, oh, look, Drummond. It's like, I guess what Drummond is gonna be a totally viable vertical spacing threat. It just was a bad play, and just by virtue of the white Twitter works, It's like I was checking in on Andre Drummond. Actually he was awesome in his first stint. And and I mean that that I'm not worried about the toe thing at all. It sounds like the m r I thing is is fine.

I mean, I have you ever lost a fingernail or a toneo before, not like the whole nail, Like I've had a nail kind of break, but I mean I've never lost the whole tone. And I don't even know what that must be the most painful thing in the world. I have no clue how that would even happen. So

now I've never lost a tone. No, So I slammed my finger in a door, a car door when I was a kid, and a fingernail came off, and like the whole thing came off and and basically like it was tender for a few days, but then it was fine. And so my thing is like, uh like because it's it's basically like open flesh and then like you're the whole thing basically scabs over and then the new mail

like slowly grows across. And so my guess is, like he might miss tonight's game, but then after that, my guess is that they'll be able to, you know, I don't know, put some sort of vassoline or something on it and then tape it and then he'll be able to play. Because it's just gonna be a pain management

kind of thing. So I think that'll be fine, which brings us to the Marcus Alt thing, because I think this will be uh, this has been a super interesting uh topic, and like, you know, I think he's gonna be great tonight. I expect him to play twenty five to thirty minutes. And you know the biggest thing, you know, when when they got Drummond, what did I tell you? I said that I thought that he would be an infusion of talent that would give them a better chance

of stealing some of these fringe games. And tonight's one of those fringe games. And it sucks that Drummonds out. I prefer to him be in there because then your entire center rotation for the whole day is huge. And Sacramento, for the record, is a smaller team and and having those two centers gives you a better chance. But you know, Marcusol, like is a perfectly awesome alternative option to the to the Andre Drummond experience. Like he's different. He's not as athletic,

he's not as quick, but he's way smarter. He's a much much better passer, and he's a much much better shooter, and he's got a much better soft touch around the rim. If you get him into a position where you can catch and finish, it's going in every time. And so I always said that Marcosol brings versatility, and as the Lakers showed at length in last year's playoffs, they would go with the best matchup. You know, against Denver, it was a lot of Dwight Howard. You know, against Houston,

it was a lot of Markis Morris. They went with the matchup that made the most sense. And so having Marcusol on the roster is what gives you the flexibility to go a different route when it's clearly not working with Andre Drummond, or when it's clearly not working with Mark Kith Morris, because they're gonna be or excuse me,

Marki Morris or Montrese Hair. There are going to be matchups where they need to go huge and they need the physicality of Drummond, and then there are gonna be matchups where they need the shooting or they need the skill in the in the versatility of a montresor Marquis. So I I even want to I think that you know,

Marcusol might pout for a little while. You know, he's gonna have this phase where he has his issues, but I think you gotta keep him on board and just keep hammering home with him that you're going to win us a playoff game. We're going to need you at some point. Right. I never bought into the Marcusol was gonna buy Rumors like that was all from rival executives, right, that was never sourced into the in the team. And I don't even know why that even reaches Frank Bogol.

I was disappointed that, you know, Frank Bogol had to even address that. He said, we are not buying out Marcusol. Um. And the whole point that we were excited about Andre Drummond was because we can get him for free. Right, we don't have to give up anything. People acting like we traded marcusol yesterday. It was just a really strange reaction. Um, he's gonna be fine. He's gonna start a lot of games, even in the playoffs. Maybe Drummond will start for now.

But you know, the guy's thirty six. I think he understands his role right now in the league. Even when he was playing, he was playing like when the whole team was healthy. He was playing twenty minutes a game sometimes because Tress was taking his minutes. I mean, it's not like a huge shift here, and he can still

close games. Um, I don't know, Like, yeah, he's he refused to speak to the media for like a few days, I think, or something like that, and the whole point is that you know, you have a team with Lebron James on it, and h these kind of issues can be you know, exasperated on other teams, on bad teams, on teams without that kind of leadership. But Frank Vogel seems to have been pretty transparent with him on his role,

right and what's going on. But yeah, like the thing with Marcosol starting, like just looking at it from a basketball sins like in that starting lineup, shooter is the only guy that puts pressure on the basket. So that was my thing. That's why I liked the drum and starting. I thought, you know, they can steal some games that we thought Marcosol. You know, he's a great playmaker, great passer. I just think like right now we need people to put pressure on the rim and he just doesn't do that.

He's popping mostly every time. And it's just really tough to core because it's just Shrewder really the only one that's getting any kind of dribble penetration. So that's why I like Drummond starting for now. Um, but ye have Marcus At. I mean, he's a professional, he understands how this league works, and I don't think he was shocked by any of this, So maybe he's a little upset for now. I understand he's a pro, you know, but uh, I think he'll be fine and he's gonna be big

in the playoffs. I don't know, Like, I don't think Drummond starting yesterday means he's gonna start every game going forward. Now, that's just just what they're going for now until the

Stars get back, and then we'll see what happens. Well, Like, we have an example of this with the with the Markief Morris situation when they pulled him and and uh and West from the rotation early in the season, and and then Markief goes into a press conference and goes like, I don't understand how I could have literally been, you like, playing in the NBA Finals in the closing group, and then suddenly I'm out of the rotation. And you and

I both were like, well, that's not ideal. We'd prefer he didn't say something, you know, but he wasn't playing well at the time, and and and so at that point in time he was viewed as outside of the rotation. And then by playing really, really well, he has worked his way to being arguably one of the most valuable role players right now because he's one of the few

guys he's making shots. And so from from from that standpoint, like you know, the people, you can't you've got to manage people's emotions, but at the same time, you can't,

you know, make decisions based on people's emotions. I said this last year about JaVale McGhee, like, there's a lot of there was a lot of talk in the locker room about this idea that like, you know, they needed to have JaVale McGee in the starting lineup for the sake of his like ego, you know, and I would frequently tell you and others on my podcast, you know, I don't understand why they're they're catering so much to to to Javail But and they did for a while.

But then when it came when push came to shove in the playoffs, they were like, yeah, it's time for you to sit down. So my thing is like, you have to understand that guys are going to react, but as long as you're very transparent honest with them, it'll all come back around. And that's kind of what I expect to happen here. Is like, you know, you look at Mark and you say, we're gonna need you, and

if you play great, you're gonna keep playing. So you know, he might pout for a little while, but eventually I'll understand you know, the predicament here, which is like, you know, if you've been really good, because he's been playing really well lately, and and there's there's an argument to be made that had a D been healthy all season, that Drummond doesn't even get signed. You know, maybe they go

for a shooter or something along those lines. Like part of the reason why Drummond was such an obvious move is like they are have a really thin front court right now because of Lebron and a D being out.

So from that standpoint, like the the uh, they need Drummond right now and in the future, the rotation is going to sink and the guys that are gonna play every single every single person in the road that we're gonna talk about West Matthews here in a second, Like even k c P who was arguably their third best player in last year's play off run, he he might not play in some of these playoff matchups because he's

been so bad. So you know, you gotta think of it like outside a shrewder Lebron and a d everyone else is fighting for minutes the way that I see it, and k cps a starter, and he might still fall out of the rotation, so are not all entirely but he his minutes might be cut. So you know, everyone everyone's kind of in the same boat. Like you. You can't go back to the locker room and and be all pissy about the fact that you're minutes have been cut when every single player in there outside of the

core three is technically under the same steaks. So I think he'll I think it'll end up being fine, But I just I hope, I hope you and I don't.

I don't think, you know. Frank straight up came out and said we have no plans to buy out Marcusol And then he also said before that game against Milwaukee, he said, uh, with the way that the this all is shaping up with the UH, with the matchup against Milwaukee, we're expecting not to play Mark tonight, but we still think that in our bench lineups that we can play

Mark and Treads together. He said that. So then so then the game comes and he doesn't play and you know a lot of lak er Twitter starts freaking out, like I can't believe Marcusol is not playing until crunch time or until garbage time. And it's like Frank literally

told us, and he told us earlier this season. Hey, by the way, I'm not playing West and I'm not playing Mark Keith tonight, Like this is super super transparent coaching staff and uh AN organization and so like I trust that you know they can at least figure it out. We're gonna talking about this more with JJ Reddick later. Like guys are way better at dealing with bad news when it's honest and for three then they are when they get blindsided, Like that's the key difference here, and

and the Lakers handle that well. So I I'm not too worried about Mark, right, And you brought up the Mark and Treads kind of line ups at Frankfurt lots talked about those two have not played a minute together this season before that Bucks game. I think they played. I'm gonna play a little bit against the Bucks, but they have not played a minute together before that, So that's one thing I want to see. And again, Mark's gonna get his minutes. I mean he's I mean, he's

at the stage of his career. I don't think starting is Maybe it's a huge deal still to him, but like, I don't know, I don't feel like starting should be that big of a point here that should be, you know, I don't think he'd be that upset about that for right now. So Drummond's gonna start for now. But again, all these matchup dependent. We just saw it in the last playoffs. Frank Bogo has no problem benching someone who's

not gonna play. You talked about KCP. I mean all those players are pretty much a revolving door right around Lebron in a d Whoever is playing well, it's gonna start. West could start. I think West started the season if I remember correctly, but he couldn't hit a shot, so he got moved to the bench. M Markief got moved to the bench because th HD was playing so well. Right, they need to find minutes for THHD, and they just the minutes that got cut where West and Markief. So

that's how it's gonna go. Whoever is playing well, it's gonna play. Um, we're in the place right now where like wins are just whatever. When you can get you get um. So whoever's playing well is going to play, whether it's Mark, whether it's Drummond, whether it's Harold, that's killing. I mean that that's how it's going to go. And I think Mark is going to be fine. He's a professional.

He understands. He's been the league eighteen like fifteen years or something like that, so he understands the game, and he'll be He'll be fine. Yeah. So the Marcusol, Mantrese Harold lineups are going to be interesting. So the way that the way that Frank framed it, as he said, if I remember correctly, you correct me if I'm reversing this, but he basically said, we'll put uh Marcussol at the at the five on defense and Montres at the four on defense, and then on offense, will run Marcusol as

the four and Montres at the five. Now that works, and I actually like that idea mainly because we have all the ways agreed that Montrez is better defensively almost as a wing um, flying around using his length, using his motor, using uh putting him in space as opposed to put him around the basket. And Marcusol is actually a great drop coverage center because he's just like really good at positioning his body between the the offensive player

in the rim, not fouling. You know, he's not as vertically athletic, he's not a great shot blocker, but he's so just savvy around the basket as a defensive player. And and we saw him do a great job with that against Ben Simmons, and we saw him again in that in that fourth quarter doing a good job against the Bucks and sou From that same point, that lineup

I actually think can work. And the only reason it hasn't played is because of the fact that they were kind of playing Montrese and and Mark as the two fives. But I but I do, I do think it would work because you know they always talk about with these line ups it's just about who you can guard. And we know Marcusol can play defensively as the five, and I would argue that Montress every bit as mobile and good on the perimeter as as a Marquis for instance.

And so I absolutely think that that that it can work. Um, and so it'll be interest thing to say. And then offensively on the other end, uh, you have Montraz who has been absolutely amazing offensively in the last you know month or so, I think he's averaging over twenty points a game, shooting like sixties six percent from the field. He's piling in in mismatches in the post, he's got it all going. He made some mid rain shots the other night. He's still got that little floater thing going.

And then uh, and then marcusol is starting to be really aggressive from the three point line out on top of the key. Missed a couple of shots there in the fourth quarter, but like he's every bit as good as Shooter out there as any of the guards are. Uh, and so like it all makes sense to me that Marcus l still has a role here. And then when Anthony Davis comes back, everyone in the rotation gets squeezed because eighties playing thirty six minutes. Now, Lebron's playing forty minutes. Now,

Shooter is gonna play thirty five minutes or whatever. And in the playoffs, it's gonna be we got you know, these you know, five or six big roles to fill,

and it's gonna be based on who's going. Um, and I think this is a good opportunity to transition into West because you know you and I talked at length earlier this year when West was struggling about how we thought West would probably end up being one of their most dependable playoff guards, and it was based on the fact that his role, what he's good at, makes the most sense when Lebron, Lebron and a d are playing really well, because they do attract so much attention to

do put so much pressure on the rim, and West Matthews can knock down the open shot, and he can defend these bigger wings and things along those lines. And so ironically, and this is something I did not expect. He actually appears to have kind of got it going. Uh, in a situation where it'd be really hard for him to get it going. What do you think is going on with him that's caused him to start to start playing better. He just looks in a rhythm now, Like

his shot looks good. Um, he's getting open looks, he's coming off us, he's coming off pinned downs. Um, he's curling like he just he just looks in a rhythm. And I always say like he was a better he's a better movement shooter. He's our best like movement shooter that we have on the team. Um, that's the difference between him and like Danny Green. To me, like he can come off curl and get right into a shot and it looks it looks really good. In his defense

has been consistent throughout the year. Um, he can't guard like the super big wings, right, but he's done a good job. Like last down on Milton, he did, he did a really nice job. He had some switches on the honest that he played well. And again, West is a professional. He's been the league for a bunch of years, and he's well. I think he's like the leader and three point three pointers made for an undrafted player or something like that, and a guy like that is just

not going to forget how to shoot. So um, yeah, he he looks a lot better and he's our best shooter right now. He's shooting thirty from three on almost five attempts the last five games. Um, I think the Lakers only one like two of those. But you know, he's he's playing well and uh man a KCP is really struggling. So it's it's nice to have at least one shooter going because our margin forever is just so low.

If we can't hit open shots, is gonna be tough, so he's the only guy really hitting them right now. And uh, it's nice to see he's even tacking the basket a little bit, trying to create off the dribble um. But yeah, Kevin, a guy that can make shots right now is what we need, and whoever's making shots has to play. And he's played well. He's gonna be big in the playoffs as well, especially matchup dependent. He can guard those wings and trace him off screens. He's all.

He's a lot quicker than some guards that we have, and he's a little bit both here as well, can stay in front. So he's been playing well, and I'm really happy for him that he's he's gotten out that stretch because he looked like he was really frustrated because he was missing wide open shots, especially passes from Lebron. They'd be wide open in the corner and he'd be he'd be clanking them. So yeah, I'm happy for him.

I'm happy he's he got his shot going, and uh, it's can't come at a better time because the Lakers needed right now. He was one of dozens and dozens of players around the league who really struggled with getting his legs underneath him at the start of the season. And so you know, especially as like one of the

older guys around the league. Uh, and you know, he's not as old as some of the oldest guys in the league, but when you actually factor in the injuries that he suffered in his career, like he he is an older guy, and and so it kind of makes the most sense and that that he would peek later

in the year. And I agree. Like the interesting part about him getting it going is I talked about how I thought him and most of the shooters would get going as Lebron and a d came back because their shot quality would massively improve, and then just by virtue of getting constant great looks, they would they would get their rhythm going. And uh, ironically, it appears to be that even in this crappy situation, offensively, he's got a going because he's got his legs back and already looks

great off the move. He's he's uh, their best off the move shooter in large part, in my opinion, because he's so strong in his lower body and his ability to get a strong base because off the move shooting is all about your legs. It's it's every bit as athletic a move as a dunk, because what you're doing is you're trying to regain balance when your momentum is carrying yourself away from the basket. It's all about leg strength, and so he's naturally good at that sort of thing,

you know. Defensively, at the beginning ing of the year, he was so bad against quick guards, and I just, you know, was clinging to the fact that I loved him for specific matchups, like he's just a great guy to throw out of Chris Middleton or Kauai or Paul George, any bigger wing score who doesn't necessarily use like lightning athleticism to get by you, but rather uses shiftiness in size and strength to get an advantage against you. West is like such a weapon to throw against that type

of guy. He used to do amazing work against Lebron and against Kauai in previous seasons, and I was most excited about that. But the truth is that he's very, very laterally quick, and he should be able to guard the quicker guards at least as well as any of the other defensive guards in the league. He just didn't have his legs underneath him and to see that all kind of coming together now, and with Drummond and his ability to put pressure on the rim, although he's not

gonna be playing tonight, I don't think. Um, but when when Anthony Davis comes back, which I think we're I think he's probably gonna come back next week. I mean, according to what Sham's had said at the trade deadline, like theoretically late next week. Maybe. I don't know. Um, but with a d coming, all that shot quality stuff is just gonna keep going up and up, and I think all these all these guys are gonna get going.

And you know, it's interesting. This is the advantage of depth because when you've got you know, because the Lakers. We were talking about this in my Wednesday podcast when one of the people in the comments asked like, hey, you know what buyout guys should the Lakers go to? And of course, if an auto border comes up, you snatch him. If you know who's the flamethrower Blake in his name, yeah, the flamethrower shooter. If he comes up, yeah, of course you take it. But look at the Lakers rotation.

They got five guards, like good rotation guards, you know, th ht Crusoe, Wes Matthews, h k CP and Dennis and then they've got two really good wings and Kuzman Labron Uh and then in the front court they've got you know, Markie Morris, mon Tres marcusol uh Um and Uh Andre Drummond. So they're deep. So the truth of the matter is is like like it's impossible for all of them to be cold forever, and so somebody was going to get it going, and here come Mark Keith

and Wes Matthews. Just by virtue of of of like banging your head against the wall, somebody started making shots. And it's been the two of them, and I think that you know, it's it's we always talk about how it's a waterfall effect, like the two of them making shots is going to open things up for uh, for Dennis shooter and for Andre Drummond around the basket, which is going to continue to increase the shot quality for the other shooters. And then everybody's gonna start getting it going.

And so I'm super super excited about that. Are you Are you yet concerned about KCP because I'm getting close. Yeah, Like, okay, I'm gonna tie this back to West because West talked about a lot we forget that. West started last year on a Bucks team that was rolling through the league. He was out, he was playing like twenty thirty minutes a game, getting a bunch of shots up. He came to the Lakers and what he started to come out of the bench. He was taking like two threes a game,

you know what I mean. He was just there's just no way for him to get in rhythm. I think he's talked about this, like he's used to touching the ball, you know, going through, having the ball in his hands, kind of feeling for the game, and um, just sitting there and spotting up. I think it was tough for him. I feel this way the way with KCP because I'm watching him and he's passing up shots. Now. He's driving very recklessly. He gets to the basket with no intention

of scoring or doing anything. He got blocked twice last night in an absolute terrible fashion. He just threw up some layups that you know had no chance or anything. Um, but he's got to get his shots up like this. He's not going to get his shot back by just passing up taking these taking two threes a game, three threes a game, It's just not gonna work and his jumper, he has no confidence right now his jump shot. Um, I don't know if a week off would help him, Like,

I really don't know. Again, his benefit of the doubt was very long, Like it's still pretty long. You win a title and you you get that long benef of the doubt. It's starting to run up a little bit though. Um, the Lakers need him to uh, like you just need him to play, man. This is this is the time. This is where you earn your money. You got the contract, Like, this is time you like like we're not asking you to you know, run pick and roll and not asking

you to playmate. Just hit open shots, Um, hit your mid range jumper. He just I don't know. I think I think he'll be fine again when the playoffs start. But it's been almost a full season long of just a real struggle. He had a really hot start. Um, he played well ins Philly, and then from there it's just really tough. Maybe the shock creation is the problem. No one else really puts pressure on the rim for him, so he's not getting the looks the same. We all

we talked about it. Every open shots not the same. But my issue is his defense has really fallen off as well. It's not where it used to be. Um, he's getting beat a lot more. He gets lost. Um. I think that Andre Drummond lab play you you talked about it. I think that was a backscreen on KCP or Drummond or something like that which got him to lob There's just a lot of plays like that that's been happening. So it's like his engagement level isn't where

it used to be. Like he's really disengaged from the game for long stretches, way longer than it's been. Again, this may be a mental thing that you know, because of the bubble. I look at It's funny you look at the Miami Heat are five hundred there, twenty five and twenty four against same they went to the finals like the Lakers did their five hundred. Yet they're comfortably in the four. They're gonna be comfortably in the four seed pretty soon, like they have eight more losses in

the Lakers. So I just look at that and that that might be a factor still for KCP, But I don't know. It's time for him to start playing well, hopefully against like more bad teams like the Kings tonight in Toronto, coming up. He can kind of get a rhythm. But I think this is all in his head. Like most things, when he's confident, he looks like Clay Thompson, and when he's not, he looks like whatever. This version is so hopefully hofully he picks it up. But I

think you'll be fine. But right now it's a it's a big time struggle. Well, you just made a great point the Latin You and I have talked about this several times on the podcast, Like the last four teams in the league have all struggle. The Miami Heat have basically been a five hunder basketball team. The Box and

Celtics have been like catastrophic below options. And I predicted that I predicted the Celtics would get off to a slow start because I really thought their lack of playmaking would be a problem, just because Tatum and Brown, as talented as they are, they're just not developed as playmakers yet. And I and Dave and like I said, catastrophically below expectations, and the Nuggets are basically just now getting it going.

The Nuggets and Lakers are basically right next to each other in the standings, in the middle of the pack, so they've both been bad for them. It hasn't been health related, it was more just, uh, Jamal Murray really took a while to get going, although now he's having like a career season, so it's it's kind of funny

how that all worked out. But anyway, like the thing with KCP that I think everyone has to remember is what it looks like when it's good, and then remember and try to understand why it's been hard for him to do that this season. So for instance, like when you watch a good KCP game, what do you usually see? He usually gets out, he gets going in transition. That's

where he gets his game going. He gets these because he's got such great speed and he's got such great single leg bounce, Like that's his advance, Like his athletic strength strength is single leg bounce, which is the best bounce to have in transition because it allows you to extend and actually it's like it allows you to to stop from slowing your body down before going to the basket.

And so what will happen is is like every single game he'll lock up on defense and run out and Lebron will hit him in transition to three times he'll get some and ones or some dunks, and that kind of feeds into his confidence, and then the rest of his offensive game is built around attacking closeouts and and just by virtue of like you know, Marcosol playing limited minutes and being out with COVID for a while, and then Lebron being out, he's been playing without that that

outlet passer, that guy who can get him the ball in transition, because those transition openings are open open for a split second before the defense gets back, and you need someone like Lebron or Marcusol who can grab the rebound but already knows what's happening down the floor and it can hit KCP and stride so that he can get that going. And then it's all just part of

his waterfall effect of his rhythm. He builds all of that together into this finished package, which is him being a great defensive player who can hurt you in transition, and then he can hurt you in transition as a shooter too. There's one of the biggest plays of the Finals last year was in Game four when the when the Lakers won, and he had a play where where Lebron drove in transition to hit him in the corner he had sprinted the floor and got to the corner.

That's all part of his game that's kind of going untapped right now. And so and hopefully Marcusol playing a bigger role tonight, we'll help him get get that going again. But I I'm with you, he deserves the longest bit of leash. And uh, I kind of think of it the same way I think about with Lebron. Like with Lebron, this is like he deserves all of the the the positive outlook in the world because of his history of

taking such good care of his body. But it's important, it's important to point out like this is the first like impact physical injury he suffered in his later life lower leg late in the season. There's something weird about this with KCP as long as his leashes. This is the worst he's been for an extended stretch. And so I think it's okay to acknowledge like this doesn't look great, but I think we I think he'll still be fine.

You know, it's not like he's going anywhere. It's not like the Lakers have to worry about trading him anymore. It's it's just a question of him getting it going. So like in the beginning of the party, you talked about how you were excited about Drumming because he kind of gives with Dwight missed right what we lost with Dwight last year k c P and Dwight. Because Ksey came off the bench last year. People for Gabe Bradley

has actually started. So him and Dwight used to have this play where they would run this double drag handoff right, so Casey would come off two screens. He was starting the corner, and then Dwight would roll ole, so Casey we would basically have three choices. He particularly attacked the basket, take his mid range, pull up fine Dwight, or kick it into the corner. That's what I was excited about Drumming coming because he gives him another role threat to

kind of play with. Um. He seems very just designated into spot up shooting. Lakers aren't defending as well right now. They are defending well, but they aren't getting into a transition as well as much, and he's not spreading the way he used to. So I'd like to see them kind of go back to that run some actions for him, run some handoffs um, just to get him going, get him feeling the basketball. It's he just he's just waiting for the ball to come to him and he's just

getting into no rhythm. So I would hope maybe they'll run a few more sets for him to get going. Um. But but again, yeah, his benefit the doab is pretty long. Um, it's not Lebron level. He's not He's not Lebron James. So we can't just expect him to turn on some players they have a good postseason, that's pretty much what happens. So we'll hopefully he plays well. But yeah, his role kind of he's one of the he's the player that probably misses the two stars the most. Um, he's the

guy that plays off them the most. So again, he's not a movement shooter. He's a guy that likes the spot up. He can sprint to a spot, but he's not like a curl and uh, you know gets set through that way. So hopefully he plays better. And again we talked about We're going to talk about Markueffe as well. Right, Markeefe has played really well. Again, he's a guy to me that's in a rhythm. He's getting touches, he's getting

a lot of post touches. He's getting a lot of isolations right, and he's able to feel the ball kind of you know, get his get his mid range pull up in and that kind of uh works to his three pointer that's starting to go in. He's starting to hit his corner threes. And again it's all because to me, he's a rhythm guy who likes to have the ball kind of feel the defender, fade away jumper. Um can

score that way. So again, both of those guys I feel like are playing well and I don't think it's an accident because they're getting more shots, they're able to get in a rhythm into games, and they're starting to hit their jumpers. So both of them have been a positive surprise and I hope Case gets it going gets going here. Markis Morris is the most interesting like rotation conundrum that they have because you know, he was really good in the season last year because he was flat

out a knockdown shooter. And for the record, he's been a knockdown shooter for the last month or so this season, and he was a knockdown shooter in the playoffs, and so you know, the question becomes, you know, and again it goes back to what we were talking about with Marcus Ool. It's about versatility. I think Mark I think Mark Keith Morris is going to get run even with as crazy deep as the front court is, I think

Mark Kief Morris is going to get run. Like in games where Kuzma is a little sloppy, I think they'll go to Markief. In games where the centers aren't really working for matchups like a Brooklyn series, I think you might see a lot of Mark Kive Morris. They might. They'll they'll try to go big to try to bully

the nets. But if it's not working, if Drummond and Gassol and Treads are aren't getting enough offensive rebounds and beating them up inside, they're gonna have to audible for that switching attack to get UH to put Markis on the floor. So I think he's going to continue to be UH involved. But the thing is is, like you said, the reason why he's succeeding is because he's getting a

lot of run. And he did get a lot of run in the playoffs, and so it'll be interesting to see in the coming weeks when Lebron and a d come back, if if Mark Kith gets out of rhythm just by virtue of them, uh playing the centers a lot, so it'll be he but he just he provides, He provides. He was another guy kind of like Wes Matthews who's to start the season physically didn't look great and his legs are clearly underneath him. Now now he's shooting the

ball really well. He's a very good post offender. He's just good at holding his position and forcing guys to shoot over the top. He's a very good shooter when he's wide open, and he just doesn't make mistakes. And so I he's an interesting uh, he's I was really psyched about the Markis Moore signing from the beginning, and he's exceeded expectations even above that, and it'll just be really interesting to see if he stays involved throughout the process. Yeah,

for sure. And he played a lot of minutes next to Harold right to start, and I think that really struggled with him because he basically played the backup five

in that situation. Both him and Harold aren't room protector and m protectors like that at all, and it was tough to watch him kind of try to defend that way right now to the Lakers have him playing some five, but you could just see how much more comfortable he is playing next to a good big, like playing next to Drummond, playing next to Marcusol, even playing next to Damien Jones. He's been starting right, So yeah, I think he's looked really good as as that kind of role.

And he's the He's when you look when you think of versatility on this team, you think of him. He's the He's the reason that Houston really got shut down. That was their adjustment, right, Their adjustment was starting Markis Morris against the Rockets. So the Rockets couldn't you know, small ball them. Um, they just play a D at the five and from there that series was over by that time. So yeah, he's gonna be big going into

the playoffs. And again another matchup dependent guy. But if he hasn't going, you're gonna play him a guy you can throw the ball into eat possessions, like we always say, um, if if you have nothing going. He's a guy that is really helping the team right now. His mid range pull up is it's not super efficient, but again it's better than having a turnover, you know, having a bad pass. So I'm happy he's got it going and he's he's a rhythm guy. That's he looks happy getting all the

shots he's getting. So hopefully, hopefully we get some wins out of it. That's the funny part about watching this team as of late is so many Laker fans are incessantly complaining about them looking like they have a massive talent disadvantage. And they do, but you know, throwing Lebron and a D in the mix, all of a sudden, that talent disadvantage becomes a massive depth of role players and it just gives you more options to go to and uh and more potential, uh, you know, for guys

to get hot. Like you know, if you you can go to so many games last year in the playoffs where like Cruso, Like, for instance, Cruiso shot. You know, I tweeted it out the other day because that guy from Clippers Twitter right last year, right, So yeah, he was in the twenties in the in the playoffs last year for the Lakers. But he had games where he made shots. And there I think I think game one

and Game six of the NBA Final. I don't know off top of my head, but I think in those two games he made a bunch of shots and then you know, Mark Kieth had that game where he made five threes. Like you know, KCP had huge games even though his three point percentage was was I think hover

just under for the entire playoff front. But the point is is, like you know, Frank had did a really good job of kind of giving them all chances, and they all had moments and and so you know, that's the thing is you just kind of have to read the room, see who's feeling confidency, who's not, and go with those guys. And they have so many options and that that's what's really cool about the way that team is built is just the depth of options. Um. So

really quickly before we get to the the JJ Reddick stuff. Uh, the so, we don't know exactly what the offer was. We know that it was somewhere in the neighborhood of four years and eighty million dollars for Dennis Shorter. We have no idea whether or not it was guaranteed. We have no idea whether or not there was a player

option involved. But Dennis turned it down. Um So you know, as is the case with all this stuff, it's all conjecture because you know, no one wants to show their hand and they try to handle this stuff behind the scenes. But what what is your what's your early impressions takeaways from the dentist shooter contract negotiation. Yeah, I mean there's always like three sides to every kind of story, right one side, one side, and the truth and these kind of things. I always look at who kind of benefits

from who benefits from this kind of information leaking? Really, and I can't really decide who. I mean, the shrewder benefit by showing that he turned down an eight four million dollar extension. I mean, I'm not sure that the Lakers benefit by showing that, you know, hey, we offered this and he just didn't take it. Um, to me, this is just a bet, Like I'm I'm betting that they did offer it and he declined it. I think that's the main facts in the story. Everything else is

just conjecture like you talked about. But um, I think this is just a bet on himself, right, I mean, the Shooters a smart guy. He knows this offer will be there in the summer. I mean, the Lakers can't just Lakers don't if he doesn't take it. Lakers just can't offer this to someone else. They can sign and trade him, do other things. But he probably knows that this offer is there um to me for the Lakers,

like shooters betting on himself. If he plays well and the Lakers win the title, the happily give him this money. They can even offer him a little more, I think, because this is the max he can offer him right now. But going to the summer, we'll see. And again, sure, I mean, I'm my comfortable paying Dennis million dollar year. I'm not really sure to be honest on that, But again, that's not a decision I think the Lakers can really have right now. So I think the point is that

he's betting on himself. He thinks he's gonna play well the Lakers on the title, he's gonna get even more money if not, If he doesn't play well, then maybe that gives, you know, more leverage the other way. But I respect him for betting on himself. Um, I think teams are gonna be out there with cap space. I just don't see a team offering him more than that million dollars that's there. But if he thinks he can get more than great, But again, right now we're watching him.

He's a nice point guard. Again, I don't think he's gonna lead this team to very many wins right now. I just don't think that's how his game is built, and his team is not built around Dennis Shrewder. So um again looking at that he's played well next to the stars. I talked about all the time that him, Lebron and a D are killing teams when they're on the floor together. And that's the main point of this. That's what Denni shrewders here for easier to play next

to Lebron and a D and everything else. Um, he can earn his money in other ways, but that's the main ways. That's how That's how I take it. How about you, Yeah, so I really thought it was simple. I think I think just like a lot of guys in his position. Um, A great example of this is Anthony Davis, uh last summer. I think a lot of guys just would rather at least keep their options open till the summer, like I'm sure Shrewder in his mind,

and I would. I would be relatively certain that Shrewder behind the scenes has been telling Lebron and Anthony Davis and you know, colloquial conversations like I'm staying but you know, of forward facing It's like, why why would I sign this deal now when I know it's going to be available in the summer. I like, my I don't think

Rob lobald him. I would imagine that he offered him a straight up you know, four years eighty probably a player option, like who knows, I just I think honestly, it was just a matter of uh of shrewder having no incent have to sign that deal right now. The only incentive would be if you, you know, were to tear as Achilles tomorrow. You know, but that you can't live life and fear of that sort of thing, because

that's just a terrible way to make decisions. Um. But you know, as far as his his actual dollar amount goes, I don't want to dive too far into because you and I have talked at length about this before. But you know, there is a premium to keeping talent on your roster as a contender, because a player's value is not what you're willing to pay, it's what a crappy

team is willing to pay. Somebody out there is gonna pay Dinner Shooter twenty million a year, So guess what, if you want him to stay on the Lakers, you're gonna have to come somewhat close to that. Uh. That's the nature of the business. You have to overpay those kinds of guys. Give you an example for the Warriors.

You know, Draymond's argue was arguably their third most important player, maybe the second most important, but their third best player because Clay Thompson was just playing so well there at the end of two thousand nineteen, and so you're looking at it and you're like, Okay, you know, I don't love the idea of paying Draymond Green million a year.

He can barely score ten points, and he's you know, he's more or less like a you know, uh, he's just a guy that isn't necessarily good enough to dictate that kind of kind of dollar value. But the Warriors were in a predicament. If they let Draymond go to unrestricted free agency, somebody who was gonna pay him five

million or maybe even a few million more. So they were in a predicament where they had no choice but to either sign Draymond Green million to keep their team near their ceiling, or let him go save the money and look in the mirror and go like, oh, I didn't overpay Draymond, but now your team is way worse

and so you have nothing to show for it. It's just that it's just part of the business, and so you know, yes, Shoot is not worth the money, but they need him to remain competitive moving forward, especially with Lebron aging, and he fits so cleanly into their identity.

Is just a defensive point of attack guard and a guy that can create some offense that like, they're in the predicament where it's like we can either overpay Dennis and get into the luxury tax is just part of what this experience is going to be like, or we can let him go and be the worst basketball team in the strongest era in NBA history where you need to be really, really really good to win. So I don't I don't think it's over the complicated. My guess

is he'll come to a deal this summer. Yeah. Yeah, And you brought up Draymond. I mean I feel like Draymond was a little bit more of a no brainer. I mean, they just they won what three titles or something like then four years he was the best defensive player in basketball in my opinion, like I feel like

there was no brainer. Um. I compared this more to like Malcolm Brogning with the Bucks, right, um shooter, I mean he might not people whether you think shooters better than Brogden or not, they're pretty comparable in terms of their uh just their play style and who's who impacts the game or whatever. Malcolm Browden can't probably be your best player on the title team, but he's very good.

The Bucks decided to not you know, resign him, uh and he went to Indiana and he flourished, and then the Bucks end up having to probably overpay for a Drew holiday and Drew Holidays awesome. But again, this is the kind of situation you get to when you're a contending team. You can't just let talent walk out the door, and they did with Malcolm Browden, right. They didn't match his offer and they ended up having to the fall allowing year after losing in the playoffs, they ended up

having to uh rectify that with other moves. So that's kind of the way I would compared to is Malcolm Broden probably worth four years ninety I don't know, but I think he was worth that to the Bucks. Like the Bucks needed a shock creader. He was the second best player in that playoff, so, um, I thought that was a mistake on their part. But yeah, that that's kind of how I see it. I feel like you have to resign Denis Shooter and whatever that comes to

if you want to move him later. He understands how the business goes. But that's you just have to keep talent. And that's kind of where I would compare it to. I don't know, Malcolm Broaden was really good. He's again he's not like your superstar, but he's a really good talent. So that's how I compared to just yeah, and the twenty twenty five million number or not even whatever the Lakers can offer from twenty two. To me, that's the respect number. To me, that's the number where it's like

he like in Dennis has said this in quotes. He's like, I just want to feel like I'm valued like I want to be, you know, fairly compensated. The truth, the truth of the matter is is the Lakers would get out bit this summer. In my opinion, Let's say like let's say for instance, that you know, he has a great playoff run and the Lakers win the championship, Like somebody out there is going to offer him close to the max, not the max, but they'll offer him twenty

six million, seven millions something along those lines. Like there's gonna be someone out there, Like I'll give you a random example, like let's say Kyle Lowry doesn't go to Miami and stays in Toronto or whatever, and then Miami ends up sitting there like, hey, we got this cap space, and you know, maybe we don't like Victor Oladipo and we just saw, you know, Dennis Shooter have a fantastic playoff run with the Lakers where he did everything on both ends, and they just throw a big offer at

you know, Dennis Shooter because they feel like he's their best option to fill that spot and to compete the next season. And I'm not saying that's gonna hapen. It's just a random example. Like there is the Lakers casche in the ability to play with Lebron to build his profile, the ability to play with this franchise to build his his fame, and his ability to make money in other aspects,

that's absolutely gonna bridge whatever gap. I think the Lakers would automatically win if they hit that max number that they can pay, which is twenty two million a year

or whatever. It's just that it's just that they'd have to hit that number for Dennis to feel respected in my in my opinion, But if there's a gap of five million a year between what someone else offers him and what the Lakers can offer him, I think he'd stay in l A. I don't think he's going to free agency for the UH for to to consider other teams. I think it's literally just no reason to sign right now. You know, might as well keep your options open. Who

knows what's going to happen in this playoff run. Let's you know, let's just see how it goes, right, And this is the first time being a free agent as well, Like I think he got dropped to Atlanta and he got traded to the Thunder, so this's his first time kind of he wants to be wanted dining as I say, you know, free agents want to be recorded, um and all that. So I think this is what that is. He just gonna you know, test the market and then

probably come back as most most free agents do. So I don't think there's anything to worry about again right now, working for focus about the playoffs. I mean, that's what this matters. I mean, if he doesn't play the one to play well in the playoffs, then then this is a whole different conversation anyway. But I think both of us expect him to show up when it matters, So I don't think this will be much of a problem

in the in the off season anyway. Yep, I agree. Um, So before we get out here, I want to get your take on the JJ Reddick situation. So, I mean, just super fast breakdown here for those of you haven't

seen it. JJ Reddick goes on his podcast and undresses the New Orleans front office, basically saying that he a very explicitly requested a trade and that he was promised a trade or a buy out, a trade to a destination in the northeast or a buy out, and that the Pelicans basically you know, Reneck down that that promise and send him to Dallas. So, first of all, before before I add the new wrinkle, I just want to

hear your overall take on that situation from the start. Yeah, so I went and did you go and listen to J J reddix podcast as well? How did you go listen to Yeah I listened. Yeah, So how I see like basketball again, like we always talked about, it's not played on an Excel sheet. And then these players are you know, robots on two K as well. So basketball

is a people business. It is a relationship business as well. Um, these managers and teams are only there to focus on their team right there, They're supposed to do the best right by their team. Now, the problem with this is that it is a relationship business. So like if JJ read it, got promised that he was getting a buyout, then I feel like you should fulfill your promise, like as a as a word, I understand he's signed to a contract. But again, this is why is Lebron a Laker? Right, Like,

just just think about why Lebron is lak. He's because you know, the Lakers signed KCP and they got a relationship with Clutch and they got a relationship with Rich Paul. There's no qualms about this. This isn't this isn't uh, this isn't like a new information, right, we we knew about this. Rich Paul and the Lakers and Lebron all wanted to build a relationship. The Lakers build themselves on family right, their whole thing. If you see any Laker game,

it's all about family. Jennie Buzz talks about this a lot um. The players aren't just play as their family, and what do plan families do? They you know, respect each other's promises and word that they've given. So um, I think JJ Reddy does. I mean if he was specifically promised by David Griffin. I mean there might be some telephone going on here, some you know. Again, I always say there's three sides to every story, one side, one side, and the truth. We don't know what David

Griffin and Javid J. J Reddick talked about. We have no idea. We're not in those rooms. We have his side. Griffin's gonna come out and say whatever. I think he did say something. I'm not sure, But JAVIERD. Grizz's gonna come out and say, you know, I feel bad that j J feels that way. And it's not like he sent JJ to like, you know, some Minnesota or to some horrible team in the bottom. He sent him Dallas. It's a good basketball situation. But again, I understand J. J.

Reddick's part as well. He wanted to be close to his family. And let's let's not mix words. He wanted to play for the Nets like that's it was pretty clear that's where he wanted to go, whether Nets wanted him or not. I don't know. Like those again, those are conversations I'm sure Griffin called the Nets are like you know, and they're like, why would we give up anything for him if you're gonna buy him out eventually? So I mean, you don't know. I think it's really tough. Now.

My thing is like, was it worth a second round pick and west of Wondo to just absolutely destroy relationship between you know, JJ Reddick and his agent Aaron Mints, who's a very huge agency a represents a lot of players. I don't know that's a calculated risk. I'm sure David Griffin took and if he feels that way. But again, there's only thirty NBA team So it's not like a player, can you know black ball a team. There's only thirty teams.

If an NBA team wants to sign you, it's it's like people aren't going to go to the Pelicans, now, you know. That's how I think. That's how I feel about situation. I don't know, it's a it's a it's a tough line to kind of walk. So I was there. This to me is so simple, Like people keep talking about how this has to do with the business. People keep talking about how this has to do with like the harsh realities of what a front office is supposed to do and what their responsibilities are. To me, one

thousand percent is just about honesty. That's literally all it's about. And and we don't you will never know who's actually telling the truth because my guess is if David Griffin came out and made a comment, because David Griffin did have a comment where he came out, but it was before the JJ Reddick podcast. It was in his like post trade deadline press conference, and basically he goes, uh, you know, we we feel like we did what was best for JJ and his family. That was the actual

quote at the end. And when I saw that, I was like, whoa dude, well, because he very clearly disagrees, so like that that comment was like to me, that comment was like rationalization, like like, Oh, I'm doing something really shitty, but I'm going to tell myself that I actually did something good so that I can feel good about myself. That was like my whole read on the situation. I thought it was. It was really weird. But there's so But there's a couple of angles to this that

are that are fascinating. First of all, yes, all they got is the second round pick. Second of all, as Bobby Marks explained, uh and wind Horse was talking about in his pod yesterday, Uh, this actually puts the Pelicans into the luxury tax, and the only way they can avoid it is by like I think it was some sort of crazy thing where they have to like wave a player and then sign a guy for a ten day and then like wait until the end of season and sign a guy for another ten day or something

along those lines. I can't remember the exact thing, but they have to do like crazy gymnastics now to avoid the luxury at tax, which is a problem they didn't have with j J. So the point was just like a whole lot of trouble for nothing, basically, or if anything, is something that doesn't make sense. So, you know, Bobby Marx is basically saying, like I really truly don't understand why they did this, especially for like a middling a

second round pick. You know that wasn't really gonna pretty much value But the bottom line is, just like like I said, are our front office is obligated to do it's best for the team. Absolutely, there's no doubt. Is this a tough business, Absolutely, there's no doubt. But to me, that's irrelevant. All this is is about honesty and we can try to pretend like that doesn't matter, but it does. And hey, guess what, bows I and Williamson and J. J. Reddick are represented by c A A. So that like

that made me nothing, but it certainly doesn't help. And so if you're if you're David Griffin, why the hell would you even risk this if that's the case, And like, you know, just one little phone call from from j J to Zion complaining and telling what happened, you know, it's probably not going to push Zion out the floor.

But if Zion is trying to make that decision one day and he's got a list of he's got like a list of reasons why he should leave on one hand, and a list of reasons why I should stay on the other hand. This goes on the list of reasons why he should leave. You know, David Griffin hurt one of my friends, you know, and J J. Redickins and Zion were pretty close. But like at the at the end of the day, like you know, people are the people are so quick to be like j J doesn't

deserve this type of leeway, you know. J J is is a victim of what all these other players deal with all the time. You're right, I can't remember the exact player, but I remember there was a time a couple years ago where like a guy was in his new press conference with a new team and I think it was a middling role player and and they were like what happened with the old front office? And he

was like it was weird. I was literally, uh, sitting on a shoot around in the in the general manager came up to me and like put his arm around me and said you're here to stay. I think it was Rob Polinka, and I think it was into I think it was in nineteen, the season before I d came, and it was like, yeah, Rob Polinka put his arm around mean and basically was like you're not getting traded. And then I got traded. So it was like like

this this. But my thing is is like I'm okay with people like saying I would not want to do business with someone who's dishonest with me. Now, there are varying degrees of that. Like my father in law will never ever own an Apple product again because of a bad experience he had with Apple back in like two thousand four. I think that's ridiculous. But you know, I do think people at least way these things when they're deciding who to do business with. I think that's absolutely

been like part of the equation. Yeah, it's all about being transparent, right, and being honest, And I think that's what j J. Reddick's big problem here is. The funny thing is that both j J and Griffin are very media savvy. They know how to spin a thing like they're they're not new to this media game, right. Griffin went out all last summer and really boasted. Right, He's like, oh, I'm ahead of the game. He had that Lebron quo Toby not be Lebron might not be as much of

an animal about winning anymore. You know. He did all these things to pump the Pelicans up, who eventually you know, won like thirty games. But again, he's really good at the media, and it's another thing that he spun right. I don't I don't know I'm not in those rooms, but I wouldn't doubt Griffin has loved in the media.

He has a lot of friends in there, and you know, no one's really gonna call him out on this, and it was funny and see JJ Reddick absolutely just burned the house down and what he was saying, and uh, he was saying that he wasn't the first player to kind of deal with this. But again, it's all about transparency. I mean, the Lakers have a few clutch guys, you know, on their on their roster. I mean, would it be worth trading. I mean you could probably trade Montrose, Harold

or something. Would you do it? I mean probably not right. I mean it's just like looking at those situations. This is a people business as much as a especially in the league where stars are the main thing. Right, stars impact everything. You get two stars and you are absolutely vaulted into the top. I mean, this is a star relationship business. And again I don't I don't know if this impacts you know, Zion and all that stuff, but you're right, maybe maybe he thinks about it, but I

think it's tough to say right now. But again, like David Griffin, wasn't worth it for a second round pick. James Johnson and west Wind do probably not. I mean it's probably good from Like again, the Celtics are dealing with this exact same thing. The Celtics traded Isaiah Thomas again for again, everyone does that deal for Kyrie Irving. But Isaiah Thomas found out, you know, the day of and he talks about this a lot and that that

broke a lot of goodwill around the league. And it's it's been well documented people don't want to do business with Danny Ainge because he tries to first of all, attack you in the trade. He tries to win the trade by some you know, a huge amount, and then he also is pretty dishonest is about how he trades. And that's just how it's been. So again, the Celtics are dealing with this a lot of teams now, Like I remember when Lebron left Cleveland or whatever, and they

kind of attacked him. Now every team when a player leaves, they give him like a tribute video coming back because they saw how that impacts everything. So and again, like Aaron Gordon asked for a trade from the Magic. You know, Aaron Gordon got a trade request from the Magic to a team, to a winning team. I mean, it's just that's a league is right now. His relationship building if if you don't build good relationships is going to be

a struggle. And I think I don't think this will be the enzion is going to be there for a long time because that's how these contracts work. But again, it was it worth it for James Johnson? Who knows, But that's probably not as that's what the league is showing. And you said earlier you mentioned, uh, like the truth of the matter is is Sally Pelicans aren't gonna be

able to sign guys. I mean, even the Celtics, who have burnt every bridge in the league, still got Tristan Thompson last summer because it was the best offer that was available and that was with that was with the one agency that you probably expect never to send a guy to the Celtics. So at the end of the day, like if the option is just so much better that they'll still get guys, I don't. I don't doubt the fact that, uh, you know, like teams are just gonna

like refuse to do business. But my thing is, like if all other circumstances are the same, you're I think you will see guys way that um. And then you know, there's the David Griffith thing is an interesting uh topic because like you know, he is a very arrogant guy in his story is interesting. And so I've I've read a book, um that where David Griffin was involved and I learned a little bit about him. It was the book about the two thousand sixteen Calves. And so David

Griffin is a cancer survivor. So there's that. Um. So then David Griffin uh comes into the to the front office role. The way he sees it, he was super super like uh, integral to their success. Now, I think most of us would probably argue that he's a little bit full of himself there, um, But like the way he sees it, like the firing of time of David Blatt, the trades for j R. Smith and him on Schumpert, the way that he sees it, he played an integral

role in that team success. And here's an example. After Game five against or after Game four against the Warriors when they went down three to one. You know, David Griffin sends out an email and the email goes to everyone in the Calves organization, including the players, and it basically it was like a pep talk. Now, I guarantee you that if I got Lebron drunk and I asked him, Hey, do you think David Griffin's email had any impact on

you guys winning the title? I bet you. Lebron says no. But but David Griffin has if you listen to him tell that story, like he feels like he galvanized the team, you know, like he in the email, he's like, you know, we're built for this, Like we've we've dealt with adversary, We're we're at our best when our backs are against the wall, all this stuff, so like, and and then you you get into the fact that he couldn't come to contract terms with with Dan Gilbert, who Dan Gilbert

was probably like, you're one of the least valuable people in this organization. Why do I need to pay you, you know, president of basketball operations type of money? You know? Uh? And then he comes to New Orleans starts talking reckless about Lebron like he does have And then and then this JJ read anything happens and it's like, look, even if JJ is telling lies here, even if JJ is making this whole thing up. You coming out and saying we feel like we did the best thing for JJ

and his family is utter bullshit. So like so like the the dude without a doubt is arrogant and definitely lacks some self awareness. And so I think that that's an angle here. But then again, I guarantee you if I got to personally know most of the front office people in the NBA, I'm sure I'd meet a few jerks along the way. But like, it's just I think I think that that's a relevant part of this story. Yeah,

I mean, I'm sure a lot of them. That's how you get to that point, right, You get that you have some arrogance in you and you have to be confident in all that. U But most players don't have a podcast that they can go in and share this on, right, Like most people aren't JJ Reddick, who have you know a podcast they go and share and uncomfortable and media savvy and know how to spend their their story the way they want to to make it feel like, you know, he was the he was the victim and all of this.

So again, I think I think if David Griffin promised him that he was gonna you know, do right by him. Then I think he should have kept that promise. I think that's just how life works. Um. But and like his contract has nothing to do with that. Like you said, this is a humanitarian kind of human human issue, right, Like it's it's a man to man kind of conversation

that they think they had. So and it's a tough line of Walga, David Griffin works for the owner of the Norman Repelicans, Like that's who he works for, and that's who he thinks he's gonna do things that way. So he's trying to win and that's that's all that he's trying to do. And I feel like JJ Reddick feels the type of way he has the right to. It's it's not right that he was promised something he

didn't get it. But again, that's the business. You signed a million eighteen million dollar contract, whatever it was that he signed for, then you gotta go with this. So yeah, it's it's a tough situation, but it's funny seeing two dudes who are really media savvy, who knew how to spend their way, like you said, with David Griffin saying, uh, this was the best for JJ Reddick and his family, Like, that's hilarious. That's obviously not what that's obviously not with

JJ Reddick things. So it's funny seeing two dudes kind of go at it that way in the media. Yeah, and like and and I saw someone tweet out two days ago just the perfect, you know, succinct explanation of the situation, like, uh, JJ Reddick doesn't deserve special treatment, but if he was lied to, he has every reason to be upset it. Really, it really is that simple to me, Like I I don't think it's it's any more complicated than that. Um, And it was super interesting.

I thought to see a long form, you know, explanation from somebody about why, uh they felt like they were wronged. And that is the interesting part about the podcast format. And j J said in his thing, he's like, he's like, I'm not ignoring the Mavericks. He's like, I just don't have media availability until this other day. And then he said, uh, He's like, I didn't want to tweet something out, you know that had no context and had no uh, you know,

any sort of in depth perspective. He's like, so I wanted to wait till my podcast and I thought, I thought that that was cool really quickly before I get you out of here. Last night I pointed out yet again that I think that there is starting to build this incontrovertible set of evidence that the Brooklyn Nets are way better than everybody. And you know, like, even when the Lakers are at full strength, they basically had one dominant stretch like this, and it was to start last

season when they went twenty four and three. So if there's something to lean back on, you could say the Lakers have been as dominant as this next team. The differences though, is Lebron and a d were healthy for

that stretch this next team. I'm gonna run the numbers later today because I've been meaning to, But my guess is they've been averaging playing one point five one point seven of their three stars per game, meaning like of the available games for their stars in this in this twenty three game stretch, Katie has been out for basically all of them. Harden's missed a few, and Kyrie's missed

a bunch. So like for them to be this dominant missing core pieces, like, oh, there's a lot of precedent outside of the defense stuff where their defense isn't there that's that doesn't usually have a precedent of success in the NBA. However, there is a precedent for teams dominating the regular season and having some success. And so I am I am I crazy for thinking that they should be the favorite at this point, even if the Lakers are healthy. No, I don't think you're crazy. Like, look,

their margin forever is so large. I mean when you have Harden, Kyrie and then Kevin Durant has played seven games together with that trio and they're absolutely killing the league. I think they're going to run through the East in a way that we haven't seen before. Um but again, I think Lebron and d d posed like a like a certain type of matchup issue for them. When you just break it down, I thought you thought. I think

it was you that said something similar to this. You were talking about how Drew Holiday is a really interesting matchup problem for the Nets as well. Right, It's kind of like a tough big guard that they have to defend. And yeah, like their team where you're gonna have to be able to switch, You're gonna have to be able to just live with these contested jumpers. Um but ayay we saw what happens to Harden the playoffs. It's a

different kind of guy who's to step back. Three is not as uh, it's not able to go to as well. Kyrie kind of goes up and down as well. The guy Katie is the guy that I feel like you have to live with get thirty. I mean, there's nothing really you can do about that. But again, like just looking at the match of dependent um things, I feel like if you go down the roster other than the three stars and the two stars, everything else is kind

of uh, kind of even playing field from there. So I'm kind of taking the team with the better defense. But no, you're not crazy for saying the Nets are. The Nets are probably the favorite of the favorite in Vegas. I believe they've also played more games together continuity wise, even than the Lakers did, even though they've had all those players out, and Katie is just an easy guy to fit in there. But man, they are scary. Nick Claxton,

somehows like the best big on their team. I mean, if LaMarcus Soldiers and Blake Griffin gets minutes, I'm I'm glad DeAndre Jordan's get all those minutes because Nick Laxson is a serious dude. Joe Harris is shooting shoot around threes every game. I mean, it's just ridiculous. He's wide open, able to look at the palm, looking, able to test the win and take sies. Um. So they're gonna be a really tough out. Again, that hard and trade is

malpracticed to me. But that's that's another issue for another day. But uh, yeah, they're they're scary team. And I don't think your cage was saying the favorites. I still I give the benefit of the doubt to the champs, to the defending champs, but yeah, that they're almost likely the favorite. They're going to get to the finals pretty easily, in my opinion. Just look at the West risk of the east Man. They're gonna play like some under five hundred,

way under five hundred team in the first round. I mean, it's just a ridiculous conference difference right now. Yeah, So I got some I got some crap the other day for for tweeting out that I thought that they were similar to the two thousand seventeen Warriors, and I overreacted and I took that back and and it was just it was just based on how dominant they've been. Um. The key difference between them and the two thousand and seventeen Warriors is the fact that, like the two thousand

seventeen Warriors, were literally better at everything than everybody. Like they were an elite defensive team that was every bit as good defensively, if not better than every defensive team in the league. They were the best offense in the league that had one of the top two players and to two of the top three players in the league playing at the absolute peak of their game, so you

had no angle. There was no advantage you could gain against them at That's why they basically went undefeated in the playoffs until they tricked off Game four in the in the finals. The differences is the But the Nets are going to face a lot of teams that have a clear advantage over them, whether it's a physicality advantage or it's a defensive advantage, and so that's gonna be

the interesting wrinkle. If they play the Milwaukee Bucks. The Milwaukee Bucks have the ability to put some physical pressure on them that will cause them some problems. I don't think Milwaukee has the scoring chops to beat them, though. The interesting team is is Philly to me because the Joel MB presents such a scoring uh mismatch for the Nets.

But again, that's a team that has a legitimate size and physicality advantage, and they have the ability to UH to defend at such a high level and gain an advantage against Brooklyn that way, and then the Lakers do as well. The Lakers are the best of those three teams because the Lakers have the star power to match the top two guys in Brooklyn, and they have the physicality to beat you up, and they have the defense too to gain an advantage there. So I absolutely think

the Lakers can beat them. I'd didn't think anybody could beat the two thousand seventeen Warriors the so that's the

clear difference. However, I do think like the it's it's okay to admit the fact that Brooklyn has just appeared to be better than everybody to this point, and it's all really gonna come down to whether or not teams can attach attack their switching defensive scheme in a playoff series, because in in the regular season it's been catching people off guard and teams don't know how to attack it uh and there are certain teams that have no chance

like as someone said the other day, I said, this morning, I saw someone said they thought the Clippers could push the Nets to six. I totally disagree. I think the Clippers will get swept by the Nets because they their offensive style plays directly into Brooklyn's defensive schemes, So they would be the worst possible matchup for that type of team. You need a team that attacks their switches at the rim.

Uh And the best team to do that is going to be a Philly with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiide or a Lakers with Lebron and Anthony Davis and and and Milwaukee outside chance if Janice just goes absolutely berserk and and Drew Holiday does a nice job defensively on James Harden or Kyrie Irving, and if Chris Middleton just plays to his absolute peaks. So those are the teams

that I think have a chance. But again that's the clear cut difference between this Brooklyn Nets team in the two thousand and seventeen Warriors is as dominant as they have been. They're doing it by being super super super

good at specific things and not having a ton of versatility. Uh, And so that there will they will be in playoff series where the other team will be clearly better than them at a couple of things, and so that's gonna be what allows them to potentially get beat in the second round, you know, if they end up against like a Milwaukee in the second round, or just run through the league and beat everybody. And then that's my thing, is I wonder if, well, I wonder if you and

I'll be doing a pop this off season. We're to be like, why didn't we just realize the Nets were better than everybody? You know that That's that's where that's that's the range of outcomes that I see with them. Yeah, I remember there was like a Clippers Nets game, which was really good. It was an exciting game, right I think I think it was in Brooklyn, and they had like a bunch of big shots. But once I saw that they were playing one on one, I just knew

the Nets. You're not beating the Nets at their own game, right, if you want to go into is so heavy park one on one style basketball, you're not beating them. You're not beating Kyrie, Katie and Harden in a switch heavy offense type of basketball. So like, I feel like you gotta beat them with you know, schemes, and we'll see up the Bucks and Buddooles. It can kind of come up with something. You honest needs some kind of mid mid range game to get it going. Their shooters have

to have it going. And I don't know, I just think you can't beat the Nets with a blow average like defense or a blow average you know, shock creation offense. And they're they're gonna be scary. I think they're gonna run through the East like we haven't seen before. UM and the Warriors, like they won what seventy three games before, and then they just fit Katie into their system right, so they basically put him where Harrison Barnes was and

then up for him to there. This is a brand new kind of system team that we haven't seen before. Kind of this is like one on one, very pick and roll heavy, a lot of rolling to the basketball. Kyrie gets like a whole quarter of game where he gets to just play on one on one and it's just a really tough cover. And Harden's become their point guard. Katie is gonna come right in and fill in for I don't know who's starting for Bruce Brown. I mean,

it's just gonna be just ridiculous level of talent. So yeah, I think they're the favorite right now. But again, the playoffs are a different matchup. We'll see what happens. Philly and Milwaukee are gonna be I don't know, like people say Joel and Beat. I mean, even if Joel and Beat I were just forty, I'm verre you comfortable with the with Philly being the nets probably not so well, we'll see how that works out. I just don't think anyone's beating them until the finals. I think it's gonna

be the Lakers can get there. I think they can beat them. Uh, they have the chance, right, Like you said, they have a chance. Other than that, they're most likely are gonna walk away with the ring here in this season. So the last thing I want to say about this is just the you know you just brought it up having to do with attacking the switches, like and I'll

give you an example. I think there's a different us between attacking a switch for what's a high quality look and attacking a switch for what is a extremely extremely like high quality looks. So, for instance, like Kawai Leonard is gonna be able to get switches and get kyrie on him and you know, bounce him a couple of times and get to one of his turnarounds that he's gonna make fifty of the time, you know, and that's a really good shape. But that it's a stagnant form

of offense. And and as we've seen so many times, like over the course of a series, that if you force him to do that a lot, his efficiency will dip, maybe from fifty two to forty eight, and then you just are scoring at a higher clip on the other end. The difference is like when you attack a switch with size and physicality at the rim, it is a shot.

So for instance, late in the game yesterday against the Clippers, there was a chaotic stretch where, uh, who's the small guard for the Clippers that got switched on the Yo kich I'm trying to remember who it was, Umge Jackson. It was either Reggie Jackson or tear Man one of the one of their smaller players got switched on to Yoki in a roll and and so they were isolating Jamal Murray on the outside of Jamal Murray just was force fed. You know, kitchen yokis is getting foul like

the dudes like hanging on his left arm. He's being held to the ground, but they just throw the ball up to the over the top and Yoki's just kind of catches it with one hand and just kind of guides them to the basket. It was a one percent shot, like when you have that size and physicality and they switched the smaller guy onto you, it is a one percent shot, or they're doubling and you're getting wide open

shots on the other end. So that's the key difference there, and that to me is what makes a Lebron in a d or you know, uh, you know, if you put like Lebron, if you put Drew Holiday, the best little guy defender in the league, on him, it's bucket every time down the floor, like he just it's a one percent shot, like he's just getting onto the rim. And there are famous clips of him last year just ripping through Holiday a new one in isolation and Anthony

Davis like, you put you know, PJ. Tucker on him and you attack him, and you attack p J. Tucker. He's just getting such high quality shots that it's not a fifty Kauai turnaround, which is a really nice look. It's this incredibly like hard dribble rights, spin back over. He's shooting that little you know, five foot kind of leaner with his right hand that he's gonna make sevent of the time. And that's the key difference in the

way that those team attack. Teams attack those switches, and that's how you have to beat Brooklyn where they of them giving up a switch literally gives up a basket. That that that's the that's where where you beat them. And that's why I think the bigger, more physical teams have a better chance. And the Clippers, for the record, what do they do well. They don't close games well, they don't defend well. The only thing they do well to score. But they can't score at the end of

games because they get too stagnant. They're they're like as sure a bet to lose and in the first two rounds of the playoffs as any really really talented team that I can remember in the last few years. Man, they already hate you, but they have a real they have a real like athletic disadvantage, right Their whole starting lineup really doesn't push other than Zooboch and like Terence Man, like that's why Terence Man pops off the screen. For

them because he's such an athletic dude. He gives them some pop, but other than that, the whole team kind of is really lethargic. Like Paul George doesn't really put pressure on the rim, and he's not really he's not beating you with any kind of athleticism. Kauai as well, gets a few dunks here and there, but he's really going to his midrange pull ups and fade away jumpers, which again you talked about probably most likely those kind of shots, so they put no pressure on the basket.

And that's kind of when I watch a team like Brooklyn, like you have to beat them with force. Right, That's the same thing with Houston. It's why Houston was so successful in my opinion, in the regular season last year. Um No, teams really came at him with a lot of fours and they again that switch heavy kind of

defense really um perpetuates that. So like when you when you look at it, the Lakers really beat Houston because they had no one to guard Anthony Davis, right, they were switching Daniel House, um guys like that on to Anthony Davis, and he really put them in the basket. Hit his midrange jumpers as well. And I think that's

what you have to do with Brooklyn. You have to um back them down, get a d kind of the switches he wants, get doubles from there, put pressure on the rim, offensive rebound, and beat them up that way to where their offense can't get out of transition. Katie's not flying around off screens like. You have to make it a slow grind game for them, because if you get into a scoring match with them, you're gonna lose.

You're not outscoring Brooklyn, You're not gonna You're not getting into You're not gonna win a hundred and thirty game in the playoffs. To me, like that, they're gonna they're gonna win that type of game. You need to get them slow down, play your pace kind of and uh, that's why that's why I love about Denver. This Aaron Gordon addition for them just gives them this athletic advantage that they just didn't have. He saw it last night against the Clippers. They beat up on them, They got

offensive rebounds whenever they wanted. Your kids got on the post. Your kidch had zero free throws last night. By the way, did you know that you did not shot a single free throw and they still want by like what double digits. So I like their team and that's how you have to be Brooklyn. To me, that was a weird game because he Yokis wasn't super aggressive. Um, you know, he made key plays. Jamal Murray wasn't super aggresive until late

in the game. Uh. To me, the interesting thing there in Gordon is like like, you know Jeremy Grant, like the we joke about how you know the Nuggets needed him as like this wing defender, Lebron destroyed Jeremy Grant, Like he didn't do that good of a job on him. Like he did a lot of flopping when every single time you picked up a blocking foul and Lebron Lebron really ate his launch, especially like in that fourth quarter of Game five, Like Aaron Gordon is he's been stuck

in basketball, you know, purgatory down there in Orlando. He's one of the better perimeter defensive players in the league because he's super strong and super athletic, and there's a strength that he has that that Jeremy Grant didn't have, and there's an athleticism that that he has that Tory Craig didn't have and so he's a massive massive improvement over what they've made that position, and and and you know, he's such a natural off ball fit offensively next to

to Yokich. I'm super I definitely view them now as the second best team in the East or West, behind the Lakers. But we've gone for eighty six minutes, so I gotta get you out of here because we both have to get do some work. But the stream state steadies, so that's awesome. I really appreciate all of you guys for hanging out and listening. Roger, you have a good rest of your weekend, man, and I'll see you next week YouTube. Man, have a going