Episode 51: Suns/Lakers Postgame Show

Don't you think garage? Oh yeah, absolutely, I had a bunch of things written down here, but a D for sure is the main main story we can start with him for sure. Yeah, I think, like, uh, you know, we started to notice that he looked a little bit better physically the last couple of games. Um, the big thing that stood out to me tonight is, you know, his physical aggressiveness around on the basket on both ends of the floor, and not just as an offensive player,

but as a rebounder and as a shot blocker. And the thing is is, like, you know, you can tell there's a huge difference with him offensively when he's being more physically aggressive, because just like with that shot chart that I shared, he just tends to get a little bit closer to the rim with those jump shots. Like there's a huge difference for a d between his fade away and when he's shooting over the top of people.

It's like two completely different shots because like he gets into your body and he kind of reaches over the top of you, and he's shooting like an eight foot jump shot. That's a really high percentage shot. It's different than him taking some you know, crazy spinning fade away from sev feet. If you look at his shot chart, he hit a bunch of shots going over both shoulders, getting into that like you know, five to ten foot

range where he's so deadly with his soft touch. Yeah, for sure, And like I'm gonna tipe this back into a D. But like we were talking about how like un serious the Lakers were, right in a lot of these games, and like tonight, Vogo coached as like it was a playoff game, right. He matched up, He went with correct matchups all night pretty much, and a D as well. To start this game. He was aggressive. They had I think Tory Craig on him to start. He just was no matchup for him. They even had to

start Dario. Sorry, I think in the second half to match up to match with Anthony Davis, and he who went off his jumper was going. He was at the rim, getting fouls, getting contact, and this is what we wanted to see, right, Like I keep saying, these wins are just cravy. He's We're pretty much locked into the seventh seed pretty much. So these wins to me are just like cherry on the top. A D looking like himself is the most important thing, and he he absolutely did tonight.

He did against Portland as well, and he's going on like a linear curve, right, is what it feels like. Likes Denver, the Clippers. I think he only played like the first quarter, but against Denver, Portland and now Phoenix, he's on like a linear curve here, just really being aggressive, being himself, being you know, there was this bubble a D talks, but he just looks. Uh, he just looks

like himself and that's the most important thing. And him dropping I think I think he got to forty tonight, right, forty points, back to back thirty point games for the first time, the second time the season since February. So yeah, he was he was dominating. He was the he was

a big story tonight. Well, and like he I, you know, I think that while it's also important for us to acknowledge that he's been amazing in this last week, it's also important for us to acknowledge that he wasn't great for most of this season, and you know, maybe it was health, maybe it was a lack of effort, maybe it was coasting, whatever you wanna call it. But this

has been different. You know, I pointed out the stats uh last week, but he had like five forty point games and I think a fifty last uh last season as well, and I think this is I think this is just his second forty point game of the year this year. So it's been nice to see him peeking at the right time, if that makes sense. But you know, we had our concerns for good reason, because it just

didn't It just didn't look right. And the biggest difference to me, it was, you know, that diving on the floor, the yelling and screaming after the alley. Youops, like there was a play there in the third quarter where he broke up a lob where it's just like an extra effort play that we haven't seen from him yet this year, and just just there was a fieriness and a competitiveness

to the way he was playing tonight. That was super refreshing to see because he is a competitor like that, and you know, maybe it was just his leg and in him dealing with that all season, but we just didn't see that out of him this year. So it was so refreshing to see that out of him, literally in every facet of the game. Like he was just in a game that had Devin Booker and Chris Paul, he was several tiers ahead of everybody else on the floor as the best player in the game. And that

was that was comforting to see. Yeah, his motor is what's what makes him part generational. Right, It's like if motor combined with those skills, combined with the like being able to remount off into remount, go up your boards, played like his defense man tonight, Like you could just tell the difference. He obviously walked into this season trying to relax, get through a slowly fit in. Right. He said a lot his quotes earlier in the year, we're a lot about fitting into a new team, and like

you're Anthony Davis, you don't fit into the team. But yeah, yeah, exactly, and so like his defense is what allows them to play the kind to play the way they did tonight, right, especially against Phoenix trapping Devin Booker being able to switch. Devin Booker like was isolated against a D a few times tonight and just could not even get a shot off, right, Like, he couldn't even get any space. And that's the type of stuff that we just weren't seeing earlier in the year.

And you're right, it's okay to like bring that up. And he's able to help and recover. He had one play where he he was able to recover at the room and get out and block Jay Crowder And I'm like, yeah, that's that's how you know a D is like feeling like himself, right, He's able to He controlled both ends, and I think he only finished with like five assists, but I thought he handled double teams really well. I don't know about you, Like he felt like he really

like read the traps nicely. Um that played before the half, especially where like they came and sent the double he found Ben McLamore in the corner and it was just great to see him, Like, like, I hate how far radical this team is because now you're just theoretically putting Lebron in now right, You're like, Okay, how it's gonna look with Lebron of it. If those two are going, it's gonna be special. I don't think Phoenix wants to see this team um should be in the first round.

Well so, so starting with the individual side of it, uh, that was what was cool about the specific matchup. One of the big things that I've always said that I like about the Suns as a potential playoff team is they have all of these wing defenders, and they also have these guards that can defend. But then they also have like a big guy, you know, DeAndre Nuken theoretically with his size match up with some of the bigger

players in the league. Well, Anthony Davis saw all of those guys tonight and just barbecued every single one of them, like they literally could do nothing with him in individual coverage. And then it just kind of waterfalls into the progressions.

Right then then they started sending double teams and and and and I thought one of the really smart things that the Lakers did, especially in the minutes that Marcusol was in the game and our guy ven A was actually tweeting about this, and I thought it was a

really smart find on his part. But when they would put Marcussol as the guy at the top of the key out of those double teams, it is perfect because then it's simplified eighties read He could just make a quick read out to Mark and then Mark, you know, a really gifted passer, could be the guy that really made them pay by making the more complicated read out of those double teams. But yeah, I mean the end of the third quarter was the microcosm of of what

it's like having such a matchup problem. You know, Anthony Davis dribbles the ball across half court with twenty seconds to go in the in the quarter shot clocks is turned off and the sons are all kind of looking at each other like what are we supposed to do? And then they just openly double him thirty five ft from the basket, and it leads to a wide open shot for a guy who if you leave them wide open, it's gonna make him in Ben McLamore, and he knocked it down and and it was just it was just

cool to see that. And honestly, it was just like it was a you know, just a great scia of relief for Laker fans because Anthony Davis being Anthony Davis was such an important box to check for this team to be able to compete in this competitive playoff field that we have, and that appears to have been resoundingly checked in this last week, minus, of course, a couple of scares like him once again like he does every single night, randomly grabbing at a limb, scaring us into

thinking he might have been hurt. But I mean, I don't know how like he looks tonight. He looks like bubble Anthony Davis, which I think is exactly what we were hoping to see before this. Uh this last five games stretches over yeah, yeah, and like that that kind of brings everyone else up right, like everyone else goes like it's time to go right. All the rotations were Chris christ tonight. We had like a Cameron payin game because of course we had a camera paining game. But um,

other than that, I thought they played really well. They played Chris Paul and Devin Booker, I think as well as I've seen anyone play them. Bulbo, like I said before, was in like his playoff kind of form. I guess we can kind of move on after like a d I guess he's still part of this. But like we saw the soul in treas minutes tonight, which I thought would be a revelation. Um, I thought they played really well in the first half and the second half. They still have some kings to work out. Um, but I

thought it looked nice. Likes was able to play the five on offense and then play the floor on defense. Um, did you like what you saw from that? Like that that last part is key because you know, so for instance, I've I've talked to you a lot this season, like Mantrise has to defend like a four, and for the record, that doesn't that doesn't mean he needs to be the four.

You can do this when so for instance, like if you have a to a two three pick and roll, usually you're two and three will will switch that screen. Usually only actions that involve the five will cause teams to do you know, drop coverages and different pick and roll coverages that involved the big man, you know, doing

something different than a traditional switch. Well, I've always been arguing this season that montres AND's a switch screen and roll because he is good in space, because he is a good athlete with long arms who moves well laterally.

It has a great motor, and he operates well in the chaos when he's running around in rotations and helping when you know, off of double teams and stuff, and so like when you put him defensively as the four and he's no longer a screen and roll defender but rather just a defender playing on the perimeter, he's actually a really good defensive player. And I think he's been miscast as a dude who defends like a traditional five.

When you play him as the five, you need to use him more as a perimeter type of defensive player. And what's nice about the Marcus All minutes is it unlocks that it allows him to defensively play like a four, and you can see how how that works. It didn't look in the in the fourth quarter, but I think that was kind of a stretch in the game where the where the Lakers were letting go of the rope

a bit from in terms of their effort um. So I didn't think that like even when camera Payne was going off like it kind of felt more profit product of sloppiness um just kind of as a result of being up twenty. But yeah, I agree with you, man, And what a great what a great excuse to get more Marcus all minutes than to play him with Tres. If you're so intent on on on playing Montrez, like do it with Cassol, then you can get Gasol in

there too. And and I hope they do it a little bit more because I do think he provides a unique twist to what they bring in terms of their physicality. Yeah, and it's not just the Disol minutes. It's also there was no markiep tonight, and I think he's playable in certain matchups. It's just like a drum that I've been

banging all season. Is I just don't think you can have Mark Keith and Treads as your four or five, right, And they were doing that a lot this year, and they would blow a lot of the leads of the starters would put up and so one of them would sit and tonight it was Markiss. Maybe it's Treads and Ou tonight. But again that's just a way to get Gasol more minutes. And I think this is this was a serious game, Like you could tell it was coach that way. Um he was even like he was matching

Crusoe's minutes with Chris Paul and Casey's minutes with Devin Booker. Again, those are just like seriousness things that we just weren't doing early in the year, right, and we were we really wanted to win this game. It was showed and I thought everyone played that way. And yeah, Gasol looks like he's gonna start getting even more minutes. He went to drumming a little bit in that fourth quarter, and again, I think he just keeps trying to do that, trying

to see if it works. And I guess we can kind of move to drumming here because I think that's a hot topic as well. On Laker's Twitter, I talked about a lot like Drummond has a lot of loud mistakes, right, Like that's why he gets like to Like I thought he like did an okay job, Like he was a force on the offensive rebounds. Um, I wish that every time he got an offensive rebound he just kicked it out because like, I just don't trust him to go back.

But uh yeah, like I thought he was a part of why Deandreden wasn't um an impact at all to like the fourth quarter, right, So I thought like there were points he did struggle a few times, but um, yeah, like I felt like it was another game where he had a lot of loud mistakes and it really showed up in the fourth quarter. What do you think of Drummond from tonight? I thought he had a bad fourth quarter shift, but outside of that, I thought he was pretty good. You know, I agree with you, he's got

loud mistakes. He's a he's your textbook good play bad play guy. And whether or not whether or not it's a good ANDREI Drummond game has to do with whether or not there were more good plays than bad plays. It's really it's really that simple. And you know, he had a couple of sloppy turnovers where he tried to put the ball on the floor after offensive rebounds in

the first staff and they were turnovers. But like the the in the grand scheme of things, he had more positive impact than negative impact during those shifts and really physically imposing getting And you know, it's it's not the Andre Drummond in the vacuum. It's him in combination with Anthony Davis, just the two of them when they're both being physically aggressive. It's just what like it just wears on other teams. And then you throw Lebron into that mix.

Who is every bit is you know, physically imposing as those guys. It can it can it can be is something that can be a weapon that the Lakers have in their arsenal. But you know, again, as long as they do what Frank did, you know, Hey, you know Drummond is having a bad fourth quarter shift here, the wheels are coming off a little bit. Let's go to

Mark And that's what he did. And you know that that to me is how you got to use Drummond is you've got to kind of feel out what kind of nightties having and if it is just like the Dwight Howard experience, like feel out what kind of nighties having. If he's having one of those nights, you just gotta pull it. But but if he's if he's staying on task and his good outweighs the bad, you can him for stretches and he's gonna be uh that positive. Yeah, he had a few like nice jobs on like where

Chris Paul would come off a screen. He was able to like hedge and then recover back right. And he was a part he was to be part of the scheme of the of the defense in the first quarter. But everyone's gonna remember that that mislay up where I think Jake Crowder was on the floor or I think he had another he had another really bad play, But I thought he was okay. Like again, I just feel like he's are all gonna be situational, and we saw that tonight. Marcosol was the first big to come up

the bench, and then I think it was Tress. But I think in the playoffs you're gonna see more Mark. And you saw Mark kind of play those those minutes when it mattered, right, especially at the beginning of the fourth And he played a lot with eight tonight as well. So again, like we can kind of harp on drumming a lot, like he gets to he gets the main kind of culprit every night. But I thought he was okay.

He was He was a big part of why the Sun's had trouble tonight in my opinion, like especially on the board. So um, yeah, like I feel like he did okay, he wasn't the He wasn't a huge, huge,

huge issue tonight. Yeah, I agree, And you know, I was thinking a lot about this because we've we've seem so much drumming that this year, uh without Lebron, And we taught you and I talked right when the signing happened, like, hey, we really can't judge the signing until Lebron comes back, you know, and for a lot of reasons, not just what he does offensively, but because he raises the collective i Q of everybody on the floor just by telling people where to be and so on and so forth.

And and we still really haven't gotten to see it because of Lebron's injuries. So like, you know, for him to be to have nights like this where he's a net positive before Lebron even comes around, I think is optimistic. We're I think there were some Laker fans who were way too optimistic about drum end upfront. And I think I think we've been enlightened to the fact that he

has struggled in previous stance for good reason. Um. But at the end of the day, like I think he is a usable piece here, and just like you always harp on when we do these podcasts, like he does catch too much flak kind of is just like the scapegoat for all their problems. When a lot of these nights.

It's kind of a collective poor effort, you know what I mean, Yeah, for sure, And I guess we can kind of keep going from Drummond the game from Caruso tonight man seventeen points and then uh six, I don't know if that's what he finished with. I just wrote down seventeen point six assists and like all those reps, remember when Lebron went down, they were giving it to Caruso and he was getting turnovers and uh, you know,

bad shots. Those reps eem to be paying dividends now because he just looked so comfortable with the basketball, like he knows where to go. He found uh I think one of the biggest players of the night, and the Sons were kind of making the run. Um he had the ball at the top, there was nothing going on offense, and then he kind of told West to cut and then West guy like and one I think on Chris Paul, and that kind of settled the game down. I think they went back up at thirteen. But his ball handling

looked just so much better. It looks comfortable with taking that midrange pull up to now right like the team stag off and he's he's taking in aggressively and and comfortably. So what what did you see from crustal town? I thought, I thought he was great. Well, so the first thing you said was the first thing that stood out to me, which is something you and I talked about immediately after Lebron's injury in that first couple of games where it

looked really bad. Um, you and I talked about how excuse me, you and I talked about how you know, these guys need reps in their new roles because they were all all of a sudden slid up a few levels in what they were being asked to to to do. So it was it was bound to have like kind of a bumpy road there at the beginning, And like you said, all those reps appear to have paid off. The you know, you touched on a lot of the

important details involving his passing and his pull up shooting. Um, he's actually a smarter playmaker than I think we've given him credit over the season. The big one that stood out to me is, like, you know, Alexe Crusoe is a big guard, Like, he's six ft six, really good athlete.

Um jumps better than most of the players on the floor and So what I think he's kind of figured out in the last week is that when he goes to the rim, people have to foul him, or people or like they're going to struggle to out jump him. And there were a couple of places tonight where you can tell he kind of is unlocked that, like, oh, I have a little bit of a step here. I'm just gonna go as fast as I can and jump as high as I can and get into these bodies.

And I think, because I'm a good athlete, I'm gonna get a lot of calls, or if they don't founld me, I'm just gonna finish. And he there in that second half, he had several layups driving the basketball, and he had several plays where he just dropped drew fouls because he got the defense out of position. And and that's the thing, like, use what your strengths are. Like if you're a kemba walker, you need to be shifty, you need to get guys

off balance, you need to use your skill set. But Alex Cruz was a great athlete at the point guard position, and and he's unlocked that a little bit and used it to his advantage to make up for some of his skill deficiencies, and I think that was really smart. Yeah, And like I wrote here, like uh Ac versus Chris Paul, because like Chris Paul does a lot of those things where he's like one of the smartest basketball players ever

as well. Right, his i Q was insane and like they trusted him to be the one to kind of chase him over screens and he's never gonna win, like a who's right, right, Like when Chris Paul looks at the ref and like they's never gonna He's never gonna win those. He tried to win a few of those and he got like his fourth and fifth foule. But I thought he was just excellent tonight going around the screens of Chris Paul, staying on his back contesting Chris Paul is amazing. He had a few mid range pull

ups in his face. I thought he was just incredible on him tonight and that two way play man. And again this is all I hate how to your radical this is, But like if we can get this Caruso with you know, Lebron back and a d with who he is, it just changes um the ceiling and floor of this team even higher. Because last I think I said last year Crusoe walked in the playoffs as like a thirty three point shooter and he hit timely ones

in the playoffs. But he's walking in this year as at three point shooter, and he's taking them so confidently, even in transition. There's a few that I whish like he didn't shoot, but I just love the how confident he's taking them. He gets him in the corner, if he's open, he shoots it, and he hits big shots. He had big ones in the first quarter as well.

So yeah, it's just cool to see his his offense grow and we get something out of those games where Lebron didn't play shoot died in play right, it feels like we've got some reps for him and and I guess we can kind of move as well the th HD who like, I feel like this was a bad THC game in overall, Like, but I think they need I think they needed it, if that makes sense, Like they needed someone to like where you can dribble and create a shot and at least it wasn't a turnover.

He has a lot of creative, creative drives, but I think he found um. I forgot who we found in the corner late. I don't remember Phils West or KCP. Um, what do you see from him? I thought, I thought he had a he had a not not a good game for him. But I think they needed like his ball handling tonight. You know, I agree, I agree with you. I think I think, uh, it takes away some of the absolute need to have guys like you know KCP and Ben McLemore over dribbling and doing things that kind

of take them out of their skill set. Like you know, KCP had a really good game tonight, I thought, and it was because he was kind of slid back into his proper role as a guy who's attacking off a closeout and off ball. Um. You know, I've I've said all there is to say really about th h T. I mean, I thought, I thought a couple of striking things. I thought a couple of striking typical things happened with him tonight. He Uh, he was one of the reasons why UM campaign got going a little bit was his

lack of atteniveness defensively. Um there was a play where off of a double team in the post where he was wide open on the right wing. I think this was actually the first half, and he just shot a brick of a three that like went two ft over the rim and went carrying off the backboard. I'm in two songs. I had to listen to the Sun's broadcast,

and the Sun's broadcasters were like, whoa that was? That was a bad miss anyway, Like he he his spacing is going to be a legitimate concern in the playoffs series. He's he's a guy that you don't have to guard

on the perimeter um. And and then just in general, just consistent decision making, which I think is one of the biggest reasons why Lebron is in such a good playoff player in his career, is like he just hemorrhages less possessions in the other team and more consistently will will identify the best available shot, and that kind of like little decision making on the margins makes such a big difference. And so in a in a you know, in in these playoff games, like two or three bad

decisions from th HT can can swing a series. And and that to me is stuff that I've harped on all season. I'm such a believer. He had another play tonight that was like a superstar play he like split a pick and roll and Sari was waiting for him at the rim and he just did like a power dribble right into Sarge's chest and starts like just caved in and backed away, and then he had a wide open lay up after It's like that's that's like, that's

like star level stuff. And so I'm I, you know, I'm just gonna say the company line again here, which is that I love th h T. I don't want to see him in the playoff rotation. That's just my kind of take on it. Yeah, Like I think that first play that he came in, he left campaign open. I was like, oh, man, like that he's gonna get in the rhythm and he and he absolutely did not. I just love watching him drive though, right because you can tell he just thinking in his head, like what

do I do? Like even on a Starge play he's like driving, He's like, okay, I'm just gonna bully him in the chest and at work that time the drive, he'd be like, okay, let me three sixty dribble, spin passed it to the corner, it goes out of the bounds and he's like surprised. So yeah, I don't know, but like just to move on from like THHD to go on your point, like a guy who's probably a little bit more reliable is like Wes Matthews, right. I

think it was cool to see him. Like again, like these are guys that it feels like they're going on like a linear curve. Rather they're improving at like a linear rate like West Matthews now is like starting to play good and consistent games. Get a good game I think against Portland as well. Um, And and he's defending well, like he's he's hitting shots. He had like a really cool three off a d Um turning corner, turning the

corner and yeah, so so it's good to see him. Uh. And like this seems like a playoff matchup that's going to happen. It feels like to me, Um, this seems like the likely scenario. Um for me, like my biggest thing for this for this matchup, I wanted to do this after the Clipper game, but it just didn't matter because they didn't take it as serious. Um. What was your biggest like takeaway as like a playoff matchup? Mine

is definitely the size. I guess is there anything else that you saw that's like really glaring if these two teams play playing the playoffs. Well, so a couple of things. So first of all, no one can guard Anthony Anamos. That that is that is the the absolutely terrifying thing if you're a Phoenix Suns fan. Is no one on

that roster even remotely bothered Anthony Davis. Like there were a couple of plays where even Jay Crowder opted for a lot of ball pressure as a d was dribbling further away from the basket, which is something that you and I have talked about a lot that we don't love Anthony Davis and that type of matchup. And even then he was able to patiently just kind of wait for Jay to gamble one way and then just kind of spin off of him and go down the lane.

And he drew a couple of fouls that way, got into the lane, and maybe there was another one where he missed the layup, but Drummond was right there to clean it up. Like he there was no one on the roster that could guard him. So that's that's number one. You're the most exciting thing about a playoff match up. There is just the way that that can warp everything in the way that the Suns have to to change

their defense. And then secondly, you know, I thought with the Laker defense, you know, they did a really good job of making things extremely difficult for for Booker and Chris Paul while at the same time, like not leaving such gaping openings on the back end that the younger players on the roster were able to make them pay. Um. You know, like they did a good job of closing off the rotations quick enough so that you know, mediocre

to blow average playmakers off of the ball. Um, you know, like Micail Bridges or whether it was you know, DeAndre and catching the ball. There just wasn't anything available there. And I thought that was really impressive. And the Laker the Laker defense. I tweeted about this tonight, like I was actually watching the Clippers game today, and I thought to myself, like, you know, everyone's talking about this Knick's defense and how it, you know, was making the Clippers struggle.

But that's what the Lakers look like when they're trying, you know, that's what's so exciting, and and that's what they did. That's what they did tonight. They just they went through stretches where they were they were stifling and everyone helps each other, and it was just it was

just really really fun to watch. And and I I personally think that that just in and of itself makes them so difficult to beat in a seven game series and throw the throw in Lebron into that whole mess and in the way that Anthony Davis warps all the matchups and and and I think that as long as they can get through the playing game, which is gonna

be tricky, um, you know, on account of the health problems. UM, as long as they can get through that playing game, I actually think that's a really good first round matchup for the Lakers to kind of get their sea legs. Yeah, definitely. And just watching tonight, like they put a Craig on a D and I think Michail Bridges trying to switch on him a few times as well. But I guess those two would get the main kind of uh thing on Lebron in a D, right, you know, in a series.

And I'm just wondering like where they go with the UM and like, I guess my main takeaway tonight was like they were able to take shots away from like Devon Booker, Chris Paul while also limiting the three point attempts, right, I think Penis had like thirteen three point attempts at the half, and they average like thirty five thirty six um. And then those the biggest things. They were able to shut down their guards while also getting out to three

point shooters um. And that's how they gonna have to defend in a series. And we saw why they can. They can do that because a D was able to play at play at his his level and oh I with this, but yeah, yeah, like Laby, a D was able to play at his generational defensive level and he's gonna have to in a series against them. And I thought he was the biggest key ye because he was able to switch on christ Ball, switch on Devon Booker and really make them not even get shots up. And

I thought that was the biggest, biggest thing. I do you have anything else from in this game tonight? Well, just lastly about the defense, Like it's so cool the way that when you really really shut down a team defensively, they start to miss the open ones too, and uh that like you could tell, like Devin Booker for most of the game, he wasn't you know, like pump picking a ghosts exactly, but you could see his aggression tone way back as a result of the fact, like he

just felt uncomfortable throughout the game. And oh, use one example, there was a play where he beat KCP backdoors in the first half and KCP was just dead two rights the Devin Booker's got it under the basket. KCP shorter than him, and Devin Bookers can basically pick either side. He can pump, fake and drop out whatever he wants

to do. But Montrese Harold was guarding I think it was sorry it's but somebody in the corner, and Montrese Harold just like just in a in a great read, just bailed on his man and came flying in and and just swallowed up Devin Booker and he ended up kicking it out. Actually the play actually ended, I think in Jay crowd are drawing a foul on at three

point shot. But the point is is like even when Devin Booker thought he had an easy look on KCP, there came another another wave of the Laker defense to throw him off, and then it gets to the point where all of a sudden he will break free around the eight ten foot line off of a couple of dribbles in the counter and he'll miss like a ten footer because he has no rhythm, because because he has felt uncomfortable all night, and it just throws everything off.

And that's my favorite thing about what the Laker's identity is is it's just like, you're not going to get anything easy on us, and and if you're going to beat us, you're gonna have to beat us just by consistently making tough shots over the top of our guards. Like that's how you're gonna have to beat us. Yeah, exactly.

And they were. They were everywhere tonight right, they were switching trapping on the screen of roles that they didn't allow Chris Paul and Devil Booker to really get anything going. I think Chris Paul all his shots were tough in my opinion, Like I didn't feel like, did you see him get any easy looks? I thought all of his shots were pretty contested, uh sa. Devin Booker had a few good shots in the paint, but I thought for him as well, they were all contested and they were

flying around. Um I think a d went to the floor a little bit too many times from my life, but but he set the tone, right, Like, his aggressiveness on both ends kind of uh, kind of set the tone here tonight and they got a huge win. Um Like, I don't know if this really matters in terms of like standing, because again, I feel like we're pretty locked in.

But I feel like they're they're starting to build some rhythm, right, some build some build some habits that are good and and it's good to see like them being serious about these games, starting to treat them as like playoff reps because they definitely weren't doing that before. And and also like I guess the last guy had written down here is like Ben mcilmore that you've been you've been behind

for a while. And again he does I'm gonna win you over eventually with him, Yeah, he's never met a shot that he doesn't like, right, like something some of the shots are just like he touches the ball and he's like okay. And I feel like that that's what they've told him as well, right like, hey, like when you get the ball, just shooted, don't think about playmaking, don't think about trying to really make too many reads and and that's his that's his job there, And I

think it has more positive than negatives. But he did take a few wild shots and I thought like he defended okay tonight, like it wasn't great yet, a few off off the ball things there, but yeah, he was. He was really good. And the team, it feels like they're getting getting deep. The guys are getting in rhythm. They can get Shrewder back just for these last few games. And and Lebron we'll see, hopefully he comes back pretty soon. Um. I feel like they're on the right rhythm. No one

wants to play them. That feels pretty key. I think this was a big game for the Suns. I think they wanted the one seed as well, and I feel like he just took it to him right. Yeah, So real quickly on macklamore before you start taking guests, is uh, you know a couple of things. You know, we've worried about his defense a lot, but as I've always said, like you there, you don't have to necessarily worry about that in individual defense within the scheme of the Lakers,

as long as you play hard in the rotations. And there were actually a couple of plays there in the second half where Devin Booker got mcklemore on an Island and the Lakers just sent the Lakers just sent it double and they were able to make Booker give it up and rotate back out and and nothing was open. And and to me, that was when I saw that happen, I was like, Okay, well here you go. This is the point is like within the Laker defense, you don't

have to necessarily be able to guard everybody. You just have to play your role, which is if you can't guard a guy, you're gonna have to be able to exist in the chaos of the rotations. And then when you are off the ball, you have to hold up your end of that bargain. And and that's what makes it work. And then as far as his green light, you know, I think his green light, it manifests in more than just him making shots at manifests in spacing.

And you know, when when the when the other coaches on the white board in the locker room before the game down, you cannot leave this guy open because he's going to shoot it. If you give him an inch of space, that changes the way that that help defender has to play. And to me, there there's a lot of advantage to that. I you know, I'm not necessarily saying he should be in the closing line up. So I'm not necessarily saying he should start or anything ridiculous

like that. I just think that he very easily fits a role on this team that I think works. Yeah, he's like pretty much the only guy that than like k CP right that that can get hot in a quarter, that can hit like four threes and like a five six minute stretch. And I think they need that for a team that really, especially right now, that's struggling to kind of score, especially in the half court. They need a guy that can just get hot and he doesn't

need that much space. So once he gets one to go, you can tell his confidence just goes up, right, and once he kids want, he's going to take the other one as soon as he as soon as he catches it. Um, do you have anything else from tonight? Before I kind of bring some people up here. Let's get some questions, man, I'm ready, all right, get your request in. I will see how many we can kind of get to. But get some get your requestions if you want to come

up here and speak. Let's start with I think Tony was first, by the way, quote from Jovan Buja that we were tagged in Anthony Davis on his confidence in Lebron James getting back to playing like Lebron James quote what I saw from Lebron today? He'll be fine. He'll be fine. End quote. That's good. That's good. It's very good. Tony, what's up? Can you hear us? Hello? Can you hear me? I can hear you? What's going on? Hey? What's up?

So for this question, this is gonna be based on the assuming we get the seventh seed, right, so, um, the path is probably gonna go through, uh, the three best teams in my opinion in the West of Sons, Clippers, Jazz. Right, and because the like the Lakers are going to have like very low continuity going into the playoffs, what do you guys think they can do to like adjust to that and um take control of series so that like they avoid going down too far before they get to

figure out their opponent. If you understand what I'm trying to say, Well, first of all, it's still in play. I'm looking up the standings, like it's still in play for Denver to get the three seed. Yes, don't check here. Um, yeah, they're a game away and they have the time breaker m hmm, yeah, yeah, So I tend to think that, you know, when it comes to the difficulty of the playoff run, the most important thing is not messing around.

And this is something that the Lakers did a really good job of last year, uh in the sense that they closed out their opponents in five gamers each time. So it made it so that there was additional rest because the physical wear and tear of the postseason will manifest if you keep getting locked into these long series.

I mean, the perfect example of that is the two thousand thirteen heat who got roped into a seven gamer with the Pacers and then you could just tell that they were physically worn out when when they got into the Spurs and then in that series dragged out. So my thing is like, let's say you face the Suns in the first round. You're better than them. Don't let

that get extended, you know, like physically mal them. Take care of business, and that series in five, and then by the time you're facing the Clippers or the or the Nuggets wherever it is that you have to face in the next round, you have four or five days off to get your legs back, and then at that point it's just argued a better team as long as you're not getting physically worn down, it's just about whether

or not you're a better team. So I don't worry so much about the playoff path as much as I do about them not getting roped into great long series that that physically wear them down, especially with how fragile a D can be. Yeah, I think they just need to really get through that first round, right, get Lebron's legs under him, a D starting to get his legs on them, but like, just get a full series, Um, get some confidence at the wins in that first playoff series,

and I think they'll be fine. Um, Lebron has that tendency to lose game ones, which I mean I can totally see happening again this year. And that's why I'm little That's why I'm a little bit like worried about the playing game. I don't like that we get just one game to kind of figure out one team. But if you can get through that, and I'm not really worried about that first round series, I think they'll sit down. They'll they'll be able to like look through look at

a team fully through a whole seven game series. Um, they can adjust the way they want to and really put the foot down. This team is really versatile when they're healthy, right, they have all these kind of pieces they can kind of plug and play around Lebron and a d And I think if they can just get through that first series, which I don't think it will be easy. I mean, they beat Phoenix tonight, but I think that's still gonna be a hell of a series.

In round one, Lebron just jumping right back in. Um So I think you just get through that. I think they'll be fine. Yeah, yeah, I agree with you. All right, Yeah, thank you, thanks man, I apportunately coming over. I think uh Brett was next. They can get your request and I'll see how I maybe we can get to you tonight. But yeah, just get your and can get your request in Roger's playing hurt tonight guy as he lost. Ye apologies apologies from my voice bread, can you hear us? Yeah?

What's up, guys, what's going on it? Hey? Um So my question is markis Morris got a d NP today? I just want to know what you guys think his role is going to be down the strate, especially now that the possibility of a Marcosol Montrose Harold playing the four um type of line up starting to come, but what do we expect from Markief coming forward? So I

thought it was pretty matchup specific. I think the Lakers knew that that Phoenix was a team that, outside of DeAndre at and was very thin on the front line, and they were under the impression that going big would give them a chance to win a game that they thought they really needed to win, not just for the standings, but for the confidence of that team. Um. The remaining

schedule for the Lakers is relatively achievable. UM that I think this game against New York in a couple of nights is actually gonna be the toughest one they have in that group. So tonight was kind of a little bit of a must win for the Lakers, And so from that standpoint, they went big to try to win

the matchup. And I think when they get into matchups with teams like you know that are a little bit more switchy, that they need spacing more, I think you'll see a little bit more marks when they need when they need to go small. Um. But at the end of the day, like I think Frank has shown that he's gonna play the center rotation based on matchups, and tonight was a night where that I think he thought they had a chance to bully Phoenix. Yeah, And I feel like Mark Kief was just like he was a

part of like not playing with Treads. I guess like that's and we touched on a little earlier, like I just didn't want to see them to kind of play together, and he was the odd man out tonight. But I think like you'll play in some matches some matchups as well, especially when his three point shooters going three point shooting is going. Um, I'd like to see him next to this all I guess as like that four or five um sometimes as well. But tonight he just didn't play

because they went to that. They finally went to the treads and disol minutes um that we end that we were begging for. Um. I haven't checked like the plus minus on that yet tonight, but it just felt like it looked good. It looked good from the eye test. They had some things to work out, but I thought that Atlanta played really well. We'll see if they go to it against the Knicks were a little bit more

of like the kind of bruising team. Un So we'll see if they play how the rotations were from there. A lot of it has to do with the way that the game is being officiated to like I you know, there were a lot of dude, you you would not believe that how much the Phoenix broadcast was complaining about officiating. It was like the the entire night just nonst Like at one point the Phoenix broadcasters literally said they were playing five on eight. And I'm not joking that would

happen in their version of the broadcast. But in my opinion, the reason I always say this, so I've said this. You know, in this podcast format, you know, dozens of times the more physically aggressive team gets more calls. And it seems counterintuitive because you would think the team that's being physically aggressive is fouling, but that's not the case.

The team that is being physically aggressive usually gets fouled because that's how the lazier, less physical team tries to compensate for their lack of physicality, and the refs noticed that and they usually reward that team. And I thought

tonight the Lakers bullied the Sons into fouling them a lot. Uh. But and that has to do with you know, again, if the if the game is being officiated a different way and the Lakers size of being is isn't manifesting in a way that they can really do anything with, then hey, you go small to try Mark Keith. You go with more shooting and see if you can't give better driving lanes or whatever it is that you want

to do. But again, the Lakers have flexibility, and I think that that's actually an advantage in the playoff series, not necessarily a bad thing. And we said just with the refs things, I thought it was funny watching this game and I'm just thinking about, like in a playoff series, havnna watch like Chris Paul Devin book or trying to draw those like but they're just driving and like you're just sliding with them and they just throw the ball

up and they get the call. You know, those kind of calls are just really frustrating just to watch through like a full for the game in the game, and Chris Paul is really good good at that as well, right where you'll just fall, like you'll back into the guy walking up the core and you'll draw a foul and all of a sudden you're in the penalty. So it's kind of like a game within the game. Um, looking at that, I thought that the rest it was

a weirdly officiated game. I thought in the first half there was a lot of feet though tonight to like, I know, a lot of them were fouls. It just it just felt like a really slow, non rhythm game. And maybe that's just how the playoffs are going to be. If you're more physical and you're just like banging down low, that's how that's how it go. Probably mm hmmp I agree. Any else for us? Brett, No, that was it. Thanks for having me. Thanks for man than the general attics.

I feel like a lot of people wanted more. A lot of people want an event. The other night, it looks like a little bit more of a positive vibe tonight. Yeah, General, are you there? No, can you guys hear me? What's going on? Man? What's up? Man? Thanks for bringing me on. I been listening to the pod wild a lot of time, a lot of fun while watching not watching to listen

to it. Thanks. Yeah. Thanks. My question or comment things is kind of focused on lineups and what Vocal might try to do heading into the playoffs for the lack of continuity, so you know, Denni's coming back potentially with COVID and then combined with Caruso over especially the last like two months, but also just two two years in the league now kind of looks like he can be like a starting caliber player without necessarily playing starter caliber

starter caliber minutes. Did that makes sense? So I was thinking, you know, doesn't make sense for Caruso to keep the starting job and for Dennis to do what Jason said like the beginning of the year and come off the bench kind of set the tone on defense for the bench unit. And also just you know, look to score relentlessly, like you know with with mar and i'm our you know, trust Drummond on the bank bank you know, and sort

of matches. So I think I'm a big believer in giving a giving shooter a chance to be very aggressive in minutes where Lebron and maybe are one of them are off the floor. Typically the best way to do that, uh is by bringing a guy off the bench. But you can accomplish that by staggering and honestly man like, as much as I'd like to say, like, hey, bring shooter off the bench, like he's earned that starting spot. He's been really good this year, He's defended extremely well.

His playmaking has taken a massive leap, especially in the last month or two. I I I think Shrewder deserves the spot. The only thing that will get tricky. I don't know if he's built up some bad blood in the organization, uh, with his recklessness surrounding Covid and his absence at this point in the season. But I can't

speak to that. That's all speculation, I I. But then at the end of the day, like when it comes to their best lineups, I do think it's fair to point out that Shrewder size can be a problem and there will be teams out there that will relentlessly attack shooter or for being a six foot relatively fan guard.

And you can put lineups as the Lakers out there that have Caruso, you know, KCP, Kuzma, Lebron a d that are a little more switchable, a little uh, a bit more stout physically at every position and give yourself maybe a little bit better chance in specific matchups. Uh. And I'm super stoked about how well Caruso has played and him getting so much better makes those lineups a lot more exciting. But man, Dennis has been really good

this year, And I mean I can't. I can't like look at that dude in the face and be like, hey, you're you belong on the bench like he's been. He's been very clearly the third best player this year, and he carried them for a long stretch here with Lebron and a D out. Yeah, and Caruso is going to close a lot of games, right, Like, I'm not really worried about whether he starts or it comes off the bench. I'm shooter has been great defensively well. To see how

he comes back. I think he's gonna have to get his conditioning back. So I'm like, I'm okay, maybe he comes off the bench that first game he comes back, but he'll be a starter. Like his defense has been too good. I think earlier before the season started, we said maybe he'll come off the bench to be that

plug score, but his defense is just too good. And then you get all the ball handling, you get the offensive creation, not only worries like just the timing like they just not I've had the reps together, right, Lebron, a D and Shrewder still only played like twenty something games together. It's even less if you have the sling of it even less if you and none I think with Drummond together, right, So that's my only concern here

is that just the reps. But I think that's why that first round is so important to me, Like it's just they can just get through that. I think like they'll be able to just really get on a run here. Um, those guys just need some games together, some high level situations. And uh yeah, I think Shrewder should should definitely start when he comes back. I think he's, like you said, Jaze, he's earned it. He's played really well, he's had a Greek season. Um, his three point shooting also starting to

come come around. It sucks that this happened at this time because I feel like you were starting to find a groove, like a really nice mix between being aggressive and being a shock creator. And it just this is just out of the season and stuff like it's gone though. Two steps forward, one step back kind of thing. But he's, yeah, he's he's definitely gonna be the starter when he comes back. Agree, So I guess I don't really have all of this request Well yeah, but more people, if you want to

request getting you don't have asked the question. Just bring up an idea or anything. Um, George, can you hear me? Ge are you there? I think I can hear him. You go, George, can y'all hear me? Yeah? Here you are? What's going on? Man? Lost him again? Request back? I'll get you up here. Let's see. I'll just like I guess, while I'm waiting for a George's request back, I'll just read this quote real quick. UM shout out Kelly. She she shared it with me. Um. Frank said he liked

the market treadsparing. I guess they were a minus nine tonight, which it just didn't feel that he must have listened to our locker room because we were talking about that a few weeks ago. But one thing I wanted to ask, I don't think Keith planned. Don't know if it was health related or maybe a riscause I know he's been struggling. But do you guys like what they did with the center rotation? And because I thought Keith would be good for this matchup, So just general thoughts on that we

talked about this a little bit earlier. I think the Lakers saw this as a bit of a must win for any of their chances to try to get out of the plane and the sun's outside of DeAndre Aton are very thin on the front line. You know, they're they've got big, switchy wings, but you know, crowd is a bit short. You know, Bridges and Kim Johnson are both very thin. You know. Sorry, it isn't very mobile

and he's not exactly a defensive stalwart. They lack that interior presence and I think Frank went all in on trying to bully them. And if you look at the lineups tiny he basically played two centers for most of the game. If you count a D a center, there's a lot of a D and Drummond, and then a D and Mark and then Mark and Trez and Tres and drum and it was just like a vicious cycle of Actually, I don't think Tres and drum and play tonight, but they they just always had two bigs on the floor.

And I think that was a purposeful attempt to just physically main handle Phoenix, And honestly, I thought, strategically, at least for tonight, that it worked really well. Yeah, it's funny because we did like a Son's preview, right, I think the last spaces I can't remember, but um, I think we said Tress could play because they play with Sorry as the backup five usually, and even tonight they actually went away from that. They went with Kaminski first,

he was ahead of him in the rotation. But I still think that's a guy that Tras can play against right commits. He is not going to really mean he's a good shooter, but he's not gonna really kill you in the post, and the trust can really go at him, go through his chest. And yeah, I thought that was

a reason. Again, all these centers just feel matchup dependent to me, Like eight is gonna hopefully play the five when it matters because I was gonna play hopefully more of the minutes and then drum in Tres even keep. They're all kind of matchup. So I like what they did. Again.

Vogel coach and I has a playoff game. I thought this was like the first maybe against Denver as well, he did a little bit, but like tonight, I feel like the really first one that he coached, Like, okay, I want to win this game, and the center minutes kind of match match that. Yeah, because he he pulled he put market and first got off the bench and pulled Drummond right away. I know Drummond was in foul trouble, but I like to see that because he wasn't really

doing as much last game. So yeah, yeah, I agree chasing you anything else on that, I'm good man. I agree with you guys. All right, Thank you boys. Joy is always see you Tuesday, Yes, sir. Next, it's a six eight something. I six eight on a good day. I don't think that's his real name, but what's up? No, the real name, the real name is Baylor. But I just I have I have two questions for you guys.

What's going on? Well? All right, Well, one of the questions is, um, do the Lakers, you know, go with the guys that they went with last year in the playoffs? I mean, obviously Drumming is a new addition guy, but I mean other than him, those guys that was with you in the trenches for those three series, Um, do you go with those same guys? Because I would think those guys like obviously like still like you know, all the sets and everything that they use getting into their

plays of the ship. You know, more than that, it's just chemistry, man, especially with their lack of cont duty that they've had this year. Like I I I think that he'll still be very I don't want to say experimental, but I think you'll still see a lot of new stuff in the in the early games of the series. But make no mistake, dude, if it's first round Phoenix Series tied at two fourth quarter, close game, you're gonna see a lot of Lebron, a d k CP, Kusma,

and Cruz. So I think that I think that you know, when the ship hits the fan for lack of a better term, that they're going to default is something that they've got a lot of reps with, just because it's going to give them their best chance to win in those super high leverage moments. Yeah. And I think I was looking at the lineup data that find my in line up data, those dudes haven't even played I think,

like twenty minutes together this season. So those all those guys who are like um in the bubble, Uh, those guys, I think I can pull it up here. Um. Yeah, those dudes have played eight minutes together this season. The Lebron, Davis, KCP, Crusoe, Kuzma, those dudes who were in the bubble who won the title eight minutes together. So they haven't really got to see it, but yeah, I think I think they can

go to it in the bubble. I mean, not in the playoffs this year, but we just have not seen them really recreate that that that line up again this year, and a lot of that had to do with health, but also they're just not playing that lineup. But hopefully

they'll go to it in the playoffs. Also, like I think Braun at or because he said he wasn't going to be up, I think eighty or seventy percent, he's still better than um, you know, probably your second option on whoever team, like whatever stars you know, that person or help maybe even that star. Lebron is still not

bad um. But I know, like when it's back is against the wall, like one of the Lakers that ever, just go to a lineup just him at the point guard and just about cheese and everything, you know, but you know probably not I running more is at like the five and just having like Brin at the one and just you know, just killing everybody because you can't guard everybody. So Lebron just penetrating. Man, just he just

gonna kill you. Every time. They did a lot of that in the postseason and one of the big reasons why is that Keith was just shooting so well. Uh, And you know, Mark Keith, I think he's he's a little bit more mobile this year, but last year he

wasn't great defending out on the perimeter. But where he's always been a good defenders as a post up defender, he's just really good at at holding his ground and defending without fouling and making dudes settled for fadeaways over the top of him, and so it all just kind

of worked. But you know, this season, it's hard to say, uh, with with how deep they are at the guard position, that they won't like go with a more traditional a D at the five type of lineup where instead of Mark Keith kind of playing default five, they'll just up like a third guard on the floor or something along those life. That's just what I personally expect. I only said Morris at the at the five because I know a D doesn't like banging down there with the big guys,

so he's so much better as a help defender. You know, he could do that more playing the four, So I just figured you'd put him there and just put a shooter at the five, you know, And he will. I mean, he played sixty of his minutes at the five in the playoffs. He'll he'll do it when it matters, And that's I think you talked about it, like you just give Lebron a D and a bunch of spacing, um, a bunch of shooters, and that's pretty much a recipe

percess success. That's why the five might have works so well is because he's not just uh, not only can he shoot, but even on the defensive end, he's able to help recover and he's one of the best rim protectors in the league. And you can do all that from the five, in my opinion, even easier than when he's at the four, when he has another five five

behind them. One thing before before you guys go, because I know other people would like to talk to you, guys, but also to like, no other team like it really has that, like the the luxury of having two bigs because you know, I mean, Bron is kind of he's big. He's a freight train, right, so I just you know, Brooklyn out in the East, they don't have that, and nobody out west has the luxury of doing something like that, like even the Clippers, you know, like they don't have

anything like that. You can't just do that with those guys. So I just think the Lakers have a better advantage when help you. Yeah, I mean the the We talked a little bit about this earlier in the in the Pond, we were talking about pick and roll coverages. But the crazy thing with Lebron and a D is a four or five combo is they can switch any pick and

roll that involves them as a big man. So it takes the primary action that the vast majority of teams around the league run to get their best looks and just effectively makes it obsolete because it's like call up your center and you're gonna get a D involved into play, Like, good luck with that, or you're gonna get Lebron James involved in the play. And then and then they can also put Lebron in a D on your two best players,

which makes them ineffectual as their own screen partners. And so I tend to think that, uh, that that is their biggest ace in the whole is more so than Lebron and Ada offensively, is just what they can do defensively as appearing on the floor, especially when you put them with guards like Caruso and KCP, who are always in the right spot at the right time and putting those extra effort plays, and especially with the player that

Kuzma has become. I mean, make no mistake about it, it's hard to it's hard to visualize with how crazy and chaotic this season has been, but when healthy, this Laker team is considerably better than last year. They the moves on the margins are better, Caruso significantly better, KCP is more or less the same, Kuzma is like twice as good as was last year. There are a lot of reasons why this team should, when healthy, be better than last year. We just haven't really gotten to see

what that looks like as a result of health. And um that's why you should feel optimistic about this group, if they can regain their form in time to uh face up with the real, real competitive teams with them at that top tier of the league, like the Clippers, like the Nets and so on and so forth. Yeah, I guess the only last thing you said the Clippers don't have anyone to match up with that. I don't

think anyone in the league really does. I think the Lakers that's their ace that they can go against against anyone right that Lebron a D four or five matchup. Maybe Johannest have the five with the Bucks. Other than that, I'm not really sure any other combo that can really go with that. So yeah, that's there. That's what they're betting on. The health the role players hopefully. Look, we talked an offseason. This is one of the most talented Laker teams that we've seen, right, just from a pure,

pure like talent level. Now it's like all theoretical, we haven't really got to see it. But that's what they're betting on. Health and that those two just being able to power them through the playoffs. I appreciate you, man. Thanks all right, let's see we get merge up here. My friend marriage was going on again if if you just got down. Apologies for my voice. I loved my voice on Saturday night, and I'm not sure where I went, but I hope you will find him for the next places.

Apologize emerge. What's going on? Man? Wha you ar hearing me? Yeah? I can hear you, he man? What's going on? Two things? One point one thing sort of a comment about the playing the sun. So I think this game kind of solidified for me that I think we can kind of use that first front series against the Suns as not having to have Lebron go full Lebron like we were kind of worried about having having him having to go

too fast, too quick come off of that injury. I think you can kind of lean on Ad a little bit as a as the you know, the top option there and the flat sort of dominating in that five six games four or five six game series against the Suns. The governor a week, we can have two weeks of resting and then playing the Clippers or whoever we would playing this around. Uh, the bank can really come out. I don't know what do you think about something like that?

Agree with you? Like the you're you're right in the sense that Lebron doesn't have to be Lebron Lebron until he's toe to toe with Kauai, in total toe with

Kevin Durant. That part I agree with you, But everything else has to be right because teams like a team like Phoenix can beat the Lakers if Lebron is and a D is not quite himself and the defense isn't sharp, and so what he's exciting is a D looks like he's getting close to and the defense looks great because now I can confidently say that Lebron easing his way back from an injury is enough to win that matchup.

But make no mistake, Lebron is gonna have to look you know, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant in the face later on this postseason, and he's gonna have to go head to head with those guys, and so he does eventually need to get back to uh pretty close to the to the real deal. Um, but I'm with you that that he doesn't have to right away if he catches a team like the Suns in the first round. Yeah, MARRIAGE agree with you. That's why I like that first

round is so important for me. It's just to get them, get those sea legs under him, get that, get his conditioning up. A lot of I think the Laker Twitter doctors as well. Um, they said, like he's probably not gonna be right until the second round anyway, just with how those injuries work. So yeah, you can just get to look the Suns like, I know we dominate in them tonight, but like you don't win that many games without being really good like that, They're a really good team.

I think Lebron is still gonna have to be maybe not a percent but like at his ninety to beat the Suns. In my opinion, UM, a D can really work inside. This is a great series for a D. I don't think DeAndre and can guard him. Ar Sorridge, Craig all those guys are not a matchup for a D. It's just I still think we need Lebron shot creation though um we saw tonight. I think Caruso did a

nice job tonight. I just don't think in a seven game series that's that's enough to create enough points, um to kind of generate enough points to beat this Phoenix team without Lebron shock creation. But I don't think he has to be that full forty fifteen fifteen and night that look like you need in the in the finals, right, Yeah, the main thing it's not that lebraunch just like Layoff.

But like you were saying, he doesn't have to be the guy who doesn't have to go up against Kawhi Lard and Kevin Durrett, I'm more worried about him, like you know, having to go from very clear really fast and like metaphorically tweaking something if you kind of able to ramp it in that first round in that second round,

that's kind of right. It's an ideal matchup to have a D got a team like the Sons, who, Yeah, they are a great team and they've been really good this year, but I think a d is this kind of the ultimate matchup nightmare for them, especially because they don't really have that guy who can match up with a d um And the second thing I wanted to say is what do you guys think the playoff rotation? How many how many people do you think you have

to cut down to? And ultimately, who do you think are the ones who are locked in who are definitely playing every single series as opposed to the one too. It might be on and off as the matchups going. We've talked about this a few times over the over the last few weeks. I think that it's going to be matchup dependent. I think you might see certain players go dormant against one team and then all of a

sudden be leaned on heavily against another team. A great example of that is going to be like if you play Yokich in one round and you play you know, Zoobots in another round, it's going to be a different type of center rotation. But at the end of the day, like I think, I think it's gonna come down to figuring out how many of the guards play. I tend to think guys like th h T and Markis are going to fall out of the rotation and you're gonna see a lot more of Wesley Matthews, and you're gonna

see a lot more of Uh. I think. I think Montres is another guy who might fall to the to the edge of the rotation in the postseason. But honestly, man I I I don't know how you even could feel confident about what that's gonna look like with how all over the place Frank has been this year, which has not been his fault for the record, it's been because of the injuries, But I mean this, this rotation has been all over the place this year. I feel

like all the bigs are matchup dependent. For me, maybe the solid plays more, but like it's gonna be Lebron at the five, and then we'll see wherever they can play drum, and see where they can play Tress, see where they can play Mark Kiev. I think those wings and then Ben malcolmore will see if he's hot that night, right, But other than that, it's gonna be Crusoe, k CP, Kuzma, lebron A D And then from there you can kind

of pick out who's gonna play. After that. It might be like West Matthews as well, might be more of a picture. He's playing really well, so if he continues this, he might be a fixture in that rotation. But after that, to me, Vogel is just gonna be able to push whatever buttons he wants, kind of just like he did

last year. So that's why I keep comparing Drummond to to Javail, not like or not to Javail, like not to Dwight um So just just like situationally, how he's gonna play, where he's gonna be put in, And that's how I see it. So mostly that's how I hope it's gonna be like an eight man nine month rotation, because I don't I just don't think you can have twelve or thirteen men playing every night, and it's just actually not how the playoffs goes. No one will be

in Ridham in that way. So that's how I open see that how it goes, all right, I think that is that they're driving me on. Guys, alright, we god, we are Maple Maples up here, Mr Maple's what's up? Man? Oh job? What's going on? Man? I was just curious what you guys talk. I was talking to some people like this about this. What do you think? Who's do you think is gonna be the toughest matchup for the Lakers in the playoffs all the way to a championship?

Who's the toughest match up? Like, I'm not saying you don't want to see him, because you gotta play everybody eventually. Who do you think gives the Lakers bost trouble in European of the Western Conference. I've been pretty consistent about this. I have the Clippers, man, I think I think they're just built in the sense that, uh, they can go to lineups that will force the Lakers to be isolation heavy by going with all their wings and force Lebron and a D to take a lot of off the

drivel jump shots, especially if the spacing isn't there. I would still pick the Lakers in that matchup. I thought, I thought what New York I thought. I thought what the Knicks did to the Clippers, today with their defense is a great example of the way that the Lakers can stagnate them in return and make a guy like Kauai really struggle to find quality looks and wear them

down over a series. I would pick the Lakers, but if there's a team that has that has uh, you know, the theoretical pieces they need to cause the Lakers problem, it would be the Clippers in my opinion. Yeah, I'm with that as well. I feel like the Clippers have people aren't really watching the Clippers. It might be and I feel like because obviously what happened last year, but man like they're just as good. They're crazy three point shooting team right there, like super early they create high

about three point shots. I don't know if that will go in in the playoffs, but with that and the star level play of Kauai and we'll see what Paul George does. I just think they're ceiling is uh is the highest of what they can do, and they give the Lakers trouble. Right though those Wings play well. I don't think it's a coincidence those Wings play well against It's almost every time. Um So yeah, I definitely against the Clippers and just have the high variants with the shooting.

I think Zobach starting changes things a lot for them, Like he's really good as a defensive being man center. They can they can put out there. So definitely I saw their defense shot at the top ten with six stepid starting. There was a good team. So that's just curious about what you guys thought. I kind of lead

leading that way too. It was gonna be thinper for me and Tony lost Bury that I'm with the Clippers and just one more of the Eastern Conference teams in the finals, you know, saying the Lakers get there knocking on some wood. Um, who's the who do you think the toughest matchup coming out of there? I think that might be a little I have to go back and forth with that. Well, I want to hear your opinion first man, what do you think? Uh? For me, it

was the Honestly, it was the Sixers. For me, I think that would be the kind of toughest match up because just because it will force the Laker to play, you know, drubbing and play big a little more and that kind of hurts the Lakers offensively. And that was kind of, you know, my train of thought there. I think I think you put a d at the five. You know, I'm not saying that you handled the nets pretty well, but I think that kind of mutualizes the

next one to do offensively. I tend to think that the Lakers would eventually figure out a way to really slow down the Sixers offense. Uh. What worries me about Brooklyn, and this is what makes the James Harden things so crazy, is like the Laker defense is so good that you have to beat them by shooting over the top. When they've got it going, you know, you have to beat

them by shooting over their smaller guards. And you know, when it's just Katie and Kyrie, or when it's just Kyrier, it's just whoever it is, you can fati eigue them

and force them to miss. But that three headed attack there, it's to me, it kind of balances out the physical wear and tear of generating offense against the Lakers to where you know, you could see all three of them having, you know, moments in the game where they can be aggressive, but where they can also fade into the background and not have to worry about being the guy who's generating everything. And in theory, if they can continue to cause teams

problems with their switching defense. I I still think that Brooklyn is the scariest and I don't think that that massive wind Street that they went on with James Harden was a coincidence. I thought that was they found a formula. They were switching on defense and it was screwing people up and then no one can guard them on the other end. See, that was my thing. Just I just I just saw what Janice did to them, like back

to back game. I just think I think like the playoff rings are a d is kind of you know, he obviously can't initiate like Johannest, but as far as being able to score on smaller guys against switches have to like the talent is similar. So that's quite a time. Did you think you're adding Lebron jangs to it on top of it? So that's why I was like, I don't I don't know if it's the it's Brooklyn's the toughest matchup for the Lakers, But I just chanse what

you guys thought. Yeah, yeah, I think I think it's gonna be close, like it was Brooklyn for me all year and then like I guess the Bucks are starting to kind of creep creep in there, but talking about Jason was talking about, Sorry, there's two Jason. Now j was talking JT was talking about with like with Brooklyn,

how to defend them Katie. Katie and Kyrie are the only really two right in the East that have proven are going to hit like those tough shots when it matters like those are the two have like kind of proven it. That's why I would still kind of pick them. Um in a playoff series where I guess the Lakers are gonna have to hit those tough, midrange kind of contested shots, and their guys that look for that shot

like they try to purposely get to that. So that's where my struggle would be and then hardened just man, that makes that so tough to cover because you can't really trap anywhere. Um, Blakers would kind of figure it out, see who they want to leave open, maybe leave Bruce Brown or something open. But yeah, that's where it's really tough. But Milwaukee starting to go up man with Janice is doing Drew Holiday, I think it's huge. Um. I think he was like a huge X factor for them in

the playoffs. He's a playoff performer too, so it's close for me, as closer than it was. Do you see that as well? Maple's like Milwaukee for you have they kind of like Yeah, I mean I watched I watched un pell game and the drop off between Bledstoe and Holiday the gap. I'm definitely figured they're at the gap that that's definitely something to considered. I think there was gonna be much better in the playoff setting, and uh, I think Janice is different. Obviously people are going to

push back. We'll see in the playoffs. But I'm definitely you know, Milwaukee definitely have my eyes and they're actually playing the best right now by the Bees. So do you did you watch that second Bucks Nets game, the one where Kyrie was complaining about their crunch time offense.

I saw I saw towards the end of the year. Yeah, So that I thought was the interesting kind of microcosm of of what I think is the way to beat Brooklyn Um And it's it's kind of like what happened to the Clippers last year against Denver, Like they just forced them into taking a ton of contested jump shots

and the Clippers just went cold. And you saw the Bucks did the same thing to Brooklyn in that game, it just it became very your turn, my turn, and the and the superstar crazy pull up shots just they

just weren't going. And I think I think that's the strategy to beat Brooklyn is physically wear them down and then stagnate them and then just hope that at the end of those games they just have those like contagious cold nights where they just can't make anything, and then and then you're on the other end, you're getting these

like that. That's the cool thing about the honest, you know impact, And what Lebron and a D will do is like their stagnation is at the rim, like they're they're they're like, hey, we're forced fitting feeding Lebron and a D in isolation. But Lebron's putting his head down and going to the rim and a D is you know, back in the dude down and shooting like a seven foot or over the top of him. Like it's it's just a different type of stagnant offense when it's him.

Then when it's all pull up jumpers, you know, get the shot quality, I got you. Yep. We saw what happens to James Harden, right, he just stands at half court sometimes. Now I don't know if you'll do that. Now he's got a lot more talent around them, and you know, like we'll see how that goes. But I think that's like a kind of I think that's the template. You kind of trap Harden and then make the other

guys try to take tough shots. But I just what did you guys get to, you know, you guys to kind of kind of idea of who the matchups were leaving the lads. So appreciate your man, love what y'are doing, Dope, Maples, I appreciate you man as always, shim Let's see, we got James Harden is better than Kobe and Dwyane Wain, so they should be just fun from what I've been called off. Oh my god, bro, are you there? Hey,

let's okay, hear me. The thing about the nets that you guys were talking about those like regardless of how it looks, we've only seen them for seven games together, right, So like how like obviously it happened with the Clippers last year, but it didn't have enough chemistry, So how do we think that plays out this year? Because like, these guys are just the talent is just on a different level. You know, So I agree with you in the sense that that the talent is on a different

level that makes it different. That these guys are much smarter, smarter offensive players than Kawai and Paul George are. Um the thing the thing that makes it tricky, and Kevin Duran actually talked about this in his podcast. I think Bankski just straight up asked him like, hey, man, like what do you say to the people who say you guys haven't played enough together? And He's like, we're we're high i Q basketball players. This is easy for us. Put us in floor. We know what to do, we

know how to play basketball. You know. I've always said that the lack of continuity is gonna hurt them more on the defensive and because you know, right now you're getting you know whatever, seventy seventy two minutes of of of Katie and Kyrie and then the rest is being played by these role players who are are embracing the dirty work, and they're actually doing a pretty decent job defensively with those guys given their lack of talent. When you throw James Harden in the mix and now all

three of them are playing, you know, thirty forty minutes. Uh, that that three, that group of those three guys hasn't really learned how to get stops together yet. And and that even in those even in those games where they were having those really close games. I think with the Clippers, I think early on when those three were playing, it was like they were winning, but they were only winning by outscoring them because at the end of the day,

like teams are having trouble stopping them too. But that's also seven game sample size, so you know m exactly. I do tend to think that they will be able to score no matter what. It's just can they defend? And a key part of their lineup has been out and he's a historically bad defensive player. And if you throw him into that mix and take away you know, a guy like that, whatever his name is, Bruce Brown or whatever it has been, you know, crazy like defending

like a crazy person. I think it swings, you know, that side of the floor, you know, in a negative manner, and there is a bit of a diminishing return on the offensive end, and I think it lowers their ceiling a little bit. Yeah, it's them, and then the Clippers, I'm I have a little bit worry about the Clippers only because for some reason, when they see the purple and goal, those guys all are just insane. That lack of focus or them giving up big leads like did

it against the Nuggets. I don't see that happening against the Lakers, Like if the Lakers beat them, they're going to have to beat them. For some reason, when they see the Lakers, they're just they don't they're on their peace and queues. They don't miss anything. They're just straight up. And but yeah, it's just them and the nets that I'm worried about. For the nets. My other thing is if they are on, it's like for teams to go

shot for shot with them, Like that's insane. Like we we make fun of James for all of his playoff failures this and that, but at the end of the day, like Harden never played with the guy of Katie's caliber ever, and now he's about to be passing the ball and running the offense with Katie and Kyrie, who are both historically really clutched players. And so I mean, if if we see a finals matchup, it should be insane. Yeah. The funny part about that he said he's never played

with a guy of Katie's caliber. Yeah it was Katie right, Oh yeah it was. But your point is definitely right though. With that, he has way more talent around him. And I think, look, like I said this about the Lakers this year, they've obviously um gone into going into the playoffs focusing on health, right, that's what they want to do, And Nets are doing the same thing right there, trying

to focus on health. I do think there's like this respect, you have to have a continuity in this respect, you have to have the chemistry of what it takes to win a title like I just don't think, um, well, the Nets aren't gonna have enough time with the with the game's missed. I think Katie, Kyrie and Harden only played like games together as well, So that's where that's

where their struggle is going to be. Have they gone and gone through enough ups and downs to wear in the playoffs that we be able to trust each other on defense and be able to go do what you need to do in a playoff series, And that's I think that's the good thing. I just think the talent is overwhelming in the Eastern Conference and you can't go shot with shot for shot with them. That's a eating that's a losing strategy. Like you can't go, you can't

play game with them because they'll win. That that's what they wanted, that's what they want you to do. They want you to get into like a one on one battle. They'll switch a lot. They're very like very much like how Houston did last year where they try to switch everything, make you go into an isolation battle. So so yeah, I think you're right with that. They'll definitely have some issues. I just think the talent level is just just too

high for them. Well to your point about the to your point about the shopper shot thing, that's the point of the Lebron in a d or the Ben Simmons Joel Embiide or the Janice Drew Holiday type of a pairing. That makes it different is you know, if you go I would be. I am one thousand percent certain that if the Clippers got into a playoff series with the Nets, they would lose because they get into those environments and

they get into jump shooting contests with them. But for the Lakers, for the Sixers, teams that like you know, when when they're on the other end taking contested pull up jump shots. You're ramming it down their throat at the rim to me, to me, that is the way you counter their shot. Like you can you can get into an isolation contest with him if you bully them while they're trying to outfinance you. That to me is

the way to beat them. Yeah, all right, well, I appreciate you guys, thanks for having me on than you see, we got two more here so we can get to those cool cam gamba. What's going on? Man, looks like it's a connecting. Let see if I can you guy see me? Yeah, that's what I was. Oh, not much. I guess one thing I've noticed tonight especially, and I guess the first half the Clippers game. Matt West. Matthews. He has came out on defense and he has been

awesome earlier. I know, earlier in the season battle and leg injuries and stuff, but uh, specifically the lineups with him, Crusoe and KCP. I thought the perimeter defense was awesome tonight, and I think, especially if we play the Clippers, I think he's going to be important. I realized he's a little under size for Kauai and PG. By it, I think I don't know him and Kuzma are probably gonna

be switching on and off. But yeah, yeah, I tend to think that every older veteran player from the bubble deserves a pass for the way they looked in the first few months of the season. Um. I think I think all of them got out of Disney and they were like not touching the basketball for the next several months. I think that was their way of of of rejuvenating

from that crazy experience. And I think a lot of those guys that West isn't the only guy like that in the league right now who's a little bit older, has had some injuries in his life, who came back and looked a little sloppy. His mobility right now compared to the way it looks back in December is insane. He's he looks like a different player. Um. And and I'm with you, like, he's your he's your guy that

you play when you're dealing with bigger wing scores. He's not as as quick as he used to be, but he's still really, really strong, and he's still later really quick enough to hang with the bigger wings in the league that aren't going to be as shifty and quick as you might have to deal with with, you know,

with the quicker type of guards. And it looks like with the way that the matchups are shaking out, that the Lakers are far more likely to run into wings than they are too guards at this point, with the exception of the playing game against Steth, that's gonna be the one random wrinkle in there. Yeah, I said before, like West rounding into form is pretty big. Like the whole league wants three and D wings, right, that's what they want. Mcel bridges is about to get paid this summer.

I think he's one of the best three and D wings. But yeah, West ending in the forum, he's a he's a grown experience dude. Like he's been in the league a long time. He knows what it like takes, I guess to get his body ready for a full season going to the playoffs. And his jumper going is huge, Like he looks like he's moving well. I remember in the beginning of the season, like he got really cooked

by Kauai. I think in Paul George and I like first Clippers game, UM today and the last few games he's look really good against wings UM and he's playing well, So I think he's gonna be a picture of the uh, the rotation him and cous You can't can't have enough of those wings, and that's that's what the whole league wants. Yeah, I'm not really everyone's freaking out over like rotations and stuff, but I mean, Lakers have so many bodies and so

many different uh, they're shape shifting team. They can literally got matchups for any team. I do think the Clippers it's going to be if we play them, it's going to be a blood bath. I don't know. Just every time we play them it's just I don't know, it's just slow it down type of game. I don't know. It should be good. But yeah, the cold and I'm stealing that shape shifting team. I like that. That's going into my repertoire. I'll be using it from here forward.

Yeah all right, thanks, appreciate it. Thanks man. All right, and yeah, let's see if we can get gambo on there and we'll just close it off for that for the night. It looks like he's still connecting. Um I decided reacent quotes here. Frank Vogli as Cruso has to be considered for an all defensive team. That's from red Rivas Christian Vas. I think we would agree right like

he would if he got the minutes. I just don't think all defensive players come off the bench for the most part, But I think you would be considered if he were starting. Do you think do you think that? Yeah, I think it's impossible for him to get the award, unfortunately, just with the way that this whole process works. But here's all I'll say about ox Cruso. He is one of the few guys in the league that I think fits the description of a defensive wrecking ball that dude

just blows up plays all the time. He's one of my favorite players to root for, just because I've never really seen a guy, um, you know, at that type of position who he I guess I shouldn't say never see that guy, because there are several of them like that in the league, But for me personally and in the teams that I've rooted for since I've been an NBA fan, he's the first guy that I've had like that who's literally just a wrecking ball defensive that played

today where he was kind of playing in between Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton and then back pedaled and just jumped and broke up the lob to DeAndre A And that's just a ridiculous defensive play, Just a ridiculous defensive play. Yeah, he was really Let me see if I can get this last call around here, O case seven. I's you're just not connecting connecting anymore. But we can try. We can try again on Tuesday for the gentleman. Yeah, uh, well this was good. Um, this is a big win.

And yeah, I feel like we got a D pet, we got a D playing like himself. Um, I think we got the Knicks Tuesday, who beat the Clippers tonight. Actually, um in l A. It's a big one for them. Yeah. Hey, thank you guys all so much for listening. Sincerely, we appreciate it. Um if you missed out on anything that you want to hear again. I have been fortunate to be able to figure out how to record these using just screen recording on an iPhone and I'll release it as a podcast here in a few minutes so you

can check out the thing in its entirety. And to my knowledge, Roger and I plan on doing this again after the next game on Tuesday. And you know, we just really appreciate you guys. To support. This is a lot of fun and I'm glad we finally have some good news to talk about. Yep, and hopefully I'll find my voice by man. I appreciate everyone who stayed in, came and requested everything to come up. These are really cool and