Episode 52: Knicks/Lakers Postgame Spaces

trim these down a little bit. So I was like, let's go for forty minutes, and then the Lakers decided to go to overtime and keep me up all night anyway. But that was easily one of the stranger basketball games that I can remember watching in a long time, just seeing like a championship contender running their entire crunch time offense through talent Horton Tucker to Julius Randall kind of sort of outplaying Anthony Davis to Derrick Rose getting in the time machine. There's a lot of stuff to get

into with this one. What was what was your first initial impression, your first you know, if you had to describe how you're feeling right now, what would you say, Roger well, I guess first, I just want to give that NIXT team credit mandate. They came out with physicality. They were like the definition of what you talk about a lot, right. It's like when you're physical early, it's hard for really the rest to kind of determine what's a foul or what's you just being super physical. So

credit to them. They played great. Julius Randall, I feel like every shot he took I kind of wanted him to take, Like he took those midrange kind of step back jumper, those contested threes. So I credit to them. But yeah, what a what a fight? What a This felt like a playoff game, a super playoff game. Tough shots, nothing easy, everything contested. Um, this type of games you want to see before the playoffs start. It was good to see a d even though he was missing his jumpers.

I thought he was still really impactful. Um they doubled him super hard on every touch. Um he was playing in a crowd in a phone booth the whole night. So yeah, I guess, Like my first initial thoughts are like, these are the two best defenses in the league. Like, I don't think it's a coincidence. This was like a I don't even think both teams scored a hundred and even with finishing over time, I think the fourth quarter

of the Lakers won a eighteen and fifteen. I was kind of these two teams really defend, really get into it. The Knicks really like cover the paint. I said that, I tweeted that early, and They're going to really make you take shots, make threes. They made the Lakers uncomfortable, but it was this is a big win for the eighty to kind of fight through. He could tell he was kind of lingering at the end, but it was a good win, really big win to to build off

the last one. Yeah, So let's let's start with Anthony Davis because I thought it was an interesting night for him in the sense that, like early on in the first half, I felt like he looked great physically, Like you know, I came into this night thinking the Lakers were gonna lose, not because I don't believe in the team or anything stupid like that, but just because the Knicks are a really, really good defensive team and the Lakers were down a lot of shot creation and it

was kind of going to be more or less similar to what we saw against the Clippers the other night, just you know, against the slightly more inferior offense. UM, but at the end of the day, like that, they kept themselves in the game with their defense. But I expected Anthony Davis a struggle and he did making shots. But I felt like, especially in the first half, he was getting to his spots. It's not like he was having trouble getting quality looks against the Nick defense, And

I thought that that was encouraging. UM and the Nix deserve a lot of credit for kind of taking some of the aggression out of a D because you could tell there by the end of the game, like a D. I don't want to say he was being passive, because

I don't think that that's necessarily fair. You could just tell he was so fatigued by what the Knicks were doing to him defensively that it was almost kind of like he was looking at talent Orton Tucker and like, look, man, I need you to I need you to make a play, you know, because there was only like it felt like a d could get maybe a jab step jumper or fade away jumper, but that was pretty much all he could get against that Nick defense when they were really

loaded up on him. But what did you think of Anthony Davis? Is a game on the offensive ent? Yeah, Like again I thought his jumper was it going, But I thought he created pretty good shots. I mean again, they doubled him really hard. It was kind of tough for him to create anything. And again, the knicks were super physical. Julius Randall was like, he's not Zion, but like he's a sturdy dude, right, Like it's he's really good, yeah,

and and it's really tough to move him. So, like he was the primary defender on a D all night, and like whenever they try to give it to a D in the post, Randall would just do a little bit of a bump, right, and it would take a D just a step out of where he wants to catch the ball every single time, and those little bumps they add up for the whole game. I think a D shot I'm not complaining about the refer anything, but like eight shot five free throws to night, which is

really low. I think he was a double figure free throws the last few games. And that kind of thing took away his want to attack the rim. Right, if you're attacking the rim and getting mauled which I think he was getting fouled. But credit to the Knicks. They were just super physical. They also played really good defense.

They protect the paint really well. Um, so yeah, that's what I thought of a D on the offensive, and I thought his jumper wasn't going, which really hurt again this next team, and you combine that, like this is the worst team for me to not have any ball handling for right, this is a super physical, ball pressure team. It was kind of mirror of the Lakers, right, Like they're really ball pressure Lakers very much. Yeah, and they really get after you. They're big, step up on those greens.

No one what, no one's in a well Julius rounds. Those are tough guys to get any space from. Alfred Payton is picking up full core. We're having We're having like Kyle Kuzma try to just bring the ball up so that a D doesn't have to every time. So I thought this was like a pretty clear game that he was going to struggle, and he still was really productive for me. Yeah, one last note on Anthony Davis's

offense before we move on to the Laker defense. The you know he could take first of all, Julius random deserves a ton of credit for the defensive job he did on him. Um, And that was one of the biggest things that I was impressed by Anthony Davis is go to things to do when uh, when he pump fakes and he doesn't necessarily get you off your feet.

Is that dribble to the left and then once you cut him off, you'll spin and back and like, like, Julius is so sturdy that like, like like a d would pump fake from aboutt and then take that dribble to the left, and Julius would just just literally take it right squarely in his chest and kind of bounce a d back towards the other side. And there was just nothing open for him. He was beating him to

his spots in those driving lanes. So it was one of those weird things where he could get to a fadeaway jump shot, but he couldn't get past And that that was something that I thought was really impressive. And you know, here's the thing. Part of that has to do with facing and the fact that you know, you're just not seeing the same driving lanes. However, he could

take a note from Julius Randall. Anthony Davis, I mean could take a note from Julius Randall in activating that high volume three point shooting as an alternative offensively when everything else has been shut off. Because Julius Randall wasn't getting anything in the in the midpost when Anthony Davis really locked in at the end of the game. But what he what he could do though, is he could get a three point shot off and ended up being what nearly beat the Lakers. But he made I think

four threes tonight. And you know, for a player that is as skilled as Anthony Davis is, to me, that should be something that he looks to do a little more often is get you know, six, seven, eight threes up because it's gonna help free up everything else in his game. And he's skilled enough to make him And then again it's the alternative. What are you gonna do?

Let talent Horton talks her, continue to run everything. It's like, find some other way to add a little bit more versatility, you know, so that you have another counter that you can go to in a game like this when you know, when you're driving lines have been completely shut off. Yeah, a't a good point. He only took one three point attempt tonight and he obviously wasn't feeling his jumper. I

mean with the midrange, wasn't going. I don't think he was confident tonight, and to go go put it back up to the three point land and I think that's a good call on that and the t she was really the only guy that can dribble, especially with their ball pressure, right, So he's the one that had to kind of run everything. He was the only one comfortable with it. And I guess we can kind of move on to him. He was really in the big story

in the fourth court, late fourth quarter and overtime. He's another guy like you can't buy these type of reps, right. I think he had like seven or eight turnovers tonight, but they needed every single one of his dribbling, his attacking of the ram, finding guys on the outside. He made a couple of tough passes, but I thought he was really good, especially in overtime, like to even have the like guts to take that step back three pointer down one um and those huge shot and it just

shows his confidence is growing. And this again another thing that can pay dividends. Maybe not in this playoffs, maybe next year. Um, you could just see, he got more and more comfortable. Right as the game got along. He kind of read where the coveragers were coming from. Uh, he was coming off those screens a lot more confident in the fourth par What else did you see from THHD tonight? So at the beginning of the part when I said that, I thought this was one of the

strangest games that I remember seeing. It mostly had to do with talent Horton Tucker because it was such a roller coaster, which is to be expected. But I think I disagree with you know, I I view the benefit of the reps like I understand the benefit of the reps, but in terms of like strategically allowing him to do as much as he did at the end of the game, which for the record, he had tennis is tonight, which is amazing. He hit arguably, I'm not I'm not sure

what his college career. I didn't watch him very closely in college, so I can't speak to that, but arguably the biggest shot of his NBA career tonight in that three that he made to beat to win the game. He had his moments, So I don't want to, you know, gloss over that. However, strategically I was a little bit, uh, you know, I was confused as to why they leaned so heavily on him at the end of the game.

And I think the reason why was because Anthony Davis kind of became passive a little bit against Julius Randall

and the Knicks health defense. But it kind of was confusing to me because I felt like you might have been better off maybe going with a little bit more shooting and trying to get Anthony David, just force feed Anthony Davis, because arguably the guy that needs those reps more for this postseason would be Anthony Davis reading double teams, really reading the help, getting more three point shots up, being more active with the ball outside the three point

line to try to create something when there's a lack of space like that was kind of my takeaway, and it worked out, And you know, I'm still a big believer in what talent Horton Tucker can be, but I was confused, like there are a lot of the mistakes. He made a lot of mistakes at the end of that game, which again, great reps, but I disagreed with it from a strategic standpoint. Yeah, I just don't think

they had anywhere else to go and ad. He looked pretty exhausted, right, like, I'm not sure if his conditioning is back to where it needs to be. He looked tired at the end of the fourth um into overtime, and again those bumps by like Randall just he was

defending him all the all game. Those bunches they just add up, and going to the fourth quarter, you could tell he just didn't really want to continue driving into three people, four people, right, because the knicks really collapsed on him, made him try to kick those out and they kind of dared PhD and all those guys to make shots. Dot KCP had a wide open look right in the late fourth before, Yeah, that would have won it.

He had a wide open one. West had a few wide open ones Um and Macamore as well, and they just really and again they just covered the paint. They really locked it down. And I think t was only got I mean, they were just and he got stripped a few times as well, right, I think Terrick Rose

got him. I don't remember if that was in overtime, there was when it was when Derrick Ross gambled in the backcourt and then HD pushed and then Rose basically just chased him down and poked it away from behind, and you could see that turnovercoming like a mile away. I felt like once once he passed it up. But again, those are things that you have to live with because other than him, like, you're gonna have a d bringing up every time. And you could tell he was exhausted.

He was not himself, um, and they had drumming down there as well. There was just nowhere to work, so he was the only one comfortable driving in a nice finish. But you had a lot of mistakes, but you're gonna live with that. He's a twenty year old guard who should not be in this position. He's basically playing Lebron's role, right, Like that's Lebron's role to to do all that, to have the ball the whole time. So I thought he

did it as well as he could. And they had no one else to go through, especially Caruso being out so early in the game as well. It's just really tough to have only one ball handler. Basically, maybe the saw would have been a nice ad over there too, But I thought Drummond was playing pretty well. I think, and I guess we can move to like Drummonds, Um, what do you think from him tonight? Yet? Had he had a really interesting game? I thought he had a

prototycobal drumming game. What do you think from him tonight? Yeah, I agree with you that he had a prototypical drumming game.

And honestly, like, to me, the more fascinating thing about the because Drummond is Drummond and we've kind of talked that to death, so to speak, the interesting thing to me about this matchup was it struck me as the kind of game where the Lakers really paid the price for playing centers, and the primary reason had to do with their gross who was so gotten to such a rhythm early in the game operating in in that pick and roll that the Lakers basically had to start, you know,

doing their their version of a trap, which is basically like you know, catch heads or the center's yingda there, but he's not really ball pressuring. He's kind of halfway

between a drop and halfway between between a trap. And what would happen is Derek grows that they led there in the second half, he towards the Lakers by basically coming off of that quickly reversing the ball, and then there would be a shooter open on the back end or the big man big man rolling down the lane, Derrick Rose wouldn't make the pass that led to the shot. He'd make the pass that led to the pass that

led to the shot. And I thought that, you know, one of the problems with that was that kind of noncommittal, slow footed center as that second defender in the screening action with Derrick Rose, and that this goes for both drum and and this all. I thought it really killed

the Laker D and uh. I think it's an example of a team where you know, when you're going against a really good guard that dictates a ton of defensive attention in those screening rolls, that's one of those ones where you really need a D in that action, and you really need to be a D to be the one that can either sw whitch onto the guard or be active with his hands at the screen so that Derrick Rose can't just easily reverse the ball to a

wide open shot. And then the Lakers, I thought, did a bad job of guarding that reverse pass um in the sense that it made it was too easy to swing it back up across the top, which then led to the inevitable assist. I thought there their screening roll coverages in general with Drummond and Marcusol on the floor are really sloppy tonight, and I think Derick Rose just absolutely killed him as a result. Um, you know, Drummond, it is what it is at this point, he definitely

negatively impacts their facing. I thought he had some good moments tonight, but there were just you know, just normal Drummond type of mistakes that you've we've grown accustomed to at this point. Yeah, I'm looking at the box. I didn't even realize he played thirty five minutes tonight, which is which is, which is quite a bit. But again, like he was six for eleven and those five misses, it feels like he missed fifteen, right Like every rebound he gets he goes up, it feels like it misses.

But he had eighteen rebounds, five offensive rebounds. I thought he was at least a fourth down low. He kept him, I thought in the game when the Knicks tried to kind of push the lead out on those covers, like Derrick Rose he was ten for twenty two. I thought he had a lot of floaters and kind of tough shots. I thought he had a few contested ones as well.

I didn't think it was too bad on him, but some of that, like the defense really bogged down that screen action when Derrick Rose would come off the pick and rolls, I thought they got really tired at the end. I think you twated this to this. The defense got really sloppy right as the game went on. Closeouts were really bad. They really picked, they really picked on the they really used the Derrick Rose Julius Randall's screen and roll.

I thought they went to that a lot down the stretch and then Rose would kind of kick it to Julius. But I thought Drummond, like I thought, he played his game. Um, this was one of the best games I think I've seen from him, just from like an engagement level, Like he wasn't hitting his like little flip shots in the rim or nothing like that, but he was really engaged on defense. He had a huge block forgotten who it was,

but he really protected the rim. And again, you hold a team of like ninety points, I think you do your job basically defense, Like I think this is this is a game you should be able to win, right you hold the team this slow to this low scoring. So I thought he did his role very five minutes of a lot for him, though, Um, I thought Tread's really got put out of the rotation, only had five minutes, So I thought he was okay. I thought I thought

he played his role tonight. Yeah, he was definitely better in those coverages then Mark was. UM. But I still thought that. I mean, there were even a couple of moments where the Knicks missed some opportunities. I thought, um, just by Julius being a little bit tunnel vision, uh, and Derrick grows missing some stuff. But you know, I I agree with you. I thought he was better than Mark.

I just thought one of the interesting takeaways from that is that when you play a team like the Warriors, for instance, and the play in um putting a center on the floor in those screening actions, when you're gonna have to be pretty aggressive with Steph, I think as a recipe for disaster. UM. And I hope that Frank is willing to audible out of that, which of course

he hasn't been willing to a regular season. But I just I just and this has been kind of a stylistic, uh, the disagreement that I have had with the Lakers all year, and that I wish they were just trapped because then at the very least when they do those sleeping swing passes back across the court to whoever is at the top of the key or whether it's someone going coming down the lane, you can at least force that to be a little bit more of a looping pass, which

gives your defense a chance to recover. Uh, And he gives them a little bit of a better opportunity to get those rotations intact. But I thought, I thought Mark looked like really bad on the defensive end tonight. I thought you looked slow footed and out of place. And I think this is an example of a matchup where where you really can't play him. And I think a good comp for that in the West would be the Warriors, you know, a team that uh that that I think

Mark would be out of place against. Yeah, Derrick Rose really took it to him, right if I like, every time you got a switch on Marcus All, he just drove, He drew a value out to the rim, hit his floaters. So maybe this isn't like really a game from Mark. I thought he was okay, kind of trapping out. He had for assists really quickly in his minutes. He kind of helped out with that, but they were really physical with him as well. TOAJ Gibson was really into him.

He wasn't able to get really comfortable um at all. And I guess you can kind of move move on from there. West Matthews, I thought I had another just really good game. He looked really good. He looked ready, like he looks ready to go in the playoffs. He had he had that big three as well. Um he had to tip in. Um. It just feels like he's going to be a big part of the rotation right in the playoffs. Like it just feels like he's he's solidified himself as a role. Do you see that as well?

From him? I thought West was fantastic. I thought, I thought on both ends of the floor again, and there's there's a stability with West. Um. You don't have to worry about him making mistakes. You know, most of the defensive mistakes tonight, ironically, I thought came from the big not just the centers, but Anthony Davis. For as good as he was in his isolation plays against Julius Randall, I thought he had some sloppy ones too, a lot of low bike closeouts and things along those lines where

where he left things compromise. I thought the guards were in general pretty good tonight, and I thought West was fantastic. I thought he did a really good job on Derrick Rose at the end of the game m hm. And I thought a big part of the reason why the Lakers were able to I think our friend Pete from Laker Film Room tweeted this out. They held the Knicks too. I want to say it was like six points in the last seven minutes of the fourth quarter that allowed

them to send the game to overtime. And I thought a big part of that was West's defense on Rose. And I think the two times he broke three were uh he made a floater over Wesley where West defended it perfect, like just bodied him the whole way. Um didn't foul there was you know, took it in, took the jump in the chest, and he just made a

tough shot over the top. And then the three that Derrick Rose made in overtime was on a play where Anthony Davis did his sloppy close out on on Julius Randall and blew by him and West had to step over and Derrick Rows ended up wide open. But a big part of the reason why the Lakers won that game was Wesley Matthews defense on Derrick Rose in my opinion, and uh, and he deserves a lot of credit. But he's peaking. Is he looks great physically, he's starting to

knock down open threes. And then again, he's just that he's that stable force, that guy that you can count on to fulfill his role as small as it is. And and my my hope is that he will be in the postseason rotation over th Ht when the time comes. Yeah, it was cool to see him and Kuzma kind of going right. Kuzma I thought really saved him and that the first quarter, second quarter, I think he had like sixteen points or something. He was the only one really

able to get any offense going. He was shooting. It was kind of cool to see like him and West. It feels like both of them are gonna be a big part of the playoffs. And we talked about in the last last spaces that you can have enough wings right as cool to see the Lakers have two of them going at least moving to the playoffs and then hopefully we get Lebron back tomorrow. I think you'd play again against Houston tomorrow. But it was cool to see

him and and Kuzma. I think Kulin missed the last game or and that he didn't play well in the previous game against Portland, so he got his jumpers to go. Um and Yeah. I thought they really brought it tonight and the defense man just like against this this next team. I thought this was like a really huge win. It could be like a building win in my opinion. Um, I thought they could really easily just let it go. But they were done. Yeah, they were down like nine

or something. You could see I think they were down ten. You could just see like the fight kind of go and then a few shots go in, a tip, a tip goes in and h th hd F. I really brought that kind of energy as well on the fourth. I was just a really big win. Do you have anything else from from tonight? Yeah, I mean you know to to to go to the higher elevation to look down on it, Like I agree, Like it was one of those games where when you're looking at the standings,

it wasn't really all that important. The Lakers are far more likely to end up in the seventh season anywhere else and you could argue that that's where their best

um to avoid the Clippers in the first round. And so it was one of those games where there was no reason in the world to push through even a D physically for him too, I think A D was being a little dramatic, uh there at the end of that game with his uh physical wear and tear, because under the circumstances, I really do think they would have benched him if it was something serious. Um that said, like, you know, the Lakers could have easily packed it in.

A D could have packed it in, and and they went for it, and uh, you know they're there at the end of the day, Like momentum does matter, confidence does matter, and and I I think putting a little wind streak together like this at the end of the season, including it, it it looks like it'll be two wins against playoff teams. I think Houston, who were their last two, I think they play like Cleveland and someone else so that they go on the road for their last two.

But to get a couple of wins against playoff teams like this without lebron um, we will give you that confidence to know that that that you're you're capable of going on a run and think they have a good reason to feel confident moving forward. Yeah, I guess that's kind of the big kind of picture here. And we we we thought Lebron would played tonight, and he was kind of like a late scratch during the day. But I just hope, like a d kind of keeps up

that aggressiveness that he was showing. I thought tonight he just got really tired. The names are super physical, and I thought that kind of brought him down. But just to keep that, keep that aggressiveness, keep his jump keep shooting the jump shot even though it wasn't going. I just want him to keep taking it. And with Lebron coming back, trying to fit fit him back into big back into the team, the team can kind of get going. They play Houston, Indiana and the Pelicans to close it out, um,

and I think this is a chance they can. They can definitely win out right. I think the Pelicans are hurt, the Pacers aren't playing great basketball, and the Rockets are are the Rockets, So it's a good time to kind of build going to the playoffs, Like a five game win streak. I think that would be great no matter who they play. Um, I think they can jump to the sixth seed or they can stay. I didn't realize there's still only a game back, but I guess those

teams have the tiebreakers, so they're two games back. But no matter what, you need, this team needs to like look at themselves, right. I don't think they care anymore about looking at looking outside. And Lebron get back tomorrow, that'd be awesome, kind of build some chemistry. They said, Shoulder compartely maybe come back with the last two and it looks like people are going at the right time. Hopefully Crusoe is not out for too long. I just I just hope this team isn't through a radical for

too long. Like we talked about it, how this team has been all year. You get one guy back, you get one guy out, so you're basically just playing, like get playing a guessing game with how it's gonna look healthy. Um, So hopefully we get Lebron back and you can kind of pit back in th HD won't have to play the Lebron role, and Shoulder can get back and just

get this team going with these last three games. Yeah, ill with where we were when you and I did that, spaces are first spaces, which I think was I can't remember when exactly it was, but um, with where we were about a week and a half ago, in terms of the overall, you know, morale of the fan base and morale of the Walker room, they have to feel a heck of a lot better going from Lebron basically checking out because the ankle because he came back too

soon from his ankle, and Anthony Davis looking like an absolute shell of himself, especially on the defensive end, and with all of the other injuries they were dealing with, and the Dennis Shrewder COVID news man that was rock bottom and uh and to be where they are now with some really solid wins three straight or not three consecutive, but three wins in the last week and a half against against playoff teams like really good teams without Lebron,

and to kind of have the defense clicking again, I think, I think there's a lot of reason to be optimistic. But hey, let's get some Let's get some guests up here for about fifteen minutes and then let's call it tonight. Let's do it. Get your requestion, Let's see how long when you go UM first one, I think was lows. I appreciate everyone that stayed in here after the game. We know it's late. Hey, what's up you guys, what's

going on? And now? Much so I just wanted to ask, like, I think Jason basically test on this, but since A d was like, look like he was like laboring at the end of that game, do you guys think he

said tomorrow or do you think he's gonna play? I originally thought he was going to and then I think I think it's possible that with the Banner Knight, that he might push through and and play a little bit um uh, you know he with with the with it being against Houston, I wouldn't necessarily think it's all that important for him to push, you know, exert himself major

league tomorrow. But at the end of the day, like you know, I would argue that with the reps with Lebron, I would argue that it's important for him to play. But at this point, with without it all just depends on how dramatic he was being. If he was being super dramatic and he's not anywhere near as hurt as he let it let us all to believe tonight, then

then he'll play. But but but if if he really is banged up, if he's got a mild growing strain, which is what the broadcast keep kept asking about, then then then I I would hope that they would keep him out. That's that's what I'm saying at this point. I just want us to go into the playoffs healthy, regardless of where we're going to see because I feel like at this point, like whether we're their seventh or

the sixth seed, it's whatever tod me. At this point, I really just want us to be healthy to even have a shot at like actually advancing deeply to the playoffs. So that's why I was asking. I was hoping that it wasn't like a serious thing, because I really didn't look into it after the game. Yeah, A d kind of scares all of us, like three times a game, right, Like exactly, he falls like every other possession, and I

think he falls for like good reason. I think it's so he doesn't get hurt, right, I think that's how they're kind of taught to fall. Yeah, exactly. I think this Lakers team, if it's anything serious, even like ten percent serious, he's gonna sit. In my opinion, that's just how they've operated. I mean Lebron said tonight right um and talked about it. He wanted to give it one more day. So I don't think they'll push through it at all. If you see ad he played tomorrow then

and he's fine. If he doesn't play, they're probably just want to just don't take it too serious. I guess they don't really care about the seating. That's how they really operated. I think they're starting to take these games more serious. They're being coached more serious. But I think he'll he's not going to play if it's anything even close. Yeah, I think they're about it, Yeah, definitely. I think they're just treating these games like a tune up game right now.

At least that's what it looks like. Just try to get some sulf ready to play in the playoffs, especially because they gotta play the play and probably and they got to take that game seriously no matter what, even if they get you tries, you don't want to risk it.

For all of you who play basketball that listen here, any of you, even if it's just pick up like sometimes when you play like a really physical game, or if you go to a specific run where I don't know if it's like older guys who tend to foul a lot or whatever it is. When you play some really physical basketball, sometimes it just beats the heck out of here and you just got a bunch of bumps and bumps and bruises and you're just really sore the next day. And so let's just hope it's that and

that's something more serious. Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for it too. Maybe he just got nicked in the leg or something and they just felt like a little bruiser or something. But yeah, I just wanted to clarify that because, like like I said, I just saw that like he was they said, they mentioned the growing thing, but I really didn't like follow up with it. I think you should be fine though, hopefully, But like you said, the rage he does scarce every time he falls. Yeah, he

does exactly. All right. Well, yeah, thank you guys. I appreciate it. Appreciated. Yeah, no worries. How do I say, y'all could just send me down, I assumer I don't know how to do that. I'll just leave. I'll just leave you. Ah, he can can because he took off. Yeah. Yeah, are you there, Matt Or is it Matt, what's going on there? Not much great win tonight. I think that one of the things that was interesting about tonight for me personally was the fact that it really did feel

like a playoff intensity game with playoff steaks. And I mean, like it's not obviously playoff takes us, but man, it felt like it. And I think that that's super important as a dress rehearsal too the actual playoffs and potentially to play in. And I think it's really important for Anthony Davis to play through some some hard physical play. Um. Also, lastly, shout out Drummond. I've been hard on Drummond for a

while now, but um, he really stepped up tonight. He was awesome on the offensive board's really good protecting the him And uh, yeah, that's all. Just wanted to say a couple of comments. Man, hey, dude, you're absolutely right

about the playoff intensity and how important that is. Like, you know, Roger and I were joking earlier earlier, like it felt like the Lakers could have packed it in a few times, and honestly, the reason why they did it is just that, like, I think it's super beneficial to get reps playing really intense playoff level basketball, because then you're not shell shocked by it and you don't dig yourself in a hole early in the series because

you're used to playing at a different intensity. Like I I think that just like you were saying about a d just like you were saying about the team. It helps to identify the value of this type of game and just try to win the damn thing so that you can add it to your arsenal of confidence and your arsenal of intensity, um, so that you're prepared to make that adjustment when all of a sudden, ever game is like that. Yep, Matt, I think you hit it

around the head like that. They needed to start playing these games serious, not just from a players standpoint, from a coaching standpoint as well, just with the lineups, and it just feels like they're starting to really get serious. And this was playoff intensity basketball, Like this is what the playoffs looks like when it bogs down, right, You don't get easy shots. Um, everything's tough, everything is physical. They don't call everything, um the free Those aren't just

given right like that. The was the playoff level game and they were able to pull it out without any shock creation, which is great, and I think you're right, Drummond. Really, I thought his physicality made a difference tonight. U. He had a good game and it was a really good test for the team. I think the Knicks are legit. I don't think this is like a facade. I don't think it's gonna go away in the playoffs. Like I

think they're legit defensive team. They know that they know what they do, so getting a win on them is huge. So yeah, I think you're right. All right, Next we got Merge. What's going on? Merge? Hear me, hear me, we can hear I'm back. I had the I had a couple of comments, uh the Drummond. On a second, what Matt said about Drummond. I thought this was his best game as a as a laker. Um even more so than that that that book, the bookly next game

where we blew them out. I thought it was big that he was in the game down the stretch making big I clutch plays, often to rebounds, or was at one beginning of overtime where he got a rebound and came to the th HD in the corner for three. Um. He made a bunch of those plays today and I was really impressed. I think that's kind of the route that you if Drummond is the main contributor in the playoffs, that's where you want to see from him. Um. And second, I just want to talk a little bit more about

th HD. RAJ knows how high I am on THHD even t even coming out of the draft. Th h D was one of my was a guy that I was fine taking in like the lottery. Uh so I was extremely high on th HD. I just want to see where you guys stand as th HT as like his his highest ceiling outcome. Where do you guys think that that lands for him? Just from what you've seen so far and just what he can improve on the easiest Where do you guys see he can be as

like best case scenario? I remember, I remember before this season, I asked your I'm just share with everyone here, like what is th HD's outlook? And you said all star? And I thought you were crazy. Um, I remember, even but but I can I mean, I don't know if you'll get there, but I think he's gonna be really good. Like he look doesn't look scared. Um, he's a really good Uh he can be a really good shot. Creator,

and he looks comfortable taking shots off the dribble. Um. I don't know if it's three point shot will get to where it needs to go, but he looks awesome. I think I'm higher on him than you aren't, right, Jason, But I think he's great. I don't know if you can just give him the ball every time down the down the floor in the future, but he's looking like he's going into that kind of archetype where he can play it that way. My criticism is not of th HD,

it's of the Lakers and how much they've leaned on him. Um. I do think it will pay off in the long run. I'm a believer in the reps. I just think strategically within the lens of trying to win right now, I thought they've leaned on him a little too much. That's just my opinion. However, I am a huge believer in th HD. And you know it's funny, I've always the compent everyone throws out there is Eric Gordon. I've kind of come around on that more towards ironically the player.

He reminds me that most of his Dwyane Wade, and obviously he's not going to be a Superstars One Finals MVP in his early twenties. But what th Hd is is he's this relentless slasher with extremely strong legs who can take these big lunging steps into the paint, and his his jump shot game kind of reminds me of d Wade to where like his percentages are never really going to pan out too much, but like he's got

all of the jump shot moves in the bag. Like the you know, the game winner tonight was like off the dribble, Uh, there's a little bit of a screening action with a d that that Derrick Rose gets caught on. He gets a little bit of separation and he just takes a hard dribble to his left and elevates and knocks down at three. Or the shot that he made at the start of overtime where he kind of ran into the corner. He's got step backs, he's got spinning moves,

he's got one leg fade away. It's like he's that is the kind of thing that reminds me of Dwyane Wade, because that was the Dwayne had experience was, you know, percentage wise, he was never a great jump shooter, but everybody knew that like if if his team needed shot, he could go get one and and uh and his career highlight tape is full of him making those types of plays. And you know, so that's what I kind

of see him as his d Wade light. Just a relentless rim attacker who was capable of some playmaking and will never be a good percentage shooter, but can can get to a lot of shots, and to me, that can be an all star. And and to be honest, it's up to him because he certainly has the physical tools and I thought I was high on him, and he just compared him to Dwayne Wade sent it's not even the offense for me that I think I see him as like like making it this high value guy.

I really think that there's a lot of unpapped potential defensively. Obviously the arms that he has UH help a lot, but I think he's a lot he's smarter on that, and then some people give him credit for um. Obviously the off ball stuff isn't great, but there aren't a ton of twenty year older rookies that are great at off ball defense unless you're some historically great defender your

first year, like i'nna teasetyble or something like that. Uh, but I think that it it changes his outcome to like a good like score, to like a guy who you can really trust in all facets of the game. Yeah, it's his wingspan really comes into play. I thought to not even he created like some turnovers on the Knicks when they trapped, and he really fits that like trapping scheme as well. I think Vogel even said he has like more defensive potential than offensive potential just from like

his his week span and everything. And yeah, I think he has better instincts. You're right. He makes like young mistakes, which I think I'm fine with. Like I don't expect him to be able to defend great in like a playoff series any any of that. But yeah, I think he's gonna be really good. And just touch on your drumming point, I think you're right, Like I just wish you when he got offensive rebound, he kicked it out every time, right, Like I just wish he did that

instead of putting it up. But you can't really be picky, but five offensive rebounds, it was definitely his best game other than maybe the Brooklyn game. Maybe that was like the second second best game from him, But tonight he had some good kickout passes and it feels like he can make those when he wants to. He just decided sometimes to go up against three people. But I thought

he was good tonight. Defensively, talent Horton Tucker had some ridiculous rotations and at the end of overtime when the Lakers would send doubles or heavily shade towards Julius Randall, his closeouts are like when THHD is doing his job. Defensively, it's kind of frightening because his clothes outs he comes in super low, but he's got those super long arms and he can beat you the spots. And I agree. I think I think he's got uh all world defensive

potential on top of whatever you get out of him offensively. Yeah, definitely, really guys, thanks for having me on again again. Thanks man. Yeah for sure out one more is you can get your re question. We've got one more left here? Yes, all right, one more and then we'll call it tonight and then we'll be back tomorrow. Yea timid, timid dial. What's going on? I hope I ain't Bucher. That looks like it's connecting here, big guys. Okay, yeah, what's going on?

And so much so this is Die from Nigeria, big fan. So M I just want to ask a question. So should them lackas be worried about them? Draymond Stephan the Warriors if we're finishing seventh seas, which looks likely, That's the question I want to ask. So this matchup has been on my mind literally NonStop over the last few days. It's a super super interesting matchup because the Warriors have been playing really well for a long time. They've won

six of their last seven games. I saw someone tweeted today that since they ditched Wiseman from the rotation, they've been like the third best team in the league by

that painting. Um, so they're in there, are top five defense, and they have arguably the best player in the world if you ask someone in the Bay, although most people out of the outside of the Bay would probably disagree with you, but the point is is they they are, without a doubt, a dangerous opponent that should be respected and and um someone that I hope the Lakers are

taking very seriously. The one game setting thing is super tricky because of the high variants of the way that Steph plays, and because the Lakers have a tendency to have nights where they go very cold, I tend to think that that, you know, seven game series, I would pick the Lakers oncent of the time as and I would You could play that series a hundred times, and I think the Lakers win every single one of them because I think they're equipped to take advantage of all

of the different chess moves that take place in a playoff series and beat a team like that. But in a one game setting, I give them roughly a chance because they defend and because they have to and and in that type of environment, anything could happen. However, I do believe the Lakers will win. And the reason why it's very simple. They're really good at defending guards like this. They didn't do a great job of it tonight and they let Derrick Rose get going. But KCP is an

extremely gifted lock and trail defender. That makes him a very good Steph Curry defender. And when you couple that with the Lakers ability to trap and recover the way they did against Dame and the way they did against James Harden and the way they did against Jamal Murray in the playoffs last year. We know that they're defensively built for this type of matchup. My guess is that if they played that Steph would have a rough night and that the Lakers would win by twenty plus. I

really do believe that. However, I do think that there's a legitimate chance that it could be close and roughly a twenty chance that the Warriors could pull it out, and I hope that the Lakers take that match up very serious. Yeah, I think you always have to respect staff, But I mean when they played this year, the Lakers blew them out by over twenty twice, and that was without Anthony David Um even them out. Yeah, they were up and just decided to stop playing Um the beginning

of the year. I just think they can't handle the size. They just don't have enough UM. And I think the Lakers are probably the best. I think you would agree

with me, Jason. They're like the best trapping team in the league, and they're really good when they were able to do that and just build a lot of chaos, and then they'll really get into Steph, make him try to make passes over the top, really make guys like Draymond Andrew Wiggins, UM, all those other guys make make jump shots, and I just don't think they'd be able to make up. I think it's a little high for me. I just don't see them even in a one game sample.

Obviously staff can go crazy and hit like their team threes or something, UM, but you can do that against anyone any night. So but I just think they don't have the the size or the requis in talent people to keep up with the Lakers, who are the best defense in the league and blew them out twice without their best defender UM, And I just think they have a size issue, they have a talent issue. And Lebron James and a D. I feel like we'll be pretty

serious in one game sample. I don't think they're gonna take that lightly either, and they just have a matchup for either. I think Andrew Wiggins has been great this year on defense, UM, but he just he can't guard Lebron or a D and any kind of matchup. Draymond does a nice job on him, nice job on a D. But I just don't that the size is too much rebounding and they wouldn't be able to they would be

able to get shots that they want. KCP Caruso. Guys like that really good at chasing around screens making stuff. At least work, that's all you can do. I think that would be enough to kind of make that a easy win in the plane. Yep, I agree. It's it's a textbook anything gonna happen type of game. I think the Lakers are really better, um, but but you know I I definitely think they're an opponent that should be respected.

All right, thanks for having that. Thank you, all right, everybody, thank you so much for taking time to hang out with us after the game tonight. We're are Roger and Ice playing from neuron outus to do one of these after every single game and hopefully that means a couple more months. Hopefully not a much shorter time frame than that. However, we really appreciate you guys. We're gonna I'm gonna immediately transcribe this into the screen recording into a podcast and

I will tweet it out to you guys. Um, we will see you tomorrow night after hopefully Lebron James returning and looking like Lebron James. But Roger got anything else before we go it's it man. Thanks a good for everyone. We know it's late, so I appreciate everyone hanging out and uh staying after the game.