Episode 71: Lakers Lineups, Vogel's Contract & Mailbag

all of them. So we're gonna do a mail bag. Um. We have a bunch of questions in the tweet that I sent out earlier, but feel free to drop questions in the comments because we're gonna go till about today and we'll just keep hitting questions until we until we get to that time and then we need to stop. First of all, rog, how you doing on Friday morning? Doing great? Doing great? It's cool to see um a bunch of people kind of ask questions and stuff like that,

so that that'll be fun. Um, we have doing well. Leaving a Vegas on Sunday, Um, so I'm gonna try to catch a few of the summer League games. It's supposed to be like Super hot again over there. So that's it's gonna be like a hundred degrees, I think again,

but yeah, I'm excited for that. Yeah too. Fun is famously insanely hot over the summer, but the entire month of July and so far in August, we've just been completely blasted with rain and these like crazy intense storms that are like ripping trees out of the ground and

stuff like pretty wild stuff. Um, but the last like three or four days has gone back to the way it usually is, which is just obscenely hot, like it was like one oh seven yesterday, but there's so much moisture in the air that it's humid as all held

as well. But anyway, all right, So basically our game plan for today as we as we go through this is we're gonna quickly touch just on a handful of teams that are considered the Lakers uh their rivals, and just talk about their moves and whether or not we think it changes the way those teams match up. And then we're going to talk about some Lakers lineups, particularly the starters and the closers, as well as my favorite lineup and Rodger's favorite lineup that we're waiting to see,

not counting starters and closers. Obviously, we're gonna really quickly touch on Frank Vogel's contract and uh, just whether or not the Lakers need to bring him back, how far they need to extend themselves, whether or not there's any chance that he goes in another direction. And then we're gonna go to the mail bag and just keep hitting

questions until we get to UM. But all right, so you know, as far as you know, you and I have talked about doing a pod where we're gonna talk about all the different free agent moves around the league. But the truth of the matter is like it hasn't been that crazy of a free agency because there just haven't been any big names really involved. The Russell Westbrook trade is arguably the best player that's changed teams, depending

on how you value Russell Westbrook. You know, we have Kyle Lowry to Miami, but I think we can all agree that doesn't really move things in the East. Same thing goes with Chicago loading up. What I'm most interested in, and this is what we'll start with, is Brooklyn, Milwaukee in Golden State, because those are going to be the three teams that I think pose the biggest threat to knock out the Lakers, mainly because Denver is still gonna be down Jamal Murray for at least half the season,

if not longer. And I don't expect Kawhi Leonard to play this here at all, um, just because he's historically taken his sweet sweet time getting over these injuries. So I don't think we'll see much of the Clippers in terms of a top tier contender. So I guess my question for you is this, is there anything that you saw from Brooklyn, Milwaukee or Golden State that makes you think that they've improved considerably and are more of a

threat now than they used to be. Um, not really, I guess like it doesn't feel like any of them did anything crazy. Brooklyn. I think it's going to be the monster it is. They still have the three superstars um locked in. I assume that they'll be healthy next year. Um. They got a couple of draft picks, I think in the first round or something like that. But yeah, Patty Males was a really nice pickup for them, Like, I think that's a high level pickup. I thought he was

worth more than the contract he got for them. But I mean they pretty much stayed pretty much level. Um, Milwaukee as well lost p J. Tucker, but I think overall they're pretty much the same. Um, they got George Hill. Uh, I think they picked up George Hill, right, but George. Yeah, the Warriors one is the one the most interesting to me. I really didn't expect them to keep both their draft picks,

so they pretty much stood expecting. Um, I think Clay is gonna be probably back in December January, but again it's gonna be a heavy Steph offense. They resigned iguodala Um today he chose the Warriors. He broke our hearts again, but but I think that was kind of predictable too. So yeah, they're the most interesting one to me because like they have the most variants, right, depending on what Clay is, Um, they can either be a top four seat or they can be a plane. Just on terms

of him. They got two rookies there. Um, we'll see how they kind of contribute. But yeah, they're again they're telling the line of doing both, and we always say when you do both, you kind of do neither. So it's kind of interesting to me. They're the most interesting for me. How about you? From the like contending teams. Yeah, agree, which is why I added them to the list. I'm not necessarily worried about Brooklyn or Milwaukee because they're more

or less the same to me. Like Milwaukee, I think got a little more thin on the wing because they lost p J. Tucker, But I wouldn't be surprised if Janice takes another, you know, considerable leap as a player next year, so I think they will be better. Not to mention, there's just something to be said about the freeness and confidence that a champion plays with coming off of a title. Brooklyn, the big one is they lost

Jeff Kareen and added James Johnson, which is absolutely a downgrade. Uh. They kind of fulfill the same role, but he's a lesser version of that player. They were able to resign Blake Griffin there more. Patty Mills to me is an interesting case of diminishing returns because of the fact that you know, uh, Patty Mills is this guy that you can have flying off of screens. Isn't a great who's a great shooter. He's a gifted passer out of pick

and roll things along those lines. But any game where the Brooklyn Nets are healthy, and Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant are on the floor. There's just only so much they're gonna ask Patty Mills to do. Like,

Patty Mills is capable of doing all those things. But if I've got all those other guys on the floor, even two of those three guys on the floor, and I'm running, you know, double pin double pin downs for Patty Mills, or running pick and roll with Patty Mills, kind of feels like a waste of a possession to have Kyrie and James Harden or Kyrie and Kevin Durant spotting up. So to me, I love Patty Mills. I think he's a great player. I just think it's an

example of diminishing returns. The reason why I brought a Golden State is it all starts and ends with how much I respect Steph Curry as one of the three best players of the world. Who's very capable, you know, depending on who you ask, being the best player in the world. Um, he was playing last year with low level NBA talent, and even with that, he was able to be significantly over five hundred when he played and had a puncher's chance really to beat anybody, and a

couple of shots go differently here there. They could have been the seven seed or the eight seed, and and and could have potentially had a run in the playoffs. That's not to say they would have won the title, but the point is is that Golden State team accomplished a lot despite having significant roster limitations. Now Clay Thompson is coming back, a lot of people are worried about his health. Uh, They're like, Oh, he's not gonna be as good defensively as he was. You know, Clay Thompson

was never a freak athlete defender. He was a positional defender with an extremely high i Q. He was really good at just anticipating moves and and playing good positional defense. I'm not worried about his athleticism as much impacting his ability to defend, and it certainly isn't gonna impact his ability to shoot the basketball. So I'm really optimistic that Klay Thompson is gonna be most of his former self. Then when you add that in with Otto Porter Jr.

As long as you can get healthy. Now we're looking at the Warriors having six really good NBA players or five really good NBA players next to Steph and with as good of a defensive player as Draymond Green is, and with what Clay Thompson does to relieve pressure off of Steph. I have a great deal of respect for what that team is capable of accomplishing. Health is going to be an issue. Depth is going to be an issue.

But any playoff series that that team is healthy and Steph Curry is healthy on the floor, they're capable of beating anybody. In my opinion, yeah, me too, just really quickly on Patty Mills, he butt like Joe Harris insurance right, because Joe Harris I think missed everything in the playoff shot from three, So I think that's where they think about him. But yeah, with the Warriors, Steff is hard to defend with. If it's like him and four people you pick off, you know this street Like, he's just

that hard to defend. You can triple team and everything. It's sarah really hard to defend him. I'm with you on Clay. I think it's shooting will be there. Um, teams are still gonna guard him. I don't care what he looks like, like his gravity can miss his first five shots. Teams are still gonna stick on Clay Thompson, so um, and I think it puts Draymond back in that playmaking role. It's funny watching him on team say, people are getting mad he's not shooting him Like, he's

not shooting on the seventy three and nine Warriors. Draymond is not gonna shoot on Temo say, like, it's just not how this's is not how it's gonna work. But yeah, I like this kind of Warriors team. Autoporter Junior I forgot about him as well. That's a crazy pickup at the minimum UM. I think that was for probably healthy he's Yeah, he's played like forty games in the last two years. That's why his health, that's why his value dipped. But when healthy, he's one of the best wings that

was available. Yeah, he's probably got an overpaid contract, but and he's another one of those guys that like went from uh, what's undervalued to probably overvalued their um with his contract. But yeah, he's a knockdown for you present shooter when healthy, two way wing. I think as well.

Auto Porter Junior on those Wizards team that he played on, he didn't play much in Chicago, so yeah, I think the Warriors, like if Clay, like you said, I think I'm hired on Clay being better, then then people think as well. But if he's even like eight percent of themselves, I mean Clay Stephan Draymond is still it's still a trio to kind of you have to fear in the

in the Western Conference for sure. Well you look at it in terms of lineups, right, so like you know, uh, we're gonna talk about this with the Lakers soon in the way that you know, just having you know, their depth and and versatility is part of it. But even having just one lineup that is dependable gives you a puncher's chance to beat anybody, you know what I mean. Like the certain teams at the top, the reason why they're the favorites is they've got a bunch of these lineups.

They've got a bunch of different directions they can go to beat people. Uh, the Warriors may not have that level of versatility, but they're always gonna have a puncher's chance because of that lineup. If I can go out there with Steph Curry, Clay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins or Auto Porter or Andre Guadala, two of those three and Raymond at the center. That's a lineup that is capable of beating anybody. That's the bottom line. Can you bludgeon them

over a series because they're lack of depth? Maybe, can you wear them down, get them to start missing shots because you're they're not as deep as you. Maybe, But if that five players or five of those six guys can stay healthy and if they're on the floor in

a playoff series against anybody, they're capable of winning. And and and that that just in and of itself makes you a threat in my opinion, because like you watch those Suns series right the Son's Bucks series, it came down to it, and they just didn't have the top end talent. Booker and Paul just weren't capable of generating enough shots. Steph will be. You know, Steff is gonna be able to generate quality shots against a Milwaukee Bucks

defense or a Lakers defense or anybody like that. And that's that's the level of respect that we need to pay to him and what he's capable of. Um, was there anything else you wanted to talk about with the other contenders around the league. I think a Miami I need didn't put Miami on this list. I just think it's interesting that they kind of went for it right, they kind of made the trade. Um. I thought a lot of teams are trying to get Lowry. Are you

worried about Lowry being kind of thirties six in the scenario? Like, I feel like it's really interesting him getting the three year think ninety million or something like that from Miami. I think they're gonna be good. I think my I think Lowry, Butler and out of Bio is quite a trio still. Um in the So what do you think about them? Like, I think they're interesting, especially defensively. There's a lot of things they can do. Spoilster is probably

one of the best coaches in the league. Um. I'm just interested to see how they kind of they work out there. Um, what do you think about Miami? So, you know, as far as the age goes with Kyle Lowry's Kyle Lowry's contract. You know, it's funny because this is a talking point that's been brought up with the

with the Lakers a lot. And our friend Darius Oriano from l Far he wrote an article and it was titled like the Lakers are old or something, and everyone thought he was talking trash, but if you read his article, he was actually talking about all the advantages that come with that, and there are in terms of experience and savvy and and uh, you know, players in that tier at that stage of their career, they're never scared of anything but the other biggest thing, and this is something

to keep in mind with Lowry is just in general, being in your mid thirties as a basketball player now doesn't mean what it used to mean. It doesn't mean you could because every surgery that everybody's getting is being done by surgeons with enough knowledge and understanding and technology with modern medicine that it doesn't have the same long term effects that it used to back in the you know,

early two thousands or nineties. And then they just nutrition, and look at the way nutrition has completely turned around Chris Paul's career. He's talked a lot about the way that he ever since he pulled his hamstring with the rockets, he's transformed his body and look, he's he just signed another gigantic contract as a result of it. So you know, I'm not necessarily worried about that. With Miami, it's kind

of the same problem that the Phoenix Suns had. I just think they're gonna end up in these kinds of intense playoff series with a Brooklyn with a Milwaukee where you're leaning on Jimmy Butler, Bamat to Bio and Kyle Lowry to create shots, and they're just nowhere near as good at it as the guys they're gonna be going against. And that's where it becomes a problem, Like, I'm not even sure Jimmy Butler can necessarily outdue Chris Middleton in a playoff series. He might, but that's and he has

done so before obviously in the past. But you know, Chris just came off one of the best off seasons of his career and a seasons of his career and now he's a champion, So you know, I I tend to think that as good as Miami is, they are, they have a hard ceiling on what they can accomplish. They're gonna be that team that's gonna go down with the fight. They're gonna be hard to beat, but it's just hard to imagine them winning without getting quite a

good deal of luck like the way the Phoenix Suns did. Yeah, for sure, And I'm higher on Jimmy Butler than most. I watched him asolutely Tara part are, like, I feel like that Lakers was a pretty incredible defense, and he toured them apart for a few games m where they had really no answer. He was too physical for our guards, would go to the chest with some players. So I

think he's a high level playoff per former. I think in the regular season he's he's not the same as those other guys superstars, but I think of the playoffs, um, he really raises his level. Obviously, all old players aren't the same, right, every every thirty six year old player isn't the same. I only bring up Lowry because just the type of player of years. He's super physical guy, takes up a jillion charges, you know what I mean. He's the annoying dude that's gonna take a charge when

they're up twenty five, Like what are you doing? But that kind of guy. Um, he puts a lot of rigorous stuff on his body. He's super physical. Um when he gets to the rim. So that's what I'm wondering with them, Um, but they went for it. So credits to them for actually going and get getting that guy. Um, they didn't really give up too much for him either. They also brought back Duncan Robinson, um five years I think, a knockdown shooter. So yeah, I'm interested to see them.

I have them third. By the way, for guys who's not a great defensive player, just goes to show you shooting man. Shooting is what these gms value at a premium, at a premium. So if you could shoot, and even if you could shoot him, be that tall. Like I know, he's not a great defender, but he at least is tall, you're gonna get paid in this league. And Duncan Robinson is an elite, elite shooter. He's not just a good shooter, one of the best shooters in the league. So I

understand that deal. Um, so yeah, they I have them third in these but they're interesting to me. Jason Maples is talking trash about the way I'm holding my microphone in anyway. Um, So let's let's talk about the Lakers lineup,

particularly the starters for a second. So you know, Brad Turner's with the l a times, if I'm correct on that, he has been strongly hinting at the fact that Anthony Davis wants to start at center which will be really interesting to see whether or not he actually did does that. So what I want to do is don't see it when I see it. I feel like I feel like Lakers Twitter is kind of divided evenly down the middle on this, whether or not they think he'll actually do it.

Uh So, I think we can both agree that if because Marcus al seems to Marcus all looked really bad in these Olympic games, and just in general, I think he's reached a year. I think this is gonna be last year of his career, and I think he will occasionally play for the Lakers. I just don't expect him to have a significant role. If a D starts at the four, I believe it will be D. What So the real question becomes if a D s at the five,

who play small forward? Because Lebron is gonna play the four, And regardless of lineup, if e D is at the four or five, who's going to start at the two guard? So my first question for you is who's gonna start at the two guard? And if a D plays at the five to start these games, who do you think is gonna start at small forward? I think it's about I think it's a training camp battle between a Reason and Baise Mare probably to fill those wing spots. UM,

maybe a Reason at the four. Well, I mean if e d is at the five, I think Lebron moves to four, right, like most likely just the way the roster is built, Um, there's no really power forward um the the original sense of the word. These are all kind of wings that would play down play up position

instead of played down. Um. So it would be some battle between a Reason base Mare and maybe even I know you don't think Ellendin is gonna play a lot, but I mean if he has an insane preseason just shoots the hell out of the ball, he could start at two for me. Um, it's a lot of interchangeable kind of players here, no one that you really would stick in. Um. I think Carmel is gonna come off the bench, So that's why I kind of don't put

him in this. UM. But yeah, the way the rosters constructed, and they didn't they didn't really sign a nominal center, right, there's no like just fill in center in this lineup is Dwight Howard and Mark Soul and that's it, and then it's Anthony Davis. So UM, I still think Mark will start. That's just my opinion. I think they're gonna go with that. I think that's how it's gonna look. He started last year. Um, I think it's his spot

to lose, if that makes sense. Like in preseason Game one, I think it's Mark who's gonna start next to a D, which again gives that like best of both worlds. I always say this, A D just doesn't want to play five on defense, like that's the main that's the main thing here. On offense, it doesn't matter. It doesn't want to be the five on defense. That's that's a clear thing. Um, and Mark kind of allows him to be, um the four on defense and five on offense. That makes sense.

But but yeah, that that's kind of how I see it. That's super interesting to me. I'm gonna be really surprised if Mark starts. It just feels like willingly starting the

game with less talent than you should. I know they like to bring Dwight Howard off the bench just in general, because every game everything just did that because yeah, well and it was it was about energy and uh and and I you know, uh, it was it was one of those things where just in general I felt like it was part of the strategy of keeping Dwight's ego in check, to like just making sure that he never felt like because he actually played like Dwight massively outperformed

his contract in that season, and and keeping him off the bench just kind of prevented him from having that that type of attitude. I think he might have started at center in a couple of the games against the Nuggets, but outside of that, he did it. Um. I predict that Anthony Davis is going to start at center. I also think for about half of his minutes he's going

to play with Dwight and Mark. I do think that his compromise here is to kind of give the impression that he's playing more five by starting at the five, but then to offload that in specific stints while he's on the floor. Uh. I think Area Aresa is the shoe in three at that point, mainly because the Lakers just don't have a better option. I thought, even even if they got Iguadala, I think they would have brought

Agudala off the bench. You know. The one weird wrinkle in all of this is the is the Bays more info. So we were basically told that bays Moore turned down more money and more years from the Warriors because of the fact that he thought he was gonna have a bigger role with the Lakers and a better chance to contend. So in theory, we know that he would have lost his starting position to Clay Thompson, right, So that's a

that's a that's a no brainer. But because that team like severely lacks depth, and both of the guys that they drafted were at different positions, bays More in theory, would have been like a sixth man for them, so he would have had a pretty significant role there. So I wonder if there was a promise to make bays Moore the starting to guard or even the three um our guy. Jason Maples in the comments said that he would have He thinks that Malik Monk's gonna start at

the two guard. I I would agree that that's probably the best option. But I'm worried about that intel with bays Moore if they think because he's a little bit better defensively, a little bit more stout, a little bit more uh like veteran presence, and because of the fact that we have that intel that he was gonna have

a bigger role. I wonder if he's going to be the guy who ends up starting at the two, that that would be my my prediction as far as the best lineup, I I agree with with Maples, though I

would I would part. I would start Monk because I don't want him to be necessarily an on ball initiator, which he will not need to be with Lebron and Russ, and then bringing in Kendrick Nunn, who is a much better on ball initiator, and Monk to help run bench lineups as a secondary initiator, either alongside Lebron or alongside Russ.

Do you do you remember last so like Jared Dudley, obviously he's not signed yet, but I mean you would agree that he's probably going to be resigned, right like you could just everything that that's going on, Jared Dudley is probably gonna be back on one of these Um, I think they have three spots left. Yeah, so so

last year before this season, I think after the title. UM, I don't know if you remember this, but he went on like some podcasts and he said, don't be surprised if th HT is the starting point guard next year. And this is with the Lakers having Dennis Shredder on the team. I remember this because I was like, wait, Dennis Shooter. You know they just traded for him. Obviously that's long and gone now. So that's another guy that could start. T HD could be the starting uh point

guard shooting guard, I'm shooting shooting guard. Sorry. Russ would be the starting point card. UM TC could be the starting to guard as well, So I wouldn't be surprised at that. There's a lot of dudes that who can go and get into that lineup. To me, I think none will be off the bench as well. I just think he's a on ball guy that needs he needs the ball in his hands. I like Monk. I would like Monk or Ellington kind of in that two guard spot.

I would like to move a movement shooter, a guy who can come off screens and just who can fire right away. I would like to like that on the starting line up. But there's a lot of options. Man. Um, they're really high on th HT. I could really see him be the starter if he has a great preseason again as he did last year. UM, if he's shooting kind of holds up UM, he could be this. He could be the starting too, So there's a lot of

a lot of ways to go with this. UM really versatile roster, a lot of dudes who kind of can feel in the same position. So I'm interested to see

how they come out with that. Yeah, they're extremely versatile. UM. If you remember, we talked right after the Russell Westbrook trade and we talked extensively about how, you know, with Buddy Heal, things would have been kind of just an easy puzzle to put together, but that with Russ it was so much more important for them to build versatility and shooting around us, and they did an outstanding job

of that. UM th h T is the one gigantic like h swing piece this year because if he takes a leap in terms of his defensive focus, and if he takes a leap as a jump shooter, then he absolutely is gonna start like he's at that point he becomes you know, like out out performing his contract type of you know, awesome to guard to have out there on the floor, because when on ball, th HD is just a gigantic pain in the ass. He's like little Kauai. Guys can't even dribble around him, and he's super strong

and can hold his position. It was off ball defense and his inability to just kind of keep that like he he would be goodent of the time, but every other five percent of the time would be him leaving a wide open shooter or getting cut back doors, things along those lines that would that would hurt the team. If he can clean that stuff up, we're talking about not only the starter, but he'll be in that closing line up, because we're gonna talk about the closing line

up here in a second. And you know it's gonna be lebron A, d Ariza and Russ. But who's that fifth guy. The fifth guy is gonna be all all about who either has it going that day or the guy that Frank trusts to not make mistakes, because that fifth guy more more has the potential to hurt you, uh than help you. That that's where if it's a bad option, it can murder your spacing or it can

be somebody that gets picked on defensively. Well, if you have a reliable, you know, high floor, low ceiling type of guy there, then you then that whole lineup can work better. Well if th HT can get rid of his low floor, which has to do with his poor shooting from time to time and his poor defensive focus, all of a sudden he becomes the clear cut best option there. And and because he's so physically strong for his size, he doesn't give any you know, physicality away

that can hurt the team. So yeah, t H T t H D is the big swing piece. But let's just say in general right now, they don't make another signing. Who do you think is that fifth guy in the closing lineup? So you see you you're locking, You're locking in a Reason in that closing line I think he's the veteran. He's a great defensive player, he doesn't give any sort of size away at the position, and I feel like when push comes to shove, he's going to be one of those guys that Frank can count on.

I would be shocked if he's not in their closing line up unless he has a health problem. Yeah. To me, it's Russ ron a D and then everyone else to me is interchangeable. Like I mean, if a Reason kind of shows out and be still the shooter and defender he is, then sure, I just think it's gonna be him. It could be him, it could be bays More, it could be Ellington. It could be Monk, it could be none. Um like how the Lakers kind of they had Caruso

as their final starter last year. But I mean it could have been any one of these guys Um th h T as well. Um Or if they want to bludgeon teams in the pain, it could be Dwight Howard, you know, I mean just a D and Dwight Um closing lineups, taking away the rim. I think you're right a reason is probably locked in probably the most. He'll probably close most games. Um. I worry about his age as well, But I don't know. I would like another

shooter in there. I don't know about you, but I would just like to have Monk or Ellington, you know, whoever is hot that night, or base Mare, even if he's hitting his threes. He had a career year from last year. I just want one more shooter, just that team's gonna kill in the pain. You know, Russ, ron A, d all want to get right to the rim. They all want to dominate at the basket. Um. I just want one shooter that you can't leave open on the floor there. Would you kind of would you kind of

go with that mindset as well? Just kind of keeping a shooter out there. I get where you're coming from there, and I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that we know Frank, and Frank has always prioritized defense over shooting if he has to choose between the two. So for instance, like you know, I thought Ben mcklamore could have like really helped with her spacing in the long run, but he just never really got a chance to get his rhythm because he never got enough burned because Frank

didn't trust him defensively. Um, you know, Ellington and Monk are going to fall into those same categories, and you know, on the nights when they're obscenely hot, he might be willing to go with them just because of the fact that they're the tradeoff kind of swings in their favor. But I I wouldn't be surprised if you see a lot of bays more, a lot of a reason, a lot of th h t you know, even none if

he is defending well. Depending on how how well he defends this year, just in general, I expect uh Frank to favor defense in that position. I think the only guys that are off the hook there are Rustle Lebron and a D in the sense that, like, if they're having a rough night defensively, they might still play. Um. That's kind of where I'm at with it. Um. So what we wanted to do for this next part, not

counting starters and closers, This can be any lineup. You can have Lebron and a D, can have Lebron, a D and Russ. You could call it whatever you wanna call it. What is the lineup that you're most excited to see this year? Just to see what it looks like. It could be one that they throw out there in a random second quarter in February and then never use again. But what is the lineup that you're most excited I did to see this year. I want to see the like young high like flyers with brawn and a D.

Like I'm really interested in that. I want to see three dudes just running the courts. So so I wrote down th h T none, monk Ron and a D. And I think that's just a super fast lineup. A lot of still, a lot of ball handling, a lot of like guys who can shoot off the dribble kind of stuff, guys who can come off screens. I'm just really fascinated with that. Again, th HD is the most variant dude, Like he's the most like he could be, he could be a starter, or it can like not

be in the rotation. It's just really interesting. And year three, right is where guys usually make that drump Like I remember watching Brandon Ingram year three UM, not to compare, but like D'Angel Russell as well, your three really got comfortable UM in the league. So I'm really interested to see where it got. Year three is usually when guys kind of really understand how they get their baskets, how they you know, the game kind of really slows down

for them. So yeah, I would like to see that kind of young kind of line up mixed with our two with the with brawn and a D and maybe you can even throw Russ in there for Kendrick Nunn. So like a th HT, Russ, Monk Brown and a D just a youth with the with the stars, how about you. Yeah, I like that. I like any combination of guys that uh in a lineup like that that are all really good at. This is something that we

talked about in the last part. Taking advantage and capitalizing on attention that's thrown towards Lebron and a d Um. You know that this is something that I loved from talent Horton Tucker before the Lebron and a d injuries last year. Everybody remembers talent Horton Tucker as this high volume on ball guy that we were forced to use

extensively because of the injuries. But there was this whole you know, eight games stretched there at the beginning of the season when Lebron and na d were healthy, where he was a spot up guy who was attacking closeouts. He would occasionally get his isolation opportunities, but he was just really good at at at picking angles and getting the closing out defender on his side and just getting all the way to the writ or countering to you know, some sort of spinning hook or whatever. It was like,

he just was really really good at that. And uh, I feel the same way about None in Monk and getting the three of them together to capitalize off that attention is something that could be really exciting. Um. The lineup that I chose as uh as something that I don't think we'll see often, but I think will be something that the Lakers will go to when the offense gets clunky just in general. Um is what I would call like the vintage Lakers. I'm gonna pulverize you line up.

So it's gonna be Dwight Howard at the center, Anthony Davis at the power forward, Lebron James at the three, camp Baysmore at the two, and Russell Westbrook at the one. Every one of those guys is big, athletic and strong. Baysmore is probably the thinnest one in there, but he's a veteran player who understands how to play in physicality. But that is a line up where it's like the refs are not calling anything. No one really has it going offensively, but we're just gonna lock in defensively and

we're gonna pulverize you on the offensive glass. We're gonna is at the rim and we're just gonna beat you to death with our physicality. Uh. One of my favorite things about this new roster is it takes on this whole new persona as this like skilled shot making lineup, especially in the back court. UH, and then older and more veteran presences in the front court instead of the younger movement that they had last year. With guys that were a little bit lower i Q like Andre Drummond

and Kyle Kuzma. Now we've upgraded that all all veteran guys in the front court. Well, they can still audible back to these huge, bruising lineups, and that to me gives you that, like that versatility to be able to to to audible at the last second if something's not working, and take on a completely different approach to the game.

So that's a lineup that I'm most excited for. I like that that that Lantum also takes away the rim too, right, So it's basically they're just daring you to come in and attack Dwight Howard Anthony Davis whoever's at the room at the time. D can kind of roam as well. They're probably put him on a corner shooter or something like him Rome and kind of get back to that.

So I like that really physical um rust Dwhite and a d just by themselves are just super physical dudes when they're right, right, Like, that's a really tough lineup to got to go against, probably be really really annoying. Just touch on your THHD point. He took West Matthews minutes in the earlier the year, right, just because like and on the team that was winning, on the team that was like the I think they were the one seed or or close to the one seed at the time.

I think Utah had the one, but they were like right there with him. So so you're right, he was an off ball player and he wouldn't have played if he couldn't defend. Right, you get to be at least be able to defend his position at some at some part. So I think there's skill there. But yeah, I like

that lineup, really physical, really dominant. Probably a lot of technical fowls and that a lot of a lot of uh, you know, a lot of a lot of a lot of cheap vowels and stuff like that that you know, these vets kind of know what they can kind of get away with. I always think of that Denver series. Um, I thought, why really kind of annoyed annoyed them because he knew what he could get away with. He saw

what kind of physicality they were allowing. And we saw on the playoffs, um, the amount of we saw through Holiday be able to just you know, absolutely stick on Chris Paul and be as physical as he wants because that's what they allow in the finals. So so I like that team that's super physical and they'll know what they can get away with. So we want to get to the mail back. So I'm gonna go really quickly on this Frank Vogel thing because I think you and

I are probably on the same page. Um, do you think the Lakers are gonna have any issues retaining Frank Vogel? I'm not even talking about, uh, you know, whether or not he would want to stay, because I know he would. Do you think that the Lakers are even considering the idea that they might ditch Frank after this year? Or do you think the extension is going to be worked out? This is all a formality. Yeah, I think the extension

will be worked out. I think when you win a championship in your first year, you actually you earn an extension. Whether or not you finish out that contracts a different story. Um. Lakers have been known to let go multiple coaches. You know that they I think they were paying like three coaches at the same time. Um, Mike Bround, Mike D'Antoni, one more, I forget who. Um, So it's even if he doesn't stay. How I think he has earned an extension when you win your title in the first year,

kept that team as the number one defense last year. UM, I think that's a that's something that he should put on his like resume. I think that's a big deal to me with all the all the entertaine real parts that happened last year. So so with all that, um, even with even though even what happened last year, I think he's kind of earned next his his next contracy. I don't think he should go into the year, um

not knowing what should happen next year. Like, I think that should be worked out before we get started here. YEA for starters, he deserves it. Um. You know, after the first season, you and I talked extensively in the off season about how the players in particular were so incredibly impressed by Frank scouting reports. There was even that famous story where Lebron stood up and giving him a

stounding standing ovation after a scouting session. So uh, that was that was how his first season went, and he was a champion. Uh. Then his second season, let's just call it what it is, they were really good, their stars got hurt, he somehow managed to float the team. Um. Uh in that time by getting them to continue to defend. And yes, they lost in the first round, but Anthony

Davis got hurt. And quite frankly, it's not like there was some audible to go to in terms of lineups, because even the Lakers best shooters like KCP and Alex Cruso during the regular season both couldn't make a shot against the Sun. So like, at a certain point that was that was beyond a coaching issue. That was just a like, if anything, if there was one mistake that I would point to in the Phoenix Sun series, it

was even trying to play. Uh, Anthony Davis had all in Game six, I would have sat him because I felt like part of the reason why the Sun's blitz them in the first quarter was everyone was depressed again because Anthony Davis got hurt. If there was a chance to win that series, it was don't play a d ride your home crowd in game six, try to steal the game bringing back for Game seven, or try to steal Game seven on the road. But anyway, I'm with you,

like he flat out deserves the extension. Yes, if this year is just a total ship show and everything goes south, maybe that doesn't work out, But I'm with you. I have a feeling the extension is gonna be worked out for training camp and this will just be a moot point to begin with. Yep, I agree with that he shouldn't. He should go. He should go into the year knowing, Um, he's got extended, Like, there's no reason to go in. Uh. It's always said that coaches don't really like to go

into a last year right without knowing. It's kind of really rough thing to kind of coach as without that kind of security. So yeah, he should definitely get his deal done. So our first mail bad question from earlier this morning, um, this is from Sean Um. He says, I I feel like Russ on D is the biggest question mark. Everything else seems set on Lebron and a D doing their thing, Wayne and Monk shooting threes. Everyone else in the role also think Russ making them compete

every night will be huge. So if he can just be solid on defense, they won't have many holes. Do you guys agree? Yeah? I mean I think that is the biggest question. I would agree with him. Um, Russ hasn't been good on defense for a little while now, Like that's no secret. Um. But I think that's also with the offensive burden that he's had to carry. So I think there's like a double double edged sword there. Um. But yeah, he's gonna have to be better. Like that's

just what it is. He has all the tools. It's not like it's not like he can't defend. He has the size, he has the athleticism, speed, um. And I think that the scheme vocal scheme will kind of push him in the right direction. So I'll see people are saying if he can switch, What'll kind of see with that. We'll see how that kind of works. Um. I don't think he's the point of attack defender that we've had in the least a few years. Right, He's not gonna be picking up full court and and doing all those

kind of little things there. But um, I think he can still be. He can be a solid defender, and that's what you have to be when you have Anthony Davis behind you, you just had to be a kind of a solid defender. Um. Kind of funnel things to him, and I think he's more than cable of doing that. Um. What do you think? Yeah, I agree, and I'm less worried about him at the point of attack. There's a lot of data out there that that's one of his biggest strengths. My biggest worry with Russ is off ball,

just paying attention. He's a he's kind of like Region Rondo in the sense that he's constantly just trying make that home run play defensively, and so, yeah, you're gonna have nights with Rondo where like against the Nuggets and Game three of that series and the Bubble where he rips Jamal Murray like three straight times a half court and goes for layups and you're like, oh, my goodness, Like,

Rondo's just wrecking this game defensively. But then the next you know, then the next possession he will reach in and the and and be way out of position and end up hurting himself or hurting the team. That's kind of the same effect to the Russell Westbrook thing. It's not about when he's engaged, because when he's engaged he's great.

It's just it's him being overly aggressive and a little bit too you know, a risky in that sense in that sense defensively as far as like just uh in general, with his ability on the ball, there's a lot of drew holiday potential with him and because he is big and strong and athletic to where as he gets into these deeper round playoff series, which we haven't seen really since Oklahoma City. He's actually a really deeply in actful

defensive player. He did a really good job on Dwyane Wade in the UH in the two thousand and twelve finals because of the fact that he's so strong and athletic and is in the physicality that's allowed in those moments. Now, obviously he's older now and less athletic, but he's still more athletic than the vast majority of the guards that he's going to encounter. It's kind of the same Lebron effect. It's like, yeah, he's deteriorated a little bit, but really

is are you worried about that? With his matchups? You know? Um? And the other thing too, is like I watched him two years ago against Damian Lillard, and everyone remembers Damian Lillard just resoundingly defeating him and talking mountains of trash and the result, and there's there's no there's no denying what actually happened in that environment. However, the reality of what happened in that series was Russ in his offensive

limitations or the reason why they couldn't win. He actually defended Dame extremely well, and there were possessions where he almost swallowed him up. It just so happened that Dame, with his ball control, pace control and his i Q was able to out execute us. But that's not going to be a problem for us in this setting. In this setting, the offensive load and the i Q load and the decision making will hopefully be under Lebron, and so in that regard, I do actually like having him

for those matchups because that's never been the problem. His ability to make Dame work extremely hard and be less efficient than usual, that's not a problem for us. He's gonna be able to force those guys into tough shots that I I'm less worried about defense with Russ than I am about off ball attention and just on offense,

whether or not he defers to Lebron when he's supposed to. Yeah, and last thing on that, like people talk about his statpanning or whatever like that, but the final part of the defensive possession is getting the defensive rebound, right, Like, that's the kind of part And he's an amazing rebounder on both ends, on offense and defensive, so that's a big part of it as well. I think he'll really help with that. Um. Yeah, he's a great defensive rebound

WHI should be part of the conversation as well. So, um, that part is definitely going to be there as a as a defender. I'm not sure how much you'll be again, like, I think this is all. I think you talked about the off ball stuff. That's all to me effort and that's all like awareness and and focus and all that kind of stuff, which I think you'll have um this year for sure. So so yeah, I think he'll be fine on defense. I think like the switching off fall

stuff is definitely the biggest question. But I think, um, he'll be find in this in this scheme. Yeah, agree, and and really quickly before we go to the next question. You know what's interesting with Ross is uh, you know, he raises your rebounding presence and your athleticism presence continue or considerably because of the fact that it's a five person job. You know, this is something we you like.

DeAndre Ayton was the second most physically impressed person in the NBA Finals, behind Janice right, and the Sun's just got physically bludgeoned because the other four guys on the floor were all thin and overmatched physically. So that kind of goes to show you that just having one of those guys isn't enough. You know, if you run out lineups this year of of Ellington and Monk and Aresa Mellow and and Anthony Davis, they're probably gonna get physically

manhandled because they're just too thin down the line. Well, Russ gives you. Russ again adds to that, It's what made the Bucks physically imposing is that it was Drew Holiday with the honest. It was you know, Brook Lopez with youann as it was Chris Middleton with the honest, and so Russ just kind of significantly raises the physical presence of the Lakers. All right, next question, we can hit this one really quick. Is this current roster when healthy good enough to be a healthy NETS team? This

is from Veno. I mean I think it is. I think the I think the next problem. Nets probably have a little more like top end talent. Just if you compare the top end talent just by a bit um, depending how you think of Westbrook and Kyrie or however you think of them or hardened. But uh, yeah, I

think they can. I mean, I feel like it will be a pretty nice matchup going on those three going that once you get to the finals, I mean, all all bets are off, So I mean I I feel like those teams will be will be ready to go against each other. Obviously, stopping Katie and all that is a it's a different question, but I feel like they can. It's a it's a it's a toss up series. To me,

Brooklyn Lakers Lakers series is a toss up series. They're pretty evenly matched in my opinion, just going down the roster, how about you, Yeah, I actually would pick the Lakers to beat the Nets. I probably would not have last year. Uh, last year, the Lakers were not a good offensive team. Uh. In A big part of that was just roster construction and spacing and A D didn't play the five all season.

So even when he went to the five in the postseason, he just wasn't good at because he didn't practice it all year. Um, this team is going to be more equipped for that challenge, you know. Uh, the offensive gap isn't going to be as big as the gap that the Lakers are going to be able to create with their defense. On the other end, One of the things that really excites me about a Lakers Nets matchup is the fact that Lebron in a D can be roamers

defensively in theory. Okay, so they'll be able to take matchups if they need to, but in theory, they'll be able to be roamers defensively. Being able to put Russ on Kyrie, someone like a bays More or a Nun on Harden, and then put a Trevor Ariza and Kevin Durant, and then allowing Lebron in a D to just be your back line defensively makes all those other three guys. It puts them in a much better position to succeed.

And I actually like the ability of a Russ athletically to wear Kyrie down over the course of the series. Bays More on Harden is probably your weakest matchup there, but again, having Lebron in a D on the back line is such a huge advantage there. And a reason is actually one of the better Kevin Durant defenders I've ever seen. He's really good at kind of getting a read on his rhythm, he picks him up after he crosses half court. He's he just he has a lot of reps in that role and has a track record

of making him struggle a little bit. So I actually feel a lot better about that matchup. It's close, It's very close. Um, I think the Nets are a little bit better offensively, but I think the Lakers overall would have a good chance to win that series. Yeah, the last class Bok thing on that, it's a it's a clash of styles, right, Like, it's a really clash of styles like that are really jump shooting, kind of silky smooth, kind of skilled team. The Lakers are just like, we're

gonna bludge in you in the paint. We're just gonna We're just gonna force you to kind of defend out the rim a D even a D like who are they putting on a D? Like? Who are they putting on Lebron I guess it's my my question with that. And then Russ as well. It's just super physical at the rim. Gonna make at least one of James, Harden and Kyrie worked right, at least one of them are

going to have to work on the other end. Um, just a fun class A style, just a super super fun clash of differences in a team kind of building and all that. So I think it would be a really fun matchup where the Lakers would like kind of dominate the paint, well, the Nets kind of win the math battle with the threes and all and all that and the jump shooting. So yeah, it would be a

fun matchup for sure. Russ. Russ killed the Nets this year, and quite frankly, yeah, and their their backcourt is just completely unequipped to stop him from getting to the rim. Russ is in a weird way. Um uh, you know. And if I had to guess why Lebron wanted Russ, it was for this specific matchup, you know. Uh, Like you said, it's it's about the need to make those guys work because the Nets switch everything, and because James Harden is a good post up defender and teams have

some weird obsession with trying to post him up. Teams for the most part failed to take advantage of what the weaknesses the Nets had in their backcourt defensively. Well, Russ directly addresses that, you know, that is a he is going to be downhill on Kyrie all game. Long and if you don't switch that or put someone else on him, he's going to cause you some massive problems. That Ross is he's a unique weapon to have for that matchup, and and that should be really exciting. All right,

let's see here. So this is an interesting question for us just to address non Lebron minutes. But it says, uh, Um, if Lebron goes down, slash load manages, how do you think the team will manage without him? Given that we have many playmakers? And I guess we can simplify this question to this, how do you feel about non Lebron minutes this year? I feel a lot better about him this year than last year. Um. We have an absolute

elite playmaker playmaker now with Russell Westbrook. UM. So basically when you ask this question, when when he asked his question, UM, what happens if Lebron goes down, you're really you're basically asking what does the russ A D lead team look like? Right? Like, That's basically what the question is. It will be russ A D kind of manning most of the minutes of Lebron has the load manager or whatever. Um, and I

think they're more equipped, especially in a regular season. I think a Russ a D kind of one five attack isn't win. Is more than enough offense to kind of carry you with the kind of wings and shooting they have, and then defensively as well. Um, I think they can kind of carry a lot better than they did last year. Last year is pretty much Lebron and then Dennis shrewder like I think like and that was it, Like that

was your that was your playmaking last year. A D obviously isn't a guy you just throw the ball too and kind of have him kind of creating playmak for others. So I think having another top tier elite playmaker or whatever you think of Russ, his passing is still top top with any other player. Um really knows, really knows how to read the floor, knows where to find guys in the corners, knows how to find those dump off passes two big, So I think I think they would

fare a lot better. They wouldn't win obviously as much with Lebron, but I think a lot better than last year. UM. Just having another guy that can create shots and that's the main thing to me. And I think he'll get a D better looks as well. UM from from his playmaking, so that I think they would fare a lot better.

What do you think? Yeah? Agree? So for starters, if you look at the last two years and they're on off numbers when Lebron was on him and Lebron was off, you know the uh they slipped on both ends, their defense gets a little bit worse, but their offense gets a lot worse. They don't have the numbers in front of me, but generally speaking, their offense with Lebron and the floor is around a hundred and fifteen points per hunter possessions and it drops to like a hundred when

Lebron's off the floor, and then their defense gets slightly worse. Now, the reason for that is because Dennis Shudder, even though he is a starting level point guard, and even though he deserves to make somewhere between ten fifteen million a year, as as we talked about in the last pot, he technically isn't a top tier point guard. He usually is going to be a uh an inferior perimeter initiator to whatever he's going against on the other team, which is

going to cause problems. And the same the same problem was with Rondo UH And then as we know Anthony Day of Us. As good as he is, he's kind of a tip of a spear. He's the guy that you know if you put him in the right setting, he raises your ceiling convincingly. But the problem is is that he can't really initiate his own offense, at least not at the same level as a perimeter initiator. So that's why the Lebron off minutes have been a problem

over the last couple of years. Russ completely solves that problem. If you can defend at a baseline level, Russ is going to score enough points or generate enough quality shots

for you to win those minutes and and again. And turning the Lebron Off minutes, which have been negative every single both of the last two regular seasons and both the last two playoffs, if you can turn that into a positive, that is a gigantic boost to this team because they've always been good with Lebron on the floor over the last two years, and that could be that kind of thing can manifest in regular season standing as

like a five or six game improvement. That could be the difference between them being a fifty two win team

and being a fifty eight win team. It's like that that kind of boost when you're not losing every single time your best player goes on the bench, So I think, and then we haven't even gotten to all the things that None and Monk can do to boost those offensive lineups when Lebron is off the floor, But just Russ and a d if you can, because staggering is gonna be you know, there are all these different things that they need to do to maximize Russ, right, Like he

needs to defend, and then when he's off ball and crunch time lineups, he needs to crash the offensive glass. He needs to uh be able to at least cut occasionally or make enough spot up three's that the team doesn't just completely ignore him entirely. But one of the biggest things that they can do to help this is

just stagger the hell out of it. So every single minute that Lebron is off the flour if he's playing thirty thirty four minutes a night, that means Russ needs to be playing fourteen sixteen minutes without Lebron on the floor those other fourteen sixteen minutes. And I believe that with Russ at the helm, as long as he has enough shooting or I would even just play Anthony Davis. Like, if you look at last year, Shrewder A d minutes were negative, Uh, Lebron a D minutes, Lebron, Shrewder minutes,

Lebron by himself minutes, We're all positive. Even when Lebron was playing with Shrewder and a d off they were positive. So I'd almost ride Lebron by himself if you need to Russ to arrest two of them and then play Russ and a d together, because that's going to give you a better chance of staying positive throughout the game. At least that's the strategy that I would take. What's

funny about the stats. I remember that first year, I think the Rondo and Lebron were the only negative pairing With Lebron, It's like, you know how hard that is to do. Um. But but another guy like we haven't even talked about his Carmelo. I know, like he's not

gonna be a huge part. I think just if Lebron's kind of out, he's a guy that can just sustain the offense, right, maybe he gives back as much on defense, but just to con sustain the flow and keep this from the possessions going only times did we watch the bench come in and just can't score, Like the lead would be fifteen and they just cannot score, and and and teams wild cut it down to like four five

when Lebron comes back in. So I think just having another guy as well that can just get a basket whenever you can just give the ball to Carmelo and he'll get a good shot to get fouled, you know. I mean he'll go to his he'll get to his shot, get to a spot. I think that's important, having guys that just know how to get to get their shot off. And I think that's a big deal. Yeah, I agree. Are you still looking at I can do? That's fine, Okay,

we'll do nothing. So we'll do two more questions. Alright, So the this next one I think is interesting. H you we kind of hinted at this earlier, but I want to talk a little bit more about it. Do you think the age of the Lakers roster will be beneficial or detrimental for a long playoff run, which is what we expect. I think in the playoffs, like experience is more important. Like I think the age will I think there are obviously detriments to being older. Obviously it's

not all positive. I think the positives kind of outweigh the negatives here. You don't really see these super young teams win championships, right, It's mostly these older, kind of older kind of squaws that kind of get it done. So I think it will be help. They'll be more experience. Um, the super old guys are really like what Ariza and uh Dwight, you know those kind of guys. But I mean, e d is twenty eight. Lebron also obviously is up there, but he's kind of he's kind of an alien in

that way. But Russell Westbrook's thirty two. Um, so I think the super old guys are kind of the wing kind of players are kind of more um interchange there aside from Lebron. Um, when when you talk about how old this roster is Basemore as well, I think it's like thirty two and they have a bunch of young, kind of energy, energetic guards. I think they can really uplift them during the regular season and through the playoffs. So I think the old thing is kind of been

stretched out. Um. They have this thing where like, um, no team has ever signed thirty five, four or five thirty five year olds in the same offseason or something like that. Um. But a lot of them, most of them are going to be spot minutes um. Other than Lebron for sure. Yeah. So I really look at it as this simple. You it's really about how many good basketball players you have. And if you have enough, then

you'll be fine and and and age won't matter. But if you're older, you probably need more in terms of your death right because it's about wear and tear. This is what happened with the two thou fourteen heat. It wasn't the problem wasn't their amount of good players. They had enough good players that the issue was is because they were a bit older. They ended up kind of looking exhausted at times in the playoffs because they didn't

have the depth relative to their age. You know, this is one of the big reasons why Lebron was upset that they let Mike Miller go to avoid the luxury tax. They were upset because he thought, you know, even just fifteen minutes from Mike Miller makes Shane Battier's job easier, makes Richard Lewis's job easier. It just it lowers everybody's it's it's like, uh, we talk all the time about like, oh, this guy can be a better defensive player if he

has less offensive responsibility. You have a finite amount of energy that you can go to or tap into in a game. I'm I'm less worried about the Lakers age this year because of their depth. You know, yeah, a reasons old. Lebron's old allows old Dwights, old marks old. But in that front court, uh, you know, especially considering a lot of times the Lakers will play three guard lineups. In that front court, there's only so many minutes available, and so you know what, I like to see them

add one more forward. Yeah, but I think they will. I think they're gonna probably end up atting. Wes Matthews and even Jared Dudley is gonna be there for for certain environments. But let's say everyone's healthy, You're in a playoff series. At the end of the day, I'm only asking Carmelo Anthony to do what he's doing for like fifteen minutes in a playoff game. I'm only you know a reason, Lebron. They might have bigger workloads, But if a reason looks like he's getting worn down and and

he's starting to struggle. It's like, Okay, we can put a little bit more on mellows plate here and ask him to do more. Like age becomes an issue when you're when you're seven men deep and everyone's old and now we're talking like the two thousand eleven, two thousand twelve Celtics, now we're talking about like the two thousand fourteen Brooklyn Nets. Like when you lack depth and you're old and your and your old guys are being or down,

that's where it can become a problem. But I'm not really all that worried about it, but I there I think it's important when you're having this conversation to talk about the positive sides of it. Okay, And this is something again you need to read that article that that Darius Soriano wrote the other day about this. You know, there's a reason why young teams don't win in the NBA in general, and it all has to do with veteran savvy. It's there's something that I pound this point

home all the time on this podcast. Scar tissue builds up when when you lose, and that happens at every level of basketball, from the pros all the way down to you playing in your men's league in San Francisco or wherever it is that you live. Every time you lose a basketball game, a little bit of scar tissue forms, and you remember why you lost. Whether it was taking a bad shot, whether it was missing a box out, quitting on a rotation, uh not, sitting down in a

defensive stance on a particular guy. I don't I don't care what it is. It builds up scar tissue. Every older basketball player you see is just completely covered in scar tissue from these losses. And so they are willing and able and wise enough to do all the things that they need to do to win these games. And the Lakers age in that regard is an asset, provided they don't wear down physically, which we just talked about.

I don't think will be an issue in these big games at the end, when I've got Russ out there with someone like kemp Ay's Moore, with someone like Trevor Reza, or whether it's Wesley Matthews instead of Baysmore. But I've got Lebron and a d in the front court. All those guys know how how they need to win a game, and they're willing to do the things that other teams don't. They could be in a matchup with the Sons again, and you know Michaal Bridges, Cam Johnson, DeAndre Ayton, Devin Booker,

they don't have the scar tissue. Devin Bookers lost one playoff series and so from in that regard, I I like having the older guys for that type of matchup so that you can win though all of those little things on the margins that are the difference between you being a first round exit and being a championship team. Yeah, for sure. I mean de book it lost one playoff series, but he's got a lot of losing in you know,

the regulars all that. I can't imagine this car tissue that Chris Paul has kind of uh Man has gotten now, Um, it must be tough. But yeah, I agree with the experience should be there. I don't know if you remember this, but like there was a pre the first preseason game of the Lakers. It was against the Warriors. Um, I don't know if you remember this. It was their first game, the first It was the first game? Is this more? They tweeted out that considered this a warning that one.

I'm not sure if that was that one, but it might have been, but there was like a seriousness. There was like a seriousness, there was like a tone. Um. You could tell Lebron was in this like yeah, you guys said a lot of things over the summer, you know what I mean, Like there was tones, like there was like a tone to Anthony Davis as well, like I heard all this stuff, um. So like I expect

that this year as well. It wasn't there last year, and that's expected, you know what I mean, That first preason preseason game didn't have close to the like we need to prove something at all. But I feel like this year, and I think Russ as well, we'll have that. And again when you get these older guys, Carmelo's first chance to win a title, you know what I mean, I think those things kind of buying as well, that

you just can't get with a young squad. You can't buy that kind of um, that kind of drive, that kind of you know, that motivation, And I think we'll see that in the first game this year's well, similar to how we saw in um in that first game as well, just as just a tone of seriousness um to the year that I think we didn't get this

year due to the circumstances. I agree, they're gonna be coming in angry, you know, wounded, but you know, coming off of that wounding season, they're gonna just be There's gonna be a sense of urgency that didn't even exist last year. Um. I think Anthony Davis has taken an absolute beating in the media, as he should. He had

a rough year. Um, you know, I think it's important to point out injuries in the role they played with Anthony Davis, But like, I also don't think that's the only reason he had a rough year, and I think it's okay to point that out. Yeah, I think you could be a fan of Anthony Davis and be knowledgeable of his ceiling and aware of what he's capable of doing.

But at the same time, like, this is something that I've been hammering NonStop over the last six months, Like an injury like that doesn't make it so that when someone throws a swing pass and you're at the elbow you just give up on the rotation, or that every time you set a screen, instead of rolling to the rim hard, you just pop to the eighteen feet to ft because you know it's easier on your legs. Like

at a certain point. There was a lack of urgency from Anthony Davis last year, even when he was healthy for the most part. Um, So I think he's heard all that, and I think he's aware of what he needs to do this year to change the uh the impression that he left. And I expect him to be to be really really good. I'm I'm with you. I expect I I expect this to be a a complete and utter like revenge season from the Lakers, just in their overall attitude and approach. Now, still things need to

break right, They need to stay healthy. In general. You need a hope that some crazy buyout guy doesn't go to Brooklyn and swing the talent level too much or whatever it is. I don't know, but I just expect them to have a really really good mode vaded season and to and to come out and play really well. Um it's nineties. There anything else you wanted to touch on today before we get out of here. Yeah? Um,

I have one more like questioning that I saved. Um. I'll ask you this because I'm interested in in your answer as well. So, um, add ease up three e's and then z u p um, Yes, do you think it's most important to get this team UM jelling offensively by activating a D rather than figure out one, two and three for Lebron a D and russ um. Should it be the two ball handlers mission to get a D going above everything else. So do you think a D should be the number one kind of priority option? Uh?

So you will um to get this team that hit its ceilings. I think that's the main thing of this question. So for starters, I don't think people realize just how much a D at the five is going to help

him offensively in general, in terms of the spacing. The example I'll give you is this, like, look at how many points guys like Christian would score as a center, or you know, Clint Capella as a center, or any anybody who plays in a five or four out one in system where they have a decently athletic, somewhat coordinated center who's rolling to the rim all the time, like they all those guys get like twenty and ten just

by being out there. I think I think in general, Anthony Davis is poised to have a breakout season just by virtue of him playing in a four out one in system. As far as like forced feeding him. It makes a lot more sense to do it now in

this spacing than it did last year. There's a lot of this where it's like, oh, we gotta get a D going, we gotta get a d D go and throw it down to him on the block, and then you throw it down to him on the block and there'll be no space for him to operate and he'd take another crazy fade away and it just was like one of those things where it's like I talked about with Kuzma all the time, it's hard to get a rhythm when you're taking tough shots. You need to attack

your rhythm problem by getting higher quality shots. And I think I think a D is gonna get twenty and ten easy breezy just by being out there with Russe and Lebron, And then if you force feed him at all, he could be poised for an m v P type of season. You know, everyone thought last year that was what was going to happen. Lebron would take his foot off the gas, a D would step up, and it

didn't happen. This is the year that makes the most sense because of russ in the playmaking role, Lebron actually can take a step back. I really do think part of the reason why Lebron was an MVP candidate last year was out of necessity. I think he showed up to camp and I think he started playing and he saw Anthony Davis wasn't in it, and I think I think he saw like, oh, they need me to do everything again, you know what I mean? And so uh,

and I think that that's what he did. But well, I I actually think as he gets into the season, he's going to be able to coast in a way that he hasn't been able to in a really long time. And I if there was a year he may never do this, But if there was a year for Anthony Davis to stamp himself as one of those top tier guys, it's this one. This is the year where he can be the defensive player of the year as a five man and a guy who averages thirty three and sixteen

like MBID tried to last year. Uh, this this is the year to do that. And I'm really excited to see what he's got. Yeah. And again, like basketball is not like a here, let's do option one ten times and let's do option to ten times, right, Like it's a flow free flalling game, free flowing game. Um what I would like to see more. You don't have to like four speed E D because I think the Lakers offense this last few years has been a lot of like what mispatch do we want to attack and then

let's throw it into a D. In the post. People are begging for Lebron and a D pick and rolls, and the problem with that is, like usually the guy guarding Lebron usually kind of is good enough sized, respectfully to guard a D, so they'll just switch it. I would like to see a lot more like screen and roll like Russ. I think Russ is a perfect kind I thought it would be with Dennis Shouter. Dennis Shooter just could not score enough to like make that an

a D. Obviously it wasn't him. He doesn't pass well enough either. Just see that staff that he threw one lab to a D last year in total in the entire season. No wait one, there was one lb from Dennis Shooter to to Anthony Davis in the entire season. Russell Westbrook had something crazy, was like he played like twelve games with Daniel Gafford at the end of the year and had like eight or something I can't remember

the exact but Russ is an infinitely better passer than Dennis. Yeah, and Arruss is one of the best law passers in the game. To me, Like one of the things like I'm looking forward to, was like a Russ a D pick and roll with Lebron cutting from the corner, Like I think you're gonna get a lot of lops from that. Russ used to do that to Jeremy Grant a bunch, Like Jeremy gran would cut from the corner on a

Steven Adams picking and roll and get a bunch of lobs. Um. But yeah, like I would like to see a lot more screen and roll offense put into this, put in into our game. I think Russ can really kill with that, um having a screener like getting a D rolling he took he did a lot of Like he would set the screen and just stand at the free throw line or free throw line extended and take that little mid range jumper. And he's good at those at like a

respectable rate. But he's like a generational role man, like a guy who can get to the basket. But that's what I want to see. You don't have to make this like a Who's option one, Who's option two? But I mean, obviously Lebron is gonna be option you know, A A one, A two most of the nights. But like, I just want to see a D kind of get more screen roll game because I think they can do that now, especially if he starts to five like you're

predicting um, or even if Mark the Soul Stars. I think Mark is enough of a gravity kind of spacer to where you can make it, make it work a little more. But he has to be himself. He has to be Anthony Freak and Davis. He can't be you know, um flowing in and out of games, you know kind of And I don't think he will this year. I'm just saying, like that can't be it. Rust will let him. Russe will help with that too. By the way, that's very true. Yeah, Rust is a very much every night

kind of guy. Russ does not take you know, games like any game lightly so. But yeah, that's why I want to see him. The whose options one, Option two, option three I think are kind of side things to it, But I just want to see more a D screen and roll and I think they can do that this year. You you and well, I'll just hit this really quick

and then we'll get out of here. You bringing that up about the different positions in the way that it changes the way that the defense can even attack a pick and roll, that was really interesting and I'm glad you brought that up because you know you're going against their two biggest for defenders when you're playing Lebron and a D in his screen and roll, and you're right, they do usually switch it. It is extremely difficult to switch a Russ A D pick and roll because you're

getting to really different defenders involved. Um. Also, Lebron and Ndy, we're running a lot of pick and roll with the center on the floor, so you're basically playing two on three. Especially considering the centers they had last year, we're not great vertical threats. Um that that brought any spacing in that regard. So I thought that was a really good

point from you. And UH and yeah, I someone in our mentions here said, man, I just want the season to start, and I agree, and I'm very very excited. If there's one silver lining here, let's see, it is August six, the Lakers first preseason games, less than two months away, and UH training camp actually starts in the last few days of September, so we are very very close. And NBA season starting also means that Tucson gets less

absurdly hot, so I'm very excited for that myself. But Roger, I really appreciate you taking the time and going a little bit longer for us today. We will do over the summer at some point a full mail bag pod so we can get to more of these questions. Um. But as always, guys, we really appreciate your support. I'll be tweeting out the full length podcast for those of you who missed it here in just a little bit. I hope you have a great weekend and we will see you next week. Thanks everyone,