Lakers/Mavs Postgame Spaces

But this is the Austin Reeves game. I think I have to start there. And I'm gonna try some new things with this space. Uh and and might look a little weird. I'm gonna try to share some tweets in here and try to go over some place I saw. So if it looks kind of weird, I'm sorry, but I'm a kind of experiment a little bit. But Austin Reaves, Man,

what a game from the kid. It's been building this way right And Marion Vader, who for the Ringer, just wrote an amazing piece and I recommend everyone to go read that kind of shows where Austin comes from and everything. But man, to step up like this to defend the way he did. Every Bradley got bent Frost and Reeves probably was getting cooked by Jillian Brunson. Tonight he went

to Austin Reeves and Reeves stepped up. Brunson still was able to get to the basket a little bit, was still able to score, was still able to create, but his defense being at this level, and that's kind of where I'm gonna start with this in my notes, because it's just not normal. It's just not usual. And you know, he went undrafted, and I know the Pistons could have selected him, but he chose, but he still went undrafted. Right if the Pistons liked him so much, Austin Reaves

would be a Detroit Piston. They still let him get past get let let him get past him and come to us. And his defense is just absolutely incredible to watch. He has verticality on drives. His physicality still is in there. That's his one weakness, right, but he's just ahead super high basketball I Q on both ends, and you really saw it tonight. I thought the Mavericks trying to go

at him a little bit. Again, his body isn't there, but he's just in the right spots every single time, and it just looks like he connects with our big three, right. It just looks like it's a smooth transition. And his threes were going tonight. They said on the broadcast he's shooting like thirty one from three or something like that, and it doesn't feel that way just because of the type of shots he takes. We had like four threes I think in that first half really picked them up

when they needed it. He fits along rust right, he runs to the corner, he says, little pin screens. He just does all this stuff that you want from a guy that's playing next to three superstars. And you saw it tonight and they missed Taylan definitely defensively, but you just see kind of where he fits around. And I don't want to make this in Austin versus tailing thing, but he just did an awesome job. He was great

as a screen as right as well. Tonight he continued the let me see if I can kind of post this in here, but he continued his short role passing with with Lebron and let's see if I can get this video onto their Alright, we're gonna experiment this, uh, if you guys can see the tweet in the in the space es basically Austin working uh with Lebron in the short role as a screener and he's a great job rolling to the open space. And tonight he did

a nice job in the first half phase. More ms to lay up off of it, a d missed to lay up off of it. But there's just stuff that Austin does that's super basketball, a cute stuff that you just you just can't teach. Um. And I'm not sure people in there put a fire emoji if you can see the posts that I've posted in the Okay, all right,

I think I see it up there now. But if you see the play up there and people listening on dash radio tomorrow or on the podcast, um, the video up on the space is basically just Austin coming and setting screens for Broun and Austin rolling to the short role, which is where you don't roll all the way to the you roll to the open You rolled to the open spot and it just works really great with Lebron Lebron obviously the pastor, uh Rob being a great pastor. It just with okay, and then I'm gonna try to

share one more thing in here one second. Alright, Okay, maybe that's not working, but yeah, Austin's chemistry with with those three is absolutely undeniable. And I think his minutes is are going to continue to go up. Let me see how many minutes he played tonight. Yeah, so it doesn't show here, but I think he played around thirty minutes. He played both overtime. He played the full overtime, right, and it's just awesome to see a guy this young, undrafted,

uh play the role he did. Man, he's he's he beat out every Bradley tonight to close and it was just cool to see. Man. I'll talk more about Austin little bit, and I want to move to Wayne Ellington. Man, I've been hoping that he starts. I've been parading for him to start. And this is not the way that I wanted Wayne to start, right Like, this is not uh, this is not how I wanted. I wanted to be through a COVID situation right where he had to fill in because of guys out for for COVID. But he

was again, I thought he didn't make a shot. I believe until the fourth quarter he was over four. But there was just a bunch of good process stuff, right this RUSS got off to a good start tonight. I thought something I thought a lot of it was because we had the spacing. We had Avery Bradley, who's still a guy they don't guard, but we had Wayne Ellington running to corners and Russell was able to you know, attack one on one the in and out he will get to the rim, and he had a good start.

He was getting to the basket. And Wayne just allows us to run some actions that I think we just aren't able to do with anyone else. And I'm gonna try to share it in the in the space here really quickly. One of the players that I'm talking about, but just using a guy that has a type of gravity and it's why I've paint so much for him to start because I think and tonight I thought the reason we lost tonight was honestly offensively to me. And I'll get more into that a little bit later, but

let me see if I can share this into that. Okay, So if you see this, uh this post that I shared in the space and again for people listening on dash radio or on Spotify or Apple Music tonight or tomorrow, it's basically Ellington and a D in the corner right, and so it's an empty side corner, which means there's no one there except the two players who are running the action. And it's why it's a wide pinned down for Wayne Ellington and then run this a lot for th ht UM. They're on a lot for th HD.

They rent it and they rent it tonight for Wayne. And the difference with Wayne is he's such a shooter that the big has to kind of step up on it, right, And when the big steps up, he hits it with a little pocket past to a D. And that's just the kind of actions I'd like to see them run more, and as Wayne gets more comfortable with the team, and I hope you guys can see the tweet in the space, but it's just a little wide pinned down. It's not

something too complicated. It's just actions I would like them to run. Because in that second quarter we scored ten points, and that's we scored ten points with bron a D and Russ healthy, and that's just stuff that can happen. I think the reason we get on these offensive lolls as we go into isolation basketball, we go to non screen basketball, we try to post up a D post like we have offensive weapons that we can use. You can even throw Malik Monk into those kind of actions.

But it's why I've been pleading for Wayne to start for so long because I just think good shooters will eventually well, good shooters will eventually get going. We saw that tonight, right, Wayne was over four to start, He had a he had his first three and the fourth I believe he airballed one lay, but then he hit the hit the one to tie, like good shooters are eventually gonna hit yuh. And it's why I've kind of been uh begging for that is defense is never gonna

be great. They try to pick on him again tonight, but he fights right, And that's the that's the missing thing I think a lot a lot of times that we see is that guys like that are never really great. Because if Wayne Anton was a good defender, he's not on the minimum and he's not on the Lakers, right, And we look a lot at what a guy can't do, but this guy can legit shoot the ball. And I've

always said this, go look around the league what shooters cost. Right, And we joke Luke Arnard is a really good player. He's come into his own. He's at sixty four million for four years. Like that's what shooters with a little bit of a handle of costs. Well, Ellington doesn't have the handle of Luke Nard. But I believe you give Wayne Ellington enough movement shots like he can produce, that he can put up those kind of numbers. Four shots

to me in three quarters of play wasn't enough. And you saw him when he started to get jumpers up, when he started to get shots up. He saw him getting a rhythm again, hitting pocket passes and stuff like that. He's never gonna be great, but I just thought tonight it was something, uh, this team desperately needed. And he came up big, came up big, and overtime and he

just fits again. That Reeves, Uh, the Reeves Ellington kind of combo one us this game in my opinion, And the last thing on Ellington here, Sorry if I'm kind of rambling, but we won this game with the Ellington Lebron two man game like, that's what won this game. And I'm trying. I would try to get some more place here. It's kind of hard during the game to get them, but working this, working the kinks out of trying to share tweets and break it down at the

same time. But we won this game with an Allington Lebron two man game, and that's been a staple of Lebron James basketball for many, many years. We saw with k CP, right, we saw it with to a greater version with Kyrie. Like small small guards who are defended by smaller players, teams don't want to switch it, right, That's why Dallas kept trapping. So they had Trey Berg trying to hide on Wayne Allington. He comes and sets

the screen. Wayne Allington rolls out nicely. Wayne Alan has been setting these screens his whole career, right, because this is kind of what people do with shooters, said him as screeners, and he rolled off. They had to rotate ball moves, a d dunk, ball moves. Lebron comes down

and gets a gets an animal that he misses. But when you just have shooters that you can put in, that situation changes it, right, because if that's Avery Bradley sitting the screen, Dallas can trap and they're not going to rotate out to Avery Bradley, right because they don't mind him shooting or even when it's Russ sometimes and I would like to see more Russ Lebron pick and roll. They still don't rotate um, they don't rotate out to Russ in that same way and putting Russ. Russ had

a big three tonight as well. I want to give him credit for that kind of get into Russ a little more. But that's why I've been so big on Ellington starting. And it's not about Ellington, I guess, because Ellington is not a championship saving guy, right. And again the caveat tonight obviously is Luca Donches didn't play for the Dallas Maverick. So I'm not getting too excited about this win. But we're not really in position to be

like picky about wins either. And Jalen Brunson, I mean, if I just started watching basketball today, I'm not sure you could have told me there's another guy better than this guy. You know, Jalen Branton absolutely came through and and delivered for his team. He looked, he looked awesome. I think he was ten out of he was ten for twelve or something like that. Uh for until like the late third or the way that Chilean Brnson killed

us off pick and roll, but that's neither hard. Yeah, I mean, I I like the Wayne Allenton starting man, and I don't know if this is will stay. This is what we were sold at Media day though, right we were sold Wayne Ellington starting with Trevor Reza and Brown and a d at the four or five. And I think that just open things up for us so much. And we saw it late how Lebron was able to play two man game with the shooter and you know,

and that just looks so seamless. And then when you have Austin Reeves as well, being such a being such a great guy who can attack close out, it just fits so well. Austin makes passes that fit when you have a good offensive system around them. And again not to go back into Austin, but these are all kind of connected. And that's why I just want a shooter

in there. I don't think Lie Monk is gonna be that guy, which is why I've never really paid for that, uh six one guard who's not known for defense is just there's no way on a vocal team he was ever getting the starting nod. But Wayne Allenton I thought

could have a chance. And again tonight I didn't want this to be the situation where he starts just because of uh, COVID and hopefully those guys three people in in COVID protocols and all the all the people on the staff as well, Um, Phil Handy, I believe it's one of them. I hope they're all Okay, I hope they all you know, get get treatment or whatever they need to to come back healthy. But but yeah, it was. It was great to finally see Ellington with the starters,

and it's just a identity shift. Ellington is not this representation of a championship, you know, changing player. He just represents what this team I think needs in that starting lineup. Okay, So the next thing I kind of uh after when after Allington, the next thing I kind of want to get into is Russ because I wanted to bridge those kind of together. Russ started the game I thought really well, Um,

I thought his athleticism jumped off the page. You could just see it, right, you could see his burst there. And again with the starters, they weren't hitting shots great. It was still kind of it was still kind of ugly offense with Avery Bradley in the corners. But getting Russ off the good stars I think is important. I think him getting to the rim. I think him being able to attack early right, not playing a phone booth is so key for him. It gets him engaged as well.

And there's questionable shot selection and that's gonna stay with Russell Westbrook throughout this whole season. That's not going anywhere. But I think there's we saw we saw tonight. Just again it's it's all about process stuff for me, and we saw tonight what Russ works well with right, And I thought putting Russ next to Reeves and Allington, Rust does a lot of this where you'll just drive into

the paint like that's his only goal. Really, it's just to get in the paint because he knows two defenders are eventually going to show up, right, and once once he gets in the paint, he's able to kick it out and he wants to kick it out right. And you'll see this a lot and sometimes you'll get stuck. And I hated the Rust DeAndre Jordan minutes. Honestly, that's just I don't like that fit. I don't like that pairing. DeAndre Jordan fits an archetype and I get it. He's

a screen real big. I just don't like where he stands, like they'll rust, they'll run a Russ um a d pick and roll and sorry Russ DeAndre Jordan's pick and roll and DeAndre would just flash try to get you know, try to get a post touch or just stand in the way, and it just went. It just doesn't mean anything. Um So I just want to show this this next clip here in the in the space and so this is with Austin Reeves, and this is why I think

Reeves and and Russ as well works so well. So this play start and if you can't see it again people listening at home on the podcast, I'll kind of try to explain to play the best I can. So basically this is just Russ, you know, this is off the screen roll. It's with DJ, but he's trying to get in the pain. And Austin Reeves starts this play setting a pin screen and that's that's what the Lakers usually do um on a lot of players, but Austin

Reefs does this instinctually. He does it without it being called. So he's he's setting a pin screen in the corner there for Baysmore. But he realizes that Russ needs a passing lane, right, and this is stuff that you know you need around. You need guys who can kind of notice this stuff. A lot of players, what will happen is Russell get in the paint and he'll try to kick it out and there's two guys, there are three

guys there like this is. But Reeves able is able to rotate right, like he rotates to give Russ a passing angle. You can even see his arm kind of pull out there to kind of show Russ like, hey, I'm going I'm going out here to get a three. He gets to open three and hits it right. And that's just stuff that is instinctual with Austin Reeves and it fits around a guy like Russ who's main objective again on offense is just to put uh two ft

in the paint. And that kind of stuff, to me, is is so key to open things up for him, to get him going right too, to play into his style. And I think that's kind of what we have to lean to here. And again, sorry if I'm I'm rambling where just feels like I'm talking to myself, But that's just stuff we need to lean into to me this season and Reeves and Allington both represent that um in a way that a lot of players don't, and Reeves

obviously the defense makes it otherworldly. It's like this is a coming out party, honestly, Like this is just tonight was a coming out party. Four three is plus the game winning three Like there's no hiding anymore. There's too much tape on it now, like there's too much film room. You can go back and and watch and just show all the plays. And again it's hard to get plays while you're watching the game, So I'll try to do.

It's better in future pods, but there's just too much film where he helps, recovers, helps multiple efforts on the same play. And that's what this team desperately needs around around his superstars when it doesn't have that. And again, moving this on, because I think the main topic, at least from my mentions, and I think most people mentioned tonight was Anthony Davis right and eighty to me didn't look like himself. Um, it was again some lack of

engagement stuff. And I talked about this with Van at a lot where when he's at the center position, it looks like he holds himself back. Um, there's a lot of you know, trying to save himself, and he picked up two quick files, which I think, which I think hearted as well. It's tough to kind of say because the broadcast also was talking about something that I've I've kind of discussed, which you know, the numbers are all great for a D but there's just too many quarters.

I guess where it goes. And he's just too talented to me to not have an aggression that I would like to see. But there's also stuff we can do better for him. But let me I'll guess. I'll start with like what I wanna see from a D because I thought tonight, defensively, I thought he was still fine. Plus minus obviously isn't an amazing status flawed in its

ways in which every stat is. I think David's finished plus twenty one tonight, which if you told someone they would not have believed that, right, I think it was plus twenty one, Like that just doesn't match the film that you're watching. I think he does impact the games in ways that it's not as noticeable. Right, he had twelve rebounds tonight, um no offensive rebound, but the twelve

defensive rebounds tonight. He fought on the board six turnovers, which is gonna get you know, plastered on on every on every wall if they lost, especially tonight, I thought a lot of them were just out of rust, turnover rust, not rust, having rust from not playing the last few games. Um, I thought that's what it turnovers are. There's still a lack of aggression that I that I that I I don't like because I think a d is just too talented.

I think he has too much talent to go. I think he was like one for five a half time and the and the four mrs doesn't bother me. It's the five shots right, and Dallas trapped him on the catch as most teams do. And I'm still frustrated with the way we give a D post touches. Uh, Like tonight it was, you know, Lebron giving a DA post touch and then Russell Westbrook and Lebron kind of standing on the same area. So it's basically they trapped one pass away Reggie Bullock or whoever the next guy can

defend two. And I'll try to get a film of that, Uh next time we do spaces and stuff like that. But there's still stuff we can do a little better for him. But Yeah, there's just a I don't know, there's a lack of like, watch Westbrook come off of pick and roll right, watch when running when Westbrook's right right now every game rest has been right, but the Restrook comes out. It's high velocity, it's would choose, it's even if the even if the result isn't great. There's

a there's an aggressiveness. Aggressiveness to it. Um, it's what I'd like to see from a D as well. And he thinks he's getting fouled at the rim and he is. He's not getting calls. Um, that stuff that he kind of has to has to play through, and I think he will. A D is too good, you know, his career been he has, He has too long of a career history to show that he's eventually getting right. And

again he can sleep walking into twenty and twelve. The numbers are what they are, the paint points are what they are. But there's just stuff I'd like to see. And I think putting him in space is part of this and him learning how to you know, manage his body, manage the fouls because you could tell he's frustrated, right and it makes sense he's the main defensive cog, especially when Lebron you know, there was a lot of place tonight.

I've thought, you know, in that second when the second quarter started, that was my next kind of thing to move after a D well closing on a D because my mentions every time I tweeted tonight was what's wrong with a D? You know a lot of other um things that I won't say on the podcast that that people said, like eight is gonna find his rhythm eventually. But you know, blaming everything on him is not fair. I think there's okay to have a reasonable expectation of

your superstar. I think that's fair. I think there's stuff that he should obviously do better. Um, I don't think everything has to be occus to where it needs to be a perfect situation, like there's a give and take there. But you know, I think eighties eventually going to figure it out. It's just gonna it's gonna take some time. And he came back from an injury. You could tell again he wasn't himself. That was a lot of rust,

but he fought through it. Hit you know, hit a big shot late on parsoning is it was like a dribble through step back midrange pull up jumper, beautiful shot that you know it's in his bag. I guess, oh last thing on my note, Sorry if I'm sorry if I'm jumping around here. There's a play tonight where A D got the inbound. I wish I got the film of it. He was gonna give it to Russ, but I think Russ was like getting overplayed and he just

dribbled it up the floor. And then Russ came in said a step up screen, which based just a screen when when the guys dribbling up and eighty was able to, the guard had to make a decision, and eighty got to the got to the mid range, pulled up. The guard was leaning on him and he got fouled and drew fout. That was the only play tonight I believe for a D brought the ball up, you know, and to me like that like represents to me again, it's

not eighties fault. It's not the team's fault. It's just stuff that I see that I feel like we can adjust, like that stuff where A D is just too good, too talented to me to limit him into the role that we have him, which is into a straight up

post up guy. Or straight he's a great screen role player, but just straight screen and roll like, there's stuff I would like to see more where let a D bring the ball up, let him come up, let him in and out, dribble a big who's who's backpelling like, let him free him up to do some of that stuff. And he's never gonna be honest, right he doesn't have the like the body or the you know, the body of the honest where he just or defenders, bump off and like that. But to me is handled like should

be right there. Again, the thing about a D grew up as a guard right has all those guards skills, put them to use. There's no reason for a D to just be back to the basket big That plays right into his worst skills, right Like, it's just not into what he does well. So that's the last thing on a D. I think a D will um. I think a D will eventually figure it out as we go here. It's just we have to have some patience with him. I guess, um, I guess as as he tries to uh knock the rust off, and I think

he eventually will. We just have to we have to give him some time, Okay, I think the let me see the last thing I wanted to I guess talk about here. The team has won three games in a row, and it's not it hasn't at all been pretty um this team is. This team has given us a lot of up and downs and it's been annoying. But I think I'm starting to see some good process stuff here that we can build off of. I think the Austin

Reef stuff is real. I think him playing more minutes is going to happen, and I think that helps this team. And if we can get Trevor reesa backman. And I'm not trying to sound like some you know, just unrealistic optimists here because I watched I try to watch all

these games. I try to look at it from you know, unbiased, which is impossible to look at it from unbiased opinion, but try to look at things that we're doing well man, And tonight, like to me, if you know, Russ and Braun are going out the way they were, and Lebron was great. I even I don't think I even got to Lebron really tonight. I think Lebron just been consistent. Most people who fall on their agnicle like that don't don't even walk for like, you know, a couple of hours.

Let around, go back and do you know dunk Cotton tests while the ball is dead. But Lebron was. Lebron was awesome tonight. I just think there's process stuff and I want to give it some time. The trade request or you know, the trade rumors like those two those are two those two me are so far out of what this team is. And another just good process note tonight to me is like Austin Reeves needs to play like I love, you know, I think THHD is great. I think his defense is a big part. But Rous

is not that far off defensively. He doesn't have the physical tools, but his defense is right there. I think when the reason gets back as well, I don't think. I don't think Avery Bradley will be the starter. Like there's good process stuff that I'm seeing. We got Russell Lebron to come through. I believe in these last few games if we can just get a d to add to that. We were up thirty three to twenty three in the first quarter and just let it all go.

Lebron played the five in the second quarter. Lebron was not trying to rotate and I've always said, we can't play Lebron at the five if he's not if he's not engaged defensively, and I thought tonight he wasn't. Yeah, for a lot of this game, I thought that run they went on a fifteen run that second quarter. We had Lebron with all bad defenders that you know, to

give him credit like we had I think Ellington. I think we had Carmelo as well out there, but like, we just can't play small if all those guys aren't engaged. And I thought that brought it back and we're not. This isn't like a super happy when you know, the MAVs didn't have a superstar player tonight, an m VP candidate type guy Luca Donchers was on the bench. But I'm still seeing good process stuff from the team, and that's basically what I kind of want to keep it

at with this. It's been so negative, the talk around the team has been so negative, and I kind of wanted to, uh to lift the kind of spirit up, spirits up a little bit. I'm optimist in just my my general sense, but there's there's good process stuff here. So I think I've been going around half an hour. I'm going to try. I've been just rambling. It feels like I'm in front of like a class and talking.

Let me, I'll bring some people up here. Um, if you want to come up request, I'll try to bring up people for the for the final half hour here trying to come up man, and just gonna see me Jonathan, what's up? Man? It was fucking hear me. I can hear you. What's up? Bro? Much? Man? How you doing? Brother? Doing all right? Emotional game right? So I'm cool, man. I just want to touch basis on some of the points you made. Man. Hey, I see you learn how to pin the top two man trying, But yeah, I

think Wayne need more minutes. Man, that'll play. That stuck out to me. They had like a fast break two on one. He hustled back to like slap it out of bounce. Oh my, that right there, that's solidified. I don't know what Frank doing after that. Man, you gotta put him out there. Um, and the thing too. I want to took the A D thing. Man. I'm at the point where I think he don't want to play

the five. We just need to scrape that, get him at the four and do what you were saying as far as like letting them bring it up, like play it to letting him, you know, if he wants to play like he thinks he's youngest or you know, a three guard or whatever. I've seen a quote and I don't know if it was true, but it was about him saying he want to play the three more or something like that. I don't know if that was the true quote, but that was I don't think that was.

I kind of think he feels that way, bro, like we have to let him play like that, resident beating it to him in the post, because I don't you know, I don't know what that what's going on with that, Like you know what I mean, I don't think he wants to play the five like that. I think it's so he's saving himself or whatever. So we just gotta let a D B A D at this point, is

you know what I mean? Well, I mean, there's no think they're A D has been very clear about this, has been very clear that he doesn't want to play the five until it matters, right until the playoffs are in big games or whatever. But this team just can't survive that, Like they need him at center and they just don't need him at center. They need him engaged fully as the defensive Player of the Year candidate he is, and to his credit to me, he's been that on

defense a lot. It just doesn't look pretty all the time because defense isn't pretty right when you're fighting or you know, fighting for rebounds download like that's not fun. I'm sure a D is tired, especially when you have guards that aren't don't do that instinctually like Reeves is. That's why Realves should play. To me, is he's a guy that instinctually goes down and fights for rebounds and stuff like that. But our guards don't really do that. So it really leaves a D and and Lebron and

Russ to kind of shoulder a lot of that. And you could tell it's getting him fatigued as well. He looks tired earlier in games. He looks like he's resting on offense a lot of times. So you just you just see stuff like that. And and man, I've been preaching the way now and stuff forever now. I've been

preaching that he should start again. This is not the situation I wanted him to start, but this is, uh, this is kind of what I expected from it, just especially late game, right Lebron had someone who pass too, Like Lebron had a shooter to find um and I thought in a shooter to work two man game with and a shooter to just you know it was it was nice, man, It was. It was cool to see see uh, see him get minutes and see him come

through as well. Yeah, I agree, man, real stuffed up big man man reads that was that's a steal man that that's crazy that dude. But here Wayne, he gotta get more minutes. Man, it ain't evitable now push with the way everything is going. But yeah, a d is gonna coach man. And then another point, I was making some people to um, you brought up the reason and

returning right like I was telling somebody. I was telling them, I'm like, I'm not counting the reason to come say this season him or none, you know, come safe to see. But I look at a couple of things. We were fourth in the West right now right for like come on there, like as bad as just being we're right there. Two, we don't need a reason to come back and do too much, you know what I mean, we need them to come back. It's allows us it's the lineups, you know what I mean. It allows us to do what

we need to do. So yeah, I don't know. I mean, you know they were shorthanded, no, Luca, but we were turning a corner kind of I see for me or that's the way I think. You know, three wins in a row. I don't think we went through in a row all year. We had a I think we had a four game win trigger in the year. Yeah, I think so. Um, but yeah, you're right, we haven't been winning though. It's when we're five hundred teams. This is kind of what it what it looks like you just

win loss, win, loss, um. But yeah, good. It could be a stepping stone up man hoping. I feel that, man, But I'm only get out of her ride. Man. I appreciate you letting me come up and speak. Man, you know I'm always here, y'all. Keep anything you and Jason Man appreciate, appreciate you. All right, Let's see Joe are you there? Joke? Hear me? All right? I don't think Joe Desmond? What's up about? How's it going? See A

couple of things just golf. You know what you guys have been talking about um, yeah, you know you said we can't really you know, look at uglier are good winds are right now anymore? And I think I think that's good. You know, we just gotta it's good that we're beating the teams are supposed to be beating. And I think that's the first step. You know, it's starting off from the beginning of the year. You know, losing. Okay, see you losing to the Kings and you know, doing

all that stuff. You know, we should beat a Dallas team with you know, without Luca, we should obviously you know, be close to being in the even with Luca. So I mean, I'm happy for this point. I'm happy for the three. Get whittis shriek at this point. I mean, just getting confident, um with winning, getting confidence with closing lineups, getting confidence with Wayne Allanton and you know Austin Reeve's confidence right now is I mean it's gonna be. It's

gonna be, you know, out the roof right now. I mean he's making playing really good defense, making shots um making passes that passed to Russ when he dripple left in that one hand, left handed past, I mean that's a lebroad past that buzz routies wouldn't be making So I mean, he's doing really good. And then I guess my next comment on on Frank, I mean, it's gonna be interested what he does when th HT comes back. I mean that last game when he rolled out th HT Lebron russ a d and uh, I forgot who

the other person was, Avery Bradley. I mean that's just setting up for failures because I mean, you're you can literally have every defender with the foot in the paint and they're they're they're okay with whatever happens. So I'm I think I'm with you guys being aids got to start or rings just gotta start. Somebody has to start to where we feel some type of confidence going into our half court offense, fast break offense, whatever we're I think everybody feels good about that, but we were going

to have court. We can't just have those that that that offense out there. And I'm a, uh, let you guys talk about that. Yeah, man, No, I agree with everything you're kind of saying. Reeves just fits right, and it's passing is there is legit and it's not like passing where you just give him the ball and haven't run after actions. But he knows what to do when the defense is closing out right, and he did a

lot of that late as well. He doesn't get you know, he doesn't get stifled by you know, late game pressure or anything. He just understands how to play and it fits so seamless with Lebron. And I said this, you know, if you pods ago, it's no coincidence to me that him and Lebron have instant chemistry. It was no coincidence that Crusoe and Lebron have instant chemistry. Lebron connects with

super high basketball like you guys. And it's not saying that other guys don't have great basketball like you, but it's just it's just different. When you can see how

those two kind of can play off each other. It's funny Lebron had to play tonight where you try to hit Austin in transition, so like it was a fast break and uh, he threw Austin a bounce pass where I think Austin, you know, didn't didn't expect it because it's Lebron James in a in a freight train right coming down with the one on one advantage and Lebron's like, why don't you expect the pass? You see Austin like, well, you're right at the rim. I thought you would shoot it.

So it's just funny to see their kind of relationship grow and and with Vogel Man. Vogel's got a lot of craft for the season. Like, I get it, I understand it. The lineups have them been great. The avor Bradley starting is just it is a just a representation of Vogel values, right, and every badly shoots enough jumpers that the efficiencies and great, but he shoots enough threes where you can kind of sell it Thhd again, the defensive potential along with the offensive ceiling. You kind of

get it. But this team has a strict identity. I think that it needs to kind of move to and I think Vogel is starting to do that. Again, there's no easy answers here. I don't think any of these decisions are, you know, easy. I've always said that, um, it's going to be trial and error, and maybe the trials take a little longer than you want. Right, the errors have been We've seen a lot of errors and

the trials have been the same. But it's starting to go up in my opinion, wins over Okay, seeing the magic, you know, that's not great. This Dallas team was playing better. They came in I think with a two game win streak. Uh. They beat the Hornets, who are you know, a pretty pretty good team. They beat them on the road by a lot. They're a solid team to me, even without Luca, they just play a solid They're not a good team, but they play solid basketball. So it's good to get

this win. And where we can't be picky, but Den and I appreciate you coming up my guy. Yeah and shout out to the getting back to the top ten and defense. Yeah, absolutely, Joe, it's going on. Yeah, I'm here.

Sorry about the poor connection first time. Hey, um, one of the things I notice towards the end of that, you know, the fourth quarter and over time, I noticed where and I don't know if Dallas's defense dictated it, but you saw where when they would inbound the ball, I thought Braun would just bring it up, but he would you know, constantly give it, you know, handed off

the russ Um. Do you see that as him just trying to get Russ going or was it just dallas Is defense that dictated Braun doing that because I got nervous once Russ got the ball in his hand late in the you know, late in the quarter. But to his credit, you know, he didn't jack up at three. He you know, penetrated the inside and keep that pass out. But man, I'm I just I'm always watching Lebron and how he operates, and I'm just wondering if he saw that as a game to kind of build some trust

and confidence in Russ with your with your idea on that. Yeah, I mean, Dallas was definitely trapping Lebron on any kind of screen roll, and I think it's taxing for Lebron to be the guy who attacks every possession. You're right, he tried. He did try to give a couple of possessions to Russ. Russ are you know, frustrating at time player, But I mean I think when you kind of understand him, he's just trying to get to the rim and that's his, you know, main prerogative, and then try to find players

outside of that. And sometimes in crunch time that looks ugly right field drive and it's like there's no help that was created and it's a turnover. But I thought Russ was pretty solid tonight, Like just overall, him and Lebron are starting to kind of build more and more chemistry upon transition. You see it a lot those two coming off the fast break, like that's that's what this team is supposed to do. Man, I thought we played

way too slow as well. In the fourth quarter, those players are talking about where Lebron and Russ kind of take turns, like we're playing too slow. This team needs to run, and we're so different when we're running. But yeah, some of that, I'm not sure if Lebron is trying to just give the ball to Rust, but I think they try to share ball handling duties. They're both shock creator guys. But when it mattered, I thought Lebron took the reins like it was Ellington Lebron two man game.

When this game mattered, when they needed baskets, it was him and Ellington's screen role. Uh, they played out of that, And I thought that's something again, another just tick on good process stuff that we can use because I think this team begs for it, especially with you know, a d at the struggling that he is, like just having a guy that creates an advantage in that way. And then again Austin reeves with the uh coming out party tonight,

but his his game just overall fits that identity. But yeah, I thought I thought Russ was good though tonight I thought he I thought he created advantage. Um, I thought we missed a lot of open shots off his office advantage and he pushing in transition. I thought, is what got us up, you know, ten points in that first quarter. So I thought he was I thought he was good tonight. But he had some late turnovers for sure, But they're working it out. Like I think Lebron and Russ and

a D. Stuff needs to needs time. And this is what Lebron's seventeenth game I think of the season. Um, eighties missed the last few, so the big three has probably played like fifteen or fourteen games together. So like this, it's gonna an time. But I thought we're seeing good process stuff in them. Yeah, and um, you know last thing, I'm just sitting here watching the Clippers in the in the Jazz and man, I'll tell you what. The Clippers small lineup is just carving up Utah and Utah. It

looks like that full strength. So I just think we need to stay with what we're doing, man, But um, I'm starting to feel really good about the Lakers. Man. We just gotta get it together. Man. Yeah, they've lost the benefit doubt, right, So it's just like it's like game the game type of stuff. But yeah, you don't want to lose the bigger picture in that. Like again, they lost benefit the doubt to say that they're moving upwards and stuff, but that's just an optimist. I'm hoping

they are. I see process stuff every game that kind of tells me that there's a good team in here. It's just gonna take a lot of trial and air to find it. Um, But you know, when you play Carmelo Anthony, I don't know how many minutes Carmelo Anthony played tonight. Um, let's see if I can try to check that, Uh yeah, twenty four minutes for comment Carmelo Anthony, Like,

I'd probably like him in the in the fifteen minute range. Like, but it just that's just stuff with I hope when our team is healthy, like we have some better defenders and again Trevor Reasa putting our prayers and that it's probably unfair, but it's just kind of the stuff I'm seeing this that we can hopefully flip again when Kendrick Nun gets back as well, Austin Reaves being added to the rotation now as a legit two way a guy like that stuff. I'm hoping, uh lens for better success

in the future. But Joe, I appreciate you man coming up. Hey, thanks, Rod, appreciate Uh. Penny Penny Are you there, Penny Penny Hardaway? Yeah? Can you hear me, I can hear you whatever. Hey, Hey, Roch, how you doing. I just want you to know I listen to you and Jason a lot. I appreciate the pot um listen to you guys like real glass half empty type of guys when it comes to the Lakers, and I'm kind of the opposite, you know, I'm kind of just believing in them just because of Lebron wanted anything.

I kind of want to hear your opinion on just the end of game execution, like a d misses that three in the corner, and then in like um the two miss air balls by Bran then we live and die by Russell hitting that shot, then cleveblood history three

because of a defensive breakdown. I just kind of want to hear your appearing on those situations and more of like when is it when is like we stopped kind of depending on what's gonna happen, and more of like the reality of the team, you know what I'm saying, Like I don't know what to really expect because playoff times, you know, you talk about how bad spacing games and playoff comes and like it's a different game. The the um riffs, so I litter whistles the floor strings even

more space and can get worse. I don't know if I really believe in rest when it comes playoff time. You see how he plays during the playoffs. I just kind of get your oppeion on all those things. Yeah, man, those are all like million dollars questions, you know, like

that's all stuff that a season is supposed to work out. Um. And I thought, you know, late game tonight, Lebron definitely took some like uh, you know, long threes or you know, like backbreaking threes where if it goes in, like it changes the whole momentum, but it misses it's it's like a bad shot, right, It's like one of those no, no, no yes type of shots. Took some of those. I thought we saw some late games stuff that we can go forward. Like I thought, the two man game between

Ellington and Lebron is something that we'll see. It's stuff that Lebron. It's a staple right of Lebron's you know, Lebron's career. He loves those guard to guard to guard screens. It gets him the worst defender. It's mismatch hunting, which is what playoff basketball is all about. Lakers a run the playoffs fourteen months ago, it doesn't feel like you're fifteen months ago, and losing track of time doesn't feel

like it. But go watch those games and again they're this roster is different, but the ideologies of the offense and the coaches the same, right, Like a lot of those are similar. Um to where you kind of look where we use we use ball screens with KCP. Now we're using ball screens for Wayne Ellington. Like that's all kind of stuff that I see late game, and I

trust Lebron as well. Lebron is not the reason that I you know, I don't think I'm glass half empty, but but Lebron is not the reason that I kind of feel that way. I think there's a lot of stuff that this team has to build too. I think there's a lot of stuff where our coach and our actual identity is kind of still kind of a pull him uh, pulling away from each other at times. But I think they are going They're getting closer and closer

every game. Like I thought tonight, again we went a D at the five, and I think that's what where we're best. And I think our defense was enough to win tonight. Honestly, I thought our offense was the issue. And again that's what you're talking about with the late game offense and that stuff that has to get worked out. We have to find where. I think Russ is starting to find little places like you saw Russ finding out where to cut right, and he's starting to become better

as a cutter. He's starting to find places where to where to find open lanes when Lebron's posted and they you know, they zone up on Lebron and he finds ways to kind of cut in and that stuff you will see build. But those are definitely in question marks, Like Russ is not a shooter, and you have to put him in places where it works. I think a D has to become at least some kind of shooter for this team to get to the ceiling and needs to um and right now he's just can't hit a

jump shot. But that's all stuff. I think our legitimate questions that that they'll work out. But I think Lebron two man game with a guard that can shoot, like those are all stuff you can use. And I thought tonight that's something we saw. That's that's good process hopefully going forward, going forward after you play more games here, all right, thank you? All right, just get to a let see if I can get to a few more here, Caleb, are you there? Yeah, you can hear me. I can

hear you. What's going on? Bro Um? I just kind of wanted to ask about, um, how to better utilize a D specifically when it comes to him offensively, like every time, like we saw this starting with like the Bulls game, and like other teams have done it afterwards,

like he's getting doubled on the catch. So like I'm just wondering, like, what are better ways that we can like utilize them in the offense, because like like Um after the first quarter, they were like, yeah, we want to get any out of rhythm, which seems to be you know a point of a lot of these teams defenses, so like, what's the what's the good way that we can get it involved. Yeah, so the Lakers first play almost every game without fail, and again it was tonight

that they just didn't run any action. They just went to a straight a D post up, and to me, like those are kind of not wasted possessions, but like they just don't put a D in any kind of situation. So again the MAVs, it was I think Lebron throwing the post entry and it's like Russ and Lebron standing next to each other, So two guys can guard one, right, you have like Reggie Bullet guarding both of them. Adie gets doubled right away, kicks it out. I think the ballstone.

I think a Bradley hit a three, UM, but again they were closing out late because it's Avery Bradley, so like it broadly hits the three. The defense kind of feels like they did what they could. UM. I just think like a D has put in a lot of positions where we play him as he is a center, but we play him as if his skill set is

only a center. And some of this is also on a D to be more aggressive, and I think the player you know, holds some kind of responsibility, but I think like high screen role is probably where he should use be used best. I'd like him though, and I said this earlier, I like, I'd like him to get

more ball handling stuff. I think it's like because Adie gets to rebound and he just right away looks for a guard to give the to give the past two, and I feel like he's too skilled, Like if Adi gets rebound like I want him to, like, I want to open stuff up, get him more like eight. You can push the basketball, like you can dribble like you know you're not some you know, slow footed big, You're not Steven Adams. Steven Adams takes three dribbles and the

ball is gone right some guard has stolen it. I feel like a D has more skills than that. We don't use him in that way, but that's one way I think more screen roll. I think russ adies. We do weird things where like we'll have a D at the five with all shooters, but then we'll put like I saw tonight, like bays Moore in the dunker spot where dunkers was like right under the rim, which is confusing.

We do weird stuff like that. But yeah, I think just more screen and roll, getting him more touches on the move, getting him facing up more against Biggs, Like I think that works to his advantage, giving the ball with the with his back turned like that's just not playing into his hands. You can see when he gets doubled, he's he reads, he reads the floor like second slower. And that's fine. I mean, he's so great at other

things that it's fine. He's not a great pastor out of double teams and stuff, but it's just stuff that I would like to see more. I'd like to see him catch more with the ball facing the basket. I'd like to see him get more touches as a guy who can bring the ball up with more ball handling duties and stuff like that. But you know, this is the offense kind of we run and it's not pretty, but that's kind of what they're doing right now. But I think there's just so much more to eighties game.

And again, he sleep walking to like twenty and twelve, so the numbers have still been amazing. He's still dominating the pain all that stuff. I just think there's more to it. But yeah, that's kind of what I would do and these are not easy stuff. This is not like I'm sure Vogel has his as his points about what he does, and I'm sure Adie has a way that he likes to play as well. But I just think Ade is more talented than we use him for. Thank you. I'm gonna close this one out. I appreciate

everyone coming out here on a Wednesday night. This was a big win. Not big win, but a fun win. At least we got an Austin Reaves game winner, Austin Reaves coming out party. Uh. Hopefully we get a couple more Fune ones. The Lakers play him in a to on Friday. I'll be back. I'll be back for that one. But again, thanks for everyone for coming in and tuning in to this one. This will be up on dash Radio tomorrow. This will be up on the podcast feeds

pretty soon. I hope everyone has a great night and happy Holidays to everyone here.